ã€ŠSummoners War: Only I Summoned Divine Beastsã€‹


 Chapter 1: Summoning

    <h4>Chapter 1: Summoning</h4>

    "What the hell is this ending? Why is it an open ending? He should have gone for the harem. All girls are good. If he can''t choose one, he should have gone for everyone! This is disappointing, and my day is ruined now!" Nathan tossed his phone to his bed, only to find the phone''s edge bouncing several times on the bed until it crashed into the wall.

    Nathan''s heart skipped a beat. His day would be even worse if his screen cracked.

    "No!" Nathan rushed to the bed to check, only to get his chin hit the wooden frame.

    "Ouch! You¡ª" Nathan hurriedly clutched his right shin, his eyes closing due to the throbbing pain.

    But due to him raising his right leg, he lost his bnce. His left foot skipped a few times to counterbnce it, but his pinky toe bumped against the front leg of the bed. "You Mo¡ª"

    Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes as he ended up losing his bnce.

    He tried his best to open his eyes, ncing at the spot where he would fall. However, his expectation betrayed him again as the only thing he saw was the sharp pointed edge of his wooden table.

    There was only one thought in his mind.

    ''Why am I so unlucky?''

    He closed his eyes as if he epted his fate. However, the supposed darkness from closing his eyes was reced by a blinding white light.

    "W-What?!" Nathan was so disturbed by the light that he took several steps back.

    Around him stood multiple men and women, who looked like they were in their fifteen or sixteen.

    "What is his summon?"

    "Wait. Look at that!"

    "Above his head."

    Nathan felt unfamiliar with their words, but weirdly enough he could understand them. Now that he thought about it, his head felt so heavy.

    When he got out of his initial shock, his pupils rolled up trying to see what was above his head.

    To his surprise, a wolf head covered in white fur tilted its head down, staring at him with his golden eyes.

    "A wolf cub?" Nathan muttered.

    Before he could react,ughter suddenly resounded from the left.

    "Hahahahaha! It''s actually a beast? What is this? A failure among failures? You can''t even summon a goblin?"

    Nathan waspletely clueless about what was actually going on. His forehead was supposed to hit that sharp edge, but when he recalled it, there was an excruciating pain not only from his forehead but from all parts of his head.

    "Khhh!" Nathan clutched his head while gritting his teeth. "Aaaagggghhh!"

    "That guy is insane now. Hahahaha."

    Nathan looked left and right before rushing to the door.

    "He must be crying in tears. What a pathetic loser!" The unknown guy kept mocking him this whole time.

    However, Nathan couldn''t be bothered with it. After all, the stinging pain actually came with a lot of images in his mind. It was the story of a farmer boy who came to the capital city to attend the academy.

    Nathan simply searched for the toilet, ignoring the construction of the hall he had never seen before in his life.

    As soon as he reached the toilet, he just hid in the corner and closed the door.

    "Aggghhh!" Nathan tried to endure such agonizing pain for five minutes.

    "Ha... Ha..." He panted heavily; his eyes were blurry. "What? What happened?"

    "It seems that you are done," a heavy voice echoed from above his head.

    "Huh?" Nathan instinctively raised his head as a small wolf cub jumped off his head,nding smoothly on the ground.

    "Who¡ª!" Nathan felt like he was hallucinating as he saw a blue screen appearing out of thin air.

    Name: Fenrir

    Level: 1

    Race: Celestial Wolf

    Quality: Basic (Low)

    "Why can I see the name of a wolf from Norse mythology?" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Instead of me, you should focus on yourself."

    "And it can speak?"

    "Just shut up for a minute and see what you got in your head!" Fenrir opened its mouth, showing its fangs as if he was trying to threaten Nathan.

    Nathan wanted to speak but ended up calming down. As Fenrir said, when he saw the memories that entered his mind, the entire picture became clearer.

    He, Nathan, was the son of a farmer called Ethan. One day, a man noticed that he had magical power inside his body called Ena. As a result, he was sent to the capital city to receive an education in the Famous Summoner Academy Frexia.

    Three hundred years ago, this world was invaded by mysterious beings. Despite their valiant efforts, the humans were losing against them.

    However, these mysterious beings were also bringing another thing to this world. It was called Ena. When humanity was on the brink of defeat, people awakened a power that could summon beings from another world.

    For some reason, the summoned creatures were all humanoid creatures. The one known for being the lowest was none other than a goblin. There were some strong summoned creatures, such as werewolves, elves, or even dwarves.

    Still, it was said that the top summoners in this world were known to have summoned archangels or even divine beings.

    After reviewing all the memories he had, Nathan began to calm down. He raised his head and asked, "Does this mean I''ve transmigrated to another world? No. By the way you spoke, you should have realized this fact as well."

    "It seems that you''re not an idiot." Fenrir nodded. "Indeed, but what I got was just a glimpse of the world you were in. The rest was the knowledge your current body had."

    "In that case, why would I summon you?" Nathan felt this was wrong. If all summoned creatures were supposed to be humanoid, why would he summon a divine beast?

    "Isn''t it because of you?"

    "Me?" Nathan was bewildered. He contemted for a second before gasping. "Wait. Do you mean because I came to this world?"

    "That''s the only reason I can think of." Fenrir harrumphed.

    "I guess because of his identity, he doesn''t have a lot of knowledge about this summoner thing. And what is this academy? ording to the memory, I seem to be taking an admission test. It''s split into two: the summoner awakening, which allows them to summon a creature from another world, and the written test.

    "From the looks of it, unless I do something special, they won''t take me in. But if I want to learn more about this world, I need to be in this academy. In that case, the written test is my only way, except for the fact that I''m just a farmer. I know nothing.

    "If I have summoned amazing beings, I would be let in even if I don''t do anything in the written test. Hmm, what should I do now?"

    Fenrir looked a bit surprised. When Nathan calmed down, he noticed that he was more reasonable to talk to. Still, there was one thing that needed to be corrected. "What do you mean you don''t summon an amazing being? I''m the divine beast Fenrir!"

    "What do you mean an amazing being?" Nathan stood up while pumping his fists. "This is it. This is the romance! In this world where you can summon other beings, isn''t it a perfect chance to create a harem? Elf, vampire, or even an angel?!"

    Fenrir''s eyes twitched. He took back his praises. "You horny brat! Those are just temporary. Do you want me to bite you?" As he said those words, he pounced Nathan with his mouth wide open.

    "Aaahhhh! Stop it, you stupid dog with anger issue."

    "I am a wolf!"

 Chapter 2: Interest

    <h4>Chapter 2: Interest</h4>

    The teacher was standing in front of the vice principal of the school while sweating. For some reason, the vice principal had been staring at a single paper for thest twenty minutes.

    She was so absorbed that he felt something crazy would happen if he distracted her.

    After another ten minutes, she raised her head, asking, "Johan. Who is this kid?"

    "May I know who you''re speaking of, vice principal?"

    "This student called Nathan."

    The teacher raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He is a farmer from the countryside. His body has a trace of Ena, so the one who spots him brings him to the capital city to take the test in the academy."

    "A farmer? You seem to know him. I don''t see you looking at the student''s details." The way Johan spoke piqued her interest.

    "He made a quite big impact after all... not in a good way though."

    "Hoh? What did he do?"

    "He summoned an animal." The teacher looked away. Even he didn''t know how to react when he saw an animaling out.

    "An animal? As in my original summon?"

    "No. A pure animal."

    The vice principal became even more curious. "Take him to see me."

    The teacher looked shocked. He couldn''t help but wonder what kind of trick that student used to pique the vice principal''s curiosity. At the same time, he had to ask about the fate of the other students.

    "How about the other students? This year, we have a few interesting students this time. From the most renowned family in vampire creatures, the princess of Duke Ashton, Selena Ashton.

    "The sessor of the cksmith Guild, August Reeves. The Second Prince of the Liaystian Kingdom, known for his high Ena, Rudeus Viti Liaystian."

    The vice principal snapped her fingers. All of a sudden, an elf appeared next to her. She had long silver hair and a simr outfit as the vice principal as though she had gotten used to living in this world.

    "Alisha."

    "Give me a second." She smiled. She scanned the papers of all students and started giving points to each of them. It didn''t take more than five minutes to grade all the students. "I''m done."

    "Thank you."

    "No worries. Call me anytime." She winked before disappearing into thin air.

    "Here you go." The vice principal handed the paper to Johan. "This is the grade. However, wait until I meet this kid."

    "Is there something wrong with this kid?"

    "Mhmm. I will have a talk with him first before deciding whether to let him remain as a normal farmer or not."

    The decision baffled him, but he had no choice but to agree. "I understand. I''ll bring him to you."

    ...

    Meanwhile, Nathan was sitting on a bench, away from other students. Fenrir was sitting next to him.

    "So, do you think you can get enrolled here?" Fenrir asked.

    "I don''t know. I''ve done my best, but I don''t know if it will work or not." Nathan shrugged. "I wonder what kind of work we can do outside. Does this world have an adventurer guild? That''s the starting pack of an isekai."

    "Ise¡ªwhat? Your words confused me."

    "Well, just think of it being summoned to another world by a god or goddesses."

    "I wonder how strong they are. Can I fight them?"

    "Now that I think about it, I can''t help but wonder what kind of knowledge you have in your head. For example, do you know that you are only one legend among many others?"

    "Do you mean there are other divine beasts and gods and goddesses?" Fenrir''s eyes brightened.

    "Why do you look like you want to fight them?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. "Besides, I want to summon another one. Preferably a woman!"

    "What if you end up summoning another divine bea¡ªMmff!" Fenrir widened his eyes as his mouth was shut by two fingers.

    "Shut up! Don''t you jinx it, stupid dog!" Nathan red at him.

    Fenrir slipped away from him and bit his hand. "How dare you stop me from speaking, you horny brat! Besides, I''m a wolf!"

    "Aaaaaggghhh! It''s human abuse!" Nathan was struggling to break free. Despite his anger, the bite wasn''t that powerful. It seemed that Fenrir controlled his strength well. That was why he was also acting casually toward him.

    While they were arguing, Nathan couldn''t help but catch a glimpse of the female student seated next to him earlier.

    "Mhmm?"

    "What?" Fenrir stopped for a second before getting annoyed again. "I thought, what could catch your attention? It turned out to be a woman. Are you going to confess to her right away?"

    "t rejection is what I''ll get. Besides, look at her."

    "What? I can''t see anything different between her and other females."

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just look at her cold and aloof atmosphere, her beautiful appearance, and her indifference toward others, this girl has a heroine quality."

    "You always talk as if we are inside a book. Have you ever imagined yourself getting injured or getting one of your limbs chopped off? This is your reality right now. Staying in this academy means that you will experience a lot of hardships."

    "I know that." Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "I can''t even hold the pain of getting hit in the shin or having your pinky toe bump against a bed''s front leg, so I can''t imagine what it feels like to get cut or shot. That''s why I want to stay in this academy, learning more about it step by step so that I can survive in this world."

    "Hmph. You are pretty reasonable if we get rid of that annoying side of yours. Just get stronger. If you are strong enough, you can get any woman you want." Fenrir harrumphed.

    "Right? Isn''t that the main driving factor? It''s said that if you have a driving factor, you can improve much faster."

    Looking at Nathan''s smug face made Fenrir want to bite him again. Unfortunately, he didn''t have the chance as the teacher actually came to him.

    "Student Nathan. Please follow me to talk about your admission."

    Nathan and Fenrir couldn''t help but smile inwardly. They knew that the fish had taken the bait.

 Chapter 3: The Power of Bullshit

    <h4>Chapter 3: The Power of Bullshit</h4>

    Nathan entered the vice principal''s room. Even he didn''t expect to meet such a high-ranking person in this academy.

    But more importantly, he was able to witness the person who took care of the academy, and she didn''t disappoint.

    The vice principal had a rather slender figure that was barely visible from the contour of the robe. Her eyes were filled with wisdom, giving a different type of charm. She gave a weird pressure that made Nathan feel a bit nervous.

    Meanwhile, the vice principal took a glimpse of the animal that Jason was talking about, which made her even more curious.

    "So you are student Nathan, the one who is said to summon an animal instead of a humanoid creature..." The vice principal squinted her eyes, giving a sense of oppression.

    Nathan took a deep breath as if he were trying to calm his heart down. "Yes."

    The vice principal showed his paper. "The reason I call you is regarding your answers. It seems that you have a rather unique perspective."

    Nathan couldn''t deny it since he came not from this world. Besides, his knowledge was limited as well. He had prepared a reply for this remark. "I didn''t know much, so I just wrote things I could think of from all the knowledge I currently had. I was just desperate."

    "Desperate, huh? Could I ask you some questions to verify this was your thought? I couldn''t help but doubt because it felt like your answers came from someone who studied this field for more than twenty years."

    "I understand." Nathan still showed a sign of nervousness. On the one hand, there wasn''t any confirmation yet that he had been epted. On the other hand, he had to act nervous since that was how a farmer would act if he met a high-ranking person.

    "How about this first question? It doesn''t seem that you don''t have any basic knowledge about Ena." The vice principal came to him. "To have more than one summoned creature, you need to have more Ena."

    The vice principal came with a candle and a knife. "This knife represents the amount of Ena that you have in your body. If you summon a creature, it''s the same as sacrificing that amount of Ena forever so that the summoned creature can stay in this world for as long as you are alive."

    The vice principal chopped off half of the candle in one go. "That''s why the first summoned creature will be the most important because it can determine the amount of Ena in your body.

    "I''m not saying that it''s the end for you if you don''t have a powerful summoned creature, but to increase Ena, you need resources. Without any background, you can only rely on yourself to get that resource.

    "With a weak summoned creature, going for that resource is basically suicide.

    "Anyway, the stronger the summoned creatures you summon, the more Ena you sacrifice. In other words, you need to increase your Ena a lot before summoning your second creature so that the one getting summoned will be stronger.

    "The first question is asking about your thoughts about how much Ena you need to sacrifice. The other students in your ss are giving estimates from 0.5 times of your original Ena to 100 times. However, your answer is making a generalization of the summoned creatures. Why do you think so?"

    "!!!" Johan was quite surprised by the answer. If he were the student, he would give the same answer as other students.

    Meanwhile, Nathan actually said, "I think that your exnation has just confirmed my answer."

    "Hoh? borate."

    "If we need more Ena to summon a more powerful creature, it means that a certain creature requires a certain amount of Ena. If we can generalize the amount of Ena required to summon a certain creature, won''t it give a higher chance for the summoner to call that creature?

    "If that''s the case, measuring Ena urately will be very important, especially if it''s in number. For example, if we buy a wooden spoon for one copper coin, we can buy silverware for one silver coin. The measurement of money is urate, which reflects in quality," exined Nathan.

    Meanwhile, his heart was beating rapidly as he was screaming inwardly, ''Hell yeah, I''m going to say every bit of rubbish I have in mind.''

    However, it was actually pretty effective, judging from the vice principal''s expression. Jason was behind him, so he couldn''t see his stunned face.

    "An urate measurement device..." The vice principal looked down for a moment before sheughed. "Hahahaha!"

    Nathan was confused about her reaction. Jason couldn''t help but whisper, "The vice principal sets four questions based on her research. The first question is among them."

    "Ah." Nathan understood why sheughed.

    ''This woman actually believed all the gibberishes he came up with?'' Fenrir was dumbfounded as he remembered Nathan saying, ''We fake it until we make it.'' He never thought it would be the case.

    The vice principal decided to change her approach. She turned to Jason and said, "I''m done confirming it. Post the result."

    "What about him?" Jason asked.

    "He will enroll in this academy."

    Jason nodded. Even he thought that if the other answers were simr to what he heard, it wouldn''t be wrong for him to join. If he somehow didn''t be a good summoner, his way of thinking might result in one or two major breakthroughs in this field. "I''ll take care of it immediately."

    "T-Thank you very much." Nathan hurriedly thanked her since this meant he could stay in a safe ce for a while.

    However, the vice principal had another surprise for him.

    As soon as Jason exited the room, the vice principal walked to Nathan. "I''m the vice principal of this academy, Vivian Lorelei."

    "I am Nathan."

    She just smiled. While extending her hand, she asked, "Nathan. Do you want to be a student of mine?"

    "Student?" Nathan looked shocked, wondering if this was a dream or not.

    Even Fenrir couldn''t contain his bewilderment. ''Did this guy just get her to protect him just from writing some bullshit?''

 Chapter 4: Three Things

    <h4>Chapter 4: Three Things</h4>

    "It''s the teacher."

    "He is bringing a big scroll."

    "That must be the result!"

    The students had been gathering in the hall to know about their result. Some of them were already sure about their result and went home earlier, while most of the students remained just to make sure about it.

    Jason posted the result on the board before walking out of the room.

    The students immediately rushed to the board to find their names.

    One student fell on his knees out of happiness. "Oh! I got epted!"

    "Why? I have done my best!" Another one was leaving in tears.

    Out of a total of 130 people, only 86 people were epted.

    Jason nced at them for a bit. He didn''t care about their excitement since he had seen the most ridiculous thing he could find in this enrollment. Who would have thought that a student who he thought wouldn''t pass end up bing the vice principal''s student?

    However, there was one person that caught his eye. It was the blond-haired guy that kept insulting Nathan.

    ''That guy should be nobility, if I remember correctly. Is his father the lord of the territory that governs thend where Nathan came from? Maybe I should keep an eye on him,'' thought Jason while walking away. The only reason he didn''t think much of it was because of the smug smile he had, as if he only cared about his own result, not Nathan''s, so he thought the friction between them was small.

    Meanwhile, Nathan was facing a task that was much more problematic than he originally thought. It was studying.

    He thought that he would be reading books. Even though he wouldn''t enjoy it, he had read a lot of novels, so he could bear reading study books.

    But what he didn''t expect was his teacher actually teaching him directly.

    She was actually sitting on the table in front of him while crossing her legs while fixing her sses.

    ''This is torture.'' Nathan shifted his gaze away, not knowing where to look.

    "You must be tired from all the tests. All students will have to spend their nights in their dorms, but that''s only after their enrollment. You can go to your dorm right now, but since there is one week before the official enrollment, you will live with me. Understood?"

    Nathan nodded.

    "But before that, I''ll tell you three things about the summoners." Vivian raised three fingers. "First of all, we don''t call summoned creatures as it is. We have to respect them as well and call them either as familiars or their names.

    "Secondly, as I have exined earlier, to summon a familiar, you need Ena. However, that''s not only the requirement. To a certain extent, we''re able to summon a familiar that we want by using it.

    "This is what we call ''Sacrifice.'' For example, using a tree as a sacrifice and doing the summoning ritual inside a forest will give you a higher chance to summon an elf, a druid, or any other being living inside the forest.

    "However, the first summon is different. We can''t use a sacrifice because our body is the sacrifice for the first summon, which ultimately turns our body into a full-fledged summoner. Well, you may call it a beacon for other familiars to respond to our call. That''s why it''s a good measurement to check their talent from their first summon.

    "Last but not least, even though your summons will be handling most of the battles, you have to learn some martial arts so that you can at least protect yourself. During this one week, I''ll have my familiar teach you hand-to-handbat. If you can endure it and keep working hard, I believe that you will be a great summoner."

    Nathan nodded. "Can I ask a question, Teacher?"

    "Ask away."

    "How many familiars can one have? And what will happen if they somehow die?"

    Vivian had expected the first question, but she never thought Nathan had considered the second one.

    "There is no limit to how many familiars you can have. In the end, it''s rted to how much Ena you have in your body. Remember my first lesson earlier?"

    "Yes."

    "Everyone has their own style of summoner they envision of. There is a scary man in the north that can summon a million skeletons. There is a beast summoner in the east who fights alongside his familiar, who happens to be a draconian, abination of both a human and a dragon. There is a great man in the central in that has the support of an Archangel."

    "I see." Nathan contemted for a moment. "Does that mean even if we''re fighting someone, it will only be against their strongest familiar? Can''t they summon the others?"

    "They can, but in the end, if the power gap is too big, it simply makes no difference."

    "But can''t the familiars just get stronger?"

    "The process will simply require a lot of resources. Do you know why they receive our call?"

    Nathan shook his head.

    "Some are going because of goodwill, but some are here for the chance to be stronger. It''s moreplicated, so I''ll teach youter."

    "I understand." Nathan waved his hands, implying that she could teach him when she had time.

    "As for what will happen if they die, your connection will be lost forever and the Ena you''ve sacrificed won''t return to you. At the same time, there is no proof that they are dying as well. There''s a possibility that they simply return to their world without any chance of going back."

    "Oh!" Nathan nodded. It would be sad if they couldn''t meet their partner anymore, but in the end, they were not the beings of this world.

    "For now, read these two books." She handed over a rather thin book. It didn''t seem to be more than a hundred pages, which he believed he could finish within a week. "Alisha."

    A wind swirled next to Vivian. As it dispersed, an elven figure made her appearance.

    "Bring him back to the mansion... No, buy him some clothes first."

    "Sure." Alisha responded with a smile. She approached Nathan and extended her hand. "Let''s go."

    Nathan nodded as she led him outside. Fenrir, who had been staying this whole time, couldn''t help but think, ''This guy must be thinking how lucky he is.''

 Chapter 5: Unexpected Incident

    <h4>Chapter 5: Unexpected Incident</h4>

    "Alisha... Sorry, is it appropriate to call you by your name?" Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    "You can call me or other familiars by our names unless there''s an agreement between you and the said familiar." Alisha exined. Her voice sounded soothing.

    "Is that so? Then, Alisha. Is there a marriage between a human and a familiar?" Nathan asked.

    "There are. It''s just that there won''t be any child due to the difference in our races."

    "Oh!" Nathan didn''t know whether he had to be disappointed or not. He looked away while exining, "Sorry, it must be an inappropriate question. I couldn''t help but ask it when I saw such a beautiful woman."

    "Fufu, thank you." Alisha chuckled, somehow the atmosphere brightening around her. "Still, I''m surprised that Mistress Vivian chose to get a disciple. There are numerous people who want to be her disciples, but she has never epted anyone. Of course, this is apliment. You must have a quality that she treasures dearly. Please don''t look down on yourself. At the same time, don''t be toocent. If you want others to respect you, you have to earn it. It''s not given just because you''re Mistress Vivian''s student. Understood?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded with a solemn expression. "In that case, do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?"

    "Sure. I''ll answer it to the best of my ability."

    Nathan started asking a few trivial questions. He couldn''t be too direct and gave away his identity as a transmigrator. At the same time, he was gradually learning about this world.

    ...

    In the school''s main entrance, Selena Ashton was reading a book underneath a tree. She was the same student who ended up sitting next to Nathan during the test.

    Her focus was on the book when all of a sudden, a familiar voice distracted her.

    "So that''s how it is."

    She couldn''t help but raise her head, looking at the source of that voice and finding Nathan walking with an elf.

    ''Is that the person who summoned a wolf during the test?'' She asked inwardly, her face remaining expressionless. ''But the one walking with him is an elf.''

    She couldn''t help but remember what happened a while ago. She was waiting for the test result in this same spot, so she witnessed how the teacher actually came to Nathan and brought him somewhere.

    To her surprise, the same student suddenly came out with an elf. What was it supposed to mean?

    ''Did he manage to enroll in this academy? If his talent is bad, does that mean he is smart enough to be enrolled?''

    As they passed by, she couldn''t help but overhear their conversation.

    "By the way, what is your familiar''s quality?"

    "Quality?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. He could only think of one thing, which Alisha confirmed.

    "Yep. Once you be a summoner, you should be able to see a blue screen giving information about your own familiars. There should be name, level, race, and quality."

    "Oh! Can you exin it a bit more about them?"

    "Let''s see. Name and race should be obvious, and we only need them for record. However, level is meant for us to be stronger. Mistress should have told you about the reason why we heed your calls, right?"

    "Yes. It''s to be stronger. How do you even increase your level?"

    "It''s by defeating an enemy and absorbing their core. Half of the world is currently upied by aliens. These aliens, while weird, have cores inside of them. It''s filled with Ena. By absorbing the ena inside that core, we''re able to increase our level.

    "The second way is to evolve. Take me as an example. I can be a high elf as an evolution. This is what the mistress mentioned earlier regarding requiring a huge amount of resources."

    "So cores are for levels while evolution is for race?"

    "Yes. You''re smart." She smiled. "As for thest one, Quality. It''s basically the talent measurement for familiars. It''s divided into four categories. They are Basic, Good, Excellent, and Perfect, which are further divided into low, mid, and high tiers. The higher the quality, the more efficient they are in absorbing the cores."

    "Hmm..." Nathan looked down, contemting. ''Fenrir is a divine beast, but right now, he has the lowest quality. Does that mean Fenrir is not the one I know? Does Fenrir have to evolve? Wait. If it''s all rted to the amount of Ena, can I sacrifice more Ena for Fenrir? Will he grow stronger that way?''

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "Alisha. Is it possible if I sacrifice more Ena for a familiar? Will it grow stronger?"

    "That''s a good question. The theory shows a possibility, but no one has ever seeded yet."

    "Is that so?" Nathan looked dejected. It might not work, but it might be different for Fenrir since he was a divine beast instead of a humanoid familiar. "Well, he has low-tier basic quality."

    "Ah!" Alisha smiled wryly. "I believe that you will grow stronger."

    "Thank you." Nathan smiled back. He added inwardly, ''Well, he is a divine beast, so I believe I''ll get stronger. Besides, I have gotten a safe ce for my early development. Since this is my new reality, I''ll be bold but careful at the same time. I don''t want to die in a stupid way again.

    ''Let''s see. Based on my experiences in reading novels, the academy arc will usually start with a practical lesson, bullying from upperssmen, or a brain-rot young master syndrome challenge.''

    Nathan had to prepare for those three possibilities within a week, while hoping he wouldn''t be the target.

    That was what he thought until Alisha''s expression turned grim.

    "!!!" Alisha turned her head to the academy''s gate, finding more than twenty people suddenly barging into the academy. Each of them was covered in ck, leaving only their eyes.

    "Stop!" The guards summoned their familiars, which were an orc and a kobold.

    However, both the guards and their rtives were suddenly shed by several people, instantly killing them.

    "Students in sight!"

    "Capture them!"

    Alisha stepped forth as if trying to cover Nathan. She noticed a spider mark on the neck of one of them. "Stand back. They are terrorists."

    Nathan was taken aback, his heart felt like it stopped for a second. Just after thinking that the situation would be calm for one week, it turned out everything began with a terrorist attack.

    ''I almost forgot that not a single day has passed. This is my unluckiest day, isn''t it?''

 Chapter 6: Terrorist Attack

    <h4>Chapter 6: Terrorist Attack</h4>

    There were a lot of questions in his mind, but the priority remained. They needed to deal with this terrorist in one way or another.

    "Fenrir."

    Fenrir hopped on top of Nathan''s head to get a better view. "22 people, only 10 of them are humans."

    "You can speak?" Alisha was startled for a second before shaking her head. "That doesn''t matter. Can you identify them? Find all the humans!"

    Fenrir smirked and inhaled as much air as possible and held it on his belly. After that, he let out a cute roar befitting his current form.

    "Waaf!"

    Despite such a cute roar, Alisha''s felt an intense killing intent that made her feel like she was just a prey before him.

    "Those who don''t stop are humans!"

    "!!!" Alisha snapped back, realizing that precisely ten people continued moving as if they werepletely unaffected by it.

    With a wave of her hand, a strong gale flowed toward four terrorists: two humans and two familiars.

    The two familiars were sping their hands. The left side formed a wall made of rock, while the other one created a curtain of water.

    The rock managed to block the galepletely, but the water curtain got pushed back, albeit didn''tpletely crumble.

    However, this was just a distraction. A bow appeared out of thin air as she aimed at the human that these two familiars protected.

    The moment she released her arrow, it flew so fast that it created a small shock wave behind it. The arrow pierced through the curtain of water and disintegrated the human''s head.

    As if realizing her power, two other familiars halted their steps. A firebird flew off the hand of one of them. Meanwhile, the other familiar rushed with an axe.

    Alisha pped her hand as a burst of wind expanded in all directions, neutralizing the firebird. However, the muscr familiar closed the gap between them and swung his big axe.

    She extended her hand to the axe, forming a swirling wind that the axe couldn''t cut.

    "!!!" The muscr familiar was shocked, never expecting that there would be such a strong familiar right at the front gate.

    However, there were still several people around the main gate.

    "Kyaaa!"

    "Help!"

    Two students screamed from the right side, which slightly distracted her. She had to save them, but at the same time, she had to protect Nathan.

    The situation went from bad to worse the moment she sensed a sh on the opposite side.

    "Blood Spear."

    ''That''s the girl from the Ashton family.'' Alisha bit her lips. She waved her other hand, trying to hit the muscr familiar with her bow, but to no avail. The muscr familiar blocked it with its big arm, stopping herpletely.

    Meanwhile, Selena was getting attacked by a familiar. She had summoned her own familiar, who happened to be a woman with bat wings on her back.

    Three spears made of blood floated around her as she shot them one by one to stop the familiar charge.

    This unknown familiar was as big as the one that attacked Alisha, but there was a pair of bull horns on top of its head, which couldn''t bepletely covered.

    The blood spears hit the charging familiar as thetter smashed it one by one, gradually closing the gap between them.

    The vampire''s eyes turned bloodshot as it waved both hands at the same time. All of a sudden, a tornado appeared on each hand, pinching the familiar from two sides.

    The familiar actually caught the blood tornadoes with its bare hands.

    "!!!" The vampire tried to apply more pressure, but the enemy was the one gaining an upper hand.

    At the same time, there was a man''s voice echoing from behind them. "Got you, little girl!"

    The vampire was distracted by that voice since it must be the enemy. Now that she lost control over her tornadoes, the enemy familiar ripped apart the blood tornadoes.

    "Moo!" The familiar charged at full speed. At the same time, the enemy human grabbed Selena from behind.

    "Let go of me!" Selena struggled as she was being dragged away.

    "Selena!" The vampire turned around, only to find Nathaning from the side and punching the guy in the face. On the opposite side, Fenrir had pounced on the familiar and bit the tack of the familiar''s neck before tearing it with his sharp teeth.

    The blood spurted off from the back of its neck as the familiar fell down.

    The vampire wanted to take down the human, but Nathan pointed his finger at the muscr familiar that kept Alisha in check. "Help her!"

    The vampire hesitated for a second, but Nathan looked at her with a sincere gaze as if telling her that Selena would be fine.

    Alisha noticed that both the man and the familiar didn''t manage to react to their attacks as if everything went ording to their n. It was as if these two were waiting for the right time where the enemies didn''t suspect an attack to take them down.

    Alisha chose to trust Nathan this time and turned around, pointing her palm at the muscr familiar.

    Multiple bats made of blood emerged from her palm and flew toward the muscr familiar. They bit the muscr familiar, which caused him to get distracted a little bit.

    Seeing the gap in his defense, Alisha spun her body and sent a back kick on the familiar''s stomach. The wind burst out the moment of impact, pushing the familiar back.

    With such a distance, Alisha turned around and aimed her arrow at whatever the enemy left around Nathan, only to find him pointing his finger at the girls that were about to be kidnapped by the terrorists.

    Alisha hurriedly turned around and shot one of the terrorists. When she was about to take down the second one, the muscr familiar approached her again.

    This time, she didn''t fight alone. Two blood tornadoes flew toward the muscr familiar. It didn''t push him back like Alisha''s kick, but it forced the familiar to halt and block them.

    As a result, Alisha managed to shoot the second terrorist, saving the two girls. After that, she formed an arrow with more Ena than the previous shots, aiming it at the muscr familiar.

    Out of desperation, the muscr familiar pushed its axe to the very limit, breaking free from the blood tornadoes. After that, he shed downwards to chop the arrow that came straight to his head.

    To his surprise, the arrow actually curved as if avoiding the axe. It then returned to its original trajectory and obliterated the head.

    Even though she had neutralized the immediate threat, Alisha immediately turned around and saw the human terrorist trying to beat Nathan from behind.

    The vampire was taken aback, wanting to help but toote. Selena didn''t even realize what was currently happening.

    There was Ena gathered in that fist, so Nathan would definitely be heavily injured if that fist hit him. Yet Nathan just smiled.

    "You are a clever brat... if you are normal." Fenrir''s voice echoed as he leaped into the air and snapped the human''s neck with his powerful jaws.

 Chapter 7: Defeating the Terrorists

    <h4>Chapter 7: Defeating the Terrorists</h4>

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Jason asked coldly while holding two heads in his hands.

    A galloping sound of a horse resounded from the side as a centaur came while swinging his de swiftly, slicing the two humans that were trying to escape from Jason.

    On the left side of the entrance, a group of guards came to reinforce.

    "Kill those who resist. Apprehend the rest!" A guard shouted as he had his werewolf pinning down a terrorist on the ground.

    The other guards followed the instruction and worked together to take the enemies down.

    On the other side, giant roots emerged from the ground and captured three of the terrorists. The one controlling them was an elderly druid.

    "It seems they are fine, Mistress." He nced at Vivian, who was staring at the academy''s entrance from the roof.

    "Yeah." Vivian closed her eyes. "It seems that he is more extraordinary than I originally thought."

    "You look so happy, Mistress. I suppose I should say congrattions..."

    Vivian responded with a smile.

    ...

    "Haaa..." Nathan let out a long sigh, his face turning pale. Even though he had expected this kind of oue, the foul blood smell and the horrendous state of the corpse made him want to vomit.

    "Are you alright, Nathan?" Alisha immediately checked on him after seeing there were no more threats around. Even the ones she didn''t have time to kill had already moved further in.

    "Yes, I''m fine. Are you sure you don''t need to chase them?"

    "Your safety is my current priority. The threat here has been neutralized, so I assume that the rest will be taken down by the school''s personnel."

    "I see." Nathan fell on his butt with a tired expression. Once he knew they were safe, all adrenaline left his body. "Who are they?"

    "I''m assuming Chaotic Cat Terrorists. They are terrorists who are kidnapping people who have just be summoners to brainwash and train them as their own. Because it''s still a holiday, they must try to take advantage of the situation to kidnap the new students. It never happens whenever the principal is in the school. It seems that they know that the principal is away and attack us."

    "I see. Why would humans attack each other when they havemon enemies?" Nathan let out a long sigh.

    Alisha couldn''t answer that question. Instead, she turned to Selena and the vampire. "Miss Selena and her familiar, I''d like to express my gratitude for helping me earlier."

    "No. I didn''t do anything." Selena shook her head. She nced at Nathan. Never in her wildest dream would she imagine that a farmer, who was said to have worse talent than even the worst student, would be the one saving her.

    Even the vampire thought the same. If not for Nathan''s instruction, they wouldn''t achieve such a swift battle.

    "What are we supposed to do now? Should we stay here until it''s safe?" Nathan asked.

    "That''s probably for the best." Alisha agreed. "If you don''t mind, pleasee with me."

    Nathan nodded as he dragged his body up. He wished toy down on his bed to get some rest. He simply had experienced so much before he could have a peaceful time to sort of his thoughts after this transmigration.

    Alisha guided them along with the other two girls to the school building, which was the safe ce. After that, she politely bowed to them before leading Nathan to the empty cafeteria.

    While walking, she couldn''t help but say, "Good work."

    "I was simply desperate." Nathan shook his head helplessly. He didn''t have time to prepare for his first battle, so the aftermath was quite a surprise even for him.

    "No. I mean, good work for holding out." Alisha brought him a cup of water. "It''s fine now if you want to let it out."

    "Ah!" Nathan was embarrassed. "I''m fine now."

    "Fufu." Alisha smiled gently, assuring him that it was fine. After confirming that Nathan felt rxed, she turned to Fenrir. "You are a powerful wolf. Howe you only have basic quality?"

    "Isn''t it because he is too weak?" Fenrir harrumphed, ming Nathan for everything that happened.

    "What did you say?" Nathan red at him. If his talent was to summon a divine being, it meant that he could summon a goddess instead of getting stuck with a furry. "You are ming everything on me when you''re the one who is unreliable?"

    "Say what? You wouldn''t be here if I didn''t protect you earlier!"

    "Everything went ording to my n! And you merely followed it!"

    "Give me back the rational human, not this annoying one!" Fenrir jumped to Nathan.

    "Aaaahhh. This is human abuse!"

    "Fufu." Alisha couldn''t help but chuckle watching their quarrel. Even though Fenrir was strong and intelligent, he still trusted his contractor and followed his n. At the same time, Nathan might not be strong, but he was bold and smart enough to solve the problem.

    They looked so perfect as a duo in her eyes.

    "I''m sure that you both will get stronger." Alisha smiled. If she was just trying to be nice and cheer for him earlier, she definitely said it from the bottom of her heart this time. Their performances convinced her that they would reach a high level.

    "It seems that you are more capable than I thought, my dear student." Vivian''s voice suddenly echoed.

    Nathan was startled while Alisha bowed to her. "Mistress."

    "I was simply desperate." Nathan smiled wryly.

    "Not many students could remain calm in your situation. Yet, you managed to view everything carefully and give instructions to solve the problem." Vivian summoned the old druid and said, "You should go back. He will apany you guys."

    There was a pair of red eyes staring at them from the corner of the hallway. She was none other than Selena.

    Her curiosity got the better of her as she chose to follow them, never thinking that she would be finding such a sight.

    ''Isn''t that the vice principal? The one who is known as the Forest Queen? What did she say earlier? Dear student? Is he the student of the Forest Queen? But how? If it''s not his talent, does this mean he is smart enough that the Forest Queen takes him as her student?''

 Chapter 8: Soul Contract

    <h4>Chapter 8: Soul Contract</h4>

    "Ha... Finally..." Nathanid down on the bed, burying his face in the sheet. "Today is so tiring."

    "It seems that you have thought about your future n." Fenrir leaped onto the bed.

    "Not really."

    "I''m not talking about that." Fenrir''s tone became soft. "I''m talking about your decision to stay in this world."

    "Mhmm..." Nathan fell silent for a moment, his eyes were glistening. "This world is much more dangerous, and I can die at any time. Meanwhile, on Earth... I was abused by my family, and reading novels was just me trying to escape from all those pains."

    Fenrir could feel his pain a little bit.

    "I know that I''m not the smartest or the brightest. I might make a lot of mistakes along the way. However, I''m not nning to go down quietly." Nathan extended his hand. "I don''t know what you feel about me, but I''ll be relying on you a lot, Fenrir."

    Fenrir looked at his hand for a moment before saying, "You better not die. I want to reach the peak and fight those so-called gods and goddesses. Those weird aliens are probably good opponents as well."

    Nathan smiled. "Now that I think about it, you are right. This world allows the summoners to summon humanoid creatures such as Draconians and Archangels. If you think about it, I don''t think there is a single human, right?"

    "Is there something wrong about it?" Fenrir tilted his head in confusion.

    "I''m talking about the possibilities that Gods and Goddesses who, while not humans, are still humanoid, such as the man with a jackal''s head, Anubis. There are a lot of mythologies on Earth. Maybe even that Archangel is also among them. In other words, what they can summon is not limited to fantasy beings but also legendary beings."

    "Either way, I can fight them. I want to test my might against all those powerful beings."

    "That sounds like you." Nathan smiled. "By the way, what can you do in your current form? Can you grow stronger?"

    "I''m about to test it. How about sitting first? I want to test if you can sacrifice more Ena.."

    "The familiars in this world can''t because they''re trying to be stronger, not regain their strength!" Nathan understood the difference between them.

    "Yes."

    "What am I supposed to do?"

    "I''ve been manipting this link between us for a while and noticed something. Well, I''m also inspired by what you said earlier about measuring Ena with numbers. When Ie here, I believe I only take half of your Ena. I''m thinking about getting a bit more."

    "How do you do that?"

    "This is just spection, but you might be able to do it. Something that can only be done by two familiars."

    "Two familiars?" Nathan''s body shook.

    "Haven''t you thought about that possibility as well?" Fenrir grinned. "Why did you take over this body? How was it even possible? And why would it happen right in his awakening?"

    Nathan''s face turned grim. "The familiar that the original Nathan was supposed to summon was me. For some reason, I ended up ''killing him'' and taking over his body. And because we were in the middle of the awakening, I summoned you."

    Fenrir smirked. "I can''t sense the original Nathan anymore, but it doesn''t change the fact that you are also a familiar that is inhabiting a body. This might be your true power... you can harness the power of familiar and summoner at the same time."

    Nathan sucked a cold breath. "In that case, what exactly is my ability as a familiar?"

    "That''s why I was quiet most of the time. I was searching how to see that... and that was where I figured out two things." Fenrir pointed his paw at the mirror. "Can''t you see your own quality as familiar if you see yourself in the mirror?"

    "!!!" Nathan rushed to the dressing table and saw himself in the mirror. As Fenrir expected, he could actually see his own information.

    Name: Nathan Reckmoon.

    Level: 1

    Race: Human

    Quality: Basic (High)

    "Ahahaha. This is ridiculous." Nathan dropped to the chair. "Then again, this might be the only exnation. This contract you''re talking about... What does it do?"

    "Before that, why don''t you check your ability as a familiar first? Close your eyes and concentrate your focus on your mind. You should be able to see something in that darkness."

    "Mhmm?" Nathan followed his instruction. To his surprise, he indeed saw something.

    Skill: Soul Contract

    There was only a single line, but it actually became the answer to all his doubts.

    Why would hee to this world? Why would he take over the original Nathan''s body? What if everything was due to this ability?

    ''Soul Contract. What if the price of the contract was the original Nathan body? But why do I not remember it? Is the contract stating that I should lose my memory about it as well? In that case, what kind of thing have I agreed to?''

    "Can you see it?" Fenrir asked.

    "I can see one skill," replied Nathan while pinching the bridge of his nose.

    "I have a lot of skills. For whatever reason, it names all my abilities. However, most of them are sealed. This is my reason for believing that I can actually do this. I only have four weak abilities."

    Nathan looked at Fenrir and said, "It might be possible. My ability is Soul Contract. I can''t exin it, but somehow I feel like I can use it. It''s weird."

    "As expected, you are the one who can probably make it true." Fenrir extended his paw. "Let''s test it. I''ll offer you one of my skills, Deadly w, in exchange for 30% of your remaining Ena."

    "Are you sure about this? If you lose one of four abilities, it''ll be a huge blow."

    "In exchange, you can utilize my ability. If you get stronger and fight together with me, it''ll be even better. Besides, if this contract really works, it means that I can grow through that contract, unlocking more abilities."

    Since Fenrir had made his resolve, Nathan closed his eyes, concentrating. After a few seconds, he extended his palm and muttered, "Soul Contract!"

    Suddenly, a golden scroll manifested out of thin air, gradually rolling down. Words appeared one after another.

    Contract:

    Fenrir is to offer his skill ''Deadly w'' to Nathan Reckmoon. Nathan Reckmoon will give 30% of his Ena.

    "This contract shall be signed by the two parties." Nathan muttered while pointing his thumb at Fenrir as if asking him to cut it.

    Fenrir scratched until it bled.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, but he endured the pain. He then pressed it on the contract.

    Fenrir did the same and signed it with his paw.

    Now that the contract had been signed by the two parties, the contract burst into me as blue particles leaked out of their bodies.

 Chapter 9: Training

    <h4>Chapter 9: Training</h4>

    "Huu..." Nathan inhaled deeply. Just like his ''Soul Contract,'' this ''Deadly w'' didn''t have any exnation either. However, if he had to do it, he felt like he could unleash this power.

    Meanwhile, Fenrir noticed that his Ena increased drastically as if the amount of Ena transferred from Nathan multiplied. It seemed that this method really worked.

    Nathan saw both Fenrir''s excitement and status.

    Name: Fenrir

    Level: 13

    Race: Celestial Wolf

    Quality: Basic (Mid)

    Fenrir stared at Nathan, whoter confirmed. "It works."

    "It seems that we have found a unique path to get stronger." Fenrir grinned.

    "Yeah. I might have to be careful though. If I give too much Ena to the point I barely have enough Ena to use a skill, it''ll be dangerous for me."

    "I know that. It will be better if we have the tool to measure Ena urately."

    "True. Looking at how happy my teacher is, she is probably on the verge of sess."

    "We can only wait until she finishes then." Fenrir nodded in agreement. Fenrir was the one extending his paw this time, reminding Nathan about earlier. "I''ll be counting on you. I want to fight a lot."

    He still felt a lot of things were missing in the theory of him getting summoned here, but there were a lot of things he had to do, such as finding out the content of the contract he had with the original Nathan or simply living to the fullest in this world.

    Nevertheless, he knew one thing. He couldn''t achieve it alone, so he extended his hand, bumping his fist to Fenrir''s. "I''m counting on you, Fenrir."

    "Me too."

    They acted casual and believed each other previously, but they confirmed it this time.

    "By the way, don''t forget to prioritize me and not focus on future women, even if you summon one in the future."

    "..." There was an awkward silence for a moment before Nathan vaguely agreed. "En."

    "Oi!" Fenrir gnashed his teeth. "You horny brat!"

    "What do you mean? We don''t have a contract about that!"

    "I''m going to bite yours off so that you don''t have to think about it anymore in the future."

    "I''ll pluck every fur and tooth you have before neutering you if you dare to do that, you stupid dog!"

    "I''m a wolf!"

    ...

    Nathan picked up the book to learn more about summoners. Although Fenrir didn''t admit it, he also read the book so that he could get stronger. He realized that he might be able to get even stronger if he created stronger abilities if hebined it with the knowledge of this world or from other familiars.

    Hence, both of them focused on studying.

    The next morning, Vivian called Nathan and Fenrir to the backyard. It was a nice and t backyard with a big empty field in the middle. It seemed that Vivian used it for sparring from time to time.

    Vivian asked, "Do you have any preferred weapons?"

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought.

    ''A weapon, huh? Should I go for the sword? Is it too cliche? Should I go for a spear or something unusual like wires? But this is my new reality. If I can''t learn it, I might die. I have Deadly w right now. I don''t know what I will get from my future familiars, but I do know I will be fighting with Fenrir for a while. Should I go for a glove or gauntlet that allows me to use Deadly w?''

    After some consideration, Nathan exined, "I''m not sure. To be honest, I saw Alisha fighting with a bow yesterday. At the same time, it seemed that she could fight barehanded as well."

    "So you don''t need a weapon? Well, it''s true that manipting Ena can give you a power simr to a good weapon, but we also have dwarven cksmiths that can create weapons surpassing that. I guess it''s better to have a weapon. How about gloves? They are not thick, but they can be durable enough to withstand a weapon.

    "However, it also means that you need good control over your Ena. The school should be teaching it, so I won''t burden you with so many tasks at once. If you have any questions, you can ask me for extra lessons. How''s that?"

    "Sounds good."

    "Great. If it''s hand-to-handbat, I guess I''ll have to change your instructor." She contemted for a moment before Alisha appeared next to her, asking, "How about I do it, Mistress?"

    "You will do it?" Vivian looked surprised.

    "I''ve taken a liking to the young master." Alisha smiled.

    "You even call him ''young master'' now. It seems that you''ve recognized him." Vivian scratched the back of her head.

    "Oh!" Nathan''s expression brightened. Getting trained by such a gentle, bright, and mature elder sister was a reward for him.

    "Alright. You can do it." Vivian sighed. After seeing how enthusiastic Nathan became, she had no choice but to leave it to Alisha. "Wait a bit here."

    Vivian returned to the mansion and came out two minutester, tossing a pair of ck gloves. They were thin, but Nathan noticed the springiness of the material, which would absorb some impact. There seemed to be an additional metal liner that could block sharp weapons as well.

    When he wore it and made a gripping motion, his movement was a bit restricted, but not something he couldn''t handle.

    Alisha said, "For now, the best way to improve is to attack you until you get used to it, especially stopping you from blinking when an attackes. It''s basically useless to teach you martial arts if you end up closing your eyes."

    "I understand." Nathan thought he would be learning some cool martial arts, but this was the reality. He had to start with his foundation.

    Alisha walked to the middle of the field while exining, "Let''s see. For the next week, we''ll focus on your basics. You and Fenrir will be fighting me and trying tost for more than fifteen minutes."

    Nathan nodded. "I''ll be learning a lot from you, Alisha."

    Little did Nathan know that he was going to regret having Alisha as his teacher because behind that gentle and mature smile was...

 Chapter 10: A Spar

    <h4>Chapter 10: A Spar</h4>

    [Bonus Chapter]

    "Fifteen minutes." Nathan muttered.

    "You may start at any time you want." Alisha remained still.

    Nathan took a deep breath, trying to find his rhythm. Fenrir also prepared himself. His current form wasn''t enough to deal with Alisha, so he had to get serious.

    However, there was one miscalction that anyone could make regarding Nathan. It was the fact they never expected that his first move was to turn around and run.

    Yes, he was running away.

    "!!!" All of them widened their eyes in disbelief. Did he just run away?

    Alisha said he needed tost for fifteen minutes. In that case, the best way to achieve it was to run.

    "Where are you going?" Alisha hurriedly chased after him.

    "When fighting against an opponent much stronger than me, it''s better to run away!" Nathan shouted without turning back.

    "Hahahahaha!" Vivian wasughing out loud. As she expected, Nathan''s way of thinking was surely different.

    "Wait. You can''t run away! Your assignment is to fight me!" Alisha wanted to use her power to speed up, but Nathan surprised her again by stopping.

    "What? So I can''t run away?"

    "Yes. We''ll be polishing your hand-to-handbat, so we have to fight. Running away is indeed the correct move in a life-and-death battle, but this is only a spar." Alisha shook her head helplessly. She felt like she was being yed with.

    And that was when Nathan''s strike came. "I see. If I can''t run away, then..."

    All of a sudden, Alisha felt dangering from behind. She hurriedly turned around, wind forming around her left hand.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir let out a small roar, which neutralized the wind around her hand. He came with an open mouth, trying to bite her arm.

    Alisha knew perfectly how powerful that biting strength was, so she threw herself to the side, causing her to fall.

    Fenrirnded smoothly and turned around. At the same time, Nathan was also closing in, working together with Fenrir. This was the perfect chance since Alisha hadn''t gone up yet.

    By the time she went back on his feet, Fenrir had already arrived. She kicked him from the bottom, but Fenrir, who was adept in battle, simply perched on her shin before jumping into the air.

    At the same time, Nathan pulled his fist, his Ena concentrating on the gaps between his fingers.

    "That''s..." Vivian widened her eyes.

    Alisha instinctively lowered her foot and raised the two arms to guard.

    Nathan waved his hand diagonally as if he were sweeping his ws. His Ena was extended like ws, hitting Alisha.

    Wind swirled around Alisha''s arm, which blocked the ws. Still, he managed to catch her off guard, resulting in her deploying her wind a little toote.

    A scratch appeared on her arm as blood started flowing out of it.

    At the same time, Fenrir fell on top of her head and tapped her forehead as if telling her that she would be dead if he used his power.

    Vivian dropped her jaw, her lips slightly curved. She was shocked and happy. Alisha had restrained herself by not using a bow. In fact, she might only use a small fraction of her true strength in this sparring.

    At the same time, it didn''t change the fact that Alisha should still be stronger than both of them.

    ''He baited Alisha to chase after him so that he could position Fenrir behind her. Alisha was too focused on Fenrir''s jaw strength, throwing her off bnce. Both of them attacked. Fenrir must know that Alisha could block it and choose to escape. Meanwhile, Nathan shouldn''t be able to do anything against her unless he managed to catch her off guard.''

    Vivian sucked a cold breath. "If this was a normal duel, Nathan would be seen as a coward. However, if this was a life and death battle..." Vivian closed her eyes. She originally expected that Alisha would beat them up, but while relying on tricks, Nathan still won.

    It seemed that the disciple she took in was more amazing than she originally thought.

    "Did we win?" Nathan asked.

    Alisha opened her mouth toin, but the words stuck in her throat. With a wry smile, she said, "Yes, you''ve won."

    "Oh!" Nathan took a step back and retracted his power. Fenrir also jumped off her head.

    "Still, you''re amazing." Alisha pointed at her wound. "You were clueless about summoners, but you already managed to manipte your Ena to this degree. When did you learn that?"

    On the one hand, he couldn''t reveal the truth about the Soul Contract. It was true that Vivian and Alisha were his teacher and her familiar, but he just met them yesterday. He didn''t know what they would do if they found out about him being a familiar as well as being a person from another world. On the other hand, he didn''t think they would ept it if he said, "It''s a secret."

    That was why Nathan pointed at Fenrir and said, "When you used your wind yesterday, I ended up asking him how to do something like that. I tried imitating him yesterday."

    "Are you serious?" Alisha gasped.

    Even Vivian came over and asked, "You imitated him? Do you understand what you''re saying?"

    "Yes?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "I told you earlier that the academy will be teaching you how to control your Ena, right? Looking at you being able to move your Ena already... Are you a genius?"

    "What''s wrong? Is that not normal?" Nathan''s face was innocent as if he werepletely clueless about it. Meanwhile, he also added inwardly, ''Yes. This is it. I''ll just make them think I''m a genius or something. If it doesn''t work, I can always say that it might be because mypatibility with beasts is high that I''m able to do it. It''s a perfect excuse if I fail when they ask me to learn something.''

    "It took me three days to be able to control my Ena." Vivian pped her forehead before saying, "If you are like this, I might have to change my n."

    "n?"

    "Yes. Having power is necessary, but don''t be drunk with your power, or it''ll be over for you. That''s why I want you to solve your own problem without relying on me. Of course, I''ll answer any questions you have as your teacher. You are a smart boy, so you cane to me if you think that problem is too big for you to handle. I want you to be independent."

    "Does that mean I have to hide the fact that I''m your disciple?"

    "No. If someone asks, you can tell them that you''re my disciple. But there''s no need to explicitly dere that you are my disciple to all people you meet."

    "Oh." Nathan nodded.

    Vivian turned to Alisha. "I''ll change the schedule. Instead of training hand-to-handbat for two hours in the morning, use one hour to teach him how to properly control Ena. After that, divide the schedule for him to study more about summoners as well as etiquette."

    "Etiquette?" Nathan pointed at himself dumbfoundedly.

    "You''re my student, so people will know you sooner orter. It''s better to have you learn etiquette so that people don''t see you like an outcast." Vivian waved her hand while turning around. "Take care of him, Alisha. I''ll go back first."

    "Yes, Mistress."

    ---

    [A/N: Wow, you guys are awesome. We''ve got 60 power stones in 3 days even though there are only a few of us here. I really appreciate it. Here is another chapter for you guys.]

 Chapter 11: Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 11: Gathering</h4>

    As ordered, Alisha really ''took care'' of him. Whether it was because she lost or because he was on a higher level than she thought, she definitely fought Nathan for real.

    Nathan was beaten to pulp. At the same time, he couldn''t deny that his eyes closed themselves out of reflex when he was about to get hit.

    The training gradually made him get used to it, which allowed him to gradually keep his eyes open.

    After that training, Alisha taught the basics of Ena Maniption for an hour. He could use Deadly w because it was Fenrir''s ability. He never understood the Ena Maniption itself.

    He ended up using patibility'' as an excuse for his failure. Still, it might be because he could use Deadly ws multiple times that he managed to learn it in two days.

    There was also an etiquette and dancing lesson, which was a bit annoying for Nathan. Nevertheless, he had made a decision to live as Vivian''s student, so this was just the consequence of that choice.

    ...

    One weekter.

    Nathan finally arrived at his dorm. Due to the school''s rules, he had to live alone in the dorm. Whether they were a noble or a prince, they were no exception.

    Every person got a simr room. It was a small room with a bed, a shelf, a table, and a chair.

    "I have expected it, but this is truly small. It is actually smaller than my room back on Earth." Nathan smiled wryly. "Well, this will be a perfect start for me. I''m not exiled from the dorm or hated by a lot of students anyway."

    As he ced his luggage, he grabbed the school uniform hanging on the wall.

    The school uniform consisted of a white shirt, long white pants, and a white zer with a huge embroidered badge on the chest.

    "I have to attend the opening ceremony after this." He immediately changed his clothes and headed to the grand hall.

    While heading toward the hall, he noticed that there were a lot of buildings around him, one bigger than the other.

    He had been walking for a few minutes, but he hadn''t even reached the hall yet.

    "Where is the grand hall again? Are you sure this is an academy instead of abyrinth?" Nathan muttered while looking at the map Alisha drew for him. It was just a rough sketch, which gave him the general direction of where he should go.

    "Are you a new student?" An aged voice echoed from the right, startling Nathan.

    "Y-Yes?" Nathan looked at the old man. He was holding a broom like a janitor. There was supposed to be nothing special about him. However, Alisha didn''t only train him inbat but also woke up his survival instinct. And that very instinct was telling him he was dangerous¡ªmuch more dangerous than Alisha.

    ''What is this? A hidden boss or something?'' Nathan thought. He said, "Yes, hello. I am a new student. I''m wondering where the hall is."

    "If you are looking for the grand hall, you should continue forward and take the right after that white building."

    "Thank you." Nathan nodded and hurriedly walked away.

    Fortunately, there was only one building right after he turned right. As soon as he entered, he could see about four hundred students. He couldn''t recognize most of them, so they must be upperssmen.

    "Hello. Are you a freshman?" A sweetdy approached him.

    "Yes."

    "In that case, please go to the middle." She pointed at the seats located in the center.

    Now that he thought about it, the seats were divided into seven. Six of them were located on the edge, while thest one was in the center of the hall.

    He thought about getting a random seat after making sure the blond guy who kept mocking him wasn''t in the same row. In fact, he was the only person in this row like an outcast until a certain ck-haired girl took a seat next to him.

    Nathan was baffled. Someone like her would usually sit at the front along with other nobles.

    "Hello." Selena politely greeted Nathan. "I forgot to say itst time, but thank you for helping me."

    "Oh! It''s not a problem. Please don''t worry about it." Nathan thought it was special, but it turned out she just wanted to thank him.

    Still, because they were sitting in the middle of the hall, Nathan could sense the gazes of others from all directions. In fact, he could overhear some of them.

    "So they are the freshmen. There are a lot of famous students, such as August Reeves from the cksmith Guild. I heard that his first summon is a dwarf. He might be able to summon an elder dwarf once he gets stronger."

    "Yeah. There is also Prince Rudeus, who manages to summon a cyclops. In the future, he should be able to summon a great demon."

    "We can''t ignore Selena Ashton from that vampire family. If I''m not wrong, that vampire has the potential of a countess. It won''t be weird if she summons a vampire Duke before she graduates."

    "It seems that the standard of this year has risen."

    "Risen? No way. I heard that there is a student who has the worst talent."

    "Worst talent?"

    "Yeah. During the awakening, he summoned a beast."

    "A beast? Not a humanoid creature?"

    "His talent couldn''t even summon a goblin? How did he get epted? Was his family a great noble?"

    "No. He was from a normal farmer family."

    "What? Did he cheat or something?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe some teachers are just trying to use him as an experiment to see what''s wrong with his body to make his talent the worst."

    "Hahahaha! He won''t survive in this academy for long."

    "Yeah. He''ll definitely be targeted by many."

    "He''ll be destroyed in the Summoners War."

    Nathan remained calm the whole time despite listening to their nonsense.

    With a smile on his face, he thought, ''What a cliche conversation. I guess the reason why our seats are in the middle is so that the upperssmen can observe us... or more like, observe their prey. Summoners War, huh?''

 Chapter 12: Opening Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 12: Opening Ceremony</h4>

    "We''ll wee the principal to give the opening speech."

    Nathan raised his head. His teacher was the vice principal, so he wondered what the principal looked like.

    And the one who actually came to the stage was none other than the old janitor who gave him the direction earlier.

    "Ah!"

    "Ah?!"

    A lot of freshmen were stunned as they had seen them. Their reactions varied. Some were afraid as though they had messed up. Some were admiring him as if they never thought that someone as famous as him would disguise himself as a lowly janitor.

    The principal''s eyes were as gentle as what they saw, but the moment he opened his mouth, all his words contradicted those eyes.

    "Summoners. This is a divine ability that we awaken to save this world. No one knows how our body can suddenly awaken Ena. Some people said it''s because of the bloodline, but it can''t exin everything.

    "If your parents are both summoners, their children will have more potential to awaken as summoners. However, not all children are like that. In the end, all of us, summoners, are the chosen ones."

    The principal''s speech had raised their ego. They believed their talents were much better than most of them, which made them think that they were elite among the chosen ones.

    "We are special." The principal smiled, confirming their thoughts. However, all that was destroyed the moment the principal raised his voice. "WRONG! In my eyes, you are as useless as normal people. Why?

    "It''s simple. Because all of you are too weak. In this world, strength reigns supreme. The alien race that attacks us? They can destroy us at any time if we don''t have power. The people besides you? They can easily surpass you if they gain more strength.

    "If you don''t like what I say today, force me to take back my words. If you don''t have the strength, it''s impossible.

    "If you want to change your fate, being a summoner is not enough. There is always a sky above the sky. There are limited resources in this world. Even in history, humans fought each other numerous times to get ess to those limited resources.

    "Throughout history, humans and conflicts have always gone side by side. You couldn''t change the true nature of humans. At the same time, it was through those difficult times that we were able to create strong men.

    "We created weapons and advanced our technologies. When the alien races came, we grew even stronger with this summoning ability.

    "This academy is no different. If you think you''re going to experience a peaceful education, you can pack your luggage and go back to your home.

    "All the freshmen must have seen your rooms. You don''t like it? Use your strength to get a better room. Monthly, the school will provide you with 30 proto-ss cores. Not enough? Get it with other means.

    "As a summoner of Frexia Academy, you only need to know three things: the people behind you are those you need to protect, the people besides you are your peers as well as your rival, and those in front of you are the challenges you need to ovee.

    "If you want something, challenge that person to a duel between two summoners. This is the tradition of our Frexia Academy, the Summoners War. Grow stronger and defeat your peers so that you can challenge those aliens out there, crushing them in this war."

    Nathan''s expression turned grim. He muttered inwardly, ''He has given up trying to change the students even though we havemon enemies. No matter what, those nobles might use their family strength to add further conflict.

    ''Hence, he uses it to force the students to grow stronger. If they''re too weak to challenge them, they have to kill a bunch of aliens to get stronger. Even those students from noble families will get more cores to grow stronger, meaning that their families would probably need to kill a bunch of aliens to do that.

    ''What a ridiculous method. However, I can agree on one thing. Conflicts do hasten humanity''s progress. Even back on Earth, the world wars or even the cold war, while causing numerous deaths, increase their progress by leaps and bounds. Despite having that gentle smile, he has given up on humanity.''

    The principal stated, "The freshmen are immune to any challenges from their upperssmen for six months. Do your best to survive."

    The new students couldn''t help but suck a cold breath. They finally understood that in front of these upperssmen, they were nothing but prey they could devour in six months.

    Still, some of the students weren''t afraid of them. They believed they could surpass those seniors with their strength or influence.

    But what was more ridiculous was that the freshmen were thinking about devouring people around them.

    Yes, Nathan could feel gazes from his ssmates. The principal only banned the upperssmen from attacking, he didn''t say anything about the freshmen fighting among themselves.

    "We''ll wee the vice principal to say a word or two."

    Unlike the principal, Vivian''s speech was rather short. She only said, "There are multiple ways of bing stronger or getting resources. Don''t limit yourself, be creative, and be bold enough to do it.

    "We''ll give you a badge symbolizing the Frexia Academy after this. It has three major functions. It allows you to ess the teleportation portals for free. If you show the badge to any Axia Inn branches all around the world, you will be able to stay for free. Of course, only for the normal rooms. If you want the best rooms, you have to fight for them.

    "Last but not least, the badge will also be your identity for the Universal Bank. You can store and withdraw your money from all over the world. An elder dwarf is responsible for making the badges. It''ll be bound to you by blood, which can only be activated by you alone. Once you''re dead, the badge will lose its effect. That''s why, do your best to survive, students."

 Chapter 13: Why?

    <h4>Chapter 13: Why?</h4>

    Nathan was fiddling with his badge. He didn''t know why, but Selena had been following him around for some reason.

    Even after going to the ss, she ended up choosing the seat next to him.

    His eyebrows were twitching as he couldn''t help but ask, "Why are you following me around?"

    Selena nced at him for a moment before saying with an expressionless face, "We''re simply going to the same ce. Besides, I sat here during the test."

    "Then, how about during the opening ceremony? There were a lot of empty seats."

    "You were the only one in that row, so I sat there to avoid other students."

    Nathan couldn''t refute those words. While it was true that sitting next to a pretty girl was much better than sitting next to an annoying dude, he simply got a lot of stares from other students.

    In the end, if he had to say, she would be one of the most beautiful girls in this ss. She even came from a noble family, so it wouldn''t be weird if they were aiming for her.

    While he didn''t mind problems, he just didn''t want to deal with unnecessary ones.

    "Alright. I''ll take my seat elsewhere. It''s better for you to sit alone since no one can bother you, right?" Nathan stood up.

    Selena''s body twitched.

    Before she could say anything, the ''unnecessary'' problem that Nathan mentioned earlier ended uping.

    It was the blond guy who had been mocking him the whole time.

    "Yo, lowly farmer. I will challenge you to a Summoners War. A lowly farmer doesn''t need an alien core. Give it to me."

    ''Ah, shit.'' Nathan was burning on the inside. He didn''t have any memories about him, so he thought there was no way he had humiliated him or something. Why would this person choose to pick a fight with him?

    Nathan sighed. "Dude. Let''s not do this, shall we?"

    "You lowly farmer dare to reject my challenge? You don''t know who I am? I''m the third son of Baron Ryzant, Raivan Ryzant. You are merely amoner!"

    "..." Nathan was speechless. He had never thought that it was happening. ''Is this the rumored brain-rot young master syndrome? But Ryzant... If I''m not wrong, the lord of the territory this original bodyes from is Baron Ryzant.

    ''Is he perhapsing from the same territory? And for some shitty pride, he''s nning to crush me or something? It might be, but I guess I should learn more about the political situation of this ce as well as how the nobles behave before I draw a conclusion.

    ''I hope not everyone is like him, or the world would be doomed. Well, I can still use him for something. I don''t know how many times I get angry whenever I read this cliche trope in novels. To think it''s more annoying when I experience it firsthand... I should probably me the principal for encouraging him. He didn''t have any sign of doing this before that speech.'' Nathan contemted.

    There were several pros and cons to epting this duel. Beating him up should stop some people from targeting him since they would choose a weaker target.

    Nathan nced at Raivan while saying, "ording to the rules, you need to put up something for the match."

    "Hmph. It''s only thirty cores." Raivan snorted.

    "I am just a lowly farmer. And the mighty noble son is nning to bully a lowly farmer with just thirty cores? Don''t you think it''s fair?"

    "A lowly farmer dares to negotiate with me?" Raivan clenched his hands into fists.

    "This lowly farmer is the one putting in effort to fill your belly. Othermoners are the ones creating the clothes you make, the mansion you live in, or the ones taking care of your ce. Once all of us, lowlymoners are gone, what can you do, respected noble?"

    "You..." Raivan clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to hit Nathan, but doing it would just prove him right. "What do you want?"

    "150 cores. You need to put 150 cores on the line if you want to fight me. That should be enough for the gap between us," said Nathan with a cold tone.

    Raivan was trying his best to hold back his anger. He never thought that Nathan would dare to talk back to him.

    "If a rich noble can''t even afford that much, you can forget about it." Nathan harrumphed, nning to leave his seat.

    However, Raivan said, "Fine! We''ll fight today!"

    "I''ll be the referee to that duel." Jason''s voice suddenly echoed inside the ssroom.

    "!!!" Both Raivan and Nathan were stunned. Jason said it in a way as if a duel right at the bat wasn''t something unusual.

    "Take your seat. I''ll be starting the ss."

    Raivan snorted. Since it had been settled, he had nothing more to say. Still, he would definitely beat Nathan so hard for his insolence against him.

    Due to the ruckus they had, their Summoners War had actually garnered the attention of a lot of students in the ss.

    Most of them thought that Nathan would be the first sacrifice to understand the Summoners War.

    Meanwhile, Nathan was slightly annoyed that he couldn''t change seats. This challenge might not be rted to her, but if he didn''t escape from it, he was afraid that there would be a lot of people challenging him because of her.

    Jason pped the table, the sound grabbing the attention of the students.

    "I''ll be the teacher in charge of this ss for the next one year. My name is Jason. Out of 130 people who took the test, 86 of you have been epted.

    "As the vice principal said during her speech, there are a lot of ways to receive resources from the school. One of them is to get a good result in the lessons.

    "For the next seven days, I''ll be teaching you Ena Maniption. There will be both a written test and a practical test. 5 people who manage to get the top scores for each test will be rewarded with 20 proto-ss cores.

    "This is in order to prepare you for what''s toe. In two weeks, you''ll be going on a field trip. I''ll give you the details after this week''s material is done, but take this ss seriously with that trip in mind. Any questions?"

    "Teacher!" One of the students raised his hand. "What does proto-ss mean?"

    "We have categorized the aliens into several groups ording to their physical abilities, intelligence, regeneration, and so on. The weakest is the proto-ss alien, which is still in its developmental stage, causing it to have minor strength enhancement and limited intelligence.

    "You will be able to find it after you kill the alien. Swallowing those cores will increase your Ena. In the second week, I''ll be training your physical abilities for the trip.

    "If you don''t have any more questions, we''ll proceed to Ena Maniption."

 Chapter 14: Fenrir Learning

    <h4>Chapter 14: Fenrir Learning</h4>

    Nathan and Raivan were standing in the middle of the arena. Most of the students in the ss decided to see this match. They were curious what Nathan could do against Raivan.

    Even though his petty character was problematic, it didn''t change the fact that his familiar was much stronger than Nathan.

    "I guess themoners dare to go against nobles just because they think they''re the chosen ones." Prince Rudeus muttered.

    "Even though Raivan Ryzant is not among the very top, he should be among the top twenty of our ss. I guess we will only see a one-sided beating." August sighed. He tilted his head to the right and said, "What do you think, Selena? You''re the one sitting next to him during the whole ss."

    Selena remained silent, watching Nathan as if she knew something big would happen.

    Jason nced at both sides. "I have confirmed the bet. If Raivan wins, he will receive 30 proto-ss cores. If Nathan wins, he will receive 150 proto-ss cores. If you don''t have anything to add, summon your familiars!"

    "This is the difference between you and me. Come out!" Raivan shouted.

    A dark, swirling mist began to coalesce. The darkness thickened, forming a shadowy silhouette that loomed over the summoner. The figure was both formless and terrifying, filled with malevolence.

    The mist solidified further, revealing its skeleton form, cloaked in tattered shrouds of darkness. A pair of bloodshot eyes shed, gazing upon Nathan as if sending an invitation to the underworld.

    Several students shivered just from looking at it, so they couldn''t imagine what Nathan was feeling when making eye contact.

    "This is my wraith! Something that you can''t even dream of getting." Raivan shouted beforeughing.

    "Something I can''t dream of getting, huh? It might be true to some extent." Nathan smiled, knowing that he didn''t want something weaker after getting Fenrir. Besides, the wraith might look scary, but surprisingly he wasn''t afraid. "Alisha is scarier, right?"

    "This one is disgusting, not scary." Fenrir''s heavy voice resounded as a small wolf manifested next to him.

    The others covered their eyes as if they had already known the result of this fight. Compared to the wraith, Fenrir looked much cuter and harmless.

    However, Fenrir said, "I''ve seen something simr to them, no, much scarier than them in Helheim."

    Nathan smiled.

    Raivan was gnashing his teeth, swearing that he would erase that smile from Nathan''s face as he beat him up.

    "Start!" Jason shouted.

    "Go!" Raivan waved his hand down.

    The wraith flew toward Nathan.

    When Nathan was about to move, skeletal hands suddenly emerged from the ground and grabbed his legs.

    "You can''t escape." Raivan smirked.

    Nathan looked down, his face remaining calm. The wraith was approaching him with the intention to defeat him.

    "Seal his mouth!" Raivan shouted. Two skeletal hands appeared on the back of Nathan''s head and closed his mouth, stopping Nathan to surrender. "This is the price that you will need to pay for looking down on me."

    Jason was ready to stop the match since he thought he was the only one knowing about Nathan being Vivian''s disciple. Meanwhile, other students either sneered or looked away, believing that the match was over.

    Little did they know, Nathan was actually angry. He was screaming inwardly, ''Is this Summoner War a fucking joke to you?''

    After giving the Deadly w to Nathan, Fenrir had three abilities left. Nathan knew that the first and second abilities were that bark and his extraordinary senses respectively.

    This time, he didn''t do anything because he knew Fenrir would be using his third ability.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir barked.

    The sound wave hit the wraith, causing the wraith''s stomach area to disperse. This attack proved one thing to Fenrir. It was the fact that the wraith''s body was made of Ena.

    The wraith slowed down to recover, but Fenrir didn''t give the wraith the time it needed.

    Before the dark mist gathered again, Fenrir leaped toward the wraith.

    It was true that Fenrir''s current form was extremely weak. During the terrorist attack, Selena''s vampire was much stronger than Fenrir in terms of ability. If not for the fact that Nathan cleverly chose his timing to attack, he wouldn''t produce such a good result.

    However, this wraith was simply too weakpared to Selena''s vampire.

    In addition, Fenrir had leveled up. The chance of this wraith stopping him was zero.

    Fenrir''s tail was glowing in white. The moment he waved his tail, the light expanded, turning into a crescent moon and shing the wraith into two.

    The wraith let out a deep growl while trying to merge into one again. Fenrir inhaled deeply before barking.

    "Waaf!"

    The body that was about to merge suddenly dispersed in all directions. As a result, the hands that were holding Nathan disappeared into thin air.

    "What?!" Ravian flinched.

    Other students also opened their mouths in surprise, never expecting that the wolf they thought to be inferior to a goblin actually defeated the wraith.

    Only Selena had her expression brighten as if she knew this would happen.

    Now that he was freed, Nathan ordered with a cold tone, "Fenrir. Do it!"

    Fenrir heard it but didn''t reply. He simply closed in at fast speed.

    "W-Wha¡ª" Ravian took a step back. He had no way to stop Fenrir. "You be¡ª"

    Before he could say anything, Fenrir jumped toward his face and hit Ravian on the left cheek with every ounce of his strength.

    That attack caused his bones to vibrate before his body was blown away.

    Bam!

    He crashed to the wall, two teeth falling off and his eyes rolling back.

    Fenrir couldn''t help but look at the paw that pped Ravian earlier, recalling what Nathan said before the match.

    "During the match, when there''s a chance, I want you to p him on the face as hard as possible."

    "Why?" He was confused by that sudden request.

    "The first reason is a secret, and you will find out the second reason once you do it."

    Now that he had done it, Fenrir couldn''t help but say, "Well, that was oddly satisfying. I should have done that back in Asgard."

 Chapter 15: Test

    <h4>Chapter 15: Test</h4>

    "Nathan wins!" Jason hurriedly dered after that p. He waved his hand to the staff standing outside the arena. "Hurry up and bring him to the infirmary."

    "!!!" The students stood up, staring at Fenrir with stunned faces.

    "He won?"

    "What?"

    "How can this be?"

    "That wolf is not weaker than a goblin. That p alone can rival an orc."

    "He is actually not weak?"

    Most people couldn''t believe it, but some regained theirposure almost immediately.

    "So it''s not about talent." Prince Rudeus squinted his eyes with a sly smile on his face. "Nathan, huh? It seems that I have to keep an eye on him."

    Selena stood up and walked away.

    August was staring at Nathan while muttering, "Now that you''ve done this, you will definitely make an enemy of not only Raivan but also his family as well as the people who are currying favor with him."

    Nathan''s face remained calm. He wasn''t proud of this victory, nor did he intend to. In fact, the only feeling he had currently was anger.

    He coldly left the area without sparing another nce at Raivan.

    Curious, Fenrir asked, "So what is the first reason?"

    Nathan shook his head helplessly. "It is to humiliate him."

    "To think you''re that kind of person." Fenrir looked disappointed until Nathan added, "No. It''s to understand the people in this world."

    "Huh?" Fenrir tilted his head.

    "Yeah. I want to see how petty the people of this world are. I''ve read in a lot of stories that if you beat them, their elder brothers wille. You beat their elder brothers, their uncles or parents wille out."

    "That''s kind of dumb."

    "I know right?" Nathan sighed. "I just hope they''re not that foolish. While that p was humiliating, it was something that could easily be solved."

    "But what if you''re wrong? You would face endless trouble from now on. Not that I mind since I can fight a lot of opponents."

    "That''s why he is a perfect target. A baron, the lowest ss of nobility... A single warning should be enough for them."

    "Your teacher?!" Fenrir finally understood Nathan''s n.

    "She will probably forgive me and handle it personally for my first mistake. At the same time, with this experiment, I''ll know how I should deal with the situation in the future."

    Fenrir never thought Nathan had seen that far ahead. No matter how annoying Nathan''s attitude could be, Fenrir couldn''t deny that Nathan''s action was impable.

    "Besides, while you don''t mind a challenge, I doubt you will like it when people keep bothering you. For example, what you want is to fight strong opponents. Meanwhile, what if there are a hundred mosquitoesing at you again and again, which causes you to not have much time for other things?"

    "!!!" Fenrir couldn''t refute his words. "I see. Fair enough. Now that I know the reason, I''ll go back."

    "Yep." Nathan nodded as he saw Fenrir disappearing into thin air.

    There was another reason why Fenrir disappeared though.

    All of a sudden, Selena stood in the middle of the corridor as if she had been waiting for him.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows.

    "I have something to ask." Selena was the first to break the silence.

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "Why do you not say anything even though you are stronger than him? Is it fun to be humiliated?"

    "What do you mean? Or I suppose I should ask you, ''Is there a reason why I have to say it?''"

    Selena''s expression darkened. "I know that you have be the vice principal''s disciple. If you just mentioned it, you would have gotten out of the trouble."

    ''Did she know it because of Alisha?'' Nathan thought before replying, "Will he believe it?"

    "That''s..."

    "I''ll answer it for you. No, he won''t. The ss will probably think the same. If you are in the same situation as the others, will you actually stop me here?"

    Selena couldn''t say anything. After all, he didn''t say anything wrong.

    "If that''s all, I''ll take my leave here." Nathan stepped to the side before continuing his way.

    However, Selena suddenly reached for his arm, stopping him.

    Nathan frowned. Talking with a beautiful girl was definitely pleasing, but she was just a bit persistent.

    "I''m sorry." Selena lowered her head. "I know that I don''t have the right to stop you, but could I borrow some of your time?"

    ''If I''m not wrong, she is also from a noble family, right? She is actually lowering her head? To a farmer boy to boot?'' Moved by her sincerity, Nathan turned around once again.

    "I hope that you can tell me your answers you''ve written for the admission test."

    "My answer?"

    "Yes. People might think low of you because they believe that your summoning ability is much inferior to theirs. Hence, the fact that you can be the vice principal''s disciple must be rted to the written test. I apologize if this sounds offensive, but I can''t see any reason how you''re able to answer those tests because you are a farmer from the countryside with no ess to knowledge about summoners."

    ''Did she deduce all that by herself?'' Nathan was taken aback.

    "There should be no problem revealing your answers since the test won''t repeat. And I''ll properlypensate you."

    Nathan thought for a moment. Vivian didn''t say anything regarding the answer. Besides, all of them were just bullshit. Only someone like Vivian could use it for her research or something.

    Getting a favor from a noble like her would definitely benefit him, especially since Vivian wanted him to be independent.

    "Fine." This was Nathan''s decision.

    Selena''s eyes were filled with excitement. When they were about to leave, Alisha''s voice suddenly echoed across the corridor.

    "Young master. Mistress is looking for you."

    "!!!" Nathan nced back, finding Alisha. He smiled wryly, "I''ll write it down and give it to youter. It''s fine, right?"

    Selena''s expression darkened, but there was nothing she could do but nod her head.

    "Yeah, I''ming." Nathan walked to Alisha.

    "Ah. Did I perhaps disturb you?" Alisha took a glimpse of Selena yfully.

    "No." Nathan shook his head, but before he walked away, he said to Selena. "About your first question. I only have one answer. I don''t need to prove anything to anyone."

    Selena was taken aback by the answer, but her face immediately hung low while muttering, "No need to prove, huh? If only it was that simple."

 Chapter 16: Vivianâ€™s Response

    <h4>Chapter 16: Vivian''s Response</h4>

    "Why did you beat him so hard?" Vivian covered her eyes with her right hand. "Do you think you''re cool just because of it?"

    Nathan frowned. He wanted to test Vivian''s character as well to see whether she would be a good teacher or not. She might be strong or something, but if she was the type of person who abandoned her disciple or was just a full hypocrite, he would create a line between them.

    "I beat him that hard to show others that I''m strong. It''s not about cool or something. It''s about stopping people from bothering me. I know that Fenrir is not a humanoid familiar, but I don''t want people to cause unnecessary problems just for that very reason."

    "Even if you manage to do it today, people might not think of it that way in the future." Vivian raised a finger. "And there will be some people paying attention to you. They''ll be troublesome to handle."

    "I''m aware of it. At the same time, they''re not the only people. Those who are interested in me... As you said, I have to be independent. If I want to have all the resources I need as well as create a connection, I have to show my strength as well." Nathan shook his head helplessly.

    Vivian fell silent after hearing his reasoning. She only added, "Well, I''ll be warning the baron to not touch my disciple. However, you should have shown a weaker performance."

    "If I do that, people will juste at me."

    "That''s exactly my point. Get some people to challenge you to a summoners war, extort them, and get a bunch of cores."

    "..." Nathan was speechless. If it was just to prove his strength, fighting several people would definitely give him more cores.

    Nathan had thought about this option before but chose to show his strength right away. After all, this was a test for Vivian. He said, "Is the Summoners War that the principal mentioned a joke?"

    "Hoh?" Vivian''s eyes turned cold. "If you''re going to mock the principal, even I might not be able to protect you."

    "I apologize." Nathan shook his head helplessly. "What I want to truly say is that... when there aremon enemies in front of us, why would the humans keep fighting each other instead of uniting? When you are on the frontlines, why do you need to watch for an attack from your sides or even from behind? Who will suffer because of that conflict? Themon people."

    The answer blew Alisha''s mind. Even Vivian was tongue-tied.

    "For me, the duel between two summoners can''t even be called a war," added Nathan.

    After regaining herposure, a smile appeared on Vivian''s face. However, it was filled with happiness and pity.

    "Your path will cause you to be alone, you know."

    "Does humanity have to face extinction first to understand the meaning ofmon enemy?"

    Vivian waved her hand. "No. I''m just saying that this is the reason why we know the seven sins can be simplified to one word: stupidity. Those who have it will try to be the head and control over the people like you.

    "At the same time, if you try to change them from within, you will probably either die as a hero or live long enough to be the same as them.

    "I''m not saying your path is wrong. However, I just want you to know about one thing. What is your goal as a summoner? Believe in it and never lose your path." Vivian looked at the ceiling in reminiscence. "I hope you can be such a person."

    Nathan closed his eyes. He could understand what kind of person Vivian was with this conversation. She was probably the same person as him, but ended up losing and bing the person she originally hated.

    "Take this." Vivian tossed a hand-sized crystal.

    Nathan barely caught it with both hands. It was a double-terminated crystal with a transparent color like quartz. "What is this?"

    "Try to infuse the crystal with your Ena."

    As soon as Nathan followed her instruction, there were particles appearing inside the crystals. They were floating still, but there were a lot of them.

    Suddenly, a small magic circle embedded on the crystal''s surface lit up and projected a number.

    "21."

    "So your Ena is 21 points." Vivian nodded in understanding.

    "Is this..." Nathan was dumbfounded.

    "Yeah. That crystal was what I came up with after listening to your answer. Unfortunately, it could only measure people who don''t have a lot of Ena as of now. After all, it''s going to be hard to urately measure the amount of Ena of someone like me. We also need a huge crystal for that." Vivian shrugged.

    ''21, huh?'' Nathan muttered inwardly, ''Fenrir took 30% of the remaining Ena, which must be 30 at that point. And he said he took half of my Ena for the original summoning, meaning that my Ena was originally 60 points. It''s much easier to understand now.''

    "You get 150 cores from the match, along with your 30 cores. I want you to record the number of Ena you will have after swallowing all those cores. Of course, it''ll be better if you record it one by one. This way, I can create a general amount of Ena you can get from a proto-ss core. Also, as thanks for your idea, I''ll be adding you as my co-author for this project."

    Nathan shook his head. "I''m grateful for your appreciation, but I don''t think my name deserves to be there."

    "No can do. If I can''t even be fair with my disciple, why would I even take you as my student? This is also so that people will recognize you more."

    "If that''s the case, why don''t you add that you get inspiration after getting an absurd answer from a certain student? Once people know about me being your disciple, I think they will understand the connection sooner orter." Nathan suggested while adding inwardly, ''By that time, I should understand the world enough to know what I should do in case I get into trouble because of it.''

    Vivian nodded. "Alright. In two weeks, you are going to Ten Forest with your ssmates. It is to experience the fight against alien symbiotes for the first time. The teacher and his familiars will be watching over, so it should be pretty safe, but don''t hold back. For now, you can go back to your dorm and continue with the lessons."

    "I understand." Nathan politely bowed before taking his leave.

    Once he left, Alisha couldn''t help but smile. "It seems that you''re pretty happy with his answer, Mistress."

    "Do I look that way?" Vivian scratched the back of her head. "Well, I don''t really understand him. Sometimes, he is just like a normal kid, having naughty thoughts here and there. Other times, he is like a different person."

    "Still, I hope that he can grow as much as possible in the next one month."

    "Yeah. It''ll be time for him to summon his second familiar. If his second familiar is also an animal, it means he is different from anyone else. If his second familiar is a humanoid creature, it means this is just a coincidence." Vivian nodded.

    "If it''s the former, there might be a lot of people interested in him."

    "I''m not going to let any of them have him." Vivian snorted.

    ---

    [A/N: Damn, we are about to reach 100 power stones, guys. If we reach that milestone before tomorrow update, I''ll start uploading 2 chapters/day. We can do it.]

 Chapter 17: Cores

    <h4>Chapter 17: Cores</h4>

    Nathan was sitting on his bed, staring at all 180 cores he''d got. He crossed his legs while saying, "ording to the instruction manual, I''m supposed to swallow this core."

    The cores had a round shape and a pale gray color. Each of them was as small as a candy. They didn''t produce any smell.

    "Are you going to swallow it now?" Fenrir asked.

    "Yes. Normally, we would have to split these cores, but I guess I should be the ones swallowing all of these."

    "Your quality is higher than mine, so you obviously need to be the one. But recording this process will allow your teacher topare it with other students'' results, you know that?"

    "Yep. The result might vary, but there''s simply no way for her to test one''s aptitude. If I''m different, I''ll just say that it''s your fault. That''s the reason I summon a beast instead of a humanoid familiar or something." Nathan shrugged.

    "Fair enough. In that case, hurry up and swallow them. If you get stronger, I also want more Ena so that I can use more of my abilities."

    "I know, I know." Nathan nodded. He grabbed one of them and put it into his mouth.

    "It doesn''t have a taste. I feel like I''m eating gum that has no more vor in it." Nathan muttered. Unlike the chewy gum, the core gradually melted like ice. The fluid was gradually entering his throat.

    His heart rate and body temperature increased gradually.

    "Huu..." Nathan inhaled deeply, adjusting his breathing.

    It was ufortable. It felt like there were ants crawling outside his stomach,sting for a minute.

    Fenrir was staring at him carefully, making sure nothing dangerous urred or resided in Nathan''s body.

    After the itchy sensation died out, his heart rate went back to normal. The whole time, Nathan was just holding on to his stomach while closing his eyes, enduring the weird sensation.

    "Fuu..." Nathan let out a long sigh. "It''s really ufortable."

    "At least, it''s not painful. Why don''t you just take a lot of them and eat them all at once?" Fenrir asked.

    "I can''t do that." Nathan crossed his arms. "ording to the book, if you take several of them at once, it can indeed increase the process. However, it''ll also increase your heart rate and body temperature drastically. If the person passes out, in the best scenario, they might be let off with their body not absorbing the Ena. In the worst-case scenario, there might be someplications.

    "There is a record about a person taking a lot of cores at once. His heart beat so quickly that it exploded. His body was fried up from the inside. Because of that incident, they rmended people take one at a time and wait until the body returns to normal before taking another one.

    "It took me about a minute to process everything and another minute to calm down. So in an hour, I could only take 30 cores. I guess I will only swallow 60 cores every day. I have to spend the rest of my time developing my muscles." Nathan ended his exnation with a tired sigh.

    "Good, good. I won''t be the only one who fights." Fenrir nodded with a grin.

    "I know. All summoners have to build up some stamina as well. If they''re tired, the enemies can take advantage of that. That''s probably what they''re trying to do next week." Nathan rose from the bed and grabbed the crystal.

    As soon as he infused his Ena, he got "22."

    "Well, it seems that one core gives you only one point."

    "Who knows? There is no decimal point here. I believe it''ll be different. My quality right now is high-tier basic. I might get more if I have better quality." Nathan wrote it down for the record. "Anyway, I will continue."

    Nathan grabbed another core and swallowed it. Now that he understood the sensation, he could resist it a bit better. The more cores he swallowed, the more resistance would build up.

    At the same time, noting down every progress took a bit more time, which caused him to only swallow a total of 45 cores in two hours from the original 60 cores.

    Nevertheless, the record had given enough information about the proto-ss cores.

    While looking at the number, Nathan said, "It seems that each core is giving me about 1.4 Ena since it increases from 21 to 84. The increase itself is consistent, so I guess each core contains the same amount of Ena."

    "So how much Ena will you get after swallowing the rest?" Fenrir asked.

    "Should be about 189 if I calcte it correctly. It means I''ll have a total of 273 Ena points after swallowing it all... about 4.5 times of my original Ena before summoning you."

    "Great! The problem is how much Ena do I need to unlock my abilities. My level is 13, so I can''t really be reckless since I don''t want to make another contract recklessly since I''ll lose another ability." Fenrir frowned.

    "I don''t know. Anyway, I''ll be writing down all the answers I''ve written previously for Selena and studying for the rest of the day."

    "Before that, why don''t you check your own level? It''s said that summoned familiars can increase their levels by absorbing the cores, right?" Fenrir asked.

    "Now that you mention it..." Nathan almost forgot about it. Fenrir managed to increase his quality by increasing his level, so if he somehow surpasses basic quality and reaches the good quality, the amount of Ena he can get from each core might be different.

    With that in mind, Nathan went to the mirror.

    Name: Nathan Reckmoon

    Level: 3

    Race: Human

    Quality: Basic (High)

    "I level up too! But if I give you my Ena, will my level drop?" Nathan frowned.

    "Probably. But I don''t think it''ll go down to zero. After all, your initial level should be 1 with 60 Ena."

    "Fair enough." Nathan nodded in agreement. "If that''s the case, my quality can increase and decrease depending on how much Ena I have. It makes summoning familiar moreplex."

    "True. With your current rate, you get 70 Ena with 50 cores. But if your quality increases, and you somehow get 80 Ena with 50 cores, it might not be significant at first, but it''ll be in the long run." Fenrir nodded. "But if you''re too greedy, it''ll also cause our growth to be slow as well."

    "I know. I''ll just put more thoughts into it, not bing greedy or paranoid." Nathan waved his left hand, his other hand writing down the answers.

 Chapter 18: Stance

    <h4>Chapter 18: Stance</h4>

    "I''ve written down everything." Nathan handed over the paper to Selena.

    Selena skimmed the answer for a bit, only to be shocked by such a different perspective. The more she read about it, the more she realized why Vivian epted him as her student.

    "Well, I''ll get going." Nathan didn''t bother with her anymore. He never thought that Selena would be waiting in the corridor leading to the ss as if preventing him from escaping.

    Selena''s body twitched as she immediately said, "Please wait. I... I haven''t asked you about the reward. How do you want me topensate you?"

    ''You'' was what Nathan wanted to say, but he hadn''t really thought about it. "I don''t know."

    Selena thought for a moment. The answers themselves might not be important, but the way he thought was valuable. Getting this answer allowed her to understand the kind of perspective valued by Vivian.

    "I don''t think I can give you money. How about I pair up with you during the trip? This trip should be about hunting those invaders, so going together will increase our chance to produce a good result."

    That was a good solution, but at the same time, there were a few things that Nathan wanted to try during this hunt. Hence, he said, "Rather than that, how about equipment for training?"

    Selena tilted her head in confusion. "Can''t you ask your teacher for it?"

    Nathan replied with a shake on the head.

    "Sadly, I can''t give you anything rted to money." Selena looked disappointed in herself. It seemed that she had made a rash decision when asking Nathan to write down his test''s answers.

    On the other hand, Nathan thought about another thing. "In that case, there is something that you can help."

    "What is it?" Selena''s eyes lit up.

    "Teach me everything about the world, such as political situations, nobles, and other stuff. As someone from a noble family, you should know about them, right?" Nathan was so busy with his summoner study that he didn''t even know the kingdom in which he currently resided.

    "But I don''t think this is fair for you."

    "You think it''s not fair, but I think it''s fair." Nathan shrugged. "Well, that''s about it. How does after school in the library sound?"

    "I understand."

    When Nathan was about to leave, Selena opened her mouth. "Thank you."

    Nathan just waved his hand. Little did she know, the reason why Nathan thought it was fair was because teaching him about nobles would take a few days. She would also still feel indebted to him. If they became friends, she was still from a noble family, so there might be other things she could help with in the future.

    As soon as Nathan entered the ss, there was a momentary silence, all eyes observing him.

    ''I have expected this, but their stares hurt.'' Nathan thought while walking to his seat. Considering he was going to have another study session with Selena, it was probably fine to sit next to her.

    "Is it him? He really beat Raivan?"

    "Yeah. I don''t think it was a coincidence."

    "So his wolf was actually stronger than a wraith?"

    "Well, the only thing different from him was his summoned familiar. We didn''t know about its strength or talent."

    "True. If they were strong, wouldn''t that mean he was just unique?"

    These people were only whispering to each other, none daring enough toe to him. However, they sure paid a lot of attention to him.

    Before taking his seat, his vision shifted a bit to the person he beat yesterday.

    Raivan''s eyes were filled with hatred. There were several students that he needed to ask for their cores because he couldn''t procure enough cores to challenge Nathan right away yesterday, which put the me on him.

    ''It seems that he is such a person. This is going to be a headache. At the very least, I have to wait to see the response of the baron to understand whether I have to eliminate him or not.'' Nathan thought.

    Just like Nathan, Raivan had a simr thought about eliminating him. ''Just you wait. After my father knows about this, he will take revenge against you. Your family will die before your eyes. You''ll definitely pay for humiliating me.''

    Or so Raivan thought, not what his father thought.

    ...

    Ryzant Territory.

    "My lord. We have received a letter from the young master saying that he has been bullied by his ssmate. There are some strange things in the letter."

    Raivan''s father, Xavier Ryzant, was a middle-aged man with rather kind eyes. While turning around, Xavier frowned. "Bullied?"

    "Yes. It seemed that the young master challenged this guy and was defeated."

    "Who was the other person?"

    "The son of a farmer in our territory. It was said that he was taken into the academy when someone spotted him to have an Ena inside his body. ording to the report, it was said that his talent was much lower than anyone else in the academy because he summoned not a humanoid familiar but an animal."

    "An animal?" Xavier thought for a moment. "Why does it sound contradictory? First, he challenged his peers because he believed that his talent was weaker. Yet he still lost against him in a fair duel, right?"

    "It did seem so."

    "If that was the case, it wasn''t that the farmer boy was weaker, but he was different. I knew Raivan''s talent. To defeat someone like him would mean that the farmer boy''s strength was among the top of his ss."

    "That''s..." The butler paused for a moment. "How should I reply to the young master? He is asking for our help to kill him and his parents."

    "Why did he even bother to challenge someone? If he stemmed from this territory, he should have befriended him. That farmer boy might even work for us in the future."

    The butler scratched the back of his head.

    "Just say it!" Xavier red at the butler.

    "It was probably the madam, sir. She probably felt threatened and tried to manipte the young master to hate that person."

    "Is she dumb?" Xavier''s eyebrows twitched.

    The butler didn''t dare to say anything.

    "Do you know what''s the most terrifying thing in this world?" Xavier let out a long sigh. "It''s the unknown. The less information we have, the more we think that they are stronger. They might be able to do this, that, or whatever.

    "The fact that he was able to defeat him meant that he was strong, just unique. And that kind of uniqueness would definitely pique the interest of even stronger parties. I told him to stay quiet for a while and checked everyone''s strength and background before doing anything... I bet that someone would definitely take him in just because of that uniqueness, whether it was to understand him or experiment with him."

    "That''s..." The butler gulped down. "There were two letters... One was from the young master that exined the situation from his perspective, and the other one was from vice principal Vivian."

    Xavier''s breath became heavy, trying his best to hold back his anger.

    "Tell me. Have I been so busy recently that I have been too lenient that everyone thinks they can do as they please?" Xavier exuded killing intent. A dark mist leaked out of his body as it gradually formed a giant wraith. Unlike Raivan''s wraith, this one was holding a scythe as if it were a reaper.

 Chapter 19: Potential Familiars?

    <h4>Chapter 19: Potential Familiars?</h4>

    Library.

    After ss, Nathan and Selena met up as they promised.

    "So this is the Azilia Kingdom..." Nathan looked at the map Selena roughly sketched.

    "Yes. We might not be close to the front line, but we''re just right behind it. The kingdom south of this ce, which is directly connected to the alien border, is the Liaystian Kingdom. Their second prince is our ssmate.

    "Also, there is another country that develops for the grace of angels, the Holy Kingdom. They are prospering under the blessing of angels, which allows them to supply food for the frontline as well as helping the injured.

    "On the west, there are two ces that you might need to be aware of. The first one is the cksmith Guild. Their heir, August, is also our ssmate. The second one is a kingdom where the beasts reign supreme."

    "Beast?" Nathan frowned.

    He thought this would be something simr to him, but Selena rified, "Yes. The beasts are basically something like werewolves, centaurs, cat people, and so on. Their summoned beings are half animal, half human."

    "I see." Nathan nodded.

    "In the north, we have the famous dead forest that is protected by millions of skeletons. Meanwhile, the east is basically the mix of everything. There are several powers, but I''m not very sure. There is a lot of jumbled information regarding the east."

    "Is that so?" Nathan asked, "How about you? Are you a noble from this kingdom?"

    "I am?" Selena drew another sketch. She marked the first one as Frexia Academy, where they were currently studying. "My family is somewhere around here."

    She circled the area on the west, which wasn''t that far from the Holy Kingdom.

    "Hmm. Does your family experience a famine or something? Does the Holy Kingdom not help you?" Nathan asked with an innocent face, as if he were clueless about how absurd his question was.

    "What?" Selena was baffled by the question.

    "I thought that because you said you couldn''t do anything rted to money, your family might be suffering from famine," Nathan exined, taking advantage of his identity as a farmer.

    "No." Selena''s face contorted. "It was because... because..."

    She couldn''t say it. She looked like she was in a lot of pain.

    "Did I say something wrong? I apologize." From that reaction alone, Nathan realized that the situation was much moreplex than he originally thought. It was better to leave it at that.

    Selena bit her lips, remembering when Nathan said he didn''t need to prove himself. If only her life was so easy.

    ''How can you say that? Do you know how much I want to be a boy? My family has been cursing me because I''m a girl and the vampire we summon is based on our gender. In other words, even if I have the talent, I don''t have any chance to summon a vampire progenitor.

    ''I want to prove to my family that I can also do it. I want...'' Selena took a deep breath. She felt so stupid. Why would she even get angry because of it? Nathan was just asking because he was curious and had no intention to mock her.

    "Still, vampire, huh?" Nathan looked at the ceiling. "If I can only summon a beast, I guess Caine is out of the question."

    Bang!

    Nathan''s body twitched as he lowered his head. Selena just mmed the table, her eyes turning bloodshot.

    "What did you say?" Selena clenched her hands. "How do you know about the vampire progenitor that my ancestor summoned?"

    "Huh?" That question shook Nathan to the core. Caine existed? Nathan asked himself. He just made a random remark, but he thought that since he was a vampire, he couldn''t summon him.

    "I haven''t mentioned a single name. How do you know about Caine? No, what do you know about him? You wanted me to teach you about things, but did you actually already know about it and just y dumb this whole time? Was it that fun to watch me make a fool of myself?"

    Nathan didn''t expect such an intense reaction from Selena. At the same time, it would be troublesome if this continued.

    There was only one escape route. Nathan hurriedly said, "I heard it from Fenrir. He said he missed the time he fought against Caine after seeing your familiar."

    Selena''s expression turned serious. "Fenrir? The wolf you summoned?"

    "Yeah." Nathan nodded.

    "Did he say anything else?" Selena asked. "Did he know how to summon Caine? No, how did he fight Caine? Did he win? What happened?"

    "I don''t know. He did mention three names: Caine, Drac, and Lilith." Nathan tested the water by stating those three famous names.

    To his surprise, Selena sucked a cold breath as she said, "You even knew the name of the vampire progenitor that my father has?"

    The moment she confirmed her father had Drac, something clicked in his mind.

    ''If Drac and Caine exist, it means that they summon not only the creatures from normal fantasy. They are summoning the familiars from all kinds of sources as long as they are humanoid but not human. In other words, fallen angels like Lucifer or Azazel can be summoned here.

    ''No. Even my freaking idol, the great sage, Heaven''s equal, can also be summoned to this world. Should I go to this country where beasts reign supreme and search the monkey king?''

    Topletely confirm his theory, Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, who is the name of the archangel?"

    Even though she didn''t know the reason for that question, she still answered, "Raphael."

    ''Yeah. That''s it. Time to search for those cool and badass motherfuckers. No, wait. Can I just summon them? I don''t really want to know this, but what if I can only summon a divine beast? Well, it seems that I can only confirm it once I summon my second familiar.''

    While Nathan was in deep thought, Selena kept muttering a single name over and over again. "Lilith... Lilith... Lilith is a woman''s name, right? If it''s mentioned alongside Caine and Drac, she should also be a vampire progenitor, right? Does that mean I can summon a vampire progenitor as well?''

    Nathan caught a glimpse of her expression. She was strangely happy about the name. He couldn''t help but wonder, ''There are a lot of sources about Lilith. If she somehow summons her, it won''t follow the lore about Lilith being abination between a vampire and a subus, right?''

    Nathan couldn''t help but imagine Selena''s face, which was devoid of expression most of the time, to be one like a subus.

 Chapter 20: Physical Training

    <h4>Chapter 20: Physical Training</h4>

    "There will be a trip for you to experience hunting the aliens. It willst for a week. The teacher will be following you to ensure your safety, but remember that those who make a big result will be rewarded.

    "And two weeks after this trip will be the day for your second summoning. It can be said that the amount of cores you get from this trip will influence your second summoning. If you manage to get a lot of cores, you will have a lot of Ena to sacrifice.

    "For this second summoning, the school will be helping you to acquire an item for your sacrifice. Of course, those in the top five will receive the best option. Those two weeks are for the school to acquire that item.

    "To prepare you for the hunt, we''ll be starting with physical training." Jason had brought all the students to the field with a giant circle in the middle. "The task for today is simple. For the next two hours, you will run until you can''t do it anymore. Any questions?"

    "Teacher!" August raised his head. "What are we supposed to prepare or bring for the trip? Can we bring anything?"

    Jason understood where August wasing, considering August was the sessor of the cksmith Guild. His equipment would definitely be top tier.

    Jason exined, "Yes. You are free to bring any equipment with you, but only equipment. Other things will be provided by the school, and you''re only allowed to choose ten items. As for the details, it''ll be exined once we''re about to go."

    August lowered his head once he understood the exnation. Since no one raised their hand anymore, Jason continued while pointing to the left, "If you don''t have any questions, you may start now. Run in a circle!"

    A lot of people reacted almost immediately, running before anyone else.

    Nathan remembered that Vivian offered him a weapon. It seemed that the others understood the importance of their own abilities. Some of them had been training since young, so they didn''t have any problem when running like this.

    However, the majority of students had crappy stamina.

    They barely ran for several minutes and started dropping to the ground.

    "What are you doing? Keep running!" Jason shouted.

    "Teacher. This is hard. Why would we do all this? We are summoners!"

    "That''s right. Our summoned familiars will be the ones doing all the fighting."

    The studentsined.

    "The familiars will do all the fighting? Let''s assume that''s true. Then, how about you? What if you are the one targeted by those aliens? What if you are surrounded and outnumbered? Can your familiar fight all of them? No, can you actually run away from such a situation? No, why? Because you can''t even run for several minutes. Summoners like you are the first ones to die on the battlefield." Jason didn''t hold back with his lecture.

    Those who had trained their bodies had a smug smile on their faces, looking down on these students.

    However, it became more and more apparent that as time went on, the students started using their Ena to boost their physical ability. In other words, the first week''s lesson was actually used to supplement this week''s training.

    All except for Nathan.

    "Ha... Ha..." Nathan was already panting heavily. Even though this body was a farmer, his stamina couldn''t keep up. In the end, he only started his proper training ever since he came to this world.

    ''What is this...'' Nathan didn''t bother to look around, but he could feel the mocking gaze of people. In fact, Raivan, who was beaten previously by him, couldn''t help but sneer.

    Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, due to him beating Raivanpletely, his academy''s life became peaceful with no random person challenging him out of nowhere.

    At the same time, no one actually came closer to Nathan. They were just staring at him from a distance as if he were a rare animal.

    The only person in the ss that would talk to him was actually Selena, but because she had been using her Ena to supplement her physical ability this whole time, she had been running much faster than him.

    After noticing what Nathan was currently doing, she couldn''t help but approach Nathan and match his pace. "Why aren''t you using your Ena? While your Ena Maniption is not the best in the ss, you should be able to enhance your physical abilities, no?"

    "Why would I do that? The purpose is to train your stamina, not to see who has more Ena to boost one''s physical ability."

    "!!!" Selena''s body twitched as she came to a realization. "Using Ena defeats the purpose?"

    Nathan didn''t say anything more, but that should be clear enough for Selena. As expected, she immediately retracted her Ena and said, "Thank you. I''ll be sprinting for now to fix my mistake from using my Ena."

    Little did he know, there was one person who had been observing him during the whole training. As soon as he saw Selena retracting her Ena, he immediately caught up with Nathan.

    "What did you say to Selena to make her stop using her Ena?"

    Nathan was startled, not expecting that someone would talk to him. The person had yellowish white hair. His pair of eyes were gentle but seemed to be able to see through a person.

    ''Isn''t he the second prince of the Liaystian Kingdom that Selena mentioned before? No way. Is this it? I have read hundreds of stories about this kind of situation. The prince is going to get angry because I talk to her, and he will challenge me because of the ''I''m breathing'' situation!'' was what Nathan thought.

    To his surprise, Rudeus actually chuckled, saying, "Ah, I apologize. It seems that I startle you. Yeah, I was rude. I am Rudeus, I''m a prince, but Ie here as a summoner, not a prince. So you don''t have to give me a special treatment."

    ''Isn''t he kind of a decent person?'' Nathan was taken aback. He hurriedly replied, "It can''t be done. Even though I''m not a citizen of the Liaystian Kingdom, I can''t treat your highness like that."

    "Heh? Your manner is on point, even though it''s a bit rough. As expected, it seems that someone has taken a fancy to you and taught you a lot of things." Rudeus smirked before waving his hand, signaling to him that it wasn''t a big deal. "If you give me special treatment, my family will be the one to punish me, so it''ll be fine to talk casually. I''ll do the same to blend in."

    ''Why is he smart? No, more like, why is he a decent prince?'' Nathan smiled wryly. "I understand. I thank you for your understanding."

    Rudeus nodded. "So what did you tell her to the point where she retracted her Ena? Since I got the first ce''s reward in the first lesson, I will give you ten cores if you answer this simple question."

    "You don''t have to. I just told her that if you were in a dangerous situation where your Ena ran out, what would you do?"

    "Hmm..." Rudeus looked up and down as if he were contemting his words. "I see. Thank you for the answer. I have promised you, so don''t reject it anymore."

    After saying those words, Rudeus sped up while retracting his Ena, leaving Nathan stunned.

    ''He is actually a decent guy? Maybe I shouldn''t see people with such prejudices.'' Nathan frowned.

    Jason couldn''t help but smile when he saw what happened, thinking, ''Yeah. That''s it. Unless you are apletely sheltered human, there wille a time where you will run out of Ena. People often neglect their own physical strength and end up dying during that time.''

 Chapter 21: Nathanâ€™s Choices

    <h4>Chapter 21: Nathan''s Choices</h4>

    One weekter.

    Jason looked at the students with a solemn expression. "Everyone has worked hard in the past seven days. However, everything is just a preparation for this.

    "For the next seven days, all of you will be living inside the Ten Forest. You only have one task on this trip. It''s to get as many points as you can. Take a look at this list." Jason pointed at the poster he had just put up.

    Survive: 1000 points.

    Kill a proto-ss: 10 points.

    Kill a juvenile ss: 100 points.

    "These three are the only ways to earn points. The five people who have gotten the most points will be rewarded with special grade sacrifice material and cores. Any questions?"

    "Teacher. Isn''t the forest dangerous?" A student asked, her face turning pale as there was a possibility of dying.

    "You will be given this ne." Jason took out a simple ne with a tiny green jade on it. "This ne serves three purposes: showing us your location and counting the number of your kills. There will be four teachers, including me, that will monitor the whole forest. We are assisted by our familiars to keep you safe.

    "However, if we deem that you have failed, it means that you will have to retire with the amount of points you''ve gathered at that point.

    "Of course, if you think that you can''t continue the trip anymore, you are free to crush this ne. It''ll give us a signal that you''ve given up."

    Another student asked, "What will happen if we kill an alien together?"

    "The points will be divided evenly. The pendant will record it directly, so you don''t have to worry about it." Jason fell silent for a minute. Seeing there were no other people raising their hands, Jason pointed out the pile of items behind them. "In that case, we''ll call your names and let you choose the ten items that you''ll bring for this trip. We''ll also make sure that you don''t bring anything else. Each person only has five minutes to choose."

    "Ste Riveria."

    "Here!"

    The teacher started calling the people one by one. People were panicking because they didn''t know what to bring.

    Some of them had family members that had gone to this academy once, so they understood a bit of survival items.

    Meanwhile, those without experiences or those underestimating this trip choose items randomly, thinking this was easy.

    Some people actually chose different items due to their summons. If they summoned an elf, they didn''t really have to bring a lot of things since the elf was a survival specialist.

    After more than an hour, Nathan was called.

    He looked at the piles of items. Even though he had expected this, he was quite overwhelmed by the sheer amount of items he could pick.

    ''Should I pick a tent? But I don''t know how to set up the tent. Cooking? I have never learned how to cook, but at least I should make a fire to warm me up, so a box of matches is it?

    ''Even though I don''t use weapons, I think I should bring a survival knife as well. I will also have a first aid kit, a water bottle, a rope, a nket, a small towel, apass, a small iron pot, and some spices, I guess. Maybe Fenrir can catch some fish, and I''ll grill it. It should be simple, right?''

    Nathan picked up all the items he had in mind and showed them to Jason.

    "You have ten items." Jason confirmed it with a nod before handing a small box. "This will be your share of jerky. It should be enough tost for ten days. You will also receive two pairs of t-shirts and pants. That''s all you''ll have for the next seven days. If you want to change some items, you still have two minutes."

    "No. This is fine."

    "Alright. You may proceed to the carriage that will bring you to the teleportation circle."

    Nathan nodded. He packed up his luggage nicely inside the bag. It was quite big, but not too heavy for him to carry. It might hinder him a bit during a battle, but he should be able to easily drop the bag.

    Of course, he was also wearing the gloves that Vivian gave.

    When he came out of the room, he noticed that several students had actually summoned their familiars to carry the stuff for them.

    Nathan couldn''t help but wonder what they would do if the familiar became too tired or unable to move perfectly when they encountered an enemy.

    In the end, Nathan just went ahead and sat on the carriage. It took them a while before the carriage was filled up. Because they called the people randomly, Selena was already ahead, making him once again an outcast.

    It took them only several minutes to reach the city''s za. Instead of a water fountain to decorate the middle of the za, they erected a huge circr tform in the middle. There were two big white pirs connected with an arch at the top.

    When they climbed onto the tform, they could see a huge,plex magic circle covering the entire tform.

    An old woman wearing a school uniform had been waiting for them.

    "Wee. Some of you might already know this, but this might be the first time for some of you. This is a teleportation circle that has been arranged by familiars. We''ll be using this to reach the rural vige located near the entrance of Ten Forest.

    "Once you reach the vige, there will be another teacher telling you the next step. This might get a bit dizzy even for people who have used it several times. You can close your eyes to reduce it. Get ready everyone."

    Once the old woman tapped the ground, the magic circle shone brightly.

    Some students closed their eyes out of fear, while others were already used to it. Nathan''s eyes remained open this time, finding his vision blinded by rainbow-colored light as if he were elerating.

    It was no wonder why the teacher said they would get dizzy. It wasn''t just moving in a single direction. The light was curving randomly for several seconds before the sunlight once again reced the blurry light. It was also the sign that they had reached the vige.

 Chapter 22: Run in the Opposite Direction

    <h4>Chapter 22: Run in the Opposite Direction</h4>

    "Gueehhh!"

    "That''s disgusting!"

    "I can''t hold it anymore."

    Nathan took a deep breath. It wasn''t as bad as he imagined, but a lot of people actually threw up.

    "If you have calmed down, please leave the tform right away." It seemed that this was just a normal urrence. In fact, the moment they were done, the person guarding the teleportation circle summoned a fish-like humanoid creature to spurt out a huge amount of water to sweep everything clean.

    Another teacher was waiting right in front of the teleportation circle and shouted, "Please wait over there with the others. Don''t go anywhere because we''ll start the moment all students are here."

    To Nathan''s surprise, Selena appeared out of nowhere to meet him. "Mhmm..."

    "What?" Nathan frowned.

    "Do you want to have apetition against me?" Selena asked with a solemn expression. Nathan had once rejected to partner up with her, so she wondered if the opposite thing would work.

    "Competing against you?"

    "Yes." Selena nodded. "If my score is higher than yours, I want to know more about Lilith. I want to know what kind of item might be able to summon her."

    "What if I win?"

    "If you win..." Selena tilted her head in confusion. "I''m sorry, I haven''t thought about it. You previously increased the bet on the opposite side. So, I guess you can ask me anything, even if it involves money."

    "So you can move your family''s money now?"

    "No. I''ll just work to earn some money to fulfill your condition. That''s why I might not be able to give it to you immediately, but I''ll fulfill my promise."

    It was a rather tempting challenge. With their current strength, he had about a 40% chance to win. After all, he had absorbed a lot of proto-ss cores beforeing here.

    Besides, there was something that he could ask from Selena. After some careful thought, Nathan agreed to the proposal. "Alright. Let''s do it."

    Selena''s eyes brightened. Even though she wasn''t a person who showed a lot of expression, Nathan could still feel the fire burning in her eyes. She was ready to crush Nathan with aplete victory.

    "It seems that all of you are here!" Jason shouted while standing on top of the tform. "We''ll immediately begin the event. Ten Forest is northwest of this vige. You will be able to see it from here, so go there at your own pace.

    "For the next seven days, you''ll survive inside that forest. Once the sun is set on the seventh day, we''ll immediately bring you back to the vige. Remember, this is the first day."

    After giving that speech, Jason jumped off the tform with a nonchnt expression.

    "Eh?"

    "Have we started yet?"

    "They are not bringing us to the forest?"

    "Which one is the northwest again?"

    "Is that the direction?"

    "I could see some trees in that direction!"

    All of a sudden, August and Rudeus ran in the same direction, heading straight to the forest. Their actions caught the attention of the students around them.

    "That is His Highness Rudeus."

    "August is also heading in the same direction."

    "Not good. They are having a head start!"

    "Hurry up!"

    A mass panic urred as they stormed outside the vige, leaving Selena behind.

    Yes, only Selena, who hadn''t gone yet. She looked around, noticing that Nathan must have gone together with the others. Hence, Selena dashed at full speed, trying to catch up.

    The four teachers were standing side by side.

    "Hoho. There they go." An old man chuckled. "There are a lot of students this time. I wonder how many points they will get during this event."

    "That is true, especially since there is one interesting student." The olddy that activated the teleportation circle smiled.

    "As expected, you also notice him too." A woman the same age as Jason smirked.

    "Of course. The first one to react is that kid, and he is able to discern the hidden task in this test. I''m interested in this kid." The elderly female teacher grinned.

    "Whenever they are going on a mission, the most important thing is to have enough information, especially from the locals. That kid is doing it right. If I''m not wrong, isn''t that the kid who summons a beast?" The male teacher mumbled.

    "That''s it. I want that kid to be my student." The female teacher stepped up. "Even if you two are going to fight me, I''m going to be his teacher. I''m also curious about how he is able to summon a beast instead of a humanoid familiar."

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea." Jason opened his mouth, sweat covering his forehead.

    "Teacher Jason? What do you mean? Do you think just because you are the homeroom teacher of this guy, you have the right to stop me from taking this child as my student?" The female teacher gritted her teeth.

    Jason looked away, his face showing a clear fear. "I''m just saying that you shouldn''t do that unless you want to be a fertilizer."

    "..."

    As the teacher said, the first one to dash away was none other than Nathan. However, Nathan rushed in the opposite direction. Yes, instead of going to the forest, Nathan actually moved deeper into the vige.

    The first thing he visited was none other than the tavern of the vige.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn while thinking, ''Teacher Jason told us to start at our own pace, so this didn''t break the rule.

    ''In fact, I felt like he was prompting us to realize the clue.'' Nathan rubbed his chin before he heard the friction of the spoon against a wooden bowl.

    "Oh my. A student? I saw that your friends are already going to the forest, are you not going with them?" The middle-aged staff smiled while cing the bowl.

    "Thank you. The teacher told us to go at our own pace, so I might as well get something to eat first before going there since I definitely won''t fill up my belly with good food for a while." Nathan chuckled.

    "Hahaha. What a polite child." The staff chuckled.

    "Aunty, do you know anything about the forest? I''m a bit scared." Nathan asked, showing an innocent face.

    "Hmm. The forest, huh? I should be the one asking you. What does the academy call the forest this year?"

    "!!!"

 Chapter 23: Going to the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 23: Going to the Forest</h4>

    ''This year?'' Those two words made Nathane to a realization. ''Teacher Jason told us that every year it would be a different ce, but what if it was a lie? What if it was actually the same ce but with a different name?''

    Nathan gulped down. "It''s called Ten Forest."

    "Hoh?" The staff smiled. "Still, to think a single student would visit the vige for three years in a row. I guess the Frexia Academy''s quality is increasing."

    "Three years in a row?"

    "Yep. Last year, there was a student called Axel visiting us. The year before that was a female student, Noelle." The staff shrugged. "Well, it''s not like we mind it at all. After all, the students will be spending a lot of money in the vige. The academy is also giving us some money every year for hosting this event."

    "Is that so?" Nathan looked down. The fact that no one was aware of this was because there was no need to tell their underssmen about this. "Aunty. Is the vige alright? I mean, it''s close to a forest filled with aliens, right?"

    "Well, it''s rtively safe, but I''ve heard some rumors from the summoners who are usually staying in the city. In the western area, I''ve heard that there is a disturbing sign of a powerful alien."

    "A powerful alien? Isn''t that dangerous? No. Is the academy wanting the students to kill that alien to help the vige? But this alien might be strong and the students who reach that area will be quite exhausted..." Nathan fell into deep thought.

    "If you are going to aim for that alien, there is actually a trick. You should go through the northern entrance. There is a small path that allows you to traverse around the forest from that entrance. Due to the position of the river, it''s also extremely good to set up the camp there. Not only is it brimming with fish, but fast-flowing water is safe for drinking. It''s also the ce where most edible fruits and nts are growing."

    "Oh! In that case, you can maintain your current state to challenge the scary alien." Nathan nodded with a solemn expression. "But is there something we can use to reach the northern entrance?"

    "If I''m not wrong, there should be a caravan going north in an hour. You should be able to tag along with them without paying. Still, you might have to walk for about fifteen minutes to find that entrance."

    "That is fine." Nathan smiled. "Thank you very much, Aunty. I promise that I''ll beat that scary alien so that it won''t harm the vige."

    "Oh my. What a brave kid. Good luck. In that case, let me give you something." She brought a small lunch box. "You can eat this for dinner if you want. While it won''t be hot anymore, it''s still quite delicious."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yep. Make sure you beat that alien."

    "Of course." Nathan nodded furiously. He hurriedly finished his food and headed to the north, finding the merchant group that the tavern''s aunt was talking about.

    Because of his connection with the vige as well as recognizing the Frexia Academy''s badge, the merchant didn''t mind him tagging along.

    While it was true that he needed to walk a bit further than the rest of the students and started more than an hourter, he got the best start possible.

    Because all students entered from the same area, even if they spread up, they would still create a flow from the southeast of the forest to the center.

    With such a high number of students, they would be fighting with each other to kill the alien. In other words, they would just be exhausting themselves for one or two aliens.

    And the teacher chose this timing so that they couldn''t think rationally due to hunger. Conflicts would arise as the students were unable to endure their impulse. At the same time, taking their time to eat would just slow them down.

    Hence, it was a messy start for all of them.

    Meanwhile, Nathan could actuallye to the northern side of the forest. And the moment he entered the forest, he was in perfect condition with nopetitors. In other words, all the aliens on this side would be his for the taking.

    "Fenrir." Nathan summoned Fenrir as soon as he stepped into the forest.

    "Yeah. This is going to be exciting." Fenrir smirked excitedly. "I can finally go all out. And don''t forget that you have more Ena than me right now. You can use Deadly w again and again to kill a lot of enemies."

    "I know. I''ll be ying my part. In fact, I can actually increase the amount of Ena you have, you know." Nathan smirked.

    "Soul Contract, right? Even though I''m able to learn new techniques based on my understanding of this new world, I still want to retain some of my abilities. If I grow weaker just for the sake of more Ena, it''ll be troublesome even for you."

    "Nope. I''m not going to ask for your ability." Nathan shook his head. "This is just my theory, but now that we know the amount of Ena urately, I believe that we can tweak the content of the contract.

    "For example, in exchange for my Ena, you can part with a bit of your dignity, like acting like a pet for seven days or something equivalent to the Ena you receive."

    "Sacrificing my dignity? Are you going to kill me?" Fenrir red. No matter what, he was still the prideful Fenrir, there was no way he would sell his dignity.

    "I''m just giving you an example. What I want to say is that it''s all about equivalent exchange. An ability is just one of them."

    Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched. He was still angry, but he quickly regainedposure. Nathan was right. If he was able to do that, he could grow stronger with only a small price. Besides, Nathan didn''t need a lot of Ena since he could only use Deadly w in battle.

    Before Fenrir could reply, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound from a bush.

    "Hmm? There is something nearby." Fenrir squinted his eyes before turning to the left. "There!"

    Nathan hurriedly turned around, finding the alien for the first time. And he was actually surprised by its appearance. "Isn''t that..."

 Chapter 24: Alien

    <h4>Chapter 24: Alien</h4>

    "Isn''t that..." Nathan gasped in shock.

    The alien that came toward him wasing on all four. However, those limbs were simr to those of a human.

    It had a rather humanoid body but moved like a beast. It had tentacle-like tails, pping around. Its head was elongated, which was simr to an image that Nathan had in mind.

    Its pale skin made it look like a ghost. At the same time, the veins on the skin felt like they were made of small organisms.

    "Goddamn, the appearance is like those aliens in Lovecraft, but those things in its skin looked like it was made of symbiote. That''s so cool!" Nathan sucked a cold breath.

    However, the alien suddenly leaped toward him. Its speed was quicker than Nathan, but not something he couldn''t react to. No, he didn''t even need to react.

    Fenrir stood on its way and waved its paw.

    The alien punched Fenrir''s paw with the same amount of force. The sharp ws pierced through the alien''s skin, but the entire force of that punch neutralized Fenrir''s power.

    Both of them leaped back after sensing each other''s power. The alien looked at the wound with its head despite having no eyes.

    It licked the wound with its long tongue, and surprisingly, the wound was gradually recovering as if its cells regenerated.

    "Damn. This is so badass. I know a bit about lovecraft, but it is actually enhanced with a symbiote life form like what''s next... Am I going to fight Cthulhu that has been enhanced by apex form symbiote? This world is so sick. We have mythologies, fantasy creatures, and even aliens." Nathan shuddered both in fear and excitement.

    "Oi! Don''t talk too much. We have to kill this one first!" Fenrir shouted as heunched himself forward, preparing to engage the alien again.

    "I know." Nathan squinted his eyes, remembering the lesson about the alien race.

    "The alien race is divided into several categories by their physical ability, shape-shifting ability, regenerative ability, mind and intelligence, as well as Ena maniption.

    "The one you will meet in Ten Forest is limited only to proto-ss and juvenile ss. The proto-ss only has minor physical strength enhancement and minor regenerative power. They''re moving based on their survival instinct.

    "However, the moment you underestimate them, your life will be forfeited.

    "The juvenile ss is stronger than the proto-ss by having a basic shape-shifting ability, moderate strength enhancement, and basic regenerative abilities."

    After remembering the information, Nathan started looping around the alien. Even though it was only the proto-ss, its physical ability had surpassed that of a normal human.

    The Ena inside his body started circting rapidly, boosting his physical strength.

    Fenrir noticed Nathan''s movement and waved its tail against the alien.

    The alien spread its arms to catch his tail, but it was actually able to sense the Ena Fenrir''s tail was emitting. It changed its stance by putting its arms in the front.

    The tail shot out a crescent-shaped light, but unlike the wraith that was split into two, it was only enough to reach a third of its arm. And it immediately began regenerating.

    However, Fenrir''s mission was to stop the alien. During that time, Nathan had reached his position and gathered his Ena in his hands.

    Deadly w.

    With a wave of his hand, the Ena was extended like a w. Now that he had more Ena to use, the w actually reached the alien from 5 meters (16 feet) away.

    Once again, the alien went beyond Nathan''s expectation. It leaned down while its tentacle-like tails grasped the ws. Most of them were cut, but two of them remained intact and managed to stop the Deadly w.

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. The alien suddenly jumped toward Nathan, shifting his target to the easier one.

    Nathan blocked the iing punch with both arms, but it wasn''t enough. He got pushed back and fell on his butt.

    "What are you doing, Brat?" Why are you performing worse?!" Fenrir shouted as he chased after the alien. Thetter rushed to Nathan, taking advantage of his fall to bite his neck with those sharp teeth.

    "Yep. Disgusting!" Nathanmented after seeing the slimy drooling out of its mouth. He kicked the alien''s jaw from below, causing the alien''s body to arch.

    After that, Fenrir shed the alien from the back with his tail.

    The alien let out a screeching sound as if it were wailing in pain. Unfortunately for the alien, Fenrir showed no mercy and let out a burst of Ena from its mouth. "Waaf!"

    The burst hit the wound and widened it beforeunching the alien to the tree.

    Nathan got back on his feet and used the Deadly w from above, cutting its head into four and sshing the blood in all directions.

    "Sorry. I was a little too excited earlier. I''m a big fan, you know." Nathan apologized. Fortunately, all students had learned the basic strengthening during the first week, so he wasn''t injured after receiving that attack. Still, it didn''t change the fact that a single mistake could be fatal, so Nathan had to apologize.

    "As long as you know that. I''m going to get angry if you still y around next time. Remember, your life''s on the line." Fenrir harrumphed. "Besides, don''t use your Ena too recklessly."

    "I know. It''s just... I can''t trust them if they have died or not unless I cut their head or sever their neck. That''s the only way to confirm that an alien has died. They might be faking it otherwise." Nathan shrugged, showing that he recovered right after and tried to do the same thing.

    "Still, the alien is stronger than I originally thought. I can defeat it by myself. No, even that boy who summons a wraith could do it too. It''s just one will be the limit. Probably a fourth of your ss will have a hard time even fighting one of them," assessed Fenrir while looking at the corpse.

    "Yeah..." Nathan replied nonchntly as if he didn''t care about his assessment, his eyes staring at the alien''s chest.

    "Those cores you swallowed weeks ago..." Fenrir abruptly stopped as Nathan pinched his mouth again, indirectly telling him not to continue the disgusting exnation.

    "How about you eat it, Fenrir? This is the original way for you to get stronger without the Soul Contract."

    "My summoner is better because he can absorb it more efficiently."

    "I''m fine. This is just a test."

    "No, no. It''s only right for the summoner to get it."

    Both of them had their eyebrows twitched. Nathan said with a disgusted face, "You gouge it out, and we''ll clean itter. I''ll have to sacrifice myself, I guess."

 Chapter 25: Conditions

    <h4>Chapter 25: Conditions</h4>

    As Fenrir said, a lot of students were struggling against one of them.

    "Scree!" A goblin swung its club at the alien''s head, smashing it to the ground.

    "Yes!" Its summoner pumped his fist, believing he had won.

    It looked like an effective attack, but the tentacle-like tails caught the goblin. The moment the alien rose from the ground, the alien punched the goblin''s stomach, causing it to spat a mouthful of blood.

    The punch blew the goblin away, its body bouncing several times on the ground until crashing into a tree.

    The alien then rushed to the summoner.

    "Hiii!" The summoner couldn''t move its body out of fear. As a result, the alien punched him in the face, cracking his jaw.

    This was a perfect time for the alien to kill him, but right when it was about to reach the summoner, the alien stopped as its head slid down its body. Without the alien realizing it, a halfling had appeared and sliced its neck.

    The halflings looked at the student and said, "Roberto is now disqualified."

    In another ce, a sylph shot out a crescent-shaped wind and cut the alien into pieces. A deration had been made. "Liscia is now disqualified from the test."

    The number of students had started decreasing. Just like Jason said, the teacher would protect them, but it also meant this was the end of their trip.

    Half of the students were struggling against the alien since this was the first time they fought the alien. They didn''t know how to deal with them or had gotten used to their movement.

    Some students even decided to team up. Even though they would get fewer points, they could defeat an alien with minimal losses.

    However, there were some students who managed to perform perfectly.

    Selena was looking down on the alien that had been pinned to the ground. All its limbs had been impaled by spears made of blood.

    She pointed her palm at the alien''s head while saying, "Goodbye."

    A small burst of Ena flew toward the alien''s head like a bullet. It pierced through the head before exploding, sttering all the flesh and blood in all directions.

    "With this, we have killed three aliens. We should take a break first, Miss. You haven''t eaten anything yet. If you copse, you simply can''t kill more aliens. That person will definitely win against you if you end up falling sick."

    Selena let out a long sigh. "That''s true. I guess we''ll take a break somewhere around here. Please scout the area. I''ll eat after getting the core."

    The vampire nodded.

    On another battlefield, a shield blocked an alien''s rush. The dwarf was pushed back a little bit, but he immediately switched stance and smacked the alien''s head with the shield. After that, it sliced the body with a big axe, splitting its body into two.

    "Sorry for this, Rand. I''ll help you once I''m done with this." August was munching the jerky with a sour face.

    "Please pay no mind." The dwarf nodded while looking around to ensure this ce was safe.

    Unlike August, who wanted to help his familiar, Prince Rudeus was eating the jerky while sitting on the cyclops'' shoulder.

    The cyclops simply smashed the alien''s body with its extraordinary strength, crushing the alien''s internal organs.

    "Go. Go. Let''s kill more," said Rudeus as he found the score recorded in the pendant increasing. There was simply no need for him to help since there was a huge gap of strength between the proto-ss alien and his cyclops.

    The teacher was observing the students from above as another sylph created a tform made of wind for them to stand on.

    "19 students have been eliminated. A lot of them have realized that the alien''s strength is greater than their imagination and started switching their strategy."

    "It''s normal. They think that just because they''re qualified as a summoner, they can do anything. We have to stop the principal from inciting the students every single time."

    "Hahaha. Still, it''s good that they start teaming up. That''s the most efficient method."

    "Besides, that''s how a summoner should fight. If you''re thrown into the frontline, you will have to work together with others unless you want to die. It''s not about the score or core. It''s about survival."

    "Still, that beast summoner is interesting. To think that he would go from the north... I guess he has found the hidden clue from the vigers."

    "Well, it doesn''t really matter. From how he is struggling against his first opponent, it doesn''t seem like he is going to produce a significant result."

    "Who knows?" Jason shrugged. "They are just starting. Every year, there will always be students who show exponential growth during this trip."

    "But that Selena is able to kill the alien easily. August and his dwarf are able to cooperate with each other. They must have been sparring with each other a lot in thest two weeks."

    "Still, the strongest one out there is..."

    "Prince Rudeus. With that size and strength, the cyclops are simply too much. If there is someone who can take down a juvenile ss, it''s definitely going to be him."

    Jason sighed. "Still, it depends on his performance. After all, the true test has yet to begin."

    The three teachers squinted their eyes.

    "The survival life is much harsher than they can imagine. It''s especially true for those sheltered kids. Without good food, their mood will go down. During the night, they will be unable to sleep. If they force their familiars to guard, their familiars will be exhausted the next morning."

    "Yeah. Their water is also limited, so most of them will have to find the river. And I doubt that they can search for food from the river or forest."

    "Even though themoners are usually showing less talent than those from good families, they are more resilient in this test."

    "Well, we have to wait and see. Just likest year, most will drop out because their condition is too bad."

    "Let''s see how the quality of the freshmen is this year. How about the beast summoner?"

    The teachers turned around, trying to find Nathan, who should have the upper hand.

    Nathan was rxing next to the river with Fenrir ying around with the fish.

    "Eh?"

    "Is he..."

    "He is not trying to survive. Why does he look so rxed as if this is a camping trip?"

 Chapter 26: Quality vs Quantity

    <h4>Chapter 26: Quality vs Quantity</h4>

    While everyone started getting exhausted from all the battles, Nathan was actually chilling near the river.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir let out a bark as a fish suddenly jumped out of the water. He pped it to the gravel so hard that the fish couldn''t p its body back to the river.

    "Are you done over there? I have dug that trench for you. You''re not saying it''s not effective, right?" Fenrir asked while ncing at Nathan.

    "I''m almost done," Nathan shouted back. He asked Fenrir to drag two holes. It didn''t need to be very deep, but it should be long enough for Nathan to enter.

    After that, Nathan nted some logs on the ground to build a wall that would protect him from the chilling wind.

    On the left side, he used it for a small bed. On the right side, it was an empty hole with some bushes and dry twigs near the river.

    "Are you done?" Fenrir returned, noticing that Nathan was putting down his stuff.

    "Yep. We''re going to sleep here. No roof, but the wind won''t get to us. The fire should keep us warm." Nathan spread his arms as if he were showing his craft.

    "True. The wind ispletely blocked. It''ll be warm once we start the fire. I guess I can sleep here to make sure you''re safe." Fenrir nodded in approval. "Still, how do you know all this? It''s not knowledge that you get from a farmer, right?"

    "Survival novel. I read a lot of bullshit, but this one is working." Nathan shrugged. "Well, it''s said that we can burn up some firewood and cover it with dry gravel to create a warm bed. But it''s too scary since the description is saying there will be some steaming out. I don''t want to get burned while sleeping, you see."

    "I don''t really care as long as I can sleep." Fenrir shrugged.

    "Yeah. Anyway, I''ll gather a bit more firewood to keep the fire up for the whole night. After that, we can hunt some more before having some dinner."

    Fenrir nodded in agreement. "I have caught some fi¡ª!"

    When he abruptly stopped his words, Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "What''s wrong?"

    "I notice some presences. Three... no, four of them." Fenrir squinted his eyes.

    "Humans?"

    "No one is quick enough to reach this ce in one day, especially with all the aliens around."

    "In that case, we can''t let them destroy this ce. This will be our shelter for the next seven days."

    Fenrir nodded.

    They took a peek from the hut, noticing four aliens who seemed to notice living beings near the river.

    "I''ll take care of two of them. You should do the same... or at least buy me some time until I kill those two," Fenrir exined.

    "Why not take care of three of them? You can do it, right?"

    "Idiot. I could defeat two of them much faster than three at the same time. That way, I can swiftly help you. Besides, this will be a good time to test your ability and understand the meaning of quantity vs quality."

    Nathan contemted for a moment. "I guess we can do that. It''s better to experience it when the enemies are still weak."

    "Yeah. I''ll take care of the two on the left, you stop those two on the right."

    "Let''s go!" Nathan nodded.

    Both of them emerged at the same time, immediately going toward their respective enemies.

    Noticing Nathan and Fenrir, the four aliens shifted their senses toward them.

    Nathan''s foes had different shapes. The first one had a humanoid body but a round head with teeth circling at the tip. It was moving on two feet, but the head kept summoning tentacles from the hole at the top. The second one had a simr appearance as the first alien he encountered, but instead of multiple tails, there was only one robust tail like a baseball bat.

    The two aliens dashed toward Nathan, the one running on four feet arrived much faster.

    Nathan used the Deadly w as an opening attack. The alien ducked, but this was Nathan''s aim, he was aiming for its tail.

    To his surprise, the alien swung the tail downward and actually broke the Deadly w and dispersed the residual Ena.

    "What?" Nathan never thought that the Deadly w could easily be destroyed just like that.

    "You idiot! My ability is much stronger than that. Know where and when to attack!"

    "!!!" Nathan''s body shook. Despite fighting the same number, Fenrir was still able to teach him.

    Nathan clicked his tongue, regaining hisposure. The beast-like alien pounced on Nathan, and thetter used to catch it with one hand and punched the alien''s face with the other.

    He was fortunate to choose that way. If he didn''t punch the alien away, the alien would have swung its robust tail toward him.

    Still, there was a second aliening right after the first. Nathan used the Deadly w again, this time not to attack the alien but to stop it.

    The humanoid alien had no choice but to raise its left arm, receiving the Deadly w with its muscr body.

    It managed to graze the surface of its skin, but Nathan couldn''t cut it any deeper.

    Nathan wanted to use this chance to punch the alien, but this action showed his inexperience in fighting multiple opponents.

    "Hey! Maintain a wide range of vision!" Fenrir shouted.

    "!!!" Nathan was startled as his eyes shifted to the left, finding the beast-like alien was about to pounce on him.

    The beast-like alien swung its tail at full force.

    "Kh!" Nathan gritted his teeth, blocking the tail with the back of his hand. However, the impact was so great that it ended up hitting him on the head,unching Nathan away. His body bounced several times before stopping.

    "Don''t focus on only one of them. It''s going to be hard to fight multiple enemies at once. Keep calm and find an opening. Focus on taking down the weakest first!" Fenrir kept shouting.

    Nathan clenched his hands as he stood back up with only a small scratch on his head.

 Chapter 27: Killing the Aliens

    <h4>Chapter 27: Killing the Aliens</h4>

    "Kh!" Nathan stood up. His hand and head hurt, but he could still fight. If the enemies were stronger than them, he might have died. It was no wonder Fenrir suggested testing it here.

    The two aliens sped up, not nning to give him a chance to recover.

    Now that Nathan had failed a big time, he had be more calm, believing that he had made the biggest mistake in this battle.

    The beast-like alien came first and pounced on him, using the same trick to knock Nathan down.

    However, Nathan boosted his physical abilities with Ena. Right after the beast-like alien swung its tail, he slipped past the alien while lowering his upper body.

    Then, Nathan moved toward the humanoid alien while the beast-like alien had to stop its momentum and turn around.

    The humanoid alien spread both arms as though it wanted to hug him. Nathan stopped, which allowed the beast-like alien to catch up. With both of theming toward him from the opposite directions, Nathan hurriedly tossed himself to the side, letting the beast-like alien pounce on the humanoid alien.

    Now that both of them crashed into each other, Nathan hurriedly got up and used the Deadly w.

    Surprisingly, the beast-like alien managed to swing its tail right at the Deadly w as if it had eyes on its back.

    ''It''s not working?'' Nathan frowned.

    The two aliens immediately got back on their feet once Nathan''s attack failed.

    This time, they attacked Nathan at the same time.

    ''I can only block one of them, but it also means that the other will hit me.'' Nathan bit his lips, finally understanding the horror of quantity. ''Keep calm and find an opening, huh?''

    Nathan had been trying to find the quickest solution to a problem. In this type of battle, he noticed that doing it would be problematic.

    He inhaled deeply, cooling down his head. Now that he thought about it, Alisha''s training was simr to this. Despite fighting her alone, he would always get struck from an unexpected direction.

    "Keep your eyes open. By seeing the attack, you will be able to react." Nathan muttered, repeating what Alisha said back during their spar.

    The humanoid alien attacked from the right side while the beast-like alien came from the left side.

    He kept his eyes peeled, noticing that at thest moment pouncing movement increased the alien''s speed. As a result, Nathan chose to avoid it first by taking a step to the right.

    However, there was aing punch from the other alien. His head processed the situation almost instantly. Since the left side was blocked by the alien, he had to avoid this punch without going to the left.

    Nathan chose to lower his knees, barely avoiding the punch. After that, he moved diagonally and punched the humanoid alien in the face, specifically aiming it toward the other alien.

    As a result, the humanoid''s alien tripped and crashed onto the beast-like alien. However, the punch was too weak because his right hand was still hurt from earlier.

    ''I didn''t use enough power!'' Nathan panicked for a second. Out of desperation, he kicked the humanoid''s alien, which gave enough force to make them both fall.

    This was an opportunity to kill them. With a swift wave of his hand, his Deadly w reached the humanoid alien, cutting its upper body.

    The beast-like alien managed to ce its tail between them, which ended up blocking the Deadly w.

    Now that the humanoid had been cut into pieces, the weight that pinned it to the ground had gone. The alien immediately pounced on Nathan.

    "NO!" Nathan shouted and grabbed the alien''s neck as thetter was trying to bite him like an insane dog. The thick drool was about to fall off its lips. At the same time, Nathan noticed that the tail was moving to the side as if it wanted to get another hit on Nathan.

    Now that he had gotten used to maintaining a wide vision, Nathan kicked the alien first.

    The alien rolled several times before getting back on its feet. However, Nathan didn''t kick it too far. As a result, without him leaving the ground, Nathan could use the Deadly w and reach the alien.

    "!!!" The alien reacted toote as the three ws had pierced its head from below.

    As soon as Nathan pulled the ws, it sliced the head, thus killing the alien.

    "Ha... Ha..." Nathan panted a few times as he continued lying down. "I finally killed both of them. To think that killing two aliens would be this hard."

    When he was about to rx, he remembered Fenrir was also facing the two aliens.

    "That''s right. Fenrir!" Nathan hurriedly got up, only to see Fenrir already waiting right in front of him.

    "It seems that you''re finally done." Fenrir smirked.

    "Ha..." Nathanid back down whileining, "If you were done with your opponents, you should have helped me."

    "I was nning to help you, but when I saw you gaining your momentum on the battle, I decided to watch until the end. It seems that you finally understand what it means to fight multiple opponents of the same level."

    "Yeah. I only have two arms and two legs. There''s no way I can stop all attacks, especially when they attack at the same time. As expected, for the summoning ritual two weeks from now, I''ll need to summon a familiar that can help us in battle." Nathan sighed.

    "As long as I understand it, you need to strengthen me first."

    "Sell me your dignity." Nathan smirked.

    Fenrir tapped Nathan''s forehead with his paw while saying, "I''m thinking about what I''m nning to exchange. Anyway, get some rest and review the battle. We might face more than four enemies at the same time."

    "I know." Nathan looked at the blue sky while muttering, "I wonder what kind of familiar should I summon next? It needs high battle prowess. If I want to win against Selena, I should get into the top five on this trip. It means I can get a special item for the sacrifice. It seems I have to seriously consider what kind of item I want."

 Chapter 28: Built Different

    <h4>Chapter 28: Built Different</h4>

    The night fell, the true challenge of this trip had begun.

    On one corner of the forest, a student kicked a kobold while shouting, "Why can''t you do anything? Hurry up and build me a tent!"

    "Kiuuh..." The kobold was trying to say anything but could only tolerate his behavior.

    Unfortunately, the kobold couldn''t build the tent. Not only did the student not bring any tent or the equipment for it, but the area didn''t have anything that could be used as tents. The only things the kobold could find were twigs and fallen leaves.

    On another corner, there was a student in better condition. She had set up a tent, but the eerie atmosphere of the forest kept her awake.

    "Are we going to be fine? Are we going to be fine?" She kept asking the same question over and over again.

    There was a howling deep from the forest, which made her rise from her sleeping bag while saying, "What''s that? The aliens areing?"

    "I need your help, Axilys." She bit her lips, staring at her familiar.

    "I can be on the lookout, but if I don''t rest, I won''t be able to recover my stamina and Ena. In the worst-case scenario, I won''t be able to fight anymore tomorrow."

    "I don''t care! There are so many dangers here. You''re the only ones who can do it." She shook her head furiously, demanding that her familiar stay awake.

    Most of the students had simr situations. This was the first time they camped outside without anyone helping them.

    However, themoners were different. Their lives weren''t that good to begin with, so they had to do a few things for survival.

    Learning how to camp was included.

    Some students had set up a tent, but a few were luckier than the others since their area had a lot of firewood to warm them up.

    Meanwhile, August and his dwarf had worked hard together to build a dirt house. It was a simple cube with one chimney.

    "You''ll be on the lookout first. Switch with me five hourster," ordered August.

    The dwarf nodded in agreement. This whole time, August had been doing everything together, so their friendship grew during the trip.

    Meanwhile, the cyclops were in a simr predicament.

    "Alright. It''s good now!" Rudeus looked at the half-sphere made of dirt. It wasn''t big or fancy, but it was a nice little hut that could block the wind. He had taken advantage of the cyclops'' size to make this small hut like building a sandcastle.

    "I will summon you once I need you. For now, recover as much as possible. We need to do this for seven days after all."

    The cyclops nodded before disappearing into thin air.

    Both Rudeus and August had their own ces to block the wind. The same couldn''t be said to Selena.

    "Haa..." Selena let out a warm breath to the space between her hands while saying, "It''s cold."

    "You should have brought the tent." The vampire shook her head helplessly.

    "But if I bring the tent, my speed will be reduced significantly because they''re so heavy. I have to win against him on this trip." Selena shook her head furiously.

    The vampire scratched the back of her head. She didn''t know where Selena''s obsession wasing from, but it wasn''t her ce to talk about it.

    "If you fall sick, you''re going to have a hard time for the next few days. You might even lose and couldn''t do anything remarkable for this trip."

    "I know." Selena looked down with a sad expression. She tossed more firewood while saying, "But it doesn''t matter if I can''t win. I need to prove myself to be able to summon a progenitor. If I can''t, I will just be the puppet of a family."

    The vampire scratched the back of her head, unable to persuade her. "Anyway, you should sleep as much as possible. Make sure to wear more clothes and cover your entire body with an extra nket."

    Selena nodded. She only took a nket and a sleeping bag, so she also threw a towel on top. She hadn''t found a river, so she had to move toward the river before her water ran out.

    "Are you sure you''ll be fine during the night?"

    "I''m nocturnal. Even if I''m asleep, my sense is much sharper than what I have during the day. Don''t worry. I can protect you while sleeping." She shrugged.

    "Alright." Selena nodded helplessly. Sheid down while wrapping herself as thick as possible.

    "It''s cold... but I''m going to win," was thest thing she muttered before closing her eyes.

    The teachers smiled wryly. "The students are quite weak."

    "Yeah. There are only ten people who seem to be doing somewhat better. It''s a bit disappointing. Then again, this year, they have a lot of familiars specializing inbat, unlikest year."

    "Agreed. I should also check the student that took the north entrance." He raised his head only to drop his jaw. "That''s..."

    "What''s wrong?" Another teacher chose to check up on Nathan as well, only to get stunned by what she found.

    In his camp, Nathan peacefully sat down next to the fire with Fenrir, looking at the night sky.

    "Damn. It''s so beautiful. Back on Earth, the city is so bright that we couldn''t even see stars anymore," said Nathan while eating the dinner box he got from the tavern''sdy.

    Unlike the others, he was much more rxed. His camp had everything since he would be staying in this ce for several days, unlike the others that had yet to reach their desired spot.

    He grabbed the makeshift kettle and took a sip of the hot water, warming his body. "Even though this forest is dangerous, this ce feels soothing."

    "Don''t forget that we''ll be fighting a lot tomorrow," Fenrir warned him before devouring the cooked fish in one go.

    "I know, I know."

    Looking at such a peaceful atmosphere, the teachers couldn''t help but say the same thing. "See? When the others are busy surviving in the forest, he''s really treating this as a camping trip."

 Chapter 29: Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 29: Ambush</h4>

    "Ha... Ha... Where is the freaking juvenile ss alien we''re searching for?" Nathanined. "We have been going around since yesterday, but we haven''t found a single clue of the juvenile ss alien."

    "It''s not that big of a deal. We still have four days left." Fenrir shrugged while staring at the sky. "We should get back soon. It''s going to be dark in an hour or so. We have ventured a little bit too far."

    "Fine." Nathan sighed. He might have be a bit impatient because he had promised the aunt from the tavern that he would kill this juvenile ss.

    "Besides, haven''t we killed a lot of alienstely?"

    "Yeah." Nathan scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit frustrated.

    "Anyway, what''s..." Fenrir suddenly stopped talking and tilted its head to the left.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I heard a scream in that direction."

    "Let''s help that person then," replied Nathan without hesitation. "We can still get some points by killing the alien."

    "Yeah. Let''s go!" Fenrir led the way.

    They crossed the woods at pretty high speed before Fenrir noticed even more things as they were approaching that person.

    "My instinct is kicking in. Something strong, but not in the direction of the scream from earlier." Fenrir pointed his paw to the right this time.

    "Huh? Not in that direction?" Nathan paused for a moment. "Is the one screaming a woman or a man?"

    "A man."

    "Alright. Let''s check the danger first." Nathan pointed to the right.

    "..." Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched. "You sure know your priority..."

    "What? The teacher is gonna save him even if we don''t. On the other hand, if that scream somehow disturbs this strong presence, that might be the juvenile ss alien, we would be screwed."

    "Yeah, yeah." Fenrir sneered while adding inwardly, ''Who would believe you?''

    "What?" Nathan shrugged.

    "Nothing. I''m just thinking that you''re going to face a lot of problems with that mindset in the future... I''m sure of it." Fenrir harrumphed.

    "Cursing me, eh?"

    Fenrir didn''t reply anymore as he guided him closer and closer to the strong presence he sensed.

    It took them three minutes since they had to slow down and be careful.

    They ended up reaching a small hill. The small hill was only 30 meters (98 feet) tall. Even though the trees were scattered evenly in this hill, there was a small spot on its slope with no trees on it.

    It was there they found several aliens.

    "Five..." Nathan squinted his eyes. "...proto-ss aliens. It is a lot, but I don''t think those are the ones you sense, right?"

    "Can you see that small cave?" Fenrir asked, pointing at the small ck dot between two trees.

    "Cave?" Nathan had a hard time finding it since the entrance wasn''t too big and the trees almostpletely covered his eyes.

    It was a bit hard to see, but he indeed found a cave. "What of it?"

    "You might not be able to see it, but that''s where the terrifying existence is. I can''t see it well from this location, but I don''t think I can win against that with my current strength." Fenrir''s expression turned grim.

    As if sensing Fenrir''s gaze, an alien emerged from the cave.

    It had pale purple skin. Its body was simr to that of a human, but its head was like a skeleton that was only covered with a thinyer of skin, which made the noses much bigger. The alien was three meters tall.

    "Hide." Fenrir pped the back of Nathan''s head as they hid behind the bushes.

    The alien was looking around as if trying to sense the gaze from earlier.

    Nathan and Fenrir couldn''t see it, but they could hear a rumbling sound from the hill.

    Nathan carefully found a small gap that he could use to see through the bushes. That was when he found the alien was carrying a tree on its shoulder as if it were his weapon.

    ''If that''s really the case, a single hit will be quite fatal for both of us. In addition, there are a lot of proto-ss aliens protecting this alien. Fenrir has to focus on the juvenile ss, but I can''t handle all those proto-ss aliens by myself.'' Nathan''s expression turned grim. It seemed that they had to separate the proto-ss aliens first before defeating the juvenile ss.

    Fenrir gritted his teeth. "I might have the chance to kill it, but I need more Ena. If I don''t open up some of my abilities, I won''t be able to defeat that alien."

    "If that''s the case, let''s give you more Ena. I have a lot of Ena right now."

    "If I can unlock some of my abilities, I might even overpower it. I need about five times the amount of Ena I have right now."

    Fenrir got 30 Ena from the summoning and 9 Ena from the first Soul Contract. Five times the amount was a lot, but it wasn''t half of what Nathan currently had after swallowing all the cores they got here.

    Nathan said, "The Soul Contract is the only way."

    "But I don''t want to sell my dignity."

    "Let''s go back to the camp first. We can think of the exchange slowly... such as doing an errand or something for the next seven days."

    "Well, let''s think about it first." Fenrir nodded in agreement. They waited until it was safe to pull back.

    While returning to the camp, Nathan was in deep thought, wondering what kind of exchange he wanted to get from Fenrir.

    "I was too focused on that juvenile ss alien...Oi, brat. I have two bad news." Fenrir''s expression turned grim. "There are more than ten aliens chasing after us from behind. At the same time, there are six people in front of us."

    "Huh?" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows. "We should avoid both of them, allowing those people to take care of the aliens¡ª"

    He suddenly heard voicesing from behind. With a single nce, he found an alien about to reach him. There were a lot of aliens following right behind.

    It was at this moment he understood what Fenrir meant that he was too distracted.

    "Tsk." Nathan clicked his tongue and turned around. "Kill that one and we run!"

    Fenrir couldn''t move immediately because he sensed Enaing from behind. Yes, those six humans had finally reached them with their own familiars.

    "Watch out!" Fenrir gnashed its teeth, ready to protect Nathan from both sides.

    "!!!" Nathan didn''t understand why he had to watch out, considering those people must be his ssmates. But the moment he nced back, he knew he had fucked up.

    The group of peopleing toward him was none other than Raivan and the five people whose cores he borrowed to sponsor the first Summoners War.

    "Are you freaking kidding me?" Nathan looked frustrated. He had to run away from all these aliens, but for some reason Raivan''s group also came at the perfect timing.

    "Attack!" Raivan shouted,manding his team.

    Those familiarsunched their attacks at the same time.

    Nathan had gathered his Ena in his hands, ready to use the Deadly w to protect himself. But to his surprise, the volley of attacks from their familiars actually rained down the aliens.

    "Raaa!"

    "Ree!"

    The aliens were groaning in pain. An imp took the lead and jumped toward the alien that was about to reach Nathan, dragging it down to the ground.

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in disbelief.

    "What are you doing? Attack, you lowlymoners! Those are the aliens." Raivan shouted, acting as if he had forgotten the grudge between them. No, Nathan could still see some hatred in him, but he actually put it aside because of the aliens?

    He was taken aback to the point where he couldn''t help but think, ''Wait. That''s not how your script should be.''

 Chapter 30: Defeating the Aliens Together

    <h4>Chapter 30: Defeating the Aliens Together</h4>

    ''Wait. That''s not how your script should be.'' Nathan wanted to say something, but the aliens started pushing back those familiars with their sheer number.

    In the end, the aliens still outnumbered them.

    Although he couldn''tpletely trust him, this was a perfect chance to strike back.

    "Fenrir!"

    Fenrir leaped toward one of the aliens that was stopped by a hobgoblin. It startled the hobgoblin, but Fenrir skillfully used his tail to cut only the alien.

    Understanding what happened, the hobgoblin immediately searched for another target. Meanwhile, Fenrir came toward other aliens, taking them one by one.

    Unlike a normal fight, the aliens were distracted so much that they could be easily killed.

    "Aaaggghhhh!" The orc suddenly screamed in pain while falling on its back.

    "!!!" All of them shifted their gazes to the orc, finding a long cut mark on its chest.

    The one that took the orc was an alien, but unlike the normal one, this one had its pale purple skin half covered by a bluish green color. It had a beast shape, but its tail was sharp like a sword. The two arms had an extension of a big cleaver that stretched on the entire lower arms.

    Fenrir immediately turned around and swiped his w. The alien, on the other hand, blocked his ws with the huge de on its arm.

    Fenrir had to leap back as the alien tried to slice him with the other arm.

    "What is that alien?" Nathan never saw an alien like this.

    "That''s a mutant!" Ravian shouted. "We have to retreat. There''s no way we can defeat it!"

    "Mutant?" Jason hadn''t taught this yet, so Nathan asked for confirmation, "Fenrir?"

    "Give me an opening. I''ll kill it in one shot," Fenrir said with confidence.

    Without hesitation, Nathan charged toward the alien.

    "Oi!" Ravian was trying to make him retreat, but Nathan paid no mind.

    His Ena moved to both hands. As soon as the mutant reached his attack range, Nathan used Deadly w on both hands.

    "!!!" The alien raised its head before using both arms to block the Deadly w.

    The alien controlled its tail, nning to crush the Deadly w with its sharpness. Surprisingly, multiple skeletal hands emerged from the ground and grabbed the alien''s tail, pin it down.

    "Shaaa!" The alien roared, struggling to free itself.

    Fenrir saw his opportunity andnded on the alien''s back. His Ena swirled around his paw like a raging typhoon.

    The moment he hit the alien back, its skin and the flesh underneath it were distorted as the alien suddenly fell down to the ground, spitting a mouthful of purple blood.

    The Deadly w swept in, slicing the alien''s head to make sure it died.

    "Isn''t that Alisha''s..." Nathan sucked a cold breath.

    "Talkter," said Fenrir while turning his head to the side.

    "Attack again! Kill them!" Raivan shouted. The others followed suit, turning the battle around.

    They killed the rest of the aliens easily by cooperating with each other.

    Although Nathan didn''t say anything, those skeletal hands muste from Raivan''s wraith. He never thought that Raivan would actually help him.

    Nevertheless, they took care of the remaining aliens in just five minutes.

    It was certainly easier to fight as a group, but at the same time, the point had been divided as well.

    Now that the aliens had been dealt with, another tension rose between Nathan and Raivan.

    Both of them exchanged res. Raivan chose to break the silence by saying, "You can take their cores since your wolf was the one who killed most of them."

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. "Why did you help me?"

    "You''re thinking too highly of yourself, lowlymoner. In front ofmon enemies, everything is insignificant. This is why you''re a meremoner. You aren''t able to differentiate priorities."

    On the one hand, getting all those cores would benefit him. On the other hand, it would just show his greed.

    "Fenrir. We''re leaving." Nathan chose not to take a single thing. In the end, he thought about running away if they were not here. Even though he was curious about the mutant, it was better to give it to them as thanks for help, not that he would say it out loud.

    "That lowlymoner!" One of them gritted his teeth, angry at Nathan''s reaction.

    Fenrir just followed Nathan quietly.

    As soon as Fenrir didn''t sense their gazes anymore, he immediately hopped on Nathan''s head. "I''ve exhausted my Ena."

    "Because of Alisha''s ability?"

    "Yeah. I managed to copy that power... only the downgrade version though. I felt like she was able topletely shred the alien apart if she was the one doing it with full power. I didn''t have enough Ena to use such a thing."

    "Is this where your confidence ising from? Is it registered in your skills list?" Nathan smiled. Fenrir had just proven himself to be able to learn a new ability. It could be said that he could sacrifice some of his skills to get more Ena while he mastered techniques unique to this world.

    "It''s not there. That list is probably only for the abilities I carry over, not learn."

    "I see." Nathan contemted for a moment, wondering if he could use this new knowledge for the Soul Contract.

    "Still, to think that guy would help you in that situation." Fenrir didn''t think that Raivan would do such a thing. If it were him, he would have attacked Nathan together with the aliens before retreating. "Shouldn''t you at least say thanks to him?"

    "Thanks, huh? Does he really deserve it?" Nathan''s expression turned cold.

    "What do you mean? Is my summoner someone ungrateful?" Fenrir disliked such a thing since it reminded him of what happened in the past.

    "No. I''m not ungrateful. I''m merely asking whether I should be thankful or not."

    "Don''t tell me, you don''t say thanks because they are not females, right?" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched. If Nathan ever said ''Yes,'' he would definitely bite him. He continued, "That guy looked like a decent percent. Maybe there was some misunderstanding or whatever before."

    "Decent? Well, you could say he is decent... his scheme, that is."

 Chapter 31: Popular

    <h4>Chapter 31: Popr</h4>

    "We should have beaten that lowly farmer!" A guy shouted, frustrated by Raivan''s action.

    Meanwhile, the other friend actually lowered his head. "I''m sorry. I didn''t notice that a mutant would actually be among them."

    "!!!" The other three friends widened their eyes in shock. "What?"

    Raivan only waved his hand. "It doesn''t matter. With this, we have seen what he is capable of. His Ena Maniption has already reached manifestation. In addition, that wolf is able to speak, and its strength is much stronger than any of our familiars."

    "But..."

    "There''s no but. I have made a decision. Don''t disturb him anymore." Raivan clicked his tongue. He had to say it even if he hated it.

    The guy, who knew his n the whole time, looked at him bitterly.

    ...

    One week ago.

    "What? Father is angry? He should be helping me. His son is being bullied!" Raivan shouted.

    His father''s butler sighed. "Young Master. I''m merely conveying the message of your father. You are not the only target of his anger. Your mother is currently being sent back to her family for a few months."

    "Why?" Raivan gritted his teeth.

    "The past young master wouldn''t even bother to ask this question. How time can easily change people..." The butler was tired exining since Raivan didn''t n to understand it. "What did your mother say to change you like this? The young master I know is elegant, smart, and calm."

    "What do you mean? You should know that having another summoner in our territory will tip the bnce of power. What if he gets stronger than me? He might even marry my sister to him. What will happen if he ends up seeding the Ryzant Household instead of me?"

    The butler shook his head helplessly. "A good summoner isn''t necessarily a good lord, but a good lord who has the power of a summoner can protect its people."

    "!!!" Raivan''s body shook when he heard those words.

    The butler turned around and said, "You were the one who told me that, young master. Anyway, I''ve passed the message from your father. If you make another problem, your father might have no choice but to handle this personally."

    Raivan couldn''t raise his head. The butler could only shake his head helplessly.

    Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, Raivan stopped him before he left. "Tell my father that I''ll fix this."

    The butler politely bowed to him before leaving for good.

    This was the answer Raivan presented.

    ...

    "So he asked his friend to lure those aliens toward us and appear on time to help us?" Fenrir frowned.

    "Yeah. First of all, the timing itself is too perfect. The number of aliens might be high, but they can still win without us. He must be trying to test our strength."

    "But why? Why did he do all this?"

    "It was to send a message. He assumed I wouldn''t know, but he wanted to show that he would be the bigger person and chose to help me. This way, he could solve the grudge between us without him apologizing. If I was oblivious to it, he would also receive my thanks, which made me owe him a favor."

    "What a bastard!" Fenrir was angry. He never thought that Raivan would manipte him.

    "Nevertheless, if he doesn''t bother me again, I don''t n on harassing him. I''m not that petty."

    "Hmph." Fenrir snorted. "I should have teared him off. Such a scheming person..."

    "I don''t know what your feeling about your father is, but isn''t he the same?"

    Fenrir smacked Nathan''s head but didn''t say anything.

    "Ignored, huh?" Nathan chuckled.

    "Rather than that, what about that mutant? Do you not know anything about it?"

    "Yeah. I''ll have to ask my teacher once we go home. Instead of the mutant, I''m more interested in the juvenile ss alien. So I only need to give you 160 Ena?"

    "That''s enough for me to kill that guy. You should use the rest to summon the next familiar."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "If you can take the juvenile ss alone, I will have to handle the remaining aliens by myself. From what we can see, there should be 5 aliens near him, right?"

    "6 from what I can see, but the number might be higher."

    "That''s going to be hard. We need to separate them." Nathan sighed while tossing Fenrir since they had reached the camp.

    "Can you do that? I will have to focus on the big alien. I might not be able to protect you during that time," Fenrir warned him. He hadn''t enjoyed this world fully yet, so he didn''t want Nathan to die.

    "Let''s see. I can probably handle three of them at the same time, but that''s my limit. We need a solution, maybe like a trap or something. At least we have several days to think of a n."

    "By the way, I''m curious about one thing. How did you figure out that they were scheming instead of sincerely helping you?" That was a big question in Fenrir''s mind that he almost forgot. They didn''t seem to show any sign of a scheme, which fooled Fenrir.

    "During the fight, is there any familiar that has a sluggish movement?"

    "Huh? Now that you mention it, the imp was rather sluggish, but it was the first one to attack as if..." Fenrir sucked a cold breath as he came to a realization.

    "In my case, I found the imp was sweating while other familiars weren''t." Nathan shrugged.

    "So that''s how it is." Fenrir nodded in understanding.

    "Anyway, catch our dinner, will you? I will have to find a n from the so-called ''smart'' MC from novels." Nathan pointed at the river.

    "But I''m tired right no¡ª!" Fenririned while turning his head around, finding yet another person approaching. "Why are we so popr today?"

    Nathan sighed. He just wanted to focus on the juvenile ss alien. When he took a look at the person who was currently approaching, Nathan couldn''t help but say, "I found my solution."

 Chapter 32: Fenrirâ€™s Solution

    <h4>Chapter 32: Fenrir''s Solution</h4>

    "I found the solution." Nathan smiled.

    The person that actually approached the camp was none other than Selena. He didn''t know how Selena ended up here, but it was clear that her condition wasn''t too good.

    There was a huge bag under her eyes, her face looked tired and pale. Her posture was already a mess. She was even more tired than Raivan and the others.

    The vampire still maintained her calm, but it was clear that she was concerned about Selena''s condition.

    "Well, well..." Nathan squinted his eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure of the twodies? For you to go all the way to meet me, are you perhaps trying to surrender?"

    Selena bit her lips. She never thought Nathan''s condition was this good. "No. I''m just making sure that you''re alright. Since I''ve confirmed it, it''s time for me to go."

    Selena forcefully spun her body to turn around, only to do it a bit too fast. Even though she just wanted to escape, her legs gave up. She tripped to the side, using her hand to barely avoid falling.

    "Oi! Are you alright?" Nathan walked to her and tried to support her.

    "I''m fine..." Selena bit her lips, her stomach growling.

    The vampire furrowed her eyebrows, unable to bear watching this anymore. She tapped Selena''s forehead.

    "What are you¡ª" Selena wanted to say something, but her head dropped as if she had lost consciousness.

    "What are you doing?" This action startled Nathan, thinking that a familiar couldn''t do anything to harm their summoner.

    "I''m protecting her. If this continues, her body will copse, and she will be in an even more dangerous predicament." The vampire politely bowed to Nathan while saying, "I know that it''s not my ce to say this, but I hope that you would reconsider thepetition.

    "Selena had been pushing herself too much because of thepetition. She didn''t get much time to sleep in the past three days. During the first night, we were ambushed by a lot of aliens, so we had to keep running. During the second night, we were not in the terrain suitable for sleeping. We tried to find one, but it was too dark, and one careless move would enrage the aliens near the area. She didn''t even eat much."

    Nathan waved down. "You can tell me the detailster. For now, help me move her."

    They carried Selena to Nathan''s bed. After that, the vampire, Risa, began recounting all their experiences.

    "I know that this is shameless, but I implore you to cancel the bet. She is extremely stubborn. To be honest, I couldn''t care less about thepetition between you. Unlike thepetition, it''s better for her to get a good score since she has to prove her ability to her family."

    "Do you think she will ept it if I cancel it after this? She will think that I''m pitying her and might be more uncontroble. It''s fortunate enough that she is just exhausted, not sick."

    "This..." Risa didn''t have any solution. Nathan was right. Selena would just get angry and she couldn''t imagine what she would do after that.

    "The only way to solve this is to have her admit defeat herself. Then again, there might not be a need to do it."

    "What? If she continues pushing herself like this..."

    "I know. I''m just telling you that there is a solution that can make her not give up but also not put herself too far."

    Risa was dumbfounded. She couldn''t think of any solution that could change Selena''s mind. Of course she didn''t have one. Nathan had just discovered it an hour ago.

    "But I need your help to do that. What do you think?"

    Nathan exined his ns in detail. She never thought such a thing was possible, but Risa knew that she had no choice but to ept this condition.

    "Can you see in the dark or something and get some firewood?"

    "Since you two are strong, I think I can leave her side for a bit, so yes, I can find them."

    "Good. Grab me a bunch of firewood as quickly as possible. It''s already dark, and I don''t want to work overnight."

    "Alright."

    As soon as Risa left, Fenrir couldn''t help but ask, "So what we need to do is improve her condition, huh? How are we supposed to do that?"

    "It''s simple. Just make a warm bed." Nathan smirked. "We will have to make the trench slightly deeper. After that, we''ll burn the firewood until it is reduced to charcoal before burying it with dry gravel. The one I told you about before.

    "I didn''t do it because it was unnecessary, but since we would have two people sleeping here, we had to turn both trenches into beds."

    Fenrir looked at him weirdly. "I thought you would try to take advantage of the situation and sleep together."

    "No shit. Even if I wanted to do that, it would be foolish of me. Her family would hunt me down, and you''ll be dead the next day." Nathan shrugged.

    "Heh?"

    "Besides, if I do something like that, I''ll be a loner for real. She is probably the only person I can consider a friend in this academy."

    Fenrir couldn''t deny that im. August had talked to him multiple times, but no one had approached Nathan as sincere as Selena.

    "Well, I don''t know if this warm bed will work. If it looks like something is burning, wake me up, will you?" Nathan winked yfully. "We need her at her peak if you want to kill that juvenile ss alien."

    "I know." Fenrir looked at Nathan''s sincere expression before deciding, "I think I know the term I can give for all that Ena. In exchange for giving me 160 Ena, I will be your wingmen for 7 days. How''s that?"

    Nathan froze as though it took a moment for him to process what Fenrir had just said. He turned his head like a robot and replied with a question. "Can I call you my bro?"

 Chapter 33: Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 33: Struggle</h4>

    [Bonus Chapter]

    "Why were you born as a woman?!" A high-pitched scream resounded across the room.

    The 8-year-old Selena could only cover her ears while holding back her tears. She burrowed her face on her knees while shivering alone in her big yet lonely room. She just wanted to scream, ''Shut up!''

    "Father... please help me..." She weakly muttered. She would have had a good childhood if her father was here.

    All the memories with her father were filled with color and flowers.

    Her father smiled, saying, "I know you''re going to be strong, Selena. You are my pride and joy. You are talented... more than anyone else in this household."

    "I believe you are going to surpass me in the future. I''m very proud of you."

    "Whatever you are going to do, I''ll help you."

    All the memories shed in her mind, but it only gave an empty house.

    A year ago, her life was filled with happiness, but it all changed the moment her father went missing.

    Her mother became a monster once her father disappeared. She demanded everything from her.

    Every time she did something right, her mother would only re at her with such a cold gaze. Every time she made a mistake, her mother would give a harsh lecture thatsted for an entire day.

    She tried to do everything perfectly to avoid her anger, but it still didn''t change.

    Ultimately, her mother passed away due to illness. When she saw her coffin, there were two thoughts appearing in her mind. On the one hand, both of her parents were gone. On the other hand, she somehow felt happy because she didn''t have to deal with her anymore.

    Yet, this was just the beginning of her miserable life.

    Now that both her parents were gone, the one taking over the house was her uncle. Her second mother ended up remarrying her uncle for the legitimacy as well as to get some control in her house.

    The cold gaze of her uncle whenever she saw her was like a hunter that wanted to take down his prey. Her second mother was scrutinizing her so that she would lose the chance to seed the household.

    A year ago, her uncle called her to his office.

    He presented her with a paper, saying, "Get ready to marry someone. I''ll be looking for your partner. That''s the only use of you who is a woman in this family. No matter how talented you are, you won''t be able to summon a vampire progenitor since both your father and ancestor had male progenitors. Not a single woman in our family history was able to summon a progenitor. Your only worth is to be a tool for the family."

    Selena bit her lips. She had expected this, but it didn''t mean she had lost her card. If she was someone who would easily give up, she would probablymit suicide a long time ago.

    However, she waited, endured the mistreatment, and persisted. "That''s not going to happen, Uncle."

    "What did you say?" He red at her.

    Selena took out a letter with Frexia Academy''s seal on it.

    "That''s..." He recognized it immediately and saw through her n.

    "I''ll be joining the Frexia Academy as a summoner."

    "Do you think you are able to escape from your destiny just because you be a summoner? It''s useless."

    "It might be useless, but we don''t know for sure. What we know is that you won''t be able to touch me as long as I''m in Frexia Academy, Uncle."

    Her uncle clenched his hands into fists. "Do you think those three years are enough to escape your fate? Do you think it''s enough to find your father? The fact that he hasn''te back after all these years means he has died somewhere. Even if you manage to graduate, no matter how talented you are, you will be unable to summon a progenitor."

    "I will seed. I''ll prove it to you that my fate is in my hands. Don''t think I will forget all the mistreatment I''ve received in this household. No. You should have killed me since the beginning. If you kill me now, the Ashton family won''t escape the wrath of the Frexia Academy."

    "Kh." Her uncle could only grit his teeth as he watched her leave.

    She managed to carry herself forward. Of course, the moment she was spotted, she left her house, using every bit of her money to survive until she enrolled in Frexia Academy. There was no support from her family because they were the people that wanted her to fail the most.

    This was the reason why Selena told Nathan that she couldn''t do anything rted to money. Just like Nathan, she was also desperate.

    The moment she read Nathan''s test paper, she was stunned beyond belief. It was even more shocking the moment Nathan mentioned Lilith.

    It was as if a ray of light had finally illuminated this dark world. The clock that had stopped ever since her father went missing started moving again.

    Out of desperation, she challenged Nathan to get information about Lilith.

    She had chosen everything that could help her get the top score in this trip. However, it seemed that she had miscalcted her own misfortune.

    Her life was already filled with misfortune, and this time, when she finally found a clue, another misfortune struck her.

    "It''s cold. Why does everything turn against me?" Selena shouted while covering herself with a nket. Her consciousness was already fuzzy, but she couldn''t sleep in this terrain.

    She thought that luck finally smiled at her when she saw an empty stone hut near the river. She wanted to negotiate with the owner to let her rest for a bit in exchange for some cores, but it turned out the owner was Nathan, herpetitor.

    Once again, she felt fate ridiculed her in its own way.

    "Oi. Are you alright?" Those words kept ringing in her ears. Despite being herpetitor, Nathan was concerned about her.

    Yet she could only smile sadly, thinking, ''I am a bad girl. No. Am I any different than those people from my family? Even though I knew he was concerned about my well-being, I selfishly pushed his hand away. I need to win against him for my own sake.''

    Despite being filled with regrets, she could still feel Nathan''s hand... the very first hand that tried to help her after all this time.

    While recalling Nathan''s face, she couldn''t help but think, ''Can you understand my desperation?''

 Chapter 34: Reaching an Agreement

    <h4>Chapter 34: Reaching an Agreement</h4>

    "Hnnnh?" Selena let out a soft moan. "It''s warm."

    Her voice was coarse and her body was sore, but her mind felt much more refreshed.

    "You woke up?" Nathan''s voice echoed in her ears, reminding her of what happened before Risa knocked her out.

    "!!!" Selena hurriedly rose from the ground and saw Nathan sitting next to her. The only thing that separated them was a line of rocks that seemed to be used to separate the two trenches. "I..."

    Nathan pointed to Risa, expecting a sudden p, not that he would ept it. "Just in case, I didn''t do anything to you other than move you. Your familiar witnessed everything."

    Selena turned her head to Risa, who showed no anger. Risa must have seen everything and trusted him, so there was no need to doubt his words.

    "Get me a few minutes. The soup is about to finish soon," said Risa while stirring the soup made of vegetables she found in the woods.

    "That''s..." Selena wanted to say something while sorting her thoughts. She looked down and found that she was sleeping on top of a bed made of gravel. Smoke was leaking out of the pores. Now that she felt it, this was where the warmth came from.

    Nathan seemed to have helped her. She bit her lips and hurriedly said, "I... I need to get going. I''m thankful for your help, but we''re still¡ª"

    "No need to say anything." Nathan raised his hand, stopping her. "I help you not because I pity you. It''s because I need you to do something. Just repay the favor of me helping you by assisting me in something."

    "!!!" Selena couldn''t say anything after that. She had been stubborn the whole time, so Nathan simply gave a reason to convince herself. "What do I need to do?"

    "Tomorrow morning, I''m nning to defeat a juvenile ss alien. I need your help to stop the proto-ss aliens from helping the juvenile ss alien. For that, I need you to be at your peak since there might be a lot of aliens around him."

    "Juvenile ss alien?" Selena was shocked. She knew Nathan was strong, but she didn''t think that he would be able to win against a juvenile ss alien. Still, one thing was clear. She needed to recover.

    "Yeah. If you can agree to that, we can consider this even. Besides, it is in the morning, so you won''t lose too much time either, at least better than dropping out because of exhaustion. What do you think?"

    If Nathan managed to do it, he would get a lot of points. At the same time, she could also get some points from killing the proto-ss aliens. She could still continue hunting for more aliens for the next four days.

    Both of them didn''t know each other''s points, so she might be ahead. There was simply no reason for her to reject it. This ce was warm, and she could fill up her belly.

    Even if she had to camp out for the rest of the trip, she should be able to manage.

    "I understand. I''ll help you."

    Risa couldn''t help but smile. As Nathan promised, he managed to convince her.

    And this was where Nathan became slightly greedy. He added, "By the way, you can also use this shelter if you want.

    "Of course, your familiar will have to be on the lookout during the night. This warm gravel bed... you will also help me in taking care of it since it will probably be cold in the morning.

    "I will get some fish for us to eat, but in exchange, you will search for vegetables."

    The conditions weren''t that big of a deal for Risa and Selena. After all, they could get this safe and warm shelter. Even if Selena pushed herself, she would be able to recover here.

    However, there was one problem.

    Nathan raised his index finger. "When we hunt, we will promise not to go near each other. If you go to the west, I will go to the north. Of course, you will choose your direction first so that you don''t think I''m cheating since I know which one is already empty or not. Then again, the aliens are roaming around, so it''s not going to be empty."

    Selena was dumbfounded. She never thought Nathan would be this generous. "Why are you so generous to me?"

    "Generous?" Nathan shook his head. "I''m merely cooperating with you. I know that we have a bet, but in the end, this trip is for the preparation for the summoning ritual. If we cooperate, we can get more cores, which means more Ena to sacrifice.

    "For example, if I eliminate you without helping you, I might be able to win, but I will probably get a lower score, for example, 800 points. But if we work together, the gap between our points might not be that big, but our scores will be much higher."

    What Nathan was trying to say was that the bet between them was secondary. If because of this they didn''t have enough Ena to summon a good familiar, they would be screwed.

    The rest would be their confidence in winning under fair circumstances.

    "What do you think? I don''t think this is a bad deal for you. I, too, want a lot of Ena since the second familiar will be extremely important to me."

    Her mind subconsciously hesitated because she had never received any help from anyone for years. Nathan made it in a way that this was just a trade, not a favor, which allowed her to ept the agreement. "I understand. Let''s do it that way."

    "Since you have agreed, it''s time to sleep. Just go back to sleep after you''re done eating." Nathan immediately waved his hand as though he knew Selena would agree. Then she faced the wall and lied down.

    Selena looked at Nathan''s back. Nathan mighte up with this for his own benefit, but he was thinking about getting stronger together. It wasn''t a rtionship where they took down each other just for the sake of winning.

    When was thest time someone cared for her?

    A small smile formed on Selena''s face. It couldn''t bepared to the bright smile that shest had almost a decade ago, but it mellowed her face that was devoid of emotion.

    "Nathan... Thank you..."

 Chapter 35: Excuses

    <h4>Chapter 35: Excuses</h4>

    The next morning.

    Nathan and Fenrir escaped from the shelter, telling Risa that they just wanted to discuss their strategy against the juvenile ss alien.

    "Alright. We''re far enough." Fenrir signaled Nathan to stop.

    Nathan opened his palm as a scroll appeared. "Let''s do it right away, Soul Contract. We couldn''t do it yesterday, but this is necessary to take down the juvenile ss alien.

    "Yeah." Fenrir nodded. "I''ve stated the terms."

    "I know."

    Words started to form on the scroll.

    [In exchange for 160 Ena, Fenrir will help Nathan for seven days.]

    Fenrir immediately cut both his paw and Nathan''s thumb with his ws before signing it with her blood. Nathan did the same, which finalized the contract.

    The moment the contract disappeared, the agreement took effect.

    Nathan felt his Ena being drained out of his body before flowing into Fenrir.

    Fenrir closed his eyes, feeling the change in his body. He didn''t see it, but his body actually grew bigger.

    Nathan was quite surprised by the transformation. Fenrir was originally as small as a wolf cub. However, after getting enough essence, he grew five times in size. If Fenrir stood up, he would reach his thighs.

    ''Well, he is supposed to be a monstrous wolf. His size varies in the records, but most state that he is around four or five times taller than a human.''

    Nathan checked Fenrir''s status.

    Name: Fenrir

    Level: 30

    Race: Celestial Wolf

    Quality: Basic (High)

    ''He is only level 30? Nah, never mind. He would definitely need more Ena, the higher his levels are. And I feel like researching the amount of Ena he requires for each level sounds like too much of a hassle. This is enough for me to understand his strength.''

    Nathan smiled. He knew that his level must have dropped, but it didn''t really matter. The fact Fenrir had grown in size meant he must have unlocked some of his abilities.

    The proof was that Fenrir took a bit longer to absorb his Ena.

    After several minutes, Fenrir couldn''t help but smile. "This is going to be interesting."

    "What did you get?" Nathan asked, curious.

    "I got two new abilities. A strength enhancement and super durability." Fenrir made a smug smile.

    "Now that I think about it, in the legend, you are described to be the embodiment of destructive force since your power is strong enough to kill a god." Nathan thought for a moment.

    "This Strength Enhancement is what I had during my childhood. They are nothingpared to what I have at my peak, but this is pretty powerful. If I use this to p that brat, his neck will break and his jaws will shatter. In fact, I don''t even need your help to crush that mutant."

    "How about super durability?"

    "It''s not at the level of my Supernatural Durability, but it''s probably enough to defend myself if that juvenile ss alien hits me with the tree."

    "Alright. That makes things easier. I suppose I don''t need to ask, ''How confident are you in defeating the alien?'' right?"

    "Heh! It''s obviously 100%." Fenrir grinned. "I''ll show you the strength of Fenrir."

    Both of them returned to the camp, finding Selena and Risa getting ready for the fight.

    They were quite surprised by Fenrir''s transformation. With this size, Fenrir wouldn''t be able to hop on top of Nathan''s head anymore.

    "You grow?" Selena asked, her eyes kept ncing back and forth between Nathan and Fenrir.

    "Yeah. With this, we''ll be able to win against the enemy." Nathan nodded.

    Selena knew that the familiar could get stronger, but having transformation was like an evolution. It only urred when one evolved to a higher race.

    Fenrir, of course, didn''t evolve. He simply regained his former strength.

    "Just hurry up and have breakfast. I''m getting tired of waiting. I want to rip that alien apart."

    While walking back to the camp, Selena couldn''t help but ask, "Still, you grow stronger so quickly. Just like when you entered the forest before anyone else since I couldn''t find you at that time."

    "Huh? I entered the forestst."

    "Last?" Selena was taken aback. "But I didn''t see you."

    "Of course. I ran to the vige and ate first before entering the forest. The tavern''s aunty was kind enough to give me dinner and told me that there was an entrance on the north. She told me this ce was good for camping. That was why I was able to make all this." Nathan shrugged, exining everything. It wouldn''t matter if Selena knew about it anyway.

    "You what?" Selena was speechless.

    "What? I just followed the teacher''s advice. They told us to enter the forest at our own pace, so I did. Besides, isn''t gathering information the first thing you need to do in a new ce? What will you do if you get a mission from the academy to do something in a foreign ce? Just charge in without knowing anything?"

    Selena couldn''t refute any of those questions. That was true. "So there was such an option."

    "Something like that. I believe this is what the teacher wants us to learn. Teacher Jason will probably lecture the whole ss about it after this trip." Nathan shrugged.

    Selena let out a long sigh. "It seems that even though I''ve been doing my best, I can''t even do everything right."

    "ming yourself doesn''t really matter. What truly matters is the fact that we are learning from our mistakes. Even if I manage to do it right now, I might make a lot of mistakes in the future." Nathan shrugged.

    "Future..." Selena looked down, falling into deep thought. "Do you think fate can be changed?"

    Nathan tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t know why she asked that question, but it simply reminded him of his abusive family back on Earth.

    There was only one answer in his mind. "No one can change fate because every fate is destined. It''s just that there are numerous possibilities in our future. People often use fate as a way tofort themselves of their wrong choice, saying, ''It''s my fate to fail,'' or something along those lines.

    "We can''t change fate, but we can choose our fate. If I end up dying as a businessman, I can say I''m fated to be a businessman. If I end up dead as a beggar, I can say I''m fated to fail. The only difference between them are the choices I make in my life. In the end, fate is just an excuse. The only thing we can''t choose is who will give birth to us."

 Chapter 36: Fighting the Aliens

    <h4>Chapter 36: Fighting the Aliens</h4>

    "So that''s the juvenile ss alien." Selena crossed her arms. She could see the monstrous juvenile ss alien. It was holding the tree like a weapon as if the alien noticed threats.

    "Yeah. We''ll proceed ording to the n." Nathan nodded. Fenrir immediately left the group, hiding behind a tree.

    Meanwhile, Nathan, Selena, and Risa walked to the bottom of the hill in the open as if trying to get the attention of the alien.

    "!!!" The aliens raised their heads before turning them down as if they had located some presence.

    The aliens with mouths made some weird noises as if they weremunicating, but before the juvenile ss alien responded, the proto-ss aliens charged forward like raging beasts.

    "Get ready. There are eight aliens." Risa warned them.

    "Three more than reported." Selena nodded. There might be a lot of proto-ss aliens, but it was still manageable.

    "I will try to get the attention of the four in the center." Risa pped her wings, taking off into the air.

    "I''ll take those two on the right. You take the left ones." Selena started moving, only to find that Nathan remained unresponsive as if he were stunned by their numbers.

    However, Nathan was actually observing the aliens'' behavior. He thought that the proto-ss aliens had acknowledged the big alien to be their superior and followed its instruction, but he didn''t know the intelligence of these aliens.

    ''They are not beasts but symbiotes.'' Nathan muttered inwardly as if realizing something. He suddenly stepped forward, concentrating his energy into his palm.

    "Nathan?!" Selena wanted him to snap back and get into the position.

    To her surprise, the juvenile ss turned around as though it had been waiting for them to drop their guards down. The juvenile ss alien tossed the tree like it was a javelin.

    "Selena!" Risa shouted, ready to fly back.

    Yes, Selena got distracted because of Nathan. It seemed that he had underestimated the intelligence of the alien. He never thought that the juvenile ss alien was actually smart enough to use other aliens as a distraction.

    Nathan used the Deadly w to intercept the tree, cutting it in the middle so that the trunk would crush to their sides instead of them. Still, Nathan didn''t have enough skill to move away the small circr pieces cut between each w.

    He grabbed Selena''s hand and pulled her forward, avoiding them.

    "Let''s go," said Nathan before Selena said anything.

    Seeing the aliens were about to arrive, Selena shook her head to regain her focus and headed to her designated spot.

    "Rawr!" Several aliens leaped into the air to drag Risa down, but thetter simply raised her altitude for a little bit.

    Because the aliens couldn''t reach her, they immediately shifted their targets from her to Nathan and Selena.

    "Not going to let you!" Risa hurriedlynded behind them. With a single wave of her hand, several blood spears formed around her. "Go!"

    The blood spears flew like an arrow.

    The aliens sensed the Ena made of the blood spears, their instinct telling them to avoid them.

    This time, the aliens were split into two groups, Nathan and Selena facing four each.

    She was Selena''s familiar, so she immediately chased after the aliens that came toward Selena while shouting, "I take care of them. Help him!"

    As soon as she grasped her intention, Selena headed to Nathan. The aliens turning into two groups weren''t in their spection, but the n still worked.

    Blood Tornadoes.

    Risa shot out tornadoes to the left and right of this group, which isted them.

    The aliens wanted to escape, but they noticed that the power of those tornadoes was beyond what they could handle. As a result, those four aliens turned around, changing their target to Risa.

    Meanwhile, Nathan used his Deadly w from the left so that the aliens didn''t go too far in that direction.

    Since Selena was about to arrive, Nathan extended his right hand, shooting out the ws. His timing was perfect as the ws actually went in the middle, separating the four aliens evenly.

    One alien tried to rip apart the ws with their own while another alien sped its hands and smashed it from above.

    The Ena dispersed, which opened up the way, but Nathan only wanted to buy some time.

    Selena halted her step as the two aliens had stepped into her attack range. She waved her hands, concentrating her Ena around her body and forming four floating spheres. They were only hand-sized, but they looked pretty simr to what Risa did.

    The spheres flew toward the aliens, moving faster than Risa''s blood spheres.

    The aliens noticed it, but unlike the blood spears, they actually hit the aliens and knocked them down to the ground. Unfortunately, in exchange for speed, the spheres didn''t pack too much strength. If those were blood spears, they would have pierced through their bodies.

    Still, stopping those two aliens was enough since Nathan could focus on the other two.

    The aliens approached Nathan head-on. After fighting a lot of them in thest couple of days, Nathan had be bold enough to do the same.

    All of them were moving at high speed as if Nathan were ready for a head-on collision.

    Unlike Selena, the two aliens that came toward him were beast-like. They both pounced on him at the same time.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. He pulled his hand back, pointing it toward the ground. After that, he used the Deadly w and nted it inside the ground. As a result, his ws stuck, stopping his momentum.

    It was a bit painful for his arm, but this action caused the two aliens to miss their target.

    Nathan waved his other hand, attacking them from the side.

    The right alien blocked the Deadly w with both arms, but the Deadly w actually cut the arm halfway. If it moved just one step toote, he would have cut them.

    Right after Nathan and Selena gained ground against their respective enemies, they heard the sound of a wood snapping.

    *Crack!*

    Because of his position, Nathan could see perfectly the juvenile ss alien had broken another tree, ready to throw it. The alien''s target was clearly Risa, whose back was exposed.

    Yet there was no shred of doubt in Nathan''s heart that the log would reach Risa.

    After all, the beast that they had been waiting for had reached the alien.

    "Grrr!" Fenrir leaped into the air, about to rip the alien''s neck apart with its sharp teeth.

 Chapter 37: Fenrirâ€™s Growth

    <h4>Chapter 37: Fenrir''s Growth</h4>

    The alien spun its body, using the centrifugal force to hit Fenrir with the tree. Unfortunately, Fenrir had been using all this time to approach him.

    With this timing and position, the alien wasn''t fast enough to hit him.

    Fenrir bit the alien''s neck and ripped it apart. However, he noticed that the alien''s flesh was much harderpared to any aliens that he had faced so far. His teeth weren''t able to reach as deep as he originally thought, so the wound wasn''t that big of a deal for the alien. In fact, it had begun recovering.

    The alien continued its swing, forcing Fenrir to use the alien''s body to jump away.

    Not nning to let Fenrir get away, the alien stopped the spin and swung the tree like it was a de, smashing Fenrir.

    Fortunately, Fenrir managed to tilt its body slightly so that his tail could reach the tree first. He shed a fourth of the tree and pped it toward the alien.

    The alien dropped the tree almost immediately and caught this small trunk. To Fenrir''s surprise, the alien was actually throwing this trunk toward the other three.

    "!!!" Fenrir leaped as quickly as possible and intercepted the trunk on the way. ''It seems that I have underestimated the juvenile ss alien. To think that it''s smart enough to target the weakest link first...''

    Because he had to stop the trunk, the alien could use that time to reach Fenrir.

    ''Oh, this is bad.'' Fenrir thought as he raised his hand, finding the alien had sped both hands together and mmed them down.

    Fenrir''s head got knocked down to the ground with so much force that the ground around it cracked.

    "Kh." Fenrir gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. After that, he gathered his Ena on his right paw and pped the alien''s arm.

    If it were Alisha, she would have shredded the armpletely. However, even though it wasn''t as strong, the force Fenrir generated was enough to bend the arm in a different direction.

    "Hahaha. This is good. It''s been a while since Ist bled. Even though it''s not as powerful, your power is still able to break through my super durability." Fenrir grinned as he raised his head.

    Since one of its arms needed time to recover, the alien used the other hand to punch Fenrir.

    Fenrir took the punch head-on, his head tilting to the side. He spat some blood, but he became even more excited.

    He pounced on the alien and pinned him to the ground.

    Obviously, Fenrir''s size wasn''t what it used to be. The alien was much bigger than him as well.

    To pin it to the ground, Fenrir had to use his strength. He used his own strength enhancement before pping the alien.

    Bam!

    The ground cracked because of that p, the destruction was simr to what the juvenile ss caused earlier.

    The alien grabbed Fenrir with one hand and tossed him to the side.

    Fenrirnded skillfully on the ground, but before that, the alien had risen from the ground.

    Both of them charged toward each other.

    The alien first punched Fenrir from above, but thetter avoided it and leaped into the air, his tail swinging to the alien''s neck. The crescent-shaped light trail expanded on the alien''s neck, but surprisingly, it only cut the skin and a bit of its flesh. It wasn''t anywhere close enough to slice the entire neck.

    "Tough bastard." Fenrir clicked his tongue. When he turned around, the alien actually chose to ignore him and grabbed the tree again, this time nning to kill Nathan and the others for good.

    It would be toote for Fenrir to stop the alien. Even if he was fast, it wasn''t enough to intercept the trunk.

    It was at this moment that Fenrir remembered what Nathan once used to get something he wanted.

    Fenrir altered the angle a little bit and rushed as fast as he could. He actually leaped into the air, cing himself in the trunk''s trajectory.

    The trunkunched him away as his body slid on the ground and crashed into a tree.

    Fenrir struggled to get up after receiving that hit. Noticing that Fenrir was about to die, the alien dashed to him to deliver the killing blow.

    When facing the punch that would kill him, Fenrir smiled. All of a sudden, he got up as if he wasn''t injured. He avoided the punch and pped the alien''s face with the concentrated Ena around his paw.

    The force sent the big alien flying as it crashed into four trees beforepletely stopping. Its jaw was broken after that single hit, but the body was still twitching.

    ''This is how we should do it, right? Faking my own injury so that he would focus on me. Just like how that brat used the power of bullshit to get what he wanted...'' Fenrir smirked. He repeated what Nathan said to him at that time, "It''s your fault for misunderstanding, idiot!"

    Fenrir didn''t realize it yet, but the biggest development he had in this world was not Alisha''s technique that he imitated. It was his experience with Nathan, allowing the prideful Fenrir to be calmer and more cunning.

    Nathan didn''t know what was going on up there, but he sure knew that Fenrir must be having a st.

    "I can''t lose." Nathan muttered as he blocked the punch of the alien in front of her. The other alien leaped into the air and used its momentum to pin him down to the ground.

    Nathan let the alien bite his glove. Thankfully, the gloves had a thinyer of metal that resisted the jaw strength of this alien easily.

    After that, he kicked the alien into the air as the other alien was about to smack him from the side.

    Nathan rolled two times before using Deadly w to slice the alien from the side. The alien had no choice but to block it, giving Nathan enough time to stand up.

    However, just as he was on his knee, he suddenly heard the screams of the aliensing from a different direction.

    "Ah shit."

 Chapter 38: Fenrirâ€™s Overwhelming Strength

    <h4>Chapter 38: Fenrir''s Overwhelming Strength</h4>

    "!!!" Nathan, Selena, and Risa could hear those sounds. With the aliens in front of them letting out their screams as well, they knew that these aliens would being soon.

    "There are three of them!" Risa shouted, warning the two.

    Without hesitation, Nathan said, "Selena, you take care of them. I''ll be holding back these four aliens by myself."

    "But¡ª"

    "Just do it! Kill them fast enough that you can help me quickly!"

    Selena didn''t argue anymore since it would just be a waste of time and worsen the condition. As Nathan said, sending her away was the best chance they could get since Selena would be able to kill them faster than Nathan.

    The two aliens obviously chased after her, but Nathan grew the w to be a barrier that stopped the two aliens. "Your opponent is me."

    The alien that was in the air earlier hadnded, the other alien had broken free from the Deadly w, and the two aliens had decided to change their target to Nathan.

    Two aliens were his current limit, so he knew he was screwed when he had to fight four aliens at once.

    Risa had dealt a lot of damage to her opponents, but she still needed some time to kill them.

    "In this scenario, there is only one thing I can do." Nathan muttered as he turned around. He was currently surrounded from three directions. It meant that there was one direction to escape. And that was what he did.

    "Run." Nathan grinned. Just like how the first spar with Alisha unfolded, Nathan really ran away from his opponents.

    Because Selena and Risa were much farther than Nathan, and proto-ss aliens weren''t as smart as the juvenile ss alien that could switch its target depending on circumstances, the four aliens ended up chasing after Nathan.

    Of course, Nathan cherished his life, but he was no coward. What he wanted to do was move behind a tree. The alien might not need their eyes to navigate around, but the tree would definitely be an obstacle for them.

    They had no choice but to avoid the trees before reaching him. It was at that time Nathan used Deadly ws with both hands.

    The two aliens on the furthest side blocked the Deadly ws with their bodies, leaving only two aliensing straight at him.

    Nathan recalled the Deadly w and raised his stance. The alien on the left pounced on him while the one on the right punched him from the side, but this was why Nathan chose to fight behind a tree.

    Since both of them were separated, Nathan could leap toward the alien on the left. It had lost one of its arms from Deadly w, so it was significantly weaker than the one on the right.

    The alien on the right missed Nathan and corrected his trajectory once hended, but it gave Nathan a chance to fight this injured alien for a brief moment.

    Nathan offered the alien his hand, which its teeth couldn''t prate. The alien''s tails moved like a snake, but Nathan punched the alien''s belly first and used the Deadly w to stab it.

    The alien screamed in pain, but before Nathan could slice it up, the alien from the furthest left had reached him, mming its entire body against him.

    Nathan managed to avoid falling with lots of small steps, but he ended up too much to the right, which meant the alien on the furthest right was able to catch up to him.

    The alien smacked his back andunched him to the side.

    *Cough!*

    *Cough!*

    Nathan could taste blood in his mouth.

    It was truly hard to fight several aliens at once. If he focused on two, the other two woulde from unexpected angles. He knew that he had to y it safe, but there were simply too many aliens, and running away was not an option because Selena and Risa were here.

    Nathan took a nce at everything around him. He used Deadly w on a tree beside him before kicking the top part of the trunk to fall toward one of the aliens, stopping its movement for a bit.

    After that, he picked up the smaller tes and tossed them at the aliens.

    Unexpectedly, the aliens grabbed the circle tes with their mouths, making Nathan want to scream, ''What the heck? Are you a dog?''

    On the other hand, the humanoid alien grabbed it with both hands before tossing it back.

    Nathan pped it away, but with only the three of them, he thought he got a better chance. If he did it right, he could eliminate at least one alien.

    He dropped the wooden te since he could use it as a shieldter. Surprisingly, Nathan allowed the alien in front of him to pounce on him.

    Nathan grabbed the alien''s head that kept trying to bite him like an angry dog. The two aliens approached him from both sides, while the fourth alien would being soon.

    Sadly, before those aliens could do anything to him or Nathanunched his n, Fenrir suddenly pped the alien on his hands. The alien''s neck snapped as its body spun in the air.

    After that, Fenrir waved his tail to the right, which shed the alien''s face, deep enough to kill the alien. Thetter was so focused on Nathan that it didn''t protect itself.

    Fenrir then struck the alien on the left. It was able to sh with Fenrir four times, but Fenrir already had strength enhancement. Each time they exchanged blows, the alien broke its hands before its arms.

    Fenrir hurriedlyunched the alien with his fifth strike, leaving only the fourth alien. Fenrirnded on top of Nathan''s body, but surprisingly, he didn''t put much pressure on it.

    He leaped at the alien, using his strength to suppress the two hands. The alien tried to bite Fenrir, but thetter was one step ahead.

    "Graa!" Fenrir bit the alien first and tore it apart. He coolly tossed the head away before checking on Nathan.

    Nathan felt relieved after seeing that familiar face.

    "Yo." Fenrir grinned as if he enjoyed the sight of his pathetic summoner. At the same time, he was impressed that Nathan could hold on for so long with some cheap tricks.

    Nathan let out a tired sigh while saying, "Just for your information, everything was still going ording to n. I could defeat them even if you didn''te."

    Fenrir''s smile widened a little bit but wasn''t enough for Nathan to notice. "Just stay there. I''ll take care of the rest. Good work, my summoner."

    Nathan was taken aback when Fenrir called him his summoner instead of a brat. While he didn''t manage to defeat all these aliens by himself, he got Fenrir''s recognition.

    "Ha..." Nathan just continued lying down while saying, "That doesn''t sound too bad."

 Chapter 39: Survive

    <h4>Chapter 39: Survive</h4>

    Fenrir''s movement was swift and deadly. His nickname as the monstrous wolf was not empty at all. Trampling mere aliens was nothing but an easy task.

    "So what are we supposed to do here?" Nathan asked several minutester after all the aliens had been defeated.

    Selena shook her head. "We didn''t do much, so you should get all the cores."

    "What are you talking about? If not for your help, we wouldn''t be able to kill that juvenile ss. We''ll go with the original n. I get the juvenile ss core while you get the proto-ss cores."

    "No." Selena harrumphed.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched.

    Before he could speak again, Selena already turned around while saying, "Let''s go, Risa. I''ll be heading in this direction."

    "Oi!" Nathan tried to call her, but thetter simply ignored him.

    "Pfft." Fenrir chuckled.

    "Funny?" Nathan red at Fenrir.

    "Why don''t you just ept her charity?" Fenrir grinned. "She is probably feeling bad because she has taken advantage of you."

    "You are the cause."

    "Me? Impossible. I''m the great Fenrir. I don''t need charity."

    "Tell me then... How much Ena do you have left right now? How long do you need to recover?"

    "..." Fenrir''s expression darkened as if Nathan''s questions had just struck him in the heart. He wanted to say, ''I can still fight with my physical abilities,'' but that would just be him admitting Nathan was right. It had been a while since hest fought this much, so he got a little bit excited and forgot about holding back.

    Selena gave away all the cores simply because Nathan and Fenrir would have to take a few hours rest so that Fenrir could recover. On the other hand, Selena and Risa hadn''t used much of their Ena during the whole fight since they were there to be a distraction for the proto-ss aliens, not to kill them.

    "So, tell me, O'' mighty Fenrir? Do you have any excuses?"

    "This great Fenrir will peel off the core of those aliens first." Fenrir harrumphed and ran away.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, but there was nothing he could do other than sigh.

    A few minutester, Fenrir came back with the core of the juvenile ss alien. Unlike the proto-ss core, this one had a pale purple color. The size was slightly bigger, but there was not much of a difference.

    "This is the core?"

    "Yeah. I can feel more Ena contained inside it." Fenrir nodded. "Anyway, we''ve got a lot of things to do today. Let me recover my Ena before going. We will have to get the top five spots for thispetition."

    "I know that." Nathan nodded.

    The others were also searching for cores to the best of their abilities. They hunted as many aliens as possible since their future is riding in it.

    Now that Selena had recovered from her exhausted state, her hunting speed increased. In fact, her hunting speed might even be faster than August or Rudeus.

    However, August wasn''t a pushover either. If there was someone who did something unique in this test, it would be August.

    In the middle of the forest, there was actually an open space with a building inside. The area was protected by simple fences, and the buildings might be made of dirt, but this house was like a civilization in a forest.

    No one had a better living standard than August in this forest.

    On the other hand, Rudeus walked a different path than August. He walked the path of a conqueror as numerous crushed corpses were left behind whenever he moved.

    The teachers who had been observing them the whole time couldn''t help but sigh, "It seems that there is a big gap between the top students and the bottom students this year."

    "Indeed." The teacher nced in the vige direction, remembering what the students were doing in the vige.

    "Nevertheless, they will understand that they can''t take this failure easily when the summoning ritual arrives."

    "This is thest day anyway, so they will understand it..." Jason squinted his eyes as he said with an angry tone, "I''ll definitely let them know about it."

    The other teachers looked away, knowing what Jason would say once they went back.

    "Still, I think no one has killed more than Prince Rudeus, right?"

    "That I agree... but we can''t underestimate August. His condition remains at its peak, and he is able to fight alongside his familiar. In terms of individual prowess, August is the best among them."

    "Still, the most unexpected factor is..."

    Even without finishing it, all teachers had a tacit understanding.

    "Yeah. The beast summoner, Nathan. Not only has he found the hidden part of the test, but he has also done much better than the others. While his beast can''t bepared to Prince Rudeus'' cyclops and his individual strength is much weaker than August, his ranking should be pretty high."

    "We can''t ignore the fact that he is also helping Selena. Thanks to him, she is able to get a quite good position as well. No, looking at this rate, I don''t know who will have a higher score between Selena and Nathan."

    "But he has killed the juvenile ss alien."

    "We can only wait for the result. Besides, no one can guarantee their positions. They have to continue killing the aliens. They can only rx after the time is up."

    "Well, there are also a lot of students doing well right now. After adapting to their current situation, they do much better."

    "Indeed."

    The teachers monitored thest day of the trip closely. There were students who barely survived the seven-day trip, but most of the survivors managed to adapt and live much better than they originally thought.

    Once the sun was about to set, the teachers summoned their familiars and started picking up the students before returning to the vige.

    Out of 86 students, 34 students managed to survive for seven days, which gave them an additional 1,000 points.

    It could be said that the main deciding factor that separated the whole ss was this surviving point. The school wanted to teach them that a dead summoner was a bad summoner.

    And the score for the trip was as follows...

 Chapter 40: Angry

    <h4>Chapter 40: Angry</h4>

    Jason put the poster that contained the ranking of all students. There were a lot of students having 0 points, but there were also some impressive scores, especially the top scorers.

    Rudeus Viti Liaystian: 5100 points. August Reeves: 4585 points. Nathan: 4351 points. Selena Ashton: 4328 points. David Leivester: 3780 points.

    "As expected of his highness Rudeus, he is the number one."

    "He dominates the entire challenge with such a big gap."

    "August has fought well, but hees short."

    "But look... the third rank..."

    "Impossible. How could the farmer achieve that?"

    "What did he do?"

    "He beat Selena?"

    The students dropped their jaws in disbelief. A lot of them knew that Nathan was strong, but not this strong. They never expected that someone who couldn''t summon a humanoid creature to actually be in the top three.

    Rudeus and August couldn''t help but squint their eyes. Back then, they considered Nathan a potential threat, while Selena was one of their rivals. After seeing this score, they realized they were too naive. Nathan wasn''t a potential threat. He was already a dangerous shadow that was about to grab their backs.

    If they underestimated him again, they might be devoured by Nathan without them realizing it.

    *Bam!*

    Jason mmed his hand on the table to stop the students from talking.

    As soon as he got the quiet he wanted, he opened his mouth. "These are the scores for this trip. First of all, I''d like to congratte everyone who manages to survive until the very end.

    "A good summoner is a living summoner. You can''t do anything if you''re dead. However, what is worse than a dead summoner?"

    Jason''s expression darkened before unleashing all his rage. "It is a summoner who can''t do a single thing. You were even worse than the summoners who didn''t get the survival points. At least they managed to drag down some aliens before they dropped out.

    "What about you? Just look at this ''0'' point. Are you proud of having this kind of score?" Jason banged the board, specifically on the names without a single point. "People have been pouring their resources and time into you, yet you can''t do anything.

    "And what do you do? Instead of reflecting on your own failure, you are enjoying your life inside the vige? Comining about how your ce is better than the vige."

    The students didn''t dare to meet Jason''s eyes.

    Jason stated, "You should have realized by now that the people sent to the frontlines are unable to go against the aliens. Only we, summoners, have the ability to fight them.

    "After looking at your pathetic results, I only have one thing to say. You might consider dropping out instead of wasting your time to be a summoner."

    Jason was truly angry. It was already dark outside, yet Jason didn''t bother to wait until tomorrow to express his disappointment.

    Of course, Nathan and other students with good grades didn''t think much about Jason''s words. They already understood it and worked on it without Jason telling them.

    Jason said, "Next week, the school will be giving you the chance to summon your second familiar. All students are no exception. In other words, you will have to summon another familiar with the current Ena you possess.

    "If you think that is not enough, this will be thest time you''re given a chance to drop out of school."

    Jason started handing paper to the students while exining, "You will write down the item you need for the ritual. For the next seven days, you''ll be focusing on swallowing the cores you''ve received and getting as many Ena as possible.

    "Only after this one-month period ends that you''ll be able to go outside the academy to take on missions."

    Nathan took a look at the form. It was a simple form that wanted them to describe the item. They wanted to know what kind of familiar the students wanted to summon and would probably give them advice in case there were some mismatches so that the student didn''t summon the wrong familiar.

    Selena looked at this form with a sad expression. Because she lost to Nathan, she couldn''t get the information about Lilith.

    ''I already know what I want to summon, as for her...'' Nathan scratched the back of his head. He whispered, "Selena."

    Selena''s body shook. When she turned her head to him, Nathan noticed the tears forming on the corner of her eyes, making Nathan feel bad.

    He knew how much this bet meant for Selena. Even then, he had to win for his future. Of course, if Selena was too weak, he would definitely not be able to help him.

    That was why Nathan said with a smile, "Fenrir seems to want to talk with you because he is curious about big figures that he might know."

    "!!!" Selena was dumbfounded. Was it a pity? But she had no choice but to ept it since she really needed that information.

    "Because I can''t summon him here because of the rule, I''ll have him sneak into your room. Just open your windows and tie something into the window to let him know which one is your room."

    Selena nodded furiously. In exchange for the knowledge about this world and the figures that had been summoned that he might know, Fenrir would tell her about Lilith.

    "I understand." Selena couldn''t waste this chance.

    Nathan smiled. Fenrir didn''t know that he was still under contract to help him. Nathan could shove all the knowledge he had about the myths, and Fenrir had no choice but to do it.

    After all, if Nathan were the one telling her about Lilith, Selena would be suspicious as to where the information came from. One wrong word would make her realize that he was the one who had that information, not Fenrir. He just wanted to avoid that kind of scenario.

    Jason announced, "You have two days to turn that form since the academy needs time to find those items. If you don''t have any questions, you are allowed to leave. Get a good rest after this trip."

 Chapter 41: Reporting to Vivian

    <h4>Chapter 41: Reporting to Vivian</h4>

    Unfortunately, Nathan couldn''t return to the dorm yet since Vivian called him to her office.

    In the dimly lit room, Vivian squinted her eyes with a judging gaze. "Congrattions for the third ce."

    Nathan politely bowed to her. "It''s thanks to you, Teacher. Of course, Alisha''s lesson helped a lot."

    "Is that so?" Vivian paused for a moment. "Now that you get a lot of cores, you should take this chance to swallow all of them for yourself, not for that wolf. By sacrificing more Ena, you will be able to summon a more powerful familiar."

    The reason why Vivian gave this advice was because she didn''t know about the Soul Contract. It was the norm in this world to focus on getting a stronger familiar at the start rather than evolving a weak familiar.

    However, Nathan had a Soul Contract that could share the amount of Ena he had with his familiars. Fenrir was also the monstrous wolf of Asgard. He didn''t know if his second familiar would be stronger than him or not.

    While it was true that he had someone in his mind, he still didn''t know whether he woulde or not. There was a high chance that getting a god-like familiar like Fenrir was just luck.

    That was why Nathan treated this summoning ritual as a test about his real ability.

    "I understand, Teacher. I''ll swallow all the cores for myself."

    "Good. What do you think about the trip? Have you learned a lot?"

    "Definitely. It''s just... there is something I''d like to ask." Nathan raised a finger. "I encountered an alien that was much different than most aliens I encountered in the forest."

    "A mutant?" Vivian squinted her eyes.

    "Is that the name for such an alien?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes. Did you subjugate it?"

    "I did kill it, but I wasn''t alone."

    Vivian''s expression turned grim. She contemted for a moment before saying, "Well, I guess it''s to be expected after hearing that wolf managed to kill the juvenile ss alien."

    "Why do you sound so surprised, Teacher? Is a mutant dangerous?"

    Vivian nodded. "A normal alien has the chance to mutate due to the change in environment. Sometimes, they gain something that they don''t have, such as fins or even wings. Sometimes, they gain extraordinary physical abilities, surpassing aliens of the same ss."

    Nathan recounted his memory about the alien. "In my case, the alien had a tail shaped like a de. I saw an alien with a single, robust tail that looked like a bat, but it was pretty much the same as its peers. It was different for this de-tailed alien.

    "Its tail was extremely sharp. While its strength was stronger than its peers, it wasn''t that dangerous. Fenrir managed to handle it." Nathan added inwardly, ''He needed to use Alisha''s ability though.''

    "I see. A proto-ss mutant is not that dangerous, but it''s a different case for stronger mutants. You know about the five sses of the aliens, right?"

    "Proto, Juvenile, Mature, Warrior, and Elite sses," Nathan replied.

    "In the past, there were three summoners trying to subjugate a warrior ss alien. This was supposed to be an easy job for those three, but the alien mutated during their fight. The warrior ss mutant killed them. Because of that mutation, it actually gained the strength close to the elite ss alien.

    "What I''m trying to say here is that the stronger the alien, the bigger the impact a mutation would bring to that particr alien. If you find yourself fighting a mutant, you should run away immediately."

    Nathan didn''t expect the mutant was actually such a scary creature.

    "Where is the mutant''s core?"

    "I told you that I wasn''t alone at that time, right?"

    "So that person got the mutant''s core?"

    "Yes."

    "Who is that person?"

    "Raivan Ryzant." Nathan revealed the name without blinking an eye.

    Obviously, Vivian was angry, thinking that this Raivan didn''t know when to stop. The reason Nathan revealed Raivan''s name was because of the trick he pulled in the forest.

    He realized that Raivan was not as shallow as he thought, which meant that if Raivan was still harboring hatred, he would n it carefully.

    By mentioning his name, Vivian would probably not make a move on him, but she would definitely put surveince on Raivan, which basically stopped him from harming him in the future with his ''careful'' n.

    Now that he had kept Raivan in check, he could be more bold with showing his strength.

    "I don''t know if people will know about you defeating a mutant, or will he take credit for it. But I''m sure that your name will be known by a lot of people pretty soon. At that time, if someone dares to ask you to be their student, make sure you reject them."

    "Does that include the principal?" Nathan reminded her that she once told him that she couldn''t protect him from the principal.

    "I''m going to leave the academy if he dares to steal my student."

    "Ahaha." Nathan let out a hollowugh. As he expected, people would care more for their disciples if they were special and strong. If he wanted to get the resources and gain connections, he had no choice but to reveal his strength. There was no point in hiding it.

    "Have you thought about what familiar you''re nning to summon next?"

    "I believe so. Fenrir has given me some clues."

    "Alright then. Just write it down on the paper, and the school will handle it. If you don''t have any other questions, you can get some rest. Good work."

    "Yes." Nathan politely nodded and exited the room.

    After the sound of the lock clicked, Vivian leaned back, her expression melting. "This is hard."

    "You should have praised him, Mistress. The young master is so pitiful that she doesn''t get the praise despite achieving such a great thing."

    Vivian''s eyebrows twitched as she looked away, saying, "I don''t want him to becent."

    "Are you still unable to move on from that incident?" Alisha shook her head helplessly.

    Vivian closed her eyes with a pained expression. "I don''t want him to experience the hopelessness and sadness that came after losing a familiar. It''s better if he treated me as a cold teacher..."

    Alisha couldn''t reply, fully knowing what happened in the past.

 Chapter 42: Information

    <h4>Chapter 42: Information</h4>

    Fenrir raised his head, looking at the open window with a handkerchief tied to the handle. He couldn''t help but sigh, "To think that this great Fenrir is reduced to a swindler."

    Nathan had been nning this all along. He knew that if he somehow won against Selena, he could use him as a courier to get closer to Selena.

    "Tsk." Fenrir clicked his tongue before leaping into the room, finding Selena and Risa already waiting for him. It might be because of her excitement that Selena actually moved the table near the window, allowing Fenrir to descend to the table right after reaching the window.

    She would sit in front of him, listening and taking notes.

    "!!!" Selena stared at Fenrir intensely, as if she couldn''t contain her excitement.

    "I have made you wait." Fenrirnded on the table, but it was too small for his current size, so he chose to lie down on the bigger bed, even though his paws would dirty the sheet.

    However, he acted as if it didn''t matter because he carried the information Selena wanted.

    "I heard you wanted to know more about Lilith."

    "Yes." Selena nodded. "I want to know everything, from her appearance to all the basic information. If possible, I''d like to know the thing that might link it to her."

    "But do you have the Ena to actually summon her?"

    "That''s..." Selena looked away. Lilith was a vampire progenitor. Even his father summoned Drac as his fifth familiar.

    "Instead of summoning her right away, it''s better if you summon the one rted to her first. If it works, that means summoning her is possible once you have more Ena." Fenrir harrumphed.

    "The ones rted to her?" Selena thought Fenrir''s suggestion made sense. "What is this being rted to her?"

    "I''ll first talk about Lilith. When I fought against those vampires, I learned about her origin.

    "She is traced back to the human ancestor, Adam. As his wife, Lilith refused to submit to Adam and left the Garden of Eden,ter bing a demoness.

    "She was associated with seducing men in their sleep, causing nocturnal emission, or more like producing the demonic offspring or ''Lilitu.'' So if we''re talking about a test, it''s better to try summoning those lesser beings."

    "A demoness? Seduction?" Selena blinked her eyes a few times while inhaling deeply. Just listening to it made her face red because it was so shameful.

    On the other hand, Fenrir didn''t care about it and simply said, "Yes. Lilitu is a night demon. They have the appearance of a beautiful woman¡ª"

    "Subus?!" Selena covered her mouth with her hands. She had never thought that the price of summoning Lilith would be summoning a subus first.

    Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched as he continued, "They have talon-like nails, bat-like wings, or anything like a predator. They have an aura of death and decay. My summoners thought the same until he learned about this part."

    With a dumbfounded face, Selena said, "Y-Yes. I apologize for cutting you earlier. The subus that I know is pretty simr to what you''ve described, except for the fact that it''s the embodiment of lust instead of death. They have human appearance except for the additional bat wings and tail."

    Lilitu had never been discovered in the past, so if she really managed to summon Lilitu, she might have the chance to summon Lilith.

    "What item do I need to summon Lilitu?" Selena asked, her eyes shining with expectation.

    Fenrir hesitated for a moment, still remembering what Nathan had said previously. Fenrir thought that the first example would guarantee summoning a Lilitu, but Selena might not ept it. After all, Selena might have to get something rted to infants or pregnancy.

    Hence, Nathan told him about the second option. It was either an item that was rted to illness or death or an animal with a simr appearance.

    "You need a bat."

    "A bat?!" Selena gasped. "But if I only use a bat, I''ll end up summoning a subus. There are a lot of stories about summoners taking care of bats to call a beautiful subus."

    "Just let me finish my words first." Fenrir raised his voice, starting to get annoyed.

    "I-I''m sorry!" Selena''s body was shaking. She was just about to get the information that she had desired this whole time, so it couldn''t be helped to get this excited.

    "What you need is not a healthy or good bat. In fact, what you need is the worst bat... a dead bat that has disease and is probably in the process of decaying."

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes in shock.

    If one wanted to summon a subus, they usually got a bat. The better its quality, the higher the subus'' rank.

    Meanwhile, to summon a vampire, they needed to add blood to the offering. Only those with the quality could summon a vampire. That was why the Ashton family was a household with a long history.

    But for Lilitu, Selena had to add one more thing. The bat that she sacrificed must be dead because of illness or disease. If its body had begun to decay, it would be even better.

    She might be questioned by summoning this creature. In fact, she might even be considered a failure if she ended up summoning a subus instead of a vampire or lilitu. But if she didn''t rely on this unorthodox method, she might not be able to summon a vampire progenitor.

    "I understand. I''ll prepare it." Selena nodded. Nathan had never harmed her. If she somehow summoned this, she would definitely repay Nathan in the future.

    "And now it''s your turn to answer my question. I have a list of names that I want to know whether they have been summoned to this world."

    ...

    Two hourster.

    Fenrir had returned to Nathan''s room as Nathan was writing down the item he wanted for the summoning ritual.

    "Have you gotten the information yet?" Nathan asked.

    "Yeah. Considering they are gods on their own terms, they should be pretty famous if they''re summoned. There are several names that have been summoned to this world..." Fenrir nced at the requested item. "By the way, looking at you so knowledgeable about vampires, is there a divine beast rted to vampires?"

    "Hmm..." Nathan thought for a moment. "If we are talking about vampires, it should be a bat. There is a bat god. If I''m not wrong, its name is Camazotz."

    "So you''re going to summon this bat god?"

    "Why do you keep asking about divine beasts? Are you nning to jinx it? What am I going to do if I can only summon divine beasts?" Nathan let out a long sigh.

    "So you want to summon another god? I guess it''s a female since you want a pole. A stripper god?" Fenrir read the item''s description while making his guess.

    "Are you joking right now? It''s not for a female god."

    "Not a female?" Fenrir gasped as he ced his paw on Nathan''s forehead. "Are you fine? You''re not sick? Maybe you should get some sleep first."

    "I''m gonna beat you up if you continue." Nathan''s hand was twitching.

    "So if not female, who is this god?" Fenrir asked.

    "Hehehe. I''m his biggest fan. To me, he is the most fun and I bet the journey is going to be more interesting with him joining us. And he is also a good fighter."

    "Hoh? A strong one, huh? I don''t mind sparring with him." Fenrir grinned. "Who is this guy?"

    "The Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal." Nathan proudly dered his title.

    Fenrir was surprised by such an awe-inspiring title. "I hope¡ªMmff!"

    Nathan grabbed Fenrir''s mouth as strong as possible, his forehead letting out a cold sweat.

    "You stupid dog! Don''t you dare to jinx it! I''m gonna beat you up today!"

 Chapter 43: Summoning Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 43: Summoning Ritual</h4>

    "Mistress. The young master is currently holding the ritual ceremony in his ss," Alisha reported with a worried expression.

    "If you want to check on him, do it secretly." Vivian sighed.

    "But..." Alisha gently rubbed her cheek, thinking this was not what she should do.

    "It''s fine. I will believe in him. I hope he likes that item."

    Alisha smiled wryly. "Well, surely he likes it, right? You have even used your personal connection to ask for a quick order from Elder Randalf from the cksmith Association. The item he would have is the best among other candidates."

    "I hope he can summon what he wants. If he summons another beast, it means he has confirmed that he will only be able to summon beasts for the rest of his life. After showing such a result, it can be said he is unique, and his worth will skyrocket afterwards."

    "Ahaha." Alisha pointed at the door. "In that case, I''ll take my leave."

    "Yeah, yeah. Tell me the result after he''s done."

    ...

    ssroom.

    Jason had set up a magic circle for the summoning. It had aplicated pattern consisting of circles, stars, and wavy strokes.

    Unlike the first summoning ritual, the circle was expanded three times its size, covering almost the entire front part of the ss.

    The color of the circles was red as if they were painted with blood. It looked like a normal drawing when it wasn''t activated, but the students could sense an indescribable pressure faintly emitting from the circle.

    Jason stepped in the middle of the circle and said, "It seems that six of you have decided to drop out of the academy. Nevertheless, it won''t change the fact that you''re going with the summoning ritual.

    "Each of you has written down the items you wish to have. And the school has purchased all of them.

    "Outside the room, there are many staff that will help carry the items into the room.

    "I will allow students who want to go on the ritual first. Since we only have a ritual scheduled for today, you are free to leave once you are done with the summoning.

    "If any of you don''t have questions, we will begin the ritual right away."

    The ss was silent; no one raised their hand, whether it was to ask questions or volunteer.

    "If no one is going to raise their hand, I''ll be picking you one by one in alphabetical order." Jason raised his head, looking at the ss.

    "Teacher. I''m willing to do the ritual first." August raised his hand.

    "August Reeves. Pleasee to the front." Jason nodded while exiting the circle. He checked the paper and said, "Your requested item is a red magician hat, correct?"

    "Yes, sir," August confirmed.

    Jason exited the room for a while before returning with a female staff. She brought an oversized pointed hat. As August described in his paper, the hat was red in color.

    August also took out a bag of dirt from his pocket.

    "That''s high-quality soil." Jason squinted his eyes, observing the soil.

    "Yes. This soil is imported directly from the Holy Kingdom. It is known as the world''s most fertile soil." August smiled.

    "I see. I know what you are going to summon." Jason nodded in understanding. "Feel free to check the item first before proceeding to the summoning."

    "There is no need to check. The Frexia Academy has been doing this for so long, and there has been no question about its quality. I''ll trust the academy and begin the ritual immediately."

    Jason couldn''t help but cross his arms, as August worded it in such a way that it would be the academy''s fault if he failed to summon what he wanted. However, he chose not to say anything.

    August smiled as he poured the dirt on the center before putting the witch hat on top of it.

    August then channeled his Ena into the summoning circle. The circle gradually emitted a gentle blue light, illuminating the room.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, August Reeves, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    The light from the magic circle shone brightly. The witch hat and the soil were enveloped by this blue light and gradually fused together before forming a humanoid shape.

    The size was only 1 meter (3.2 feet) tall, but a third of its height was actually the pointed hat that was used as a sacrifice.

    The figure seemed to have a beard and wand with a circle head. The figure gradually manifested in this world.

    The process took several minutes. As the light gradually diminished, the figure showed its true appearance.

    It was an old man. Its body was shorter than a dwarf, but that red hat symbolized its true identity.

    "Gnome?" Nathan widened his eyes.

    "Is that a gnome?"

    "A gnome is often said to be an earth spirit. They are the guardians of mines containing precious treasures."

    "Yeah. As someone from the cksmith Guild, this gnome will definitely benefit him a lot."

    "Even as a fighter, the gnome is known for their capability of using earth spells, controlling the rock and soil."

    "With the dwarf''sbat power and August''s ability, it wouldn''t be weird if August had be a one-man army. After all, he and the dwarf can fight in the front while the gnome supports him from behind."

    "The gnome can also help him find treasures."

    "Look at the gnome''s face."

    "It looks so old."

    "No way. The older the gnome is, the more powerful they are. Looking at his age, that old man must be a high-ranking gnome."

    The students were in shock since August had put in a strong performance from the start. It made them feel inferior if they came after August.

    "I am August. Nice to meet you." August dropped to one knee while extending his hand.

    The gnome didn''t like being observed by all these people, but he still took August''s hand before disappearing into thin air.

    August smiled as if he had expected this, but the people had definitely seen the result. August turned around, ncing at Rudeus as if indirectly telling him topare the results.

    The people gulped down as if they could sense the spark between their eyes.

 Chapter 44: Kneel Before the King

    <h4>Chapter 44: Kneel Before the King</h4>

    Rudeus squinted his eyes, feeling challenged. There was no way he would back down from the provocation.

    He immediately stood up with a calm expression, nning to show who was the boss.

    "You better watch closely." Rudeus harrumphed.

    "Rudeus Viti Liaystian. You are requesting an axe. Is that correct?"

    "Yes, sir." Rudeus nodded to Jason.

    This time, a big man came into the ss because of the size of the axe that Rudeus requested. It was twice as tall as Rudeus himself. The man put the axe in the middle, since Rudeus couldn''t move it by himself.

    Rudeus nodded to the man, acknowledging the man''s effort. Just like August, Rudeus took out a bull''s horn, but this ck horn was thicker and longer than a normal bull.

    "The underworld bull, huh?"

    "Yes. The bull has been contaminated by the aura of death in the south. I''ll be using this as the second catalyst." Rudeus smiled as he put the horn on top of the axe.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Rudeus Viti Liaystian, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    The light enveloped the catalysts like what had happened previously, but it suddenly changed as the light gradually turned ck with a trace of red, as if it were exuding its bloodlust.

    The Ena flickered in the air as people felt their hair rise and the ss started to shake.

    Jason furrowed his eyebrows, ready to use his own power to neutralize it if necessary.

    The red and ck light gradually shaped a giant humanoid figure with an enormous pair of horns. Its height wasparable to the cyclops Rudeus had, almost touching the top of the ceiling. However, all of them could feel the immeasurable pressure it was exuding.

    "Come forth." Rudeus smirked as the light disappeared, revealing the demon''s true form.

    "A minotaur!"

    "But this is not a normal minotaur."

    "It''s exuding such a weird pressure."

    The students gasped, feeling scared just by looking at its body.

    "Moo!" The minotaur let out a roar.

    With a wave of his hand, Jason used his Ena to form a half-spherical barrier that blocked the shock wave, not wanting the windows to shatter.

    However, the students could definitely feel the strength the bull had.

    "As expected of his highness."

    "To think that he is able to summon this powerful minotaur."

    "August''s gnome is good, but the minotaur is simply too powerful."

    Even Nathan was astounded by the minotaur''s appearance, but for a different reason. When he saw those bloodshot eyes, Nathan remembered a certain myth. That figure had a simr feature to the minotaur but much more sinister.

    He couldn''t help but mutter, "What''s next? Is he gonna summon the Baphomet?"

    Jason didn''t care about the minotaur. "That is enough. You may recall your familiar. I hope that you don''t interrupt with the ritual."

    "My apologies." Rudeus politely nodded as the minotaur disappeared. While walking back to his seat, Rudeus looked at August with a smug smile.

    Jason maintained hisposure and asked, "Alright. Anyone would like to try?"

    After such a disy from Rudeus, no one really wanted to try since they knew they would bepared to the minotaur.

    As Jason was about to call a name, a student suddenly raised his hand. "Teacher. I''m willing to try."

    "Sure. Go on."

    "Landark?"

    "He is going to test his might against those two monsters?"

    Landark stood up and took a glimpse of Nathan before harrumphing.

    Nathan tilted his head in confusion, asking inwardly, ''Did I offend him or something?''

    "You are asking for a great wolf cub, right?" Jason asked.

    "Yes, Teacher."

    The female staff returned, bringing a box that contained a wolf cub corpse. It seemed that they killed this cub not long ago.

    Landark took out a crescent moon pendant and put it on the wolf cub.

    Just like the others, he chanted the summoning call.

    "Is he going to summon a werewolf?"

    "The werewolf is strong, but their strength depends on the items sacrificed for them."

    "I guess we''ll be able to see the famous werewolf. Landark''s family is quite known for their hunter-type familiars."

    The students looked more rxed, thinking that Landark was still within a realm they could reach, unlike August and Rudeus.

    Because the sacrifice wasn''t something special, the Ena didn''t produce any amazing phenomena. It calmly formed a werewolf figure.

    However, the moment the light disappeared, it actually burst into all directions, as if the werewolf had control over the light and deliberately dispersed it.

    "What? Did the werewolf just do that?"

    "Look at the werewolf''s appearance."

    The werewolf had bulging muscles and sharp ws. Its gaze was cold like that of a predator, and there were two huge scars, one running from its forehead all the way to its right cheek, while the other stretched from the right shoulder to the stomach. Just from its appearance, they knew the werewolf had undergone hundreds of battles.

    "Amazing."

    "It might not be as strong as the gnome or the minotaur, but this werewolf is very strong."

    "As expected, I guess there is a reason he is one of the top students in the ss."

    "Indeed. He is able to summon a werewolf at that level without an epic sacrifice."

    "If he has one, I''m afraid the gap between him and those two won''t be that far."

    "Still, I wonder how strong that werewolf ispared to that wolf..."

    Everyone immediately knew which wolf being mentioned in the conversation. It was obviously Fenrir.

    "Hahahaha. I have got a werewolf! A high-ranking werewolf. Did you see that?" Landark pointed at Nathan.

    Nathan pointed at himself while looking back. He thought that the previous result had shown that he was apetent summoner, but why would someone provoke him out of nowhere?

    Seeing the confusion on Nathan''s face, Selena whispered from a distance. "He is Landark Woodell. He got 6th cest trip."

    "6th... Ah!" Nathan finally understood why he had been provoking him this whole time.

    "Yes. He thought you were lucky, and he was the one who deserved to get the fifth ce. But because of you, he couldn''t get that spot. Basically, he is just being a sore loser."

    "I can understand that. I will probably act the same if you are taken by someone else. Just kidding." Nathan chuckled.

    Selena widened her eyes dumbfoundedly as if her brain had just stopped working for a second, not expecting Nathan to say those words.

    Meanwhile, Nathan sighed at Landark''s action. He understood why he was a sore loser, but he should have done that to the current fifth ce, not him.

    He didn''t know why he targeted him personally, but there was one possible reason in his mind. Landark''s bloodline focused on summoning werewolves, so he thought it was easy to pick a fight with him, since Fenrir was just a normal wolf.

    "What are you sighing? I''m challenging you to a Summoners War!" Landark pointed at Nathan.

    "What can you even offer anyway? You must have used up a lot of resources and all of your cores, so you have nothing to offer." Nathan shook his head helplessly. "Besides..."

    The atmosphere suddenly turned tranquil for a second, as if the heavens wanted to hear it as well.

    A deep continued Nathan''s words.

    "What can a mere imitation do against me?"

    Fenrir suddenly appeared next to Nathan. His appearance was already different from a month ago.

    The werewolf widened his eyes, his body shivering in fear. When he looked at Fenrir, his bloodline was instinctively telling him to kneel. It was hard to even resist the urge to look down.

    Only the werewolf, who shared a simr bloodline, would be able to see Fenrir''s true nature. It was as if there was a monstrous wolf standing behind him, looking down at him with an absolute gaze.

    It felt like he couldn''t say no if the other party wanted to devour him.

    *Bang!*

    That loud noise shattered the uneasiness in the room as they all saw the werewolf was actually kneeling, its body convulsing uncontrobly as if he were fearing for his life.

    "Kneel before the king," said Nathan with a smug smile on his face. What werewolf? He was nothingpared to the king of wolves.

 Chapter 45: Nathanâ€™s Turn

    <h4>Chapter 45: Nathan''s Turn</h4>

    "!!!" Everyone couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Some even dropped their jaws.

    Did they see it right? The werewolf was actually kneeling.

    Selena heard Nathan''s mumble and couldn''t help but repeat it in a low voice. "Kneel before the king..."

    Selena suddenly shuddered in realization. That was right. Fenrir knew all those awe-inspiring figures, so there was no way he was ordinary. But the big problem was how Nathan could actually summon such a beast in the beginning? And Fenrir didn''t seem to be that strong either.

    ''Is it because Fenrir is a beast, not a humanoid, that he is able to change his situation ording to his needs? Fenrir is matching up his strength to Nathan''s?''

    While Selena was trying to figure out the reason behind the summoning, the others were more focused on Fenrir''s strength.

    August clenched his fists. Even though the werewolf wasn''t stronger than his gnome, he would still have to fight against him pretty seriously. Yet Fenrir could suppress the werewolf by simply existing. How could this be?

    Meanwhile, Rudeus approached it in a different way. He thought, ''Hmm. This beast seems to be much stronger than he currently seems, especially since it has grown bigger.

    ''This is like a suppression of bloodline. There is a king who has a draconian as his familiar, but what if there is a true dragon? Will he receive the same bacsh?

    ''Some stronger bloodline might be able to resist the suppression, but most of them will kneel like that werewolf.

    ''If that''s the case, no one can use a werewolf to fight against him. No. Family that have the tradition to summon werewolves will either perceive him as a threat to their stability or an opportunity to enhance their own bloodline.''

    Rudeus'' expression turned solemn, contemting it carefully.

    ''The talent that piques the interest of the Forest Queen Vivian.'' Jason let out a long sigh. The suppression had confirmed that the next familiar Nathan summoned would decide his future.

    Nathan stood up and walked to the front with Fenrir, finding Landark already on the floor. His face was pale as he crawled backward, trying to get away as far as possible.

    Nathan''s gaze was cold, as though he were looking down on an ant. The werewolf didn''t even dare to look at Fenrir.

    "Are you going to ept the summoners war?" Jason asked.

    Looking at this guy who was about to piss off his pants, Nathan let out a helpless sigh while saying, "It has no meaning. I prefer to summon my second familiar aside."

    Jason nodded. Landark wouldn''t be able to put much for the bet, and this experience would definitely cast a shadow in his heart. There was simply no meaning in fighting him. In fact, Nathan would be seen as generous for not epting the challenge.

    However, he also hoped that Nathan knew what was the line between generous and pushover.

    Jason waved his hand, levitating Landark back to his seat purely with his Ena.

    Fenrir said to the werewolf, "Go back."

    The werewolf immediately disappeared into thin air, cutting his own connection directly.

    With such a showcase of power, the entire ss knew that there was one more person they could definitely offend. It was Nathan.

    Raivan bit his lips. Thest time he observed Nathan, he wasn''t supposed to be this strong. If his father actually heard this, he might personallye to the academy to resolve the problem.

    And to think that someone who could pressure his father was none other than his own ssmate, a farmer on top of that.

    Rudeus rubbed his chin. ''There are a lot of cases where bing a summoner changes people''s fate. It''s not about changing halfway and bing a sessful person. It''s going all the way to the top.

    ''If his second familiar has a simr ability like that wolf, it means that there is a new summoner that people have to keep an eye on.

    ''His ability is so unique that people are going to get him. And he... will be at the center of the storm. Will he be able to survive? No. I don''t think that''s a question he could answer by himself.''

    Rudeus tapped the table a few times before a smile appeared on his face as though he had thought of a n.

    Nathan nodded to Jason, signaling to him he was ready for the summoning.

    Just like other students, Jason asked for confirmation. "The item you request is a pole, right?"

    "Yes."

    The assistant immediately brought upon a jade box. She opened it for him, showing a majestic staff.

    It was three meters (9.8 feet) long. The tip was covered in gold, while the shaft was made of hard red steel.

    Without anyone realizing it, Fenrir was already sitting next to Jason, watching Nathan quietly. However, he couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows when he saw the staff as though he recognized something weird from within. ''Why do I sense something familiaring from that staff?''

    Meanwhile, Nathan waspletely absorbed in the preparation for his summoning ritual.

    ''I have prepared an imitation of Ruyi Jingu Bang. Besides, there are no beasts wielding a staff, so I can rule out the possibility of summoning a divine beast. My only target is Sun Wukong. And if I add this...''

    Nathan was a bit skeptical about using this fruit, since he didn''t think the other party had eaten it in his legend. However, considering Sun Wukong''s identity, he obviously had to add a banana.

    The students looked shocked because they thought Nathan would bring out an additional powerful item, but it turned out he got a banana... a normal banana.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Nathan, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world." Nathan chanted as the magic circle once again illuminated the room.

    ''Hehehe. Come,e, the mighty Sun Wukong. You wille, right?''

    ''...''

    ''...''

    ''Right?''

 Chapter 46 Nathans Second Familiar

    Chapter 46 Nathan''s Second Familiar

    Unlike Rudeus, who created turbulence, or August, who had a tranquil summoning, Nathan actually caused a temperature drop.

    The stick and banana floated into the air, with the banana specifically moving to the tip of the staff and expanding.

    Nathan widened his eyes in shock. ''Wait, wait, wait. Why is the banana expanding? It''s not supposed to be about the shape. Do I have to bring a monkey instead? A banana should be enough, but why is it expanding as if it''s¡­''

    Nathan suddenly gulped down when he took another look at the shape the light formed.

    It was like a p directly on his face from the great sage himself.

    ''Sun Wukong has a rebellious nature, unyielding spirit, and refusal to submit to authority¡­'' Nathan gasped.

    He might have miscalcted one thing. Even if he could summon Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong had to agree to respond to his call.

    In other words, Sun Wukong still had the option to refuse, which in fact aligned with his nature, as described in his legend.

    Yes, Nathan had miscalcted how urate the legend could be in the summoning.

    ''Is it because there is someone who has summoned Sun Wukong in this world?'' Nathan muttered inwardly. He didn''t want to believe that he failed to get his biggest idol, Sun Wukong, but it was because of his personality that he idolized him.

    There were mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was disappointed that he couldn''t get Sun Wukong. On the other hand, he couldn''t find fault in him.

    Instead of Ruyi Jingu Bang, the banana was stretched to the limit, forming a long shaft sitting on top of the tip of the staff.

    From the tips of the shaft dropped a small circle. It was hard to see, but there were thin lines connecting the tips, which made Nathan sure what item was reflected before him.

    ''No way. This is a scale? No. Is this the scale that weighs your heart?'' Nathan didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.

    The scale gradually fell to the ground and changed its shape once again, confirming the identity of the one he summoned.

    ''Ankh¡­'' Nathan closed his eyes, knowing the identity of the familiar he summoned. There was nothing he could do that would change the oue.

    Last but not least, the ankh formed a dog-shaped figure.

    "It seems that you have summoned me," said the light as it disappeared, revealing the true appearance of the beasts. It wasn''t a dog. It was a ck jackal.

    The jackal was slightly smaller than Fenrir''s current form, but it actually sent off a dreadful feeling.

    Looking at his eyes made the students feel like their souls were being sucked away.

    August and Rudeus were leaning forward in disbelief. Compared to them, Nathan''s summoning actually produced a much more impactful phenomenon. In addition, it confirmed Nathan''s uniqueness. Nathan could only summon beasts, not humanoid creatures.

    And with such a phenomenon, they knew that this second beast was also extraordinary. Provoking him without learning about the second familiar would be suicide.

    "Yes. I''m the one who summons you." Nathan stepped forward, while looking at the ck jackal''s status.

    Name: Anubis

    Level: 35

    Race: Jackal

    Quality: Basic (High)

    It seemed that he had summoned him not at level one due to the amount of Ena. It also confirmed that their power would be unlocked, depending on how much Ena Nathan sacrificed.

    ''Anubis is the god of death. He is supposed to be a man with a jackal head, but he is also often represented as a man with the full body of a ck jackal.

    ''I thought that Sun Wukong would be a perfect target, not only is he my idol, but he is often depicted as a monkey. Then again, there is another verse that says Anubis is a human with a jackal head. Since hees in aplete beast form¡­ I guess a monkey is still humanoid enough.

    ''However, I have to think about their characteristics as well. Sun Wukong has rebelled against the emperor of heaven, so he wouldn''t receive my call. And even if I summon him, I might not be able to control him.

    ''Anubis is different. He oversaw mummification, weighed souls, guided the dead into the afterlife, defended against chaos, and punished those who vited the tombs. This world might be interesting for him, since he could see a different life cycle with his own eyes.

    Anubis walked toward Nathan and said, "There are probably a lot of things we need to discuss, but I''ll take care of you."

    Nathan smiled. "Thank you."

    Anubis could return by himself, unlike Fenrir. Then again, Fenrir told him that he received a portion of knowledge whening to this new world. Anubis must have gotten the knowledge about summoning, as Nathan had more knowledgepared to when he first came to this world.

    Little did they know, Alisha was observing the entire ritual with her own eyes. She couldn''t help but gasp, thinking, ''Young Master really summoned another beast, and it didn''t seem to be an ordinary beast.

    ''The mistress is right. Young Master is just unique. I have to report this to the mistress right away so that the young master won''t be snatched by anyone.

    ''Still, his second familiar¡­ why did it give off the feeling of the south?'' Alisha shook her head. She could ask itter after reporting about the second familiar.

    Nathan, on the other hand, returned to his seat under the shocked gazes. He acted as if he hadn''t done something special before noticing that Fenrir hadn''t been recalled.

    Nathan tried to disconnect the link between them before he got punished, but before Fenrir was gone, thetter came to a realization.

    ''Ah! That familiar feeling¡­ It gave the same feeling from Helheim. Don''t tell me. Someone actually mixed an item contaminated with death?'' he thought before disappearing. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡­

    cksmith Guild.

    An elder dwarf was hammering a new weapon as another dwarf entered his workshop. "Oi! The Forest Queen expressed her satisfaction with that staff."

    "Is that so? Well, she saved me in the past, so with this, the debt has been repaid. I have even used my precious material from thend of death in the south." The elder dwarf smiled proudly.

 Chapter 47 Selenas Choice

    Chapter 47 Selena''s Choice

    "Congrattions. It seems that you have summoned yet another beast familiar," said Selena.

    "Thank you." Nathan nodded. While Anubis wasn''t his original target, it didn''t change the fact that Anubis could be considered a divine beast.

    It also confirmed that Nathan could only summon a divine beast. This way, he shouldn''t have any expectation of summoning other familiars like vampire progenitor, archangels, and other humanoid familiars.

    The people in this world would be the ones having the chance to summon them. If he added the aliens into the mix, it felt like he would be the third faction because of his uniqueness.

    No one had ever summoned divine beings from their first familiar, let alone divine beasts.

    With his Soul Contract, he might be a one-man army.

    Of course, it would only happen in the future. He was still struggling against several proto-ss aliens, so he couldn''t really brag about his strength.

    ''Getting stronger¡­ While it''s true that Soul Contract will allow me to have an ability from my familiar, this is just me taking their ability. I need to learn the techniques from this world as well.''

    Even though the burden wouldn''t be too much if he had a lot of familiars, the amount of Ena in his body didn''t allow him to summon those many divine beasts right now. Still, it would be nice to have ten different abilities from ten different familiars.

    Nathan nced at Selena, asking, "Why don''t you try summoning your second familiar right now?"

    Selena''s body shuddered as she looked away. "Ehm¡­"

    She didn''t want to admit she was scared¡­ she was scared to find herself failing to summon Lilitu.

    Nathan didn''t say anything to respect her decision, but Selena changed her mind.

    "Alright. I will be next." Selena stood up.

    "Mhmm." Nathan was startled but still said, "Good luck."

    He felt Selena had be easier to talk to. While she still rarely showed her emotion, Nathan could feel that she had opened up to him.

    Selena, on the other hand, used Nathan as a role model. As she walked down the stairs, she thought, ''I might have the will to endure and try, but I guess I should learn from him. While he is only a farmer, he shows his courage. While they look reckless on the surface, they are a well-calcted move.

    ''If I have a bit of his courage, I will definitely be able to make all my wishes a reality¡­'' Selena took a deep breath as she stopped right in front of the summoning circle.

    "Selena Ashton. Your requested item is¡­" Jason scratched the back of his head, hesitant to say it. "A decaying bat corpse with disease?"

    "Yes, Teacher."

    "Are you sure about this?"

    "I''m sure." Selena nodded with a solemn expression.

    "Alright then." Jason signaled the assistant to bring forth the item.

    The students were obviously weirded out when they heard about the requested item.

    "A decaying corpse?"

    "With disease on top of that?"

    They never thought that Selena would ask for such a disgusting item. They could understand if she wanted a bat, since she would be summoning a vampire.

    However, they were wrong. Those who understood Selena''s lineage couldn''t help but furrow their eyebrows, wondering what Selena was trying to do.

    As they were whispering to each other, the staff came with a box. She was wearing a mask and gloves to avoid getting afflicted by the disease.

    She used a tong to ce the bat in the center of the magic circle, showing everyone the true appearance of the bat.

    People wanted to puke after they saw the bat. Half of its body had decayed, releasing a foul smell that made everyone, including Nathan, close their noses.

    The assistant even moved to the window and summoned a fire spirit that would produce a me to reduce everything she used to nothing. No one wanted to get a disease after all.

    Selena smelled the foul odor, but she somehow remained calm, as if she had gotten used to such a disgusting, rotten smell.

    As soon as everyone left the summoning circle, she extended her hand while chanting the same thing.

    "By my name, Selena Ashton, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    The summoning was a sess. The bat was enveloped by the light produced by the magic circle, isting the bat as well as its foul smell.

    Selena''s breathing became rough because her future was riding in this one summon.

    The light gradually shaped into a humanoid form, producing no phenomenon like the others.

    "Is that¡­"

    "As expected. It''s a vampire. But why did she use a decaying bat?"

    "Right?"

    They could clearly see the bat wings, so it was surely a vampire. Selena clenched her hands into fists, praying to the vampire goddess to bless her with Lilitu.

    "Wait. What is that?"

    "Isn''t it supposed to be red?"

    "Is the light getting corroded?"

    Suddenly, the light that enveloped the figure started turning ck and disappeared into thin air, as if it were being corroded by the darkness itself.

    Selena covered her hands in surprise.

    The woman that appeared from within the light indeed had a pair of bat wings, but unlike the normal wings, their wings were burned and tattered. There were two tails tipped with poisonous stingers that were each 2 meters (6.4 feet) long.

    Her hands were long and sharp, like talons, and their feet were simr to hooves. Her appearance matched the description Fenrir gave, and Selena''s eyes confirmed her race.

    "Sasha, at your service." She politely bowed to her.

    "What is that?"

    "It''s not a vampire?"

    "A demon?"

    "But she is beautiful like a subus."

    The students were speechless because they had never seen someone like her before.

    Even Jason couldn''t contain his surprise. "A new species?"

    People gulped when Jason confirmed their suspicion. While her impact wasn''tparable to that of Nathan and the others, she actually summoned a new race. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Tears were forming in the corner of Selena''s eyes. There was no word to describe the joy in her heart. After all, this familiar had proven that the vampire progenitor that could change her fate existed.

 Chapter 48 Fighting for a Student

    Chapter 48 Fighting for a Student

    "Mhmm?" Nathan was walking to the ss when he suddenly met Selena at the junction. "Yo. Despite achieving the result you want, yourplexion doesn''t look good."

    Selena had bags under her red eyes. The reason was that she was too excited to sleep because this was the first time she found hope¡ªher hope to turn her life around.

    "It''s nothing." Selena shook her head helplessly. "And I should congratte you as well. You will be famous soon."

    "Famous? Well, that''s true. I don''t know how I will handle that¡­" Nathan knew that if he became famous, every bit of his action would be seen and interpreted.

    It was tiring to be famous. At the same time, it would be annoying if he wasn''t. There were simply too many benefits one could get if they were famous.

    "Besides, aren''t you going to be popr as well? I''ve heard that it''s a big deal to summon a new race." Nathan asked.

    "It''s true. My family will probably hear it soon." Selena thought for a moment. "Although it will be for a while, I can teach you about politics and how to act against them. I''ve been thinking about how to repay you. It''s not much, but I believe I have some knowledge and experience that can help you. After all, you''ll be much more famous than me."

    "What are you talking about? When Ie here, I overhear people talking about you." Nathan shrugged.

    Selena shook her head helplessly. "My name will probably be heard by many, but your name will resound across the entire world. After all, you have confirmed that you are the only person who can summon a non-humanoid familiar."

    Nathan agreed, but they would hear the news a bitter. Even if the students in his ss sent the letter to their family, he should still have some peaceful time.

    That was why he had to get stronger quickly.

    While they were talking, a group of students and teachers suddenly approached them, specifically Selena.

    "Selena Ashton. Congrattions on summoning a new race! Your achievement will definitely surpass that of your ancestors. I can be your teacher and make sure you achieve it."

    "Selena Ashton. I''m from the Blood Research Club. Would you like to see our club?"

    "Selena¡­"

    "Selena¡­"

    The people were flocking around Selena and separating her from Nathan.

    Nathan took a step back, getting overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. To his surprise, there was no one actuallying to him. It was as if his unique summon didn''t pique their interest.

    It contradicted what Selena said earlier about his name resounding across the entire world.

    While he didn''t expect much, it was still outside his calction that not a single person approached him.

    ''I guess I have be a bit too proud. I''ve forgotten that I''m here to survive, not caring about this fame or whatever. As long as I''m strong, fame will follow. That''s all.'' Nathan thought while scratching the back of his head.

    Considering Selena was upied by all these people, Nathan just went straight to the ss, leaving her behind. Of course, he made sure to signal to her that he would go ahead.

    Selena was suspicious and a bit annoyed, wondering why no one approached Nathan. She could think of several possibilities, such as people underestimating his beasts. It was unknown, so they had to approach him carefully.

    However, the truth was much more bizarre.

    In the corridor, a bit far from their current location, there were over ten teachers kneeling on the floor.

    Before them stood Vivian. Her expression was dark and her eyes were exuding bloodlust.

    While crossing her arms, she asked coldly, "What are you thinking? You actually dare to approach my disciple?"

    The teachers gulped down, not expecting that the unique summoner was actually Vivian''s disciple.

    One teacher suddenly rose from the floor and shouted, "This is not fair! Do you think just because you are the vice principal, no teacher is allowed to approach that kid? No. You might threaten him to ept you as his teacher!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "That''s right. That''s right. You are using your position to suppress us. You have only imed him to be your disciple, but you haven''t made him your official disciple yet. That''s why no one knows about it." Another teacher followed suit. "We''ll have toin to the principal."

    As Vivian was about to rify, Jason''s voice echoed from behind. "Vice principal Vivian hasn''t misused her power in the slightest. I was there when she asked him to be her disciple¡­ the time before the result of the admission test was published."

    "What?" The teachers looked dumbfounded.

    Vivian harrumphed. "Hmph. Unlike you pathetic oldies who were waiting to confirm his talent, I didn''t care about it when I made him my disciple. If you are going to steal him from me, I will fight you, even if I have to fight the principal."

    "¡­"

    The teachers couldn''t say anything while Jason casually walked past them, saying, "In that case, please excuse me. I''ll have to go to ss. We are about to get into the second event after all."

    Nathan didn''t realize that the reason no one approached him was not because he wasn''t famous, but because Vivian stopped them.

    Nathan was simply going to his ss, a little sad. He noticed that people with good familiars like August and Rudeus were approached by some people as well.

    Unfortunately, the only thing he could do was sigh while erasing his jealousy. He was still 16 years old after all, the same age as before he transmigrated.

    It seemed that Selena managed to slip away thanks to Jason, who entered the ss after her. Despite handling so many people, Selena''s expression remained unchanged.

    Jason, on the other hand, wrote down several things on the board before saying, "Alright. Listen up. I know that you have been unsatisfied with your performance this whole time.

    "And you might think that people at the top have it easy because they keep getting resources.

    "That''s why there will be a battle royale for the summoners war. This is an event that allows you to earn points to exchange for cores, so the top students won''t earn all the glory. Of course, you have to perform well to get the points as well.

    "To prepare you for the battle royale, we will conduct special training for your path."

 Chapter 49 Magic Department

    Chapter 49 Magic Department

    [Bonus Chapter]

    Magician Hall.

    "Wow. This ce is so huge. How big is this? I think it''s around the size of a ser field¡­" Nathan muttered while looking around.

    He noticed a lot of straw dummies nted on the opposite side of the field, which seemed to be their target.

    This time, Jason wasn''t their teacher. In fact, there were only twelve studentsing to this hall.

    After all, several minutes ago, Jason said, "There are four paths that are recognized by the world. They are Combat Department, Magic Department, Command Department, and Research Department.

    "For those who want to learn how to manipte their Ena while using their weapons, you should visit the Combat Department.

    "For those who would like to focus on supporting your familiars from a distance by taking advantage of the control of your Ena, this will be your ce.

    "Meanwhile, the Command Department focuses on strengthening your familiars, and you''ll be ying the role of amander on the battlefield.

    "Last but not least, the Research Department often looks down because they sound like they are not learning how to fight. However, you are wrong. For the Research Department, you are not only focusing on your familiars'' needs but also other things that can boost your power in a battle, such as potions.

    "Hence, for the next two weeks, you may visit all these four departments and choose to learn how you would like to fight.

    "You''ll be given freedom to choose, but at the same time, it''ll be your fault if you somehow choose to spend your time wrong. The teachers will guide you and provide feedback, but it''ll depend on you to decide.

    "That''s all for me. The respective teachers will give you the rest of the exnations."

    Jason said all those words and just sent them straight to their respective departments.

    Of course, Nathan chose this department for a certain purpose.

    The teacher was an elderly man with a big witch hat and a wooden staff with a big red gem in its head.

    He weed them with a gentle smile. "Wee students. I''m the teacher of the Magic Department, Donovan.

    "I''m sure that you have learned how to manipte your Ena to strengthen your body. This is nothing but the next step. This time, you are going to control this Ena to go outside your body." N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The teacher raised his right hand while saying, "By releasing your Ena outside, you can produce a force simr to the ability that your familiar uses.

    "This is an example. I''m going to release my Ena while waving my hand, redirecting them to my surroundings." As he exined, he waved his right hand from left to right.

    The Ena burst out of his hand and produced a shock wave that hit the ground right in front of him.

    A loud *bam* shook the field, leaving a small crater on the ground.

    "That''s¡­" The students looked shocked.

    The teacher smiled. "This is just an example. Depending on how you control your Ena, it can be a barrier, a sturdy shield, or a destructive force.

    "Think about how you are nning to use your Ena. I''ll be teaching the basics and guiding you one by one.

    "For now, you are to practice those three basic things that you need to learn, which will be your foundation for controlling Ena.

    "I hope that you are able to maintain a barrier for five minutes, create a sturdy shield that can withstand an attack from a juvenile ss alien, and use a destructive force that can hit those dummies from a distance.

    "Is there any question?"

    Nathan couldn''t help but raise his head. This was a question that had been bothering his mind since yesterday. "Teacher. Can you actually use the same thing as your familiar? For example, can you create a blood tornado of your own?"

    The teacher was amused by the question, not expecting it to be the first question. "A good question. The simple answer is yes. However, if you''re going to ask me the method, then I''m afraid you need to research it yourself in the library.

    "As a teacher, I''m not going to tell you how to handle thatplicated stuff, which might seem cool now but will definitely harm your basics.

    "As your teacher, I suggest you learn these basics first because it''ll also help you do such aplicated thingter in the future."

    Nathan nodded his head. He was happy that it was actually possible to use his familiars'' powers. However, it would garner unnecessary attention if he asked for their power right now, so Nathan chose to solidify his basics first, even if it was boring.

    Besides, he already knew what he wanted from this ss.

    "Teacher. Can we actually use it in a way that we like or arefortable with? For example, rather than a shield, can we form a weapon instead?" The one asking the teacher was, surprisingly, the number fifth in the previous trip, David Leivester.

    He made an impression on Nathan''s mind since he was simr to his teacher. His first familiar was a harpy and the second familiar was a dryad. All of them were creatures from the forest.

    The teacher nodded his head. "Of course, you can do it however you want. The goal remains the same. Even if you manage to shape your shield like a sword, that sword has to withstand the same amount of pressure.

    "And for this ss, you may summon your familiars. After all, your familiars'' opinions are important since you guys are going to fight together. Knowing their habits and what you should and shouldn''t do will definitely help you in battle.

    "There are a lot of practice dummies out there. So feel free to go to your own dummies."

    As soon as the teacher gave the permission, the students began to split up. Nathan chose the dummy on the far right corner to avoid anyone.

    But for some reason, David Leivester ended up choosing the spot right next to him.

    With a baffled expression, Nathan couldn''t help but think, ''What are you doing here? This feels like pissing in an empty restroom and there is another person that somehow chooses the bowl next to you despite there being a lot of options.'' ***

    [Starting from today, for every 100 PS, I''ll be uploading 1 bonus chapter.]

 Chapter 50 Nathans Choice

    Chapter 50 Nathan''s Choice

    Combat Department.

    August took a step with his right foot and leaned his upper body forward. His hand gripped the sword''s handle tightly.

    When he was about to move, his eyes glinted as he drew his sword as fast as possible.

    The moment it was unleashed, the Ena that had been stored inside the scabbard flew out, extending the de in a crescent shape and hitting the dummy that was 5 meters (16.4 feet) away.

    Unable to withstand the impact, the dummy was sliced into two as the upper part slid down to the ground.

    "Huu¡­" August exhaled in relief. It seemed that he had seeded.

    "Congrattions, August. You have managed to master this one swing. You can start learning other moves, which will be the foundation of your swordsmanship." Another student came in August.

    August didn''t say anything. Instead, he was staring at Landark who was defeated by Nathan previously.

    "Raaaa!" He roared while waving his right hand vertically and his left hand horizontally.

    His Ena extended his ws, simr to Nathan''s Deadly w, and sliced the practice dummy into pieces.

    However, after that arrogant challenge, other students didn''t think highly of him anymore.

    "Landark must be frustrated. Even if he does well in this ss, he won''t be able to defeat Nathan."

    "Right? In the end, his werewolf will be suppressed by Nathan''s wolf if they fight in Summoners War."

    "He better not meet Nathan during the event since it will be game over for him."

    "I know right?"

    Landark could only grit his teeth because that was true. He just used that frustration to increase his strength even further.

    ¡­

    Command Department.

    "Go forth!" Rudeus waved his hand, shooting out Ena. It produced a light trail that curled toward the practice dummy before bouncing to another dummy.

    The minotaur followed the trail and shed the dummy with his axe before spinning his body to change direction and head to the second dummy.

    The movement of the minotaur became even more solid and faster, allowing the minotaur to cut down the dummies in just three seconds.

    "As expected of his highness. He is going to dominate the next event again."

    "Yeah. That minotaur has be even stronger."

    "His highness'' control is also allowing the minotaur to performplicated stuff smoothly. He is like a maestro on a battlefield."

    "I wonder how the event will turn out. How about August, Selena, or even that farmer, Nathan?"

    "I don''t know. Teacher Jason hasn''t told us all the details about the event, but my older brother did it three years ago. He said anything could happen in that battle royale since no one is stopping you from forming a team."

    "For real? If that''s the case, can''t we just group up and take down the top students?"

    The students were discussing other things instead of training like Rudeus. Thetter didn''t say anything to them, fully aware that they were here just to fawn over him.

    ¡­

    Research Department.

    Because of the new race, Selena had to choose this department instead of her original pick, which was the Magic Department.

    The lilitu, Sasha, was sitting in front of her.

    Selena picked up an herb with a circr shape, as if asking her about this herb.

    Sasha shook her head. "It''s notpatible."

    Selena then brought a bag of blood and a mouse.

    Sasha looked at the blood bag for a few seconds before her focus was disrupted by the mouse. She touched the mouse with the tip of her nail. Nothing happened at first, but two secondster, the mouse was suddenly convulsing uncontrobly before dying.

    After that, she touched the blood bag, puncturing it with her finger. As a result, there were multiple ck dots appearing on the blood, and it somehow coagted after a bit more time.

    Selena watched the result with a dumbfounded face before taking note of everything. The point of the Research Department was to figure out the specific race, allowing them to get stronger. It could be said that they were making the familiar evolve one step at a time.

    Selena had to fully study Sasha so that she knew what to do in a battle.

    Her focus was disrupted the moment she overheard the students not far from her.

    "It''s weird that Nathan is not here."

    "I know right? He is the only summoner who has beasts as his familiars. Surely he should understand them, right?"

    "Indeed. If hees here, he will know what his familiar is all about. In fact, he might be able to discover why he is the only one having such an ability."

    "I bet that there are a lot of teachers wanting to dissect him."

    "Hahaha."

    Selena''s eyebrows twitched. The longer she listened to them, the colder her expression became.

    At one point, bloodlust escaped from her eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by Sasha, who waved her hand in front of Selena as if telling her not to mind their words.

    "¡­" Selena scratched the back of her head. She didn''t know why their conversation annoyed her so much. She knew Nathan''s personality and power. All those words and actions made her feel indebted to him. Even Sasha was proof of his kindness.

    Fenrir might be the one telling her about the lilitu, but she doubted Fenrir would tell her about it unless Nathan begged him.

    Selena harrumphed quietly and just focused on her own research.

    ¡­

    Magic Department.

    Nathan was sitting with his familiars.

    "Isn''t that guy staring at us a lot?" Fenrir asked casually.

    "Who knows? He might be curious but not have the courage to ask, or maybe he is just here to observe us. Either way, it doesn''t change my n here." Nathan shrugged.

    "Oh? You already know what you want?" Anubis asked.

    "Yep. I''m nning to learn long rangebat with my Ena." Nathan nodded with a smile. "The moment I saw the power, I knew what I wanted."

    "And that is?"

    "Others have known summoners and Ena before they came to the academy. While I can learn it slowly, I still need to catch up. As a result, I can''t pour too much time into this training, which is why I think of simplifying what I want to get double the result with half the effort."

    "Are you going to spew another bullshit?" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched, remembering how Vivian became his teacher after eating those bullshits.

    "Hahaha, nope. There is something that I don''t need to learn as much as other weapons like a sword, a spear, or a bow, but it can be more deadly than those weapons." Nathan had a cheeky grin on his face. "The weapon that dominated my current era."

    "Hoh? What is that, summoner?" Anubis had taken an interest in this unique summoner, who somehow captivated Fenrir.

    Nathan raised his finger and said, "Gun!"N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 51 Showcase

    Chapter 51 Showcase

    "Gun?" Anubis and Fenrir tilted their heads. They knew swords, spears, clubs, or even bows, but this was the first time they heard guns.

    "Indeed. I''ll be controlling my Ena like a bullet and shooting it like firing a gun. In your era, there were no guns since they were only developed a few hundred years before I was born." Nathan crossed his arms while raising his head proudly.

    "And what could it do? I don''t really understand."

    "Well, I''ll still learn how to make multiple bullets and use it in a different way, but for now, I will simplify the process by using it like a gun. Of course, the barrier and the shield are also going to be useful inbat," exined Nathan.

    "Indeed. The barrier will be useful against weak attacks. It can also be used to create a barrier that istes a certain space. You will definitely use it if you want to use my power." Anubis nodded in agreement. His power was rted to death, so they really needed an isted ce to work on it.

    "Heh. Shield is more useful." Fenrir snorted.

    "Are you picking a fight, you stupid dog?" Anubis gnashed his teeth.

    Fenrir harrumphed. "I''ll be the bigger person and forgive you."

    "You¡ª" Anubis wanted to attack him, but Fenrir continued, "Anyway, it seems that this gun you''re talking about is a ranged weapon. For closebat, you have your sloppy martial arts and those gloves. You can also attack them from a distance with this new weapon. It should allow you to be more flexible."

    Anubis couldn''t help but agree with Fenrir''s opinion. "But learning everything will take too much time. I guess that''s why you want to simplify it."

    "Yes. I guess it''s easier for me to show it to you. See it and think whether I should continue using this type of attack or not." Nathan stood up and walked to the line that was marked ''10,'' which was the target.

    "Are you going to try?" The teacher appeared out of nowhere, but he didn''t startle Nathan. Thetter simply confirmed it with a nod. "What are you going to do?"

    "I''ll try bursting the Ena to give it some power that allows it to travel like an arrow." Nathan chose the word ''arrow'' instead of ''bullet'' to avoid getting the teacher''s suspicion.

    "Alright. How about you show me?"

    "Yes, Teacher." Nathan turned to the dummy and straightened his back. He pped his hands in order to rx his body.

    ''Vice principal Vivian made him her disciple right after he finished with the exam and it wasn''t because of his unique summons. What of him actually piqued her interest? For someone who rejected hundreds of students and chose to get him.''

    The teacher saw Nathan maintaining his natural but rxed position.

    After that, Nathan stretched his right arm forward, making it as straight as possible.

    His index finger was extended forward and his thumb slightly rose but still aligned perfectly with the index finger. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This was a gun signal that could be made with one hand, but Nathan adjusted it to match what he needed.

    The thumb was adjusted carefully so that it felt like a front sight that would assist with his aim.

    After that, Nathan''s left foot took a step back as his body tilted to the side. He casually put his left hand into his pocket, as if showing them he didn''t need it for this attack.

    Now that everything was ready, Nathan started releasing his Ena at the tip of his index finger.

    Bluish particles started to gather and form a thumb-sized sphere. The energy was weak, but the teacher understood it since it was hard for someone to do it right away with no prior training.

    On the other hand, Nathan slightly adjusted his aim, the blue sphere following the index finger.

    ''I can''t really make a real gun in this world, nor do I intend to. However, guns give me inspiration for how to fight even more freely. It is a simple concept as well, which can be developed further depending on how I want it in the future.''

    Right when Nathan was about to shoot it, the teacher noticed that there was a spark from Ena. That spark transferred the energy within them to this sphere, turning it into kic energy that propelled the bullet forward.

    He noticed that the power of this attack could be adjusted depending on how much he concentrated his Ena.

    ''If he can somehow release more Ena andpress it, it can produce quite a high speed. And depending on how he tweaks the flow of Ena for that ''bolt,'' he can create various attacks, such as explosion after impact. So this is the vice principal''s student¡­'' the teacher thought, feeling curious about Nathan.

    The bullet flew at high speed but was still slower than a normal arrow due to Nathan''s sloppy control.

    However, the trajectory was straight without being pushed down by gravity. And with the help of the thumb, Nathan''s uracy increased drastically.

    As a result, the bullet actually hit the dummy, albeit missed the chest slightly since this was the first time he shot.

    ''This is it. Because I only shoot the Ena, there is no recoil, which makes my aim even more stable. Once I get used to the aim and increase the power, it''ll be a deadly ranged weapon.'' Nathan smiled.

    He didn''t realize that Fenrir, Anubis, the teacher, and even David widened their eyes in shock.

    They never expected Nathan to be able to shoot that attack with such uracy despite his sloppy control. How? That was the only question in their mind.

    Fenrir and Anubis realized why Nathan said he would simplify it so that this training didn''t use too much of his time. He didn''t need control, practice swinging a thousand times a day, or even train his lower body. He only had to focus on the Ena he put into that bullet to be strong.

    Nathan raised his hand and blew the tip of his index finger as if blowing the smoke that woulde out of a gun.

 Chapter 52 Battle Royale

    Chapter 52 Battle Royale

    "Huu¡­" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows while looking at himself in the mirror.

    Name: Nathan Reckmoon

    Level: 25 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Race: Human

    Quality: Basic (High)

    He had reached the ''Good'' quality before he summoned Anubis. But because he sacrificed a lot of his Ena, he ended up going back to the basic quality. When hest absorbed the core, he reached that quality at level 30, which symbolized the reason Fenrir transformed at that level.

    This was his concern when he knew about the soul contract. But after he summoned Anubis, his worry shifted to his ability instead.

    "I have about 340 Ena. I can use Deadly w about fifty times, but the problem will be the bullets. Each bullet takes 5 Ena, so I can only have 68 bullets. In a battle, I would probably need more bullets than I expect and tobine it with the Deadly w, I might exhaust all my Ena."

    Fenrir asked, "Leave it to me. I can handle all those opponents. Even if your ssmatese at us, I''ll make sure to defeat them."

    "Don''t worry. I have my healing ability as well. If you are injured, it''s fine to rely on me." Anubis nodded in agreement.

    "There is one problem though." Nathan raised his finger. "Since this is a battle royale, there is a high chance that people will team up with each other to take down a stronger opponent. Depending on the objective this time, we will need a different n."

    "Is that why you didn''t ask Selena earlier? With your current rtionship, she would probably agree if you propose to team up."

    "Indeed, but what if the objective doesn''t allow us to team up? It''ll just make the ns we havee up with go down the drain. Hence, I choose to wait until we know the context of the battle royale." Nathan exined.

    "Do you need my ability? I can lend it to you for just 10 Ena per day." Fenrir smirked.

    "I can lend you mine for 9 Ena per day." Anubis harrumphed.

    "I can do it for 8." Fenrir red at Anubis. "Are you picking a fight with me right now, you lowly dog?"

    "You are a dog." Anubis snorted. "I don''t mind beating you up today. Don''t worry. I will heal you after I''m satisfied."

    Nathan wanted to stop them, but he suddenly heard a knock.

    *Knock!*

    "Hmm?" Nathan frowned.

    "It''s that elf girl." Fenrir sniffed a familiar scenting from the person outside the room.

    Knowing it was Alisha, Nathan immediately opened the door. "Alisha."

    Alisha waved her hand while smiling. "Good evening, young master. I hope I don''t bother you."

    "Of course not. Pleasee in." Nathan opened the door wider, but Alisha shook her head.

    "I can''t enter right now, since my purpose here is to tell you about one thing. It''ll be unfair to others if I identally give you information about the battle royale tomorrow. The young master really loves to y with tricks after all."

    "Ah¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head. It seemed that his sess haunted him back. "Alright. What do you like me to know?"

    "Regarding tomorrow''s battle royale, the Mistress will be watching you. Well, a lot of people are interested in you, so if she is not there, you''ll probably be kidnapped by someone."

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. "That sounds annoying. Are they here to check me or¡­"

    "Ahaha." Alisha let out a hollowugh. Alisha immediately took a step back as soon as Nathan realized the true reason for their visit. There was no way those people would be interested in him if he didn''t summon only beasts.

    But if she said something, Nathan would probably catch the hidden meaning behind her words without her realizing it. In addition, letting him overthink would put him at a disadvantage as well, so it was better not to say anything.

    "In that case, can you tell me if there are outside forcesing to the academy? I''m sure you can answer this little question, right?"

    Alisha pondered for a moment before saying, "No¡­ Not yet."

    Nathan nodded. "Alright. I won''t make it hard for you. Thank you for telling me, Alisha."

    Alisha smiled wryly. It was a shame that she couldn''t help him because Vivian had asked her to do so. "Please get a good rest for today, young master."

    After closing the door, Nathan''s expression turned solemn. The information had allowed him to make a decision. "You guys should stop fighting now. I have a n."

    Just like Nathan, other students were nning to get the best score. Jason already said the top scorers wouldn''t be guaranteed to get the top ranks this time.

    Hence, they had a chance to grasp it.

    Selena lowered her head, thinking about something.

    Risa, who was next to her, couldn''t help but say, "Personally, I think that it''s better to team up with him. I know that you don''t want to be reliant on him, but if you don''t get a good score, you might not be able to escape your fate."

    Selena didn''t say anything. She only extended her hand as if telling her to better suck her blood instead of giving that opinion.

    "Selena." Risa crossed her arms, feeling pretty frustrated.

    "I will consider it. If I''m the one asking him for cooperation, I''ll end up being too reliant on him, considering I have owed him quite a lot. I want to escape from my fate, but not at the expense of others." Selena shook her head.

    "I have enough blood for tomorrow''s battle royale. I don''t need more tonight," said Risa as she disappeared.

    Meanwhile, Rudeus nced at several students next to him. "Tomorrow. We''ll dominate the ranking. It''s a battle royale, so that means everything is allowed. We''ll defeat everyone and get all the top spots. No need to give it to the others.

    Those students nodded their heads.

    Rudeus, on the other hand, took a different approach. Instead of the straightforward tactic like the others, he preferred a little underhanded trick. If he couldn''t even achieve this, he wouldn''t be worthy of the second prince title.

    "Have you prepared it?"

    "Yes. Everything is finished, your highness. No one will be able to get the top spot other than you."

    "Good. I don''t care who will be among the top, but I can only be the only one who is at the top." Rudeus nodded while looking at the dark sky.

 Chapter 53 Special Guests

    Chapter 53 Special Guests

    The next day.

    "Please wear this on your head." A staff handed him a red colored headband.

    Nathan grabbed it with a smile before noticing that other students had put on their headbands. However, they had white headbands instead of the red one.

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "Is this the correct headband?"

    "Yes," the staff confirmed, which made Nathan realize what they were aiming for.

    He casually walked to the front, where the others were waiting.

    To his surprise, Selena casually slipped past all the students to reach him.

    "Nathan."

    "What''s wrong? Are you going to ask for another bet?" Nathan asked nonchntly.

    Selena''s body shook, not expecting that Nathan had ced such a stigma on her. She felt somewhat hurt, even though her expression remained unchanged. "No. I want¡ª"

    Before she could say something, Jason''s voice echoed inside the hall.

    "Wee. Today is the day for the battle royale. I''m sure that you have prepared for everything, and sure, I hope that you have trained your hardest in the past two weeks." Jason smiled.

    Everyone''s attention shifted to him, including Nathan. Selena bit her lips, but there was nothing she could do. She would just tell himter.

    "I''ll be exining everything you need to know for this battle royale. I have said it before that even the top students won''t be able to get the same result in thispetition because there are three things that you need in order to achieve such a high result.

    "The first will be your strength. While this is obvious, it''s not the most important factor for this battle royale.

    "The second thing is your strategy. How are you nning to face this battle royale? I won''t give you any clues, but I''m sure a lot of you have figured out what you have to do.

    "Last but not least, you need luck. Yes. People use luck as an excuse, but in the end, luck will also determine your future, your life and death, and your skills.

    "The battle royale rule is simple. You''ll be transported to a forest." Jason posted the map on the board. It was a circr map that had been split into three parts. "You will start from the bottom part here. Your objective is to reach the hut located in the upper part.

    "The quicker you reach the hut, the more points you will get. However, there is a twist in thispetition. As I said before, this is a battle royale.

    "Of course, you are allowed to take down yourpetitors. You are free to use anything at your disposal to eliminate your rivals. And the point is as follows."

    White headband: 10 points.

    Red Headband: 100 points.

    Killing 1 alien: 300 points.

    "!!!" They couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock. The rules for thepetition made them realize what they had to do.

    There were five people wearing red headbands. Those people were the top 5 on the previous trip.

    They instantly became the prey of the people with white headbands. Even if they couldn''t defeat them, they could work together.

    Meanwhile, those who had red headbands needed to defeat ten people to get the same amount of points. It simply wasn''t worth it.

    "With the great magic, you will be transported to a random location. I believe that the vice principal can help me with the exnation regarding the battle royale itself."

    "!!!" Everyone turned their heads around as they heard footsteps on the right.

    "It''s the vice principal!"

    "Ooh! It appears that the vice principal will take care of this battle royale personally."

    "I have to do a good job. If she thinks of me favorably, there''s a chance that I will be rmended."

    "Rmended? I''m going to be her disciple."

    "You are dreaming! It''s me!"

    Nathan smiled wryly. He wondered what their reactions would be when they knew he had be Vivian''s disciple from the beginning. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Vivian skipped the pleasantries and raised three fingers. "First, my spirits will assist you in going to this ce. In this ce, even if you die, you won''t die for real, so you''re free to fight any way you want. The pain has been toned down, but you will still feel it. I want you to understand what it means to be injured or even die, so please take this battle royale seriously.

    "Second, you can exchange all your points in the hut. If you haven''t gotten any results until this point, this is the perfect chance for you to turn the situation around. However, put this into your mind.

    "This battle royale is trying to depict the real world where there are summoners and aliens on the battlefield. Who are your friends? Who are your allies? You choose it yourself. We want you to understand the real world as much as possible because after this battle royale, we''ll begin the open curriculum, meaning that you are allowed to take a mission that gives you resources outside the school. Yeah, all the benefits that the school has provided you¡­ you can finally put them to good use.

    "Last but not least, the aliens here are not the actual aliens. It will be your upperssmen that will act like aliens. They will guard the middle area, so you''ll definitely encounter them.

    "How are you going to pass them? It will bepletely up to you. But I don''t think it''ll be challenging if I just bring random upperssmen. Hence, I have personally invited them for you." Vivian smirked.

    "Vice principal. We are not that special. We are just slightly better than other students." A yful voice echoed in everyone''s ears as six people came to the stage.

    "!!!" All the students dropped their jaws.

    Each of these six students exuded an aura of experts that made the freshmen feel much inferior.

    The freshmen recognized them as the true top elites in this school, with enormous influences and power. It could be said that if they were to graduate, any influence would wee them with open arms.

    "They are¡­"

    "They are the student council!"

    "Ooohh!"

 Chapter 54 Student Council Members

    Chapter 54 Student Council Members

    Nathan widened his eyes in surprise. Even he felt a bit overwhelmed by their presence.

    "Look. That is¡­" one student pointed at the woman that spoke earlier. She had long blond hair and a rather unique pair of golden eyes. Her movement was smooth and pleasing, belonging to the high ss.

    "She is the legendary student council president, the Azilia Kingdom''s First Princess, Flora Vietta Ezelia. It''s known that she manages to actually summon an ancient spirit. It won''t be long for her to summon a divine spirit and be the empress of the Azilia Kingdom in the future."

    "No, no. Take a look at the person next to her. He is the vice president of the student council, Axel Lotterl. It''s said that his talent is simr to Flora, and no one would be his match to seed Flora in the future."

    Another student pointed at the man with blue hair.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, thinking that the aunty from the inn actually tipped him about the name of the people that figured out the hidden assignments. If he wasn''t wrong, she mentioned ''Axel.''

    ''So that''s Axel.'' Nathan squinted his eyes.

    "Don''t just look at him. The secretary has a more romantic story. Regynar Lowee¡­ he was just amoner until one year ago. Once he became the secretary of the student council, he got engaged with the treasured daughter of Duke Lowee. It was said that he might be his sessor, or at least get a position equal to it."

    The third person was a rather stiff person. He had a cool expression as he fixed his sses, but people could see that he would definitely nag them if something wasn''t perfect.

    "No, no, no. What''s the use of a position without money? Leon Strata is the son of the Strata Conglomerate. After bing a treasurer, he brought many deals to the academy. It was said that the items we received were affected by the wealth he brought to this academy."

    "Still, they are third year students. There is one more second year in the student council aside from the vice president. Without her, no one is able to hold the internal events within the academy. She oversees everything within the academy. Lovelia Illua!"

    Nathan furrowed his eyebrows. While they were amazing on their own, no one made a bigger impact than thest person.

    After all, that person was actually carrying a sword, almost as tall as she was. No one could actually ignore that huge sword, including Nathan.

    "Thatst person¡­"

    "Ugh¡­ Yeah."

    "I don''t really want to get into trouble with her. I''ve heard that she has personally ensured the security of the academy with her sword. It could be said that while her influence might not be as good as the others, she is currently the strongest summoner in this academy."

    "Yeah. Shees from the family that produces knights for generations. Not only her summoning ability, it''s said that she is already a sword master." N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Right? I have heard people say the sword saint is able to cut a mountain with a single swing of his de. She might achieve a simr level to the sword saint in the future."

    "Indeed. If you fight Noelle mante, you basically forfeit your life."

    "¡­"

    The atmosphere became somewhat heavy. But theirments piqued Nathan''s interest. It turned out she was the third year that had also figured out the hidden assignment.

    Flora smiled at them while saying, "Vice principal Vivian has asked us to help with this year''s battle royale. And no one really rejects the request of the vice principal.

    "However, everyone doesn''t need to fear and keep trying your best. We will be locking most of our power, so you still have the chance to seed. Whether you have to outsmart us or overpower us, please do so if it can make you reach the goal.

    "Also, if you don''t know about this, I''ll be sitting out and watching you from here together with the vice principal and teacher Jason. As you know, killing is allowed, since you won''t truly die if you end up dying in this battle royale.

    "Please show me your abilities. I do want to see the potential of this year''s students to see if any of you can actually be a student council member. I hope I can find several potential members from among you."

    "!!!" Flora lit up the fire in their hearts. She confirmed that performing well in thispetition would give them a higher chance to be recruited to the student council.

    The student council was the most prestigious position they could get in this academy if they wanted to seed in life. Those who were formerly members of the student council had achieved high positions all around the world, so of course, they would be tempted with such an opportunity.

    Vivian stepped forward and stated, "In that case, let us begin thepetition! You two, please proceed!"

    Suddenly, two figures appeared behind Vivian. The first one came out with a huge tree. In fact, her body was attached to the trees, with vines covering her body. She had no clothes other than the leaves that barely covered her well-endowed figure.

    Still, they could feel a boundless Ena leaking out of her body, creating a type of pressure they couldn''t describe that somehow made people unable to think of anyone else aside from her.

    On the other side, there was a humanoid figure with simr features to an elf, but the pointy ears were short. Unlike the allure of the first familiar, she gave an ethereal vibe that made people want to worship her.

    Both of them made a hand signal as they both chanted at the same time.

    "O'' Eternal Tree, I call upon thee to bestow thy power, to grant thy strength and wisdom for the pitiful earth."

    "Vyees Teres Mieon, Daviest Tess Bion!"

    They sped their hands at the same time as a huge magic circle appeared, shining brightly like a pir and engulfing all the people inside the hall.

    "Come forth, Garden of the Beginning."

    "Eternal Dream World."

 Chapter 55 Trouble?

    Chapter 55 Trouble?

    The blinding light gradually disappeared as all the students could see once again. They had arrived in a in white room with nothing in it.

    It was there they met one of Vivian''s familiars.

    She floated in the air and exined, "Wee to my dream world, students. I am a Divine Spirit in charge of the Dream World. In the next sixty seconds, you will be teleported randomly to a spot in the Garden of the Beginning. The only thing you need to know is to follow the sun if you wish to reach the goal. In that case, I''ll give you time to prepare."

    With a nod, the divine spirit vanished into thin air. A number reced her existence, which reflected the time they had left to prepare.

    60.

    59.

    58.

    Now that the clock was ticking, Nathan knew he had to do something. If what other students said about the student council was true, it meant he had to work together with Selena. There was no way he could beat them alone, even if they limited their strength.

    Selena had the same idea. She slipped past several people and saw Nathan in the distance.

    However, before she could reach him, several students suddenly surrounded her.

    "Selena! Please work together with me."

    "Me too!"

    "If you lead us, we will be able to reach the finish goal."

    "Please allow us to follow you!"

    She was stopped by these students. Even after she pushed them away, they kepting back, desperately begging her to allow them to join.

    Still, Nathan also faced the same difficulty. For some reason, the students surrounded him.

    "Nathan! We know that we have misjudged you. Please!"

    "That''s right. If we work together, we will get past the seniors."

    Nathan had a hard time seeing Selena in the distance. He couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, realizing that someone was trying to sabotage them.

    Hence, the moment they stopped Nathan and Selena from joining hands, thepetition once again became undetermined.

    If Nathan and Selena worked together, they were basically the strongest team in the entire ss. August and Rudeus were unlikely to work together due to their strong rivalry.

    Hence, the moment they stopped Nathan and Selena from joining hands, thepetition once again became undetermined.

    Nathan clicked his tongue. He really couldn''t say anything to Selena until the time was up and they were all teleported to the Garden of the Beginning.

    Despite being called a garden, the realm itself was like a forest.

    They were surrounded by tropical trees, with some dirt paths here and there. Considering he didn''t see anyoneing, the garden seemed to be bigger than he expected.

    "Wow. So she can summon a familiar with this level of ability?" Nathan muttered. Fenrir might be able to kill a god, but he doesn''t have the ability to form an independent realm.

    "Should I have a familiar that can create a realm like this? Well, I shouldn''t get too greedy for now. Since Teacher has a dryad that is actually bing the spirit of the eternal tree, divine tree¡­ or whatever it is. Maybe I should have that dragon who has been gnawing at the Yggdrasil''s root¡­ What is his name again? Nidhogg?"

    Nathan shrugged his shoulders. That was just his thought for the future. There was nothing he could do for the time being, since summoning the third divine beast would just slow down his progression.

    Once Nathan regained his focus, he actually closed his eyes and remained still, as if he were thinking about his n after not being able to work together with Selena.

    ¡­

    Outside the forest, Vivian, Jason, and Flora were watching multiple mirrors. They had been summoned by the dryad, as the mirrors had the frame made of branches and veins.

    Each mirror disyed one student, so they could monitor every single person in this forest.

    "Well, well, well. Is that your disciple, Vice Principal?" Flora had a sly grin on her face as she was pointing at Nathan. "The one who is rumored to summon only beasts?"

    Vivian''s gaze turned cold, causing Flora to flinch.

    "Oops. Please. People are allowed to be curious. After all, the Forest Queen, who has been alone this whole time, has chosen to take a disciple. And it''s not about his unique summon¡­" Flora smirked. "What quality does he have to make the Forest Queen hold him in such a high regard?"

    "What are you nning to do? Others might not know about it, but I know the true face behind that yful expression."

    "Oh my!" She took a step back. "If you are ring at me like that, I''m going to cry. It''s truly a shame for royalty."

    Vivian continued ring at her, pressuring her even further.

    In the end, Flora confessed. "He is my subject, so of course, I have to pay special attention to such a person. Who knows? He might be able to be a pir of this country once he is stronger? You should have realized the reason I''m helping with this battle royale is so that I can watch the freshmen, right?

    "It''s true that the upperssmen can''t challenge them with the summoners war yet, but we can do something else¡­ For example, after this battle royale, how about I invite your disciple to broaden his horizon by taking a high level mission together?"

    Vivian clenched her hands as if she wanted to p this cheeky face. However, Nathan wasn''t that dumb either. Such a thing reassured her more than anything else.

    "You are truly as annoying as ever. Do you think I don''t know that you can do anything you want while going on that mission?"

    "Oh my. What can I do? If he doesn''te back, my reputation as his senior as well as the princess of the Azilia Kingdom will be destroyed. If I''m unfair, he might spread some rumors."

    Vivian shrugged. "I''ll let him make a decision. However, if you use your position to threaten him to ept, don''t think that I''ll be letting you go."

    "Is that so? But for that, he must need to do something special or I won''t have a justification to invite him to a trip." Flora pointed at his mirror. Nathan remained still the whole time, but Flora actually said, "Look. He is in trouble now."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 56 Not an Ambush?

    Chapter 56 Not an Ambush?

    After several minutes, Nathan finally opened his eyes, as there were three people surrounding him. They had summoned their respective familiars.

    Nathan could recognize one of them, considering that person was among the top. Meanwhile, the other two didn''t have a lot of impact on his mind to even make him remember their names.

    "Three people, huh?" Nathan muttered.

    "You might be stronger than Landark, but we don''t have a single familiar with a wolf bloodline. That suppression won''t be able to work against us. And now we have outnumbered you."

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, not because he was afraid of getting surrounded, but because he was confused about why these three people cared for a chat before a battle instead of ambushing him right away.

    "So?" Nathan sighed. He remembered them since they were in the Magic Department together.

    "Hmph. Just ept your defeat and give those headbands if you don''t want to feel any pain. We have been observing you, and we know what you''re capable of. There is simply no chance for you to win."

    Nathan let out a long sigh. "Instead of talking like this, you should have taken my head before I knew your location."

    This was just a test from Nathan to know whether people preferred to ambush him or just surround him. These three seemed to be thetter, which probably reflected the behavior of the average students.

    Suddenly, Nathan raised his hand, a small spherical Ena forming on the tip of his index finger. "When this bullet pierces through your head, does it matter anymore?"

    "!!!" They were rmed by Nathan''s threat as John immediately ordered. "Attack him!" N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Go!" One of them waved his hand down, ordering the hobgoblin and the orc to attack Nathan.

    The others did the same, but this person was Nathan''s first target.

    After all, this was none other than Nathan''s trap.

    A pair of bandages flew toward the two familiars'' necks, circling them from behind.

    "Guoh!" Both the hobgoblin and the orc were clutching their necks as the bandages pulled them back.

    "What?" The guy widened his eyes in shock. He turned around and saw Anubis standing behind them this whole time. It turned out he had been hiding inside the bushes.

    The guy immediately tried to stop Nathan, but the only thing he saw was Nathan pointing his finger at him as the bullet flew straight to his head.

    He could do nothing as he dropped to the ground lifelessly. His body instantly disappeared, with his familiars following him back to the real world, leaving only the headband.

    Of course, focusing on one of them was too reckless, considering he would leave himself open.

    Those two people had sent their familiars from the beginning. Unfortunately for them, Fenrir suddenly leaped from on top of the tree.

    "Stop him!" John ordered his satyr to stop Fenrir, but it was futile.

    Fenrir pped the hand that held the dagger and knocked it down.

    When Fenrir was about to kill the satyr, John''s ogre extended its de, stopping Fenrir''s tail, which started glowing.

    Meanwhile, the other two familiars slipped past Fenrir, approaching Nathan. Anubis wanted to catch up, but he was still a bit too far.

    The other two familiars, the half-elf and the ghoul, wereing straight at him. The half-elf seemed to be unable to use magic or bow since it wasing with a dagger.

    Nathan immediately used his Ena to form a shield in front of him. The shield was wide enough to stop them.

    The ghoul, with its lower intelligence, crashed into the shield. Meanwhile, the half-elf spun his body and avoided the shield.

    But before the half-elf could go for Nathan, thetter had pointed his index finger at his master.

    "!!!" His opponent hurriedly formed a shield on his own, trying to block the bullet.

    In addition, the half elf extended his de toward the trajectory to intercept it.

    At the same time, John released a burst of energy from the side to knock him down.

    Bam!

    The strong force hit Nathan''s arm, knocking him to the side. He fell without being able to do anything as though he didn''t expect John would attack him.

    Unbeknownst to him, this was what Nathan had been waiting for. Even if they worked together, their teamwork wasn''t perfect. And the technique he learned was simply too overpowered.

    Even when he was falling down, Nathan could aim at his opponent urately. In fact, the boost earlier had changed the angle of his attack, allowing him to find nothing to block his bullet in this new trajectory.

    Both the half elf and his summoner wanted to change positions, but they were toote.

    Nathan had shot him, the bullet piercing his head. With a cheeky grin, Nathan muttered, "Nice assist."

    "You!" John waved his hand, sending the burst to Fenrir.

    "Woof!" Fenrir let out a bark, which was not cute anymore. It produced a gale that neutralized the forceing at him.

    The satyr took this chance to grab his dagger before swinging at Fenrir''s neck.

    Unfortunately for him, Fenrir had expected this and caught the dagger with its teeth.

    The ogre wanted to help the satyr, but two bandages grasped his wrists.

    "Raaa!" The ogre tried to overwhelm Anubis but to no avail. Seeing the satyr was about to die, the ogre threw its long de at Fenrir.

    Nathan had risen to his knees and hurriedly aimed for the de, nning to knock it away with his bullet.

    But he missed. The de moved a little too fast and the rotation caused him to miss.

    "You suck!" Fenrir clicked his tongue and turned around, pping the de with one paw.

    The satyr thought with only one paw, Fenrir wouldn''t be able to stop him anymore. However, Fenrir suddenly put more pressure through his strength enhancement.

    "Gah!" The satyr felt like his stomach was getting pushed out of his body.

    "Justy down there!" Fenrir harrumphed.

    John wanted to run away, but his feet refused to move. Even if he could, there was no way he could escape from Fenrir and Anubis.

    John gritted his teeth before shouting, "How! How are you not injured? That st should have a strength equivalent to a bull charge. Why do you look like you aren''t feeling any pain at all?"

    Yeah, it hurt. He only pretended it didn''t. As for why he was able toe back up so easily was because Anubis had been using his ability to heal him.

    However, Nathan simply shot John''s head while saying with a smile, "There''s no way I will tell you."

 Chapter 57 Stop Him!

    Chapter 57 Stop Him!

    "Half of us have assembled." A student reported to the blond-haired man in front of him. "Your Highness. We should be able to break through with this number."

    Rudeus smiled as if everything had gone ording to n. "How is August?"

    "One of us has spotted him far away from here. He only has two people around him while we have nine."

    Rudeus nodded. "In that case, we''ll be going straight to the hut and dominating all the top positions without letting others have the chance."

    "Yes!" The guy waved his hand at the others. "Let''s move out!"

    His action didn''t escape the eyes of the observers.

    "It seems that Prince Rudeus has done his homework." Flora smirked, watching his every move from the mirror.

    "You have realized what he is doing?"

    "Of course. From the very start, he seems to be mobilizing the masses to separate Nathan and Selena Ashton for some reason. This way, they won''t be able to create an alliance, which might be capable of throwing the bnce.

    "If you look closely at one of the guys under the cksmith guild''s sessor, you''ll realize he is a double agent.

    "This way, he can monopolize the battle royale¡­ and more importantly, the people who receive the benefits from this will support him more, creating a powerful faction in the ss. What a clever trick."

    Vivian shrugged. "I wonder if that''s going to happen."

    Flora smirked. "Vice principal, you have to be impartial. I know that your disciple is good. He can even take down three people at once. That strategy of him baiting his opponents is clever, but it won''t be enough to defeat that massive group.

    "Unfortunately, in the Frexia Academy, the royalties have to be excellent. If we end up bing a scum that people can look down upon, the pride of the royalty will be diminished. If you can''t even do well and have a lot of nasty rumors in the academy, you won''t even be considered for the throne.

    "I know your disciple is excellent. He might be able to reach the end and produce an excellent result. In fact, if he continues his performance for the next three years, he won''t have trouble marrying into a good noble family. Of course, I will take care of my subject. However, no matter how good he is, it''s impossible for him to deal with that number, let alone Rudeus himself."

    Vivian smirked. "That''s why I chose him as my disciple. Someone who dares to go against the flow, creating something new that no one has ever achieved before." Vivian pointed at the mirror as if knowing what her disciple was nning to do.

    In the mirror, Nathan was actually smirking as he said, "Alright. Let''s go to the goal and camp right in front of the hut!"

    Anubis and Fenrir widened their eyes in shock.

    "Are you trying to fight every single one of them? I mean, it''s effective if you want to gather their headbands¡­" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched, feeling it would be a lot of trouble.

    "If you do that, you will end up antagonizing everyone." Anubis rejected the idea. "No. More importantly, even if the academy is stopping people from abusing their influence, there is a prince, right? If you kill him, there is a high chance that you will be in trouble."

    Nathan shook his head. "Like a famous person once said, don''t think so much when killing people. Life and death is nature''sws. All living beings are equal, and everyone has their right to survive and be killed. There might be royalty and lower beings, but in the face of death, a person''s death is no different from a pig''s. What''s the difference? They''re both dead."

    Anubis was speechless. "Why does he sound like an insane person rather than a wise one?"

    "You don''t look down on the lord of Gu like that." Nathan sighed. "Well, what I''m trying to say is that I have a way to not antagonize everyone. If we seed, we will get a lot of cores."

    Fenrir had already known that Nathan might not be the smartest person out there, but he wasn''t a fool. That was why he confidently said, "Let''s go then!"

    "You should stop his reckless n!" Anubis wondered if he had made a mistake by responding to the call.

    "What''s wrong? You''re chickening out? How about we make a bet? If I contribute more than you in this n and the n is working, you will act like a dog for a week!" Fenrir smirked. This was him paying back for all the insults Anubis had thrown in thest few weeks.

    "Fine." Anubis clicked his tongue before turning to Nathan. "Summoner. If this n doesn''t work and you are only a reckless person, I won''t be helping you anymore."

    "I know." Nathan smirked. Now that he had gained their cooperation, he could finally do it. "Let''s go!" N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The three of them immediately headed in the sun''s direction, approaching the hut as close as possible.

    There was a big smile on Nathan''s face as he kept muttering, "Point, point, point, point, point!"

    Those who watched Nathan had different reactions.

    Jason just pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to act as if he didn''t see anything. Vivian crossed her arms with a proud face. Nathan possessed the courage that she didn''t have in the past. That was why she put all her bets on this disciple of hers. "Go for it!"

    Still, the reaction from Flora couldn''t be any more different.

    The dryad had actually summoned roots from the ground, shackling Flora''s ankles, wrists, and body so that she couldn''t chase after Nathan.

    After all, Flora was sweating heavily as she couldn''t help but drop all the etiquette and just shouted, "Are you insane? Stop that right now! Vice principal Vivian! You should stop your disciple right now.

    "Even if he might be my future retainer, I can''t help him if he makes the entire ss his enemy!"

 Chapter 58 Stop Her! [Bonus]

    Chapter 58 Stop Her! [Bonus]

    On one side of the forest, August sheathed his sword with a calm expression. There were several headbands lying on the ground, as if he had cut all of them down.

    "As expected of August. Thanks to you, we''re able to defeat them easily." A student pped his hands.

    "That''s right. If we continue in this direction, we should be able to reach the goal much faster than anyone else."

    August wanted to snort since these two people weren''t exactly his friends. He thought they were here just so that he had enough numbers to go against Rudeus. "Let''s continue!"

    On the other side of the forest, students scattered while screaming.

    "No! Don''t kill me please!" A student crawled away in fear, albeit a blood tornado suddenly pierced through his stomach before expanding, shredding his body.

    "What is this? My stomach hurts¡­ My head¡­ my¡­" Another student wanted to escape, but foam suddenly came out of his mouth as he passed out. A lilitu struck him with her talon-like hand, crushing his heart.

    There was a girl standing on top of a tree, watching the entire thing with no expression on her face.

    "Are we done?" She jumped off the tree while asking.

    "Yeah. We don''t have to do it so quickly. We can let other students challenge those people first before we defeat them," said Risa while grabbing the headband.

    "I can weaken them with my curse if you want." Sasha waved her hand, sshing the blood on her hand to the ground.

    "No. We will continue onward and catch up to him as quickly as possible. We might end up finding a new possibility that we have never thought of before." Selena had made a decision. They couldn''t formalize their alliance before, but it was still not toote.

    Risa and Sasha exchanged looks before agreeing to follow her decision.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Nathan and his two familiars were moving toward the hut at full speed.

    Fenrir raised his head as if noticing something. "There is something in front¡­ something dangerous."

    "The upperssmen?" Nathan''s heart skipped a beat. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Most likely. We need to stop and go around. This way, we can pass without fighting."

    "What if it''s only a familiar? The upperssmen should have four or five familiars at the very least, right?" Nathan shrugged, thinking they should check first. If the enemy was just a low level familiar, they should be able to defeat it before the summoner reached their position.

    This way, they could reach the hut much faster.

    Considering how vast the area they had to protect, they definitely had to use their familiars to block the path.

    "Should we check then?" Anubis asked.

    Nathan nodded in agreement. Anubis and Fenrir took the lead this time as Nathan maintained a certain distance to know when he needed to stop.

    They had decreased their pace significantly. After a minute, Fenrir and Anubis stopped at the same time.

    Nathan hid himself behind a tree, taking a peek at the figure waiting in front of him.

    It seemed there was a small in in front of them. It wasn''t big, but not small either.

    The figure looked humanoid enough, so he took a closer look, wondering if he could determine its race.

    That was when he was taken aback by what he found. It wasn''t a familiar. It was a human.

    She made quite an impact in his mind because she was one of the few people that managed to figure out the secret assignment during the first trip. Yes, she was Noelle mante.

    She stood in the middle of the in while closing her eyes, her hand holding the sword close.

    The wind swayed her long brown hair left and right, yet she showed no reaction, as though she were sleeping while standing.

    As a swordsman, she had a rather unique form of clothing. Her student uniform consisted of a white shirt simr to others, but instead of a zer, she wore a long white coat that ran all the way to her leg.

    The elegant skirt was reced by shorts, which allowed her to move easier. She didn''t even bother using long pants, thigh high socks, or high boots because she was confident in using her Ena to ignore some small scratches when crossing a terrain filled with bushes or thorns.

    All of a sudden, she opened her eyes and grabbed the handle of her sword.

    "!!!" Fenrir suddenly turned around and pushed Nathan down. "Get down!"

    Noelle drew her de, releasing the Ena she umted inside her scabbard. The Ena extended her de for over 30 meters (98 feet) in a fan-shaped area, cutting down all the trees within that range.

    If Fenrir hadn''t pushed Nathan down, he would have been cut on the waist.

    Bam!

    Bam!

    Bam!

    All the trees fell down in rapid session. The tree where Nathan hid earlier was about to fall on top of him, but Anubis hurriedly came and pulled the tree away with the bandages.

    Meanwhile, Noelle nced in Nathan''s direction while saying, "Junior. Since you are here, there is no need to be sneaky. Come at me."

    Nathan waspletely speechless. ''Come at you? Are you insane? Do you understand what it means to hold back against your junior?''

    Of course, there was no way he could say that. He ended up saying, "Are we seriously going to fight her?"

    The reactioning from Flora and Vivian switched.

    This time, it was Vivian who got restrained by the dryad''s roots.

    "Let go of me, Luxia. I need to beat up that knight right away! Out of all the people, why is he so freaking unlucky to meet that girl?" Vivian struggled to break free.

    "Mistress, please calm down." The dryad sighed.

    "How can I calm down? Why does he have to meet that evil knight who doesn''t know how to hold back?"

    On the other hand, Flora was wiping the sweat on her forehead as she let out a long sigh of relief. "Hu¡­ I have to thank Noelle after this. To think that she would be the one stopping him¡­ It seems that I don''t have to intervene."

 Chapter 59 New Offer

    Chapter 59 New Offer

    "Are we really going to fight her?" Nathan made a wry smile. "Fenrir. I''ll be buying some time. Teach Anubis about that."

    Fenrir was confused for a moment, but there was one thing that always worked. It seemed that Nathan had a n.

    There was a high chance they would fail, but this was probably the only method that could defeat such an opponent.

    Nathan stood up while saying, "Don''t you know how to hold back against your junior?"

    There wasn''t a change in Noelle''s expression, as if she had done nothing wrong. "Can you say that to the aliens?"

    "Fair enough." Nathan raised his right hand. Five bullets were formed on top of his palm, each bullet fairly weaker than the one Nathan usually shot, since he had to separate his control into five.

    "Small spheres that contain Ena, huh? People tend to use the shape of their weapon or the explosive force of Ena to base their attacks. You are quite unique, Junior." Noelle raised her sword. "I won''t fight you with my familiars. You can consider this a handicap."

    "Thank you then," said Nathan in a sarcastic tone as he fired out all those bullets at her head.

    "Even though they are unique, you should have made a lot of them and attacked me from all directions if you want to have a chance to hurt me." Noelle skillfully put her sword in the bullets'' trajectory, blocking all of them in rapid session.

    However, her calm expression turned to surprise because those bullets were never meant to hurt her. He aimed at her head so that she would block it with her sword, covering her vision for just a split second.

    Nathan took advantage of that moment to turn around and start running.

    "W-What?" Noelle was speechless. Nathan looked like he was raring to go against her, but the next second, he ran away as quickly as possible.

    Even Fenrir and Anubis dropped their jaws to the ground as if they couldn''t believe what their summoner had just done.

    "Who wants to fight against an opponent that can kill me instantly? I''ll only fight in a battle I can win!" Nathanughed.

    "You disappointed me, Junior! To think that you would be a coward." Noelle stomped the ground with her right foot and used that power to cover the distance between her and Noelle.

    "What?" Nathan widened his eyes as if Noelle closing their distance in an instant was out of his calction.

    Not only them, even the people watching through the mirror couldn''t help butin.

    "What? Did he just run away? Is he a coward? Should I really take him in?" Flora''s brain was short-circuited, never expecting that Nathan was someone who could easily change his mind.

    On the other hand, Vivian could onlyugh.

    "What are youughing at? Your disciple is a coward!" Flora couldn''tprehend how Vivian still had the heart tough.

    If Fenrir hadn''t acted surprised, she would have believed that Nathan ran away because he didn''t want to die, even if it meant leaving behind his familiars. But Fenrir should have seen iting, since they did the same trick against Alisha.

    That was why she knew this was Nathan''s trick. "Yeah. That evil knight will definitely have a hard time against him. You should fear him the most, not when he is overwhelming, but when he is running. After all, that''s when he bes unpredictable."

    As she said those words, Fenrir and Anubis leaped into the air, taking the perfect time to strike Noelle when she was about to pass them.

    Noelle definitely thought that Nathan had abandoned the two, so the moment Fenrir and Anubis attacked, she didn''t have the chance to counterattack.

    In addition, Fenrir and Anubis used their respective power and strength enhancement, forcing Noelle to use her own Ena to neutralize them.

    All she could do was raise both her sword and scabbard, blocking their attacks at the same time.

    "!!!" Noelle''s momentum vanished. Before she could do anything, Nathan suddenly turned around and formed one more bullet, aiming at her chest.

    Nathan thought he would be able to get her just like he defeated Alisha. Sadly, Noelle proved him wrong.

    She kicked the ground, scooping the earth with her pointy knight shoe and raising it up. The timing was so perfect that the bullet actually hit the soil, which transferred the energy. As a result, it was the soil that hit her chest instead of the bullet, ultimately stopping her from having a hole in her chest.

    Still, that kind of attack was supposed to hurt, but she didn''t even flinch as if she couldn''t feel the pain. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Due to the initial attack failing, Fenrir and Anubis ended upnding on the ground.

    The moment she was free, Noelle released a massive amount of Ena from her body, causing a powerful shock wave that pushed Fenrir and Anubis back.

    Anubis summoned his bandages, trying to capture her ankles and wrists. Fenrir let out a roar, trying to disperse her Ena.

    Noelle used all that Ena to boost her physical ability before leaping toward Nathan.

    Nathan instinctively used his Ena to create a translucent barrier just to distract her, but Fenrir knew what was going to happen. "Get down!"

    Nathan trusted Fenrir and ducked as Noelle cut his barrier along with the trees behind him. After that, she spun her body and kicked Nathan in the side.

    After getting beaten so many times by the aliens, Nathan instinctively raised both of his arms before that kick arrived. He managed to block it, but the kick was powerful enough tounch him away.

    His body bounced several times on the ground as he crashed into a tree.

    "Gah!" Nathan coughed up blood as he lost the sensation of his arms.

    Noelle stood there for a second before lowering her head. "I underestimated you, Junior. For that, I''ll apologize. However, you can abandon the idea of getting past me.

    "Instead of getting to the hut to exchange for some cores, if you manage to deal any damage to me, how about I give you a better offer, such as letting you join me on a mission? Upperssmen can''t challenge the freshmen to a summoners war, but they can bring a freshman out on a mission. This will definitely be a good experience for you to broaden your horizons, Junior."

 Chapter 60 Fighting Noelle

    Chapter 60 Fighting Noelle

    Hearing that proposal after getting kicked like this definitely pissed him off. Even Fenrir and Anubis gnashed their teeth as they were about to pounce on her. They never thought that their bodies would be so weak that they couldn''t react to that movement.

    As much as Nathan wanted to reject it, this was actually a good proposal. It was true that it could broaden his horizon, but the most important thing from such a mission was the upperssmen''s advice.

    He wanted to hear from their experience about their abilities, tricks, and even tips for summoning.

    Still, even if he liked a girl, he would definitely not like to take a beating for no reason, let alone from someone he had just met.

    While getting back on his feet, Nathan said, "You should have asked that without kicking me, don''t you think?"

    "My apologies. I couldn''t control my impulse, even though I knew it was wrong. It appears I haven''t trained enough that I can''t control my impulse even though I''m in the wrong. I''ll bepensating you¡­" Noelle raised her right hand before hitting her left arm, snapping it so that she couldn''t use it anymore during this battle. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Even Nathan was surprised that she was willing to fight in a handicap battle because of that kick. At the same time, it showed her confidence in defeating Nathan. To defeat him, one hand was enough.

    "Does this mean I''ve won the bet? I have managed to injure you with my words alone." Nathan smirked.

    "It doesn''t count because I haven''t heard you agreeing to my proposal." Noelle wasn''t flustered by Nathan''s wording, as if she had ssified Nathan to be those with little tricks.

    "Tsk." Nathan clicked his tongue. "Well, I thought about punching your face or something if I managed to injure you since you kicked me out of the blue. I don''t want people to think I''m easy to bully just because you are a woman after all."

    "You''re wee to punch me, not once, but twice, if you really seed in injuring me." For Noelle, this was a kind of test to see whether or not Nathan had enough power to experience the mission with her. If he was too weak to even injure her in this state, he would die if he followed her.

    Nathan took a deep breath. This was the first time ever sinceing to this world that he could feel he had less than 0.0001% to seed. Even fighting Alisha or the aliens had much higher sess than this.

    Despite knowing that he would fail, Nathan smiled as though he had a n in mind.

    "In that case, I thank you in advance for the opportunity." Nathan shouted, "Anubis!"

    Anubis sent for the two bandages, trying to capture Noelle''s de.

    Noelle waved her de at Anubis, sending forth a sword strike. Anubis jumped to the left and looped around, approaching her from behind.

    At the same time, Fenrir took that time toe to Nathan.

    "Fenrir. Do whatever you can to create an opening. As long as I can use that opening, I will definitely be able to win. I''m a greedy man. I don''t n to only defeat her, but take it all."

    Fenrir grinned. "I want to warn you not to bite more than you can chew, but I guess this is much more exciting."

    Now that he knew Nathan''s intention, Fenrir rushed forward, approaching Noelle, who was upied by Anubis.

    She blocked Anubis'' teeth with her sword and ultimatelyunched him into the air. Before she could send forth another sword strike, Fenrir pounced on her.

    Noelle already sensed Fenrir, so she turned around at thest minute, using the sword strike to Fenrir instead of Anubis.

    Fenrir pped that sword strike using Alisha''s ability. However, his Ena and mastery over the technique were still a bit too low. He managed to distort the sword strike, but a part of it still hit his body.

    Luckily, Fenrir''s super durability endured that hit, leaving only a scratch.

    Fenrir''s ws shed with her de, stopping her movement for a second.

    Anubis shot out his bandages and wrapped her entire body. "Mummification!"

    Unfortunately for him, Noelle let out a burst of Ena all around her body to loosen the bandages. Then she cut the bandage with minimal movement, allowing Fenrir to slip past her defense.

    Fenrir pounced on her while she stopped him with her knee.

    Before Fenrir pushed her down, Nathan positioned himself to her left, shooting out the Deadly w. He positioned it between Noelle and the ground so that Fenrir would push her toward the w.

    As expected for a knight, her lower body was much stronger than a normal person. At thest second, she managed to tilt her body slightly and lowered her foot on top of the w. The Ena that boosted that stomp shattered the ws like sses.

    After that, she tossed her de into the air and grabbed Fenrir''s arm before throwing him with her monstrous strength.

    "What?" Anubis, who was about to attack, was forced to send forth the bandage to catch him because Noelle sent forth a sword strike right behind Fenrir.

    After catching Fenrir, Anubis attached the second bandage to the tree and pulled both of them away from the sword strike.

    However, this was just a means to stop them. Noelle took this chance to attack Nathan instead.

    As if expecting her toe to him, Nathan had already made a gun hand signal.

    To her surprise, he clenched his hand into fist at thest second and shot out his Deadly w instead. "You''re too focused on my hand."

    The Deadly w extended to her heart, albeit it suddenly broke apart when a shield made of Ena appeared in its trajectory. "Sadly, your Ena is too low."

    Now that she reached him, Noelle waved her de at his neck.

    Nathan hurriedly ducked, avoiding the de. But once again, Noelle came with a kick.

    Little did she know this was Nathan''s real aim. He already made a grabbing motion. The kick might be fast and powerful, but as long as he could grab it, he could im he had dealt a bit of damage to her.

    "Clever trick, but¡­" Noelle showed her superior Ena control. When Nathan was about to catch her leg, it felt like there was an invisible barrier that pushed him back until that kicknded on him, blowing him away.

 Chapter 61 Unexpected Reinforcement

    Chapter 61 Unexpected Reinforcement

    "Arrggghhh!" Nathan screamed in pain while holding his right arm. The cracking sound of his bone somehow rang in his ear as his arm had stopped responding to him.

    "If that kind of pain is enough to immobilize you, the alien can easily take you down, Junior!" When Noelle was about to jump forward, Fenrir and Anubis surrounded her from two sides.

    This time, Fenrir struck the de, stopping its movement for a second. Anubis shot the bandages at her sword.

    Noelle tilted its body backward to avoid them, but the bandage''s true target was actually her sword.

    Now that both Fenrir and Anubis had gotten a hold of the sword, they mmed it down to the ground.

    Still, Anubis had only used his bandages. He could still use his mouth to bite Noelle.

    Sadly for him, Noelle skillfully kicked him from the side, forcing Anubis to use his paw to p it away. He lost in terms of strength and was forced tond a bit to the side.

    Because the sword was nted on the ground, both Fenrir and Anubis had another chance to attack.

    Noelle had no hesitation in letting go of her sword for a second. After that, she pulled her arm and punched forward, causing a shock wave made of Ena.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir barked to neutralize it while Anubis opened his jaw wide.

    Noelle caught Anubis'' neck and tossed him away. However, Fenrir opened a path not only for Anubis but also for Nathan, who seeded in enduring the pain.

    He shot Noelle three times in rapid session, but Noelle simply put her arm in the trajectory, the Ena covering her arm acting like a gauntlet.

    Fenrir bit this arm, but his jaw strength was actually not enough to prate this Ena. It felt like there was metal circling around her arm.

    Noelle''s strength was actually enough to pick up her de, even with Fenrir still attached to her arm.

    Fenrir used his own body as a weight to push her aim down as she released the same sword strike as earlier.

    Nathan jumped without Fenrir telling him about it, the sword strike passing right underneath his shoes and hitting the ground, leaving a deep slit hole.

    Since her attack failed, Noelle shook Fenrir off. Because he refused to let go, she spun her body, swinging Fenrir to Anubis, who was approaching her from behind.

    They both ended up crashing into each other, leaving an opportunity for Noelle to take down Nathan.

    To her surprise, the right arm that was supposed to be broken suddenly rose once again, making a shooting motion.

    "!!!" Noelle was startled for a moment, but she suddenly noticed that Nathan actually yed a little trick.

    He actually created a bullet in his arm and exploded it. His glove withstood that small burst, but the impact stillunched Nathan''s hand up.

    If she took a closer look at it, the aim was slightly above her head, meaning that he failed to measure his Ena correctly.

    ''If I have no experience in a battle, I would probably panic for a second and change my decision. Unfortunately for you, Junior, I have seen through your trick.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Noelle continued moving as Nathan released that shot.

    As she expected, the shot missed her head by a small margin. Even Nathan looked frustrated because he missed that shot.

    Noelle reached Nathan and swung her de. Nathan actually used the falling motion of his hand to attack Noelle for onest time. He used the Deadly w on that hand so that Noelle had no choice but to stop.

    Sadly for him, the Deadly w shattered into pieces as it hit Noelle''s de. At the very least, Nathan managed to stop her from swinging that sword, albeit it wouldn''t change the oue.

    Noelle kicked Nathan. He received it with his left hand, but it just dislocated two of his fingers and blew him away.

    "Gah!" Nathan coughed up blood as his back hit a tree.

    He dropped on his butt while groaning in pain. "Kh¡­"

    Fenrir and Anubis were trying to catch up, but they were toote.

    Noelle had reached Nathan first and ced her sword on his neck. "It seems this is the end of our battle, Junior."

    Nathan smirked. "Before that, can I ask you something?"

    Noelle thought even if Nathan tried to buy time, there was nothing he could do. Even the two beasts couldn''t actually move because this was the end.

    Hence, Noelle nodded her head. "What is it?"

    "You should have held back quite a lot, right? Even though you are using all your techniques, the amount of Ena and physical strength you exert don''t truly reflect your current situation, right? How much stronger are you in your full strength?"

    "Ten times, perhaps."

    "Without your familiars?"

    "Yeah."

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. "I see."

    "You''re strong, Junior. I''m sure that you will get stronger from now on. However, you are too full of yourself. Experience this setback so that you understand the meaning of losing¡­ It''s much better than losing against a real alien."

    "Lose?" Nathan chuckled.

    "What''s funny?"

    Nathan smirked, still filled with confidence. "Nah, I''d win."

    Noelle''s eyebrows twitched. Nathan''s confidence, despite the clear result, was indeed disappointing. Noelle waved her sword down while saying, "It seems that I have misjudged you, Junior. It''s a bit disappointing, but this is farewell."

    "!!!" Suddenly, Noelle''s instinct picked up a presence on the right side. She stopped her swing and ced the sword next to her.

    The wave of Ena that struck her sword somehow exploded upon impact.

    Bam!

    Even Nathan could feel the shock wave produced by that burst of Ena. Moreover, that attack actually pushed Noelle back. Even though she wasn''t prepared for that attack, Noelle was still much stronger than any freshmen.

    Nathan and Noelle turned their heads to see who actually produced such an attack.

    Nathan''s heart sank when he saw Selena walking with a dark expression, her eyes emitting bloodlust as though she was determined to kill Noelle.

 Chapter 62 Win

    Chapter 62 Win

    ''When I have forgotten what it''s like to be loved, what it''s like to have someone care for you¡­ you are there. Just like my father, you have helped me, given me hope, and told me not to give up. That''s why we have to regroup and tackle thispetition together.''

    Numerous pictures appeared in her mind. It started from her smiling face as her father hugged her and encouraged her, then turned to the dark, lonely night she had to spend in the mansion after he was gone.

    And in that suffocating room, there was a man stretching his hand to her.

    He kept ying with his words, giving one argument after another that made her unable to reject his help.

    That kindness of his somehow restored the feeling that she had long forsaken, the smile she had lost, and the warmth she had forgotten. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    At the same time, she didn''t like the fact that her debt continued increasing. She wanted to repay him, so when the battle royale came, she thought it would be a good idea to work together again.

    Just like what happened in Ten Forest, they would dominate the battle royale this time. Nathan''s name would be famous, and he wouldn''t disappoint his teacher.

    It wasn''t enough, but this was the best she could do to repay him.

    This was Selena''s thought as she crossed the forest, only to find the person who had given her hope ended up half-dead.

    There was a woman swinging her de at him.

    She knew that dying here meant nothing, since they would just return to reality.

    However, her heart sank because it reminded her of her father. What if Noelle killed Nathan, but he would nevere back? Would she lose him like she lost her father?

    When that thought appeared in her mind, all the bright pictures in her mind shattered into pieces like broken sses.

    What if Noelle actually took Nathan away from her forever?

    No. She didn''t want that.

    That horrifying feeling was suffocating¡­ She didn''t want to experience it again¡­ not on her watch.

    She shot a sphere with chaotic Ena flow toward her, not realizing that this was the first time she used the ability this fast.

    Noelle noticed at thest moment, blocking her attack with her sword. However, the overwhelming turbulent flow caused a powerful force that knocked her back.

    ''You want to hurt him? You want to take him away from me? I''ll kill you. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill!'' Selena''s killing intent became uncontroble as it was leaking out of her eyes.

    Even Risa and Sasha were startled by such a powerful reaction from Selena. The Selena they knew was calmer and devoid of emotion. At the same time, this was the exact reason Risa could trust Nathan back in Ten Forest.

    Since Selena was raring to go, Risa chose to put everything she had in this battle. For the sake of her future, they had to defeat Noelle.

    Seeing Risa''s reaction, Sasha''s expression turned solemn.

    Nathan was a strong individual, but his opponent was much more powerful to be able to crush him so easily. They might die, but even if they had to sacrifice their lives, they had to win.

    Noelle examined them. She didn''t understand the hostility, so she treated them like another random student. "So you are another opponent? It doesn''t really matter. No matter how many people areing, I''ll stick to my duty, which is to stop all the students passing here."

    Selena released her Ena, which was much more enormous than Nathan. Risa raised her stance, blood swirling on top of her palms. Sasha cracked her fingers as if she wanted to slice Noelle into pieces with her talon-like hands.

    Noelle also noticed that Fenrir and Anubis joined the fight. With this development, she couldn''t really say Nathan was out yet.

    Anubis summoned the bandages while Fenrir covered his paw with Ena.

    ''Getting surrounded, huh? I guess five versus one is still possible in this condition. I just have to pay more attention to those two beasts, since the bet is still on because of this development.

    ''And I have to create an opening to kill him. One more strike will be enough to defeat him.'' Noelle thought.

    Like what happened previously, she was so distracted by Selena that she only realized the iing Ena at thest second.

    She tried to tilt her body, but it was toote.

    Four bullets were fired. She managed to avoid the oneing for her head, but the other three bullets hit her right ankle, her left arm, and her left thigh respectively.

    "!!!" Both Selena and Noelle sucked a cold breath, seeing Nathan standing as if nothing was wrong.

    "You¡­" Noelle shuddered in fear as she realized what was happening in the first ce. "Were you faking your injury?"

    "They were not fake. It was painful, but I''ve recovered."

    "So you were buying time to recover!"

    Nathan replied with a smirk.

    Noelle realized that the situation might be much worse than this if Selena didn''te. If he had recovered at thatst second, Anubis could still use his bandage to stall her swing for a second.

    She had lowered her guard when she misunderstood his confidence. If he actually shot her at that time, while she had confidence she wouldn''t die, she would still be severely injured.

    The broken bone had been healed, the dislocated fingers had returned to normal, and his body functioned normally.

    What Nathan wanted to create was a situation where he was about to be defeated. It was impossible for him to defeat Noelle, who was on guard even if she had given him enough handicap. The gap between them was simply too big.

    That was why he tried to lower her guard by injuring himself.

    Fenrir grinned his teeth as if knowing what Nathan was saying in his mind. It was her fault for misunderstanding. Anubis gasped because everything actually worked like Fenrir had taught him previously. Nathan had this situation in mind from the beginning.

    While inserting his left hand into the pocket and making a gun signal, he said, "I told you earlier that I''d win."

 Chapter 63 Armor

    Chapter 63 Armor

    "Yes. Kill her!" Vivian pumped her fists after seeing the bullets piercing her body. "It''s a shame that his power is not enough to pierce through that arm and the body in rapid session due to the amount of Ena protecting her body."

    Flora blinked her eyes a few times beforeining, "What is this? Are you going to lose, Noelle? If you lose, I will be in a lot of trouble. That guy is amazing, so you have to defeat him before he turns his whole ss into his enemy!"

    Jason scratched the back of his head, wanting to tell them to watch other students'' performances as well, but he was too scared to do it. He could only resign to his fate and watch those students in their stead.

    ¡­

    "I told you earlier that I''d win."

    "!!!"

    Selena, Risa, and Sasha widened their eyes in shock. They were ready to fight because they had to help him, but it turned out the situation was under his control.

    No, it could be said that they had just helped Noelle.

    "Are you alright?" Selena looked worried, but Nathan only waved his hand, his focus never leaving Noelle. There was a chance that Noelle would attack again after getting outsmarted by him.

    "It turned out I was tricked by you." Noelle sighed. Her expression was dark because she knew the situation should be much worse.

    Nathan smiled. "In that case, I wonder if you''d like to hear a suggestion of mine."

    "Since you have managed to injure me, I shall hear it."

    "In the first ce, I fight you with the intention of winning. Hence, I hope that you can send one of your familiars to bring her to the goal. If you do that, I''ll properly defeat you."

    "Defeating me?" Noelle''s eyebrows twitched.

    "Nathan?!" Selena didn''t expect that Nathan actually demanded the upperssman do something for her.

    Noelle smiled. "Because you''re the one requesting it, I''ll ept this proposal."

    "Come forth!" Noelle stomped the ground as a ck me appeared behind her. The me red up as a knight d in ck armor appeared with his horse.

    The knight had no head with his left hand carrying his helmet. His right hand was holding a long spine as if it were a whip.

    "A Duhan?" Nathan felt chills down his spine. The knight gave him the feeling of death. Even Anubis was rmed. If he had his divinity that judged the dead, he would be fine, but his current power wouldn''t work against a Duhan.

    "I can fight together with you!" Selena refused to ept such a thing.

    However, Nathan simply said, "The one waiting on the finish line is Prince Rudeus. Judging by how he stopped us from forming an alliance, he must have at least a third of the entire ss to support him.

    "If you don''t take this opportunity, the moment we go there, we''ll only forfeit our own headbands.

    "That''s why you have to go there with the Duhan. This is the only way for you to win. I''ll being after defeating her. What? You don''t believe me?" Nathan asked.

    "I¡­" Selena couldn''t refute his words. It was as he said. Nathan''s n would have seeded if he didn''t take too much time here, but because it had failed, he had just to switch his n.

    If Selena refused any further, it showed that she didn''t trust him, even after everything they experienced together.

    "This is not fair!" Selena bit her lips.

    "Comin about thatter. Technically, she is an alien, and no alien will wait for us to finish our discussion like this. If you take longer than this, you are just making me feel bad for her."

    Selena clenched her fists. There were a lot of words she wanted to say, but that would just cause more trouble for him.

    "I''ll be waiting for you then." Selena''s expression turned solemn. She knew that no matter how Nathan twisted it, it was impossible for him to kill Noelle, and he was just acting tough.

    When Selena was gone, Noelle said, "Why do you lie, Junior? You should know that in your current condition, you are unable to defeat me. Do you like her or something?"

    "It seems that even after proving myself a few times, you still don''t believe that I can defeat you. I guess I have to kill you first so that you can understand." Nathan raised his hand, ready to continue the fight.

    "I have underestimated you, Junior." Noelle took a deep breath. "Now that I have lost the bet, there is no point in continuing this match. In that case, I''ll defeat you right away."

    "I''m nning to do the same. I''ll defeat you and go to the goal." Nathan smiled, still feeling confident.

    Noelle decided to stop holding back. A figure suddenly appeared behind her.

    "!!!" Both Anubis and Fenrir immediately leaped away, gaining some distance so they could react. Little did they know, it was a mistake.

    What she summoned was none other than full body armor. It looked like a spirit controlled this armor, making it a living armor. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    More importantly, she took this opportunity to equip the armor.

    Yes, the armor detached themselves from each other and enveloped Noelle''s body. This time, she looked like a proper knight with full body armor. The aura she exuded became more ominous to the point where Fenrir and Anubis instinctively stood in front of Nathan to protect him.

    They had never thought that it was actually possible for a human tobine with their familiar. Still, considering the type of familiar he had, it was indeed possible.

    A pair of bloodshot eyes shed behind the small slit of the helmet.

    Yet amidst the overwhelming transformation, Nathan couldn''t let go of his priority. "What is this? A full body armor. Are you kidding me? Don''t you know that bikini armor has the highest defense?"

    "Huh?" Anubis dropped his jaw as if he couldn''t believe what he had just heard from his summoner.

    Fenrir''s expression darkened, his eyebrows twitching. Sadly, he could only say, "Ignore him. His horniness is a chronic disease. If only he didn''t have that, he would have been a perfect summoner."

    "¡­"

 Chapter 64 Unexpected Attack

    Chapter 64 Unexpected Attack

    There was a rising tension between Nathan and Noelle. As someone who was a knight, she was well-versed in a head-on confrontation. Meanwhile, Nathan knew he had to outsmart her somehow in this type of fight.

    "¡­" She didn''t understand what Nathan said earlier, but there was nothing left to discuss in this battle.

    "Avoid it!" Fenrir shouted.

    Nathan and Fenrir leaped to the left while Anubis went in the opposite direction as Noelle swung her de downward, releasing a sword strike that separated those three.

    Since Anubis was alone, Noelle immediately charged toward him.

    "Grrr!" Fenrir gnashed his teeth, ready to help Anubis. To his surprise, Nathan stopped him by saying, "Fenrir. I''m sorry, but I have a ridiculous request."

    Fenrir was slightly startled by the request, but he realized that was their only way to defeat Noelle in this state.

    Noelle swung her de at Anubis. Thetter managed to block the direct attack with both paws, but the power stillunched him away.

    Noelle hurriedly chased after Anubis to deliver a killing blow as a bullet hit her armor from behind. Unfortunately, the armor was sturdy enough to block it, and with her being fully covered, Nathan''s attack was not effective anymore.

    Still, Fenrir caught up to her, forcing Noelle to turn around.

    Noelle wanted to cut Fenrir down, but a pair of bandages suddenly wrapped around her de, stopping it for a second.

    Fenrir struck her chest with a torrential Ena on his paw. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Ena burst, knocking Noelle to the ground. Still, it only left a scratch on the armor despite Fenrir using his full strength to break it.

    When she fell down, Noelle kicked Fenrir from below, gaining some time to stand up. Yet the first thing she did was turn around and block Anubis'' paws with her de.

    While the armor increased her defense, it also restricted her movement a bit. Both beasts understood it and tried to pin her to the ground.

    ''If you think it''s that easy, then try it! mante Sword Style, Fire Star!''

    A fire burst on her sword, burning away the bandage. She then waved her sword five times in rapid session as the burst flew in five directions like a star.

    Anubis was forced back, his paws getting covered with a scorch mark. But Fenrir pped this attack with his paw. It didn''t matter if the me burned his paw as long as he could use his paws to knock the de down.

    "!!!" Noelle was taken aback. She hurriedly turned around and swung her de at Fenrir, but thetter had reached her first.

    Even with his paw burning, Fenrir struck Noelle in the same spot.

    ''It''s useless. You won''t be able to break through this armor,'' thought Noelle as she raised her de.

    Fenrir''s eyes shed, not nning to back down this time.

    Noelle trembled for a split second as if she saw a monstrous wolf within Fenrir. The wolf that was known as the monstrous wolf of Asgard.

    He gathered every bit of his strength into his other paw and struck her.

    "Don''t underestimate me, human! I am Fenrir!"

    *Crack!*

    "!!!" Noelle widened her eyes. While the living armor wasn''t a high level familiar and she usually reinforced it with her own Ena, it was still sturdy enough to stop a minotaur''s attack.

    Yet Fenrir could break the armor in her chest area.

    While Noelle was shocked by Fenrir''s ability, she still clenched her sword tighter as she shed downward, cutting Fenrir in two.

    Nathan jumped forward. Now that her sword was down, this was the best chance to attack.

    ''Why did hee?'' Noelle thought the best option to attack was shooting her in the chest, so she was nning to conjure a shield to block it.

    But Nathan had thought two moves ahead and came in with the Deadly w.

    With the amount of Ena she currently controlled, it was not enough to actually stop the Deadly w.

    The shield manifested at thest second. Their collision ended up shattering each other.

    However, Nathan was not out of trick. He had only used his left hand earlier, so he could still utilize the Deadly w with the other hand. This time, Noelle couldn''t form another barrier.

    ''Don''t underestimate me, Junior!'' She was shouting inwardly as she overstrained her muscle to swing upward one more time. "Haaa!"

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock because Noelle actually managed to cut his right arm at thest second. The excruciating pain made him scream. "Aaggghhh!"

    Little did she know, Nathan wanted her to focus on the fake attacking from his right hand. Meanwhile, his left hand moved to his back, hiding the real attack.

    ''I know you are strong and will surpass your limit. That''s why¡­'' Nathan smiled inwardly as four bullets manifested on his left hand.

    His bullets couldn''t curve, so there was only one trajectory in his mind. Those bullets pierced through his body and hit Noelle''s body, specifically the hole that Fenrir created earlier.

    "!!!" Noelle widened her eyes in shock. Because she used her armor, she didn''t put as much Ena to protect her body anymore, which meant that the exposed part was vulnerable. With a sharp angle of attack, the bullets went through Nathan''s stomach and ultimately hit her heart.

    Noelle spat a mouthful of blood, realizing Nathan''s n. He could recover from such a wound. While he might not be daring enough to do it in real life, he still wanted to test it in this trial since he wouldn''t die if he messed up.

    And the result was beyond his imagination.

    Anubis hurriedly healed him as Nathan jumped backward. With enough time, Noelle would definitely die.

    Unfortunately, he miscalcted one thing.

    Noelle suddenly let go of her de and grabbed Nathan''s cor. She used thest bit of her strength to cause a burst of Ena that blew up his neck while saying, "An alien won''t go down just like that. You have to make sure they die, Junior."

    Nathan could only look at her with eyes wide open. Noelle might me the alien, but it was definitely her tenacity as a knight that made her do it. And it cost him his victory.

 Chapter 65 Frustration (Bonus)

    Chapter 65 Frustration (Bonus)

    ''Damn it. This world is freaking too hard, Nathan cursed inwardly as heid down on a grass field while staring at the blue sky.

    Nathan knew nothing had gone ording to n this whole time. Whether it was when Raivan didn''t follow the script of an arrogant young master, or his father didn''te for his life, or Anubis appearing instead of Sun Wukong, or even Selena interfering in the duel between him and Noelle, they all messed up his n.

    While Nathan made some joking remarks about them or even cursing them, he med

    no one.

    When Anubis appeared, he came up with a n that utilized Anubis'' healing ability instead of Sun Wukong''s martial prowess. He created a strategy that drew out their unique potential.

    He had done everything he could just to make everything work, yet he still failed.

    If there was someone who was more frustrated than others, it was probably Nathan. Fenrir might have noticed that frustration, so he didn''tin when Nathan asked for such a ridiculous request.

    Anubis and Fenrir appeared next to him.

    "It seems that it doesn''t work. You suck. Fenrir harrumphed, teasing Nathan. "What did you say?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched as he couldn''t help but rise from the ground like he wanted to fight Fenrir. But it was clear Nathan cheered up a bit.

    Anubis asked, "Summoner. Why are you not using your soul contract? If we use the soul contract to exchange our abilities, we could actually win against her. For example, if we sneakily exchanged that Deadly w with my bandages, we could surprise her. I can even be a bait for Fenrir to actually use my healing ability."

    "If it''s a life-and-death battle, I might do it. However, there are people watching that fight. Unless necessary, I don''t want to show that ability... at least for now." Nathan shook his head.

    Anubis nodded. "I can finally understand what kind of person you are. That''s why I shall trust your decision from now on."

    "Thank you." Even though he lost, he still got Anubis'' recognition, which made him quite happy.

    After a few minutes, Noelle visited him. To his surprise, the first thing she did was actually bow her head to Nathan.

    "What are you doing? Please raise your head." Nathan took a step back. He certainly couldn''t understand this person. On the one hand, she looked like she did everything by instinct. On the other hand, she acted rationally from time to time.

    "I''d like to thank you and apologize at the same time." Noelle paused for a moment. "I''d

    fought you unfairly. Despite limiting myself to ten percent of my power, I still ended up using my spirit''s element to free my sword from the bandages. It was on impulse, but I had wronged you. For that, I''d like to apologize."

    Nathan frowned. "Can summoners actually use the same ability as our familiars?"

    "Well, yes. Noelle scratched the back of her head. "Normally, you''ll learn about this in your second year, but I guess I can tell you a thing or two because you won''t recklessly attempt it.

    "You are aware of the link between you and your familiar, right?" Noelle nced at the two beasts next to him.

    "I do."

    "Once you have more Ena, you will naturally realize that the link allows you to transfer your power to one another. It''s aplicated system that will take a few days if I have to exin everything.

    "But to put it simply, you will probably need much more Ena before attempting it. The requirement to achieve it is also varied because it depends on yourpatibility with such power.

    "My me, for example, I have to endure the scorching sensation during my entire second year before I''m able to use it. Well, I admit that I y too much with it, that I instinctively relied on it in our fight.

    "For magic, you will probably need to learn the whole power system from the basics. Once you reach that level, it''s the same as slowing down your progress. Or you might even need to learn an entirely newnguage. You must remember thenguage that the divine spirit chanted to produce this ce, right?

    "The Frexia Academy has beenpiling things that they have found to bepatible with most humans and will allow you to progress without slowing down.

    "However, if you still wish to learn it, I suggest you get more Ena first."

    Nathan rubbed his chin as he fell into deep thought. He might be able to use Anubis'' power in the open, and no one would find it weird about it.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But to do it, he needed a lot of Ena. If he sacrificed his time for all that Ena instead of boosting Anubis and Fenrir''s power, it would also slow down his progress. As Noelle said, it was indeed aplex system.

    "I see. Thank you for exining it to me."

    Noelle nodded. "I''d like to thank you for showing me my weakness. I have been fighting my enemies head-on, but after fighting you, I notice that I have been too close-minded. "I thought using dirt to blind my opponent was the limit of a cheap trick I could do, but after fighting you, I realized it could allow you to fight an opponent much stronger than you."

    Nathan smiled wryly, not knowing whether it was apliment or an insult. "Won''t y your

    knight''s pride feel repugnant to cheap tricks?"

    "Of course, there are limits to what extent I''d get to bring down my opponent. For example, I don''t want to poison my enemy. However, trash talking or tricks are not included. It''s just a variety of ways to utilize one''s ability"

    "I see."

    Noelle raised her index finger. "Anyway, I''m nning to take on a mission of a Mature ss Symbiote. I hope you can go with me, Junior. If you have questions, you can ask me

    at that time."

    "Sounds good. I''ll be learning a lot from you."

    "What is your name?"

    "Nathan."

    "I am Noelle mante, I''ll pick you up in three days. Or do you need more time to

    prepare?"

    "No. That sounds good."

    "In that case, let us meet again in three days." Noelle nodded, her serious expression melted into a smile, showing how happy she was Nathan epted the request.

    While watching Noelle leave, Nathan was impressed. Despite being that strong, Noelle

    was ready to lower her head and learn new things.

    "I guess losing is not too bad at all."

    "Don''t forget about that vampire girl. I feel like she is a crazy human." Fenrir interjected

    from behind.

    Nathan couldn''t help but feel chills down his spine.

 Chapter 66 Reward

    ?Chapter 66 Reward

    "Still, now that we are left alone here, what should we do?" asked Nathan, while looking around.

    As if responding to his question, a root suddenly emerged from the ground as the dryad appeared in front of Nathan. Both Fenrir and Anubis were rmed, but lowered their guards when they realized it was Vivian''s familiar.

    This was the first time he saw a dryad up close. She had a humanoid body even though a part of her body had to be connected to a tree part for her to manifest, in this case, her feet. She covered her body with vines and leaves, which gave a different type of allure. Dryad was known for their ability to manipte one''s mental state. And he certainly could feel it even without her ability, Nathan jokingly thought.

    "Congrattions on winning 300 points. Is there anything you''d like to exchange?" "Hmm?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Did it count as me killing her?"

    "Yes. She tried to patch her injury with her Ena, but it was too much. If she broke her own rule and released more Ena, she could probably suppress the injury for a longer period, but because she kept her code, her body was unable to continue. It seemed she persisted that long because she wanted to fulfill her agreement with you.

    "Although you didn''t manage to bring the headbands to the finish line, you still managed to kill an ''alien.'' Hence, you are rewarded with three hundred points."

    "But don''t I need to go to the hut to exchange things?" Nathan frowned.

    "What hut? I''m the hut." The dryad shrugged before whispering, "Just treat it as me recognizing you as the mistress'' disciple. Everyone can receive some resources from their supporters, so can you. Here is the list."

    The dryad waved her hand, summoning a mirror that showed a list of items.

    He got 300 points from killing Noelle. It was equal to three people with the red headbands or thirty people with the white headbands. It could be said that he had gotten more points than anyone in the ss except if they managed to defeat an upperssman and reach the hut.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    That was why, before picking up an item, he asked, "Can I know how the others are doing?"

    "If you are talking about the girl, she makes it to the finish line."

    "I mean. I want to know the entire situation, especially those top three people. Nathan shook his head helplessly.

    The dryad snapped her fingers and showed a mirror that reflected the current situation. "Rudeus had passed through Regynar Lowee thanks to his team. As a result, he stopped anyone from reaching the hut so that he and eight other people could monopolize the

    ranking.

    "On the other hand, August came with another student, trying to break through. The situation looked bleak at the start, as August was outnumbered. In fact, one of his teammates turned out to be a traitor, who stabbed him in the stomach. If not for it, August would have put more pressure on Rudeus.

    "But when the battle was about to end, Selena came with the Duhan, breaking through Rudeus'' group. It also gave them a chance to reach the hut.

    "Rudeus was shocked by the sudden appearance of Duhan and chose to reach the hut before the unknown variable messed up his n even more.

    "Meanwhile, thest person to have the red headband was actually defeated by the person who summoned a werewolf and took advantage of the chaos to submit the headbands. And it seemed that Raivan yed a huge role in that strategy. He is your enemy, right? The mistress has asked me to keep an eye on him."

    Nathan understood the situation. It was surprising that Noelle not only fulfilled her promise, but did something beyond his imagination.

    She must have realized she might actually lose if Selena didn''t interfere, so instead of Nathan working together with Selena, she asked the Duhan to support her.

    Meanwhile, no one seemed to have defeated an upperssman.

    "Due to the size of the garden, it''s hard to encounter the upperssmen. What we''re doing here is a psychological attack that makes them hesitant. They need an understanding of their situation and possess the ability to quickly think of a solution. All of these are necessary if you venture to the front line."

    "Indeed." Nathan nodded in understanding. He took another look at the list before frowning.

    "Is there something wrong?" the dryad tilted her head in confusion. The list was already pretty generous. A proto-ss core only cost 0.5 point after all.

    "There is something I would like, but I don''t know if I can ask you or not."

    "I will hear it first."

    Nathan came closer and whispered an item to her, which actually shocked her to the core. "Do you think it''s possible?"

    "I don''t know. I will ask the person in question first. If not, you can trade it for something else."

    "Alright. Thank you." Nathan smiled, satisfied.

    "The battle royale should end in about ten to fifteen minutes. After that, I''ll teleport everyone back. You can take a rest here for the time being."

    "Got it!" Nathan waved his hand, watching the dryad disappear together with the root. "What a beautiful sister...an elf, a druid, a spirit, and a dryad. What else does Teacher

    have?"

    "Rather than that, there is one thing you need to do now, brat." Fenrir finally broke his silence.

    "Huh? What? We are done here."

    "You are the witness of the bet between me and this dog!" Fenrir pointed at Anubis. "I contributed more than him, so he will be a dog for the next seven days!" "What? You were lucky that he didn''t use the soul contract. Or else I would contribute more!" Anubis gnashed his teeth.

    "That was what a sore loser said. Just ept your defeat!" Fenrir harrumphed.

    Before Anubis could speak another word, Nathan patted his back as if implying that he supported Fenrir''s decision.

    Anubis opened his mouth wide as if he had been betrayed.

    "Ha-"Fenrir wanted tough, but Nathan''s hand closed his mouth forcefully. With a

    stern tone, Nathan said, "Since Anubis will be acting like a dog for the next seven days, it means that I''ll be protecting him with all my might. If he ever receives an injury, you won''t call me Nathan anymore. You are to call me Mr. Wick!"

 Chapter 67 Unexpected Reward

    ?Chapter 67 Unexpected Reward

    Selena, August, and Rudeus were sitting inside the hut, picking their own items to exchange.

    Selena was waiting for Nathan, wondering when he woulde.

    August and Rudeus were wary of each other. At the same time, they also wondered where Nathan was. Nathan should be quite strong if he was able to get to the top three on the previous trip, so it would be weird if he wasn''t here.

    However, the result was clear the moment they heard an announcementing from the sky.

    "The battle royale has ended. 13 people have passed the battle royale and reached the hut. You are given thirty minutes to choose what to exchange before getting teleported back to the hall."

    "!!!" All of them widened their eyes in shock. Nathan actually failed? While it was true that even among the top ten, only half of them reached the hut, they didn''t expect Nathan to fail.

    Selena was shaken by that news. In her head, she was the reason for Nathan to fail. If she were there to help him, the situation would have been much different.

    Yet not only did she receive the help from the Duhan, but Nathan wasn''t here.

    ''A rather weird reaction from Selena, thought. Rudeus as he observed everyone in the room. It seemed Selena had met Nathan in thepetition.

    August didn''t think much about it because he had gotten a worse rank than he originally intended.

    All of them were choosing the items they thought were most appropriate for their growth. Meanwhile, only Selena couldn''t decide what she wanted.

    On the one hand, there was an item that could help her. On the other hand, she had to apologize to Nathan.

    That was why Selena actually chose to spend all her points to get as many proto-ss cores as possible so that she could share it with Nathan. This was the only thing she

    could do to apologize.

    After receiving their respective reward, they were sent back to the hall, of course, their original position. In other words, Selena immediately met Nathan.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I..." Selena grabbed Nathan''s hand in panic, trying to exin it to him.

    However, Nathan put his finger in front of his lips as if implying to remain quiet. He then pointed to the stage as Vivian, Jason, and the student council lined up.

    "You''ve worked hard, students. I hope that you are satisfied with the reward you receive this time.

    "This is the result of your effort, strategy, strength, and luck. Realize what you arecking and make an improvement in that area if you want to get stronger. Take one step at a time because that''s how to get stronger.

    "From now on, the curriculum for the first year will change. You are now allowed to leave the academy. Just like this battle royale, you will find not only aliens but humans in your path, and they might not necessarily be your allies. If you die this time, no one will help you.

    "That''s why I hope you can take this result into your heart and continue to grow.

    "All the sses are now open to you. You are able to train in all four departments, theory sses, or solo training. Adjust your schedule to yourself.

    "If you wish to take on a mission to get resources, you are to visit the Public Hall. People all over the world have requested our help because we are the Frexia Academy. After picking your mission, go to Jason to receive his permission.

    "That is all. I hope that all of you are able to advance to the second year!" Vivian snapped her finger. A giant rectangr mirror appeared in front of them, showing the result of this battle royale.

    The people were quite shocked because some people who were at the bottom managed to reach the goal.

    The one who took the first ce was none other than Prince Rudeus. Surprisingly, Selena got second ce this time.

    The Duhan killed everyone in her path, allowing her to grab their headbands. She thought she would share the loot with Nathanter, but it turned out Nathan failed to reach the goal.

    In addition, several names appeared on top of August who only ranked 6th. If not for the betrayal, he would have gotten a higher rank, but this was what could happen in the real world, as Vivian said.

    Nathan raised his eyebrows when he noticed Raivan''s name among the top ten. Then again, he wasn''t worried that much since the dryad was keeping an eye on him. Nevertheless, the reaction from other students was wild, especially when they saw Nathan was not among the people that reached the hut.

    "Did he die?"

    "I guess he was just luckyst time."

    "Indeed. He might receive Selena''s help in the Ten Forest."

    "He is nothingpared to those top students."

    "Hahaha. He is running out of luck."

    Nathan had expected this, so his expression remained calm. Even though these people managed to reach the end, even with the additional points for reaching the hut, none of

    them actually got higher than 300 points. In other words, if Nathan had just reached the hut, he would have been number one.

    August squinted his eyes, thinking, ''Should I recruit him to my faction? We both are strong, and with the same goal, I don''t have to worry about him betraying me!

    A simr thought appeared in Rudeus'' mind. "This is the perfect time to recruit him. He

    is currently at rock bottom, so if I stop these people from badmouthing him, he will be grateful to me.''

    Selena clenched her hands into fists. She never thought she would be this annoyed when people badmouthed him. The only one who knew what Nathan was capable of was

    her.

    When Selena was about to rise from her seat to exin, Flora reached their seat without anyone realizing it.

    She made a sly grin while asking, "Student Nathan, I''m impressed by your battle, so as the student council president, I''d like to invite you to be a part of our student

    council."

    "!!!"

 Chapter 68 A Reason

    Chapter 68 A Reason

    "Would you like to join the student council?"

    "!!!"

    All people dropped their jaws, including Selena and Rudeus.

    "What? Did I hear it wrong?"

    "He was invited to the student council?"

    "What did he do?"

    "He couldn''t even reach the hut. Is it only because his familiars are different from other people?"

    The people uttered their shock beforeining. No matter how unique Nathan was, he wasn''t fit for the student council.

    August had to change his opinion about Nathan. ''What did he do? I don''t think the student council will pick him up just based on his unique familiar. Does that mean he has done something so special that the student council president has decided to invite him?''

    Rudeus gulped down. ''Why does she invite him so openly? Is she trying to send me a message that because he is still a citizen of the Azilia Kingdom, I shouldn''t have any thoughts about him? Is this a warning? More importantly, how can he join the student council before me?''

    The people wereining about the decision. Even the vice president, Axel Lotterl, couldn''t help but ask out loud from the stage. "President Flora. I don''t think it''s appropriate. Could you share with us what he has done to garner a seat in the student council? While I don''t want to diminish his achievement or strength, the student council is for elites among elites."

    The people fell silent, wanting to know the answer.

    Flora nced at Noelle first before stating, "He killed Noelle. Is this reason good enough, Vice President Axel?"

    "Noelle?!" Axel''s body shuddered.

    "What? An upperssman?"

    "No way!"

    The students didn''t believe it. There was no way they could defeat an upperssman, especially the members of the student council.

    "She must be limiting herself."

    "That''s right. She must be fighting with a handicap or let him win!"

    "Was he that lucky?"

    "If I fought her, I would have gotten that as well!"

    "Yeah. There was no way he could defeat the strongest person in the school."

    "Shut up!" Axel stomped the ground, letting a burst of Ena. The shock wave silenced the students, allowing Axel to confirm one thing.

    When she sensed his gaze, Noelle said, "I''m sorry for shaming the student council''s name¡­ to think that I would end up using my Fire Star subconsciously."

    "!!!" Axel became even more shocked. He tried his best to calm down, but he still stuttered when replying to Flora. "I¡­ see."

    While fixing his sses, Regynar said, "Among all of us, there is one person you don''t want to offend, both because of her strength, but also her personality. If people im there is someone in the student council who doesn''t know how to hold back, it will be Noelle.

    "It''s true that all of us here limit our strength. However, Noelle remains the strongest. I don''t know how he achieves it, but if he has indeed defeated Noelle, I don''t have any qualms about him joining the student council."

    The other members agreed with his analysis. It was apparent from Axel that what Regynar said was true.

    "Kh." Rudeus gritted his teeth. After listening to Regynar''s analysis, he red at Flora as if realizing her warning. Flora was indirectly saying, ''Touch him if you dare,'' to him.

    Selena looked down. She had never thought Nathan was that amazing. While she believed she was stronger than Nathan, Nathan''s true strength was his unorthodox method and familiars. Unless she knew himpletely, it would be impossible for her to defeat him.

    Meanwhile, Nathan considered the invitation a challenge. The fact that she invited him meant he would garner even more attention from now on.

    There were a lot of people that wanted to join the student council. He would be their target if he joined, especially when the restriction was lifted in four and a half months.

    Nathan closed his eyes for a moment before politely rejecting her offer. "I''m honored that you think highly of me. However, I don''t think that my skill has reached the level you desire. I''m also severelycking in everything whether it''s knowledge or skills."

    Before he could confirm the rejection, Flora added, "No need to be in a hurry to reject me. You are wee to see how the student council usually operates. So for now, I hope you can consider it carefully and see the student council first before making a decision."

    "¡­" If he kept rejecting her, a princess as well as the student council president, it would be too rude. There must be a lot of people that wanted to beat him up if he did that just so that they got Flora''s favor. Nathan sighed inwardly. "I understand. I thank you for the opportunity. Once I feel myself worthy enough, I''ll visit the student council." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Flora nodded, satisfied.

    Jason coughed loudly to gather their attention back. "Anyway, we have concluded today''s battle royale. You are free to leave. If any of you wish to take on a mission or do something else, you are free to report to me in the morning. I''ll be staying either in the ss or the teacher room. Dismissed!"

    The people were still shocked by Flora''s invitation. Only Selena, who was next to him, could speak to him.

    She whispered, "I''m sorry. If I¡ª"

    Nathan stopped her with a shake on the head. "How about teaching me that explosive Ena? I feel like it''ll allow me to get stronger. This is not for an apology. Instead, you can think of it as a favor from that time, the test answers."

    "!!!" Selena understood the subtle intention. He had never med her. By teaching him, she would also understand Nathan a bit more, especially that unique way of thinking. In other words, just being close to him would make her stronger.

    That was why Selena nodded her head. "I understand."

    "In that case, how about tomorrow morning? The Magic Department is free to use, right?"

    "Yes. I''ll meet you there."

    "Anyway, do you have a way of leaving now? These res are killing me."

    Selena also noticed the curious or envious res of other students. Even though she was embarrassed, she grabbed Nathan''s arm and dragged him out.

    Comment

 Chapter 69 Warning

    Chapter 69 Warning

    Rudeus and Flora were facing each other in the corridor.

    Rudeus raised his voice, asking, "What are you doing, Flora?"

    "What am I doing? I don''t know why you''re asking me this question. I''m standing in front of you," replied Flora in a yful tone.

    "You know what I''m talking about. Do you think I''m oblivious to your message when you recruit him to the student council in front of everyone?"

    "Oh my." Flora grinned. "He is a citizen of the Azilia Kingdom. As the representative of the kingdom, I have to take care of my own people, right? Don''t tell me, does the Liaystian Kingdom n to snatch my people?"

    "Your people?! I discovered him first!" He gnashed his teeth.

    "And yet, you did nothing. This is the difference between us. You can scheme however you want, but that''s the reason for your slow speed. The Azilia Kingdom chooses to be decisive when making a decision."

    "You¡­" Rudeus'' breathing became rough as he had a hard time to calm down. Nathan''s value had just skyrocketed the moment he defeated Noelle. No matter what they said, Nathan had both the uniqueness and the strength to join the student council.

    Connection and wealth were something he could build from now on.

    Flora started walking as she said, "We both are royalties. We know that no matter how good a sovereign can be, they still need to be calctive and have the necessary ruthlessness.

    "You can y to be the best all you want, but in the end, strength reigns supreme. Besides, I''m not the one who you should be worried about. If you are going to y your scheme against him, I might not even need to y my cards.

    "Just remember that humanity is under an alliance in order to fight those aliens. However, it doesn''t mean that we have to y nice with each other. You can focus on that petty rivalry of yours with that sessor of the cksmith Guild, I''ll take care of Selena Ashton and Nathan. They are my subjects after all."

    Rudeus'' body was twitching, and his body was distorted. What was more frustrating was that he couldn''t even reply to a single word she said.

    ¡­

    August sat down alone in his room, remembering everything that happened during the day.

    He still remembered how Selena dragged Nathan away. It was clear that no one could approach him like this.

    At the same time, he had heard about Selena''s rtionship with her family. It meant that while Nathan and Selena were friends, Selena couldn''t afford to give him anything. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In that case, his method was simple. Unlike Rudeus who had to fight against Flora, the cksmith Guild was a neutral faction.

    That was why the first thing he did after sorting his thoughts was write a letter to home.

    ¡­

    As everyone expected, Nathan used the favor so that Serena would teach him.

    Due to the invitation, he would probably get flocked by a lot of people. The only way for him to escape from them was training with Selena.

    If Selena was displeased, they would think that Nathan would feel the same. That was why they had to be careful when approaching him.

    Besides, Selena was more well-versed in politicspared to him. If they approached him with hideous intention, Selena should be able to realize it and warn him.

    Of course, it didn''t change the fact that he intended to learn the explosive Ena from Selena. It would be a great addition to his current fighting power.

    "Is this how you do it?" Nathan asked while forming a sphere with his Ena. The flow was much more violent than what he usually produced when making a bullet.

    "No. If you do it that way, it''ll dissolve¡ª" Selena couldn''t even finish her words before the sphere vanished.

    "¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I guess it''s not working yet."

    "I believe you can learn it quickly. What you are doing wrong earlier is that you pour out your Ena slightly toote, which causes the flow in one direction to be stronger and neutralize everything. You do it like this." Selena gave another demonstration.

    Unlike his sphere that went berserk from the start, Selena created a rather stable flow that gradually turned violent.

    Nathan thought for a moment. "So we start with the stable flow first?"

    "Yes. You have to maintain that state when you release them. They still need to travel for a certain distance after all."

    "No. I''m just thinking if I can change the flow a bit. While it remains stable, I want to put a bit more spin into it so that the prative force increases."

    "That''s¡­" Selena crossed her arms. "I think it''s possible. Something like this?"

    Selena raised her hand, forming the sphere again. But after applying more spin, the sphere gradually elongated.

    "What? You can do that right away?"

    "It''s not hard." Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, wondering if she actually didn''t realize she was talented at manipting Ena.

    While they were talking, Noelle suddenly came to the Magic Department, startling the students in the ss.

    "You are¡­ Noelle mante from the third year, right? What are you doing here? This is the ss for the first year." The teacher stood on her way, his words gathering the attention of all five people in the Magic Department.

    "Is that Noelle mante?"

    "Why is she here?"

    "Is sheing for Nathan? Maybe something like revenge?"

    The students were observing her closely.

    Noelle took out a paper for the teacher. He was slightly surprised by the content, but he said, "You may go," after inspecting it.

    Noelle nodded before walking to Nathan.

    Selena frowned. Even though they were not enemies anymore, her instinct was telling her to be on guard against her.

    "Junior. I havee as promised." Noelle gave him the paper. "This is the detail. I have handled all the formality as well as received your teacher''s permission. The trip should only take about seven days. We''ll meet in the morning three days from now. I''ll be waiting for you at the school''s gate."

    "Oh!" Nathan nodded. When he was about to grab the paper, a figure suddenly stepped between them.

    It was Selena. She was spreading both of her arms with sweat covering her face, not allowing Noelle to pass.

 Chapter 70 Leaving

    Chapter 70 Leaving

    For the next three days, Selena was very moody. Of course, she didn''t say anything out of anger or behaved strangely. In fact, she continued teaching him.

    However, Nathan could feel her gaze was much more intense, as if she were wary of Noelle, who mighte again.

    While looking at the mission detail Noelle gave, Fenrir asked, "What are you thinking? It seems that you haven''t been happy in thest few days? Is it rted to thatss? Why? I feel like you two have been pretty close."

    "Mhmm¡­" Nathan mumbled while staring outside the window.

    "From the way I see it, that girl seems to have a feeling for you." Anubis expressed his opinion with a solemn face.

    "I don''t know. If I think about it logically, the fact that she doesn''t have the support of her family despite being so talented means her rtionship with her family is bad, right? I don''t know what happens between them, I''m just thinking¡­" Nathan let out a long sigh.

    "¡­she switches her dependency from her family to you? Are you worried that it''s not a genuine feeling, but fear?" Anubis squinted his eyes.

    "Something like that. I know yours truly is a charming man, but I don''t like to take advantage of a person like that." Nathan shrugged. "That''s just me though."

    "If¡­" Anubis paused for a moment as Fenrir also tilted his head to the door.

    Confused, Nathan turned to the door and heard several knocks on the door. When he opened it, he found Alisha holding a piece of cloth in her arms.

    "Alisha?" Nathan raised his eyebrows and opened the door. "Pleasee in."

    "It''s fine. It''s not going to take long. I''ve heard that you are going on a mission tomorrow. The mission should be quite easy for Noelle, but it''s extremely dangerous for you. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "I''m not nning to stop you or anything because this will be a great experience. Mistress might note, but she entrusted this coat to me." Alisha handed the ck coat that stretched to his knee.

    "Thank you. What is this coat? I feel like it''s not something ordinary." Nathan inspected the coat.

    "Indeed. It''s extremely durable and the springiness will reduce the impact a lot. After seeing how you are always beaten up, the mistress thinks this coat will be perfect for you."

    "Alisha. You know that your words are actually sharper than a sword from time to time, right?"

    "Oh my. How careless of me." Alisha chuckled but had no intention of fixing it. "Anyway, please wear this coat with you. Even though the mistress wants you to be independent, she won''t leave you alone either."

    "Thank you. I''ll definitely wear it." Nathan nodded.

    "I believe I don''t have to tell you anything about how to perform on a mission since you are such a smart, young master. I just hope that youe back fine."

    "I will." Nathan smiled, assuring her.

    "In that case, I''ll take my leave." Alisha politely bowed. As she was about to turn, she remembered another thing. "That''s right. The item you requested is a bit hard to get. The mistress and others are discussing it since it''s a sacred item. Please wait until they make a decision."

    "Don''t worry." Nathan waved his hand as he watched Alisha leave.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Nathan actually found Selena waiting for him near the dorm''s entrance.

    "Selena?" Nathan frowned.

    Seeing the new coat Nathan was wearing, Selena was able to confirm what she was nning to say.

    At first, she wanted to tell him not to go, but she realized that Nathan would definitely not miss this opportunity. Instead, her request just might distract him during the mission.

    That was why Selena said, "Please be careful."

    Nathan looked startled for a moment before smiling. "I will. Thank you."

    She thought about giving something, but she had sold all her items just to escape from her family.

    It was actually Nathan that took out an item. "Take this."

    Selena tilted her head in confusion. "A crystal?"

    "If you pour your Ena into it, you will roughly see the number of Ena you have. Remember my test answers, right?"

    "Oh!" Selena nodded. "Are you sure it''s fine to give this to me?"

    "Yeah. The person who gave it to me surely wouldn''t mind either." Nathan could at least trust Selena that much. In fact, he expected a great thing for her since he didn''t even bother saying what she could do with it.

    "Thank you. I''ll use this to get stronger."

    "We both need not only cores, but also materials for the next summoning. After this, let''s go on a mission together. You help me, and I help you."

    "!!!" Selena was taken aback by Nathan''s suggestion. Just like when she got Lilitu, Selena smiled for the second time. "Yes."

    "¡­" Nathan rubbed his cheek embarrassedly. "Anyway, I''ll be leaving."

    Seeing the awkward back steeled her resolve. She summoned Risa and Sasha.

    "Are you sure about this? He might go forever, you know."

    "If you want to learn the art of seduction, I can teach you a thing or two, even though it''s not my specialty."

    Selena''s expression turned solemn. "When my father was missing, my mother couldn''t do anything. And it ended up making my life miserable. He is strong and unique. Even the student council has approved him.

    "If he ends up missing, what happens to my family will repeat again. That''s why it has to be both ways.

    "For the next few days, I want you to fight me. There is something I would like to try."

    Risa frowned. "Are you sure? I won''t hold back, you know."

    "You? I want both of you to fight me at the same time." Selena tied her hair into a ponytail. "Before meeting Sasha, I don''t know what I''m supposed to do. But this time, I have a clear goal in mind. That''s why I hope both of you can apany me."

    Risa smiled while Sasha nodded her head.

 Chapter 71 Information

    Chapter 71 Information

    "Huu¡­" Nathan inhaled deeply, calming his heart down after teleporting to a new city. There wasn''t much difference between this city and where the Frexia Academy resided from Nathan''s perspective.

    ''The same size, a simr building, and not so different culture. Then again, this is still within the Azilia Kingdom, so I guess it''s understandable.'' Nathan thought while looking around.

    Noelle, who was next to him, showed the badge of the Frexia Academy to the guards, showing that they had a free pass to utilize the teleportation circle.

    After that, Noelle waved her hand at Nathan, asking him to follow her.

    "This must be your first mission, right, Junior?" Noelle asked.

    "Yes."

    "In that case, what do you think we should do after this?" Noelle wanted to take this opportunity to let Nathan learn everything that could help him finish the mission.

    To her surprise, Nathan answered, "If I''m not wrong, our destination this time is Oleana Vige located southwest of this city. We''ll probably need a carriage since it will take about five hours to reach that vige.

    "If possible, we can probably ask the soldiers at the gate to tell us if there''s any information about that vige. After that, we''ll get the information from the vige chief and begin our investigation.

    "After all, the mission only describes that a viger sees an enormous silhouette in the distance and the field is being ruined due to that alien.

    "We have to confirm first whether or not the enemy is a mature ss alien. Only after getting the information, we will strike the enemy," Nathan exined the whole process casually, stunning Noelle. Of course, he was able to do it because that was what usually happened in a novel. He just gave her the outline.

    "It seems that you have done your homework. In that case, let''s head to the south gate." Noelle smiled. "Now that I think about it, there is a student who has figured out the hidden assignment for the forest trip. Is that you?"

    "Indeed," Nathan confirmed while walking.

    "No wonder. Back in my day, I was lucky to find it because I got used to mingling with other knights and soldiers, so I identally asked the vigers. But thanks to it, I''m able to learn what I''m supposed to do from that point onward."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "If it''s not too much to ask, can I know how many familiars you have right now?"

    "I have a total of eight familiars currently. However, four of them are pretty weak at my current level, so I rarely summon them anymore. It can''t be helped. It is bound to happen as we progress. If you can help your familiar evolve, please do that. But don''t waste too much time on it."

    "I understand." Nathan nodded.

    "Still, after seeing that you are able to summon beasts instead of humanoid familiars, I can''t help but think that you should find a beast you can ride."

    Nathan understood her intention. "Just like our current situation, while there are teleportation circles all around the world, we still need to travel to the exact location."

    "Indeed. If there are familiars that can help with that, it''ll be beneficial for you. So I suggest you summon your third familiar for that reason."

    Nathan had already thought about this. He thought, ''Well, if you know what kind of being I n to summon next, you will probably be shocked.''

    Of course, there was no way he could say it out loud. "I''ll take your suggestion to heart."

    "Well, most people are traveling that way, so you don''t have to worry about that. For me, I''m asking Fred¡­ I mean, the Duhan to bring me around. There are people who are using harpies, angels, or other familiars with flight capability."

    "Indeed. Flying is much faster than running. In addition, it can bypass any terrain." Nathan agreed. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Yes. But please take note that you will be exposed in midair. You should find a strong beast that can fight midair as well."

    "Are there flying aliens out there?" Nathan asked. He couldn''t help but think of several examples if the aliens he fought were indeed the same as its established myth. ''Maybe something like Nightgaunts or byakhee?''

    "Yes. There are flying aliens. Most aliens are stopped on the front line, but there are some who manage to slip past. It''s our duty to crush them, just like what we''re doing on this mission."

    Nathan nodded.

    Noelle was satisfied since she didn''t have to exin a lot of things to someone like Nathan, since he could draw a conclusion himself. While Nathan sorted the information he''d just got, Noelle took care of the process to leave the city.

    While the soldiers processed it, Noelle asked, "By the way, do you know anything about Oleana Vige? That''s our destination."

    "Oleana Vige?" The soldier dropped the paper in disbelief. "Are you nning to go there?"

    That reaction was weird for Noelle. "Did something happen?"

    "Yesterday. A merchanting from Oleana Vige''s direction was attacked on the way and had to flee. He suffered a grave injury and passed away in the morning. The vige''s situation seemed to be extremely severe when he was there. We couldn''t find out more information because he passed out. I suggest you not go there."

    Noelle and Nathan frowned at the same time. They exchanged looks, knowing what they should do.

    "Thank you. We are heading there because of a request. Can you please hurry so that we can check it immediately?"

    The soldier panicked as he rushed through the process. "I understand. All are good. I have registered both of your names here!"

    Without hesitation, Noelle stomped the ground as a ck me began to spread from her foot.

    "What is going on?"

    "Is this familiar?"

    "A summoner?"

    The people around the gate scrambled in fear, not knowing what happened.

    Noelle grabbed Nathan before leaping into the air,nding on top of the giant horse right after it appeared.

    "Go, Freddy! We don''t have a lot of time."

    The Duhan didn''t understand what was going on, but he immediately pped the reins as the horse let out a cry before rushing to Oleana Vige, leaving all the onlookers stunned.

 Chapter 72 Oleana Village.

    Chapter 72 Oleana Vige.

    The journey that was supposed to take a few hours ended in one.

    As soon as they arrived, Nathan panted heavily while holding his chest as if he wanted to puke. "That was too fast."

    "You have to get used to it." Noelle looked around, getting even more concerned now that they had reached the vige.

    Nathan squinted his eyes. Judging from the houses, the vige should have close to a hundred families. Yet there wasn''t a single personing out of their house as if it had been abandoned. "Are there still people left here?"

    "There are." Noelle nodded, noticing some pairs of eyes that took a peek through the small opening in their windows.

    "What should we do?" Nathan asked.

    Noelle stepped forth and dered out loud. "I am Noelle mante from the Frexia Academy. I''m a summoner that has been dispatched to take care of the problem. I need to meet the vige chief or someone who can exin the situation."

    The people looked confused for a moment. On the one hand, they wanted toe out. On the other hand, they feared something.

    Because no one left their house, Noelle started walking into the vige. "We''ll find the vige chief ourselves."

    "Wait a minute." Nathan had an idea. "My familiar can heal. Is there anyone injured? I will be able to treat you!"

    Noelle was surprised both at the offer, and how a door was suddenly opened. Instead of an adult, a boy darted out of the house with a woman''s voice screaming his name. "Jonathan!"

    The boy ignored his mother''s warning and asked Nathan, "Can you really help my father?"

    "Of course. Do you want me to help your father?"

    "Nhnn." Jonathan nodded furiously.

    "How about leading me to your father so I can take a look at him?" Nathan smiled.

    "En!" Jonathan hurriedly ran back, signaling to Nathan to follow him.

    "Looking at the situation, they are afraid of something, so there must be something scary that injures people. That''s why this is the best way to get some information as well as find out about what is happening. I''m a farmer, so I know what needs to be done."

    That calm judgment and innovative way impressed Noelle. She hurriedly followed Nathan.

    The boy led him to his house, which made his mother angry. At the same time, she couldn''t do anything to stop Nathan and Noelle.

    Nathan smiled. "Hello, auntie. I am Nathan, and this is my senior, Noelle. Is the uncle there?"

    "He is here!" Jonathan didn''t wait for his mother to respond and immediately opened the door to his father''s room.

    The wooden house wasn''t big, so he could easily take a peek at the man''s condition just from the small opening alone.

    The middle-aged man was covered in bandages. He couldn''t move, but he was conscious.

    "Hello, uncle. My familiar can help you. Please allow him to treat you." Nathan smiled, assuring him.

    "Y¡­Yes¡­" He answered weakly, his voice was hoarse.

    Nathan summoned Anubis, which startled the family since it wasmon knowledge that familiars were supposed to be humanoid.

    "A dog?!" Jonathan gasped.

    "I am no¡ª" Anubis stopped, remembering the bet was still in effect. So he ignored Jonathan''sment and focused on the middle-aged man, even though Jonathan came and hugged him.

    Anubis said, "It''s a severe injury."

    "Can you heal him?"

    "Yeah. I might need to be a bit more serious though." Anubis approached the man and ced his paw on top of the man''s stomach. Suddenly, a silver ankh appeared on top of his head.

    "!!!" Noelle hadn''t seen this ankh during the fight. It seemed that Anubis hadn''t gone all out in their fight.

    In just a few seconds of the treatment, the man''s fingers had begun to move. Then his hand recovered after another few seconds.

    "The pain¡­ is gone." The middle-aged man noticed that his throat wasn''t sore anymore. "I can speak again?"

    It took Anubis thirty seconds to fully heal the man. He retracted his paw and said, "It''s done. You should be able to move like normal."

    The man followed Anubis'' instructions. As he said, he could rise from his bed and move like normal as if the wound never existed in the first ce.

    "I¡­" The man gasped and fell to his knees. Even his wife and son couldn''t believe it. His wife followed him while Jonathan hugged Anubis even tighter. "Good doggie!"

    "Thank you very much. I don''t know how to repay you."

    "No need." Anubis harrumphed before disappearing into thin air. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Even though Anubis had exined to him that his healing power would actually allow a person to regain a limb, it was still amazing to find such an injury could be healed at his current power.

    Nathan grabbed the man and helped him up while saying, "No need to do that. Wee here because we have seen the request regarding an alien that terrorizes this vige. We are from the Frexia Academy. Can you tell us what is currently happening in this vige?"

    "Yes." The man nodded. "It all started a week ago. We found a huge hole in our farnd, so the vigers had to take a look at the hole, but none of them came back.

    "We sent the request for help, but the city didn''t do anything. Two days ago, two summoners came to this ce to explore the hole. They said they came from the Dextria Academy.

    "Because they were summoners, they asked us for a bunch of things, from food and amodation to the girls of the vige."

    "Ehm¡­ As a fellow summoner, I apologize for their behavior." Nathan scratched the back of his head. He loves women but would never resort to such a thing.

    The man shook his head. "I just want to apologize and exin the reason the vigers are afraid of summoners. They explored the giant hole yesterday, but somehow ran away. Several aliens came out of the hole, and we tried our best to repel them. Several of us died while there were a lot of injured people like me.

    "The merchant came to offer us medicine at a steep price, but another hole appeared during the night and attacked the merchant."

    He kneeled once again, banging his head on the floor. "I know I''m shameless for asking this because we won''t be able to repay you, but please¡­ Please save other injured vigers!"

 Chapter 73 Gathering Information

    Chapter 73 Gathering Information

    "Vige Chief!" The man stormed inside the biggest house in the vige.

    "Johan! You¡­" The vige chief was a bald elderly man. He approached Johan excitedly even though he was walking with a cane. "You have recovered! How?"

    "There are summoners from the Frexia Academy, the best academy in the world. They are helping us! We need to gather all the injured men so that they can heal them as well. Vige Chief¡­ Please allow them to use this house to help other injured men!"

    "Frexia Academy?" The vige chief''s body shook, noticing the people who were standing outside the house. The vige chief immediately passed him while saying, "What are you doing? Why haven''t you brought them in?"

    Johan was speechless because the vige chief immediately came out. "Two esteemed guests. I apologize for making you stand outside."

    "Please don''t mind about it." Nathan smiled. "If possible, we would like to ask for your cooperation."

    "Of course, of course!" The vige chief nodded. "Johan. You bring them here!"

    "Yes!" Johan rushed out, not wanting to let anyone die because he moved too slowly.

    "Pleasee in." The vige chief extended his hand.

    The entire vige became lively again as Nathan asked, "Vige Chief. We''d like to ask for more information regarding these aliens."

    "Yes. I''ll tell you everything I know."

    "First of all, we have heard the brief exnation for everything, but we''d like to hear in detail regarding the alien as well as the people from the Dextria Academy."

    He nodded and began his exnation. In the meantime, more and more people were brought into the house as sheets wereid everywhere.

    After knowing about the situation, Nathan ended it with onest question. "Where are the two holes?"

    "They are in that direction." The vige chief pointed in two directions before saying, "I''ll let someone apany you."

    "It''ll be dangerous, so please stay in the vige for the time being." Nathan rejected his suggestion before summoning Anubis. "Can you handle everything here? I''ll be investigating the farm."

    "I should be able to remain in this world as long as you are within 200 meters (656 feet) from me." Anubis nodded.

    "In that case, you should be able to reach the farm¡­" The vige chief paused as he saw who actually spoke. "Wait, a dog?!" N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Anubis'' eyebrows twitched as he shouted, "Shut up, human. If you don''t, I''m not going to heal your leg as well!"

    "What?!" The vige chief was so shocked that he fell on his back together with the chair.

    "The reason you use a cane is because of the injury on your knee, not old age. I can fix it. I''ll heal you first, so make sure you serve me so that I can heal the others as well."

    "Y-Yes!" The vige chief''s expression brightened.

    "In that case, we''ll take our leave." Nathan nodded. Anubis'' power truly amazed him. If Anubis returned to his peak, he would be able to grow limbs, cure sickness, or heal all kinds of physical wounds. It was no wonder why the ankh represents eternal life, physical life, death, and reincarnation.

    As long as one hadn''t died, Anubis might allow them to undergo a rebirth if he returned to his peak state.

    Nathan and Noelle walked to the farm. Nathan asked, "I''ve been meaning to ask this, but who is the Dextria Academy?"

    "Dextria Academy is a fourth ranked academy located in the south of the cksmith Guild. They are not good, but not bad either. Then again, some of our students are still like that, especially those from noble families." Noelle sighed.

    "We have rules about our behaviors, right?"

    "Yeah. That''s why I''m chosen for my position. If someone is too weak to possess this position, those people will be unruly."

    "Ah. It''s no wonder why people said you are overseeing the academy with an iron fist."

    "Not that I''m proud of it. After all, I make a lot of enemies because I have to do that." Noelle let out a long sigh.

    "That sounds like a hassle." Nathan chuckled but stopped right away as they had reached the farm.

    There was a wheat field in front of them. The wheat had been crushed as if they were trampled by tens of aliens, and the soil was crushed. As the vige chief said, there was a huge hole in the middle of the field.

    "What do you think, Junior? Can you figure out what happened here?" Noelle asked.

    "I think? But there is something I''d like to ask first. How many aliens are we supposed to fight?"

    "I don''t know. The request states only a huge alien, so this is actually a bit concerning. A huge alien can actually carry multiple aliens on top or inside of it. Hence, the number might be above your imagination."

    Nathan frowned. "If that''s the case, I''m thinking that we are supposed to worry about three things. The first is definitely that hole and the alien that creates that hole. Looking at such a perfect hole, the alien must look like a worm.

    "Then, the second will be the number of its underlings. If we miss even one of them, they will devastate the vige once we leave here."

    Noelle nodded in agreement, thinking the same. "What about the third?"

    "The third is this one¡­" Nathan walked to the area where the wheat was cut cleanly instead of snapping from being trampled. This had been crushed as well, but it was clear there was something else. "This cut is clean, and because this is not the harvest time yet, it must be an alien.

    "To be this different, the alien must be unique or smart. The former is dangerous, while thetter means there is a chance of a juvenile ss alien in the mix."

    Noelle was amazed by Nathan''s assessment. Normally, they would only gain this kind of perception when they were in their third years, but Nathan was special. She thought she could ask him everything, which, in turn, allowed her to teach Nathan. But there was no need to do it anymore.

    She changed her decision and stated, "Junior. For this mission, I''m giving you the opportunity to take the lead. I want you to think about the n and order me however you want. Solve this problem. Do you ept the challenge?"

    Nathan smiled because Noelle had recognized him. If he increased his favorability even more, Noelle might also protect him.

    He thought, ''Hehehe. I have read all kinds of novels to the point where I know that the discipline hall or something will always be a problem. That''s why I want it myself.''

    With a nod, Nathan said, "I understand. I will take this opportunity to learn a lot."

 Chapter 74 Plan

    Chapter 74 n

    "Alright then. What do you want to do for the first step?" Noelle asked to test him.

    Nathan raised a finger. "I need a familiar to scout."

    "The hole? If we''re going into the hole, it''ll be better to bring everyone and get ready to fight. And we will also need some stuff like a torch."

    "No. I just want to scout the area around here, maybe finding a trace that the vigers haven''t seen yet. They are isting themselves in their houses, so they might not venture that far." Nathan summoned Fenrir. "I''ll be sending him."

    "What?"

    "Your nose is sharp, right? Just find a trace of an alien out there. Even if they can hide their trance, they can''t hide their smell," exined Nathan.

    "That should be possible. It seems that stupid dog is in the vige."

    "Yep. How far can you explore?"

    "How far can he go?" Fenrir replied with another question.

    Nathan knew where he was going. He must not want to lose against Anubis. "Well, whatever. Just go¡­"

    Before Fenrir left, Noelle summoned her familiar. "Bring her with you. She should be able to find the trace as well. I''ll remain here in case the aliens suddenlye out of this ce."

    The familiar that Noelle summoned was actually a dark elf.

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in surprise. The dark elf gave out a different vibepared to Alisha. She was wearing a crop top and skirt, exposing as much skin as possible. There was a robe that covered her back and a hood to cover her head, but there was nothing much other than it to lighten herself as much as possible.

    If Alisha gave a gentle and bright atmosphere, this dark elf exuded an enchanting aura.

    ''Damn. When I thought that getting into this world would be romantic for me. I''m actually stuck with¡­'' thought Nathan while ncing at Fenrir.

    "What? Brat. You''re thinking about something rude, aren''t you?" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched, fully knowing the character of his summoner.

    ''Wait a minute. That''s not entirely true as well. If Fenrir is actually turning humanoid like a man with a wolf''s ears and tail, won''t he be handsome? While I can try to summon female familiars, I still have the chance to get a rival who is more handsome than me.

    ''On the other hand, because I''m stuck with only divine beasts, doesn''t that mean I won''t need to worry about a rival? Is this ''task failed sessfully'' example?'' Nathan smiled.

    "Oi!" That smile didn''t escape Fenrir''s eyes.

    "Nothing. I''m just thinking you''re perfect the way you are." Nathan gave a thumbs up.

    "Tsk." Fenrir clicked his tongue and started exploring with the dark elf.

    "By the way, how far can your familiar go?" Nathan asked.

    "I think your beasts are the weird ones, Junior. My range is actually lower than yours. In fact, the current record for the summoning is 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). That is because he is overwhelming. Other top summoners like our principal and vice principal only have a range of 500 to 1,000 meters (0.3 to 0.6 mile)."

    "Is that so? But can''t we increase our range overtime?"

    "Indeed, but normally, people of your level only have a fourth of your range." N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Hmmm." Nathan might be able to use this information in the future, but for the time being, he asked, "I need your advice. I want to venture into the hole, but there''s a high chance the aliens will attack the vigers. We have no way of stopping them."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Do you remember that they told us the summoners from the Dextria Academy ran away and caused the aliens to appear? I''m assuming that the aliens have made their nest underground. If we go, we might end up facing them inside their nest."

    "So you''re assuming that because there are two holes, there is a high chance that they''ll attack from another hole? That''s why you send your familiar to make sure there are no other holes."

    "Yes."

    Noelle crossed her arms. "If I have to say, ording to my experience, it''s better to split up. I''ll enter the hole while you remain near the vige. We don''t have the manpower to guard the vige or move them to safety. But¡­"

    Noelle fell silent. The purpose of this trip was for Nathan to gain experience. If they split up, it would just defeat the purpose.

    She faced a dilemma.

    Seeing that reaction allowed Nathan to make a decision. "In that case, let''s do it this way."

    ¡­

    Fifteen minutester.

    Anubis had regrouped with them as they toured outside the vige, searching for the trace of aliens.

    However, other than the two holes, they found nothing. Nathan chose to stay inside the vige and actually do nothing.

    Noelle watched him getting along with the vigers and listening to their story as if he were trying to gather more information from each viger.

    But Nathan''s real n started at night.

    While they were given a ce to stay due to the kindness they had shown, it didn''t change the fact that the vige couldn''t continue living this way for a long time. If they couldn''t produce anything, they wouldn''t have food to eat.

    Hence, Nathan wanted to finish this mission as quickly as possible.

    After most people slept, Noelle and Nathan returned to the wheat field.

    "Please take care. I''m sure it''s going to be dangerous. This is just to scout the enemy. As long as we know about their numbers and the location of their nest, please pull out immediately. But if you''re unable to do anything within fifteen minutes, you have toe back since it means the underground tunnel is extremely long orplicated."

    "Got it." Noelle nodded as she jumped into the hole with a torch.

    As soon as Noelle left, Nathan''s expression turned serious. He didn''t have the power to fight against the mature ss, but there was still one thing he could do.

    Nathan had intentionally hidden one thing from Noelle. He returned to the vige instead of waiting outside as he muttered, "I forget which novel it is, but there is something that I can do to lure them out."

    He gathered a bunch of wheat and asked Fenrir and Anubis to carry them to the other hole. He tossed them inside before lighting them up on fire, allowing the smoke to spread inside the second tunnel.

 Chapter 75 Bloom

    Chapter 75 Bloom

    A moment ago.

    "So what are we doing with all these wheats?" Fenrir asked while carrying a pile of wheat on his back, as well as carrying a lot more with the rope attached to his body.

    "We''ll burn it inside the hole. Don''t worry. I have received permission from the vigers to use the wheats however we want. In the end, they have been crushed like this and there''s no way to eat or sell them. The best way is to use it to exterminate the aliens." A cunning smile appeared on Nathan''s face.

    "You seem to be inclined to help others, summoner. I thought you were colder." Anubis squinted his eyes.

    "I am not a good person. Just like anyone else, I''m someone who is wearing a mask. Facing innocent people, I can be as kind as you want. But if I treat my enemy the same, they will think it''ll be fine to attack me again and again since I won''t kill them. That''s why I''ll probably be a cruel person when facing my enemy, whether they''re humans or aliens." Nathan shook his head helplessly. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Anubis felt chills all over his body when Nathan said he would be a cruel person.

    "I have read a lot of stories where I''m frustrated by the main character letting go of his enemy, which results in him getting attacked by the same person but with an additional person who would lead to another problem. So if I let go of my enemy, think of it as either they are still having some use or I intend to let them bring that kind of person¡­ not that I''m letting them trample me."

    "I see." Anubis nodded in understanding.

    "Well, I would p him if he loses himself after gaining strength. The p that he taught me personally. It would be a good practice before pping those people from Asgard." Fenrir grinned.

    "¡­" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched as if wanting Fenrir to keep that to himself instead of letting Anubis know, lest he join.

    It didn''t take long for them to reach the second hole. Nathan tossed everything they brought into the hole and threw the torch on top. Nathan muttered, "12 minutes."

    "ording to you, the aliense from the Lovecraft series, right? Do you know what kind of alien we''re currently facing?" Fenrir asked, while looking at the burning hole.

    "The only alien I can think of is actually a dhole. It''s a massive, worm-like creature. Even though I know this alien, I can''t really recall much of its information. Nevertheless, they are colossal and extremely dangerous, burrowing through the earth or other materials."

    "So you''re filling the hole with smoke so that you can lure it out?" Fenrir frowned.

    "Of course not. The worm is most likely able to survive in an extreme condition with little to no oxygen. In addition, if they really fuse with the symbiote, their resistance will increase even further."

    "Then why?" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched, feeling annoyed.

    "I''m not aiming for that worm. My real targets are the proto-ss aliens."

    *Scree!*

    *Ree!*

    There were multiple screeching noises and screams as though the aliens weremunicating. Their voices were so loud that they echoed through the tunnel all the way to the opening.

    Nathan smiled and started moving back, gaining some distance so that they could react.

    An alien suddenly emerged from the hole and looked around as if trying to find an enemy that did all this to them.

    The moment it saw Nathan, the alien let out an otherworldly clicking noise from inside their body, which caused other aliens to respond in kind.

    The aliens started toe out of the hole one after another.

    Fenrir and Anubis gnashed their teeth, ready to fight. However, there were simply too many aliens.

    From what they could see, forty aliens had alreadye out, and their number was still increasing.

    This was already beyond their capability. Even if they could survive, they were worried about Nathan.

    To their surprise, Nathan remained still without a hint of panic. He only muttered, "20 seconds."

    With a loud screeching sound, the aliens rushed toward Nathan simultaneously.

    "We have to retreat. Their number is too much for you!" Fenrir warned. Nathan would die if he didn''t heed the warning, yet he actually smiled.

    "Bra¡ª" Fenrir wanted to get angry but soon noticed an iing presence from the left. That presence moved so fast that she arrived first before the alien.

    Yes, it was Noelle. Her hand was already on the de''s handle. After taking a nce at the number of aliens, Noelle drew her de, releasing the same crescent-shaped sword strike she used to greet Nathan.

    The aliens tried to avoid it, but most of them failed as the sword strike split them in two.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile as he muttered, "Fifteen minutes."

    "!!!" Fenrir and Anubis widened their eyes. Nathan had never nned to fight those aliens by himself. He wanted to fight some and let Noelle take care of the rest.

    What would the response of that mature ss alien to Nathan''s action be? It was obvious, the alien would actually leave its nest.

    *Bam!*

    The ground copsed as a giant, worm-like alien emerged from the hole. It was extending to 30 meters (98 feet) into the air. The mouth was pointing at the moon as the lips opened in all four directions, showing its massive teeth. The moon illuminated the alien as if a flower had just bloomed.

    Loud chittering noises soon broke the silence of the night. As Nathan expected, the mature ss alien would appear while he was left with fifteen proto-ss aliens. It was a lot, but still manageable for Nathan and his two familiars.

    However, Nathan made one miscalction.

    He couldn''t help but turn to the left, looking at the mature ss alien. "Wait. You''re supposed toe from this hole, not the one in the wheat field!"

    Or so he thought. There was a shadow moving between the trees. It was a bit far from their position, so even Fenrir didn''t pick up the presence.

    The shadow was observing them from the darkness while letting out a small but repeating clicking sound from its body.

 Chapter 76: Slashed

    "Well, there are a lot of them. I will take care of eight of them. You can get the rest!" Fenrir smirked.

    "You are too full of yourself to think that you''re able to fight all eight of them at once. It''ll be my job!"

    "What? I can even do nine of them!"

    "I can do ten!"

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched as he couldn''t help but say, "You guys don''t forget that I''m here, right?"

    The twopletely ignored him, to the point where their bragging became out of control.

    "I will eliminate sixteen of them."

    "There are only fifteen. You''re stupid!"

    The aliens obviously didn''t care about their argument. After regaining theirposure from Noelle''s de, they started running toward them.

    "Enough! Each of us gets 5. Kill them first and help meter!" Nathan raised his voice.

    "¡­" Both of them were ring at each other, but because of Nathan''s decision, they harrumphed and started choosing their own opponent.

    Nathan shook his head helplessly and started running.

    Anubis took the left while Fenrir took the right, leaving the aliens in the middle for Nathan. Because these two were too fast, some aliens ended uping their way. It was probably because they wanted it that way.

    To avoid it from happening, Nathan immediately formed four weak bullets on his palm. He shot four aliens in rapid session.

    Even though the bullets didn''t do much damage to the aliens, thetter still shifted their focus to Nathan.

    Only the one at the very center didn''t change its direction.

    Nathan used Deadly w on both hands, trying to gather them in the middle.

    However, two aliens leaped to the sides and put their bodies in the way to block the Deadly w.

    The other three approached Nathan head-on and sped up, closing the gap between them in less than a second.

    He didn''t know whether it was because of the fight against Noelle or something else, but these aliens were not scary anymore. In fact, their movements appeared to be slower than usual.

    He jumped back to avoid the aliens from pouncing on him, but that just made the aliens dy their jump.

    Nathan pointed his finger at the one in the middle, shooting the bullet.

    The proto-ss alien put its arm in front, blocking the bullet. However, the bullet''s prative power was enough to pierce through the alien''s arm and hit a part of its head.

    The damage caused to the head made the alien trip before sliding on the ground.

    Nathan could finally focus on the two aliens next to it.

    By putting a shield made of Ena, he blocked the alien from the left. Meanwhile, his body turned to the right as he caught the alien''s punch before punching the alien''s jaw himself, knocking it away.

    The alien, the barrier stopped earlier, looped around, but it was toote. Nathan had used the Deadly ws on both hands.

    The alien blocked them with its arms, but they were not enough. The Deadly ws sliced the alien into pieces.

    There were two more aliens that put their bodies to stop his Deadly w earlier. They were approaching Nathan from two sides. At the same time, the one he punched earlier had gotten back up, surrounding Nathan.

    Suddenly, an alien crashed into the one on the right. Meanwhile, the one on the left was bound by bandages, which left only one aliening for him.

    Nathan focused both his Deadly w on the one in front of him, killing it.

    Nathan raised his head, finding Fenrir and Anubis finishing thest two aliens on their sides.

    "Guys. You''re worrying too much. I can handle it myself." Nathan sighed. It seemed that Anubis had the same trait as Fenrir, who helped him after fighting the juvenile ss.

    They didn''t say anything as they focused on killing the aliens in front of them before helping Nathan at the same time.

    "What? You guys are ignoring me? You know, you guys are known as tsundere."

    Nathan shook his head helplessly as he managed to kill the injured alien with another shot in the head, but that was all he got.

    "It seems that we are done here," said Nathan while ncing at the side. He saw Noelle''s silhouette jumping into the sky, waving her de.

    The worm-like alien turned its head to devour her, but Noelle''s de stretched forward in crescent-shaped shape, cutting its lips.

    *Scree!*

    The alien was screaming in pain as the four lips turned into six due to that attack.

    Noelle didn''t stop there. She reached the alien''s body and started swinging her de to injure the alien as much as possible while falling.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows. "Noelle should be quite strong, right? Is she unable to one shot the mature ss alien? But she is overwhelming it¡­"

    "She is probably waiting for you. She wants to show you more about the fight so that it will give you a good understanding about the level you should surpass when you reach the third¡ª" Fenrir was exining before he suddenly sensed an ominous presence.

    He hurriedly turned around as Anubis also regrouped with Fenrir, staring in the same direction.

    They could see an alien walking toward them from a distance.

    "A proto-ss alien thates out a bit toote?" Anubis frowned.

    "No. It''s a juvenile ss, but why do I feel like it''s much stronger than a juvenile ss?!" Fenrir frowned. "You should prepare for this, you stupid dog. Our summoner''s bad luck is something you can''t measure!"

    The juvenile ss alien looked like a mix between a human and a beast. It had the shape of a beast, whether it was its limbs or body, but the alien was able to walk on two feet.

    The alien suddenly let out a scream before rushing toward them.

    Fenrir took this opportunity toe forward while Anubis remained on Nathan''s side.

    Fenrir gathered his Ena around his paw before pouncing on him, while the alien made a punching motion.

    However, the veins on the alien''s arm suddenly moved, and the cell suddenly grew a curved de from its arm.

    "Fenrir!"

    Fenrir was taken aback by the sudden change in the alien''s form as the de struck him.

    Zap!

 Chapter 77: Switch Terrain

    Zap!

    The sharp de hit Fenrir, actually breaking through his super durability and shing his body.

    Still, the super durability managed to withstand the de from cutting any further. Fenrir struck the alien''s fist with his paw and exploded that violent Ena on his paw tounch himself away.

    Anubis was already activating his ability. At this moment, both of them didn''t argue anymore.

    Both divine beasts recognized this alien as something they had never seen before. If they were careless against it, they would die.

    ''What is that?'' Nathan frowned, staring at a huge curved de that emerged from the alien''s arm. ''Is that the power of symbiote? The symbiote can''t do such a thing unless¡­ a mutant!''

    Fenrir had fought against a mutant before, but he was able to overwhelm him.

    The fact that Fenrir would be injured like this meant the alien was actually stronger than the previous mutant.

    "A juvenile ss mutant?!" Nathan gasped.

    His teacher had told him that if he met a mutant, he should get away. Currently, both Fenrir and Anubis were as strong as a juvenile ss alien. His teacher said that three summoners ended up dying to a mutant of the same level, so he should actually run away from this mutant.

    At the same time, he couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. Should he?

    Seeing Fenrir''s wound starting to close, the alien hurriedly chased after Fenrir. Thetter leaped into the air, gathering his breath in his throat.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir let out his signature bark, shooting out his Ena.

    However, the mutant actually waved its de and cut Fenrir''s attack. Fenrir pounced on him, stopping both aliens'' arms with his own paws.

    The mutant noticed that it couldn''t overpower Fenrir, so it changed its approach.

    Before he could do something, a bullet suddenly hit the alien''s neck, piercing through its throat.

    The alien only nced at Nathan as the wound was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    Anubis covered the alien''s body with his bandage from behind. With theirbined efforts, Fenrir managed to push it down to the ground.

    "Do it!" Fenrir shouted as he kept pinning the alien to the ground.

    Nathan approached the alien, using his Deadly w to hit the enemy from a distance.

    To his surprise, the de on the alien''s left arm suddenly returned to the body, using all that cell to actually extend the de on its right arm.

    That de blocked the Deadly w as it continued to extend toward Fenrir.

    Fenrir was forced to jump away from the alien. Anubis tried to hold the alien with his bandages, but it started overpowering him, so he also had no choice but to pull back.

    The alien swung the giant de, somehow extending even further to the point where Fenrir was forced to jump even further away.

    The alien even spun its body to reach Anubis and Nathan, but fortunately, those two were outside its range.

    ''What is the limit of that de? The cell on its body is generating that de, but the longer the de, the thinner it bes¡­'' Fenrir''s expression turned grim when it noticed the alien''s intention.

    The spin allowed the alien to see Nathan and Anubis. Seeing that Fenrir was the one who had been actively fighting it, the alien nned to go for those two.

    Anubis hurriedly intercepted the alien, dragged its body to the ground. Both of them were wrestling on the ground, the alien''s de still long enough to almost reach Nathan.

    "!!!" Nathan''s heart skipped a beat.

    Fenrir caught up and hit the alien with his tail, shing the alien''s chest.

    The alien rolled a few times but immediately stood up, its wound regenerating at high speed. Anubis returned to his position, ensuring Nathan''s safety.

    On the other hand, Nathan noticed the hidden danger the alien possessed. "This can''t go on. We can''t fight in this ce¡­"

    Nathan looked around as if searching for something. His eyes suddenly focused in one direction.

    "Anubis, follow me!" Nathan started running.

    "Are we going to run again? While it''s effective, I don''t really like this tactic." Anubis had experienced the effectiveness, but he wasn''t like Fenrir, who was free to learn everything. In fact, it was probably because of his father, God of Mischief, that Fenrir didn''t find the tactic repulsive.

    Nathan shouted, "No! We are not running away!"

    Anubis squinted his eyes. He had told him he would trust Nathan''s decision, so he hurriedly chased after him, hoping Nathan didn''t lie to him.

    "!!!" The mutant tilted its head to the side, noticing Nathan''s sudden movement.

    "What are you looking at?" Fenrir grinned and pped the alien''s face andunched it away.

    The alien bounced a few times on the ground, but it soon regained its bnce and chased after Nathan and Anubis.

    Fenrir followed right after, but neither Fenrir nor Anubis knew where Nathan was going.

    It looked like he was running away, but he actually chose to enter the forest the alien came from.

    Nathan halted his step and shot at the alien.

    The alien easily blocked it with the mutated de. This was an opportunity for Anubis to grab the de with his bandages, wrapping it. After that, Anubis bit the de, taking advantage of the bandage to avoid getting cut.

    His job was just to stop the alien for a second as Fenrir caught up and smacked the alien from behind.

    "Reee!" The alien crashed into several trees, only stopping when it hit the fourth one. The alien''s head was deformed slightly due to Fenrir''s extraordinary attack.

    Meanwhile, Anubis could finally see why Nathan was running into this forest. When the alien was gone from his sight, his view was opened, allowing him to see the vige in the distance.

    That was right. They were fighting slightly too close to the vige earlier. It would probably be fine with the proto-ss aliens, since they weren''t that smart.

    But what if the mutant targeted the vigers?

    He chose to fight the battle here so that the alien wouldn''t harm the vigers in desperation.

    Bam!

    The alien cut down several times, opening up the battlefield.

    Their true battle had just begun.

 Chapter 78: Got You

    "That''s¡­" Nathan sucked a cold breath after seeing Anubis'' attack earlier.

    "What?" Anubis tilted his head in confusion.

    "Nothing." Nathan shook his head, but that attack actually inspired him to do something.

    The alien came again, swinging its 3 meters (10 feet) de, cutting down the tree in its path.

    Fenrir struck the de with all his strength while Anubis bound the de, stopping it.

    After that, Fenrir tried to push down the de so that the alien''s body would fall down following the de.

    Sadly, the alien had noticed his intention and started retracting the de, shifting his cell to the other side to make two des instead of one.

    Fenrir pounced on the alien. Because Anubis was there, Fenrir allowed the de to hit his left side.

    He was bleeding, but he endured it. Fenrir stopped the other arm with all his strength and bit the shoulder, trying to rip it apart.

    Before he seeded, the alien spun its body to put Fenrir on the bottom, but before he could make aplete turn, Anubis wrapped his body to stop its momentum while Nathan used Deadly w.

    The alien managed to block the Deadly w with its arm, but the ws pierced through its skin. If the Deadly w was just a bit stronger, Nathan would have cut that arm.

    Without hesitation, Nathan approached the alien because thetter was trying to stab Fenrir.

    Nathan wrapped that de with the coat and pulled it. As Alisha said, the coat''s quality was superb. Even the de of a mutant wasn''t enough to cut it.

    As a result, Nathan could pull the de, holding it for a moment.

    Fenrir took that opportunity to p the alien hard, banging its head to the ground.

    The alien changed its target to Nathan, which caused Nathan''s bnce to shift, ultimately letting go of his coat.

    "Oh shit!" Nathan gritted his teeth as the de hit him on the arm. The coat was able to block it so that the de didn''t cut his arm, but the de still reached his chest, cutting both his uniform and flesh.

    Fenrir hit the alien''s head even harder to knock it down, but the alien simply tossed Fenrir away.

    Fenrir managed tond smoothly while Anubis had been healing both Fenrir and Nathan at the same time.

    The alien stood up and extended all its cells into a single de and tried to reach Nathan. Anubis had pulled him back with his bandage, and Fenrir closed in and bit the alien''s arm. His teeth pierced through the alien''s flesh, almost ripping it apart.

    Unexpectedly, the alien showed something new. Instead of the lower arm, the alien actually extended a de on its upper arm.

    Fenrir picked up the danger with his instinct, but the de still stabbed him, cutting a bit of his flesh. If not for his quick reaction, he would have lost a foot.

    Nathan shot the alien on the head, but the alien still didn''t die. It kept recovering, like how Nathan and Fenrir did.

    If this continued, Anubis'' Ena would have run out first.

    Despite his injury, Fenrir continued his relentless attack, not letting the alien get another opportunity.

    Meanwhile, Nathan bit his lips, thinking, ''This is a mutant alien. I understand how a mutant can defeat three full-fledged summoners. Should we run as well? Should I buy time until Noelle is done?''

    The alien suddenly cut down the tree and kicked the trunk toward Anubis and Nathan.

    "!!!" Fenrir was a bit toote in stopping it. Nathan used the Deadly w to cut the tree, and Anubisunched the rest away with his bandage.

    However, this was just a distraction. The alien stabbed the tree stump, pulled it out of the ground, and tossed it right after.

    Nathan got hit by the tree stump with enough force to blow him away.

    Anubis hurriedly healed him, while Fenrir pounced on the alien again.

    Nathan gritted his teeth while clutching his chest.

    ''What? It can even make an attack like that? This alien is too smart¡­ No. Rather than smart, should I say they have the ability to learn? If they actually learn from humans¡­ no, from us, won''t the situation be even more problematic? We have to kill the alien before it can grow even further.'' Nathan smiled wryly.

    ''Someone is going to be mad, but I guess I have to do it.''

    Anubis looked worried, but Nathan passed Anubis as though he was still nning to challenge the alien.

    "Anubis. Is there anyone watching us?"

    "No." Anubis nced left and right, using his senses to scan the area.

    "Then, do you trust me?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes!"

    The moment he answered, a contract suddenly appeared between them.

    The agreement was simple.

    Anubis lent Nathan his super strength for one day in exchange for ten Ena.

    Nathan bit his finger and used the blood to stamp on the contract.

    Anubis was startled but trusted Nathan''s n. When he was about to use his paw to sign, he noticed the aliening.

    It seemed that the alien was aware of Nathan''s action and chose to eliminate him first.

    "Trust me!" Nathan shouted when he saw Anubis about to stop the alien instead of signing the contract.

    "!!!" Anubis'' body shook as he shifted his focus back on the contract. He signed it as quickly as possible, but it was toote.

    The moment the soul contract took effect and Nathan turned around, the alien was already in front of him.

    The alien waved its de from above, but Nathan managed to take a step backward and lean his body, barely avoiding the de.

    The alien didn''t give up. It thrust its de this time, not letting Nathan go. Anubis wanted to help, but he was a bit too slow.

    "Summoner!" Anubis shouted.

    The de pierced through the side of Nathan''s stomach.

    Nathan suddenly wrapped the de with his coat and grabbed the de with both hands, this time, his strength was amplified by Anubis'' super strength. Despite blood leaking out of his wound and lips, Nathan smiled. "I got you!"

 Chapter 79: Killing the Mutant

    "I got you!"

    Anubis and Fenrir widened their eyes, seeing Nathan''s reckless n.

    The alien tried to move the de up and down, but to no avail. It was trying to pull it out, but Nathan still firmly held it.

    Hence, there was only one thing to do. The alien nned to use the other de to kill Nathan, but Fenrir suddenly bit its arm.

    Because the alien didn''t expect it, Fenrir ripped the arm apart.

    "Scree!" The alien was screaming.

    After that, Nathan took a step back and pulled the de out, allowing the alien to move again, but Nathan''s n had seeded.

    He pointed his palm at the alien.

    "I haven''t mastered it, but I can use it to a certain extent." Nathan formed the torrential sphere he learned from Selena. He couldn''t use it as his bullet yet, but he could still explode it.

    The burst of Ena knocked back the alien and himself.

    The alien hurriedly stood up, ready to wave his de at whoever approached him.

    Anubis stopped the de for a second with his bandage. Meanwhile, Nathan pressed the wound with one hand and released the Deadly w from another hand.

    The Deadly w hit the alien''s neck as nothing could block it anymore. However, the w was too weak to fully cut the neck.

    "Tsk!" Nathan clicked his tongue. Unfortunately, his condition didn''t allow him to use both hands.

    "No. We won." Seeing such an attack, Fenrir immediately leaped into the air and pressed the Deadly w, giving the necessary power to cut the alien''s neck.

    Nathan panted heavily, his face turning pale. They had won against a juvenile ss mutant. He had grown much strongerpared to when he was in Ten Forest. Anubis was also here, but to think that he had to resort to this kind of strategy just to kill the mutant, Nathan could only sigh.

    Nathan dropped to his knees as Anubis hurriedly covered the wound with his bandage, barely stopping the bleeding. After that, he poured all his Ena into the healing ability. "You¡­"

    He was frustrated because what Nathan said regarding trust was him risking his life.

    Fenrir was also annoyed, but more importantly, he was angry at himself. Nathan might be reckless, naive, or even horny, but he wasn''t a fool.

    The fact that he did such a thing must mean it was necessary.

    "Why did you do that?"

    While enduring the pain, Nathan changed his position a bit and sat down on the ground. He kept inhaling and exhaling his breath loudly. "The mutant could learn."

    "Learn?" Fenrir squinted his eyes. "Are you saying that you had no choice but to kill the mutant right away?"

    "Yeah." Nathan nodded.

    Fenrir couldn''t help but be even angrier to himself. If that truly happened, the situation would be much worse. If they couldn''t kill the alien before Anubis'' Ena ran out, they might have to run away.

    With such intelligence, the alien could choose the vigers, forcing Nathan to stop it. Ultimately, they would lose to the alien.

    If he was just a bit stronger, Nathan wouldn''t be injured.

    "It is a mutant for a reason." Nathan took a deep breath. "To think that this is just a low level alien¡­ What if the big boys areing to this world? We''re going to be screwed."

    "That won''t happen." Fenrir harrumphed. "I''ll beat them."

    Fenrir realized he should get stronger as quickly as possible. If more Ena wasn''t an avable option yet, he had to find a new technique.

    Even Anubis understood what he was supposed to do. Unlike Fenrir, who could focus on his attack, he had to protect Nathan and heal people.

    He had to find another way to attack the enemy, or at least make Nathan stronger to the point where he didn''t need his protection.

    Nathan smiled. They were not the only ones frustrated. He, too, had to face his teacher''s anger after going back with his clothes dyed in blood.

    Nathan thought for a moment. "We have to get even stronger. Currently, we have two options."

    "We should get stronger at an individual level. Only by having high prowess will we be able to defeat them without using such a dangerous trick," Fenrir added right away, as if reprimanding Nathan not to make them worry again.

    Meanwhile, Anubis'' opinion differed from his. "I believe that a third partner will be necessary. We can outnumber the opponent and if there is someone who can help us in the battle, I can support all three of you. Of course, depending on how much Ena you have, it''s also good to sacrifice more Ena for us."

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Well, I''m more inclined to the second option."

    "What? You''re going to summon another one so quickly? Do you have the items or Ena to sacrifice? And are you going to follow the suggestion of thatss and summon a flying beast?" Fenrir frowned.

    "I, too, would like to know what divine beast you have in mind, summoner." Anubis agreed with Fenrir.

    Nathan smiled. "If I want a flying beast, it is obviously the strongest flying beast out there. Then again, I have to consider the items. I believe I can get one of them, so I only need another one¡­ At least, this is much better than any other divine beasts.

    "That''s why for the next one, I''ll be summoning a dragon from your myth, Fenrir."

    ¡­

    "Mistress." The divine spirit came to Vivian with a solemn expression.

    "What''s wrong?" Vivian frowned.

    "We''ll give him the item he requested."

    "Hoh? Are you sure?" Vivian crossed her arms.

    "Yes. The dryad, the old druid, and the high elf have agreed." The divine spirit nodded.

    "I see. I''m really thankful that you four are willing to give him that item."

    "Let''s just say that this is an investment to him. In the future, we might request his help." The divine spirit put down a briefcase on the table. "This is the item."

    Vivian nodded. "I understand. I''ll be telling him about it. Alisha!"

    "Yes!" Alisha nodded before bowing to the divine spirit. "I''m honored to be the messenger of the divine spirit, the dryad of the divine tree, the sage druid, and the almighty high elf queen. I''ll be giving this divine tree''s root to the young master."

 Chapter 80: Duke Murmur

    "!!!" Noelle could hear the loud scream of an alien. She couldn''t help but think, ''Is he struggling against those aliens? No. Based on his strength, he should have eliminated them by now¡­''

    The worm-like alien plunged toward her, forcing Noelle to jump away.

    She was a bit distracted, but fortunately, the worm wasn''t as strong as she imagined.

    ''Is he struggling against another alien? A juvenile ss? It has been a few minutes¡­ something more than a juvenile ss? Don''t tell me, is there another mature ss alien?''

    Noelle''s heart skipped a beat. If there was indeed one, Nathan wouldn''t be able to defeat it with his trick.

    "I have to take down the enemy right now. He might notst longer¡­" Noelle gritted her teeth and stomped the ground as she summoned yet another familiar.

    The alien bounced on the ground, trying to devour her. However, this figure appeared out of thin air and shed the worm, extending his de with his own Ena.

    The de shed through the worm''s flesh.

    His body was fully covered in armor, but as if showing his dignity and identity, there was a golden crown on top of his helmet.

    He put his shield in front while retracting his de as though he were ready to release another strike.

    With a deep voice, the familiar asked, "For what reason do you littless summon me despite trying not to summon me for over three months?"

    "I need to kill this alien as quickly as possible."

    "You are in a hurry. Who is actually important enough for you to be in this hurry? After all, thest time you were in a hurry was when you summoned me, causing an iplete summon. Because of you, I couldn''t bring my partner." The guy raised his shield and expanded it with his Ena.

    The worm had recovered and tried to break apart the Ena, but to no avail. It only pushed the guy back for a bit, but nothing else.

    "I know you don''t like me, but please shut up and help me. You will know about itter."

    The familiar fell silent for a moment before saying, "Fine by me. I shall help you kill this worm. I promise you in my name as one of the 72 demons, Duke Murmur. Follow me."

    As soon as Murmur finished his words, he retracted his shield and moved to the right side of the worm.

    Noelle approached the worm from the other side.

    Both of them covered their swords with Ena and extended their des, striking at the worm at the same time.

    Their de wouldn''t be long enough to cut the worm by themselves, but with one on the right and the other on the left, the required length to cut the alien was reduced greatly.

    The worm pped its body violently, not letting these two cut its body into two.

    Murmur had been using less Enapared to Noelle, which caused the worm to instinctively think he was weaker. As a result, the worm spun its body toward Murmur.

    Murmur stomped the ground and expanded the shield once again, blocking the entire body.

    Once stopped, Noelle took this opportunity to wave her sword downward, unleashing the long crescent sword strike to cut a part of the worm''s body.

    Obviously, the top part seemed to be regenerating due to the symbiote, but the crown on top of Murmur''s head released a purple glow as he pointed his hand at the cut area. "Death Seal."

    The purple glow moved like a shock wave, causing the alien''s body to rot instead of regenerating.

    After that, both of them continued cutting the worm. Thetter struggled, but it couldn''t dig into the ground as the mouth hadn''t regenerated.

    Hence, Noelle and Murmur cut the worm piece by piece. They kept applying the death seal to lock its regenerative trait, allowing them to fully kill the worm.

    Murmur said, "Your swordsmanship has improved tremendouslypared to three months ago. However, it''s stillcking in power and control. If you keep progressing at this rate, it won''t be long for you to surpass me in swordsmanship.

    "Despite not summoning me, you seem to have learned my swordsmanship. I guess you''re too embarrassed to admit that my technique is superior.

    "However, don''t forget your debt to me. You have to fix the summoning and allow me to bring my partner. If you can do that, I will allow you to utilize my power as much as you like." Murmur grinned.

    Noelle''s expression remained cold. This was the reason she didn''t want to rely on his power, but the condition forced her to end the battle as quickly as possible. She said, "I know that, but I have no time for this."

    Without hesitation, she turned around and left the worm''s corpse as if it were nothing.

    Murmur nced at her and muttered, "She is still too rash. She has made such a mistake when summoning me. I can''t help but wonder what mistake she will maketer. And whoever is able to move her this much¡­ slightly piques my interest."

    Before following Noelle, Murmur pped his hand. The crown glowed once again, this time the shock wave flying in all directions.

    "Pray for the fallen. Take your eternal rest, my enemy," Murmur muttered as the corpse started to rot. It wouldn''t take too long for them to be reduced to nothing but the core.

    Still, if he didn''t go, he would disappear due to the distance.

    "I should go too." Murmur chased after Noelle. She was standing in front of a boy with two beasts beside him.

    Looking at the environment, it was clear that there was a battle in this ce before. In fact, the blood dying Nathan''s clothes was already a testament to how dangerous the enemy was.

    Despite not looking strong, it was impressive that Nathan was able to defeat all of these aliens.

    However, his focus was taken by the ck jackal next to him, sensing a familiar powering from him.

    On the other hand, Noelle said while clenching her hands, realizing it was her mistake. "Let''s go back."

 Chapter 81: Returning

    ''To think that the mission is more dangerous than I originally thought.'' Noelle thought as she arrived at Nathan''s battlefield.

    She could see the aliens'' corpses scattered on the field, but more importantly, there was one more corpse lying not far from him.

    From its appearance, she realized this was not a normal alien. ''A juvenile ss? That''s the minimum strength for an alien to cause this much destruction. And I don''t think there is an alien that can create a de on their arm¡­

    ''A mutant?'' Noelle widened her eyes. ''Did he defeat a mutant? I don''t know how strong it is, but¡­''

    Noelle looked at Nathan''s clothes, which were covered in blood. He didn''t have any more injuries, but he looked exhausted.

    ''To think that he can kill a juvenile ss mutant¡­ Nathan is quite strong, but a mutant is different. He must kill the mutant by tricking it.''

    Noelle had realized Nathan''s enormous potential and said, "Let''s go back."

    "Well, let me get some rest. We also need to notify the vige about this. I''m sure that they are currently worried about us." Nathan waved his hand. The pain had subsided, but it kept reying in his mind.

    He couldn''t even endure his pinky toe hitting the corner of his bed a month ago. He was impressed by himself that he could endure this level of pain now¡­barely.

    "Mhmm?" Nathan raised his head, finding a familiar who approached them. He found his appearance slightly simr, but couldn''t recall anything about him. "Who?"

    Murmur said, "I am Murmur. It''s nice to meet you, kid. To think that you are able to make thisdy worry, I guess you have some abilities."

    "Murmur¡­ Murmur¡­ Murmur¡­" Nathan suddenly recalled a certain name. "Ah!"

    He almost wanted to ask about his real identity, but he remembered he was just a farmer. Nathan turned around to Fenrir as if he knew Murmur from Fenrir before asking, "Are you one of the demons from 72 demons of the Lesser Key of Solomon? But shouldn''t you have a gryphon?"

    "It appears you are familiar with my origin? My summoning was rushed, which causes it to be iplete. That''s why my pal is not here." Murmur nced at Fenrir.

    Fenrir wanted to say something because Nathan used him as an excuse, but Anubis suddenly spoke. "You seem to have a simr power to mine."

    Murmur turned to Anubis and said, "Your power is weak, but at the same time, very profound. If our power is at the same level, I won''t be your match. Then again, I believe that your power is slightly different from mine."

    Anubis harrumphed. Even though he had the power of death, his biggest divinity was in his ankh and scale.

    "I have satisfied my curiosity. In that case, I''ll take my leave." Murmur remained polite the whole time before he disappeared.

    Seeing Nathan''s state, Noelle said, "Junior. For this mission, you can get all the cores and rewards."

    "Are you sure? Aren''t we supposed to split it evenly? Then again, you''re the one killing the mature ss alien."

    "That is fine. Without you, the vige will be destroyed by this alien." Noelle pointed at the mutant. "And I''m afraid that you''re going to face a lot of trouble once we return to the academy. Her highness Flora will probably ask me about you the whole time."

    Nathan nodded. "I understand. I''ll graciously ept it."

    After reaching an agreement, Nathan stood up, his legs wobbling as the pain still felt a bit real.

    Noelle grabbed his arm and put it on her shoulder, supporting him. "Let''s go back to the vige. We can inform the vige and return tomorrow."

    "Yes."

    As soon as they returned to the vige, the vigers were either roaming around or hiding in their house, shivering in fear.

    When they saw Nathan and Noelle, there was a sigh of reliefing from them. Several vigers came toward them, followed by the vige chief, who could already walk with both feet.

    "Esteemed Summoners¡­" The vige''s voice was shaking.

    Nathan smiled. "Fortunately, we don''t let everyone''s hope down."

    "Then¡­" The vigers'' expression brightened. Some were already letting tears out of joy.

    "My senior will inspect the hole once more to confirm there is no other alien that is left behind. However, I believe that all the aliens, including the colossal worm, have been defeated."

    "Uoohh!"

    "Long live great summoners!"

    "The Frexia Academy is different! They''re nothing like the Dextria Academy!"

    The cheers erupted as they could finally live like normal again.

    "It''s finally gone¡­" The vige chief cried and fell to his knees. It seemed that the alien had troubled him greatly. He hurriedly shouted to a viger next to him while wiping his snot. "Hey, you. Bring that!"

    "Y-Yes!" The man hurriedly brought a purple colored pearl. Its size was only as big as a thumb, but in this world, it didn''t seem to be cheap. Nathan wasn''t aware of the actual value as well.

    "An amethyst?"

    "This is the only thing we have, esteemed summoners. I don''t know how we are supposed to repay your kindness anymore."

    Nathan took a step to the side, freeing himself from Noelle. After that, he bent his knees and closed the vige chief''s hand as if implying to keep it safe.

    "If that''s the case, I''ll take this reward and give it to you back, vige chief. Please sell this amethyst and use the money to help the recovery of this vige. Everyone has lost so much. I don''t wish you to be starving and dying just because you have to give me this reward."

    The vige chief gasped. Even the vigers teared up. They had never seen such a sincere summoner.

    Nathan skillfully worded it in a way that the vige chief couldn''t refuse. After all, he said he ''gave'' it back. There was no way amoner like him could reject a summoner''s gift. He just did it to make it simple.

    "But please allow me to be a little selfish and borrow the room to recover. We''ll be leaving tomorrow."

    "Y-Yes. Please use it however you like!" The vige chief nodded furiously. "Thank you so much. Thank you so much!"

    While they were celebrating, Noelle and Nathan split up. Noelle checked the hole and confirmed there wasn''t a single alien left before getting all the cores and handing them to Nathan.

    On the other hand, Nathan was just lying on his bed. This was probably the closest he got to dying.

    It was truly something he didn''t like to experience again, but he didn''t know if this world would be so kind to him, especially since his luck had been bad this whole time.

    The next morning, they departed from the vige and returned to the Frexia Academy before lunch.

    "Junior."

    "Yes?" Nathan tilted his head as they were about to go their own ways.

    "Why did you give it back?" Noelle couldn''t understand. While Nathan was a summoner, he was originally a farmer''s son, so he should be tempted by that money.

    If it was the original Nathan, he would definitely take it, but he had seen such a thing on the Inte. He simply said, "I''m not a good person. I''m just a selfish bastard who feels good after sharing some kindness. That''s all."

    Noelle was surprised by his answer. He actually identified himself as the exact opposite of his action. When Noelle was about to ask another question, Alisha suddenly came to Nathan while screaming, "Young master!"

    "Alisha?" Nathan took a step back instinctively, but Alisha suddenly grabbed his shoulder with one hand as she said, "You have to go to the battle hall right now. Selena is about to fight August in a summoners war!"

 Chapter 82: Selena vs August

    Nathan and Alisha reached the hall where they were holding the summoners war between Selena and August.

    He had never expected that these two would be in a duel like this.

    "What is going on? How does this happen? Why are those two fighting?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "ording to the form submitted, it was Selena who challenged August." Alisha exined.

    "¡­" Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. When he took another look at Selena, she was actually holding a wooden staff. She didn''t use one back in Ten Forest, which brought him to a different thought. Did Selena think this carefully?

    Alisha noticed Nathan was watching the arena closely, which made her smile.

    Jason looked at both summoners and said, "If August wins, Selena will help August for the next event. If Selena wins, August will give her the Fire Staff. Is that correct?"

    "Yes." Selena and August nodded their heads, confirming the bet.

    "In that case, you may begin." Jason jumped back.

    Both of them summoned their respective familiars. August pulled out his sword while Selena raised her staff.

    They released their Ena at the same time, waiting for the others to make a move.

    August took the initiative. He and the dwarf jumped forward. To their surprise, Selena was the only oneing to match them.

    "!!!" August and the dwarf were confused because they thought Selena wasn''t a strong, closebat summoner.

    Nevertheless, the match would end as long as they defeated her. Hence, both of them channeled their Ena into their respective weapons.

    When they were about to unleash their attack, Selena halted her step, which made the two hesitate if they had enough range to reach her.

    That was when Selena spun her staff and waved it from the bottom as if she were swiping the floor.

    The Ena burst at the tip of her staff, amplified by the bright red gem on the rod''s eye. A powerful wave of Ena hit both August and the dwarf as though they were hit by a horse.

    "Kh!" Because they weren''t ready for it, both of them took the full brunt of the attack and were sent flying.

    Risa pointed her palms at them and shot out the blood tornadoes.

    "God of Earth, please protect your believer!" The gnome waved his hand up as stone pirs emerged from the floor, receiving the blood tornadoes.

    August and the dwarfnded safely, but they were so focused on Risa and Selena that they didn''t realize Sasha was already gone.

    Her ws released a faint green glow as she attacked the gnome from behind.

    The dwarf seemed to be more experienced in battlepared to August, as the dwarf was able to react to Sasha''s attack.

    He smashed Sasha''s ws, but because they contained a lot of Ena, it burst and blew them away.

    Selena came forward and waved her rod at the stone pirs, releasing that Ena again.

    The Ena smashed the stone pirs into pieces, but August was ready to attack her. Sadly for him, every time Selena waved her staff, she would burst out her Ena like she was sweeping everything.

    The gnome waved his hand down as the stones that wereunched toward him and August fell as if there was a ma on the ground.

    August trusted his gnome, so he immediately approached Selena before she could release another burst.

    Instead of helping, Risa actually summoned blood spears andunched them toward the gnome.

    Noticing that the dwarf was upied by Sasha, the gnome had no choice but to take this head-on.

    Unfortunately, there was a circr sword strike that expanded and cut the blood spears in half from the side. August chose to save the gnome instead of attacking Selena.

    Selena spun her rod, ready tounch another attack. However, the gnome had actually chanted another spell and summoned four stone walls to surround Selena.

    Her staff actually hit the stone wall and released the Ena to the ground.

    Bam!

    When the attack was released, the shock wave definitely hit Selena. The stone pirs shattered, but the rocks and dust filled up the air, bing a perfect smokescreen for August.

    Without hesitation, August closed the distance between them.

    Risa wanted to help Selena, but she couldn''t see anything. "Selena!"

    August smirked because it was toote.

    He swung his sword with all his strength, nning to cut her.

    To his surprise, he struck a shield made of Ena first, which absorbed half of the impact. The swing only had half of its power left, and Selena simply put the wand in front of her, blocking the sword.

    "!!!" August widened his eyes in shock as the dust started to settle down. He saw Selena pointing her finger like Nathan. A sphere made of rampaging Ena appeared and exploded at point nk range.

    Boom!

    The shock waveunched August away, his body bouncing several times on the ground before stopping. On the other hand, Selena remained still as she formed a barrier at thest second.

    "That''s¡­" Nathan dropped his jaw in disbelief. "Did she just hit the wall and let out that burst to the ground so that she could bait August? She blocked that burst with her barrier, but August didn''t know it was possible.

    "It was his fault for misunderstanding. And that was when she used thatst burst to knock him down. But that''s¡­"

    "Isn''t that your way of fighting, young master?" Alisha had a smug on her face, teasing Nathan. "It seems that she learns a lot from you. And this is the first time she is using that kind of technique. I wonder who is the one teaching her."

    "I didn''t teach her that one." Nathan shook his head. "But I have never thought that Selena would be this strong."

    "But you still can defeat her."

    "With my cheap tricks? Yeah. But in a head-on battle, I don''t think I''d win."

    "I wonder if this is a good influence or a bad one for her." Alisha''s grin became wider.

    "It''s definitely good."

 Chapter 83: Overwhelming

    "Kh! Aaahhhh!" August shouted as he stood up. His ears were ringing and his head felt like it was splitting because of that attack.

    "August!" The gnome panicked. Even the dwarf couldn''t help but nce at August, worrying about him.

    "You are distracted!" Sasha harrumphed as she scratched the dwarf''s arm.

    "!!!" The dwarf wasn''t surprised because of the pain, but due to the feeling that came right after the pain. "Poison?!"

    He hurriedly hit his own arm with the axe, scraping away the flesh that suddenly turned ck before it spread even further.

    Sasha immediately positioned herself between the dwarf and August, not letting him help August.

    Meanwhile, Selena dashed toward August as if trying to end it all.

    The gnome wanted to summon more rocks to stop her, but two blood tornadoes flew toward him, forcing the gnome to create a stone pir for himself.

    He managed to stop the tornadoes, but August had to face Selena alone. "August!"

    Selena swept her rod from the bottom again. On the other hand, August''s eyes turned bloodshot as he poured all his strength and shed downwards, creating a crescent-shaped sword strike that extended for 8 meters (26 feet).

    The sword strike actually cut the shock wave and headed straight at Selena. Thetter jumped back while creating a shield in front of her.

    The shield blocked the sword strike for a second, but it eventually got cut.

    "Selena!" Risa panicked, thinking she would be hit by this attack.

    To everyone''s surprise, Selena waved her staff to the back, using that rotation to actually create a tornado-like gale. That gale actually spun her body, moved it slightly to the left, as she ultimately dodged the attack.

    "What?!" August never thought it was possible. However, it didn''t change the fact that the attack was sessful.

    He closed the distance between them and unleashed the same attack once again. If Selena used the same trick, he would take that opportunity to close the remaining gap and defeat her.

    Sadly for him, there was no need for him to do so. Selena simply jumped back like the previous attempt, baiting August toe in.

    Instead of spinning her body, she waved the rod from the side, hitting the sword strike from the side.

    Because of the shape of the sword strike, anything in front would simply be cut in two. But if she targeted the t surface of that sword strike, she could actually sweep away the Ena that built up that sword strike.

    As she predicted, the sword strike dispersed and vanished into thin air.

    "!!!" Everyone widened their eyes in shock.

    Selena didn''t care about their reaction. Because of the fake, August had entered her range.

    ''NO!'' His brain was screaming, realizing it was a trap. Sadly, it was toote.

    Selena waved her staff from below tounch August away, but the gnome summoned a pir in front of him, blocking her attack. As a result, the tornado grazed the gnome''s back, ripping his clothes and scratching his back.

    "Agh!" The gnome screamed in pain.

    "You''re not going anymore!" A clicking sound echoed as the sh between Sasha and the dwarf continued. The dwarf realized Sasha''s job was actually to stop him from helping them. At the same time, he couldn''t find a gap to exploit, since she still had the upper hand.

    Meanwhile, Selena came straight at August and let out another burst of Ena to destroy the stone pir, the residual Ena blowing the rubbles to August.

    Despite getting hit by the rock, August endured the pain and made one swing. That swing cut through the small rocks and reached Selena.

    Or so he thought, until he suddenly felt three powerful blowsing from above, knocking him down to the ground.

    "Gah!" August''s eyes lost their focus in an instant as he fell unconscious, his body dropping to the ground. His sword strike disappeared, which only meant one thing.

    "Young master¡­ Did you see that?" Alisha gasped.

    "Yes. At thatst sweep, she actually sent forth three torrential Ena to the air. They curved down and fell on top of August''s head. Because August was so focused on attacking Selena as well as enduring those rocks¡­ No, should I say that Selena actually used that shattered stone pir to create her own smoke screen? Nevertheless, those three torrential waves became the deciding blow of this match.

    Can you actually control the trajectory of your Ena to that degree?" Nathan gulped down.

    "It''s possible, but you have to practice more. As for her¡­ I''m afraid that she is a genius."

    "¡­" Nathan couldn''t help but think about what he said about Selena being a genius when she taught him the exploding bullet.

    He realized her talent might actually surpass his imagination.

    Still, Selena had taken down August and the two familiars had to stop fighting as the match had been decided.

    "August Reeves has been defeated. Selena Ashton wins this match!" Jason announced.

    The people didn''t cheer. They were simply too shocked.

    Strong! Very strong! They had never thought that Selena would be so overwhelming that August couldn''t do anything to her.

    Even Rudeus would face quite a challenge against him, but Selenapletely overpowered him with that new technique.

    Looking at her staring down at August felt like she was a queen. Everyone was just her humble servants. They could only look up to her and not the other way around.

    Rudeus gulped down. He had been so focused on August that he didn''t realize that Selena had be a bigger threat. In addition, Nathan had gotten an opportunity from the student council.

    If both of them joined hands, they would be the most powerful faction in the ss.

    Rudeus'' body trembled, fully realizing that his n to separate Selena and Nathan was the correct one.

    Selena gracefully nced at the arena as if she were trying to send a message that she would beat anyone that challenged her.

    But that was also the time she noticed Nathan was there. She was slightly startled, but despite not showing an emotion on her face, she walked so fast that she was already out of the arena before other students stopped her or something. Her destination was obvious.

 Chapter 84: Queen Selena

    "It seems that our young master needs to train even harder. I''m afraid that her talent is much more terrifying than what you can imagine. Not only her control, but also her calm judgment." Alisha smiled.

    "Indeed. I can''t lose." Nathan smiled wryly.

    Alisha then handed over the briefcase she had been holding on to this whole time. "In that case, please take this."

    "En? What is this?" Nathan asked while grabbing the briefcase.

    "The item you requested."

    "Ah!" Nathan couldn''t help but smile. This was what he needed to get stronger in his current phase. "Thank you so much."

    "You''re wee." Alisha smiled before looking at his clothes. He hadn''t changed, so the blood was still fresh on his clothes. "Young master. I won''t be angry at whatever happened during your mission, but Mistress has seen your clothes. You might probably need to exin it to her."

    "Aren''t you going to apany me, Alisha?"

    "I won''t this time. I don''t know what has happened, but I''m sure you must have done something reckless. A reckless person like you deserves to be scolded." Alisha harrumphed. It seemed she was angry that he was being reckless and probably thought he almost died, which wasn''t wrong either.

    "I will get your spare clothes. Please visit her office after you''re done talking with Selena. Remember that¡­ I believe that Mistress will be angry if you don''te right away¡­ No, I might also get angry, you know."

    "Ugh! I understand." Nathan had expected this, but he thought Alisha would help him. He probably deserved it this time.

    "Then, please enjoy." Alisha smiled and walked away.

    Nathan also did the same until he saw Selenaing toward him. Her eyebrows twitched when she saw the blood on his clothes.

    "Congrattions on your victory." Nathan waved his hand as if nothing had happened.

    "What happened to you?" Selena ignored her own victory and inspected Nathan. She could see his skin through that hole, but it didn''t seem he was bandaged anywhere.

    Nathan paused for a moment before scratching the back of his head. "Please let me off. I''m going to get an earful after this. I know I deserve it¡­"

    Selena hesitated for a moment because she was too worried, fully aware of Nathan''s personality. She couldn''t help but sigh. "Fine. But please team up with me for the next mission."

    "Do you have a mission in mind?"

    "Not yet, but I don''t mind if we go on a mission you choose. I can get my turn after that."

    "Well, I have been nning to ask you, so let''s just do that." Nathan nodded in agreement.

    "En." Selena nodded, satisfied.

    There was a weird silence right after they stopped talking, so Nathan broke the silence, "You are strong. No, you are very strong. I have never thought you would be that strong. And you¡­"

    Nathan paused. His technique wasn''t patented anyway, so he couldn''t really say she was copying him. Hence, he changed his question, "How do you do that sweep? It''s pretty amazing. It''s powerful and versatile."

    "Actually, Ibined four inspirations into one." Selena raised four fingers. "The first one came from your test answer. Remember the eighth question?"

    "If I''m not wrong, it''s talking about control, right?"

    "Yes. You answered it with a new concept called in-motion. Just like how people with a sword could extend their sh, I took that concept and used it on my wand. I might not be good at closebat, but as long as I still had some distance, I would be the one having the upper hand."

    "Incorporating the technique into your every motion, in-motion." Nathan nodded in understanding before adding inwardly, ''I just brought that concept from another novel. This power of bullshit¡­ It scares even me. Then again, only a genius like Selena can probably do it right away.''

    Selena continued, "The second concept came from the old man holding a broom, which turned out to be the principal. When I saw people sweeping the dirt, I couldn''t help but wonder about the power of that impact, so I tried it."

    "That''s a pretty cool concept. It''s like you''re fighting with a staff and a broombined." Nathan nodded.

    "The third inspiration came from your unique way of fighting. I thought I could do it on my own too, andst but not least, it was your encouragement." Selena looked away as if she were a bit embarrassed. "Maybe yourpliment got the better of me¡­ You told me I was a genius, so maybe you saw something in me I never saw in myself. I tried it and it actually worked. So thank you very much, Nathan."

    Nathan was taken aback. Selena aplished it within days. Not just anybody could aplish such a feat.

    "You''re wee, I guess. Even though I feel like I haven''t done anything." Nathan smiled. "By the way, why did you challenge August?"

    "That''s¡­" Selena lifted up her wand. "Do you remember I exchanged my points for cores to make up for you?"

    "Oh!" Nathan nodded.

    "I sold a few of them to buy a cheap rod. I challenged him to get a better staff, which would definitely boost my power even more. This way, I could finally see us as equal."

    "But isn''t that too reckless? What if you lose?"

    "I don''t want to hear that from you. I bet this bloodes from your recklessness." Selenained, but she still exined her thoughts. "August was currently in a desperate position. I heard he was betrayed by someone because he didn''t realize that the person was Rudeus'' minion.

    "If I challenged him with myself on the line, he would ept it. As the sessor of the cksmith Guild, he would definitely have a good staff.

    "So I bought this wooden staff so that I could challenge August to get a better one. I had my confidence after learning this new technique."

    "But won''t this make him even more desperate?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes. In fact, Rudeus and August might even form an alliance after this. However, that just means our reputation will go higher because they need to join hands along with their minions to take us down."

    "Ours?"

    "If your reputation increases even further, it''ll be good for you, especially for making a connection. People will no longer see you as a farmer, but as a formidable summoner. The same applies to mine, but you''re the one who inspires me¡­ so I don''t want to take the entire credit for myself."

    Nathan''s body trembled as he couldn''t help but scream inwardly, ''What is wrong with this girl? If not for your facecking emotion, I would have fallen for you right away. This is not how the script was supposed to go¡­''

 Chapter 85: Lecture

    "To think that he would do so much on that mission. Are you sure you don''t help him?" Flora asked while squinting her eyes.

    "No. In fact, he is the one doing most of the work. I''m merely executing that mature ss alien. If not for him fighting the juvenile ss mutant, the situation would probably be much worse." Noelle shrugged.

    "I see." Flora smiled. "He is not only strong but also has the quality of a lord."

    "What are you nning?" Noelle frowned.

    "Who knows? At the very least, I understand what kind of person he is. For now, I''ll just keep an eye on him. Eventually, he will choose the student council if he ever encounters a problem too hard for him to handle. After all, Vivian is still giving that ''tough love'' to him, even though she sugarcoats it as independent." Flora shrugged.

    Noelle thought for a moment and said, "I think he will grow even further once he joins the student council. However, I can''t see him holding any position right now. It''s true that he is strong, but bing the student council president doesn''t suit him. He is not someone who can handle a secretary''s job, and I don''t think he is good enough in business to be our treasurer."

    "So you''re trying to say that your position is the only one that is suitable for him?"

    Noelle shook her head. "I''m not sure. His unique familiars will draw controversy. And without a certain background, there will be a lot of people unwilling to receive the punishments he administers."

    "Well, we''ll just wait and see for the time being." Flora waved her hand. "Thank you for telling me about him."

    ¡­

    Vivian''s office.

    "That was what happened." Nathan ended his story with a sigh.

    Vivian''s expression was already dark as she learned more and more about his recklessness. She never thought that he would receive the de in his stomach. One wrong move would cause internal bleeding and kill him.

    It was true that due to the Ena, their bodies were much stronger than normal people, but it didn''t change the fact that it was extremely dangerous.

    Vivian pinched the bridge of her nose. "You actually fought a juvenile ss mutant when I already told you to run away?"

    Nathan nodded with a solemn expression. "I know that the way I have been acting might make me look like a coward, running away and stuff like that. However, just letting several innocent people die puts a bad taste in my mouth.

    "Of course, I won''t risk my life if I''m fully aware that stopping the enemy will change nothing. That''s why I can only say, I don''t like fighting in a battle I don''t have the chance to win."

    Vivian looked at him for a moment before pinching the bridge of her nose. "I won''t lecture you any further. This is your life, so I won''t control you. However, do remember that there are people who will be sad if you are gone."

    "I understand. I''m sorry." Nathan lowered his head.

    "Either way, you have received all the cores, right?"

    "Yes. Is there any difference between a normal core and a mutant core?" Nathan asked.

    "The mutant has Ena at least 2 to 5 times the alien of the same ss. In addition, the mutant core won''t give you that ufortable feeling, meaning that it''s absorbed into your body right away."

    "Oh." Nathan nodded.

    "It seems you also have a mature ss core. What are you nning to do with it?"

    "I don''t know yet. I''m not sure whether I''m strong enough to swallow the mature ss core or not."

    Vivian didn''t answer immediately. Instead, she came to Nathan and grabbed his arm. She noticed the flow of Ena in his body and the robustness of his muscles.

    "I never thought you would be this strong in such a short amount of time. With this body, you should be able to absorb the mature ss core. I will allow it." Vivian nodded.

    Now that he thought about it, one full day hadn''t passed yet ever since the contract. It seemed that because of Anubis'' super strength, he could actually absorb the core. If he added Fenrir''s strength into the mix, he might not have trouble swallowing the core.

    "Is there anything that you''d like to know? You have done a great job in defeating a juvenile ss mutant and leading the mission. I believe I should reward you as your teacher. Is there anything you want?"

    Nathan looked down for a moment. He never thought he would get this opportunity. Although this was reckless, he had to do it for the sake of the third familiar. "Is there any way for me to find anything rted to a dragon like a dragon scale, dragon blood, or something?"

    Vivian was shocked by the request, but she didn''t reject him immediately. She actually considered Nathan''s current situation before saying, "I''ll try."

    "Thank you so much." Nathan looked excited, as he could finallyplete his preparation to summon the third familiar.

    "Anything else?"

    "No. That''s all."

    "Alright." Vivian suddenly caught him off guard when she hugged him. She said, "I''m d that you''re fine, but don''t be too reckless next time."

    "This¡­" Nathan thought Vivian was a strict teacher, but she turned out to be emotional. It was probably because Nathan almost died that it reminded her of her past.

    Vivian let him go after half a minute. "You should get some rest for today and just take the cores tomorrow."

    "Yes." Nathan nodded while thinking, ''I wonder how much Ena would the mutant core and the mature ss core give me? It should be enough to summon the third familiar, I guess.

    ''Now that I think about it, I haven''t asked about Selena''s absorption rate. How much Ena does she get from one proto-ss core?'' Nathan thought while opening the door.

    To his surprise, Selena was actually waiting for him outside. She was holding a briefcase that contained her new stuff as if she had just picked it and waited for him here.

 Chapter 86: Monstrous Talent

    "Selena? Are you waiting for me? But wait¡­" Nathan looked back and noticed what was going on. "Since when did you know?"

    "From the beginning. I just happened to see you meeting her in the cafeteria after the terrorist attack."

    "Just happened?" Nathan squinted his eyes. If it was about the terrorist attack, they definitely went separate ways. Alisha wasn''t enough to connect him with Vivian. Was it really a coincidence?

    Selena fell silent for a moment before looking away. "I was curious."

    Nathan chuckled. "Hahaha!"

    "Why are youughing?"

    "Nothing. I''m just thinking that your face and your way of speaking are so different from each other to the point where it makes you cute."

    "¡­" Selena''s body twitched. Even though she didn''t blush, it was clear that she was embarrassed and was a bit angry at Nathan for teasing her. She said, "There is nothing cute about a girl who has lost her expression."

    "You don''t have to smile to show you are happy, you don''t need to cry to express your sorrow¡­Your words, actions, or just even your small habit can express everything. That''s what the ''experts'' on Re-Edit said."

    "Re-Edit?" Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    "It''s nothing. Just amunity for usmoners. Don''t worry about it."

    Selena nodded.

    "By the way, how much do you know about the next event? I heard you bet on it in the summoners war."

    "I don''t know much, but I have heard something like another trip. But this time, it''s a group survival or something. Then again, they are pretty much changing it every year, so no one can really guarantee that is true."

    "I see." Nathan nodded in understanding. "Alright. I don''t know if we can get a mission or not since I have to wait for my teacher''s confirmation, but if we can''t, you''ll probably need to choose the mission."

    "Alright."

    "There is something I''m curious about. The crystal that I gave you¡­" Nathan paused, hesitant to ask it since it was private information.

    "After doing some calctions, I should have had around 2,500 Ena in the beginning. I have arge amount of Ena to begin with, which causes the academy to scout me immediately.

    "Currently, I have 1,300 Ena in my reserve and each proto-ss core gives me 10 Ena. I don''t know if it''s high, but it shouldn''t be low." Selena worded it in a way that she was aware of her talent, but not bragged too much about it.

    However, Nathan couldn''t help but take a step back, looking at Selena as if she was a monster.

    He was screaming, ''What the heck? 10 Ena per core? I only get like 5 Ena every three cores. How is this fair?

    ''Do you know how many cores I have swallowed? And what''s the heck with that monstrous absorption rate? I don''t know the scale for each quality, but with that talent, her quality should be at the perfect level and¡­ it''s possible for it to be at a high tier. In other words, the highest quality the world knows. It''s insane.''

    From Nathan''s reaction, she realized that people had their respective rate, and Nathan''s was much lower than her. It might even be lower than a half, not lower than a quarter.

    She finally realized that despite having such a talent, Nathan was able to keep up just fine. He must have worked extremely hard and wasn''t too shy to ask for guidance.

    It was because of this quality that Selena respected him much more than the rest of the ss.

    ''Well, I can probably reach that once I absorb more and more cores to level up. When I reached the Good Quality before summoning Anubis, I got 2 Ena per core, so it''s doable. I''ll just continue at my own pace and get thestugh,'' thought Nathan.

    Nathan crossed his arms and muttered, "If we are looking at the absorption rate, there is a high chance that in the future, there will be an additional test for the admission exam. They''ll be testing the student''s rate so that they don''t have to get more cores than they can expect from others with higher talents."

    Nathan simply said that people like him would be cut off in the future, yet he remained calm as if he could be a prime example that this talent, while it affected a person''s growth, was unnecessary to take into ount.

    Selena paused for a moment before asking, "Can I ask you something I''m troubled with?"

    "Yes?"

    "I''m thinking about learning from all four departments right now. Am I being too greedy? The Combat Department will be good to hone my fighting skill, the Magic Department can give me some ideas what I''m supposed to do, the Command Department will allow me to gain a better field of vision while still fighting in the front, andstly the Research Department can help me understand my familiars."

    "Aren''t you being too greedy?"

    "The Magic Department and Combat Department are basically the same for my fighting style, so it''s not like I waste my time. The Command Department is probably taking too much of my time, but I have been in the Research Department this whole time."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "Why don''t you just join the Magic Department together with me? I think it should be possible for us to spar? I also need some experience in close quarterbat. Fenrir and Anubis will probably be enough to teach us."

    "Oh!" Selena nodded in agreement. If Nathan was willing to ask them, she had no reason to reject. "I''ll still help you with the exploding Ena. If you want to learn anything else, you can ask me. I''ll teach you if it''s something I can do."

    "Thank you. In that case, let''s meet again tomorrow and prepare for the next event. It should be one and a half months after the battle royale, right?"

    "Yes. We have plenty of time to get missions."

    Nathan nodded and waved his hand while walking away. In his heart, his fire was zing at full force. He truly had to work even harder from this point on or Selena wouldpletely surpass him.

 Chapter 87: Nathans Choice

    "Hahahaha. She is going to surpass you!" Fenrirughed out loud.

    "That''s true. You will have no choice but to follow her from now on." Anubis also did the same.

    Both of them looked happy after Nathan shared Selena''s talent. He was silent the whole time, watching these two betray him.

    "Now you finally understand that you need to get power before women." Fenrir grinned.

    "I agree with him this time." Anubis nodded. "You can get all the women you want if you have power. If you can''t get them, that means you don''t use enough power."

    Nathan sighed. "You guys are always saying power, power, power. I admit that you guys are correct, but I''m a guy who likes to enjoy the moment as well. It''s not about the end goal for me. The progress, the journey, the scenery¡­ I want to experience it all." Nathan shrugged.

    "Yeah, but it didn''t change the fact that she was attracted to you because of your power. If you didn''t summon us, would it be the same?"

    "¡­" Nathan''s body shook as he tried to refute it. "This bro is charming. Besides, I can create art!"

    "Art? You haven''t even picked up anything that can be called art."

    "Bullshit is an art, you don''t know that?" Nathan shrugged.

    Fenrir clicked his tongue while Anubis asked, "Still, it doesn''t change the fact that she is more talented than you right now. You might be able to raise your talent as you raise your level, but she will probably shoot up so high that you won''t be able to catch up to her by that time. It''s not like you''re going to ept if she gives you the cores, right?"

    Nathan looked away, unable to deny all those ims. "Maybe I should just focus on myself and get as much Ena as I can to increase my talent. After that, I will abandon you two instead of sacrificing my Ena."

    "You dare!" Anubis stood up while Fenrir shouted, "I''m going to bite yours off so that you can''t chase women if you dare!"

    Nathan let out a long sigh.

    "And who is the divine beast that gives you that confidence? You said he came from the same myth as me, but because I was locked up back then, so I never met him." Fenrir asked.

    Nathan opened the briefcase Alisha gave him earlier, showing a root filled enormous amount of Ena. There wasn''t a single leak on the briefcase, so they didn''t realize it contained such a powerful material.

    "What is this? I can see that it''s possessing as much power as I do at my peak." Anubis frowned.

    Fenrir squinted his eyes. "A tree root?"

    "Yep, specifically, the divine tree''s root." Nathan nodded. "I''m nning to summon a dragon that gnaws at the root of the Yggdrasil. A divine tree''s root is the perfect substitute for it. This dragon is known to have the power of chaos and destruction."

    This was Nathan''s choice because they were limited to resources and information.

    "Heh? Is he strong?"

    "Well,pared to other dragons that I know, he is strong, but not the strongest."

    "Not the strongest?"

    "There are a lot of strong dragons after all. For example, Tiamat. She is the primordial dragon goddess representing the chaos of the ocean."

    When they heard the example, both Fenrir and Anubis looked at him in disgust.

    As if he knew everything about him, Fenrir said, "You give that example because you think she will have a human form and create a harem of your own, right?"

    "¡­" Nathan fell silent, not denying or confirming. He ignored it and added, "There is also Fafnir, a greedy dragon in the same myth as you Fenrir. Or Quetzalcoatl, a serpent dragon from Aztec Mythology, or Shenlong, a dragon god that controls the weather. I might probably need to gather seven dragon balls to sacrifice before I can summon him, anyway¡­

    "There are a lot of examples, but I''m not very sure what items I need to sacrifice and how I can get those items. Meanwhile, I can get this root easily because of my teacher. Hence, I n to summon Nidhogg."

    Anubis couldn''t help but ask, "If that''s the case, shouldn''t you use money to bring out that greedy dragon?"

    Nathan pointed at the root and said, "This one is free."

    "He probably meant to use the money to bring out a dragon and use the root for another familiar."

    "I don''t know what I can summon with the root alone. Am I going to summon the Yggdrasil? But I don''t think a tree is considered a beast, right?"

    "Fair enough."

    "Anyway, I''m nning to have this new guy and you two to have 1,000 Ena each before the next event. Of course, I''ll also have a simr amount of Ena," Nathan exined.

    "For that, you need to hunt a lot of aliens." Anubis nodded in agreement. "We''ll help as much as we can."

    Fenrir nodded, so Nathan asked, "Speaking of helping, Fenrir, I need your strength enhancement so that I can absorb the mature ss core. I''m nning to absorb the proto-ss first so that I have enough to reach the good quality again. With this, I can get 2 Ena per core, which means getting more Ena when I swallow the mutant and mature ss cores."

    "Sounds good enough." Fenrir agreed to lend him and immediately established the contract.

    After all the preparation was ready, Nathan sat down on the bed and started swallowing the cores one by one.

    As soon as he finished all the proto-ss cores, he moved to the mutant core. Nothing happened like Vivian said, so he could proceed with the mature ss core.

    The mature ss core was actually a little bigger than the proto-ss core, but the Ena concentrated inside was much more potent.

    He was slightly nervous because Vivian had to inspect him first before giving him the permission to swallow it.

    The moment he devoured this core, Nathan learned why she needed to do that.

    "!!!"

    Nathan''s eyes rolled up as his body fell to the bed and arched before he started screaming. "Aaaahhhhhhh!"

 Chapter 88: Upgraded Soul Contract

    "Aaaahhhh!"

    Nathan had expected a more ufortable feeling than a proto-ss since he had found the same thing when he absorbed the juvenile ss.

    Never in his wildest dream would he think of pain when absorbing a core.

    His eyes were rolling back, leaving only the white behind. His body first arched up before it started writhing on the bed. He kept clutching his chest as the pain was concentrated in that part, as if the core was stuck on his trachea.

    The pain was not ordinary. He managed to endure the excruciating pain from getting stabbed, yet Nathan actually screamed like never seen before. The pain must be unimaginable.

    "Oi, stupid dog! What is happening here? What is going on? Heal him!" Fenrir panicked.

    "I don''t know. This must be a reaction to eating the core. There should be no problem." Anubis gritted his teeth. He was using his healing ability, but there was no effect.

    "Then what are we going to do? The reaction has never been this severe."

    They didn''t know what was going on or what they were supposed to do. After all, Nathan''s knowledge about summoning was limited, which reflected to them.

    "Calm down for a second." Anubis observed Nathan and said, "From what I can see, he is only experiencing pain. And he is trying to maintain his consciousness. Since there is no injury, it means that the core is merging with him, but the problem is that... he has your strength enhancement."

    "Is it relevant?"

    "This is just a theory, but it seems that to swallow a higher ss core, you need a sturdier body. He must have asked someone about it and gotten permission since he suddenly requested your strength."

    "But it works, right? There''s no way the soul contract doesn''t work. You should know that."

    "I know. But what if..." Anubis fell silent for a moment. "What if it was because it is artificial that he bes like this?"

    "!!!" Fenrir widened his eyes in shock. "Is he going to die?"

    "I don''t know. All we can do is observe him or find someone who knows about it. But if he has received permission, that means he''s already qualified to absorb it, right?"

    Fenrir frowned beforeing to the same conclusion. "Then all we need to do is observe him?"

    "Yeah."

    The two gradually calmed down, even though it was ufortable to see him writhing in pain. They didn''t mindughing at him or teasing him, but they didn''t want him to be hurt.

    Nathan kept enduring the pain for more than an hour. The room had been soundproofed since the room was their private space to talk with their familiars within the academy. Then again, some students were going on a mission and some were not even in their room. Thest few people that were currently inside their room either didn''t hear it or didn''t want to bother with it.

    That was also why no one would help if Fenrir and Anubis refused to call for help.

    After an hour, Nathan had stopped screaming even though he was still wriggling around. It took two whole hours before he finally stopped moving.

    "Ha... Ha..." Nathan panted heavily. His throat was dry because he kept screaming. Even though Anubis kept healing him, he still needed water.

    Fenrir also jumped to the bed, asking with a worried expression, "How do you feel right now? Is there anything wrong? Do you need anything?"

    "One... minute..." Nathan answered weakly as Anubis grabbed a cup of water with his bandage and gave it to him.

    Nathan didn''t immediately grab it.

    After a few minutes, Nathan gradually stood up, his body drenched in sweat. He grabbed the cup and drank like he hadn''t drunk anything in thest few days.

    "Ha... Ha... What is that?" Nathan didn''t want to recall the pain at all. It was unimaginably painful. It felt like his body was being torn apart.

    "Was it like Anubis said? Was it because of the artificial strength that you were like this?"

    "I don''t know. I should probably ask my teacher about it." Nathan shook his head helplessly. "I''m scared that I will have to get used to this kind of pain... won''t I be an M at that time?"

    Anubis and Fenrir didn''t know what he was talking about.

    "Anyway, I think that the pain I endure is nothingpared to the thing I gain." The pain had indeed subsided after an hour, but his head was ringing after that, giving him some weird understanding that he couldn''t even exin.

    "What did you get?" Fenrir asked.

    Before answering to Fenrir, Nathan walked to the mirror and saw his status, finally understanding what happened.

    Name: Nathan Reckmoon.

    Level: 67

    Race: Human

    Quality: Good (Mid)

    "As expected..." Nathan chuckled. "My quality has reached mid-tier."

    "What?" Fenrir gasped. "How much Ena did the mutant core and the mature ss core contained?"

    "I don''t know, but it should be a lot." Nathan took a deep breath. "What I get this time is my soul contract getting upgraded."

    "Soul Contract is getting upgraded? What can you do?" Fenrir looked shocked.

    "Soul Contract is a versatile and omnipotent ability if you look at it from a certain perspective. It allows you to establish a contract with us, or probably other humans, if it''s possible." Anubis squinted his eyes, unable to imagine what kind of power he got from the upgrade.

    Nathan smirked. "With this new contract, I can actually form a contract with an element in a certain area. For example, if I make a contract with a fire, I will be able to control that fire. If I make a contract with the wind, I''ll control the wind in a certain area. There is range and limit, but it''s actually pretty strong if you think about it."

    "That is true, but what is the price?"

    "The price is the same. It means I sacrifice the Ena for that area? Or maybe it''s more urate that I release the Ena back to nature?"

    Anubis thought for a moment. "Doesn''t that mean it''s a double-edged sword?"

    "Yes. If I sacrifice a huge amount of Ena, it might be extremely powerful. But I''ll lose that Ena permanently. In other words, this is my trump card that can probably save my life in the future. I just wish I didn''t need to use it. The loss of Ena is simply saddening."

    Both Anubis and Fenrir knew that ability was extremely powerful, since he could contract an element. If they took another look, there was a chance that Nathan could contract an object like a desk or anything, which could be a weapon or something.

    If Nathan kept progressing this way, the Soul Contract might be an extremely powerful ability.

    And Nathan was the one possessing it. They knew Nathan could bring the best out of that ability... or at least, much better than them.

    That was what made Anubis and Fenrir excited. What if Nathan had too much Ena to spare in the future? That contract might end up bing permanent.

    It seemed that there was still a lot to see from this summoner of theirs.

 Chapter 89: Letter of Recommendation

    "So you felt excruciating pain..." Vivian nodded in understanding. As if she had expected this oue, Vivian asked, "How long did it take for you to pass out?"

    "I didn''t. I endured it all." Nathan shook his head, thinking, ''I have seen plenty of this scenario ying in those cultivation type novels. If they are experiencing pain, they will have to endure it and can''t pass out. The moment they pass out, their body will explode. That''s why I endured it to the best of my ability.''

    To his surprise, Vivian was taken aback by the deration. "You didn''t pass out?"

    "Yes. Is there a problem?" Nathan frowned.

    "What is actually happening to your body when you ingest the core?" Vivian moved to the ckboard on the side and grabbed a picture of human anatomy.

    She pointed at the mouth with her wooden stick. "The core will melt and enter your body in the form of Ena. As you already know, your body is a beacon, but at the same time, it''s a container for this Ena.

    "This is actually the special trait of a summoner, which differentiates between a summoner and a normal person. Only those who have the body that can contain Ena will be a summoner.

    "After swallowing the core, the Ena will spread all over your body, trying to escape, but because everything has been sealed, the Ena can''t go out.

    "As a result, your body''s metabolism will proceed in integrating this Ena into your body, trapping it forever.

    "What makes you ufortable is your body working harder than usual, but everything is done automatically by your body.

    "In that case, what will happen if you swallow a higher ss core or multiple cores at once? Your body will have to work even harder, which will cause even more difort.

    "What if you push that body to the limit by maybe absorbing an even more powerful core? Your body will overheat. As a result, you''ll experience that kind of pain.

    "If you get knocked out, it won''t change much other than the fact your metabolism will slow down, which means it will take a longer time to finish. You will be unconscious for as long as that duration or even longer, which is dangerous if you do it in a dangerous ce.

    "However, it won''t harm your body or kill you. Your body has a certain limit, so unless that limit is surpassed, your body will be able to endure it. On the other hand, if you swallow two mature ss cores at once, you will surely die.

    "I want you to learn from this not to swallow a lot of pills at once. Know your limit so that it won''t endanger your life. Being too greedy will destroy you after all."

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. His mind was screaming, ''So it''s okay if I pass out? Those motherfuckers keep writing that you can''t pass out every time... cultivation scam... then again, this is not a cultivation world.''

    Nathan let out a long sigh. "I understand. I''ll know my limit."

    "Your current limit is the mature ss alien core. If you absorb more than that, you will die."

    "Yes." Nathan nodded with a serious expression.

    Vivian took out two letters and handed them to him. "This is the letter of rmendation from the principal. Our principal might have a unique personality, but he has a broad connection, including to the man called the Dragon King. He is the man who has the draconian I mentioned in the past.

    "I have written the instructions as to where to go and how you can visit him, as well as the map. Just follow them, and you''ll meet that person. The second one is the rmendation letter from the principal.

    "After defeating Noelle, you have piqued a lot of people''s interests. I''m afraid that not only the nobles in this kingdom, but also people from other kingdoms have heard about you.

    "After all, you have confirmed that you are not only unique, but also very strong. The principal and probably the Dragon King have heard about you and definitely would like to meet you.

    "However, he puts out three conditions. As long as you can fulfill those three conditions, he will give you not only a drop of the draconian''s blood but also a scale.

    "First of all, you are going toplete a mission from him. He will give you the details himself. The second condition is allowing him to watch you perform the summoning ritual. He is probably trying to see the dragon you manage to summon.

    "Last but not least, if you truly summon a dragon, he would like to ask for a drop of its blood."

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. "A drop of dragon''s blood? Teacher..."

    "I know. Those are his conditions. As for the third condition, I think you can talk to him personally. He is a fierce man, but he is a good guy that can be reasoned with. If you reject it, he won''t do anything to you."

    Nathan thought for a moment. He asked, "Did he mention anything about bringing someone else?"

    "No. That means you are allowed to bring Selena with you if you want. Regarding Selena, I also want to warn you about something." Vivian''s expression turned solemn. "Beware of the Ashton family. If there is someone who doesn''t want Selena to seed, it will be them. I don''t think they''re going to make their move soon, but they will definitelye."

    "Are you going to persuade me to not approach her?"

    "Why would I persuade you? I just want to warn you, so if you decide to do it, you are already aware of the risk. You are a smart person, so I will trust your judgment. And it seems that the principal is still sour about me getting you. He might end up getting Selena for himself, considering her hidden talent is enormous."

    "Hahaha." Nathan nodded his head. "I understand. In that case, I''ll make preparations to go there."

 Chapter 90: Reactions

    As Vivian said, a lot of nobles or even kingdoms heard about Nathan.

    The one with the biggest reaction was actually the king of the Azilia Kingdom, Julius Davetta Ezelia.

    After wearing his crown for over forty years, the king was giving an atmosphere of a kind and benevolent king. While sitting on his throne and looking at the empty room, he couldn''t help but chuckle. "Did you hear that, Zack? Your daughter lost to a freshman."

    The Zack in his mouth was one of the best swordsmen in the Azilia Kingdom, serving as the vice captain of the royal guard, Zack mante.

    He had a rather gentle appearance, despite serving as the royal guard. He was wearing a ck-colored uniform with a sword hanging on his waist.

    While resting his hand on his sword, he said, "My apologies, Your Majesty. My daughter has disappointed you."

    Despite apologizing, Zack didn''t even put down that hand from his sword, so he knew Zack didn''t mean itpletely.

    However, Julius didn''t get angry. He simply said, "We know your daughter is an irondy. That''s why I''m even more impressed by the boy who manages to take her down. You''re not going to punish him, right?"

    Zack shook his head. "Why should I be angry?"

    "For example, honor!"

    "Honor can''t protect the kingdom from those aliens. If there is someone talented emerging in our kingdom, it''s only right to rejoice. Besides, it''s just losing once. I have lost multiple times and learned from every single one of them. As long as we can learn from our mistakes, why should we get angry? My daughter and I are not that petty."

    "I thought about asking Flora to make him her retainer, but I guess I don''t have to."

    "From what my daughter said, her highness has invited him to join the student council."

    "Flora might be yful, but she is wise enough to know what she should do and shouldn''t. That''s why I entrusted the matter regarding the Frexia Academy to her. If needed, she will probably try to sponsor him to establish the connection. The problem is..." Julius paused.

    Zack squinted his eyes and muttered one name. "The Ashton family."

    "Yes. After Count Ashton disappeared, the acting Count can''t bepared to him in any field. For someone as power hungry as him without having the ability to back him up, he will probably try to send the daughter of Count Ashton away with either political marriage or assassination."

    "Should we warn him, Your Majesty?" Zack asked.

    "Not yet. This can be served as a way to establish a connection and see the qualifications that both of them have."

    "Selena Ashton and Farmer Nathan..." Zack noticed something. "Your Majesty. Are you..."

    Julius smirked. "We always know that rtionships will grow stronger during hardship. That''s why it''s better to leave them be.

    "Besides, if that farmer boy is indeed exceptional, he will be able to ovee it. His teacher, Vivian, won''t let them kill him anyway.

    "Who do you think is the easiest person to flee from this kingdom? It''s the people from the slums. The second? It''s themon people.

    "They don''t have a lot, so it doesn''t cost them as much to move to other kingdoms. However, what if he marries into the Ashton family? He can''t leave the kingdom as easily. Basically, Selena Ashton is a key to retain that farmer boy from getting swayed by other countries.

    "And from what I''ve heard, Selena Ashton is as talented as her ancestor. If that''s the case, what kind of talented child will be born between a mother with monstrous talent and a father who has a unique summon?"

    There was no need for the king to continue. Zack couldn''t imagine it, but he was sure it would be extraordinary.

    Having such a talent in their country was something they should be joyful about.

    "I see." Zack nodded. "Congrattions, Your Majesty. You have just got two talented individuals."

    ...

    Ashton Family.

    "You said that Selena Ashton won''t be able to do anything in the academy. Look at what she has be. Her talent has been known around the kingdom!" A high-pitched voice echoed from inside the room.

    Inside, there was a middle-aged woman pping the wooden table, releasing her frustration. She was none other than Selena''s formerly second mother, whoter married to her uncle for the sake of position.

    Unlike the king, who valued the talents emerging in his kingdom, the acting Count was crushing the paper in his hand while gnashing his teeth.

    "Selena Ashton! Again and again! You just have to keeping back like a cockroach. If you think you can escape your fate, then you''re dead wrong."

    He had read about Selena''s aplishments, from her extraordinary strength to her new species familiar. If this continued, it wouldn''t be weird for Serena to be one of the best in the academy after one or two years and even join the student council.

    While there was indeed no guarantee she could summon a vampire progenitor, it didn''t change the fact that she could still reim her right as the family''s rightful heir if she made a lot of connections.

    "Tell Victor to observe her movement."

    "Observing her alone won''t do anything!" She red at him. "That slut is clinging to a man who is rumored to be the disciple of that Vivian!"

    "Shut up! You are the same. Just tell him to inform us when she is gone. Even if we can''t do anything to her inside the academy, there is no telling if an ident happens while she is outside." The acting Count banged the table louder than her, showing his frustration because he was the one who had to do it, unlike her, who could onlyin.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Serena were already in front of the academy.

    "Young master. Are you going to be alright?" Alisha looked worried, fully aware of what kind of person they were going to meet.

    "I know, Alisha. I''ll be careful." Nathan nodded. "I''m already grateful enough that I can get an opportunity to meet such a powerful figure. Besides, Selena is here with me."

    Alisha sighed. "I understand. As usual, I''ll be waiting for your return."

    "Yep." Nathan waved his hand as he walked away with Selena.

 Chapter 91: Visiting the Dragon King

    "This is Solerei City," Selena muttered while looking around. The city gave a different vibe than all the cities she had visited before.

    The city was thebination of civilization and nature. There were a lot of tall trees with houses at the top, and each of them was connected either withdders or bridges. Several buildings were also erected on the ground between the trees. Unlike the ones at the top, they were made of bricks and other more robust materials.

    The buildings'' shapes looked mostly like a box, but that simplicity allowed a lot of other species to live.

    There was a man with cat ears running on the wooden bridge, there was a group of harpies hanging around on the tree''s branches, and there were even humans and other races hanging around and drinking together on the side of the street.

    "This is a ce where familiars can mingle with others freely. It doesn''t matter if you are a human or any other race, they guarantee your right." Selena inhaled deeply, impressed by the sight.

    All those giant trees made the city even more look majestic, which took Nathan''s breath away.

    "Where are we supposed to go?" Selena asked.

    Nathan opened the letter and read it for her. "There is a white-colored building two blocks away from here. It has a golden dragon que on it, so we have to go there and ask about the dragon king''s current whereabouts."

    "Then, let''s go."

    "Sure." Nathan took the lead while reading the instruction.

    It didn''t take them a lot of time to find the building, especially with such a huge que hanging on top of its door.

    The man known as the Dragon King was actually a leader of a mercenary organization, so the building they were asked to go to was actually one of its branches.

    Nathan and Selena entered the building casually, finding an empty hall with two people standing behind a counter.

    "Hello. I''ve been told to show this letter upon arrival." Nathan showed the letter of rmendation, but surprisingly, the receptionists recognized the seal used in that letter.

    One of them immediately said, "We have been notified about your arrival, Mr. Nathan. If you want to meet sir Dragon King, you can visit the hill on the east. It shouldn''t be too far away from this city."

    "Oh? Thank you." Nathan nodded as he couldn''t help but think, ''That was rather easy. I guess there won''t be anyone suddenly appearing out of nowhere that questions my identity.''

    Once they left the building, Nathan asked, "I guess we should find a carriage going to that hill."

    "No. I''ll ask Risa and Sasha to help." Selena asked.

    "That''s also an option." Now that Nathan thought about it, Vivian had never given him an allowance. He thought he needed to sell a core or something to raise enough money for the carriage, but it was unnecessary.

    As soon as they left the city, Selena summoned her two familiars.

    "Risa. You carry him," said Selena. Considering Risa knew more about Nathan, it was only natural.

    "I''ll be in your care." Nathan nodded to Risa.

    "Yes." Risa moved to his back and circled her arms around Nathan''s chest. "Are you ready?"

    "Anytime."

    Before Risa started flying, she fell silent for a moment. "Hmm?"

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "It''s nothing." Risa shook her head. "You just smell good. What perfume are you using?"

    "Huh?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "I don''t use one."

    "Really?" Risa looked shocked.

    "What are you two doing?" Selena asked, her eyes slightly squinting as if she was a bit displeased.

    "Ah. It''s nothing!" Nathan waved his hand as Risa nodded her head and took off.

    This was the first time Risa was so close to Nathan that she didn''t realize that her drool was leaking out of the corner of her lips when flying. Her head remained close to Nathan''s neck, as if it were responding to her natural instinct. Because Selena had been giving her blood from time to time, she had never had a craving for blood, so she didn''t notice something was weird about Nathan.

    Of course, it also meant Nathan didn''t know Risa''s weird behavior. They simply flew to the afore-mentioned hill, which took less than twenty minutes to arrive.

    "I guess we have to climb the hill and find him somewhere. Is this hide and seek or something?" Nathan muttered while raising his head.

    "I''m here to help." Selena assured him.

    When they were about to climb the hill, a roar suddenly broke the silence of the hill.

    "Raaaaa!"

    The ground shook, and the trees were swaying as if they were being blown by that roar.

    "How can a human''s roar be this loud?" Nathan covered his ears. Selena dropped her rod, feeling her eardrums were about to burst.

    Nathan immediately summoned Fenrir and Anubis.

    That was when a silhouette suddenly jumped into the air. They couldn''t look at this person as his back was facing the sun.

    "Run away!" Fenrir shouted while Anubis said, "There is someone who has the power equal to a hero?"

    "!!!" Nathan raised his eyebrows. A person Anubis recognized as a hero was definitely not a weak man, as he wasparing it to his peak state. ''A heroic figure? Something like Siegfried or Chiron?''

    That personnded in front of them. Hisnding was so rough that he ended up creating a small crater underneath him. Even then, this person was still looking at them from above.

    Nathan might not be the tallest, but he wasn''t that short either. Yet, this man was significantly taller than him. His spiky hair might have turned white, but that big, muscr body still didn''t lose its intensity despite his old age.

    He gave the feeling of a beast, simr to Fenrir and Anubis. Even those two were ready to create an opportunity for Nathan to run away.

    The man looked at Nathan as a smirk appeared on his face. "So you are Vivian''s disciple, Nathan. I''ve heard that you''re looking for me."

    Nathan raised his head. Despite him not exuding killing intent or pressuring him, Nathan''s body was shaking. Yet Nathan clenched his fists as a small, excited smile appeared on his face. ''So this man is the dragon king?''

 Chapter 92: Dragon Kings Request

    ''So this man is the dragon king.'' Nathan tried his best to calm down, even though the natural aura of this man kept attacking him like a beast staring at its prey. Nathan took a deep breath and politely bowed to him. "It''s an honor to meet you, sir Dragon King. I am Nathan, the disciple of the Forest Queen Vivian."

    Nathan took out the letter of rmendation and presented it to him. "This is the letter from the principal."

    A small smile appeared on the Dragon King''s face. Even though he could see his hands were trembling, Nathan managed to regain hisposure quickly.

    Selena surprisingly did the same, even though she took a few seconds more.

    "Since you are here, does that mean you have agreed with my condition?"

    "About that¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    "What? I believe I have been generous enough." The Dragon King squinted his eyes, pressuring Nathan.

    On the other hand, Nathan simply said, "I''ve heard that Solerei City is a city that your familiars get their right recognized like any other summoners. If I agree to your condition, specifically your third condition, I''m afraid that I''m treating my familiar like an object of trade."

    The Dragon King squinted his eyes, but Nathan chose to confront him.

    "So you are saying you want me to get your familiar''s agreement?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded. "If I can''t do that, I will take my leave and apologize for wasting your time."

    "Does that even matter? I can force you to stay here forever." The Dragon King smirked.

    Nathan gulped down. If the Dragon King wanted to kill him, he could kill him with a flick of his finger.

    However, Nathan remained as calm as possible and said, "I don''t think someone as wise as the Dragon King will do something like that."

    "Hoh? Do you think I''m afraid of your teacher? Vivian is still a junior to me. I couldn''t care less about her opinion."

    "Not at all. I''m just thinking that you''ll be in a lot of trouble if you kill me. First of all, I''m here because of the principal''s permission. And if you''re nning to eliminate me, it means that there will be a lot of people getting pissed because they won''t likely find the reason for my unique summoning. And of course, you''ll be held ountable."

    "They won''t offend me just because of a brat like you."

    "Really?" Nathan smirked.

    The Dragon King squinted his eyes. The pressure became even more overbearing, which made Nathan''s face turn pale.

    However, the pressure soon disappeared to the point where Nathan couldn''t feel anything from him.

    The Dragon King said, "Fine by me. I finally understand what kind of person you are through that conversation. In fact, you must have realized that I''m just testing you, right?"

    "Ahahaha. I don''t dare to im I''ve seen through your test. If not, my body won''t be shaking." Even though Nathan said it that way, his mind was screaming another thing, ''Hahaha. I have seen a lot of old men testing with this kind of pressure. Too easy.''

    The Dragon King said, "In that case, I''ll be getting your familiar''s permission first, but you also have to help persuade your familiar. If he still doesn''t agree, we can forget about it."

    "Understood." Nathan nodded.

    "You don''t have the problem with the other two conditions?"

    "It is only right for me to do something for the Dragon King in exchange for the blood and the scale. As for watching me summon my third familiar, I can only say that there is no one more reliable than having you.

    "After all, both of us want the summoning to seed." Nathan smiled.

    "Who knows? I might not want you to seed, especially a sly brat like you."

    "Please don''t joke around. You are probably the person who wants this summoning to seed the most. Not only do you want to see the real dragon, but you are also wanting its blood. If that''s the case, it means you want that blood either for yourself or someone you hold dearly."

    "Oi." The Dragon King''s expression turned cold.

    "My apologies. I have crossed the line."

    "Pfft!" The Dragon King suddenly burst intoughter, which startled Nathan and Selena. He said, "Hahaha. You think you have crossed the line? You are not though. In fact, the mission is rted to that. I just want to see your face when you are in trouble."

    "¡­" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. How could he be this petty?

    The Dragon King turned serious and looked to the east. "On the eastern border, there is a small breach. I''ve gotten a report from my subordinates that they have patched the hole, but there are still a lot of aliens scattered in our territory.

    "I want you to meet my daughter over there. I''m assuming that she is nning to take down a mature ss alien."

    "Do you want me to help her against the mature ss alien? I don''t think I''m that capable."

    "I know. What I want you to do is actually show off. I have been thinking of putting her into an academy, but she has never gone to one. Due to her talent, there are many people trying to invite her to various academies, but she always wants to remain in the mercenary group.

    "Although I''m impressed by her dedication, I want her to enjoy a normal life for her age. So if you go there, I just want you to help her, maybe showing off a bit, which will pique her interest in going to the academy."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "I don''t think I have that power."

    "Maybe, maybe not. But you should understand what I''m trying to do, right? Just do it. Even if you fail, I''ll still give you what I''ve promised. If you seed, I''ll throw some bonuses. What do you think?" The Dragon King asked.

    Nathan contemted before ncing at Selena. Thetter tilted her head in confusion. Nathan raised two fingers, "As long as you don''t mind the method, and the bonuses are for both of us. I have a high chance of making her go to the academy."

 Chapter 93: Scam

    The Dragon King considered his condition carefully before asking, "Will it put her in any harm?"

    "I don''t n to harm her." Nathan shook his head, assuring the Dragon King.

    "Alright. If you can make her go to the academy, I''ll ept. But remember, you will get nothing if you fail."

    "I''ll do my best." Nathan nodded.

    Selena had been observing their negotiation the whole time. There was no word to describe her shock.

    ''Did he actually negotiate terms with the Dragon King? Did he not know what kind of person the Dragon King is?'' Selena squinted her eyes, realizing that Nathan had been talking like an equal. And surprisingly, the Dragon King wasn''t displeased by the agreement.

    "Wait here for a bit." The Dragon King walked back to the forest and returned five minutester. He gave Nathan a small badge and said, "Go to Wals City next to the Blue River. Follow the river to the border and you will find the camp there.

    "Meet her and tell her that this is my order. You are to join her to deal with the aliens. However, she is in charge of the n. Follow whatever she asks, as long as it''s not sending you to your death.

    "She should be surrounded by several advisers of my group, so they will definitely regard my badge highly.

    "I know her character the most, so if you want to know everything, go to a bald, middle-aged man named Mando. He will exin everything to you. Any questions?"

    "No." Nathan shook his head.

    "In that case, I wish you luck. I truly hope that you''re able to convince her."

    "I''ll do my best."

    The Dragon King nodded as both of them politely bowed before taking their leave. He went back to the forest once again as if he continued his training.

    Meanwhile, Selena looked relieved that nothing happened.

    Risa and Sasha also felt like their hearts wanted to burst while Fenrir asked, "It seems that you have gotten more than what you''re nning for."

    "Indeed." Nathan couldn''t contain his grin.

    "Are you nning to get a lot of cores as a bonus?" Selena asked.

    "Eh? Why should I?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "Oh, you already have enough Ena to summon the dragon?"

    "Of course not."

    Selena became even more confused. "If you don''t have enough Ena, what are you going to do? You have to summon the dragon in front of him, you know."

    Nathan casually said, "Well, I just have to ask him. I mean, we have just summoned our second familiar not too long ago, you surely don''t think that we have enough Ena to summon the third one, right?

    "And since he is nning to watch, we might as well ask him for some cores to supply enough Ena for the summoning.

    "Of course, you can treat it as a bonus, but don''t forget that he will have to get the agreement of the dragon.

    "Since our familiar is aware of what is happening outside and what kind of person I''m, he is surely going to extort, ahem¡­ I mean, ask forpensation. Maybe more cores or something else.

    "Either way, I''m going to ask him to teach me a technique or something. Having the Dragon King to give you some advice or teach you a technique would definitely be worth more than mere cores, right?" With a huge grin on his face, he asked, "He won''t be that stingy, right?"

    Selena widened her eyes as if she couldn''t believe that Nathan was actually scamming the Dragon King. He just didn''t negotiate with him. Hepletely scammed him.

    Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched as he looked at Nathan while thinking, ''This guy¡­ Why does he sound like my father?''

    Anubis said, "But won''t that displease him if he finds out about it?"

    "Nope. If he was that petty, he would have stopped me from negotiating with him. He should have realized that I''m up to something, but he still agrees after not being able to figure out my intention.

    "Besides, all I ask is just to learn something. It''s not like I''m asking his daughter''s hand in marriage, so to be honest, it''s not that much. He won''t care about my request and will just treat it as an evaluation of me.

    "If he knows I''m like this, it''ll be easier for me to handle all the problems that might suddenly ur. In fact, he might evene to cooperate with me again. I have to be independent, so I have no choice but to take some risks and make a connection here and there."

    "So what are you nning to do to make his daughter go to the academy?"

    "Well, there are several ways. I think it''s better not to exin it because I need some sincere reaction or she might notice I''m just baiting her. Well, I can probably give you a clue. Remember what the Dragon King said earlier regarding the arrangement?

    "Yes. We''ll be under her."

    "No. I''m talking about the second part."

    "The man called Mando?"

    "Indeed. I''m nning to use him to create a situation for us. Since the Dragon King trusts him that much, it means that this guy is also in favor of sending her to the academy. If we can get his help, it''ll be much easier to convince her."

    Anubis nodded in understanding. Fenrir harrumphed as if he didn''t want to be tricked.

    Selena felt impressed by his thought. Despite being born as the son of a farmer, Nathan''s unique way of thinking bloomed even further in this kind of ce.

    She wondered how a farmer could have the courage to negotiate with the Dragon King, let alone demand things from him. She really had a lot of things to learn from him.

    Now that Fenrir and Anubis had been recalled, Risa and Sasha took off, returning to the teleportation circle.

    They didn''t bother to search for an inn since they would end up camping on the battlefield.

    Little did they know, this mission wouldn''t go as they expected.

 Chapter 94: Battlefield

    Nathan and Selena followed the instruction of the Dragon King and followed the Blue River.

    This was the first time they actually went to a battlefield, and while it wasn''t on the border, it was much closerpared to the Ten Forest.

    And the situation was much more chaotic than they ever imagined.

    "Doctor. We need treatments!"

    "Help!"

    "We need some help. This guy is dying!"

    A lot of soldiers and mercenaries were going back and forth, carrying injured people on the stretchers. One person had their entire arm gone as though it had been eaten, another person had a big hole in their body, and another one had their ear and a small portion of his head destroyed.

    It was at this moment that certain information clicked in their mind. The summoners were so rare that out of a thousand people, only one of them was a summoner.

    They had been so upied with the academy that they forgot about that fact.

    In this camp that seemed to have a thousand people, the most they had were probably several summoners. And that was because the Dragon King''s group had taken over the camp.

    Even then, the casualties didn''te only from the soldiers, but also from the normal mercenaries.

    They were wearing armor and holding high-quality weapons, but it didn''t change the fact that their bodies couldn''t contain Ena, which was what they needed to fight an alien.

    For the first time in their lives, they witnessed how chaotic and horrifying a battlefield could be.

    "¡­" Selena furrowed her eyebrows as she couldn''t help but grab Nathan''s sleeve. The atmosphere was differentpared to what she had endured so far.

    Nathan didn''t hesitate to take this chance to grab her hand and lead the way.

    There were a lot of tents erected in this camp. With a single nce, they could see the inside of a huge tent with tens of patients getting treated. Some were already crying as if they had lost theirrades, some managed to recover.

    Nathan kept going even though he didn''t know where he should find the Dragon King''s daughter.

    Nathan looked around, wondering if there was someone they could ask. Of course, Selena had recalled Risa and Sasha to avoid problems or unwarranted attention.

    Eventually, they found a huge tent with multiple guards standing in front of them. There might be amander of the army, so even if he couldn''t meet him, he could still ask for directions from the guard.

    Nathan approached the tent, which caused the guards to point out their spears at him. "Who are you?"

    Nathan pointed at his school uniform, specifically the badge on his chest.

    "We are summoners from the Frexia Academy. I am Nathan and she is Selena Ashton.

    "Under the instruction of sir Dragon King, we are looking for his mercenary group." Nathan exined while taking out the badge that the Dragon King gave him. "Do you know where it is?"

    "!!!" The guards widened their eyes in shock when they saw this badge. It had a pair of dragon wings attached to a crown. It was made from gold, which signified the status of the person.

    "Please wait for a minute." One of them hurriedly entered the tent and brought a bald, middle-middle aged man outside.

    He was a thin man that seemed to have no strength to even lift a gallon of water, but they could feel that there was something otherworldlying out of his body. "I am Mando from the Soaring Dragon Mercenary Squad. Are you the summoner that has the badge of the Dragon King?"

    "Yes." Nathan showed the badge to him while thinking, ''So this guy is Mando.''

    Mando took the badge and started releasing his Ena. The badge suddenly emitted a golden glow, which was enough for Mando to confirm their identity.

    He gave it back while saying, "I have received the guests of the Dragon King. May I know for what reason do you twoe here?"

    "The Dragon King asked us to join the mission. Of course, we''ll be following the instructions or n you have for us."

    "Is it because of the miss?"

    Nathan shook his head, hiding the agreement. "Not at all. The agreement is only between us and the Dragon King. It doesn''t involve anyone else."

    Mando nodded. "To be honest, there are already several groups of students roaming around here. All of them except for one group have gone. They are trying to recruit her, but you are probably the first one that manages to gain the favor of the Dragon King. Either way, if you need any help, juste to me."

    "Understood." Nathan nodded.

    "In that case, let me bring you inside." Mando opened the tent, allowing them to enter.

    There were several people standing behind the table while looking at the map inside the tent. They were arguing with one another before they stopped after Nathan and Selena entered.

    Those on the sides were men and women who looked in theirte twenties or early thirties. Meanwhile, the one who led the discussion was definitely the eighteen or neen-year-old woman on the opposite side.

    She was wearing a blue tank top and shorts, exposing her abs and muscles. She gave off a simr fierceness as the Dragon King, but her eyes looked calm as if they were filled with wisdom instead of zing desire.

    She raised her head, staring at the two peopleing from afar.

    "Who are they?" She asked while furrowing her eyebrows.

    Before Nathan showed the badge, he couldn''t help but get excited in his mind. ''Damn. A muscr woman¡­ They are truly giving a different type of charm. I bet she is pretty wild when fighting against her enemy. Wait a minute.

    ''If the monkey king doesn''t look beast enough, won''t it work if the people in this world summon him? And who is a better candidate other than her? She is talented and she is the daughter of the Dragon King. Besides, she is giving off an aura that a fighter will have, which might be a perfect match with Sun Wukong.

    ''Should I somehow befriend her and gradually influence her to summon Sun Wukong? I''m a simple man. I can see my idol, I''m happy. Also, I want an autograph!''

 Chapter 95: Retishia Academy

    Mando introduced Nathan and Selena. "They are the guests of your father." Then, Mando extended his hand while saying, "She is Sir Dragon King''s daughter, venya."

    venya couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows. She noticed the badge on their chest and said, "I think we already have enough people."

    Nathan took a step forward and said, "I am Nathan, and the person next to me is Selena. We are first-year students from the Frexia Academy. Your Father, the Dragon King, has given us a mission, which is to help you in this ce. We''ll follow your n unless you''re sending us to our death. That concludes the message of Sir Dragon King."

    When she heard Nathan say they would follow her n, venya immediately gave an order. "In that case, go with the Retishia Academy."

    Nathan maintained his silence for a few seconds as if he didn''t like the order, but before any conflicts could arise, Mando hurriedly stopped them. "In that case, I''ll bring them to the group from the Retishia Academy."

    Seeing Mando had said it, she had no choice but to drop this matter off.

    Mando brought them outside while apologizing. "Sorry. The young miss has been invited by so many academies that she is too frustrated to deal with them anymore."

    "It is fine. We have heard her circumstances from Sir Dragon King. By the way, do you know what they''re nning to do, Mr. Mando?" Nathan asked.

    "The n is rather simple. The main group, led by the young miss, will head to the center of the forest to fight against the mature ss alien. I will have to be there to ensure nothing goes wrong.

    "Meanwhile, you two and the group from the Retishia Academy will be positioned on the left side to take care of the aliens that wille to help the mature ss alien."

    Selena picked up something unusual. "What do you mean,ing to help?"

    Mando raised one finger. "The alien this time is rather weird. Normally, the lower ss aliens would be around the alien. However, this alien actually sends the lower ss aliens around.

    "The soldiers have been stopping them, but they''re going to be destroyedpletely if we don''t eliminate the mature ss alien as quickly as possible.

    "However, the mature ss alien is capable of producing a sound that can echo across the entire battlefield, which will recall all the aliens."

    Selena nodded in understanding. "So you want us to block the left side? How many aliens are there?"

    "We are unsure about the exact number, but because of thest breach, we are expecting to see a total of 200 proto-ss and juvenile aliens from all directions. Since you are only focusing on the left side, it should be only 50¡­ No, 40 aliens or less. The rest will be handled by the soldiers and our people."

    Selena raised a finger. "Last question. How many people does the Retishia Academy have?"

    "5 people, four of them are first year like you and the other one is a second year. I''m sure that thetter is bringing those four to get some experience."

    Nathan, on the other hand, asked a different topic. "Is Miss venya like that most of the time? I''m sorry if I''m wrong and rude, but from my first impression, she is like a person who would be honest with her actions, expressions, or anything that is visible."

    Mando nodded. "Indeed. The young miss is a very straightforward person. She speaks bluntly, so I apologize if she offends you."

    Mando realized that not anybody could actually receive the invitation of the Dragon King. These two must be somewhat special, so he should be careful.

    On the other hand, Nathan had actually confirmed what he really needed toplete the Dragon King''s real request.

    "I understand. When are we going to leave?"

    "We''ll be leaving in an hour since we have finished our preparation. This is just the final briefing." Mando exined. "Do you need anything else?"

    "No." Nathan shook his head.

    Mando smiled and pointed his hand at the group of students in the corner of the camp. They were chatting like they were on a pic.

    Nathan thought that he could spend his time in a more fulfilling way, such as helping with the treatment of the soldiers, but he couldn''t waste Anubis'' Ena, especially before they finished their mission.

    Although it was a shame, he could only turn a blind eye to the injured soldiers.

    The other party seemed to have noticed them as well. Their group consisted of four males and one female. There was one person who was much older than them.

    He seemed to be the second year that Mando mentioned.

    The group looked confused, so the guy walked to Mando while asking, "Is there something wrong? Who are they?"

    "They are guests from the Frexia Academy. We are nning to station you guys together on the left side and repel all the aliensing from that side."

    The guy couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, as if he disliked on how they were forced to cooperate with each other.

    Nathan also noticed their reaction as he couldn''t help but ask inwardly, ''What the hell? We are from the Frexia Academy, right? The number one academy, right? Even if they dislike it, shouldn''t they at least not show it openly as a courtesy?''

    The guy extended his hand and said, "Retishia Academy''s second-year student, Raza. I guess the people from the Frexia Academy are too proud to shake the hand of the student from a humble background."

    Nathan shook Raza''s hand while saying, "I am Nathan, a first-year student from the Frexia Academy. We''ll be looking forward to working together with you."

    Raza''s expression turned cold as he put more strength into his grip, as if trying to crush Nathan''s hand.

    It was quite painful, but it couldn''t beparable to the pain he felt when absorbing the mature ss core.

    ''Oh, this.'' Nathan finally understood what Raza was aiming for. Surprisingly, Nathan didn''t fight back. He simply let Raza crush his hand. Instead of fighting power with power, Nathan simply endured the pain with an emotionless face before asking, "Have you eaten your breakfast yet?"

 Chapter 96: Not Tree (Bonus)

    "!!!" Raza widened his eyes in shock. That question was simply a way of Nathan saying he didn''t have enough strength to do anything.

    As someone older than them, he had trained his body much longer, so it was supposed to be obvious that he was stronger. Yet someone who had just gotten into the academy actually dared to say he felt nothing?

    When Raza was about to squish his hand even harder, Mando immediately stopped him by saying, "We are here to kill the alien, not forpetition between academies. If you are going to continue this act, I will have no choice but to expel you from this mission!"

    Mando remained calm, but when they looked at his eyes, there was a trace of murderous intent that made the hair on their arms rise.

    "Tsk!" Raza clicked his tongue and said, "I don''t have any intention of getting along with the people from the Frexia Academy."

    Nathan looked at him before turning away as if he were disappointed.

    "You!" Raza clenched his hands into fists, but Mando red at him. "Enough."

    Nathan simply shrugged as if he were saying, ''I did nothing. I said nothing. Not my fault.''

    Raza snorted and returned to his group.

    Meanwhile, Nathan said, "We''ll be waiting there."

    "Alright. We''ll inform you once we''re about to set out." Mando sighed and walked away.

    Selena looked at Nathan with a worried expression while asking, "Are you fine?"

    "It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it." Nathan shook his head.

    After feeling relieved, Selena''s face turned dark as she couldn''t help but say in a cold tone. "Should we just crush that guy to the point where his pride as a summoner is gone? There is nothing more humiliating than a guy who is proud of being a summoner and ends up choosing to never have anything to do with being a summoner again and lives through that nightmare for the rest of her life."

    Nathan couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Even though her expression didn''t change, her words gave chills down his spine.

    Instead of killing him, Selena actually wanted Raza to be tormented for the rest of his life.

    "Calm down, calm down. Our n will work even better with them here. Why do you think I did nothing earlier?" Nathan tried to distract her while waiting for them to start.

    "Well, I just hope the n works this time. I want to see the dragon as well," Anubis remarked with a casual tone.

    Both Fenrir and Nathan suddenly turned to Anubis with their foreheads sweating, as if Anubis had just made a big mistake.

    ¡­

    An hourter.

    "We are about to depart. All personnel gather at the front gate." A soldier moved around, informing everyone out loud.

    Selena and Nathan exchanged looks as they immediately joined them. The people from the Retishia Academy were furrowing their eyebrows, since this was just a call from the soldier. If they wanted to call a summoner, they should have gone to them personally.

    However, because Nathan and Selena had gone, it would be very annoying if Mando became disappointed in them.

    They had to fulfill his expectation if they wanted to meet with venya.

    Nathan couldn''t help but observe these soldiers. They were wearing full body armor. They were not thick to increase mobility, but they were not too thin either to absorb a lot of impact.

    Each of them was equipped with an iron sword and a shield.

    Obviously, the summoners were quite a rare sight, so the soldiers couldn''t help but nce at them.

    Some of them pitied the summoners, thinking that they were still children.

    Nathan and Selena were already 16 years old, which was already considered an adult in this world. However, it didn''t change the fact that they were at least much younger than these soldiers.

    It was a pity that such young children had to fight in the front line.

    Eventually, they reached the front, finding several other summoners, including Mando and venya.

    Raza was already clenching his hands into fists as if he had prepared all kinds of methods to invite venya.

    After another two minutes, venya moved to the very front and faced the soldiers as she raised her voice. "We are about to head into the battlefield. The opponent is the mature ss alien.

    "Follow your leaders because a single mistake can cause the formation to copse.

    "There are 600 soldiers and 18 summoners taking part in this expedition. I''m expecting a lot from all of you. Without further ado¡­" She turned around and started walking as she shouted, "Onward!"

    "Uoohhh!" the soldiers replied to them with a sharp yet short cheer.

    Nathan and Selena followed the group. The battlefield this time was a forest.

    The trees were tall, and the leaves covered most of the light, making the area humid and dark.

    The marching ended up being slower so as to avoid draining their stamina.

    Even though she looked like a muscle brain, venya had actually taken everything into ount, which would allow the soldiers to fight at their top state.

    Suddenly, the army leaders increased their paces, their path slightly curving to the side as if they were nning to avoid something.

    "!!!" Nathan was confused at first, but soon found out what they were trying to do.

    If he looked up, he could see a tall tree. That was what could be seen since his vision was covered by leaves, but if he took another look at it, it wasn''t a tree.

    It was a body¡ªan enormous body that stretched for 10 meters (32 feet) high. On top of the tree, they didn''t find branches, but tentacles. All of them were moving slowly as if they were scanning the area.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, wanting to notify Selena. However, thetter had noticed it as well and kept staring at the alien. Once she lowered her head, she turned to Nathan while pointing to the left.

    They both agreed and immediately moved toward their position, leaving the five people from the Retishia Academy behind.

    Obviously, their action didn''t escape from venya¡­ or probably the alien as well. Before everyone could take their position, a loud, deep sound echoed across the forest as if they were just blowing their horns. However, all the people in this expedition knew that it was the sound of the alien.

    "!!!"

 Chapter 97: Another Attack (Bonus)

    *Deunnggg!*

    The loud, deep growl echoed across the forest as multiple screams and roars were responding to it.

    The peace inside the forest was suddenly destroyed as not only the aliens, but the soldiers were also panicking.

    "!!!" venya was taken aback. "Isn''t the detection of that alien only 50 meters (164 feet)?"

    "There''s no time for that. We have to help the soldiers get into their position before the aliens swarm us from all directions!"

    "That''s right."

    "Go! Tristan, Levia. You two follow me to distract the mature ss alien for one minute!"

    "Yes!"

    They immediately split up to assist the soldiers. Mando couldn''t help but turn around, worried that the kids weren''t able to react in time, but surprisingly, only the people from the Retishia Academy remained.

    This was just a test from venya for them. If they couldn''t even know what they were supposed to do, she could use it as an excuse not to meet with them.

    That was why seeing only the people from the Retishia Academy still in their position made Mando angry. He shouted, "What are you doing? Go to your position!"

    "Let''s go" The toon leaders all waved their hands, hurrying the soldiers. Because of the situation, their formation broke and the difficult terrains made a lot of soldiers trip.

    In addition, they could hear the noisesing toward them.

    "Kh! We are not in our position yet!" One of the toon leaders gritted his teeth as he saw a few shadowsing toward them. If these few aliens attacked them, there would be many people dying.

    As if they were able to predict it, both Selena and Nathan hade to their way, both of them summoning their familiars. Selena wouldn''t be shocking, but this was the first time the soldiers saw two animals on the battlefield.

    Nathan turned around and shouted, "Hurry up and go to your position! We''ll buy you some time!"

    "!!!" The leader snapped as he immediately shouted, "Go, go, go! We have to use the time the summoners make to get into our formation!"

    The leaders were busy arranging their positions, while Nathan turned to the aliens and said, "We need to position ourselves slightly more forward than nned."

    Selena nodded, fully trusting Nathan''s judgment.

    "There are twelve of them, from what I can see and hear. However, there are a lot more aliensing behind them. We have to kill those twelve fast before the rest catch up," said Fenrir while assessing the situation.

    Both Nathan and Selena looked at each other as if knowing what they were thinking, "6-6?"

    With a smile on their faces, they immediately charged forward.

    The soldiers couldn''t help but clench their swords tighter. They had never thought that these two children had to confront the enemies so boldly because of their mistake.

    Their action had just made the soldiers'' resolve stronger.

    On the left, Sasha went to the right while Risa went to the other side. The aliens didn''t understand what they were nning to do, so they chased after the closer targets.

    Little did they know, Selena was there waiting for them. She waved her staff, releasing a burst of Ena that swept the aliens from left to right.

    The three aliens that chased after Risa got knocked back, but they still managed to regain their stability.

    Sasha immediately kicked one of them toward the aliens facing Risa, resulting in a collision between them.

    Now that they fell, Risa summoned her tornado, shredding two aliens apart. The other two aliens blocked it with their bodies since most of the energy had been depleted. They stood back up and attacked Risa, only to find another st from Selena, knocking them to the trees.

    On the other hand, the other two aliens punched and scratched Sasha''s arms. Fortunately, her talon-like hands made the arm much sturdier.

    After blocking them, Sasha stabbed the alien''s neck with her long talons as the contact area started to decay. She then threw this alien at the other one, which caused both of them to crash into each other.

    Sasha didn''t have to kill them because the burst attack from Selena came right after, crushing them to the ground. She shot the explosive sphere toward their heads and destroyed it.

    On the other hand, Nathan''s battle was actually much briefer than Selena''s.

    Fenrir and Anubis simply charged forward, leaving Nathan behind.

    Fenrir pounced at the first alien. When he was about to bite its neck, the other two aliens attacked him.

    Due to the increase in Nathan''s Ena and control over thest few days, he could form ten bullets, two and a half times of his original limit.

    He shot all of them into a single alien, causing the alien to have no choice but to block it. Knowing Nathan was there to help, Fenrir focused on the other alien and stopped it with a wave of his tail.

    Now that no one could stop him anymore, Fenrir bit the alien''s neck before releasing the crescent-shaped attack from his tail, cutting the second alien.

    Nathan came to Fenrir''s aid and struck the third alien with his Deadly w. Meanwhile, Anubis simply restrained two aliens with his bandage as he bit thest one.

    But because he was alone, Fenrir and Nathan actually came to him before he finished the first one.

    Fenrir broke the alien''s neck with a p and bit its neck off while Nathan used his Deadly w again.

    Still, their situation hadn''t been over yet.

    There were still over 30 aliensing toward them.

    Nathan hurriedly turned to Selena, who was about to finish her battle. "Selena. Let''s regroup with the soldiers. We have to fight together to conserve our stamina."

    In Nathan''s mind, he could use this chance to not only kill the aliens in front of them but also on the other side. With such an achievement, they had a higher chance of persuading venya.

    The only problem was the group from the Retishia Academy.

    Nathan searched for that group, who seemed to be rushing toward them as if they didn''t want to lose.

    And it was at this moment that multiple attacks, from an arrow to a beam, rained down on this group.

    Two people covered in cloaks suddenly jumped off the tree and killed two students with their swords.

    "You what?! Anubis, you motherfucker! Fenrir has stopped jinxing my n, and now you?! Don''t you know my luck?"

 Chapter 98: Ambush

    Nathan and Selena couldn''t believe how two students from the Retishia Academy had just died. Even Raza couldn''t help but turn around and summon his familiars.

    However, there was another volley of attacks, forcing his familiars to block them one by one.

    "Huh?" Fenrir frowned as he noticed something. "There is something wrong with those guys. Their presence is hard to sense, even for me."

    Nathan nced at Fenrir and arrived at a certain conclusion. "How many?"

    "Six humans!"

    Those six humans seemed to split up. As if realizing Raza was stronger than them forced the enemies to split into two groups. For the Retishia Academy, they were facing two people whom Fenrir believed to be the strongest ones.

    Meanwhile, the other four wereing straight at Nathan and Selena.

    ''Who are they? No, that''s not important. Should we retreat? But if they are attacking the soldiers, it will create a hole for the aliens. The soldiers have to stop the aliens by themselves. Then, there''s only one path for us.'' Nathan shouted, "Selena.

    Follow me!"

    Without hesitation, Nathan was charging toward the iing aliens, moving away from the soldiers.

    Selena didn''t know what was going on, but she still trusted Nathan''s decision.

    They didn''t know who these people were, but they had to flee as quickly as possible since their lives were in danger.

    "Fenrir! Open up the path!" Nathan shouted.

    Anubis immediately summoned his bandages and released them toward the iing enemies. All of them summoned their familiars and blocked Anubis'' attack. Noticing what Nathan wanted, Risa also sent forth her blood tornadoes to provide some firepower.

    Meanwhile, Fenrir hit the alien''s head and threw its body toward another alien. They crashed and brought down another alien.

    To his surprise, there was a burst of Ena that hit him from the side. And only one person actually had this kind of attack. It was Selena.

    He didn''t think Selena would hit him, but he soon saw her objective. The Enaunched his body in the opposite direction, allowing him to p an alien in that direction and do the same thing again. This way, the hole he opened became much bigger.

    Yes, Selena knew Fenrir wouldn''t get hurt by that kind of attack, so she just carried him to the opposite side.

    Now that there was a big gap between the aliens, they easily slipped past the alien''s rank.

    The mysterious people kept chasing after them, but Fenrir didn''t kill any of those aliens. The moment they stood up, the first thing they saw were these four people, so it allowed Nathan and Selena a bit of breathing time.

    Nathan took this opportunity to think about the current situation.

    ''This is not good. Should we get some help? The soldiers are going to be attacked by the aliens soon. Are they going to inform the mercenary group? But won''t it cause a lot more problems? Can they even spare some people in this situation?

    The soldiers on the other side might not be in their position yet.

    ''Come on, think you idiot brain. What should we do in this situation? Should we stay here? Should we move away?''

    Nathan squinted his eyes. There were four people. The onesing for him had two familiars each: a kobold and an orc, and a cat-person and amia.

    When he nced at the other two, who were still upied with Raza and the remaining two students, Nathan got an idea.

    "Selena. Thirty steps back. That''s where we''ll fight them. I''ll take the left." Nathan paused for a moment. This was probably the first time he would ask such a thing, but if he didn''t do anything, the enemies might kill him. That was why Nathan gave an order.

    "Don''t kill them for information if possible. Kill if they''re too troublesome."

    "!!!" Selena''s expression turned cold. The fact that these four people couldn''t break through the alien''s rank that easily meant their strength was rtively weaker. However, they still had enough numbers to overwhelm them.

    Even though they had some experience fighting multiple summoners at a time, these people were much more decisivepared to the students they fought.

    Hence, handling two of them should be quite a tough task.

    Meanwhile, the soldiers obviously saw the summoners getting attacked, but they couldn''t do anything. "Go ask for reinforcements and tell them we''re being attacked by mysterious people."

    The toon leader sent forth two messengers to the mercenary group for reinforcement. Meanwhile, the aliens were approaching them at high speed.

    "Get ready!"

    The aliens leaped into the air and fell right on top of them. The soldiers blocked them with their shields, but some soldiers ended up falling either from the alien''s weight or their momentum.

    "Gaaaahhh!" One of them screamed as he was struggling to push the alien away.

    On the other side, a soldier was wailing in pain while shouting, "My arm is broken!"

    However, there was a soldier unlucky enough to get overwhelmed by the alien. Thetter immediately pushed its shield away before it bit a portion of its head.

    A lot of soldiers on the back moved forward to stop these aliens, but even if their swings seeded, the damage was minuscule.

    The aliens almost crushed the human wall they made to block their ess, but the alien didn''t care as long as they could reach the mature ss alien.

    "Kill them!" The toon leader shouted.

    They had a lot of experience in fighting aliens, so the soldiers steadily stopped the aliens'' advancement and turned into a real wall.

    They were waiting for the reinforcement. As long as they could help those five summoners from the mysterious people, they could continue with their n.

    Unfortunately for them, the situation was too chaotic because of the mature ss alien.

    "What? An attack from a mysterious group?" One of the people under venya gasped. He shook his head. "All of our summoners are currently helping the soldiers on the battlefield. It''s impossible for us to send reinforcements! You need to deal with it for now."

    Despite sending the soldiers away, his face looked pale because he had heard how much the academies wanted her to join. And the target this time might be her.

 Chapter 99: Defeating the Enemy

    "It''s them!"

    The four summoners exchanged looks, finally breaking through the alien''s rank. Seeing Selena and Nathan were quite far away from them, they thought these two were nning to escape, so they increased their pace.

    Suddenly, a wolf emerged from behind the tree and pounced on the Orc and Kobold.

    Anubis shot his bandage at Lamia and the cat-person.

    The Lamia pulled its ive, surprisingly pulling Anubis as well. The cat people, on the other hand, chose toe closer to Anubis.

    But before he could reach Anubis, Nathan''s Deadly w appeared in its way, almost cutting him. If not for his fast reaction in blocking the Deadly w with his de, his body would be severely injured.

    Hence, the cat-person tried to remove the bandage so that he could change the target from Anubis to Nathan.

    During that time, Nathan had looped around and approached the summoner.

    "You!" The summoner hurriedly moved away as if he were running from him. Unlike what he expected, the summoner couldn''t seem to fight on his own and had to rely solely on his beasts, unlike the students from the Frexia Academy.

    Then again, his academy was known to be the best, while he didn''t know where these people came from.

    Nathan fired at the guy, but annoyingly, the enemy managed to avoid the bullet and hide behind a tree.

    He wanted to chase after him, but the cat-person had just finished untying the bandage from his de and headed to Nathan.

    Anubis wanted to throw the bandage again, but the cat-person moved so fast that it reached Nathan first before Anubis'' bandage arrived.

    Nathan looked down, following the de''s movement. He slightly tilted his body in the opposite direction.

    After that, Nathan grabbed the de with his hands, taking advantage of the sturdiness of his coat as well as the glove to stop it.

    Unfortunately, the cat-person was much stronger, resulting in Nathan getting blown away.

    Nathan bounced once beforeing to a full stop on his belly.

    "Good! Capture him!" The summoner shouted, ordering the cat-person.

    "Stop!" Anubis shouted while moving forward, but the ive suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

    "Severed Ultima." Themia shouted while waving her ive, extending its attack.

    Anubis ended up leaping into the air as the ive cut down several trees behind him.

    This way, no one could stop the cat-person from catching Nathan, who was lying on his stomach.

    The cat-person wanted to catch him, but all of a sudden, Nathan brushed his coat with his left hand, revealing the right hand that sneaked in between his body and his left hand.

    That right hand had already made a pistol sign as the bullet immediately formed.

    "!!!" The cat-person wanted to get away, but it was toote. The bullet pierced through his chest. It barely missed his heart, but it didn''t change that the injury was quite severe.

    Nathan hurriedly turned around and kicked the cat-person''s stomach.

    "Meow!" The cat-person roared and grabbed Nathan''s leg before throwing him away.

    "Tsk!" Nathan clicked his tongue when his n didn''t work. He covered his entire body with Ena as his body bounced once beforeing to a stop. He stood up without an injury because of Anubis.

    However, this distance was what Nathan needed. He immediately faced Fenrir''s opponent and formed the same bullet, ready to help Fenrir from an unexpected angle.

    "!!!" The summoner was surprised and hurriedly shouted, "Stop him!"

    The cat-person moved as quickly as possible in his current state, but to their surprise, Nathan had once again hidden one of his hands.

    When the cat-person focused on the one making a gun sign, Nathan actually shot a bullet from his other hand toward the summoner.

    The summoner panicked and tried to avoid it, but Nathan had expected it. In fact, he never intended to kill that summoner in a single shot.

    The target was actually his foot.

    "Agh!" the summoner screamed as it fell down.

    The cat-person focused on Nathan because he had to stop Nathan from firing another shot. Unfortunately for him, Nathan had never intended to shoot another one.

    The moment the cat-person was about to reach Nathan, thetter changed from the bullet to Deadly w.

    "!!!" The cat-person raised his sword, albeit it was toote. He could only tilt its body sideways, but the ear was one step toote and got sliced by the Deadly w.

    The cat-person gritted his teeth, but he wasn''t in a position to do anything. In fact, Nathan took this opportunity to punch the hole that his bullet hit earlier.

    "Meow!" The cat-person screamed in pain because of the stabbing pain that amplified the original pain he had to endure. He couldn''t stop Nathan blowing his body with a punch.

    Meanwhile, themia was panicking. On the one hand, she was able to stop Anubis to a certain extent, but the other two were being toyed with by Nathan.

    Seeing the gap in her defense, Anubis swiftly pped themia on the wrist and threw it to a tree.

    "Kh." Themia bit her lips, enduring the pain as the attack almost broke her ribs. She gathered her Ena on her ive and swung it down.

    The de strike ran through the ground, forcing Anubis to stop it with his paw. Even then, the de strike was powerful enough to push him back.

    Unfortunately for themia, Anubis had never intended toe closer. He just wanted to make themia release that kind of attack so that it couldn''t harm Nathan.

    His true goal was to send forth the bandages to the summoner, who had a hard time moving.

    "Summoner!" themia shouted, warning him, but it was toote.

    The moment the summoner turned around, the bandages wrapped around his neck. "Gh!"

    The summoner was struggling to break free, but that was when Nathan reached him, pointing his hand at the summoner''s head.

    "Don''t move and recall them. If you don''t abide, I''ll shoot your head!"

 Chapter 100: Capturing the Enemies (Bonus)

    "Stop or I''ll shoot your head!"

    The summoner froze. His familiars couldn''t really rescue him. If their summoner died, they would also disappear after all.

    The summoner breathed heavily, fully aware that there was no other choice.

    Themia and the cat-person soon disappeared, showing the sign of surrender.

    Nathan said, "Anubis. Kill him if he does something suspicious."

    Anubis nodded as Nathan went to help Fenrir.

    Surprisingly, Fenrir was in a much better position than he thought, despite fighting by himself.

    The kobold was already dead with its head getting ripped apart from its body.

    The orc and the summoner were surprised by Nathan''s appearance.

    The orc waved its greatsword at Fenrir as thetter stopped it with his paw and used the momentum to send him flying.

    In the air, Fenrir waved his tail, shooting out a crescent-shaped wave. The orc''s eyes shed as he struck the attack with his greatsword and snapped it in two.

    Meanwhile, Nathan chased after the summoner, who couldn''t fight as well. The orc wanted to help the summoner, but Fenrir pped the back of his head, knocking it down.

    Nathan summoned five weak bullets and shot them at the summoner.

    The summoner threw himself to the side, but three of them still hit his body due to Nathan spreading his aim.

    "Gah!" The summoner fell down and wailed on the ground.

    The orc was struggling to get up because Fenrir had been pinning his body to the ground.

    Nathan pointed his hand at the summoner. "Recall your familiars or you''re dead."

    The summoner gritted his teeth. While enduring the pain, he recalled his familiars because he didn''t want to die.

    "Anubis!" Nathan shouted.

    Anubis came while dragging the other summoner with his bandage. He captured both of them as Fenrir and Nathan nodded in agreement.

    "Take care of them!" They said at the same time as they moved toward Selena.

    Surprisingly, Selena had actually defeated one of the summoners. No, it was more precise to say she had killed him.

    His head was crushed with a blunt force, causing his eyes to pop off from its socket.

    Meanwhile, the other guy was defending to the best of his ability but steadily losing his ground.

    He had a dog-people and an imp as his familiar.

    The imp and Sasha struck each other with their ws, the collision produced a loud clicking sound.

    Meanwhile, Sasha released her blood tornadoes and surrounded the dog-people from two sides.

    Even though his familiars were weaker than the two summoners Nathan fought, this summoner could actually fight.

    Selena sent out a burst of Ena at him, but thetter skillfully blocked it. He was still overwhelmed and getting pushed back, but he maintained his bnce.

    Unfortunately for him, Nathan shot him from a distance when he was too focused on Selena''s attack.

    "!!!" The guy suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his stomach as he couldn''t help but lower his vision, finding blood dyeing his clothes.

    The imp realized it toote, while the dog-people hurriedly warned him. "Watch out. Something fast looping around us!"

    The summoner wanted to turn around, but Selena attacked him from above, pinning him to the ground. Nathan shot his legs so that he couldn''t get away.

    And Fenrir suddenly came from behind, cing his paw around the summoner''s neck. "And now¡­ do you know how screwed you are?"

    "¡­" The summoner trembled. This wolf could kill him at any second.

    There was nothing he could do but surrender, thus allowing Nathan and Selena to capture three out of the summoners.

    Of course, Anubis used his bandages to tie them up. They were quickly lined up for a quick questioning.

    "Are you sure we have time for this?" Fenrir asked.

    "It should be fine. Those people from the Retishia Academy are still fighting, so we should have time."

    "Are you holding a grudge against them? Normally, you would have gone to help." Fenrir frowned.

    "Nope. If we get some information, like their identities, and say it in front of their face, don''t you think it''ll create some gaps in their defense? I''m just trying to make it easier for us to fight them, especially since they''re strong enough to take on the second-year student from the Retishia Academy. Even though their rank is lower, a second-year student is still a second-year student."

    "Fair enough." Fenrir nodded in understanding.

    "Who are you? If you don''t want to die, you better answer the question." Selena asked in a cold tone. She was ready to kill them if they didn''t give any answer. They were in no position to take prisoners because the soldiers were still fighting against the aliens.

    "Do you think you have won?" One of them shouted.

    "You don''t have to listen to them. I doubt they know anything." Fenrir moved closer, showing blood covering his teeth and lips as if he wanted to bite them to death.

    Selena said, "Who ordered you?"

    The other one smirked and shouted, "Do you think you are good just because you are from the Frexia Academy? That academy can only reach the top because they''re taking all the top students and throwing away the rest. Meanwhile, other academies have to settle with less talented people!"

    Anubis squinted his eyes. "He has a point though."

    Since only the best entered and the rest were chased away, it was obvious why the Frexia Academy turned into the best academy.

    However, Selena didn''t seem to think the same way.

    Fenrir was ready to kill these guys, but Nathan stopped him from behind while whispering, "Wait. Let her cook."

    As he said those words, Selena said, "The Frexia Academy has been improving continuously in the past few hundred years. The reason for them to be the best is because they only get the best students? You are wrong.

    "When the Frexia Academy didn''t have a teacher, they used their resources to bring in the best teacher, which would help the students. When they didn''t have money, they pulled in investors. They kept upgrading their facilities and benefits for both teachers and students until everyone thought how good the Frexia Academy was.

    "With such arge number of students, it''s only right for the academy to be more selective. It seems that you are from one of those lesser academies. In that case, what has your academy done?

    "Have you tried seeking a teacher that gives students the best guidance? Have you found an investor to get enough money to improve your facilities and benefits?

    "The Frexia Academy has done their best, while you? You are a pathetic loser who can onlyin without trying to solve it, using excuses after excuses to me others'' sesses."

 Chapter 101: Enemys Identity

    Nathan snapped his finger while saying, "That''s my girl. She can cook."

    "You¡­" They gnashed their teeth. One of them shouted, "What do you even know? You won''t understand the struggle of the less talented!"

    Selena nced at Nathan for a split second before saying, "I don''t know the struggle, but I know someone who doesn''tin and just does it in one way or another, unlike you."

    Before they could speak, Fenrir had broken free from Nathan and approached them. "That''s enough."

    Selena looked confused, but both she and Nathan had little experience with the brutality one could bring.

    "Let''s make this simple. I ask, you answer." Fenrir paused. "First question. Who are you and your affiliation?"

    "You¡ª!" one of them wanted to shout at Fenrir, but thetter had already pounced on him. "Aahhh. What are you¡ªAaaahhhh!"

    Fenrir bit his shoulder slowly before sinking his teeth to the deepest part in one go.

    "Aaaggghhh!" The guy was screaming, his tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes.

    Instead of ripping it apart as normal, Fenrir twisted his head to the side as slow as possible, causing his flesh to do the same.

    The ripping sensation was not something everyone could handle.

    "Aaaagghh! Stop! It hurts. Agghhh!" The guy was struggling, but Fenrir pinned him down with his body.

    Once the muscle became weaker and the flesh had a hard time withstanding the force, Fenrir started to tear it apart by pulling the arm bit by bit.

    "NO! Stop. Agggh!"

    No matter how hard he screamed, Fenrir didn''t buy any of his bullshit anymore. Until he was satisfied, Fenrir would torture himpletely.

    Seeing how much in pain this guy was, his other two friends turned pale. They would be experiencing the same thing, albeit Fenrir actually stopped before he tore the arm off, as if showing mercy.

    "Aaagghh! It hurts¡­" The guy was crying, unable to endure the pain.

    However, this was not a mercy. Fenrir stopped so that he could ask Anubis, "Heal him! We''ll start it again."

    Nathan and Selena widened their eyes in shock. Anubis healed that guy as the flesh recovered. It was fortunate that the arm wasn''tpletely torn apart since Anubis could heal it by recovering thest few joints and spreading them to the entire arm.

    But because of that very reason, they could restart the questioning.

    Instead of asking another question, Fenrir started biting him again.

    Even Nathan couldn''t help but mutter, "A wise man once said, if violence doesn''t solve your problem, you simply haven''t used enough violence¡­"

    However, they immediately got the result. No one could endure such a thing, especially since they looked untrained.

    So they immediately revealed everything they knew.

    Nathan and Selena couldn''t help but furrow their eyebrows.

    Selena crossed her arms, "Chaotic Cat Terrorists¡­ aren''t they¡­"

    "Yeah. They''re the same terrorists that attacked our school on the examination day." Nathan nodded.

    "It was said that this organization kidnapped talented people and brainwashed them to be trained as one of their people."

    "If they are here, it means that their targets are either me, you, or venya." Nathan nodded.

    Nathan had his unique summoning abilities, which had been proven to be strong. Selena was strong enough to defeat Rudeus, and she managed to summon Sasha, a new species. venya was desired by a lot of academies.

    So all three of them could be considered the target of this organization. They had just never thought that this terrorist group would attack them with this timing.

    "Come up with a solution. What are we going to do next? Fight them? Regroup with those mercenaries?" Fenrir asked.

    Selena thought it would be better to attack them, at least buying enough time until the mercenaries defeated the alien.

    However, Nathan squinted his eyes as if he found another n that might be useful against these terrorists and still fulfilled the already ruined mission from the Dragon King.

    Nathan said, "I have a n."

    ¡­

    "Ha¡­ Ha¡­" Raza panted heavily while staring at the two enemies. Both of them had three familiars. He did too, but he had to protect the two students behind him.

    He never thought that this trip would cost him this much.

    Despite getting covered in a lot of wounds, Raza still didn''t n to run away.

    "Come! I''ll kill you!" He shouted even though he knew he would die if this continued for a few more minutes.

    Before they could attack him, several weak bullets flew toward the two enemies. One of the familiars came to the front, blocking all those bullets.

    "!!!" The two summoners were shocked that Nathan and Selena were here. It only meant one thing. All those four people that were supposed to fight them had died. They never thought Nathan and Selena were able to kill them so quickly.

    "Leave this ce to us!" said Nathan out loud.

    "I don''t need your help!" Raza gritted his teeth.

    "Good. You still have enough to shout. Now, go help those soldiers. The sooner the alien dies, the faster we can end all of this." Nathan shrugged.

    Selena locked her gaze at the summoner on the left. The three familiars he had were a centaur, an elf, and an arachne.

    They had a unique teamposition because the centaur was strong in melee, the elf was holding a bow, and the arachne could shoot out webs. Even the area had been covered by its webs.

    Meanwhile, Nathan''s opponent was at a simr level. The three familiars were a gargoyle, a minotaur, and a fallen angel. It didn''t seem to be strong, so he doubted it would be fallen angels like Azazel.

    The two summoners decided to focus on Nathan and Selena instead, since they looked more dangerous.

    The reason Nathan didn''t go for a sneak attack this time was for his n to recruit venya.

    Nathan and Selena suddenly turned around and ran away together as if they realized they were the targets.

    "!!!" The two summoners exchanged looks, realizing that they couldn''t let them go away. Besides, they were running away from the battlefield, so even if the mercenaries took down the alien, they couldn''t find them right away, giving more time to capture them.

    With a nod, both of them chased after Nathan and Selena, leaving Raza and his two juniors behind.

    Raza clenched his fists. Then again, he should have been able to win because he was stronger than them. The only reason he was in this state was because he had to protect the two juniors behind him. He couldn''t afford to lose them after the other two died.

 Chapter 102: Fighting Against the Summoners

    "Stop them!" One of the summoners shouted after realizing they had gone too far.

    The elf released his arrow at Selena, the Ena in the arrow glowing and dispersing the air in front.

    Sasha stood in its path and struck the arrow with her talon-like hand, but to her surprise, the arrow was much heavier than she had originally assumed. She even took a step back before she could deflect the arrow.

    "!!!" Sasha widened her eyes, realizing that the enemies might be much stronger than they originally thought.

    Selena and Risa halted their steps and turned around, knowing this would be their battlefield. They were located not far from Nathan, but not near enough for the summoner on the other side to reach them.

    In other words, she somehow had to deal with this summoner on her own.

    Of course, Nathan was facing a simr danger.

    "Darkmanya." The fallen angel raised his hands, forming a ck circle on the ground. The ck circle spread in all directions, reaching Nathan and the two familiars.

    "What is this?" Nathan looked down as he couldn''t move his feet due to this ck hole.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir let out a roar on the ground, dispersing the dark hole. However, that one second was enough for the summoner to catch up.

    Anubis moved to the front with Fenrir so as to protect Nathan.

    "Watch out. That fallen angel is using something weird. The reason I''m unable to sense their presence was probably due to that strange power," said Fenrir.

    Nathan had seen several magical abilities like the one, but this was his first time dealing with one.

    Before Nathan could give him their n, the enemies hade forward.

    The minotaur rushed to the front and swung his big hammer at Fenrir. Nathan and Anubis jumped back while Fenrir stopped the hammer with his paw.

    The minotaur''s eyes turned bloodshot as he applied more power to pin Fenrir down.

    The soil underneath Fenrir''s feet started to sink. Meanwhile, the gargoyle approached Fenrir from the side.

    Anubis fired his bandages, catching the gargoyle. Surprisingly, Anubis couldn''t do anything else. In fact, his feet were slowly sliding on the ground as if he were losing in terms of strength.

    The fallen angel pped his hands while maintaining its air superiority.

    A purple light shone from the gap between his hands and expanded.

    "Watch out, kid!" Fenrir shouted.

    Nathan jumped away while summoning his shield.

    The light shone like aser, hitting Nathan''s shield. The purple light actually suspended the shield midair to the point where Nathan couldn''t control it anymore.

    If he didn''t move away, he didn''t know what would have happened to him.

    However, that was the least of his worries. The light itself was a distraction. The summoner was actuallying at him, his body was being covered with a ck veil.

    Nathan could see the summoner but was unable to sense his presence for some reason. If not for the fact he maintained his big area of vision, he wouldn''t realize this man wasing.

    The summoner swung his mace at Nathan''s back.

    Fortunately, Nathan was quick enough to kick the mace. The summoner smiled and actually overpowered his kick.

    Nathan clicked his tongue and shot him at point nk range. As if he had already experienced a lot of battle, the summoner formed a small shield, urately stopping the bullet that came from his neck.

    After that, he swung his mace once again at Nathan''s chest.

    In addition, the fallen angel had actually summoned another sphere that restricted his movement. This way, Nathan was unable to escape.

    Nathan threw himself to the ground and used that momentum to somehow lift up his right leg, kicking the summoner from below.

    The summoner didn''t expect Nathan would do such a clever trick. He stepped back multiple times beforeing to a full stop.

    "Siveye!" The fallen angel raised his hand.

    Two swords made of ck-colored Ena appeared on top of Nathan, ready to impale his legs to stop him from escaping.

    However, Anubis had given up on the gargoyle and attacked the fallen angel instead. Thetter covered his body with his left wing.

    Before Anubis could reach him, a purple beam flew through the fallen angel''s wing and hit him.

    To his surprise, Anubis bit the beam itself as if it had a physical body. However, the real reason was actually that there was a piece of bandage between his mouth.

    This was the bandage for the mummification, so of course, it would be the highest quality. Stopping such an attack was possible.

    Surprised, the fallen angel tried to rise above the tree, but the bandages grasped both his ankles and pulled him down.

    "Kh!" The fallen angel tried to get away, but Anubis ended up mming the fallen angel down to the ground.

    While Anubis gained some advantages against the fallen angel and somehow stopped him from using its weird power, Fenrir was getting attacked by both the minotaur and gargoyle.

    Minotaur pinned Fenrir on the ground with its big hammer while the gargoyle continued its attack from the side.

    Fenrir waved its tail, shooting out a crescent-shaped wave. The gargoyle let out a screeching noise as it grabbed the attack with its bare hands. Surprisingly, that attack turned into stone and shattered into pieces.

    "Ruooohh!" The minotaur pushed Fenrir even deeper.

    Fenrir thought he could test the minotaur strength, but it seemed he couldn''t push this minotaur back.

    He had to use his tail to attack the hammer, but at the same time, it allowed the gargoyle toe closer and strike Fenrir with its ws, leaving a shallow scratch on his body.

    Fortunately, Fenrir was able to push back the minotaur''s hammer and free himself. After that, he pounced on the gargoyle, trying to bite him.

    However, the gargoyle turned into stone once again, causing his teeth to be unable to prate.

    "!!!" Fenrir raised his eyebrows before the minotaur struck him from the side, blowing him away.

    Fenrir''s feet slid on the ground to stop his momentum. He never thought that the gargoyle was able to stop his attack.

    But this was what he had been waiting for. He could finally get another challenging fight.

 Chapter 103: Struggling (Bonus)

    "Kh!" Nathan gritted his teeth as his arm was hit by the mace. It was fortunately blocked by the coat or it wouldn''t stop just with a bruise.

    At the same time, he grabbed the mace for a second and punched the summoner.

    The summoner wasn''t pushed back. He took that punch with only a slight tilt of his body and punched Nathan''s face with an even stronger strength.

    Nathan fell on his back as the summoner wanted to hit his stomach with his mace to end this battle.

    Nathan waved his left hand, activating his Deadly w. Unfortunately, his opponent was much stronger than a proto-ss alien.

    He smashed the Deadly w so easily, albeit the attack itself was just a distraction. Now that he had swung his mace, Nathan could kick the guy''s stomach and push him away.

    The summoner took several steps back as Nathan shot him. Thetter tilted its body, but the bullet was still fast enough to reach his shoulder.

    Nathan stood up while the summoner regained hisposure. Then the summoner took the initiative again by charging forward.

    Nathan formed a shield with Ena while his right hand prepared a bullet.

    Suddenly, the summoner swung his mace from a distance. The Ena on the mace flew forward and hit the barrier, destroying it. The residual Ena from that attack hit Nathan''s body slightly, not enough to knock him down, but enough to disrupt the bullet he was making.

    ''What is that? He''s swinging that mace as if he is hitting a baseball.'' Nathan frowned. Because the bullet had failed to form, the summoner closed the distance between them.

    Before the enemy reached him, Nathan leaped back to gain a bit more time as he put his hand behind him, forming several bullets.

    The summoner realized that Nathan was nning to do something, so he hit the air once again.

    Nathan hurriedly spun his body, using the coat to block that attack while revealing five bullets he had formed in his hand.

    The bullets looped around his body and hit the summoner. Thetter was so focused on that attack that he wasn''t prepared for this attack.

    He managed to tilt his body slightly, but three bullets still hit his arms and his right thigh.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile.

    ''This is thebination between guns and the concept that Selena showed.'' Nathan took the inspiration of the curving burst of Ena from Selena. Compared to the explosive bullet, curving the trajectory was much easier for him.

    A bullet could curve if there was enough distance and wind, but this normally wouldn''t happen in a gunfight, so this was a concept that he devised to match the world he currently lived in. In other words, his own fighting style.

    Nathan then formed that explosive bullet, but because he couldn''t form itpletely yet, the explosive bullet burst out between him and the enemy, blowing both of them away.

    This was enough to gain some distance from the enemy, Nathan thought.

    However, this was a battle where they were outnumbered. All of a sudden, a ck hole appeared underneath his foot.

    He could still move unlikest time, but from this ck hole, multiple tentacles made of ck-colored Ena emerged.

    "Ah shit!" Nathan gritted his teeth as the tentacles grabbed his ankles and wrists, stopping him.

    The enemy came straight after and hit Nathan in the chest.

    Nathan used the Deadly w to cut the tentacles, but it was toote. He only cut one tentacle before the mace arrived. He had no choice but to block it with his body, fortunately having enough time to tilt that body so that the coat would receive that impact.

    Nathan wasunched away, his body bouncing several times on the ground and crashing into two trees before he stopped.

    On the other hand, Anubis managed to bite off the fallen angel''s right arm because the fallen angel chose to help his summoner instead of protecting himself. However, looking at the situation, it was a rather good exchange.

    "Summoner!" Anubis hurriedly rushed to Nathan, but several purple energy beams rained him down, forcing him to weave his bandages to create a nket that blocked all those beams. And that was enough to slow down Anubis for a few seconds.

    The summoner woulde and knock Nathan out with his mace.

    At the same time, Fenrir was struggling against the minotaur and gargoyle.

    The minotaur''s strength was slightly superior to him in his current state. The gargoyle was a bit trickier due to that w and the ability to turn into stone.

    The minotaur waved his hammer from the side, forcing Fenrir to jump into the air.

    The hammer ended up hitting a tree and breaking the trunk so easily.

    After that, the gargoyle came from above and shed Fenrir with his ws.

    Fenrir blocked it with his paws, but the force as well as the gravity knocked him back to the ground.

    The minotaur smashed Fenrir from above with his hammer. Fenrir couldn''t get away in time, so he stopped the hammer with his paw, even if it meant his feet sinking into the ground.

    He noticed that the enemy summoner was approaching Nathan, so he let out a bark, sending out a burst of Ena to trip him. There was a limited amount of power he could send from this distance, so he could only give Nathan a few more seconds.

    At the same time, the gargoyle released crescent-shaped w strikes from above. The attack earlier made Fenrir vulnerable, so the w strike hit the top of his body.

    "Gah!" Fenrir gnashed his teeth as blood leaked out of the wound. However, Fenrir sent his tail attack right after.

    The gargoyle turned into stone, but the tail strike hit him far away until the gargoyle fell to the ground. There was a long wound running on his chest as his stone skin was unable topletely stop Fenrir''s attack.

    At the same time, the enemy summoner had stood up. To his surprise, the moment he raised his head, Nathan was right in front of him.

    Despite the blooding out of his mouth as if he sustained an internal injury, Nathan was able to get back up and punched him in the face. "Getting your pinky toe hit is much more painful. Dumbass!"

 Chapter 104: Unexpected Call for Help

    The summoner rolled on the ground a few times.

    Nathan didn''t stop there. He immediately waved his hand down while using his Deadly w, trying to kill him.

    Unfortunately, the enemy was wearing armor underneath his shirt, as his Deadly w only cut through his coat and shirt, not his body.

    "!!!" Nathan''s body shook as he knew he should change the aim right away.

    His opponent hurriedly rolled once more and put the mace on top of him, blocking the Deadly w. Nathan formed several bullets, but a barrier appeared before they hit him.

    Since such an attack didn''t work, he chose to fight in closebat instead, which seemed to be more beneficial to his opponent.

    Nathan formed a shield before they shed. Because of such a short distance between them, the opponent had no choice but to strike the shield first, causing him to lose a precious split second.

    Nathan pulled his hand and made a gun signal, firing at the enemy''s chest.

    The guy only rotated his body slightly, letting the bullet hit the side so that he could hit Nathan.

    Nathan saw the iing mace and used his coat as protection before grabbing it. After that, he formed multiple bullets behind his back and shot them up.

    The summoner noticed the iing bullets and simply formed a shield on his own, blocking it. After that, he overpowered Nathan and kicked his right side.

    Nathan was blown away, but the bullet turned out to be a distraction. Nathan had formed the explosive bullet right after, knowing full well that the summoner would kick him. He took advantage of the enemy being better than him tounch himself away, leaving behind that explosive bullet.

    Bam!

    The bullet exploded, knocking the summoner back. After that, Nathan formed some more bullets.

    The summoner''s posture wasn''t stable enough to avoid it, resulting in two of them hitting him.

    "Kh!" The summoner gritted his teeth, never thinking that he would be in this much trouble just to defeat Nathan.

    Nathan felt the same. He didn''t expect he wouldst this long against his opponent. If not for those curving bullets he was inspired from, he would have already lost three minutes ago.

    Fenrir was injured, but he still managed to strike the minotaur''s head with his paw as well as bite its shoulder. The gargoyle wasn''t in that better condition, especially after Fenrir repeatedly used his tail attack due to how effective it was against the gargoyle.

    Anubis, on the other hand, gained the upper hand because the fallen angel had lost one of its arms.

    It seemed to be confident that he could regrow that arm, but it would be futile if he died here.

    That was why the fallen angel had no choice but to focus on Anubis, not helping the summoner anymore.

    Looking at this situation, Nathan was sure that they could hold on for a bit more.

    ''This is looking good. They might still have the advantage, but as more time passes, they will be more desperate, fully aware that the alien might die before they can take us out.

    ''When that happens, they will be searching for us and might choose to flee. I can gaslight her as much as possible at that time,'' Nathan thought.

    However, the enemy differed greatly fromst time. He finally experienced what it meant to fight an opponent that could use magical abilities like that fallen angel.

    Considering Anubis also did the same, he expected that as he grew stronger, he would find more and more enemies with this kind of power, and the battle would be more and moreplex.

    Nathan took a deep breath before straightening his back. "I finally figured out who you are. To think that you are still not giving up after your failedst attempt. Are you not feeling ashamed that your attack failed so miserably? That''s probably why you''re considered a terrorist group."

    Instead of using their name to startle the enemy to create a gap in the attack, Nathan actually used it in a way to buy time instead. It might look foolish at a nce, but Nathan nned to use this opportunity for something else.

    The summoner frowned. He realized that the four people that were supposed to kill him ended up telling them about it because he hadn''t shown anything that could lead to the organization.

    They hade to this ce with only weaker personnel since stronger people would be noticed easily, causing the infiltration to fail. They would even bring the Dragon King here the moment these people noticed someone with arge amount of Ena nearby.

    That was why the people they brought were not necessarily tight-lipped.

    Unfortunately, the enemy didn''t give Nathan a chance to buy some time. He immediately rushed forward to end this battle as quickly as possible.

    ''Yep, yep. These people are stronger and smarterpared to most novels I read, so I know if I try buying time, instead of listening like those idiot characters, this guy will do whatever it takes to defeat me. And that''s why¡ª'' Nathan was about to execute his n, which would instantly turn around the battle.

    But Sasha''s voice echoed in his ears, and it was in a distressed tone.

    "Help!"

    "!!!" Nathan and his opponent were distracted because they never thought there would be interferenceing from the other side.

    However, the voice came from a woman, which wasn''t an elf that she knew. The summoner immediately took this opportunity to attack Nathan.

    "Kh!" Nathan blocked it with his coat, letting his opponent hit him as he used that momentumbined with his own jump to get as much distance as possible.

    After that, Nathan turned his head around, using the precious few seconds to assess the situation. It was there he found Sasha carrying Selena on her back.

    Risa was following right behind, but her condition didn''t look so good as she had to fend off against all three familiars as well as their summoner by themselves.

    More importantly, Nathan''s eyes darted to Selena. Her face was pale and there was a lot of sweat on her forehead. In one nce, he realized something was wrong.

    At the same time, Selena wasn''t a weak person who easily needed his help. So, the opponent might have done something unexpected.

    "Selena?!"

 Chapter 105: Dominating

    A moment ago.

    Selena halted her steps and immediately issued an order. "Sasha. Get the centaur. Risa, take care of the elf."

    "Won''t you be in trouble facing that summoner and the arachne?" Risa frowned.

    "It''ll be fine with this staff." Selena nodded her head, raising the staff he got from August.

    Sasha wasn''t a worrywart like Risa, so she immediately headed straight to the centaur. The centaur waved both swords at Sasha, while thetter struck them with her ws.

    The elf wanted to shoot Sasha, but a blood tornado flew toward her, forcing the elf to jump to a different tree. Risa took off, using the aerial advantage to force the elf to focus on her.

    Obviously, the summoner wanted to use his Ena to attack Risa, and the arachne wanted to spurt something from her mouth, but before they could do it, a burst of Ena came from the side.

    The burst was unlike anything they had seen before. It cracked several trees around them andunched both the summoner and the arachne into the air.

    The staff amplified Selena''s attack by three times. This was the difference between a low quality wooden rod and a rod made by an elder dwarf. Even the gem in the staff''s eye had the power to boost the flow of her Ena.

    "What is that power?" The summoner gasped. Hended on the ground, but the impact made the area around his left waist numb.

    The arachne regained herposure first and spurted out green-colored liquid from her mouth.

    Selena formed a shield to block it, but surprisingly, the green liquid corroded it. Fortunately, Selena activated her barrier at thest second, stopping the green liquid for a second as she moved away.

    The arachne followed her, but Selena shot out an explosive bullet at the arachne. The bullet traveled underneath the green liquid, taking advantage of that liquid to hide itself from the arachne.

    *Bam!*

    The bullet hit the arachne''s stomach, blowing her away.

    While Selena was focusing on the arachne, the summoner had looped around and attacked her from behind.

    Selena turned her body, but it was toote for her to use that burst attack. The summoner swung his dagger, only to be stopped by the staff.

    Yes, Selena actually stopped it with her staff. After that, she spun that staff to hit the summoner from above.

    The burst of Ena created a small crater on the ground, but there was no one in it. At thest moment, the arachne shot out a web to the back of the summoner and pulled him out.

    The summoner could only grit his teeth, thinking, ''Is she really a first year summoner? Are you sure she is not the target? No, we need to get her as well.''

    The summoner charged forward while the arachne shot her web to distract Selena.

    Selena waved her rod from below, using the Ena like an ocean wave. The web was rolling back toward the arachne, forcing her to jump into the tree next to her.

    After that, she spurted out another batch of poison. The summoner positioned himself in the opposite direction and approached Selena.

    It would be impossible for Selena to block an attack from two directions, so one of them should reach her.

    Obviously, the target was the poison. She used her Ena to deflect the poison while waving her staff at the summoner. Thetter struck Selena''s staff with his dagger, but surprisingly, her arm was scratched by that dagger even though it never touched her.

    "!!!" Selena was startled, never seeing something this mysterious.

    The summoner grinned and started striking her multiple times. Selena kept parrying one attack after another, but more and more wounds appeared on her skin out of nowhere.

    In addition, the arachne was ready to release all the poison she gathered.

    Unfortunately for him, the assassin shouldn''t have shown the trick multiple times to Selena. She noticed that while it was faint, the de was releasing Ena. That was what Selena had to aim for.

    When the dagger was about to strike her neck, Selena blocked the attack and formed a shield with her Ena.

    The shield actually stopped the Ena he transmitted, which shocked the summoner.

    Because he didn''t use a lot of Ena, it shouldn''t be visible, and the Ena would be hard to sense. Yet the student in front of him could actually follow it.

    ''How talented do you have to be with Ena?'' The guy bit his lips, but Selena had struck him from below, the burst of Enaunching him away.

    However, he had bought enough time as the arachne''s poison would hit her from behind.

    Selena shocked them one more time when she swung that staff over her head, guiding an enormous amount of Ena to the ground.

    "!!!" The arachne shuddered. If this continued, they wouldn''t be able to harm Selena. In fact, they might be the ones getting destroyed.

    "Master!" The elf was trying to help, but the blood spears rained on her. "Kh."

    She red at Risa. No matter what she did, Risa simply didn''t give any chance to attack.

    The same applied to the centaur and Sasha. They were engaged in high-speed closebat as they swung their weapons at the same speed, unable to break free from the other.

    It seemed that the summoner and the arachne had to go all out because Selena had been fighting them like an absolute queen.

    "This is not going anywhere." The summoner muttered before he released a massive amount of Ena from his body.

    He lowered his stance and concentrated all that Ena on a single point, which was underneath his foot.

    The burst of such an amount of Enaunched him like an arrow, reaching Selena in just a split second.

    Selena was able to put her staff on the way, but the guy tilted his dagger at thest moment, hitting her shoulder quite deep.

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes in shock. If she wasn''t fast enough, that dagger might actually hit her neck and kill her.

 Chapter 106: Selenas Weakness (Bonus)

    The summoner thought that since her opponent was a girl, she would scream because of the pain.

    However, this kind of pain was nothingpared to what she had endured in the past ten years.

    Without even having a change of expression, Selena turned around and swept him with her Ena.

    "!!!" The summoner widened his eyes in shock as he crashed into a tree.

    The arachne shot out a web that magically expanded to aplete cobweb as a cushion to stop the summoner.

    Selena wanted to release another shot at him, but the arachne immediately sent out poison to stop her. The arachne had been using only two abilities, the thread and the poison.

    Considering she, too, had been using only this sweeping ability and the explosive bullet, he couldn''t really say anything. No, it was more urate that she thought the arachne could only do these two things.

    That was why Selena swept the poison toward the summoner as hard as possible, hoping that any of the poison could reach him.

    Unfortunately, it was too far. The poison fell to the ground and was absorbed by the soil.

    Since the summoner still needed two or three seconds before rejoining the fight, Selena went to the arachne.

    The arachne leaped backward as if she were implying she wasn''t strong enough to go against her.

    Selena reached the arachne''s position and waved her staff down, smashing her from a distance.

    The arachne was forced to fall to the ground as the soil gradually sank.

    But before she could defeat the arachne, the summoner had used the same thing, covering the distance between them in an instant.

    This time, Selena used the tree to cover a portion of her body and her staff for the rest.

    *Clink!*

    A clicking sound echoed as the summoner had no other choice but to strike her staff and failed to harm her.

    However, the wound on her shoulder vibrated, causing more strain on her shoulder. As a result, her entire arm began to numb.

    Selena let go of that arm and swung her wand with only her right arm, sting the enemy once again.

    The arachne used the web to capture Selena, but instead of continuing her attack, Selena just stopped and formed a barrier. The thread hit the barrier, but couldn''t go any further.

    Selena started understanding the enemy''s fighting style. If this continued, she would get ustomed to their attack and gradually gain the upper hand.

    But she had made one mistake. She should have never gone for the arachne, especially her position.

    "!!!" Selena''s body shook as something stung her leg. Her body refused to move, and there was a weird throbbing pain in her ankle.

    When she lowered her head, she saw multiple small spiders crawling on her leg. They were so small and in this kind of fight, she never expected there would be spiders approaching her by using leaves or bushes as a cover. Or they might have been waiting in this spot this whole time.

    Selena didn''t know whether these spiders were from this forest and the arachne just controlled them or it was a summoned creature by the arachne herself, but it only took five seconds before she lost the sensation on her feet.

    "Kh!" Selena gritted her teeth and fell to her knees, thinking, ''I was careless.''

    Selena was aware that despite being stronger than Nathan, thetter would win if they fought. That was because her way of thinking was rather stiff and she was inexperienced in trickeries because she waspletely sealed in her room instead of learning the darkness of the politics.

    And it turned out the enemy used that weakness to defeat her.

    "Selena!" Risa shouted in panic. She was probably the only one who got the advantage in this battle, since her ability worked very well against the elf''s fighting style.

    Sasha noticed something wrong had just happened.

    "Curse? No, is it poison?!" Sasha frowned, but the centaur attacked her before she could get away. "Kh!"

    "You''re not getting away!" The centaur harrumphed.

    The elf aimed at Selena this time.

    Risa had to choose whether to stop the elf or help Selena right away.

    After all, the summoner took this chance to attack her, nning to knock her out.

    "Haaaa!" Sasha stomped the ground, ck-colored Ena leaking out of her body.

    The grass and the roots that got hit by this Ena withered. Even the centaur was afraid of this kind of power.

    Seeing this power, Risa hurriedly moved to Selena, resulting in the elf firing her arrow at Selena.

    Fortunately, Sasha came to her way and grabbed the arrow. The arrow was strong enough to almost slip her from her grasp, but the arrow soon decayed.

    The arachne spurted the poison from her mouth, but Risa simply pointed her left hand toward her and her right hand toward the summoner. She released the blood tornadoes at the same time.

    The blood overwhelmed the arachne''s poison, forcing the arachne to leap away.

    As if knowing it would happen, the summoner turned around and released that enormous Ena toward Risa, cutting through the blood tornado.

    All of a sudden, Sasha struck the de that almost reached Risa.

    The centaur had to back off because of Sasha''s power, so she managed to catch up.

    After stopping the summoner, she wanted to grab him to force them to undo whatever they did to Selena, but the arachne pulled the summoner away first.

    Risa halted her step and ced her hand on the ground. "Blood Wave!"

    A red-colored ocean wave rose like a raging wave that swept everything. However, the centaur came to the very front and shed the wave for the entire group.

    Once the wave settled down, the only thing they saw was Sasha carrying Selena away while Risa followed right behind, ready to stop all four of them by herself if necessary.

    Risa asked, "Can''t you handle the poison and disease?"

    "I am immune to them and can inflict them on others, but I can''t heal a person." Sasha bit her lips, frustrated because of hercking abilities.

    It seemed that they had no other choice but to rely on that person, even though Selena didn''t really want to do it. "We need his help!"

 Chapter 107: Contract

    "Selena?" Nathan looked shocked, but the enemy summoner was about to attack him again, taking advantage of the distraction.

    However, an explosive bullet suddenly flew toward him. Because he was too focused on Nathan, he didn''t see the explosive bullet as it burst right in front of him, blowing him away.

    "!!!"

    All familiars, whether they were allies or enemies, couldn''t help but see what was going on.

    "Fenrir, Anubis!"

    Fenrir wanted to get away, but the minotaur smashed him with his hammer. Fortunately, Selena was fast enough to use her explosive bullet to push the minotaur away.

    The gargoyle attacked him, but it only left a minor injury, which Anubis could easily heal.

    On the other hand, Anubis managed to throw the fallen angel away by using his bandage.

    Selena couldn''t help but bite her lips. She wanted to say that she was fine and she could still take care of the enemy, but being stubborn would just cause even more problems.

    That was why Selena dropped her pride and said, "Sorry."

    She apologized for bing his burden and still needed his help so that she could fight again.

    The enemies from Selena''s side were alsoing, so Nathan immediately ordered, "Let''s get away first!"

    All of them ran as quickly as possible as Fenrir and Risa took care of the rear. Anubis diagnosed Selena and said, "It''s impossible to cure her. My power hasn''t reached the level of removing poison."

    "What?" Nathan looked shocked. It seemed that he had to kill the opponent as quickly as possible and somehow forced them to give the antidote.

    He couldn''t even defeat his opponent easily, so fighting both of them by himself was just foolish.

    Selena wanted him to abandon her, but her mouth refused to say it because the thought of him leaving reminded her of how lonely she was when her father was missing.

    And Nathan didn''t have the intention of abandoning her.

    ''I might go broke after this¡­'' Nathan squinted his eyes. There was one thing he could try, but it was definitely costly for him.

    Nathan asked out loud, "Anubis, Fenrir. What ability do you need to solve this situation?"

    Anubis knew what Nathan wanted. He had to heal the girl.

    The way he asked what kind of ability he needed meant the skills they had yet to unlock. Anubis finally understood Nathan''s n.

    At the same time, he also calcted the amount of Ena and the possibility of solving the problem.

    Anubis replied, "Upgrade my Ankh of Immortality!"

    "!!!" Fenrir was distracted by the enemies'' attacks, but after hearing Anubis'' choice, he understood it as well.

    But before he answered, there was something he had to make clear. "What do you want me to do?"

    "Stop all of them by yourself for 3¡­ no, 2 minutes."

    Fenrir squinted his eyes and said, "Gigantification!"

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn as he said to Selena and the others, who looked confused about the ability they were talking about. "Sasha, Risa. Speed up and let us take care of the rear."

    "But they are strong!" Risa looked worried, knowing that Nathan wasn''t strong enough to fight them by himself.

    "Trust me!"

    Risa felt goosebumps when she heard that stern tone and saw that sincere face. She ced her hand on the ground and summoned the Blood Wave once again, blocking the enemy''s view for a moment.

    After that, she increased her pace and led Sasha and Selena away. "Let''s go!"

    Nathan smiled because no one would see what he was about to do.

    Nathan formed three contracts at the same time. If he made one contract at a time, he would have to pay the price in session, meaning that the contract might return to its original state.

    Hence, he had to sign these three contracts at the same time.

    That was right. Nathan might be able to contract an element, but his Soul Contract actually wasn''t that weak.

    The original Soul Contract allowed him to make an agreement between two subjects. In this version of Soul Contract, he could make a deal with an object, specifically an intangible object. That was why he could contract an element.

    The first contract was for himself.

    ''In exchange for 50 Ena, Nathan Reckmoon will be able to wield the wind in this area for 10 minutes.''

    It was an obvious contract, but the next two contracts were slightly different. Instead of an element, he actually made a deal with the ability itself or more like the list of the skills that locked their abilities. Since it was only present in their mind, the list of the skills could be considered an ''intangible object.''

    ''In exchange for 100 Ena, which will be paid by Nathan Reckmoon, the Ankh of Immortality will be unlocked for 30 minutes.''

    ''In exchange for 100 Ena, which will be paid by Nathan Reckmoon, the Gigantification will be unlocked for 30 minutes.''

    The reason Nathan only gave himself ten minutes while the other thirty minutes was because he didn''t have enough Ena to keep using that ability while the others could remain fighting in case something unexpected happened.

    Nathan hurriedly moved toward the tree, using it as a cover so that the enemies didn''t know what they were doing.

    "Fenrir, Anubis!"

    Both of them immediately came toward him as Nathan instructed, "Match my speed!"

    If someone messed up their speed, the other two contracts would definitely fail since he probably lost enough Ena to cause the Soul Contract to revert to its original form.

    And the one who had the highest chance to mess it up was him. That was why it was better for Anubis and Fenrir, two divine beasts, to match him.

    Nathan bit his thumb as Anubis and Fenrir followed suit. They watched Nathan''s thumb carefully and signed the contract at the same time.

    Nathan''s body shook violently as his Ena left his body. He had just lost 250 Ena for an ability that he could only use for a moment. It was painful, but there was no other way.

    "Go for it, Partner!" Nathan grinned as he and Anubis sped up, leaving Fenrir behind.

    Fenrir halted his steps and started growing, his height increasing to 4 meters (13 feet). It was an iplete ability, but this was enough for Fenrir.

    The enemies widened their eyes in shock as Fenrir suddenly let out a roar so loud that the ground trembled.

    "Ooooohhh!"

 Chapter 108: Donating His Blood

    "Ooohhh!" Fenrir''s roar shook the forest to the point where the people fighting the alien could hear it.

    "What is this wolf? Is it getting stronger?"

    The enemies couldn''t help but stop, feeling the extraordinary strengthing from Fenrir.

    The minotaur was the first one to attack because he was the one who had been suppressing Fenrir this whole time.

    However, once the minotaur reached Fenrir, it was stunned by the sheer size of the monstrous wolf. Fenrir''s size became four times his original size, which meant almost twice as big as the minotaur himself.

    The minotaur harrumphed and struck Fenrir with his hammer, but thetter simply struck the hammer along with the minotaur with his paw,unching the minotaur away as if it were a fly.

    The minotaur bounced on the ground multiple times until it crashed into a boulder.

    The enemies couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock. The minotaur was on its knee, and its body was covered in blood, but it seemed to be able to continue.

    With such a huge gap in strength, the enemies had no choice but to take down Fenrir first.

    "It should be the wolf''s trump card. We will take care of this wolf first together!"

    All of them agreed and switched their focus to Fenrir. However, they would surely not kill Fenrir, since he was Nathan''s familiar. This also showed how immense Nathan''s potential was.

    On the other hand, Nathan and Anubis had caught up with the others. Anubis immediately checked Selena''s condition and said, "Give me several minutes. I have to remove all the toxins that have spread from her ankles to her upper body."

    "Got it." Nathan nodded.

    "Sorry." Selena bit her lips. Just like the Ten Forest, she ended up relying on him again.

    "Say itter." Nathan thought for a moment.

    "What are we going to do? Are we going to run from them?" Risa asked.

    "With this number, I don''t think we''ll be able to do anything." Sasha frowned. Even with Selena returning to the battle, Nathan had to sacrifice Fenrir to buy time. In other words, even if Fenrir didn''t die, he would be too injured to fight.

    Nathan nced at Risa. "Fenrir once said that vampires could actually get stronger if they drink blood, is that true?"

    "I can''t speak on behalf of all vampires, but I can recover my stamina from drinking blood." Risa shook her head helplessly. If it was that easy to get stronger, she would have done that.

    "That is good enough." Nathan nodded and grabbed his cor, pulling it to show his neck. "In that case, drink my blood."

    "But you will be weakened after that."

    "I have a n to defeat one of them in an instant, but I will be out of Ena after that. In other words, I''ll be out of the battle, so I don''t really care if I''m weakened as long as I still have Ena. Hurry up. We don''t have a lot of time."

    Risa looked hesitant, but if Nathan could really kill one of them right away, they still had the chance. As long as they could hold out, with Selena back and Fenrir and Anubis joining their fight, they had the chance to defeat their enemies.

    Risa clenched her hands into fists, steeling her resolve. She moved closer to Nathan and said, "Here Ie¡­"

    "Yes. Just don''t suck me dry." Nathan closed his eyes. He had always wondered how it felt to get sucked by a vampire. And this was a perfect opportunity.

    After all, if Fenrir were here, he would probably say, ''If the vampire isn''t a woman, you probably won''t even offer your blood.''

    "Yes." Risa opened her mouth, revealing the longer fangs and biting his neck as gently as possible.

    "Kh." Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, but it wasn''t as painful as he imagined. It was as if he was stung by an ant, and the sensation of the blood being sucked out of the blood was simr to inhaling a deep breath, albeit painful. The area around his neck also grew numb.

    "¡­" Nathan felt his feet be weaker, but it didn''t seem to be something unusual because Risa gradually let him drop as she sat on top of him.

    "Risa? Is that enough?" Nathan asked. If this continued, he might not be able to move his body anymore.

    "Risa?!" Selena shouted as if she noticed something went wrong.

    It took Risa two more seconds before she stopped and pulled back. She was gasping for some air while letting out some soft moan. "Ah¡­ Ah¡­"

    She gradually opened her eyes, revealing intoxicated eyes as if she were in heat.

    In addition to their current position, Nathan couldn''t help but think, ''Damn. She is lewd. Maybe I should allow her to suck my blood from time to t¡ª''

    Before he could finish his thought, red-colored Ena started to leak out of her body. It grew stronger and stronger, spreading the blood smell.

    Her bat wings stretched to the maximum. When the Ena burst, those wings grew three times in size as her body arched backward. "Aaaahhhh!"

    Nathan looked dumbfounded, staring hard at her. Selena couldn''t help but squint her eyes, as she had never seen something like this before. She had been feeding Risa with her blood, but there was never something special before.

    The blood-red energy became much more rigorous before turning violent, her wings pping to disperse that energy away and casually producing a powerful gale.

    After that loud moan, she lowered her head, looking into Nathan''s eyes with such an intoxicated face.

    Nathan noticed something different in her eyes.

    Her eyes were supposed to be simr to Selena''s red eyes, but this time, there was a small crystal-shaped pink pattern in the middle of her pupil.

    Getting stared at by those eyes somehow made Nathan shudder, especially with his blood still running down her lips. It was as if he would be eaten after this.

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask a dumb question just to snap her back to reality. "Ehm¡­ This is not normal, right?"

 Chapter 109: Counterattack (Bonus)

    "This is not normal, right?"

    Selena was still speechless while Risa ced her hands on Nathan''s shoulder while panting as if she were exhausted.

    "Ha¡­ This is¡­" Risa noticed what was going on with her body. "I have be¡­ a marchioness?"

    "What?!" Selena dropped her jaw in disbelief. She knew Risa had the potential of turning into a countess in the future, but she never expected that her potential had just been upgraded by taking Nathan''s blood.

    Even Nathan understood what this meant. ''What is going on? A marchioness is the female counterpart of a marquis, right? Is she evolving?

    ''But why is my blood triggering such an evolution? Is my blood special? But I''m supposed to be a farmer, right? Don''t tell me, my parents are actually a secret royalty who are eloping because their rtionship is not approved or something?

    ''But will royal blood even change anything? Or is Risa actually sucking the blood fused with a different soul? If we''re thinking about it, my soul is not from this world like them. Is it rted to that?

    ''Then again, I might sound arrogant, but I''m sure different by having the ability to summon divine beasts, and it''s a guarantee of a divine beast, not a normal beast.

    ''Now that I think about it, the first time I figured out the Soul Contract and how I thought the original Nathan had a contract with me before the summoning had some ws in that logic.

    ''After all, I would have been summoned first before I could even use the Soul Contract, so the teacher and other students would have seen me instead of immediately possessing this body.

    ''I don''t really know, and I don''t think I can find the answer right now. All I know is that my body is special. It seems that I have to take my time to find out the true secret hidden in this body.''

    "I¡­" Risa didn''t know what to say. She wanted to thank him and exin what was going on, but the enemies wereing.

    Boom!

    They felt a shock wave not far from this ce. When they turned their heads around, they saw Fenrir''s giant silhouetteing toward them. They had run out of time.

    "We don''t have time. Let''s discuss itter, Risa."

    Risa nodded with a solemn expression and hurriedly stood up.

    Seeing Nathan struggle to get up, Anubis shared a bit of his healing power with him, speeding up his metabolism. He would still need treatment if he wanted to replenish all the blood, but this was enough for this fight.

    "Thanks, Anubis. Take care of Selena for a bit, will you?"

    Anubis nodded. "Be careful."

    Nathan waved his hand as Risa and Sasha followed him.

    "Risa, Sasha. Do you mind fighting against your original opponents? I want you two to stop the summoner and his three familiars while I and Fenrir take down the other one. It''ll probably take less than one minute." Nathan exined.

    "Sir¡­ Let Sasha help you. While I''m not strong enough to defeat them by myself, I should be able to contain those four by myself. With Sasha''s help, you should be able to defeat that summoner much easier," Risa suggested.

    Nathan noticed the change in how Risa addressed him. It seemed that the impact of that evolution was quite big. He might be wrong, but the fact that she could evolve her potential just by drinking his blood meant there was a chance to take a step further and be a duchess. No, she might even reach a higher level, such as a royal or even a progenitor.

    There was no basis, but that potential alone was enough to change the way Risa treated him, even if she wasn''t his familiar.

    Nathan found confidence and resolve in Risa''s face. He didn''t know what kind of abilities she got from bing a marchioness, but he probably could rely on her this time.

    "Alright. I''ll leave them to you, Risa. Sasha, you take care of the fallen angel. Don''t let him use his weird spell. That is enough for me."

    Risa and Sasha nodded their heads.

    ¡­

    Fenrir was restrained by dark tentacles from the ck holes while the gargoyle, the minotaur, and the centaur attacked him at the same time.

    "Gah!" Fenrir gritted her teeth. He dispersed the ck hole and leaped backward.

    The two summoners were about to reach him while the elf and the arachne concentrated on their own abilities.

    All of a sudden, several blood spears fell down, forcing the dagger user to halt his steps.

    "!!!" The enemies were startled and tried to change their targets, realizing that the enemies had decided to make a counterattack.

    But before they could do it, Risa and Sashanded next to the centaur and the dagger user respectively.

    After attacking Fenrir, the centaur wasn''t in a position to repel her, so he desperately swung his des toward her.

    Risa grabbed his wrist and threw him toward the elf and arachne with a much stronger strength than Sasha. On the other hand, the dagger user struck Sasha, only to be blocked with her ws. Just like Risa, she threw this summoner toward his familiars, separating him from the entire group.

    After that, Sasha continued toward the fallen angel while Risa positioned herself between the enemies, bing a wall that separated the second summoner from the rest.

    "O'' Blood, turn this ce into a battlefield. Blood Field!" Risa waved her hand as blood started rising from the ground, forming a half-sphere that isted this ce from the outside world. She looked at these four in a condescending way. "Your enemy is me."

    The minotaur and the gargoyle were forced to retreat because they were not enough to stop Fenrir in this state.

    Nathan caught up to Fenrir while saying, "Yo. Are you good for one more round? We will kill this guy in one strike."

    Fenrir couldn''t help but grin. The reason he was asking was because his entire body was covered in injuries, but this was nothing for Fenrir.

    "That''s the best thing I heard today. Let''s kill them!"

 Chapter 110: Killing the Summoner

    Seeing the other summoner getting isted in that blood barrier made his heart sink. Fenrir getting stronger was simply outside their calction.

    "It doesn''t matter. We will still be able to win if we can just hold on." The summoner shouted while waving his hand down, ordering his familiars to charge forward. As soon as the other summoned defeated that vampire, they could definitely defeat Nathan.

    The minotaur and the gargoyle charged forward while the fallen angel prepared his spell. The summoner stood still so as to assess the situation.

    "Sasha." Nathan shouted while pointing at the gargoyle.

    Sasha nodded and immediately struck the gargoyle with her ws. Thetter did the same as both of them ended up getting locked in a battle.

    The minotaur positioned himself in front of Fenrir, while the fallen angel summoned yet another ck hole.

    The tentacles grasped Nathan''s wrists and ankles, not allowing to escape again.

    "!!!" Fenrir nced at Nathan. As soon as he noticed there was no shred of distress in his expression, Fenrir continued.

    It was at that time he heard Nathan''s voice,manding not him but the wind.

    "Obey me. st that freaking minotaur!"

    "!!!" Both allies and enemies widened their eyes as the wind started to flow toward the minotaur. They were concentrated in a single spot, simr to the explosive bullet but filled withpressed wind.

    The minotaur changed his stance to destroy thispressed wind, but it was toote. The wind burst, producing a force thatunched the minotaur 30 meters (98 feet) away.

    "Gooo!" The minotaur let out a growl, but it was struggling to get up because it also got struck by Fenrir earlier.

    A grin appeared on Fenrir''s face as he went straight to the summoner.

    The fallen angel flew toward his master in order to save him. This was a perfect chance for Nathan to attack, but Nathan was clutching his heart while gnashing his teeth.

    As he expected, even though he had made an agreement with the wind, he still needed to use his own Ena to order them.

    And the cost of using it was high, especially since he had just thrown away 250 Ena from using the Soul Contract earlier.

    However, Nathan wasn''t done yet. If the summoner managed to run away, this ability would be known by a lot of people. That was why Nathan gave one more order.

    "Use thest bit of my Ena to pin them to the ground."

    "!!!" They could feel the wind gathering on top of their heads.

    "Not good!" The summoner shouted, trying to get away, but it was toote.

    The wind poured down on him, forcing him to fall to his knees.

    The fallen angel bent his knees slightly, but he managed to withstand that pressure.

    It onlysted for a second before the wind disappeared without a trace.

    The summoner thought this was a chance for him to get away, but Fenrir had already reached them and pped the fallen angel in the face with the same force as when he hit the minotaur.

    That p cracked his skull, broke his ribs, and even bent his spine. The fallen angel flew into the air before crashing into the ground with his body bending in a weird way.

    "!!!" The summoner''s face went pale as he turned around, seeing the huge Fenrir behind him.

    "No¡ª!"

    Fenrir stomped his body and pinned him to the ground. He applied a lot of force to crush his ribs and almost ttened his organs. Then he bit the head and ripped the neck apart before tossing the head into the air. Itnded on his mouth and continued down his stomach.

    As if confirming his death, the gargoyle disappeared, causing Sasha''s attack to miss.

    Nathan dropped to his butt while gasping for air.

    "Haa¡­ ha¡­" Nathan nced at the blood field while thinking, ''To think the burden for using an element is this heavy¡­ I can kind of understand the reason they''re waiting for us to reach the second year before attempting such a thing. It''s not just a matter ofplexity. The summoners basically need an enormous amount of Ena to do so, which is only possible once they reach the second year.

    ''I have expected it to be draining, but it''s not at this level. I thought I would be able to give four or five orders before running out of Ena¡­ I guess I have to be careful when using it in the future.

    ''As much as I want to continue fighting, it seems that I can only watch.''

    Fenrir turned to Nathan, wondering if he had any other n for the second summoner.

    "Risa! We are done!" Nathan shouted as loud as possible.

    His words reached Risa as thetter released her Blood Field, revealing her current situation.

    She was covered in injuries, mostly from the centaurs and the summoner. There were two arrows nted on her right arm and left leg.

    Fortunately, she was more vignt to the arachne, avoiding the situation where she would fall like Selena.

    In that instant, Nathan assigned them with their own role. "Sasha, take down the arachne, Fenrir, stop the centaur and the summoner, and Risa, you go for the elf. Don''t let her shoot another arrow!"

    The three familiars acknowledged their roles and immediately rushed forward.

    Their situation differed greatlypared to the enemy. The enemy summoner panicked when he saw his friend was taken out.

    ''No. Even though they are injured, I can''t defeat them, at least not in a short amount of time. The others might have killed the alien at this point and are looking for them. I have to run away. I have to inform them about their strength.''

    "Retreat!" the summoner ordered out loud while turning around.

    But before he could take another step, a st of Ena hit him,unching him into a tree next to him.

    "Gah!" The summoner gritted his teeth, fully aware whose ability this was.

    Selena, fully recovered, came with Anubis. Anubis immediately activated his ability, healing Fenrir and Risa while Selena looked at the summoner coldly as she wasing for revenge.

 Chapter 111: Revenge

    "What?!" The enemy summoner gritted his teeth.

    The elf wanted to shoot an arrow, but Risa came with the blood spears, forcing the elf to dodge it.

    The centaur kept exchanging blows with Fenrir while the arachne was in a bind, unable to do anything against Sasha due to her immunity.

    Meanwhile, Anubis supported them while standing next to Nathan to protect him.

    "Anubis. Don''t heal Fenrir and Risa."

    "Huh?" Anubis tilted his head in confusion. "Do you have a n?"

    "It''s necessary." Nathan confirmed it with a nod.

    Although Anubis didn''t know his n, he believed it was a well-thought n.

    Risa could feel that Anubis'' power stopped flowing into her. It surprised her, but she didn''t say anything. In the end, Anubis was Nathan''s familiar while she was Selena''s. He had no obligation to heal her.

    Besides, with her current power, it was more than enough to defeat this elf.

    On the other hand, Fenrir simply believed that Nathan was preparing something.

    The enemy summoner was ncing around, trying to find an escape path. However, Selena maintained a close distance, sting him again and again.

    "Kh." The summoner panted a few times as he slid on the ground, stopping his momentum.

    Selena caught up with him while swinging her rod.

    The summoner jumped to the side, avoiding the st at thest moment. He thought he had avoided it, but it turned out there was actually the arachne behind him.

    The arachne let out a screeching noise as its body flipped upside down.

    "!!!" The summoner widened his eyes in shock as he turned around, watching Sasha puncturing the arachne''s body with the talon-like hands.

    "Scree!" The arachne struggled to get up as Selena fired the explosive sphere.

    Sasha lifted up the arachne and tossed her toward that explosive sphere so that it would hit her back.

    "Reee!" The arachne couldn''t do anything other than screaming, but that was probably thest time they heard her voice.

    Sasha''s left hand pierced through her heart while her right hand struck her brain. The arachne struggled for a second, but she soon stopped moving.

    Sasha coldly tossed the arachne to the side as if she were trash.

    "You¡ª!" The summoner charged toward Selena. Even though the arachne was just a familiar, she had apanied him much longer than the other two.

    However, the centaur was suddenlyunched between them by Fenrir, as though he knew what Selena''s intention was.

    She sted the centaur forward, causing the centaur to crash into his summoner.

    After that, she tossed that powerful st into the air and fell right above them.

    "Aarggh!" The centaur tried to protect the familiar, but it was useless.

    Selenaunched him back at Fenrir as thetter crushed the centaur like a fly.

    "What?" The summoner''s body was shaking uncontrobly as his face filled with despair. Dying was much more desirable than seeing his familiars going down one by one like this.

    Sasha turned her head to the side, locking on herst target.

    "N-NO!" the summoner roared while rushing toward the elf, trying to stop Selena no matter what.

    Yet Selena showed no change of expression when looking at that terrified expression. She simply blew him to the elf.

    "!!!" The elf was startled by her summoner flying next to her. That distraction allowed Risa to hit the elf with her blood tornado, scraping the front part of her body and destroying her body gradually.

    "!!!" The summoner widened his eyes in disbelief. The tears were already streaming out of the corner of her eyes as if he was about to go insane.

    Fortunately, Fenrir suddenly appeared and pped him back to the ground, crushing his body.

    Nathan blinked a few times as he couldn''t help but ask, "Did she¡­ intentionally kill those familiars first? I think I shouldn''t anger her, right?"

    "But you have gotten her interest, so good luck." Anubis patted Nathan''s shoulder. "Don''t worry. I can fix your body if anything happens."

    Nathan was speechless before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Shouldn''t you say, ''I can fix her,'' or something?"

    "That''s your job."

    After killing the summoner, Fenrir looked at Selena for a moment before returning to Nathan. "Are we done here?"

    "Yeah." Nathan nodded before turning his head to Selena and the others.

    Nathan said, "I know you are bitter after getting defeated once, but you shouldn''t have done that. I mean, you can release your anger and I won''t say anything, but if you do it that way, it''ll just cause him to go insane.

    "Do you know that pushing someone into the corner will cause them to do anything they can to drag you down or something? Fenrir has done a brilliant job of killing him before he can do anything like that, so please be mindful of that."

    Selena wanted to say something but ended up looking down as if she had no excuses.

    Nathan felt relieved, thinking, ''Well, I can fix her¡­ maybe¡­ maybe not.''

    "So, what are we gonna do?" Fenrir asked.

    "First of all, turn back to your original form. My neck is hurting."

    "¡­" Fenrir looked annoyed, but he still reverted to his original form. After all, it had been a while since he used that ability, so he didn''t really want to deactivate it.

    "We''ll just remain here for a bit." Nathan looked at their condition for a moment and asked, "By the way, do you mind getting hurt a little bit?"

    Selena tilted her head in confusion before shaking her head.

    "Good, good. Fenrir. Leave some scratches on us, make us look a bit miserable, but don''t make it too painful. After that, just let out everything you get to reveal our location."

    Fenrir followed Nathan''s instruction and used his nails to make Nathan and Selena appear miserable. There were injuries all over their bodies, but it wasn''t that painful, and Anubis could heal them easily.

    Coupled with Fenrir and Risa''s injuries, they looked like they had just won a tough battle.

    After that, Fenrir poured everything he got into a howl that rang across the entire forest.

    "Aooo!"

 Chapter 112: Gaslighting (Bonus)

    It didn''t take too long for venya''s team to reach Nathan''s location. They had been searching for quite a while, so they looked distressed a lot, especially Mando.

    It seemed Mando was the one who had beenining the whole time.

    Of course, they were shocked to find Fenrir and Anubis. They had heard a rumor about a summoner having beasts as his familiars, but it turned out Nathan was the person in the rumor.

    Mando''s face turned pale as he realized the true value of this summoner called Nathan. And not only venya had disrespected him by shoving him to the students from the Retishia Academy, but they were also in this much danger.

    "Are you alright?" Mando hurriedly checked their conditions. "We''ll bring you to the doctor and get your wounds healed right away!"

    Nathan grabbed Mando''s head to show his displeasure. He shook his head while saying in a disappointed tone, "We don''t need it."

    "But your injuries¡­" Mando was terrified. If this matter was heard by both the Frexia Academy and the Dragon King, it would cause a huge problem. After all, the one who rmended Nathan and Selena was the Dragon King, which meant the one responsible for sending them here was the principal of the Frexia Academy, the man known as the Sage."

    Nathan stood up, his feet shaking as if he were enduring the pain. "Since you are here, the mature ss alien must have been taken down, so we''ll just take our leave. To think that the Chaotic Cat organization woulde¡­"

    "What?! Chaotic Cat?" Mando gasped.

    venya looked shocked as well. It was a famous organization because their aims were to kidnap talented summoners. A lot of people had beening to recruit her, so she thought the Chaotic Cat came for her.

    If they failed to subjugate the mature ss alien, these terrorists would create an opportunity for them to capture her.

    Even if their aims were not her but Nathan because of his unique familiars, it didn''t change the fact that it was their fault to let such an organizatione close.

    Nathan turned to Mando and politely said, "I''m thankful for your kind action, but the mission is over. It''s time for us to report to the Dragon King and receive our rewards."

    "This¡­" Mando wanted to persuade them and solve this misunderstanding so that the Dragon King didn''t know that they had neglected their duty.

    However, Nathan took this opportunity to re at venya while saying, "You thought this mission was to meet you? Has your fame gone to your head for you to assume that every single person who wants to meet you is because they want to recruit you?"

    "You¡ª!" Her subordinates looked like they were trying to protect her, but venya raised her arm to stop them. She bit her lips, feeling humiliated.

    Nathan snorted and continued walking. Selena walked beside him while covering some of her wounds.

    Their bodies were swaying left and right as they struggled to just walk.

    Mando kept ncing back and forth between Nathan and venya.

    "Young miss. I might be overstepping my bounds by saying this, but your father has always said that the easiest to kill an opponent is when they think they''re stronger than you. After all, people stronger than you tend to lower their guards, believing they can defeat you as they like."

    After Mando gave that message, he politely lowered his head and said, "I''ll try to talk to them. I''m afraid that if the Dragon King hears this, he will definitely be angry.

    "Besides, we can''t do anything to them because thatd is the rumored unique summoner. If we do something, there is a high chance a war between the Soaring Dragon Mercenary Group and the Frexia Academy will begin.

    "That''s why I''ll take my leave and persuade them." Mando then turned around, chasing after Nathan and Selena.

    venya looked down, her expression darkening and her hands clenching into fists. She was too ashamed to say anything.

    The people next to her could see her body shaking as if there were a lot of things she wanted to say but couldn''t because the other party was right.

    It was her negligence that caused this situation. If Nathan wasn''t here and the Chaotic Cat still attacked them, the raid would fail and hundreds of soldiers would die.

    Little did he know, Nathan was actually smiling.

    "Dear students! Respected students!" Mando caught up to them while saying out loud, "Please. Let me bring you back to the camp so that we can treat you. I''ll reprimand the young miss, so please¡ª!"

    Mando suddenly stopped talking when he saw Nathan having a hard time containing his smile. "Eh?"

    Nathan chuckled. "Do you think I''m mad for real?"

    "Eh?" Mando''s heart sank. Their wounds were gradually disappearing, causing Mando to shift his gaze to Anubis. It turned out they could heal themselves this whole time, but why didn''t they do it before? The answer was simple.

    Nathan said, "Well, her father wants me to recruit her in exchange for the dragon blood, so yeah¡­ I just do it."

    Mando dropped his jaw. "But if you were trying to recruit her, wouldn''t it be bad to humiliate her like that? Even I would be angry if you humiliated them for no reason¡­"

    "We have received permission from the Dragon King. He allows me to do anything I want as long as I can recruit her to the academy, so please don''t get angry because my n is not over yet.

    "Hahaha. Still, gaslighting is truly the best. It''s perfect for someone like her who has been chasing away others because she is freaking talented.

    "And I know you don''t like this, but I will have to request something from you even if I need to ask it in the name of the Dragon King. I need you to do something."

    "What?" Mando''s eyebrows twitched. These two students were much bolder than he originally thought. And to think that the Dragon King would give them permission. "You¡­ You¡­ What are you trying to do?"

    Nathan smirked. "Scamming the Dragon King."

 Chapter 113: Scamming the Dragon King

    "It seems that you are unable to get my daughter to go to the Frexia Academy." The Dragon King nced at the two youngsters with a disappointed face. He didn''t expect much, but it seemed he shouldn''t have expected anything in the first ce, especially from the youngsters.

    "Not yet."

    "Yet?" The Dragon King squinted his eyes.

    "Yes. Allow me to exin what has happened." Nathan started recounting everything, including the terrorist group.

    Even the Dragon King furrowed his eyebrows when Nathan mentioned the terrorists, since his daughter could be their target.

    However, there was one big question in his mind. Why would Nathan do all this?

    "Hmm?" The Dragon King looked down, falling into deep thought. "What are you nning to do to make her go to the Frexia Academy?"

    "I probably need to ask you that question. To what extent do you want her to go to the academy?" Nathan smirked.

    The Dragon King thought for a moment. "I''ve already told you before. As long as it doesn''t harm her, I''m willing to do anything. She only has her youth once."

    "Then¡­" Nathan came closer to the Dragon King, whispering all his ns.

    The more the Dragon King heard about it, the more shocked he became. This was the first time he heard such a bold n, especially with the fact that he was willing to use the Dragon King himself in this n.

    "And that''s the n. As long as you y your role perfectly, she wille to the Frexia Academy."

    The Dragon King narrowed his eyes. "But you will face a lot of trouble."

    "I don''t mind trouble." Nathan shrugged.

    The Dragon King rubbed his chin for a while before asking, "Why don''t you just be my student? The Forest Queen is unsuitable to be your teacher."

    Nathan raised three fingers. "I have three answers: the short one, the long one, and the original. Which one do you want to hear?"

    "The short one."

    "No."

    "How about the long one?"

    "As a wise man once said, a teacher for a day is a parent for a lifetime. I have recognized her as my teacher, so the utmost respect I can give her is to be loyal."

    "Hmmm¡­" The Dragon King nodded in agreement, liking that answer a lot. If Nathan could easily ept him as a teacher, he could just acknowledge another teacher in the future. Still, he was curious about thest answer. "How about the original one?"

    "You are cool, strong, and have a big influence. However, if I have to say, there is no one who is more badass than a bald old man. You are not, so if I have to meet someone for a long time, it''s better if they''re pleasant to see. Well, that was a joke, obviously." Nathan shrugged. The biggest reason he chose Vivian was definitely because he was desperate to survive.

    The Dragon King coughed a few times, as he didn''t expect such an answer, even if it was a joke.

    He shook his head helplessly, realizing why he really liked this kid. "Alright. I''ll follow your n. In that case, I''ll take out the blood¡ª"

    Before the Dragon King summoned his familiar, Nathan raised his hand and said, "I believe it''s better to discuss the other rewards first."

    "Oh. You mean the bonuses I promised you, right?" The Dragon King nodded. "How many cores do you need?"

    "Huh?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched.

    "Huh?" The Dragon King froze. Both of them were staring at each other as they came to a realization that they were not on the same wavelength. "You don''t want cores as bonuses?"

    "Isn''t that obvious? I have already decided what I want as a bonus from the beginning. I want you to teach me a technique or give me a piece of advice on what I should do at my current level," Nathan exined with a nonchnt expression.

    "¡­" The Dragon King widened his eyes in shock. "Wait. Aren''t cores as the bonus reward more beneficial for you? You want to summon the dragon after all. The more Ena you have, the higher the chance for you to summon a better dragon."

    "My point exactly." Nathan grinned. "I want the bonus to be your guidance. Since you want the blood of my dragon, you have no choice but to give me the cores outside the bonus. After all, if I fail to summon one because I''mcking Ena, you won''t be able to get the blood!"

    The Dragon King dropped his jaw inwardly. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he couldn''t deny that Nathan was right.

    The Dragon King wasn''t the only one surprised by his scheme. Fenrir was the same. He couldn''t help but think, ''I feel like I have heard about this story in Asgard¡­ something like betting one''s head with the dwarves. They can get his head but not harm his neck, right?''

    Fenrir realized that by twisting his words, Nathan managed to get both the cores and the guidance.

    Nathan said in a dramatic way, "Oh. There''s no way the mighty Dragon King will take back his promise, right? You are a man of integrity."

    The Dragon King gnashed his teeth as he couldn''t help but grab Nathan''s shoulder as if he wanted to crush him. This was the first time that a youngster like him dared to scam him this much.

    Nathan was sweating, but this was for the sake of his future.

    The Dragon King noticed something when he grabbed Nathan''s shoulder. In that instant, he immediately yed his own acting by saying with a grunted face. "Fine. I''ll teach you a technique as well as giving you cores."

    Fenrir looked at Nathan, who actually managed to get what he wanted, but he thought of the continuation. ''If I''m not wrong, the dwarves are outyed, but they decide to sew his mouth¡­''

    As if the Dragon King''s thought was aligned with the myth, the Dragon King suddenly showed a sly grin and said, "But I''m only giving you the mature ss cores. It seems that your teacher has taken care of your body, and it''s now strong enough to endure the mature ss cores.

    "Don''t worry. It won''t kill you¡­ It will just hurt a lot. I''ll even observe you so that nothing will go wrong. I am a good man after all."

    Nathan''s heart sank.

    *Thud¡ª!*

 Chapter 114: Fenrirs Suggestion

    Nathan let out a hollowugh. "Ehm¡­ Can I take back my words?"

    "So, you''re going to reject my kindness? If I use this as an excuse, even your teacher won''t be able to do anything." The Dragon King grinned. "She seems to care a lot about you, to even strengthen your body."

    "Huh?" Nathan was confused about that part. He didn''t think Vivian had done anything in that regard.

    "What? Don''t tell me. She is doing it sneakily?" The Dragon King squinted his eyes. "It appears you haven''t realized that your body is changing. Looking at your current state, it should be medicine."

    "!!!" Nathan''s body shook. While he couldn''t say for sure, he had one idea. They needed to go to the cafeteria to eat, but the water was always avable in their room.

    It was at this moment that he realized Vivian had been tampering with the water he drank with some herbs. The water didn''t change color and taste, so he didn''t realize it.

    But if that was true, it meant Vivian had been doing it from the beginning.

    He thought Vivian hadn''t done anything other than teaching him for a week or giving him the coat. It turned out she had done a lot more without him knowing because she wanted to give him the illusion of being independent.

    Now that he thought about it, his body seemed to be stronger than he originally thought. When he fought Noelle, he could repel her attack. Ena alone was probably not enough to justify that durability.

    And when the mutant stabbed him, he could endure it better than he expected it.

    Nathan scratched the back of his head before letting out a long sigh. "I understand. I''ll just ept my fate."

    "Heh¡­" The Dragon King grinned. Even if he was getting scammed, his dignity was safe. It was fortunate that he coulde up with a quick strategy.

    Still, he indeed liked Nathan''s personality and character. "Well, you should rejoice because what I''m teaching you is something you will find useful, even in the future."

    "Huh? Even in the future?" Nathan thought, ''There is only one kind of technique that I will find useful. It is something that he can use at his current level. In other words, his core technique. He is actually giving it to me?''

    "Yes. I feel like I''ll be meeting you in the future as well. Even if they are not, you can consider this as an advance payment for taking care of my daughter. I''m sure she will trouble you a lot, but please be nice to her."

    To prove his point, the Dragon King took a few steps to the side. "The technique I''m going to teach you is called Dragon Punch. It''s basically a technique to burst out your energy when you punch. As for the power¡­"

    The Dragon King closed his eyes as an enormous amount of Ena starteding out of his body. They all flowed into his fist.

    The moment the Dragon King opened his eyes, he threw a punch to the emptynd.

    *Bam!*

    The Ena from his fist erupted, sting everything in a fan-shaped area. The loud explosion sound startled Nathan as he could see the torrential Ena moving forward.

    The ground cracked, stripped away, and was blown away, the trees located not far from them snapped and flew into the air, and the boulders shattered into pieces.

    Everything within a 20-meter (66-foot) radius in a fan-shaped area was obliterated.

    Fenrir subconsciously cracked the ground underneath him as if he felt challenged by this power. Anubis unknowingly released his Ena.

    "This should be enough for a payment, right?" The Dragon King smirked.

    "That is indeed enough." Nathan scratched the back of his head. "You simply don''t give anyone the chance to refuse."

    "Hahahaha." The Dragon Kingughed out loud, satisfied with Nathan''s response. Giving this technique showed how high the expectation the Dragon King had in him.

    Nathan sighed while the Dragon King turned to Selena. "Well, I''m done with his reward. It''s time for you, littledy. What do you want as a bonus? Are you nning to scam me as well? I need his dragon''s blood, but I don''t need anything from you.

    So, are you going to do the same trick as him?"

    Selena lowered her head. "I have thought about what I want, but I still can''t find the specific thing. Considering I''m nning to get my third familiar soon, I''m thinking about summoning another vampire, but after what happens to Risa, I mean my familiar¡­ I''m a bit confused about what I want to summon."

    "Hmm?" The Dragon King contemted while Nathan asked, "So what kind of familiar do you want to summon now? Maybe their roles are fine. We have the Dragon King here, so he might offer some advice."

    The Dragon King flicked the back of Nathan''s head as if telling him not to involve him in this problem.

    On the other hand, Selena exined, "I am nning to have another vanguard, I think. Only Sasha is able to fight in closebat. If she cannot stop them froming, we would have no choice but to fight in closebat. I can fight a bit, but I can''t say I''m adept in closebat."

    Nathan''s eyes shifted to Fenrir. Fenrir could sense that gaze, as he couldn''t help but remember what Nathan said back then.

    Fenrir clicked his tongue and said, "I actually have an idea. If you just want a closebat fighter that doesn''t need to fly like your vampire or lilitu, I have something in mind. And people also call it a vampire."

    "Really?" Selena''s eyes brightened.

    Fenrir had given the information about Sasha, so his advice might actually give birth to a new species.

    "Yes. Although it''s a bit far from my ce, there is a vampireing from the east. People call it by a different name though."

    Selena tilted her head in confusion. "An eastern vampire? What do you call them?"

    "They are known as hopping vampires who drain life force or ''chi'' rather than blood. Their famous name is Jiangshi."

 Chapter 115: Fenrirs Different Suggestion (Bonus)

    A few weeks ago.

    "Since we''re talking about Lilith, it''s better to suggest lilitu. However, there are several vampires in mythologies. My favorite is definitely a jiangshi, because whenever I read novels orics, they will always show a badass, powerful, and sexy jiangshi."

    "I bet your aim is thatst one. What next? You want a female corpse, or maybe female clothes, for the sacrifice?" Fenrir gnashed his teeth.

    "How do you know?" Nathan looked surprised, as if he were innocent.

    "Tsk."

    Nathan shrugged. "Anyway, just suggest lilitu. That should be fine. If there is another opportunity, it''s probably good to test the jiangshi."

    And that was what Fenrir did.

    ¡­

    "Jiangshi?!" Selena and the Dragon King widened their eyes, never hearing about this species.

    "Indeed. They are pretty strong because they are controlled by ancient talismans. With your current level, you should be able to summon a high level jiangshi."

    Sasha was strong and unique, so the thing that Fenrir suggested should be suitable for her current situation as well.

    "What do I need then?"

    "If you want a jiangshi, it''ll be better to have female clothes that have been tainted by a death aura. If I''m not wrong, there is and in this world with such a thing. Or maybe you can find a talisman¡­ I don''t know if you are familiar with it in this world, but you can probably get the best yellow rice paper, which is believed to have protective properties against evil spirits."

    Selena turned to the Dragon King, wondering if it was possible or not.

    The Dragon King thought for a moment. "It''s possible to get one. No, I can sponsor you as well. However, it requires a bit of time if I want something from thend of death. It''ll onlye in a few weeks, I think. You can summon it wherever you want, but in exchange, visit me with that jiangshi again in the future.

    I''m also curious about this jiangshi."

    Selena nced at Nathan since he was Fenrir''s summoner. Nathan nodded his head. It wouldn''t be so bad to meet the Dragon King. He could show his training progress as well and probably receive a bit more guidance.

    "Alright." Selena agreed.

    "Good. You must be tired. For today, you should go back to the city and get a good rest. Come back here tomorrow morning. You seem to be talented in Ena maniption, so you can also watch the training. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two."

    "Thank you very much." Nathan and Selena politely nodded their heads.

    While watching them leave, the Dragon King couldn''t help but mutter, "They are indeed interesting, especially that Nathan. The species we have summoned in this worlde from the information we get from our familiars. A familiar that has the knowledge of other species is extremely important.

    "Even if my daughter doesn''t know him, she won''t realize she is being yedpletely. I guess in the near future, there will be a lot of conflicts with that man as the center." The Dragon King grinned. "I guess I''m looking forward to it."

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, they were walking for a bit before they flew away.

    Risa looked at Nathan and Selena walking on the front withplicated emotions.

    Fenrir asked, "It seems that you have be stronger after drinking his blood. Is there something different?"

    "I don''t know. I''ve been thinking about it this whole time. When I first try to carry him in the sky, there is a weird feeling that makes me attracted to him or more like his blood. The taste is nothing different, but it somehow clicks with my body. I can''t describe my feelings at that time¡­"

    "So that means he can help you be even stronger?"

    "Ehm, yes. But I don''t really have anything. Even if I want to be stronger, I don''t think I have anything to offer since I''m just familiar in this world." Risa smiled wryly.

    Even Selena said she wanted another vampire.

    It wasn''t that weird for the first familiar to have the lowest potential, so she thought it would be fine to end up as a maid or something. She could still get stronger bit by bit and might receive something that would let her evolve in the future.

    For her, the lifespan of a human was nothing, so she just wanted to stay here and get as strong as possible and leave.

    However, Nathan''s existence simply ruined her entire n.

    Fenrir thought for a moment and said, "He is a perfect summoner, except for one thing. You can probably take advantage of that ring weakness. Well, I don''t really know how far you''re nning to go, but he is a simple man. You offer those bags of meat, he will probably offer you his blood. It''s probably only for now. If there are more and more women by his side, you might not get anything."

    "!!!" Risa widened her eyes. She had never thought of this possibility. No matter what she did in this world, it wasn''t like she would have a child since they came from different species.

    No one really would know anything about what she had done here when she returned to her world after Selena passed away from old age.

    During that time, she could get as strong as she could and just im she had gotten a good summoner that gave her a lot of resources.

    "You are innocent until proven guilty," Fenrir added. His meaning was simple. If the people in her world didn''t know, it didn''t really matter.

    "¡­" Risa''s expression turned solemn. She had been relying on Nathan a lot, and her summoner would most likely be with Nathan for a long time. It wouldn''t be weird for her to ''pay'' the price while getting some benefits.

    Risa took a deep breath as she steeled her resolve. She suddenly called, "Mr. Nathan."

    "Huh?!" Nathan and Selena stopped. Nathan still felt weird that Risa addressed him so politely. "What''s wrong?"

    Risa grabbed Nathan''s hand with both hands as she exined, "I want to propose a deal."

    "A deal?" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows before noticing a grin on Fenrir''s face.

    "Yes. Please let me suck your blood again. I''m prepared to pay a price." Risa looked down. "I know that you have been secretly taking a nce at my breasts from time to time."

    "!!!" Nathan''s body froze as Selena was staring at him as if he were guilty.

    Risa simply said, "I''ll let you do whatever you want with them, but please give me your blood. This way, I can get stronger without burdening my summoner."

    "What? Whatever I want?" Nathan gasped, his fingers twitched as if he had a hard time resisting the temptation. He coughed to regain hisposure, trying to y it cool.

    However, before he could even speak a single word, Selena suddenly grabbed Nathan''s other hand and dragged him away.

    "Wait. Selena. What are you doing?" Nathan tried to bnce his body as Selena kept pulling him to another space, leaving them behind.

    If only he had more bnce, he would have turned around and given Fenrir a thumbs up, telling him, ''You are my brother.''

    Fenrir grinned as if he had done his parts.

    Anubis dropped his jaw to the ground as if he couldn''t believe Fenrir would do such a thing.

 Chapter 116: A Deal

    Nathan and Selena walked quite far from the familiar so that they couldn''t hear what they were talking.

    "Ehm¡­" Nathan didn''t know what to say. He should probably exin, but he also didn''t have any reason to exin.

    Selena said, "Do you like women so much?"

    "I don''t think there are any guys who don''t like one," answered Nathan carefully.

    Selena looked into his eyes and asked, "Then do you like me?"

    Nathan looked quite surprised that Selena would be so blunt, but before he could say anything, Selena added, "I don''t think you have to answer that question. The question that I really want to ask is¡­ Do you want to make a deal with me?"

    "A deal? You''re not proposing something like bing a fake boyfriend to push away any suitors, right?"

    Selena shook her head. "After losing to that guy, I realize my biggest weakness. I am so stiff and traditional that I don''t even realize I will be losing.

    "And that is probably why, even though I''m stronger than you, I still think I won''t be able to defeat you no matter what.

    "I don''t n to be a useless person who can do nothing but receive help. However, I also know that the way to move forward is you."

    Nathan contemted for a moment. "So you want me to teach you?"

    "No." Selena denied it immediately. "I want you to y tricks on me. No matter how you annoy me or no matter how you take advantage of me, I will receive it. Even if you trick me into bing your woman or even your wife. I''ll ept it."

    "You what?" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. This was the weirdest deal he had ever heard.

    Selena basically said he could do whatever he wanted with her as long as he could trick her. She wanted to use it to break free from her traditional way of thinking and became even more flexible like Nathan. When she managed to do it, she could finally say she could defeat Nathan.

    "Do you know what you''re saying right now? You are basically gambling with your life."

    "I don''t have anything other than my talent." Selena hadn''t shared her story regarding her household, so Nathan didn''t know Selena''s current situation. "If you still think that a girl who has lost her expressions is attractive, I''ll probably feel d?"

    "Why are you asking me?"

    Selena sighed. "I don''t know. Maybe with you, I can regain what I have lost. A noble, especially females like me, usually doesn''t have the choice but to marry someone else and end up bing a political tool or another man''s essory.

    "I don''t like it. If I''m going to suffer in this world for tens of years or even a century before passing away from old age, I''d rather choose how I live and enjoy it as much as I can.

    "To do that, I need strength. If I can gain strength while having fun with you, that''s probably good too. It''s just¡­ I don''t want to force you." Selena looked down.

    Nathan blinked his eyes a few times, not believing what he had just heard. Nathan asked, "Are you sure about this? You might have a lifelong regret for gambling your future."

    "It seems I have to correct my statement. I feel like my emotionse back to me when I''m with you. I don''t know when I began looking forward to meeting you, even just for a ss."

    "You are really bold, which leaves me speechless." Nathan sighed.

    "Ehm, sorry? I don''t know. My heart is also beating rapidly right now."

    "I want to make sure about this. If you do this, your reputation in the future will be in shambles, you know. You are a noble, while I am amoner."

    "Not really. I have been abandoned by my household, and I have nothing¡­ I might even be worse than you. Besides, the situation will be solved if you manage to trick me into bing your wife," said Selena in a t tone.

    Nathan chuckled before saying, "Alright. I''ll ept the bet, but don''t me me if you end up being the one asking me."

    Selena nodded a few times. "I feel like I''m able to walk much further with you. A lot of things, whether it''s your way of thinking or your fighting style, inspire me a lot and allow me to be stronger.

    "I do notice that you''re utilizing the curving bullets. I don''t know if it''s because of me or someone else. If it''s me, I''m happy.

    "Inspiring each other, bing a motivation for each other, and pushing us forward¡­" A rare smile appeared on Selena''s face. It was small, but it was beautiful.

    That rare smile took Nathan''s breath away, as he could feel such a sincere emotion with what little she had. She said, "I hope we can continue getting along, Nathan."

    "This is really unfair." Nathan didn''t expect that Selena''s bluntness would make him lose his initiative.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing. I just feel like you are different from any women I have heard so far."

    "Hearing them from thatmunity of yours?"

    "Something like that. There are women who suddenly p the guys for no reason or just because of a slight misunderstanding, or they would literally kill the guy when it''s their fault, like taking a bath when the guy is already there in the first ce or because of an incident outside their control."

    "Huh? That sounds stupid. Why are they ming others when it''s their fault?" She tilted her head.

    "It''s fine, it''s fine. Don''t worry about it." Nathan shrugged. "I think it''s better for us to go back and take a rest. Tomorrow is going to be hectic."

    Before Nathan could go back, Selena suddenly grabbed his hand.

    "Hmm?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion, misunderstanding her intention. "Should we go back together?"

    "Risa probably needs your blood. I don''t know what makes your blood special, but it''s clear that Risa will need it. As her summoner, I should be responsible for her." Selena shook her head. She brought his hand close to her chest before noticing something.

    Selena lowered her head and fell silent for a moment before pouting. "Can you put it in my tab for now? They''re still growing. I promise I''ll pay it in the future."

    "Pfft!" Nathan couldn''t help butugh, feeling amused by how different she was. He said, "Let''s go back."

 Chapter 117: Dragon Scale and Blood

    The next day.

    "Aaaagghhhh!" Nathan was screaming while writhing on the ground. His right hand was scratching his neck while his left hand was clutching his chest.

    The Dragon King said, "Good. It seems you are able to endure this kind of pain without getting knocked out. This will be an important lesson for you. The more pain you can endure, the more you will be able to focus in a fight. You should know that getting injuries in a fight is inevitable, so you have to keep going. Don''t you dare to pass out!"

    Nathan gnashed his teeth. Vivian said it would be fine even if he passed out, but this Dragon King wanted him to maintain his consciousness by saying it would be more effective for the training.

    Even though he wanted to beat this Dragon King so much, Nathan had no other choice but toply with his condition this time.

    Currently, he has about 1,300 Ena. To reach the next grade, he needed to have 1,500 Ena.

    He managed to absorb the mature ss corest time and received 186 Ena from it, which surprised him. But he expected that with his current talent, he could only receive less than 150 Ena for one mature ss core.

    And he managed to get fifteen mature ss cores from the Dragon King. He roughly calcted that he would at least have 3,000 Ena by the time he absorbed all those cores.

    He only nned to sacrifice 1,000 Ena for the next summoning and give the excess point to Fenrir. This should be enough for Fenrir to be close to having 1,000 Ena himself, while Nathan could maintain his Ena at 1,500, allowing him to retain that quality not only for the absorption rate but also for the upgraded soul contract.

    He wanted to get more cores in the next several missions until Fenrir, Anubis, and the third familiar had 1,000 Ena each.

    This was his goal before the next even started.

    The reason he wanted to maintain his Ena above 1,500 was because he wanted to keep his trump card. After experiencing a lot of things outside his prediction, Nathan surely knew he had to always have a trump card at his disposal, no matter how much he wanted to make his familiars stronger.

    That was why he kept enduring the pain.

    The Dragon King was quite surprised that Nathan had this much willpower. He was exhausted and keptining, but he continued.

    It took the whole day for Nathan to absorb all the cores. Selena kept ncing at him while training by herself on the side.

    Selena would probably only need two mature ss cores to get the same result as Nathan. That was why she respected Nathan from the bottom of her heart for enduring all the torture and pushing himself forward.

    For Nathan, he could only get 2 Ena per proto-ss core, 18-20 Ena per juvenile ss core, and 150-180 Ena per mature ss core. That was why he had to suffer a lot more.

    As if the fatigue caught up to him, as soon as he finished swallowing thest core, he passed out.

    ¡­

    The next day.

    "Kh." Nathan let out a small groan as he remembered yesterday''s torture.

    "Oh? You woke up?" The Dragon King was sitting next to the fire, grilling a pig.

    Nathan hurriedly rose from the hard ground, but he noticed something was dragging him down. When he lowered his head, he saw Selena still sleeping, using his arm as her pillow.

    "That girl is worried about you because I torture you so much."

    "And you are aware you''re torturing me?"

    "Yep. Whose fault is it to be a daring brat?" The Dragon King grinned.

    Nathan sighed. "So what am I supposed to do for today?"

    "It''s better for you to summon your familiar first because the training will be quite harsh. Like after you''re done, I''ll immediately ask you to run 10ps around the mountain."

    "Geh." Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. "Don''t tell me. You''re going to make me train like mopping the floor or something like that until I doubt them and suddenly tell me that everything is a part of the training, right?"

    "Why do I need to do that? To use the Dragon Fist, you need to develop your body a bit more. The medicine is there to strengthen your body, but to utilize your muscles, you need to do it the hard way.

    "You need to run and do some physical training. Since I''ve promised to teach you the Dragon Fist, I''ll also fork out some medicinal herbs to let your body grow faster. Once you go back, you should ask your teacher as well, or the training will be less effective."

    "I understand." Nathan let out a sigh of relief.

    "Good." The Dragon King nodded and summoned his familiar.

    Nathan could feel an extraordinary Enaing from the figure.

    The draconian was a male. He had the body of a human, but he had a dragon tail, scales, and horns. His arms and feet were red as if they failed to formplete dragon limbs, and his eyes were sharp like a lizard.

    "Is it him?" The draconian asked while staring at Nathan.

    "Indeed. I need you to give him your blood and scale."

    The draconian nodded. He casually ripped apart the scale on his arm, which also caused bleeding.

    The Dragon King tossed him a small tube so that he could pour the blood into it until the bleeding stopped.

    The draconian didn''t go back as if it were his request to actually see the legendary dragon. Meanwhile, the Dragon King expected Nathan to summon a lizard or a wyvern at his current level, considering it wasn''t the norm to summon a strong familiar with a small amount of Ena.

    If he was lucky, he would probably get a lesser dragon.

    The Dragon King grabbed the scale and the tube and handed them to Nathan. "Here you go. The requested item. Take it. Do you need my help to prepare the summoning circle as well?"

    "No. I''m a summoner, so I should also learn how to draw the summoning circle correctly."

 Chapter 118: Lucky... Maybe Not (Bonus)

    "Is it something like this?" Nathan asked while taking a step back. He was quite impressed by how well he managed to draw the summoning circle, considering he had never learned how to draw on Earth.

    The strokes were rough, but it had a pretty high uracy.

    Selena frowned. "I think yes."

    Both of them couldn''t help but look at the Dragon King to get his confirmation.

    "It is indeed a summoning circle. Not everyone can draw it perfectly. The most important is that every line is connected and¡­" The Dragon King pointed out several symbols within the circle. "The beacon, the coordinate, the summoning contract, and the familiar call have been drawn correctly. While it doesn''t look the best, it is functional. You can use it."

    "How about its size?"

    "No need to worry about that. I have seen someone summoning a titan with a summoning circle of the same size."

    Nathan let out a sigh of relief. It was his first attempt, but he managed to seed.

    "Will it cause any trouble with the summoning ritual? Or maybe ruin the familiar or something?" Nathan asked.

    "I have never encountered such a thing." The Dragon King shook his head. He crossed his arms, double-checking the circle. "Yes. The summoning circle can be used without a problem."

    "Alright." Nathan nodded with a solemn expression. He grabbed the tube and the dragon scale and ced them in the middle of the summoning circle. Of course, he didn''t forget about the world tree''s root.

    Before he began, Nathan said, "Let me rify. You are going to negotiate with my familiar, right? You are not going to force my familiar, right?"

    "If I wanted to do something like that, I would have forced you this whole time. Did you think I was afraid of the principal of the Frexia Academy?" The Dragon King sighed. "Don''t worry. I have integrity."

    "Alright." Nathan turned to Selena and nodded.

    Selena took a few steps back.

    Nathan then closed his eyes. He looked like he was concentrating, but was actually praying. ''Please work. Please work. Please work. Come Nidhogg,e!''

    After taking another deep breath, Nathan pointed his hand at the summoning circle.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Nathan, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    The summoning circle started to glow, using the Ena Nathan provided. The light gradually moved toward the dragon scale and the tube and enveloped it.

    It was proceeding normally, like what happened when he summoned Anubis.

    When the three items gradually started tobine, the Ena in the air started to vibrate and move in random directions as if they were shaking in fear.

    "Hmm?!" The Dragon King widened his eyes in surprise, not expecting for a student to cause this kind of phenomenon. ''The energy is chaotic. What kind of dragon is he summoning?''

    The two items gradually expanded and expanded to the point where it was bigger than the summoning circle.

    Nathan noticed the distance between him and the light was shrinking, so he had no choice but to take a few steps back.

    However, looking at the size of the light made him realize that this was truly a dragon.

    The figure gradually turned more and more into a dragon. It started with a pair of giant wings on the back. Then ws from all four feet.

    Last but not least, the neck gradually formed until the dragon reached 20 meters (65 feet) in height.

    "Oh?!" The Dragon King felt excited. He thought Nathan would summon a wyvern or something, but it seemed he had underestimated Nathan.

    On the other hand, Nathan couldn''t believe it. ''This is it. The disruption in the air can only represent chaos. That''s the trademark of Nidhogg.

    ''And looking at this size, is it his true size? No, rather than the size, I''m more concerned about the form. There are several descriptions regarding Nidhogg. In one record, it''s said that he is a winged serpent. On another record, he has the form of an eastern dragon with an elongated body. But it seems it is following the appearance of a western dragon.

    Either way, something is finally working in my favor¡­ for the first time.''

    The moment Nathan smiled, that was when things started to go awry.

    All of a sudden, the Ena from his body began to leave his body.

    "Huh?" Nathan widened his eyes in shock, looking at his hand. The Ena kept leaking out of his hand.

    He was offering a third of his Ena to summon Nidhogg, but the Ena in his body kept decreasing.

    In just three seconds, he ended up losing half of his Ena.

    "What? Something is going on." Nathan gritted his teeth while grabbing his right hand, trying to get away.

    Selena''s heart sank. She didn''t know what she should do since she didn''t have knowledge about deviation.

    "What''s wrong?" The Dragon King approached Nathan but stopped several steps away so that he didn''t fully disturb the summoning. He noticed that the Ena in his body was being drained by the dragon. "Don''t stop! It probably needs more Ena to materialize in this world!"

    Nathan already had a n to give the Ena to Fenrir while reserving 1,500 Ena for his own use.

    However, the Ena in his body kept leaking out. He didn''t even have a third of his previous Ena. Yes, there was only less than 1,000 Ena in his body. "Are you freaking kidding me? Why is everything not going my way?"

    To his surprise, the fully formed dragon, while still being enveloped in light, actually started moving. A single step of the dragon caused the ground to tremble, the air to crackle, and the birds to fly.

    The dragon opened its mouth and let out a thunderous roar.

    "Uoooaaaaaahhhh!"

    The roar was so loud that it almost made their eardrums explode. Nathan and Selena covered their ears as the Dragon King became even more excited.

    Without him realizing it, the Draconian behind him, while not kneeling like Landark''s werewolf, was trembling after feeling the suppression on his bloodline from the dragon before him.

    Nathan really summoned a dragon.

    As if the roar took up all its energy, the light suddenly shrank to a tenth of its original form. It then dropped to the ground as the light gradually dissipated, showing a ck-colored dragon lying on the ground as if it were exhausted. It let out a small harrumph to greet its summoner. "Fuu¡­"

 Chapter 119: Exchange

    Everyone couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock. That terrifying dragon actually shrank to this size. Even though he was still taller than anyone else in this ce, it didn''t change the fact that he was only a tenth of its original size.

    Nathan had expected this after seeing how Fenrir and Anubis were weaker or smaller after getting summoned, so he quickly regained hisposure.

    In fact, he had focused on the dragon''s status.

    Name: Nidhogg

    Level: 54

    Race: Chaos Dragon

    Quality: Good (Low)

    Nathan faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he wanted to be happy because he could summon what he originally nned to summon, unlike Anubis'' case. On the other hand, he didn''t expect that Nidhogg would actually suck all his Ena one-sidedly.

    The Dragon King turned around, ncing at his draconian. He thought, ''This dragon is a true dragon. Even though he is a draconian, abination between a human and a dragon, it doesn''t change the fact that he is a high ranking draconian¡­ no, one of the strongest draconians.

    ''Yet he is feeling the suppression, as if realizing his own blood is inferior to this dragon. If that''s the case, the reason for the dragon to change its form¡­''

    The Dragon King froze when he found the answer. ''Don''t tell me. The dragon is actually sealing its own power toe to this world? Is it because thatd doesn''t have enough Ena that he has to limit himself?

    ''I think I have heard this story somewhere. No, wait. Doesn''t the pope have a simr story? His archangel is sealing his own power so that he can ''descend'' to this world and make him the pope? Unlike the usual familiar, the ones who seal their power will be able to grow just by gaining Ena. They don''t need any other materials since there''s no need to evolve.

    ''If that''s the case¡­'' The Dragon King couldn''t help but nce at Fenrir and Anubis. ''Are those two the same? They are also extraordinary, but I can''t draw the conclusion yet. If those two beasts are equal to this dragon, it means he is able to summon that kind of beast for his future familiars.

    ''And the dragon''s original form is that overbearing dragon.'' The Dragon King suddenly realized how much he had underestimated Nathan''s potential. ''Still, I''m not sure whether this is a blessing or a curse.

    ''On the one hand, it''s true that he is surrounded by those amazing familiars. On the other hand, he needs a lot of Ena. Unlike us, who can focus on several familiars, he has to focus on all familiars.

    ''This is just a simrparison between a jack-of-all-trade and a master of one thing. The jack-of-all-trade can be quite powerful, but the one who has mastered one thing will be able to defeat him. The only way for him to turn the situation around is to be a master of everything instead of a master of none.''

    The Dragon King squinted his eyes. This talent of Nathan was a double-edged sword. If Nathan wasn''t a capable person, he would definitely be mediocre in the future.

    ''The boy has the wits necessary to rise, but I don''t know about his other talents. It seems that I should wait and see for the time being.''

    While the Dragon King was thinking, Nathan approached Nidhogg while saying, "I am Nathan, the person who summons you to this world."

    *Burp!* Nidhogg noisily released the air from his stomach as if he were full after sucking all that Ena.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched.

    "Get back! I''m going to have a talk with him." Fenrir came over and pushed Nathan back. After that, he red at Nidhogg, who was lying on the ground while gnashing his teeth. "You lowly lizard."

    "Oh. Aren''t you the chained puppy?" With a smug smile on his face, he said, "I have heard a lot about you. Have you gotten out of your chain, stupid puppy?"

    "Stupid puppy¡­ Pfft!" Anubis was trying his best to contain hisugh.

    Fenrir was fuming. He wanted to fight both of them right now, but Nathan suddenly stopped him. "Wait, Fenrir."

    "Don''t stop me. I''m going to beat this bastard!"

    "No. There is something more important." Nathan shook his head. His head turned to Nidhogg. "To summon you to this world, I have to ask him for the materials. In exchange, I have agreed to allow you to negotiate with him to give him your blood or not."

    "Hmm?" Nidhogg squinted his eyes. He nced at the Dragon King and the draconian behind him.

    Realizing the strength hidden inside the Dragon King''s body, Nidhogg stood up as if greeting him with proper respect.

    "Heroic Human. You dare to ask this honored one''s blood?"

    "What honored one?" Fenrir snorted.

    The Dragon King nodded. "Indeed. Aftering to this world, you must have gained some knowledge about the summoning. I would like to exchange your blood for something."

    Nidhogg squinted his eyes. "What can you offer?"

    "I am one of the strongest humans in this world. If it''s something within my ability, I can exchange it for your blood."

    Nidhogg pondered for a moment and said, "Give me a pair of gloves for a human."

    "Hmm?" Nathan looked surprised, but that wasn''t the extent of Nidhogg''s request.

    He added, "And a robe that can boost your power."

    Nathan knew what these two items represented. The first item was definitely for him, while the second one was for Selena. It seemed that Nidhogg felt bad for sucking all that Ena for himself.

    "I understand." The Dragon King nodded. "Your summoner will be training with me for the next ten days, so I''ll bring those two items within ten days."

    "Good." Nidhogg nodded before turning to Nathan. His current dignified appearance made his first impression look like a joke. He said, "I am Nidhogg. I''ll be looking forward to seeing this world with you."

    "Yes. The feeling is mutual." Nathan smiled. This was supposed to be a perfect greeting, but Nathan pointed to the side and said, "Well, I wasn''t the only one who got angry, you know. After all, you have sucked about 4 or 5 times the amount of Ena they currently have."

    Nidhogg turned to Fenrir with a smug smile. "Oh you pup¡ªMmf!"

    Before he could say another word, two bandages circled around his mouth, shutting it up.

    Those bandages startled even Fenrir.

    When both of them looked at Anubis, they could see him fuming in anger. "4 or 5 times? This lizard deserves to die! Do it!"

    Fenrir grinned. He gathered his Ena on his paw before pping Nidhogg as hard as possible. "This is the most satisfying technique I learn in this world. You goddamn lizard!"

    The impact produced a loud sound as Nidhogg was wailing, his body falling sideways. "Eooohh!"

 Chapter 120: Training

    "You''re dead!" Nidhogg pped Fenrir with his tail as the three of them were nning to fight.

    Nathan casually ignored them as he walked to the Dragon King, implying that he would receive his training now that the summoning ritual had finished.

    "Are you sure you don''t need to stop them?" The Dragon King asked.

    "It''s fine." Nathan shrugged. "They are smart, so they know when to stop."

    The Dragon King let out a long sigh and said, "Alright then. Let''s start with tenps around the mountain. You can''t use your Ena to enhance your body."

    Nathan thought for a moment before asking, "There is something I''m confused about. We have to make our body stronger, right? But from what I can see, there are a lot of summoners who don''t have a muscr body."

    The Dragon King nodded and picked up the stick on the ground and started drawing a sketch of a human body. "There are three ways to strengthen your body. The first one is physical training, like what we''re about to do.

    "However, not a lot of people want to do it the hard way. In fact, a lot of female summoners want to retain their elegant appearance, which is understandable.

    "As a result, the second method is born, which is through potion and herbs. It can be through medicinal baths, herbal drinks, or even potions. Not all the potions are for the familiars after all. Of course, male summoners are also using this method either to supplement the first method or because they don''t want to get tired.

    "Thest method is much more expensive and time consuming. After all, it will involve your familiar. Basically, you are using the method from another world."

    "Is that simr to when we''re trying to get their element or learn their magic?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes, it is simr. Each familiar usually has a different method, so there''s no correct method at the moment."

    Nathan nodded. "I see. In the end, they still need to get stronger, right?"

    "Yes. If you don''t, you won''t be able to absorb higher level cores." The Dragon King nodded.

    "Alright." Nathan started taking off his zer before he noticed Selena already did the same. She had even tied her hair into a ponytail as if she were nning to run together with him. "Selena?"

    "I just want to train my body. For some reason, our training is the same." Selena shrugged.

    "Pfft!" The Dragon Kingughed. He promised Nathan that he would teach him, but not Selena. She chose to bypass it by following the training. The Dragon King said, "If not for the fact that we have different fighting styles, I would probably take you as my disciple¡­ especially after this guy rejects me."

    "What? How can you me me for this?"

    "All I can say is that you are talented enough. I have seen the way you train with your Ena. It''s only for a brief moment, but I understand what kind of talent you have. That''s why I''m going to say this. If there are any teachers who would like to ept you as their students, reject them."

    Nathan frowned. "Why? It''s nice to have a teacher since you can get resources and connections."

    "It''s because they''re not worthy. If I remember correctly, there will be a survival test for you guys pretty soon. After that event, if that person, who is not a teacher, doesn''t take you as his disciple, then you can ept regr teachers as your master."

    Nathan contemted, wondering if there were any other figures besides the principal and the vice principal. The Frexia Academy was big, so they had a lot of connections. It seemed that there were a few powerful figures that remained hidden in the Frexia Academy.

    "I understand. Thank you very much." Selena nodded.

    "But don''t be toocent just because I say you''re talented."

    "How can I be toocent¡­" Selena nced at Nathan as if saying, ''¡­when I have topare myself to him.''

    Selena squinted her eyes, muttering inwardly, ''His beasts should be pretty strong. The fact they know the vampire progenitor and others means they must be divine beasts who are sealing their power. And that new dragon has just proven that assumption.

    ''He might have trouble absorbing the cores, but he has never given up and somehow caught up to all of us. That''s why I have to at least do the same to not get left behind.''

    The Dragon King nodded. "Alright. You both can go together. It doesn''t matter how long it takes for you, but you have to circle that mountain ten times. No Ena."

    Both of them nodded. Nathan smiled at Selena. "Let''s go."

    Selena nodded and started running. Their summons had no other choice but to return, leaving the Dragon King and the Draconian behind.

    The Dragon King nced at his partner and asked, "What do you think?"

    "The dragon is the real deal. I feel like it''s even stronger than the dragon that blesses my tribe."

    "Huh? Stronger? Isn''t your dragon already one of the strongest beings in your world?"

    The draconian nodded. "Yes. If it''s really stronger, that dragon is equal to a divine being. It can probably even rival gods."

    "Are you serious?"

    "Yes. From what I can feel, its power is vastly different from what I have seen. That dragon is like the incarnation of chaos."

    "What about the other two?"

    "Unfortunately, I can''t sense their true power."

    The Dragon King crossed his arms. "However, that fox seems to know the dragon. And since he is daring enough to hit him, they must be equal. The jackal doesn''t look like he knows them, but he ispeting with them."

    "Yes. I''m afraid that all of them are beasts of the same rank. If that''s the case, that young man might only summon beasts of that rank, which makes him dangerous, especially with how he is bold enough to scam you in the open."

    "True." The Dragon King smirked. "The boy who summons divine beasts and the talented girl who uses that knowledge to summon new species¡­ I just hope they can grow stronger."

    "Are you worried about it?"

    "Yes. The world is in turmoil. A few days ago, I received information regarding beings above elite ss symbiotes. They might exist deep within the alien territory. We, humans, might have to deal with them in the future. Other kingdoms and organizations are discussing how we should proceed."

    "Is that the real reason you send your daughter to the Frexia Academy?"

    "It can''t be helped. I just hope the academy can stimte her growth."

 Chapter 121: Return

    Their pace had slowed down on the secondp, but the Dragon King actually helped them with food and water so that they could focus on running.

    Nathan and Selena started losing the feelings of their legs once they finished their thirdps.

    On the one hand, they wanted to sleep to recover their stamina. On the other hand, they might not be able to move their legs the next day if they did so.

    Only after the Dragon King insisted did they finally sleep. And it didn''t even take them that long to fall asleep.

    Unbeknownst to them, the Dragon King used some herbal ointments and medicines to help them recover.

    Anubis could help, but at the same time, it might reduce the effectiveness of their training, ording to the Dragon King. After all, the Dragon King wanted to break down their muscles, let them recover, and repeat the process to strengthen them.

    They didn''t know why they somehow finished the threeps much earlier than the previous day, so they decided to get a bit more rest, nning toplete fourps in the next day.

    And they did. It might be due to the Dragon King''s help, but they managed to run around the forest ten times in just three days.

    After they were done, the Dragon King started teaching Nathan the Dragon Fist.

    Nathan punched the air, producing a small shock wave. It wasn''t strong, but the punch he threw was no longer normal. If he punched the terrorist back when they attacked the Frexia Academy, he would probably break his jaw.

    "Is it like that?" Nathan asked.

    "Wrong. Straighten your elbow. You have to channel your Ena from your shoulder to your hand like a tunnel before releasing it at the tip. Your Ena is also moving too fast. You have to time it perfectly so that your Ena can reach the front of your first right before youplete your punching motion."

    "But there are rarely times we can make a punch with a straight elbow."

    "I''m just teaching you the easiest one to get the hang of the concept. After that, you can try the advanced ones. I mean, you already have my notebooks regarding the Dragon Fist, so that should suffice for you to study once you go back to the academy. I just make sure you don''t do anything dangerous when learning the foundation of this technique."

    "I understand." Nathan continued training ording to the Dragon King''s instructions.

    From time to time, the Dragon King made a random quest, such as doing push-ups a thousand times or running ap around the forest.

    Selena only observed Nathan from the side, as if she were contemting a new technique she could try once they got back.

    Ten days passed by in an instant.

    Nathan punched a tree. The ripple of Ena caused the tree to crack. "Huu¡­ This should be enough for now. Once I master the basics, I can probably destroy this tree. In fact, once I surpass that point, this Dragon Fist might just be stronger than the Deadly w."

    "Nathan. Sir Dragon King is asking us to meet him." Selena shouted from the edge of the forest.

    "I''ming!" Nathan hurriedly picked up his clothes and walked back with Selena, finding the Dragon King lining up several boxes in front of him.

    "These are the items you request!" The Dragon King opened several boxes that had beening in thest few days.

    The first box contained a pair of gloves with a small jewel on top of it. When Nathan touched it, he realized the material had the same characteristics as the ones he had.

    "Those gloves are pretty good. You shouldn''t worry too much that your arm will be cut by a sword or something. It is also reducing the pain you get when getting stabbed. Basically, it''s multiple times better than your current gloves," the Dragon King exined.

    Nathan nodded as he tried them, adjusting to these new gloves.

    The second box contained a robe. It was a white robe with several golden and ck stripes as its decoration.

    "Because of your fighting style, I chose this robe for you. It has good durability. While it can''t withstand a sword in that form, you can channel your Ena into it. It has been imbued with a spell that can harden the robe like that of a shield. The one who does the enchantment is said to be a high-ranking spirit."

    "Oh!" Selena nodded with a serious expression.

    "And this is thest one." The Dragon King showed thest box. "I have gotten the female clothes, since it''s not that hard to get. Thend of death is basically a treasure trove, and that''s why we''re leaving the one managing it alone. He is a pretty good guy to be honest. However, the yellow rice paper hasn''t beenpleted yet. They need one or two more weeks to make a good quality one.

    I will just send them straight to the Frexia Academy."

    "Thank you very much." Selena nodded furiously.

    The Dragon King waved his hand. "And that is done."

    "En." Nidhogg nodded, acknowledging the transaction had been fulfilled.

    He extended his right hand and cut his palm with his own nail, letting his blood drop to the bowl next to the box.

    It took ten seconds before the wound was healed, but Nidhogg had filled half of the bowl. "This should be enough, right?"

    "Indeed. With this, the deal has beenpleted." The Dragon King confirmed.

    "Thank you very much for the twelve fulfilling days." Nathan and Selena bowed, thanking the Dragon King.

    "Continue working hard. Make sure you get the first rank in the next survival event. You''ll make me lose face if you don''t."

    "Hahaha." Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I will do my best."

    This time, they didn''t go back with Risa and Sasha carrying them. Instead, they were hopping on top of Nidhogg''s back as they took off into the sky.

    The Dragon King''s face turned serious once he couldn''t see them anymore. "Although I don''t like doing it, I guess it''s time to execute the n."

    ¡­

    Soaring Dragon Mercenary Camp.

    Mando suddenly mmed open the door while shouting, "Young Miss. Not good. The Dragon King has called you back. He has learned about the problem and is currently like a madman. You have to meet him quickly!"

 Chapter 122: Angry

    venya hurried back to meet her father. It was weird that she was called after almost two weeks. She thought the matter had passed without any problems after Mando''s assurance.

    However, the moment she reached the mountain where her father usually trained, she found what he meant by a madman.

    There were multiple craters, a small part of the mountain was destroyed, and the Dragon King was sitting on a crate. He was gnashing his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, and his body was shaking in frustration.

    Mando followed right behind her with a worried expression.

    "Father¡­" venya approached her father with caution, not knowing what happened. This was the first time her father showed such anger.

    The Dragon King raised his head, staring at venya. He then turned to Mando and said, "Why did you call her?"

    "I¡­" Mando wanted to exin, but the Dragon King applied more pressure, shutting Mando''s mouth as if he didn''t want to hear his exnation.

    "Father. What is going on? What makes you so angry?" venya looked worried, wondering if her mistake was actually that big. She thought no matter what, the mistake could be solved easily.

    The Dragon King gritted her teeth as if he were hesitant to say it. He said, "I heard the Chaotic Cat organization was trying to kidnap you."

    "That was true, but they seemed to be more interested in other people."

    The Dragon King shook his head. "It''s not about that, daughter. Have I spoiled you too much because of your talent?"

    "What do you mean, Father?" venya''s heart beat rapidly. This was the first time her father med her.

    "Those two were my guests, and you ask me what I mean?"

    "But you said they were to follow my instructions."

    The Dragon King gritted his teeth and red at Mando. "Did you not say anything?"

    "I¡ª" Mando wanted to say something, but he hesitated. On the one hand, he could reveal what happened, but that would end up ming venya. On the other hand, he was the Dragon King''s close aide, so he faced a dilemma.

    venya noticed her father focusing on Mando instead of her. She stepped forth and said, "Please don''t me him, Father. It was my fault. I did something wrong."

    "You did something wrong? What was it? What did you do?" The Dragon King asked.

    "I should have let them follow me closely. That way, they would have been safer, and there wouldn''t be any friction with the Frexia Academy."

    "I wasn''t afraid of the Frexia Academy or the Sage, Daughter. It was yourck of foresight that disappointed me." The Dragon King shook his head helplessly.

    "Foresight?" venya was taken aback. The people around her had been telling how smart she was, so she thought she didn''tck such a thing. As the Dragon King said, she might have been so full of herself that she couldn''t differentiate between sincere praise and boot-licking.

    The Dragon King said, "You should have realized who you were dealing with. That guy was the unique summoner who was rumored to summon only beasts. Even if the Sage didn''t move, it wouldn''t be weird if people came at me so that they could gain his favor.

    "My point is that you should have known more about the people you''re dealing with before pushing them away. Now tell me, when they came, did you ask anything about them? Did you know why I sent them there? What kind of mission did I give them? What was the reward?"

    "I¡­" venya looked down. "I don''t know."

    "If you had known about their mission and their reward, you would probably change your decision. If you had known he was that unique summoner, you would probably bring him closer." The Dragon King gritted his teeth. "If you had known I sent them there in exchange for the blood and the scale of my draconian familiar, would you change your decision? Answer me."

    venya dropped her jaw, not expecting her father would give such a thing as a reward. That also meant her father nned to make a connection to that summoner. For what reason?

    It might be as simple as asking him to summon a dragon, since that was what he gave. What would happen if they used the real dragon as a material to summon their familiar?

    "Father. I can make this right." venya gritted her teeth.

    "If you had known all that, I probably wouldn''t need to give him my Dragon Fist as apensation!" The Dragon King clenched his hands into fists, as if he had a hard time containing his anger.

    "Dragon Fist?" venya obviously knew the meaning of the Dragon Fist. She was trembling, finallying to a realization of how much she had messed up. "Father¡­"

    "No. I don''t care. You know me, Daughter. I would do everything for you. But it was because of that reason I''m angry right now. He used you!"

    "Used me?" venya was confused.

    "I read the report, stating that he was covered in injuries, but once he came, he wasn''t in that state. After teaching the Dragon Fist, I realized he used you to leverage his own position, despite being fully aware that those injuries were nothing but something easy to heal. His beast could heal him in a short amount of time! He scammed me!"

    "What?" venya gasped.

    "Can you imagine the dignity, the reputation, and the integrity I have built crumble? He knows that I can''t harm him because he is at the Frexia Academy. Even if I don''t fear the Sage, I''ll be in a lot of trouble if I fight him. That''s why I can only swallow my pride and live with this kind of shame."

    "I¡­" venya clenched her fists. She was ashamed, frustrated, and angry. "I''ll make this right, Father. I will fix this problem."

    "How?"

    venya couldn''t answer.

    "Sir¡­" Mando wanted to speak, but the Dragon King red at him, applying some pressure on him. "Shut up! You are also responsible for this."

    Mando endured the pressure even though blood started leaking out of the corner of his lips. "But Sir¡­ The Frexia Academy has that Summoners War system. Can''t the young miss just join there and fight that guy? This is a formal system that even the sage can''t do anything about. She can leave the academy after that by something like there''s no other worthy opponent or something."

    "!!!" venya raised her eyebrows while the Dragon King raised his voice. "Shut up! Did you not hear me?"

    "Gah!" Mando fell to his knees, looking even more injured.

    "Father!" venya tried to stop him. "I will go to the Frexia Academy to fix this problem and even smear that guy''s reputation while I''m there. After that, I will simply leave the academy. I won''t disappoint you!"

 Chapter 123: Nathans True Plan (Bonus)

    The Dragon King gritted his teeth and said, "No. There is no need to do so. I¡­"

    The Dragon King looked like he was struggling to calm down and tell his daughter to not go, but that made venya even more sure to go.

    Her father must think that he had been forcing her too much. Now that she decided to join the academy, he was overwhelmed with guilt.

    Still, venya had caused all of this to the point where Nathan got the core technique of the Dragon King.

    That was why she had to go. "No, Father. It is my duty. You have sacrificed a lot for me, so it''s time for me to do the same."

    The Dragon King looked unwilling, but soon let out a long sigh. He took out Nidhogg''s blood and presented it to her. "Take this. I managed to get it from his hand."

    "Huh?" venya was confused.

    "This was the reason I sent him to you in the first ce. It was to acquire the dragon blood¡ªtrue dragon blood. I thought I could get more if you could build a good rtionship with him and make him feel indebted to you."

    venya bit her lips before saying, "No. I don''t need such a thing. If I summon a dragon because of him, it''s the same as admitting that we''re lower than him! I will prove to him that''s not the case. I''ll defeat him with my own power."

    venya was angry, both at Nathan and herself. She immediately left to pack up her luggage.

    "Daughter!" The Dragon King tried to stop her, but he soon stopped and covered his face with his right hand. Little did she know, a smile appeared on the Dragon King''s face.

    ¡­

    13 days ago.

    "If you act angry because I scam you, she will probablye to the academy." Nathan whispered in his ear.

    "But won''t that trouble you?"

    Nathan shook his head. "Looking at her age and ability, it is clear she will join the academy as a second-year student. And in the academy, the first-year students like me are protected by the rule for the first six months. Even after I go backter, there are still more than three months for that protection, so she can''t do anything to me during that time. By the time three months are up¡­ hehehe."

    The Dragon King understood what he meant. Considering venya was his daughter, he got a good grasp of what kind of character she had and what she would do after his father got scammed because of her.

    And for Nathan''s n to work, he truly had no other choice but to get scammed. It would make the situation more believable after all.

    "I have told Mr. Mando about my n. And if you send a letter to him stating you are getting scammed, he will go there and help you with the n. All you just have to do is act ordingly, directing her to the academy."

    And that was what he did.

    The Dragon King never expected Nathan''s n would work this well. He thought venya wouldn''t ept it so easily.

    He figured out the reason right after giving that dragon blood. This was Nathan''sst card.

    No one would really like to swallow their pride, especially someone strong. That was why showing this blood sealed the deal.

    Mando looked surprised, but seeing the reaction of the Dragon King, he nodded his head as if everything went ording to n.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t say anything to the Dragon King because of the act earlier. He hurriedly chased after venya like a good subordinate, helping her with the admission to the Frexia Academy. "Miss. Miss!"

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Selena couldn''t help but ask, "What are you going to do with her? Are you going to fight her? I will help if I can, but if she challenges you in Summoners War, I can''t join."

    "No. Don''t worry about it."

    "How can I not be worried? The Dragon King will probably give her the dragon blood." Selena shook her head. The Dragon King managed to summon a draconian without dragon blood, so venya must be able to summon an even better being with one, let alone a divine beast.

    Nathan actually smiled. "No. She won''t ept that dragon blood no matter what. Her pride won''t let her."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. In fact, the n changed once I saw those terrorists. It was good that everything worked ording to n."

    "Changed?"

    "Yep. If there were no terrorists, I could only me her and somehow forced her to the academy. But thanks to those terrorists, I could make her reject that the dragon blood!" Nathan grinned. "That''s right. Reject the dragon, return to monke!"

    "Good. Reject that lizard." Fenrir nodded. "But it appears you haven''t given up on that Monkey King or something."

    "Of course!" Nathan nodded with a smug.

    "Monkey King? Reject the dragon?" Selena tilted her head in confusion. "Who is this monkey king? You sound like you want to summon him so much."

    "It''s the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal."

    Selena thought for a moment before asking, "Is he stronger than even a dragon?"

    "He single-handedly defeated the Army of Heaven''s 100,000 celestial warriors, all 28 constetions, four heavenly kings, Nezha the god of protection, and fought equally against the best of Heaven''s general, Eng Shen."

    "Oh!" Selena sucked a cold breath, realizing why Nathan idolized such a being. She didn''t know who they were, but listening to the aplishment alone was enough. And the reason he chose venya was probably because she was the most talented one who lived with the beast-people and a woman.

    She couldn''t help but ask, "So you''re going to turn her into your ally and make her summon him?"

    "Yes."

    "Just an ally?"

    "En?" Nathan blinked a few times as his heart skipped a beat. Did he just mess up? He looked at Selena''s judging gaze.

    Selena soon shifted her gaze back to the road while saying, "It seems I have to grow even stronger."

    "What?" Nathan was taken aback by her reaction. He couldn''t help but wonder if she was jealous.

    Fenrir grinned while following them, thinking, ''Hehehe. Look at you, horny brat. You are definitely going to have trouble with women in the future. It''ll be amusing to see how it''ll turn out in the future."

 Chapter 124: Report (Bonus)

    "So that''s how it is. I understand that venya will being to our academy and causing trouble. I''ll put that in mind." Vivian nodded in understanding.

    Nathan had just reported the problem regarding venya, promising her he would take care of everything. He didn''t want any friction between her and the Dragon King after all.

    "Then?" Vivian asked.

    "Then?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "I''m talking about thepensation. With your personality, you definitely get something from the Dragon King, right?" Vivian squinted her eyes.

    "Oh. Indeed. He taught me the Dragon Fist."

    "!!!" Vivian widened her eyes in shock. "You¡­ Do you know what kind of technique he taught you?"

    "It should be one of his core techniques."

    "Yes." Vivian was speechless. She thought he would bepensated fairly, but not this much. Crossing her arms, she contemted.

    Nathan raised a finger. "And ording to him, I need something to strengthen my body even further. Just like what you have been doing, Teacher."

    Vivian froze before looking away. "What are you talking about?"

    "Isn''t this toote for you to y dumb?" Nathan smiled. "You always told me to be independent, but are you just embarrassed to acknowledge you helped your disciple?"

    Her cheeks slightly reddened as she couldn''t help but m the table while shouting, "Is there something wrong with a teacher helping her student?"

    "Of course not." Nathan chuckled. "I''m really grateful for your help."

    Vivian looked embarrassed. She never thought the Dragon King would tell him the secret.

    Since the secret was out, she said, "You can continue training the Dragon Fist. I don''tck herbs."

    "Thank you very much." A sly grin suddenly appeared on Nathan''s face. "While we''re at it, do you mind giving me some money? I mean, just a small amount to buy daily necessities or use it when I go on a mission. Even though I can stay in the inn provided by the academy, I might go to a ce where there is no such thing."

    "Why don''t you earn it yourself?"

    "I can. Maybe I should sell the water I drink just for pocket money. I don''t need a lot of money anyway."

    "¡­" Vivian rubbed her forehead and let out a long sigh. "Alright, alright. Just pocket money. I don''t really want you to be fixated on money, especially squandering it around for useless items or even brothels."

    "Ugh." Nathan felt like his heart was being stabbed by a giant needle when she mentioned brothels. It seemed his reputation was already so low in her eyes.

    "There are a lot of times when people don''t care about money and squander it as they please once they get a huge sum of money. This is not responsible at all. I want you to realize how hard it is to earn money, which will make you appreciate it."

    "I understand." Nathan had a wry smile as he couldn''t help but mutter inwardly, ''If not for the fact I came from another world, the original Nathan would probably think that way. Then again, I might not be so different. I have a lot of things on my bucket list.''

    "Anyway, I''ll give you your pocket money. It''s not much, but that should be enough for a mission. If you want more, better earn it yourself."

    Despite saying that, Vivian would probably give him more money if he truly couldn''t solve that trouble and used it as a lesson.

    "Yes. I''ll keep that in mind." Nathan nodded.

    "Since you have returned, I suggest you watch out for August and Rudeus."

    "Is there something wrong with them?" Nathan''s expression turned serious.

    "They havepleted two difficult missions. Now that they have joined hands, their target is rather obvious."

    "Me and Selena?" Nathan frowned.

    "Indeed. If you don''t train hard, you might lose to them."

    "How about giving me the information about the event? I''m sure it''ll help a lot."

    "There''s no way I''m going to do that. I have to ensure fairness as the vice principal of the Frexia Academy. You know that."

    "Of course. I''m just asking to see your reaction." Nathan smirked. "It looks like the event will be conducted in a pair. That''s why you are concerned about the other pair beating me and Selena. And considering it is supposed to be a survival test, I can imagine what kind of test it is."

    "Stop being smart. Wait, no! Stop being a detective." Vivian facepalmed while Alisha smiled awkwardly. This was the exact reason she was forbidden to talk to Nathan, especially before the battle royale. This kind of mistake really didn''t escape Nathan''s eyes. "Just leave now.

    I need to be fair."

    Instead of leaving, Nathan stood still for a moment.

    He was facing a dilemma, wondering if he should ask this question or not. After thirty seconds, Nathan raised his head. "Teacher. There is something I''d like to ask."

    "Hmm? What is it? I will not discuss anything rted to the academy or curriculum with you."

    "Not at all. This is unrted to school." Nathan started recounting the story of Risa evolving after sucking his blood.

    Vivian frowned, but she didn''t look shocked.

    "Do you know something, Teacher? Is it because of my parents that my blood is special?"

    "The answer is, I don''t know. After doing a bit of a background check, there should be nothing wrong with your parents. In fact, I have suspected that your blood is somewhat special because you are able to summon a beast instead of a normal familiar. It''s just that I don''t have a single proof until now. All are just spections."

    "Spections? May I know what your spections are?"

    Vivian turned to Alisha. "Give him his evaluation paper."

    Alisha nodded, grabbed a paper on the shelf and handed it to him.

    The content of the paper was actually quite shocking. Even Nathan understood what kind of spection she had immediately.

    Name: Nathan

    Age: 15

    Ena: Extremely High (S++)

    Evaluation: Has an enormous amount of Ena in his body. Perfect to be a summoner.

    Because of this very evaluation, a question rose in his mind.

    ''Enormous amount of Ena? Where is that freaking Ena? Only someone like Selena can be described as such. Have I lost all that Ena without me realizing it? Is it rted to the Soul Contract and me getting summoned to this world?''

 Chapter 125: Discussion

    Nathan looked down for a moment.

    Vivian should have figured out that he didn''t have a lot of Ena. Even if she suspected Fenrir was special and took all that Ena from his body, it simply didn''t make sense. There was also Anubis that he summoned not long after.

    That was why, after considering this matter from all perspectives, it was clear that something had happened.

    However, Nathan didn''t have the memory of it.

    "Did something happen to you before you came to the academy?" Vivian asked.

    "Nothing happened." Nathan shook his head, trying to calm down.

    "Is that so?" Vivian crossed her arms. "I can''t find any reason either. There is no book that exins your situation, or maybe I haven''t read enough books."

    "Don''t tell me. You''re going to research my blood?"

    "I have my limit. Unless you are the one convincing me to do it, I will never do it. This is different from when I ask you to record the Ena you have."

    Nathan paused for a moment. "In that case, what should I do now?"

    "I''m not entirely sure. If your blood can enhance the potential of all vampires, it''s clear that you will be the Ashton family''s target. They will eithere to kill you so that Selena can''t do anything or they will rope you in by using Selena as the coteral."

    "I prefer to know more about my blood first beforeing to a conclusion. I might even reach a different conclusion if I know more," exined Nathan.

    "That''s true, but I don''t really know¡­" Vivian abruptly stopped, as if she remembered something. "Now that I think about it, there might be a ce that can answer your question."

    "A ce?"

    "Yes. The Ancient Library of the Fairy Queen. It is a ce that has the biggest archives of everything that we know in this world."

    Nathan crossed his arms. "In that case, I should go there with Selena."

    "No. You can''t. Even though it is a library, only those who are permitted are allowed to enter. I don''t know the exact location, but I have heard that whoever would like to enter the library will have to go alone and pass the trial."

    "A trial? That sounds dangerous." Nathan frowned.

    "Not really. From what I know, the entrance is located in a desert. If you continue walking in that desert, you will find a ''guide'' that will give you the test and bring you to the library once youplete the test. As for the details, I think you better see my friend to give you direction."

    Nathan fell into deep thought. "Can I actually pass the test?"

    "Yes. The test will be based on your current strength. The stronger you are, the harder it will be. I think it involves an illusion or something. The Dwarf King built a hidden library for the Fairy Queen two hundred years ago. The Fairy Queen used her illusion power and turned this into a functional library even if her summoner wasn''t here anymore and she couldn''t return to this world."

    "I see. I''ll take the trial so that I can make a better decision forward."

    "In that case, why don''t you take this time to visit your parents before going to the library?"

    Nathan nodded. "I''ll do that."

    ¡­

    While Nathan was discussing with Vivian, Selena encountered someone she didn''t really want to meet in this academy.

    The man had ck hair and red eyes like her. His face had a bit of a resemnce, but they couldn''t be identified as siblings without them acknowledging it.

    "To think that you are still in this academy, Selena?" The guy red at Selena.

    "Oi, Victor. Who is she? She is cute." Another guy grinned, observing Selena.

    "This is just a lowly woman in my household. If you like her, I don''t mind if you y with her." Yes, the man in front of her was actually the eldest son of the Ashton family.

    Because of the situation of her family, specifically her blood mother''s family, she was born one year after him.

    That was why no one really gave an objection the moment her uncle seized her father''s seat and remarried her second mother and chose Victor as his sessor.

    "Heh¡­" The guy smiled lecherously, looking at Selena.

    Selena gave them a cold gaze while saying, "Birds of the same feathers do flock together. It just¡­ sometimes, I often mistook cuckoos as crows."

    Both guys widened their eyes. They knew she didn''t mean the birds.

    "You¡­" Victor gritted his teeth and grabbed Selena''s shoulder hard.

    She could feel the throbbing pain, but she remained expressionless.

    "Should I take this as an offense? For an upperssman bullying a junior like this, I wonder what kind of punishment you will receive."

    Victor''s body shook. The guy beside him also wanted to punch Selena.

    However, he had another idea.

    "Ah, right? You seem to be close to thatmoner. Even if we can''t do anything to you, it doesn''t mean there''s nothing we can do to him. For example, his parents are justmoners. I wonder what kind of face he will make when he knows his parents get tortured and die because of you."

    "You¡­ He is not in this!" Selena frowned.

    "Heh? Your expression finally changes." Victor grinned.

    "How low are you going to fall to even resort to killingmoners?" Selena bit her lips.

    "Whatmoners? You have been unusually close to him. People might even misunderstand you, saying you two are a couple."

    "Don''t involve him!" Selena clenched her hands into fists, her body shaking.

    "Drop out of the academy right now. Or else, hehehehe." Victor chuckled.

    "You¡­" Selena looked unwilling. "You''ll regret this."

    "How cold. You are going to sacrifice thatmoner?"

    Selena red at him, her eyes exuding killing intent. She stomped the ground and walked away. It was clear that she was fuming in anger at how her body continued shaking.

    "Fools." Victor grinned. "A dog dares to bite their owner''s hand?"

    When Selena turned in the junction, her expression turned back to normal as she pinched her cheeks while thinking, ''Was that how he tricked people? I hadn''t shown any emotions for a long time. Did my expressions look awkward?''

 Chapter 126: A Dilemma

    *ck!*

    After closing the door, Nathan couldn''t help but hang his head low. He muttered inwardly, ''Meeting the original Nathan''s parents, huh?''

    It reminded him of his original parents back on Earth.

    "What the fuck are you doing?" His father hit him with the back of his hand while drinking.

    "What?" Nathan''s body was shaking violently as his blood came out of his nose. He didn''t even do anything wrong, so why would he get hit?

    "Why are you not even doing anything? Do something useful, you idiot!"

    Nathan was only eleven years old. He looked at his father with a horrified expression. His body was already covered in bruises, but Nathan still dared to re at his father.

    "Whatcha looking at?"

    Nathan bit his lips and shouted, "You dare to call yourself my father? You fucking useless human being!"

    The veins on his forehead bulged. Without him realizing it, Nathan got kicked in the guts with such a force that blew him to the side of the table.

    *Cough!*

    *Cough!*

    Nathan coughed some acid from his blood as he was on all fours while holding his stomach.

    "What did you say?" His father was furious. He started kicking and punching him.

    It only stopped until Nathan was half-conscious. He was bleeding, and his nose was broken.

    What Nathan had was not that he couldn''t endure the pain. In fact, he could endure it pretty well, especially when he absorbed the mature ss core. What he actually had was a trauma that reminded him of the beating he would receive from his father.

    He somehow put his father into jail by showing his state to the police until some officers noticed him. He called the police before provoking his dad. And the police ended up entering the house and catching his dad in the act.

    It was then he was sent to his mother, which wasn''t much different. After seeing how much his father was drinking and doing drugs, Nathan felt repulsive when he saw his mother in the same state.

    Fortunately, he didn''t receive any beating, which meant he could recover from his injuries and run away from his mother. He ran, ran, and ran until his legs gave up.

    It was fortunate that he met an orphanage that willingly epted him after learning his circumstances, instead of sending him back to his mother.

    He made a small business like buying things and selling them at a higher price or any other hustle that he could do at his age. He managed to save up some money and bought a phone to read.

    That was when he fell in love with reading. The main characters were cool; they could stand up against their parents, and their lives became much better. All of them pushed him forward and became a way for him to escape from reality.

    He never liked his full name, Nathan Reckmoon. When pronouncing it, he felt like he was the moon that was getting wrecked.

    And this time, he ended up facing a dilemma, wondering if he should meet the original Nathan''s parents or not.

    On the one hand, Nathan''s parents in this world were good people. There weren''t any bad memories, and they looked very supportive. On the other hand, Nathan couldn''t help but tremble.

    ''Is this the reason I am feeling attracted to Selena? Because we both have problems with our family? Tsk. I try to act cool by saying I want her to separate the feeling of love and dependency, but I''m such a mess myself.'' Nathan scratched the back of his head. He kept hanging his head low, thinking about it.

    Suddenly, Selena''s voice echoed from the side. "What are you thinking?"

    "!!!" Nathan''s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively jumped to the side, finding Selena walking next to him. "What? Since when have you been here?"

    "I have been walking with you for half a minute. You didn''t notice me the whole time, so I couldn''t help but call you."

    "Ah. Sorry. I was in deep thought." Nathan smiled wryly. "Didn''t you return to your dorm?"

    "I did, but I ended up encountering someone."

    "Hmm?" Nathan noticed the displeasure on Selena''s face.

    Selena looked hesitant but chose to say it. "I met my brother¡­"

    Selena ended up recounting everything he said.

    It blew his mind, not because of her brother, but because she actually told him about this.

    "Ehm¡­" Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Wait a second. Let me process this. Did you just tell me about this instead of walking away without saying anything?"

    "Yes?" Selena tilted her head in confusion. "Is there something wrong with me telling you about this problem? You end up getting involved in this because of me, so you have the right to know."

    Nathan said, "Nothing. I was just thinking about what they told me in this situation. After all, most of the time¡­ no, 99 out of 100 people would quietly leave them, thinking they could save them this way. And their partners end up having to learn it themselves and do something about it."

    "Hmm. I don''t think it will be the solution." Selena crossed her arms. "In this situation, I''m telling you because I know that your teacher will definitely protect your parents. After all, she must know things that can actually mess you up. If they attack your parents, it will end up provoking your teacher. Either way, it''ll give me an advantage against my family."

    "No. That''s not what I mean¡­" Nathan looked troubled. "Never mind. First of all, thank you for telling me about this."

    "But it doesn''t change the fact that I have inconvenienced you, your teacher, and your parents. For that, I''m sorry. And I will probably have to apologize again because I have no intention of leaving you, so I will continue putting them in danger." Selena lowered her head. "But if you think it''s too much, please tell me about it. I''ll leave."

    "No. In fact, I should be the one asking you. Do you need my help? After all, you told me back then that you want to stand at the top, equal to everyone, right? That''s why I''ll respect you as my equal. How do you want to solve this problem?"

 Chapter 127: Test (Bonus)

    Selena felt happy because Nathan remembered her words. She said, "For now, I have a n, and you don''t need to do anything. However, this also means that I''ll endanger your parents."

    Nathan nodded. "Alright. I''ll let you handle it. As for my parents, you don''t have to worry about it. I''m nning to visit my parents soon. Unfortunately, we can''t go on a mission for the time being because I have to go to the Ancient Library of the Fairy Queen, and I have to go alone, ording to my teacher.

    "I don''t know how long it will take, but we can go on a mission together after that. It''ll be the mission you pick. I''m nning to visit my parents first before going there."

    "I see." Selena looked a bit sad, but she could understand his circumstances.

    After seeing her expression, Nathan couldn''t help but tease her, "What''s wrong? Do you want to follow me? We can''t go to the Ancient Library together, but we can visit my parents together. Do you want to visit your inw?"

    "!!!" Selena''s heart skipped a beat as her body froze.

    "If you go with me, don''t you think it can give a clear statement to your family that you don''t n to obey them?" Nathan grinned.

    Selena furiously shook her head. "No. My n is different. Besides, I haven''t even agreed to be your significant other."

    Nathan chuckled. "What? I''m just teasing you. It''s rare to see you being this flustered¡­ or maybe you are expecting it?"

    Selena made a small pout but soon smiled. The more she interacted with him, the more her emotions returned. She said, "For now, I don''t n to meet your parents. Since you are nning to leave, it means I can do whatever I want for the next few days. That''s why you don''t have to worry about me."

    "Alright. I''ll trust your decision."

    "Thank you."

    "No. I should be the one thanking you." Nathan smiled, adding inwardly, ''Because of you, my mind feels refreshed. I am uncertain how I feel about my parents in this world, but I''ll see it through. And for that, the first thing I need to do is¡­''

    ¡­

    Twenty minutester.

    Nathan was already inside of his room.

    "What are you doing? Release me," Nidhogg shouted while struggling on the ground. Anubis had caught him with his bandages while Fenrir pinned him down. If not for the fact this was Nathan''s room, he would have used everything he got to escape.

    However, the room was simply too small. His giant body already upied more than half of the room.

    Nathan formed his Soul Contract and gave the exchange condition.

    ''Nathan will receive the 1,500 Ena that Nidhogg has taken forcefully in exchange for him taking the lead of the group for the next seven days.''

    Nathan didn''t have anything to exchange for that much of Ena, but because he was an exceptional summoner and leader, he managed to leverage himself to be equal for this 1,500 Ena.

    But since he already had a n for how he would spend the next seven days, Nidhogg had no choice but to obey him.

    "Come on. Give me back my Ena so that I can distribute it to the others."

    "What? If you want your Ena back, just say it. But I think it won''t work!" Nidhogg never thought that Fenrir and Anubis would restrain him for something like this. He cut his palm and signed the contract without any fight.

    After that, Nathan did the same, nning to distribute the Ena to Fenrir and Anubister.

    But to his surprise, the Soul Contract that was usually written on a translucent blue scroll suddenly turned red.

    "Huh?" Nathan and the others widened their eyes in shock as the scroll suddenly shattered like a ss instead of breaking into particles.

    Nathan didn''t feel a surge of Ena returning to him, so it only meant one thing. "Did the contract fail?"

    "What?" Fenrir was taken aback while Anubis nodded. "It seems to be the case."

    "Get off me." Nidhogg shook his body, forcing Fenrir to leap into the bed. Anubis did the same while Nathan sat down on the chair. "I told you it wouldn''t work. If you make an agreement with my Ena on the line, you will receive my chaos energy. It might even destroy the contract."

    "Is that how it works?" Nathan frowned and created another contract.

    ''Nathan will lend Fenrir the Deadly w for a day for 10 Ena.''

    When he saw the contract, Fenrir immediately signed it, but to their surprise, the contract turned red and shattered into pieces.

    "This is¡­" Nathan frowned. Nidhogg''s theory was wrong.

    Anubis asked, "Was it because your contract is in original form? If it was at a higher level, you probably could do that."

    "Or was it because you are forcing the contract? But you didn''t force me anything. Even this lizard gave his consent." Fenrir asked.

    Nathan fell into deep thought. "I don''t know, but this has sealed a lot of possibilities."

    "What do you mean?" Fenrir tilted his head in confusion.

    "I mean, if there is a powerful enemy, I can use this contract stating that they have to kill themselves, which will allow me to defeat an enemy much stronger than me. Or I can use the contract to force someone to say the truth, which is perfect for interrogation. Sadly, I can''t do those things," Nathan exined.

    "That might be true. You might want to upgrade your contract again to test it one more time. Or we can probably catch a bad guy to test this¡­ a terrorist will work," Anubis suggested.

    "I''m not so sure about it." Nathan crossed his arms. "Nevertheless, it doesn''t change the fact that I can''t recover my Ena. It seems that there are still a lot of things I need to test."

    "Indeed."

    Nidhogg asked, "Since you''re nning to go to the Ancient Library, why don''t you try to find the answers as well?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. I don''t know what I can find from that ce, but I''m going to list all the things I want to know. If you also want to find something, tell me about it, since we don''t know if I can summon you guys or not in that library."

 Chapter 128: Empty

    "This is the ce where the original Nathan was born, huh?" Nathan muttered while looking at the small vige. He jumped off Nidhogg''s back, with Fenrir and Anubis following him.

    Several vigers couldn''t help but notice him and point their fingers at him. They looked scared because of the three divine beasts. At the same time, they recognized Nathan.

    "Isn''t that¡­Nathan?"

    "It''s Nathan!"

    "Oh! Our little summoner!"

    "Wait. Aren''t summoners supposed to summon humanoid familiars?"

    Just from their reactions alone, Nathan knew how much information they could get within the vige. Even though his fame had spread, it was hard to reach a small vige like this.

    They carefully approached Nathan because of the three divine beasts.

    And that was when he saw the original Nathan''s parents. His mother was the first one toe because of themotion.

    It seemed he inherited his hair from her. She covered her mouth with both hands before she hugged him tightly, showing how much she missed him.

    It didn''t take too long for his dad toe. He must be rushing back from the field as he came with a hoe and a straw hat.

    Nathan had asked the three divine beasts to assess his parents, whether they were normal humans or simply hid their identities.

    Surprisingly, the three divine beasts shook their heads, telling him they didn''t sense anything special. In fact, none of his parents had Ena in their bodies.

    Because of this very reason, Nathan followed them ording to the memory he received from the original owner.

    He introduced the three divine beasts, shared a story, helped with the field, and ate together.

    They looked so proud of him. No one would ever think that a small farmer like them would produce a summoner.

    At the same time, Nathan didn''t mention anything about his uniqueness or his true story.

    It wasn''t much, but he had never experienced something like this with his family back on earth.

    After they were sleeping, Nathan came out of the house and headed to the field, feeling the chilling breeze that somehow calmed his heart.

    Nidhogg was already going back while Anubis looked around the vige. They were quite curious about his familiars after all.

    Still, Nathan''s face looked like he had a lot of concerns.

    "What are you thinking?" Fenrir''s voice echoed from the side.

    Nathan nced for a moment before looking at the dark sky. "It''s nothing¡­"

    "There is no one here. Even though you are a pervert, you are definitely a good summoner."

    "I don''t know if the first one is necessary¡­" Nathan smiled wryly. "Fenrir. Have you ever regretted your choice ining here?"

    Fenrir didn''t like the question, but he still answered, "No. Why do you even bother with a question you already know the answer to? I want to challenge those strong ones."

    "Hahaha." Nathan chuckled. "I have the same answer. I have never regretted the fact that I cane to this world, because look at me right now. Having you, Anubis, Nidhogg is a lot of fun. There are Selena, Alisha, and my teacher¡­ I''m just having a st of my life. It''s just¡­"

    Fenrir squinted his eyes.

    Nathan looked down. "I wonder what the original Nathan is thinking. When I saw his parents, I felt¡­" Nathan clutched his chest. "¡­empty."

    Fenrir could understand it to some extent. While Nathan had the memory of the original Nathan, he was still a different person. Recognizing another person''s parents or lying about the original Nathan definitely made him ufortable.

    "In the end, they are not my parents. Well, it''s not like I like my parents back on Earth as well, but I have read a lot of novels showing how the main character epts the family. I, too,e from a broken family.

    "My parents divorced when I was young, my father beat me up every time, and my mother was focusing on drugs.

    "In those novels, they epted their new family because they were longing for such a family. I used to admire them, wondering what it meant to have a family. But right now, after talking with them and having fun, I feel empty. I feel bad for deceiving them. I can''t help but think what will happen if they know I''m not their Nathan." Nathan bit his lips.

    "In that case, are you going to cut contact with them?" Fenrir asked.

    "Of course not. The original Nathan has given me this opportunity. The least I can do for him is to let them lead a happy life and make them proud in his stead."

    "Why don''t you bring them to the capital city?"

    "I wonder if that''s the correct choice. If theye, they will be targeted a lot. On the other hand, they can enjoy such a rxing life here without getting involved in politics if they stay here. I wonder if I''m being fair or not." Nathan sighed.

    "I trust your judgment."

    "Thanks." Nathan stretched his arm toward the moon as if trying to reach it. "For now, I wish to enjoy my life while getting stronger. Since I can only summon divine beasts, I want to summon a lot of divine beasts. There are a lot of cool guys among the divine beasts."

    "To kill those aliens?"

    "I wonder." Nathan shrugged. "I know we should join hands to fight against themon enemy, but I know everyone who has seen a fair share of politics also knows that if we eradicate those aliens, humans will fight each other again."

    "So you''re not going to kill those aliens?"

    "Of course, I will fight them."

    Fenrir couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. "Then what are you nning to do? You don''t want to eradicate them, but you will fight them. What is your goal?"

    "My goal?" Nathan smirked. "My goal is beyond your understanding."

    "Huh?"

    "But for now, I''ll figure out everything about my body first." Nathan chuckled while standing up. "I feel refreshed. Let''s go back."

    "Oi. You haven''t told me your goal." Fenrir kept asking, while Nathan continued ignoring that question with a smug on his face.

 Chapter 129: Elder

    Nathan arrived in a desert city right at the entrance of the Maldhi Desert. This was the first time he came to a desert, so he was a bit surprised by the intense heat.

    It was no wonder why the people in this ce had tanned skin. They either wore little clothes or fully covered their bodies.

    Nathan raised his head, looking at this small cube-shaped building as if it were a sand castle.

    "Is this the ce?" Nathan examined the building. Vivian considered this person as her friend, so he thought such a person would live in a better ce, not in a small hut like this. There was only one door and a window, which couldn''t bepared to Vivian''s mansion.

    To his surprise, the door was opened from the inside as a skinny old man came out. He asked while inhaling the churchwarden pipe, "What are you doing, kid?"

    Nathan looked surprised. The old man didn''t wear his top, so he could see his thin and fragile frame as if he hadn''t eaten anything for thest few months. At the same time, the old man was giving him an indescribable pressure that told him something would happen if he provoked him.

    Nathan politely bowed to him and said, "Hello, my name is Nathan, the student of Vivian Lorelei."

    "Vivian Lorelei?" The old man squinted his eyes before coughing as if he remembered something. "Ah. That cheeky girl."

    ''Cheeky girl?'' Nathan was surprised. Even though Vivian wasn''t among the strongest, she was still a top summoner. He never thought that this old man would call her a cheeky girl.

    "Come in!" The old man opened the door for him while nodding up, signaling him to enter.

    The building was surprisingly much cooler than he originally thought. The heat didn''t enter the house and the cool air was being istedpletely inside this ce.

    Of course, Nathan noticed the foul smell of tobo. He didn''t like it because of his past experience, but it wasn''t something he couldn''t endure.

    The old man sat down on a bamboo chair with one of his feet up. "So, what kind of favor does the cheeky girl want from me?"

    "Huh?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "What? Did she not tell you anything?" The old man frowned. "Whatever. I owed her in the past, so what do you need from me, kid?"

    Nathan noticed that while he was easy to talk to, he wasn''t the type of person who would ept jokes like the Dragon King. Hence, he just cut to the chase. "I''m nning to visit the Ancient Library of the Fairy Queen."

    "The Ancient Library, huh?" The old man thought for a moment before examining Nathan closely. "Why do you want to go there?"

    "Is it possible not to answer that question?" Nathan definitely couldn''t share the fact that his blood was special. Although the old man might not necessarily spread this information, he didn''t know if he could be trusted.

    "I''m just curious. I don''t really care if you tell me or not." The old man nodded. "In that case, what do you need?"

    "I don''t know where I should go. My teacher told me I should visit this ce and learn from you."

    *Pak!*

    A crispy sound echoed after he gently smacked the table with his pipe, startling Nathan. He stood up while saying, "Wait here."

    The elder returned a few minutester, bringing several items. "Change your clothes to this. Cover your body if you don''t want to get sunburn. Also, use these sunsses so that both the sun and the sand don''t hurt your eyes.

    "Before going to the desert, you should bring at least seven days'' worth of water. Just double the number of what you usually need for seven days since it''s going to be hot out there.

    "Because of the Fairy Queen''s library, the desert is pretty much safe, so you don''t have to worry about the sandstorm.

    "However, you have to be careful because the night is extremely cold. That''s all."

    Nathan nodded. "What about the Ancient Library? Where should I go?"

    "From this town? Just enter the desert and keep chasing after the sun."

    "Chasing after the sun? The sunrise?"

    "Of course not. You will have to adjust your direction by following the sun and making that meandering path. However, the moment the sun is set, you have to stop."

    Nathan imagined the meandering path he had to take. Since he had to stop right after the sunset, he should be ready to move before the sunrise.

    "Once you reach the library, there will be someone to guide you. This someone can be anything from a kid to an elder, from male to female. It will appear based on your characters.

    "This person will give you a task, and you have toplete it. The degree of yourpletion will determine how much you can ess in that library."

    "How much? Does that mean the library has several levels?"

    "Indeed." The elder nodded. "It''s hard to exin, so it''s better for you to justplete it with flying colors and get ess to the entire library."

    "I understand. I''ll do my best." Nathan thought for a moment. "Can I fly there?"

    "Of course not. Are you dumb?"

    "Ahaha." Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    The elder extended his hand.

    Nathan thought he wanted a handshake, so he stretched his hand. To his surprise, the elder suddenly grabbed his hand and flipped it so that he could see his palm.

    "You are such an unlucky child. No, what the hell is this? What did you do for all the luck to go to a single ce?"

    "A single ce?" Nathan didn''t know anything. He transmigrated to this ce, so how could he know? At the same time, he couldn''t help but think, ''Is this the legendary palm reading?''

    The elder sighed. "Your life will be filled with problems. However, all your luck has gone to women. Basically, your luck with women is the highest one I''ve seen in my entire life. So you either die because of those problems or lead a fulfilling life. If in the future you have something you can''t resolve, the answer lies in the north.

    And with this, the debt has been repaid."

 Chapter 130: Clue (Bonus)

    "What''s with this heat? Isn''t it too much?" asked Nathan while gritting his teeth.

    After wearing the clothes the elder gave, he realized that there was a special function hidden in this robe. Despite covering his entire body, he didn''t feel a lot of heat piercing through it. In fact, there was chilling air that the clothes emitted. Even though it was weak, it reduced the heat a lot.

    Still, this was the first time he went to a desert. The temperature was so hot that he ended up finishing an entire bottle in the first hour of their journey.

    "This is too much, don''t you think?" Nathan repeated his question while ncing to the side.

    The one who apanied him this time was none other than Anubis.

    "You are too weak. This heat is nothing. Why do you even call me here? You can go by yourself. Even if you need someone to apany you, you can get Fenrir or Nidhogg."

    Nathan smiled wryly. "Come on. ording to your myth and location, it''s clear that you once lived in an area like this, no? Fenrir will probably die because of this heat. No, I will just ask him to be my nket for the night."

    "That''s true." Anubis resigned to his fate. He had gotten used to this kind of heat. And since Nathan had to go for a few days, he should definitely guide him with his experience.

    "Nevertheless, we will have to travel like this for several days. If nothing happens in seven days, it means we won''t be able to enter the Ancient Library. So we''ll just fly back and be done with it."

    "Fair enough." Anubis nodded. "Still, a library, huh? If we think about the size, the magical mysteries, and the content¡­ It is simr to the tomb. It seems that the Fairy Queen and the Dwarf King have transcended to a divine being."

    "I don''t really know about that." Nathan shrugged. "If they have transcended, what kind of knowledge and skill do they possess?"

    "I don''t know, but you said a dwarf is a race who excels in the art of crafting. In that case, it''s possible for him to build a majestic underground library. And the Fairy Queen has an illusion power that can make such a thing invisible. There might be other people involved."

    "That''s the question. Can you actually make something thatsts for eternity?"

    "It is possible. There are two ways to maintain such a thing. The first is faith, and the second is yourself."

    "Faith?" Nathan frowned. If that was the case, it meant the pyramids or tombs or otherndmarks that were left behind from the past might actually be still functional. The only problem was the faith.

    If people believed it, they would be real. If people didn''t believe it, they would be forgotten.

    "I see." Nathan nodded in understanding.

    "But there is a third way to preserve it in this world. We can use the Ena from those cores. You can simply use the illusion to ask someone to bring cores, right? Or there might be a tribe that preserves it."

    "Yes. That might be the reason." Nathan agreed with him. "This makes me excited."

    For the next two days, Nathan followed the elder''s instruction by following the sun. Anubis would apany him as he traveled across the sand hills, helping him to conserve his stamina.

    There might not be a lot of danger, especially from the aliens, but it would be hard even for Nathan to survive in this environment had it not been for his familiars.

    During the night, Fenrir would warm him up. He was fortunate enough that there was a giant ''fur ball'' as his familiar. Of course, Nidhogg also set up the fire.

    The journey was quite harsh, and his exposed skin got sunburn, but he persisted until they found their first clue.

    "Help!" a female''s voice echoed from a distance.

    It was quite far, and the sound was pretty weak, but Anubis picked it up. "Someone needs help over there."

    "Hmm?" Nathan frowned. "Is there really someone? One person?"

    "Yes. I don''t hear any other footsteps beside her."

    "Her? Let''s go!" Nathan grinned.

    "¡­" Anubis rolled his eyes as if knowing this was the biggest reason.

    He shook his head first before following Nathan and finding a woman losing her consciousness due to the heat.

    To their surprise, the woman didn''t seem to be local because she was wearing a nun robe.

    More importantly, the skirt had a high slit on both sides, revealing her legs.

    "We have to help her, Anubis." Nathan hurriedly approached her.

    "If this is a man, you wouldn''t be that excited." Anubis'' eyebrows twitched.

    "What? Do you think I''m such a lowly person? I will help him. It''s just¡­" Nathan pointed at the woman. "This must be the guide."

    "Huh?" Anubis frowned.

    "Yes. The elder said that the guide wille alone in any kind of form depending on my character."

    "So, your character shapes the guide into a woman?"

    "We don''t talk about it." Nathan waved his hand. "Anyway, just look at her. Despite being a nun, doesn''t she look sexy? Look at her skirt and now remember Noelle''s armor."

    "Hmm?" Anubis suddenly caught Nathan''s true intention. Back then, Nathan said, "Don''t you know bikini armor has the highest defense?"

    However, Noelle was rather rational and chose full body armor because there was a logic behind it.

    Meanwhile, this nun looked sexy. For a nun like this, she should have covered her body instead of being the one inciting the lust from people.

    "So she is the guide¡­"

    "That''s what I have been saying this whole time. Stop with that judging gaze!" Nathan sighed. "Because people are so logical in this worldpared to the stories I''ve read, this kind of irrational thing must not be the people of this world. In other words, this nun is the guide we have been looking for."

    Anubis couldn''t really find a w in his argument. Even though his mind was impure, there was nothing wrong with Nathan''s logic.

    "Alright. Let''s heal her."

 Chapter 131: Guide (Bonus)

    "Nhnn¡­" The nun was letting out a small yet erotic moan and gradually opening her eyes.

    "It seems you have woken up." Nathan smiled. He had positioned himself on the opposite side of the fire, so she couldn''t do anything to him unless she wanted to burn herself in this purple-colored fire.

    The nun tilted her head to the side. When she saw Nathan, she couldn''t help but rise from the ground. "Ah?"

    "You copsed earlier," Nathan casually exined.

    Before answering him, she looked around before examining her body and found out that Nathan hadn''t done anything other than helping her.

    With a deep breath, she regained herposure and asked, "Did you help me?"

    "Yeah."

    "Thank you for helping me. I thought I was going to die."

    "No problem." Nathan nodded, waiting for the woman to exin the trial.

    "I¡­" She looked down, feeling troubled.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "It''s nothing. I can''t really trouble you any longer." She shook her head while waving her hands. She stood up and said, "I don''t have anything to repay you right now."

    "That''s fine. I might not be reliable, but I''m a summoner. It''s rare to see a nun going to this kind of ce, so I''m kind of curious about it. Why don''t you share it with me and we can call it even?" Nathan asked, while adding inwardly, ''Just give me the freaking trial.''

    She contemted for a moment before asking, "You are a summoner?"

    "I am a student from the Frexia Academy."

    "Oh!" She nodded. Although hesitant, she still shared the problem. "To be honest, the reason I''m here is to fight against sand bandits. I fought them but ended up getting outnumbered and was forced to flee. I managed to escape, but¡­"

    She sped her hands as if she were praying. All of a sudden, two humanoid familiars appeared. The first one was a kind middle-aged man with blond hair and a pair of white feathered wings.

    It was definitely an angel, Nathan thought. Then he shifted his gaze to the second person, which was surprisingly the contrast of an angel. In fact, it wasn''t something a nun should have.

    The other person was actually a woman with little clothing and a pair of ck wings.

    ''No way. An angel and a fallen angel?'' Nathan widened his eyes in shock. ''Considering the reputation of the church, there is no way they would ept someone who has a fallen angel as their familiar. In the first ce, how could she have these two familiars? Does her faith waver or something?

    ''But she is the guide. Her existence is not supposed to make sense. Why do I feel like this guide is the manifestation of a meme that I often see on Earth¡­ the one where the angel and the devil argue? Does the trial know my origin?''

    Nathan squinted his eyes, noticing the wounds on their bodies.

    They looked like they had been beaten up pretty hard.

    "Well, well. There is a handsome guy helping you." The fallen angel spoke with a sultry voice.

    "You better stop. Don''t be rude to the person who helps Sera." The angel shook his head.

    "Huh?" The fallen angel red at him.

    ''They are even arguing. But does the angel have no ability to heal them?'' Nathan summoned Anubis, which startled both of them.

    "What?!" The angel took a step back. "A divinity?"

    "Ah. Such a rich aura of death." The fallen angel licked her lips.

    Considering angels were the servant of God, and the fallen angels were formerly angels, it wasn''t weird for them to be able to sense such a thing from Anubis.

    "Anubis. Can you help them?" Nathan asked.

    Anubis nodded as he used his power. The wounds on their bodies gradually disappeared, which shocked all three of them.

    "This is¡­" The angel sucked a cold breath while the fallen angel hugged herself. "This is such a pleasant divinity."

    Sera''s expression turned solemn, as if she had made her resolve. She lowered her head. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Serafina Dinta. I''m thankful for your help. Not only do you save my life, but you also even heal their wounds.

    It might be shameless of me to ask my savior, but can you please help me?"

    Nathan nodded. "I''d like to hear the exnation first."

    "Yes." She nodded. "There is a bandit stronghold not far from here. They have been terrorizing this desert for a while. That''s why Ie here to destroy the bandit stronghold and capture them if possible."

    "A bandit, huh?" Nathan frowned.

    "Indeed. The bandit has around 70 people. However, all of them are just normal people except for the leader and the vice leader. If we can defeat them, no other bandits will dare to resist."

    "Two summoners. Are they strong?"

    "The vice leader is a former student of a summoner academy, but he has never advanced to the second year. I have fought against him, but I believe I can defeat him. The problem is the leader.

    "The leader is a strong summoner with 5 familiars under hismand. He himself is quite powerful, as he is the reason the sand bandits can operate in this area and the authorities choose to turn a blind eye to them."

    Nathan crossed his arms. "That''s hard. First of all, even though they are normal people, their number still poses a threat to us. If we bothbine our strength, there is a chance we will defeat the leader, but the problem will be the vice leader."

    "Yes. That''s the biggest problem."

    "And you are nning to stop them by yourself instead of asking for reinforcement from the church?"

    "That''s¡­" She scratched the back of her head.

    ''Yep. She can''t exin it. This just confirms that this is only a trial. There is no need for such a deep background story since the trial is clearly for me to defeat these bandits. The problem is their number and strength.'' Nathan fell into deep thought.

    "Actually, I''m currently going toward a vige not far from here where I''m supposed to learn more information about these bandits. Will you follow me?" She asked.

 Chapter 132: Village

    Sera led him to the west. To Nathan''s surprise, there was ake in the middle of the ground, with buildings surrounding it.

    "An oasis?" Nathan frowned.

    "Yes. ording to the information, this is called Sand Dwell Vige. They are the ones requesting help this time." Sera nodded.

    Nathan crossed his arms as if he were in deep thought.

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "It''s nothing. This is the first time I see an oasis, so I''m kind of surprised." Nathan shook his head.

    While walking to the vige, Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "Since we are going to fight together, do you mind telling me your angel and fallen angel abilities? If I know what to expect from them, maybe we can work together better."

    "I don''t really mind. My fallen angel is mainly the one fighting in the front. She has a darkness spear ability and very high speed. Meanwhile, my angel has the power of light magic. He can send forth several holy spells, but they are most useful against the undead. There are some that can be used against normal enemies, but yeah¡­" She rubbed her cheeks, feeling embarrassed.

    "I see. My jackal can heal while my wolf is a good closebatant." Nathan briefly told her about his familiars, but he didn''t tell her anything about Nidhogg.

    "I hope we can work together." Sera nodded, thinking about thebination they could do when fighting together.

    It didn''t take too long for them to reach the vige. The temperature around the oasis was much lower, allowing Nathan to take a breather.

    Still, the vigers were staring at him as if he were a rare animal. On the other hand, Sera was asking the vigers for the vige chief''s location and ultimately led him to the house.

    The vige chief was a muscr, middle-aged man. He was sitting with his legs crossed on the floor while asking, "So, you are the only person whoes to our call?"

    "Yes. My name is Serafina." She nodded.

    "Then who is the man next to you?" The vige chief frowned.

    "He is Nathan. A summoner that I happen to meet along the way. He is currently helping me."

    "I see." The muscr man pinched the bridge of his nose before lowering his head. "As you can see, our vige might still be good, but the sand bandits have been running rampant recently. Our vige might be gone if they choose to attack us."

    Sera asked, "Do you know anything about them? Their numbers, their hideout¡­ Any information is fine."

    The vige chief contemted for a moment. "We don''t know about their current number, but the bandits have been kidnapping a lot of our people. It''s said that they''re using them asborers to construct their base.

    "People who are kidnapped by them would face a terrible fate. That''s why please¡­ defeat them." The vige chief lowered his head.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched as if he didn''t like the response. The vige chief didn''t seem to know anything. It was strange and normal at the same time, depending on how he viewed this matter.

    Nathan asked, "How many people does this vige have?"

    "There are a total of 160 people in our viges," the vige chief answered in a confused tone.

    "How about the oasis? Is there any other oasis or vige nearby?"

    "I don''t think so. We have been to a vige that connects the Delevian City in the south and the Reletian City in the north. A lot of people are using this vige whenever they want to use this desert as a shortcut."

    Nathan tilted his head left and right as if he were trying to figure out something. His behavior slightly concerned the vige chief and Sera.

    "Then, one more question. Do you have any maps for the desert? Where is the bandit stronghold? If we have the map of our current location, we can probably find them and scout them."

    "Map?" The vige chief was confused and nced at Sera for a second. "Oh, map! We don''t have the map, but if you go east of this vige, you will find their stronghold."

    "No other information?" Nathan asked.

    "Unfortunately." The vige chief shook his head. "My apologies. Even though we want to help you, we are too scared of them."

    Nathan nodded before saying to Sera. "I think we should scout the enemy''s stronghold. What do you think? You are the one asking me to join, so I need your opinion."

    "Scouting?" Sera tilted her head in confusion. "Can''t we just attack them and somehow lure the enemies?"

    "If we don''t know where the enemy we should lure out, what are we supposed to do? It''s better to scout the area first and see what we can do."

    "People say I''m gullible, so I guess I will just follow your n. It looks like you know what you''re talking about."

    Nathan let out a long sigh.

    "Then, let''s go tomorrow morning." Nathan turned to the vige chief. "Do you know where the inn is?"

    The vige chief shook his head while saying, "Please stay in my house. Although it''s not much, I''ll definitely fulfill whatever request you have. This is the least I can do for the two summoners who go all the way here to help us."

    "We appreciate it." Sera prayed.

    The vige scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed.

    Since they had received the amodation from the vige chief, Nathan chose to go around the vige as if he were trying to satisfy his curiosity during his first visit to an oasis.

    Nathan never expected that there would be a city prospering in such a harshnd. Still, the city felt empty. There weren''t any foreigners around, but what could he expect from a trial?

    Meanwhile, Sera remained in the house. After getting beaten pretty badly, the only thing she wanted was sleep.

    After he was satisfied, Nathan returned to get some sleep. This was probably the first time he had a roof above his head after entering this desert, so he had to get a good rest for an exhausting battle against the bandits.

 Chapter 133: Infiltration

    "So that''s the stronghold. It looks like another vige to me," Nathan muttered while looking at the stronghold from the top of the sand hill.

    "Yes. That''s the stronghold." Sera confirmed it with a nod.

    "It doesn''t seem to have a lot of people. There are only less than twenty buildings in this stronghold, with a giant building in the middle. And this ce doesn''t have an oasis." Nathan assessed the ce.

    "Indeed. If we go right now, we should be able to go very far." Sera pointed at the big building. "I''m sure that the enemies are hiding in that building. If we want to separate the boss and the vice leader, we have to¡­ I don''t know, maybe tricking them."

    "Should we sneak into their stronghold? There aren''t a lot of people patrolling the stronghold right now. We know theyout, so we just have to make sure there''s no trap or anything. Once we''re sure, we can alwayse up with a n to separate them."

    "Indeed." Sera agreed with him.

    "Can you use the Physical Enhancement?"

    "Of course."

    Nathan nodded and summoned Fenrir. "On my signal, we should go to the nearest building. Fenrir, give us the timing."

    Fenrir observed the movement of the people inside the stronghold and carefully selected the timing. "Go!"

    The moment they heard the signal, they immediately rushed toward the stronghold before anyone could see them. They moved so fast with Fenrir behind them.

    He was using his own tail to swipe the sand so that they didn''t leave any trace.

    Nathan took a peek at the window, making sure there was no one inside before using this building as a cover. Sera also did the same and hid inside the building.

    "So, what are we going to do now?"

    "Just go to the center. The main stronghold will definitely be the biggest building. We have to know what''s inside that building, don''t you think?"

    She thought for a moment before nodding her head. "That''s true."

    "I think I should be the one asking you. Haven''t you scouted this ce before? You have been attacked by the bandits, right?"

    "Yes. I havee to this ce."

    "For what reason?" Nathan frowned.

    "It''s for¡­" She looked hesitant but soon waved her hand, asking him to follow her.

    Nathan didn''t understand what was going on, but he had to follow her, even if this was a trap.

    To his surprise, she stopped two blocks away from the biggest structure in the stronghold. She pointed to the biggest building while saying, "As expected, I can sense it clearly from here."

    "Sense what?"

    "A holy relic." She let out a long sigh before deciding to tell the truth. "Actually, the reason I came here was due to the persuasion of both my fallen angel and angel. It''s quite rare for them to agree with each other.

    "I have been quite sensitive to the holy and evil aura. From that ce, I can see the holy aura, and I''m nning to use it to summon my third familiar."

    Nathan rubbed his chin, contemting. "How do you know this ce has a holy relic?"

    "A rumor. After getting some information from the church, I head out and investigate it myself."

    Nathan nodded in understanding. "In that case, you want to get this holy relic and also defeat the bandits?"

    "Yes," she confirmed.

    "Howe you are getting attacked then? We can get this far without getting caught."

    "I don''t know. I feel like the security was much tighter yesterday, so I got caught and had to fight against them and retreated." She shook her head.

    Nathan noticed something was wrong. If that was true, howe they hadn''t been caught yet? The enemies had many people, and the stronghold wasn''t that big.

    "Did they go outside to raid a ce or something?" Nathan squinted his eyes as he took another look at the surrounding area.

    "Don''t tell me. Are they attacking the vige right now?" Sera gasped. "We have to go back right now."

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. The more he followed the story about the bandit, the more he felt something was amiss.

    "What''s wrong? We need to get back immediately. If those vigers are getting attacked, they will be in a lot of trouble."

    Nathan waved his hand, as if telling her to stop.

    "The empty stronghold, the big building¡­" Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. He was a bit unsure of what to do. If he agreed, they might be able to go back, but could they do anything against those bandits?

    "What''s wrong? We have to go back right now."

    After two minutes, Nathan shook his head. "No. We won''t be going back. This is the perfect time to infiltrate their main building. If we can somehow learn more about them, especially that building, we will have a higher chance of defeating the bandits."

    "But those vigers will die!" She looked concerned, but Nathan simply said, "No."

    Sera gritted her teeth. "I won''t abandon them!"

    "Feel free to go back. In the end, I''m here because of my own whim. I''m under no obligation to follow you."

    Sera looked frustrated. She just left without saying anything, disappointed that Nathan would sacrifice all those vigers just toplete the mission. They were here because they wanted to help the vigers after all.

    However, Nathan thought differently.

    "Are you sure about this? Isn''t she the guide?" Fenrir asked.

    "Yeah. The elder only told us toplete the mission, not to follow the guide all the time. In that case, I will just finish this mission with or without her." Nathan had made his decision. "Let''s go. We need to infiltrate the main building."

    Fenrir nodded and continued leading him to the main building, avoiding any patrols. As Nathan said earlier, this was the perfect chance to take a look at the main building.

    The moment Nathan entered the main building through the window, he finally understood what kind of bandits they were.

    "Hahaha. This is going to be easier than I expected¡­"

 Chapter 134: Return (Bonus)

    This ce looked like a hall where they gathered. There was one big chair, which was supposed to be for the leader. Surprisingly, the ground looked dirty, as if it hadn''t been cleaned for a long time.

    Fenrir nced around and said, "There is nothing here."

    Nathan smirked. "Hahaha. This is going to be easier than I expected."

    "What easier?" Fenrir frowned. "What do you mean?"

    "It''s nothing. We should go there." Nathan pointed at the stairs leading to the basement.

    It was surprisingly quite bright, with several cells in it.

    "A prison? Do they ce the people they kidnapped here?" Fenrir didn''t hear any sounding from this basement, which made it weird. There was no trace of torture in this ce.

    Due to these reasons, Nathan summoned Anubis and Nidhogg.

    "Huh? Why are you summoning those two?" Fenrir looked confused.

    "Anubis. Can you sense death around here?" Nathan asked for confirmation.

    "No. I don''t sense it." Anubis shook his head.

    "I don''t understand. What is going on? Why do you say this will be easier than you expected? Is there something else I don''t know?" Fenrir protested, wanting to know the secret as well.

    "Fenrir. What do you think is the most essential resource for humans?" Nathan asked.

    "Cores?" Fenrir tilted his head.

    "No. It''s water." Nathan raised his palm, forming three Soul Contracts. "I want the three of you to sign these contracts. I''m going to solve this issue tomorrow."

    Fenrir still didn''t understand, but he ended up signing the contract. Nathan was often annoying because he didn''t exin everything until everything was over, but his n usually worked. Hence, Fenrir wondered how Nathan was going to defeat those bandits.

    "Let''s go back, shall we?" Nathan made a cheeky smile.

    "Already? Are you not going to find the holy relic?"

    "Nope!" Nathan shrugged. "I''ve already found a way to solve this problem anyway."

    After saying those words, Nathan immediately exited the stronghold and returned to the vige.

    As he expected, the vige was actually safe. There was no sign of bandits in the area, and Serafina remained safe.

    The problem was that because of their disagreement, there was an awkward atmosphere between them.

    That was why Nathan had to act first. He smiled wryly while saying, "Sorry. It took me a few more minutes to realize that vigers are more important."

    Sera wanted toin, but she just let out a long sigh, dropping this matter. In the end, she was a nun, while Nathan was just a normal summoner. The way they viewed the world was different.

    Sera shook her head. "No. I should apologize for imposing my ideal."

    "It''s fine. I think I''ve got a n to defeat those bandits."

    "Really?" Sera looked shocked.

    "Yeah. Is it fine if we discuss this with the vige chief as well?"

    "Of course."

    Upon agreement, they both headed back to the vige chief as Nathan exined his n. "This is my n. With both of our abilities, we can defeat the enemy''s leader. However, that''s our limit.

    "We have to separate the enemy leader from the rest of the group, especially the vice leader. How? The answer is rather simple. I just need your cooperation, vige chief."

    "My cooperation?" The vige chief pointed at himself.

    "Sorry, what?" Sera frowned. They had just made up, but Nathan already nned to use the vigers against the bandits. It was as if Nathan didn''t have any intention of changing.

    Nathan waved his hand as if telling him it wasn''t the case.

    "All I need is for the vigers to build one building for me. It''s just a normal building, which should be pretty easy for you."

    "A building?" Both of them tilted their heads in confusion.

    "Yes. I want you to build a building halfway to the stronghold. It doesn''t need to bepleted. As long as there is a sign that you''re going to build the building, it''s going to be fine." Nathan smirked.

    "For what reason? I can''t really convince the vigers to do something useless."

    "Of course. Just tell the viger that by building this one house, the bandits will be defeated. After all, the original purpose of this house is to make the bandits think the vigers are nning to do something. They have no choice but toe out to check it out. We''ll ambush the bandit stronghold during that time and attack them from behind.

    With enough element of surprise, we can definitely separate them. If you follow this n, I can guarantee that the bandits will be defeated tomorrow."

    "!!!" Sera and the vige chief widened their eyes in shock. Because of the graveness of the situation, the leader or the vice leader would definitely lead the bandits to check.

    Nathan actually wanted to use this opportunity to ambush the vice leader before attacking the boss.

    It was a clever n that even Sera couldn''t help but agree. It didn''t seem that the vigers would be harmed as long as they were fast enough.

    "Is that so?" The vige chief looked happy. "I will immediately tell the vigers about it. We''ll cooperate with you as much as possible."

    "Yep." Nathan waved his hand, assuring him they would seed.

    After the vige chief left, Sera politely lowered her head. "Sorry, I''ve misunderstood you."

    "Don''t worry about it. Instead, we should help the vigers." Nathan waved his hand.

    A bright smile appeared on her face. "Yes!"

    The vige chief immediately rallied the vigers to construct a single building. Because Fenrir and Anubis helped them, it didn''t take too long for them to finish stacking up sandstones to make it look like a decent building.

    After that, Nathan asked them to remain in the vige. As thanks, the vige chief actually cooked a bit more extravagant food for them.

    "We have seeded." Sera smiled.

    "Yes. With this, they''ll be gone tomorrow. I''m just going to say this¡­ you don''t mind if I kill some who are resisting, right?"

    "It can''t be helped." Sera nodded. "Even I have to do that much."

    "Alright. That''s good then." Nathan smiled.

    Sera suddenly grabbed her head with a pained expression. "This¡­ Why am I suddenly feeling dizzy?"

    "What do you mean?" Nathan frowned, his eyes were twitching. He had a hard time even opening his eyes. "Huh? What''s going on? Anub¡ª!"

    Before he could summon Anubis, Nathan copsed to the ground.

 Chapter 135: Caught

    The clicking sound of chains echoed inside the cell.

    "Kh." Sera let out a small groan as her hands moved but was unable to go far. "Huh?"

    She opened her fuzzy eyes as she had a hard time moving her body. Her butt was hurt because of the hard surface where she was sitting, and her hands felt numb, as if the blood had left her hands.

    Her eyes saw the iron shackles on her feet, which woke her uppletely.

    "Wha¡ª!" She instinctively moved her body, but it was stopped by something, followed by the clicking sound of metal. "!!!"

    Trembling, Sera raised her head and saw the shackles attached to the ceiling. No matter how she struggled, she couldn''t free herself.

    ''What is going on? Thest thing I remember¡­'' Sera widened her eyes in shock. ''Nathan and I were supposed to be eating before we lost our consciousness. Don''t tell me. The food was poisoned? The vige actually worked together with the bandits?''

    Sera''s expression turned dark as she couldn''t help but remember that Nathan didn''t want to go back the moment she thought about the potential of the vige getting attacked by the bandits.

    ''Don''t tell me. He had already seen through their facade? Was that the reason he didn''te back immediately? He just returned because he was worried about me?'' Sera bit her lips. ''Did I misunderstand him the whole time? But if I wasn''t wrong, he was also poisoned¡­ Was it outside his expectation or did I misunderstand him again?''

    Before she could get her answer, she saw a shadow from the opposite wall outside her cell as a man appeared two secondster.

    "It seems you have woken up. To think that we would be able to catch the corrupted saintess of the Holy Kingdom... This is rather amusing." The man was wearing ragged clothes and his grin showed his yellow teeth as if he hadn''t taken a bath for thest few months.

    "Who are you?!" Sera''s face turned pale. She hurriedly channeled her Ena to summon the two familiars, but her eyes widened right after. ''I can''t circte my Ena?''

    "Don''t bother summoning your familiar. Those chains are made specifically to seal your Ena. You won''t be able to escape from here." The guy grinned.

    "Cold Iron?" Sera gasped before thinking, ''How can the bandits even have this kind of stuff?''

    The guy approached Sera while stating, "I wonder how much money will the church give to save you?"

    Sera bit her lips. There were two things in her mind. The first one would be her fate. The second one was Nathan.

    If she had trusted him just a bit more, or if she didn''t involve him in all this, he would have probably reached his destination.

    Even though he had saved her, because of her recklessness, they ended up in the same predicament.

    That was why Sera couldn''t help but ask, "Where is he?"

    The guy grinned. "You don''t need to know. That guy will definitely fetch a lot of money too, considering he is a summoner from the Frexia Academy. The fact he is traveling with the infamous saintess means he has a high status. The person behind him will definitely pay a lot of money to save him."

    "Where is he?!" Sera raised her voice.

    "You bitch. If you dare to shout one more time, I''ll definitely chop his legs or arms."

    Sera''s body trembled. She couldn''t really do anything in this situation.

    "Do you think you will get away by doing this? You won''t get the money." Sera bit her lips.

    "It''s not your problem. We have our own way. The people behind you will definitely pay for it."

    "You are going to regret this. Do you know what kind of person you have just kidnapped? You will only get chased down by the number one academy, and every single bandit will die, including you," Sera threatened him back.

    "Even if we release him, we still have you. You are the infamous saintess, who is known to have both the angel and the fallen angel. You are definitely worth a lot more than that student, don''t you think?"

    "I don''t know about that." Sera smirked.

    "Huh? You have been the face of the church before you summoned a fallen angel."

    "Heh. You are wrong about one thing. The church won''t even spare any money for a corrupted saintess like me. So you can only dream if you think you can exchange me with money."

    "Do you think you are the only person I have handled like that?" The guy came even closer and lowered his body so that he could look at Sera from the same level. "If we can''t get any money from you, we can always sell you. With that kind of body, we will be able to get a lot of money."

    Sera turned aghast. She started to struggle, trying to break free the shackles. If she still had her Ena, she wouldn''t have been in this kind of situation.

    "That''s exactly the reason. I have been abandoned by the church, and you won''t get anything other than death if you touch that student. Release me now." Sera made a cheeky smile.

    "We''ll see. I doubt the church will abandon you¡­ or if you insist, I can taste you first." The guy grinned.

    "You¡­" Sera looked at the guy with a shocked face.

    "What? You are scared now? I''m not going to stop. Look at this body and outfit. Why would a nun wear such sexy clothes?" The guy smirked as he stretched his hands.

    "She is not talking to you. Don''t tter yourself." Nathan''s voice echoed from behind.

    "!!!" The guy turned around in shock, trying to see who was behind him. "You are¡ª!"

    Before he could finish his words, Nathan grabbed his head and snapped his neck.

    As the guy fell, Nathan looked at Sera. Without hesitation, he grabbed the chain and pulled it out of the wall.

    He smirked. "What do we have here? Have you finallye to your senses?"

    Sera was dumbfounded for a minute before asking, "How?"

 Chapter 136: Reasons

    The previous day.

    "Fenrir, Anubis, Nidhogg. I need you to sign these contracts."

    Nathan presented them with the same contract.

    ''For 10 Ena, Fenrir will lend the strength enhancement ability for 30 minutes to Nathan. This contract will only be active the moment Nathan wakes up.''

    "This is¡­" Fenrir looked surprised. "The contract looks weird. What does it mean that it will only be active once you wake up?"

    "Literally." Nathan smiled. "After upgrading my contract, I havee to realize that the way I word my contract matters a lot. In fact, this is inspired by that one instance when the three of us signed the contract at the same time.

    "I can''t help but think, ''Is there a way for me to make the contract active at the same time even if we don''t sign it simultaneously?'' I''m worried that I might end up messing with the timing. It will be troublesome if a familiar is stopping one of you, right? Or maybe you are at a distance or something else, which ultimately stops you from signing the contract.

    "And the solution is this. I want to see whether this is possible or not. If we add the condition of the activation, I might even be able to make a contract a few days prior and activate it all of a sudden."

    Fenrir and the others were stunned. They never considered this possibility.

    "It seems you are utilizing your Soul Contract in a unique way." Anubis nodded, approving his method. He even signed it immediately.

    "Hehe. I''m just thinking about how I can use the Soul Contract to its full potential or even surpass that limit. I mean, this ability is unique, so how do I use it in a way that I''m the only one who can use it like that? Whenever I read novels, I always hate whenever they write stories about them not utilizing their unique power like systems or other abilities." Nathan chuckled.

    Fenrir smiled. This was why he considered Nathan a perfect summoner. If he encountered a problem or found inspiration, that experience would improve the way he handled his power.

    Fenrir immediately signed the contract.

    Nidhogg was able to see the brilliance of his contractor for the first time. And he was satisfied. It wasn''t a wrong decision to respond to his call because this would definitely be an exciting journey.

    After those three signed the contracts, Fenrir couldn''t help but ask, "Still, why do you prepare a contract like this? What do you mean by waking up? How do you know you will need it when you wake up?"

    And Sera was also asking the same question.

    His response remained the same. With a smile on his face, he simply stated, "Because I made them move exactly like I wanted."

    "!!!" Sera dropped her jaws. "You know everything? You know those vigers are bandits?"

    "Not all vigers, but they are indeed rted to bandits." Nathan raised four fingers. "There are four big reasons. I found it suspicious that their stronghold was rather empty when you literally got attacked not long ago."

    Sera took another look at what happened and he was right. Why did she not realize this?

    "The second one was the oasis. It was weird for the bandit stronghold to operate without water. Everyone needs water to continue living."

    "Was that the reason you asked whether there was any oasis nearby?"

    "Exactly. They only had one water source, the oasis. I didn''t see any wells when we sneaked in." Nathan smirked. "The third reason was the number of buildings. The vige looked big with a lot of buildings, but when I strolled around the vige once again, the number of people was simply too low.

    That is why they must have additional people living there and there''s only one ce that can supply that number."

    "The stronghold!" She gasped.

    "Exactly. In other words, the bandits and the vigers should know each other. In fact, some of them might already be a part of the bandit group. I don''t know how many people know this¡­ well, all of them might already be a part of the bandit. They lure the travelers and extort them."

    She looked down. "But what about the fourth reason? Why did you say you made them move ording to your will?"

    Nathan grinned. "If they are indeed the bandits, then it makes things simple. It''ll be hard to separate them, so I have to throw bait."

    "Bait? The building!" She trembled.

    "Exactly. To capture us, they only have two options: encircling us or poisoning us. You have escaped from them once, so it''s clear that it won''t be easy to catch both of us when we are together. They have to be careful, so how do you make them move? That''s easy. Throw the bait and make them lower their guard.

    After all, there is nothing easier to defeat than overconfidence pricks." Nathan grinned.

    She realized they looked so confident the moment they built that house. She thought they would definitely seed.

    The bandits must have thought the same and chose to poison them.

    In other words, by building that house, Nathan had sealed their second option. It wasn''t wrong for him to say he made them move ording to his will.

    The only concern she had left was none other than herself. Nathan had been doing everything this whole time. Why did he not tell her about it? She could cooperate with him.

    The answer was something she could easily find herself. It was because of her character. There was no way she would follow Nathan''s instructions, especially since they had just met each other.

    He considered both her personality and her ideology and used it to his advantage. Instead of telling her it was wrong or just amodating her like the people from the Holy Kingdom, hepletely owned her.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I must have made it hard for you."

    "People have weaknesses and make mistakes. I''m no different. However, people will change and they will definitely work hard to solve their weaknesses and avoid future mistakes. Rather than ming someone, it''s better to use it to my advantage. That''s my motto." Nathan smiled while extending his hand to help her up.

    This was the first time she saw a person like Nathan. The people in church would always force her to change, the nobles were amodating her, which ended up judging her, and the people were having expectations from her.

    She did her best to change, tried to avoid making mistakes, and fulfilled their expectations. But sometimes, she was just tired. The atmosphere in the Holy Kingdom was suffocating.

    Nathan was different. He epted her as she was. Any human would definitely try to improve so that they could always be a better person the next day. He knew it and just epted the current her. Even her weaknesses and mistakes were useful to him.

    Her heart was beating rapidly for some reason. The person before her not only acknowledged her sess but also all the efforts she had put into it.

    Still, this was not the reason for enabling her. This excitement just made her want to put in more effort to be a better person.

    Compared to her, he was more fitting to be the saint.

    Sera didn''t even realize that her face reddened as she took his hand.

 Chapter 137: Nathans Suggestion

    Before leaving, Nathan summoned Nidhogg, the ace he had hidden this far. He showed the chain, asking, "Can you destroy this? Maybe with your fire or something. But make it in a way that won''t hurt my hand."

    Nidhogg nodded and bit the shackle, controlling his fire at the back of his stomach so that he only melted the path between his jaws.

    The shackle reddened for a second and looked like the heat was transferred to the entire shackle, but Nidhogg immediately broke it with his jaws and threw it away.

    He then proceeded with the rest of the shackles.

    On the other hand, Sera waspletely stunned by Nidhogg''s appearance. A wolf and a jackal were indeed surprising for a summoner, but a dragon? It was basically the pinnacle of beasts.

    By the time she got over her shock, all the shackles had been crushed by Nidhogg. Nathan pointed at her, saying, "Free her too."

    Nidhogg red at Sera, who snapped back from her shock and immediately extended her arms.

    Nathan asked, "By the way, you said you need the holy relic to summon your third familiar, right? Do you need anything else? Can you summon your third familiar the moment we get the holy relic?"

    "Ah!" Sera thought for a moment. "I might need another item."

    "If you don''t mind, can you share what kind of familiar you n to summon? From the looks of it, you don''t seem to have problems with Ena for your third familiar."

    "Yes. I have enough Ena right now. As for the item, I''m not entirely sure because I haven''t thought about what kind of familiar I''m going to summon. However, I have made a promise that I will summon a holy being. It might be an angel or something else."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. ''Since she has no problem, does that mean for this trial I can just make her summon the third familiar to solve this issue? The enemy boss has five familiars.

    ''That means Anubis, Fenrir, Nidhogg, the angel, and the fallen angel will take care of them. But that only leaves the summoner for me to handle, considering she doesn''t seem to have any martial prowess. That leaves me at a disadvantage.

    ''On the other hand, if I can make her summon the third familiar, especially abat familiar, Anubis can be our support.

    ''It seems that the trial really wants me to let her summon the third trial. The question is how I''m going to convince her.

    ''A holy being, huh? Is there any famous holy being I can summon? Angel, Deva¡­''

    Nathan looked up, trying to figure out how he could persuade Sera. His eyes ended up meeting with Nidhogg, who had just crushed thest shackle.

    In that instant, he got an idea.

    Nathan turned to Sera with a serious expression. "I know this is an absurd request, but is it possible for me to convince you to summon your third familiar? I can provide the materials, and I won''t make you summon anything but a holy being. In fact, if you don''t mind, I can give you a bit more exnation regarding this familiar. I can guarantee this with my name."

    Sera was taken aback. She was quite displeased because the third familiar was her choice. At the same time, he had helped her. She wasn''t unreasonable enough to dismiss his opinion without listening to it. Nathan even mentioned a holy being. He should have some credibility, considering he was a unique summoner.

    "I suppose I don''t mind hearing what you have to say first." Sera nodded.

    "The familiar I have in mind can be considered a servant of gods as well. They are selected warriors who have died bravery in battle and escort their souls to Valha.

    "Their appearances are often depicted as beautiful women in armor, with helmets and shields, symbolizing their martial prowess. Despite their beauty, they are also fearsome, with an unwavering focus on battle. They are simr to angels, having a pair of white wings on their back, but unlike them, they are warriors.

    "They can act as intermediaries between gods and humans, guide the souls of the dead, and protect the people from the forces of evil."

    Sera looked quite shocked by this depiction. She had heard about angels being powerful, but this was the first time she heard a warrior being an angelic being.

    "An angelic warrior?" Sera crossed her arms.

    "Yes." Nathan nodded as he couldn''t help but think, ''Now that I think about it, what kind of religion does this world have? I mean, does the church consider other angelic beings as heresy?''

    Sera closed her eyes for a moment before muttering, "I have fallen. My path can be a trial or a blessing in disguise. A path that no one has walked so far¡­"

    Nathan tilted his head in confusion. He didn''t understand what she was talking about, considering she was just an illusion made for this trial. In his mind, as long as he could see the familiar, he was satisfied. It was going to disappear after the trial was over anyway.

    Sera smiled wryly. "If you are suggesting this to anyone else, they might think of you as a heretic. Then again, the Holy Kingdom won''t take any actions, especially since they are aware of beings summoned from other worlds."

    "Does that mean¡­" Nathan''s expression brightened.

    "Yes. I can do that. From your exnation, I can expect a fierce warrior, right?"

    "Of course. I think this is suitable for your current team, since it''s clearlycking a vanguard." Nathan nodded.

    "Alright. I''ll agree with your suggestion."

    "Great. We''ll head to the holy relic and summon your third familiar. During the preparation, I''ll take out the vice leader. After that, we''ll attack their leader and defeat the bandit."

    "Oi. When are we going to attack? I have scouted the area around. We canunch a sneak attack now. But I haven''t seen your items anywhere. We might need to search for thoseter." Fenrir''s voice suddenly echoed, returning after the task Nathan gave him.

    Nathan smiled. "Youe at the perfect time. Give me some of your blood, Fenrir. We need it to summon a holy being for her. As for my items, it can wait."

    "Huh? Holy being? What kind of holy being are you nning to summon?" Fenrir asked.

    Nathan''s smile widened. "Valkyrie!"

 Chapter 138: A Crystal

    "Valkyrie?" Fenrir was taken aback. There was only one thing on Fenrir''s mind. ''You are going to summon a Valkyrie by using my blood as the medium, even though you know that I have eaten the god they served? No, wait. Is that the reason why he wants my blood?''

    As soon as he realized what was going on, he said, "Sure. But we have to take care of the problem up there first."

    "What''s the situation up there?"

    "We can exit the building just fine. They seem to have separated their forces. The vice leader is hiding somewhere in the vige. The security is a bit tight, so I can''t really go out there to pinpoint his location.

    "On the other hand, their leader has led their troops out. I don''t know where they are going, but it''s probably the vige, like getting water or something. Either way, if we make our move now, we can defeat them."

    Nathan nodded. He recalled Nidhogg first, since his body was too big to move in this underground prison. After that, Nathan asked Sera. "Can you summon your angel and fallen angel to distract the rest of the bandits? I''ll be leaving Anubis with you while the other two will go with me to take down the vice leader."

    "Will you be fine?"

    "Yes. But it means you have to prepare the summoning circle by yourself."

    "I can do it." Sera nodded with a serious expression.

    "Alright. Let''s go." With Nathan leading the group, they immediately headed to the stairs.

    Sera couldn''t help but look at other cells before noticing something amiss. Despite all the threats that the bandits had thrown at her, she actually noticed theck of blood in this ce.

    They definitely wouldn''t really clean up the underground prison that much, so there was bound to be blood on the floor or wall.

    The fact she didn''t see any blood meant two things. The bandits might have just been formed, or these bandits were just throwing empty threats to make them give in.

    The former was unlikely because the bandits had a huge size, and their leader was a strong summoner with five familiars.

    Hence, she realized the bandits must have been bluffing this whole time. If she gave in, they would definitely get the money without dirtying their hands.

    It was probably the reason Nathan deceived them. He knew everything would be fine.

    Before she could think any further about what she was going to do with the bandits, they had reached the stairs. As soon as they reached the ground floor, which turned out to be empty, she summoned her familiars.

    "Distract the bandits by flying into the air. You can take them down if they are going to distract him. But unless it''s necessary, don''t harm or kill them," Sera gave the instruction.

    "Understood." Both of them nodded. Even though they would argue most of the time, a survival battle was more important, especially when Nathan summoned the three divine beasts. If they actually messed up and became their burden, they couldn''t uphold their image anymore.

    "What is the holy relic?" Nathan asked.

    Sera looked around as she sensed the holy relic and found a small shelf for spears and swords.

    She grabbed one of the spears and showed it to him. "This is the holy relic."

    "Huh? An ordinary-looking spear?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched.

    Sera didn''t bother to exin it to him. She simply showed it to the fallen angel and said, "Cut it here."

    The fallen angel raised her palm as a spear made of fire-like ck energy formed. She then cut the spear ording to Sera''s instruction. And it was then a small golden crystal fell off the spear.

    "Huh?" Nathan was amused. The crystal was emitting a golden light. It was faint, but it was clearly something out of the ordinary. To think that they would hide a holy relic inside an ordinary-looking spear. And for some reason, it was in the hands of the bandits.

    He didn''t know what kind of mess-up setting the Fairy Queen had to make this trial.

    Nevertheless, he actually figured out which Valkyrie she might be able to summon. "Use that spear as your sacrificial item as well."

    Sera didn''t understand why, but it was clear Nathan knew what he was doing. So she just gathered all of them next to each other.

    After that, Fenrir let his blood drop on the spear and the crystal.

    "That should be enough." Fenrir turned around. "Let''s go!"

    The angel and the fallen angel nodded to Sera beforeing out first. They immediately took off to the sky, which rmed the bandits.

    "Enemies!"

    "There is an angel and a fallen angel in the sky!"

    "What? Does the saintess manage to escape?"

    "Hurry up and check!"

    "How can she escape from the cold iron shackles?"

    The bandits were panicking. There were at least half of them in the stronghold, so both the angel and the fallen angel had to work hard to take care of them, especially since Sera didn''t want to kill them unless necessary.

    One soldier came to a building near the main building. "Vice leader! It''s not good. The saintess has escaped. We need your help to fight against those familiars!"

    "!!!" The vice leader''s expression turned grim. He shoved away the women serving him on his side and said, "Hurry up and call the leader back. I''ll buy you some time. We can''t let her escape."

    "Yes, sir!"

    The atmosphere inside the stronghold couldn''t be any more different from in the main building.

    Nathan looked excited for one reason. It was the fact that she would use the spear to summon the Valkyrie.

    ''There is only one Valkyrie in my mind right now. I don''t know if she has enough Ena to summon her, but I hope she does¡­ or at least, have this trial give her more Ena please. I want her to summon Brunhilde. The Valkyrie who is known for her beauty. Hehehe.'' A small chuckle leaked out of Nathan''s mouth.

    Fenrir could only look at him with a judging gaze, thinking, ''He must be thinking something lewd again.''

 Chapter 139: Return

    Nathan immediately came out of the building and summoned Nidhogg, saying, "Conserve your stamina for the main dish. We''ll kill the vice leader as quickly as possible."

    Both Fenrir and Nidhogg nodded their heads. Wasting no more time, Nidhogg took off to the sky and rmed the people.

    "What is that?"

    "Something flying in the sky!"

    "A lizard flying in the sky? Is that the legendary dragon?!"

    The people were panicking while Nidhogg was simply scouting the area from the air and pointed at a certain building, indicating the enemy''s summoner.

    In that instant, Nathan and Fenrir rushed to the location while Nidhogg dove from the sky.

    "What?!" The vice leader was stunned. The two familiars beside him were a tiefling and a desert elf.

    ''A tiefling has a connection to fire or heat.'' Nathan frowned, staring at this human with a demon horn and a long tail. After that, he scanned the elf, who seemed to have tanned skin and daggers. She covered her body with a coat and her face with a hood like that of an assassin. ''An elf variant, huh? Fighting her makes it look like she is an assassin from Persia.''

    Still, there was no pity that could be given to the enemy. Without hesitation, Nathan waved down his hand. "Fenrir. You get the tiefling while Nidhogg gets the elf."

    Fenrir leaped toward the tiefling, whose hands turning red as zing fire escaped from the pores on his palms. He shot the red-colored me toward Fenrir.

    "Waaf!" Fenrir barked, dispersing the mepletely. He used his long tail to p Fenrir away, but Fenrir did the same, stopping the tail.

    The tiefling hurriedly used the ws-like hands to grab Fenrir, but thetter simply overpowered him with his paws before biting his arm and ripping it apart.

    "Aaarrrgghh!" The tiefling was screaming as Fenrir pped him away.

    The desert elf had it much worse.

    Nidhogg directly dove toward her. She managed to block him with her daggers before falling to her knees, avoiding him.

    However, Nidhogg used his tail and grabbed her waist, tossing her to a building as he flew through a building and crushed anything in its path.

    "Kh!" The elf managed to get up, but Nidhogg was already in front of her, letting out a fire breath.

    Looking at how his familiars get overpowered by Nathan''s familiar made the vice leader panic. He never thought that the enemies would be this strong. If it was the angel or the fallen angel, he could buy more time.

    On the other hand, Nathan realized how urate the information was. The opponent was weaker than the terrorists, considering he was a failure of a student.

    "Go away!" The summoner sted Nathan with his Ena, but thetter simply took it head-on with his barrier.

    The summoner waved his curved de to cut down the barrier, but Nathan simply let him cut it as he kicked the enemy in the gut.

    Right after, he fired his gun in rapid session, creating several holes in his body.

    "You¡ª" The vice leader waved his sword, but it was toote. Nathan used the technique he learned from the Dragon King. The enemy was stunned because he was struck, even though Nathan''s fist was still two meters (6 feet) away. "Wha¡ª!"

    The Dragon Fist blew him to the wall. It wasn''t that big of a crash, but it was enough to hinder the enemy''s movement for two or three seconds as Nathan delivered the killing blow.

    The angel created a barrier with his light element, while the fallen angel just killed all the banditsing her way because she knew the angel wouldn''t kill even one bandit.

    However, the real problem started right after. The fallen angel noticed the iing enemies from the sky and immediatelynded next to Nathan.

    "The enemies areing back."

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. "I know this is going too well. Sera needs a bit more time, so we will have to stop them by ourselves."

    "What are we going to do?"

    "Just follow my instructions. We will buy some time first and engage them once we have a favorable situation." Nathan nodded.

    "Alright."

    Nathan immediately signaled to Nidhogg and Fenrir to follow him. He then moved toward the building on the edge, climbing to the roof.

    He crossed his arms to make a brave pose.

    "You have finallye!" Nathan grinned, looking at the leader. He noticed that the leader actually wore his coat and gloves, which made him feel displeased. Nevertheless, he would just get it back after defeating him.

    The bandits suddenly stopped the moment they saw their leader raising his right fist.

    "Come,e!" Nathan waved his hand, signaling the angel and the fallen angel toe to his location. There were still some bandits left, but it didn''t matter. Anubis could handle the rest.

    "Howe they are so fast?! Even if they are rushing from the vige at top speed, they should need more than thirty minutes." The angel frowned. Ignoring hisment, the fallen angel said, "Serafina should need another ten minutes. We have to hold them back for ten minutes."

    Fenrirnded on top of a roof next to them.

    "What? A wolf?"

    "Is he the rumored beast summoner?!" The bandits panicked.

    "Don''t back down. He is still not strong enough to go against me. If we manage to beat him once more, we''ll definitely get a lot of money from the Frexia Academy." The leader waved his hand, gantly standing at the front.

    Nathan said, "You should have surrendered the moment you realized my identity."

    "You are talking nonsense. You won''t be able to defeat me." When he raised his fist into the air, five figures appeared next to him.

    The first one was a gnoll. It had light brown fur, which seemed to be simr to the color of the sand. It had a left iron arm and its right hand was holding a stick with a spiked metal ball attached to it.

    The second one was actually a rat-person. It had a long mouse tail and a pair of sword shorts on his hands.

    The problem started with the third one, a desert elf. Her weapons were daggers, which seemed like she was an expert in closebat or even assassination.

    Nathan''s gaze soon shifted to the fourth familiar, an orc. Unlike the orc he had seen in the academy that had a body simr to a pig, this one had a muscr body. He was holding a long, curved de and wore pauldrons and gauntlets. An extraordinary amount of Ena was leaking out of his body. His bloodshot eyes were staring at Fenrir, who shared the same sentiment.

    Still, the biggest problem was actually the fifth familiar.

    It was a giant. Nathan couldn''t help but raise his head, looking at the giant that was ten meters (32 feet) tall. It was holding a huge iron club that looked like he could easily destroy a couple of buildings with just a single swing.

    The leaderughed. "Hahahaha. I already told you I''m going to beat you. You better be ready to fork out money if you treasure your life."

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. "And pping your face will be satisfying! Nidhogg!"

    Suddenly, a dragon took off to the sky, covering the sun with his body. It gathered his Ena in his throat before releasing a purple fire breath.

 Chapter 140: Nathans Plan

    Nidhogg flew into the sky, releasing a purple-colored breath.

    The giant swung his club. Its size and speed generated a wind pressure that actually repelled the breath to the side.

    However, Nidhogg was known as the dragon that brought chaos and destruction. His fire was not the normal fire as the giant expected.

    The me red up in all directions.

    "!!!" The enemies were startled. The first one to react was the orc. With a wave of his sword, it produced a gale that swept the fire forward, causing the me unable to reach them.

    The bandit leader shouted, "Take care of that dragon! It won''t be able to fly too high due to his summoning range."

    The giant immediately stretched his hand, trying to catch Nidhogg. However, Nidhogg flew away, using his air superiority to gain the upper hand.

    Meanwhile, the angel and the fallen angel asked, "What should we do? Which one should we fight?"

    As if not giving Nathan to think, the bandit leader waved his hand down. "Attack him!"

    "We''ll be fighting inside the stronghold. Although it''s not big, it should be enough tost for several minutes." Nathan took another nce, looking at the speed of those familiars. "Mr. Angel can take care of the gnoll. Miss Fallen Angel can fight against the desert elf.

    "Fenrir. Take care of the orc, will you? He must be a warrior." Nathan yfully winked while jumping off the building.

    "Got it." Fenrir nodded. "But are you going to be fine? You will fight against that bandit leader and that rat-person."

    "Hehe. Whether it''s in the past or present, there is one most effective tactic in the book. Guerri Warfare." Nathan smirked. "If I wanted, I could ask you guys to kill those remaining bandits. But I didn''t. I''ll show you why I spare them."

    As soon as they reached an agreement, all four of them turned around, finding them surrounded by the bandits. Since the familiars took the lead, Nathan immediately rushed to the bandits on their back.

    "They''reing!"

    The bandits raised their weapons, butpared to the summoners, whose physical abilities had been strengthened by Ena, they were nothing to be afraid of.

    Nathan made a gun sign with both hands and shot them.

    "Arrgghhh!" Several bandits couldn''t even stop those bullets as they fell down to the ground. One person even got hit on the chest and died immediately.

    "Monster!"

    "No. Attack him!"

    The bandits had split opinions, but because Nathan was rushing toward them, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and just swing their weapons.

    As if he had expected this, Nathan suddenly leaped toward the building on his left and entered it through the window.

    "Chase after him!"

    "Don''t let him use his power!"

    While they were in the middle of the confusion, the bandits from outside entered the stronghold. Only the giant was left outside because of his size.

    Seeing the banditse into a building, they were certain that their target was hiding in that building. The four familiars leaped forth, but all of a sudden, swords made of golden light rained them upon the gnoll.

    "!!!" The gnoll raised his head and saw the angel on top of the building. He was raising his golden-colored Ena as if preparing another batch of swords.

    The desert elf squinted her eyes before looping around the back to ambush the angel, but she abruptly raised both daggers and blocked a ck spear from the side. When she turned her head, she saw the fallen angel kicking her in the waist and blowing her away.

    The orc and the rat-person were charging together with their summoner and the rest of the bandits.

    From a small gap, Fenrir emerged and pounced on the orc. Thetter blocked his teeth with his swords, but Fenrir managed to smack the orc away, separating him from the rest of the group.

    When he saw this situation, the bandit leader realized they were trying to separate him from the familiars. However, he still had one more familiar with him, and he didn''t think he would lose to Nathan in one-on-one.

    The leader shouted, "Never mind. All three of you are to stop those familiars. As long as we can defeat the summoner, this battle will end!"

    "Oh!" the bandits roared as they stormed in.

    All of a sudden, the rat-person stepped forth with his tail in front, blocking several bulletsing from above.

    "!!!" The bandit leader raised his head, finding Nathan standing on top of the building.

    "You weakling. Even if you bring a thousand people, it won''t be enough to kill me." Nathan grinned.

    The bandit leader gnashed his teeth, but before he could even use his Ena to jump to the roof, Nathan utilized his most famous technique. Yes, he ran away.

    He leaped to the building behind him and hid inside it.

    "What are you doing? He is in that building!" The bandit leader was shocked but soon regained hisposure. Hemanded his subordinates out loud.

    The bandits were changing the building, but this time, Nathan had prepared a huge surprise for him. When they were about toe in, several bullets pierced through the windows and hit several bandits.

    "Gah!"

    "Not good!"

    The bandits panickedly opened the door to chase after him, but Nathan simply grabbed a wooden table from that building and tossed it toward the door.

    It crashed into two bandits and blocked the path for a moment.

    After that, he returned to the second floor, leaped over them, andnded on the road, startling everyone.

    "He is over there!"

    The bandits turned around and saw Nathan going to a gap between the two buildings. They followed him, but found no one inside. However, they saw a broken window in the right building, so they figured out his current location.

    To their surprise, the left building''s wall suddenly crumbled, the biggest piece actually hitting the bandits between the two buildings.

    Then Nathan took that opportunity to jump into the other building through the broken window. Because of what happened earlier, the bandits didn''t know whether to enter through the door or the window, fully aware Nathan would be ready with an attack.

    That was why Nathan casually opened the door and formed an explosive bullet, letting it burst right outside the building.

    Bam!

    Several bandits were sted away as Nathan grinned at them before closing the door and disappearing once more.

 Chapter 141: Help

    "What is going on?" The bandit leader kept chasing, but because of the rest of the bandits, he couldn''t really break through their position and had to wait behind.

    Nathan was toying with the rest of the bandits. He even used all kinds of furniture or items inside the building as a weapon so that he could conserve his Ena.

    Seeing how they were unable to gain any upper hand despite their number, the bandit leader immediatelymanded the rat-person. "Chase after him. Use the roof to catch up!"

    The rat-person nodded.

    Little did he know, Nathan had predicted this would happen. The moment he reached the rooftop and saw the rat-person leaping from one building to another, he immediately jumped off the building and entered it through the window.

    The rat-person caught up to him. All he needed to do was enter through the same gap, but that was when Nathan punched the wall with his Dragon Fist, sting the wall.

    The rubble hit the rat-person. Several big bricks hit his body, as the biggest one created a wound on his forehead.

    The rat-person gnashed his teeth, but Nathan had already run to a different building.

    The bandits saw him and chased after him.

    But before they could reach that building, several Ena bullets suddenly emerged from the small alley next to that building and killed a few more bandits.

    "He is there?!" The bandits thought they saw Nathan inside the building, so those bullets must mean Nathan must havee out through the window and hid in that alley.

    To their surprise, they found nothing other than small holes in the wall.

    "What?"

    "Where is he?"

    The bandits were confused, but all of a sudden, more bullets rained them down.

    "Aaaggh!"

    "Bullets from above?"

    "He must be on the roof!"

    The bandits were chasing after him, but they found nothing on the roof. What they didn''t realize was that Nathan was not in that building anymore. He was at the back of the building.

    The first wave of Ena bullets were the curving bullets he learned from Selena. He curved it horizontally so that the bullets would pierce through the wall and hit them from the alley.

    After that, he came out of the house and curved his bullets vertically so that it looked like he was on top of the building.

    The reality was that he just wanted to bait them into the rooftop of this building.

    Once a lot of bandits entered, Nathan punched the wall with the Dragon Fist, destroying two walls so that the building would copse.

    "Woah!"

    "NO!"

    "Help me!"

    The bandits panicked as they fell together with the building, getting buried underneath the bricks.

    Fenrir couldn''t help but take a nce at Nathan, realizing what he meant by guerri warfare. That kind of tactic was definitely devious. He actually used the bandits to create confusion and gradually kill them one by one.

    If this was inside the city with a lot of people, Nathan would have been practically invincible because he could mingle with normal citizens.

    Unfortunately, his advantage disappeared the moment the number had decreased.

    The rat-person could finally catch up to him from the top of the rubble.

    Nathan wanted to hide in the building behind him, but it was toote. The rat-person reached him with his ws, forcing Nathan to use his Ena shield to block it.

    As if expecting this kind of shield from Nathan, the rat-person immediately followed with a sweep from his tail,unching Nathan back to the road so that he couldn''t take advantage of the building to confuse them anymore.

    "Kh." Nathan rolled a few times on the ground and saw the bandits ready to kill him. However, the bandit leader jumped over those bandits and smashed his giant war axe.

    "Yikes." Nathan rolled a few more times, avoiding the axe. The smash contained so much force that it cracked the ground around the impact area.

    The other bandits looped around while the rat-person came from the other side, surrounding Nathan from three sides.

    Nathan immediately stood up and formed an explosive bullet, sting the bandits on the left side.

    Bam!

    The bandits were screaming as they flew into the air. The bandit leader and the rat-person took advantage of this and closed the distance between them.

    Nathan had no choice but to focus on that big axe. He threw the Dragon Fist at the bandit leader, causing the bandit leader to switch his stance. The Dragon Fist pushed him back, but this meant nothing could stop the rat-person.

    If he still had his coat, he could use it to block his attack, but the bandit leader was wearing his coat, so Nathan had no other choice but to receive this w attack.

    Nathan tossed his body to the side, getting away as much as possible. Sadly, the ws still reached him, grazing his arm and slightly hitting his side.

    This was enough for the rat-person because Nathan had fallen to the ground because of his choice. He could simply deliver a killing blow this time.

    When the rat-person was about to reach Nathan, the bandit leader suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"

    The rat-person widened his eyes, halting his steps abruptly. It allowed him to react to a spear that almost pierced his neck from the side.

    When he turned around, he saw a beautiful woman wearing a breastte and a pair of pauldrons. She had silver hair and an otherworldly beauty, yet the most noticeable thing about her was the pair of white wings on her back.

    She thrust her spear at the rat-person. Thetter used his ws to deflect it to the side. The spear was supposed to miss him, but surprisingly, Ena burst from her spear, destroying his ear.

    "!!!" The rat-person widened his eyes in shock and immediately leaped back.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile as he saw Anubis and Serafina behind her, catching up. Anubis hurriedly activated his healing power.

    "It seems you have summoned the Valkyrie." Nathan grinned as this was the time for the counterattack.

 Chapter 142: Fighting the Bandit Leader (Bonus)

    A moment ago.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Serafina Dinta, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    She immediately started the summoning ritual the moment she finished drawing the circle. They didn''t have a lot of time after hearing a lot of noises outside.

    The items merged and formed a humanoid. The moment Anubis saw a pair of wings on the back, he confirmed that the summoning went ording to Nathan''s n.

    Once the light disappeared, a silver-haired beauty emerged. She was wearing a white-colored war gown that was covered with a breastte. The skirt was right above the knees, but it was paired with long boots that reached above her knees.

    She scanned Sera before lowering her head. "Brunhild will now be fighting alongside you."

    Sera was stunned. This was the first time she saw a servant of another god. From her appearance alone, she knew Brunhild was simr to the angel she had.

    Despite her beauty, there was a fierce auraing from her body.

    "I am Serafina Dinta. Thank you for responding to my call!"

    Before the two continued, Anubis immediately shouted, "Stop with the pleasantries! We are in a perilous situation right now! If you are done, I''m going to save my summoner! Knowing his personality, he must be the one handling all the bandits and the leader by himself, even though he is the weakest among us!"

    Seeing Anubis leave, Sera turned to Brunhild with a solemn expression. "I''m sorry, but may I ask you to fight against the bandits? We can discuss the rest after the battle."

    "Understood." Brunhild nodded. As soon as she came out of the building, Brunhild flew into the sky, using her fastest speed to reach Nathan.

    It was fortunate that she was fast enough to stop the rat-person, but she ended up missing her target.

    With her, they had four people to defeat the bandit leader, the rat-person, and the rest of the bandits. In addition, Sera wasn''t abatant, which made it harder.

    A smile appeared on Nathan''s face as he said, "Anubis. Take care of those bandits for me. And Miss Valkyrie, can you take care of that rat-person? I''ll be fighting against the summoner."

    "!!!" Both Anubis and Brunhild looked like they didn''t allow him. Anubis thought the bandit leader was stronger than Nathan, while Brunhild believed that the bandit leader was the most evil in this ce and she had to defeat him.

    However, Nathan added, "I want to fight against someone stronger than me. And also, match my movement."

    Nathan didn''t give them a chance to respond. He simply charged forward.

    The rat-person wanted to stop him, but Brunhild had no choice but to stop the rat-person. She stopped the ws with her spear.

    Anubis spread his bandages to capture the bandits after healing Nathan.

    "You are too arrogant!" The bandit leader smashed the ground with his axe, releasing a tremendous Ena on the ground.

    Nathan activated his barrier, but to his surprise, the Ena was so tough and violent that the residual energy alone was enough to crack it.

    "!!!" Nathan changed his tactic and shot the bandit leader from a distance.

    The bandit leader blocked the bullets from the front with his axe while using Nathan''s coat to block the bullets that curved from the right.

    "Tsk." Nathan looked annoyed when the bandit leader used his own equipment against him.

    The bandit leader charged at Nathan like a bull, determined to kill him.

    Nathan spread his arms and used the Deadly w to attack the bandit leader. There was no other choice but to fight the bandit leader with the building.

    The leader blocked one Deadly w with his axe and the other with the coat. After that, he rushed forward, not letting Nathan take advantage of the building anymore.

    Nathan formed an explosive bullet on his back. The moment it was about to blow up, he spun his body and jumped to the side.

    "!!!" The leader widened his eyes in shock, taking the full brunt of that explosion. "Uoaaahhh!"

    The leader roared as if trying to show his opponents he was fine. The leader closed the distance between them in a single leap and swung his axe horizontally.

    Nathan threw himself to the ground and kicked the leader in the stomach.

    The leader withstood that kick and chopped Nathan from above.

    Nathan rolled on the ground and hurriedly stood up.

    The bandit waved his axe from the side, forcing Nathan to throw himself back to the ground to avoid it.

    Nathan fired his gun in rapid session. The enemy used the giant body of the axe to block it and rammed it against Nathan.

    The enemy pushed Nathan until his back hit a building.

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes, realizing this was an opportunity for him. As long as he could enter the building again, he would be invincible.

    Even the leader knew this fact after seeing how half of his subordinates died in his hands.

    The moment Nathan nced at the door on his left, the leader pulled back and swung his axe from above. "Die!"

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. This was nothing but a trap. He wanted the enemy to focus on his trick and didn''t realize he had made a reckless attack.

    "Got you!" Nathan skillfully avoided the axe with minimal movement, looking at the exposed left side.

    Before he could throw a punch, he felt a surge of Ena rushing to his body.

    "Huh?" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. The bandit leader didn''t know what was going on, but Nathan couldn''t stop his punch anymore. The Dragon Fistnded on the leader''s side, blowing him away.

    Nathan''s head turned to Serafina, bbergasted.

    Sera smiled, sweats covering her forehead. She panted a few times before saying, "Finally, I found your Ena. I am themand type summoner. I can lend you my Ena to boost your ability. Feel free to use it."

 Chapter 143: Having Fun on the Battle

    Nathan was bbergasted. The Dragon Fist actually used more Ena than he originally thought,unching the bandit leader much farther.

    ''Amand type? It''s the third type that is known for their ability tomand the familiars, right? I don''t know much about the details, butmanding the familiar is something I can do as well. So this type of ability must be quite special only for this path. I don''t understand the principle right now, but it doesn''t matter. With this Ena, I might be able to take down the bandit leader.''

    Nathan could simply learn themand type summoner from her or his teacher. Of course, it would be after he defeated the bandit leader.

    Without hesitation, Nathan pointed his finger at the enemy and fired a bullet. To his surprise, the Ena from Sera amplified the bullet''s power five times.

    It flew straight to the bandit leader. Thetter managed to block it with his axe, but the power pushed him back.

    ''What is this power? How could it be so strong? A bit of the power ising into my body, but the rest is actually hovering around me. Is the power that enters my body actually acting as a bridge to fuse my and her Ena?

    ''This is so sick. How much Ena does she actually have? No, wait. Is it alright for the trial to have this kind of overpowered support?''

    Nathan looked excited because this was the first time he wielded this much power. And he realized it wasn''t just about the amount of Ena. If that was the issue, the bullet he shot when he had a lot of Ena wouldn''t remain small.

    In other words, his small bullets were because either his control wascking or his understanding of how Ena worked was not enough.

    Nevertheless, there was only one thought in his mind.

    "This is a man''s dream. Laser gun!" Nathan pointed both his hands as he shot another round.

    "Kh!" The enemy blocked it again with his giant axe, but he had to get away and somehow close the distance between them or he would lose sooner orter. He shifted his target from Nathan to Serafina because it was clear she was the one making this battle difficult.

    The leader had no other choice but to utilize Nathan''s trick against him. He jumped into a building next to him, disappearing from their sights.

    "!!!" Nathan instantly understood what he was nning to do. "Sera. Go behind me and maintain that distance."

    Sera nodded and positioned herself five meters (16 feet) behind him.

    Nathan immediately shot the buildings without caring about his Ena.

    However, the bandit leader utilized the building skillfully to avoid Nathan''sser beam.

    When he came a bit closer, Nathan pointed both palms at the building and formed the explosive bullet. As he predicted, the explosive bullet became much more powerful.

    Its explosion sted two buildings simultaneously and blew away the enemy leader.

    Of course, Nathan was no exception. He wasunched in Sera''s direction, forcing Sera to catch him.

    "Sorry!" Nathan would have been happy with such a cushion normally, but that wasn''t what he had on his mind right now. He simply pointed his gun up and fired. "Mortar Imitation!"

    The bullet flew into the air before curving back down, hitting a house that the bandit leader used to hide again.

    However, the bullet didn''t explode, causing Nathan toin. "That''s right. I haven''t mastered the explosive bullet. Tsk."

    He never regretted as much as today for having not mastered the explosive bullet. If he had mastered it, he might be able to use it as a grenade, a mortal, or whatever explosive was in his mind.

    Still, it didn''t matter that much. Nathan used the fact that the building covered the leader''s vision toe closer and punched the house with the Dragon Fist.

    As he expected, the Dragon Fist produced so much force that it literally swept away the entire building.

    "You bastard." The enemy''s leader managed to maintain his position, but it didn''t matter. Nathan had already switched to his gun again and shot the bandit.

    His opponent had seen this attack so much that he avoided it much better than the previous attempts. He then closed the gap between them and swung his axe. "Just die already!"

    "It seems I have too much fun with this." Nathan never thought it would be so much fun having this much power. He could experiment a bit more after killing the bandit leader.

    When the bandit leader came at him, Nathan formed a shield in front of him. The shield was thicker than what he used normally.

    The barrier stopped the giant axe for a second before it cracked. Nathan hurriedly jumped back as the bandit shattered the barrier and mmed the axe on the ground.

    The burst of Ena kicked up the dust, creating a smoke screen.

    Nathan didn''t know where the bandit leader was, so he used the Deadly w and swept in from both sides. He could feel that the Deadly w was actually much more robust and longer, allowing him to reach from one edge to another.

    The bandit leader smashed the Deadly w with his axe, but it simply gave away his location.

    Nathan immediately shot the bandit leader, pushing him out of the smoke screen. At the same time, he used the explosive bullet to create a powerful shock wave that dispersed the smoke screen.

    Their battle, which had been in stalemate this whole time, was soon broken by Nidhogg, showing off all that 2,500 Ena he got from Nathan.

    *Bam!*

    A dragon cry echoed across the entire stronghold as the giant suddenly fell to the ground, crushing several buildings underneath it and causing the ground to tremble violently.

    "!!!" Nathan and the bandit leader turned their heads to the side, seeing the giant''s condition.

    The club had been shattered, and the giant''s skin was covered in scorched marks.

    "What?!" The bandit leader''s face turned pale. The giant was supposed to be his strongest familiar due to that size, yet Nidhogg actually took it down in such a short amount of time.

    Nathan grinned. "I guess I really need to get serious and end this quickly."

 Chapter 144: Nathans Hidden Plan

    *Bam!*

    The giant let out a wail as his back fell to the ground. Still, Nidhogg was in the sky, so the giant hurriedly got back on his feet. He hadn''tnded even a single hit on Nidhogg this whole time, making him both embarrassed and desperate.

    Meanwhile, the same couldn''t be said to others.

    Fenrir and the orc had a simr situation. The orc''s left hand was already gone, while Fenrir''s body had been covered in injuries.

    The angel and the fallen angel were also having a hard time against their respective opponents, especially since they usually fought against their opponents with Sera''s help.

    However, the situation would soon change, as the key to that change was none other than Nathan.

    The bandit leader ran forth, testing a new strategy.

    Nathan shot him, but the bandit leader jumped to the side, skillfully avoiding it. Nathan shifted his aim and released another two bullets, forcing the bandit leader to hide behind a building.

    When Nathan was about to shoot him through the building, the bandit leader suddenly smashed the building with his axe, causing the dust to fly into the air.

    He thought this was another smoke screen, so he was prepared to st him again, but he was wrong.

    The bandit leader actually hit the rubble toward him.

    "!!!" Nathan was startled. He instinctively formed a barrier and covered his body with Ena, but he was toote.

    The barrier didn''t formrge enough to cover his upper body, resulting in the rubble hitting his stomach.

    "Gah!" Nathan felt like his organ was being smashed. He coughed some blood.

    If not for his Ena, that would have been fatal. Fortunately, Anubis paid attention and healed him right away.

    After seeing how effective it was, the bandit leader immediately hit another rubble. Fortunately, the barrier had fully formed and stopped the second rubble.

    As if he didn''t care, he kept hitting the rubbles in rapid session, taking advantage of the dust cloud to attack Nathan without showing himself.

    After regaining hisposure from that injury, Nathan immediately shot the enemy through the cloud. He didn''t know whether he missed it or not, but he just had to fire multiple times until the bandit stoppedunching those rocks.

    Nathan held his stomach like it was still painful and started moving back.

    "Are you alright?" Sera looked worried, but Nathan had waved his hand and raised his voice. "No need. I''m alright!"

    When Nathan looked like he was retreating, the bandit leader thought Anubis didn''t have a lot of Ena left. Without hesitation, he pursued Nathan and destroyed yet another building.

    Nathan formed multiple bullets this time as if he knew what he could do to counter this trick. He spread those five bullets and fired them at the same time.

    Due to the immense Ena that Sera lent, he could actually cover the entire width of the building, forcing the bandit leader to block it.

    Nathan nced at giant and Nidhogg and shouted, "Just hold on for a bit longer. Nidhogg should be able to defeat the giant within the next five minutes."

    "¡­" Anubis looked shocked because he had captured around 70% of the bandits with his bandage. All of them were isted inside a big ball made of bandages.

    Meanwhile, Brunhild was also in a good position. She had cut half of the tail and two of the rat-person''s fingers. If this continued, she should also be able to defeat her enemy within five minutes.

    Nathan didn''t care about their reaction, since he had one n in mind.

    Once the bandit leader realized the severity of his situation, he had no choice but to attack Nathan more aggressively.

    He charged forward, allowing Nathan to once again aim at him.

    Still, the bandit leader had gotten used to this attack and actually smashed it with his axe instead of blocking it.

    "What?!" Nathan jumped back as the other party closed in. Thetter took advantage of Nathan''s shock to turn this into closebat once again.

    However, this was a trap from Nathan. He had hidden his other hand behind him and formed five bullets.

    When the bandit leader was about to reach him, three bullets suddenly came out of his back, looping around Nathan from above, the left, and the right respectively.

    The bandit had no other choice but to avoid them and abandon his attack¡­ or so Nathan thought.

    The leader blocked the oneing from above with his axe and covered his body with the coat.

    It was painful, but the coat withstood those bullets.

    "This is the end for you and your petty trick!" The leader roared while enduring the pain. He stretched his hand toward Nathan''s neck.

    Still, Nathan summoned five bullets and only fired three. The other two bullets were actually looping around him from below.

    Yes, Nathan shot the two bullets to the ground. Because there was rock underground, they had no choice but to destroy the soil first before emerging. Hence, Nathan gave them the same trajectory, but released the second bullet a split second after the first one.

    As a result, the first bullet broke down the soil, and the second one finally emerged from the ground and hit his right thigh.

    "!!!" The bandit leader felt the excruciating pain as he lowered his head, finding his right leg falling to the ground. Thanks to Sera, that bullet was actually enough to rip apart his leg. However, he wasn''t nning to fall without a fight.

    With thest bit of his strength, he punched Nathan''s chest, cracking two ribs and blowing him away.

    "Kh!" Nathan bounced several times on the ground before stopping right in front of Sera.

    "Are you alright?" Sera panicked, not knowing what to do.

    Even though blood wasing out of his mouth, Nathan actually smiled.

    "Anubis. It''s time for you to shine." His wound was healed once again, but this wasn''t the only thing that shocked the leader.

    All of a sudden, the rat-person crashed into the building not far from him, with Brunhild following right after. There wasn''t a single injury on her body, which meant she either overpowered the rat-person or she had recovered.

    Yet that wasn''t the extent of Nathan''s n. His real n involved Fenrir, the angel, and the fallen angel.

    All three of them suddenly raised their heads and noticed something. There was a surge of Ena that enveloped their bodies, rapidly healing their injuries. It turned out they were within Anubis'' healing range.

    That was right. The reason Nathan told Anubis and Brunhild that he would take care of the bandit leader, as well as asking them to match his movement, was none other than positioning.

    Anubis'' healing range was quite 20 meters (65 feet). He could sense Fenrir''s location, so the only thing he needed to keep track of was the angel and the fallen angel.

    He had been sneakily moving closer and closer to their position. And finally, those three could finally fight at their peak state once again.

    This was the n that Nathan had in mind when suggesting Sera summon Brunhild.

 Chapter 145: Defeating the Boss (Bonus)

    "!!!" The desert elf widened her eyes in shock, witnessing the fallen angel''s wounds closing rapidly.

    She panicked and charged at her to stop her from recovering.

    However, the fallen angel had experienced this healing ability once. For the first time in the battle, the desert elf made a blunder.

    "No¡ª!" The desert elf realized it right after, but it was toote.

    The fallen angel hit the left dagger and knocked it away as her Ena exploded near her spear''s tip, obliterating the elf''s entire upper arm and a portion of her shoulder.

    The angel was in the same situation. The gnoll charged toward the angel, but he simply pped his hand as a golden circle appeared beneath the gnoll.

    The golden circle shone as a pir of light emerged from the circle.

    "Aaagghhhh!" The gnoll was screaming as if he were being fried.

    Still, the most important battle was none other than Fenrir against the orc.

    "You are not a warrior!" The orc roared while waving his de downwards.

    "Don''t be a sore loser when you have a number advantage at the start of the battle." Fenrir barked, dispersing the sword strike before biting the orc''s remaining arm and ripping it apart.

    With them dealing severe damage, it wouldn''t be long for all those three to finish their battle.

    That left Nidhogg and Nathan. Nidhogg was not a problem, as the giant couldn''t touch him at all. And the bandit leader had lost his right leg.

    "Kh!" The bandit leader gritted his teeth, barely bncing his own body.

    No one would have expected an attack from below. No, he should have expected this from a crafty opponent like Nathan.

    At the same time, if not for Sera, Nathan wouldn''t be able to achieve such a thing.

    Now that he had the upper hand, he took the initiative this time. The bandit leader had to carefully swing his axe, but that hesitation caused him to slow down, allowing Nathan to reach him first.

    Nathan punched the bandit leader''s side with his Dragon Fist, breaking three of his ribs.

    "Gah!" The bandit leader spat out a mouthful of blood as his body flew toward a building.

    Nathan formed all five bullets and sent them toward the bandit leader. At the same time, he heard a small groaning from behind.

    "Kh."

    "!!!" Nathan turned around. Sera was maintaining her calmness, but he noticed she was actually sweating a lot. "Did I overdo it?"

    He almost forgot that Sera was the one supplying the Ena. No matter how much Ena she had, she was supposed to be the same age as him and had just summoned her third familiar.

    "I''m sorry. My Ena is much lower than I imagined after summoning Brunhild."

    "No need to boost my ability anymore. My power alone is enough to deal with the current bandit."

    "But¡­"

    "Trust me."

    Nathan waved his hand. Although he wanted to check on her, he had to deliver a killing blow.

    Nathan rushed straight to the bandit leader, but the Ena around him remained enhanced. "Sera!"

    Sera gritted her teeth and finally retracted her power.

    Her intention was good, but if she overdid it, he might end up getting a worse evaluation in the trial, so he had to stop her.

    Besides, there was something he wanted to try, as it was only possible when he made these weak bullets.

    The bandit leader used the rubble to support his body, nning to kill Nathan in this one sh.

    Nathan''s posture suddenly changed as he pulled his fist wide, exposing his body.

    The bandit leader''s body shook. This gap was so wide that he thought Nathan was going to trick him again, so he hesitated to take it, especially after those tricky bullets from underground.

    But that was his mistake. Nathan had indeed made himself look strong and tricky in this whole fight, which finally took effect on this battle.

    Nathan threw that big punch, showing it wasn''t fake.

    "!!!" The bandit leader hurriedly swung downwards to chop his arm. He thought he could withstand that punch with his body, but that was never Nathan''s intention.

    The reason he exposed his body was so that he could summon five small bullets behind him without making it too obvious.

    After that, he threw the punch while shooting the bullets.

    The bullets actually curved around his body, using his arm to cover the bandit leader''s vision.

    As a result, those bullets hit both of the bandit''s arms.

    "Kh!" The leader widened his eyes in shock, thinking, ''Did he just use those small attacks? No. It''s because his original attacks are small that he can do something like this. If his attack was boosted by the saintess, I would have found out. Curse you. You are using your own weakness to catch me off guard!''

    The leader couldn''t put a lot of strength in his arm, so Nathan managed tond the punch and moved to the side before the banditpleted his swing.

    "Arrgghhh!" The leader roared and swung horizontally in desperation, but Nathan simply moved back.

    That desperate strike made him lose his bnce. He fell on his back and saw Nathan approaching him.

    Before he could get up, Nathan had punched him in the face. He even used the Dragon Fist to break his nose and crush his face.

    The back of his head was mmed so hard that the bandit leader almost lost his consciousness.

    He had two choices. He could kill the bandit here or just let Sera take care of the rest.

    If the guide was someone else instead of Sera, he would probably kill him. But the saintess would definitely argue with him when the bandit leader was clearly not able to fight anymore.

    "No¡ª!"

    Seeing the bandit leader wanted to beg for his life, Nathan chose to punch him one more time to knock him out. As for his injuries, Anubis could take care of him.

    "Don''t beg for mercy when you are in the wrong." Nathan let out a long sigh. He could still kill him if the saintess chose not to spare him. She was a corrupt saintess after all. Nathan couldn''t help but think, ''And now it''s time for me to get the sexy saintess to guide me to the ancient library. Hehehe.''

 Chapter 146: Cleaning Up

    Frir harrumphed, looking at the orc''s corpse that gradually disappeared into thin air. The fall angel and the angel had also tak down their emies respectively. All that remained was the giant. It was already half dead. Wh it realized his summoner had be defeated, the giant knew there was no way to escape or turn the battle a.

    In the d, he just epted his fate and let Nidhogg''s fire burn him.

    The giant ''me pir'' was a sight to behold, but more importantly, the mission was over.

    "Is he¡­" Sera came to him, wondering what happed to the bandit leader.

    "Don''t worry. He is still alive. I have to knock him out so that he doesn''t bber too much." Nathan casually pointed at him. "As the saintess as well as the person who I have decided to help, I think it''s only right for me to give the right to judge him to you. You can kill him, burn him, or just put him in jail."

    Sera looked shocked. Nathan had single-handedly dealt with this problem, so she probably didn''t have any right if Nathan executed the bandit leader on the spot.

    His gerosity actually made her smile. Sera nodded, "Thank you very much."

    "Ah. Before that¡­" Nathan stopped her first and started taking back what was his. "Finally, I have my coat and gloves back. Alright. You can do whatever you want with him¡­ and probably you need the shackles to chain him up."

    "That''s true. You must be tired after fighting the bandit leader, so I''ll grab some from the prison."

    "Don''t forget some ropes if you find one. We''ll need it for other bandits!"

    "Yes!" She excitedly waved her hand and rushed back to the prison. Ev though Nathan had destroyed a few, there were still a few more shackles in other cells, so she could definitely get it.

    Nathan smiled before turning back to Anubis. "Take care of the bandits, will you?"

    Anubis nodded and immediately shouted, "Whoever dares to resist will die in my hands. Your leader has be defeated, so throw down your weapon!"

    The remaining bandits were trembling. They had never thought they would lose, especially against two kids wh they had two summoners in their rank.

    In the d, they threw down their weapons. There was no way a normal person like them who hadn''t ev received training like that of a knight would be able to do anything against a summoner.

    While Anubis captured the rest of the bandits, Nathan turned to Brunhild. "Are you really a Valkyrie?"

    "It appears I''ve be summoned thanks to you." Brunhild nodded. "Yes. I am Valkyrie. I am known as Brunhild."

    Nathan gasped. He finally understood why Brunhild was known for her beauty among the Valkyries. That silver hair and light blue eyes, along with the unique temperamt, made her look like a flower that could only be observed, not touched.

    Her voice was soft, yet carried her strgth. Just listing to her gave him a feeling to back off.

    "Are youing here with your full strgth?" Nathan asked. He thought only divine beasts could be summoned in this world that could seal their full strgth. Brunhild just proved him wrong.

    Brunhild shook her head. "I have sealed most of my strgth. I can regain my strgth by consuming the cores."

    "Oh!" Nathan fell into deep thought. ''If such a thing is possible, does that mean I can make someone summon a divine being at the start? For example, Sun Wukong is strong, so seal his power and let vya summon him immediately. Or maybe S can summon Lilith right now?

    ''But I feel like their will matters as well. If they''re not going to respond to the call, it will just be a futile effort to call them to this world. This is gettingplicated.''

    After two minutes, Nathan asked another question. "May I know your reason foring to this world?"

    "That''s¡­" Brunhild fell silt, her gaze shifting to the side.

    All of a sudd, she jumped toward the wolf that had just returned from fighting the orc.

    "!!!" Frir was tak aback but still managed to react. He struck the spear with his w and hit her with his tail.

    Brunhild blocked the attack with the body of her spear, but the force pushed her back all the way to Nathan.

    "What?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Wait, wait. Why are you fighting?"

    Brunhild bit her lips and pointed her spear at Frir. "You ungrateful wolf. How dare you show yourself in front of me? I''m going to avge my lord!"

    Frir harrumphed. "You are not ev stronger than him, and you think you can beat me? Besides, they feared me and chained me for my tire life. Wh I unleashed my anger at them, they wondered why¡­ So stupid."

    "You!" Brunhild switched her stance, ready to go against him again.

    "You should cease your aggression." Nidhogg suddlynded on top of the building, almost crushing the building underneath him.

    "You are¡­ the dragon who was staying on the root of Yggdrasil!" Brunhild gasped as she took a step back, realizing that she might have to fight both of them at the same time.

    Nidhogg simply said, "I''m not here to fight you. I''m here to tell you something. It''ll be impossible for you to defeat him right now. At the same time, if you target his summoner, who is also my summoner, you will receive the wrath of all the divine beasts a him, including Anubis."

    "Are you saying I should abandon my goal?" Brunhild gnashed her teeth.

    "Not at all. There is one way for you to defeat him, but it might not be like what you think."

    "Huh?"

    "In this world, there is a person who can make him suffer."

    She raised her eyebrows. "His strgth is sealed. There should be a lot of people who can defeat him."

    "I''m not talking about that. You can defeat him, but don''t you think looking at how he is humiliated, bes hopeless, and falls into despair is much more tertaining?" Nidhogg asked.

    "That''s¡­" She couldn''t dy it. Just defeating Frir would probably be too simple for killing the lord she served. She asked, "Who is the person capable of making him suffer?"

    Nidhogg pointed at Nathan.

 Chapter 147: Nathans Suggestion

    Nidhogg pointed at Nathan.

    "Huh?" Brunhild turned to Nathan with a confused expression.

    "You bastard!" Frir surprisingly raised his voice, ring at Nidhogg.

    "Huh?" Brunhild turned to Frir, not expecting that kind of reaction. If Nidhogg was wrong, Frir would have harrumphed or looked nonchnt, but this kind of reaction only proved Nidhogg''s words were true.

    Brunhild wasn''t the only one. Ev Anubis couldn''t believe that Nidhogg would do such a thing.

    He thought, ''Did he just do the same thing as Frir? Back th, Frir made Risa do some bold things, which would d up pushing her summoner to act.

    ''By making that bird woman focus on Nathan, he made it look like Nathan was the only solution.

    ''Th again, he wasn''t lying. It''s true that our summoner is rather special. While he is only a mortal, he has the quality that people rarely possess.

    ''If that so-called Valkyrie ds up seducing the kid, will it cause her summoner to do the same thing? And I can''t dy that it''s the best method to control him.

    ''The momt I know his personality as an emy, I will probably first sd a good-quality woman to his side, turning him into aplete fool. Th again, he might have realized it at that point and might use that fact against me.

    ''Still, if we are allies and want to bully Frir, this is the best way. Killing Frir is impossible, but bullying him is easy.'' Anubis looked down for a momt. ''Should I do the same as well? But unlike them, I''ll probably need some befits. Hmm¡­''

    Anubispletely misunderstood Nidhogg.

    Nidhogg simply wanted to see Frir suffer. He didn''t have any other inttions.

    Still, the two of them ded up fighting each other, leaving Brunhild astounded.

    Nathan simply shook his head helplessly. Brunhild looked at Nathan for a momt as if she were thinking about something.

    Fortunately, Sera returned before they escted the matter.

    "What are you doing?" Sera asked, ssing the tsion in the air.

    "It''s nothing." Nathan waved his hand as though it wasn''t a big deal.

    "I have brought all the ropes and the shackles I could find." She showed a lot of them, but it was still not ough for all the bandits.

    Hce, Nathan said, "How about you tie them up first? Some will be fine since it''ll lift some burd off Anubis'' shoulder. After that, you should go back to the city and ask for the authorities toe and arrest them. You have quite a reputation and are a summoner, so they should assist you."

    "That''s¡­" Sera looked away.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I don''t know if I should do it. I''m afraid that these guys are just trying to get some money. And since they look like they hav''t killed people or tortured them, I don''t know if I should capture them."

    "Th why would you bring those chains and ropes?"

    "I''m just nning to tie them up and bring them to the vige. Maybe I can educate them."

    Nathan facepalmed. "The momt you do that, they will only hate you and probably the church you belong to."

    "What?" Sera was tak aback by Nathan''s statemt.

    "I mean. Look a you. We have killed a lot of bandits. If we bring them back, fully aware that they might be rtives of the people of that vige, what do you think they will do?

    "They might turn against you, and ev worse, they might harm you in one way or another. Don''t forget that they''ve poisoned you without you realizing it once.

    "Wh that happs, I might not be beside you to take care of it." Nathan exined.

    "But¡­" Sera''s head was hanging low.

    Nathan was aware that she wasn''t as smart as S, and she also had her beliefs. However, Sera was reasonable ough to list to people''s opinions.

    Hce, Nathan suggested, "How about this? You can call the authorities first and exin the situation to them. With your status, you should be able to make them list to you and take appropriate action.

    "I don''t know how good your rtionship with the church is, but I have heard that you are their saintess. With your guarantee, the authority will take care of this problem on your behalf.

    "At the same time, they might ev do a bit more, like calming the vigers and other things, so that they can make themselves look good in your eyes.

    "This is a win-win situation. Don''t you think so?"

    Sera fell into deep thought. She couldn''t dy this would probably be the best decision in this situation.

    Ev she had ordered the angel and the fall angel to kill if necessary. If she was a normal saintess, she would probably be too naive and believe they should have be released.

    But Sera thought there should be a punishmt for their action. What if the ones who got harmed wer''t her and Nathan?

    They might lose their lives or, ev worse, be sold to a farawaynd.

    Ev though they hadn''t tortured, she believed she should take Nathan''s suggestion.

    "Alright. Let''s do that." Sera nodded. "Let me tie them up first so that they won''t be a problem anymore."

    "Sure."

    Brunhild waspletely speechless. She finally understood why Nidhogg said Nathan could make Frir suffer. It wasn''t because he was his summoner. It was because of his personality and method.

    Brunhild looked at Nathan mysteriously as if she were nning something.

    On the other hand, Nathan observed Sera from a distance. Although he could help her, he preferred to get some time alone, thinking about what he should do next, especially after Sera brought him to the ancit library.

    Wh he observed her, there was a thought that actually shocked him. ''Wait a minute. Since she is an illusion that will soon disappear, Brunhild will also disappear. There are simply too many questions that I want to ask¡­

    ''For example, why does she wear such tight and sexy nun clothes?'' Nathan''s expression turned serious, his eyes were staring at the exposed thighs.

 Chapter 148: Unlucky Nathan (Bonus)

    "I''m done here." Sera let out a long breath, feeling tired after tying up over 30 people.

    "Nice. Are you going to inform the authority right now? As much as I want to help, Anubis still has to remain." Nathan pointed at Anubis. There were over fifty bandits that were still alive, so Anubis had to tie up the rest with his bandages.

    "Don''t worry. I have be receiving a lot from you, so I''ll take care of everything else. Please watch over them while I''m reporting this to the governmt."

    "Sure." Nathan waved his hand.

    Brunhild volunteered to take her to the city since she could also fly. In the d, the fall angel and the angel had to return.

    Nathan just brought the bandits to the main hall and cooled down.

    Frir asked, "Wh are we going to the Ancit Library?"

    "Let me ask a couple of questions first, since they are going to disappear after the trial ds. As for the time¡­ I think the trial will d in one or two hours." Nathan exined.

    "Alright. I''ll just sleep here th." Frir walked to the basemt, since it was the coolest ce in this desert. Anubis remained by his side while Nidhogg had already returned.

    As Nathan predicted, Sera came back an hourter.

    "I''m back. The soldiers wille to this ce in thirty minutes. I have exined the circumstances, and they will take care of it. I''m grateful that the guards are understanding." Sera smiled. "It''s thanks to you. Although I want to repay you, I don''t know what I can give you right now."

    "Don''t worry about it. Instead, how about answering a couple of questions from me?"

    "If I can answer, th yes, with pleasure." Sera nodded.

    "First of all, why are you wearing clothes like these?"

    "What do you mean?" Sera tilted her head in confusion.

    "I mean, your clothes look tight, and the skirt has slits on the sides. Are you wearing the formal clothes from the church?"

    "Ah!" Sera nodded in understanding. "I''m not wearing formal clothes. ording to Sonia¡­ I mean, my fall angel, if I wear clothes like these, I can get more befits from the people. In fact, I''ll be more popr, and the people will be more likely to follow the church.

    "I can''t really dy it. A lot of people have be giving more donations. They actually look happier as well. And it''s not like I''m showing too much."

    Nathan blinked his eyes a few times while Anubis said, "She got a point."

    ''What a devious n from the fall angel! She is trying to corrupt her more and more. As one would expect from a fall angel¡­ I mean, she has done a good job!'' Nathan''s gaze became more intse. Of course, there was no way he could say it.

    Instead, he asked, while maintaining his poker face. "Does the church not reprimand you about it?"

    "Well, yes. In fact, my teacher has told me about it and doesn''t know what to do."

    "That''s understandable." Nathan thought, ''A corrupt priestess, huh? That sounds nice, but¡­ no, wait. I have read a lot of stories about both extremes. The one who is filled with too much justice is annoying, but the opposite side is also troublesome.

    ''Should I attempt something that is rarely se? Instead of both sides, should Ibine them together?'' Nathan looked at Sera, imagining her having a  wing and a ck wing.

    ''Yes. This is it. From a universal point of view, this is bnce. From martial arts''s perspective, this is yin and yang. In normal people''s eyes, this is day and night. Hehehe.

    I am a gius.'' Still, Nathan couldn''t help but sigh. ''Th again, she is just an illusion. This will be over once the trial ispleted. Such a shame.''

    "What''s wrong?" Sera didn''t know about Nathan''s evil n.

    "It''s nothing. As long as you know the limit, I think you will do just fine." Nathan hurriedly distracted her with a few more questions until the soldiers arrived.

    Sera immediately greeted the soldiers and let them take over the situation. They tied them up and brought the bandit with them.

    With this, the mission should have bepleted. After the soldiers left, Nathan decided to get going.

    "It''s thanks to you that this matter can be resolved in such a manner. For that, I''m grateful. If fate allows us, I hope we can meet again in the future."

    "Alright. Now that everything has be settled, it''s time to go to the Ancit Library of the Fairy Que." Nathan grinned, his eyes so bright as if they were saying, ''Take me please.''

    "Huh?" Sera tilted her head in confusion.

    "Huh?" Nathan was tak aback by her response, which made him realize something. "You¡­ are not the one that will bring me to the ancit library? You are not the guide?"

    Sera took a step back with a dumbfounded expression.

    He had done all that and evpleted the mission with a flying color. Wh he saw Sera''s expression, all the memories from the past two days resurfaced in his mind.

    The mission had be going exceptionally well this whole time. In fact, the situation was much more predictablepared to what he expericed so far.

    At the same time, he realized that the simplicity of this mission came not from the bandits or Sera, but actually from the vigers. If the emies were formed by the uneducated vigers, there was no way they could form a good n against him and Sera.

    In other words, what if this was real? What if not a single thing was like he thought? What if this was not the trial?

    Nathan froze as he couldn''t help but remember his luck as well as what the elder said to him.

    "Your life will be filled with problems. However, all your luck has gone to wom. Basically, your luck with wom is the highest one I''ve se in my tire life. So you either die because of those problems or lead a fulfilling life."

    He finally understood those words. What he meant by his luck was Sera. Meanwhile, the rest of it was just him being unlucky. After all, he had to search for the guide from scratch.

    The momt he realized Sera wasn''t the guide, he couldn''t help but scream, "FUUU¡ª"

 Chapter 149: Disappointed

    Sera was bbergasted. She didn''t understand what he said, but she knew he must be cursing something.

    "Are you really not the guide from the Ancit Library of the Fairy Que?" Nathan asked, a sse of desperation clearly being reflected on his face.

    "Yes. I am Serafina Dinta, the fall saintess of the Holy Kingdom. I am not the guide." Sera tilted her head in confusion. "Did you help me because you thought I was the guide?"

    "¡­" Nathan fell silt before confessing, "That was indeed a part of the reason."

    Sera looked disappointed. At the same time, she understood that there was nothing free in this world. He offered his help because there was something for him in the first ce.

    Before she stormed off, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I guess this is the d. You havepleted your mission, and it''s time for me to go back and search for the ancit library."

    Sera was speechless. Nathan had indeed helped her, and it looked like he didn''t ev bother to get his paymt. The fact that he just wanted to d this here proved it.

    At the same time, shouldn''t she be the one feeling disappointed, not him?

    "Anyway, good luck with your deavor." Nathan waved his hand and turned a.

    "Wait."

    Nathan frowned, thinking, ''Is she going to p me or something? Getting offded because I helped her?''

    Sera took a deep breath, calming down. "Everyone has their own agda wh helping others. No matter your agda is, it''s true that you have helped me. I''m going to repay you."

    "No need. If you want to repay someone, just sd that money to the vige. The fact that they have to resort to this means their vige is suffering. If you look at the vige carefully, it is actually not in a good condition.

    "Ev though they have water, they barely have food. The people in that vige are thinner than the ones in the city, so it''s clear that they don''t have ough money.

    "The only way for them to get money is from the traveler who wants to cross the desert and uses their ce to get some rest.

    "That''s why if you want to give that reward, better give it to them. And try to solve the problem that is forcing them to be a bandit. At the very least, this kind of thing won''t happ anymore." Nathan shook his head. He might have gott too much fun.

    Although they were bandits, he had be killing them as if they were just a trial, not a proper human being. It wasn''t much, but this was his way of paying for his mistake.

    Sera was stunned once again. She misunderstood Nathan''s inttion as him just being a good person. It was just this time he was here to help for the ancit library.

    ''The ancit library¡­ I think I have stumbled upon this name wh searching for books in the church''s library. A library that is said to contain everything you need to know in this world.

    ''But this library only allows one person to ter to protect both the secrecy of the visitor and also the provider. I''m not sure about the exact information, but it seems I won''t be able to repay him by helping him.''

    "If there is nothing else, I''ll take my leave." Nathan looked like he wanted to rush out of here. Considering he had spt a considerable amount of time helping her, it was understandable.

    Sera immediately said, "There is something I want to confirm. You are Nathan, the first-year studt from the Frexia Academy, right? The unique summoner who can only summon beasts?"

    "Yes. Is there something wrong with my idtity?" Nathan''s expression turned serious.

    "No. I just want to confirm the person who has helped me."

    Nathan shrugged. He just walked away, fully aware that the saintess would have to deal with the vige. Ev if they got some money, they would still suffer if the problem persisted.

    But that would be her problem.

    Nathan just walked out of the vige with Frir and Anubis. To his surprise, Frir apanied him instead of going back due to the heat.

    It was clear what he actually wanted.

    "Pfft. Hahahahaha!" Frirughed uncontrobly to the point where tears were leaking out of the corner of his eyes. "This is too funny. I have be telling you, horny brat. You are going to suffer some day. I have never thought that day woulde so fast."

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched, but Nathan couldn''t dy it. It was true that he had wasted too much time for nothing.

    "I have always told you to get as powerful as possible, and you can gain everything else in this world." Frir harrumphed.

    Nathan sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I think I''m going to take Nidhogg''s suggestion. What do you think? Bullying you sounds fun."

    Frir froze. He was trying to take advantage of this situation to tease Nathan, but thetter still possessed the ultimate card to bully him.

    "That''s not fair." Frir gnashed his teeth.

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I know that isughable for you, but we have a bigger problem. Still, we have wasted too much time here. We might not be able to ter the Ancit Library at this rate."

    "Hmmm¡­" Frir squinted his eyes. Nathan wasn''t wrong. The journey was supposed tost sev days, and because of this incidt, they might have messed up with the trial because of Sera.

    "So are we going to start from the beginning?" Anubis asked while walking alongside Nathan.

    "Yeah. It seems to be the case." Nathan sighed. "I don''t know if we can continue like this or have to start all over again. For now, I think about going back to the location where we found her and start from there."

    "I think that''s a good idea." Anubis nodded. "Still, we have wasted a lot of time here."

    "I know." Nathan let out a long sigh as he looked at the horizon as though something bothered his mind. "You know what? I think I''m able to rte to one of the famous jokes on Earth."

    "A joke?"

    "Yes. With my luck being like this, somehow¡­" Nathan let out another sigh. "I don''t want to be horny anymore. I just want to be happy."

 Chapter 150: Questioning

    "I know that this world has aliens, but what the heck is wrong with him?!" Nathan mmed the table while pointing at the man wearing a ck suit behind him. He also had sunsses. His appearance wasn''t like any other person in this world.

    Meanwhile, the one in front of Nathan was a beautiful woman. She had blond hair and light blue eyes. She wasn''t a human, especially with those short, pointy ears as well as a pair of butterfly wings on her back.

    With a sly smile on her face, she asked, "My illusion only reflects what you have in mind. In other words, it is you who is giving that form. I should be the one asking. How are you able to possess all this knowledge?"

    Nathan froze as the woman turned serious, her eyes scanning him.

    They were even inside a small and cold room with only a table and a pair of chairs facing each other. It felt like they were in the interrogation room.

    How could this happen?

    ¡­

    Ten minutes ago.

    Nathan panted heavily, feeling tired. "This is not looking good. We have been walking for two days, but we haven''t found anything."

    "Are we going to go back then? Since the trip has failed, I don''t think it''s better to continue like this. It will just waste our time. You should focus on getting stronger than this," Anubis suggested.

    "That''s what I want to do as well, but I have decided to spend one week, so it will be one week. I believe there are two things you can hold from a man. The first one is his promise. If I take back my own words, I will lose that credibility."

    "The second one?"

    "Anyway, we''ll continue until seven days have passed."

    "Ignored, huh? What is the second one?" Anubis frowned.

    To his surprise, he saw a silhouette in the distance. "Huh? Isn''t that?"

    Anubis squinted his eyes. "There is a person standing over there. He is wearing some thick clothes, but for some reason, he is not sweating. That''s weird."

    As soon as he heard Anubis'' confirmation, Nathan rushed to that guy. "That''s the guide. Oi! I''m here!"

    The closer he was, the clearer the guide was. The man was actually wearing a ck suit like a modern man. It was a in ck suit that didn''t match with all kinds of suits he had seen in this world.

    He didn''t know why, but this must be the guide. There was no way someone would be foolish enough to stand in the middle of the desert for no reason. He wasn''t even sweating.

    It only took ten seconds for Nathan to cover the distance, confirming the identity of the person.

    "You¡­ Are you the guide?!"

    "Yes." The man nodded. He looked at Nathan with a serious expression before turning to Anubis.

    "What is the trial? Let me get over this as quickly as possible." Nathan just wanted to get this done, not wanting to make another mistake.

    "I will take you to the library immediately."

    "What? Are you serious? No trial?"

    "You have passed the trial," the man answered casually. "Because you told her about the suffering the vige is currently experiencing, they will be able to get by for a while, and the summoner from the Holy Kingdom wille to take down the alien that causes this problem."

    "Oh? You don''t need me to kill that alien?"

    "If you have the strength to fight against a mature ss alien, then feel free to do so."

    "Eh? It seems I have passed the test. Yay!" Nathan celebrated it with half-hearted cheers.

    "If you want to enter the library, please recall your familiar and take off your sunsses."

    Nathan turned to Anubis and nodded his head.

    Although he was worried about his safety, he followed Nathan''s wish and vanished into thin air.

    As soon as Nathan took off his sunsses, the man took out a small metal cylinder.

    "Wait. What the¡ª" Before he could finish his words, his consciousness faded.

    "¡ªhell?" Nathan continued his words, but this time, the scenery had changed. He was inside a square space. He couldn''t help but shout, "I know that this world has aliens, but what next? Is there an organization that will make people forget while saving the world from aliens?"

    "My illusion only reflects what you have in mind. In other words, it is you who is giving that form. I should be the one asking. How are you able to possess all this kind of knowledge?"

    "!!!" Nathan heard that feminine voiceing from the front. He was reacting so hard that he hadn''t seen the people around him.

    He froze when he found out the current situation he was in. "What is this? Isn''t this kidnapping?"

    "You wanted to enter my library, so I invited you in. And now, you are actually telling me that this is a kidnapping case? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?"

    Nathan looked at the woman in front of him. "You are the fairy queen?"

    "I am indeed the fairy queen Charlotte."

    Nathan looked at her before turning to the mysterious man and repeated it a few times.

    "There is no need to be shocked. Everything in this ce is actually an illusion formed by your memory. In other words, this is the reflection of your own memory." Charlotte smiled.

    "Are you kidding me?" Nathan gasped. He stood up and took a step back. The moment he tried circting his Ena was the time he realized nothing escaped the fairy queen''s eyes.

    This ce was the reflection of his mind, so he had shown he wasn''t like any other person in this world. In addition, Charlotte could feel the Ena, but Nathan simply couldn''t summon any of his familiars.

    "You are not going anywhere because you are inside my illusion. In fact, your real body is sleeping right now. You can''t summon your familiars in your dream." Charlotte''s smile became even scarier.

    Nathan never thought he would screw up.

    Charlotte repeated her question. "How are you able to possess this memory?"

 Chapter 151: Lost (Bonus)

    "How are you able to possess this memory?"

    Nathan froze. "Do you think I will tell you?"

    Charlotte chuckled. "Why do you think I have no method to get the information I want from you? I''m simply ying nice by asking you."

    Nathan gulped down. After what happened in thest few minutes, he realized Charlotte wasn''t joking. She might have that method.

    "If you think about adding a condition to humiliate me, such as asking me to strip if you want to tell me about that information, I will do it. This body is nothing but an illusion after all. There is no shame or anything."

    "Seriously? No, wait. What the hell are you saying? Do you know any shame? No, that''s not important. How in the world do you think I will ask something like that?" Nathan mmed the table.

    "I told you I could see your true nature." Charlotte chuckled.

    "¡­" Nathan bit his lips. This was the first time he actually had a hard time gaining an upper hand in a conversation. It was as if Charlotte had truly understood everything about him.

    ''I need something to distract her. No, what if I humiliate her? But asking her to strip is not possible ording to what he said. What should I do? Think fast.'' Nathan clenched his hands into fists before suddenly thinking about another bullshit that might allow him to get out of this. "Heh.

    If you want to know this information, you better join my harem with your true body. I don''t n to share this information with an outsider."

    ''This should be enough, right? Since she doesn''t have her true body in this world, it''s basically impossible for her toply with this one. I''m safe.''

    When Nathan was about to feel relieved, Charlotte stood up.

    "You. What are you nning to do?" Nathan took a step back.

    "What am I going to do? Isn''t it obvious?" Charlotte walked toward Nathan. Thetter kept walking back because he didn''t know how to fight back without his Ena.

    The moment his back touched the wall, he knew he had to do something.

    ''Screw it.'' Nathan leaned forward and punched the fairy queen.

    To his surprise, the fairy queen was one step ahead and pressed Nathan''s forehead with her thumbs.

    "!!!" Nathan looked shocked, but the next thing he realized, his upper body went up and saw his lower body being covered with a sheet.

    "Good morning." Charlotte''s voice echoed from the left.

    "!!!" Nathan''s head turned to the left, seeing the fairy queen next to him. "What?"

    Seeing the scenery had changed from a cold interrogation room to a rather extravagant bedroom that rivaled his bedroom in Vivian''s mansion, he couldn''t help but circte his Ena. This time, it worked.

    He summoned Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg at the same time. Even though he couldn''t fight against her, there was still a chance with these three.

    Before Nathan ordered them to attack, Charlotte dropped a bomb. She greeted the three divine beasts immediately with a big smile. "Hello, you three. I am Charlotte Lavia Madavia, who is known as the fairy queen. Your summoner has proposed to me. I guess we will be seeing each other a lot in the future."

    The three beasts looked at Nathan and Charlotte dumbfoundedly as if they didn''t believe what they had just heard.

    Both Fenrir and Anubis thought the same thing. ''Did he think with his lower brain instead of the one in his head again?''

    "Don''t nder me. You are lying. Do you think I don''t know that you are only a projection, no, more like a recorded personality of the fairy queen? You are not the real fairy queen, and there''s no way the fairy queen will be back here. That''s why it doesn''t count."

    "Fufu." Charlotte snapped her fingers.

    Suddenly, a ck butterfly hairpin, whose wings had a simr color as the real wings on her back, appeared on top of her palm.

    "This is the hairpin that has been influenced by this ce''s Ena. In other words, it is the closest item that can directly link to the real body. If you use this as a sacrificial item and enough Ena during the summoning ritual, you will definitely summon my real body. With this item, the promise can be fulfilled, right?"

    Nathan gasped. He waspletely speechless. At first, the interrogation room confused him, which made him unable to think clearly. Then, she proved everything she had said was the truth, especially the fact he was sleeping under her illusion.

    The fairy queen was toying with him this whole time.

    Anubis was astounded, while Nidhogg wasn''t that interested in the matter of his summoner. However, Fenrir''s grin became bigger and bigger.

    This was the first time he saw Nathanpletely ying in someone''s hand. Normally, it was him who got bullied the most, so seeing someone who could overwhelm Nathan put a smile on his face.

    As if he had been influenced by Nathan, Fenrir immediately climbed to the bed and said, "The summoner I acknowledge will always fulfill his promise. Come on, my dear summoner. You have always thought about women, and now you finally get it.

    "As your familiar, I approve. I will give you my full support and blessing. Not only is she strong enough to be considered a legend in this world, but her knowledge is also unmatched.

    "The most knowledgeable living being in this world with the summoner I acknowledge... There is nothing that can make me happier. I hope you can have a fulfilling life." Fenrir threw all kinds of bullshit in his mind just to praise Nathan.

    He was grinning widely inwardly, thinking, ''Take this, you horny brat. There is someone who can finally control you. As long as you marry her, there''s no way I will be bullied again in the future.''

    Nathan was gnashing his teeth in his heart. ''You bastard. Just you wait. Once I find a way to escape from this situation, you are dead. I''m going to work with Nidhogg to bully you until you cry!''

    However, Nathan had another thing he needed to worry about.

    Charlotte whispered from behind in a chilling tone. "Now. Please take this hairpin and summon me. Or are you going to say you are just joking with me?"

    Nathan couldn''t see her face, but he could imagine how dark her expression was. It was as if she wanted to murder him.

 Chapter 152: Questions

    Nathan hurriedly turned around and said, "I''m not talking about that. Do you know what''s the basis of a rtionship? It''s love."

    "You have a unique quality I have never seen in my life, so it''s clear that you are bound to rise through the ranks. At the top, you won''t be the same anymore because, whether you want it or not, politics wille to you.

    "Your life won''t be the same as your current life. You might even be forced to marry someone just so you will be able to survive." Charlotte shook her head.

    "You sound like someone who has given up." Nathan squinted her eyes.

    "¡­" Charlotte didn''t respond to that remark. "Anyway, you have proposed, so man up."

    "This and that are two different matters."

    "Is it?" Charlotte squinted her eyes. "For someone who is actually from another world, I don''t think it''s a different matter."

    "What do you mean? Someone from another world?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. Still, his heart was beating rapidly, not knowing why Charlotte suddenly mentioned it.

    "You have the knowledge that this world is not supposed to have." Charlotte raised a finger.

    "I know this from them." Nathan pointed at Fenrir and the others. There was already knowledge about other worldsing from familiars, so it wouldn''t be weird if Nathan also gained that type of knowledge from his familiars.

    Charlotte raised her middle finger. "Second reason. The illusion you have created. They are so vivid that a few words are enough to give you that kind of image in your head. The fact you recognize them on the spot is as if you have ''seen'' them instead of ''listening'' or ''reading'' them.

    "The muscle memory that you have gained from yourmon sense is not easy to get rid of. Even if you manage to fool anyone else, you can''t fool me. After all, I am relying on it to establish my illusion.

    "Just like the first time I invited you to the library, you found yourself in that small room. And even after you woke up here and summoned your beasts, why didn''t you attack me?"

    "That was because¡ª" Nathan wanted to say something, but Charlotte cut him off. "Because you wanted my knowledge? Was it really the case? Had you ever wondered if you were still within another illusion of mine and I had actually nted an order that you shouldn''t kill me deep into your subconsciousness? Now, why don''t you try to attack me and see whether you can do it or not?"

    Nathan froze as he realized he had fallen into her trap. If he gave that order, even if Anubis and the others attacked her, it was still the same as him admitting there was indeed a ''secret'' he was hiding. And that secret was the fact he came from another world.

    On the other hand, if he didn''t give that order, he simply admitted her statement was true.

    Nathan was tongue-tied, thinking about how to escape this situation.

    The Fairy Queen made a smug yet sly smile as she said, "Not going to say anything? How cute."

    Nathan might have severely underestimated Charlotte. He thought Selena was already smart enough, but there was a reason the woman before her was a queen.

    As if realizing what would happen if they continued the conversation, Charlotte asked, "Do you know why I gave you that hairpin?"

    Nathan remained silent, being cautious.

    Charlotte simply raised both hands, each forming a sphere. "The world we currently know is that the summoner acts as a beacon to summon otherworldly beings such as I, you, and the three beasts behind you.

    "However, anyone can summon a familiar that is looking humanoid but notpletely human. Why? There must be a lot of heroesing from the human side as well. There are a lot of summoners in this world that can be considered heroes, so there must be a lot of humans like that in other worlds?

    "I have been pondering this question for more than a century. There are possibilities, such as the children they give birth to¡­ Does it belong to this world or another world? Unlike other races that can''t have a child because of their different races, this might not happen if they summon a human.

    "The second possibility is that they are ovepping with the beacon itself, so they''re unable to be transported.

    "During the summoning ritual, a bridge will appear, connecting the two worlds." Charlotte began creating a light blue tunnel attached to the two spheres. "The beings from other worldse to this world because they know where to go due to the existence of the beacon.

    "What if we change the beacon from you to me? What if I''m the one doing the summoning?

    "Do you think it''s possible? Unfortunately, not. It''s weird, right? Is it because I''m from another race? How about if we summon a human and let them summon another familiar? If we assume that one human can summon ten familiars, doesn''t that mean a single summoner can summon ten familiars and those ten familiars will summon another ten each?

    "If it''s not possible, what if the summoner marries those humans and gives birth to children? Will their children be the next beacons?

    "If they can''t give birth, what will happen? There are a lot of questions that can''t be answered. And your existence has just proven one more possibility. Are you really a human? You look like a human, but you might not. And what about those beasts?

    And what if you actually marry the humans from this world and reproduce?"

    Charlotte walked toward Nathan and ced her hand on his cheek. With a seductive smile, she said, "I will be yours. If you want my body and heart, I will give it to you. If you want the world, I will conquer it for you. All I wish from you is one thing. Please allow me to stand by your side.

    I feel like I''ll be able to find the answer I''m looking for."

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "What makes you so obsessed with the truth?"

    "I once met another fairy who belonged to another person. Did you know what she said back then?"

    Nathan shook his head.

    "The dead Queen Charlotte is standing in front of me."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes. That statement simply questioned the existence of the familiar.

    Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg might have existed, but all he knew was their myth. Where were they? Fenrir should have died in Vidar''s hands. In fact, the moment he realized it, he remembered that he should have died on Earth when his head hit the sharp corner of the table with such momentum.

    Charlotte smiled. "Are we still alive? What happens to our original world? What actually are we? I want to know that answer. Summoners War¡­ Those two words already existed before I even came to this world.

    Are they still existing now? I wonder what war it is talking about¡­ Whose war are we fighting for?

    "Even if I have to lose my life, I wish to die after knowing that I am just a mere pawn, instead of having an illusion that I am a queen."

    Nathan''s body was shaking. He couldn''tpare his own bullshit to the truth. That was why he thought of an appropriate response. "I¡­"

 Chapter 153: Nathans Decision

    It was clear there were a lot of questions about this world. How did he get summoned here?

    When Charlotte questioned their existences, a few questions appeared in his mind. What happened to Fenrir, Nidhogg, and Anubis in the myths? Why would they be here? Were those who had died in the myth could be summoned as well?

    ''Should I really ept this agreement? From the looks of it, even the fairy queen doesn''t know why I''m summoned to this world. Having someone who is trying to find that secret might be good. At least, it will give me more information to consider before moving forward.

    ''And the fairy queen was once known as one of the top familiars in this world. This illusion is useful. At the same time, it''s not like I can summon her even with the hairpin.

    ''The people who can summon her¡­ No, wait. I think I know the perfect summoner for her. Isn''t my teacher known as the forest queen? The fairy queen should fit the theme as well.

    ''Right now, my teacher is powerful, but not one of the strongest. Her achievement and strength are iparable to the likes of the principal and the Dragon King. If that''s the case, I should make her stronger.

    ''This way, even the Dragon King will think twice before fighting my teacher. In addition, she is a researcher, which is aligned with the fairy queen''s profession.

    ''If the fairy queen can make my teacher stand toe-to-toe against those old monsters, she will definitely be a great ally.

    ''Still, I have one problem. I don''t think the fairy queen will risk losing this cooperation by revealing the information. But I don''t think I can trust her yet.

    ''Should I use the Soul Contract? A simple contract with a non-disclosure agreement in it. But the fairy queen in front of me is just a record of the fairy queen, not the actual one.

    ''I don''t know if my contract will work. If I still have the upgraded contract, it might work. But if I want to make a contract, it''s better with the fairy queen herself.''

    The moment Nathan thought about this, he could see the path to regain his initiative. He said, "I don''t know if I can really trust you with this matter. You are just a being projected by the memory of the fairy queen. If I summon the fairy queen, there''s no guarantee that she will work like what you expect."

    Charlotte smiled. "It is certainly as you said. However, there are three things you are wrong about. First of all, I might only be a memory, but once you summon the fairy queen, I''ll be integrated back to her.

    "In other words, the memory I have right now will be transferred to her, allowing her to know everything that I have umted in thest few centuries.

    "The second mistake is that hairpin. Thest instruction of the fairy queen is to entrust that hairpin to the person who is worthy to summon her.

    "In other words, I have sworn myself not toe back to this world unless I have judged you to be a worthy person.

    "The third reason is you don''t think you are the one who will summon me, right? Looking at how you have summoned three beasts as your familiars, it''s clear you won''t be able to summon me."

    Nathan couldn''t deny the third part. However, he was slightly surprised by the second mistake. If that was truly the case, it meant the fairy queen had been nning for this research her entire life.

    The fairy queen would be a double-edged sword. Her obsession with the truth might harm him, but if he utilized her well, she would be a great weapon.

    Nathan fell into deep thought before saying, "I understand why you want to know the truth along with your preparation, but what''s in it for me? I don''t think you know a lot about me. At first, I thought you were able to see through me, but that didn''t seem to be the case."

    Charlotte smiled. "You are not wrong. It''s true that I can''t see through you, but at the same time, it doesn''t mean I''mpletely oblivious to your circumstances. It seems you came to me for a reason."

    Charlotte realized she was the one being tested this time. Nathan''s existence alone was valuable, so she had to prove her own value if Nathan would consider her.

    She couldn''t really mention what happened earlier, considering she had tantly admitted that it was purely give and take.

    Even Fenrir, who wasughing at the beginning, suddenly fell silent the moment he learned about this question.

    He looked down, wondering if everything he experienced was an illusion.

    Fenrir tilted his head, asking in a low voice. "Hey, stupid¡­ I mean, Nidhogg. Is what she said true?"

    "Stupid¡­" Nidhogg fell silent. Both of them realized the severity of this question, so he chose to answer him seriously. "I don''t know. All I know is that I''m among those who are responsible for cleaning up. I can remember carrying a lot of warriors I''ve killed."

    "What about after that?"

    "I am living¡­" Nidhogg fell silent, as if he were contemting his own answer.

    On the other hand, Fenrir asked, "Anubis. Do you think I have died? You are supposed to be a God of Death, right?"

    "My current power is unable to give you the answer. If I can recover more of my power, I might be able to do that." Anubis shook his head. He was also contemting his own life.

    "It seems we have to get stronger to know more. Although I don''t want to admit it, what that woman says is logical."

    "That depends on what our summoner will choose. But I don''t think this is even debatable." Anubis smiled.

    "For this one time, I can''t help but support his horniness, even though I hate to admit it."

    All three divine beasts seemed to have reached the same conclusion. They really needed to know more about their myths.

    Nathan fell into deep thought and finally said, "I want to know the secret of my body. Let''s start with¡­ Why did a vampire evolve after sucking my blood?"

 Chapter 154: Risas Potential? (Bonus)

    "Why did a vampire evolve from sucking my blood?"

    When she heard that question, the fairy queen gave an answer as if she had read it in a book. "There are multiple reasons. First of all, do you know what the vampire sucks?"

    "Blood."

    "Then what does blood contain?"

    "Hmm? Red blood cells, white blood cells, or something like that?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "I don''t know a lot about biology."

    The fairy queen shook her head. "Your blood is influenced by your Ena and your soul. If you are a being from another world, it will change your blood as well. And due to your unique Ena that can summon a beast, we know that your blood is different from other people."

    "That is weird." Nathan thought for a moment. "If that''s the case, why would the one who discovered me to have Ena in my body consider me to have a tremendous amount of Ena? Meanwhile, I only had 60 Ena when I summoned my first familiar."

    "60? What''s with the number?" The fairy queen looked confused.

    "Ah. This was my teacher''s research. In fact, I was nning to give your hairpin to her. She had summoned all kinds of forest creatures, such as elf, spirit, dryad, and so on. I thought you would bepatible with her, and she was also a researcher, a quite strong one at that. But if you were not useful¡­" Nathan smirked.

    "I see." The fairy queen nodded in understanding. "First of all, I don''t have the knowledge about this measurement of Ena. Can you please fill in the information?"

    "It''s just a simple measurement of Ena by considering this Ena as particles. By taking advantage of this system, we will be able to measure the amount of Ena required in our ability, the core we swallow, and so on.

    "I only get about 2 Ena whenever I swallow a proto-ss core, but a genius can get 10 Ena from one core. I don''t know the average, but we can probably assume it''s 4 or 5 Ena per core."

    "That can actually generalize a lot of stuff." The fairy queen closed her eyes for a moment. "If that''s the case, I think I have two possibilities for you.

    "Either you or your parents are special."

    Nathan contemted. "I have checked my parents, but they don''t have Ena."

    "In that case, the one letting her evolve is not your blood, but either your Ena or soul. Or they might be special without realizing they are special."

    "Too much assumption. Can you borate on the first one?"

    "As I mentioned before, you looked like a human, but it didn''t seem like you were the real human. From the way you talk, I conclude that you are actually possessing that body.

    "However, this must be a different kind of possession. A normal possession won''t allow your Ena to merge with the possessed body. In your case, it''spletely merged. I have never encountered this type of possession before.

    "And if we look at your soul, the reason for a vampire to evolve after sucking your blood can be narrowed to one thing.

    §ã&§ß-¦Å+?¦Ê?-¦Ò§è#§ä-$

    "You might be summoned to this world as a familiar, but at the same time, you are not. You are a special human from another world, one that can''t be described as a human. That is the reason you''re summoned in this world.

    "The question is, ''How special are you?'' From the looks of it, you are also not aware of your circumstances.

    "If you allow me to research your blood, I might be able to find that answer. Unfortunately, that requires my main body to be here."

    "¡­" Nathan looked down. He ended up with more questions. He was special? The only thing he remembered about his life on earth was how miserable it was. Just to survive, he had to trick his father and run away from his mother.

    It was a stroke of luck that he managed to continue a decent life in that orphanage, but that was all.

    ''Wait. Is there something wrong with the orphanage? I mean, there are a lot of novels with orphanages having a big secret that turns the children into monsters, right? What a conspiracy theory! I want to be edgy right now, but I should think about this seriously.''

    Nathan shook his head. "Nothing I can think of right now. Instead, how can the vampire evolve in the first ce?"

    "A vampire''s potential is decided at birth. They will gradually increase their power by merely existing. Blood is a kind of catalyst that will speed up the process of them reaching their full potential.

    "The blood itself has a strict qualification. First of all, you needpatibility. Drinking random blood will help, butpatibility will increase that effect by several folds.

    "To increase their talent, or, you can say, evolution, they need to drink the blood of a higher being."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes. "Is that the reason you say I''m special?"

    "Yes." The fairy queen nodded. "If your blood is not special, then I might have to search for another reason."

    "I see." Nathan rubbed his chin, contemting.

    "May I know what was the vampire''s talent before she evolved? How much did she need to evolve?"

    "She evolved from a countess to a marchioness. I only allowed her to suck me once."

    "Hoh?" The fairy queen squinted her eyes. "There had been several asions in the past where vampires evolved. I even wanted to donate my blood to confirm it, but there was no vampire I could find back then.

    "ording to the record, there was a normal vampire that became a baron after drinking the blood of his summoner for two years. There was also a baroness that became a countess after a decade. You sure it took her a single time to evolve?"

    Nathan nodded.

    The fairy queen''s expression turned solemn. "You might be more special than I originally thought. If you let her continue, she might be able to be a duchess, no¡­ a royal? No, she might be able to be a progenitor."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. ''Risa bing a vampire progenitor?''

 Chapter 155: Library

    ''Risa bing a vampire progenitor?'' Nathan was shocked. If he could really create a progenitor with his blood alone, it would change the bnce of the world.

    People would think they had to kidnap him and extract his blood to nurture a group of vampire progenitors. A lot more people would summon a vampire because there was a guarantee of sess.

    In fact, this could be a profitable business because he could sell his blood for enormous wealth. However, it would endanger his life.

    He believed the vampire progenitor was standing toe-to-toe against the likes of the Fairy Queen and the draconian.

    Announcing this to the world would simply bring those people out to hunt him.

    On the other hand, this would definitely be useful for Selena. If Risa could actually be a progenitor, Selena would be the third summoner who had a vampire progenitor after her father and ancestor.

    There was one problem. What about Lilith? Selena had been working hard because she wanted to summon a vampire progenitor. If Risa became a progenitor, wouldn''t that goal vanish?

    ''No, wait. What if I let her summon Lilith but also increase Risa''s power to the likes of a progenitor? This means Selena surpasses all the legends in her family and bes the first person who has two vampire progenitors.''

    Nathan could see what he was supposed to do once he returned to the academy.

    Charlotte smiled and added, "I wonder if your blood can actually power up other familiars."

    "!!!" Nathan''s body shook. That was right. He didn''t think about this. What about Sasha? Could her strength grow like Risa?

    There was only one possible option. It was the Soul Contract. That was right. Was it possible to get or give Ena through the Soul Contract?

    He had tested this with Fenrir and the others and assumed it wasn''t possible. However, there was a chance it would work.

    He just had to upgrade the Soul Contract one more time.

    ''I don''t have enough understanding about the Soul Contract. I might be able to extort people through the contract, force them to sign, or even be a loan shark.''

    Charlotte seemed to be satisfied with Nathan''s response. She asked, "Do you have any more questions about your body? Although I want to give you a concrete answer about your body, you are simply too special, and I have to conduct some tests to understand you."

    Nathan nced at her. It was his original purposeing here, but once he reached this ce, he realized there was nothing that could resemble a library in this ce.

    That was why he asked, "Before that, can I tour around the library first? It''s a shame if I''m unable to see anything after visiting this ce."

    "That is indeed true." She stood up and extended her hand. "In that case, I wee you to my library."

    After taking her hand, Nathan thought he would be transported again, but this time, she actually led her to the door, showing that this wasn''t an illusion. She just made him think it was.

    ?*?#¡Ò??+¡Ì?@§Ô$-¡Ò§ä%¦Ò+§Ô?§Ö¡Ò-+

    The moment she opened the door, there was nothing but a long corridor. He could see a few doors on the left side, but there was nothing on the right side. There was nomp in the corridor. The only source of light was the small blue-colored ball that Charlotte summoned on top of her hand, making them unable to see anything beyond a few steps in front of them.

    "I''m going back," said Nidhogg. "You can call me if you need me for anything."

    Nathan nodded. Nidhogg was theziest among them, so he just let Nidhogg back unless he needed him to fly or fight.

    Fenrir and Anubis stayed on Nathan''s side, not only because they were worried, but also due to their curiosity.

    While walking down the corridor, Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, what is themand type summoner? Can they enhance your ability?"

    "You must be wondering about it after meeting that nun." Charlotte nodded in understanding. "That is indeed one of the abilities that mostmand type summoners use.

    "It is called Synchronization. Let''s talk about the chant for the summoning ritual. The chant is calling upon the miracle of this world, using your body as the beacon and granting a beloved passage, correct?

    "Why do you need to mention ''beacon'' in that chant? That is because every living thing''s Ena has their own unique Ena. Of course, people from the same race usually have a simr type. That''s why fire spirits can release me, druids can control trees, and so on.

    "Even though they are simr, they''re not exactly the same. That''s why the nun has to find your unique Ena and connect with it. After it''s synchronized, she can then use her own Ena to boost your ability. You can do the same with familiars."

    Instead of Nathan, Anubis was the first one to react. "Can a familiar use that ability?"

    Charlotte and Nathan turned around, staring at Anubis. Nathan realized Anubis must have thought he wasn''t that useful in battle because he only had three abilities: the strength enhancement, two bandages, and his Ankh of Immortality, which was his healing ability.

    If he could just use his own Ena to boost Nathan, it would be perfect. However, he should have known this answer, considering Fenrir had proven he was able to copy Alisha''s ability to a certain extent.

    Charlotte nodded. "That is indeed possible."

    "Is there a book for it?" Anubis asked. There was no way he could attend the summoner ss, so it was better to learn it here.

    "Yes. I can get the book for you." Charlotte assured him, knowing full well how hard it was to ess things as a familiar.

    After two minutes, they finally reached a giant double door.

    "This is my library." Charlotte snapped her finger, as a cracking sound echoed above the ceiling as if it were controlled by a hidden mechanism.

    Unlike the corridor, the entire library was actually lit up, which allowed him to see the entire library in one go.

    He was on the second floor, so he could see all the thirty rows of shelves, along with the shelves positioned next to the wall.

    The old paper smell filled up his lungs. Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "How many books are there?"

 Chapter 156: Nathans Choice

    "There are only 346,120 books," answered Charlotte.

    "And you have read all of them?"

    "Of course not. Even two hundred years is hard to actually read all these books by myself, let alone if I have to add more knowledge about the recent understanding. I have only read around half of them."

    "Almost a thousand books a year is impressive, you know." Nathan shook his head helplessly. "Then, do you know the content of all those books?"

    "What do you think? I don''t have a photographic memory. Even if I can record all this book, there will be some losses once I''m integrated back into my main body." She sighed. "However, I understand the general knowledge of those books. If I don''t know something, I will simply open those books again."

    "That''s amazing." Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "What kind of books do you have here?"

    "All kinds of things, from basic knowledge to advanced stuff like engineering or unique techniques."

    "That''s amazing. The ancient techniques must be awesome. They will exert a strong attack¡­" Nathan abruptly stopped when Charlotte stared at him intensely.

    "I don''t know what kind of misconception you have, but it doesn''t work that way." Charlotte sighed. "A technique is made, recorded, and improved. As time passes, they will gradually improve the technique, making it as perfect as possible or even surpass the imagination of the original creator.

    "A few people whoe to this library have shown those improved techniques, which are more efficient and powerful.

    "I don''t know where you get the idea that an ancient technique must be useful. Does the world actually progress backward?"

    Nathan couldn''t really refute that argument. Instead, he was cursing, ''I learn it from those cultivation or fantasy novels. Then again, those books are usually created by ancient sages who were one of the strongest people in their time.''

    "Let''s treat it as if I have never said anything." Nathan looked away.

    "Anyway, this is my library. If you want to learn something, I don''t really suggest any type of technique because they are outdated. The most useful ones are usually medicines, records, and the like." -content

    "That''s true." Nathan nodded. The record was definitely the most important. ''Family record is useful if you want to track one''s ancestor. The royal family or noble family will definitely have a trace in history. But there is one record I''m curious in particr.''

    Before Nathan said anything, Anubis asked, "I want to read the knowledge aboutmand type ability."

    "Of course." Charlotte nodded. With a snap of her fingers, several books suddenly flew out of the shelves and fell on top of her arms. "These are the records. I suggest you read down below rather than here."

    Anubis nodded. He carried the books with his bandage and just leaped off to the bottom floor.

    "Are you going to read anything, Fenrir?" Nathan asked.

    "I''m not really interested in books. But if I have to spend some time here, it''s better if I read the record of all strongest familiars that have been recorded."

    "I have it." Unlike Anubis, Charlotte only brought a single book. "This is the record from their species to what they''re capable of. This book only containsbat familiar. If we include those who are focusing on other fields, there are going to be a lot more."

    "No need. I''m satisfied with this book." Fenrir snatched the book with his mouth and immediately followed Anubis.

    Charlotte smiled. She turned to Nathan and asked, "Is there anything you would like to know in particr?"

    "There is one thing. I want to know more about alien history."

    "Did they not teach you anything about it?"

    "They did, but I need the detailed record. It''s even better if there is a record about the time when aliens first invaded this world."

    "If that''s the case¡­" Charlotte came to him and whispered with a seductive tone. "¡­how about I teach you personally?"

    Her voice made him feel goosebumps. While looking away, he asked, "Can you stop seducing me?"

    "So you don''t want to?"

    "I''m just asking, not rejecting."

    "What an honest boy. How cute." Charlotte had a sly smile on her face. However, her face soon turned serious. "Let''s see. First of all, what do you think was happening before the aliens invaded us?"

    Nathan stopped. From everything he had learned on Earth, there was only one thing that would happen before the aliens invaded this world.

    "The humans were fighting each other." Nathan answered with no hesitation.

    Even Charlotte looked surprised. "Correct. Before the aliens invaded this world, the world was in turmoil. Humans fighting with each other. A lot of people were dying from famine and sickness. It was one hell of a world.

    "There were four kingdoms that dominated thend. The Ancient Irisvial Kingdom had ruled the north for over two centuries. They were the youngest among them, but also the fiercest. They forced their citizens to fight and expanded their border to the point where they could rule a third of the world within that short amount of time.

    "The one who was opposing the north was the Ancient Rodokhaune Kingdom. They were inviting all sorts of talented men to work for them, creating a utopia that progressed the world''s technology.

    "The third kingdom ruled the west, the Azilia Kingdom. They were the smallest kingdom out of the four, but they were the most robust. Their citizens were happy, and their soldiers were fairly strong. Even though they were not the ''most,'' they had a good bnce of everything. As a proof, the Azilia Kingdom was the only one that survived to this day.

    "Last but not least, the kingdom of the south, who was the first one to get devoured by the aliens. From what I''ve heard, the current north is known as the Land of Death. However, the originalnd of death was actuallying from the south. The current north was just an imitation of thatnd.

    "And it could be said that the south was much more terrifying than the currentnd of death in the south. This kingdom had one absolute ruler, and instead of a king, the leader chose to call himself Asura."

 Chapter 157: Aliens (Bonus)

    Nathan sucked a cold breath.

    The four ancient kingdoms. The Azilia Kingdom turned out to be one of them. He couldn''t help but ask, "What deeds did they do to earn that nickname?"

    She shook her head helplessly. "It was unimaginable. They were like barbarians. They ruled with strength, not caring about anyone else.

    "Someone didn''t like your boots, and they could kill you out of nowhere. Only those who were strong could survive. Whether you liked it or not, someone could enter your house and kill you without being punished.

    "When Asura came and governed thatnd, he killed all his enemies. There was no mercy for those who opposed him.

    "One time, there was a huge city of 200,000 people opposing him. He killed 50,000 of their soldiers. The rest surrendered, and what did he do to them? He beheaded every single one of them, no matter if they were elderly, females, or children.

    "That kind of mentality made them the most feared nation among the four. They knew that the first thing the other three kingdoms had to do when they invaded was to ensure they could win. If they couldn''t, it would be best to just surrender without a fight.

    "It was said that Asura was responsible for over twelve million deaths in his life. And he was only 35 years old when the alien attacked."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. He could imagine the devastation Asura would bring the moment once he came.

    He never thought that a single man would cause all that at such a young age.

    "ording to the record left behind by the survivors of the Asura Kingdom, a ck giant hole emerged in the sky. After that, a conglomeration of glowing, iridescent spheres emerged from that giant hole.

    "Those spheres looked to pulse and shift constantly, defying any clear or fixed form. It was only for a moment, but the appearance of those spheres scared the entire Asura Kingdom.

    "After that, numerous aliens fell from the sky and started terrorizing thend. From an alien smaller than a human to one that could crush an entire city by itself¡­ all of them came and destroyed the Asura Kingdom.

    "You have to remember that they didn''t have anything like Ena back then. The Asura led his troops and fought all the aliens that came in their way, but it was useless.

    "There were aliens that couldn''t be pierced even with a ballista or destroyed with a trebuchet.

    "However, the world once again realized the strength of the Asura Kingdom. Despite such an overwhelming disadvantage, they also managed to kill more than eighty thousand aliens. While they were mostly proto-ss and juvenile ss aliens, it halted their advance for a few years.

    "The aliens they buried those few yearsid the foundation of the new alliance and the survival of this world.

    "Even so, the alliance couldn''t do anything against those aliens because of their overwhelming physical advantages."

    Nathan''s eyes were wide open, as if he couldn''t believe what he just heard.

    "Yog-Sothoth?!" Nathan gasped.

    "Yog¡ªwhat?" The Fairy Queen tilted her head in confusion. "Do you know what being is it? Now that I think about it, you are from a different world. Does your world have that kind of knowledge?"

    Nathan looked down for a moment, contemting. ''Yog-Sothoth is most known as the Gate and the Key. It is known to have vast knowledge and can manipte time and space. With that description and the knowledge about his power, there are no other Outer Gods that can actually fulfill this role.

    ''In other words, the aliens are indeeding from that series. Does that mean I have to fight against those Outer Gods such as Azathoth or Nyathotep?''

    Nathan couldn''t help but wonder if that was possible, even with the divine beasts by his side. No, this world might be the key. If his divine beasts could grow even stronger and match their strength, there was a chance he could rival them.

    There was one more thing that didn''t make sense.

    ''If Outer Gods exist, that means the knowledge about aliens humanity possesses is not enough. In addition, those aliens are being assisted by symbiote. No, wait. Are those Outer Gods getting controlled by the symbiotes?

    ''If I think about this, doesn''t that mean there are more symbiotes that are so strong they are basically equal to the Outer Gods? Something like an apex ss symbiote. What we currently know is up to elite ss symbiote.''

    When he thought about the possibility of those Outer Gods being controlled, Nathan realized what kind of being he had to be prepared for.

    "Hello? Do you hear me? What is this Yog-Sothoth?" Charlotte frowned. "If you know something, please share it with me. I can update the information so that I can get a better understanding about those aliens."

    "Ah!" Nathan snapped. "It''s nothing."

    Charlotte frowned beforeing closer to Nathan, pinning him on the wall. "Come on, Handsome. Why don''t you start talking about it?"

    find-more-stories-on-MVLeMpYr

    Nathan shook his head. "If the one in front of me is your real body, I might consider it, but for now, it''s best not to say anything about it."

    Charlotte didn''t like the answer, but there was really nothing she could do. She said, "You have promised you will summon my real body, right? Right? Right?!"

    Her gaze was intense and desperate. It was as if she would do something insane if he didn''t fulfill his promise.

    "I know, I know. I''ll definitely summon you. I promise." Nathan waved his hand. "How about continuing the story?"

    Charlotte didn''t really like to continue because Nathan kept the information for himself. But if he annoyed him, she might never learn anything. It seemed she could onlyply.

    "Well, once the alliance was built, it was at that time they discovered how to summon beings from other worlds as well.

    "The aliens didn''t bring devastation alone. They also brought hope to fight back. Those cores contained the Ena that could be devoured by humans.

    "Thus, the first generation of summoners was born. The twelve strongest summoners that repelled those aliens and created a stalemate between humans and aliens were known as 12 Heroes."

 Chapter 158: Nathans Choice

    "12 heroes, huh?" Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought.

    "Yes. The 12 heroes share the knowledge about the summoning ritual as well as the awakening of Ena to the world.

    "They used their power to stop the invasion of the aliens. Their sacrifice allowed the world to gain ground and continue fighting the aliens.

    "Out of the twelve heroes, I believe there are four people who are known to have inherited their strength. The first is the man who is known as the Dragon King. He has the same draconian as the Draconic Hero.

    "The second person is the current king of the Azilia Kingdom. Then again, one of those twelve hailed from the Azilia Kingdom, so it''s not weird to have one from this kingdom.

    "The third person is the pope of the Holy Kingdom. He has received the blessing of the first saintess.

    "The fourth person is that man in the north. Although I haven''t confirmed it, he must have gotten an item from the Death Hero, who happens to be one of Asura''s illegitimate sons.

    "However, don''t be too fixated on the word ''hero'' because there are plenty of people whose strength has rivaled those twelve heroes or even surpassed them."

    Nathan nodded in understanding.

    "That''s all about the story. Do you want to know anything else? I''m personally curious about what you mean by Yog-Sothoth."

    Nathan smiled wryly. Before he could say something, Fenrir suddenly shouted, "I want to fight all of them."

    His voice was so loud that even Anubis was startled.

    "Fenrir. You''re not supposed to make a loud noise in the library." Nathan ced his finger in front of his lips, implying he needed to be quiet.

    Charlotte chuckled and said, "I don''t mind. There is no one else except for me usually."

    Fenrir ignored their remarks and simply said excitedly, "Oi. Let''s summon these people. I want to fight them. They look strong, so it must be exciting to fight them. I want to fight, but Anubis is not my match, while thatzy Nidhogg doesn''t want to move. What''s going to be your fourth familiar?"

    "You''re talking too early. I just have summoned Nidhogg, so it''s too early to talk about the fourth familiar. Well, I do n to have five familiars by the time I reach the second year, but it''s still too early."

    "What''s the familiar you have in mind?" Fenrir''s expression brightened. "We need someone who can act as a vanguard like me."

    "That''s true." Nathan thought for a moment before pointing at Fenrir. "You and Nidhogge from Norse Mythology. Anubis originates from Egyptian Mythology. I think I want a change. At the very least, the next familiar won''te from both mythologies. Let''s see¡­ Maybe I will go with Greek Mythology or go entirely to the east.

    "There are a lot of mythical beasts in the eastern mythologies. I personally want an auspicious beast because of this luck of mine, like Pixiu, Qilin, or Baxia. But there are also divine beasts who are strong fighters.

    "I will just choose one of them, depending on our circumstances and what kind of item we can get to summon the next familiar.

    "I mean, it will be better if I have familiars for all terrains like a desert, swamp, sea, and so on. Hence, I haven''t made my decision yet. Maybe after the next event, I will use the next three months to summon another beast.

    "This way, I will have four familiars before the upperssman can challenge us. That''s my idea." Nathan exined.

    "That sounds good. I guess I will be patient." Fenrir sighed and went back to the book.

    Nathan smiled wryly. In the end, this was just a n. He knew that all his ns never worked, so he would just improvise on the fly as usual.

    Nathan turned back to Charlotte. "There are several things I want to ask."

    Considering he was in the presence of the most knowledgeable person in this world, it would be better to know everything he was confused about, starting with Selena.

    "Do you know how to deal with a noble that has been kicked out of the family?"

    Charlotte frowned. "That''s a hard question. There are tracking experts, but it seems this matter is quiteplex."

    "That''s true." Nathan described everything he knew about Selena. Unfortunately, he didn''t know about her father going missing or the details about it, so he only discussed the problem with the acting count.

    Charlotte crossed her arms. "Isn''t that rather simple? The moment she summons the vampire progenitor, the bnce will tip off. She looks like she is smart enough to figure out how to handle her own family, so I don''t think you need to worry."

    "Is that so?" Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Then how about a familiar whose summon is iplete because the summoner rushed the summoning ritual? For example, the familiar didn''t have a mount he was supposed to have."

    "As I said previously, the chants and the summoning circle have been improved continuously. The fact that the summon was iplete meant there were problems with the summoning circle. That was why it was suggested to summon a familiar in a safe environment." Charlotte frowned. "Are you trying to do such a thing?"

    "No." Nathan scratched the back of his head before changing the topic. "How about telling me a way to improve? With your strength and experience, giving solid advice shouldn''t be a problem, right? It''s not like I''m asking you to pick a technique book for me."

    "I see. I have watched your fight, so I can understand what kind of fighting style you have." She thought for a moment before raising her finger. A sphere suddenly formed on top of her finger and started circling around her finger and gradually moved toward her arm and body.

    "I think this should be it. You should form a sphere and move it around like this, from a horizontal movement to a universal movement.

    "Your explosive attack is also quite unstable. Once you''re able to move the sphere all around your body, you can start changing the rotation of your sphere. Once you master it, you can actually use the explosive attack more urately. Do you have time to spend here?"

    "I can probably stay for another three days." Nathan nodded.

    "In that case, I will fix your form a bit and the way to manipte your Ena in the next three days."

 Chapter 159: Return

    As Nathan said, he was training with Charlotte for the next three days.

    Fenrir got bored because he had nothing to do, so he didn''t bother to apany Nathan for the next three days.

    On the other hand, Anubis did his best to learn this technique. Even though he was a Divine Beast and his control over Ena was quite good, he struggled a bit learning the synchronization.

    He had never done something like that, so it was just him learning from scratch.

    Fortunately, his foundation was extremely high. He could master the technique in two days. At the same time, it didn''t change the fact that his Ena wasn''t high. All the Ena came from Nathan, so he had to be patient to utilize the true power of this synchronization, at least until he got more Ena.

    Still, the one who improved the most was Nathan. Nathan might not have a high absorption rate, but that didn''t mean his talent was bad.

    Due to the different perspective he had from another world, he actually followed Charlotte''s teaching in his own style.

    The first time he replicated the sphere training, he actually controlled that sphere like a ping pong ball.

    Once he got used to it, he started ying the sphere like a basketball. The training''s purpose was to get ustomed to the Ena flow.

    He could already use the curving bullets, but this training just improved his control even further. In fact, Nathan managed to create a moreplex movement like a zigzag.

    Sadly, time passed by. Before he knew it, three days had passed.

    "You have promised me you will summon my real body, right? You won''t take back your words, right?" Charlotte crossed her arms.

    "Ahaha. Of course, I''ll fulfill my promise. I''ll persuade my teacher to summon you, and if she doesn''t want to do it, I will do my best to convince someone else who is worthy of your presence to summon you." Nathan nodded, assuring her.

    Charlotte let out a long sigh. "Alright. I trust you. As for the vampire, I think it will be a good idea to let her drink your blood once or twice a week. Let her drink the rest from her own summoner.

    "As I mentioned previously, you could improve her talent, but it doesn''t mean she can neglect her own personal growth. Her summoner should be the main supplier of blood so that she can fully utilize her potential."

    "Alright." Nathan nodded. What Charlotte didn''t know was that he would probably get some ''benefits'' from Risa. After all, she wouldn''t believe it if he said he could give her the opportunity to be a vampire progenitor.

    Charlotte nodded. "In that case, please take care of that hairpin."

    "I will. Anyway, I will take my leave here. Thank you very much for dispelling a lot of my doubts. You even take your time to improve my ability." Nathan smiled.

    Charlotte waved her hand. "I don''t mind as long as you fulfill your promise. It''s been a good three days. Please take care."

    "Yep." Nathan waved his hand as Charlotte sent him back to the surface. The intense heat and scorching air reminded him he was still in the middle of the desert.

    Fortunately, he didn''t have to torture himself anymore. He simply summoned Nidhogg and flew back to the city.

    ¡­

    Frexia Academy.

    Selena''s expression turned solemn as she was standing in the most important room of the academy.

    "Hoho. For what reason would a cute first-year studente to me?" An old man asked. His white hair was long, simr to his beard. Unlike their first meeting, the old man was wearing a proper robe that looked simple, yet elegant.

    "I want to make a deal."

    "A deal? With me? Do you think you have the position to make a deal with me?"

    "If you don''t even have any interest in me, then you wouldn''t even meet me." Selena shook her head.

    "Interesting." He stroked his beard.

    "I know you''re going to watch the next event. After watching the performance, I want you to be my teacher if you deem me worthy. You don''t even have to acknowledge me as your student in front of everyone. As long as you teach me, I''m satisfied."

    "Me? Your teacher? Do you know how many people want me to be their teacher? Are you so arrogant that you think nobody like you can be my student?"

    "The Dragon King told me that if ''that person'' didn''t make me his disciple by the end of the next event, I better pick another person as my teacher. I''ve been contemting who the person he mentioned is. And that''s when I came to a conclusion.

    "In this academy, there is only one person whose abilities are simr to mine. And that is you, the principal of the Frexia Academy, the man who is known as the great sage, Leyfon Haygaiden."

    Leyfon squinted his eyes. "If you already know that, you should have shut your mouth and waited for that moment. There is no need toe to me. Are you a fool?"

    "No." She shook her head. "I don''t like something uncertain. I''d rather know that I have no chance than wait without knowing anything."

    Leyfon looked into her eyes and asked, "For what reason do you want to confront me like this? So that your family won''t dare to touch you?"

    "That''s a part of the reason, but that is just an end I can achieve when I have the means." Selena raised one finger. "I''m just afraid that I won''t be able to keep up."

    "Keep up, huh? With Vivian''s boy?"

    Selena didn''t confirm it, but it was already clear.

    "Do you think you can impress me? That sweeping force might be quite powerful, but they are not enough to impress me. Your talent in Ena Maniption is simr to mine, but don''t you think your arrogance will be your own downfall?"

    "In this world, everything can be taken away if you are not strong enough." Selena clenched her hands. She knew this fact more than anyone else. If she was stronger, no one dared to sit in her father''s position. If she had the strength, she would have searched for her father. "That''s why this is not arrogance. This is my desperation."

    "!!!" Leyfon widened his eyes, seeing the shadow of his younger self in Selena. But unlike her, he didn''t have the courage to do it. Leyfon shut his eyes as a smile appeared on his face. "Interesting."

 Chapter 160: A Gift (Bonus)

    After a long journey, Nathan finally returned to the academy. Obviously, the person he visited first was none other than his teacher.

    "It seems you managed to enter the library."

    Nathan smiled. "Teacher. Who was actually the elder you referred me to?"

    Vivian looked surprised before her eyes shifted to the side. "That person is known for his divination. He is just a crazy old man, but every time he divines your future, he sacrifices his own lifespan to take a peek at your destiny. Even though you say he''s an elder, he is only 60 years old." -content

    "60? He looked like he was over a hundred years old." Nathan''s eyes were wide open.

    "Yeah." Vivian shrugged. "Anyway, let''s just say that his divination is mostly urate. Just remember it. If you don''t¡­"

    Vivian abruptly stopped. Alisha could only shake her head helplessly as if knowing what happened.

    "Anyway, if you are done, you should go back to your room and get some rest. You should get a good result in the next event because it''s important."

    "Important? You finally want to talk about it."

    Vivian shook her head. "I''m not talking about it. You still remember what the principal said about the facilities of the Frexia Academy, right? There are better rooms, but you will have to earn it yourself."

    "I remember."

    "The event will be linked directly to it. Now that the students have summoned more than two familiars, you should start thinking about a new room," Vivian exined.

    "How do I get those rooms? Do I need to win or something?"

    "There are two ways. Those rooms can either be exchanged for your contribution to the academy or earned as a reward."

    "I see." Nathan fell into deep thought. Earning this type of room would definitely be one of his goals. His current room was already small, let alone when he wanted to summon another familiar in a few months.

    It seemed he had to be the champion at the next event.

    "Before I take my leave, there is something I would like to give you, Master." Nathan took out a butterfly hairpin from his bag.

    "Hmm?" Vivian frowned. "A merchandise?"

    "I have something else for merchandise, but this is not." Nathan shook his head. "This is what I get from the fairy queen Charlotte. She entrusts to me an item that can summon her."

    "!!!" Vivian was taken aback. "What did you say?"

    "You didn''t hear it wrong. It''s an item that can summon the fairy queen. Of course, you need a considerable amount of Ena to do it.

    "She thinks I''m worthy to summon her, but because of my circumstances, I believe you are the better option. Your familiars are simr to the fairy queen, so it won''t be weird if you manage to summon her.

    "And with her knowledge, she can also assist you with your research. Last but not least, I believe you can get even stronger.

    "You have always mentioned that you are unable to consider yourself equal to the likes of the principal or the Dragon King. As your student, it is only right for me to repay your kindness. I wish you don''t have to be scared of those people anymore because you can be their equal next time." Nathan smiled.

    Alisha covered her mouth, staring at the hairpin with a shocked expression. She couldn''t believe Nathan would actually give something like this. It hadn''t even been three months since he became her student.

    "A strong teacher is a good backer of the student. I hope you don''t reject this," added Nathan.

    "Young Master. Do you know what you have in your hand right now? Do you know its worth? Do you know what kind of existence the fairy queen is?" Alisha asked, almost biting her tongue.

    "Sort of." Nathan nodded. "And that''s exactly the reason I believe my decision is correct."

    "I don''t think I have done anything that garners this kind of repayment." Vivian frowned.

    "Hahaha. I''m not going to convince you. Then again, if you don''t want to summon her, I have promised the fairy queen that I have to find a worthy summoner. I guess I have to go around with this important item and¡ª" Nathan abruptly stopped when Vivian grabbed the hairpin.

    "I''m not saying I don''t want to summon her. Rather than let them get it, I''m the only one who can fully utilize the power of the fairy queen." Vivian took a deep breath. "You truly make me feel ashamed for being your teacher, you know that?"

    "Haha. I believe you are a fair person. Also, this is herst message. You need to summon her at the beginning of the spring. Because the summer is around the corner, we have to wait for the next spring to summon her. And also, you need to summon her under the moonlight."

    Vivian nodded, taking notes about the summoning condition. If she messed up, she would be aughingstock.

    Unbeknownst to her, these conditions were just something Nathan made up not long ago.

    If Vivian summoned the fairy queen immediately, he would definitely be overwhelmed due to her obsession with him.

    However, once he reached the second year, the situation would be vastly different. Not only would his Ena grow much higher, which would give him a better soul contract, but he would also have summoned five divine beasts.

    He wouldn''t be overwhelmed by the fairy queen anymore this way.

    He had promised the fairy queen to summon her, but he never specified the date. Even the fairy queen wouldn''t get angry to wait for another year.

    Vivian looked at the hairpin and walked to Nathan. She whispered, "If you win the next event, you will get a big room. However, the main event will be once the upperssmen can challenge you to the summoners war.

    "With the difference in strength, you can actually fight them in a group and request a small building with a courtyard for the bet. If you win, you get the building, which has multiple rooms and a courtyard, not only for you but also for your group."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes. Vivian certainly knew what kind of group he would form. She basically told him how to get a ''love nest'' as quickly as possible.

    Both Nathan and Vivian smirked as they gave thumbs up to each other. Alisha facepalmed as she couldn''t believe that Nathan had actually influenced not only his beasts but also his master.

 Chapter 161: Stopped

    After he left Vivian''s office, he obviously had one thing to do. It was to visit Selena.

    Before he could meet Selena, there was actually one person standing in his way. It wasn''t Selena''s brother.

    It was venya.

    It had been almost two weeks since he tricked them, so it wouldn''t be weird for her to have arrived at the academy. In fact, she was already wearing the school uniform in front of him.

    "What is this? Are you trying to show off your uniform?" Nathan''s expression turned solemn.

    Considering the other party had a trace of anger in her eyes, it was obvious what she was nning to say. Instead of ying dumb, Nathan immediately admitted he was the one who did all the work.

    venya looked like a changed woman. She was normally wearing less clothes because it would hinder her movement. At the same time, it also showed her well-developed muscles.

    After entering the school, the shirt covered her abs, the blouse hid her muscr arms, and the skirt toned down her developed curve.

    Still, the fierceness in her eyes remained. The feeling of getting stared at by a beast made Nathan''s body feel tense.

    venya never directed it to Nathan before, so feeling it first hand made Nathan''s heart beat rapidly.

    venya bit her lips. "You have tricked my father. Do you think I will let you have a peaceful time in this academy?"

    "Have I?" Nathan made a yful smile. "But I have fulfilled my promise to the Dragon King by giving the dragon blood. This way, you can summon a draconian like your father. Instead of directing your anger at me, shouldn''t you thank me?"

    Nathan extended his hand as if giving her a chance to shake his hand. "Come. Shake my hand. You don''t have to bow to me or lower your head to express your gratitude. I''m a magnanimous person."

    "You¡­" venya gnashed her teeth. She stomped the ground and came closer, ring at Nathan.

    "What''s wrong? Ah. You must have rejected the dragon blood." Nathan smirked. "As I expected, how cute."

    venya''s body trembled. She had never thought that it was Nathan''s n that made her reject the blood. It was as if she had been ying in his hand this whole time.

    At the same time, if she took that blood, it was the same as acknowledging his existence.

    venya clenched her hands into fists as if she were trying to punch Nathan.

    "That''s not good. You can''t harm me in this academy, at least not yet." Nathan chuckled. He annoyed her even further by showing his right cheek and tapping it a few times. "Here. If you want to hit it. But remember that hitting my cheek will also smear the reputation of your father."

    venya, of course, knew this fact, but Nathan made a truly punchable face, which made it hard for her to hold back.

    Seeing her face red from anger, Nathan added, "Well, it seems my n doesn''t work. I wonder what you will do in the future. I rmend you take that dragon blood and summon a draconian because I hope you are getting weaker because of that decision.

    "After all, I don''t want you to summon a monkey king who is Heaven''s equal." Nathan grinned. powered-by-MvLeMpYr

    venya was visibly shaken. This information was priceless. She didn''t know whether what he said was true or not, but if there was indeed a monkey that strong, even her father''s draconian would be inferiorpared to the monkey.

    At the same time, if she actually bit this bait, it was the same as admitting she had lost.

    venya became even more shaken than she thought. She initially wanted to threaten Nathan and get into his mind so that he wouldn''t get a peaceful sleep.

    However, Nathanpletely yed her. It was clear Nathan had indeed schemed her father. It was just¡­ she couldn''t do anything. There were still three months before she could challenge him.

    Nathan said, "I know you''re going to challenge me in three months, but do you think I will ept it?"

    "Are you even a man? You don''t dare to ept my challenge?" venya gritted her teeth.

    "All I see is that you are using your own strength to bully me. You should know that we are one year apart, and you also have the Dragon King to train you. Do you think that''s fair?"

    "There is nothing fair in this world."

    "In that case, I am no fool to ept something that is not fair." Nathan shook his head. "I''m unlike you, who is easily manipted."

    venya bit her lips.

    "However, I might ept that challenge if¡­" Nathan stopped.

    "If what? What do you want?" venya red at him, pressing him.

    Nathan simply spoke. "If the wager is tempting."

    "The wager¡­ What do you want? Just say it!" venya was frustrated. As long as she could beat him, she wouldn''t lose that wager and could humiliate Nathan at the same time.

    With her strength, she had confidence that Nathan wouldn''t be able to best her.

    Nathan raised one finger. "The building with a courtyard. You are a second year student, so it''s obvious you have heard about it, right?"

    venya had heard about it. Her room was simr to the first-year student, but she definitely could change her room once she made some contributions.

    Hence, it was possible for her to achieve all that within the next three months.

    "Fine. I will get that building and put it as a wager."

    Nathan smiled. Vivian had just told him about the vi. Nathan used that information to immediately scam venya for it.

    It would be a hard battle, but he could get that building as long as he won.

    He wanted to add a condition about her not leaving the academy, which was to fulfill her father''s request and to influence her to summon Sun Wukong, but it could wait. He didn''t want her to think this was a huge trap.

    The moment she epted, Nathan grinned as he said, "Do you know your father has made a bet with me he will marry his daughter if you end up troubling me in the academy? This way, you can''t beat me up, or else it will look bad for your family, especially your father."

    "Huh?" venya was so shocked that her jaw fell to the ground.

    "Of course, I''m joking. Hahaha!" Nathanughed out loud as he ran away.

    "You¡ª!" venya wanted to say something, but the other party was already far away. Her hands clenched so hard that her nails almost made her palm bleed. She wanted to let out that frustration, but there was simply nothing she could do. "Just you wait! I''m going to beat you up in three months!"

 Chapter 162: A Deal

    "It took a while, but I''ve finally returned." Nathan waved his hand.

    Selena rushed at him and scanned his body from top to bottom, looking worried. "I thought something happened to you."

    "Haha. Don''t worry about it. How about you? You definitely have made some progress, right?"

    "Yes." Selena nodded.

    "That''s great. Are you nning to summon the jiangshi? You should have gotten the items from the Dragon King by now¡­"

    "Indeed. They arrived three days ago." Selena raised one finger. "Actually, I want to wait for you so that you can witness it as well."

    "Is this so that you can hold me ountable when you don''t end up with the jiangshi?" Nathan chuckled.

    "No way. Why do you think like that?" Selena pouted.

    "Haha. I''m sorry. I can''t help but tease you."

    Selena fell silent for a moment before sighing. "I''m nning to summon the jiangshi tomorrow. You should get some rest for today."

    "Alright. How about the mission? Have you chosen a mission?"

    "Yeah. I''m nning to take on a mission near the border with a lot of aliens and a high reward. The mission doesn''t have a time limit, so we can depart in two or three days.

    "And in this mission, there is something I''d like to propose." Selena''s expression turned serious. "For this mission, I''d like to propose a split between me and you to 2:8. In other words, you get eight cores while I only get two."

    "What?" Nathan obviously couldn''t ept this. "I refuse. There''s no way this is fair. We''ll split like usual."

    "Please listen to me first." Selena shook her head. "I know that this doesn''t sound fair, but trust me, this is fair. There are two reasons I propose this split.

    "First of all, I know how much you need cores. I do indeed want to help you because I can get a lot of Ena from even a single core. I don''t intend to demean you."

    Nathan frowned. "But you can sell the cores for money. I''m sure you need some money."

    "No. Currently, I don''t have any trouble with money. I have all the equipment I need to fight, so I''m not desperate right now.

    "On the other hand, if you get a lot of cores, you will have a lot more Ena, which also increases our chance to win the event.

    "Well, I can''t deny I also want to pay you back for all the kindness and help you''ve given so far.

    "As for the second reason, I''d like to ask something. There is a new technique that I''m currently working on. I want your opinion about it so that I can do it better.

    "This technique will be our trump card against anyone else in the event." Of course, this technique was also her way of challenging the principal. If she was able to master this technique, even the principal had no choice but to acknowledge her.

    Nathan thought for a moment. It looked like a fair trade. At the same time, there was no reason for Selena to pay him back or ask for his advice.

    She just made a reason so that he would agree with the split.

    Nathan noticed one more thing. "I''m sure this is not the only reason, right?"

    Selena looked down and rubbed her cheek. "Actually, there is one more reason. I don''t really have anything to pay you for your blood. I''m sure that Risa will need it. As her summoner, I have the obligation to feed her blood so that her strength could grow.

    MVLeMpYr-unofficial-chapter

    "However, that''s not enough." Selena shook her head. "That''s why this is just the first step. I''ll look for another way to repay you."

    Nathan gave a sly smile. "Actually, there is one way to repay me."

    "There is?"

    "Yeah. Live with me."

    "Huh?" Selena tilted her head in confusion. She asked, "What do you mean by living with you?"

    "First of all, I don''t want you to misunderstand my intention."

    "You said it in such a way that it''s easy to misunderstand, and you expected me not to misunderstand?" Selena squinted her eyes.

    "Hehe." Nathan looked away. "Anyway, I have a n to get a ce that will also include a courtyard. Since it will have several rooms, you can actually live with me there.

    "This way, we can meet each other pretty easily. In the courtyard, we can practice together. Besides, it''ll be much easier to discuss our n, the mission we will go together, and other things." Nathan exined.

    It was indeed a great n, but Selena could see through two hidden ns. Selena said, "You might have worded it that way, but the fact that it has several rooms means you''re nning to bring in more people, aren''t you? And let me guess, women?"

    Nathan''s body tensed up.

    "And the fact that I have to leave my ce and stay with you means that if I want to go back, I have to start from the beginning again. In other words, you are going to trap me in a way so that I won''t leave you."

    Nathan''s back was drenched in sweat. Selena truly knew him the most.

    Selena crossed her arms and stared into Nathan''s eyes. She closed her eyes for a moment before saying, "Alright. Let''s go with your n."

    "Eh? You actually agree¡­"

    "What? You want me to reject your idea?"

    "No¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    "I have my own thoughts about this matter, but I don''t want to share them with you right now. Let''s just say I''m angry right now. At the very least, you are honest with me, so¡­" Selena raised one finger. "Rather than letting you sneakily do it, it''s better to openly control your limits. If those ces will allow me to see who they are, it will be easier to mur¡­ I mean, talk to them."

    Nathan''s heart skipped a beat. Selena''s expression was dark, as if she was ready to murder someone.

    "Anyway, let''s go back. You must be tired after a long trip." Selena dragged him back to the dorm.

    But before they entered, Nathan abruptly stopped as he said, "Actually, I have something to say to Risa. Can you summon her?"

 Chapter 163: Offering His Blood

    Selena crossed her arms while leaning on her door. She was inside her room, but her expression lookedplicated.

    On the other hand, Risa was sitting on Nathan''s bed as he exined, "I''m thinking about letting you suck me once every week. What do you think?"

    "Can I really do that? I''ll be grateful." Risa nodded. There was no way she would reject this offer.

    "Yes. However, aftering to the ancient library, there is a new hypothesis regarding my blood." Nathan raised one finger, his expression turning solemn.

    Risa gulped down, listening to him seriously. Her body tensed up. She knew what Nathan wanted, and she believed she had prepared for this.

    To her surprise, Nathan dropped a bomb, a very big one. "My blood seems to be able to make you a royalty or even a progenitor with enough time. ording to the fairy queen, you can actually be a duchess after a month or two."

    Risa was dumbstruck. What did she just hear? She had epted her fate to only reach her full potential as a countess, but that changed when Nathan transformed her not long ago.

    And this time, he imed he could make her a duchess within two months? It didn''t even stop there. He even imed she could be a royal or even a progenitor. How could she believe this?

    "Are you ying with me?" Risa licked her lips, having a hard time holding back her drool. This temptation was simply too big. Even if Selena poured the resources to her, she didn''t think she would go beyond her current rank. It was hard to believe Nathan had the ability. At the same time, he had shown enough proof.

    "I''m not ying with you. That is only a prediction. My blood might need more time to let you evolve to a duchess, or this might not be true at all. Nevertheless, I think it''s worth the shot."

    Risa''s arms were shaking. Her face looked more and more desperate. "Are you sure?"

    Nathan nodded. "And this is why I want to talk to you. First of all, I hope you don''t tell this information to Selena. I''m just afraid that if she ends up knowing you can be a progenitor, it will just drop her motivation in summoning Lilith.

    "The second reason is that it''s not proven yet. Of course, I want to make you stronger. After all, it will make Selena and our team stronger.

    "The third reason is to put some conditions."

    "Conditions¡­" Risa could easily agree with the first two reasons. As for the third reason, Risa looked down and started reaching for her button.

    As if realizing what she was nning to do, Nathan grabbed her hands and said, "Stop it."

    "But¡­" Risa''s hands were shaking. There was no way she would let this opportunity go.

    Nathan simply shook his head. "I know when is the appropriate time, and when is not. I want you to agree to three simple conditions.

    "First, you will only suck me every week. That''s the limit. And you are unable to suck me if within that said week we are in the midst of a dangerous situation. Even though Anubis is there, it''ll be annoying if I''m weakened during that period.

    "Of course, if I deem it necessary to give you blood, I will do so without hesitation. After all, your strength is necessary."

    It was a reasonable condition. Risa furiously nodded. "I understand."

    "The second condition is to let me record every change in your body. This way, I can study about my own blood. I''m not talking about only vampires."

    "Ah! Are you wondering if your blood can affect other beings aside from vampires?"

    "Yes."

    "I understand. I''ll follow your instructions."

    "Last but not least, I want you to do something for me in the future. This is just a test, so I''ll only tell you about it in the future. I guarantee that this is something you can easily do, so you don''t have to worry about it."

    After listening to the third condition, Risa actually rose from her chair before falling to one knee.

    "Risa?" Nathan was taken aback by her sudden action.

    "You probably don''t understand how important one''s rank is among vampires. The rank canpletely change your entire life, but it doesn''t matter if you want to learn about it or not.

    "This is my oath to you. As long as you are together with my summoner, I will be your maid and consider you as my second master.

    "In this world, my heart and priority might belong to Selena, but my body will belong to you.

    "If I can really be a vampire progenitor, or at least see the potential of me bing a progenitor, I will do my best to fulfill anything you request."

    Nathan looked into her eyes before closing his own eyes, falling into deep thought. After a few seconds, Nathan said in a serious tone, "I understand. Thank you, Risa."

    Despite being able to be a duchess, Risa remained grateful to the one that gave her the opportunity. As if to remind herself to never be arrogant, she even swore to be his maid in this world.

    "No. It should be me who is thankful."

    "Still, you don''t have to beat yourself too much."

    "Ahaha. I''m just trying to avoid unnecessary conflicts. In the end, I can''t live in this world forever, nor can I give you the best gift I can offer. And I will do my best so that you two can always be together¡­ I mean, we three can always be together." find-more-stories-on-MVLeMpYr

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "You don''t have to do that."

    "Eh? But aren''t you trying to¡ª" Before she finished her words, Nathan cut her off with a stern tone. "No. It''s different. Even though my actions look that way, have I ever gone overboard?"

    "That''s¡­" Risa looked down. Now that she thought about it, Nathan acted within the limits. If he wanted Selena, he could probably be more aggressive.

    "I don''t n to be maniptive, at least for the rtionship."

    Risa smiled wryly. "I understand. I''ll respect your decision."

    "Alright." Nathan spread his arms with a smug smile. "Come. Just don''t suck me dry."

    "Your phrasing is always inviting misunderstanding." Risa shook her head helplessly but still came to the bed with her mouth wide open.

 Chapter 164: Jiangshi

    "Are you ready?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes." Selena nodded with a serious expression.

    "Alright." Nathan walked back, observing the summoning ritual with Fenrir and the others.

    Risa''s expression was grim as she wondered what kind of vampire Selena would summon.

    Selena raised her palm and began the ritual.

    "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Selena Ashton, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    The summoning circle started glowing, which took everyone''s attention except for Nathan and Fenrir.

    Nathan was closing his eyes as if he were praying. Fenrir couldn''t help but ask, "What are you doing?"

    "I''m just closing my eyes and emptying my mind. This is a great technique that might look like a conspiracy, but somehow very effective. When you close your eyes with an empty mind, the loading screen will be faster, and your chance of getting something you want somehow skyrockets." Nathan took a deep breath. MVLeMpYr-unofficial-chapter

    Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched. Nathan had just gone weirder and weirder by the day.

    Meanwhile, the summoning ritual had reached thest stage.

    As Nathan previously described, the jiangshi would have a clothing style that differed from anyone else in this world.

    She could see the circle hat on top of its head. The hair was long and braided to make it look neat.

    The more important thing would be the clothes. From the looks of it, the jiangshi had a rather thin build. However, the jiangshi was wearing oversized clothes.

    The humanoid figure suddenly raised its right leg to the top, showing its flexibility. Then, with a rather fierce yet gentle force, it stomped the ground, dispersing all the light and revealing his true appearance.

    Selena looked quite shocked. The jiangshi truly felt different. The man was wearing a court dress, so it was no wonder that it looked much bigger than his thin frame.

    However, Selena could feel the enormous Ena within his body. The jiangshi looked simr to a middle-aged man, but its skin was blue as though the blood had beenpletely drained from its body.

    Despite his age and skin color, the man had little wrinkles on his face. The only thing scary were the bloodshot eyes and the sharp teeth.

    The man fixed his long, flowing gown that extended to the ankles. He looked at Selena as if it were not disturbed by the talisman hanging on his forehead.

    He straightened his back and sped his hand to produce a very crispy sound that broke the silence. "Yin Zhen greets my summoner."

    His sound was deep but carried a trace of a powerful aura like that of a martial artist.

    Nathan opened his eyes wide when he heard the deep voice, looking disappointed, as if it didn''t work as he intended.

    "I''m Selena Ashton. I''m thankful for you epting my call." Selena nodded. "As you can see, this is not your world. I hope you can help me on my journey."

    "Ha!" Yin Zhen fell to one knee while his hands remained together.

    Selena couldn''t help but take a look at his status.

    Name: Yin Zhen

    Level: 57

    Race: Jiangshi

    Quality: Mid (High)

    Since the summoning waspleted and there was nothing they could do about it, Nathan couldn''t help but take a closer look at Yin Zhen.

    Yin Zhen felt a bit ufortable since he wasn''t familiar with the person next to his summoner.

    Nathan, on the other hand, asked, "I''m sorry if I sound rude, but can I ask you something? Do you jump instead of walking or running?"

    Yin Zhen tilted his head in confusion. "I''m not sure what you''re talking about, but I can walk and run with no problems. However, as a martial artist, I am most confident with my legs."

    "I see." Nathan nodded. He was a bit curious as to how powerful this jiangshi was, but he could test it another time. "How much Ena do you sacrifice to summon him?"

    "About 2,000 Ena." Selena exined.

    "2,000¡­" Nathan looked shocked. Selena didn''t even bat an eye when she used all that Ena to summon him.

    Selena said, "Anyway, we should get going. Our mission this time is involved near the frontline. In fact, we might end uping to the alien''s territory this time."

    "That''s true. Alright then." Nathan returned to grab his bag, only to find Fenrir with a brightened expression. "What are you doing, Fenrir?"

    "Can I fight him?" Fenrir pointed at the jiangshi. "He smells like that orc. He must be quite strong."

    Yin Zhen couldn''t help but hear their conversation. He frowned as if he were feeling challenged.

    Unfortunately, Nathan and Selena noticed what they were nning to do and said the same thing. "No. If you want to test each other''s power, do it during the mission."

    Both of them looked disappointed. Despite looking mature, Yin Zhen might actually be a martial maniac.

    "Alright. I will get back." Disappointed, Fenrir disappeared into thin air.

    Selena exined to Yin Zhen. "As you already know, this world has a lot of aliens. And this time, we''ll be hunting as many aliens as possible. Our true mission will depend on themander in charge.

    "I''m sorry if I can''t pronounce your name correctly, but I will do my best¡­ Yin Zhein."

    "Understood." Yin Zhen nodded. As he started disappearing, Yin Zhen said onest thing. "It''s Yin Zhen."

    Selena took a deep breath. She could feel the different types of Ena flowing in his body. Unlike her Ena, which was smooth and gentle, Yin Zhen''s Ena was fierce and explosive. She thought, ''Qi was it? Well, I''m sure it''s better to use Ena since it''s universally epted.''

    Since Yin Zhen looked like a vanguard, Selena turned to Risa. "You can focus on supporting us from the back. Your blood abilities will definitely be much more potent now that you can focus on utilizing them."

    "Yes." Risa nodded.

    Selena then turned to Nathan and grabbed her own bag. "We''ll be there for two weeks. I think that''s enough, right?"

    "Yeah. Let''s go."

 Chapter 165: Scouting Mission (Bonus)

    Nathan and Selena had reached the military camp. Compared to the one led by venya, the situation wasn''t any different.

    A lot of soldiers were injured, but the scale of this camp was muchrger than what they had seen.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to help them. Even Nathan had to conserve Anubis'' Ena, especially since Anubis could finally use Synchronization.

    Fortunately, the situation became easier with the soldierspared to the one with venya.

    The moment they saw the badge of the Frexia Academy, a soldier immediately approached them and led them right after he saw the letter.

    It only took them five minutes to actually reach themander''s tent.

    They could see themander, who happened to be a summoner, and fourteen of his officers.

    Looking at the map on the table with all the pieces scattered around, it was clear that they were in the middle of a meeting.

    Themander squinted his eyes as the soldier informed out loud, "These two are the summoners from the Frexia Academy."

    The officers were whispering to each other as if they were judging them, while themander calmly nodded.

    Themander then waved his hand, telling the officers to leave them for a moment. Only one officer actually remained inside the tent, as if he would y a role in their mission.

    "I am William. I''m thankful that you two havee all the way here." Themander nodded his head.

    Both Nathan and Selena could sense the Enaing from him. Despite being stronger than them as a summoner, themander didn''t look down on them.

    That was why Nathan and Selena politely nodded. Since this was the mission Selena picked, Nathan let Selena handle the rest.

    Selena stepped forth and introduced themselves. "I am Selena Ashton. With me here is Nathan. We have epted the mission that this army has posted at the Frexia Academy."

    "You havee at the perfect time." Themander nodded. "I happen to be in need of both of you right now.

    "Not long ago, we received the potential of a mature ss aliening toward us. That''s why I want you to work together with David to confirm and locate the mature ss alien."

    Nathan fell into deep thought while Selena exined, "Of course. Since wee here to help this army, we are prepared for the mission."

    "I''m thankful that you think this way." Themander pointed at the map. "This is our location. There is one more camp up south, which is the one informing us about the danger.

    "They only see a huge shadowing from a distance without being able to confirm its shape.

    "That shadow is moving toward our camp. That''s why I want you to go to the south and find out all their trails.

    "Currently, the southern camp can''t send forth their own forces because the aliens are actuallying at full force."

    Selena couldn''t help but ask, "Should we also check the southern camp?"

    "No. The southern camp has a lot more soldierspared to us, and theirmander is stronger than me. They can hold on if they want, but the problem is that they''re fully upied.

    "Hence, they want us to deal with the mature ss alien and the rest of the aliens that slip past them by ourselves.

    "That''s why the area will be flooded with aliens. And I want you to work with David so that he can find the mature ss."

    Selena looked at the map. The n was rather simple and reasonable. If there was indeed a mature ss alien, it would be troublesome. Themander would probably make his move once they found this alien, but if he recklessly left this ce and the camp was attacked, it would be devastating.

    Besides, their main objective in this mission was to kill the aliens and get a lot of cores for her and Nathan. So this situation was perfect.

    Selena looked at the map and asked, "I have one question. What will we do upon discovering the mature ss alien?"

    "As soon as you confirm its existence, immediately return to the camp. Unfortunately, the alien is not something you can handle."

    Selena was a bit confused as to why they would bring in a first year like them instead of a second year or even a third year, since they could handle the mature ss alien.

    Themander added, "As stated, the reward will be based on your result for the next two weeks. You will have the right to all cores from the aliens you kill in this period. Do you have any other questions?"

    Selena shook her head. "No. We will agree with your arrangement."

    Themander nodded, satisfied. "Alright. You two can go right away."

    Unbeknownst to them, the mission wouldn''t be as simple as they originally expected.

    As themander said, he had been dispatching all units in all directions to scout around the area so as to prevent any aliens froming to the human territory. hosted-on-NovelFire

    However, there was something different east of his camp.

    Two soldiers who were patrolling couldn''t help but notice an open cave hidden by vines.

    "Is there anyone talking about this cave?" asked one of them.

    "I don''t think so." The other shook his head. "We don''t have the torch or any equipment to explore this cave, so I suggest we mark it down and let the others do the exploration."

    "True." His partner nodded. He immediately turned around, going back to the original route, but when he was about to say another thing, he couldn''t find his friend. "Hey¡ª!"

    The guy was confused as he looked around and suddenly saw an alien. The tentacles on the alien''s head suddenly wrapped around his forehead, his cheek, and his neck.

    He struggled to break free as the tentacles on his neck were choking him, but the other tentacles started applying more pressure as the guy was ring at the alien with a tentacle covering his mouth.

    "Mmmfff!" The guy wanted to say something, but that was thest sound he made before his head exploded because of so much force from the tentacles.

    The alien grabbed the fallen body and dragged it back to the cave.

 Chapter 166: Learning

    "As themander said, I am David. I will tag along with you. I''ll grab my tool real quick and immediately head out. While I''m not as strong as a summoner, I promise I will not be a burden."

    Listening to David''s way of speaking made Selena realize how other summoners had treated themon people. David looked like he was detached from them, keeping the conversation minimum and getting ready for the summoner''s anger.

    However, Selena first nced at Nathan as if asking for help. While she had some knowledge and experience in dealing with politics, she didn''t know what to say to raise their morale.

    Nathan smiled before saying, "Thank you for epting us. We will be protecting you during the investigation, so you don''t have to worry about anything. However, if it''s not too much to ask, do you mind if we can ask a couple of questions?

    "We won''t bother you too much, but we are also aware of our inability to scout. I just hope that you can teach us a thing or two."

    Nathan remained polite and praised David. And to make him feel at ease, he proposed an exchange where both sides won.

    David looked surprised before nodding his head. "Alright. If you don''t mind me teaching you a few things, don''t hesitate to ask me any questions. It''ll only take a couple of minutes, so can you wait at the south entrance?" this-chapter-is-NovelFire

    "Of course." Nathan nodded.

    David immediately rushed back, realizing that the summoners this time were different.

    On the other hand, Selena sighed. "I really can''t handle it better than you."

    "Don''t worry. You have done a great job until now. Just like me learning from you, you are also learning from me." Nathan waved his hand.

    Selena nodded before asking, "But why would themander actually hire us? Considering the enemy is a mature ss, shouldn''t they search for a high ranking summoner? At least in their second year."

    "Everything is as simple as cost efficiency. Instead of letting the summoners take down the mature ss alien, they are finding the students to find that alien while they kill it. They use the rest of the money topensate the people who have fallen on the battlefield."

    Selena looked down for a moment. "But won''t it be dangerous for the students? After all, this is the mature ss alien we''re talking about."

    "Yes and no. First of all, if he is only seeking a first-year student, that means he wants them to be quite capable. That''s why he is sending the request to the Frexia Academy instead of any other academies. He even sends one of his officers to help ensure the sess of the mission."

    "I see. That means we are only escorts."

    "Yep. That''s why this is the perfect time to ask him to teach us about scouting. If we can do it ourselves, we can solve simr problems in the future."

    As David said, it didn''t take him too long to grab his bag. He immediately led them into the forest, where they were fighting the aliens.

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "What is the situation in this ce? It doesn''t seem like it''s peaceful."

    "Yeah. The aliens are actually running rampant recently. We are unsure about it, but we have lost more peoplepared to usual," David exined. "Most of the time, the southern camp will take care of most of the aliens while the people here are training by killing a few aliens at a time."

    "Is it only because of the aliens? No other reasons like natural disasters or terrain?" Selena asked.

    "Nope. The forest is quite wet, so it doesn''t burn easily. If you look at these trees¡­" David pointed up. The trees were thick and tall, so it was clear that the aliens wouldn''t have an easy time destroying them.

    "Is this type of terrain good to fight the aliens?" Nathan asked.

    "Yes and no. We can use the thick forest to fool them, but the aliens have sharper senses than us."

    "What if we just scout the area from the sky?"

    "First of all, it is too thick. You can barely see anything from the air. Additionally, there are flying aliens around here."

    "There is? I guess if a summoner wishes to go to the front line, the first thing they need to know is whether there is a flying alien," Nathan jokingly said.

    "Agreed. But if you have a superior familiar, there is no need to worry about those flying beasts. I have seen a lot of proto-ss and juvenile ss aliens that can fly, but I haven''t seen a mature ss one. Although I''m not a summoner, I should be able to kill a proto-ss alien by myself with swordsmanship alone."

    "Is that so? That''s cool." Nathan nodded in agreement. It was probably because of this reason they were able to stop the invasion. Despite the summoners being the main force, the soldiers still took care of the rest.

    "Take a look at this." David pointed at the foot trail on the ground. The trail looked like a chicken''s leg, so David said, "This is a trail that can give you a lot of information, such as the direction and time. Looking at this trail here, it is clear that the alien is moving to the south around four to six days ago.

    "After that, we look at the trees. Some aliens might not create a mess, but a lot of them are like wild beasts. They usually leave behind a trace on the trees¡­" David suddenly fell silent.

    Nathan and Selena looked serious. As he said those words, they realized something was amiss.

    There were a lot of trails around here, but to their surprise, the trees were undamaged.

    Suddenly, David stepped forward with his hand on the sword handle.

    As if sensing the same thing, both Nathan and Selena summoned their respective familiars.

    Anubis and Fenrir appeared on Nathan''s side, while Sasha and Yin Zhen were chosen by Selena. Because of what David said about flying aliens, both of them summoned familiars mainly for closebat.

    David squinted his eyes, seeing the shadows that were approaching. "Aliens. A lot of them."

 Chapter 167: An Elite Knight

    As David said, aliens started approaching them. They all had a different appearance, from humanoid to beast-like.

    However, their way of running was simr. They just kept rushing forward and used their hands, ws, or talons to maneuver, even if it meant scratching the tree trunks.

    It was no wonder why David mentioned trails on the trees.

    Without hesitation, Nathan shouted, "Fenrir, Anubis. We''ll do the usual."

    Fenrir immediately rushed forth while Anubis positioned himself in front of David. His target of protection this time was him. At the same time, Anubis wondered how strong an elite knight waspared to the proto-ss alien.

    In fact, he might even let one of them slip so that he could see David''sbat prowess. In the end, he could always heal him.

    On the other hand, his main focus this time was Nathan''s support. He immediately synchronized their Enas and boosted Nathan''s power like Sera did.

    "Hehe. Let''s test our new power, shall we?" Nathan smirked while making a gun sign in both hands.

    Meanwhile, Selena pointed at the enemies while saying, "It''s time to see your strength, Yin Zhen."

    "This is just enough for a warm-up, but I guess I can show off a little." Yin Zhen smirked while cracking his fingers.

    "You''re that rumored beast summoner?" David''s eyes were wide open.

    "Yeah. But enough talk. We have to kill them first." Nathan nodded and waved down his hand. "Go!"

    Fenrir leaped forth as Yin Zhen followed right after, not wanting to lose against him.

    Fenrir pped the alien''s head, snapping it. He then dragged it to the ground and crushed it with his weight.

    Still, Yin Zhen had more Ena and his quality was better than his. Yin Zhen leaped into the air and kicked an alien''s head, imitating Fenrir. Instead of snapping the head, the kick actually crushed the headpletely.

    There was a faint trace of Ena around his right foot, which seemed to be the cause of that fierce power.

    However, the most impressive thing from Yin Zhen was his light step. Before the alien fell to the ground, he used it to leap to another alien.

    Nevertheless, there were only two of them. It was not enough to actually stop all twenty aliens by themselves.

    Ten of them went straight to Nathan and Selena.

    "Selena. We go together! Match my movement!" Nathan shouted.

    Since they were fighting together, it wouldn''t be weird if they had to fight together. Normally, a summoner would fight alone after finding their opponent, but that wasn''t the essence of a team.

    They not only had to work together with their familiars, but also other summoners.

    Sasha followed her from behind and positioned herself on the left side. On the other hand, Selena was thinking hard. What Nathan actually wanted from her.

    She couldn''t help but remember the battle in the previous mission. It was with Fenrir back then, but there was indeed something they could do together.

    The moment she realized that attack, Selena sped up and waved her staff to the right.

    A powerful sweeping force hit the aliens and dragged them to the aliens in front of Nathan.

    With a smile on his face, Nathan pointed his guns at the aliens that were stacked together.

    Nathan formed explosive bullets on each gun. Because of Anubis'' low amount of Ena, he didn''t boost the explosive''s bullet power. Instead, he added its range.

    Yes. Instead of exploding right on his fingertips, he actually formed the bullets in front of the aliens'' stomachs.

    Bam!

    The aliens were knocked down as if they were hit by a truck. Their bodies tilted inward because of that blunt force.

    The other aliens came toward him after gaining their bnce, but Nathan simply positioned himself in a way that the moment he shot these aliens, they would end up falling to the same spot as the first few aliens.

    Bam!

    Bam!

    "Selena!" Nathan shouted, seeing six aliens on the same spot.

    Selena''s eyes shed, fully understanding what he wanted. Selena used the sweeping force from above, pinning the enemies to the ground. After that, she sent forth the more stable explosive bullets. NovelFire-reader

    Instead of their stomachs, she exploded them in their faces, crushing all of them at once.

    Nathan smiled while giving a thumbs up. They actually killed six proto-ss aliens so easily.

    Meanwhile, Sasha cut down one of the aliens with her talon-like hand while heading to the second one.

    That left only two aliens heading to Anubis. Thetter could stop them, but he actually asked, "Human. Do you want to fight? I''m rather curious about your strength."

    "Hehe. I should also prove myself. I might not be as strong as those summoners, but I can handle one alien easily." David smiled.

    As soon as David confirmed his wish, Anubis sent forth the two bandages to an alien, capturing it.

    Thest alien headed straight to David.

    David ced his sword in the front. When the alien pounced on him, he took a step to the right and used the alien''s force to shift his direction away from him.

    Confused, the alien tried the same thing, but the result remained simr. He once again avoided the attack.

    Anubis couldn''t help but squint his eyes, thinking, ''I see. On the mission assigned by the Dragon King, the soldiers were rathercking. They stopped the aliens with big shields and used spears and swords to kill them.

    ''But the elite soldier on the frontline actually used the alien''s force to avoid their attacks multiple times and once they saw an opening¡­'' Anubis fell silent as the scene directly shed before him.

    David saw an opening and immediately sliced the alien''s neck.

    It was probably because the sword was good enough that he was able to slice the alien''s neck in a single motion, but he clearly had a good skill.

    It was no wonder he was one of the officers in that camp. His skill was not meant to stop the alien, it was to kill them.

    "Interesting," said Anubis with a smile.

 Chapter 168: 11th Squad (Bonus)

    "So you can really fight," said Anubis.

    "Haha. I''m d that you think of me that highly. Mybat prowess is much less than anyone else because I''m focused on scouting. Our elite soldiers are capable of killing two or three aliens at the same time with pure swordsmanship.

    "They have trained their bodies to the limit after all." David chuckled.

    Anubis could feel the slight disappointment in his words. Yes, they might be strong, but they were still restrained by theck of Ena. After all, Ena was the wall that separated a human and a superhuman or a summoner.

    Anubis didn''t say anything, fully aware that his words would just make it even more depressing.

    Meanwhile, Fenrir and Yin Zhen hadpletely destroyed their respective opponents.

    Even without Risa and Nidhogg, they actually managed to defeat a group of twenty aliens so easily.

    Of course, the consumption of their Ena was much morepared to what they originally used, so Nathan couldn''t be that happy yet.

    "What kind of bullet is that?" Selena couldn''t help but ask. "Explosive bullets?"

    "Yep. I take the concept of the Dragon Fist and myck of mastery of the explosive bullets to do that. How''s that?" Nathan yfully winked.

    Selena frowned. Nathan surprised her as usual. He knew he still couldn''t control the explosive bullets, but instead of waiting for his mastery, he used that w to actually increase hisbat strength.

    In fact, Nathan might use this iplete explosive bullet even if he had mastered it.

    Selena sighed. "But don''t neglect your training."

    "I know." Nathan smiled. "Anyway, let''s get the cores and continue as quickly as possible."

    "Yes."

    While they were gathering their cores, a group of knights actually ran in their direction.

    They seemed to be tired after running for a long time.

    "Who?!" Selena and Nathan raised their heads.

    David squinted his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

    "Ha¡­ Ha¡­" The group consisted of seven knights, with the oldest among them to be their leader. He stepped forward while saying, "These aliens¡­ Did you kill them?"

    "Who are you?!" David pressed them.

    The captain noticed what happened and immediately introduced himself. "We are Vanguard Squad 11th. I am their captain."

    "!!!" David, of course, recalled the squads they had sent outside as an officer. He stated, "I''m the Scouting Division''s Officer, David."

    Their captain nodded. "We have been chasing after these aliens. To think that you are able to finish them."

    "It''s not a big deal with two summoners around. But isn''t your squad supposed to have ten people? Why are there only three knights?"

    "It''s a long story." The captain pointed in the direction they came from. "We were chasing a group of aliens a few hours ago. We ended up getting ambushed by another group, which totaled 50 aliens.

    "Our group ended up getting separated into three. We managed to regroup, but thest group ended up falling into their prey."

    "!!!" Nathan and Selena couldn''t help but widen their eyes. They imed there were 50 aliens, while the onesing toward them were only 20.

    Did they kill 30 aliens? Knights who didn''t have Ena in their bodies could actually kill 30 of them?

    When they took a closer look at these knights, they noticed something. Most of them were close to their thirties.

    They only wore armor to cover their chest, arms, and legs. Considering the gap between normal humans and aliens, it was reasonable to wear as light as possible to increase their speed.

    In fact, they seemed to have killed a lot of aliens so that they could feel the bloodlust emitted from their eyes.

    ''This is interesting. I guess what the Fairy Queen said about those people from the south who managed to kill a lot of aliens by themselves in the beginning of the invasion was true,'' thought Nathan.

    Nathan couldn''t help but signal Anubis.

    Anubis nodded his head and used his healing ability to let them recover.

    "This is¡­" The group was surprised, while David looked thankful.

    Nathan immediately asked, "Where did youe from? Did you notice anything weird?"

    "That''s right." David turned back to these soldiers. "We are on the mission to locate the suspected mature ss alien. Do you notice anything?"

    "We¡­" The captain looked down, recalling everything. "We might actually know something."

    The captain turned around and asked his group. "Do you guys remember that shadow in the distance?"

    "Oh, that?!"

    David thought for a moment before asking Nathan and Selena. "Do you mind if I handle this situation?"

    Nathan nodded. "Go ahead."

    With Nathan''s permission, David immediately asked, "I know that this is too much to ask, especially after losing three of your teammates. However, can you guide us to that location?"

    The captain looked unsure, but one of them actually suggested, "Can you also help us recover the bodies of ourrades if they were still there?"

    It was a good idea and also gave a reason for them to help David. They were also thankful that Anubis healed them.

    David nodded. "Alright. We can do that."

    After reaching an agreement, the 11th Squad immediately led them deep into the forest. Because there was no road, they had to travel at much lower speed, even with two summoners.

    Eventually, they reached the previous spot where they were attacked. Numerous corpses¡ªmostly aliens¡ªscattered across the area. They could find two human corpses that belonged to their group, but one of them was still missing. your-chapter-source-NovelFire

    Hence, they all carried them first deeper as the captain exined everything to David.

    Fortunately, they managed to find thest person before dusk. But it would be dangerous if they insisted on carrying the corpses of their fallen teammates throughout the night. Hence, David suggested bringing them back tomorrow, and as a reward, the captain promised he would assist David until they reached the location of the suspicious shadow.

    Unexpectedly, that decision had caused an effect that no one would think of. After that night, the three corpses turned into four.

    Yes. The captain was actually dead the next morning.

 Chapter 169: Suspicion

    The previous night.

    thanks for reading on m|v|l|e|m|p|y|r

    "Are you sure?" Nathan asked the captain.

    "Yep! We''ll be on the lookout for tonight. You and your friend should get some rest tonight."

    Nathan looked unconvinced, considering this was originally their mission. However, the captain smiled at him. "To be honest, it''s sad to have your friends dying on the battlefield. But it''s more excruciating when thinking that they are unable to go back home.

    "That''s why I''m extremely grateful to you for allowing us to bring back their bodies. At least their families will have closure.

    "It''s shameless for me to say this, but please get some rest, esteemed summoners. I just wish for you to be in your peak condition so that you will have the strength to defeat those aliens."

    Nathan was visibly moved. He couldn''t really make an argument when he said it that way, so Nathan nodded. "Alright. I''ll get some rest and beat some aliens tomorrow."

    "Thank you." The captain''s smile became bigger.

    That was what Nathan remembered, except for the fact everything changed the next day.

    Before him was the corpse of the kind captain that asked him to rest. His gentle smile was still fresh in his mind.

    There was one visible wound on his back. It looked like they used ws to kill the captain.

    However, there was one thing that didn''t make sense. The fact that he was an elite knight who was capable of defeating aliens meant he would have put up a fight if there were aliensing during the night.

    Yet he didn''t look like he was fighting someone. There was no sound either.

    ''This looks strange.'' Nathan''s expression turned grim.

    Selena squinted her eyes and looked around. There was no trace of battle. Even David seemed to do the same thing.

    "What is going on? Why did you die?" A member of his squad dropped to his knees. "Why?"

    No one could answer that question.

    David inspected the wound and said, "ws, huh? Are the aliens so powerful that he is unable to fight back? But an alien like that must be a juvenile ss that is specialized in speed."

    It was supposed to be obvious, but all of a sudden, one of them suddenly pointed at Nathan, shouting, "You must be the one who killed him!"

    "Huh?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, wondering where the usation wasing from.

    "Your familiars are beasts. They can make this kind of wound. Because there was no sign of fight, the captain must have recognized them as an ally. The murderer chose that time to lower his guard and struck him from behind. That''s the only exnation!" The guy red at Nathan, his eyes filled with killing intent.

    David waved his hand. "Stop it. This is not the time to throw baseless usations."

    "This is not a baseless usation. There is no way the captain will be defeated so easily." The guy gnashed his teeth, his hands shaking and moving as if he were about to reach his sword.

    David stopped him one more time. "What does the summoner want from the captain? It''s clear that he has been the one helping us."

    Nathan had indeed asked Anubis for the transportation.

    Nathan didn''t like this usation. If it was his enemy, he would probably do it. However, the captain was a good guy, so there was no reason for him to do it.

    Besides, he had recalled all his familiars yesterday.

    If he thought about it, there was no one capable of giving such a wound other than him.

    "Just because you are a summoner, do you think you can kill anyone you like without repercussions?" The soldier looked like he was about to pull out his sword.

    David also agreed with this statement, but Nathan had been a kind person this whole time. It would be weird for him to suddenly show such a cruel side. At the same time, he didn''t have a reason to dismiss his suspicion.

    Nathan closed his eyes for a moment before summoning Fenrir and Anubis.

    All soldiers pulled out their respective weapons as if they were about to fight against Nathan.

    To their surprise, Nathan simplymanded, "Anubis, Fenrir. Can you track the culprit from the wound?"

    "Stop it!"

    "What are you trying to do?"

    The knights looked like they were about to jump on the two beasts, but Nathan simply stated with a cold tone, "You should know that they have a stronger sense of smell. If you are going to make an usation, you should have done a better job."

    "Stop it! Are you going to eat the captain?!"

    Nathan simply ignored him and turned to David. "Since this is an usation against me, I have the right to defend myself, right? What should I do? I think I have to clear up my name."

    David''s expression turned grim. Nathan had been a rational person, so David nodded and announced out loud. "Move away! No one other than the two beasts can approach the corpse. If anyone disobeys it, then I, David, will consider you trying to hide your crime."

    "!!!" The soldiers gnashed their teeth, but no matter what they did, they had no choice but to follow that order.

    After all, David held the highest rank.

    If they didn''t obey, David would turn a blind eye if Nathan killed them because they deserved it.

    Fenrir and Anubis approached the captain and started sniffing the wound. Both of them instantly noticed what was going on.

    They nodded to each other as they walked back. It looked like they were going to Nathan, but surprisingly, they passed him and pointed at the tent that the knights used. "The smell is actuallying this way."

    Fenrir and Anubis led them to the tent and actually grabbed one of the gloves that someone used.

    To their surprise, the tips of the gloves were actually punctured by something sharp, as if a human''s hand had turned into a w.

    "!!!" David widened his eyes while Fenrir dered, "This is the item with the most noticeable scent in that wound. The murderer is not us, but it is indeed among us."

 Chapter 170: The Culprit

    story source m vl e mp yr

    "!!!" All of them widened their eyes in shock.

    Nathan immediately asked, "Anyone can exin it to me right now?"

    "This is just a baseless usation." A soldier shouted.

    "And now you''re going with this baseless usation route after doing that to me?" Nathan squinted his eyes.

    David inspected the glove closely and said, "They were being torn apart from the inside. It was as if a hand turned into a w. This is strange. I have never encountered something like this. Is there someone who can turn into anything other than a human?"

    The answer was obvious. It shouldn''t be possible. If it was possible, they shouldn''t have been the first ones to experience it.

    However, the evidence was clear.

    The moment the suspicion was clear, Selena immediately summoned all three familiars, ready to fight.

    Nathan couldn''t help but squint his eyes before saying, "The solution is actually simple. Since everyone is a suspect, why don''t we test it with this glove and see whose hand actually fits this glove? No. It''s even better if all of you can take off your gloves first."

    Nathan nced at the soldiers, specifically their hands. All of them were wearing gloves, so it was clear they were hiding something.

    "I have nothing to hide. I''m not the culprit!" The guy, who talked the most, took off his glove and showed his hand. "Come. That''s not my glove."

    As expected, the guy tested it, and the size didn''t match. He said to his fellow knights. "Come on, guys. Just show him it''s not us. The summoner is trying to pin the me on us."

    The other five people exchanged looks as if they were afraid. There was a chance the culprit used their glove without their knowledge, so they didn''t really want to do it, lest the me suddenly shift to them even though they hadn''t done anything.

    "What''s wrong?!" The guy asked out loud, getting angry because their refusal just made him look bad.

    David nodded. "Let''s do it that way. Everyone, follow my order. Take off your glove and test it. Those who refuse just prove that they are guilty."

    They gulped down. It seemed they had no other choice but to follow the instruction.

    One of them stepped forward and tested the glove, but the guy looked relieved when he saw his hand was smaller than the glove.

    The next person also did the same and was found not guilty. That left only two soldiers left.

    If the culprit was not among them, it meant they had to start from the beginning again.

    However, when the fifth person was about to take off his glove, he suddenly leaped forth, stretching his hand toward Nathan as if he wanted to kill him.

    Nathan''s expression remained calm as Fenrir suddenly stood on his way and pped that hand.

    "!!!" All of them looked surprised because the culprit was indeed one of them.

    When they took a closer look at the hand that almost reached Nathan, it had actually changed talon-like hands simr to Sasha''s.

    David gritted his teeth and shouted, "Capture him!"

    There were a lot of options, such as killing him, but David knew how precious this kind of incident was. If this was indeed the work of an alien, they should have figured it out so that no one would fall for this trick anymore.

    In addition, he had never seen an alien like this before. Did they actually control the humans?

    "GO!" Selena waved her hand. There was no need to forgive this person who dared to nder Nathan.

    All of a sudden, veins bulged on the knight''s face. In fact, if not for his body fully covered with clothes, they would find more veins on his body. More importantly, these veins were actually ck.

    The knight''s eyes were wide open, as if the eyeballs could leave out its sockets at any moment. ck-colored blood flowed out of the corner of his eyes.

    The right hand might look simr to Sasha''s, but the other hand actually formed a sword like the mutant Nathan fought on the mission with Noelle.

    The knights raised their swords, ready to join in. However, Selena was actually fuming. The moment she had the chance, all three familiars swept in.

    Sasha was the first one to reach him and hit him with her long ws, but the other party swung his long, mutated de. The controlled human not only stopped Sasha''s attack but also blew her away.

    "It''s a juvenile ss mutated alien!" Nathan shouted.

    As if knowing what was going to happen, the alien tried to escape.

    "Blood Field!" The blood emerged from the ground and created a half-dome, isting the alien inside.

    Sadly, the alien surpassed Risa''s expectations as it split her Blood Field in half.

    As if knowing this was going to happen, Fenrir and Yin Zhen leaped toward him at the same time.

    Fenrir gathered all his strength into his paw. Even Anubis actually boosted his Ena with his Synchronization.

    With this boost of Ena, the technique he copied from Alisha had finallypleted.

    Yin Zhen leaped forward and gathered his Ena on his foot. The Ena turned into a blue me that gradually turned into a translucent tiger''s head.

    "White Tiger''s Kick."

    The alien stopped and raised both of his arms, receiving both attacks at the same time.

    "!!!" The alien widened its eyes. His hands turned ck as if the alien''s cell was trying to protect them, but the burst of energy from both attacks ripped apart the sleeves, showing the ck arms. The veins were simr to the symbiote attached to the alien.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. ''I know the aliens can control a human, but this is still unprecedented in this world. I have never heard it being mentioned. But they should be pretty big aliens¡­ Don''t tell me, the symbiotes are trying to control humans? If this is true, it means that the aliens are also being controlled by them. Nevertheless, we can only prove it by capturing that guy.''

    Nathan looked at the alien as its arms snapped after receiving the two attacks, the force blowing the body 50 meters (164 feet) away.

    That was right. Everything could be answered as long as they captured this guy, but could they?

    Without any warning, a dull trumpet sound echoed across the forest as various soundsing from aliens responded to it.

 Chapter 171: A Mistake

    When they heard the aliens'' voices, they all knew that this trumpet sound was actually a call.

    The only thing that could produce such a sound was the mysterious mature ss alien.

    They could see a lot of aliens approaching them from all directions, as if trying to surround them.

    Nathan''s expression turned serious as he couldn''t help but shout, "Mr. David. We have to split our group here. If we have fewer people, we have a higher chance of escaping. Meanwhile, if they leave now with theirrades, they should be able to escape."

    David couldn''t find a w in his argument. It was true that in this situation, staying around the summoners would increase their chance to survive. On the other hand, they would have to abandon the bodies of theirrades.

    At this point, the aliens hadn''tpletely assembled. If they took advantage of it and escaped, they could still return to the camp. More importantly, they could also bring reinforcement from the camp.

    After realizing those points, David immediately shouted, "We''ll split our group here! Bring their bodies back and inform themander to send reinforcements! I will remain here to confirm the mature ss alien."

    "Yes, sir!" They had no other choice but to go back. The soldiers didn''t bother with Nathan anymore as they just picked up theirrades, including their captain.

    Although they wished to kill the person who had been controlled by the alien themselves, they could only leave it in others'' hands.

    Now that there was only one person to protect, Nathan could focus on finding a way to break through. This would also serve as a decoy for the escaping soldiers.

    "Oi, Kid. That guy is gone!" Fenrir is staring into the distance.

    "It can''t be helped." Nathan shook his head. "We''ll break through from here. Mr. David, do you remember where the sound ising from?"

    "Yeah. It''s that way." David pointed in one direction.

    "We''ll trace the sound and confirm the existence of that mature ss alien. After that, we''ll immediately return, even if we have to fly."

    "Got it. What should I do?" David asked with a serious expression. In this situation, he was ready to wield his de.

    "Keep up with us," Nathan immediately shouted. "Fenrir, Yin Zhen. Open up the path."

    "Risa, Selena, and Anubis will conserve their stamina to prepare for an escape route. Sasha, keep up with me."

    Yin Zhen felt slightly conflicted taking an order from Nathan instead of Selena. But seeing how much Selena trusted Nathan, he had no choice but to follow his instruction.

    story source mvle-mp|y|r

    Fenrir and Yin Zhen immediately increased their pace, heading in the direction David pointed at earlier.

    The rest followed closely behind them. They were surrounded from all directions, so they had to move as quickly as possible.

    There was a reason he hadn''t summoned Nidhogg this whole time. It was his trump card. He had seen how the alien was able to hide among humans, so it wouldn''t be weird if they managed to outsmart him.

    Hence, he wanted them to believe these were the only things they had.

    Fenrir pounced on one of the aliens and pped it to the front so that the alien would crash into a few other aliens.

    Yin Zhen, on the other hand, gathered his Ena in his foot and kicked the ground. He leveled up a huge portion of the soil and created a powerful sweeping force as if there was a soil wave.

    The wave engulfed the aliens and trapped them underneath.

    Fortunately, most of them were only proto-ss aliens. If they encountered juvenile ss aliens, things would get rough.

    As if not allowing them to escape, the juvenile ss mutant appeared again and waved its sword horizontally, cutting through trees.

    It was simr to what Noelle had used before, so Fenrir jumped straight to it and let out a bark, dispelling the attack.

    "A hundred aliens in front of us while conserving our strength." Nathan muttered while looking around. Their left and right were filled with aliens that were about to reach them.

    "Sasha. We go to the left. Let Fenrir take care of everything on the right side."

    Sasha nodded and struck an alien with her ws. There were several other aliens trying to kill her, but Nathan shot all the aliensing from her right.

    It allowed them to focus on those on her left. Meanwhile, the rest of the group looked like they wanted to join the fight but were unable to do so because they had a different role. Considering they would be chased down after this, it was only right to conserve their strength.

    Once the soldiers reached the base and informed themander, thetter would send some reinforcement. In fact, themander coulde to the battlefield personally and fight against the mature ss alien right after they confirmed its existence. Nathan''s group didn''t have to retreat this way.

    This was an optimal and rational n Nathan made. Nathan, however, made one crucial mistake.

    It might be because of the situation that forced him to shift his focus elsewhere, but he forgot one thing. There were actually two people that hadn''t been checked. The first one immediately showed he was an alien, but the second one waspletely going under the radar because of all themotions.

    And that miscalction was fatal.

    "What are you doing?" The loud guy was holding his stomach that had been stabbed from behind. He was staring at thest guy, who had a simr looking de as the alien.

    In front of him were hisrades. All of them had either been stabbed to death or lost their heads.

    The loud guy gnashed his teeth. It turned out there were two aliens. When he thought about it, they forgot that these two were the second group they managed to find before encountering Nathan.

    Everything was clear. They had deceived everyone by making one of them expose themselves.

    "Gaaahhhh!" The loud guy let out a roar as he charged toward the alien, unleashing all his anger. But it was futile.

    The alien swung his sword upward and cut the guy into two, the momentum flinging the body forward. The alien only looked at them without a change of expression before disappearing into the woods.

 Chapter 172: Running Away

    The group continued onward. Yin Zhen had to use all his strength to open up a path for them.

    Fenrir had an easier time because all he needed to do was cause as much ruckus as possible in the area while keeping up with the group. He could throw the alien around before leaping over them andnding next to the group again.

    Meanwhile, Sasha focused on scratching the enemies. Her power activated and started corroding both the alien and the symbiote, causing their veins to bulge weirdly. Some of them even burst within the aliens'' bodies.

    This curse allowed her to defeat her enemies in rapid session. If she couldn''t hit them, she simply moved on. After all, a swarm of aliens would soon overrun them and block their path.

    That was Nathan''s tactic. He summoned smaller bullets and shot the aliens. Not a single bullet was strong enough to pierce through the aliens'' skin, but that was enough to distract the aliens for a second.

    Once they were outrun, they couldn''t easily catch up. They simply had to repeat this until they broke through the enemy''s rank.

    David looked powerless because he really couldn''t help any of them with his meager strength. Risa and Selena simply observed the entire situation and acted once one or two aliens slipped past those four.

    In addition, there was a growing concern on their back.

    "!!!" Nathan noticed the increasing number of aliens chasing from behind. He thought, ''Not good. Our speed is not fast enough. They''re going to catch up. The aliens from the side that have been outrun by us are also circling¡­''

    He thought they could escape through their efforts alone, but it seemed he had to involve others as well. "Risa! Stop those aliens on our back! Yin Zhen doesn''t have enough speed to break through, so help him, Selena!"

    Both of them acknowledged his order.

    Selena sped up and waved her staff, sweeping all aliens on Yin Zhen''s left. Yin Zhen couldn''t help but smile as if trying to say this was his summoner, a girl with powerful strength, unlike Nathan.

    Selena''s help allowed Yin Zhen to focus on the other side, resulting in the group''s speed increasing.

    Not a lot of aliens died from their attacks because instead of focusing on killing them, they concentrated their attack on a bursting power that swept everything to the side.

    Even so, their efforts allowed them to finally see the end of the enemies. Just a bit more, they could break through.

    Meanwhile, Risa summoned another fifteen blood spears. She fired them at the same time, piercing all the aliens in the front.

    As a result, those aliens fell to the ground, either dead or injured. However, that wasn''t her aim.

    Once the aliens fell down, the aliens behind them couldn''t react properly. Some managed to avoid their bodies, but there were a lot of aliens that ended up tripping over them.

    Those aliens rolled or slid on the ground, which ended up bing another obstacle to the aliens on their back, creating a wave of obstacles.

    When Nathan saw this, he couldn''t help but wonder why he hadn''t thought about this yet.

    ''That''s right. We can just create an obstacle like them. Shit. My memories from Earth have messed me up. This is not a freaking game where the enemies can go through obstacles due to weird graphics orputation.''

    Nathan bit his lips before shouting, "Fenrir, Sasha. Hit their feet or the trees!"

    "!!!" Both of them immediately followed his instructions. Sasha struck the tree next to her and let it fall, crushing several aliens. Other aliens also had a hard time leaping on top of them. Some even looped around.

    Seeing how effective the method was, Sasha immediately struck the second and third trees in rapid session, creating a wall that blocked the enemies. They were lucky they were inside the forest since it wouldn''t be possible on a in.

    Fenrir waved his tail, sending forth a crescent-shaped strike that hit either the trees or the aliens'' lower bodies.

    It didn''t have to be strong as long as it served its purpose.

    Trees and aliens started falling down, creating a chain of reaction from the rest of the aliens.

    Risa couldn''t help but smile, as this was her original n. She immediately sent forth multiple blood tornadoes to destroy a part of the trunk and snapped the trees in the aliens'' direction.

    In addition, Selena and Yin Zhen kept opening the path.

    "Amazing." David sucked a cold breath. ''The guy is rational, calm, and smart enough tomand the entire battle. The girl might not talk a lot, but her strength is undeniable. Because of them and their familiars¡­''

    David smiled, looking at the front. With another st from Yin Zhen, the space finally opened up. They had finally broken through the enemy''s encirclement without losing a single person.

    It was impossible for the knights to do it because they couldn''t cut the trees easily, but this was enough.

    David shouted, "Go that way! The sound is not far away. We can reach it within a minute or two!"

    All of them nodded their heads, except for Nathan. Even though they were able to escape, there were things that bothered Nathan.

    ''The mutant from earlier has disappeared again. Where does it go? And where are the rest of the juvenile ss aliens? There''s no way there isn''t a single juvenile ss among hundreds of aliens. This feels ominous.'' Nathan''s expression turned grim.

    By the time they reached the mutant ss alien, it was time for Nathan to pay for the price of the mistake he unknowingly had made.

    The juvenile ss mutant had reached the cave east of the military camp. There was still some fresh blood from the two patrol soldiers.

    The mutant opened its mouth, releasing the screeching sound of an alien.

    As if responding to its call, aliens started emerging from the cave, a few at a time. There were hundreds of them, if not thousands. They split into two groups. The first group headed west, specifically the military camp. The rest of the aliens went to the south, where Nathan''s group was located.

 Chapter 173: Trapped (Bonus)

    *Deng!*

    *Deng!*

    *Deng!*

    Enjoy tales from m-vl _emp _yr.

    The bell was ringing violently in the military camp. Themander raised his head while the rest of the officers frowned.

    "This is¡­" One of the officers sucked a cold breath.

    "We are getting attacked!"

    All officers immediately dropped everything and rushed out of the tent, watching a lot of soldiers moving toward the east.

    "Gather on the east." Themander shouted as he also headed to the east.

    It was there he found clouds of dust approaching their camp. Themander''s expression turned grim. "How many are there? 300 or 400 aliens?"

    Themander''s expression turned grim as he shouted, "Prepare for an attack. Stand by the wall!"

    They had closed the wooden gates and put boulders behind it to block the aliens. Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers headed to the wall, fully aware they had to fight these aliens.

    It was precisely because of this reason that themander couldn''t send any help to Nathan and the others. In fact, it wasn''t like Nathan could get the help he wanted.

    "We shouldn''t be far from the source of that sound," said David as they ran as fast as possible with the aliens on their tail.

    Nathan nodded. In fact, David was saying the truth because Fenrir could see an opening not far from it. "A in field?"

    Nathan only nced at him without giving any reactions, but he knew what it meant. Once the field opened up, they noticed something off. In front of them was the same wood they were in a moment ago. The left and right sides were the only things that expanded.

    In fact, the soil was tilted downward as if something heavy had just passed this area, bulldozing everything in its path.

    "What''s that?" David dropped his jaw to the ground.

    "!!!" Nathan and Selena turned their heads, looking at a moving hill. An entire hill.

    Selena soon regained herposure, as she immediately turned around and used her power to st the aliens behind them.

    *Bam!*

    The loud explosion sound snapped David and Nathan back to reality.

    "That''s right. Chase after it first. We can think about it while running!" Nathan shouted.

    David''s body shook, but it was certainly what they needed to do. It would be better if they could confirm what kind of alien this was. If needed, they could use the woods to disappear once again.

    While running, Nathan observed the alien.

    At first nce, the alien looked like a turtle, but it only had the front legs to drag its entire body. The back legs were reced by tentacles.

    The trees seemed to be living on its back, camouging it as a normal hill. But if they took a closer look, they would notice that a lot of aliens were living on top of this massive alien.

    They were smaller aliens that looked normal at first, but when Nathan scanned it even further, he noticed a disturbing fact.

    "I could see smaller aliens like a bug. Wait, no. I spotted a human on top of it," said Fenrir. "Are there even smaller aliens whose purpose is to control the humans?"

    "I haven''t seen anything like that. I don''t think there is a record about that kind of alien. If this is true, we have to report this matter to the higher ups. The battle will be much moreplicated," exined David.

    "It doesn''t matter. Now that we have confirmed what kind of alien we''re dealing with, we should leave this area as quickly as possible." Nathan shook his head. This kind of mature ss alien would be hard to kill. He didn''t know whether the mature ss alien produced these smaller aliens, but one thing was clear.

    They had to survive if they wanted to report it.

    "Selena, Risa¡ª" When Nathan was about to order them, he heard screams from the opposite side. He turned his head around.

    "This is getting bad." Fenrir''s expression turned grim. "400? 500? There are a lot of aliensing from our left. The right one is filled as well. I''m afraid that both of them will encircle us.

    We won''t be able to escape at this rate, especially with that huge alien in front of us."

    Both Nathan and Selena knew they couldn''t deal with the mature ss alien, so their best shot was to escape to the left.

    However, for one reason or another, there were aliensing from that direction.

    There was no way they could break through hundreds of aliens by themselves.

    "Esteemed summoners. Please leave me behind. If you don''t need to protect me, you should have a higher chance to survive." David had made his resolve.

    As a human, he definitely didn''t want to die. However, as a soldier, he had his duty to ensure the survival of humanity, including sacrificing his life for summoners who had the strength to fight the aliens.

    Before Nathan could reply, an alien from the left suddenly cut down several trees as it showed its appearance.

    "Huh? That''s¡­" David gasped, recognizing that face. It was the guy they hadn''t investigated. "He was actually an alien?"

    It was probably because of the time, but the alien had transformed the human body even further.

    The eyes were reced by tentacles scanning everything in front, and the back of its head had been punctured by multiple tentacles. His spine was reced by something squishy that made the body able to tilt its body to an ''S'' shape. It couldn''t be called a human body anymore.

    As if knowing it was time to counterattack, the mutant that had disappeared earlier finally returned, cutting all the trees on its way.

    "!!!" Selena gulped down. "We have been surrounded."

    They had been trapped in the middle of a triangle with the two mutants and the mature ss alien protecting each corner.

    It was at this time Nathan realized they had outsmarted him. There was one more thing that made the entire situation even scarier.

    "Don''t tell me. These aliens¡­ no, symbiotes are consuming humans'' brains to learn about us?" Nathan''s expression turned grim. He might realize it a bit toote since he might not be able to escape from this ce anymore.

 Chapter 174: Escaping

    Looking at this situation, there could only be one solution that everyone could think of. If they couldn''t slip past them onnd, they had to do it in the sky.

    Since the aliens didn''t stop, there was little time to think of any other solutions.

    "Sasha! Risa! Yin Zhen!" Nathan called out Selena''s familiars while pointing at Selena and David. On his back appeared a ck dragon.

    Realizing his intention, Sasha grabbed Selena while Yin Zhen dragged David. Risa was the closest to Nathan, so she carried him to Nidhogg''s back.

    "Fly! Hurry up!" Nathan shouted.

    Nidhogg immediately pped his wings and jumped into the air. Anubis boosted Fenrir''s Ena as he released a crescent-shaped tail attack to the aliens for onest time before Nathan recalled them.

    Yin Zhen stayed with them on top of Nidhogg while Sasha and Risa flew by themselves.

    David was stunned, but he heard Yin Zhen saying, "Close your ears!"

    They didn''t know what was going on, but David and the others closed their ears.

    All of a sudden, the mature ss alien produced yet another dull trumpet sound. It was because they were near it that the volume was so big that their eardrums felt like they were going to explode.

    "Kh!" Nathan and Selena gnashed their teeth, enduring it. David was much more experienced than them, and his pain tolerance was higher, allowing him to maintain hisposure.

    However, there was someone who couldn''t close his ears. It was Nidhogg.

    "Gaaahhh!" Nidhogg''s body was swaying right and left. He hurriedly let out his own high-pitched roar, his sound wave shing with the mature ss alien''s trumpet cry.

    However, this was just an assist from the mature ss alien. Several aliens suddenly took off into the sky, heading straight to Nidhogg.

    In addition, the two juvenile ss mutants jumped into the air and hit his wings with their des when Nidhogg was upied by the cry.

    "Hang on!" Nathan shouted as he held on to Nidhogg for his dear life. Selena did the same, her grip getting reinforced by Ena.

    David, on the other hand, was saved by Yin Zhen.

    "Calm down!" Nathan shouted, while Risa and Sasha had to worry about the aliens in front of them.

    Risa sent forth multiple blood spears, but to no avail. The flying aliens were much more agile. Even Sasha had a hard time keeping one alien away.

    Nathan clicked his tongue. If this continued, they couldn''t really escape. It was as if everything had been seen through by their enemies.

    "All of you are annoying!" Nidhogg roared as he gathered his me in his throat. He let out his full breath, trying to burn as many aliens as possible.

    The two mutants were riding on top of the flying aliens.

    The flying alien was something he recognized, unlike the mutants or the turtle. The flying aliens were known as Byakhees. They had bat-like wings but six arms.

    Their path was blocked, and behind them was the mature ss alien. However, if he let the mature ss alien release that loud cry again, the situation would be over.

    They had to escape from this ce before it happened.

    "Go away!" Nidhogg pped one of the byakhees with his tail before letting out another breath.

    "Nathan. We have to get away." Selena gritted her teeth.

    "I know, but I can''t see a path." Nathan shook his head.

    "We just have to create it. You said the most dangerous ce is the safest!" Selena pointed at the mature ss alien.

    As if responding to her, a lot of flying aliens that had hidden in the forest on top of the turtle suddenly took off.

    Selena looked a bit doubtful after this reaction, but Nathan actually saw something much farther.

    Although there were flying aliens above the mutant ss alien, their number was much lower than in other directions.

    In addition, the juvenile ss mutants seemed to be smarter than the mature ss alien. It was as if they were the onesmanding these aliens.

    In that case, there was only one thing to do. They had to break through in the sky.

    "Go that way!" Nathan pointed in a direction beyond the mature ss alien. "Go, Nidhogg! Trust me! We''ll cover your back!"

    Nidhogg hurriedly turned around and started flying in the direction Nathan wanted. powered by mvl|empyr

    The flying aliens easily caught up to them, not nning to let them escape.

    He first summoned Anubis to heal Nidhogg while boosting his Ena.

    "Yin Zhen, Risa, Sasha. Go forward and open up the path for us!" Selenamanded her own familiars as she stood at the very back, facing the flying aliens behind them.

    "Better not fall, human." Yin Zhen snorted and leaped into the air. He utilized his speed to reach one of the aliens and kicked its head to knock it down before leaping to another alien.

    Risa and Sasha also took down their respective enemies, while Nidhogg kept releasing one breath after another.

    On the other hand, Selena keptunching the flying aliens away with her Ena, but there was a limit to what she could handle. Nathan helped her by shooting down the distracted alien, but they were simply too many.

    This was when Yin Zhen warned them. "Close your ears!"

    Nathan and Selena covered their ears with their hands as the mature ss alien released yet another cry.

    "Kh!" Nidhogg still felt it hard to endure, even though Anubis had covered his ears with bandages.

    But there was one more surprise that woulde after them.

    All of a sudden, tens of flying aliens took off from the mature ss alien. It was as if they had been waiting for this one exact moment to reveal that their numbers were actually simr to other directions.

    What they wanted was not to take down Nidhogg but Nathan and Selena.

    Yes, they all flew straight to both of them, who were at the very back of Nidhogg.

    Selena waved her staff to st away the enemies, but more aliens came from the opposite side, nning to drag her back to the ground.

    Nathan punched the alien with the Dragon Fist to save her and used his robe to stop the attack from the flying alien. However, more and more byakhees simply rammed themselves to Nathan. All that momentum knocked him to Selena and ultimately pushed both of them off Nidhogg''s back together.

    "!!!" Anubis noticed it toote as both of them had fallen from the sky.

 Chapter 175: Direction

    "?!" Both Nathan and Selena widened their eyes, not expecting they would fall together.

    Still, both of them were able to remain calm. The first thing that Nathan did was actually turn his body around as he pointed his palm at Nidhogg.

    All of a sudden, Nidhogg and Anubis disappeared. Because of the distance, Risa and the others had their links disconnected as well. Everything except for David disappeared from the sky.

    Nathan wanted to summon Nidhogg again, but this time beneath him. However, the two mutants actually used their strongest strength to leap toward them, even if it meant crushing the bodies of the aliens they rode.

    "Nathan!" Selena raised her staff.

    Nathan widened his eyes when he saw a pair of palms appear in their paths. "Huh?"

    The palms stopped the two mutants. It tried to cut the palms into two, but surprisingly, their de only pierced through half of its thickness.

    After that, Selena spun her body and saw the massive aliens waiting for them on the ground. Some of them seemed to be nning to jump.

    That was why Selena gathered all her Ena into a single point, forming an explosive bullet. It was so huge that its size surpassed that of Nidhogg.

    She released that explosive bullet toward the ground.

    The aliens were unaware of this terrifying bullet as itnded upon them.

    The moment the explosive bullet touched the aliens, it actually deformed the aliens until it touched the ground and exploded.

    A huge crack appeared on the ground as the rocks started to break off the ground as if they were being pulverized. The burst was violent and dispersed in all directions, sting all the aliens.

    It was so powerful that over two hundred aliens felt its impact directly.

    Because of that st, not a single ground alien would be messing with them for the next two minutes.

    Nathan immediately summoned Nidhogg and Anubis underneath them, flying not far above the ground. Nidhogg had to destroy all the trees just to move, but it couldn''t be helped, since Nathan and Selena were already too low.

    Anubis immediately sent forth the bandages to catch Selena and Nathan since falling into Nidhogg''s back from that height would cause a heavy injury for them.

    After that, Anubis caught the falling David when he was about to hit the ground.

    Selena hurriedly summoned the three familiars.

    "Selena!" Risa called her name, but Selena simply waved her hand. "I never thought it would actually work."

    "You¡­" Nathan looked shocked. Blood was leaking out of her mouth, nose, and eyes.

    For a moment, it was as if Selena utilized her untapped potential. Her brain was being fried from the inside.

    She dropped to her knees while panting heavily.

    Nathan could only clench his fists because there was something more important.

    "Everyone. Attack the aliens again. We have to break through their rank. Nidhogg is to fly as low as possible. Now that the ground aliens couldn''t attack us anymore, we have to slip past the flying aliens from below and head to the southwest." Nathan pointed in that direction while screaming inwardly, ''For God''s sake.

    In the movies, you will have minutes to actually look after your partner with no stray arrow or soldiering.''

    Yin Zhen was fuming, especially toward Nathan. However, he didn''t say anything foolish. They truly had to take advantage of this situation to pass the aliens. At least, before the mature ss let out another roar.

    "Tsk." Yin Zhen clicked his tongue before leaping into the sky to stop several aliens. Risa and Sasha did the same while Anubis focused on healing Selena.

    David looked after Selena while Nathan observed the battlefield.

    "David. Where is it?"

    "What?" David looked confused.

    "I''m talking about the military camp whosemander is supposed to be stronger than your superior." Nathan was visibly distressed.

    "!!!" David was dumbfounded. Now that they thought about it, the aliens would definitely catch up to them, so instead of going back, he actually chose to head to the military camp much further south.

    Considering the strength of themander, it wouldn''t be weird for them to seek refuge there. Even if that camp was besieged, it would be less likely to fallpared to their original camp.

    That was why Nathan chose to go there instead of returning. There was also one more reason.

    He didn''t know how a lot of aliens suddenly appeared on their nk, which caused that encirclement.

    That was why he didn''t want to go back, lest there would be more aliens waiting for them. And unknowingly, that was the correct decision. After all, the camp was besieged by a lot of aliens at the moment.

    David pointed in the same direction. "If we are able to fly for another two minutes, we should be able to find it."

    "One minute." Nathan''s expression turned grim as he turned around, watching the flying aliensing from behind.

    He had to stop them as long as possible.

    "I will join too. I have exerted 90% of my Ena, but I can still shoot some of them down." Selena bit her lips, enduring the pain.

    Nathan knew what kind of personality she had. She would insist on it if he rejected her, so Nathan said, "Save your energy. We need it in the end. I''ll tell you about itter."

    Selena looked unconvinced, but there was nothing she could do if that was true. Meanwhile, Nathan''s expression turned grim.

    He could feel Anubis'' Ena flowing into him, but he didn''t say anything.

    There was one thing that he wanted to try after learning from the Fairy Queen. Find your next read on m,vlemp _yr.

    Multiple bullets appeared in rapid session as Nathan shot them one at a time, targeting the aliens from the nearest one.

    The alien had to maneuver so hard, because even if it managed to avoid the first one, the second bullet woulde right after.

    Nathan was trying the concept of automatic firing. He summoned a bullet as he fired one and repeated it continuously.

    It took a toll on his mind, but he just silently endured it because he had just made a big mistake.

    He didn''t realize that the military base was actually in sight.

 Chapter 176: Old General

    The military camp was not as Nathan expected. It was also surrounded by over two thousand aliens.

    However, their walls were much sturdier, and there were a lot of basic fortifications, such as ditches, around the military camp.

    The knights were actually much stronger. When they saw an alien was about to approach, they killed it almost immediately before throwing it back outside.

    Some officers were actually summoners who had abandoned the way of summoners and chose to be a full-fledged knight. Their Ena was much more powerful than Selena and Nathan, but that was because they never summoned another familiar for various reasons, starting from losing their familiar in the past to simply wanting to rely on themselves.

    However, the main reason the military camp stood tall this whole time was definitely because of one man.

    An old general was standing on top of the wall, his presence turning the surrounding knights to the undying knights.

    Unlike a normal general, this old man was actually wearing a suit on the battlefield. He even put on sunsses as if he were on a pic.

    Still, hanging on his shoulders was a long robe with one single catchphrase that could inspire every knight.

    "One Sword Under Heaven."

    "Sir¡­" A soldier suddenly came to him. "There is somethinging toward us."

    The soldier pointed at the sky.

    The old general smirked. Even though he was already 70 years old, his body was still big and his muscles were still brimming with energy. When he received that report, the soldier could feel the pressure from him increasing.

    With a cigar in his mouth, the old general raised his head. "Hoh?"

    The soldier''s expression turned serious. "What are we supposed to do, sir? It looks like they''reing with apany. There are so many flying aliens behind them. In fact, there are also clouds of dust much farther. Are they actually bringing those aliens to us?

    Are they our enemies? It''s just¡­ they''re flying in the sky, not with any type of familiar, but with a flying lizard."

    The old general observed them from a distance. Unlike the soldier, who needed a telescope to see them from a distance, the old general simply squinted his eyes before a smile formed on his face. "They are allies."

    "Allies? But¡­" The soldier looked confused. Why would the ally bring them more trouble?

    "You don''t have to worry about it. I''ll take care of this personally." The old general patted the soldier''s shoulder as he walked to the edge of the wall.

    "What is that?"

    "A lizard?"

    "How can such a creature fly?"

    "Is it a new type of alien?"

    The soldiers soon noticed Nidhogg.

    Meanwhile, Nathan was exining his n to Selena.

    "What? Are you sure that''s going to work? They''re not going to like it, you know."

    "Yeah. Don''t worry. I''ll handle the rest." Nathan nodded. "That''s the only way for them to lower their guard and allow us to enter, especially when they''re under siege."

    Selena frowned but trusted Nathan as usual. She moved to the front and raised her staff, using thest bit of her Ena to form a pair of palms.

    Join the journey at m-vlempy _r.

    "!!!" The old general noticed this pair of hands. This was enough to show that they were humans, but it didn''t change the fact that they brought all those aliens. They could be considered terrorists since that action might annihte the entire camp.

    However, the two hands suddenly moved, creating a heart sign.

    "Pfft!" The old general widened his eyes in amusement. "Hahaha. A heart sign? What are they? Trying to confess their love? Hahahaha!

    I like them. I''ll help them this time then."

    His left hand grabbed the scabbard, while his right hand was on the sword''s handle, putting as much power as possible when drawing his sword.

    "!!!" Nidhogg widened his eyes in shock as his eyes met with the old general. "Oi, summoner! There is a hero ss existence in that camp. In terms of personal strength, he is actually stronger than the so-called Dragon King."

    "!!!" Nathan''s heart skipped a beat. He knew one mistake would cause them to be cut, but if they fled from this ce, they would die because of the aliens.

    There really was no other choice but to go straight in.

    "Continue!" Nathan gave the order in a stern tone.

    "Alright." Nidhogg flew straight toward the camp.

    All of a sudden, a burst of Ena shook the entire area.

    "!!!" Nathan and Selena were trembling in fear. The amount of Ena he exerted was so enormous that it was hard to breathe. The Ena was also sharp, making them feel as though they were stabbed by thousands of needles.

    The flying aliens had to stop for a second as if their instincts were telling them to run. Unfortunately, it was toote.

    The old general drew his de so fast that all the energy ended up being dragged by the sword strike.

    It barely missed Nidhogg, but hit all the aliens that were right behind him.

    The aliens let out a cry, but that didn''tst long as their bodies were sliced into pieces. More than a hundred flying aliens died in a single strike, even though they had spread out so much.

    Nidhogg simplynded on the ground and disappeared to show that they meant no harm.

    "Geh!" David fell on his belly.

    Nathan grabbed Selena since her condition wasn''t good. Hended on his feet, but because of Selena''s weight, he ended up tumbling to the ground. At the very least, Selena didn''t fall.

    "Haa¡­ Are you alright, Selena?" Selena ended up sitting on top of him, but it didn''t matter. Selena nodded. "Yes. It seems we are safe now."

    Nathan raised his head, staring at how the cloud was split in two. Even though it was the lowest altitude cloud, it didn''t change the fact it was hundreds of meters above the ground. Yet, his sword strike actually reached the cloud and split it in two.

    The old general walked toward them with a smug smile. "It seems my camp is so popr that we have gotten three uninvited guests. I am Sullivan mante. Wee to my camp, kids."

 Chapter 177: Nathans Question

    "I am Sullivan mante. Wee to my camp, kids."

    "mante¡­" Selena was visibly stunned. She obviously recognized that name. Not only did he have the same family name as Noelle mante, but his name was also famous all around the kingdom. After all, he was¡­ "The Sword Saint?!"

    Nathan''s reaction, on the other hand, waspletely different. He didn''t care about his name or title. What excited him was his clothing style. He was screaming inwardly, ''What is this old man? Why does he look so cool? He is dressed like those mafias!

    Not only the Dragon King, but this old man is so cool. No wonder why badass old men tropes in novels or mangas were popr. They are so cool!''

    "Hmm? A dragon familiar¡­" Sullivan squinted his eyes. "Ah. You must be the unique summoner that my granddaughter mentioned in the letter."

    "Did you know me?" Nathan coughed, regaining hisposure.

    "Of course I do. In fact, it''ll be weird if I don''t know the only unique summoner in this world, Nathan." Sullivan smiled. However, his smile soon turned into a stern face as he asked, "But before we can continue our conversation, I need to know the reason you are bringing all those aliens to this ce." Stay tuned to m,vlemp _yr.

    "That''s¡­" Nathan gulped down.

    "If that''s the case, please allow me to exin it, sir." David obviously had the duty of clearing up the misunderstanding as an officer.

    However, Sullivan simply brushed him off with an icy gaze. "I ask you."

    Nathan could feel an indescribable pressure that made it hard to breathe. His expression turned grim as he said, "We have discovered a new alien species, which has the potential to harm not only this camp but all the camps around here."

    "With me here, do you think any alien can harm the base?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded.

    Sullivan squinted his eyes, as if pressing Nathan to admit that he was strong enough to handle the problem. "Are you sure?"

    Nathan was trembling, but he forced a smile as if challenging Sullivan. "If I''m an alien, I have at least two ways to mess around this camp."

    Sullivan''s stare was killing him, but all of a sudden, that stern expression turned back into a smile as he said, "You are correct. The new species is rather annoying."

    "Eh?" Nathan blinked in disbelief.

    Sullivan turned to David and pointed to the wall behind him. "You go to the wall and tell my officer called Daniel to clean up the area. He''s permitted to use everything he has. I will have a chat with these kids."

    "Y-Yes!" David''s heart skipped a beat. A mixture of panic and excitement filled his heart. This was an order from the famous Sword Saint after all.

    Sullivan looked at Nathan and Selena before saying, "Follow me."

    Nathan and Selena looked at each other. Both of them stood up and hurriedly followed Sullivan deep into the camp.

    Sullivan maintained his silence, but he could notice something from these two kids. Selena was feeling anxious for a different reason. It was as if she treated him as a goal that she had to beat.

    On the other hand, Nathan''s expression was filled with confusion and doubt. Sullivan couldn''t help but ask, "If you have any questions, it''s better to ask them now. Once we reach the main tent, I''ll have you tell me everything you know."

    Nathan froze for a second. It didn''t seem that the old general was that scary. He looked angry because Nathan had entered his camp without permission, especially with all those aliens behind him.

    While the reason was eptable, if someone weaker was here instead of him, the situation would be much different.

    Nathan hesitated for a moment before asking, "I apologize for my rude question, but I''m rather confused about why you would talk to us, two mere students, instead of leading the battle. With your strength, you are able to wipe out the aliens and solve the situation right away."

    The old general smiled. "Why would you ask a question that you already know the answer to?"

    "The tough love¡­"

    "Yes. Since you have gone on a mission with my daughter, you should have known that our mante Family is a Knight Family. We have served as soldiers and fought against all those aliens.

    "However, knights are dying and born every single day. It''s practically impossible for all knights to pass away from old age. In fact, that is probably most people''s goal.

    "But can they? On the battlefield, we are battling against the aliens every single day. We lose therades we hold dear but protect millions behind us.

    "As you said earlier, if I personally act, I will be able to handle the aliens pretty easily. You should have seen it from that one swing.

    "However, what will happen next? Should I solve yet another problem? Then, I will have to solve another problem again. It''ll create a never-ending cycle where the knights will be reliant on me.

    "And that cycle will break once I pass away. What will happen next? The weak knights who haven''t experienced the life and death battles because they have been relying on me will be the first ones to die.

    "They can call summoners, but there are a limited number of summoners in this world, so it''s not optimal to call them.

    "That''s why I don''t n to do anything unless it''s absolutely necessary. I want them to experience thousands of battles so that they can win again tomorrow, even without me by their sides.

    "I''d rather be known as the devil who sends tens of thousands of people to their death than create a generation of weak knights. Once the front line copses, the world will face a crisis they have never seen before." Sullivan smiled. "Is that enough for the answer?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. I apologize for my question once again."

    "Hahaha." Sullivanughed as they arrived at the tent. He sat down on the opposite side of the tent, with Nathan and Selena standing on the other side of the table. He asked, "Alright. Tell me what you know about this new enemy, kids."

 Chapter 178: Selenas Growth

    Nathan recounted their experience and roughly mentioned everything rted to the mature ss alien and the juvenile ss mutants.

    Sullivan''s expression went darker and darker as Nathan gave more and more information.

    At the end of the exnation, Sullivan couldn''t help but ask, "So, this new alien is trying to use our brain to empower themselves?"

    "That is just my spection, but I''m sure that there is a new type of alien that is actually going into a human''s body. They kill their host and upy that body." Nathan nodded. "Unfortunately, we couldn''t catch them, so we couldn''t really give an exnation."

    "That is actually not a bad exnation. No, it''s actually more urate than the exnation I''ve heard in this camp. And it is currently happening here. This is probably another reason I''m unable to do anything yet." Sullivan remembered something. "Now that I think about it, Noelle mentioned you being smart. How''s that?

    If you are able to solve this problem, I''ll give you a bonus.

    "Let''s see. Your mission is to help the northern camp, right? I will use my authority to move you to mine. You may kill any aliens in this ce and gather all those cores in front of me. I will give you an additional 50% of what you have gathered as a bonus. What do you think?"

    Nathan looked surprised. This was probably what he actually needed. It seemed his luck wasn''t so bad.

    If they were able to get a lot of cores, Fenrir and Anubis might still be able to have 1,000 Ena before the event.

    "What if I''m unable to do it?" Nathan asked first. This offer was simply too good to be true, so he believed there was a hidden intention.

    "I''m merely repaying you for what you''ve done for my granddaughter. Thanks to you, her stiff method is finally changing. While I''m able to get all this Ena, it''s all because I have never summoned my third familiar. I pour all this Ena into my sword, which is the reason I''m strong.

    However, there are a lot of people who might be weaker than me individually, but they are able to beat me if they fight together with their familiars. I believe Noelle is more suitable for thetter."

    If Noelle indeed chased after her grandfather''s step, the fact she summoned Murmur meant she had begun to break free from the traditional method.

    "Since there is no penalty, there is no reason for us to reject it." Nathan nodded. "However, I still need more information."

    Sullivan raised three fingers. "In the past few days, there have been more than twenty knights who died mysteriously. It looks like the aliens have taken them out, but at the same time, we are unable to figure out what is happening, including me.

    "If your information is true, it means the culprits are still among us.

    "The aliens seem to be engaging us in a fierce battle much morepared to thest few weeks. It''s clear that the mature ss alien is the culprit.

    "Last but not least, we have no way of identifying or finding the enemies. What are you nning to do?"

    Sullivan had put it simply for them.

    Nathan raised one finger. "We can actually use my beast to sniff them. Locating them will be easy, but¡­"

    Nathan paused because there was a problem, which Sullivan talked about previously. If they relied too much on the summoner, it would be a disaster if he was gone.

    Sullivan nodded, as if acknowledging that problem.

    Selena, who had been silent the whole time, finally raised her hand. "There might be a method to find them."

    "Hoh?!" Sullivan squinted his eyes. "What is that method?"

    "I''m not sure about it, but from the way I see it, the alien can''t speak."

    "What? Is that true?" Sullivan wasn''t the only one who was surprised. Nathan looked at Selena in disbelief.

    Selena nodded. "Well, this is just what I''ve found because I don''t talk a lot. When I looked at them, it wasn''t that they were quiet like me, but it was because they didn''t have the intention to speak. No, it''s more like they were unable to speak."

    "If this is true, catching them is easy. Counting their number is an easy drill, but will that work?" Sullivan raised his eyebrows, doubting the effectiveness of the method.

    Selena turned her head to Nathan as if the key was still in Nathan''s hands. "What if webine this method with his? We will have his familiars to confirm the hidden aliens. And after that, we''ll mark them and test it by counting them. This way, the knights can solve it themselves if a simr situation urs."

    "That is indeed a good solution." Sullivan looked down, falling into deep thought.

    On the other hand, Nathan was dumbstruck. Selena had been the one carrying him the whole time from that fall to this suggestion. He had underestimated Selena''s growth. He really needed to do more if he didn''t want to be left behind.

    "Actually¡­" Nathan added, "I understand you don''t want to make a move personally, sir. However, it doesn''t change the fact that it''s better to send back the sample so the people will figure out their abilities.

    "If we think about it this way, we should solve this problem as quickly as possible. And leading the army is the quickest way to do it."

    Sullivan squinted his eyes. "You want me to lead them?" story source NovelFire-mp|y|r

    "Yes. However, you only have one role. It''s to kill the mutant ss alien. The sheer size of that alien alone is enough to show how hard it is to kill it. Meanwhile, we''ll take care of the two juvenile ss mutants for your army so that they can fight them instead. I don''t think this is a bad idea."

    Sullivan couldn''t deny it. He was actually impressed by Selena this time. "Now that I think about it, what''s your name again, littledy?"

    "Selena Ashton."

    "Ashton? How are you rted to Blood Eyes Count Ashton?"

    That question just hit her heart. She said, "He is my father."

    Sullivan''s expression turned grim. "I see. Your father is a great man. I don''t think he is that easy to kill, even for me. It''s truly a shame that he has nevere back when investigating the Asura Face."

    "!!!"

 Chapter 179: Clue

    Nathan brought a cup of hot water to Selena, who was still in a deep thought. Sullivan had given them a tent for them to use while staying in this ce.

    It was just a simple tent with two beds inside.

    Selena was sitting on the bed while lifting her legs up and burying her face in her thighs.

    "Drink first."

    Selena shook her head, not wanting to speak.

    He could understand her feelings, as he couldn''t help but recall what Sullivan said earlier.

    "What? Asura Face?" Selena''s body trembled.

    "Yeah. Aside from me, there are probably only a few who know about it. Nevertheless, I don''t think your father has died, but I can''t deny that something must have happened." Sullivan nodded.

    "Where is he? What is Asura Face?" Selena''s expression turned serious.

    "I don''t know." Sullivan shook his head. "There is only one person who knows that information."

    "Who is he?" Selena looked like she was going to search for that person just to help her father. Her rationality was lost the moment Sullivan mentioned her father.

    Sullivan shook his head. "I''m not going to tell you about that person, not because I have a personal grudge, but because you don''t have the strength to do anything. Rather than sending you to your death, it''s better if you hate me."

    Selena''s fingers were moving as if she wanted to attack Sullivan. To prevent her from doing anything, Nathan just held her hand. If she wanted to strangle someone, his hand could be her target.

    m|vle mp _yr novel source

    Selena bit her lips. Thanks to Nathan, she regained a bit ofposure. She said, "What can I do to get that information?"

    Sullivan raised a finger. "Kill three warrior ss aliens. It doesn''t matter if you get help from your peers, but not from your seniors. If you are able to do that, I''ll tell you everything I know."

    Selena couldn''t really ept it, but she had no choice. This was the first clue she had ever received regarding her father''s whereabouts.

    Meanwhile, Nathan showed his brilliance by analyzing the content of this information.

    "Asura Face¡­ Is it rted to the rumored Asura Pce, the scary dominating force that is said to have been the first to be destroyed by the aliens?"

    "Do you know that ce?"

    "I''vee across some information about it." Nathan nodded.

    "When you mention this, you are going to make her go to that ce. Besides, you don''t know the exact location. Without it, you won''t be able to find that ce." Sullivan sighed, slightly disappointed by Nathan. He didn''t say anything because he didn''t want Selena to die.

    However, Nathan confidently said, "Don''t worry. She won''t go."

    "What do you mean?" The one who asked that question was Selena, her hand was squeezing Nathan''s hand strongly. "Are you going to stop me from finding my father?"

    "No. The reason I know why you won''t go right now, but instead, follow the condition of Sir Sullivan, is because that''s the gift of your father." Nathan smiled.

    "A gift?" Both Sullivan and Selena were confused.

    Nathan raised one finger. "What was the Asura Pce known for? Who was Asura? This information could be traced back several hundred years ago, before the alien invasion.

    "Asura was known for his bloodthirsty nature, which caused millions of people to die. The blood on his hand was so red that it could never be washed away. At the same time, what did it represent? Unlike the current Land of Death, the Asura Pce, which was originally known as the Land of Death, was more portrayed with the image of blood instead of decay."

    "Blood?" Selena raised her eyebrows as if realizing what he was going to say.

    "Vampire, huh?" Sullivan squinted his eyes.

    "Yes. He might go there to seek an artifact that could represent the strongest item that had been smeared by so much blood. And that was for one reason only¡­" Nathan turned to Selena. "You told me you didn''t have the confidence because you were unable to summon a progenitor. It was unprecedented.

    "However, your father didn''t like that idea. I had no knowledge about your family''s current affair, but I certainly know one thing, your father¡­ was doing it for you. He was probably seeking an item that could be used to summon a vampire progenitor so that his daughter was able to break free from all those foul-mouthed idiots. It was for you, Selena."

    Selena''s body was shaking. Nathan was implying that if she just forced herself to go, it was the same as not respecting her father''s wish.

    It was the father she respected so much. If she went there and died, what would her father do? What if he woke up and found his beloved daughter dead from recklessly trying to find him?

    Selena knew this. No matter what, she still had three years to summon the vampire progenitor. As long as she summoned a progenitor, no one in the family would dare to question her authority.

    At that time, mobilizing the resources to find her father would definitely be much easier, especially with this clue.

    She had waited for so long to find her father. And after entering the academy, her life had gone better. She met Nathan, a man she could trust.

    He was asking for her to trust him in this matter. In exchange, he would guarantee her father''s rescue.

    Selena took several deep breaths. "I understand."

    "Thank you." Nathan smiled. After that, he turned to Sullivan and said, "Sir Sullivan. If you don''t mind, can you listen to my suggestion about the battle and how we should proceed?"

    "Hoh? You do remember that you are a normal person, while I''m the highest rank in the military."

    "I know. But don''t you give people an opportunity? It doesn''t hurt to hear the mumbling of amoner, right?" Nathan smiled.

    "Interesting."

    After recalling that conversation, Nathan looked at the sulking Selena. He could understand that she was still in a bad mood, even though she said she understood the situation.

    But before he left, Selena grabbed his hand and made him sit next to her as if she felt bad for not responding.

    Even though she didn''t say anything, she just grabbed the cup and rested her head on Nathan''s shoulder, as if saying she was d he was here.

 Chapter 180: Mistakes

    "Do you think I don''t dare to hit you?!" Yin Zhen shouted in anger, ring at Nathan.

    "That''s enough!" Selena shouted, standing between them.

    Nathan remained seated on the bed, staring at Yin Zhen with a serious face.

    How did this happen? The mood hadpletely changed from several minutes ago.

    ¡­

    A few minutes ago.

    Selena was resting her head on his shoulder. She didn''t say it, but the message she wanted to convey was clear.

    "You are strong and talented. I know that fact, so you don''t have to worry. There wille a day where you''ll be able to save your father¡­ No, we''ll save your father. And I know that day wille soon."

    "En." Selena nodded. "I thought you were going to shamelessly say ''our'' father."

    "I don''t want to be killed yet. Seeing how much he sacrificed for you, I can''t imagine what will happen to me if I steal his daughter," said Nathan jokingly.

    Selena smiled, almost chuckling. "I''ll definitely repay you in the future."

    "Ahem. What are you trying to say? We are both helping each other, because that''s how a rtionship is supposed to go. So there''s no need to repay me. However, it will be different if you''re talking about marriage." Nathan teased Selena.

    Selena said, "You probably need my familiars'' approval first. Risa and Sasha are probably on your side, but Yin Zhen is angry at you."

    "That''s probably true, considering I have made a lot of mistakes on this mission."

    "They can''t even be considered a mistake." Selena shook her head.

    "Well, how about calling him here?"

    Selena looked at him for a moment before deciding to trust him.

    However, the mood swung almost instantly. The moment Yin Zhen appeared, he was standing in front of Nathan with his arms crossed. He was ring at Nathan as if there were a lot of things piling up in his heart.

    "To think that you still dare to show your face around once you have done an absolutely terrible job the whole time," said Yin Zhen in a condescending tone.

    "But it wasn''t even a mistake." Selena tried to persuade him. "We didn''t know anything about the hidden aliens ambushing us."

    "The original mission was to confirm the existence of the alien, but he made a mistake by suggesting to move toward the alien. In that moment, the mission had changed from confirming its existence to understanding what the alien was capable of.

    "If the mission didn''t change, we wouldn''t be in that kind of danger."

    "That''s¡­" Selena wanted to take responsibility as well. She had been suspicious of thest person, so this was her fault. If only Nathan had some suspicions about the other juvenile ss mutant, he would have approached the mission in a different way.

    But before she could reply, Nathan nodded. "That was indeed my mistake. And it endangered the whole group. I have no excuses."

    "You¡­" Selena bit her lips in frustration. A lot of people, including her, would usually give exnations to clear their name from that usation. In fact, she would probably throw a few excuses.

    However, Nathan''s mindset was always on survival. If he didn''t acknowledge this mistake, he might truly make a mistake so big that he couldn''t escape death in the future.

    Selena often wished Nathan could actually ce the me on someone else instead of himself.

    Yin Zhen took a step forward and said, "Because of you, both of you fell from the dragon''s back. It would be the end if she didn''t have a trump card!"

    "You are absolutely correct." Nathan nodded. Even if he managed to summon Nidhogg, thetter would be severely injured as the aliens from the ground jumped onto him.

    "No one would think there would be flying aliens still hiding in the mature ss alien." Selena tried to make an excuse for Nathan.

    "Are you seriously not going to say anything? Are you going to hide behind a woman?" Yin Zhen clenched his hands into fists.

    Nathan simply shook his head. "No. I have indeed made too many mistakes. If things haven''t gone that well, we might not be here. However, I need you to follow my instructions for the next battle as well."

    "You¡­" Yin Zhen was gnashing his teeth. "Do you think I don''t dare to hit you?"

    "That''s enough." Selena stood between them.

    "Get away. If he doesn''t understand his responsibility, he will keep making the same mistake."

    "I said that''s enough!" Selena bit her lips. "I have made more mistakes than him, but he has never med me. He even used that mistake to our advantage.

    "If you think you haven''t made a single mistake, then you can hit him! We all make mistakes. It''s not the mistake that we should talk about; it''s about what we should do to not make the same mistake again." Selena turned around and continued, "You, too, Nathan. Why are you just acknowledging mistakes you''re unaware of?"

    Nathan shook his head. He raised both hands, clenching them as if he were hiding something in those hands. "There is a rock inside one of my hands, and the other is empty. Which hand has a rock in it?"

    "There is no rock!" Selena was frustrated. This was a big matter, so she didn''t want him to joke about it.

    Nathan simply said, "Exactly. Why do you say there''s no rock? It''s because you know there''s no rock. That information will change the course of everything. What if you don''t know I don''t have a rock? You will probably choose a hand, right?"

    Selena couldn''t deny it.

    "It was my mistake that I didn''t know this information. I might have been toocent after a series of sesses that I ended up underestimating the situation." Nathan stood up and raised his head, looking Yin Zhen in the eyes. "That''s precisely the reason I need you to obey my instruction. It''s so that we canplete the mission without any more mistakes.

    I don''t need your acknowledgement, I only need you to follow my n this time."

    "What if¡ª" Before Yin Zhen could even finish, Nathan simply said, "Do whatever you want."

 Chapter 181: Cleansing the Camp

    The next day.

    The soldiers were being assembled in the middle of the camp.

    Sullivan took the stage as he looked at all the knights that coulde since a lot of them were still lying in bed because of their injuries.

    There were at least two thousand people in here, which made it quite hard to do it.

    However, he was determined to catch the aliens.

    "I''m proud that you are able to follow me and fight against the aliens to this day. That''s why I will have to entrust you with an important task." Themander looked at them before turning around, nodding to his officers.

    The officers started going down the stage and took their positions.

    "Today''s task is simple, but important. Officers!" Sullivan nced at the nearest officer.

    "1."

    The next officers immediately continued in rapid session.

    "2."

    "3."

    The counting continued, and eventually, all the officers had counted themselves. That was where he shifted his gaze to the soldier on the left corner, as if implying him to continue.

    "17."

    Sullivan shifted his nce to the next person.

    "1-18!"

    They were panicking at first. The important task Sullivan asked was actually counting their number. Not a single soldier understood what was going on. There was no way Sullivan would waste too much time on this simple task.

    After all, the aliens would being again.

    However, the reason was revealed when the count suddenly stopped.

    "229."

    After that number, all people turned their heads to the next guy, but surprisingly, the guy was startled and looked around as if he couldn''t open his mouth.

    "Are you mute?"

    "Hurry up and continue. Don''t embarrass yourself in front of the Sword Saint."

    "It''s 230. Hurry!"

    The soldiers around him urged the guy to continue, but the guy panicked because he couldn''t utter a single word.

    All of a sudden, an officer jumped toward this person. Thetter wanted to react, but the officer grabbed his cor and tossed it toward Sullivan.

    "What?" The soldiers were stunned, but what Sullivan did next shocked them.

    Sullivan drew his de and sent the soldier''s neck flying.

    "!!!" The soldiers dropped their jaws to the ground.

    "We are being punished for not being able to continue?"

    "We will die?"

    The knights were trembling in fear. They thought this was a simple task, but it turned out it wasn''t. They could die at any moment if they messed around.

    As if he was trying to disrespect them any further, Sullivan poked the body with his sword.

    He might even hang their heads on the wall at this point. They just never thought that the Sword Saint would be such a ruthlessmander. All his outstanding achievements sounded like a lie.

    But all of a sudden, he stabbed something from the body and scooped it out, showing a ball-like creature with small tentacles like that of tree roots.

    "What is that?"

    "An alien?"

    They were confused as to what was actually happening. No one had been briefed about this situation. Even the officers were confused, albeit they were more loyalpared to the new soldiers, so they just executed his order without asking.

    And it turned out he was trying to find an alien.

    "This is¡­ what is currently happening in our camp. The previous murders that have been urring for thest few days were the result of this creature. They''re like parasites in your body. And today, I''m nning to purge them all." Sullivan''s tone was cold.

    He red at the knights and said, "I''ve said this mission is a simple but important task. That''s why continue counting! Anyone trying to disturb the task will be treated as an alien and will be dealt as such. Continue!"

    "231."

    The soldiers gulped down. They never thought that Sullivan was simply trying to solve the problem. They just followed hismand once again, fully aware that there were aliens in the mix.

    They didn''t know how the aliens could enter, but one thing was clear. The aliens were much more troublesome than they originally thought.

    The count stopped once again, which made the surrounding people nervous.

    He suddenly raised both hands as if he were trying to choke two people in front of him, but two officers suddenly came to restrain him.

    After that, they threw him to themander, where Sullivan personally finished him off. Once again, it was proven that the alien couldn''t speak.

    The more they counted, the more aliens they found.

    As if realizing that their doom was about to arrive, some aliens made their moves at the same time.

    "!!!" The officers hurriedly stopped them, but there were more than aliens. They had to split themselves carefully to suppress the alien.

    However, some aliens actually used this as a distraction. As soon as the officers were focusing on those aliens, they immediately attacked the people nearby.

    Unfortunately for them, a pair of bandages captured some of them. A wolf pinned another alien on the ground, multiple blood spears stabbed another alien to the ground, and Yin Zhen kicked another alien into the air.

    They were Nathan and Selena''s familiars. Since the ideas came from them, of course, they would join.

    The aliens didn''t know how their weakness was exposed, but it was toote. All the aliens had been apprehended.

    Sullivan executed every single one of them and showed the aliens.

    It created a panic because some knights considered those people as their friends. However, they had never thought that their friends had been turned into aliens without them realizing it.

    After this operation, Sullivan made them continue until the very end to ensure that no more aliens were hidden.

    Of course, Nathan had also scanned the injured soldiers. It was probably because they were the same kin that the camouged aliens were never injured in the battle. It was as if other aliens recognized them.

    And it seemed both Nathan and Selena''s ns workedpletely.

    In just a single day, they eliminated all the aliens within the camp.

    As soon as all aliens had been eliminated, Sullivan shouted, "Look at what the aliens have done! Are you going to forgive them? They''re turning yourrades into one of them so that they can kill you and anyone else around you. There will be more and more victims if we let this go.

    "That''s why tomorrow we''ll be killing the alien that causes this problem. Unleash your sadness and anger on those aliens. You hear me?"

 Chapter 182: Path

    The camp was bustling with activities. The soldiers were fired up because Sullivan would be leading the army personally.

    This meant that the battle would definitely end in their victory. However, just like how Sullivan led this base, they knew Sullivan wouldn''t personally intervene as long as nothing big was going on.

    Still, feeling assured that they would win alone was enough to make them excited.

    The soldiers were preparing their equipment, from their weapons to armor. Some of them even had a light spar.

    They sang, they cheered. There was nothing stopping them from believing in tomorrow''s victory.

    Selena remained in the tent, not because she didn''t want to understand the lives of the soldiers, but because she was trying to master her new ability.

    There was me-like Ena enveloping her body. The me red up as if trying to form a body that would protect her.

    When Nathan saw it, he realized the difference between their talents. He had trouble just mastering explosive bullets, so there was no way he could form such a stable object from Ena.

    Then again, this was the exact reason he chose guns. He couldn''t afford to practice everything.

    Nathan just smiled, knowing this was Selena''s specialty. There was something he nned to do, so he quietly exited the tent, only to find his path blocked by a big person.

    As he raised his head, he heard a familiar voice. "To be able to control her Ena to that extent¡­ This is the first time I see it. Even the Sage managed to achieve it during his second year. It seems her talent is better than the sage''s."

    "Sir Sullivan?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, not expecting him to wait outside the tent. "Why are you here? I mean, have you been standing here this whole time?"

    "No. I was just about to call you." Sullivan shook his head.

    "Call me?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

    Sullivan raised his head, staring at Selena. "It seems your future is looking bleak if you''re going topete with her all the time."

    "Not really." Nathan shrugged.

    "Hmm?" Sullivan looked Nathan in the eyes. His expression indirectly implied it wasn''t a lie. At least he didn''t think it that way. "It''s very clear that her talent is much higher than yours, especially in Ena Maniption."

    Nathan smiled. Of course. However, Sullivan didn''t know that he could upgrade his talent by having a lot of Ena. That was why he might be slow right now and had to use a lot of things to bridge that gap, but once he grew stronger, he would have an easier time.

    Besides, he had divine beasts unlike anyone else in this world.

    Nathan simply said, "For you, what kind of path before you?"

    "A straightforward path," Sullivan answered without hesitation.

    "For me. Everyone''s path has a big block standing before them, stopping them from moving forward. Some people have bigger bodies or higher physical strength, but all of us have to push the same block.

    "Only by training will you improve your body and better push that block forward. I''m the same, but unlike her, I can turn that block into a sphere to make it easier to push.

    "That''s why I believe that the difference between our talents is not true. It''s just we don''t have the correct method that suits us, or it''s simply our path is different." Nathan ended his exnation with a smile.

    Seeing that sincere expression put a smile on Sullivan''s face.

    "In that case, I will lend you this." Sullivan took out a small red crystal.

    "This is¡­" Nathan frowned, examining the crystal. There was nothing wrong with it.

    "Clench it in your hand and use your technique by pouring your Ena into that crystal first."

    Nathan was confused, but he still followed Sullivan''s instruction.

    He held the crystal with three fingers while making a gun motion. After that, he formed a bullet through the crystal.

    To his surprise, the bullet he formed became much smoother and more powerful. The size alone was 50% more than what he usually had.

    "Is this the staff''s eye? The crystal that is said to be able to conduct Ena? Summoners often use it to amplify their Ena." Nathan gasped.

    "This is just from my observation, but it looks like you are fighting with your fist. However, because of that very reason, you are unable to use crystals. After all, if you attach the crystal inside your hand, it will mess with your grip''s strength. If you attach it to the back of your palm, it would be quite painful to be hit in that area.

    "That''s why you normally don''t see people having a simr fighting style having one. But your main fighting style will always be a ranged style, so I don''t think it''s a bad idea to use it.

    "No. Your teacher must be very stingy. To think that she didn''t even give such a crystal to her precious student."

    "Ehm¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Well, I got this from the Dragon King after he gave me one of his core techniques."

    "What?" Sullivan looked stunned, but he hurriedly snorted, "Oh. That sweaty old man. What I''m trying to say is that you should be able to utilize more power like that girl with this crystal. In fact, most people use it, including me."

    Sullivan showed his sword, specifically the red-colored gem attached to the hilt. "If you have it, you should be able to kill aliens easier."

    "Why do you give it to me?"

    "I''m not giving it to you. I''m lending it! Besides, if you kill a lot of aliens, it will give the knights an easier time. However, I''m going to tell you this. If you don''t produce enough results, I''m going to demand it back before the two weeks are up."

    Nathan smiled. "Fine by me. I don''t know how this will affect my performance, but it doesn''t hurt to try. Thank you."

    Sullivan patted Nathan''s shoulder. He didn''t say it, but the biggest reason was because the n Nathan gave the following day.

 Chapter 183: Battlefield

    Out of the two thousand knights that could still fight, Sullivan ced a thousand of them, with only two officers, to protect the camp.

    He brought the rest of them to the battlefield, carefully marching toward the enemies.

    The scouts were scattered all around the area, scanning the enemy''s movement.

    One of the scouts returned and said, "Sir. The enemies are currently gathering around the mature ss aliens. I don''t see any aliens around, so all those aliens might have been recalled by the mature ss aliens.

    "We also have located the mature ss aliens. If we continue in this direction, we will find its trail in another ten minutes. We will have to follow the trail a bit."

    "That''s good." Sullivan nodded. "The mature ss alien has done us a favor by bulldozing all those trees. This way, we can fight them as if we''re in a in."

    Another scout reported, "We have found the enemies. The flying aliens are lying low. We have spotted several humans that have been turned into aliens."

    "Alright. We can''t save them, but the least we can do is to free them from the tortures." Sullivan waved his hand. "Continue. Make sure there are no aliens that will nk us."

    Sullivan''s biggest concern was the group of aliens that ambushed Nathan. That was what made Nathan almost die after all.

    Obviously, Nathan couldn''t handle it since he had no experience in information gathering.

    However, it couldn''t be said the same for Sullivan. There were a lot of scouts in his army. Now that there were no more aliens hiding among his soldiers, he could finally make an aggressive move.

    The moment the soldiers reached the trail left behind by the mature ss alien, Sullivan squinted his eyes.

    Due to the size of the mature ss alien, it wasn''t hard to actually find the moving hill.

    That was why Sullivan immediately ordered his men to march at the same speed, positioning themselves ording to their strategy.

    He was staying in the middle with 700 knights, mostly new knights, to create an outward bulge. Protecting their sides were the two 100 elite soldiers. Last but not least, stationed on the farthest left and right were the strongest knights, along with most of the officers Sullivan had.

    They were marching inside the wood since there wasn''t enough space. In addition, they had a different role in this battle.

    As if realizing their presence, the mature ss alien released the trumpet sound, informing all his aliens to intercept the enemies.

    At that moment, over a thousand aliens immediately charged toward the enemies. Of course, several juvenile ss aliens were following them right behind, with the two juvenile ss mutants taking care of the details.

    The aliens ended up splitting their group into three. A thousand aliens wereing straight head-on.

    The proto-ss aliens were fighting like beasts. In a one-on-one battle, the knight might be able to best them. But in a fight like this, their movement was restricted. As a result, even a knight wouldn''t be able to take care of the aliens'' beast-like movements.

    The other two groups were sent to the sides, trying to take care of the knights that were sneakily marching inside the woods.

    They managed to encircle Nathan and Selena previously, so they were not dumb enough to let the humans encircle them.

    Hence, they sent fifty aliens toward them, only to stop them from advancing. They would stall time until the aliens crushed those soldiers in the middle.

    Sullivan raised his head, looking at the mature ss alien. "I see. That''s indeed difficult for anyone to defeat. And that loud sound will be much louder once we''re close. And there are still aliens hiding on its back. The only way to easily kill that mature ss alien is by defeating all these aliens quick enough before the mature ss alien can do anything."

    "Iing!" the soldiers shouted as they readied their shields.

    The first ones attacked by the aliens were none other than the tip of that bulge. All those soldiers were getting pounced first, causing the movement of the army to halt.

    "Gah!"

    "Stop them!"

    The aliens brutally rammed their bodies against those shields, overwhelming the soldiers with their strength.

    After that, the aliens continued on the sides. The soldiers yed it safe by blocking most of their attacks and stabbed them if they found an opportunity, maintaining their position.

    However, when they saw that opportunity, another wave of aliens had pounced on them, causing them to be unable to attack.

    They kept blocking it until eventually they were getting pushed back.

    "Kh!"

    "It''s impossible to kill them."

    "They are like a wave. They keeping before we can attack."

    The knights were holding the line as much as possible, not wanting to disappoint Sullivan. But there was simply nothing they could do with such weight.

    The aliens threw their number and overwhelmed the soldiers.

    Without them noticing it, the bulge had disappeared. In fact, their position was like a straight line, which ended up bulging backward after another minute.

    "This is too much."

    "Where are the officers?"

    Suddenly, they saw two juvenile ss aliens approaching them.

    With a single p of its big hand, the juvenile ss aliens sted two soldiers away, resulting in them bing the prey of the aliens.

    These two juvenile ss aliens marched forward, taking the lead as they gradually chipped away the knights.

    As a result, the bulge became more apparent.

    But right before the aliens scared them, two officers suddenly came and struck the juvenile ss aliens. They were not strong enough to take it down, but their attacks injured the aliens.

    "That''s¡­ Sir Gareth."

    "Sir Devco!"

    The soldiers recognized them, feeling energized again.

    At this time, Sullivan''s voice echoed in everyone''s ears. "Men. Show them it is us who is the true ruler of this world. Kill them!"

    The moment they heard Sullivan''s voice, they couldn''t help but smile. "Oohhh!"

    The soldiers were fired up and stopped the alien''s momentum. Once they saw the opportunities, the elite knights who didn''t waste their strength to stop the overwhelming momentum immediately attacked the aliens from the sides.

    Sullivan couldn''t help but smile. "It is actually going ording to his n. Is he truly amoner? If he says he is a military general, I would have believed it."

 Chapter 184: Wet Dream (Bonus)

    On the farthest left and right sides gathered the most powerful knights under Sullivan.

    Seeing the aliens in front of them, the knights realized everything went ording to n. Just like what Sullivan said during the briefing, the aliens would actually try to match their numbers.

    That was why they couldn''t afford to fail.

    The knights looked fired up as one of the officers said, "Kill them!"

    "Uoohh!"

    The knights immediately charged toward the aliens. The aliens were smart enough to know that the major threat was the knights in the middle, especially with Sullivan among them. However, the aliens didn''t realize that those knights were actually the weakest knights they had while Sullivan positioned his strongest on the edges.

    That was why the moment these knights shed with the aliens, they obliterated them.

    Those who had their Ena actually shed multiple aliens in a single stroke. Those who didn''t have Ena killed aliens in two or three hits.

    They showcased their strength and experience on the battlefield. And that was why five minutes into the fight, they actually crushed all fifty aliens in their path.

    Both sides crushed their respective opponents at almost the same time. They moved past the enemy''s rank and turned around, watching the exposed backs.

    "Kill them!" The knights roared.

    The aliens noticed them a bit toote, as the knights struck them before they could defend themselves.

    They might not be fleeing, but the aliens couldn''t take advantage of their number. In fact, their number was the one dragging them down.

    The aliens on the rear tried to turn around, but they couldn''t do a single thing against the overwhelming strength of the strongest knights.

    The sides had also been blocked by elite soldiers, while their original direction was stopped by Sullivan and the majority of the knights.

    With this, there was nothing that stopped the humans from exterminating the aliens.

    "This is¡­" Sullivan gasped. He had never thought this was possible.

    With him and the soldiers taking the full weight of the aliens in the front, his elite soldiers would create walls on both the left and right side, preventing the soldiers from escaping.

    Last but not least, his officers brought a small group of soldiers and nked them from behind.

    In other words, all four directions had beenpletely sealed off, and the soldiers would begin their killing spree.

    The aliens tried their best to break free, but due to their number and position, the aliens ended up moving closer together, especially with Sullivan and most of their soldiers holding the front.

    Sullivan couldn''t help but recall what Nathan said to him two days prior.

    "From the way I see it, it''s as if the aliens are smart. However, they are just smarter than a normal person, not a military general. The way we fight has always been ever-changing because we keep improving one method or another, which ends up bing strategies.

    "Even if the aliens are smart, it is only for several of them. Even they won''t be able to realize the true intention of our tactics.

    "That''s why I''m thinking we can actually defeat them through normal military tactics."

    Sullivan squinted his eyes. He couldn''t really deny that idea. While it was true that the aliens were strong and smart, they didn''t seem to be civilized. That was why it might work.

    It was quite surprising that a normalmoner like Nathan was able to figure it out.

    Nathan said, "I''m thinking about using one method to win without losing too much. This is a tactic that can train the knights while having minimal losses. Seeing the number of officers and having you on the battlefield will guarantee its sess¡­"

    "What kind of tactic are you talking about?"

    "I would like you to set up most of your soldiers to slightly bulge outward."

    Sullivan frowned. "Are you insane? Those at the tip of the bulge will definitely be targeted first."

    "I know."

    "And the aliens are much stronger than you think. If we fight them this way, they will try to create a hole in our rank. When that happens, it''ll be a disaster."

    "I know. That''s why you will be among them, inspiring the knights. And you will position your elite force on the outside."

    Sullivan suddenly fell silent, imagining the positioning of the knights. "Containment?"

    "Yes."

    As one would expect from an old general with rich experiences, he immediately saw through Nathan''s n. "Don''t tell me. You''re nning to put the killing spear at the very outside? That also means positioning the strongest knights in those two spots."

    "I guess I don''t have to exin it any further."

    "You¡­" Sullivan gasped.

    Nathan simply smiled. "Let''s create it, shall we? Military generals'' wet dream."

    When Sullivan remembered it, he couldn''t help but look at the entire situation again, thinking, ''He knows this is what''s going to happen when all those aliens attack us head-on. The middle squad will be pushed back, which will bulge inward. The elite knights that have been positioned on the side will be a wall to contain them.

    ''Andst but not least, the officers will lead the strongest knight and pierce through the enemy''s rank before returning so that they could kill most of the aliens from behind. How can a normalmoner like hime up with this strategy? Is he really amoner? Noelle mentioned he was smart, but this was beyond it.

    ''He is actually taking advantage of the aliens being smart to trap them.''

    In fact, the reason Nathan proposed this strategy was because he wanted to make up for mistakes.

    That was why he wanted to kill all these aliens. No, he wanted to exterminate them.

    Nathan was watching this from afar, as if waiting for his turn.

    "So, this is your n." Fenrir harrumphed. "I guess we don''t have to fight those aliens anymore."

    "An eye with an eye, an encirclement with an encirclement. The current aliens might be smart, but they are fighting straightforwardly." Nathan simply raised his arms to the sky while saying, "Low and behold, this is every military general''s wet dream, total encirclement!

    "Now. I''m not Nathan. Call me Hannibal!"

 Chapter 185: One-Sided Slaughter

    "Kill them!"

    The aliens didn''t know what to do. On the one hand, they were following themand the juvenile ss mutant gave. On the other hand, they were getting ughtered without fighting back.

    The juvenile ss mutants noticed what was going on, especially since more and more aliens were packed together. It was getting hard to move.

    Because the shield that Sullivan had prepared remained intact this whole time, they ended up falling into this trap.

    As a result, Sullivan utilized it to contain the enemy and startedpacting the size of their enemies.

    They pushed the aliens more and more to the center. There was a time where the aliens couldn''t even lift their hands because there was simply no gap to move.

    Only those at the edge could do something, but against the elite knights, they could do nothing but get killed one by one.

    Sullivan and his officers keptmanding the army and made sure that the aliens couldn''t do anything to reduce the casualties.

    Sullivan couldn''t believe that Nathan was able to give such a strategy, not realizing that Nathan simply recreated the famous battle on Earth between Carthaginians and Romans in the Battle of Cannae, while Sullivan made it so that it suited the battle against the aliens.

    But this battle''s real target was not Sullivan. It was Yin Zhen.

    "This is¡­" Yin Zhen gasped, staring at the battlefield. It was clear that the battle had turned into a one-sided ughter.

    He couldn''t help but imagine what would happen if he was in the middle of it. He might be able to get away by himself, but the rest of his people would definitely die.

    Back then, Nathan told him to follow his order, but that order was simply to remain on standby as though he never nned to use his power.

    Selena raised her head as if trying to see Nathan, who was located on the opposite side of the forest.

    There were a lot of things she wanted to ask, but the result of the battle was already clear.

    "With a lot of aliens dying, the knights will definitely win with minimal losses. Even a military general like Sir Sullivan won''t be able to do it so easily.

    "And more importantly, the real purpose of this battle is to train those knights. Normally, the knights are fighting in a small squad, taking down several demons at a time.

    "This is the first time they''re fighting in such a huge number. With this experience, they will be even more flexible. And there might even be a lot more opportunities to utilize different kinds of tactics. For Sullivan, this is indeed a good experience. Unfortunately, I don''t have a lot of knowledge about the war itself, so I can''t really say a lot." Selena sighed.

    Yin Zhen finally understood why Sasha and Risa epted Nathan. It was because he had a solid performance.

    It was true he made mistakes on this mission, but Yin Zhen couldn''t dismiss his aplishment.

    "But¡­ where does he gain that kind of knowledge? Isn''t he supposed to be amoner? In this world, amoner doesn''t study military tactics," asked Yin Zhen. No one would believe this tactic came from self-study.

    Selena closed her eyes. If she didn''t know Nathan so well, she would believe that Nathan got this information from his familiars.

    However, the more he used it, the more it felt like an excuse. It was as if he was hiding something.

    Still, Selena couldn''t care less about it. Everyone had their secret. She hadn''t even told him about everything that happened in her family to Nathan, so she would only be a hypocrite to even mention anything about it.

    Nathan had shown his sincerity, and there was no lie to it. If the other party wouldn''t want to share his story, she wouldn''t demand it. It wasn''t important to her anyway.

    She pointed forward. "Look. It''s about time."

    As Selena said those words, the flying beasts suddenly jumped into the sky, creating a vacuum in the area.

    With that gap, the aliens could finally move again. It seemed the mutants were able to realize they could take advantage of that gap to counterattack.

    Now that they were free, the aliens started rampaging in all directions.

    "Stop them!"

    "Kill!"

    The knights were fighting hard because the easy-to-kill aliens were no more. However, Sullivan should have noticed this.

    In fact, he was aware of the reason the aliens didn''t use the flying aliens this whole time and only revealed it right now.

    They had seen what he was capable of, so there was no way they would send their flying aliens to their deaths.

    But they had been trapped, so the aliens had no other choice but to utilize them.

    Unexpectedly, Sullivan only released his killing intent without actually killing them. It was as if he wanted to pressure those flying aliens to nevere and aid their kin by attacking them from behind.

    In the end, Sullivan had to act as a trainer for the next generation.

    He would let the knights kill them by themselves.

    Meanwhile, he waved his hand and shouted, "Their number is only half of us now. Kill all those aliens!"

    "Oohhh!" The soldiers were excited.

    That was right. The aliens might be fierce, but their number had been significantly reduced.

    They kept exterminating the aliens. The juvenile ss aliens fought hard to maintain the bnce, but they gradually became suppressed as well.

    As if knowing that there was nothing that could save these aliens, the mutants used the previous chaos to slip to the rear.

    All of a sudden, both mutants emerged from the crowd and cut several elites, breaking through their formation. Even if they had to retreat, they would still kill a few human fighters.

    "NO!"

    "Sir!"

    "They are running away!"

    "Patch the hole!"

    The knights gnashed their teeth, but several officers simply said, "No need to worry about those mutants. Themander has made an arrangement to deal with them.

    His words were proven to be true a few secondster as Nathan and Selena appeared from the opposite directions and blocked their path.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile, as if he had predicted all this. "Thought so."

 Chapter 186: Fighting the Mutant

    Selena blocked the mutant with all three familiars.

    The mutant had no hesitation in charging toward her. Even though it was only because a lot of aliens were encircling them, it didn''t change the fact they had defeated her.

    The alien believed it definitely could defeat her again.

    The mutant waved its de toward Selena, but Yin Zhen immediately stood in front of him and kicked the de from below.

    "!!!" Both the mutant and Yin Zhen were locked in their position as they used their strongest strength. Even Yin Zhen was surprised that the mutant had this much strength. Previously, he was able to kick away the mutant even though it was with Fenrir.

    It seemed the mutant had transformed and reached its peak state.

    The mutant tried to grab Yin Zhen''s leg, but Sasha immediately struck his other arm, forcing the mutant to block it instead. Sasha managed to scratch him, but surprisingly, her power wasn''t activated.

    "!!!" Sasha widened her eyes. It looked like the mutant''s immunity was extremely high.

    The mutant could overpower Sasha, but Risa immediately released her Blood Spear, raining the alien down.

    The mutant broke free from the engagement, barely avoiding the blood spears. However, that wasn''t the end.

    After evolving into a marchioness, she not only got more blood abilities but also utilized them more smoothly.

    Right after the blood spears missed the target, they turned back to liquid and flowed into the air, circling around the alien.

    Blood Field.

    The alien halted in his step, looking at the blood sphere that isted him.

    This was just a preparation for the real attack from Selena.

    Selena''s Ena burst from her body like a fierce fire. Despite looking unstable, the Ena was contained nicely, resulting in almost zero loss.

    Selena used that massive Ena to form a huge humanoid arm. It wasn''t a palm like the previous attempt, it was aplete arm.

    It might use her full control, but this was the second step Selena took in mastering the technique in her mind.

    The huge arm moved toward the alien and squeezed the blood fieldpletely, including the alien inside it.

    The alien coughed up blood, but it soon exerted its own strength to cut the arm, breaking free from Selena''s clutch.

    "¡­" Selena squinted her eyes, never expecting it to be so easy to cut. The reason she used her Ena this way was none other than her carelessness.

    During the terrorist attack, Selena was defeated because of the poison. Hence, she wanted an ability that could iste her body inside while she controlled it to take down the enemy.

    And this was the answer. If she enveloped herself with a massive amount of Ena, no poison would enter her body. And this massive Ena had to be contained perfectly, or she would just waste her Ena.

    She was confident that when the principal saw the perfect form of her new technique, he would be so speechless that he would ept her right away.

    To do that, she first had to win against this mutant.

    The alien wanted to get away, but Yin Zhen hurriedly stood in his path, blocking his escape route.

    Behind the alien were a lot of knights, while on the left was Selena''s arm. It truly had no other choice but to push through Sasha and Risa.

    It let out a screeching sound as it charged at Risa.

    Sasha immediately intercepted the alien, both of them shing their ws.

    After that, Risa summoned numerous bats made of blood. The bats were flocking the alien, surrounding it from all sides.

    The mutant waved his de, killing several bats. However, the sheer number of bats was overwhelming.

    The bats reached the mutant and started biting it.

    As expected, the mutant''s skin was tough enough that the bats'' teeth couldn''t pierce through it.

    However, the bats had provided enough distraction that the alien didn''t realize Risa was already behind it.

    With a wave of both hands, two blood spears flew at high speed. With that distance, the alien didn''t have the chance to avoid it and got pierced on the waist and chest.

    "!!!" The alien felt the damage, but it didn''t really matter. After all, the alien could still move.

    It immediately overpowered Sasha and threw her to Risa, causing them to crash into each other.

    Yin Zhen came right after, kicking the alien.

    Surprisingly, the alien managed to react and grabbed his foot.

    "!!!" Yin Zhen was startled, especially when the alien was about to cut his foot. Still, he had experienced something like this.

    The alien felt the kick be increasingly powerful. Its wrist started to bend, which ended up snapping. The kick ended up hitting the alien in the chest, knocking it away.

    Yin Zhen''s expression turned dark as a cut on his thigh suddenly appeared. He never thought that the mutant was able to leave a cut when he was about to be blown away. ''I see. So that''s the strength of a juvenile ss mutant. I''m still superior, but if I''m not careful, it has the chance to kill me.''

    Selena, on the other hand, tried to grab the alien again. However, the alien cut the arm so easily that it started to think Selena was their weakest link.

    Seeing the mutante to Selena, all three familiars hurriedly chased after him.

    Selena simply retracted that arm and used that Ena to form a huge shield in front of her.

    The alien hurriedly struck the barrier, but it couldn''t sh through it like the palm two days ago.

    As a result, the alien spun his body and looped around the shield.

    Selena took a deep breath and formed another shield to block it, but the alien actually used his hand to punch the shield instead. He then pushed his body to the side where there was no shield.

    "!!!" Selena squinted her eyes, realizing the weakness of her ability.

    As a result, the alien reached her and shed her with his de.

    *Zab!*

 Chapter 187: Crushing the Alien (Bonus)

    "Selena!" Risa shouted her name, but that was probably unnecessary.

    After all, Selena skillfully grabbed her robe and hardened it, using it as a shield to block the de.

    The clicking sound echoed as proof of her safety.

    Now that the alien had failed her attack, it was time for a counterattack.

    She formed an explosive bullet in her hand and sted the alien toward Yin Zhen.

    Yin Zhen gathered his Ena and kicked the alien once again. A tiger head formed on his foot as it engulfed the alien upon impact.

    The alien was able to react, blocking the kick with one of its arms. However, that powerful kick actually bent the arm in a weird way.

    The alien flung toward Sasha, where she had a hard time stopping its body.

    But once it stopped, several blood spears hit the alien, nting the alien''s body on the ground. After that, a blood tornado fell on top of his head.

    The alien hurriedly broke free by letting the blood spear cut its flesh. After that, he struck the spear with his de before rolling a few times on the ground.

    The blood tornado pulverized the ground, implying this was what would happen if the alien didn''t break free.

    Still, there were a lot of cuts on the alien''s body. Even though the recovery was quite fast, this was their chance to defeat the alien.

    Yin Zhen was the first one to take advantage of it. He kicked the alien into the air so that the alien couldn''t avoid their attack.

    After that, Sasha took off and struck the alien, stopping its movement. Once she flew away, Selena and Risa sent forth their respective attacks.

    The alien only had one chance. It shed Risa''s blood tornado since it looked more dangerous. Little did it know, the moment it got hit by Selena''s explosive bullet, he was sted back to the sky, allowing them to attack once again.

    At this rate, they would repeat it until it died.

    As a result, the moment Sasha came again, it actually let Sasha attack him. In exchange, he grabbed Sasha''s arm and tossed her toward Selena and the others.

    Unbeknownst to the alien, Selena and Risa had predicted it due to how smart the alien was.

    Risa formed a gentle blood tornado to act as a cushion for Sasha.

    Meanwhile, Selena shot another explosive bullet to knock him back to the sky. As if everything had gone ording to its n, the alien shed the explosive bullet and directed the explosive force to the sides, allowing him to go back to the ground.

    Little did it know, everything was just a distraction.

    Yin Zhen was missing on the ground. The alien suddenly noticed a massive Ena fluctuation above it.

    "!!!" The alien turned its head around and saw the tiger kick. Because it had been too focused on going down, it couldn''t spin its body in the air.

    As a result, the kick hit its back, causing its body to bulge forward.

    "Ree!" The alien let out a scream filled with pain. It crashed to the ground with such momentum that a small crater was formed.

    The alien forced its body to move. It first rolled its body and stood up, albeit Sasha waved her ws, releasing a crescent-shaped w attack.

    The alien had to block it with its de, failing to get up. After that, several blood spears appeared again and impaled the alien''s body, stopping it from getting up.

    Both familiars immediately moved away as Selena had prepared the biggest explosive bullet, like the one she used to decimate over a hundred aliens.

    "!!!'' The mutant looked shocked, as it was unable to even lift up its hand when the explosive bullet fell upon its body.

    *Boom!*

    A massive explosion engulfed the body and expanded the crater. It carried so much force that the de the alien was so proud of shattered into pieces.

    "Reee¡ª!" The alien was wailing in pain as its body was crushed. It was as if every remaining bone in its body had been pulverized.

    And it didn''t stop there.

    Yin Zhen was falling straight toward the alien. He dropped his foot, hitting the alien''s head with his heel.

    "Tiger Impact!" Yin Zhen crushed the alien''s head into mincemeat as the blood sshed in all directions.

    With this much damage, there was no way the mutant was still alive.

    "Huu¡­" Yin Zhen exhaled a long breath before sping his hands to Selena. "We have defeated the enemy."

    Despite killing the enemies, none of them actually celebrated.

    Sasha took a deep breath, frowning. She wondered if there was anything she could do, as her strength had be the weakest among them.

    Risa frowned, thinking, ''We can kill the juvenile ss mutant so easily because we are fighting him with numbers. If it''s only one of us, only Yin Zhen can probably defeat him.''

    Risa was aware of the advantage of their number. The alien focused so much on blocking one of their attacks that it got hit by the other one.

    Most of the time, a summoner was the one at the disadvantage, since the enemies either had the same number of familiars or more aliens.

    That was why she didn''t feel that happy about this victory. She was just relieved that they managed to take their revenge.

    While looking at the defeated juvenile ss mutant, Selena muttered, "Thanks to this alien, I have learned what I should improve. I think I should ask Nathan to see if he has a better solution."

    Yin Zhen made a wry smile. He was summoned right before they left the academy, so there was not much information he had about Nathan.

    That was why he was more skeptical about Nathan''s mistakes. However, the more he apanied Selena, the more he realized how much Selena relied on Nathan.

    Yin Zhen wanted to say, "You''re making this difficult for me." If he knew how dependent she was, he would probably not say anything to Nathan previously. What if heshing at Nathan ended up messing with their rtionship.

 Chapter 188: Different Fighting Style

    Unlike Selena, Nathan was only apanied by two familiars: Fenrir and Anubis. Just like back when he fought against a juvenile ss mutant with these two, he wanted to win against this mutant with the same lineup.

    However, the situation was different. Nathan had gotten much strongerpared to back then.

    As if knowing his intention, Fenrir immediately charged forward. He pounced on the alien, who was trying to cut him in two.

    Fenrir let out a bark that dispersed the attack and eventually reached the alien. Thetter blocked him with his own arm before trying to cut him into pieces.

    Nathan aimed at the alien''s legs and shot them. As Sullivan said previously, the bullet became twice asrge.

    He shot the alien with a bullet as big as the alien''s thigh.

    Still, the alien''s skin was much tougher than the bullet. It only knocked the leg down, allowing Fenrir to pin the alien on the ground.

    Anubis was ready with his bandages, but it didn''t seem to be necessary.

    As soon as the alien was down, Fenrir immediately bit the alien''s shoulder. If he could rip apart one of its arms, the battle would end in less than two minutes.

    However, the alien hit Fenrir''s stomach with its knee and rolled back, tossing Fenrir away.

    The first one that didn''t allow the alien to rise was Nathan. He had tested the bullet power, so it was time to get serious.

    Anubis had activated his synchronization again. When the alien''s upper body was up, Nathan shot it in the head.

    Bang!

    The alien got knocked down with so much force that its head was slightly buried underground.

    This was the difference between Selena and Nathan. Selena utilized her strength through brute force. Meanwhile, Nathan didn''t have a lot of Ena, so he had to be creative.

    Instead of creating a big bullet, he concentrated everything to the point where itpressed the Ena.

    The explosive power became even more powerful.

    This was one of the techniques he came up with after going to the Ancient Library.

    The alien ended up rolling back, barely lifting up its head. Even Nathan wasn''t foolish enough to fight the alien in closebat, especially with that de on its arm.

    The alien swung its de horizontally, trying to reach Nathan. But thanks to the distance, Nathan had all the time needed to avoid it.

    He jumped into the air and shot the alien with an explosive bullet.

    The alien was pushed back, which ended up bing Fenrir''s prey.

    "!!!" The alien raised its arms a step toote as Fenrir''s paw hit his head a split second faster, blowing it away.

    The alien bounced several times on the ground before ultimately crashing to a tree.

    Despite having the same amount of strength as the mutant Selena fought, this alien couldn''t properly utilize its strength because of Nathan.

    The alien should be able to overpower Fenrir, but Nathan had been supporting Fenrir or distracting the alien.

    When he couldn''t fall, he shot its legs. When it wanted to counterattack, Nathan disrupted his movement.

    Now that the alien was once again on the ground, Fenrir immediately flung into him with his mouth wide open.

    The alien stopped his teeth with the de, but Fenrir''s ws were scratching the alien''s body.

    Nathan approached the alien from another direction.

    Getting pressured like this, the alien started behaving even more like a human. He grabbed the soil and threw it toward Fenrir.

    "Kh!" Fenrir gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He had to leap back to gain some distance, but as if it were fed up with the current situation, the alien sped up.

    It swung its de toward Fenrir. Fenrir could feel the dangering, so he instinctively raised his paws.

    Knowing that Fenrir was in trouble, Nathan made the gun sign to help him, but the alien increased his speed even further.

    The sh was so fast that it hit Fenrir first before the bullet hit.

    Fenrir managed to protect its body, but the shunched him into the air. Fenrir hurriedly swung his tail to stop the alien, but thetter simply grabbed it with its hand and shattered it with a single clutch. As for Nathan''s bullet, the alien simply acted as if it didn''t get hit by anything.

    After that, the alien moved toward Nathan, realizing that he was the weakest link.

    Nathan''s expression turned serious. He took a step back, fully realizing that the alien would be much faster than him. Yet he didn''t raise his stance or use the Dragon Fist to stop the alien.

    Instead, he did nothing. Even Anubis frowned and tried to reach Nathan, albeit the alien reached him first.

    The alien waved its de at Nathan, but thetter tilted his body to the side, avoiding it. He had seen enough sword strikes from both Noelle and Sullivan, so it wasn''t hard to avoid one.

    However, the alien suddenly kicked him in the opposite direction. In the end, the alien wasn''t a swordsman like them. There was no need for it to continue attacking with the sword.

    "Kh!" Nathan gritted his teeth before the kickunched him to a tree 10 meters (33 feet) away. His back hit the tree, which stopped him, but the pain was excruciating.

    If not for the coat, his spine might crack or break.

    Anubis used his Healing Ability to the maximum to help Nathan, but the alien hurriedly moved toward him, taking this advantage to kill Nathan.

    Both Anubis and Fenrir chased the alien, but they couldn''t catch up.

    As soon as Nathan was in its range, the alien raised its sword and shed downwards, only to find itself getting hit on the stomach before it could even cut Nathan.

    "!!!" The alien was startled and lowered its head, seeing Nathan''s bullet.

    It was the same trick Nathan used to kill the bandit leader. He shot the ground multiple times. But because he only had the crystal and Anubis to boost his power instead of Serafina, the range was much shorter.

    Still, it worked. It was painful, but it worked. Nathan smiled as the alien was blown back to Fenrir. He smirked, "Goodbye."

    Fenrir opened its mouth as he devoured him.

 Chapter 189 Killing the Aliens

    Chapter 189 Killing the Aliens

    "!!!" The alien could feel Fenrir''s paw on its back. It immediately turned around, but Fenrir had first bitten the alien''s shoulder.

    When it turned around, the alien ended up helping Fenrir tear up its own shoulder.

    "Reee!" The alien screamed in pain, but there was nothing it could do. It allowed Fenrir to take its left arm as his de came for his neck.

    Unfortunately for the alien, Anubis'' bandages had captured the de and wrapped itpletely.

    As a result, when the de hit Fenrir''s neck, it didn''t manage to pierce through the bandage, let alone cut his neck. Instead, it knocked Fenrir to the side.

    The alien pulled the bandages, causing Anubis'' feet to slide on the ground as he had a hard time holding the alien back.

    Nathan took advantage of this opportunity to punch the alien on the left side with the Dragon Fist.

    Now that the arm was gone, the alien could do nothing if they attacked him from the left side.

    Anubis let go of the sword so that the Dragon Fist blew the alien away.

    In addition, Nathan formed an explosive bullet right after, letting it burst right in front of the alien.

    *Boom!*

    The explosion knocked the alien away. However, as expected from a juvenile ss mutant, the bleeding on its left arm had stopped, making all three of them realize they had to kill the juvenile ss mutant as quickly as possible before it regrow its arm.

    Anubis joined the battle this time. He sent forth his bandages, which forced the alien to flee.

    Nathan shot the back of its legs, causing the alien to fall to his knees. In the meantime, Fenrir sprung back and caught up with the alien, pping the back of its head and smashing it down to the ground.

    The alien was looking frustrated, as if everything didn''t work ording to its way. In fact, the only time it could use its full strength was when Nathan wanted it that way.

    Fenrir hurriedly bit its right arm. The alien shook Fenrir off, but the arm was half torn. Even if the alien could use it, it wouldn''t contain any power.

    The alien simply got back on his feet and started running away. Yes, it ran away.

    Nathan''s bullet suddenly fell from the sky and hit the alien from behind, knocking it down to the ground.

    "Reee!" The alien screamed, asking for help from other aliens. However, nothing came. The aliens had been encircled by the knights and had no choice but to get ughtered. The flying aliens wouldn''te back.

    With such frustration, the alien turned around, swinging its sword as hard as possible. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But that was toote. Fenrir bit its arm once more and tore it apart.

    "Ree!" The alien cried. No matter how loud it called for help, nobody came.

    The alien struggled on the ground, but Anubis tied up its legs while Nathan shot its head with the explosive bullet, destroying it apart.

    This was the difference in fighting style between Nathan and Selena. If Selena crushed her opponent head-on, Nathan chose to stress them out and force them to make mistakes, which he would then exploit.

    "Huu¡­" Nathan smirked as if everything had gone ording to n. He turned his head to Anubis and Fenrir, saying, "Hey. I didn''t get stabbed this time."

    Anubis'' eyebrows twitched while Fenrir was gnashing his teeth. Both of them looked like they were trying to beat him up because he made them worry.

    Still, he would be foolish to not fight the alien without Nidhogg. Of course, he summoned Nidhogg, but he had a different mission.

    All of a sudden, two aliens fell from the sky. Their corpses were scorched. There was still super-heated purple light on their skin.

    Nidhogg finallynded on the ground with smoke leaking out of his mouth.

    "This is boring. Those flying aliens are nothing." Nidhogg harrumphed while staring at the flying alien corpses scattered all around the forest.

    Earlier, Sullivan let the flying aliens go as an instructor. This had turned into a perfect opportunity for Nathan to get a lot of cores since it was hard to find so many flying aliens gathering in a single spot.

    That was why he instructed Nidhogg to kill those aliens. While Nathan proved himself, Nidhogg would be there as a source of ie. Of course, Nidhogg also stopped the flying aliens, the only aliens that could help this mutant, froming.

    Nathan gave a thumbs up. "Nice."

    *Bam!*

    However, his celebration was disturbed by a loud, crumbling sound from the distance. Dozens of trees were getting crushed by the hill before them.

    Now that the mature ss alien noticed they were about to lose, it started moving away.

    The rest of the aliens were going to stop all the knights from approaching the mature ss alien. In fact, the most effective aliens to destroy the soldiers were the flying aliens.

    However, if there was someone who wouldn''t allow the alien to leave, it would definitely be Sullivan. He knew what kind of things would happen if he let the alien get away.

    That was why his Ena erupted.

    "Where do you think you''re going, slowpoke?" Sullivan locked on to the alien, his hand already in his sword.

    The mature ss alien immediately released the dull sound once again, trying to distract him. But that was the alien''s biggest mistake.

    That sound would definitely disturb his soldiers and just anger Sullivan even more.

    Right after he heard that loud sound, Sullivan drew his sword vertically. The pressure from the sword carried the Ena around him and flew toward the alien.

    The alien didn''t have the chance to react as the energy reached it and cut the alien into two as if it were tofu.

    It wouldn''t be weird if people said Sullivan just split a hill into two with a single draw.

    Seeing such ability made Nathan even more fired up, as he couldn''t help but think, ''Yeah. Just wait. I''m going to be that strong as well¡­ No, even stronger.''

 Chapter 190 Nathans Suggestion (Bonus)

    Chapter 190 Nathan''s Suggestion (Bonus)

    As if she had been waiting for him, Selena immediately rushed toward Nathan after he killed the mutant.

    "Nathan!" She called his name out loud.

    Nathan smiled. "Sorry for making you wait."

    "Waiting? The only reason I''m able to finish that mutant first is because you only have two familiars fighting by your side. You don''t even ask for your strongest familiar." Selena shook her head.

    Both Anubis and Fenrir immediately shouted, "He is not the strongest!"

    Selena was startled. No matter which familiar Nathan had, they always fought for the position of the strongest. There was no way their pride would allow someone other than them to be the strongest.

    Selena hurriedly changed her words. "Currently stronger."

    Anubis and Fenrir looked annoyed, but they harrumphed and threw their faces to the side.

    Nathan chuckled. "The technique you''re working on. It''s pretty good, you know. Are you nning to create an avatar or something?"

    "Yes." Selena nodded. "There are various reasons, but I believe this is the most suitable fighting style for me. This is the only way I can utilize therge amount of Ena in my body. It''s just¡­ it''s not stable and sturdy. I don''t know what I should do."

    "An Avatar, huh?" Nathan raised his head, contemting. ''There are several series which bring out the concept of avatar. But from what I have seen so far, I think there is one that has a simr vibe as her power.''

    Nathan asked, "Can you concentrate a massive Ena andpress it to a smaller size to form an object? Something like the shield, but even sturdier."

    Selena simted what Nathan wanted in her mind before nodding her head. "I think I can. Why?"

    "If that''s the case, why don''t you make an avatar that has a foundation?"

    "A foundation?"

    "Yes. Your avatar looks humanoid, so what can be the foundation of humans? The ones that support their entire body? They are strong and sturdy but notpletely fill up your body."

    "!!!" There was only one thing that matched Nathan''s description. "Are you talking about bones?"

    "Exactly. You are containing that massive amount of Ena, right? What if you form a skeleton within that aura? It can serve as a pseudo physical body for your avatar. This will make your avatar much sturdier.

    "However, doing this will increase the difficulty of maintaining your avatar." Nathan exined.

    "But it will definitely improve my avatar. No. If I think about it, the skeleton is just the foundation. I can even do something more, such as equipping it with armor or something. But this is just for the future since my ability hasn''t reached that level yet. As for the skeleton, I don''t know if it''s possible before the event, but at least it''s doable," Selena muttered.

    Nathan smiled inwardly, thinking, ''That''s right. You just have to do it. Create that freaking ability. Now that I think about Susanoo¡­ not the ability, but the god one, the younger brother of Sun Goddess Amaterasu¡­ What about delving into Japanese Mythology?

    ''There are some cool divine beasts like Yamata no Orochi. No, wait. How about I summon a nine-tailed fox? Maybe it''s more urate to call it Kitsune.

    ''Kitsune can have up to nine tails, but because of my unique summoning ability, I will definitely summon a nine-tailed Kitsune. However, because of the limitation of my power, those tails might be sealed.

    ''But Kitsune is known for its shapeshifting ability, right? More often than not, they disguise themselves as a beautiful young woman.

    ''Still, this is a problem. If I summon Yamata no Orochi, he will be good at a swamp or river. Meanwhile, Kitsune is more of a deception battle. Even though my lower brain wants to summon Kitsune, I can''t do it unless the circumstances force me. Ugh.''

    Nathan faced a dilemma.

    Meanwhile Selena seemed to have formed the concept in her mind. This should be enough to terrify the principal, she thought.

    "Thank you, Nathan." Selena''s expression brightened.

    "Ah." Nathan snapped back to reality. "Not at all. This is our agreement after all. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me about it." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "En." She nodded furiously.

    While they were talking, Sullivan''s voice echoed in their ears. "Good work, you two."

    "Sir?" Nathan and Selena were startled.

    "Why don''t you join the soldiers?"

    Nathan shook his head. "Before that, there''s something I''d like to ask."

    "Hoh?" Themander''s expression turned serious. "What is it?"

    Nathan pointed at the corpses of the aliens the soldiers had ughtered. "You are giving the bonus to us, right? Those aliens can be used to reward the soldiers, but we''re responsible for this victory, so don''t you think it''s only appropriate to include it as a bonus?"

    The old general didn''t expect that Nathan would be bold enough to im it. However, he couldn''t deny the strategy Nathan gave was the main reason for their victory.

    Still, 50% of them were already several hundred cores. And Nathan would definitely include the two mutants, which would increase that number even more.

    "You are truly not holding back, aren''t you?"

    "Merit is merit." Nathan shook his head. "If you are not going to reward us for those, then no one will do it again. After all, they won''t get anything."

    Themander clicked his tongue. Themander raised his head, looking at the soldiers. "You won''t ask for the bonus for those, right?"

    He was talking about the aliens that would die after all this.

    Nathan shook his head. "It''s true the n contributes to them, but it''s not direct enough for me to im them."

    Sullivan thought for a moment before saying, "Alright. I can give you the bonus for it, but you just have to answer one question from me."

    "Alright." Nathan nodded with a smile. It was just a question, it wouldn''t hurt him.

    Sullivan came closer and whispered his question. "Where do you learn military tactics? It''s not something that amoner can learn easily."

    "!!!" Nathan''s heart skipped a beat as his back was drenched in cold sweat.

    Once again, what happened to him after scamming the Dragon King repeated itself.

    Both Anubis and Fenrir exchanged looks as they thought the same thing. ''He doesn''t learn, doesn''t he?''

 Chapter 191: Who Scammed Who?

    "Where do you learn military tactics? It''s not something that amoner can learn easily."

    Nathan''s heart skipped a beat. If he said he gained this knowledge from Anubis and the others, Sullivan would be able to see through his lies in an instant.

    However, he had one alibi that could solve this problem.

    "Fairy Queen Charlotte." Nathan smiled.

    "Fairy Queen?" Sullivan''s expression turned solemn. He obviously had heard this name before. "The Ancient Library?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded. There was nothing more to exin. The more mysterious it looked, the more believable this lie would be.

    That was why Nathan immediately fell silent, letting Sullivane up with his own understanding. It wouldn''t be his mistake if Sullivan ended up misunderstanding his words after all.

    Sullivan sighed. "It seems you don''t want to tell me about it."

    "What?" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

    "Do you think I haven''t gone to the Ancient Library once? There are no war books over there." Sullivan shook his head helplessly. "Do you think I don''t know you''re lying?"

    Nathan obviously didn''t know whether there were war books, but Nathan immediately used his biggest shield. "We are not the same. The Fairy Queen would probably not give you the books because you are not qualified."

    "Heh. Back then, she told me those were the books she had in the Ancient Library. You are 20 years too young to trick me." Sullivan grinned, provoking Nathan even further. He couldn''t help but think, ''Come on. Tell me more about it.''

    There was no way for Sullivan and Nathan to measure how much each other knew about the Ancient Library.

    If Nathan continued talking about his achievement, it would just be good information for Sullivan.

    And of course, Nathan had never told anyone without reaping some benefits for himself. He challenged the old general by saying, "Then why don''t we make a bet?"

    "A bet?"

    "Yes. We''re betting whether the Fairy queen wille back to this world."

    "!!!" Sullivan''s heart skipped a beat. He knew what kind of existence the Fairy Queen was. She was basically one of the strongest familiars in the past, so if she came back to this world, the person who summoned her would reach the top.

    "What''s wrong? You''re scared?" Nathan grinned as if he were the one provoking Sullivan.

    Selena waspletely speechless, watching Nathan try to scam the Sword Saint, especially after the Dragon King. If he seeded, the next target would probably be people from the same level.

    More importantly, the only reason he could do this was due to Sullivan''s favorable impression of Nathan. Noelle had truly done a huge favor by simply stating the truth.

    Sullivan smiled. "Sure. Let''s make the bet."

    "If the Fairy Queen appears once again in a year, I win."

    "What do you want if you win?" Sullivan asked.

    "I need one thing, but I think it''s better to say itter, not now."

    "As long as it''s within my ability." Sullivan nodded and raised a finger. "If you lose, you''re going to enter my household."

    "Huh?" Nathan looked surprised, not expecting this kind of offer. Entering the mante Household meant gaining the protection of the Sword Saint. Everyone would definitely feel delighted by it.

    However, doing so would mean getting his movement restricted. Nathan originally thought if he wanted a family, it would be better if he were the head of the family, allowing him to do whatever he wanted, even if it looked risky.

    What Sullivan wanted was not necessarily his knowledge or connection. It was his blood as well as the future potential.

    If he could get this strong in less than three months, he could imagine what kind of monster he would turn once he trained him.

    Even if he didn''t win, he definitely had made a favorable impression on Nathan.

    Nathan had received the acknowledgment from the Dragon King, so it wouldn''t be weird if he did the same. In fact, the Dragon King was the sly one. He would be the first one to snatch him if there was a problem with the Azilia Kingdom.

    Just like Selena acknowledging her talent and working hard in that direction, Nathan recognized his unique identity and used it.

    Nathan smiled. "Alright. The bet is on."

    "Haha. That''s great." Sullivan grinned as though he had won. "You don''t have a family name, right? Get ready to attach mante as your family name."

    "That''s only if you win the bet. Besides, I think you have one more problem." Nathan pointed at the flying aliens Nidhogg had killed earlier. "Don''t forget that you have to pay a lot of cores for the bonus within the next two weeks."

    The knights had killed around a thousand aliens. That alone would give him a bonus of at least five hundred proto-ss cores. Then, Nidhogg hunted a hundred flying aliens, which tranted to fifty more cores as a bonus.

    Last but not least, the mutants as well as the juvenile ss aliens.

    In total, Nathan was able to secure around seven hundred proto-ss cores. Even with the split, Nathan still gained more than a thousand Ena from the first day alone.

    Although they would slow down for the rest of the two weeks, Nathan believed they could get at least three thousand Ena, allowing him to reach his original n.

    Sullivan miscalcted the flying aliens. He just noticed what Nathan''s aim was.

    Nathan definitely wanted to rob him.

    Sullivan had a bitter smile on his face. He might have underestimated Nathan.

    "Fine. Don''t worry. I''ll give you the bonus I''ve promised."

    "In that case, I better hurry and earn more cores." Nathan smirked.

    "Really? I don''t think you should solve one problem first before hunting the aliens."

    "Huh? Another problem?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion before noticing what Sullivan actually meant. He could feel the chilling airing from behind.

    Selena was ring at him with a dark expression, making him gulp down. He was confident in winning the bet because the Fairy Queen had given him her hairpin. But Selena wasn''t aware of it.

    Selena was probably angry, not because Nathan talked about other women, but because of how easy it was for him to agree to enter another household.

    Without him realizing it, Sullivan had also disappeared.

    He had been tricked.

 Chapter 192: Next Event

    For the next two days, Nathan and Selena were hunting down as many aliens as possible.

    Obviously, due to the attack on the two camps, they had to investigate where the aliens came from. As a result, they found the cave along with many corpses in it.

    No one believed that fifty soldiers had been kidnapped into the cave and turned into aliens. And out of those fifty soldiers, only nine managed to be a host.

    Nathan and Selena killed two of them.

    Sullivan also led his soldiers to take down the remnant of those aliens, including five out of nine hosts. However, there were still two more hosts they couldn''t find.

    Even with Sullivan expanding the search area, the remaining two hosts simply vanished into trace.

    Hence, Sullivan had to change his approach, especially since those humans could be hidden among them.

    Still, there was one more category that one could be used to ssify as a host. It was for the people who had been controlled but not mutated.

    They behaved like humans but were unable to use their vocal chords. While identifying them was easy, it would be increasingly hard once more and more of them infiltrated the human camps.

    Sullivan would be the one handling the recovery of the mature ss corpse as well as other significant specimens.

    As for Nathan and Selena, they managed to hunt over two thousand aliens.

    In total, they received 2,500 proto-ss cores and 30 juvenile ss cores. Sullivan gave them half of the aliens they hunted as bonuses, of course, from his own coffer.

    Even after dividing the cores between the two of them, Nathan still got enough cores for Fenrir and Anubis to reach 1,000 Ena and him upgrading his Soul Contract once again.

    Satisfied with the harvest, Nathan and Selena thanked Sullivan and went back to the academy.

    Still, both of them knew they were not the only ones working hard for the next event. Rudeus, August, and even other students were trying to get a piece of the pie. They might not win if they were careless.

    ¡­

    Frexia Academy.

    Once they returned to the ss, it was time for the third event to begin.

    Jason gathered the students in the ss as usual.

    "I''m sure that you have been doing your best in thest two months. And now it is time for the third event of the first year.

    "You might have heard the rumor, so I''ll say it first. The rumor is true. In this event, you will pair up with another person to win the event. Even though you are a summoner, you won''t always work by yourself, so this event is intended to let you understand it for the future.

    "Before exining the rules, I will let you know about the benefits of this event. I want you to treat this event as one of the most important events in your life.

    "After all, the mission reward will be given to the 10 top pairs. However, the grade will be different.

    "For 6th to 10th pairs, each person will receive a C-grade room, 250 proto-ss cores every single month, and two items.

    "What kind of items will you receive? This can be a lot of things. You should have seen it when browsing the list of rewards from the battle royale. Yes, you can choose items such as potions, equipment, and other items.

    "What about the room? The room will be at least five times more spacious than your current room, perfect with all kinds of equipment that can train your body or space for your research, depending on what type of summoner you are.

    "For 4th and 5th pairs, you will receive a B-grade room, 400 proto-ss cores every month, and three items. The difference between a B-grade room and a C-grade room is that a B-grade room is ten times more spacious than your current room.

    "And for the 3rd rank, you will receive an A-grade room, 500 proto-ss cores, and three items. This is where the room will have an additional space for your special training. It can be said to be tailored especially for you.

    "The 2nd rank pair will also receive an A-grade room, 750 proto-ss cores, and four items.

    "Last but not least, the champion for this event will receive an A-grade room, 1,000 proto-ss cores, and 1 epic item."

    Everyone couldn''t help but drop their jaws to the ground after hearing such a generous reward.

    Now that they had more familiars, they definitely needed more space. That was why having such a spacious room would be important.

    However, the biggest reward would be the cores. Once they summoned their third familiar, they knew they needed a massive amount of Ena to summon their next familiar. The quality would have to increase drastically.

    Instead of a few thousand, they would probably need at least ten thousand Ena to summon their next familiar.

    In fact, their fifth familiar would need much more than that. It was no wonder why Selena''s father managed to summon a progenitor as his fifth familiar.

    Nathan and Selena aside, talented people shouldn''t have a problem getting 5 to 7 Ena per core. In addition, they would also gather a lot more cores outside the school.

    This was the biggest reason the principal allowed the second year and third year to challenge the first-year students in the summoners war after six months.

    Jason said this was one of the most important events in their lives, and he wasn''t wrong. This was the academy''s way of seeing whether they should invest a lot in them.

    A lot of students were excited. At the very least, twenty people would win in this instance. In addition, they gave multiple items to the winner. Those who didn''t win could still negotiate with the winners to get one or two items for their next summons as well.

    As for Nathan and Selena, they only had one goal in mind. It was to get the first rank, even if it meant they had to defeat August and Rudeus.

    Jason mmed the board and raised his voice. "And now, I will exin the rules."

 Chapter 193: Alien and Symbiote (Bonus)

    Nathan and Selena sat down next to each other, feeling the pressure from everyone in their surroundings.

    In fact, the whole ss was watching them intensely. Currently, there were two pairs they had to watch out for the most. The first would be August and Rudeus, who had set their grudge aside to win this event.

    The second would be Nathan and Selena. Selena was strong, while Nathan was unique. To defeat them, it required a lot of nning.

    If Nathan had to take a guess, the one responsible for this atmosphere was none other than Rudeus.

    Rudeus must have controlled their opinion, which resulted in them being isted.

    When August saw all this, he couldn''t help but nce at Rudeus, remembering what he said previously.

    ¡­

    A month prior.

    "What? You''re going to iste them?" August widened his eyes in disbelief.

    "That''s right. It is their fault for focusing too much on themselves. Even if they have the strength, they will still need other people to survive. If they end up turning the whole world into their enemy, do you think they can survive even with their strength?

    "No. That''s why it''s better to iste them. If we iste them, everyone will think twice if they are going to team up with them. This time, the event will require us to form a pair.

    "What if the future events require a group of more than two?" Rudeus smirked.

    "!!!" August squinted his eyes. The result was obvious. No one woulde to them.

    Obviously, Rudeus was aiming for something beyond it. When they were unable to find anyone, August would be there to help them.

    Their evaluation of Rudeus would definitely improve, and they would feel they owed him for helping them.

    When that happened, he could gradually influence them to go to the Liaystian Kingdom instead of staying in the Azilia Kingdom.

    Nathan would be much easier to handle because his parents weremoners. Selena had a grudge with her uncle, and there was a chance for him to bring her to the Liaystian Kingdom if Nathan could be a noble in the Liaystian Kingdom. In the end, the women in noble houses would be married to their groom''s family, so she would have to follow Nathan.

    All he needed to do was nurture Nathan and make him reliant on him. This way, Nathan wouldn''t have the thought of leaving the kingdom. He would also be a strong and unique summoner in the future.

    And what would be for him? With such an achievement, no one would oppose him bing the king.

    Just the thought alone put a smile on Rudeus'' face. He thought, ''Screw you, Flora. Since you''re going to y this unfairly, I''m going to do it my way.''

    August looked like he didn''t ept this methodpletely. At the same time, he couldn''t really get a good rank if he didn''t team up with Rudeus.

    Because Selena and Nathan had paired up, his choice was limited. With Rudeus as his partner, he wouldn''t scheme against him, at least in this event.

    August gritted his teeth before saying, "I''ll just do it because there''s no other alternative, even though I don''t really like this."

    "Wise choice." Rudeus had a sly smile on his face.

    When August recalled that conversation, he couldn''t help but nce at Selena and Nathan. He didn''t have any grudges against them, but he had no choice but to let this be for the sake of victory. In the end, they were rivals. They were simplypeting for resources.

    ¡­

    In the corner of the Azilia Kingdom stood a small hut in the middle of nowhere. The hut looked nothing special, but when one entered the hut, they would find stairs leading to the spacious basement.

    The basement was dimly lit. There were several tubes with varied sizes on the right and left sides of the room. A big table with mountains of papers, some of which were scattered on the ground, stood on the opposite side of the room with various tools.

    The dimly green and purple glows, along with the alien corpses inside the tubes, made the atmosphere eerier.

    "What do you think?" Sullivan asked.

    Before him were multiple corpses of aliens and a man wearing a long white coat. The man in front of him was from his generation, yet he looked like a guy in theirte thirties.

    The guy fixed his sses and said, "Where do you find them?"

    "In the camp I''m taking care of right now. You should know much more than me regarding an alien like this since you are a former leading Court Researcher. It''s because I know you personally that I bring them first to you instead of the Research Department, Simon."

    Simon pointed at the human''s corpse. "Do you remember when I told you about the separation of aliens and symbiotes?"

    "Yes. Five years ago, you told me we should separate the alien and symbiote as they were two separate living creatures. However¡­" Sullivan''s expression turned grim.

    "However, the symbiote is a much more terrifying creature. They have a terrifying growth rate and act like parasites, controlling their hosts."

    "Don''t tell me¡­" Sullivan''s face darkened.

    "It is as I expected." Simon pointed at the veins and tentacles. "If you look at this, the tentacles are not growing. Instead, the symbiotes are the ones growing the de, the ws, and other things. These symbiotes are actually using humans as their host. Do you understand what this means, Sullivan?"

    "Are they trying to change their hosts from aliens to humans? If that''s the case, the aliens that are currently attacking this world are not in their right mind."

    "Exactly." Simon nodded. "What if the aliens are being controlled to attack our world? What if, after aliens, we are next?"

    Sullivan trembled. He couldn''t imagine what would happen to this world once the aliens started controlling humans.

    Simon added, "The most terrifying thing is not about us getting controlled, it''s their exponential growth. What if these new human hosts are able to speak like normal humans? What if they take over the world? What if the me standing before you is nothing, but a human controlled by the symbiote?"

    "But why would the symbiote act like this right now? Are you saying they have evolved to take over humans in the past few hundred years?" Sullivan crossed his arms.

    "That''s exactly the question you need to answer, Sullivan. Aliens are supposed to be superior to normal humans, so symbiotes will choose to use aliens instead of us as their hosts. But what if¡­ someone changed that natural characteristic?"

    "What? Someone is deliberately turning the symbiotes to use humans as the hosts?"

 Chapter 194: Survival Island

    "Hmm¡­" Nathan sat down with a serious face.

    Selena couldn''t say anything. Both of them were concerned about the event itself.

    ¡­

    An hour ago.

    Jason drew a mountain surrounded by a huge circle underneath it, like that of an ind. And that was exactly the theme of this event.

    "The theme of this event is Survival Ind. All of you will head to the deserted ind and try to survive as a pair.

    "Once we reach the coast of the ind, all of you will be teleported to the edge of the ind as a pair. Because the ind is quite big, you will have a hard time finding each other.

    "The survival willst for two weeks. There are approximately 10,000 aliens on this ind, consisting of mostly proto-ss aliens.

    "Your task is rather simple. All you have to do is survive for as long as possible. Those who survive will get bonus points, the same as your first event.

    "However, there is a method to end this event faster, which is to kill all 10,000 aliens.

    "Of course, you can get points from various methods. The first one will be the tasks to survive on the ind. You have to build the roof on top of your head, and so on. And this time, you are not allowed to bring anything other than your weapon and equipment. In other words, you have to rely on the indpletely.

    "The second method will be killing aliens. This is a given since you are a summoner, so I won''t exin further.

    "The third method will be survival itself. How good will your condition remain when you survive on that deserted ind? After all, this is the most important thing.

    "Those who are eliminated will be brought back to the ship and can''t participate further.

    "This event will be used to simte your condition when you go to the front line. It is not weird if you end up encountering a horde of aliens and getting separated from your party or the rest of the soldiers.

    "Hence, you will have to survive in a condition where you''re under the constant threat of aliens.

    "Is there any question?"

    The students fell into deep thought. The event seemed to be much moreplicated than they thought.

    They originally expected the event would end soon if they eliminated other students. But if they did so, they might not be able to kill those aliens since there wouldn''t be enough people left on their side.

    This survival event wanted them to group up with other students and form a tribe. They could destroy others or choose to work together to eliminate the aliens.

    It was an event with lots of possibilities.

    Selena couldn''t help but look at Nathan, thinking, ''Is he nning something else? From the looks of it, the event wants us to focus on the aliens, but knowing August and Rudeus, we''ll definitely get attacked.

    ''They don''t want us to seed so that they can remain on top. However, if we focus on the aliens and kill as many of them before bailing out, there''s a chance we will be able to beat them even if we''re defeated.

    ''However, I don''t think Nathan is nning to ept the defeat. If he is going to win, he will probably try to crush his opponents. And he is determined to get the victory. After all, the reward is an epic item.

    ''I''m sure he is going to use that item for the sacrifice for the next summoning. I''m nning to do the same, but¡­''

    Selena couldn''t find any way to win in such a condition. Not only the aliens, but the humans would besiege them as well.

    That was why Nathan had toe up with a n¡ªone that no one could think of.

    Nathan''s expression turned grim, as if he had just gotten an insane idea. He turned to Selena, asking, "Selena. If I do something crazy¡­"

    "I will follow your decision and share that burden with you," answered Selena before he even finished his question.

    Nathan smiled wryly. "Thanks. In that case, I have three things I want to tell you first. I''ll lift up the ban and let Risa suck my blood multiple times a week. If she is able to be a vampire duchess, it will be good for us. If not, then so be it."

    Selena looked surprised, not because he would lift the ban, but because he used ''suck my blood'' instead of the usual ''suck me.'' It was for this very reason that Selena realized Nathan waspletely serious this time. The situation might be much more severe than she initially believed. "I understand. Thank you for sharing your blood."

    Nathan nodded. "The second one will be studying in the library. Because we''re unable to bring anything with us, speed is of the essence. Hence, it''s better if we gather as much food as possible and know how to preserve food. To do that, everyone has to get food as quickly as possible. Since we don''t have a map, I''ll have Nidhogg scout the area."

    "I see. We''ll need to know everything edible and gather everything as we get there."

    "Yes. We have an advantage because my familiars can carry them much easier." Nathan sighed. "As for thest one, I''ll probably have to use the student council."

    "Student council?" Selena gasped. "Why? Why there?"

    She remembered Flora''s invitation, but she never thought Nathan would take it. At the same time, there was no reason to not ept it.

    "If I get involved with the student council, there will be a lot of formal events, so I can see you in a dress¡ªAhem, I mean¡­"

    "Oi." Selena narrowed her eyes.

    Nathan corrected his words with a poker face, as if nothing happened. "Politics and strength are connected to each other. Even if I don''t want it, people will still see us as a thorn in their eyes. Normally, lying low will be the best, but I prefer the opposite. I''m nning to crush all students in our grade in this event¡­ crush them so hard that they will not hinder us anymore."

    Selena trembled. This was the first time she saw Nathan this aggressive. It seemed Nathan was serious about it¡­ if he didn''t say the first part.

    In the past, he nned to defeat Rudeus and everyone he allied with, but Noelle stopped him. This time, no one could stop him anymore.

 Chapter 195: Nathans Decision

    "Oh my. Are you finally going to ept my invitation and join the student council?" Flora smiled, sitting behind her desk. It seemed no one except for her and Noelle were around.

    Nathan''s expression remained serious as he asked, "What kind of benefit will I get if I join the student council?"

    Flora''s smile became even bigger. "Instead, I should be the one asking you. What do you want to have you join the student council?"

    "If I''m going to crush the entire ssroom, what will you do?" Nathan asked.

    "!!!" Flora was taken aback by the question. In the past, she would definitely say she had to stop him.

    However, without her realizing it, Nathan had been visiting a few famous people, such as the Dragon King and even Noelle''s grandfather.

    Her father, the king, also had a favorable impression on him.

    If Nathan crushed his entire ss, the nobles behind them wouldn''t like it. The most troublesome one would be the cksmith Guild and the Liaystian Kingdom''s royal family.

    The smile on her face disappeared as she fell into deep thought. "Why do you want to crush your ssmates? You should have seen what they''re capable of, and making friends with them should be quite beneficial for you, no?"

    "Is that even possible?" Nathan asked in a bitter tone.

    This was actually a question directed at Flora instead of the situation. Flora must have monitored his ss.

    She would definitely know the atmosphere and whatever Rudeus was trying to do. Yet she remained passive.

    It was true that the upperssmen couldn''t do much to the freshmen for the time being, but knowing Flora''s personality, she would probably not do anything because of another reason.

    If she didn''t say anything, Nathan might treat this as an offense and reconsider her offer. And that would be a game over for her.

    However, Flora had once said she wasn''t like Rudeus, who yed games. When she heard this question, Flora smiled as though she had the answer prepared long ago.

    "It isn''t possible. However, you don''t have to worry even if you don''t have friends, because there are a lot of talented people all around the world. Instead of looking inside this academy, why don''t you look outside?" Flora smirked.

    Nathan also arrived at the same conclusion. August was good, but he never intended to rely on the cksmith Guild this whole time.

    That was why it wasn''t hard for him to choose to look outside the academy. In fact, there were definitely quite powerful students from other academies. He could simply make a connection there.

    "However, if you wish for it, I can turn several of them into your allies."

    This was a direct invitation from Flora. If Nathan chose to join the student council, she could intervene directly. But if she didn''t join, she could only help him to a certain extent.

    "If I do something, people will probably hate me. If I don''t do anything, they will probably do the same." Nathan muttered. He had seen a lot of stories about this. No matter what, he would be the target.

    His only unique quality was the divine beast. He wasn''t even as talented as Selena. However, they would hate people like him because if they didn''t, they would have to acknowledge that they hadn''t put in as much effort.

    That was why Nathan raised two fingers. "I have two conditions. The first condition is for you to stop all of them from voicing theirints. I don''t mind if theye at me directly, but if their older brothers, their uncles, their fathers, and their ancestors areing at me, even I''ll be annoyed."

    "Reasonable." Flora nodded. "I can do that for you."

    "As for the second reason¡­" Nathan smiled.

    Flora and Noelle wouldn''t imagine the reason was actually a challenge. Flora thought he would being here to request help, but it appeared he was testing them instead.

    She finally understood what Vivian meant by ''she should fear Nathan when he ran away.'' This situation basically reflected her words. Nathan was forced to run to the student council, and this time, Rudeus didn''t know what wasing.

    The thought alone made her shiver.

    ¡­

    "Are you sure about this?" Fenrir asked. "You are going to join the student council, you know."

    "Who says I''m going to join the student council?" Nathan asked.

    "Huh? You were the oneing to the student council. You clearly stated it yourself."

    Nathan nodded. "Yeah. I said I''d be joining them, but I never said I''d be staying. Do you know what I hate when reading an academy''s story?

    "It is when the protagonist is forced to enter politics, especially when it''s clearly stated that they shouldn''t bring their status into the academy."

    Fenrir frowned. "What do you mean by not staying?"

    "While it''s true that it''s one of my most hated tropes, it doesn''t mean I can''t use them." Nathan smirked. "Do you know what trope I love?"

    "Hmm? Sexy teacher?"

    "That''s that, but not entirely correct." Nathan sighed. "Do you know that there are often hidden organizations working behind the scenes? Those people are usually cool and badass.

    "The only way to find them is either to know about their information or make yourself stand out."

    "You are actually using the student council as a stepping stone?" Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched. He never thought Nathan would take such a bold action.

    Nathan winked yfully. "As I told you previously, I don''t like to work with that kind of stuff. I mean, screw paperwork. I just want a 6-month holiday, twice a year, once I''m done with all this. And this organization will speed up my progress."

    "Hmmm. I don''t think you are trying to join them because they''re cool, right?"

    "More importantly, the organization has a female boss who is so freaking cool and sexy."

    "As expected, that''s your intention. Are you intending to catch them all? You should know that you''re going to die because of it in the future. Remember what happened to that nun?"

    Nathan froze before kicking Fenrir. "Don''t remind me, you stupid dog!"

 Chapter 196: Next Event (Bonus)

    For the next seven days, the students were using their time to prepare for the third event.

    Rudeus was ying with politics, trying to suppress Nathan and Selena. August was training with his familiars. Other students also trained ording to their needs.

    Still, the key to Nathan''s victory this time was actually hidden within Selena. Selena was in her room, focusing on mastering her new ability, ording to Nathan''s instruction.

    She was able to create some ribs that would maintain the sturdiness of her ability.

    Meanwhile, Risa kepting back to him for more blood. As the fairy queen said, she needed one or two months to be a duchess with the schedule. In other words, she needed to suck his blood four to eight times.

    In addition to the two times she sucked his blood during the previous mission, she''d sucked him for a total of five times. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much he could do since she didn''t be a duchess even after all that.

    Still, they were able to try it once they reached the ind. The only thing that mattered was whether she could evolve first or they would get taken out first.

    Fortunately, Risa confirmed that her strength increased exponentially. She often came to Nathan''s room, bringing nutritious food that would improve his metabolism.

    Nathan felt the burden on his body, but it didn''t really matter. He spent those seven days focusing on absorbing the cores.

    As a result, Nathan got a total of 4,215 Ena. It was actually much higher than his original 3,700 Ena assumption.

    Once he reached the next quality, he simply got more Ena per core. For the first time, he reached the High Basic Quality.

    Of course, the first thing he did was to distribute the Ena to Anubis and Fenrir.

    Both of them finally had 1,500 Ena each, while Nidhogg had 2,500 by himself. Nathan chose to raise their Ena to 1,500 instead of the original 1,000 thanks to Sullivan.

    In fact, he still had over 2100 Ena after all that.

    With those additional Ena, Fenrir was able to once again use the Gigantification. Although it would be the lowest grade of Gigantification, the power couldn''t be underestimated.

    Anubis was also able to receive the upgraded version of his Ankh, which allowed him to solve poison and curse.

    This way, they didn''t have to worry about survival. Even if they were bitten by spiders or snakes, they could continue forward. More importantly, unlikest time, Anubis actually received one more ability from the upgrade.

    Sadly, it seemed that he still couldn''t use his scale. That was his main ability after all.

    Time passed by. The third event had finally begun.

    ¡­

    Saka Port.

    Jason walked to seven teachers that would be helping him for this event. "Thank you, everyone, for assisting me."

    "We are in charge of safety, so don''t worry. As fellow teachers, we''ll do our best to protect the students." One teacher stood forward.

    "That''s true. However, at this point, the proto-ss aliens shouldn''t pose much threat to them. As long as they are able to maintain their conditions, they will be good."

    "Yeah. But this time, the theme is survival ind. Even if they are able to fight those aliens, they still have to maintain their health. It''s easy to deteriorate, especially if they don''t have any shelter. In the end, they are not allowed to bring anything except for their equipment."

    "Indeed. Other than aliens, they have to fend off disease and other stuff. That''s why this challenge will be much harder than they originally thought."

    The teachers agreed as Jason turned to an elderly woman. "Thank you, Teacher Reina. Please take care of us when we are on the sea."

    "Don''t worry. Leave the ship to me." She smiled.

    "Haha. With a woman known as the sea princess, we can feel rest assured." Jason chuckled.

    "Oh my. You know how to jest. I''m just an olddy now."

    Jason turned to a teacher with a bob haircut. He nodded and said, "Don''t worry. I have released the aliens on that ind. Once we teleport the students, some might even find aliensing straight at them. So make sure you warn them about it first."

    "Got it. In that case, I will leave teleporting them to you, Teacher Dikkleus." Jason smiled. "For the next two weeks, I will have to ask for your full cooperation."

    They all nodded their heads as they began to call the students to the ship.

    Even nobles rarely went to the sea, so they all looked quite amazed when they boarded the ship.

    The salty breeze made them feel nauseous, the intense heat was quite hard for them to endure, especially for the nobles, who worried that they would get sunburn.

    While Nathan hadn''t gone to the sea, the picture of a ship and ocean were avable on the Inte, so he wasn''t curious.

    What piqued his interest was the wooden boat.

    ''Hmm. They are still using a wooden boat, huh? I thought the dwarves would create boats made of iron or steel, or maybe a boat with a steam engine. Or do they not know it''s possible? The dwarves know the art of smithing, but they don''t know much about science, right? Well, not that I know about it as well, so I can''t tell them if I want it.

    ''Still, looking at the sea like this, maybe there''s a time I will have to fight there. No wait, is Cthulhu hiding in the sea? Should I find it¡­ maybe after summoning a Kraken or Leviathan. Haiz, I want to summon Godzi, but is that even a myth?''

    Nathan sighed. Selena didn''t know what was going on in his mind, but she had brought a hat, ording to Nathan''s instruction. If they registered the hat as the equipment, they could protect themselves from the heat. Of course, both of them hid the hat underneath their robe so that no one would think they could buy it in the port.

    Little did they know, the ones involved in this event were not just the students and the nine teachers. There were two people hiding inside the ship.

    "What are you doing here, Principal? Shouldn''t you stay in the academy?"

    "I should be the one asking you, Vice Principal. I have to go here to see whether a certain girl is worthy of bing my disciple or not."

    "I''m just worried about my disciple!"

    Both of them looked at each other, hidden inside apartment. In the end, both of them were not supposed to be here.

 Chapter 197: Question

    "This is hot."

    "Why is it so hot?"

    "I''m going to get sunburn."

    "I need help."

    "I feel so sick."

    The students were having a hard time settling on the ship.

    Some of them were puking because of the salty sea breeze and the swaying motion of the ship.

    They were alsoining about the intense heat since this ce was greatly different from other ces they had gone. In fact, this might be the farthest ce they ever visited.

    Whether they were nobles ormoners, all of them were experiencing the same thing.

    Selena had expected something like this because Nathan had ''read'' a book about it. She was even enjoying the sea on the deck with Nathan.

    Of course, Nathan wouldn''t reject her invitation. This was also the first time he rode a boat. It was probably because there was no engine that the boat crossed the ocean at a much slower speed than he expected. Nevertheless, he was in much better shapepared to the rest.

    "Are we ever going to a fight on this kind of battlefield? If you fall to the sea, won''t it be dangerous?" Selena asked.

    "Probably. Maybe it will be better to summon a familiar that can handle the water in the future." Nathan nodded in agreement.

    "That''s true. I wonder if there is a vampire who lives underwater."

    "En." Nathan gave little thought. He couldn''te up with a single name for vampire living underwater. In fact, if she wanted someone from underwater, it would be better to get someone else.

    Nathan thought, ''Poseidon is not a merman, right? Since he looks exactly like a human, it means we can''t summon him. How about his wife? She is known as one of the fifty nereids, if I recall correctly. She is also known as the Goddess of the Sea.

    ''And there''s Triton, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, who should be a merman. I won''t be able to summon them, but Selena might be able to do it. Or is Selena nning to collect vampire-like familiars? But Sasha is not necessarily a vampire¡­''

    Nathan carefully considered his option. For the time being, there was no way they could summon their next familiar. Hence, it would be better to suggest something when it was necessary. He might be able toe up with a different name at that time.

    Selena looked at the front and pointed forward. "Is that¡­"

    Nathan raised his head, finding the shadow on the horizon. It was a tall shadow that looked like a mountain.

    "It might be the ind." Nathan nodded.

    "To think that there is and across the sea." She gasped. "I wonder if there is someone who has crossed the sea and returned to the same spot again. ording to the legend, our world is actually a sphere."

    Nathan smiled wryly. It wasmon knowledge back on Earth.

    "Is that so? There might be. Or maybe you can do that in the future. Who knows? We might find a vastnd like ours filled with people that are different from us." Nathan shrugged, sneakily inserting the idea of the continent.

    There were a few continents on Earth, so when he saw the world map, there was a chance his words were true.

    If that was the case, the aliens might be fighting on two or more fronts. If that was the case, he could think of a different approach against the aliens.

    Nevertheless, now that they were about to reach the ind, Jason immediately gathered them with the rest of the students.

    Jason shouted, "Listen up. The event will start soon. You will be teleported to the ind.

    "As I''ve exined previously, the ind is dangerous. If you are in trouble and choose to give up, you are free to break the badge, which will give us the signal about your location and intention.

    "We''ll also monitor your movements all the time, ensuring that you are safe. Make sure that you do this event seriously because it''ll impact your time in the academy.

    "Once you are teleported to the ind, there is only one instruction. It''s to summon your familiars immediately. Because of the number of aliens on the ind, there''s a high chance that you will encounter an alien upon your arrival. Understood?"

    "Yes, sir!" the students replied in unison.

    Nathan couldn''t help but take a sneaky nce at the ind.

    The tropical ind was quite huge. ording to the information, it was 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter.

    It was no wonder why Jason said it was unlikely for them to find each other. And ten thousand aliens were a justifiable number for an ind of this size.

    Jason turned to the students. "The teachers here will be assisting me, so do your best at this event. Before we begin, you may ask any questions rted to the event."

    "Teacher. I have a question." Rudeus was the first one to raise his hand.

    "Go ahead."

    "Are we allowed to do anything on this ind?"

    "You are not allowed to kill fellow ssmates or inflict longsting injuries. Aside from that, you are allowed to do anything."

    "What if they end up getting injured¡­ for example, from falling rocks? In a mountain, it won''t be weird to see a cliff falling or something along the lines."

    "In that case, you are just using the terrain. As I mentioned earlier, the teachers will be watching over the students. If that happens, we''ll usually take over."

    "Understood." Rudeus smiled. He was satisfied with the answer.

    "Any other question?" Jason asked.

    This time, it was Nathan who raised his hand, which immediately piqued everyone''s interest.

    As expected, they were aiming for him.

    Nathan asked a rather simr question to Rudeus. "Are we really allowed to do anything, including using the terrain?"

    "Yes. You''re allowed to do that." Jason frowned, thinking Nathan should have asked a better question.

    "We won''t get any repercussions no matter what we do to the ind?" Nathan reworded it.

    Jason nodded. "Yes. You can do that. If you are going to ask a simr question, then yes. You''re allowed."

    "Alright." Nathan nodded.

    Little did Jason know, he just gave Nathan permission to do the craziest thing beyond his imagination.

 Chapter 198: Crazy Nathan

    "Get ready!" Jason raised his hand, signaling the teacher to activate the teleportation.

    The bob-haired teacher, Dikkleus, stepped forward and summoned a high ranking fairy.

    Its size was half of a human, unlike the fairy queen. Instead of a pair of butterfly wings, she had translucent green wings that blended with the forest.

    "I''ll leave them to you. They areing in a pair." Dikkleus nodded to his familiar.

    An extraordinary amount of Ena burst from the fairy''s body as the fairy sped her hands, praying. Unlike Vivian''s familiar, it didn''t let out a single sound, but she was praying for an entire minute before the spell was activated.

    All of a sudden, a huge pink-colored magic circle appeared underneath the students'' feet. Pink light emerged from the magic circle, engulfing the students.

    All of them were closing their eyes, unable to endure the blinding light.

    In just an instant, all of them could feel a different kind of breeze brushing their skin. The hissing sound of the ocean wave was ringing in their ears, and the feeling of the sand on their feet caused them to stabilize their bodies.

    They all remembered what Jason had said earlier. Some of them ended up falling to their butt, but the rest immediately summoned their familiars, including Selena and Nathan.

    Selena recovered from the blinding light and looked around, finding three aliens noticing their presence. "Nathan!"

    "Oh! Fenrir, Anubis. Deal with them!"

    "Yin Zhen!"

    All three of them immediately leaped toward their respective enemies. Fortunately, all of them were only proto-ss aliens.

    Yin Zhen and Fenrir crushed the enemy''s head while Anubis bit its neck apart.

    Nathan scanned everything on their sides. Since Jason told them all students would be teleported to the edge of the ind, they might find one another.

    Luckily, no matter how far he saw, there was no sign of the ssmates. This way, he could begin his n.

    With no hesitation, Nathan ordered, "All of you. We''ll be marching toward the center of the ind."

    "Are you serious?" Fenrir raised his head. Now that they were on the ind, they could finally understand the sheer size of the volcano.

    Its height reached up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). If they wanted to go to the center of the ind, going there would definitely be a must. However, other people would also think that way.

    Nathan''s n wasn''t the center of the ind. He added, "Nidhogg. You are to fly above us. No. If possible, a bit further away from us. And search for a water source and caves or something.

    Anything that can be used as a shelter is good.

    "Fenrir and Anubis will carry the food. If we can get some fishter, it''ll be better, but for now, we''ll try to survive with fruits and nts.

    "Sasha and Risa will be the ones gathering the ingredients. Yin Zhen will take care of all the aliens near us. Selena and I will help whatever we can, depending on our team''s needs."

    "Alright (Understood)." They responded to his order. Yin Zhen didn''t say anything, but it was clear that he had acknowledged Nathan''s talent, especially after such an easy victory against aliensst time.

    All of them headed straight into the woods, making their way to the volcano. Nidhogg immediately took off to the sky. Even if other students knew about him, it didn''t really matter since they would have to cross the forest first.

    Besides, it would be troublesome to fight him and Selena by themselves. Hence, they would definitely prioritize regrouping or gathering supplies before doing anything to Nathan and Selena.

    Even August and Rudeus had to be careful against them.

    Nathan and Selena took advantage of this approach and picked up their pace.

    They gathered everything edible, from fruits like coconuts, berries, and bananas to edible nts.

    Anubis created a huge container with his bandages, cing it on top of his and Fenrir''s back.

    They encountered several aliens, but fortunately, Yin Zhen was enough to handle all of them.

    There were some poisonous herbs or some snakes, but either they were crushed or the poison was neutralized by Anubis. As a result, they could reach the foot of the volcano in just an hour.

    The bags were already filled with food.

    Selena didn''t know what Nathan was nning to do, so she just focused her attention on the food instead of trying to stop him.

    Once they reached the foot of the mountain, Nathan ordered them to take a rest.

    Selena chose to gather some items from the area while Nathan regrouped with his familiar.

    "There are two groups who are moving to the center through the sky. We make eye contact, but they are on the other side of the ind, so we won''t encounter them anytime soon. There''s definitely a lot of people who have seen me, so you might want to be careful, especially with the aliens. I feel like they''re going toe to us."

    "So, what are we going to do now?" Fenrir asked.

    Nathan nced at Selena, who was currently busy gathering the resource with her familiar. He turned to Nidhogg. "Do you know where the wind is blowing?"

    "There." Nidhogg pointed his finger to the west.

    "Alright. With my signal, use everything you got to destroy the west side of the ind." Nathan nodded with a serious expression. "Your me won''t be extinguished, right?"

    "Who do you think you''re asking? My me is a chaos me. Nothing can extinguish it." Nidhogg harrumphed.

    "Good. And this is my n¡­" That was when an evil smile appeared on Nathan''s face. Nathan said, "Nidhogg. I have once read a challenge in a forum. The challenge is rather simple. Write one line from any book and p ''¡­and the dragon attack,'' to it."

    Nidhogg looked surprised. Nathan only wanted one thing. Chaos. And that was his specialty.

    That was why Nathan started a simple narration. "On a tropical ind, the students are stranded and have to survive¡­ and¡­"

    Nidhogg smirked as he leaped into the sky. As he let out his breath, he shouted, "¡­the dragon attack!"

    Nathan''s smile became even bigger. "Burn. Burn everything!"

 Chapter 199: Panicking Students (Bonus)

    "I''ve got this coconut." A student waved his hand at his partner. "We should be able to drink this."

    "Thank you. I''ve gathered a bunch of sticks. We should be fine to go through the night. All we need to do is gather some wood to create a temporary tent. At least, we will have a roof on top of our heads tonight."

    ¡­

    On another side of the ind, Rudeus asked, "Where do you think we should go, August? A ce that is easy for us to make a shelter."

    "It''s preferable to be near the water source. As for the construction, the dwarf will handle it. It''s better to have afortable ce to sleep since we don''t want to feel stressed."

    "Indeed." Rudeus nodded. "My familiars are currently gathering food from the area. My cyclops will bring all our stuff since he is huge. After that, we''ll search for a good spot."

    August nodded in agreement. "Ye¡ª"

    He abruptly stopped when he noticed a huge figure in the sky.

    "What''s wrong?" Rudeus turned around and raised his head, finding Nidhogg. "Isn''t that¡­ the dragon in the legend? The only one who is able to summon a dragon¡­"

    "It''s him!" August bit his lips. "We have to go to the center as quickly as possible."

    "No wait. We don''t have to do it that quickly." Rudeus shook his head. "In the end, we are still sharing resources with other ssmates. Once we regroup with them and iste them, we can slowly run them dry. They have to fight us first if they want to get some points from aliens."

    August nodded his head. It seemed Rudeus had a n, so it was better to stick with the original n.

    Unbeknownst to them, they were about to experience a disaster on a scale they had never predicted.

    ¡­

    On the west side of the ind, a pair of a boy and a girl were gathering their resources on the shore. They were using palm leaves to avoid sand from messing with their food.

    "Are we done?"

    "Yes. We shouldn''t procure a lot of food right now. It''ll be a hassle to bring them to the center of the ind. We have to find a water source."

    "Indeed. Thank you so much." The girl smiled.

    "Ahem¡­" The boy pumped his chest proudly even though he was blushing.

    Both of them were smiling at each other, albeit that romantic atmosphere was soon disturbed by a dragon''s cry.

    The deafening cry startled the whole ind, which definitely allowed them to find Nathan''s location.

    However, they couldn''t care less about his location, especially when Nathan did something unthinkable.

    All of a sudden, Nidhogg let out his breath, spreading his purple fire to the area.

    The trees immediately caught fire. As Nidhogg mentioned earlier, his fire was not normal. With just a single spark, it turned into a ze and engulfed the entire tree.

    The fire spread wide in just one minute.

    "What is going on?" The two students were startled.

    They could see the ze from far away, but more importantly, the smoke produced from that me was getting carried by the wind westward.

    As a result, not a single thing would be spared in its way.

    "What is this?"

    "Oh no!"

    One of them summoned their familiar, which turned out to be a harpy. The harpy flew to the sky to see the massive scale of the fire.

    Nidhogg was sting his fire at full force to the west side of the ind, letting the wind spread his fire even further.

    "Not good! That dragon is burning the ind."

    "What?!" The two students panicked. They were not the only ones who checked the situation. Even August and Rudeus couldn''t believe what they were seeing.

    The me actually engulfed 20% of the ind in just the first few minutes, showing the extraordinary might of the chaos me.

    Everything was reduced to ashes. The food was gone, the trees were scorched, and the cries of the aliens began to fill the ind.

    Yes, there were supposed ten thousand aliens in this forest, hidden among the trees. Even if the students came and eliminated some, they only killed at most a hundred aliens in total.

    However, this was a much more efficient method to kill those aliens.

    By burning the woods, the aliens would eventually catch fire as well.

    Aliens, specifically symbiotes, had resistance to heat, but the chaos me was different. The intense heat carried the chaotic energy that bypassed their heat resistance.

    Hundreds of aliens were either killed or heavily burned within the first few minutes.

    Other aliens wereing to help, but they simply had no means of stopping the forest from burning.

    In addition, Nidhogg continued spreading his me, nning to engulf half of this ind. That was why Nathan asked where the wind blew.

    After knowing its direction, he decided to wipe out everything in that direction by using Nidhogg.

    And it was effective.

    The smoke would also make the students who were teleported to the west side of the alien have a hard time breathing. They would probably be poisoned if they didn''t leave as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, once the fire engulfed half of the ind, Nidhogg should have killed at least a thousand aliens and heavily injured a few thousand aliens. They just needed to kill the restter.

    It was because of this crazy n that Nathan had gone to Flora. In fact, if Flora knew his n, she would probably try to stop him like what happened in the battle royale.

    No one could me him. Nathan had even asked Jason for confirmation. And it wasn''t like the fire would spread outside the ind.

    Of course, he believed the teacher would evacuate those students, which resulted in him not killing any ssmates. This was a strategy that could only be executed here.

    With a grin on his face, Nathan simplyughed. "Hahaha. Burn. Burn everything. If the world (ss) is going to attack me, I''d rather destroy the world (ss) first!"

    ¡­

    Both Vivian and the principal dropped their jaws, as they couldn''t believe what was happening.

    The principal asked, "Vice Principal. What the heck are you teaching to your students?"

    "Do you believe me this entire idea is his?" Vivian blinked a few times.

 Chapter 200: Panicking Teachers (Bonus)

    "Do you believe me this entire idea is his?"

    "His? Just look at what he is doing right now? He is burning the ind. That very ind is where we usually conduct our events. Do you know what that means? We might not be able to use this ind for at least a few years.

    If we want to restore the vegetation, it will take years!"

    "Ugh." Vivian scratched the back of her head. "I mean, he has asked Jason, right?"

    "It''s true that Jason has told him he can do everything, but¡­" The principal was grinding his teeth. He had never seen a little devil that could make him this frustrated. More importantly, the person that wanted to be his disciple was close to him. It was as if Selena was in the devil''s clutch.

    "If you look at it objectively, he doesn''t break any rules. And yes, it''s an effective method to kill those proto-ss aliens. With this, he is clearly in the lead with a huge margin.

    "Besides, the teachers will make their moves once the students are in danger. This is a strategy that he can only execute at this event. Of course, I''ll reprimand himter, but it''s a justified action.

    "You should have heard about Rudeus isting both of them from the entire ss, right? It''s clear they''re being targeted. With them being pushed to the corner, I think it''s reasonable for Nathan to take such an action."

    The principal clenched his hands into fists. "You shouldn''t spoil your student that much. Does he know that his action will lead to multiple problems? Those students will take this seriously."

    "ording to my familiar, Nathan has visited Flora."

    "Flora?" The principal looked shocked. He definitely knew what happened if Flora got involved.

    The principal pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe I should separate her from your disciple¡­"

    "You know it''s not going to happen. She will probably choose him, not you." Vivian shrugged.

    "Kh." The principal took a deep breath, having a hard time to calm down. "You better reprimand him after this. Make sure that he doesn''t do anything like this in the future. If he does, there will be a lot of people angry at him. If he makes the world his enemy, it''ll just cause more trouble not only for him, but for us as well."

    "I know. I know." Vivian smiled wryly. Even she would stop him if she knew about the n. After all, she was known as the Forest Queen.

    There would definitely be a lot of bad rumors regarding her and her disciple, such as ''the disciple of the Forest Queen turned out to be a Forest Destroyer.''

    If her familiars disliked Nathan, there was a high chance they wouldn''t assist Nathan anymore. In fact, the dryad who was asking for the divine tree''s root might even attack Nathan after seeing how he destroyed nature.

    Vivian could only sigh.

    ¡­

    Still, the one who was having a heart attack was not the principal and the vice principal. It was the teachers who supervised the entire event.

    When they saw Nidhogg''s fire spread, all of them couldn''t help but drop their jaws to the ground.

    "Jason¡­ Are you seeing what I''m seeing?" One teacher asked, blinking her eyes a few times.

    "How can a student burn the forest? I know the tropical forest is rather dry, but isn''t this too much?"

    "This is not good. Those students will be poisoned if they inhaled the smoke too much. There are a lot of cases where people are dying because they inhale smoke. We have to stop it."

    "But we can''t interfere with the exams. If we put the fire down, it will be seen as the teachers suppressing a student."

    "But the student has broken the rule¡­ No, wait. Has he broken the rule?"

    "Jason has said he is allowed to do anything without repercussions. In other words, he has confirmed that he can do anything on the ind without even paying for the damage."

    "Jason. You freaking idiot! What have you done? What kind of power have you given to that student? All those aliens that die in the fire aside, this student will definitely enrage all aliens and students."

    It was at this moment that Jason realized he''d fucked up.

    He thought the rule was justified, but he never imagined there would be a student insane enough to destroy the ind.

    Jason bit his lips. "I know what you''re going to say, but for now, we are not allowed to touch the fire. Just focus on retrieving the students who are in danger. We can''t let them inhale too much smoke."

    The teachers exchanged looks. It seemed that they had no other choice.

    Teacher Dikkleus immediately asked his familiar to teleport the teachers to the west side of the aliens.

    As expected, there were people who had inhaled too much smoke and copsed on the ground.

    Without hesitation, the teachers brought them back to the ship and let another teacher heal them. They would never think that they would be eliminated in just an hour into thepetition. And they were not eliminated by natural disasters, aliens, or other ssmates. They were defeated by smoke.

    They would definitely hate Nathan even more. Then again, they targeted Nathan from the beginning, so this was just retaliation.

    The teacher, who was taking care of the ship, was looking at the rest of the teachers who were working hard to handle the damage caused by Nathan with a wry smile. "The sea is calm today, but I guess thend is not."

    Fortunately, a lot of students managed to loop around the ind, barely avoiding the smoke.

    However, there were four unlucky pairs who had to drop out.

    Nathan had asked Nidhogg to destroy the trees in a straight line so that the fire didn''t spread to the east side of the ind. It would be troublesome if the whole ind was on fire since even he wouldn''t survive.

    This was also the reason Nathan asked everyone to gather as much food as possible.

    Yin Zhen probably had a more urate description of Nathan after seeing his decision.

    While looking at his back, Yin Zhen thought, ''Is he¡­ the Heavenly Demon?''

 Chapter 201: Manipulation

    "Is he insane?" Rudeus was grinding his teeth, looking at the destruction that Nathan brought. He never thought he would wipe out half of the ind at the start.

    August frowned. He didn''t like the method, but this was actually another method they could take advantage of.

    While Nathan had indeed destroyed half of the ind, there was still the other half.

    After seeing what happened to the other part, other students would definitely get angry as well. This would unite them even more.

    Everyone would definitely think they had to eliminate Nathan first before they could do anything.

    Rudeus, of course, understood the situation and would never let this opportunity slip away. If they could take down Nathan and Selena as quickly as possible, they still had the chance to win.

    Nheless, Rudeus required some time to consolidate their rank, giving Nathan and Selena precious time for their next n.

    "Nathan. Are you serious about this? You do know that the students will hate you even more, right?" Selena asked with a poker face.

    Nathan nodded. "I know. But even if I don''t do anything, what will happen?"

    "¡­" Selena couldn''t answer that question since it was already clear from seeing the way other students treated them before the exam.

    Even if they didn''t do anything, they would still target him. Hence, Nathan chose to take the initiative instead of bing a pushover.

    This was an indirect message, telling them that he was capable of doing insane things if they pushed him to the corner.

    "Nathan. You should have consulted me first before doing something this reckless." Selena sighed.

    "Well, you''d probably try to stop me if you know about my n." Nathan looked away. "But yeah, my bad. This is too much."

    "I''m not talking about that. If you do something big like this, you won''t be the only one affected. I will also receive that bacsh. If we''re talking about you and a family, it''s clear that there will be others who''ll also be affected.

    "Their families might even try to pull them out because they don''t want to deal with the mess. That''s why discussion is necessary."

    Nathan scratched the back of his head, as he couldn''t refute those words. "Sorry."

    "Well, what has been done can''t be undone, so it''s better to continue with the n. We have to get away from here as quickly as possible."

    "Before that, we need water." Nathan nodded. "Can you use your Ena to form a huge bowl? Will the water leak?"

    "Hmm?" Selena frowned.

    She thought for a moment and tried to form a sphere with her Ena. After that, she erased the top part before scooping the water out of the small pond.

    Unfortunately, carrying that amount of water was easier said than done.

    Even in that single scoop, it still weighed a few tons.

    The Ena became unstable due to the weight as the bowl fell apart.

    "I don''t think so. Maybe I can do it in a smaller batch¡­" Selena shrank the size, which should be enough for them to drink. However, it wouldn''t be enough for washing their body or something else. "This is my limit."

    "Hmmm." Nathan squinted his eyes, thinking, ''The Ena is too realistic. If only this world were like a lot of novels out there where you can lift up tons of water so easily¡­''

    Nathan let out a long sigh. Selena''s avatar was already quite solid, but that was still equal to a juvenile ss alien.

    Nathan thought for a moment before saying, "I need wood. A small piece of wood is fine."

    Selena casually snapped a tree and sent the trunk to him. "What do you need it for?"

    "This." Nathan grinned as he wrote down several words.

    As Nathan moved away from his original spot, Rudeus had gathered a lot of people around them.

    Using the cyclops to stand on a higher elevation for everyone to see, Rudeus shouted, "Do you think this is eptable? He is trying to sabotage this entire event. What do you think he will do next?

    "He will burn this side of the ind. When that happens, we won''t have anything left. However, we have time. As long as we are united, we''ll be able to catch him.

    "I have sent several of our friends to scout the area, making sure that they locate them and stop them from burning the entire ind.

    "Once the fire on the other side of the ind is extinguished, they will definitelye to this side as well, so before that, let''s gather all the resources first. After that, we''ll crush them and make sure they regret doing such a thing."

    The majority of the students were just blindly following Rudeus'' propaganda. He took advantage of their anger to control them, but it didn''t mean much to some people who also aimed for the top spot.

    Noticing their expression, Rudeus leaped back to the ground and circled his arm around the guy''s back. "Think about this. I know you''re trying to reach the top, but if you think about it carefully, you will notice it.

    "They are insane people who can do everything. What if this is not an ind but your homnd? Can you imagine him burning your field, destroying the people''s houses, and decimating all living things?

    "Can you imagine yournd being engulfed by a sea of fire?"

    The guy''s body shuddered. The image in his mind was full of terror. People were screaming and crying as they saw the sea of fire approach them.

    It was like hell descending upon them.

    Other people imagined it as well, making them hate Nathan even more. That was right. What if Nathan did this to their homnd? His action was simply unforgivable.

    As more and more people became angry, Rudeus smiled inwardly as it was the time for the next step. Sadly for him, Nathan wouldn''t let everything go his way.

    "Not good! Not good!" A student returned to the camp, panting. His face went pale as he looked at Rudeus, full of anger.

    "What''s wrong?" Rudeus frowned.

    That student suddenly pointed his finger at Rudeus while shouting in anger. "Do you think being a prince can justify this action, Rudeus?"

 Chapter 202: Turning the Situation Around

    A moment ago.

    "This is¡­" the student gasped, finding the log that Nathan asked earlier. There were a lot of words inscribed in it.

    "I''m sorry, Rudeus. I can''t afford to do everything as you said. Even though I can burn the side of the ind opposite to yours, I don''t want to burn the only water source on this ind. Humans can live without food for two weeks, but they won''t survive longer than three days without water.

    I''vee to realize that I''m unable to do such cruel things, and I regret the fact I''ve promised you to burn that side of the ind. You''ve truly forced me to be the viin of the ss, Rudeus. I''m disappointed."

    "Rudeus? But the only one who can write this is¡­ that guy, Nathan!" His friend gasped. They were scouting the area ahead, hoping to find Nathan.

    The only thing they found was a smallke and this log.

    Both of them exchanged looks.

    "Don''t tell me, they have a secret agreement?"

    "I don''t know. This might be a trap. Why would Rudeus ask him to burn the ind? He might try to make us think Rudeus is the bad guy."

    "But what if this is true? Who will actually get the most benefit from all this?"

    "That''s¡­"

    Both of them looked each other in the eyes, knowing the answer too well.

    Rudeus and August would be the winners. They had always been at the top in everypetition.

    "Don''t tell me. Rudeus is actually fooling those two to destroy the aliens so as to provoke us? He will then act like a good guy and rally us to crush both Nathan and Selena? This way, he wille on top while gaining our support."

    "That might also be another possibility. He is a prince, so gaining our support will be necessary for his influence in the Liaystian Kingdom."

    "If you take a look at it, Selena''s family is in a rather vague position. Nathan is just amoner. Do you think Selena is insane enough to do this?"

    "Right? Do you think amoner like him cane up with such a n?"

    "You and I are both from noble families. We knowmoners are mostly foolish and the only ones ruthless enough to do something like this are¡­"

    Both of them didn''t say anything, but the answer was clear. It was the royal family.

    "!!!" They shuddered in fear.

    That was right. If Nathan was bold enough to do this, there was nothing to stop him from destroying the only water source on the ind.

    In fact, he should have just destroyed the water source, and no one could sustain themselves for longer than a week, even with the coconuts.

    The fact that he burned the ind first meant that was the first task.

    In addition, it was only Nathan''s dragon that did all this. There was no sight of Selena, so Selena, who was supposed to be smarter, must not know about the n.

    In other words, Rudeus had manipted Nathan this whole time.

    They shuddered at the realization. This was a clever move from Rudeus not only to sabotage Nathan and Selena, but also to strengthen his position.

    They had heard the rumor about the vice principal stopping other teachers from making Nathan their students. There was no way the Forest Queen would allow Nathan to destroy nature.

    They couldn''t help but gnash their teeth and hurried back to their camp.

    "Do you think being a prince can justify this action, Rudeus?"

    Rudeus was bbergasted. "What? I don''t understand what you''re talking about."

    "Don''t y dumb. I already know that you are manipting everyone."

    "What? I didn''t manipte anyone. Why are you using me all of a sudden?"

    August frowned, noticing something was wrong.

    The guy simply shouted to everyone, "Listen, everyone. Think about this. Why would the fire only engulf half of the ind? If that dragon is trying to sabotage the event, shouldn''t it be better to burn the only water source on the ind instead of destroying the ind? This way, we won''t even know where the water source is, and we can''t even link them to such a crime."

    "That''s¡­" The people began to carefully recount their experience.

    "This is ridiculous. How could I know what he is nning to do?" August frowned.

    "Then why does the fire start on the opposite side of the ind? And it''s perfectly the opposite of your position. Your cyclops is taller than a tree, so the dragon can definitely see your cyclops.

    "You must have tricked him into burning the forest so that you can gain our support. This is too much, Rudeus. If we fall for your trick, you will win again and even receive our support. As a prince, you''re too shameless. Do you want to be the crown prince that much?"

    "What?" Rudeus was baffled. How did he be the viin? It was Nathan who did it, and he just took advantage of the situation.

    What maniption? Everything was Nathan''s fault.

    The people started to suspect him. This was the kind of action that those in power would take.

    Rudeus might not know how this guy came to this conclusion, but he realized Nathan must have done something to shift the me to him.

    "This is quite exciting, isn''t it? To think that it would end uping to this kind of fight," said Vivian while munching.

    "Did he think this far the whole time? Instead of offending the entire ss, he would turn them against each other. And Flora would be there to protect him. Flora would definitely help him¡­ unlike the previous scenario, where she had to forcefully use the royal family if she wanted to help him." The principal gasped. "Do you teach him politics? Also, do you have popcorn?"

    "No, but I have sweet potatoes." Vivian grabbed another bag of sweet potatoes while saying, "Nathan is unlike any others. His thoughts elude even me. His train of thought is so unique that I''ve made major breakthroughs on several of my projects just by listening to his absurd ideas."

    The principal had a wry smile on his face. "He used Rudeus'' identity as a prince to actually turn the people against him. What a sly little devil."

 Chapter 203: Mysterious Activity

    Because of the distrust Nathan sowed into the enemy''s ranks, everyone was a bit skeptical about working with Rudeus.

    The students ended up dividing into three groups. The first group would be those who wanted to suck up to Rudeus by trusting him. The second group simply wanted to fight by themselves, not trusting anyone except for their pair.

    Thest problem was the one problematic for August. They actually made a coalition to take down both the Nathan-Selena pair and the August-Rudeus pair. It was as if they had been betrayed by them and just wanted to take the top spot for themselves.

    Their ambition had halted Rudeus'' progress from taking over the event.

    Rudeus did his best to convince them, but Nathan manipted them so well with his status. By turning into a victim himself, he managed to provoke everyone''s empathy.

    Although no one wanted to side with him and Selena, it was enough to buy them time.

    With half of the ind remaining, Rudeus and these three groups had to share their resources.

    Obviously, they imed one part of the ind as their territory, preventing anyone froming near it.

    However, the biggest problem was the only water source on this ind.

    If someone actually took over that pond, they could eliminate the rest of the opposition right away.

    That was why Rudeus had to take over the pond. As long as he got it, he could force them to submit to him.

    Little did they know, that process would take a long time.

    In the meantime, Nathan and Selena took this opportunity to set up their camp, waiting for the fire to run out of fuel.

    "How is it?" Nathan asked while ncing at a huge boulder.

    Yin Zhen had split this boulder into two and started destroying the inner part.

    "It should be done soon. We can use this boulder as a basin for all that water." Yin Zhen nodded.

    "Don''t worry about getting sick. Anubis can heal you." Nathan nodded. "Selena."

    "I''ve done my best, but it''s impossible to close the entrance. People will know about this cave sooner orter," said Selena as she returned.

    They had found a cave as a shelter. The cave wasn''t that deep, so the light could still enter.

    It might be pretty cold, but as long as they set up a proper fire, they wouldn''t freeze to death.

    Fortunately, the wind blew in the opposite direction, so this cave wasn''t filled with smoke. Nidhogg had also stopped providing the fire with his Ena, so it would be extinguished soon.

    Now that they had set up their camp, it was time to continue to the next n.

    "Selena. You''ll take care of our camp here. I''ll go out for a bit."

    "Are you going to do anything reckless again?" Selena squinted her eyes.

    "Nope. You don''t have to worry about that." He shook his head.

    "Alright."

    With Selena''s agreement, Nathan immediately exited the cave.

    He first recalled Fenrir and re-summoned him on his side. "Where are they?"

    "As expected, they have split into three groups. The first group remains in that snotty prince''s camp. The second group that looks more solid heads to the south. Your targets are scattered in the north."

    Nathan smirked. "Let''s go to the north then."

    ¡­

    "I think I''ve grabbed enough," a male student nced at the items he gathered with his familiars. "This should be enough for a few days. All I hope is that we have enough water to drinkter. I hope Bryan is able to secure some water."

    As he said those words, he waved his hands to the familiars, signaling them to go back.

    But all of a sudden, the three familiars raised their heads and turned around as if they noticed something.

    "What''s wrong¡ª!" The student frowned and turned around, only to find two bandages wrapped around his mouth and neck from the side.

    The cat-person in his rank immediately moved toward him, trying to cut down the bandage.

    However, a shadow suddenly appeared from the side.

    The cat-person halted his step and struck whoever came from his right, only to find that person caught his dagger.

    "!!!" Before the cat-person could see who it was, he suddenly felt a powerful impact on his side.

    The hobgoblin and goat-person tried to help him. Unfortunately for them, a wolf suddenly pounced on the goat-person. The goat-person blocked his paws, but the enemy''s momentum was too much and pushed him to the ground.

    The hobgoblin sustained a much more serious injury as a dragon dove from above the trees and crushed him with his weight.

    The cat-person was also blown away by a single punch, allowing the human to approach their summoner.

    With a gun motion, he pointed it at the summoner''s head. "Stop. You have died."

    The summoner widened his eyes, ring at his enemy, who turned out to be Nathan.

    "Uuuu!" The guy wanted to say something, but the teacher had arrived.

    "You have died. Further participation will result in your team getting disqualified." Jason suddenly appeared next to them. "Nathan. Cease your action right now. Ran, you also have to recall your familiars."

    With Jason''s order, Ran didn''t have any other choice.

    When he recalled his familiars, Anubis released him as Jason brought him back to the ship.

    Anubis said, "We should hurry if we want to defeat another student. It''s going to rain pretty soon."

    "Is that so?" Nathan lifted his head, staring at the ck cloud in the sky. "In that case¡­"

    Nathan changed his n a little bit.

    ¡­

    A few minutester.

    Everyone could hear another dragon''s crying from the other side of the ind as rain started pouring down.

    It was as if the dragon was unwilling to ept that his fire would be extinguished soon.

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t do anything. Fighting in the rain would just tire them out or even make them sick.

    Hence, most of them retreated to their camp, waiting for the rain to stop, which only happened several hourster after the night came.

    Unbeknownst to them, there was one more person stepping onto the ind during the night where most activities had ceased.

    The person pointed his palm at the ground as a magic circle formed, letting out a dim green light.

 Chapter 204: Revising the Rules

    "Kill them! Make sure we kill as many aliens as possible." Nathan waved his hand. He, Selena, and their familiars split up, killing aliens that hadn''t died from the fire.

    They were previously trapped within the sea of fire, so those who survived were heavily injured. It took little effort for them to kill the aliens.

    Because of them, Nathan and Selena''s points were skyrocketing.

    Nathan''s strategy was proven to be effective as they were able to kill thousands of aliens. So easily.

    Of course, this strategy was a double-edged sword in real situations. Nathan noticed that they might be able to use this against the aliens, but only once.

    The burning forest would be gone, and the aliens would be able to invade from the forest that had now been razed to the ground without much difficulty.

    The knights would have a hard time fighting them since the forest created a natural terrain for them.

    That was why everyone was mad at him when he burned the forest.

    Still, Nathan and Selena continued hunting down the aliens.

    When the teachers watched them, they were pretty impressed by Nathan''s n.

    "This guy¡­ He burned the forest so that he could kill all those aliens. What''s the count again?"

    "From the looks of it, he has gathered over two thousand cores and it''s increasing rapidly." Another teacher frowned. "By the time he''s done, he probably has taken care of at least four thousand aliens. And this is just a one-sided ughter. The aliens are too injured to even fight them."

    "Yeah. Imagine if he burns the entire forest." Another teacher raised his finger. "He will be able to kill at least two-third of the aliens so quickly. Even if he admits defeat right after, he will still take the top spot. I think we have to revise the rules of the event."

    "We can''t do anything with the current event, but we should at least prevent other people from burning the forest in the next event. While it''s true that he is an anomaly, since he is able to summon a dragon, it doesn''t change the fact others are capable of doing it. For example, a fire spirit."

    The teachers reached the same conclusion.

    "In that case, we should prevent anyone from destroying the terrain starting next year."

    "Indeed. If Nathan and Selena burn the entire ind, they will get at least six thousand cores, and get the top spot. These two benefits alone will allow them to be much farther ahead of the rest of the ss. While it''s a good thing to stand out, it will create a lot of conflicts within the ss."

    The teachers nodded to each other. "Alright. We''ll revise the rules for future events."

    Still, there were so many aliens that it took them hours to just kill them.

    Nathan was nning to hide for the next several days, since he was sure they would being at him. Since there was nothing to do, it was better to use that time to get stronger.

    Hence, Nathan was in charge of transporting the cores back to the cave while Selena returned to the cave, finding a way to hide the entrance. If necessary, they would find a new ce to hide.

    Nathan had to take several trips to bring back several thousand cores. He didn''t know how many cores they had gotten, but he hoped the teachers would be the ones counting the number of aliens they killed.

    To his surprise, Selena had been away from the cave for some time. It made him worry since Selena usually talked to him if she nned to go somewhere.

    Nathan even wondered if someone attacked Selena.

    As soon as he brought back all the cores to their cave, he nned to search for her.

    However, that was when Selena returned, albeit her expression was much grimmer than when they split up.

    "Nathan. I discovered something that you might want to check," said Selena.

    "Hmmm?" Nathan frowned.

    Wasting no more seconds, she grabbed his hand and just led him to a different cave.

    "Hmm? A cave? What''s wrong with this cave?"

    Selena summoned Risa while asking, "Can you light up the cave?"

    "Is it big enough?" Nathan asked. They didn''t have a torch, but he had Nidhogg.

    "Yes. It should be big enough for several people to travel at once," Risa confirmed.

    "Alright." Nathan summoned Nidhogg as the four of them entered the cave.

    Nathan soon found out why Selena brought him here.

    Even though this was a cave, it went quite deep. Even after walking for several minutes, they had yet to reach the end of the cave.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, noticing something amiss. There was actually lighting from the end of the cave.

    This ind was supposed to be a test site, so there shouldn''t be any tribe or humans living on this ind.

    At the same time, if this light was a hidden magma chamber, they should feel the heat. No, it should even radiate a light that was definitely not a green color.

    This was probably what Selena wanted him to see.

    "Have you checked what''s at the end of the tunnel?" Nathan asked.

    "Not yet." Selena shook her head. "Risa and I checked it earlier, but we didn''t dare to go there in case this was a trap. At least, it''s better to go together so that we can solve any problems. I''m not sure about it, but Risa actually smelled blood from there."

    "Blood?" Nathan frowned.

    "Yes. But it''s not fresh blood. The blood should have dried up, but the intense smell feels like there are at least tens of people dying in that ce. That''s why it''s better to be cautious," exined Risa.

    Nathan''s expression turned grim. He summoned Fenrir and Anubis, which surprisingly got a response from Anubis, signaling deaths in front of them.

    The moment they reached the end of the tunnel, the space instantly opened up. For the first time in his life, he covered his mouth as he was about to puke after seeing what was hidden in this cave.

 Chapter 205: Experiment (Bonus)

    "This is¡­" Nathan''s face turned pale as he took a step back. Selena didn''t have a lot of reaction, but it was clear she was shaken by what she found.

    Fenrir and Nidhogg were gnashing their teeth, while fury was the only thing that could be found on Anubis'' face.

    Risa and Sasha released their Ena. They were so disturbed by the sight that their energy became unstable.

    Yin Zhen gasped as he couldn''t help but say, "This is even worse than the Demonic Cult¡­"

    What was hidden inside this cave was actually a facility.

    They were actually located in the elevated position. If they climbed down the stairs to their right, they would be greeted by a mountain of human corpses. Some had been reduced to skeletons, while some were half rotten. The pungent smelling from them was the one making Nathan and Selena feel nauseous.

    If they managed to pass this mountain of corpses, they would be greeted with even more corpses. This time, the corpses were hung on the wall.

    If it was a normal corpse, Nathan and Selena might not be as affected. But the first corpse couldn''t be said to be a human anymore.

    Its right leg had been reced by a much bigger leg that could only be found in an alien. His left leg and right arm remained intact, but his left arm, specifically the lower arm, had actually burst out.

    Multiple tentacles were emerging from this arm. They were recing the flesh and sticking to the bone.

    Its entire stomach looked like it had burst from the inside. There were sharp teeth all around the holes. More importantly, it was still pulsing as if they were still alive.

    The back of its head had exploded, leaving behind a deformed head.

    Its condition was much worse than the corpses he had seen on the front line.

    And there were at least thirty corpses with simr conditions across the wall on the right.

    In the middle of this cave, specifically underneath the huge chandelier that illuminated the entire ce with green light, he found several big tables.

    On each table, the human bodies were strapped onto the tables. More importantly, their bodies were convulsing, but their eyes had lost their focus. Some parts of their bodies had transformed. It was as if they were still in the middle of the transformation before turning to the corpses on the wall.

    Blood, flesh, and body parts scattered all over the floor.

    "Are they conducting an experiment here? But they look like¡­" Selena''s voice was shaking. She looked like she was about to copse.

    Nathan gulped down. "Yes. I''m afraid it is as you think. They''re simr to the aliens we fought on the front line."

    "Then, does this mean they''re conducting the experience to find out about the truth, or does this mean those aliens are actually artificially created?" Selena gasped.

    The answer could be found on the left side of the cave.

    There were actually several humans getting imprisoned. They looked like they were lying on the floor, but Nathan couldn''t confirm whether they had died or were just sleeping.

    "Anubis." Nathan pointed at them.

    Instead of Anubis, Nidhogg was the one answering that question. "It''s toote."

    Anubis nodded. "Their souls are filled with anguish. They must have been tortured before they died."

    "Who on earth does this kind of thing?" Fenrir raised his head. "I thought I have seen a fair share of cruelty, but even Gods and Goddesses won''t stoop this low."

    Yin Zhen sighed. "Even the demonic cult, who is using Gu to control their people, and even training them with the most brutal method, rarely experiments to this extent. This feels like what people from Blood Cult will do."

    "Blood?" Risa frowned. "If there is a cult like that, I would probably exterminate them by myself."

    Sasha nodded. "I can see no disease, but the curseing from them is quite apparent. They have died in such a cruel ce."

    "What should we do? I think we should report this to the teachers and have them stop the event. We have to take care of this first. If the academy is the one doing it, it''ll cause a lot of disturbance." Selena nced at Nathan.

    "True. Leaving the ind to inform them will be hard, but if we can take out a student and force the teacher toe here to retrieve them, we can take that chance to inform them about this." Nathan nodded. "There are at least a hundred people here, so we have to let them know as soon as possible. At the very least, the principal is observing us from a distance, right?"

    "True. I have challenged him, so he might hide in the ship."

    "In that case, let''s go back and inform them." Nathan nodded.

    Once they turned around, Fenrir suddenly stopped them by saying, "Wait. I see a movement down there. It looks like a person in the prison is still alive."

    "!!!"

    ¡­

    In another corner of the ind, a student was busy tweaking the leaves on top of their tent before he heard the hissing sound of the bush.

    He casually turned around and saw his teammate.

    "Oh. Mars! Are you done with your task¡­" The guy noticed that he didn''t bring anything back with him. "What''s wrong? You can''t find anything?"

    The guy stood up, looking a bit annoyed.

    Mars simply walked toward him without saying anything. There was no change in his expression.

    "Oi. Do you hear me?" The guy frowned, staring at his friend. If the other party didn''t want to cooperate, he might have to think of a different n.

    However, Mars suddenly grabbed his mouth.

    "!!!" He widened his eyes in shock. "What are you doing?"

    He was confused as to why Mars suddenly acted this way. But his grip was strong enough to actually hurt his jaw.

    "It hurts. Stop it at once. If you¡ª!" He couldn''tplete his sentence or even summon his familiars.

    Something had entered his mouth and spread to both his body and brain. His eyes rolled back until only the white part could only be seen.

    A small tentacle suddenly crawled out of his nose.

 Chapter 206: Two Methods

    Nathan and Selena ended up going down to check the situation even further.

    Considering the situation, it would be good to return and let the teachers handle it. But they didn''t know about the condition of this person.

    If they left, and this person died, it would be hard to figure out the situation.

    That was why Nathan decided to go down.

    They carefully traversed down, wondering if there were any traps in this ce.

    Of course, Nathan didn''t forget to give an order to Nidhogg. "Go and search the area. Make sure there''s no one in this ce."

    "Yin Zhen." Selena also sent forth Yin Zhen.

    Both of them immediately moved away while Fenrir led them to that person.

    The person Fenrir believed was still alive was actually a man in their thirties. Whether it was because of the harsh conditions in this ce, the man''s hair had turned white. His face looked like he had aged decades in a short period.

    His eyes were empty, as if his soul had left his body. He had lost a lot of blood, especially from both his hands that were impaled to the wall.

    As Fenrir said, this guy was still alive. Although his breath was weak, he was a survivor.

    "Anubis!"

    "I''m working on it." Anubis channeled his power to the maximum, trying to save this guy. "The wound is too terrible."

    "Can you save him?"

    "I will try." Anubis turned solemn.

    The guy let out a small groan, as if the burden on his body had been lifted a bit.

    "Hey. Are you alright?" Nathan kneeled beside him and checked his condition. "Can you hear me?"

    The guy coughed a few times, but it seemed he was too weak to even move his finger.

    "He needs water. Selena!"

    "I know." Selena immediately recalled Yin Zhen as Risa and Sasha apanied her back to their cave.

    Meanwhile, Nathan asked, "Fenrir. Check the other bodies as well and see whether they are still breathing or not. Since one survives, there''s a chance there are more people."

    Fenrir nodded.

    When all of them left, Anubis couldn''t help but say, "This doesn''t look good. His vitality is decreasing much faster than I can replenish it."

    "You can''t save him?"

    "No. But you probably can." Anubis turned to Nathan.

    It was obvious what Anubis wanted. "Upgrading your Ankh again?"

    "There are two methods. The first one will be my Ankh, which will allow him to recover. However, the damage that has been done to him is too much, so even if he survives, he will have a life filled with problems. First of all, his limbs are unrecoverable. Several of his organs are also damaged. Without my full power, it''s impossible to help him.

    "However, he will recover enough to tell us something."

    Nathan fell silent. "What about the second method?"

    "The second method is to forcefully unlock my scale. He won''t survive, but I can direct his soul to the cycle of reincarnation along with all the souls buried in this ce. And by using the scale, we''ll be able to get some information from each soul. However, this method will be much more costly."

    Nathan knew if this was more pricey, he might end up wasting several hundred, if not thousands, of Ena. And it could only be used for an hour or two.

    This looked foolish. He was not a hero in the first ce, so there was no need for him to help them.

    However, Nathan could also see the bigger picture.

    If he could gain information from those lingering souls, he could probably figure out what happened here and report it to the teacher. He could probably ask them topensate or reward him with more cores.

    More importantly, catching this guy would definitely bring a lot of merit. Even if he didn''t win thepetition, he would be able to get other benefits.

    Besides, he still had several thousand cores in his cave. He could just replenish his Ena right after.

    "Can your scale be used offensively?"

    "I don''t know what you''re nning to do, but I can crush someone with it."

    "Is the lowest grade enough?"

    "Yes."

    With Anubis'' confirmation, Nathan raised his hand and formed a soul contract. Fortunately, this ce was sealed, so both his teacher and the principal wouldn''t be able to see the contract. Even Selena had been sent back to the cave.

    ''In exchange for 100 Ena, which will be paid by Nathan Reckmoon, the Scale of Justice will be unlocked for 30 minutes.''

    The contract turned red, which meant the Ena wasn''t enough for the contract.

    He changed it to 200 Ena, but it still failed. He continued to increase it from 300 to 500, but it was still not enough.

    He managed to upgrade the Ankh of Immortality for 100 Ena, but to think that 500 Ena was still not enough to unlock the Scale of Justice, it was simply too expensive.

    The contract could only be established once he reached 800 Ena.

    "8 times¡­" Nathan frowned. "And it''s only 30 minutes."

    Nathan clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Just use it."

    Nathan gave the contract to Anubis, which he immediately signed.

    All that Ena flowed into Anubis.

    "¡­" Anubis took a deep breath as if he were feeling his power returning to him. The moment he opened his eyes, his eyes were releasing a golden light.

    A golden scale appeared on top of his head as it gradually expanded until it was twice as big as Nidhogg.

    "!!!" Both Nidhogg and Fenrir were startled that Anubis was releasing this level of power.

    The scale was releasing golden light, illuminating the whole room. No, the light was so bright that it was actually blinding Nathan and the other two familiars.

    When the light subsided, Nathan gasped as he realized he had been transported to a different ce.

    The square room was divided into five parts, which seemed to reflect a courtroom.

    In the front, Anubis, who seemed to have changed his shape to half-human, half-jackal, sat on a golden throne, looking down at a translucent person standing on top of a tform.

    Just like Nathan, he was clueless where he currently was.

    Nathan was sitting on the stand on the opposite side of Anubis as if he were the witness of this trial.

    The left and right were filled with several golden armors holding an axe.

    "I am Anubis, I shall preside over this trial."

 Chapter 207: Information

    Nidhogg and Fenrir shook their heads, able to free themselves from Anubis'' power. However, both of them could feel the extraordinary strengthing from Anubis'' ability.

    Fenrir gnashed his teeth. "So this is his power. It''s no wonder why he dares to im he''s strong."

    Nidhogg only stared at him quietly, with a single thought in his mind. Nidhogg was the one guiding the soul to the afterlife after the Ragnarok, so he could see the difference between him and Anubis.

    Anubis looked at the man, who had turned back to his original age.

    The man was startled and raised his head, looking at Anubis, who now became 10 meters (32 feet) tall.

    With a wave of his hand, a paper appeared in front of him.

    "Matthew. That''s your name, correct?!"

    "Who are you¡­" The guy was shaking. He had experienced too much, so he thought Anubis was the same as the perpetrator.

    As soon as he asked that question, the golden scale in front of him suddenly tipped to the left.

    "!!!" The cking sound startled the guy. "What¡ª?!"

    "I''m the judge whether you can go into the cycle of reincarnation or your soul has to be sent to the endless torture. I ask, and you answer truthfully. The scale on the right is your virtue and the scale on the left is your sin. So, make sure you give me the answer that you won''t regret."

    Anubis repeated his question. "Your name is Matthew. Yes or no?"

    The guy was confused, but after hearing the exnation, he tried to answer honestly. "Yes."

    The scale once again tipped to the right.

    "The way you die is unnatural. How about recounting it for me?"

    The guy looked down, recalling everything that had happened to him in thest few weeks. Compared to what he endured, this didn''t seem to be much of an issue.

    It was clear that he had died, and there was nothing that needed to be hidden.

    Matthew answered, "I was a hunter. Everything was supposed to be normal. I hunted animals for a living. However, I heard a month ago that a strange guy entered my vige. He was asking for people to do things for him.

    "He rewarded people well, so no one really cared about it. We helped him for two weeks before we suddenly lost consciousness.

    "The next thing we realized, we were already in this ce. My wife¡­" The guy looked down as he began to remember everything. His expression turned grim as he suddenly shouted, "That''s right. Where is my wife? Where is she?!"

    Anubis coldly stated, "Your wife has passed away, the same as you. And you are unable to meet her."

    "What?! I¡­" The guy looked angry. Nathan could understand him, considering he was dragged into this ce all of a sudden. He should be fighting against the enemy, which ended up in his hands being impaled to the wall.

    Since he was a hunter, his physical condition must be much better than the rest, so he managed to survive until the end.

    Anubis added, "However, as a judge, I am not heartless. You might not be allowed to meet her, but I''m able to pass your message."

    "!!!" Matthew trembled. That was definitely better than nothing. "Then¡­ Then¡­"

    Anubis raised his hand, stopping him. "But that depends on your actions. I am not someone who will help a bad person."

    "I''ll tell you everything! I''m not a bad guy. Even though life is not easy, I have never stolen or done any bad things."

    Anubis'' expression turned serious. "Continue."

    "Ah!" Matthew bit his lips. He truly had no other choice. "When we woke up, we were already here, along with the rest of the vigers. We tried to fight back, but that guy was a summoner.

    "I still remembered how he turned my friend into something that couldn''t be described as a human anymore.

    "I tried to protect my wife and the rest of the vigers, but I ended up getting impaled by him. I saw him¡­"

    Matthew stopped for a moment, as his eyes were filled with anger and sadness.

    "I saw him dragging my wife to that table and turning her into an alien before throwing her away into the mountain of corpses."

    Anubis could feel the trace of killing intent, which tipped the bnce to the left, but he was also a virtuous man who wanted to protect the people he held dear. So the bnce tipped to the right.

    "Who was that person?"

    "We didn''t know anything. He had never introduced himself. Whenever he was with us, he would wear a long coat that covered his entire body."

    "You imed he was a summoner, do you know what kind of beings he summoned?"

    Matthew fell silent for a moment. "I only saw two. I don''t know what they''re called. The first one was a big, muscr, ck-colored monster. He was the one beating me up and pinning me to the wall. The second one was a small monster with a pair of wings.

    With a wave of her hand, humans appeared."

    Anubis couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. He was unable to see one''s memory, so he couldn''t pinpoint the enemy. In addition, the guy had covered his entire body, so it would be hard to find him other than using the two familiars.

    The situation seemed to be much more serious than he originally thought.

    Or he might be able to get more information by asking other people in this ce. He only had half an hour, so he had to be fast.

    Anubis nced at the scale, which tipped to the right. He asked, "What do you want to say to your wife?"

    While Nathan was upied with extracting information, Selena was actually facing a big problem.

    "So you are here, Selena Ashton." August and Rudeus actually stood in front of the cave. Rudeus had actually used the gnome to actually find out their location.

    Not only these two, but the rest of his group had surrounded this ce. Some had even started looting their items.

    "It seems your time is up." August smirked.

 Chapter 208: Selenas Trap (Bonus)

    "Hehe. It seems this girl is unable to use her power. With all these people, she will be taken out in no time." The principal couldn''t help but smile.

    "Why are you smiling? You want to take the girl as your disciple, but you want her to fail?"

    "It''s better to fail now. It will destroy her arrogance." The principal nodded. "She has a bright future, so I don''t want her to be arrogant and end up making a huge mistake in the future. It''s better to make a big mistake now since she won''t lose her life."

    "But that girl has been apanying Nathan for a long time, the one who has seen almost everything he has done. Do you think she will go down without a fight?" Vivian casually remarked.

    The principal couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows after hearing it. That was right. She was in the devil''s clutch the whole time.

    ¡­

    "It seems your time is up."

    Selena''s expression didn''t change. She just looked around, finding herself getting surrounded by at least ten people with their respective familiars.

    Her job was to bring some water, but it seemed to be not possible anymore.

    She could try, but Rudeus would most likely defeat her, especially without Nathan around.

    Yin Zhen was ready to fight, but Selena chose another path.

    There was one n Nathan once used that inspired her in this scenario.

    "Yin Zhen!" Selena suddenly shouted. At the same time, Rudeus waved his hand down. "Attack her!"

    All of them moved forward, but Yin Zhen immediately stomped on the ground, cracking it and kicking up the dust.

    "Not good. Everyone, be careful!" Rudeus shouted. She knew that Selena nned to use this smokescreen to run away. It would be dangerous if she took out several of them when they couldn''t see. This was the biggest w in their n after all.

    "Sandstorm!" One of the familiars raised his hands and started forming a sandstorm, using the sucking force to lift the dust to the sky.

    As expected, Selena was gone.

    They all looked around and shouted, "Where is she?"

    "There!" One of them pointed at the back.

    Selena was actually going back to the cave to meet up with Nathan.

    "We have to stop her. Don''t let her meet up with Nathan. When that happens, even if we can defeat them, we will also suffer a major loss." Rudeus warned them out loud, which made them even more determined.

    Whenever Nathan ran away, he would be the most unpredictable person. And Selena, who had been watching him, replicated that saying.

    As soon as the people were about to catch up, Selena released her Ena.

    "This is¡­" All of them widened their eyes, feeling the absurd amount of Ena. And that Ena gradually formed a humongous upper body. Ribs made of concentrated Ena started to form as it was extended to the skull and arms.

    "Watch out!"

    They shouted. Several familiars had also released their attacks.

    Yin Zhen kicked the air with his Tiger Kick, its shock wave blowing away the familiars'' projectiles. Risa formed a blood field to stop the rest of the attacks.

    However, they had to exert a lot of Ena just to neutralize that number. It wouldn''t be long before they ran out of Ena.

    "Attack her!" Rudeus ordered the cyclops to stop her avatar.

    As if predicting his attack, the avatar smashed the steep slope on the side, the shake caused a portion of the soil to copse and slide down.

    "Gnome!" August was the one to react this time.

    The gnome raised his hands as a massive stone wall emerged from the ground. Fortunately, he was able to stop thendslide, allowing the rest of the group to catch up.

    Little did they know, Selena had another n. There was a reason she dragged one of the guys and knocked him out.

    Selena could see the cave''s entrance. Normally, going to the cave resulted in a disaster. But this was actually her goal.

    She immediately shouted to the sky; her targets were not the students but the teachers. "If you don''t back down, I''ll kill this guy even if it means I''ll be disqualified!"

    Selena suddenly leaped into the cave, causing everyone to halt.

    "What? Did she just say¡­"

    "You didn''t hear it wrong. No way. We have to stop her."

    "Wait!"

    The people were confused as to what to do. Even the teachers frowned, observing her action from the sky. They might have to enter the cave to make sure that she didn''t do anything reckless.

    Meanwhile, Rudeus was thinking hard, wondering if there were any other solutions. If he ordered them to enter, he might lose their support. He knew these people didn''t fully trust him, and Selena took advantage of it as well.

    Rudeus said, "Five strongest people in this group should enter and negotiate with her. I will try to lower her guard, and since this is inside a cave, the gnome should be able to use the rock formation to protect the guy. We''ll take care of her after that."

    They looked at each other. It seemed this was the best solution, so they agreed with Rudeus.

    Hence, Rudeus picked three members as they headed into the cave.

    The teachers were unable to see through the cave from the sky, so they had to enter as well. The same applied to those who were hiding in the boat.

    "That''s¡­" The principal looked amused when Anna summoned her avatar. "An avatar? But unlike a normal avatar, she is actually creating a skeletal frame. This way, the avatar will have a more solid foundation, allowing her to increase its power.

    "And those bones are actually a concentrated Ena. As a result, this avatar will be a versatile avatar that can attack, defend, or even support. In addition, as long as she surrounds herself with that massive amount of Ena, she is able to avoid any sort of hidden attacks."

    Vivian smiled at the principal''s shock. "What''s the bet again? Shocking you? I guess she has seeded. Do you know how much talent you need to concentrate on that amount of Ena in your first year? And it''s only been three months since she entered the academy.

    But it seems you''re unable to see her true potential since she is going into the cave."

    The principal looked like he wanted to follow them. Although it meant he would end up revealing himself, he had to see it. What kind of n did she have in mind, especially with that avatar?

    Little did he know, the bait this time was not for the students, not for the teachers, but for the biggest fish, him.

    When he followed her into the tunnel, that was when he realized what her n was. His body trembled after seeing what was ahead. That was why his voice immediately echoed in the tunnel. "Stop! The event is now suspended!"

    "What?"

    While the others were confused, Selena was the only one having a smug smile on her face.

 Chapter 209: Suspended (Bonus)

    "Stop! The event is now suspended!"

    "What?" Not only the students, but the teachers were also confused.

    They turned around and saw the principal standing behind them.

    "Principal?!" Jason gasped.

    "The principal?"

    "The principal is here?"

    They turned around, not expecting the principal to be observing them the whole time.

    "Why are you here?" Jason stepped forward. "This is supposed to be¡ª!"

    Before he finished his words, the principal simply stated, "The event is now suspended with my authority."

    "But sir¡­ If you interfere like this¡­" Jason nced at Selena. It was clear that the principal did this for Selena.

    However, the principal simply shook his head and said, "There are things you shouldn''t see at the end of this tunnel. For now, I''ll suspend the event and give not only the teachers but also the students an exnationter. Jason, you go back and take care of the suspension. The rest of the teachers will escort back the students and gather them at the port. If necessary, bring them back to the ship."

    "Yes!" The teachers were confused, but they had no other choice.

    Rudeus looked like he wanted to rebuke him, considering this was the perfect moment for him to gain victory.

    As if knowing what he wanted to say, the principal simply said, "Your father will definitely strip you of your title once you speak those words. And I''m not threatening you."

    "What?" Rudeus'' body trembled. If the principal was telling the truth, it meant whatever at the end of the tunnel was so important that they had to keep it a secret no matter what.

    However, Selena intentionally entered here, so Nathan might also be at the end of the tunnel. It wasn''t fair that they could know what the secret was while he didn''t.

    But the principal simply turned to Selena and said, "You, too. You have to follow them back to the coast. Is he inside?"

    "Yes." She nodded.

    "Alright. Go back. I''ll take care of everything here." The principal didn''t admit it, but it was clear that he ended up falling for her bait. He never thought that Selena would end up outsmarting him. It was no wonder why Vivian was so confident.

    Nevertheless, he immediately headed straight into the deepest part of the tunnel and saw Nathan with his familiars. He noticed Anubis'' peculiar power.

    Sensing his presence, both Fenrir and Nidhogg immediately stood in front of Nathan, trying to protect him. They could faintly sense the overwhelming power that the principal hid in his body.

    "Are you Nathan?" The principal asked. His voice wasn''t loud, but it rang perfectly in his ears, despite the distance.

    Nathan recognized the principal and said, "Student Nathan greets the principal."

    "You have to go back right now. Let me take over the rest of the situation here. Although you must have known this, keep everything you see here a secret."

    "That''s what I''d like to do, but sir Principal¡­ I hope you can give me a few more minutes. My familiar is currently in the middle of soothing the vengeful souls who have died from such an injustice. And we''re also in the middle of searching for information."

    "Souls?" The principal squinted his eyes and observed Anubis.

    "Yes." Nathan nodded.

    "In that case, what have you found so far?" The principal asked.

    Nathan hesitated for a moment, thinking, ''The principal shouldn''t be the bad guy, right? In fact, he isn''t supposed to be here in the first ce. If not for Selena, he probably won''t know anything. If he''s the culprit, he would have sealed this cave.

    ''However, the fact that the cave is open, it is as if they want us to discover this ce. But for what?'' There were a lot of questions in his mind, but knowing that the principal wasn''t the enemy, he exined, "I have found¡­"

    Nathan briefly recounted everything he got from those souls. Unfortunately, they couldn''t find anything important.

    "Hmm¡­" The principal looked around. "It seems they''re experimenting with aliens¡­ maybebining them."

    "Yes. We have encountered a simr case during our previous mission. Back then, we received the Sword Saint''s help, but we were unable to figure out their origin. At first, we thought it was the mature ss alien, but we were wrong." Nathan nodded.

    "Is that so?" The principal thought for a moment before sighing. "Although you have encountered this problem, I think it''s better if you go out right now.

    "I don''t want you to be deeply involved in this problem for your own good. After listening to Vivian, I know you aren''t the type that will blurt out this kind of secret.

    "But if you get involved in this problem, your academy life will be ruined. Just look at the size of this ce. Whoever the culprit is must be within the Frexia Academy.

    "And to do something on this scale without me knowing it, he must have a backing as well. This mysterious organization must be the one trying to find the extent of this experiment. That''s why you should go back. Let me take care of this problem."

    With the principal insisting on him leaving, he had no other choice. Sadly, a voice rang from the tunnel as another person entered this cave.

    "The most dangerous person in the world is not people like you, Mr. Principal. It is either a madman or a researcher."

    "!!!" Both the principal and Nathan turned around, looking at the figure.

    "You¡ª!" The principal widened his eyes in shock as a huge magic circle appeared underneath his foot. It was a trap. The principal realized it and immediately waved his hand down.

    The Ena gushing out of his palm actually created a massive crater, as if he were attempting to destroy the magic circle. "NO!"

    The principal widened his eyes, realizing the hidden trap within the magic circle. This was not an offensive or defensive magic circle. It was a teleportation magic circle.

    The activation couldn''t be undone. The principal hurriedly changed his target from the magic circle to the culprit, but it was toote. The magic circle had teleported him off the ind.

    The culprit smiled and fixed his sses. "We have met again, Student Nathan. You are so unique that I have always wanted to experiment with your body."

 Chapter 210: Sealing the Escape Route

    "We have met again, Student Nathan. You are so unique that I have always wanted to experiment with your body."

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn, recognizing the teacher. It turned out the culprit was truly among them. He wondered how he managed to bypass the principal''s surveince, but he also knew that the teachers had a certain degree of strength.

    With his familiar, he should be able to escape the principal''s detection when the principal wasn''t focused on watching everyone.

    Nathan had a troubled smile on his face. "This is rather surprising. To think you would be betraying us, Teacher Dikkleus."

    Yes, the culprit before him was none other than the teacher handling the teleportation. He was the only one capable of sending the principal far away.

    "Betraying you people, huh? We are never on the same side." Dikkleus shook his head. "The only reason I became a teacher at the Frexia Academy is to get resources. Now that everything has worked ording to my n, there''s nothing left for me to worry about."

    "You surely use the most cliche line in the book." Nathan smirked. "Let me guess, people like you who want resources either want to have revenge or women. And because you said the most dangerous person in this world is a scientist, that means you are researching something rted to a woman¡­ let''s see, either your woman or your wife."

    Dikkleus furrowed his eyebrows as if he didn''t expect Nathan to figure out the situation. "To think that you are that smart¡­ it feels like a waste to let you rot as an experiment subject.

    "But I guess you don''t understand the sadness thates from separation. You are still too young to understand that."

    Nathan''s expression turned grim. "Separation, huh? Is there even a separation when you refuse to let it go? There is only sadness when you refuse to be separated from them. It seems you''re trying to resurrect your woman."

    Dikkleus smirked. "You truly make me feel conflicted, Student Nathan. You can figure everything out in just an instant. Do you know what this research means?

    "If the aliens, specifically symbiotes, possess a human, they will be able to live like a human. My research is to create them so that they can get the person''s memory and behave like a real human.

    "This way, no humans have to be separated from their loved ones, even in death."

    Nathan''s expression darkened. "It seems we both have a different opinion about death."

    Nathan had finally understood why those aliens existed. The aliens that were able to control humans didn''te from mature ss aliens. They were artificially created.

    Nathan had two options. Considering Dikkleus blocked the entrance, he couldn''t escape unless there was an opening. Besides, he didn''t think Dikkleus was weak enough to let him escape.

    In other words, he had to wait for other teachers toe. Nathan had to buy enough time. Fortunately, Selena was here. He was just afraid that they would lose too much time or he would lose his flexibility with Selena here. More importantly, there was no way he liked to have Selena near this freak.

    "It seems you''re adamant about turning me into one of them. No, it''s not just me. Your real targets must be the people on this ind. I have wondered what kind of insane person was able to create all this¡­ You have given up on humanity itself."

    "I did tell you that you should be worried about a researcher or a madman. But if there was a madman who happened to be a researcher, you should cut them down immediately."

    "Like you? For people like you, there is nothing impossible. Even reviving a person is just something within reach. You just haven''t found the method yet."

    "Exactly." Dikkleus smirked. "Nevertheless, I don''t want to waste any more time with you."

    Nathan suddenly felt the pressure. Even without his familiar, Dikkleus was probably strong enough to defeat him and his familiars.

    He hurriedly thought of a way for another question that could distract Dikkleus.

    As if he were reading Nathan''s mind, Dikkleus said, "No. You won''t be able to escape. Do you think you are clever when you''re trying to buy time? Not a single teacher wille to help you, because¡­" Dikkleus smirked.

    Jason and the others, who were gathering the students to the shore, suddenly felt a massive Ena fluctuation.

    "!!!"

    "This is¡­"

    The students panicked, while the teachers looked down. All of them had the same thought. They summoned their familiars while using their Ena to stop the magic circle, but it was toote.

    "Teleport¡ª" Jason gasped and raised his head, looking at the students before disappearing into thin air along with the rest of the teachers.

    All people above a certain threshold vanished from the ind. No, even the teacher who had to watch over the ship had disappeared, leaving all the students behind.

    They were teleported back to the port city. Even if they wanted to go back, they would need at least an hour to reach it. By that time, the students would have fallen into the culprit''s hands.

    "What?"

    "Where are the teachers?"

    "Why are they all gone?"

    "This¡­"

    The students looked around, unable to understand what was going on.

    Selena suddenly stepped forward while holding her staff tightly.

    Rudeus and August sensed it a step toote, but there was a massive amount of Ena suddenly covering the entire ind.

    All of a sudden, more than a hundred magic circles appeared on the edge of the ind and released a purple light pir into the sky.

    A translucent screen soon emerged from one pir to another before the pir tilted to the center of the ind, creating a massive dome that isted the entire ind.

    Rudeus'' expression turned grim. He couldn''t help but remember what the principal said. There was a high chance that whoever the culprit was, they were trying to iste them. No, it was most likely that the enemy''s real target was the students.

    Selena immediately said, "Everyone. You might want to grab your weapon and get ready to fight."

 Chapter 211: Principal and Vice Principal

    The principal was teleported back to the port city, which startled him. However, he skillfullynded on the ground and turned his head to the ind.

    "Can I reach that ind? No. Even with my full strength, I still need at least forty minutes. Dikkleus must have a lot of preparation before doing this."

    The principal bit his lips. A lot of people were staring at him, but suddenly, the rest of the teachers appeared like him.

    "Huh?" The principal looked surprised but immediately calmed down.

    "Principal. You''re teleported too?"

    "Dikkleus is not here."

    "Is he the culprit?"

    "He''s the only one who has a familiar with the teleportation ability."

    The principal looked around and noticed that two people were missing. The first one was Dikkleus himself, and the second one was Vivian.

    In that instant, he realized Vivian hadn''t been discovered yet. The only reason he fell for that trap was because he entered that ind. Meanwhile, Vivian was still hidden inside the ship.

    If that was the case, there was a chance for Vivian to handle the situation. The first thing he needed to do was alert Vivian about Dikkleus. How to do it? There was one method he could think of.

    "Come out!" The principal shouted as he released his Ena. As the figure disappeared, his blue-colored Ena suddenly turned ck as if it were getting corrupted. "Hecate!"

    A giant upper body of a woman appeared behind the principal.

    The people were panicking because it wasn''t normal for people to summon their familiars.

    "Aaaahh!"

    "There is a familiar!"

    "Help!"

    The teachers panicked, but the principal must have his own reason. They immediately blocked the road, preventing anyone froming.

    The woman avatar had three heads, each with unparalleled beauty. The woman in the middle extended her hand forward.

    The principal immediately leaped on top of her hand and used his Ena to write a name.

    Dikkleus Hazer.

    In that instant, the ck-colored Ena turned red, symbolizing hatred and vengeance. The name melted and formed a red-colored ball that suddenly flew into the sky, flying at a high speed.

    ¡­

    As the principal predicted, Vivian had alreadye out of her hiding as she investigated what happened. Everyone other than the students seemed to have been teleported somewhere.

    "What is actually going on?" Vivian bit her lips. That was when the dome appeared, isting the ind.

    "Hmm? This dome¡­ It''s provided by a massive amount of Ena. Even if I use my full power, I don''t think I can break it easily.

    "Are their targets the students? In that case, what happens to the principal? He is one of the strongest people I know, so there''s no way he is defeated so easily. But the teacher staying on the boat has disappeared¡­"

    Vivian reorganized her thoughts. As much as she wanted to confirm the safety of her students or put an end to whatever caused this incident, she had to be careful.

    "Should I assume that I''m the remaining educator in this ce? If that''s the case, I can''t fall for any traps, especially one that will teleport me." Vivian bit her lips.

    When she wanted to make a move, she suddenly saw a red colored ball flying to the center of the dome. After that, it fell on top of the dome and actually passed through as if there were no barrier.

    After that, the light ball descended to the volcano as a massive red-colored pir erupted like that of a volcanic eruption.

    The red pir turned ck as the hatred and bloodlust had turned into a curse.

    "This ability¡­ Don''t tell me, it''s the principal''s familiar? If I''m not wrong, this is from Hecate, the Titan, who is known as a powerful goddess associated with curses and dark magic. But if ites from that direction, that means the principal has been teleported as well. The culprit must be Dikkleus, and he is hiding in that mountain¡­ No, wait. The cave?! No, Nathan is in danger!"

    Vivian''s killing intent immediately leaked out of her eyes.

    If Dikkleus was in front of her, she would have ripped him apart.

    Vivian took a deep breath and summoned four of her strongest familiars.

    The first two spirits were the Ancient Spirit and the dryad that helped her to hold the battle royale. The third spirit was the druid, while the fourth spirit was an elf. However, it wasn''t Alisha.

    Compared to Alisha, the elf was exuding an ethereal feeling as if she had detached herself from the world. Her otherworldly beauty even stunned the injured students on the ship. She was not just a normal elf, but a high elf, and a very high ranking one at that.

    Vivian stated, "We''ve got a situation."

    The druid looked at the ind and the barrier before saying, "The barrier might have isted the ind, but that''s not enough for us." He turned to the ancient spirit and asked, "With your help, we can form a miniature of the world tree on the ind. We don''t know the enemy, but this should be enough to stop them, right?"

    "Yes. But who is the dumb idiot that destroys half of the ind? If we have the brimming vitality of the nts of that half of the ind, it should be enough to create a tree capable of taking down the enemy."

    Vivian''s eyebrows twitched.

    The dryad sighed. "It seems I''ll have a chat with your student after this, Mistress."

    "I''m sorry. But please go easy on him."

    The dryad nodded. "Well, whatever the case, I''ll control that tree."

    The high elf looked at the barrier and said, "In that case, my job is to decipher that barrier."

    Vivian nodded. "This is an emergency. If possible, I want you to remain focused and avoid any traps. Even the sage has fallen for that trap. They should being back here, so we either defeat the enemy before theye or buy enough time."

    The druid smiled. "There''s no need to choose. We''ll go with the former."

 Chapter 212: Escaping (Bonus)

    In the cave, Nathan bit his lips, knowing that he had to find a way to escape.

    "Nidhogg, Fenrir. Do your thing. Anubis, back them up." Nathan pointed at Dikkleus. "Let''s go! We have to escape from this cave first."

    Since they had made up their mind, they had no other choice but to go for it.

    Nathan and the others charged forward. Fenrir used his Gigantification and Nidhogg took off and released his breath.

    Dikkleus looked at the breath with no change of expression. When the breath reached him, a transparent barrier formed, directing the me in all directions.

    "!!!" Nidhogg widened his eyes because his breath actually failed to leave even a single scratch on that barrier.

    Fenrir was closing in, but he had to climb up first before he could pounce on Dikkleus. Meanwhile, Anubis shared his Ena with those two to increase their firepower.

    However, it was useless.

    When Fenrir was about to reach the top, a ck colored ogre appeared. The skin color of the ogre didn''te naturally. Instead, it came from the symbiote attached to the left arm.

    ''Are you serious? Is this ogre going to be a venom next?'' Nathan gritted his teeth. He had never thought that Dikkleus actually imnted the symbiote on his own familiar.

    In fact, his other familiars might have actually received the same fate. Other than Dikkleus, everything around him might have fused with the symbiotes. After all, the only thing that differentiated them was the fact they couldn''t speak.

    That was why Nathan shouted, "Don''t mind those familiars. They have been controlled by the symbiotes, so they aren''t capable of using their head."

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. There were simply too many questions in his mind. First of all, his fairy was capable of using the teleportation ability.

    There was a chance that she wasn''t controlled yet, but she might not be aware of what happened as well.

    "Heh." Dikkleus smirked.

    Fenrir pounced on the ogre like he did against an alien, but surprisingly, the ogre waved his de like a warrior.

    Fenrir blocked the swing with his paws, but the ogre swiftly moved to the side and kicked Fenrir off the cliff.

    Nathan had to recall him first and re-summoned him to break the fall. Nidhogg formed multiple purple fireballs and scattered them. They all curved and hit Dikkleus from all directions, trying to see the shape of the transparent barrier.

    As expected, it was actually a dome-shaped barrier with Dikkleus in the center. However, the problem was that the dome had actually closed the exit.

    In other words, without defeating Dikkleus, they wouldn''t be able to escape.

    Suddenly, the ogre leaped toward Nidhogg. Thetter wanted to fly away, but the ogre simply tossed his de to Nidhogg''s wing, impaling the wing.

    Nidhogg let out a loud cry, which shook the entire cave. The ogre then grabbed Nidhogg and tossed him back to the ground.

    The ogre thennded on the bottom like Nidhogg, facing all of them at once. Even though his sword was still on Nidhogg''s wing, the ogre simply needed to raise his arm and let the symbiote form a sword.

    "!!!"

    It looked like the mutant he fought on the previous mission. Butpared to the mutant, this ogre was much stronger.

    "You don''t know a single thing. During the experiment, I have figured out how the mutant is developed. If they have a better host, either from intelligence or special ability, there''s a high chance for them to turn into a mutant.

    "And this ogre is my first masterpiece. I''ll let the ogre defeat you so that you¡ª" Before Dikkleus could finish his words, all of a sudden, a huge red ball emerged from the ceiling and hit him.

    "What?" Dikkleus widened his eyes as he raised his head, only to find the ball descended upon him. Even his transparent barrier couldn''t touch it, as if the red ball didn''t have any physical presence.

    The moment the red ball fell upon him, it turned into a red pir, shooting through the mountain.

    "Aaaaggghhhh! Principal!" Dikkleus screamed in pain. There were several patterns on the red pirs that actually matched Dikkleus'' body.

    In addition, the Ena in his body became in disarray as the barrier shattered into pieces.

    "Arggh!" The ogre looked like he was in pain as well.

    When the pir turned ck, Nidhogg immediately grabbed Nathan with his tail and took off to the air, leaving everyone behind.

    "Nidhogg?!" Nathan was startled.

    "We don''t have time. There is a powerful curse descending upon him! We have to take advantage of this opportunity to leave right now."

    The ogre gritted his teeth as if he were enduring the pain. He wanted to chase after Nidhogg, but Fenrir immediately pounced on him.

    "Go!" Fenrir shouted, pinning down the ogre on the ground.

    "Where do you think you''re going?!" Dikkleus waved his hand, trying to form a barrier to at least block the exit. He couldn''t let Nathan out since he was his main target.

    However, the scenery soon changed for him.

    "!!!" Dikkleus turned his head around as he was transported to a golden courtroom. "Where is this? No, it''s a domain! NO!"

    Dikkleus released all his Ena, gradually distorting the domain.

    Fortunately, there were still a few minutes before the contract ended, so Anubis was able to distract him for a few seconds.

    When Dikkleus broke free from the domain, he tried to form the barrier, but noticed that Nathan was already gone. His familiars had also disappeared from the cave.

    Because of the curse, he was unable to move at the moment.

    "Damn you, Principal. Even if you''re not on the ind, you''re still trying to hinder me. But so what? The students can''t escape. There''s nothing that can stop those aliens!"

    That was right. Even if Nathan could escape, the aliens and Dikkleus could still capture the students as long as the barrier remained intact.

    But he never assumed Vivian would be worried that the principal tried to entice her student, so she sneaked in together with him.

    And that miscalction immediately came to Nathan the moment he escaped from the cave.

    All of a sudden, a vine broke through the soil and leaped like a snake, wrapping itself around Nathan''s arm.

    "What?" Nathan was so focused on escaping that he couldn''t react to the vine, but there was no need to do so as a familiar voice rang in his head.

    "This is me, the dryad. I''ll be using this form tomunicate with you from the outside."

 Chapter 213: Situation

    "This is me, the dryad. I''ll be using this form tomunicate with you from the outside."

    "!!!" Nathan was startled and raised his head. While the ind was closed, he noticed several figures on top of the dome. "Is my teacher here?"

    "Yes. There are a lot of things I want to say, but for now, I want you to focus on dealing with the teacher. We''ll be summoning a tree that is capable of stopping that person. You should take control of the students and ensure their safety while we deal with the situ¡ª"

    Before the dryad finished her words, a massive amount of Ena suddenly burst in the cave''s direction.

    Nathan turned his head around, looking at Dikkleus from the sky.

    "If you think you can escape, then you''repletely wrong." Dikkleus red at Nathan.

    However, the ground soon trembled.

    Dikkleus had a hard time maintaining his bnce as cracks began to appear at the foot of the volcano.

    *Rumble!*

    *Rumble!*

    Dikkleus couldn''t help but look at the origin of the sound. A giant root suddenly emerged from the ground, breaking down the soil. Then, a huge trunk shot into the sky before turning into branches and leaves.

    The tree was so big that it covered a fifth of the ind, its height half of the volcano.

    "This is¡­" Dikkleus gasped. "Vivian?! Vivian is here?"

    The tree was brimming with energy as multiple roots swam on the ground like a bouncing snake, making their way toward Dikkleus.

    As a result, Dikkleus had no choice but to avoid them by leaping into the sky. He used his own Ena to levitate as giant roots emerged from the ground, trying to restrain him.

    Dikkleus formed a transparent sphere that isted him from the rest of the world.

    The giant root pped the sphere, the contact producing a massive tremor that shook the entire ind. Yet Dikkleus was safe. There wasn''t even a scratch on his barrier.

    "A tree?" Nathan gasped.

    "Yes. That is the manifestation of the World Tree. Unfortunately, its power relies on the life energying from nature. And because of you burning half of the ind¡­"

    Nathan''s expression turned pale. "That''s¡­"

    "As her student, I don''t really mind if you don''t love nature as much as she does. However, I hope you don''t destroy nature on such arge scale."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Anyway, it appears something is weakening that teacher."

    "Yes. There is a red ball descending upon him. I don''t know much, but ording to Nidhogg, it''s filled with curses."

    The dryad nodded. "At the very least, the tree should be enough to stop him. I''m afraid that''s our limit due to the barrier. The rest will depend on you."

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. He observed the entire situation and thought, ''From the way he worded it, there''s a chance that this guy is hiding his wife, who has been turned into an alien, somewhere on this ind.

    ''And ording to his mutant theory, it''s clear that he might have produced a mutant that canmand thousands of aliens on this ind.

    ''There is also that ogre. Can we actually beat that ogre? It''s extremely strong.

    ''Hmm. The situation has beplicated. Even if we take him out of the equation, we have to deal with his wife, his familiar, and the aliens at the same time. The students won''t be enough to kill those aliens, considering we''re not allowed to touch nature anymore since it''ll weaken the tree.''

    Nathan couldn''t help but look at the people above the barrier and ask, "Can we undo the barrier?"

    "Silvania is working on it. She''s deciphering the barrier, but it will take time. At the very least, if we can create a small hole, it''ll allow my main body to enter this dome. I should be able to use the trees all around the ind to suppress both the aliens and that teacher. I''ve heard you''re clever, but can you even make a n in this situation?"

    Nathan grinned. "I have one actually."

    "One what?"

    "A n."

    The dryad paused for a moment, as if she were too shocked to say anything. "Really?"

    "But can I talk to Silvania? I need to know more about the barrier and see if my n can work or not."

    The dryad thought for a moment before allowing Silvania to talk to him.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the students werepletely in a mess. Because the teachers were teleported, they ended up panicking.

    "What is going on?"

    "The teachers have vanished."

    "Is there something big happening on this ind?"

    "Are we going to die?"

    "I don''t want to die."

    The students looked like they were trying to scatter. Selena and Rudeus looked at them as if they were nning to stop them.

    However, the giant tree emerged from the ground, scaring them.

    And Dikkleus fighting the tree made them think the tree was evil, since he was the only teacher left.

    "Yes. We just have to wait for Teacher Dikkleus to kill that evil tree."

    "We''ll be saved."

    "Hooray, Teacher Dikkleus."

    The students were cheering, while Rudeus frowned, feeling suspicious that there was a teacher left behind when even the principal wasn''t visible.

    Suddenly, a dragon dove from the sky andnded on the ground so hard that it produced a small shock wave, silencing the students. All the eyes shifted to the person riding that dragon, Nathan.

    Nathan pointed at the tree and said, "I''m going to briefly exin what''s happening. Teacher Dikkleus is the culprit. The tree over there is our vice principal''s ability. However, because of the barrier, she can only stop him right now. She needs more time to decipher the barrier that istes this ind.

    "Hence, I''ll tell you about her n. She wants all students to work together and stop the remaining five thousand aliens from destroying us. There''s no need to sacrifice your lives. Just buy us enough time.

    "Dikkleus has a familiar. Rudeus and August are to fight that familiar and, if possible, defeat it before helping the rest of the students."

    "What about you?" Rudeus asked.

    "I and Selena will be searching for the onemanding these aliens." Nathan raised two fingers. "Twenty minutes. If we can hold on for twenty minutes, we''ll win."

 Chapter 214: Nathans Promise

    "What? Teacher Dikkleus is the bad guy?"

    "But he is the only remaining teacher¡­"

    Obviously, the truth would be hard to ept. Vivian wasn''t supposed to be on the ind.

    However, Rudeus picked up the signal and immediately said out loud, "I want you guys to think. The principal is here. He is the strongest person on this ind, so why would he not appear?

    "And with the principal here, you surely wouldn''t feel it weird to find out the vice principal is here as well, right?

    "With his strength, why does the principal note out? Take another look at Teacher Dikkleus'' familiars.

    "I don''t know what''s going on, but you surely find something amiss, right?

    "If the principal and the vice principal are the bad guys, we''ll be dead. There''s no need toe up with such a trick, since both of them can defeat all teachers easily. Besides, you should have heard the rumor about the Forest Queen being his teacher. Is that correct, ssmate Nathan?" Rudeus squinted his eyes.

    Nathan smiled wryly. Rudeus actually took advantage of this chance to confirm that rumor. If Nathan admitted it, the way these students treat him would change. Then again, Vivian had told him to expose his identity as her disciple, if that was necessary.

    Hence, Nathan nodded his head. "That is correct. You can think of me as a viin or whatever you want, but do you think my teacher will kill me here? She is outside the barrier, and there are still at least five thousand aliensing toward us."

    The students sucked a cold breath.

    "Did we just offend the Forest Queen''s disciple?"

    "Are we doomed?"

    Nathan simply pointed toward everyone. "Do you remember what the principal said during the opening ceremony? Those in front of you are your enemies. Those besides you are your rivals and friends. Those behind you are people you have to protect.

    "The situation has changed. Those who are usually in front of you are now standing by your side. Let''s start anew and point our weapons at the aliens." Nathan lowered his head. "And my power alone is not enough. Unless everyone here is working together, none of us can survive."

    With Nathan confirming his identity, the people felt moved. Even the proud disciple of Vivian lowered his head, so why could they not lower their ego?

    "That''s right. Let''s fight together!"

    "We have to survive first."

    All of them nodded their heads.

    Rudeus knew that Nathan and Selena had known the secret hidden in that cave. Even he didn''t know about it as well as the leader of those aliens.

    He wasn''t foolish enough to argue with them so that they could take down the most important enemy.

    "Leave this ce to us." Rudeus nodded.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn and immediately extended his hand to Selena.

    Selena hurriedly reached for his hand and hopped onto Nidhogg''s back.

    "May fortune bless you with its presence," Nathan shouted as Nidhogg flew toward Dikkleus as if he was nning to challenge him.

    Selena couldn''t help but ask, "But who is the leader of the alien? How strong is it?"

    "I don''t know. In fact, this is just my spection. I''m afraid Dikkleus'' wife is hidden on this ind. And if there is indeed a ce to hide her¡­"

    "The cave?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded. "I need you to enter the cave by yourself and try to find the queen."

    "By myself? You''re not going?" Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    "I will assist you once I''m done with my task."

    "Alright." Selena trusted Nathan without hesitation. Nathan dropped her off at the entrance''s cave before flying back toward the cave where they gathered their resources.

    He had to leave Selena for a bit because he had a more important job.

    ¡­

    A few minutes ago.

    "You want to know more about the barrier? Even I don''t know much about the barrier. That''s why I''m trying to decipher it."

    "No. It''s not about this barrier, but the barrier in general. Maybe like whether the barrier can still function if there is no Ena to operate it or something. Depending on the foundation of the barrier, I might be able to do something¡­ I''m not confident enough to destroy it, but creating a hole might be possible."

    Both the high elf and the dryad were stunned. Never in their wildest dream would they think Nathan was strong or knowledgeable enough to create a hole in thisplex barrier.

    However, Nathan knew the students wouldn''t be enough to fight several thousand aliens, so they needed the dryad.

    With that thought in mind, Silvania exined, "There are three cores of a barrier. The first one will be the Ena acting as a fuel. If you look closely at this barrier, you will notice the second thing, which is the strengthening link.

    "This barrier is prettyplicated because the barrier has a lot ofplex strengthening links. If I decipher one and remove it, there are at least tens of them still standing in my way. That''s why I have to remove it one by one.

    "The third one will be the program of the barrier. What kind of things do this barrier block? From the looks of it, the barrier is stopping even Ena from flowing inside and outside.

    "With these three foundations, the barrier manages to iste the indpletely. If you want to help, there are ways, such as finding the fuel of this barrier. I also don''t rmend it because it''s like finding a grain of sand on the beach.

    "Or you can beat up the caster to tell you about the barrier. You''re satisfied with this exnation, right? Do you think you can do anything?"

    A smile appeared on Nathan''s face. "Yes. I''m satisfied. You can continue deciphering it, and I''ll also open it from the inside. We''ll create a small tunnel and let the dryad enter."

    "You''re so full of yourself. If you really can do it, I''ll acknowledge you as the young master."

    "It seems I have to work hard for it." Nathan smiled. As soon as hended on the ground, Nathan lifted his arm and said, "Can you leave me alone for several minutes?"

    "Hmm? Why?"

    "I want to relieve my stress, so I''m embarrassed if you are staring at me."

    The dryad''s eyebrows twitched. She knew it was just a joke, but the meaning was clear. It must be rted to Nathan''s secret.

    "I will wait outside." In the end, the vine jumped off Nathan''s arm and hid inside the ground.

    Nathan smiled and turned to the cave, specifically the cores. "Time to swallow more cores. I''ll lose a lot today, so they have topensate me after this."

 Chapter 215: Frexias Students

    "Oi. Are you serious about this?" Fenrir asked with a serious expression.

    "Yeah." Nathan nodded, his hand holding a lot of cores. "Anubis, Fenrir. Make sure to pay attention to my state."

    "Tsk." Fenrir clicked his tongue, feeling annoyed.

    Nathan grinned and started putting all those cores in his mouth, swallowing them in one go.

    As usual, the cores melted with his mouth''s heat, as the surge of Ena rushed into his body.

    "Kh!" Nathan gritted his teeth. His body instantly heated up. However, the heat was still less than when he swallowed the mature ss core, so he still grabbed another batch of cores and swallowed them.

    His body was processing all that Ena quickly. It felt like he was catching a severe fever. Fortunately, the pain wasn''t there yet. Hence, he didn''t hesitate to swallow more cores.

    "Kh!" As the pain started to appear, Nathan slowed down. He had to endure it and get as much as Ena possible.

    Because he gave a lot of Ena to Anubis earlier, his Soul Contract had returned to its original form, which stopped him from doing anything.

    But it didn''t matter. He had the barrier to dissolve and Dikkleus'' wife to beat. Hence, he had to do it.

    "Arggghhh!" Nathan was enduring the pain as he continued refining his power.

    On the other hand, the rest of the students were receiving the aliens in the woods.

    "They areing!"

    "I know!"

    "Attack them!"

    The students were shouting at each other.

    Several familiars, who were capable of manipting earth, started to activate their power, creating walls to stop the aliens.

    The aliens wereing straight toward the walls, smashing them with their brute strength.

    However, some aliens failed to break the wall and crashed into it. The aliens behind it tried to avoid it, but to no avail. Several aliens ended up crashing into each other, causing traffic until aliens started leaping over their bodies.

    "What is going on? The aliens'' movements are pretty weird. They''reing straight at us as if they know our location. No. Is there any juvenile ss among them?"

    "I see several juvenile ss aliens, but this is like they''re moving ording to someone''s direction. This is weird."

    "Nevertheless, our job remains the same. Attack them!"

    More and more familiarsunched a volley of their attacks, whether they were wind attacks, lightning attacks, or even normal attacks made of Ena.

    They bombarded the enemies with all the abilities avable, trying to reduce their number.

    Still, no matter how many aliens they took down, more and more woulde their way.

    All the warriors were already standing in the front, ready to intercept them. With forty students and three of their familiars lining up, it created quite a robust formation among themselves.

    In addition, before they reached the vanguards, the aliens ended up falling into ditches made by the same familiars who used earth maniption.

    Aliens were crashing into ditches. Some managed to avoid it by either jumping over it or walking over the aliens who had fallen first.

    And that was where the aliens were greeted by the mighty familiars.

    Whether they were werewolves, gnolls, or even imps, they charged toward the aliens and crushed them.

    The aliens fought back, resulting in a fierce sh between the two.

    Fortunately, the aliens were scattered on the other half of the ind, which meant all of them couldn''te at the same time.

    From the way they saw it, there were over a thousand aliens in front of them. Even though it was a lot, it wasn''t something they couldn''t handle.

    Obviously, there were several people standing out among them.

    In one spot, there were two werewolves shing ten aliens in rapid session and throwing a few to the enemy''s rank, causing some disturbance.

    "Aooo!"

    It was the man who once challenged Nathan and ended up getting humiliated by Fenrir. As much as he hated Nathan, it didn''t change the fact that he was the one provoking him. And that very person would lower his head so that they could survive on this ind.

    "Go that way!" Landark pointed to a spot where the aliens were overwhelming the familiars and students. "Help them!"

    The werewolves nodded and immediately went to help. Meanwhile, he and his first familiar, a kobold, turned around, facing the iing aliens. "Let''s go!"

    There were also a lot of other students who managed to control their entire area. Those students were one of the top students in the ss. At the same time, this was Frexia Academy. Having both talented students as well as the best education allowed the students to give a much better fightpared to other academies.

    Still, there were three juvenile ss aliens in the mix.

    The fifth ranked student, David Leivester, saw the juvenile ss alien and raised his staff. A huge sphere made of Ena appeared on top of him as he released it into the air.

    The juvenile ss alien snapped a tree beside it and smacked the sphere with a big trunk.

    The giant sphere caused a massive st, destroying the trunk as well as blowing the juvenile ss away. "You''re going nowhere! His familiars were beside him, ready to defeat the juvenile ss alien.

    There were also two other students, ranked 6th and ranked 7th, approaching their respective juvenile ss aliens.

    Even though their panic state earlier, the ss had been united under a single banner. It was true that Rudeus'' speech had calmed them down, but this unity could only happen because Nathan lowered his head when he asked them.

    Sadly, the students might hold out on this battlefield, but the same couldn''t be said for Rudeus and August.

    "Raaa!" The cyclops was wailing in pain as he fell on his butt. There was a giant sword wound running from the right shoulder to its stomach.

    "Rraaaaa!" the minotaur roared while smashing the ogre with his giant axe.

    However, the ogre stopped that axe as well as the minotaur, whose body was slightly bigger than him, with his sword. He didn''t even hold it with two hands.

    "Boost!" August gritted his teeth. There was a sudden surge of Enaing into his minotaur, causing the ground underneath the ogre to begin to crack.

    The ogre remained still and kicked the minotaur in its stomach, pushing it back.

    "Grraa!" The minotaur spat a mouthful of blood while using his axe to support his body.

    "We have to deal with this ogre?" Rudeus muttered while wiping the blood flowing out of the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 216: Dispel

    Selena looked around the cave. "There doesn''t seem to be anyone in this ce."

    She had returned to the previous cave. And as she expected, the guy they were supposed to help earlier had died.

    Sadly, there was no time to mourn them.

    Her familiars scattered around the area, searching for any clues about the so-called ''wife.''

    Risa reported, "There is no living being here. At least I don''t feel the blood of the living."

    Sasha also looked at the corpses, specifically on the mountain of corpses that had turned into aliens. "I can''t find anything."

    Yin Zhen was knocking on the wall, checking whether there was another path. "Nothing here. The walls are solid. I don''t know about the ceiling, but I don''t sense any empty area underneath us. Does he predict it incorrectly?"

    "I''m not sure. I don''t know how he knows the wife is here, but he is not someone who easily makes such a mistake. Maybe there is something we don''t know yet¡­" Selena looked down, falling into deep thought.

    She was recounting all the information regarding the humans who had turned into aliens.

    Most of them had changed in a way that they couldn''t be called humans anymore. Some parts of their bodies should have deformed, which might be a clue.

    But Selena remembered Nathan mentioned the alien being Dikkleus'' wife. If she were Nathan''s wife, what would Nathan expect from her?

    Knowing Nathan, the answer was clear. She needed to be pretty.

    She smiled wryly but soon noticed why Nathan specifically mentioned his wife.

    "That''s right. Pretty!" Selena gasped.

    "Huh?" Risa, Sasha, and Yin Zhen were confused, wondering if Selena was unting her beauty.

    Selena simply shouted, "All of you! Find the corpses that don''t have any blemish on them. That might be the queen of the aliens!"

    "!!!" They didn''t know what was going on, but all of them hurriedly searched for such a corpse.

    And that was it.

    "Is this¡­" Yin Zhen gasped, looking at the woman before him. In this ce, all corpses had dirt, blood, or other things smearing their bodies and clothes, but only this woman didn''t have any of it.

    When Yin Zhen approached her, the woman opened her hollow eyes.

    *Bam!*

    "!!!" All of them turned around and saw Yin Zhen blown away, his right arm getting scratched by something sharp.

    They had found her.

    ¡­

    Outside.

    In the sky, Dikkleus kept getting attacked from all directions. The branches and the roots forced him to be on the defensive.

    "Tsk." Dikkleus clicked his tongue, looking at the progress of the entire ind. His ogre was gaining the upper hand, but Rudeus and August were persistent enough to ensure that the ogre stayed in that ce.

    He thought the ogre would be enough to defeat them easily, but as one would expect from the current ranked 1st and 2nd among the students.

    They were strong.

    On the other hand, the aliens were in aplete stalemate. They still had a lot of aliens to spare, but he didn''t have the time to wait for the students to exhaust all their Ena.

    Still, there was a fight where he would definitely win. It was inside the cave.

    Seeing another branching toward him, Dikkleus pped his hand. A huge translucent screen appeared in the branch''s path, blocking the branch.

    However, this branch was unlike any other. It pierced through the barrier effortlessly and made its way toward Dikkleus.

    Dikkleus'' finger twitched, folding the barrier. And with slight movement from the barrier, the branch snapped.

    Several other branches wereing, but there was a long barrier that hit their bodies, crushing them one by one.

    The dryad maintained control over the tree while the druid continuously used his Ena to regenerate the branches and roots to maintain the offensive.

    As a result, Dikkleus was unable to do anything.

    "It seems only your ogre has been turned into an alien, Dikkleus." Vivian shouted from the top of the dome.

    Dikkleus clenched his fists. As Vivian said, not a single one of his familiars knew about his experiment. He only asked them to do things, starting from traps to their respective abilities, like teleportation.

    Besides, once they got taken over by the aliens, they stopped unleashing their ability. That was why only the ogre was turned into an alien. The ogre had good physical ability, so it was perfect for the experiment.

    However, if he summoned his normal familiars at this time, they would realize what had happened and turn against him. That was why he had no other choice but to summon only the ogre.

    For Vivian, Dikkleus held a different meaning. He was apetent teacher. In the academy, he would have been the best barrier user, and his teleportation ability had helped a lot, whether it was an event or something else.

    That was why it was sad that she had to capture him or kill him, if not possible. He simply never thought the situation would be this way.

    "You should surrender, Dikkleus. Nothing will change, no matter how much you struggle. No matter if they''re the students or my familiars, you can''t defeat them in the little time you have," Vivian warned him, trying to break his heart.

    Dikkleus shouted, "You don''t know a single thing, even though you are the vice principal. And do you think the students can hold everything? Even if all the students here are able to stop, it will soon change."

    Dikkleus grinned as if knowing that his ''wife'' would soon defeat Selena. And there would be nothing that could stop her from wreaking havoc on the ind.

    "You''re the one who doesn''t know anything. Even if I''m here, unable to do anything to you, you shouldn''t have underestimated my disciple." She had a smug smile on her face.

    It was because she was staring downward that she could see the dragon that flew to the sky, carrying the person that carried the hope of all students.

    "!!!" Dikkleus noticed his presence soon and turned his head. "Nathan?"

    It was clear Nathan was nning to do something to the barrier, but he was sure that no one was capable of harming the barrier in a short amount of time. Even the high elf might need an hour to break the barrier.

    Nidhogg flew toward Silvania as Nathan made thest jump. With his hand facing her, Nathan smiled. "Dispel."

 Chapter 217: Dryad (Bonus)

    "Gaaaaahhhhh!" Nathan gritted his teeth. "Do I have enough Ena yet?"

    Nathan formed two contracts. He wondered if this was enough, but after swallowing a few hundred cores, he finally had enough Ena to upgrade and sign the two contracts simultaneously.

    "Oi! Refine those cores first. If you continue like this, you''re going to die!" Anubis warned him.

    "It doesn''t matter." Nathan panted. Even though he was having a hard time breathing and his body was hot, he still grabbed Fenrir''s fur and tried to stand up. "We don''t have time. Bring me to the sky right now!"

    "You''re not in a condition to do anything." Fenrir wanted to stop him, but Nathan simply looked at him. His eyes were pleading with Fenrir not to stop him.

    Fenrir gnashed his teeth. Looking at his summoner acting like this, he truly had no other choice but to follow his wish. It was clear that if they waited for a bit longer, the enemy would gradually gain the upper hand.

    That was why Fenrir turned to Nidhogg. "Nidhogg."

    "Oi. Fenrir!" Anubis didn''t expect Fenrir to be this reckless.

    "Shut up, Anubis! Look at his eyes. Look at your summoner right now!"

    Anubis'' body shook.

    His body was shaking. It took him everything just to stand up. However, his eyes were pleading with them to trust him.

    Anubis bit his lips. He summoned his bandages and carried Nathan to Nidhogg''s back.

    Nidhogg had a solemn face, finally understanding what kind of summoner Nathan was.

    Nidhogg took off to the sky, heading straight toward Silvania.

    There were two contracts he made earlier. The first contract was his way to dispel the barrier.

    Now that his soul contract had been upgraded once more, Nathan could make a contract with the barrier.

    [This contract will be activated the moment Nathan Reckmoon shouts, "Dispel." Party B, the barrier, will remove its links, deactivate its conditions, and stop the supply of Ena for one second in the spot designated by Nathan Reckmoon in exchange for 150 Ena.]

    This was the reason why Nathan wanted to learn about the barrier. He didn''t have to understand the principle. As long as he knew the things that made the barrier, it might work out.

    When they were about to arrive, Nidhogg immediately slowed down as his back faced upward, allowing Nathan to cover thest distance with a single jump.

    Nathan could see Silvania behind the barrier. He simply said, "Dryad. Get ready!"

    The dryad didn''t know what was going on, but Nathan''s hand had finally touched the barrier as he said, "Dispel!"

    In that instant, all the links in that particr spot disappeared, the Ena had stopped flowing, and no other conditions put into the barrier were activated.

    If he was the only one doing it, he might not seed. But because Silvania was there, the contract was activated.

    Silvania didn''t just decipher the barrier. She also determined the size of the tunnel.

    A small hole as thick as an arm suddenly appeared in the barrier.

    The dryad didn''t expect that Nathan was indeed able to deactivate the barrier, and she didn''t waste that chance.

    A vine leaped into the tunnel and entered the ind before the tunnel was closed.

    Nathan could see Silvania''s shocked face. It was indeed rewarding to see the cold face of an otherworldly beauty turn into shock.

    With a smile on his face, Nathan closed his eyes and started falling.

    Before Nidhogg caught him, the vine dove to the ground before numerous vines emerged from the ground. All of them swirled around, forming a huge tower that caught Nathan as gently as possible.

    The dryad appeared in her true form, asking, "Young Master. Are you alright?"

    Just hearing the way she called him showed that she had acknowledged him. There might be a lot of questions, like how Nathan created that hole.

    But that wasn''t important right now.

    The dryad could see Nathan''s condition. She wanted to help him, but Nathan simply raised his hand as Nidhoggnded next to them.

    With a hoarse voice, Nathan said, "You have your job. I, too, have my task. There''s no need to worry about me."

    "But you¡ª" Nathan stopped her and pointed down, specifically at the other students. "Look at that. More and more aliens areing. If you don''t help them right now, someone might die. Don''t let them die."

    The dryad took a look at the situation before turning back, only to find Nathan already making his way to Nidhogg''s back. Without even waiting for her, Nathan had flown away.

    Vivian couldn''t help but bit her lips as she could only helplessly watch him from the outside. Silvania and other familiars saw Nathan in a new light.

    Meanwhile, the dryad bit her lips before her body turned back into vines.

    ¡­

    "Stop them!"

    "Hey. They''re about to break through over there!"

    The students started getting overwhelmed. They had killed a lot of aliens, but the number was too much.

    But before the aliens overran them, vines emerged from the ground and started wrapping around two hundred aliens, stopping their advance.

    After that, trees started to shake as if a powerful wind hit them. When those leaves fell down, they fell like sharp des, cutting all the aliens that had been captured.

    "This is¡­" The students were surprised since none of them was capable of such a massive feat.

    The dryad showed herself to them and said, "Students. Use this chance to regroup and handle the aliensing from that part. Some of you are to head to Rudeus and August. They need help to take down the ogre."

    "O-oh?!" The students were stunned for a second but soon cheered. They became energetic again and followed the dryad''s instructions.

    Meanwhile, the dryad''s real body appeared from the manifestation of the world tree as her voice rang from within. "O'' Eternal Tree, I call upon thee to bestow thy power, to grant thy strength and wisdom for the pitiful earth."

    "!!!" Dikkleus was startled because she wasn''t supposed to be here. "You¡ª"

    "Save your yapping! I''m pissed off right now!" The dryad sped her hands. "Come forth, Garden of the Beginning!"

 Chapter 218: The Queen of Aliens (Bonus)

    "Oh. This¡­" Yin Zhen looked at the figure emerging from the dust cloud.

    Selena, Risa, and Sasha wereing, finding the queen of the alien.

    She was a woman in her early twenties. With straight, long hair and a gentle face, it was no wonder why Dikkleus loved her.

    However, her eyes were hollow due to the alien within her. Her right arm suddenly darkened as if something inside had changed its characteristic.

    "This is¡­" Selena frowned.

    The symbiote within her body expanded in all four limbs, turning all of them into des.

    "Watch out!" Yin Zhen shouted. The alien leaped and spun her body, wanting to cut Selena from above.

    Before her leg fell on her, Yin Zhen had hit him on her calf, stopping her.

    To his surprise, more and more force applied on that leg, causing the ground beneath him to crack.

    "!!!" Yin Zhen wanted to deflect this kick, but Risa and Sasha hade from the two sides.

    Risa summoned two blood tornadoes while Sasha struck her left arm, stopping her from moving away. Selena also came by using the sweeping force from above.

    The alien actually used Yin Zhen''s foot to propel herself upward. After that, she spun her body, waving her de in a circr motion.

    The de was so powerful that it cut through the blood tornadoes, the sweeping force, and even blew away Sasha.

    "Risa!" Yin Zhen shouted as he saw the alien falling toward her.

    "Tsk!" Risa''s nails were extended as she struck the alien, while the other did the same as she passed her.

    Her index finger''s nail was gone, and the de managed to graze her right thigh and her right wing. Meanwhile, the alien only received a scratch on her cheek. The alien didn''t bother much since the regenerative cell would close the wound soon.

    Still, Selena wouldn''t let the alien harm Risa without consequences. An arm appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the alien''s entire body.

    The skeletal frame allowed the grip to be much firmer and tougher. The alien tried to break free, but to no avail.

    Yin Zhen was the one doing a somersault and hit the alien with his heel.

    *Bam!*

    His energy and the avatar''s arm collided, causing an explosion that crushed the alien inside.

    However, the alien suddenly waved both her arms, dispersing the dust cloud in an instant. After that, she leaped toward Selena. Thetter protected her body with the skeleton rib that the alien struck but was unable to sh through.

    Still, that sh was concerning because Selena noticed the crack on the rib.

    Sasha came from the left and struck her, pushing the alien to the side.

    Risa sped her hands and formed a blood field to iste the alien. But this time, she squeezed her hands together, which reflected in the blood field shrinking in size.

    The alien shed the blood field. The blood that sshed from the blood field carried so much energy and momentum that it grazed the alien''s skin.

    Even if the alien had an amazing recovery ability, it wouldn''t be able to recover as fast as they injured her.

    Yin Zhen and Sasha positioned themselves in front of Selena, making the alien as busy as possible. Meanwhile, Selena came with the sweeping force.

    The alien was blown away to the operating table in the center of the cave.

    Before Yin Zhen and Sasha could arrive, the alien had already grabbed the table and threw this huge operating table toward Sasha.

    Sasha wanted to cleave the table, but Yin Zhen suddenly warned her.

    "Watch out!"

    "!!!" Sasha was startled and assumed a defense position. The table was split into two from behind as the residual force came crashing down.

    Sasha caught it with both palms, but that powerful force was piercing through her talon-like palm and cutting her shoulder.

    Yin Zhen came from the side, kicking the alien away.

    The alien blocked it with her right arm, but the force stillunched her into the air. He miscalcted the alien''s reach.

    When it was flying away, the alien actually swung its leg, causing the de-leg to hit his chest and shoulder.

    Meanwhile, a sweeping force hit her from above and mmed her back to the ground.

    If she fought together with Nathan, she might be able to gain some advantages against this alien, but she was alone.

    The alien was able to cut her familiars. If this continued, they would be the ones going down first.

    This time, Selena ran toward the alien, nning to fight it head-on. Her avatar rose and extended its arms, trying to catch the alien.

    The three familiars were also following right behind.

    The alien chose to avoid the avatar by leaping back, but Yin Zhen stomped on the ground and built up the force tounch him to the alien at a much faster speed.

    The alien spun her body and shed Yin Zhen with her de-leg. Yin Zhen kicked that leg and stopped her mid-air.

    "Don''t mind me. Attack her!" Yin Zhen shouted.

    Sasha flew into the air while Risa formed a lot of blood bats. The bats flew toward the alien, but instead of sucking the alien, the bats actually dragged the alien down. At the same time, Sasha released a w strike thatunched the alien back to the ground.

    "Get away!" Selena shouted. She had gathered enough energy for the massive explosion.

    As soon as they got away, the massive sphere fell to the alien.

    *Boom!*

    The explosion created a crater on the ground. Rocks shattered, the floor cracked, and the cave trembled.

    This was the same ability that crushed over a hundred aliens. While it used a lot of Ena, Selena believed this attack would be very effective.

    "Did we do it?" Selena muttered while squinting her eyes.

    But Yin Zhen suddenly moved toward her as the alien emerged from the cloud dust, heading straight to Selena.

    *Clink!*

    Yin Zhen stopped her movement as Selena saw the state the alien was in. Her left arm snapped in a different way and the de had cracked with no sign of recovery.

    ''Did she sacrifice her left arm to withstand that ability? No way. I can only use this attack one more time.'' Selena bit her lips.

 Chapter 219: Selena vs Queen

    "Did she just sacrifice her left arm to block that attack?" Selena muttered, looking at her left arm. Even though the alien had a high regenerative ability, it didn''t seem the left arm was recovering. It was as if the symbiote hadpletely abandoned that left arm.

    ''Is their regenerative ability limited? Or does the alien focus her regenerative ability elsewhere? For example, the inside¡­'' Selena squinted her eyes, observing.

    The answer came soon as the alien charged forward. The alien speed was actually slower than before. No, if the alien was fine, she would have gone straight at her, using the dust cloud as a smokescreen.

    It seemed her attack was working. However, she didn''t know whether her remaining Ena would be enough to kill her.

    Since the alien''s physical ability had decreased, Sasha was able to intercept her on the way, her ws shing with the alien''s de.

    Risa surrounded her with blood spears, which were released the moment Sasha stopped herpletely.

    The alien raised her head and raised her right arm before making a circr motion. The blood spears rained her down, most of them getting knocked off, but some actually piercing her body.

    The alien looked frustrated, so this must mean an opportunity. And Yin Zhen wouldn''t let go of that opportunity.

    He came straight from behind, his feet zing with an enormous amount of Ena.

    "Tiger¡ª!" Yin Zhen was supposed to hit her, but to his surprise, the alien suddenly turned around and shed his neck.

    Yin Zhen was able to avoid it by tilting his body sideways, but that also made his target change from her head to her side.

    To his surprise, a U-shaped de appeared from within her body. Yin Zhen ended up kicking this sharp de.

    If not for him training his feet until it became as hard as a steel, he would have lost his foot in this kick.

    Still, the kick was connected and blew the alien away.

    Selena followed right after, smashing the alien with a sweeping force from above.

    The sweeping force knocked her down and pinned her to the ground, but the alien stood up as if the sweeping force didn''t exist.

    "Watch out! The alien¡ª" Before Yin Zhen could warn Selena, the alien had charged toward her.

    Sasha was the closest one to her, so she hurriedly moved in her way and struck her de to stop her.

    But that was the time the alien did the unthinkable. A de formed from inside her body, piercing through her own stomach and hitting Sasha.

    "!!!" Sasha widened her eyes in shock.

    "Sasha?!" Risa waved her hand while Selena released another sweeping force.

    Seeing the blood spears, the alien chose to ignore the sweeping force. The des on her feet impaled the ground so that the sweeping force only blew away Sasha, not her.

    After that, she swung her des, neutralizing all the blood spears.

    "Sasha!" Selena had reached Sasha and checked her condition.

    "I''m sorry." Sasha gnashed her teeth.

    If Selena had expected it, she would probably recall Sasha before that de piercing her stomach.

    However, it was surprising that the alien would have something up her sleeve. No, it was more urate that the alien was saving this from the beginning.

    Selena looked at the alien while biting her lips. ''I have underestimated her. That''s right. Even though it''s called the queen, it doesn''t resemble an alien, except for that dark symbiote skin and the des on all four limbs. Its body isn''t deformed like the alien¡­''

    Risa and Yin Zhen were stopping the aliens for the time being, so Selena made a decision.

    "Are you going to be fine?" Selena asked.

    "Yes. I can still recover from this, but I''m afraid I''m unable to fight anymore." Sasha nodded. "I''m sorry."

    "No, it''s fine. Thanks to you, we''re able to figure out her trick. Rest well." Selena shook her head as she recalled Sasha.

    That de inside her confirmed one thing. The reason the alien used its left arm to block her all-out attack was because it was protecting the symbiote inside her body. In other words, those des.

    If she wanted to win, she had to destroy the des inside her body, even if it meant using all her strength.

    Selena took a deep breath.

    With Yin Zhen and Risa being a bit more careful, Selena had to lead the battle.

    When the alien struck Risa with her de, she summoned more des, but Risa was able to fly away before it reached her.

    Yin Zhen came from the right, kicking her with full force in order to push her away from Risa.

    However, Selena suddenly swept the alien from the opposite direction, stopping the alien in its ce.

    "!!!" Yin Zhen was confused as to why Selena stopped him, but before he could think of a reason, the avatar caught the alien.

    Risa formed blood spears, targeting the alien as soon as it broke free. Yin Zhen was also ready underneath the giant arms.

    Selena looked like she was about to throw the alien to the ground, but all of a sudden, the avatar disappeared.

    "!!!" Not only Selena''s familiars, but the alien was also surprised since they expected an impact.

    But this was fine. At the very least, Risa was able to fire her spears.

    The aliens knocked most of them by spinning her body, but some pierced her body as the alien fell to the ground. The alien''s focus was on the ground, since Yin Zhen was more dangerous.

    The moment she turned her body to the ground, she found Yin Zhen''s shocked face as he actually fled from the area.

    A giant sphere formed above her. Now that she had used all the momentum to spin her body, she wouldn''t have enough time to turn around and block this attack.

    Selena dropped the sphere right on top of her back, causing a massive explosion. It contained most of her remaining Ena, leaving her with almost nothing. The explosion was so big that even Yin Zhen almost failed to escape.

    Even if this alien survived, all the des inside her body would have been crushed.

    Selena squinted her eyes, muttering, "Did we do it this time?"

 Chapter 220: Nathans Arrival

    The dust cloud rose once again as all of them were raising their guards. With how strong the alien was, they doubted this would be over. That was why all of them were ready for another round.

    As they expected, the alien once again emerged from within the dust cloud, this time not having des underneath her feet. No. It could be said that her de had been reduced to only one.

    Still, the most shocking thing was that the symbiote started upying her head. The right side of her face had been covered by the symbiote as she ran toward Selena.

    Risa summoned blood bats and surrounded the alien, but thetter actually moved forward as though it meant nothing. All the blood bats suddenly got pierced by smaller pieces of des that appeared from all over her body.

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes in shock. That was the shattered des inside her body. It turned out the alien was still able to use it.

    The alien remained strong, so Selena used thest bit of her Ena to the Avatar. It was only enough to form the ribs, not the full skeletal frame. She had to reserve a portion of the Ena to turn her robe into a shield, knowing that it would be herst piece of defense.

    The alien struck Selena''s avatar, which was blocked by the ribs. The attack wasn''t that powerful anymore, but it was still enough to crack the weakened ribs.

    Yin Zhen kicked the alien from the right.

    The alien once again summoned all those shattered des and let Yin Zhen kick her.

    "!!!" Yin Zhen widened his eyes in shock. He blew the alien away, but he felt an excruciating paining from his leg. When he looked down, there were multiple shards nted on his leg. "What? Be careful. It can actually shoot out those de''s shards.

    No. Is the alien evolving even further?"

    That was right. They had miscalcted something. When they fought on the front line, the aliens were actually getting ustomed to their new body pretty quickly. So it wouldn''t be weird if the aliens evolved even further as long as there was enough time.

    No. It might be because of them fighting against her that the alien gained enough ''information'' to proceed with its evolution. It was them that made the alien even stronger. If this fight continued, it would be unstoppable.

    Selena clenched her hands into fists. If she knew this, she would have tried to conclude it as quickly as possible.

    Risa rushed toward her with the new information from Yin Zhen. The alien waved her sword down.

    Risa avoided it and continued on her approach, but all of a sudden, the alien waved both her hands. Her arms were releasing de shards.

    Risa wanted to avoid it again, but the shards actually collided and bounced against each other. As a result, some of them hit her.

    Risa was able to move back by pping her wings, using them to block them. In fact, the alien kept throwing shards to block her view. Because of her wings, she could only see the alien''s head and its shoulder.

    Still, it didn''t matter. As long as she could still see the arm, she could dodge the de.

    As soon as there was a movement on the right shoulder, Risa immediately spread her wings while forming a blood field to trap her. To her surprise, the moment she opened her wings, the alien was already in front of her, kicking her in the stomach.

    "Gah!" Risa spat a mouthful of blood as the kickunched her to the opposite wall.

    The impact caused a huge dent on the wall, nting her a few inches deep.

    Yin Zhen took advantage of that kick to close in and kicked her in the chest. The alien was able to raise its right arm, but the force wasn''t as powerful, considering he had to use his other foot due to the injury.

    And the alien surprised him even further when a small de appeared on her arm and pierced through his foot.

    He thought he had put enough Ena to protect his foot, but he could feel numerous sharp things trying to pierce it until it seeded.

    Now that his foot had been connected to her arm, her momentum abruptly stopped due to the physicsw. Then she turned her body around and threw him away.

    "!!!" Yin Zhen was able tond smoothly, but the moment he raised his head, he saw the alien approaching Selena.

    That was right. The alien''s actual target was Selena. She had realized Selena didn''t have a lot of Ena to protect herself left.

    Both Yin Zhen and Risa hurriedly recovered and chased after her, but it was toote.

    "Tsk!" Selena clicked her tongue, knowing that it would be impossible to stop the alien''s attackpletely, especially with her current avatar.

    It seemed she had to take this head-on. At the very least, she wanted to avoid all the fatal attacks.

    The alien faced her head-on and struck her avatar, shattering the upper ribs that protected her.

    Selena grabbed her robe and put it in front of herself, turning it into a shield.

    The clicking sound from the collision echoed inside the cave as the alien soon overwhelmed her physically, considering she didn''t have much Ena left to boost her physical strength.

    The alien knocked the shield away and shed her one more time. Selena used her staff to stop it, but the alien started overwhelming her as her de came closer and closer to her head.

    Fortunately, her avatar still protected her body, so the aliens couldn''t shoot her shard. But if this continued, the de would split her first before Risa and Yin Zhen could reach her.

    All of a sudden, a wind gathered in front of her and exploded, blowing both of them away. However, someone caught Selena from behind.

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes and turned her head around, finally finding the person she had been waiting for this whole time. Despite his pale face, his body burning up, or his weak grip, Selena could see the zing anger on his face. "Nathan!"

    "Sorry for making you wait. Let me handle the rest."

 Chapter 221: Nathans True Power (Bonus)

    Nidhogg came from above and released his breath, forcing the alien to retreat.

    "Sorry for making you wait. Let me handle the rest." Nathan smiled.

    Selena was worried about him, especially when she felt how hot his body was. Yet she knew Nathan wouldn''t stop, especially with such a face.

    That was why she said, "The alien is evolving at high speed, so you need to kill her as quickly as possible. She can shoot de shards from her body or even use it as a weapon."

    "Do you hear it, Fenrir?" Nathan smiled.

    "Yeah." Fenrir nodded. "She''s lucky that I can''t bite her this time. No, she''s unlucky because I''m going to p her face so hard that she dies."

    "Anubis. Heal them."

    "Alright. Are you sure you''ll be fine?"

    "Don''t worry. I''ll end it right away!" Nathan nodded.

    Bam!

    A dragon''s cry shook the cave as Nidhoggnded in front of them. "You don''t have a lot of time to talk. She ising."

    Fenrir used his Gigantification and charged toward the alien, using his weight to pin her to the ground.

    The alien struck his paw, but with the alien''s current condition, there was no way she could knock him away.

    Hence, she used the same trick on Fenrir, piercing his paw.

    Unlike Yin Zhen, Fenrir simply smiled while saying, "Oh. It hurts!"

    It was useless to hurt Fenrir. After all, he wanted to pin her on the ground. In addition, Anubis would be there to heal him.

    Nidhogg had taken off as well, gathering his energy in his mouth.

    Nathan also walked forward, even though his body was swaying left and right. Suddenly, a bandage wrapped around his face and body, which somehow reduced the pain he was enduring this whole time.

    "!!!" Nathan looked down.

    "Mummification." Anubis exined, "It will strengthen your body greatly for five minutes. But you will be tired after this. End it within five minutes."

    Nathan smiled. "Thanks."

    He charged forward. With the Mummification, he could control his body much smoother since he didn''t have to endure as much pain.

    "Fenrir!" Nathan shouted.

    Fenrir immediately leaped away and shook his body violently to throw off the de shards as Anubis healed him.

    Meanwhile, Nidhogg released his breath to the alien. Thetter rolled around, avoiding the fire breath.

    But as she thought she was safe, the fire swirled around and bounced like a snake. It moved toward her at high speed.

    The alien waved her de, splitting the bouncing fire into two to avoid her.

    Sadly for her, a wind tornado suddenly formed underneath her feet. The bouncing fire touched the tornado and turned it into a fire tornado, engulfing the alien.

    Selena couldn''t help but drop her jaw. Even Risa and Yin Zhen couldn''t believe it.

    "Wind?" Selena didn''t see much about the first attack that blew her and the alien away, but it looked like Nathan was the one who controlled the wind. ''Is this his trump card? I have never seen something like this. Still, how can a first-year student be able to do this? No. With such an ability, does he even need me?''

    Yin Zhen was summonedte, Risa isted herself with a blood field, and she was taken down by the poison back then. Sasha was probably the only one who had seen it, but she might be too focused on her enemy.

    This was the second contract that Nathan made. He used a bit more Ena to control the wind. With Nidhogg''s fire that couldn''t be extinguished easily even with powerful wind, it was a perfect element to control.

    The alien shed her de, creating a gap from within. After that, she jumped out of the tornado with scorched marks on her body.

    Fenrir pounced on her as if he had been waiting for her. Knowing what Fenrir wanted to do, she changed her stance, so that Fenrir didn''t overpower her like before.

    ''Controlling the wind with my contract is so freaking easy. I only give it amand in my head and it will follow thatmand¡­ This would have been an overpowered ability if I didn''t have to sacrifice my Ena¡­'' Nathan thought while waving his hand up.

    All of a sudden, a swirling wind emerged from the ground and hit the alien from below, pushing its body slightly up.

    With her feet not on the ground, she instantly lost all her power, allowing Fenrir to m her body to the ground.

    The alien gritted her teeth but was unable to let out a sound. It released all the des to stab Fenrir''s paw, but Fenrir acted as if he didn''t feel any pain and just crushed her body.

    The alien suddenly opened her mouth and fired a de from her throat as if imitating Nidhogg.

    Fenrir managed to tilt his head at thest second, but that slight gap allowed the alien to push Fenrir away.

    ''Is this what she said regarding her rapid evolution?'' Fenrir looked surprised but soon calmed down. ''But¡­''

    As if Fenrir had predicted it, the moment the alien stood up, she immediately waved her de to the side as if trying to cut the torrential wind.

    In addition, Nidhogg had also released his breath, which forced her to cut it as well.

    Little did she know, the fire breath this time was condensed into a single fireball. The moment she cut it in two, the real attack was revealed.

    Falling right behind the fireball were more than thirty Ena bullets. With Nathan''s current Ena and Anubis'' boost with also a lot of Ena, each bullet was quite thick.

    The alien hurriedly summoned the de to protect her entire body, but that was useless.

    All those bullets rained down on her. Half of them were blocked by the de shards, but the rest pierced through her body, including her head.

    After that, Fenrir approached her from the side. The alien was still able to move, but the wind suddenly spun her body much wider than she originally expected, resulting in her missing Fenrir.

    "!!!" The alien wanted to adjust, but it was toote. Fenrir had reached her. He pped her head, mmed it to the ground, and crushed it.

    Nathan smiled. "And the task is done."

    Selena gasped. Nathan truly killed the alien easily. ''His control over wind is much higher than his control over Ena. It is as if he is able to govern wind himself. Has he been holding himself back this whole time? Is this his true power?''

    Selena clenched her hands into fists. There were a lot of questions in her mind, but there was something more important. She rushed to Nathan, worried about his well-being.

    "Nathan!"

    Nathan turned around and gave a thumbs-up. "We did it together. Thanks to you and your familiars weakening the alien, Fenrir can tank all the damage while Nidhogg and I provide support. Are you already fine? Are you hurt anywhere?"

    Selena shook her head furiously. She wanted to say something, but Nathan cut her off.

    "That''s good. Because I''m¡ª" Nathan couldn''t even finish his words before his mind went nk. All the adrenaline that had been keeping him awake was gone, causing him to pass out.

    "N-N-Nathan!" Selena panicked and caught him in time. She knew Nathan must be overworking his body. Yet he still fought and defeated the alien. While there were a lot of mysteries left, Nathan trusted her enough to show his trump card. Feeling moved, Selena smiled. "Thank you for your hard work."

 Chapter 222: Captured

    Outside.

    The situation had changed the moment the dryad entered the ind.

    She was standing on top of the tree while raising her hands up.

    Numerous vines emerged from the ground and started to grow with no limit.

    "Raaa!"

    "Ree?"

    The aliens were confused because their feet were tied by the vines. Once fallen to the ground, more vines emerged from the soil and wrapped their entire bodies.

    However, the main targets of these vines were the students, specifically the ones who had turned into aliens.

    She captured and sealed four students who had turned into aliens and isted them inside a sphere made of vines so that no one needed to fight them.

    Still, that was only what happened to the aliensing toward the student. For the one she focused on, the scale of the vines changed.

    The vines swirled around the ind and started to join each other as they created a huge tower.

    "Tsk!" Dikkleus gritted his teeth. He tried to fly away, but the branches and roots had blocked his escape path. The aliens wouldn''t gain the upper hand against the students. And his ogre might die at this rate.

    He could only hope that the queen was able to defeat Selena and Nathan. With Nathan as his hostage, the dryad would surely stop.

    "Still, how is she able to summon all these vines?" Dikkleus turned around, finding the entire ind getting covered with vines. Yes, whether it was the north or even the west side of the ind, whether they were normalnd or scorched soil, the vines could break through the surface and became the dryad''s strength.

    She gathered all those vines at the center of the ind, creating a tower that isted Dikkleus inside.

    Dikkleus waved his hand down, forming a barrier to block the tower''s growth.

    However, the vines simply moved around the barrier.

    When the barrier disappeared, it straightened itself.

    Dikkleus tried to cut the vines with a sharp edge on the barrier, but with so many vines gathering at once, they were simply unbreakable.

    Out of desperation, he summoned a barrier to snap the vines, but as expected, the vines remained fine. They were able to recover and form theplete tower.

    "It''s useless." The dryad looked down on him from the top of the tree as the vine tower devoured him.

    After that, the branches and roots came, acting as the skeleton of the cage itself.

    Dikkleus clenched his hands into fists. "No. This is not over! You can''t break this barrier of mine no matter how hard you try."

    The dryad made an ''X'' hand sign with two index fingers and the vines soon changed its shape. Instead of a cage, the vines looked like a huge rope. They moved independently until they made a knot.

    Then, with a p of her hands, the knot was fastened.

    Bam!

    His barrier shook, startling Dikkleus. He could finally see what was going on. "This is¡­ No, you can''t break my barrier! Even if you are the vice principal''s familiar, you''re not qualified."

    "You talk too much." The dryad snorted and made another hand sign with her two index fingers.

    Bam!

    The knot was fastened once again. This time, the barrier wasn''t the only one that shook, but the Ena was also vibrating.

    "!!!" Dikkleus'' heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly joined his hands together and poured even more Ena. If the dryad managed to crack his barrier, the situation would be much more troublesome.

    However, a change suddenly urred on the ind.

    A series of screeching sounds filled the entire ind as the aliens abruptly stopped.

    "Huh?" The dryad and Dikkleus looked down. The students were shocked that the aliens abruptly turned their heads to the ind. Some of them even went down because the students and the vines struck them.

    But the aliens didn''t care. As soon as they perceived it, they started running to the center of the ind.

    "That''s¡­"

    "Where are they going?"

    The students were confused. Only two people on the ind knew what this action meant.

    "The young master almost seed¡­" The dryad muttered.

    "NO!" Dikkleus roared and poured even more energy to expand the barrier, trying to snap the cage.

    The students chased after the aliens, killing them with almost no resistance.

    At the same time, the dryad was also strengthening the cage while focusing the rest of her energy on stopping the aliens.

    The only thing she needed to do was to tie their feet together. After that, the students could sweep in.

    And it didn''t evenst long. In just a minute, the aliens suddenly stopped moving as though they realized something.

    "!!!" The aliens didn''t know what to do. Their instinct was telling them to act like usual, which meant only the aliens that were around the students would attack. Those who were outside the range would stop in their tracks and remain static.

    "What?" Dikkleus'' body trembled. The fact that the alien returned to normal meant the queen had been killed. His ''wife'' had died. "No, no, no!"

    Dikkleus roared and poured every bit of his Ena to expand. The branches and roots began to crack before ultimately snapping.

    The barrier expanded continuously before the vines fastened once again. This time, the vines not only stopped the expansion, but also left numerous cracks.

    Dikkleus snapped, realizing his mistake.

    "You finally show a sign of weakness. Expanding it without providing enough support makes the barrier brittle." The dryad smiled.

    "Da¡ª" Dikkleus opened his mouth before noticing a small vine broke through a small hole and grabbed Dikkleus'' arms. It then shrank and pulled Dikkleus'' arms to the back with so much force that it dislocated his shoulders.

    "Arg¡ª!" Dikkleus wanted to scream out of pain, but another vein came, closing his mouth.

    More and more vines entered the barrier and wrapped around his entire body. In fact, it even entered his nose, mouth, and ears, knocking him out. As a result, the barrier around him disappeared, leaving only therge barrier that isted the ind.

    However, the threat had been taken care of. The ogre had also disappeared.

    With a cold tone, the dryad muttered, "The target has been captured."

 Chapter 223: Unexpected Result

    [Ding.]

    [You''ve acquired Superhuman Strength.]

    "What the hell? Why did the system suddenly give him the power? And this troublees because he is unable to control himself. It''s basically his problem. The plot armor is too much." Nathan shouted, while staring at his phone. "I don''t mind even if he''s not smart, but don''t make him too stupid.

    He was a one thousand-year-old man who got reincarnated. Shouldn''t his experience tell him not to do that? This is bullshit."

    Nathan sighed and just left the book while asking, "If I were him, what would I do?"

    As he asked that question, he closed his eyes. By the time he opened his eyes, he felt a bit nauseous, his vision going up and down.

    "Mhmm¡­" Nathan let out a groan as he looked at the ground. There was someone in front of him. No, it was more urate to say that his body was touching this person.

    "!!!" Nathan hurriedly opened his eyes wide to see what was going on, only to find himself getting carried by Selena.

    "You are awake."

    "Selena?" Nathan was startled. His mind was jumbled for a moment. He didn''t know why he would dream of his experience when reading a novel, and he found himself on Selena''s back when he woke up. "Let me down¡­"

    "It''s fine. You''re still too weak after using your power like that. We''re about to reach the exit, so just hang on."

    "No, no. That''s exactly the reason I want you to put me down." Nathan sighed.

    "Is that so?" Selena thought for a moment before following his wish. "Fine."

    Nathan''s feet went limp the moment he stepped on the ground, causing him to fall to his knees.

    "Ugh."

    "I told you so." Selena wanted to pull him up, but Nathan refused and stood up on his own even though his legs were shaking.

    "See? I can do it."

    Selena scratched the back of her head. Looking at him act tough put a smile on her face. After all, both of them were the same. They were acting as if nothing big happened in their lives, but they were actually desperate.

    "Thank you."

    Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "Are you talking about the alien? Well, you were the one reducing the alien to that state. Without you, we wouldn''t be able to defeat it easily."

    Selena shook her head. "That''s not what I was trying to say. I just want to thank you for everything."

    "Hmm? We are both working together, right?"

    Selena smiled wryly. "No. Risa''s evolution aside, I want to thank you for Yin Zhen and probably have to apologize. Right now, we have been able to hide Yin Zhen''s identity. But if people know about the meaning of Jiangshi, it will be troublesome.

    "After all, my family will target me and you the moment they know I am able to summon a male vampire. That means all the beliefs they have so far will be shattered, changing the bncepletely.

    "When that happens, the Ashton family will experience a crisis, especially from those who think they should find my father. The battle of session will begin."

    "It doesn''t matter." Nathan shook his head.

    And that answer put a smile on Selena''s face. Her smile might look awkward, but Selena said, "Well¡­ I think you can forget about what I said previously. The real reason is actually very simple. I just want to thank you for trusting me."

    "Trusting you? Isn''t that a given?" Nathan was confused. Selena made little sense this whole time.

    "No. I''m happy that you''re able to trust me to the extent you revealed your secret to help me."

    "Ah, that?" Nathan rubbed his cheek. He made that decision, fully aware that he would probably have to exin it, not only to her, but also to his teacher.

    Instead of exining, Nathan tried to shift the topic by teasing her. "That''s a problem. I can trust my woman to keep my secret, but you are not. This is troubling me. I wonder what I should do¡­"

    To his surprise, Selena nodded her head. "In that case, how about I be yours? This time, it''ll be official."

    "Eh?" Nathan was taken aback. His eyes were blinking as though he heard it wrong.

    "Why are you acting surprised? Or are you saying you don''t mean it?" Selena looked him in the eyes.

    Nathan felt goosebumps from those red eyes. It felt like they were oozing bloodlust. He would probably die if he answered it incorrectly.

    "I''m just surprised you agree so easily. You usually shift the topic by mentioning a part of the deal, but this is¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head. The question he wanted to ask was obvious. What is she nning?

    Nathan didn''t know how big the impact of his secret meant to her. With how he behaved this whole time, it wouldn''t be weird if Nathan ended up having a lot of wives in the future. And she could probably do nothing about it.

    But if she was able to show her superiority, she could probably have a ''talk'' with them or even ''eliminate'' several of them. As a result, she could limit the number as much as possible.

    As she thought about it, there was bloodlust leaking out of her eyes, but she soon regained her calm.

    She shook her head. "It''s nothing. Your secret is simply too big for me to bear. You''ve ''tricked'' me."

    "Is that so?" Nathan knew that must be an excuse, but it felt like he shouldn''t ask about it. "Anyway, we should get going. Also, thepetition is going to be canceled, but I''m preparing for something, which might end up using our reward for it. Do you¡ª"

    "I don''t mind." Selena nodded without hesitation. "As long as you don''t do anything reckless again without telling me¡­ like burning the ind."

    "Thank you." Nathan felt relieved. "Of course, I promise you."

    Nathan and Selena looked at each other as the atmosphere turned warm. But soon, a dragon face appeared next to her. Nidhogg said with an annoyed face, "Can you stop chatting and exit first? I don''t want to be a third wheel if I don''t have to use my fire to light up the cave¡­"

    Nathan and Selena were sweating as the atmosphere became awkward.

    "Then, let''s go out. I hope the battle outside has finished as well."

    "Yeah."

 Chapter 224: De-escalating the Situation (Bonus)

    After finishing their battle, Silvania was able to fully focus on the barrier. After a moment, she finally saw through the barrier and said, "I have deciphered the barrier. There are a total of twelve cores that be the foundation of the barriers. Destroy those twelve cores, and they will stop providing both the Ena and the links."

    The dryad nodded. "Give me their locations."

    Silvania stood up and pointed both palms forward. "Ieles Ulura."

    A magic circle appeared in front of her as they shot out a white light. This light split into twelve andnded on their respective targets. They were all above the barrier, but they were pointing straight down, telling the dryad the locations of those cores.

    In that instant, the dryad pped her hands. Vines broke through the soil and scooped up a box withplex patterns.

    Then, the vines fastened and broke them into pieces.

    After those devices broke down, the barrier started to disappear from the very top, allowing Vivian, Silvania, the druid, and the ancient spirit to fall to the ind.

    The students raised their heads, looking at those figures and feeling relieved from the bottom of their heart. This only meant one thing. They had won.

    With a wave of her hand, the ancient spirit created a gale that softened theirnding.

    The dryad appeared in front of them and gave the report. "I found four students who have turned into an alien."

    Vivian nodded. She turned to the druid. "I want you to restore the ind as much as possible."

    "Understood."

    "Silvania. You look around the ind and ensure there is nothing else hidden."

    "Leave it to me." Silvania had a lot of questions for Nathan, but she knew which one was her priority.

    Then, Vivian ordered the dryad, "You go around and beat those aliens, making sure there are no more threats from them."

    "Alright."

    "Andstly, you will go with me to calm the students down."

    As they expected, there was unrest among the students, especially with what happened.

    "Teacher Dikkleus caused all of this?"

    "But he is the teacher of the Frexia Academy. Isn''t it the academy''s responsibility to discover his n before this?"

    "Then what would happen to us? In fact, what in the world is actually happening right now? The aliens have been behaving weirdly."

    When their tension reached its peak, Vivian''s voice echoed. "Don''t worry, students. We''ll be the ones taking care of the situation after this."

    "Vice Principal!" The students were stupefied, but soon felt relieved, thinking that they would be fine now that the vice principal was here.

    However, they remembered what Rudeus said earlier. He hadn''te back, but he mentioned Nathan being Vivian''s student.

    They all couldn''t help but look at each other. They had bullied her student, so they were worried what Vivian would do to them. Even if she wasn''t as influential or as strong as the principal, she still wielded a considerable amount of power within the kingdom.

    It was especially true for Ravian, who was belittling Nathan in the past. No wonder why his father was so scared, it was because of her.

    Vivian was confused why they looked scared, but she still had to announce. "The event this time will have to be canceled. The event will be changed after a brief discussion with the rest of the teachers.

    "Teacher Dikkleus has been apprehended. Unfortunately, I can''t tell you everything, as the principal will be the one making that judgment."

    The students were curious, but they couldn''t really ask Vivian about the incident and why Dikkleus betrayed them. They might be as clueless as they were.

    Whether it was courage or recklessness, one of them suddenly asked, his voice shaking. "Vice Principal Vivian¡­ Are you really Nat¡­ I mean, ssmate Nathan''s teacher?"

    Vivian was taken aback by the question. For some reason, it seemed the ss had already known about it. And it sounded like either Nathan or someone else confirmed it.

    Then again, she might have told Nathan to not mention it, but she had given her permission to use her name if it was necessary. If Nathan was the one confirming the rumor, she wouldn''t be angry.

    Besides, Nathan had yed a huge role in this problem. If not for him creating an opening for the dryad, the situation would have been much worse.

    Vivian expected some sort of information blockage, especially regarding the alien and Dikkleus. In fact, they should get more information from Dikkleus first.

    Vivian thought for a moment before pointing to the shore. "All students are heading to the beach. We''ll have to wait for the principal and other teachers toe back."

    The students nodded their heads. It seemed that Rudeus and the others had returned, considering the ogre had disappeared as soon as they took down Dikkleus.

    She thought Rudeus would make an argument or two, but Rudeus only asked, "Are we heading to the shore, Vice Principal?"

    "Yes. Follow the rest of the students. We''ll evacuate the ind."

    "Understood." Rudeus nodded.

    It seemed that the principal had said something to him, which stopped him fromining.

    At the same time, the students didn''t realize that they had entered the ancient spirit''s illusion. By creating a warmer and calmer atmosphere, they would talk to her more rationally, which ultimately stopped the panic.

    "Have you found them?" Vivian then turned to the vine on her arm, asking.

    "Yes." The dryad was staring at them from afar, noticing the atmosphere between them. "Yeah. I''ve found them. They look fine. The young master''s condition concerns me, but I don''t think he is in any critical condition.

    "Are you going to reward him? Or are you going to use the burning ind to take back his reward?"

    Vivian smiled wryly. "Yeah. I''m going to reward him. You can lecture himter, but his action has prevented more students from dying."

    "Alright. I''ll tell them after they''re done with their business¡­"

    "Business?"

    "It''s nothing." The dryad smiled. "Let the lovebirds enjoy their moment a bit and send them after that."

 Chapter 225: Related?

    "Where is it?" The principal''s shout echoed throughout the ind. After using his full power to fly, he reached the ind in just forty minutes. However, he noticed that the ind had been restored to a certain degree and numerous aliens had settled down.

    He noticed the students had regrouped on the ship.

    It seemed there were casualties among them, which made the principal furious.

    The principal gritted his teeth and grabbed Dikkleus'' cor while shouting, "You bastard. Do you know what you have done?"

    Dikkleus smirked as if he didn''t fear anything. "I advance humanity. It doesn''t matter if you are a normal human or a summoner, but with the alien, you can basically live endlessly. Do you know the sorrow of a husband, Principal?"

    "Who cares about that?! You are just a pathetic loser who can''t even ovee your own sorrow, using it as an excuse to show your psychopathic inner side that had been suppressed the whole time."

    "What is the difference between me and you? Do you know how many people have died because of you?" Dikkleus snorted.

    "I''m not here to argue with a loser like you. Say it. Who are they? You must not be alone. The resources from the Frexia Academy are not enough. Who is the one supporting you?"

    Dikkleus'' grin widened as he said, "You don''t think the attack during the enrollment test is a random attack, don''t you?"

    "!!!" The principal''s expression turned grim. He had heard from Vivian that the attack originally came because of his absence. However, if he added this incident to the calction, he realized the situation might not be as simple as he thought.

    In addition, even though the Chaotic Cat was notorious, they didn''t have the method to bypass their security. It was as if someone was ying a trick behind the scenes.

    Those terrorists were clueless, but it would be different if they only followed an order.

    That was why it made him think. What if the attack was not a coincidence? What if there was another organization controlling the chaotic cat? Their goal was to kidnap the students, but to avoid anyone''s detection, they manipted the chaotic cat. They would get summoners from them and pin the me on the terrorists.

    And for them to get Dikkleus on their side, it was clear their background was pretty terrifying.

    The principal asked coldly, "Who are they?"

    Dikkleus smiled. Suddenly, ck veins started to emerge from his heart, spreading all over his body.

    "This is¡­symbiote?" The principal widened his eyes in shock.

    "You don''t think I would do something like this without any preparation, right?" Dikkleus smiled. "There is already a symbiote in my body. It''s just dormant this whole time.

    "Oh. Principal¡­ I will just warn you about something. You better prepare because the thing that''lle is beyond anyone''s imagination. There will be a day where humans have to fight other humans. This is just the first step, and I''m just one of their researchers.

    "This world is rotten. There are so many madmen like me in this world. Humanity is doomed to be destroyed on its own, so I just elerate that process."

    "You bastard!" The principal was grinding his teeth. "I''ll make sure that you leave nothing behind in this world."

    Dikkleus smiled. "Yes. And that would be the state of humans in the future. Nothing¡­ other than extinction. I''ll give you twost messages as thanks for giving me all those resources.

    "This is just the beginning. The alien you will face is much stronger than you think. And you won''t be able to stop it. The elite ss aliens? They are not the strongest. There are even stronger aliens out there.

    Their power rivaled divine entities.

    "However, at a time like this, an anomaly appears. A human who is different from the rest."

    "!!!" The principal widened his eyes in shock. Dikkleus was talking about Nathan. A human who was able to summon a beast.

    "You better teach him well because they have cast their eyes on him. I don''t know what kind of possibility he brings, but something definitely changes." Dikkleus couldn''t speak any further as the alien had begun to take over his body.

    The principal gritted his teeth. When he saw the symbiote start to move his body, the principal sighed and crushed Dikkleus'' head.

    Vivian was crossing her arms, observing both of them the whole time. The moment Dikkleus mentioned Nathan, she felt ufortable. The situation turned out to be worse than she originally thought.

    The principal turned around and said, "Your student won''t be safe anymore."

    "I know. He needs to get stronger as quickly as possible."

    "From the looks of it, there is an organization orchestrating the entire thing from the shadows. And this organization is searching for summoners and trying to make the alien even stronger. I don''t know their goal, but it''s clear that they are an annoying pest.

    "I will discuss it with the king of the Azilia Kingdom regarding this problem. It should be able to buy him some time." The principal let out a long sigh. "I think it''s better to inform the church about this as well."

    "The church, huh? Their main focus is on the alien, no? I don''t think they will aid us in fighting an organization like this."

    "Well, convincing them might not be that hard to be honest."

    "Is that so?" Vivian tilted her head in confusion.

    "Yeah. Thanks to your student, that is. You better increase your strength, Vivian, or your student will surpass you pretty soon."

    Vivian nodded. In her heart, she was ready to be even stronger, to the point she surpassed even him. And the key would be the fairy queen Charlotte. She had to prepare for the summoning.

    On the other hand, if Nathan were here, he could probably think of two changes he could bring. The first would be the knowledge about divine beings like gods and goddesses. While they couldn''t bring anyone who had the form of aplete human, there were still a lot of gods and goddesses that could match the criteria.

    The second change would be his divine beasts as well as the bloodline that carried it. There was a high chance that the next generation carrying his bloodline would have the ability to summon beasts.

    "For now, let''s go back. I''ll need to calm the students as well."

 Chapter 226: Reward

    Nathan ended up getting called by Vivian. The reason was obvious. He was lectured for an hour by the dryad. However, he knew they had recognized hispetence and acknowledged him as Vivian''s disciple.

    In the end, Nathan promised not to cause massive destruction to nature. In exchange, they would also help him as Vivian''s disciple.

    Of course, he had to give a report about what happened on the ind and about this alien queen. Still, the main threat would be the mutant. If they could actually produce a lot of mutants, it would be dangerous. Unlike the aliens, humans who had turned into aliens didn''t have a core, like how they experienced it on the front line, so killing them didn''t really benefit people.

    As such, all the bodies on the ind were brought back for identification and research, trying to figure out what this mysterious organization was trying to achieve.

    Vivian thought for a moment and said, "I see. I''ll tell them about it. Thanks to those souls you interrogate, figuring out what they''re doing is probably much easier now."

    Nathan nodded before smiling. "And I have contributed enough for a reward, right? I can''t even get all those cores I have gathered¡­"

    Vivian smiled wryly. "What do you want?"

    There were a lot of things he wanted, especially regarding items for summoning.

    Still, what he currently needed was none other than cores. He had exhausted a lot of Ena and had to rece it. "Cores. I want to increase my Ena as much as possible.

    "Because the event has been canceled, it''s really unfair to you, especially since you are likely to win. And you can also get around five thousand cores.

    "I''m not heartless enough to not reward you for your effort. In fact, the principal is nning to do the same.

    "Hence, I''m thinking about giving you and Selena five thousand cores aspensation for the event. As for your contribution to the ident, the principal will take care of the reward. I''ve heard that the principal is also nning to take Selena as his student. Is there a problem?"

    "Five thousand Ena, huh?" Nathan thought for a moment. "That''s fine."

    "However, thepensation will be handed after the next event ends. Right now, we''ll be organizing a quick event. I can''t let you absorb those cores and get the advantage."

    "Understandable." Nathan nodded.

    Looking at how Nathan just epted this, she clicked her tongue and tossed an item. "Take this."

    Nathan caught a small device. "What is this?"

    "You know about the power of a staff, right?"

    "Yes."

    "That device will act like a staff. However, you can wear it on your upper arm, which won''t make it difficult for your fighting style. It''s still a prototype. If not for this incident, I wouldn''t have given it to you.

    "Then again, that item is made ording to the inspiration I got from your test answer. Remember the seventh question?"

    "Ah. The thing that stores Ena?"

    "Yeah." Vivian nodded. "I''m trying to make it and end up finding a device to enhance your power instead. We can''t make the staff''s eye on your gloves, but this should be enough, especially with your fighting style revolving around those Ena bullets."

    Nathan closed his eyes for a moment, making a simtion in his mind. The item itself looked like a bracelet, but he could strap it on his upper arm.

    If he poured his Ena from his body toward his finger, it would go through the upper arm first.

    It definitely worked in his simtion. No, it would work much betterpared to what Sullivan gave him.

    "Thank you very much." Nathan smiled.

    "Kh." Vivian clicked her tongue. If she didn''t give him this item, people would think of her poorly. In fact, some would try to snatch Nathan away from her since there was no way Nathan would stay with a stingy teacher.

    However, the main reason she gave this item was the danger the principal mentioned.

    Her student had given her the fairy queen''s hairpin. If she couldn''t fork out something like this, she would be a failure not even as a teacher but as a proper human being.

    "Anyway, don''t use it during thepetition for now. I don''t want them to think that we are unfair."

    "I understand." Nathan nodded.

    Vivian was satisfied this time, but there was still one big question in her mind. "Suppose I ask you about the power you used to open the barrier¡­"

    Nathan shook his head. He had predicted something like this. In fact, he had prepared the answer. "I''m not sure. It''s not that I don''t want to tell you. I just can''t tell you."

    "Hmm?" Vivian frowned, noticing the way he worded it. It was as if he was restricted by something.

    Little did she know, Nathan was thinking, ''Hehe. How''s that? The most cliche answer but always work wonders. She will be the one misunderstanding it, which will work in my favor.''

    Vivian squinted her eyes and asked another question. "In that case, are you humanity''s enemy?"

    Nathan shook his head. "How can you even think that way? If humanity is gone, how can I fall in love with someone?"

    It was typical of Nathan''s answer, but that made it much more believable.

    If it didn''t work, Nathan would push all the me to Fenrir, iming that he was a divine beast, and that he had devoured a god. All his knowledge came from him, and Fenrir would simply act arrogant and not let out a single information, saying like he didn''t have any reason to exin it to her.

    But it didn''t seem to be necessary.

    Vivian, on the other hand, felt a bit more relieved because this answer actually confirmed another thing.

    Her expression turned serious as she said, "Do you know we have a transfer student? And it''s in your ss."

    "A transfer student? Well, venya is one thing, but another transfer student soon?"

    "I should be the one asking you that question. Do you know what you have done, Nathan?"

    "Huh? I don''t know what you''re talking about. Have I done something wrong?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "Yes. Have you done anything that displeases the pope?"

    "What pope? I haven''t even met him!" Nathan shook his head.

    "Then, exin this!" Vivian gave him a paper, which shook Nathan to the core.

    At just the first nce, it felt like his heart had stopped. "Oh, shit."

 Chapter 227: Action

    Imperial Pce.

    The king couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. "What did you say?"

    His eyes were staring at Sullivan and the researcher he brought.

    The researcher, Simon, raised his head and said, "The aliens might actually be something that we should befriend with."

    "Simon! Don''t think that just because you are one of our court researchers, you can just say such a thing with no repercussions. Do you know how much the world has suffered from aliens?" The king asked.

    "I understand your concern, Your Majesty. However, it''s thanks to the information provided by the Frexia Academy that I manage to confirm it." Simon nodded with a serious expression.

    Zack mante, Noelle''s father, looked at Sullivan with a dark expression. "Father¡­" His grim face was as if he were asking what in the world he was trying to achieve.

    "ording to the Frexia Academy, creating a mutant is easy. You just need to find a good host for that alien. In that case, what is a good host? A summoner? A strong individual? I believe they are aiming for these people.

    And every summoner in this world will be their target. Even if the Frexia Academy can fend for themselves, how about other academies or independent summoners?

    "The scale of the enemy might have been bigger than anything in our imagination. That is my first point.

    "My second point is the evolution of the enemy. ording to two students, Nathan and Selena Ashton, this mutant is evolving at a high speed. At present, they are unable to talk, but in the future, it might be possible. When we don''t know if the person in front of us is an enemy or an alien, that''s when we''re doomed.

    "What makes me think that is possible is the fact that the aliens are able tomunicate with each other. No, more urately, they''re able to produce a sound.

    "The third point is the corpse itself. ording to what I''ve found, the symbiote is actually the one controlling them.

    "It''s true that the aliens are dangerous, but if they are controlled by the symbiote, it means two things. First of all, the aliens are quite smart. There is bound to be an alien much stronger and smarter than even a human.

    "What if we''re able to scrape the symbiote from the alien? Will they recover their sanity? If we can do such a thing, we''ll be able tomunicate with the aliens and might work together with them.

    "In fact, from the corpses, I conclude the alien is actually harmless to the human body. In all cases, the symbiotes were the ones transforming, not the aliens. That''s why I believe aliens are like a neutral party until proven otherwise."

    Everyone in the room understood Simon''s point. If they could work with the aliens, there was a chance that they would be able to stop the alien invasion and eliminate this symbiote, the cause of all chaos.

    However, it was too bizarre of an idea. After all, they needed to catch a powerful alien. That might also end up antagonizing the church, who had been on the very front against the alien.

    When the king started to fall into deep thought, Sullivan finally broke his silence. "Your Majesty. I think we will be able to do three things in this scenario. First, please allow for an expedition deep into the Asura''s territory. There must be much more dangerous aliens inside.

    "Second of all, we''ll have to dere the existence of the organization as well as their target, warning all summoners to be on guard. They are the world''s enemy, so we should eradicate them as quickly as possible.

    "The third action is to bring in other big influences to eliminate them before they be too big."

    The king closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "I can''t allow the first one. Assuming we will allow the people to venture deep into the alien''s territory, it might also provoke them from taking action. And what if the aliens change their approach?

    "Not only this kingdom, but others will also be affected. And when they pin the me on us, this kingdom won''t be able to hold out. As a result, we have to find a new method to kill them."

    When he heard the king''s argument, he closed his eyes and nodded. "I understand. I was too rash."

    The king waved his hand and continued, "However, as a king and as a human, I can ept your second suggestion. They have gone too far and will be regarded as our public enemy. Sullivan. It''s about time you return from the front line and take on this mission. I want you to create a small investigation team and find out about them."

    "I shall take this position and not disappoint you." Sullivan lowered his head.

    "As for the third, it''s actually linked to the first one. And the Frexia Academy''s Sage has also suggested such a thing. And to my surprise, the pope seemed to have expressed his intention to join. With the pope helping us, it shouldn''t be hard to bring them all together."

    Even though the king didn''t mention it, dering this organization a public enemy would allow the Frexia Academy to handle their own matter more peacefully.

    "However, make sure not to mention anything about befriending the alien for the time being. In this delicate time, if we mention it, there will be great unrest among the citizens or even other kingdoms.

    "Simon. You are hereby fired from the court. Never call yourself a court researcher anymore." The king looked at Simon. Instead of getting angry, Simon was actually smiling. This was actually the chance for Simon to do research about the alien. In fact, he could just join Sullivan''s investigation team to prove his point.

    Once he was done, everything would be fine. In fact, he could get free resources by joining Sullivan''s team.

    "I thank Your Majesty for your grace for thest ten years. May the kingdom prosper." Simon lowered his head.

    The king then turned to the rest of the people. "Other ministers. Make an adjustment in our kingdom for the necessary action against this organization."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "This is a delicate time. Make no mistake."

 Chapter 228: Reward Ceremony

    Frexia Academy.

    "Hey. Have you heard about the rumor?"

    "What rumor?"

    "It''s said that the event on that tropical ind was attacked by a terrorist organization."

    "What? A terrorist? Isn''t it Teacher Dikkleus?"

    "Teacher Dikkleus seems to be a part of it."

    "How can he be epted as a teacher?"

    "We don''t know, but it seems they are actually controlling the notorious Chaotic Cat. Even the royal court has dered that they are a public enemy."

    "Really? Oh, poor students."

    "But I have heard that a lot of students are standing out during the event, two people in particr. I think they''re holding an award ceremony right now."

    "What? Where are they? Shouldn''t we attend it as well?"

    "It should be in that hall!"

    As the rumor spread, more and more people were going to watch the ceremony.

    The principal stood on the stage while saying, "I''m d that we''re able to meet again in this hall. Unfortunately, there are a total of four students who are unable to gather on this asion. Thanks to their sacrifice, all of us can gather in this ce. Hence, I''d like for all of us to have one minute of silence to honor their sacrifice."

    As Vivian said, there were four people who had turned into an alien. However, this information had been ssified.

    Hence, the principal mentioned them falling into their duty.

    All students closed their eyes and lowered their heads, honoring the four students.

    "Teacher Dikkleus has been found out to be affiliated with a terrorist organization. The Frexia Academy will also take this matter seriously.

    "Amidst the attack, the students have fought brilliantly, disying the quality of the Frexia Academy. They defeated aliens and destroyed the terrorist''s scheme.

    "As such, we''ll be handing out rewards for those students.

    "For all the students who have fought brilliantly, they will be given ten gold coins, a hundred proto-ss cores, and one piece of item.

    "Still, among the students, there are a few people whose contribution is standing outpared to the rest.

    "Rudeus Viti Liaystian, August Reeves!"

    "Yes, sir!" Both of them stood up.

    "They have fought against Dikkleus'' ogre. Despite the difference in strength, they persisted, buying the students the time to stop the alien. As an educator, I have nothing but praise for them. They have shown the might of the academy.

    "They will be rewarded with 100 gold coins, 500 proto-ss cores, and two items. More importantly, their badge privilege will be upgraded by one rank."

    The people couldn''t help but drop their jaws.

    "Badge privilege by one rank?"

    "Doesn''t that mean they will get a 10% discount to all stores affiliated with the Frexia Academy?"

    "Not only that, but if they get another increase, they will be able to ess the suite of the inn. When that happens, traveling won''t be a chore anymore."

    The second-year and third-year students were shocked. They felt envious because they only got such a privilege after contributing a lot. However, this also meant the terrorist attack was such a huge incident.

    However, the reward didn''t end here. "There is one more person who has contributed to the same level as them. Selena Ashton!"

    "Yes, sir!" Selena stood up.

    "She is the one finding the alien sneaked in by the organization. This alien is the one controlling thousands of aliens on the ind. Thanks to her defeating this alien on the ind, the rest of the aliens have be easy to kill, allowing the rest of the students to eliminate all threats.

    "Hence, she will also be rewarded with 100 gold coins, 500 proto-ss cores, and two items. Her badge privilege will be upgraded by one rank."

    The students pped their hands. Even though he said the leader, all students knew it would be the highest ss alien on that ind. There was no way the first-year student was able to kill a mature ss alien, at least not yet. Hence, she must have killed a juvenile ss mutant, which was no ordinary feat.

    "Last but certainly not least, there is one more student whose contribution surpasses all of thembined. It is thanks to him that there is no further bloodshed, which results in Dikkleus'' defeat."

    The principal took a deep breath and shouted his name, "Nathan!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    The people were taken aback. Unlike the other three, they knew what theck of family name meant. It turned out the biggest contribution wasn''t the famous heir of the cksmith guild, not a noble like Selena, or even a royal family like Rudeus. He was just amoner. In other words, his achievement came directly from his effort. Of course, the first-year students knew he was Vivian''s student.

    However, there were three people actually smiling as though they had expected it. The first was Selena, who was aware of everything. The second was Noelle, who knew Nathan''s brilliance from the battle royale. Thest person was Flora, the student council president.

    The principal announced, "He was able to takemand of the students the moment the terrorist started their n, controlling the messy situation. He had also helped Selena Ashton in defeating themanding alien.

    "But it wasn''tparable to his next feat, which was deciphering the barrier made by Dikkleus, a man who was close to a barrier grandmaster, and allowed Vice Principal''s familiar to enter the ind and put a stop to not only the aliens but also Dikkleus. As the principal, I''d like to personally thank him for his contribution.

    "As for his crowning achievement, he has be the bridge that allows us to cooperate with the Holy Kingdom.

    "Hence, he will be rewarded with 200 gold coins, 1,500 proto-ss cores, and three items. His badge privilege will be upgraded by two ranks, allowing him to get priority ess to the teleportationwork.

    "And I dere, from this point onward, the Frexia Academy, together with the Holy Kingdom and the Azilia Kingdom, deres war on this organization." The principal''s expression turned cold as he announced the most important thing. "All their organization''s members are to be killed on sight."

 Chapter 229: A Transfer Student (Bonus)

    All of them could feel the anger in the principal''s voice. At the same time, they never thought amoner would have such an achievement. It was true that he was unique, but this surpassed their imagination.

    Even Flora couldn''t contain her shock when she learned about his achievement.

    "How could he break the barrier of Teacher Dikkleus? Although he hasn''t reached the rank of a grandmaster, his barrier is basically one of the best in this kingdom. And how in the world does he facilitate the agreement between the Holy Kingdom and the Frexia Academy?

    "From what I know, the Pope is just. He won''te for no reason. Even though the terrorist organization is quite problematic, it''s not something that this kingdom can''t handle." Flora couldn''t help but nce at Noelle. "Do you know anything?"

    "I''m not sure. However, haven''t we been notified that a representative from the Holy Kingdom wille here?"

    "Hmm." Flora squinted her eyes, not able to draw any connection. "Nevertheless, this guy turns out to be more terrifying than I originally thought. I guess epting him into the student council is good."

    "You''re not angry about the ruckus he has made? If I''m not wrong, he has burned half of the ind."

    "The event is canceled, so no one really harbors any grudge against him. It''s especially true after he contributes so much. That''s why it doesn''t really matter. I don''t even need to do anything." Flora shrugged. "Well, I will just remember him as a double-edged sword. He will do such a crazy thing if he is cornered."

    Noelle didn''t say more. Even she hadn''t received any information from her family.

    "Still, it seems we have to call him to the student council soon. Now that he has joined the student council, he needs to do one task or another, right?" Flora grinned. "This will be good to test his limit."

    "He might not like it. From the way I see it, he is going to use the burning ind and the canceled event to leave the student council."

    "I will do my best to keep him." Flora nodded.

    Obviously, venya was also watching this award ceremony. She had never thought Nathan was able to achieve such a magnificent feat.

    Without her realizing it, she had crossed her arms, and the grip on her arm started tightening.

    Selena tilted her head, asking, "What is this cooperation with the Holy Kingdom? Well, you don''t have an obligation to tell me about it, but I don''t think I''ve heard of you having a connection with the Holy Kingdom."

    "That''s¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head while looking away with a troubled expression. "I''ll tell you about itter. It''s supposed to be not a big deal, so I don''t know why it ends up that way."

    Selena nodded.

    However, their interaction was actually seen by Selena''s brother. He was gritting his teeth after seeing how close they were.

    In fact, Selena must have been sucking up to him to even get the achievement. It seemed their Ashton family had to do something against Selena or Nathan, making sure that he wouldn''t be a treat.

    The principal continued, "The information and bounty for the terrorists shall be distributed through your homeroom teacher. After this, the first-year students will retake the event. Your teacher will be the one exining about this matter."

    With the conclusion of the award ceremony, the students returned to their ss.

    As they returned, Flora actually sneaked in a message to Nathan, asking him to meet her in the student council.

    ¡­

    Once the students returned to their room, Jason exined, "All the rewards shall be distributed after the event to prevent any of you from using it to gain an unfair advantage against other students during thepetition."

    It was reasonable since Nathan also hadn''t received hispensation.

    Still, once Jason mentioned thepetition, they all couldn''t help but look at each other, thinking the same thing.

    Rudeus might be right, but Nathan had the backing of the vice principal. In terms of politics, Rudeus would be stronger. But they were in the academy. If they pissed off the vice principal, they wouldn''t end well.

    Besides, Nathan only did it because he was pushed into a corner.

    "And for the next event, we''ll be conducting it inside the school. There will be several gems scattered around the school. Your task is to find them and bring it back to me. One pair can only turn in one gem. And that will be your score.

    "There will be five different pearls. The one with the highest quality is the ck pearl. For the second ce, you have to turn in a red pearl. The third ce is for those who turn in the blue pearl. For fourth and fifth ces, it will be the green pearl. Last but not least, there will be five yellow pearls.

    "Vice Principal Vivian will be the one helping with the battlefield. And the event will be conducted tomorrow.

    "As for the method to get the pearl, the vice principal will tell you about it tomorrow."

    Jason turned to Nathan and said, "Of course. I don''t know if you believe me, but the Vice Principal has guaranteed her neutrality. In other words, no students will have more information than the rest. The teachers will also be watching. If someone is cheating, he or she will be disqualified. Is there any question?"

    It was such a harsh punishment, but they all could feel relieved once they knew Nathan wouldn''t have any advantage.

    Even if theypeted with him, they wouldn''t gang up on him anymore.

    Since the students had no question, Jason continued, "Anyway, it''s time for the next announcement. Because of the cooperation between the Frexia Academy and the Holy Kingdom, thetter has sent their representative both to deal with this problem and to study.

    "Hence, we''ll have a transfer student. I don''t think I have to tell you about her, since she is well known. And I believe it''s better for all of you to know her personally.

    "Without further ado¡­" He turned to the door and said, "Come in!"

 Chapter 230: Crisis (Bonus)

    "Come in!"

    "Yes!"

    The students turned their heads to the door as someone opened it.

    They couldn''t help but wonder who would be the transfer student, and it shocked them even more when they saw this person.

    She was still wearing nun clothes, but it was more tighter than what they could see near the church, entuating her curve. Her skirt was slit on both sides, which made her sexier.

    Obviously, all of them knew who it was. Even Selena couldn''t help but widen her eyes and look at Nathan with an intense re, asking him one certain question.

    Nathan gulped down as he wondered if he should exin this or not.

    Meanwhile, other students were excited.

    "What? We are actually able to be the ssmate of the renown saintess?"

    "The infamous corrupted saintess of the Holy Kingdom, Saintess Serafina!"

    "She is not just a saintess. It is said that her talent is noticed by the pope. There''s even a rumor about her being the pope''s student."

    "No way. She is actuallying to this academy."

    "No wait. How in the world is Nathan able to make a connection with the Holy Kingdom?"

    "Is it because of his teacher?"

    The people had a lot of questions in their minds. Only several people were frowning their eyebrows.

    It was true Serafina was beautiful. However, whether it was August, Rudeus, or high-ss nobles in the ss, they knew nothing good woulde if they ended up with this corrupted saintess.

    After all, there was also a rumor about her getting expelled from the church due to her summoning a fallen angel.

    That was why it wouldn''t be good to approach her.

    Serafina entered the ssroom with a smile. As soon as she reached Jason''s spot, Jason said, "How about introducing yourself?"

    Sera nodded. "Hello, everyone. I am the representative of the Holy Kingdom. My name is Serafina. Please, no need to be formal to me because I''m now a student like you.

    "I havee to this school for three reasons. The first is to uphold my duty as a saintess. The second reason is to be the messenger of the Holy Kingdom regarding the recent terrorist act. Last but not least, it''s because I have a debt to pay."

    "A debt?"

    "The saintess has a debt?"

    "Who is actually lending their money to the saintess?"

    "It''s obviously not a loan. There''s no way the Holy Kingdom will have that kind of debt."

    "In that case, who is that bastard?"

    The students were gnashing their teeth as if they wanted to skin this person alive.

    After that, Serafina turned to Nathan and waved her hand with a big smile on her face. "Hello, Savior. I''ve finally met you again. Because of you allowing me to summon a Valkyrie, I''m able to keep my status as the saintess. Thank you so much and please allow me to repay you this time."

    "!!!" All the students turned their heads and red at Nathan. What did he actually do? Did he save the saintess? How in the world did they actually meet?

    Still, the most painful re came from the pair of eyes next to him. Selena was definitely angry. If they weren''t in the ss, he didn''t know what kind of thing Selena would do.

    After all, they had just be a couple a few days ago. And Nathan had ended up with a scandal before they even did anything special.

    ''How in the world does a harem protagonist actually survive in their world? I feel like I''m going to die at any moment.''

    Whether it was Fenrir, Anubis, or even the elder he encountered in the desert, all of them had mentioned that he would die because of women sooner orter.

    Only this time, he finally understood those words.

    ''What bad timing,'' Nathan thought. If this was one monthter, Selena wouldn''t have been this angry.

    "Do you know him?" Jason asked.

    "Yes. He saved me. He even gave me such a precious thing. I believe he would be the only person in this world that could understand me." Sera confirmed it.

    And those words even made Selena angrier.

    ''For fuck''s sake. Can you stop talking for a moment?'' Nathan was in the middle of a crisis. ''What precious thing? I only gave you the holy relic because I thought helping you was the quest. Understand you? I don''t even know what you''re talking about!''

    "Well, I have to remind you that you''re not allowed to help him with the currentpetition. If it''s found out, he will be disqualified."

    "I understand." Sera nodded.

    "Anyway, you can take any empty seats." Jason couldn''t care less about their rtionship. It wasn''t rare that they would find their spouse in the academy.

    After all, if both parents were summoners, their child had a higher chance of bing a summoner.

    Nathan was special. His bloodline carried the potential of a beast summoner. If his bloodline spread, it would be good for the world.

    With Jason''s permission, Sera walked to Nathan. Since each table was shared by three people, Sera smiled at Nathan and just took the seat next to him.

    The others were ring at him while muttering, their voices filled with grudges. "How can he be so lucky?"

    "The fact that she is able to do all this must be because she has the pope''s permission."

    "What? This has been approved by the pope himself?"

    "This lucky bastard. Selena aside, how can I even meet her?"

    "I''m jealous. I hope he dies."

    Thest remark might happen soon because Selena hadpletely broken down. Her eyes had started emitting killing intent.

    Meanwhile, Sera remained silent. She didn''t even ask for Nathan''s permission to sit here, fully aware that Selena would disagree.

    They could somehow feel the battle between the two women. It was as if there was a monster on top of Selena, exuding red mist and bloodlust. On the other hand, Serafina kept smiling, radiating such a blinding light.

    Nathan took a deep breath. This might not even be the pope''s idea. If he had to think of the possible culprit, it would be either her fallen angel or Brunhild.

 Chapter 231: Solving the Misunderstanding

    After the ss, it was obvious that Selena was demanding an exnation. Surprisingly, the person in question, Sera, was alsoing.

    Now that Nathan had the time to think, he finally looked calmer.

    "So, do you n to exin everything?" Selena asked with a cold gaze.

    "She is Serafina. I met her when I was trying to get into the ancient library. ording to the elder that my teacher suggested, there would be a guide that would bring me into the library. And that guide would give me one task.

    "Hence, I thought she was the guide because, back then, she was chased after the bandits. The first time I met her was when she was too exhausted and copsed.

    "When I helped her, she asked me to fight the bandits terrorizing the area, so I ended up helping."

    Selena closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "So you misunderstood her?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded.

    "How cold¡­" Sera smirked. "You even gave me the chance to summon a Valkyrie. She was strong and dependable.

    "Besides, you might not know it, but there is basically another category for the summoning. Once your familiar reaches a certain level, you will be able to summon them as they restrict their own power.

    "This happened to basically half divine entities or higher. Of course, that depended on the summoning itself. Nevertheless, it was only that kind of Valkyrie or even the archangel Michael would appear.

    "That''s what my teacher, I mean, the Pope said. The reason I was able to be here was because of that fact."

    This was what Nathan found as well. He had been wondering if Selena could actually summon Lilith or Cain right away. If she could do it, he thought about suggesting another divine being after that.

    Selena frowned. "You''re the one telling her about the Valkyrie?"

    Nathan knew Selena thought she was special, but instead of denying or confirming it, Nathan answered it in a different way. "Have Fenrir told you about the god he devoured?"

    Selena shook her head.

    Nathan pointed at Serafina and said, "That is the lord of the Valkyries, ording to Fenrir."

    "Hmmm¡­" Selena looked down. Now that she thought about it, back when Fenrir suggested Sasha, Fenrir only mentioned strong beings that made him excited.

    He never specified he had killed any of them.

    In other words, Fenrir might have fought them but didn''t manage to kill them. And because of that very reason, the fact that the God that the Valkyries served died in Fenrir''s hand meant he was just inferiorpared to anything Fenrir had mentioned so far.

    In her mind, Odin was inferior to Lilith or Cain, which meant she was more special to him.

    And that was when Nathan came closer and whispered, "Do you think I will give you something not special, despite you being my special one?"

    Selena shuddered, not expecting Nathan toe closer. However, she soon looked away and said, "Well. I can understand that." Selena coughed once, trying to regain her calm. There was a tinge of red on her cheeks, which was lovable and relieving at the same time.

    Sera tilted her head in confusion as she couldn''t hear what Nathan said.

    And before Selena could recover, Nathan asked a question. "And whose n is it toe here? I don''t think His Holiness is the oneing up with this n. Let''s see¡­ Is it Brunhild? Or your fallen angel. I haven''t heard her name."

    "W-What are you talking about?" Sera looked away.

    "Let''s see. You imed I understand you. But looking at the situation, it looked like you were not the oneing up with that n. Let''s see. Who is lying? You''re not going to say you are different from other saintess and can do whatever you want, right?"

    Sera rubbed her cheek. The culprit was indeed among the two. Even Selena could see it.

    It would be bad to antagonize her too much, considering he still needed the Holy Kingdom.

    Nathan sighed. "I won''t get angry. Just tell me the culprit."

    "It''s¡­" Sera gulped down, remembering what happened in thest few days.

    ¡­

    A few days ago.

    Brunhild said, "You should go to the Frexia Academy."

    "What? What are you talking about?" Sera shook her head.

    "You know what she is talking about." Her fallen angel came and exined, "If you go, you can test his uniqueness."

    "Don''t listen to them. They''re trying to corrupt you. You should remain here, especially since you''ve just reinstated your position as the saintess!" The angel tried to stop them, but the fallen angel simply said, "If you stay here, everything will remain the same. Don''t forget what the Pope said. It''s exploring the world and finding a new possibility. There is no bad power, only bad people.

    If you go to him, you might find even more possibilities, including other gods'' servants."

    Sera scratched the back of her head, wondering which one she should follow. Brunhild and her fallen angel raised a valid point while the angel only mentioned her goal.

    "But how can I convince my teacher?"

    Brunhild and the fallen angel smiled as if they were thinking about the same thing.

    "Just say that you are indebted to him and would like to repay him. Because your position has just been reinstated, just tell him you have promised to repay him with your body back then."

    ¡­

    ¡­

    "That''s what happened." Sera lowered her head.

    "So to avoid that kind of situation, the Pope ends up helping us take care of the terrorist organization." Nathan closed his eyes, his eyebrows twitching.

    "Mhmm¡­" Sera looked away.

    It was no wonder why Vivian asked him what he did to make the Pope angry. This was the reason why the Pope still sent his support despite being angry. The Pope would believe it, considering how sexy Serafina was.

    However, Selena had calmed down, realizing that everything was just a misunderstanding. It was Sera''s fault that she was too gullible. It was as if there was a devil and an angel whispering sweet words to her.

    Nathan couldn''t help but grin, his eyes exuding bloodlust. "I wonder. Which bird should I hunt this time?"

 Chapter 232: Request

    Now that the situation had been cleared up, Nathan took his leave, as he had to take the call to the student council since Flora had summoned him.

    Obviously, he had to bring back Selena first before she ended up harming Sera.

    "Pfft. You''re still alive?" Flora chuckled, teasing him while trying to hold back herughter. She must have seen it from somewhere.

    Nathan let out a long sigh and said, "If that''s all you''re going to say, I''m leaving."

    "Wait. That''s not it." Flora hurriedly changed her tone. "There is something that I''d like to ask you."

    "Yes?" Nathan frowned.

    "ording to the report, you''re the one finding out the ''queen'' of aliens. How did you do that?"

    Nathan thought for a moment. "My familiar has a good nose. He can differentiate which one is an alien, which one is not."

    "Hmm¡­" Flora squinted her eyes. There was no way Nathan would say it was just a spection from all the stories he had read in the past.

    Flora thought for a moment and asked, "Does that mean you can find an alien without confirming they can talk or not?"

    "Essentially." Nathan nodded.

    "If that''s the case, I would like you to do something for me." Flora raised a finger.

    "That is?" Nathan crossed his arms, not really wanting to do anything with the student council. Although he had enough reason to leave, there was something he hadn''t gotten from the student council. He needed this student council to find the mysterious organization.

    Ifpleting this mission would allow him to do it, he would dly agree to her request.

    "Noelle." Flora nced at the person standing next to her.

    Noelle nodded. "Currently, the academy feels like they''re being watched. I''m not entirely sure about this, but there are a few instances where we almost caught them.

    "I''m not sure what kind of thing they''re trying to get, but this has be a concern. Is it possible for your familiar to track them?"

    "Hmm." Nathan thought for a moment. At first, he thought this would be the one he was searching for. But he couldn''t be sure after everything that had happened in thest few days.

    "From where they are watching? Inside or outside the academy? And has the principal been notified?"

    "From the outside, and yes, the principal has been notified. Your Teacher should already know about this, but the fact you don''t know about this means she might want you to focus on thepetition." Flora nodded.

    "And you''re still going to involve me?" Nathan frowned.

    Flora smiled wryly. "Yes and no. The principal has been notified, but he is unable to locate them. What do you think is currently happening?"

    Nathan looked down. "A barrier that istes their hiding ce or a teleportation ability?"

    Flora nodded.

    "I see." Nathan sighed. It was no wonder why they asked for his help. She wanted him to locate them, find the possible barrier, and dispel it himself. He could do it by himself. At the same time, was there a need to do so?

    "Is there a reward? And you don''t think I''m strong enough to handle this matter, right?"

    "Of course. You might probably have noticed that there are only me and Noelle in the student council most of the time, right?"

    "Indeed."

    "That''s because we have divided ourselves into several teams. Regynar and Leon are currently investigating this matter from an economic point of view. If there is anything strange, such as a purchase or something, we will be able to locate them.

    "Axel and Lovelia are in charge of investigating the city, but they haven''t found any clue yet. Meanwhile, Noelle and I remain at the academy to ensure the safety of the students.

    "Other teachers have been notified as well. So, if you are going, you will go either with me or Noelle."

    "And what is the reward?" Nathan asked.

    "The reward, huh?"

    "You''re not expecting me to risk myself for no reward, right? If you''re going to use the student council as a reward, I''m going to quit right away."

    "If that''s the case, what do you want? If it''s something within my ability, I will allow it."

    Nathan smirked. "If that''s the case, I do have one request. Make Selena a part of the student council."

    "Huh? The girl that is always with you? She might be talented, but she hasn''t stood out enough for us to recruit her." Flora frowned. "Besides, you have just resolved the cat fight between the two. She would be in trouble if she ends up fighting her, you know."

    "Even if that means the Pope will have to fight Frexia Academy''s Sage?"

    "The Principal?" She dropped her jaw when she understood the meaning of Nathan''s words. "The principal took her as his disciple?!"

    Even Noelle looked shocked.

    Nathan remained silent, not confirming or denying. However, there was no one foolish enough to falsely im themselves as the Sage''s disciple.

    If this were true, Selena might indeed have the qualification to be a part of the student council. After all, her strength would increase drastically for the next three years.

    What Nathan wanted from this exchange was the protection of the student council, keeping the Ashton family in check.

    This way, Selena didn''t have to rely on the principal to handle things for her, which was something she wanted.

    After considering it carefully, she added a condition. "First ce. You have to get first ce in the nextpetition."

    "That''s easy. And if we are going to investigate them, I will go with¡­" Nathan pointed at Noelle.

    "Me?" Noelle was surprised. For an investigation, Flora would be more suitable, considering she was smarter than her.

    Flora asked, "Do you know anything we don''t know?"

    "Nope. I''m as clueless as you are." Nathan smiled. The first thing he wanted to do was learn about the nature of the organization. If this was the hidden organization he thought about, they would definitely work in the way he predicted. If not, he would change his strategy, which would involve the teachers.

    Flora finally made a decision. "Alright. I will ept your condition."

 Chapter 233: Ten Pearls, Ten Arenas (Bonus)

    The students didn''t have a lot of preparation, considering there was not much they could do in a single day, especially with theck of resources.

    The teacher was also observing them, making sure no one was cheating.

    One day had passed. The people had gathered in the hall, with Vivian standing among the educators.

    Jason said, "We''ll now begin thepetition. Thepetition will be held in the illusion made by Vice Principal Vivian. In other words, during thepetition, you won''t die even if you are killed. If you understand, do your best to get the resources. As this will be a quick event, I''d like to invite Vice Principal Vivian to exin the rules for the event."

    Vivian nodded and stepped forward. "The event will now change from the tropical ind survival to an arena.

    "I''ll be creating ten arenas for all of you topete, each containing a crystal. Yes, this will be an event where you have to make a choice, whether you want to risk everything and have a chance of not winning anything or y it safe to get a definite reward.

    "In this event, you are free to choose a single arena. You willpete with the rest of the people choosing that arena.

    "In one arena, there might be only one pair. In another arena, there might be ten pairs.

    "Thest pair standing will get the reward. The losers will win nothing at all. This kind of situation is not exactly rare in this world. There are a lot of times where you have topete with a lot of people, and there''s no guarantee you will win something.

    "Now that everything has been said, pick your arena. Also, don''t forget that you can only summon once the count reaches zero." Vivian snapped his fingers. Ten circles appeared on the floor, having the color that reflected the pearl they would win from this ce.

    Obviously, their eyes were staring at the ck-colored circle, where the highest reward was.

    Vivian added in a cold tone. "You have thirty seconds to choose your arena."

    "What?!"

    "We have to choose the arena right now?"

    "There isn''t enough information."

    "Should we choose the ck one?"

    "But the ck one will be for those trying topete¡ª"

    Before they could even finish, Nathan had grabbed Selena''s wrist and brought her to the ck circle.

    "!!!" The people widened their eyes in shock.

    That was right. If they fought against Nathan and Selena, they might not win anything. In addition, Rudeus and August would being for them.

    In other words, they shouldpete for the second and third positions since they have a higher chance of winning.

    They looked at each other, nodding their heads. More and more people picked their circles, while those who hadn''t were panicking.

    "Which one should I choose?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Screw it. We should get the lowest one. At least we have a chance to win there."

    Because of theck of time, Rudeus couldn''t manipte the ssmates anymore. At the same time, Nathan''s identity was known, so there was no need for any sort of maniption. No one was going to pick a fight with Nathan without thinking it through.

    That was why the only onesing to the ck circle were Rudeus and August. The rest chose topete in second ce and third ce.

    "It seems we will decide here who is the strongest among us." August smirked. "Get ready to be sted to smithereens."

    Nathan shook his head. "You should worry about yourself. The moment you lose, you will lose everything."

    "That''s impossible. I will never lose, at least, against both of you."

    "There will be the first time for everything."

    All four of them were looking at each other. They had never thought theirpetition would end this way.

    Rudeus had been manipting the student this whole time, so Nathan could finally fight him head-on in thispetition.

    "There is nothing to be said. Everything will be decided in this arena."

    The moment the dryad and the ancient spirit''s spells were activated, a blinding light shot into the ceiling, teleporting them into the arena where they were supposed to fight.

    The only student who was left behind was Serafina.

    As usual, the dryad formed a mirror for them to see all the arenas.

    "Who do you think will win, Your Holiness?" Vivian asked casually.

    "Please, no need to be formal. I don''t know who is stronger since I''ve just entered the academy. However, I know how strong Nathan is. The Liaystian''s royal family is known for their ability to summon a demon.

    "The second prince is also a well-known genius, who is said to beparable to the crown prince in terms of talent. Not only his familiars, but his ability as a summoner can''t be underestimated, especially with how they usually fight.

    "Meanwhile, August Reeves is the heir of the cksmith Guild. From the looks of it, he doesn''t wear the expensive armor, but his weapon is of high quality. It seems he is also wearing gauntlets. That uniform¡­ Has he upgraded it with better material? As expected of a cksmith Guild''s heir.

    "On the other hand, Selena Ashton¡­ She is powerful, but I don''t know much about her. A vampire family, huh? I can''t say much about it. The key to win in thispetition should be in Nathan."

    Vivian didn''t think much. For someone who was able to dispel Dikkleus'' barrier, Nathan would surely win, she thought.

    The four of them were teleported into a rectangle-shaped arena. It was quite spacious, allowing even the cyclops to fight with its full strength.

    This would be a big battle, considering each of them had three familiars each.

    A number appeared between them, signaling the start of their battle.

    All four of them released their Ena. Vivian told them only to summon their familiars once the count reached zero, so it was fine to release their Ena like this. As expected, Nathan had the weakest Ena, but that was fine since Selena had the most amount of Ena.

    Their eyes were focused on the number.

    3.

    2.

    1.

    0.

    Start.

 Chapter 234: 2 vs 2 (Bonus)

    All of them summoned their familiars. Nathan couldn''t help but recognize the third familiar from both of them. And he was actually jealous¡ªjealous of Rudeus.

    His third familiar was actually a woman. She was a beautiful woman with pale skin, long ck hair, and white robes.

    She was floating right above the ground as the soil underneath her was soon covered with snow.

    "That''s¡­" Nathan gasped.

    "Hahaha. Even your dragon won''t be able to burn this ce. I have refrained myself from summoning her, but your dragon can''t do anything against my snow demon!"

    Veins bulged on Nathan''s face. Even though he called it a snow demon, there was a more fitting name for her.

    ''Isn''t that a yuki-onna? I don''t know if I pronounce it right, but that''s the snow woman in the Japanese Mythology. Does she not call herself as such? Her power is snow and freezing temperature, ording to her myth.'' Nathan was shaken by the appearance of this demon, not because of her power, but the fact that Rudeus was able to summon a beautiful demon.

    ''You motherfucker. I''m going to beat you so hard today,'' thought Nathan.

    As much as Selena wanted to hit Nathan so that he could focus on thepetition, she was observing August''s third familiar. He actually summoned a golem. The golem looked humanoid enough, even though its body didn''t contain any flesh. However, Selena had to be careful because this golem rivaled the cyclops in size.

    "Go!" Rudeus was the first one making the first move. The snow demon flew forward as Nidhogg did the same.

    Nidhogg released his fire breath while the woman waved her hand, creating a snow tornado. The fire was melting the snow, but thetter also froze the fire. Both of them ended up neutralizing each other.

    Nathan and Fenrir moved together while Anubis remained on the back.

    "Raaaa!" The minotaur let out a cry as it approached them from the side.

    Without hesitation, Fenrir pounced on the minotaur. The minotaur stopped him with the handle of his hammer. They were equal at first, but the minotaur started pushing Fenrir back. With a smirk, the minotaur unleashed every bit of his strength to m Fenrir to the ground.

    At the same time, Fenrir used the Gigantification, increasing his weight and body size. As a result, the minotaur started losing his upper hand, ultimately reaching a stalemate.

    Nathan had summoned his bullets, wanting to shoot the minotaur. All of a sudden, his body was covered in a shadow as a huge club fell down on top of him.

    Bam!

    The club crushed everything underneath it, creating a small crater.

    But when the cyclops raised its club, it couldn''t find Nathan anywhere.

    "!!!" The cyclops widened its eyes and noticed the presenceing from the right side. It was Nathan, trying to punch the cyclops with the Dragon Fist.

    The violent energy turned into a dragon, but the cyclops tilted its body backward and put his hand in front.

    Unable to change his trajectory, Nathan punched the cyclops'' giant palm. The energy burst, but the cyclops actually remained the same. It was as if his dragon fist wasn''t enough to even push this giant hand back.

    Once the attack failed, the cyclops tried to catch him.

    Anubis sent forth his bandage and pulled him out of there.

    However, a stone pir emerged from the ground and stopped the bandage as a giant golem formed next to Nathan, trying to crush him with a giant fist.

    Fortunately, Yin Zhen came in the fist''s way.

    "Tiger Echo Kick!" Yin Zhen hit the golem''s fist with his full strength, producing a ripple that echoed within the golem''s arm.

    The kick was enough to knock the golem''s arm back, and it soon shattered into pieces.

    Since Yin Zhen hade to rescue, Anubis retracted his bandage. The gnome had summoned numerous spikes toward Nathan, but Risanded next to him and released her blood tornadoes, destroying all the spikes.

    "!!!" August widened his eyes, noticing that the blood tornadoes were much strongerpared to what she had used before.

    He and his dwarf immediately came forward as they struck one blood tornado each, splitting it into two to save the gnome.

    However, that was when Selena swept in.

    Boom!

    The extraordinary sweeping force hit all three of them.

    The dust kicked in, so August had to close his eyes to avoid them entering his eyes. This would be a good chance to strike him again, but the dust cloud was actually split into two all of a sudden.

    "!!!" Selena raised her eyebrows, finding Rudeus standing in his original position as if the sweeping force didn''t affect him.

    "Roooaa!" The minotaur let out a cry as his strength increased drastically, overwhelming Fenrir. Fenrir twisted his body to the side so that the minotaur couldn''t pin him down on the ground, but the minotaur used this to punch his side, blowing him away.

    At the same time, Nidhogg had fallen to the ground, his right wing covered in thin ice.

    "Tsk!" Nidhogg gritted his teeth, ring at the snow woman. "You''re dead."

    Purple fireballs appeared all around him, melting the ice stuck on his body. For one reason or another, her ability increased drastically, overwhelming him for a second.

    And that was not just her or the minotaur. Even the golem suddenly punched Yin Zhen, causing his body to bounce several times on the ground before stopping.

    "!!!" Nathan saw what happened to all of them and immediately leaped away as the cyclops almost crushed him. His speed was much higher than before.

    "This is¡­" Nathan looked around, thinking, ''Aside from the gnome and the dwarf, everyone''s strength increases drastically. This is an all-out brawl, so if there''s one taken down¡­

    ''I need to find the culprit. But there is not a single person¡­'' Nathan paused. There was one person who hadn''t made his move the whole time. Now that he thought about it, Rudeus didn''t choose the Magic Department or Combat Department, even though he had an enormous amount of Ena.

    Nathan couldn''t help but turn to Rudeus. ''He is from the Command Department.''

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 235: Synchronization

    Vivian watched the fight carefully before asking Sera. "Can you see what he is doing?"

    "Of course. As someone who has the same fighting style, I can see it. Synchronization is a versatile ability. At first nce, it looks like you are able to share your Ena with anyone else.

    "However, by carefully manipting the Ena, you can do a lot of variations. There are four general variations: Super Boost, Split Boost, Time Boost, and Multiplication Boost.

    "Super Boost is reinforcing the target''s Ena with your own to the very limit. That''s basically what that ck dog is doing.

    "Split Boost is where you split your Ena to boost multiple people at once. Meanwhile, the Time Boost is where you choose a specific timing when activating the synchronization, allowing you to time it perfectly right before the attack.

    "Multiplication Boost is splitting several synchronizations but ends up targeting one person. This is simr to the Super Boost, but the Split Boost is focused on increasing the user''s Ena while the Multiplication Boost enhances the target''s ability.

    "I''m focused on Split Boost and Multiplication Boost, but from what I can see, Prince Rudeus is mastering the Super Boost and Time Boost.

    "Right before the enemy''s attack, he is boosting that person, which will increase their power. By doing so, you can boost multiple people in session, depending on who needs it. And each boost is Super Boost, which increases their Ena, physical strength and so on instead of their ability.

    "But he is doing it at such a speed. That takes skill. Even I don''t know if I can do such a thing or not. As expected of someone from the Liaystian''s royal family."

    Vivian smiled. "Well, they say the Liaystian family is a family focused on this boosting power because ''fighting'' is beneath them. In other words¡­"

    "Focus on them, huh?"

    As Vivian said, that was what Nathan was doing. The moment he realized what the enemy was doing, he immediately formed ten bullets and sent them up.

    The bullets curved and fell on Rudeus.

    The cyclops was trying to stop it, but Anubis sent forth his bandages, holding him back. Still, with the boost from Rudeus, the cyclops overpowered Anubis and tossed him toward the minotaur instead.

    At the same time, Rudeus raised his hand, forming a barrier made of Ena, blocking the bullets. Since Nathan didn''t pack a power, he wouldn''t be able to prate this barrier.

    In addition, the minotaur immediately struck Anubis before Fenrir recovered.

    Fortunately, even if he was on the ground, his tail was still able to move. He released the tail attack when the minotaur had just released his attack. Anubis obviously had the strength to protect himself. His pawnded on the hammer''s surface as the minotaurunched him away.

    Anubis frowned for a second, but his bones didn''t crack or snap.

    Meanwhile, the tail attack reached the minotaur and hit his side, leaving behind a long, shallow wound.

    "Roaaa!" The minotaur was screaming in anger, trying to smash Fenrir right after. Thetter rolled on the ground, avoiding that attack. After that, he released his bark, causing the minotaur to feel some impact that threw his stance off.

    "!!!" The minotaur hurriedly recovered, but Fenrir was already in front of him, pushing his body weight against him.

    Now that he knew about Rudeus'' power, Nathan chose to focus on Rudeus. He shouted, "Anubis!"

    "Understood!" Anubis rushed forth the moment hended. His target was Rudeus. Even if he had a barrier, Rudeus wasn''t strong enough to fight against a healer like Anubis.

    In the meantime, he had to stop the cyclops from interfering.

    He didn''t have Ena to do it. With Vivian watching, he couldn''t use his Soul Contract either.

    Hence, there was only one method he could use to stop the cyclops.

    Dragon Fist.

    Nathan came straight at the cyclops'' head as thetter tried to catch him.

    But this Dragon Fist was actually a bait. The moment he was about to arrive, Nathan canceled his ability. In fact, his jump was not enough to even reach the cyclops'' head. Instead, his target was the shoulder.

    Once hended on top of the shoulder, Nathan formed an explosive bullet. After more than a month, he could finally use this explosive bullet like he intended to. He released the explosive bullet like a normal bullet, looping it around the hand so that the explosive bullet could hit the cyclops'' head.

    Boom!

    The explosion pushed the cyclops'' upper body backward. However, the cyclops regained his bnce by taking a step back, preventing him from falling and crushing everything underneath him.

    Still, this was enough to hinder the cyclops for a moment. As a result, Anubis could reach Rudeus with no one stopping him.

    To their surprise, Rudeus remained calm, as though he had expected it. Right before Anubis reached him, the ground cracked as a rock pir emerged, forcing Anubis to leap away.

    "!!!" Anubis turned his head, finding the gnome.

    Because the gnome was leaving August''s side, it meant August and his dwarf had to find a way to fight Selena, Sasha, and Risa.

    That was what they did. When Selena released her sweeping force, August waved his de, splitting it in two.

    Sasha wanted to help, but the dwarf suddenly stopped her so that she wouldn''t be able to help the other two.

    But this meant Risa was able to do whatever she wanted. She summoned multiple blood spears toward August. The other party finally showed the fact he was the cksmith Guild''s heir.

    He struck only the spears that were about to reach his skin, whether it was on the head or the arms, and ignored the rest.

    Those blood spears hit his clothes, which surprisingly ended up getting neutralized.

    "!!!" Risa widened her eyes in shock. "How can that be? It is as if my spears are being dispersed¡­"

    "Pfft! Do you think you can focus on me? You have to worry about Rudeus first. After all, his clothes are made of materials that disperse Ena." Rudeus smirked, looking at Nathan.

 Chapter 236: Complete Victory

    A few days ago.

    "August. If we are going to fight against Selena and Nathan, there will be a chance that I will be targeted. That''s why I want your gnome toe to my aid."

    "But that means I will have to handle Selena and one of her familiars on my own." August frowned.

    Rudeus nodded. "Yes, but it can''t be helped. If we want to win, we have to do this. I''ll also boost your power whenever you need it. And as the heir of the cksmith Guild, you definitely have a way to do it, right?"

    August sucked a cold breath. "Are you talking about Anti-Ena Material?"

    "Yes. If you use it for your uniform, you can definitely win. Selena is talented in Ena maniption, but that doesn''t mean she is strong enough to handle that kind of material. It will be costly because they are an extremely rare material. Still, for the cksmith Guild''s heir¡­" Rudeus smirked.

    August knew that getting this material should be easy. In fact, he could request his family to modify the uniform for him. And using this material would definitely allow him to gain an upper hand in the fight.

    However, this felt so unfair.

    No, he might be too naive. The world was unfair. The teachers and the academy had taught him that nothing was fair. If they had a background, they could utilize it, just not within the academy.

    That was why, while he couldn''t use the cksmith Guild to pressure his opponents, he could still ask them for clothing like this.

    "Think about it, August. Which is more important? If we win, we''ll be able to win it all. If we lose, we might end up falling together. Even your family might not look at you anymore.

    "That''s why we have to do everything we can to win. Of course, there is a limit so as to maintain our reputation.

    "If we are able to do this, we can definitely crush them."

    "But¡­ isn''t it enough to just win? I still believe we are the stronger ones, not them. Even if it''s a hard fight, we can still win." August was hesitant.

    "And that''s why you''re going to be a loser, no matter where you are. What matters is not the method, but the result. Win first, talkter." Rudeus shook his head. "It''s because you''re so fixated on this that you''re unable to best me. And this time, two more people are trying to get on top of you. Can you ept this?"

    August bit his lips. In the end, he chose to follow Rudeus'' arrangement.

    "His clothes are made of materials that disperse Ena."

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. This type of clothing was definitely a disadvantage for both him and Selena. His bullets wouldn''t be able to pierce him, and Selena''s power mostly consisted of Ena-type attacks. That was why this clothing would be a kind of having the most powerful armor against them.

    They didn''t know how much Ena they could disperse, but they might have to use another strategy.

    Selena swept him once again, but August easily split it in two as he made his way toward Selena.

    Risa created blood bats and isted him inside the Blood Field.

    But August simply cut the blood field down while Rudeus empowered him with Ena, causing a burst of Ena that sted the blood bats around him.

    Risa wasing straight at him with her ws. Since Ena wasn''t useful, she had to use her nails to hit him.

    Risa struck him several times, but August parried every single attack and even stabbed her on the shoulder.

    "Tsk." Risa clicked her tongue and leaped back, but this should be enough to buy Selena enough time to get away.

    To her surprise, Selena actually remained in her original position as if she were waiting for August to arrive.

    "!!!" August couldn''t help but wonder if she had any trick to do such a thing.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile as if he realized what Selena wanted to do. While leaping into the air to avoid the cyclops, Nathan simply said, "Rudeus. You are wrong about one thing. Anti-Ena Material. Even I have heard something like this. No.

    I expected August to have it.

    "It will surely put us at a disadvantage, considering our fighting style. However, you are forgetting one thing.

    "That''s my girl over there."

    What Nathan meant was not the fact Selena was his woman. It was how much Selena had improved under him. And he believed Selena was the best at getting stronger but also absorbing his way of thinking.

    When August was about to reach her, Selena didn''t move as if she was expecting something.

    All of a sudden, he felt an iing presence. It was fast, so August immediately raised his sword, blocking something that he hadn''t seen before.

    The moment he turned his head around, the hit, which turned out to be a kick,nded on his sword. It was Yin Zhen.

    "Kh! What is this power?" August gritted his teeth, not expecting this powerful kick. As a result, Yin Zhen knocked him far away from the rest.

    "I''ll leave him to you." Selena nodded as he passed Yin Zhen.

    "Leave him to me." Yin Zhen smiled.

    As expected, the golem that Yin Zhen had kept at bay emerged behind him, attacking him from behind. August had also boosted the golem with his Ena, but a giant arm suddenly emerged from Selena''s back, grabbing the golem''s stone head.

    "!!!" The golem was startled because it was being dragged down.

    But another arm appeared and grabbed the back of the cyclops'' head as a huge skeleton emerged from Selena''s body.

    "What is that?" Rudeus widened his eyes in shock.

    The avatar mmed both the golem and the cyclops to the ground.

    Bam!

    With the two biggest bodies going down, the shock wave they produced created a small tremor. But that wasn''t all.

    Nathan had seen through her n. Now that both of them were lying next to each other, Nathan rained these two downs with multiple explosive bullets.

    "We are not aiming to just win. We are aiming for aplete victory." Nathan smirked as the explosive bulletsnded on their bodies.

    Boom!

 Chapter 237: Angry (Bonus)

    "That''s¡­" Sera gasped. "An avatar? But looking at the skeleton, it seems she is using it like a barrier. How much control do you need to even form that kind of avatar? Even though it''s only the upper body, it''s still extremely hard. What if she ends up summoning a full-body avatar?

    What if it''s not just a skeleton?"

    Sera simply couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Their age was the same, but she never thought the level of their control was this different.

    She knew Selena was powerful, but this was beyond her imagination.

    ¡­

    Boom!

    Rudeus widened his eyes in shock. While his explosive bullets weren''t as strong as Selena, they still packed a punch. If he summoned multiple of them, it would still pack a lot of punch.

    "What is that power?" Rudeus gasped. He had never thought Nathan would be this strong, especially with that amount of Ena.

    The golem looked fine since its body was protected by stone, but the same couldn''t be said for the cyclops. There were bruises covering his head.

    But before Nathannded, the cyclops made onest attempt to catch him, preventing Nathan from doing anything else.

    Nathan only took a nce to realize nothing would go wrong. After all, Selena sent forth her avatar''s arm to give him a proper spot tond. After that, he jumped away.

    The golem recovered almost right away, trying to destroy Anna with several spikesing from the ground. However, all of them were blocked by the ribs. Even everything underneath her foot had been strengthened, making sure nothing like a poison or secret attack would reach her.

    After that, the golem pounced on her with its giant body, trying to use his own weight against her.

    But Selena had prepared for this. She knew how much weight she could withstand after Nathan asked her to scoop out water.

    Hence, she actually tilted her avatar body so that it would give more force when pushing forward.

    And she stopped the golem.

    "!!!" The golem was quite surprised. He usually was able to overwhelm his opponent with his weight, but he failed this time.

    In addition, Risa had no other choice but to help others, considering August was impossible to kill for the time being.

    Two blood tornadoes hit the golem from the side, scraping away its body.

    The golem couldn''t speak, but the fact that his body was tilting to the side showed he was in pain.

    The golem used the spikes to attack her, but Risa simply flew into the air, avoiding all of them.

    In the air, the snow woman and Nidhogg had a fierce fight. The snow woman was trying to create a snow tornado, which would decrease the temperature in this ce.

    However, Nidhogg released his fire breath, neutralizing her ability.

    With a wave of her hands, she created a gale that was meant to freeze Nidhogg''s wings.

    But nine purple mes hovered around his body, maintaining his own temperature. He could shoot one of the mes when necessary, but his role stayed the same. He had to keep the snow woman in check. As long as she remained in the air, Nathan would win. That was what Nidhogg believed.

    ''Tsk. How I wish I''m able to use my full power.'' Nidhogg clicked his tongue. He was watching the battle progress in the air. It was truly an all-out brawl.

    Fenrir and the minotaur couldn''t find their momentum as they were trying to overpower each other.

    Anubis was currently stopped by the gnome. Without any offensive ability, Anubis couldn''t find a way to break through.

    Fortunately, Yin Zhen managed to suppress August. Even though Rudeus had been circting his Synchronization to all of them, he was bound to mess up sooner orter.

    Risa and Selena joined hands. If they could crush this golem, August''s current strongest familiar, they could then go rampage on the arena. There would be nothing left to stop them.

    Both the golem and Rudeus knew this. That was why Rudeus had to focus on boosting the golem. He just didn''t expect Selena would have this kind of powerful ability.

    Still, if they wanted to defeat Rudeus and August, they needed more than this.

    And the first step Rudeus took for the sake of restoration was focusing on everything he had on the minotaur.

    "Roaaaa!" The minotaur was letting out a loud roar after that boost.

    "!!!" Fenrir was taken aback by the sudden surge of strength from his opponent. He overpowered Fenrir and mmed him to the ground.

    "Kh! You won''t get away!" Fenrir waved his tail, attacking the minotaur from behind. However, the minotaur actually ignored that damage. Even if it meant there was a huge wound on his back, he would abandon everything to reach Selena.

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. As if realizing what had happened, the cyclops stretched his hand, trying to make Nathan busy.

    "Selena!" Nathan shouted.

    Selena turned around, finding the iing bull. She wanted to get away, but a rock emerged behind her, which stopped her movement.

    As a result, the minotaur hit her avatar, cracking the bones. Fortunately, the bones managed to withstand that power, or Selena would be in danger. But the power of that blowunched her away, allowing the golem to focus on Risa.

    Risa sent forth her blood tornado while the golem made numerous spikes, dispersing her blood tornado.

    Then, the minotaur leaped into the air and smashed her.

    Risa covered her body with both wings and the blood field. The hammer smashed through the blood field and hit the wings.

    "Kh!" Risa wasunched to the ground, away from the battlefield. When the dust settled down, Nathan could see her bloated right and left arms.

    Still, the minotaur came here after ignoring everything. Fenrir was able to pounce on him and bit off his tongue.

    Veins bulged on Nathan''s forehead. Nathan didn''t expect such damage on Risa. Even though this was just an illusion, it still pissed him off.

    Nathan muttered, "Alright. You''re dead."

 Chapter 238: Crushing Rudeus (Bonus)

    Nathan smirked, giving his order out loud. "Anubis. Change with me! I will end this battle in five minutes!"

    "!!!" Anubis immediately stopped. There was a secret signal that Nathan gave to everyone.

    The moment he mentioned five minutes, it was clear that he wanted to use Anubis'' mummification to get stronger.

    And that was what he did.

    The gnome tried to stop him by summoning numerous spikes and walls, but Anubis skillfully avoided them all.

    Nathan was approaching the gnome, using its own walls and spikes to cover his vision. The moment the gnome recalled all those spikes and walls, Nathan was already in front of him. More importantly, his body was covered in bandages.

    "Eh?" Rudeus widened his eyes in shock, but he was still able to react to this attack. Before Nathan arrived, he had used his power to boost the gnome''s strength.

    The gnome used this power to form a thick rock wall. If this was Rudeus, he would be able to slice it with his sword. But Nathan couldn''t do such a thing.

    The gnome wanted to use this chance to get away before regrouping with Rudeus. This way, he might be able to defeat Nathan.

    But he didn''t realize how much he underestimated Nathan, especially with the mummification.

    Nathan gathered his energy in his fist.

    Dragon Fist.

    Normally, the fist wouldn''t be strong enough to destroy this wall. The wall might crack but would never be destroyed. Sadly for the gnome, the mummification boosted his physical strength to a much stronger level.

    The moment his fist touched the wall, it immediately cracked the wall. Then he applied more pressure, ultimately destroying the wall.

    "!!!" The gnome was taken aback, but it didn''t matter. The fist had reached his face as Nathan used all his strength in this punch.

    The punchunched the gnome away, his body bouncing on the ground several times.

    The gnome was able to get up, but the punch broke his big nose and slightly deformed his face.

    After that, Nathan made his way toward Rudeus to settle the battle between them.

    Rudeus frowned. He formed a barrier, but Nathan crushed it with his Dragon Fist.

    But Nathan might have underestimated Rudeus. The moment he reached him, Rudeus actually deflected his punch with his left hand and hit him in the stomach with his other hand, pushing him back for several meters.

    The gnome hurriedly summoned spikes from the ground, forcing Nathan to get away.

    "Do you think you''re able to touch me? I know perfectly the weakness of a summoner like me. I have practiced the royal family martial arts. No matter how strong you are, you won''t be able to defeat me.

    "I will give you a chance, Nathan. Come under me. I''ll show you a world that you have never seen before."

    "Say that after you beat me." Nathan harrumphed.

    "It seems I have to show you the absolute strength first!" Rudeus waved his hand down. He boosted the others to show his superior might. With Risa''s condition, she could still join the battle, but she wouldn''t pose any danger.

    Selena was stilling to the golem, but the golem would definitely be stronger than her, especially with her boost. All that was left was for his minotaur to stop Fenrir for a moment.

    The cyclops was also there to help. Anubis could use his bandage, but the cyclops was stronger than him from the size alone. Even with Risa''s help, it would be hard to stop him.

    This was it. It might be a costly victory, but he would be able to win against Nathan and Selena.

    ''You''re going to regret what you said earlier, Nathan!'' Rudeus thought before the minotaur''s cry filled everyone''s ears.

    "Rooaaa?!" The minotaur widened his eyes in shock as Fenrir, whose body covered with bandages, pushed him to the ground. He bit the minotaur''s neck, ultimately killing it.

    "What?" Rudeus was startled. He had boosted the minotaur''s power, but it was still useless. With the mummification, no one could be his match.

    "It''s already over." Nathan said, forming twenty bullets. With a wave of his hand, the bullets flew forward.

    The gnome formed a wall to protect them. This time, he was prepared to form a spike if Nathan dared to get closer. Besides, the wall should be able to withstand the bullets since they weren''t as strong as Nathan''s punch.

    That was where Nathan showed his control. Right before the bullets hit the wall, they curved sharply and looped around the wall,ing to the gnome from all directions.

    "!!!" The gnome tried to move away, but it was toote. The bullets pierced through his body.

    After that, Nathan smashed the wall, wanting to kill the gnome.

    As expected, Rudeus had no choice but to go forward, trying to save the gnome. At the very least, he could still deflect Nathan and bring away the gnome. As long as the gnome could still cast spells, it was worth it.

    "Die!" Nathan shouted.

    Rudeus was startled because it was too early to say that word, even if he just used it to increase his performance.

    That was why Rudeus looked up. It turned out there were bulletsing from the sky. Nathan used the wall to block his vision and utilized the sun to hide those bullets.

    Even Rudeus couldn''t see the sun to find those bullets, but he was smart enough to know Nathan had been relying on trickery, so it wouldn''t be weird to find another one.

    A barrier suddenly formed on top of Rudeus, shielding him from those bullets.

    "You are a fool. Do you think I don''t expect something like this?" Rudeusughed, ready to fight Nathan in hand-to-handbat, since the other party was stilling toward the gnome.

    When he thought he had seen through Nathan, thetter showed yet another instance of his unpredictability.

    Nathan abruptly came to a halt, which startled Rudeus.

    Before he could think this was a trap, bullets suddenly fell on top of him, piercing his eye, cheek, body, and two arms.

    "What?" Rudeus was in utter shock as he realized what was actually happening. "When did he release those attacks?"

    When Rudeus raised his head, Nathan had pointed his signature gun at him. "I told you I want aplete victory."

    Bam!

 Chapter 239: Delayed Attacks

    Sera couldn''t help but drop her jaw. The result was simply shocking. Everyone would definitely think Nathan was weaker than Rudeus.

    Even if he could win against Rudeus, it would be a hard fight.

    However, the result couldn''t be any different. He crushed Rudeus. His minotaur was dead, and Rudeus could do nothing against him.

    As expected, those bullets were actually the ones determining the battle.

    Vivian asked, "Did you see what he did?"

    "That''s¡­" Sera paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "The moment the gnome created a wall, they had lost. It was true that for the gnome, killing Nathan when he was focused on the wall would be easy.

    "However, the gnome didn''t realize that Nathan''s attacks would curve so much. Normally, the curves would follow a parabolic trajectory, so if those attacks wanted to loop around the wall, it required more distance.

    "For some reason, he was able to control his attacks that way. The sharp curves took the gnome aback, but because he couldn''t see the gnome and his control wasn''t perfect, he didn''t manage to kill the gnome.

    "Then he sent forth those attacks into the air, letting them hover in the air for a bit. The first wave came as expected, but that was only for the sake of lowering Rudeus'' guard. And that was when the second wave came, taking him by surprise.

    "He skillfully took advantage of the blinding sunlight to cover those attacks."

    Vivian shook her head. "That''s not it. He doesn''t have the ability to let those bullets hover in the air. Do you think you can do that with your current control?"

    "That''s¡­" She shook her head. "I can''t."

    "Exactly." Vivian exined, "He actually shot those bullets at the same time."

    "But if he did that, how did he create a dyed attack?"

    "That''s pretty simple. He first summoned thirty bullets and split them into two groups. The first group would be looping around him so that they would fall on top of Rudeus. The second group had a simr trajectory but was set to fly much higher. The loop was also shortened so that the bullets would fall near the gnome."

    "What? Impossible. If he did that, Rudeus could just leave, right?"

    "That''s exactly the reason for that sunlight. Rudeus will lower his guard, which will force him into Nathan''s trap."

    "A trap?"

    "Yes. After blocking that first attack, Rudeus has a lot of options. He can move in all directions, which means those bullets will miss him.

    "However, to avoid this kind of oue, Nathan destroyed the wall as if he were aiming for the gnome. In fact, this was also the reason he chose to receive Rudeus'' punch in the first engagement.

    "Rudeus will think that his hand-to-handbat is much superior to Nathan. Hence, he believes he can save the gnome.

    "By forcing Rudeus to think of saving the gnome as the best choice, he has just single-handedly ended the match."

    "But¡­ if something goes wrong, he will end up at a disadvantage." Sera couldn''t believe it. It was as if Nathan were able to see the future.

    "He has made severalyers of traps, so it''s bound to seed. I guess he is pretty annoyed that he chose to defeat him like this. Then again, I don''t think Rudeus will just take this result silently. I have to make some preparations." Vivian sighed.

    "How can he even do this? Does he predict the future?"

    "Not at all. A veteran fighter will know how an amateur will move. Why? That''s simple. They have that experience.

    "Experience, information, and maniption. Those three are the most basic things you need to defeat your enemy in an unpredictable way. Nathan has experienced Rudeus'' way of fighting him.

    "Rudeus must be convinced of himself that his ability is higher than Nathan. And he processes that information and takes advantage of it.

    "Last but not least, the maniption of emotion and ego causes his downfall. This is what Nathan has always said. The more the enemy believes they can win, the higher the chance for them to mess up. You better remember that."

    She couldn''t help but feel chills down her spine. Rudeus and August had put up a good fight, but it was useless against Nathan.

    It seemed she didn''t make the wrong choice.

    The moment Rudeus lost, all three familiars disappeared alongside him.

    "What? Rudeus. Why are you dragging me down?" August gritted his teeth in annoyance. He had fought so well. He even used his family''s power to increase the chance of them winning. Yet, it didn''t matter.

    Rudeus had lost against Nathan, even with the gnome helping him.

    In the end, he would end up bing aughingstock. That was why Rudeus'' loss annoyed him. After all, it also meant they wouldn''t get any resources from this event.

    August didn''t acknowledge the fact that he would be nothing if he had to fight against Selena by himself. It was only because of Rudeus'' support that he was able to endure Yin Zhen''s assault.

    It didn''t take long for him to be defeated by Yin Zhen, especially since Fenrir joined the fight.

    The winner of the ck Arena was none other than Nathan and Selena, and it wasn''t even a close fight.

    "Huu¡­" Nathan let out a sigh of relief before extending his hand. "Are you alright?"

    Risa smiled wryly. Her arms were still hurt, but she still reached for Nathan''s hand. "Thank you. Are you perhaps angry at him because of me?"

    "Of¡ª!" Nathan wanted to say something, but he soon felt the chilling gaze from behind him. It was obvious whose gaze it was.

    Without hesitation, Nathan turned around and lifted Selena up at the waist before spinning around. "Thank you, Selena. Because of you, we''re able to be the champion."

    Selena was startled and couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. Her face was red, as she couldn''t help but say, "Let me down. What are you doing? This is embarrassing."

 Chapter 240: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

    "Congrattions. You have won the ck pearl. You are officially first rank in this event." Sera smiled.

    "Thank you." Nathan nodded with a smile, obviously ignoring the cold gaze from the side. Nathan then looked around as if he wanted to find someone.

    "No need to look for them. Both of them have left." Jason came to him. "With me and other teachers as the witnesses, we have concluded that you are the champion, and no one can say otherwise."

    "Oh." Nathan acknowledged the victory.

    "You have performed brilliantly. As the winner of the ck pearl, you and your partner, Selena Ashton, will be rewarded with an A-grade room, 1,000 proto-ss cores, and 1 epic item."

    "Thank you." Nathan and Selena nodded.

    "This is the form for the room change." Jason took out two papers for each of them. "Just sign it and you should be able to move in tomorrow. As for the epic item, it''ll take a bit longer. I don''t think I need to exin it to you guys."

    "Yes. We''ll take care of it." Nathan grabbed the paper. The room was a luxury, but the epic item would allow him to summon his next familiar. He currently had six thousand cores for thepensation and reward from thest incident.

    Considering the increase in his quality, he could probably get a total of ten thousand Ena by the time he finished absorbing them. Still, ten thousand cores would take quite a while to absorb.

    At the same time, he was thinking about raising all his familiars to at least 5,000 Ena before attempting to summon his next familiar. In addition, he wanted to have 10,000, if not 15,000, Ena before the summoning ritual.

    Selena looked at the form and fell silent for a moment, as if there was something she wanted with this form.

    "For now, you can take these and get some rest. Submit it before the end of the day and everything will be good."

    "Alright. Thank you very much, Teacher." Now that he had gotten what he wanted, everything would be perfect.

    "By the way, your teacher is waiting in her office. She seems to have something to say."

    "Got it." Nathan then took his leave with Selena. Obviously, Sera was nning to tag along.

    Nathan thought it would just infuriate Selena, but all of a sudden, Selena opened her mouth. "Nathan. You can go ahead first. There is something I''d like to do."

    "Are you sure?" Nathan tilted his head. Whenever she got angry, it would be reflected on her face, so he was confused when she didn''t show any expression.

    "Yes." She nodded.

    "Alright then." Nathan and Sera ended up visiting Vivian''s office. Of course, Sera couldn''t join, and she was forced to leave because it would take a while.

    On the other hand, Selena was visiting a person. It wasn''t her brother who was trying to harm Nathan. It also wasn''t the principal who was her teacher.

    Instead, the person she visited right after the match was Rudeus.

    "Hmm? Why are you here? Are you going to mock me? Don''t be excessive, Selena Ashton. If you are going to humiliate me, I have a lot of ways to make your life miserable." Rudeus was furious.

    However, Selena simply took out the room change form. "This is the room change. I believe you need it."

    "Huh?" Rudeus clenched his fists, thinking this was an insult.

    "The most noticeable reward this event has is the room. You can use your influence to get an epic item or cores.

    "That''s why if you get the room, you can im a lot of things for your family. Even if they have a lot of eyes, they will believe you more if you just say this is for the sake of the royal family or that you have taken an interest in him. That''s why you offer peace or some sort of agreement, trying to pull him into the Liaystian Kingdom.

    "All kinds of lies are more believable than the report from those who are monitoring you. After all, you can simply ask, ''Why would you get the room if you lost?''

    "This way, you won''t lose your position or support even after this defeat. I''m sure you can deal with the rest by yourself, right?"

    Rudeus frowned. This was indeed a convenient tool for him to forge a lie. He could im he wanted Nathan to be stronger and feel he owed him for giving him that first ce.

    Even if that was a lie, no one could prove it.

    Rudeus asked, "I don''t think you are going to give this for free. What do you want?"

    "I want you to take no action against Nathan and me. As long as you do that, I will keep my mouth shut as well. Besides, with thisfortable room, you should have an easier time in the academy, right?"

    "That''s not a hard thing to do. To think that you would cover up for him after all this¡­ I don''t know what to say." Rudeus sighed.

    "It doesn''t matter. As long as you fulfill your side of the agreement, I will do the same."

    "Alright. I''ll ept this room. In exchange, I won''t try to harm him. No. I promise I won''t do any sort of maniption against him anymore. Satisfied?"

    "Yes." Selena nodded.

    If Nathan were here, he would definitely ask why Selena would do such a thing.

    However, the answer was actually much simpler than he originally thought.

    ¡­

    One hourter.

    Nathan came out of Vivian''s office, finding Selena waiting in the corridor.

    "Selena? Have you finished your business? How long have you been waiting here?"

    "I''ve just arrived."

    "Is that so?"

    "By the way, you are too excessive. Rudeus will being at you because of that fight."

    "I know. That''s why¡ª" Selena abruptly stopped him and finished his words. "That''s why I offer my room to Rudeus. This way, he won''t do anything to you."

    "What?" Nathan wanted to say that he had a n, but Selena simply said, "My solution is easier. Besides, I don''t have an amodation right now. You are not heartless enough to let me go back to my small room, right?"

    Nathan coughed a few times, wondering if he heard it wrong. That was her true intention. She had realized a bigger threat than Rudeus. It was Sera.

    By sacrificing her room, she not only could keep Rudeus in check but also maintain her superiority against Serafina.

    And Nathan could never say no to such a request.

    In the end, the student name in the form had increased, with a heart mark at the end.

 Chapter 241: Panicking Count Ashton

    "This is¡­" The acting Count Ashton was trembling when he received the report from his son about the academy.

    In that letter, he had learned about Selena''s second and third familiars. He obviously had no knowledge about Lilitu and Jiangshi, which were the races registered by Selena. However, he understood the importance of discovering a new familiar.

    She thought the rumor about her second familiar would be everything, but he was wrong. She once again summoned a new species.

    "Kh. How can she even summon all these new races? Is she building up a reputation where she summons the new races? But her roots remain with the vampire. Don''t tell me, is there some sort of connection between these familiars with vampires?

    "Even if there is no rtionship between them, the fact that she can summon a new familiar will be beneficial for many people. What if she proves it once again?

    "People wille to her, asking for information about other species. It''s like she is discovering a new lineage of species. And if they''re supporting her because of that¡­"

    He clenched his fists and mmed the table. "You cheap slut. How dare you ruin everything I''ve built so far?

    "No. This is not over. How in the world does she summon the second familiar? ording to the witness, she asked the item personally, which meant she had that information beforehand.

    "Don''t tell me¡­" The count gasped, realizing what happened. "This damnedmoner. How dare he¡­ He must be the one giving that information. Even if he''s not, his familiar should be the one having that knowledge.

    "But¡­" The count became even more frustrated after knowing the rumor about Nathan being Vivian''s disciple. If he touched Nathan, Vivian would being at him. Even if he had this title for the time being, the royal family would simply turn a blind eye, believing they deserved it.

    That was why he couldn''t touch Nathan. And Selena seemed to be using him to protect herself.

    "I need to remove him from the picture first. What should I do¡­" The count bit his lips, trying to figure out a way to separate Selena and Nathan. "I also have to find out about Lilitu and Jiangshi."

    It might be due to her being overshadowed by her own summoner. He didn''t realize that Risa, who was supposed to be a countess, had be a marquis.

    No, he had miscalcted one more thing. By the time he received the letter, Risa was currently sucking on Nathan''s blood.

    "Ugh¡­" Risa felt her body be hotter and hotter as she sucked Nathan''s blood.

    But she was suddenly interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

    "!!!" Risa snapped back, opening her eyes wide. It was there she noticed Nathan''s pale face.

    "Ah?!" Risa panicked and tried to get off him. "I-I''m sorry!"

    Nathan waved his hand with a smile. "You just got a bit excited this time. Did something happen?"

    "I felt like I''m on the verge of evolution, so I didn''t realize I already sucked too much blood. I¡ª!" It was her turn to have a pale face, thinking this blunder might displease Nathan, which ultimately stopped providing her blood.

    Nathan chuckled. "That''s good then. To think that you would be a Duchess pretty soon. It might take a bit longer for bing a royalty and a progenitor after that, but it''s not just a dream."

    "You''re not angry?"

    "Why should I get angry? Getting stronger is the most important right now." Nathan subtly hinted about what happened in thepetition. She really needed to get stronger or she would be hurt again.

    In fact, this was the reason Nathan gave his blood earlier than the schedule.

    If Risa could be a duchess, it would definitely be beneficial for the group. Considering the rest had been progressing by leaps and bounds, causing Sasha to have a hard time catching up, it wouldn''t be weird if Selena summoned Sasha less and less.

    In fact, she might prefer not to call Sasha when they fight against a mature ss alien in the near future.

    Meanwhile, Nathan could summon literally everyone if necessary, but unlike Selena, he could choose not to summon one particr familiar not because he was weak but because the terrain or circumstances didn''t require him.

    "Are you done?" Selena asked, sitting across Nathan. Her expression remained unchanged, as if she were less bothered by Risa than Sera.

    The room they got from thispetition was quite spacious. In fact, Nathan thought this was an apartment.

    There were a total of three rooms inside. The first was the master bedroom, which was quite spacious, allowing them to do everything.

    The second room would be the utility room, from gyms to shelves for studies. Thest room was abination of kitchen and living room.

    Yes, they had a kitchen in their living room. They could get something for themselves or heat up the leftovers, depending on what they wanted.

    And that was the exact reason why, despite being a marchioness, Risa was actually wearing an apron.

    She trulymitted to her own words.

    "Yes." Risa nodded furiously.

    Nathan asked, "Selena. How about you joining the student council?"

    "Hmm? Me? Haven''t you joined the student council? If I join as well, people will think I have abused our rtionship to get into that position, which will be counterproductive." Selena shook her head.

    "No. I''m thinking about leaving the student council. With your ability and the fact you''re the sage''s student, I don''t think it''ll be a problem for you to join the student council. Besides, it will also hide thetter from your family, which can be a card to crush them. Besides, the student council doesn''t suit me."

    Selena thought for a moment. There was definitely a lot of benefit in joining the student council.

    Besides, if she could build up her reputation, it would help Nathan as well.

    "I don''t see any problem in me joining the student council."

    "In that case, let''s go to the student council after finishing our breakfast. Everything has been taken care of and they have agreed to take you in after we win against Rudeus and August."

    "¡­" Selena''s eyebrows twitched. Yesterday, it was her trying to solve the grudge between Rudeus and Nathan, but Nathan seemed to not want to lose by giving her a free pass to the student council. "Alright."

 Chapter 242: Clue

    As soon as they reached the student council, Flora couldn''t help but p her hands.

    "Congrattions. I have never thought you would be able to defeat Rudeus like that. This is simply beyond my imagination. It seems you already know this will happen before you ask me to ept her to the student council.

    "Of course, the avatar itself has shown the degree of her strength. Even a third-year student has a hard time to condense their Ena to such a degree. Her talent in Ena Maniption can be said to be the best among the students at the Frexia Academy.

    "Having such an addition to the student council is wee."

    Her words just confirmed Selena''s suspicion. As expected, he wouldn''t suggest something he wasn''t sure of.

    "Nevertheless, this means I can leave the student council." Nathan smiled.

    Flora''s eyebrows twitched. "What if I told you the reason I ept her is because of you?"

    "Are you sure about that? If she is not qualified, then nobody among the first year is qualified to join the student council."

    Flora opened her mouth, wanting to say that he was the most important. But Nathan had raised his hand as if telling her to stop. "Besides, you can alwayse to her whenever you need my help. Isn''t that what matters?"

    "!!!" Flora and Selena understood Nathan''s intention. By increasing Selena''s value like this, Nathan would still have the force of the student council even without joining it.

    Besides, Selena''s position in her household was rather vague. By distancing from Flora, Nathan created a situation where Flora had no other choice but to turn to Selena in case she needed help.

    In the future, she had no other choice but to help Selena in her fight against her own family if she wanted to keep Nathan by her side.

    ''Whatmoner? There''s no way amoner can be this good in politics.'' Flora was biting her lips inwardly. However, the person before her was indeed amoner. He just had the experience of reading a lot of stories regarding nobles and what they did during their times as a noble.

    Flora took a deep breath and said, "Alright. I understand. However, you still have to fulfill what you''ve promised first."

    "Of course. I will start today." Nathan smiled. He gently pushed Selena to Flora by saying, "In that case, please take care of her."

    "Yeah." Flora wanted to curse someone, but she waspletely outyed. She usually was the one outsmarting people, but Nathan''s thoughts eluded even her. Nathan didn''t y everything by the book, which made his action hard to predict.

    Nevertheless, she could probably trust in his ability.

    "Learn well. I''m going to take care of something!" Nathan winked, as if telling her to take advantage of this situation to get closer to Flora.

    Nathan then politely nodded to Noelle. "Senior. I''ll be in your care."

    "Yes. You''re the leader. I''ll follow your instructions. You don''t have a problem with it, right?"

    "Of course."

    "What are we going to do now?"

    "Let''s¡­" Nathan grinned.

    What Nathan wanted to do was actually patrolling the school.

    Yes, it was just a simple patrol. Even Noelle was confused by the purpose of this patrol, considering they had never caught someone by this kind of patrol.

    In addition, he was doing it during the day, which meant there were a lot of teachers and students going back and forth in the academy.

    There was no one foolish enough to operate under everyone''s watch.

    That was why Nathan''s action confused her.

    However, the weirdest thing about his action was the fact that he visited only public spaces. He had never gone to the ssrooms, whether it was the first year or the third year.

    Instead, he was visiting a ce that would be visited by some people but couldn''t be considered crowded, such as the cafeteria and even the training field.

    "Do you know where I can find a book rted to Ena Maniption?" Nathan asked a student in front of him.

    She was a second-year student in charge of the library.

    "You can find it on the second floor. It will be the third shelf on the right."

    "Thank you." Nathan smiled.

    While they wereing up, Noelle couldn''t help but ask, "Junior. What are we doing exactly?"

    Nathan chuckled. "What are we doing? Isn''t it obvious? I''m leaving my girlfriend behind to go around with you."

    "Are you cheating? Wait. Polygamy is epted and even encouraged to spread summoner bloodline, but aren''t you too low, Junior? I might have misjudged your character." Noelle frowned.

    "Hahaha. I''m just joking. Actually, there''s something I''d like to ask you." Nathan raised one finger. "I forgot my item in my ss. I want to grab it right now, but since I have to read some books here, I hope you can help me."

    "What?" Noelle clenched her teeth. She couldn''t believe what he had just said.

    In the fit of anger, she stomped the floor and exited the library.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn after she left.

    While grabbing one book after another, Nathan muttered, ''From all the stories I have read so far, they would nevere to a ssroom or anything rted to a teacher. In fact, out of ten cases, seven of them will appear in the library.

    ''If they have been watching the academy, they should have infiltrated the enemy since the beginning. All that is left is for me to find a clue about their existence.

    ''But if even the student council can''t find a single clue about them, how can I do it? Instead of finding them, I''ll just bring them to me.''

    And this library was thest ce that he wanted to check. To force the enemy to make a move, he chose to send away Noelle.

    As he expected, his n worked.

    When he grabbed another book, a letter suddenly slipped off the book and fell to the ground. This letter had just proven everything that he needed to know, whether it was the nature of the organization, their intention, or his importance in their eyes.

    With a smug smile in his heart, he grabbed the letter.

 Chapter 243: Finding the Culprit (Bonus)

    Noelle asked quietly, while taking a peek at where Nathan should have been. "What kind of item do you even need? I have asked your ssmate, but you don''t leave behind any item¡­"

    But she soon stopped when she didn''t find Noel there. "Eh? Where is he?"

    Noelle was confused and soon became furious, wondering if he was just ying with her. However, she couldn''t help but think of another possibility. What if Nathan was kidnapped by the enemy as a way to warn them not to search for them?

    ¡­

    While Noelle was confused about his whereabouts, Nathan was already heading to a different ce. It was all because of the letter.

    ''ssmate Nathan. I have been admiring you silently for a long time. Your face keeps appearing in my mind, your existence makes my day, and your smile brightens my world.

    ''I just hope you''re able to meet me in the back of the Grand Hall. I''d like to say a secret I''ve been keeping this whole time.''

    As if showing his happiness, Nathan was humming as he headed to the destination.

    As soon as he reached the hall, he looped around the building to find whoever sent that message.

    And there was no one at the back of the hall, as if this person was ying with him.

    That was when he felt the cold metal pressing against his neck. He could feel the softness on his back, which implied the gender of the person.

    "Don''t move." Her voice was cold. "To think that you''re foolish enough to fall for such a trap. Maybe we have overestimated you."

    Nathan smiled as if he knew this would happen. In fact, his confident smile made it look like he wasn''t afraid of death.

    "So, what are you going to do to me now?" Nathan asked yfully.

    "Are you ying around? Do you think I don''t dare to kill you?" She gritted her teeth.

    "You won''t kill me. If you want to kill me, you don''t have to wait this whole time. Let''s see¡­ ssmate Nathan? No one has ever said that to me. You should learn how they talk to me first if you want to make a move.

    "Admiring me silently? That''s thest thing anyone will do in my ss. My existence makes your day? I''m literally terrorizing my ss.

    "If you want to talk to me, you should have waited until the ss was over to make it more believable."

    The woman''s body shook. She dropped her guard for a moment, but Nathan didn''t make his move, as if he was convinced she didn''t n to kill her.

    "You know everything from the beginning? Then why are you falling into that trap? What are you nning? Tell me."

    The woman pressed the knife a bit more, but not enough to make him bleed.

    Nathan simply said, "I actually have a few questions for you and your organization. I know you have been watching the academy, but I have been wondering about your intention.

    "And from what is currently happening, I can make a guess. Your organization¡­ it must be an independent organization that has been operating in secret.

    "The fact that you''ve be more active around the Frexia Academy recently must be rted to the new terrorist organization.

    "From those few points, I conclude you are trying to get information or secure something because you get a certain clue.

    "That''s why I have been testing you. If your purpose is to harm me or any students, you would have done it already. If your organization is a terrorist organization, you will definitely take advantage of the chaos.

    "Hence, your letter has just confirmed everything. The student council has been making it hard for you guys. That''s why you''re trying to aim for me, a new member."

    The woman was in utter shock. "You know everything? You¡­. How do you know? Tell me or I will slice your throat!"

    "It seems you finally want to talk. How about releasing me now? I don''t like talking in this position. Well, unless you prefer to spoil me with the sensation of your breast, I don''t really mind."

    "You lecherous bastard!" The woman was debating inwardly if she should let him go. It wasn''t like he could escape from her.

    After some consideration, she finally released him. Nathan took a few steps forward and turned around, finding the one who had been pressing her de against his neck.

    She was a woman. That was certain. However, she was getting covered with a ck robe and the lower half of her face was covered with a mask.

    "Heh¡­" Nathan smirked. "The reason you''re able to catch this lecherous bastard is because I''m that lecherous bastard."

    "Hurry up and talk!" The woman red at him.

    "Before that, I have some questions. It''s just a simple yes and no question." Nathan didn''t bother to wait for her response, knowing she would just threaten him again. He asked, "Is your organization small? Is your boss a woman? Is your boss sexy, cold, and strong? Maybe young, but not that young.

    She must be talented."

    "!!!" The woman was startled. That reaction gave enough information for Nathan.

    His smile widened as he yfully rubbed his hands against each other while asking, "Ahem. Does your organization need a new member? I can be a double agent for you. I''m not nning to betray the Frexia Academy, but I can provide you with a lot of information. I believe our goal is aligned."

    The woman was clenching her dagger tighter, as if she had a hard time containing herself.

    "If you are still ying around, I''m going to kill you."

    "Kill me? That''s impossible." Nathan smirked.

    "Impossible? It''s up to my judgment if I should kill you or not. It seems I have given you too much freedom. Since you don''t n to speak, I''m going to open your mouth even if I have to torture you."

    Nathan''s expression turned dark as he said in a cold tone, "Sure. Do that. Let''s see whether you can harm even a single strand of my hair before you die or not."

    Little did the woman know, there was actually a silhouette on top of a building far away from them.

    The figure was aiming her bow at this woman as Ena started to crack at the tip of her arrow.

    She was the reason Nathan was able to do such a reckless thing.

 Chapter 244: According to Plan (Bonus)

    The previous day.

    "What did you say?" Vivian widened her eyes. After calling Nathan to congratte him, she didn''t expect Nathan to have such an unreasonable demand.

    "Yes. I''m sure you have heard about it as well, Master¡­ about the organization that has been watching the academy."

    "I know, but why do you want to join such an organization?"

    "There are four reasons¡­ I mean, three reasons."

    "Oi! Do you think I don''t know what reason you dismiss? Be serious!" Vivian''s eyebrows twitched. "If you feel unsatisfied, you can just tell me. I can do that much for my students. I don''t want you to do something this reckless!

    No. Why would you even do something like this in the first ce? This is unlike you."

    "Unlike me, huh?" Nathan smiled wryly. "As I said, there are three reasons. This organization most likely consisted of elites. They might even be stronger than anyone''s expectation.

    "If I can gain their support by bing their member, it means I can take advantage of theirwork and strength to both protect myself and crush this terrorist organization.

    "Last but not least, you have always wanted me to have an influence that can protect me, right? I believe this organization is perfect. That''s why I''ll be a double agent for both sides."

    "This is not like you, Nathan. If it''s the usual you, you would have stayed away from trouble. This reckless thing might get you killed. This is different from your usualposed and rational way of thinking!" Vivian bit her lips.

    "No. Even if I try to escape from this problem, will I be able to do that, Master? Will they leave me alone? I know more than anyone that my life will be filled with trouble because of one simple reason. It''s simply because I can only summon beasts. That alone will fill my life with an unlimited amount of trouble.

    "Rather than just letting the probleme to me, I''d rather get an upper hand first!" Nathan looked Vivian in the eyes as if he had made a decision.

    Vivian bit her lips. She wanted to stop Nathan, but it looked like he was determined to do it. If she didn''t give the permission, Nathan would do it in one way or another.

    "You¡­" Vivian was so frustrated that if this wasn''t in the school, she would break a thing or two.

    Nathan raised one finger. "And because of it, I hope you can fulfill one request of mine."

    "What is it?" Vivian wanted to reject it right away, but soon calmed down. If Nathan had thought this through, it meant he had enough preparation to guarantee his sess.

    "Among your familiars, is there someone who can kill a person from a distance? Preferably someone strong and can stay not far from me when observing me. Even though I have some confidence, I need some assurance. This is the only way for me to protect myself. Of course, I don''t need any more protection if my n seeds."

    Vivian thought for a moment. "That would be Silvania. Her power is much stronger than Alisha''s and she is also a bow user."

    "That''s great. Can you call her for me?"

    Vivian nodded.

    Silvania was clueless about what Nathan wanted, but Nathan only gave her two orders.

    First of all, she had to maintain a certain distance from him starting the next day. She would follow him and stalk him, if possible, trying to figure out whatever he was nning to do.

    The second order was, "Kill the opponent if I raise both of my hands as if I''m trying to surrender."

    Silvania remembered those two orders as she pointed her bow at this woman who threatened Nathan. She was already ufortable with how this woman treated the person she recognized.

    However, she couldn''t kill her yet because Nathan hadn''t given the sign.

    Still, the first order allowed her to find out about the letter. That was why when Nathan went to the back of the hall, she positioned herself in a ce where she could kill this woman right away.

    This was the assurance Nathan was talking about. As long as Silvania was here, Nathan could do something a bit reckless.

    But Nathan might have a miscalction.

    "!!!" Silvania''s body trembled as she saw another person appearing out of nowhere.

    ''A blonde? She is actually much stronger than that assassin? No. This kind of level¡­ it''s simr or stronger than the mistress.

    ''No way. The young master''s prediction is actually true? This organization really has someone, while young, but her strength is approaching the level of the Frexia Academy''s sage.

    ''Still, she looks like she is only in herte twenties¡­ Who¡ª!'' She abruptly stopped as she thought about a person. ''Don''t tell me. This woman is¡­''

    As she was realizing the identity of the woman, thetter was saying to Nathan, "It seems you are trying to enter the Sleeping Garden. But don''t you think your method is too excessive?"

    Nathan gulped down. Everything turned out to go ording to his expectation.

    "I have to do it even if I don''t want to." Nathan shook his head calmly. "I apologize if you feel offended by it, but I don''t n to throw my life away."

    "In that case, I will ask you a different question. Why do you want to join the Sleeping Garden?"

    "Do I even need to answer that question? You should have seen through my intentions." Nathan smirked.

    "Leader¡­" The assassin looked worried, thinking the leader would fall for Nathan''s trick.

    "Onest question. Why do you think I should ept you?"

    Nathan raised two fingers. "My strength might be small, but I still have my own uniqueness. And the fact that you approach me instead of anyone else means I''m somewhat special in your eyes.

    "The second reason is information. As I said earlier, I can give you information from the academy or even the intention of the Holy Kingdom. epting me will definitely ease your burden, and eventually, I will be a strong force within the organization as well."

    The leader remained silent for a few seconds before snapping her fingers.

    All of a sudden, cracks appeared in the air, creating a dome-shaped crack and isting all three of them inside this crack.

    "!!!" Silvania was startled because she couldn''t see Nathan, but these cracks suddenly shattered like sses, and all three of them, including Nathan, were gone.

    Silvania lowered her bow, muttering, "Does this mean everything work ording to n?"

 Chapter 245: Evelyn Lavender

    "What did you say?"

    "The one leading that organization seems to be Evelyn Lavender," Silvania repeated herself.

    Vivian clenched her hands into fists. "Are you talking about that Evelyn?"

    "Yes. She should be the famous Evelyn Lavender, the woman who is known to be one of the most talented people in this world. Her talent is said to rival the Undead King in the north." Silvania nodded.

    "How can you be so sure? After all, that woman is supposed to have died five years ago!"

    Silvania obviously knew which incident she was talking about.

    Silvania nodded. "I can assure you, Mistress. It''s really her."

    "What''s the proof?"

    "Before she took him away, she cracked the air with a snap of her fingers. When it shattered, everyone was already gone."

    "Crack¡­" Vivian bit her lips.

    "Five years ago, there was a banquet inviting all the rising stars from all over the world who are still under 30 years old. Back then, you were invited to the banquet as one of the stars.

    "However, it was said that the true star in that banquet was Evelyn. Despite being one of the youngest, her strength was among the top.

    "However, that banquet was soon known as the Bloody Banquet. It was attacked by an unknown force and killed a lot of the rising stars. Evelyn was supposed to have died in that banquet.

    "If the person I saw was the true Evelyn, it meant she hadn''t died. No, the fact she hid herself after that incident might be aligned to the organization she created. If that was the case, the unknown force that killed her¡­ as well as the one who killed¡­" Silvania stopped when she saw Vivian''s dark expression.

    She couldn''t continue. After all, that was where Vivian lost one of her familiars. It was because of that reason she was stuck at this level.

    Vivian was so confident she could handle the problem, which resulted in the death of her familiar.

    If she hadn''t lost one familiar that day, she might probably have been stronger. It wouldn''t be weird if her strength was already approaching the sage by this time.

    That was why she couldn''t continue. She asked, "So what should we do, Mistress? The young master has been taken away, so should we chase after her?"

    Vivian took a deep breath. "No. There''s no need to do so. Evelyn might be entric or ruthless, but she is not evil. If she took him that way, it was clear Nathan would be safe. At the very least, she would return him alive even if they had an argument."

    "In that case¡­" Silvania''s expression turned solemn. "The unknown force that attacked the banquet that day¡­"

    "Yes. It''s possible for them to be the same force that we''re fighting right now. If that''s the case, we have to stop them, no matter what."

    "Their reason must be to kill the prominent people so that they can''t develop, allowing them to control the world much easier."

    "It''s a possibility, but we don''t know their true intentions right now." She shook her head.

    "Alright. Should we inform the principal about it?"

    Vivian crossed her arms. "No. Let''s not. I''ll just tell Nathan if he can reveal that information, he can give it to the principal directly. After all, I don''t want him to be kicked from there."

    "I see. He needs to gain their trust. After all, he''sing as a double agent, providing information for both sides." Silvania nodded in understanding.

    "Yes. But it appears his luck has run out. Out of all people, he has to face that Evelyn."

    "Hmm? Is there something wrong?"

    "You might not know, but Evelyn was someone I considered a rival back then, so I studied her a lot. It was said that she had three fiances in the past. The first fiance got crushed by her and his pride shattered. It was said he became a fool after that.

    "The second guy tried to molest her and ended up bing an eunuch. The third one lost his life because he dared to threaten him.

    "This would probably make him understand how to restrain his horniness." Vivian nodded in satisfaction.

    "What if he ends up bing an eunuch¡­" Silvania smiled wryly.

    "That''s not going to happen. While he is that way, he is not a fool. He knows how to act. Unless the other party is determined to kill him, I don''t think he will be the one to suffer." Vivian shrugged.

    "But that Noelle is still searching for him."

    "Let her be. Even Sullivan wouldn''t say anything if Nathan was the culprit." Vivian shrugged. "Anyway, Nathan should return pretty soon, so you can go back for now."

    "Alright then." Silvania nodded as she disappeared into thin air.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Nathan had been dragged to another ce. It was apletely different ce, as Evelyn was actually bringing them through a portal.

    "Ouch." Nathan fell on his butt after Evelyn put him down. The assassinnded next to him.

    "Where is this?" Nathan raised his head, finding himself inside a small hall. There was a round table underneath the chandelier. The wall, the ceiling, or the floor were made of wood, which made the atmosphere warmer.

    Still, there was no other decoration inside this room, which made this space unusuallyrge.

    "What is this? You brought back a person, Captain?" A male''s voice echoed.

    Nathan shifted his vision and found a man with tan skin. From his face, he seemed to be in his mid twenties. However, Nathan could feel boundless strength from him. His eyes were glued to the pair of curved swords hanging around his waist.

    "He should be the unique summoner of the Frexia Academy, Nathan." A woman was crossing her legs while examining Nathan. She had a long tobo pipe in her hand.

    "The one who is said to summon beasts?" A big man with a gentle smile pped his hands as if he were praying.

    "Why do you bring this person back, Captain? Is it because he will be our hostage? Or¡­" A muscr middle-aged man crossed his arms while squinting his eyes.

    "He is probably going to be interesting, so I bring him back. Who knows? He might be the seventh member," Evelyn said while moving to her seat.

    Still, her words couldn''t help but surprise everyone.

    "!!!"

 Chapter 246: Test

    "!!!"

    "Captain. You¡­"

    "A new member?"

    "The only one who was invited by the captain was¡­" They couldn''t help but turn to the woman.

    "It was me." She nodded while putting down her pipe. "To think that you would bring him here as a new member. It''s quite surprising, Evelyn. Is it because of his master?"

    "Not really. If I have to say the reason¡­" Evelyn turned to the assassin. "It''s because Sonia almost died in his hands."

    "Almost died? What? Is he that strong? But isn''t he only a first-year student? Even if he is strong, he shouldn''t be enough to harm Sonia."

    "That''s right. He can''t do anything to me," Sonia protested.

    Evelyn simply nced at her friend. "Be. Clean her up."

    "Hmm?" Isabe tilted her head in confusion, but she soon inhaled her pipe before blowing it all out. The smoke expanded and moved like it was alive, enveloping Sonia.

    All of a sudden, there was a fluctuation of Ena that was soon neutralized by the smoke itself.

    "!!!" All of them couldn''t help but widen their eyes.

    "A mark?" They were rmed and hurriedly raised their weapons, as if they were ready to fight. They finally understood why Evelyn said he could kill Sonia. If Evelyn didn''t intervene and Nathan wanted to kill her, she would probably have died.

    And it seemed Nathan didn''t want to cause any harm to this organization. The fact that she mentioned a new member meant Nathan intended to join this organization.

    "I can''t ept this. If he is intending to harm this group¡­ No, his identity is rather sensitive. If we ept him into one of us." The tan guy frowned.

    "He will be our messenger and a double agent. Besides, this will be a good thing. As long as he doesn''t reveal our names, it doesn''t bother me. And what piques my interest is not his familiars; it''s his brain."

    They never thought Evelyn would have such a high evaluation of Nathan.

    "However, he still needs to pass the test." Evelyn added.

    "A test, huh? His personality and character are questionable, but if he is useful¡­" The tanned guy crossed his arms. "What kind of test will he need to pass?"

    "I''m thinking about it," Evelyn replied, wondering what kind of test would allow her to see Nathan''s potential.

    "How about I bring him with me?" The muscr man asked.

    "Dior? Are you insane?" The big man asked with a wry smile.

    "How about letting him hunt some aliens?" Be gave a suggestion. "Considering his strength, let''s just make him kill a few mutants by himself."

    The others thought it was reasonable, but Evelyn suddenly grabbed her seat and pulled it thirty steps from Nathan.

    After that, she sat down while crossing her legs. She looked down as if she were on a high throne, saying, "The test is simple. Stand in front of me. If you pass, I''ll let you be a part of the Sleeping Garden. What do you say?"

    Nathan''s expression brightened, thinking it wasn''t a big deal. Besides, it would allow him to finish the task in just a few minutes.

    However, the others had a rather bizarre reaction.

    "Eh?"

    "Captain. Are you serious?"

    "What if he dies?"

    "That''ll be bad, isn''t it? He is the Forest Queen''s disciple."

    Be nodded. "Even though I know you are harsh, I don''t think you need to be this harsh."

    "¡­" Nathan blinked his eyes a few times, thinking, ''Ehm, guys. Why are you reacting that way?''

    Nathan started to panic, wondering what kind of torture he had to go through just to reach her.

    "What''s wrong? I''ve given you a simple task. Stand before me and you can join the Sleeping Garden. Isn''t that what you want?"

    Nathan took a deep breath. It seemed she had made up his mind. Then again, he knew it wasn''t supposed to be easy, considering he was clearlying as a double agent. There was no way she would trust him that easily.

    Hence, Nathan nodded his head. "Alright. I will take it."

    The others looked at Nathan as if he were foolish for epting this task.

    "In that case, do it. You only have thirty minutes. You can use your Ena however you want, but you can''t summon your familiar."

    ''I should have read this type of scenario back on Earth. The moment I step forward¡­'' Nathan lifted his right foot. As he was about to take the first step, an immeasurable pressure fell on top of him, causing him to stomp the ground instead of lightly step on the floor.

    "Kh!" Nathan clenched his fists. As he expected, there would be this kind of pressure that stopped him from going.

    "You shouldn''t be reckless. You only need thirty steps, but each step will have more pressure than the previous. If you continue, you might end up with some broken bones. No, even your life might be in danger, especially with your organs bursting from the inside. I suggest you not take this test," Be suggested.

    "You sound like a good person, especially to an outsider who has just threatened one of you." Nathan smirked.

    "You never intended to kill her, and your identity is somewhat special. Even then, they might not be able to do anything against Evelyn." Be shook her head helplessly.

    "Well, this task seems simple enough." Nathan took a deep breath. Since he was allowed to use his Ena, he started revolving his Ena to boost his physical strength.

    As a result, the pressure had be more bearable. He took the second step. It was heavy, but it was something he could handle.

    The third step.

    The fourth step.

    The fifth step.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Once he reached the tenth step, Nathan could feel their worries increasing. The reason was rather simple.

    Their worries were exined the moment he took the eleventh step. The pressure jumped by at least five times.

    "Kh!" Nathan stomped the ground so hard that he ended up cracking the ground. His Ena was zing in full force, trying to bnce this power.

    "The power she receives from her familiars is ''Gravity'' and ''Teleportation.'' It''s already straining your body. Even if you use all your Ena, it''s only enough for the next ten steps. And after that, your organs will begin to fail, your bones will be broken¡­ You might not want to continue, considering you will be too injured to even study once you''re back." Be came again, warning him.

    "Is that so? I''m worried that I''m unable to finish this, but it seems to be easier than expected. Thirty minutes, huh? I will end this in two minutes." Nathan grinned.

 Chapter 247: Easily Passing the Test (Bonus)

    "Two minutes?" Be''s eyebrows were twitching. This was the first time she saw someone who was so weak but so arrogant at the same time, especially in front of Evelyn.

    Evelyn didn''t seem to be bothered by that im. She had given him thirty minutes.

    At first, she thought an hour would allow him to get used to the pressure and gradually move toward her. But to be a part of the Sleeping Garden, she lowered it down to thirty minutes.

    If Nathan could really finish it in two minutes, there was no need to feel insulted, since it showed Nathan''s potential.

    In fact, others would definitely think highly of Nathan after that. But if Nathan could only talk big without the skill to back it up, she would be disappointed.

    After boasting, Nathan increased his pace. The moment he took the twelfth step, Nathan gritted his teeth and dragged his other foot to the front, trying to ignore all the pressure.

    In just thirty seconds, Nathan had actually reached the twentieth step. One more step, and the pressure would increase drastically.

    Even in this step, he could feel his muscles crying. His legs started to shake as if he was about to give up. Only his face remained stubborn.

    Be shut her eyes. His expression was nice since he was a fighter, but this was just a reckless thing to do.

    "He is dragging his body at this point. Once he takes another step, it''ll be over. He might end up crawling."

    "Right? But the captain wants him to stand in front of her. Does that mean he won''t be epted?"

    "Can you even reach her position when your strength is simr to his?"

    "Don''t joke around. I can''t. Only less than ten people in the world can do it, especially at that age. And that''s because they''re nobles who have received prior training. He is just amoner."

    The four members had a low opinion about Nathan, believing he would fail if he struggled just from the first twenty steps.

    Meanwhile, Be once again warned him. "I think it''s fine to give up. You have shown your strength, but unfortunately, that''s not enough. Rather than risking your future, it''s better to give up."

    Nathan smirked. "Then do you mind answering a question of mine?"

    "Hmm?" Be raised her eyebrows.

    "Do you have anyone who can heal a broken bone?" Nathan asked.

    "I can heal you to a certain extent, but that''s only if you manage to join us. And it will probably take a month to heal such a thing, since that''s not my main ability."

    "I see. In that case¡­" Nathan straightened his body, looking at Evelyn in the eyes.

    "Is he going to jump?"

    "Impossible. He''ll just be crushed by the pressure."

    "Right. He shouldn''t attempt such a foolish thing."

    "At least he''s determined."

    The four observed Nathan''s action carefully.

    And this was the time Nathan finally showed the skill to back up his im.

    "!!!" Evelyn suddenly felt chills down her spine as she thought, ''He''sing!''

    Nathan uttered two words, which could only be heard by Be. "Limit Break."

    In that instant, the air started to cause a ripple.

    "This is¡­ wind?" Be noticed what was happening and looked around.

    Those who were farther away didn''t notice it yet, but Nathan actually controlled the wind.

    Evelyn''s eyes opened wide as the wind began to protect him.

    ''No. It is actually propelling him forward?'' Evelyn couldn''t blink because that was when Nathan leaped forward.

    The pressure was so intense that Nathan felt like his bones were going to break. But because he didn''tst there for so long, the umted pressure wasn''t enough to crush his bones.

    In less than a second, he had covered thest ten steps and stood in front of Evelyn.

    Of course, he wasn''t ''standing'' since it was the wind that stabilized his body.

    Even with his tattered body, Nathan grinned as he looked down at Evelyn while saying, "Sorry. It only took me a minute. That other minute was mentioned for an unexpected oue."

    Evelyn, who had been resting her head with her hand as the support, couldn''t help but straighten her body in shock.

    There were a lot of questions in her mind, but Nathan had indeed passed his trial. It was even more amazing when Nathan actually took only three minutes instead of the original thirty minutes.

    It seemed he had underestimated Nathan.

    "What?"

    "Did he just jump?

    "Could that actually be called a jump?"

    "What happened?"

    Be''s face turned solemn. "Wind. The wind was protecting him and propelling him forward. Since Evelyn''s gravity only pushed him down, it wouldn''t really matter as long as there was enough force that pushed him up and forward."

    "Wind?!"

    "Can he actually control the wind? Impossible."

    "He is only a first-year student. Even the Frexia Academy is not crazy enough to teach them ''that.'' Isn''t it supposed to be the curriculum for the second year?"

    "Even so, not many second-year students are bold enough to attempt such a thing. But he is able to control the wind¡­ What kind of freak has juste to this ce?"

    What they didn''t know was that Nathan had prepared this kind of contract since the beginning. He only needed to activate them upon saying those two words.

    Besides, he still had thousands of cores left to swallow, so it didn''t matter if he exhausted some.

    There was no way he could create the contract in battle. That was why, after confirming the possibility of activating the contract by a keyword on the ind, he immediately prepared the contract, just in case.

    And since this ce was a secret organization, there was no way they would reveal his secret. This was the only ce he could use the full potential of his power.

    Nathan asked, "Did I pass the test?"

    Evelyn soon regained her calm and nodded. "Indeed. You''ve passed the test. Congrattions. You are now the seventh member of the Sleeping Garden."

    "That''s good." Nathan sighed as his body copsed like the pressure had beaten him so much that he couldn''t maintain his consciousness.

    Obviously, he targeted his fall to herps.

    But before that could happen, a portal appeared and swallowed him. The next thing he realized, he was falling on top of Be, who ended up catching him.

    Be winked yfully while saying, "Naughty boy."

 Chapter 248: Sleeping Garden (Bonus)

    Evelyn turned to the other four. "Do you have any objection to my decision?"

    "His strength is a real deal, so I don''t have any qualms." The muscr man nodded.

    "Indeed. But I wouldn''t forget the fact that he tried to kill me." The assassin pouted.

    "I don''t mind, but we need to observe him a bit more, making sure that he is trustworthy." The big man pped.

    "Indeed."

    Evelyn nodded. "Alright. Be. You take care of him. The meeting this time is nothing important, so you can teach him all the ropes."

    "Alright." Be nodded. "Let''s go."

    "Ehm¡­" Nathan ended up jumping off, too embarrassed she was carrying him. It seemed Be had known about him faking his action this whole time.

    In the end, Be brought him to a different room. It looked like a living room, aside from a huge ckboard that contained the map of the continent.

    "You naughty guy. I guess she lets you off pretty lightly for your first offense, but you shouldn''t try that again."

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Nathan looked away.

    "Ahem. She was a noble before. Her father tried to partner her up with three people. However, the three of them met a cruel fate. One of them even turned into an eunuch by her own hand."

    "¡­" Nathan shuddered. His hands were covering the most important thing in his life out of reflex. "Ugh. I''m sorry."

    Be chuckled. "But you have truly demonstrated a skill on a level of its own, especiallypared to your peers. Even Evelyn wasn''t that strong when she was your age."

    Nathan shook his head. "I''m still too weak."

    Be knew that even though she was curious, she couldn''t ask for Nathan''s secret. Hence, she didn''t mention his wind ability this whole time.

    Instead, she began with the introduction. "Anyway, I should introduce myself first. Isabe vina, Evelyn''s childhood friend. I was a noble before, but my house had fallen into ruin. My power is rted to smoke. I hope you don''t mind if I''m smoking.

    "Our leader is Evelyn Lavender. She was a noble, but her house is still around. The reason she abandoned her noble status was because of a certain incident. If not for her ability, we would have died there. Her power is, as I said earlier, gravity and space.

    "The assassin that tried to drag you here is Sonia. She is an orphan, but you shouldn''t mention it.

    "As for the tan guy, hees from the desert. He is quite wealthy, and most of our fundse from him. He is a master of dual-wielding. His name is Neyeid Alcaaz.

    "The big guy was formerly a priest, but because he is a big man and his strength is much stronger. He ends up acting like a berserker, which is unsuitable for bing a priest. In the end, I recruited him here. He is Christopher.

    "Last but not least, the muscr guy, Revon Damstar. He is a fighter who uses fists to settle things. Well, to put it simply, he is a muscle brain. He just does everything you order him to do, since he will trust you to be his brain. But he''s a straightforward and honest guy, so people get along with him."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "I see."

    "In that case, do you know what we''re doing?"

    Nathan shook his head.

    "Our original purpose is to deal with the secret organization that has been controlling the world from the shadows. Well, it''s basically for Evelyn''s revenge, and we just end up helping some people along the way.

    "We only have three rules here. Don''t tell anyone about our existence or mention our names during a conversation, don''t harm other members, and help each other when needed."

    Nathan looked down for a moment. "Hmm. That sounds weird. Helping each other¡­ Is it only for a mission or something?"

    "Nope. Some of us are still active in themunity, so if they are in trouble, we help. The same goes for you."

    "In that case, why do you observe the academy? It''s raising people''s suspicions." Nathan frowned.

    "After tracking them down, we have gotten some information about two individuals. The description is rather vague. In fact, Dikkleus has been called the sses. And this time, the second person is called the entric."

    "What? There is another person from that organization?" Nathan frowned. "Another teacher?"

    "We only have that information. We don''t know if this person is a teacher or a student. Our objective is to capture and interrogate them, but after observing the students for a while, we have yet to find anything weird.

    "The teachers are the same, but they are more suspicious because they''re stronger than students, which will make it easier to hide their own strength and affiliation."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "Do you have any other way to identify them?"

    "None. We actually want to ask you that question. Can you identify them?"

    "Unfortunately, no. I can probably do something if there''s an alien in the mix, but if it''s a human, I can''t do much."

    "In that case, what is your goal in joining our organization? It looks like you''re the one volunteering¡­"

    "Heh." Nathan chuckled. "My goal is beyond your understanding."

    "I don''t really care about it, but will it harm us?" Isabe asked, her expression turning cold.

    "No." Nathan shook his head.

    "Alright. That''s enough for me. You will probably go back after this so that no one will find it suspicious. For now, you can take your time inside the academy and check if there''s any suspicious person and report it to us."

    "How? I don''t have the means to contact you."

    "Don''t forget that our captain is a space ability user. She can create a small teleportation circle in your room. We can send each other a letter by using that."

    "Ah, that''s¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head. He should probably tell her it was impossible, considering he had another person living in his room.

    As if realizing what was going on, Isabeughed. "Hahaha. You''re the best. What a naughty boy. Well, that''s for you to worry. Anyway, let me heal you."

    "No. There''s no need. I can heal myself." Nathan shook his head while summoning Anubis.

    Anubis couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows when he saw Nathan''s state. He didn''t know what Nathan had gone through, but looking at Isabe in front of him made him judge Nathan with his eyes.

    "Do you get involved in something troublesome again?"

 Chapter 249: Warning

    Anubis healed Nathan''s injury in a breeze, which surprised Be.

    "This is¡­" Be widened her eyes in shock. "Your healing power¡­ How do you even do that? This level of healing ability is not normal."

    Be didn''t expect that a wound that normally took a few days to heal would be gone in just a few seconds.

    "What?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. This is normal."

    "This is not normal. Do you know that my healing ability is considered quite strong? Normally, someone with a healing ability can close the wound in less than a minute with that amount of Ena.

    "However, your familiar''s healing ability not only closes the wound but also restores the inside, such as muscles and organs. It''s as if he''s turning back in time. No, it''s more like he''s reincarnating those dead cells!"

    "Is that so?" Nathan yed dumb, thinking this was Anubis'' power. He was a god, so it was to be expected. And it wasn''t like his current healing ability was already in its peak form.

    At the same time, there was no way he could tell them about him being a divine beast. So he just turned to Anubis and said, "You are good, aren''t you, buddy?"

    "Hmph!" Anubis harrumphed proudly. "Anyway, since you''re fine now, I''ll return."

    "Yep!" Nathan nodded.

    "And it spoke clearly. Even lower level humanoid familiars like goblins couldn''t talk¡­" Be looked at Nathan. The more she knew him, the more mysterious he became.

    Be inhaled her tobo to calm her down before saying, "Have you shown it to anyone else?"

    "Other than my close ones, not really." Nathan shook his head. The only time he showed it was when healing the vigers, but that should be fine.

    "That''s good. Don''t show it casually." Be nodded. "If your healing ability is known by a lot of people, there''s a chance you will be targeted."

    Before Nathan could reply, Evelyn''s voice echoed in the room. "It doesn''t really matter. He is already being targeted."

    "!!!" Both Be and Nathan turned around, finding Evelyn leaning on the wall while crossing her arms. "Evelyn. Are you done with the meeting?"

    "Yes." Evelyn nodded casually and walked to Nathan. "You have been targeted, simply because your familiars are weird. This fact will change the world in the long run.

    "For example, they will be specting about what kind of human you are. If they know about your naughty tendency, they will consider you a threat."

    "Isn''t it a natural trait? If that is evil, I''d rather be a viin!" Nathan frowned.

    "I''m not talking about that." Evelyn shook her head. "Someone like you won''t have the chance to lead a normal love life. A single wife is impossible, even if you desire it.

    "After all, there''s a possibility of your bloodline changing this world. What if the children carrying your bloodlines have the ability to summon beasts?

    "Your bloodline itself will be a household thing, which will be desired by a lot of people, especially after it''s proven.

    "In that case, there is only one more bloodline that can be considered special. It''s the bloodline that can summon a human.

    "Even if that human can''t be a beacon in this world, what about breeding? What if the humans you summon are actually human gods? It will change everything practically."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. She definitely brought up a good point.

    "If they learn about you being a pervert, they will assume that you will have a lot of wives¡­ and probably mistresses. What if the people are drugging you just to steal your seed? When that happens, I don''t know if that change will bring good things or bad things."

    "Do I look like someone like that?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. He felt insulted. Even he wouldn''t do it with anyone for a one-night stand or something. He still had his principles.

    "That''s exactly my point. Nobody cares about it. That''s why you''re already on their list, whether you like it or not."

    "So, what am I supposed to do?"

    "Nothing. If they''reing to you, it''ll be much easier for us to catch them."

    "Oh. You ept me to be your bait?" Nathan frowned.

    "I told you already. I epted you because of your brain. Even if you be a bait, you will find a way to take care of it, making sure you survive. My order is simple. Use your wisdom and trick the enemy intoing to you. If you need anyone, just tell me about it.

    I''ll send a reinforcement for you."

    Nathan crossed his arms. "I see. In that case, should I find out about the hidden spy in the academy?"

    "If you can do that, that''ll be good. If you can''t, then it''s better to focus elsewhere."

    "Elsewhere? Do you have any information about their location?"

    "Not really, but if you go on a mission that is actually cooperating with other academies, there''s a chance they wille."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes, understanding that meaning. "So other academies are experiencing the same thing."

    "That''s how it is. For now, go back to your academy and just continue searching for us. Don''t make any suspicious moves to avoid their suspicion."

    "Understood. However, I have promised them to find you guys. However, you can continue this operation for the time being. And once we find out the culprit, I can take care of the aftermath," exined Nathan.

    "Alright. I''ll go along with your n." Evelyn nodded. "I will create a hidden teleportation in your bathroom. If you need anything, just send a message from there. I''ll also send information through that teleportation circle and a mission, if there''s any."

    "Got it." Nathan wanted to be bold, but it seemed he hadn''t gained their full trust. For the time being, he had to be patient.

    Evelyn pointed her palm forward. The air suddenly cracked. When it copsed, there was a void on the other side of the crack.

    "In that case, let''s go."

 Chapter 250: New Form of Trump Card

    The teleportation''s direction was none other than Nathan''s room.

    At first, Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, thinking that this kind of fluctuation of Ena would alert Vivian or even the principal. However, Evelyn''s ability might have been much higher than he originally thought since none of them wasing to this room.

    Wasting no second, Evelyn drew a small teleportation circle and hid it under a tile. This way, they could send out letters to each other.

    "That''s all. Do you have any other questions?"

    "There is something I''d like to ask. Is there a chance for my familiar to sniff you?" Nathan asked with a calm expression.

    Evelyn''s expression darkened, making Nathan remember what Be said previously.

    He hurriedly exined, "It''s nothing perverted. I just want to make sure they recognize you and will be able to track you if necessary."

    Evelyn frowned. It could allow Nathan to track her, which would be dangerous in some situations.

    However, this could also act as another way of tricking their opponent.

    Despite knowing the risk of being hunted by Nathan or the people behind him, Evelyn extended her hand. "Sure."

    This was her gesture to show that she trusted him at least this much.

    "Thank you." Nathan wasn''t dumb enough to not understand her intention. He immediately summoned Fenrir.

    "Why do you¡ª!" Fenrir abruptly stoppedining when his instinct sensed the dangering from Evelyn.

    "Someone approaching the hero level?" Fenrir frowned.

    "A hero?" Evelyn frowned. The fact that he mentioned it out of reflex meant this hero level in his mouth was a measurement for a much stronger person. In fact, there might be beyond it, which signified Fenrir''s status.

    Nathan hurriedly shifted the topic by saying, "Anyway, I want you to remember her scent. What do you think?"

    "Eh?" Fenrir looked disgusted. "Is it even necessary?"

    There was no way he wanted to lower himself to this kind of thing, but Nathan nodded his head, telling him it was necessary.

    Fenrir clicked his tongue and said, "Fine."

    He sniffed her arm and remembered her scent. After that, Evelyn returned to the base, leaving both of them behind.

    "Oi. You aren''t getting involved in a pointless thing again, right?" Fenrir sighed.

    "Of course." Nathan nodded. "Besides, I have learned a few things. It seems I have to adjust my contract."

    "Huh?" Fenrir was confused but soon noticed the soul contract being formed once more. This was simr to the trump card he had been hiding this whole time, but there was a twist.

    [The contract shall be activated the moment Party A is saying the keywords.]

    [If Party A utters ''Limit Break 1,'' Party A will pay 50 Ena in exchange for the wind to obey him for 30 minutes.]

    [If Party A utters ''Limit Break 2,'' Party A will pay 150 Ena in exchange for the wind to obey him for 30 minutes.]

    [If Party A utters ''Limit Break 3,'' Party A will pay 500 Ena in exchange for the wind to obey him for 30 minutes.]

    "You created three conditions?"

    "Yeah. I had to activate the contract to join that organization. That was when I couldn''t help but think. What if I fell into a much more dangerous situation? I don''t think 50 Ena will be enough, right?"

    Fenrir agreed. "Indeed. The more Ena you sacrifice, the more power you will get. That''s how your contract works after all."

    "That''s why I think about creating three conditions like this. If the situation is dangerous, I''ll activate the second condition. If it''s like a matter of life and death, like when we''re on the front line, activating the third one is possible. After all, it''s better to lose a portion of your Ena than your life."

    "That''s clever." Fenrir nodded. "But why don''t you create more contracts? Since it''s going to be hidden and inactive, you can create a lot of contracts that you can use in all kinds of situations. If you create two contracts, like wind and fire, for example. It will be quite good, no?"

    "Unfortunately, I don''t think it''s wise. Because of this contract, I can''t say these words. If I create more, it means more banned words. Even a rare keyword might be used one day. It''s better to avoid such an experiment since it''ll be costly. But if I have more Ena in the future where I couldn''t care less about fifty Ena, I might try it.

    Just not now."

    "Understandable."

    "Yep. I''m thinking about experimenting with other things, but for now, I think this should be enough. I''ll have to swallow as many cores as possible in the next several days."

    Fenrir nodded. "Alright. Since you haven''t lost your mind, I''ll just trust you."

    As soon as Fenrir returned, Nathan immediately headed to Vivian''s office to report about it.

    However, Vivian immediately said, "Evelyn Lavender. She is probably the most talented in my generation. It seems you don''t know about their true identitypletely."

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Ahahaha."

    "So, are you nning to catch the hidden spy?"

    "Not yet. And I believe you shouldn''t keep an eye on the school as well. It''ll just make them suspicious."

    "Do you have a n?"

    "Yep. To put it simply, their pattern is mostly the same. If they''re going to do something, it will have to create a big impact. In that case, what kind of thing will have a big impact?"

    "!!!" Vivian raised her eyebrows. "There are events for the second year and third yearing soon. It seems I have to take care of it. During that time, I might not be avable to help you."

    "That''s fine. If nothing happens there, we can rule out that they''re not hiding there. That leaves only the first-year students and the teachers. Of course, there''s a chance they are trying to lie low for the time being because of what happened to Dikkleus."

    Vivian thought for a moment. "I will handle it for now unless you''re nning to do something else."

    A smirk appeared on Nathan''s face. "Actually, I have a n."

 Chapter 251: Fake Student (Bonus)

    "Did you hear the news?"

    "Yeah. They have found out a spy of the terrorist organization in the school and they are nning to execute him."

    "As expected of the student council, they are so reliable."

    "Right?"

    The students gathered in the hall, watching the execution. Considering they were summoners who had fought not only aliens but also humans, they were no stranger to the concept of blood and death.

    That was why they weren''t bothered to have a public execution.

    In the hall, there was a man wearing the same uniform as them. His body had been locked by the special material that stopped them from using the Ena.

    He seemed to have been drugged because they found his gaze empty. His body was on the floor, kneeling.

    Everyone couldn''t help but look at the students, trying to recognize him. However, not a single one of them could actually picture that person''s face in their mind.

    "Who is he?"

    "Is he a first-year?"

    "I have never seen him, so he must be a first-year."

    "Right? The first year just had an ident, so it wouldn''t be weird if there was a spy in their year."

    The upperssmen were convinced that this guy was the first year. However, the first-year students had never seen him.

    While the academy was spacious, there were not a lot of students. In fact, there were only 140 people that were recorded at the Frexia Academy from the first year to the third year.

    They could easily remember each other. That was why this action confused almost everyone.

    "Did they actually bring out a fake student?"

    "I don''t know. Are they using that poor guy as propaganda?"

    "What the hell is the student council doing?"

    They couldn''t help but feel dissatisfied.

    However, the student council didn''t seem to care about it. They continued with the execution by beheading this person.

    "The academy is now safe! There won''t be anyone daring to mess with our academy," Flora dered out loud.

    The people were disappointed in Flora. She had done a lot of things in the academy and her achievements were like thunder reverberating in their ears.

    Yet Flora actually chose to do something this foolish. They were not foolish enough to ept everything as it was.

    "This is wasting our time."

    "It seems Flora has gone out of her mind."

    "I''m disappointed."

    "The student council has fallen so low. Should I begin my preparation to take over the student council?"

    The general students weren''t the only ones feeling disappointed. Even inside the student council, there was one person that couldn''t help but voice theirint.

    "President! What the hell are you doing? Why are you using a fake student as propaganda? The image of our student council has been smeared!" Axel shouted in anger while banging on the table.

    Flora shook her head. "What are you talking about? This is necessary. You should have realized that there are people watching this academy, right? We are using that fake body to bait them out."

    "There are other ways. Why do you think we have been working tirelessly in the past few weeks? It is to find them. And because of your action, the people have lost trust in the student council. It won''t take long before we be aughingstock!" Axel clenched his fists.

    Even the other student council members were frowning, knowing that Axel''sint was justified. In fact, they felt the same.

    "No. This is the best way. We''ll be able to bait them out." Flora waved her hand, not epting theint.

    "You must have gone insane! Most students don''t even know we are being watched. There''s no need to openly bait them like this, especially at the cost of our reputation." Axel bit his lips. "If this continues, I don''t think you are fit to be the student council president anymore."

    "Oi, Axel. You have gone too far." Noelle tried to stop him.

    "Don''t stop me, Noelle! I know your family has been serving the royal family for generations, but this is too much."

    "I don''t n to make any corrections or rifications." Flora shook her head.

    "You¡­" Axel stomped the ground. "Just you wait. This mistake will be your downfall!"

    "I can tolerate you inviting a first-year student as a new member because the new will rece the old, but this is too much!" Axel stormed out of the room in anger.

    Even the others weren''t in the mood to work because of Flora''s questionable decision.

    And it didn''t take too long for something big to happen.

    All of a sudden, a student barged into the student council while reporting out loud. His forehead was covered in sweat, as if he were rushing from somewhere far.

    "Not good. Not good. We need your help!"

    "What happens?" Flora frowned, asking the man.

    He couldn''t help but remember what happened to the room he went into earlier.

    That room usually contained all kinds of ss bottles for experiments. But when he entered it not long ago, all the ss bottles had been destroyed. A lot of liquid was sshing on the ground, which ruined them.

    It was chaos. From the looks of it, someone must have destroyed that ce for a reason.

    "I don''t know what is happening, but theboratory ispletely destroyed. Someone must have destroyed it!"

    "!!!" The students in the council were frowning, wondering if this was the effect Flora was after.

    This kind of attack would mean one thing. It seemed the culprit didn''t like the fact they used a fake student for propaganda. He wanted to let them know he was still alive and would mess with them.

    "We should check them!"

    "Let''s go!"

    "Yeah."

    They had no choice but to agree with Flora, considering they were curious about the state of theboratory he mentioned.

    They stormed out of the room and rushed to theboratory, passing Nathan, who was about toe to the student council. Even Selena was among them, since she had been working in the student council.

    Nathan looked at their backs and started chasing them. "I''m going too, I guess."

    As soon as they arrived, they couldn''t help but gasp. "What in the world is this?"

 Chapter 252: Alavenyas Decision (Bonus)

    "What in the world is this?" Flora gasped.

    The room was much messier than previously described. The shelves were destroyed, the bottles were shattered, and the liquid was scattered all over the floor.

    Even all the decorations had been destroyed, as though there was an explosion in the middle of the room.

    "What happened here?"

    The secretary, Regynar, hurriedly examined the scene, checking everything that happened. "From the looks of it, this is an attack. Someone must have destroyed this ce with Ena. First, this person destroyed the shelves. Then he/she took the bottles and smashed them to the floor. After that, he destroyed the entire room."

    "Is this what you''re aiming for, Flora?" The treasurer Leon squinted his eyes.

    Flora''s expression turned solemn, as if this was beyond her imagination.

    As a result, the people started to lose trust in her. If this continued, Flora would lose her influence in the student council before long.

    Because of that very reason, Axel had no other choice but to start his n earlier.

    He had to approach a person and establish his own influence within the student council. Flora had taken in Selena while Nathan had left the student council.

    This would be a perfect time for him. The person he approached was none other than venya.

    "What did you say?" venya crossed her arms. "I have no intention of joining the student council."

    "It seems your reason foring into this school is because of Student Nathan. I wonder if you have any special rtionship with him." Axel smiled.

    "You bastard. You dare to mention his name? I''m going to punch you like how I''m going to punch him!" venya was ring at Axel.

    This reaction was enough for Axel to understand the rtionship between the two. And this was perfect.

    Axel raised two fingers. "Hear me out a bit. First of all, joining the student council might bring you no merit since I can see you don''t really care about it. Student Nathan joined the student council, but he left yesterday.

    "If you join the student council, doesn''t this mean you are better than him?

    "And his girl has been taken in by the student council president. I''m sure that he is using her to gain the student council''s influence.

    "If you join the student council, you will be able to mess with his girl. As a result, he wille directly to you in a fit of anger. While it''s true that the upperssmen can''t challenge the first-year students yet, the same can''t be applied to the other way around.

    "If the first-year student is the one challenging the upperssmen, even the teachers have to agree." He smirked.

    To his surprise, venya smashed the table with her fist and said in anger, "I am no coward who has to resort to that kind of trick. If I''m going to beat him, I will beat him with my strength."

    Axel''s smile remained on his face, but he was fuming inside. He had thought that it would be easy to convince venya, but he never thought she would be this foolish.

    "You''re going to regret this!" Axel bit his lips. "If he rejoins the student council, it''ll be close to impossible for you to challenge him. After all, Flora will do everything she needs to protect him!"

    venya stopped for a moment before turning around. Before leaving, she said, "My father has told me one thing. There are two things that you can hold from a man. The lower half and the upper half. If they can''t even hold the promise their mouths utter, that means you can crush the other one so that there''s nothing you can hold from that man.

    After all, he''s such a pathetic man that is even worse than a woman. You don''t have to convince me anymore."

    Axel clenched his fists. He never thought Flora would be this foolish.

    ¡­

    "How is the student council?" Nathan asked while eating before ncing to his side. "And why are you here?"

    "I don''t have friends in the ss, so you don''t mind if I join you guys, right?" Sera smiled.

    "If I say I mind, will you leave?" Nathan let out a long sigh.

    Sera only smiled, not answering the question.

    It was probably because she started living with Nathan that Selena didn''t feel jealous of Sera. In the end, she was acting this desperate while she had a lot of advantages over her.

    Ignoring her, Selena replied, "Everything is chaotic. There is tension in the student council, which ends up splitting them into three groups. The first one is Flora and Noelle, who remain close.

    "The second group is Regynar, Leon, and Lovelia. They don''t want to do much with the current politics within the student council.

    "The third one is Axel. He has approached venya, but judging from his expression, he has failed to persuade her."

    Nathan smiled wryly. "If venya joins the student council, she''ll probably bully you. It appears venya is a much more principled person than I originally thought."

    "What are you talking about? Who is this venya?" Sera never thought that they would be discussing another woman casually. And Selena didn''t seem to be jealous.

    "The daughter of the Dragon King. Do you know him?"

    "Of course I do. He is famous. Is she your enemy?" Sera looked worried. It would be trouble if Nathan offended the Dragon King. Vivian wouldn''t be enough.

    "I don''t care if she is an enemy. No. It''s better if she is an enemy, since I can crush her." Selena''s expression darkened. It was clear what she meant.

    venya was the only one thinking they were enemies. The Dragon King must like Nathan a lot, to the point where Selena looked jealous.

    "Anyway, it''s good since she won''t join the student council. I hope things don''t get any worse. If Flora loses her position, you might get kicked out of the student council. I''m just afraid your family will use it as a way to suppress you."

    A small smile appeared on Selena''s face. "Don''t worry. Everyone is doing their best to stabilize the situation."

    The situation was actually much worse than Nathan could imagine. It wasn''t just the matter about the destroyed room. There were some strange rumors circting within the academy.

 Chapter 253: Victor Ashton

    ''Instead of Nathan, Flora actually took in Selena Ashton?''

    ''Has Selena Ashton made a huge contribution? Her contribution to thest incident on the tropical ind should be quite remarkable, but it''s said that her strength is so-so.''

    ''Selena Ashton is not the heir of the Ashton family.''

    ''She has been moving further away from the path that the Ashton family has forged ever since its creation. She is dishonoring her ancestor.''

    ''Selena Ashton is sleeping with Nathan to get all this achievement.''

    The rumor that spread inside the academy was filled with Selena Ashton. It was as if they were trying to take down Selena.

    At the same time, it also created the illusion that Nathan should be the one receiving this recognition.

    However, the rumor about Nathan getting epted by Flora and the fact Nathan threw that opportunity away made people angry due to how important the student council''s position was.

    It didn''t take long for them to corrte it with the current student council.

    ''Has Nathan noticed that Flora has be so foolish that he leaves the student council?''

    ''Is Selena using Nathan''s connection to be epted into the student council?''

    ''Is she using all methods, even selling herself, just to fight her family?''

    ''Ungrateful wench.''

    ''Not deserved.''

    ''No wonder she is with Flora. Same birds flock together.''

    The rumors had be so much worse that the ss'' atmosphere turned extremely bad. Nathan and Selena didn''t even bother toe into sses anymore.

    Yet because Selena''s reputation was going down, it ended up showing Nathan''s strength, which ended up being regarded quite highly. Unfortunately, he got the stigma of a lustful guy, especially with the saintess joining his group.

    As if trying to change the rumors about Selena, something big happened inside the academy.

    A student suddenly disappeared inside the academy.

    "Hey. Where is Lia?"

    "Lia? Now that I think about it, she''s not in the ss even though we promised to eat together today."

    "Lia?"

    The students tried to find Lia, but she was nowhere to be seen. There was no record of her going on a mission. All her items were inside her room.

    It was as if her existence was erased from the academy.

    And that was when the students noticed something was wrong.

    A second-year student was actually kidnapped.

    It didn''t take long for the rumor to spread massively, recing the rumors about Selena.

    The school was locked down, trying to figure out why Lia was missing. They investigated the case but found nothing.

    It was as if the spy hiding inside the academy didn''t like how Flora executed a fake person just for propaganda.

    The people were thinking about how this person was sneering at Flora.

    And because of that very reason, Flora''s position in the student council was weakened even further.

    The heavy atmosphere in the student council made everyone reconsider their current position.

    Regynar couldn''t help but ask, "Flora. You should know what things are happening in the academy. If this continues, not only the student council but the entire school will be thrown into massive chaos. The Frexia Academy might lose its position as the number one academy in the world."

    Flora looked pressured, but she ended up ignoring it.

    "Flora!" Regynar clenched his fists.

    "He is right, Flora." Axel suddenly entered the student council, this time bringing two people with him. One of them was a third-year student, while the other one was Selena''s brother, Victor''s Ashton.

    "What are you doing, Axel?" Flora squinted her eyes.

    "What? I''m just bringing people who have potential to lead the student council." Axel shrugged.

    "What potential are you talking about?" Flora''s expression darkened.

    "I should be the one asking you. You have taken in two people. The first one is gone now, but the second one is much less qualified. You should have heard about the rumors, right?" Axel smirked.

    "You¡­" Flora stood up.

    However, Axel wasn''t scared. He stood in front of Flora as if he were going to challenge her. "You have taken in two people. It is only right for me, the vice president, to take in two people! And they are better than the ones you chose."

    As if knowing his role, Victor immediately walked to Selena, looking down on her. "Yo, lowly blood. No. I should call you a little slut. To think that you smear the Ashton family name by selling your body to get this position? You are unsuitable for this position."

    Selena remained calm. She asked, "How do you know I''m qualified? All the rumors have never been confirmed."

    "Never been confirmed? Do you think I don''t know that you are currently living in the same room as thatmoner?" Victor raised his voice.

    "It is pure love. I see nothing wrong with it. You''re the one trying to degrade the status of the Ashton family by calling it an illicit rtionship." Selena shook her head.

    "You dare to talk back to me? Don''t forget that without the Ashton family, you''re nothing."

    Selena looked angry because that couldn''t be farther than the truth. The only thing that his family had provided her was terrible memories.

    She clenched her fists. "Summoners war¡­"

    "!!!" Everyone couldn''t help but raise their eyebrows.

    "Wait, Selena. Calm down!" Flora tried to stop her from mentioning the Summoners War. Victor''s aim was to get her to challenge him.

    However, Selena couldn''t hold back anymore. "I challenge you to the Summoners War!"

    Victor and Axel grinned as if they''d got her.

    "Selena!" Flora was speechless.

    Selena raised one finger. "I will challenge you to the Summoners War on one condition. We will only send out one vampire familiar who will settle the fight. Both of us won''t fight. If I win, the Ashton family has to write an official apology for wronging me all these years."

    "If I win, you will leave the academy and return to the family to ept the arranged marriage of the family." Victor grinned.

    "Selena. Stop¡ª!" Flora was interrupted by Axel. "You have no right to stop her, Flora. This is her own will!"

    "Fine by me. The battle will be held 3 days from now!" Selena bit her lips, ring at Victor.

    "Hahahaha. You are a fool, Selena. To think that you can''t hold your anger. A single vampire to settle a thing? What kind of vampire can you summon? Your lowly countess won''t be able to match my Marquis Vampire!

    Hahaha. You idiotic fool!" Victorughed out loud.

 Chapter 254: Accepting the Harem?

    "Heh? So that''s what happened." Nathan nodded while sipping the soup.

    "Yes. You don''t mind, right?"

    "Of course not." Nathan shook his head. "It seems I have made you suffer these days."

    "I don''t mind the rumor. Everything will be dispelled anyway." Selena shook her head.

    They were eating in their room, fully aware that the cafeteria was thest ce they should visit, since a lot of people would be there to mock her.

    "Besides, staying with you is my choice."

    Nathan smiled. "Thank you."

    "Actually, there''s something I''d like to ask?"

    "What''s wrong? If there''s anything I can help, feel free to tell me."

    "No. I just want to ask a question." Selena shook her head. "I have been observing you for the past few days, but it looks like you are distancing yourself from Serafina.

    "How do I say this¡­ It doesn''t look like how you usually act." Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    "Oh my. What is this?" A grin appeared on Nathan''s face. "You are finally epting it? You''re not jealous anymore?"

    Selena''s eyebrows twitched. "Be serious."

    Nathan chuckled before making a calm expression. "If you were the pope, would you send Sera to this ce for that kind of reason?"

    Selena immediately noticed what he was trying to say. "No. Even though Sera is like that, the pope should be wise enough to know that is not her decision.

    "And the pope''s reputation is extremely good. He is also just and wise. Instead of sending her away, the pope would most likely give her a lecture.

    "After all, it''s nothing wrong to give that lecture to the person who has just reinstated her position as a saintess."

    "Right?" Nathan raised one finger. "In that case, why would the pope send her here?"

    Selena fell into deep thought. "If I have to guess, to monitor you."

    "Exactly." Nathan nodded.

    "You are currently the only summoner who can summon beasts in this world. That alone will increase your importance. The Holy Kingdom is the figurehead that leads the resistance against the aliens. So he knows that your existence might bring a change in the battle for better or worse.

    "But this whole time, the Frexia Academy has been helping you. The principal and the vice principal won''t let anyone try to poach you or anything¡­ until the tropical ind.

    "The pope finally finds a justification to send one of his agents to monitor you. All that ''anger'' stuff is just a facade to hide the real reason."

    Nathan raised one more finger. "How about the reason he wants to monitor me?"

    "It''s probably to see your personality, strength, and potential."

    "You have figured it out already." Nathan chuckled.

    "The reason you are rejecting her is to send a message that while you are lustful, you have your principles. Those who you take in are people you hold dear.

    "That''s why you''re trying to push her away, because we''ve just be a couple. You want to show that you treat rtionships very seriously.

    "This will assure the pope in one way or another. Then, your strength. That should be no problem since Sera has seen that battle. I guess defeating Rudeus is enough, considering Rudeus has been the top scorer in our ss this whole time.

    "Last but not least, potential. First of all, he has confirmed your potential by bringing races that have never been introduced to this world like that Valkyrie or Lilitu or Jiangshi. There might be more in the future.

    "If that''s the case, she will be an example of that possibility. Among the saints and saintesses, Serafina is the most flexible. With your rtionship with her, it''s only right to send her here.

    "And there''s one more potential that the pope is considering. He wants to see your potential in battle because there''s more than strength in battle."

    Nathan confirmed it with a nod. "I guess I don''t have to tell you anything else. You''ve got everything right. As expected of¡ª!" Nathan wanted to give her a hug.

    However, Selena stopped him by putting her hand on his face.

    "Bad manners. I will spoil youter as thanks, but not right now. Eat first and don''t forget your table manners. This is a bad habit!" Selena pouted.

    "Ahahaha." Nathan chuckled. "Do I need to answer your question anymore?"

    "No. I''ve figured it out." Selena shook her head.

    Little did she know, there was one more reason he did this. The normal Selena might murder him if he proceeded like a beast.

    That was why he was slowly introducing Sera by first rejecting her and gradually moving to pull her closer and closer. This way, Selena''s jealousy didn''t rise high enough to kill Sera.

    Once he let Serafina in, there would be others to follow. Nathan was smiling inwardly, as everything had gone ording to n. He was pumping his fist inwardly, thinking, ''I will fix her.''

    Nathan then shifted the topic, so she didn''t think much about it. "What about the Summoners War? If you want to p him hard, are you going to send Yin Zhen? Well, the p will be much harder if you send Sasha."

    Selena shook her head, looking at their bedroom, which was closed right now. Inside was Risa swallowing cores to get as much Ena as she could.

    "As much as I want to send Sasha, I don''t think it''s possible to win. I feel bad for Sasha, but you should know quality and potential reflect the amount of Ena absorbed by a familiar.

    "I can give Sasha the cores and strengthen her, but I will probably require at least three to four times the amount I need to raise Risa''s strength. It will increase even further after Risa evolves even more.

    "Of course, I will try topensate Sasha in the future by giving her cores and probably a chance to evolve, but right now, I have to prioritize people who can be prioritized." Although her heart was heavy, this was the most rational decision she could ever make.

    Selena said, "And by doing this, it will mean the Ashton family knows my countess has evolved. They will probably think I''ve spent numerous resources to evolve her, so I don''t think they will suspect your blood for the time being. And don''t worry about that family. I will take care of them myself."

    "Alright. If you need anything, feel free to tell me about it."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 255: Bait (Bonus)

    The situation worsened as time passed. Two more attacks happened in the academy. No students were harmed, but the academy was still searching for the missing student. They even cooperated with the guard to search for the entire city.

    Several people started to protest openly, asking the student council to take care of this problem. They demanded Flora take responsibility for her action.

    After all, all this ruckus started with Flora using the fake student as propaganda. They wanted her to make the people feel at ease, hoping there were no more victims in this incident. And after everything had ended, they wanted Flora to apologize and step down as the student council president.

    Obviously, Axel was moving alongside them, using this chance to make himself even more popr.

    Among the entire school, there were only two people that maintained their neutrality. The first was venya. She never intended to be the student, after all.

    Now that things had be a mess, she just wanted to fight Nathan and leave the academy.

    The second person was Serafina. Despite what she told Nathan, she had done nothing special this whole time. It was as if she was waiting for something.

    However, the worst thing had yet toe. After the destruction of two more rooms, another kidnapping case happened.

    This time, the one that was kidnapped was a first-year student, which made everyone panic.

    Since the first-year student had been kidnapped, there was a chance that the third-year student would be next.

    Even the teachers were involved in this matter, trying to calm down the students as much as possible.

    Unfortunately, it was toote. With three rooms inside the academy being destroyed and two students being kidnapped, there was simply no stopping it.

    It was only a matter of time before the vice principal and the principal got involved.

    When no one was watching, Nathan actually chose to find one person. There were simply no reasons for him to meet her, but Nathan chose this time to meet venya.

    "What are you doing? Why are you evening to me? Are you going to challenge me? Your girl is much more courageous than you." venya smirked, taunting Nathan.

    Nathan shook his head. "There''s something I''d like to tell you."

    "I don''t n to listen to your words. I bet you''re trying to scam me like what you''ve done to my father. I''m not that foolish." venya squinted her eyes.

    Nathan shook his head. "In this kind of situation, do you think scamming you will be a good idea? I''m already d that you don''t take Axel''s side, so there''s no reason for me to turn you into my enemy."

    "Hmm¡­" venya pondered for a moment. "You''re so pathetic that you need to talk to your enemy."

    "Think of it however you want, but¡­" Nathan''s expression turned grim. "I think this will benefit you and the Dragon King."

    When Nathan mentioned her father, she had no other choice but to listen to what he had to say.

    "Fine. I will give you two minutes."

    "Perfect. I also want to say two things. You should have realized what is currently happening right now. All I want you to do is not get involved in everything, including myself."

    "How is that even helping me and my father?" venya frowned.

    Nathan ignored her remark and continued with the second point. "Once everything is over, you should enjoy school."

    "Huh? What are you talking about? I still don''t understand how this will benefit me!" venya gritted her teeth, wanting to smack Nathan.

    Little did she know, this little talk was what Nathan was aiming for. He never intended to talk to her. He just wanted people to see him talking to her.

    Now that everything had been set, Nathan smiled. "If you still can''t figure out the reason, that means you are still not enough to take me on."

    "Oi! Are you kidding me?" venya clenched her hands into fists.

    But Nathan simply left as if he were ying with her.

    There was actually a person observing everything that happened in his room. He couldn''t help but mutter to the ring. "Are you sending another person into the academy?"

    "There is no one beside you after Dikkleus died. No." A heavy voice echoed from within the ring.

    "It''s weird then. With everything that happens in the academy, I''m afraid that whoever the culprit is, they''re trying to replicate what Dikkleus has done and me everything on us."

    "Whoever this person is, they must be trying to impersonate us."

    "Don''t worry. I''m not foolish enough to y along with them. If they''re going to take the fall, I will just let them take the me and get captured. That way, I can remain in the academy without anyone knowing I''m still here."

    "No. This can be their trick as well. They''re trying to impersonate us. If that''s the case, the fact that the academy is being observed might be a lie. They''re trying to lure you out because they know about your existence. It''s better for you to escape.

    Even if it means your identity is exposed, you have to get away from there."

    "What? Are you insane? Why do I need to escape? They don''t know it''s me."

    "Don''t forget our original n."

    The person fell silent. "I will wait and see first. After all, it seems the pieces are still being moved around. Who is actually the one ying this chess with me? I''m quite curious about it."

    "That''s fine too. However, don''t get caught or it will be the end of you."

    "I know."

    Waiting to see how it progresses might be a right move most of the time, but the fact that people would be exposed to this chaotic situation for a long time, the chaos would definitely influence anyone.

    A few days passed.

    In the arena, Selena Ashton and Victor Ashton were standing not far apart.

    The battle between two people from the Ashton family finally began.

 Chapter 256: Selena vs Victor (Bonus)

    Ashton Family.

    The acting count couldn''t help but drop his pen. "What did you say?"

    His wife grinned. "I told you that Victor had trapped her into a duel. The duel is simple. It''s to let their vampire fight for them. Selena might be able to summon a countess as her first familiar, but she could do nothing against Victor''s fourth familiar. After all, he is able to summon a marquis!"

    The count''s body trembled. He looked down as his expression darkened.

    His wife was smiling and continued talking about what had happened. "That''s right. If he wins, Selena will drop out of the academy and marry someone ording to the family''s will. This is our chance. We can finally put that lowly blood in her ce."

    The count started gnashing his teeth, as he couldn''t help but ask with a frustrated tone. "What if she wins?"

    "There''s no need to think about it. A countess can''t win against a marquis. In addition, Victor''s fourth familiar has a lot of Ena. Unless her countess has over five times his Ena, it''s impossible to defeat him. Selena can''t do anything because she doesn''t receive support from anyone. Wait.

    There is also thatmoner who can''t do anything."

    The count stood up.

    His wife thought they had done a good thing. She smirked, as if she wanted the count to thank her.

    However, the count first approached her before pping her as hard as he could. "You idiot!"

    That punched his wife into the corner of the room until she hit the wall.

    "Gah!" His wife spat out a mouthful of blood as two of her teeth fell off. "W-What are you doing? Is this how you''re showing your gratitude?!"

    "You idiot! Who is the one challenging it? It must be Selena, right? Why can''t you even realize how foolish you are? Is this how you teach your son?"

    "What?!" His wife wanted to release her anger.

    Unfortunately, it was impossible. The count shouted, "That wench hid her n for a decade so that she could escape to the Frexia Academy. She hid her feelings and emotions, making us lower our guard. Do you think someone like her is unable to control her emotions? The reason she is showing her fang right now is because she has a high chance to seed! Why can''t you even realize this?"

    "What?" His wife was dumbstruck.

    "I married you just for the justification. I won''t hesitate to kick you out of the house!"

    Sadly for them, it was already toote. The match was about to begin.

    ¡­

    Frexia Academy.

    "This is going to be good."

    "Selena Ashton can just die. She can only sell her body."

    "Right? This is a disappointment. Where is her pride as a summoner?"

    The students had less favorable opinions about Selena, which caused the atmosphere to be bad. Nathan and Serafina were sitting next to each other, watching this match.

    Obviously, a lot of people were staring at Nathan since he was indirectly involved in this battle.

    The teacher looked at both parties and said, "I will now check with both parties regarding the bet. If Selena wins, the Ashton family will acknowledge and apologize for their mistreatment of Selena."

    "Correct." Selena nodded.

    "If Victor wins, Selena will drop out of the academy and fulfill her obligation as a noble daughter. Is that correct?"

    "Correct." Victor nodded.

    "The rule for this battle is simple. Both parties aren''t allowed to use their Ena. They may only summon one vampire familiar. Everything will be settled by the said familiar. Anyone who breaks the rule will be disqualified and I, as the teacher, will step in."

    Selena and Victor moved back, taking their position. Selena summoned Risa. There didn''t seem to be anything weird from Risa.

    It raised Victor''s confidence, fully aware that he would be the one winning this match.

    "To think that it would be this easy to make you drop out. I should have done this from the beginning." Victor smirked.

    "You''re an utter fool." Selena shook her head helplessly.

    "What did you say?"

    The teacher stepped in and said, "Any disagreement can be solved in the match." As soon as their expressions turned serious, the teacher announced, "Begin!"

    Risa immediately flew forward. The vampire Victor summoned was as young as one would expect from someone living as long as a vampire.

    He had blond hair and a pair of red eyes. Since his opponent was a countess, he had absolute confidence he would win.

    That was why he had a big smile on his face.

    Once the battle started, he also flew forward.

    The nails on Risa''s fingers were extended while the other vampire waved his hand, sending forth a crescent-shaped blood attack toward Risa. Thetter raised both hands, cutting this attack with all her strength.

    "Hoh? Not bad." The vampire smiled.

    "Not bad? Kill her!" Victor shouted.

    "Well, it seems my master wants you dead. Although I don''t have any grievances against you, I have no choice but to kill you, little beauty." The vampire smirked and flew forward.

    Risa also did the same, but the vampire suddenly waved his hands up.

    All of a sudden, blood started to appear out of thin air. It was surging and forming a massive bubble in the air.

    Risa summoned her tornado and tried to destroy this huge ball sphere. To her surprise, it only sshed a bit of the blood, which caused nothing to the overall sphere.

    "This is the difference in our strength!" The vampire snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the blood spheres started to split into a hundred small spheres.

    "!!!" Risa looked shocked and immediately summoned blood bats.

    "Blood Rain!" The vampire waved down his hand. In that instant, all those small spheres fell like rain, piercing all the blood bats. Risa controlled the blood bats to cover her body, which barely seeded in stopping the blood rain, but the vampire took this time to approach Risa since her vision was covered by the blood bats earlier.

    "Kill her." Victor pumped his fist, believing this was the victory. As he expected, it was easy to defeat Selena.

    That was when Selena smiled.

    The vampire waved his hand to slice her body. However, the vampire suddenly froze as if he felt a powerful suppression from his bloodline.

    "!!!" The vampire widened his eyes in shock, but lowering his guard for a split second was thest thing he was supposed to do.

    Risa moved swiftly and sliced his right arm and right wing with her nail.

    "Aaaargghhhh!"

 Chapter 257: Killing the Vampire

    A moment before the battle began, Selena summoned Risa.

    "This is going to be a fight that determines everything. Nathan has done everything he can to keep us having the biggest upper hand against my family. That''s why I don''t n on failing."

    Risa nodded. "Of course I know that very well. I''ll definitely beat his vampire."

    "Although you have gotten stronger, there is one thing that you need to keep in mind. With the enemy being one rank lower than you, you can definitely suppress him. However, you''re currentlycking in Ena.

    "Thest three days, you have been swallowing cores, but that''s not enough. Hence, we have to do something special.

    "Once you''re out there, I want you to hide your power as much as possible, acting like you''re still a weak countess.

    "The other party will be impatient for sure. That''s where you will strike him. Once you''re able to cause a heavy injury, your victory is nothing but assured.

    "As Nathan always says, the enemy who thinks they''re going to win will definitely show a gap. We''ll take advantage of it and deal with him."

    Risa nodded with a serious expression.

    She had been acting like she was weak this whole time, allowing the enemy to gain momentum.

    Once she saw the opening Selena talked about, she immediately activated her full power, causing the enemy to feel the blood suppression.

    The enemy looked surprised, as he never expected this kind of power from Risa, but it was toote.

    She struck him with her nails. The vampire tried to avoid it, but he was only able to keep his life. The nails sliced his right arm and the wing behind it.

    And this result silenced every single person. They couldn''t help but gasp as they couldn''t believe a countess was able to deal this much damage to Victor''s vampire.

    Victor trembled, as he was confused why his vampire would make such a blunder.

    "What the hell are you doing?" Victor roared, angry at his vampire. He wanted to me him for this mess, but the one responding to that question was Risa.

    Risa''s Ena erupted from her body.

    "This is¡­" The people couldn''t believe what they were seeing.

    Risa''s Ena had turned into a blood-colored mist.

    "Ena turning into a blood mist¡­ No, it''s not turning into one. The blood mist is the same as Ena." The vampire gasped. "You¡­ How can you be a duchess?!"

    When the people heard the vampire''s assessment, the students turned their heads toward each other.

    "What? Selena''s vampire has be a duchess?"

    "But this is the first vampire we''re talking about. The amount of Ena she has will be the smallest. It''s not weird for the first familiar to be abandoned soon because their strength can''t keep up with the group''s progress."

    "That''s true. But a Duchess? She has transformed not to a marchioness but a duchess! Impossible. She''s evolved two times?"

    "How does she even have the resources to do it? And isn''t it just a waste of resources?"

    "Still, that''s a duchess over there. It''s said that a baron is able to have a high regeneration, a count can utilize blood abilities, and a marquis has the Blood Field, which has the power to suppress other vampires within that field. And a Duke is a being who has transcended such a thing. Their Ena has transformed like their own blood into its gas form, which is the mist."

    "Then she is truly a duchess. How can that be?"

    "They''re calling a person who has a duchess a lowly blood?"

    "Is the Ashton family right on their head?"

    "Can something like this even be achieved by clinging to a student? I don''t think even Flora has the qualification to handle all this resource."

    "Does that mean she achieves it alone?"

    "Her first familiar has be a duchess. If she summons another vampire, it will be a marquis at the very least. No, it might even be another duchess. What if she summons a royal?"

    "Not just a royal. She might be able to summon a progenitor."

    "But is it even possible? The Ashton family ims there''s no such thing as a female progenitor."

    "Who knows, but she has been summoning all kinds of familiars. I don''t believe she can''t make her own legend."

    When they heard such a thing, the people''s opinion about Selena had changed.

    Selena was smiling inwardly. In the end, the easiest way to tame them is by using strength.

    "Risa. Kill him."

    "Understood." Risa flew toward the vampire.

    "NO!" The enemy released his enormous amount of energy, trying to show Selena that he still reigned supreme. "Blood Field!"

    A torrential blood started to emerge from the ground. The size of the blood field was massive, isting both of them inside.

    Risa pped her hands.

    Another wave of blood emerged. Even though it was only half the size, the massive blood field began wavering.

    "Tsk." The vampire gritted his teeth. Before Risa''s blood field suppressed his, he formed a massive sphere with all that blood. "Blood Rain!"

    Risa pointed her palm at it and shot out a tornado.

    As the sphere started turning into a droplet, the blood tornado absorbed them. Still, as one would expect from a familiar who had a lot of Ena.

    He actually overwhelmed the tornado with the number of droplets and gradually pushed it back.

    Risa raised her other hand and started summoning blood bats in order to distract her.

    Because of this, the vampire moved toward the blood sphere, fully aware that Risa wouldn''te this way because she would be hit by those sharp droplets.

    And that was what she did.

    Risa rushed toward the enemy even though her blood tornado was dispersed by the sheer amount of blood droplets.

    "You''re a fool?" The vampire shouted. He thought he was going to lose, but since Risa made such a blunder, he believed he could still win.

    Unfortunately for him, the blood bats suddenly flew back toward her, protecting her body from the blood rain as she approached him.

    "Not good!" The vampire stopped and started to move back, trying to distance himself from her.

    But Risa covered her head with her wings and leaped forth. The blood rain pierced her body and wings, but as long as her head was fine, she could recover. There was also Anubis who could help her.

    "NO!" The vampire wanted to release another ability, but Risa looped around him, using his exposed right side.

    Before the vampire could turn around, she grabbed the guy''s neck and used his body to stop her momentum. She then clung to his back and pulled his shirt, revealing his neck.

    Victor snapped as he hurriedly shouted, "Stop!"

    Unfortunately, it was toote, as Risa''s teeth had reached his neck.

 Chapter 258: Nathan was Kidnapped

    "NO!" The vampire screamed, but it was toote.

    The moment her sharp teeth pierced through his skin, his blood was sucked at a pace much faster than anything that Selena and Nathan had experienced.

    The vampire felt his strength leaving his body. In addition to the suppression from the rank, he couldn''t do anything.

    "Stop it!" Victor hurriedly rushed toward the arena, trying to stop Risa from sucking his vampire''s bloodpletely.

    However, the teacher immediately stood in his way, saying, "If you step into the arena, you will be disqualified."

    "Who cares about that? She is trying to kill my familiar!" Victor wanted to take action by releasing his Ena, but it was toote.

    That distraction was the only thing that Risa needed to suck all the blood the vampire had.

    The guy''s frame became thin as all the blood was gone. The flesh had turned dry, as if bones and skin were the only things that remained from him.

    Risa pulled out while spitting. "This guy''s blood is bad. As expected, there''s no blood more delicious than Master''s."

    She then threw away the dried corpse as if throwing trash.

    The people were stunned. Selena was a first-year student. If this was a battle with all their strength and familiars, Selena would have lost.

    However, she was clever enough to challenge him to the one where she had the upper hand.

    Even so, the vampire Victor summoned was his fourth familiar. It contained at least a few thousand Ena, if not ten thousand.

    Yet he lost.

    The moment he lost, there were a few people that suddenly said, "Now that I think about it, the Ashton family''s original count is Selena Ashton''s biological father. Due to the count going missing years ago, her uncle was currently in charge of the family."

    "What? Does that mean the legitimate heir is Selena Ashton?"

    "Is there something missing from what we know so far?"

    "So the one he calls lowly blood is actually the legitimate heir? And even her first vampire has be a duchess. What about Victor? His first vampire is only a baron."

    "What a pathetic loser."

    "And to think that Axel is shortsighted enough to actually take him into the student council. If he is really joining the student council, he will be our shame."

    "So, does that mean Flora has taken in the correct person?"

    "Who can say? All we know is that Selena Ashton is more talented than Victor Ashton."

    The people''s opinions shifted immediately.

    Obviously, Flora didn''t forget to take this chance to repay Axel''s kindness for thest few days.

    "Yo, Axel. It seems your person is good. What did people say again? Birds of the same feather flock together?" Flora grinned.

    Axel clenched his fists. "Do you think this is over, Flora?"

    "Who knows?" Flora shrugged. "But there''s one thing for sure, you''ve lost everything you''ve built so far."

    Axel frowned. There were originally no conflicts between them. In fact, all this stemmed from the propaganda that was seen as a mistake.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if those mistakes were actually for him. Still, it didn''t make sense. Why would Flora do all this?

    When that thought sank in, he fell into silence and turned around. "Don''t think this is over."

    Flora looked at him for a moment before sighing.

    Like Flora, Selena didn''t n to let this go without insulting Victor.

    Selena looked at Victor with a calm expression, as if what she had done was nothing special.

    "You''ve lost. I''ll be waiting for your apology unless you''re shameless enough to im that I''ve cheated."

    "You¡­" Victor gnashed his teeth and pointed his hand. "Teacher. Are you going to let this go? She is ruthless enough to kill a familiar in front of everyone. If this continues, there will be more students who lose their familiars in her hands. I suggest we punish her!"

    Selena was speechless. There was only one thought in her mind. ''This is¡­ like what Nathan said.''

    A few days ago.

    "I''m going to tell my teacher to arrange the teacher who will be the referee for your match."

    "Huh? Why would you do that? Are you going to make me cheat?" Selena frowned. She thought she had enough strength to beat Victor with her own hand.

    Nathan shook his head. "You don''t know anything. I have heard a lot of stories about this type of battle. If you end up defeating him, I''m pretty sure that he will im you''ve done something wrong when you simply act within the rules. And he will go to the referee and do whatever he can to make the referee punish you.

    "And I''ve never told you to cheat. I know full well your ability. It''s just I want to prevent him from using a teacher who is actually his ally. That''s why I will only ask my teacher to arrange a teacher who can remain neutral."

    Nathan couldn''t help but add, ''I have seen this kind of thing a lot of times, both in cultivation and fantasy novels. No way I''m going to let it be.''

    "Well, I will trust you." Selena nodded.

    "Your victory is the most important, both for me and for the school. That''s why I have to arrange this teacher for you."

    "As long as I don''t have to cheat. Besides, this will be a big blow to them." Selena finally agreed.

    "Yep. Anyway, I will be busy for the next several days, so you can focus on the matter within the student council."

    "Do you need my help?"

    "I do, but I don''t know if you''re going to do it or not." Nathan smiled wryly.

    "Why?" Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    "I want you to bring Sera to a certain location."

    Selena let out a long sigh. "Alright. I will do that."

    When Selena recalled that conversation, she couldn''t help but recall what Nathan said back then. She thought Nathan would be busy because of Vivian or someone else, but the kidnapping case struck the academy again. Instead of a third year, this time, the one who was kidnapped was actually Nathan himself.

 Chapter 259: Panic

    Selena stormed inside the room while shouting, "Not good! Help!"

    Selena''s voice broke the tension within the student council room. At first, they were thinking about what they should do since the president and the vice president ended up in this situation.

    However, the plea for help made them forget about it. That was right. They were still the student council, so it was only right for them to help students.

    "What''s going on?" Flora asked.

    Selena panted a few times before saying, "Nathan¡­ Nathan is gone!"

    "What?" Flora and the others couldn''t help but rise from their seats. While Nathan was just another student for most of them, he was still a unique summoner. If they ended up losing him, the reputation of the academy would take a huge blow.

    That was why they had to help.

    "What do you mean, gone?"

    "I don''t know. When I returned to the room to meet him, he was already gone. The room was in a mess."

    "What?" Flora''s expression turned serious. "This is not good. Noelle. Investigate the room. Take her with you."

    "Understood." Noelle nodded and came to Selena. "Let''s go. You know the room and tell me whatever happens on the way."

    Selena nodded while her head hung low.

    As they left the room, Flora immediately said, "Everyone. I need your cooperation. If Nathan is truly kidnapped, it means we''ll be in trouble. He is Vivian''s student, so I doubt Vivian will simply ignore this.

    "That''s why we have to move fast." Flora waved her hand. "Regynar, Leon. You two will go to the teachers and inform them about this matter. Cooperate with the teachers and regroup with Noelleter.

    "Lovelia. I want you to stay with me. We''ll head to the Vice Principal Room to assure her that everything will be fine."

    Although they didn''t want to agree, they had to do it.

    All of them nodded their heads. This was a serious matter that if they didn''t cooperate, Vivian would wreak havoc on the student council.

    |le|mp|yr

    Little did they know, Noelle and Selena had actually stopped.

    "What did you say?" Noelle trembled, not wanting to believe what she had just heard.

    Selena nodded with a serious expression. "Well, it''s not entirely a lie. Nathan is indeed kidnapped, but he asked me to pass this message to you. Whatever you have to do, bring the student council together and head to a certain location."

    "What? So, you''re lying?"

    "There were two spies of the terrorist organization within the academy. Dikkleus had been defeated, but one of them remained hidden in the academy. The presence lurking around the academy the student council believed was none other than this spy," Selena exined.

    Of course, that was a lie. The presence was the Sleeping Garden while the spy was someone else.

    However, this was enough to make Noelle believe.

    "To bait the spy out and clean up this academy, Nathan will be kidnapped. And all student council members have to help him by defeating the kidnapper. That''s why I want you to go to regroup with the rest of the student council members after ten minutes. I will have to go somewhere else."

    Noelle''s body was shaking. "Are you serious?"

    "I''m as serious as I can be. Do you think I''m not angry that he endangers himself? But I''m even angrier if I fail to do my job and end up needlessly putting him in a more dangerous situation!"

    Looking at Selena''s serious expression, Noelle had no other choice but to believe her. The more they wasted their time here, the more dangerous it would be.

    Noelle took a deep breath. "To think that he would give me this headache after leaving the student council. No. It''s better for him to leave, since I might end up having this headache every single day. Alright, you can go."

    "Thank you!" Selena immediately headed somewhere else.

    Nathan told her she had to do something she hated for his n to work. However, this wasn''t the thing she hated. What made her hate this job was the identity of the person she had to meet after this.

    "What are you doing here? Are you finally unable to hold yourself back and try to murder me because of him?" Sera squinted her eyes. "I''m going to tell you that even if you''re strong, I don''t n to die just because you ask me to. No, I might even steal him from you."

    "Stop your bullshit." Selena took a deep breath. She was fuming inside, but she still had one job to do. "I need you to follow me."

    "I have to refuse. If Nathan is the one asking me, I will oblige, but not this."

    "Nathan is the one calling you, but because he is kidnapped, he asks me to lead you to another ce." Selena shook her head helplessly.

    "Another ce? Kidnapped? I need an exnation."

    "I will tell you on the way, but we don''t have a lot of time. Nathan needs you. Don''t forget why you came here, Saintess."

    "!!!" Sera suddenly fell silent, noticing why she had mentioned it. It wasn''t about Nathan. It was her role as the Pope''s envoy.

    It was to supervise the coboration with the Frexia Academy to track down the terrorist organization.

    It was no wonder why Selena managed to drop her hatred.

    "What do you want me to do?" Sera asked.

    "Follow me. We need to go somewhere else." Selena hurriedly led the way.

    "So, can you tell me what''s going on?" Sera asked while running.

    "It''s simple. Nathan wants you to be his eyes."

    "Eyes?" Sera tilted her head in confusion.

    "You are not very bright, aren''t you? He wants you to be a witness!" Selena sighed.

    "!!!" Sera was startled. What kind of scene does she have to witness? No, why would Nathan need a witness in the first ce?

    Selena exined, "Just follow me. There will be another guide that will lead us to him."

    "Another guide¡­" When Sera was thinking, a deep voice echoed from the corridor.

    "I''m the guide."

    Sera was startled by the one appearing in front of them. "You''re that jackal¡­ Anubis."

 Chapter 260: Vivians Anger

    At the same time, Flora and Lovelia mmed open the door.

    "Vice Principal. Nathan¡­ Nathan¡­" Flora panted a few times.

    "What happened to Nathan? Is he harassing someone?" Vivian asked. Considering Nathan''s usual behavior, it wasn''t weird for her to think that way.

    "Nathan is kidnapped!"

    Vivian''s heart sank. "What did you say?!"

    "Nathan is kidnapped. Selena has just informed us and is currently investigating the crime scene with Noelle. I have sent others to inform the teachers."

    Vivian''s body trembled as her face darkened.

    The ground started to shake as the room vibrated violently. The shelves fell down and dropped everything inside.

    "!!!" Flora hurriedly released her own Ena and stood in front of Lovelia.

    In that instant, a burst of Ena erupted from Vivian''s body.

    "Kh!" Flora gnashed her teeth and felt the pressure from her Ena.

    "What is this?" Lovelia started gasping for air.

    It wasn''t only her. The students near the location couldn''t help but fall to their knees. Foam started leaking out of their mouth for some.

    "Gaaaahhh!"

    "What is going on?"

    "Whose Ena is this? It''s so enormous!"

    The people were gasping for air, almost passing out.

    The amount of Enaing out of Vivian''s body made the air tremble. Some windows started to crack. It was as if there was an apocalypse within the school, if not for one person.

    Even the teachers reacted one step toote since they felt suppressed by this amount of Ena.

    The oneing was none other than the principal. He instantly dispelled her Ena and shouted, "Vivian! What are you doing?!"

    The students fell to the floor, trying to regain theirposure. They were looking around, trying to figure out what had happened.

    Even Flora almost fell to her knees. Her back was drenched as her body was shaking.

    She was staring at Vivian with a wry smile on her face. ''So, this is the Forest Queen Vivian.''

    If not for Flora, Lovelia would have also fallen.

    Noticing Flora and Lovelia, the principal asked, "What has happened?"

    "Nathan has been kidnapped."

    The principal froze. It was no wonder why Vivian was so angry.

    Vivian took a deep breath, having a hard time to calm herself down.

    "This damned disciple!" Vivian clenched her fists as if she wanted to beat Nathan up.

    "What is going on? Exin, Vivian!" The principal became even more confused.

    Vivian bit her lips, as she had no choice but to exin what Nathan once said.

    ¡­

    A few days ago.

    "Actually, I have a n." Nathan smirked.

    "Hoh? Tell me about it then¡­ this n you''re so confident about."

    "It''s a simple n. First of all, the spy must be a student, possibly a second-year student or a third-year student."

    "Why? The teachers are the primary suspects now."

    "That''s exactly the reason. If I''m the enemy, I wouldn''t be so foolish to slip in another spy as a teacher. After all, Dikkleus has made us suspect them."

    Vivian looked down. "Assuming you''re right, do you know the suspect? There are over 70 students in total for the second year and third year."

    "Of course, I don''t know. However, what would be the best chance to act?"

    Vivian raised a finger. "We spoke about it earlier. The event."

    "Exactly. However, increasing the number of teachers in those events can prevent it, but can''t find the spy since they will be wary about it."

    "That''s true. So what''s your n?"

    "It''s simple. We just have to create our own event." Nathan smirked.

    "Our own event?"

    "Yes. We don''t have to separate all of them. And with this event, we can force them to take action."

    "But what kind of event are you nning to hold? By creating an event out of nowhere, it will just raise their suspicion, you know?" Vivian crossed her arms.

    "We do have an event." Nathan smiled. "Is there a young death-row inmate you can probably get?"

    Vivian fell into deep thought. "A propaganda¡­ No, beyond that. What will happen after the propaganda? Are you trying to mess around with the student council?"

    "Yes. If I were them, I would nt the spy inside the student council. After all, that ce allows them to oversee everything within the academy."

    Nathan was probably not ruthless enough to use even a normal prisoner to carry out such a thing. Still, a young death-row inmate was quite rare.

    Even then, Vivian said, "Alright. I will take care of it. I will also help you convince Flora. If I promise her I''ll take the me if something goes wrong, she will ept the n."

    "Are you sure?"

    "You are my student. If I can''t stand up for you, then I''d rather lie down in a coffin." Vivian snorted.

    "Master¡­" Nathan smiled.

    "Well, what''s going to happen after that?"

    "I will take care of the rest." Nathan smiled. "Besides, since the student council will be in the center of the storm, I will let them solve it as well, which will boost their reputationter."

    Vivian sighed. "Alright."

    Vivian started regretting her decision. She shouldn''t have epted it in the first ce. No, Nathan might have predicted this would happen. That was why he refused to tell her back then.

    When the principal and Flora heard it, they couldn''t help but drop their jaws.

    "The one causing all this was him?" Flora couldn''t believe that she had been ying in someone''s hand this whole time. And to think it was a guy two years younger than him.

    The principal clicked his tongue. As expected, his evaluation of Nathan being a devil wasn''t wrong.

    "So, the student council will take care of the problem, but how?" the principal asked.

    Just like Selena and Sera, a familiar was dispatched to them right after everything happened. Even Nathan considered the possibility of him being moved far away so his familiar would disappear. That was why he dispatched them before everything happened.

    "I''ll be leading you guys to him!" Fenrir suddenly entered the room.

    "!!!" All eyes shifted to Fenrir.

    The first one to react was Vivian. She grabbed Fenrir''s body while asking in anger, "Why did he put himself in danger? Did you, familiars, not stop him at all?!"

    Fenrir obviously knew this would be her reaction, since they had the same reaction. He simply patted Vivian''s shoulder and said with a tired voice, "Get used to this."

    "You damned disciple!"

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Nathan had just woken up. His body was being tied in a chair with the same material as the one the sand bandit used to lock him up. His Ena was unusable.

    "It seems you are awake."

    Nathan raised his head and smiled wryly. "As expected, you are the spy hidden inside the academy¡­ Vice President Axel."

 Chapter 261: Trapped (Bonus)

    A moment ago.

    Nathan stood in front of Axel. There was a table between them as Axel stretched his hand. "Please take a seat."

    Nathan casually took his seat while asking, "What do you want to say? If it''s regarding Victor Ashton, it''s your fault. I don''t like it when my woman is threatened."

    "Please rx and take a sip. I''m not angry. In fact, I''m impressed by your ability." Axel sipped his tea with a calm expression. "You have beaten me. I have to put credit where credit''s due.

    "With Victor''s defeat, Flora will use this to suppress my power. After all, she must be the one spreading the rumor about Selena being the legitimate heir."

    "Isn''t that just like you? You''re the one spreading nasty rumors about Selena." Nathan squinted his eyes.

    "No. It was Victor."

    "But you must be the one suggesting it."

    Axel remained calm. Instead of denying it again, he just changed the topic. "However, it doesn''t change the fact that she''s still in a predicament herself. She has made a big blunder. And with the school in chaos, it will just end up in mutual destruction."

    Nathan squinted his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

    "In the end, there will be a power vacuum within the student council. Since you have left the student council, how about working for me, Nathan? If you want an apology, I will make an official statement. In fact, I will use my influence to crush the current count Ashton so that Selena can regain her former status."

    Nathan lowered his head, falling into deep thought.

    "Please. You can drink some and think about it calmly."

    Nathan took a deep breath before sipping the sea. Unbeknownst to him, Axel was smiling.

    Nathan raised his head. "Do you think I will just let this go because I ept it? It doesn''t change the fact that you are a person who will throw me away when I''m no longer useful. Unlike Flora, who appreciates talent, you''re using others as tools."

    "So, are you going to reject me?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. I will."

    "That''s too bad. You left me with no choice, Nathan."

    "Huh?" Nathan squinted his eyes, but soon his body lost energy and swayed to the right. "This is¡­"

    Nathan hurriedly used his arm to support him, but hepletely lost his energy. "You bastard. You put something into the drink?"

    Axel smiled. And that annoying smile once again appeared in front of him.

    Nathan looked around. It seemed they were locked inside the room.

    Considering Axel''s status, it wouldn''t be weird if he had his personal courtyard.

    And Axel shouldn''t be foolish enough to let him scream for help.

    "I think you have realized it, but you won''t be able to call someone''s help. No matter how hard you scream, no one will hear it." Axel smirked. "All we need to do is wait. Once everything is done, we can leave the academy without even the principal knowing it."

    "Teleportation, huh?" Nathan squinted his eyes.

    "See? This is the reason I like you. You are smart enough to figure out things." Axel smirked. "It''s a shame that you won''t get another chance to shine."

    "Is that so?" Nathan smirked. "I guess I have overestimated you. To think you would be this foolish."

    "Foolish? Me? Don''t make me look down on you, Nathan. I have known everything. Do you think I don''t know you have been trying to move your piece this whole time? I even knew you were meeting venya yesterday.

    "We have been ying in the game of chess, moving our pieces. While you''re moving your pieces, you don''t know that your king has been exposed.

    "I know you are the one ying it, so I know how to defeat you. Meanwhile, you don''t know that you''re ying against me. That''s why you have to find my king first before you can attack me. Without you realizing it, it''s already a checkmate, Nathan." Axel shook his head helplessly.

    The oue had been decided from the start.

    Nathan chuckled.

    "What''s funny?"

    "It''s funny how you''re so confident you''ve won. While I didn''t know you would be the culprit, it didn''t mean I waspletely clueless." Nathan chuckled.

    "Huh?" Axel frowned. "You''re just bluffing. If you think you can enter my mind, I warn you it''s impossible."

    Nathan shook his head helplessly. "Even though you say that, you don''t realize I''ve been in your head this whole time. This space ability user who will teleport us out of here, are you sure about his skill?"

    Axel frowned. "Of course he is skilled. Do you think anyone will realize you are here? Do you think they will realize the space ability? No. Your teacher, Vivian, won''t be able to notice it.

    There''s not a single person in the academy that can notice his space ability!"

    "An utter fool. You haven''t realized you''ve been dancing in my tune this whole time." Nathan smirked. "There is someone who can stop him, but it''s not necessarily from the Frexia Academy."

    Little did Axel know, the one creating the portal that would bring him and Nathan back was in for a surprise.

    When he formed the portal, it suddenly cracked.

    "Huh? Wh¡ª! Not good!" The guy suddenly waved his hand and chose to wipe the entire portal, dispersing all the energy. He was staring into the void while widening his eyes. "That Axel. Did he not realize he had been targeted?

    And there was actually a space ability user whose mastery was above mine among them? Who was it? The principal and the vice principal didn''t have a space element, and Dikkleus had died."

    ¡­

    Frexia Academy.

    "Did you find them?" Be asked while exhaling the smoke. She was sitting on top of a roof, staring at the building where Nathan was.

    Evelyn frowned. "No. The other party is quite skilled. He erases the trace and abandons that guy before I manage to track him down."

    "That''s unfortunate, but I guess our new member is quite good, eh?"

    Evelyn fell silent, ncing at the building.

 Chapter 262: Realization (Bonus)

    "!!!" Axel widened his eyes in shock.

    "Just think about it." Nathan sighed, disappointed in Axel. "Since you like chess so much, I will use it as an analogy. The reason I''m moving my pieces. It''s because the ck pawn has moved, exposing the king. You and I never y chess."

    Axel stood up, feeling insulted. "You¡­"

    "What you? Do you think kidnapping me is the best option you have? For you? Yes. Because I want you to think that way. If you''re truly smart, you would have figured it out already." Nathan chuckled.

    Axel''s body shook as he couldn''t help but remember everything that had happened from the beginning.

    The chaos ensued from the execution of an unknown person. It was a perfect chance for him to seize the student council.

    That was why he had no hesitation in taking that chance to deliver a killing blow to Flora.

    If he could take her down, he would be the first one to be considered the next student council president. With that position, everything would be his.

    But after seeing the oue of that battle, he couldn''t help but think, ''What if everything urred because Nathan nned it? He knew he would fight Flora.

    ''And since Flora took Selena in, it was his obligation to help Flora. This way, he would be in a troubled position.''

    That was right. Nathan was trying to manipte him into this fight. Whoever the spy was, they would know they could seize the student council president''s seat.

    From that moment on, he had already fallen into Nathan''s trap.

    "Whatever you''ve figured out, it''s not enough." Nathan smirked. "Why do you even think kidnapping me is the best move? No, why would you even think about kidnapping in the first ce?"

    "That''s because¡ª!" Axel was shocked to the core.

    It was because of the kidnapping case.

    That was right. Nathan had been in his head this whole time.

    "You were the culprit of the kidnapping case as well as the destruction of someboratories!" On

    "Oi, oi, oi. Kidnapping case? What are you talking about? Those two students are currently learning from their respective teachers. I just sent them away without giving them time to prepare or tell anyone else. And since the atmosphere in the academy was chaotic, those two epted without hesitation."

    Of course, the one convincing the teachers was none other than Vivian.

    "You won''t seed. Your reputation will be destroyed when the truthes to light."

    "It''s not going to happen. After all, the case will stop once you''re captured." Nathan stuck out his tongue.

    "!!!" Those words made him realize everything.

    By creating this chaotic atmosphere, people were most likely to leave. And even if they didn''t, they would be under this pressure.

    And after several days, the pressure got into their heads. The biggest move Nathan yed was the battle between Victor and Selena.

    Selena''s victory had pushed Axel to the corner, forcing him to take action. After all, his very position had been threatened.

    In fact, he was even considering the fact of the kidnapping case and the destruction of the ss as someone else impersonating him.

    Because of that very reason, he had been thinking about leaving the academy like the person behind him suggested.

    Still, even if he was going to retreat, there was no way he woulde back empty-handed.

    It was because of the kidnapping case that he thought this was the best method. He had to bring merchandise.

    But the big question was, ''Who?''

    Who would be his victim?

    He considered Selena, but that would just make it suspicious, since the one supporting her brother would be the prime suspect.

    What about other students? Rudeus and others could be chosen, but they rarely stood out in his eyes. There were only three names that shed in his mind: Selena, venya, and Nathan.

    Because venya had rejected him previously, she wouldn''t talk to him for the time being.

    Hence, Nathan would be the best option. But would this be a good move? That thought disappeared the moment he observed Nathan talking with venya.

    He thought Nathan was moving his pieces to do something big. What he didn''t know was that it was just a simple conversation with no deeper meaning. It was just a means to make the culprit focus on him.

    After that meeting, there was no other thought in Axel''s mind except for kidnapping Nathan and retreating from the academy.

    And that was what he did.

    The moment he realized all that, he couldn''t help but drop his jaw. His body was trembling in fear.

    As Nathan said earlier, he had been dancing in his tune the whole time.

    "You¡­ You¡­" Axel gritted his teeth. "Even with all this, you are still trapped here with me. I can still¡ª!"

    Before he finished his words, a loud howl resounded throughout the entire academy.

    "Aooo!"

    Axel obviously recognized this howl since there was only one suspect to begin with.

    This wasn''t the howl of a werewolf. It was a real wolf.

    Nathan smirked. "Well. Let''s y a quiz. Whose howl is it?"

    Axel gnashed his teeth. He had never thought he would be falling into a trap like this.

    "I can still kill you or use you as a hostage. As long as you are here, you will be stuck with me."

    "Heh¡­" Nathan harrumphed. "Using me as a hostage? You should worry about your own life first."

    "Then I will show you!" Axel leaped forward, trying to grab him.

    But that was when he suddenly felt a burst of Ena. All of a sudden, the top part of the building flew into the air.

    *Bam!*

    Nathan''s smile widened while Axel desperately tried to grab him.

    However, before his hand could reach Nathan''s cor, he had to retract it and stop because a sword swung down right between them.

    There was a person wearing full body armor on the corner of his vision who kicked him in the stomach and pushed him away from Nathan. After that, she cut the chains that bound Nathan, freeing him.

    When Axel stopped, a translucent golden screen appeared in all four directions, trapping him inside of a cube.

    Flora was floating in the air as spheres of fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, and light hovered around her.

    This was the number one spirit elementalist in the academy, Flora Vietta Ezelia.

    Even other members of the student council were witnessing as if they had been listening to him admitting to being a traitor.

    Noelle stepped forward. "Noelle mante. As the guardian of the Frexia Academy and the knight of the Azilia Kingdom, I shall cut down the traitor!"

 Chapter 263: Capturing Axel

    Noelle came with only her sword and armor, not bothered to summon her familiar.

    On the other hand, the spheres of elements hovering around Flora were actually spirits. Their bodies might be small, but each of them contained the power of elements.

    Meanwhile, Axel''s familiars consisted of dark elves and humanoid shadows.

    Nathan couldn''t help but squint his eyes, realizing that Axel was specialized in assassination.

    And it was because of that very reason that he couldn''tst long against both of them. The other members of the student council didn''t even need to join.

    Regynar and Leon were standing on both sides, making sure he didn''t escape. Meanwhile, Lovelia had summoned her fairy as both of them created a small golden sphere that seemed to record everything that was happening.

    It would be the necessary evidence to make the academy feel assured.

    Nathan remained in his position, watching everything, fully aware that no harm woulde his way.

    Noelle leaped forward. There was a dark elf who wielded a sword instead of a dagger. She also wore armor.

    Without hesitation, she shed with Noelle.

    Both of them exchanged several shes within two seconds, as both of them seemed to be unable to gain the upper hand.

    However, that was only because Noelle hadn''t gotten serious yet.

    Those few shes allowed her to understand the skill level of the dark elf. After that, me burst from her sword as she struck the dark elf. Thetter stopped it with her de, her own darkness power gushing out of her sword.

    Unfortunately, the me engulfed that darkness and spread even further, which made the dark elf think she had to get away.

    The moment that thought appeared, Noelle used all her strength toplete her swing.

    The dark elf was pushed back, but she could maintain her stance, which allowed her to respond to another attack from Noelle.

    But that was when Noelle released a crescent-shaped fire wave that would hit the others.

    The dark elf had no choice but to stop it with her own power. Unfortunately for her, this me wave turned out to be a distraction.

    Just like what Nathan did during their battle, Noelle followed the me wave right after so that when it reached the dark elf, she could cut both the me wave and the dark elf at the same time.

    "!!!" The dark elf was startled. She wanted to lower her weapon, but the me wave would definitely cut her down and burn her body the moment she did it. As a result, Noelle swung her sword multiple times in rapid session, the energying from it erupted at once.

    Several sword marks appeared on the dark elf''s body along with the building.

    Boom!

    The energy exploded as the building shattered into pieces. The elf faced the same result. Her body was chopped into pieces and the explosions scattered them away.

    Meanwhile, Flora was the one handling the rest of the familiars along with Axel himself.

    Her wind spirit formed a tornado while the fire spirit lit it up.

    Two of them formed a translucent purple barrier to stop it for a second before Axel waved his sword, splitting it in two.

    Other familiars leaped into the air, trying to catch a few spirits to stop them.

    With just a wave of her hand, Flora called for a lightning strike from her spirit, blowing the familiars back to the ground.

    At the same time, the earth spirit created an artificial wall that would stop them from escaping.

    Her water spirit created a massive bubble. Her aim was pretty obvious. That was why one of his familiars leaped into the air and cut the bubble in the air, using the Ena to push away all the water.

    Unfortunately, that was when the lightning spirit channeled his power and used the water to electrocute the familiar.

    "Aaaahhhh!" The familiar was screaming in pain. Its body fell to the ground, scorched.

    Axel gritted her teeth, wondering where he should go. He had been locked in all directions, especially with Leon and Regynar maintaining their positions.

    "You can''t go away, Axel. No matter what you do, you have been surrounded." Flora harrumphed.

    Axel clenched his teeth. He obviously didn''t want to die or be captured. However, there was simply no chance to escape in his current position.

    "Since I can''t escape, don''t think you can defeat me without suffering a loss!" Axel roared. Since the other party didn''t give him a chance, he would just use everything he had against them. At the very least, he could kill one or two spirits or even heavily injure Flora or Noelle.

    Sadly, fighting Axel was never Flora''s intention.

    "It''s toote. I''m merely buying time." Flora shook her head helplessly.

    Bam!

    Axel couldn''t help but turn his head after that eruption of Ena, finding his strongest familiar to die in Noelle''s hand. She didn''t evenst a minute.

    Without hesitation, Noelle closed the gap between them.

    "Noelle!" Axel waved his sword with all his strength. "I''m still the vice president of the student council. I attain this position because of my power!"

    "Your ability is good, butpared to her¡­" Flora shook her head.

    The moment their des shed, the conclusion was reached almost immediately. Noelle''s sword cut his de as if it were cheese.

    "!!!" Axel widened his eyes in disbelief.

    Before he could open his mouth, Noelle had stopped her de to avoid cutting him. In exchange, she punched Axel in the face and mmed his head to the ground.

    "Gaaahhh!" Axel wanted to fight back, but Noelle moved so fast.

    Leon even tossed the handcuff made of anti-Ena material. He flipped him over and bound him in rapid session while pushing his face into the ground so that he didn''t bother her with his words.

    "Mmhmm!" Axel struggled, but after the cuff was put on, Noelle released her Ena from her palm.

    The explosion created a crater 8 meters (26 feet) in radius, knocking Axel, who couldn''t use his Ena anymore, out."

    "Capturepleted."

 Chapter 264: Aftermath

    Their fight obviously garnered attention from the nearby people. The students couldn''t help but stop on their track or follow themotion.

    After all, it sounded like the academy was getting attacked after all.

    "What is going on?"

    "The student councils?"

    "Look. There are teachersing here as well."

    The students were confused and approached the scene carefully, feeling the fluctuation of Enaing from that building.

    "Is that Flora?"

    "Noelle is also fighting."

    "Why are they attacking Axel?"

    "Is it because they don''t like him they want to eliminate him? But I thought the rest of the student council members don''t like Flora''s decision as well."

    They became even more confused until a teacher came to them.

    "Don''t worry. Everything is fine. It turns out there is a traitor among the students. Look over there." The teacher pointed at Lovelia. "She is using her power to record everything as evidence. She also has evidence regarding Axel Lotterl being a traitor.

    "If not for the student council, he would have kidnapped Nathan, which might help the terrorist organization. They''re trying to capture him and interrogate him right now."

    "What? He was the one behind all the incidents."

    "Then, theboratory too?"

    "The kidnapping?"

    "Does that mean Flora has been using that propaganda to lure him out?"

    "Does she know everything from the beginning?"

    The students were shocked. They might have misunderstood Flora. Considering everything she had done for the academy, it wouldn''t be weird if Flora had known that Axel was the traitor from the beginning.

    Misunderstanding her was their fault. If they trusted her more, this wouldn''t have happened. They could even help her.

    "But what happened to the kidnapped students?"

    "Them? They''re fine. The student council will handle the rest."

    "Really?!"

    The students cheered up. They truly had to apologize to Flora.

    Little did they know, everything was arranged by Nathan. Obviously, there had to be a witness that they had done a good job, especially Nathan.

    That was why Selena''s role was to bring Serafina into the scene.

    "Is this enough?" Selena asked.

    Sera nodded. "Yes. I have always thought that we won''t be able to find them. Still, he not only surpassed my expectations, but he has gone beyond my imagination. To think a single man can cause this much chaos."

    Selena nodded. "Anyway, if you know this, you can report to the Pope."

    Sera squinted her eyes. "Why do I feel you have a hidden intention?"

    "I don''t." Selena shrugged while muttering inwardly, ''Just go back and tell that your mission is done and nevere back to the academy.''

    Sera sighed. "It seems I will be busy for a while. We have to check whether there is another spy within the academy. The two supporting Axel are also suspicious. I guess I will end up helping you. Or is this his n as well?

    I wonder what the extent of his n is? He makes me more curious about him."

    Selena didn''t say anything, but it was clear that the Ashton family would be panicking after this. At the same time, she was asking the same thing. ''Is this really the extent of his n?''

    ¡­

    After capturing Axel, Flora checked on Nathan while saying, "Hahaha. I don''t know what to say anymore. I love ying tricks on people, but I have never thought you would be the one ying tricks on me, Nathan. Are you sure you don''t want to join the student council again? You can be the vice president, you know?"

    "Spare me the hassle. You should have known that I never like doing all that formal stuff."

    "You have to be prepared for such a thing. In the future, you will definitely be a noble. Are you still not going to ept after knowing that?" Flora asked.

    Nathan shook his head. "If I have to do it at that time, I will do it. However, not right now. Let me enjoy my peaceful life."

    "You call this peaceful? You''re usually the oneing for the trouble. You sure are aware of that, right?"

    "Do you think I will do it without any goal in mind?" Nathan shook his head helplessly. This time, he did it for two reasons. The first one was Selena while the second one was Evelyn.

    This was a kind of test from Evelyn since she invited him because of his brain. He had to produce results to make the Sleeping Garden trust him.

    Of course, Evelyn and Be were watching everything. They were responsible for taking care of everything that didn''t go ording to his n.

    "Fine. Let''s consider it true. Anyway, good job." Flora patted Nathan''s shoulder.

    "So, do I getpensation or reward from doing all this?" Nathan asked.

    "I will think about it. You have caused a lot of mess in the academy, you know?"

    "But the result is there. Besides, I have made sure nothing harmful or important is being destroyed." Nathan shrugged.

    "Fine. I''ll consider it properly. Or should I just make Selena the vice president? This will be a good learning experience for her, and I don''t think even the Ashton family will dare to act against the vice president of our council."

    "Will others reject it?" Nathan asked.

    "Once this problem is settled, my reputation will not only be restored but also increase. They shouldn''t really object to it. Of course, it will take a month or two to process it and she might be challenged for that position. But if she uses this position to make more connections to nobles or other influences, it''s going to be good for you, right?"

    Nathan nodded. "Alright. Let''s do that."

    "Sure. Even though I want to express my thanks, I think I should prepare for your funeral right now."

    "Funeral?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, not understanding what she was talking about.

    Flora only pointed to the side as Selena and Vivian approached them, their faces filled with anger. It seemed he would be punished for putting himself in danger.

    "Every choice has a price." Nathan sighed.

 Chapter 265: Reward and Punishment (Bonus)

    Vivian had brought him to her office along with Selena. Her expression was dark as Vivian asked in a cold tone. "So, care to exin to me why you would put yourself in such a danger?"

    "I was never in danger." Nathan shook his head.

    "What if they have a curse or space ability? They could easily abduct you!"

    "Not really. Do you really not know about her ability?" Nathan obviously implied about Evelyn''s existence. She should have known her.

    But that was just a trap from Vivian.

    "You really love to shoot yourself in the foot." Vivian grinned. "Got you, my damned disciple!"

    "!!!" Nathan suddenly felt chills down his spine as he couldn''t help but nce to the side. Selena was ring at him with killing intent.

    "Her? Who is she? No. I don''t care who she is. I just need you to answer this one question. Do you have any interest in her?"

    Nathan gulped down.

    "You are going to sleep on the sofa for a week."

    "Ugh." Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    "I will leave your punishment this time to Selena." Vivian sighed. "However, your action has to be rewarded. You have been doing all kinds of important things, so I have to ask. Do you have anything you want?"

    Nathan thought for a moment. "I think I want to take it leisurely for a bit. I want to focus on increasing my Ena since I still have a few thousand cores to swallow."

    "Hmm." Vivian thought of something. "In that case, how about going on a vacation?"

    "A vacation?!" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yeah. There should be some easy missions in Meyes City. I have a vi over there. Since it''s summer, why don''t you take it easy on the beach?"

    "Oh?!" Nathan considered the idea carefully. It was indeed a good thing. However, based on his luck, he believed there would be something urring on the mission. There was no need for anyone to jinx it. He just knew it based on his experience.

    Still, the benefits he got from this mission would be enjoying a certain ''sight.'' In that instant, the scale in his mindpletely tipped to the other side.

    ''Screw it.'' Nathan asked, "Are you going there as well, Master?"

    "Depends on how long you''re going to stay there. Actually, I''m nning to use that location to summon the Fairy Queen. That''s why I have to prepare a few things there. If you''re going there for two weeks, I suppose I can go there for thest two or three days."

    "Oh!" Nathan nodded. "Alright. I will go there. It should be a good time to take a proper rest."

    Vivian waved her hand. "I will notify the servants and tell them you will visit that ce in four days."

    "Got it."

    Vivian then turned to Selena and gave her a thumbs up. "Don''t forget to punish him miserably. He''s gone too far this time."

    Selena nodded with a solemn expression, as if assuring her that Nathan wouldn''t dare to do it again.

    Nathan gulped down, thinking his life was over. However, he might have been mistaken.

    Once they returned to the room, Selena indeed banned him from going into the bedroom. However, he ended up lying on Selena''sp on the sofa.

    "Ehm. Is this the punishment? Or is this a reward?" Nathan smiled wryly. He was somehow scared that this sweetness was just a hidden poison.

    Selena shook her head. "You don''t have to worry. This is a reward."

    "Oh! As expected of Selena!" Nathan''s eyes brightened. He never thought Selena would side with him.

    However, Selena added, "As for the punishment, you are not allowed to touch me or Risa for seven days. Of course, I''ll be monitoring you so that you don''t do the same thing to other women. Well, that can wait until we''re back from the vacation."

    "What? How can you do that? I thought you were going¡ª!"

    Read thetest novel on M-VL-em|p,yr

    Selena shook her head. "It''s my obligation to reward you. You have done everything you can in this incident and even solved it. Besides, I''m also grateful for your help. I haven''t received any responses from the Ashton family, but I don''t think they''re going to admit it.

    "Still, their reputation will definitely take a tremendous hit, which will weaken them. I can breathe freely for the next couple of months and start building up my own connections to go against them.

    "That''s why I want to thank you for this chance." Selena smiled. "However, reward is reward. Punishment is punishment. I will still give you the punishment you deserve."

    "I don''t understand. If we consider the result, I have done a good job, right?" Nathan asked. "Why do you even need to punish me? Like, I''m sorry if I make you worry, but I''m fine like this, no?"

    Selena flicked Nathan''s forehead. "You areckingmon sense. If there is a criminal who has murdered people and served his sentences in prison and turned into a new leaf. Will his crime go away? Will doing good deeds offset his sins?

    "Sins are sins, good deeds are good deeds. If I meet such a criminal, I will definitely take him to prison. However, I will still praise the criminal, whoter bes a good person. So, your punishment will remain, but it won''t stop me from giving you a reward."

    Nathan was stunned. It seemed his view had been distorted by Anubis'' scale as well as his experience in the previous life.

    "Right?" Nathan smiled wryly. "I''m sorry for making you worry."

    "I''m still angry, but¡­" Selena gently brushed the hair on her shoulder while lowering her head.

    She nted a kiss on Nathan''s lips while giving him a small smile, but contained her sincere feeling. Her eyes were a bit watery because of joy.

    "Nathan. Thank you."

    Just that smile alone captivated him, but her action was much bolder by the day. Nathan felt like all the trouble was worth it.

    He couldn''t help but ask, still mesmerized by her smile. "Let''s go on a date tomorrow."

    "Sure. Let''s go."

 Chapter 266: Maximizing the Reward (Bonus)

    Nathan and Selena were visiting all kinds of shops in the city. This was the first time they had a break since there was just one problem after anothering their way.

    They had tried a couple of new clothes, considering money wasn''t an issue for them anymore.

    Still, the most important thing would be testing the swimsuit. Nathan thought there would be no such thing, considering the civilization of the world. Even if there was one, they would be in and dull.

    He was wrong. The familiars also brought the cultures to this world. While the world retained most of their civilization and culture, there were some changes.

    ''Hooray, long live all those familiars.'' Nathan praised them inwardly.

    This peaceful day didn''tst long.

    The student council ended up facing another problem. And this time, it was a big problem.

    As the rumor about Axel being the traitor spread to the academy, Flora''s reputation had grown tremendously. It could be said that she was the one holding the absolute authority in this academy.

    That was the exact reason she shouldn''t have messed up.

    All of a sudden, she received a concerning report, which caused her heart to sink.

    "Not good. Axel¡­ that traitor is gone!"

    "What?!"

    Flora dropped her jaw to the ground, not believing it would happen. Did someone help him?

    "What do you mean, gone?" Flora asked.

    "He''s gone. He has disappeared from his cell."

    "What? He is supposed to be in his cell. How can he even go out? The guards should be there to make sure no one can approach him."

    "I don''t know, but you have to check it!"

    Flora and the others went to the prison to check on him, but he was truly gone. There was no sign of fighting.

    "This is not good." Flora''s face turned pale.

    Noelle''s expression turned solemn. "If this matter is known, the people will be panicked once again."

    "Yes. We have to find him right now."

    The student council ended up springing into action once again. All of them thought they had gotten into another big problem. Only Selena remained calm, as if everything had gone ording to Nathan''s n.

    Because of what happened previously, the principal and the vice principal had to talk.

    "Vivian. I know you like your student so much, but please make sure to remember that there are other students in the academy. If you end up releasing your power, they might even die or be too scared to even continue their lives as a summoner. If I do the same thing, it''ll cause much more damage." The principal sighed.

    "I know." Vivian nodded. "And I apologize for that. I have never thought that he would be daring enough to gamble with his life."

    "He is truly a little devil."

    Vivian smiled wryly. "He is certainly beyond my imagination."

    "Who will interrogate him? Are you going to do it or should I?"

    "I will use my illusion first. We don''t know what kind of opponent we''re dealing with, so I hope the illusion is enough. But if it''s not enough, I hope your curses can do something about it."

    The principal agreed. "Alright. Let''s go with your¡ª!"

    Before he finished his words, Flora mmed open the door.

    "Vice Principal!" Flora once again entered the room, only to notice the principal also in the room. "Eh? Principal is here too¡­"

    The principal smiled. "Don''t mind me."

    "What''s wrong?" Vivian asked while crossing her arms.

    "Please calm down with what I''m about to tell you, alright? Axel is gone. I don''t know how, but he ispletely gone. However, don''t worry, I will make sure that your student will be fine."

    When Vivian heard it, she almost facepalmed. It took her an instant to know what was going on.

    Vivian looked up, thinking, ''This damned disciple of mine. I guess he''s sending it to them to interrogate him.

    ''Now that the rumor about Axel being locked behind the bar has been spread, it won''t matter if they spread the rumor about him being executed silently in respect for all the achievements during his time in the student council.

    ''This way, the student council or Flora doesn''t have to take the me. And no one really questions it because the chaos has disappeared.

    ''And by giving Axel to them, Nathan will be more trusted in their organization. No, should I say this is his original intention?

    ''Not only does he get Flora''s favor, but he also receives Evelyn''s trust. As usual, he really doesn''t lose out on anything.''

    The principal seemed to have noticed what was going on from Vivian''s expression, so he remained silent.

    Vivian waved her hand. "Alright. For now, just spread the information about you executing Axel silently. Manipte the information within the academy. To make it more believable, I will reveal some information about the organization. This should be enough to let people know that the interrogation is sessful.

    "Just make sure the atmosphere within the academy remains stable."

    "That''s¡­" Flora looked down, contemting. It seemed she had no other choice. This was the best way to handle it. "I understand."

    As soon as Flora left, the principal asked, "Your disciple again?"

    "Yep." Vivian nodded.

    "He is indeed clever, but you should know that it will not be easy to find out their location."

    "I know. I will ask him about the information and share it with you. We still have to exin it to the Azilia Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom after all."

    "I won''t interfere with the problem for now. But I hope your student doesn''t do things he''s not supposed to do." The principal sighed.

    "I''ll remind him about that."

    "Alright then, I will take my leave and choose to believe in your student for now. He has an immense talent, but I hope he doesn''t be overconfident." The principal stood up. "Well, I have to teach my students as well. If this continues, she can''t keep up with him."

    "I''m counting on you." Vivian smiled wryly.

    ¡­

    As Vivian expected, Nathan caused everything.

    A crack appeared inside a room as Evelyn and Nathan walked outside the void carrying Axel.

    "Time for interrogation." Nathan smiled.

 Chapter 267: Three Questions

    "Where is this?" Axel panicked, looking around. "Who are you? Nathan?!"

    Axel didn''t expect he would be kidnapped. And just like him, Nathan seemed to have a backer of his own.

    "To think you are able to catch the spy so easily. This elder sister has underestimated you." Be suddenly walked from behind Nathan as she circled her arm around his neck, looking at him both with a teasing gaze.

    Before Nathan could respond, Axel raised his voice. "You are¡ª!"

    Evelyn looked annoyed and said, "Shut him up. He''s too loud."

    "Alright." Be blew the smoke toward Axel.

    Axel''s body trembled when the smoke reached his face. In that instant, the light on his eyes vanished as he fell down to his knees, as though his soul had left his body.

    Nathan took a nce at his state and understood a bit more about Be''s power.

    "The spy was hard to find, huh?" Neyeid crossed his arms. "Not bad for a newbie."

    "Hahahaha. I can see why you recruit him now, Captain!" Revonughed out loud.

    Sonia didn''t say anything, but she still nodded her head.

    "Still, there''s a powerful curse on him. If you''re going to interrogate him, it won''tst long." Christopher warned them.

    "Curse, huh?" Evelyn turned to Christopher. "Can you release it?"

    "No. A curse this powerful can only be slowed down. An archbishop from the Holy Kingdom might be able to slow it down much longer than me, but I doubt he can remove the curse. Let''s see¡­ Unless the Pope takes action personally, I don''t think it''s possible. Are you going to hand him to the pope?" Christopher asked.

    "If I do that, I won''t be able to learn about the information." Evelyn shook her head.

    "But the Pope can share that information, maybe through the Saintess who is currently staying in the Frexia Academy."

    "There''s no guarantee it will be everything or the truth." Evelyn shook her head. "Instead, do you know who can inflict a curse this powerful?"

    "If I have to say, it will be the principal of the Frexia Academy. He is a master of Ena maniption as well as a curse grandmaster."

    "I don''t think he''s the culprit. Anyone else?" Evelyn shook her head.

    "I can''t think of anyone right now." Christopher shook his head.

    "The one nting this curse might be rted to the organization. Even if he is not the leader, he should be a high-ranking personnel." Evelyn thought for a moment. "How long are you able to extend it?"

    "If you''re going to interrogate him, I''m afraid that the curse will be activated. I can extend it for ten seconds."

    "That should be enough for three short questions." Evelyn nodded. "I already know the three questions I''m nning to ask. We can proceed with the interrogation."

    "But after that, he will die. Are you sure about this?" Christopher asked for her confirmation. He wondered if it would be troublesome for Nathan, considering he was the one who would be responsible for this matter.

    "Don''t worry about me." Nathan waved his hand, nonchnt toward Axel''s life.

    "In that case¡­" Christopher nodded and summoned an angel. He floated behind him. "The powerful curse. We''ll be slowing it down."

    The angel nodded his head. Both of them spread their arms as though they used the same ability.

    Golden light started to shine inside the room as a huge golden circle appeared on the ground.

    "I''m ready!" Christopher nodded.

    "Be." Evelyn nced at her best friend.

    Be nodded and walked toward Axel. She blew the smoke into his face. Axel was inhaling the smoke, which seemed to be fully entranced by Be''s power.

    "Go!" Be nodded.

    As Christopher expected, ck veins began to spread. If not for his current state, he would have been screaming in pain, as if every single cell in his body broke down.

    "Divine Magnus!" Christopher activated his ability as the light seemed to slow the spread of the curse down.

    Evelyn asked the first question. "Who is the leader of the organization or his rtionship with you?"

    Axel answered with a hoarse voice. "I don''t know. He ces his curse on me."

    "Is the number of people rted to the organization more than fifty people?"

    Axel let out a wail as his body started to shake. "N-No."

    "What is the goal of the organization?"

    Axel''s body was convulsing violently as Revon and Neyeid held him down. Axel''s mouth was moving as if he were trying to answer, but there was no voiceing from his mouth as though something was preventing him from uttering the reason.

    "Kh!" Christopher increased his power. "Not good. The curse energy burst from within his body."

    Axel''s eyes rolled back as foam came out of his mouth. He could only utter a single word, "Kill," before dying.

    "!!!" Evelyn''s body trembled. "Kill? Who are you going to kill? Me?"

    Evelyn clenched her hands into fists. "Is it really me?"

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "I don''t think you''re the target. We arecking too much information. Even if you are the target, for what reason? Have you provoked a curse grandmaster?"

    Evelyn snapped. That was right. He didn''t know any curse grandmasters, so why would he even target her?

    "To think we can only get this much information from him. Maybe it''s better to bring him to the pope?" Be frowned.

    "No. We get a lot of information." Nathan shook his head. "Much more than I originally thought."

    "What do you mean?"

    "First of all, we know their leader is a curse grandmaster. But since his name is not well known, finding him will be hard. Still, it''s not impossible.

    "Second, the size of the organization. It''s clever wording from Captain. It shows us the size of this organization. This organization has fewer than fifty people, so it must be an elite organization, simr to us. However, each of them is elite, so we have to be careful.

    "Getting their names will be hard, but we can still do it through other spies in other academies. If they are included, I don''t think their size is bigger than we originally thought.

    "Last but not least, the intention behind this organization. Kill¡­ Who do they want to kill? We don''t know about it yet, but if we find out about the leader''s identity, it will show us a little about who he is trying to kill by creating this kind of organization."

 Chapter 268: Ashton Familys Decision

    After listening to Nathan''s exnation, they fell silent.

    "I see. That''s certainly one of the ways to put it." Be closed her eyes.

    "Yes. I believe we should find the person who uses curses. Considering his skill, he should be at the same level as the principal. As long as we can figure out his identity, we will know a lot more." Nathan nodded.

    "Hahahaha! I like you now, newbie!" Revon pped Nathan''s back. "I am dumb. Even if these people are telling me about their ns, I don''t understand even half of it. That''s why if you need something from me, exin it as simply as possible. I will help you.

    Hahahaha!"

    Nathan smiled wryly. It hurt.

    "I will try to figure out his identity." Neyeid frowned.

    "I will leave it to you." Evelyn nodded. "I will focus on finding more spies from other academies."

    "By the way, since the mission is over, I''m going on a vacation, so¡­" Nathan didn''t say it, but his meaning was clear. He couldn''t work for the group during the vacation.

    "Where are you going?" Evelyn asked while squinting her eyes.

    "Meyes City."

    "Hmm?" Evelyn frowned. "Well, enjoy your vacation."

    Nathan tilted his head in confusion, wondering why she looked concerned. Was there something going on in Meyes City that he wasn''t aware of?

    ''I have a bad feeling about this¡­'' Nathan squinted his eyes.

    ¡­

    Frexia Academy.

    The students seemed to have calmed down after the announcement regarding Axel''s execution. Although it was a shame that they couldn''t witness it himself, it was to honor his achievement, so they had no choice but to ept it.

    Still, the situation had be stable since there was nothing strange happening anymore. The students who were thought to be kidnapped had returned and exined the misunderstanding.

    As a result, peace had returned to the academy.

    Still, there was one ce whose peace was actually leaving instead of returning.

    It was the Ashton family.

    "You idiot!" The count threw his cup at Victor.

    "Aaaggghhh!" Victor was wailing in pain. He could resist the hot tea to a certain level, but some sshed to his eyes.

    "What are you doing?!" His wife was ring at him.

    "Do you know what you and your son have done? Are you satisfied now that you have screwed the Ashton family up?!" Victor roared.

    He understood perfectly the trap Selena nted.

    The rumor about Victor''s defeat had spread in the academy, so obviously everyone would be paying attention to the Ashton family, waiting for them to apologize.

    If they apologized, it was the same as acknowledging their own mistake in the world, which would turn them into aughingstock.

    A lot of nobles who had been working with them would most likely try to find a new partner.

    However, if they didn''t apologize, they would be considered a coward. The trust they had built up so far would be pummeled. In the future, they might end up supporting Selena, the legitimate heir of the previous count.

    He could at least discern this trap. In fact, he had been careful against Selena no matter how angry he was.

    Whether he apologized or chose to ignore this problem, he would lose a lot.

    He just tried to solidify his influence so that even if the previous count returned or Selena managed to summon a vampire progenitor, he wouldn''t lose his title. To think that these two would ruin everything. How could he not be angry?

    "Get out of the house right now! Return to your family!" the count shouted in anger. "You too, little bastard. Drop out of the academy!"

    "What?" Victor was gnashing his teeth.

    "How dare you kick me out?!" His wife shouted back.

    "Do you not know your crime? Just look at this idiot. Not only does he lose to Selena, it''s because of him she has be the vice president of the student council. Do you know what this means?

    "Right now, because of this idiot Axel, we are also being suspected as traitors. Even if you can''t help me grow this family, don''t mess around and cause a problem!" He clenched his hands into fists.

    The count became angrier to the point where he released his Ena. "Get out right now. If you don''t, I might not be able to stop myself from killing both of you!"

    "You¡­" Both of them were shaking after feeling his Ena.

    "You''re going to regret this!"

    The count ignored her remark, fully aware of the best solution. He couldn''t afford to acknowledge his mistake or bad deeds, but he should also make an official statement.

    Hence, that day, the Ashton family announced two things.

    ''Victor Ashton has overstepped his bounds by agreeing to something that is not the will of the family. As a punishment, he shall drop out of the Frexia Academy and leave the Ashton family.

    ''The Ashton family has always given their sincerity to their sessors. As the Acting Count of the Ashton family, I have done everything I can to ensure the prosperity of the family, including Selena''s growth.

    ''Hence, the Ashton family can''t acknowledge the mistake it has never made and will take this matter seriously as Selena Ashton tries to defame her own family''s name despite being its heir.''

    Selena watched the news in silence. She didn''t have any change of expression this whole time, as if she had expected it.

    "The Ashton family is really shameless. To control the damage it has done, the Ashton family ends up taking this step." Flora smirked. "Do you need my help, eh, Vice President?"

    Selena shook her head. "I, too, know that it''s going to work perfectly. However, it doesn''t mean it has no impact.

    "They will lose a lot of credibility and a few nobles who are currently supporting him. I will just have to approach those who are loyal to the families instead of the acting count. Little by little, it will chip away their strength. Before long, my influence will be bigger than his, and he has no choice but to return that seat."

    Flora nodded. "Alright. I''ll respect your decision. Still, if you need anything, just let me know."

 Chapter 269: Replacement (Bonus)

    "I see." Vivian contemted. "A curse grandmaster, huh? I honestly don''t know who it is. Still, this is precious information. It seems I have to look around to find his identity."

    Vivian didn''t want to stay quiet, especially since the other party dared to kidnap Nathan. Although it was Axel''s desperate measure, it didn''t change the fact that Nathan must mean something big for them.

    But before she could conclude the meeting, the principal said, "You don''t have to. I think I know who that person is."

    "Huh?" Vivian raised her head. "Principal?!"

    Nathan turned around, finding the principal just entering the room.

    "Garam Haygaiden. That''s the culprit."

    "Haygaiden? Your name is Leyfon Haygaiden¡­ Is he your family, Principal?" Vivian''s heart skipped a beat. If this were true, the situation would beplicated. She had to worry about the principal as well.

    In fact, she had stood up as if she were ready to fight him.

    Still, the principal simply walked into the room while exining with a calm expression. "Both of us were adopted by the previous Curse Grandmaster, Celestia Haygaiden.

    "We never really made a name for ourselves when studying under our master. When our master died, I went out and yed around, identally bing famous.

    "I lost contact with Garam after our master''s death. It was probably an admiration to our master, but Garam was so obsessed with curses that he didn''t bother to do anything other than research.

    "I never met him after that day, so I thought he had died. I didn''t know why this happened as well, but it seemed he was the culprit."

    Vivian and Nathan couldn''t help but furrow their eyebrows.

    "They couldn''t really believe it, considering the rtionship between the two. It didn''t seem the principal hated this person, which made him suspicious.

    That was why they didn''t know what to say.

    "In that case, why does he want to kill someone? We don''t know who he wants to kill, but this kind of hatred¡­" Nathan frowned. He even reconsidered Selena''s position as his disciple. Since they hadn''t announced it, it would be easy to cut ties.

    "Of course, he shall be cut down!" The principal shook his head. "I don''t know what has happened, but one thing is clear. He is doing something he shouldn''t. That''s why he has to pay the price. And I don''t think I will be the one to cut him down."

    The principal looked at him, which actually implied to the person behind him. The principal actually wanted Evelyn to kill him?

    Considering his previous bond, he couldn''t bear the thought of killing his brother. But because it was necessary, he left it in someone else''s hand.

    Nathan''s expression turned serious.

    The principal said, "Since that''s the case, I will have to change my n. Vivian. I''m going to borrow your student for a bit."

    "For what?" Vivian squinted her eyes. "Principal. If this is true, you will be the prime suspect."

    "I know." The principal remained calm, as if he had expected it. "If ites down to that, I''ll also take responsibility. But for now, there''s something I have to do.

    "If I know him correctly, he targets Nathan because he is the only one having beasts as his familiars. What kind of curse will work on him? And other stuff. In the end, he wille to him for the sake of turning him into an experimental subject.

    "You and I can''t protect students all the time. Hence, he will have to get stronger. Since I''m going to teach my student a bit, he should join. I will teach them something they can use."

    Vivian frowned. "If that''s the case, I will need to follow you."

    "Of course, you''re free to do that." The principal nodded. "I know you''re currently suspicious of me and have the right to do so.

    "Considering I''m the strongest in the academy, someone might end up recing me pretty soon."

    Nathan couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows, thinking, ''That might be true. Still, the Pope won''te to this ce. Does that mean someone else wille? Or will my master be the new principal?

    ''Still, people will definitely hide this information. The principal will probably do something about it to clear up his name.'' Nathan crossed his arms.

    In the end, they had no choice but to follow his arrangement for the time being. Vivian also didn''t waste any time sending a report to the Azilia Kingdom, asking for reinforcement.

    Selena and Nathan stood next to each other, facing the principal. Vivian observed them from the corner of the field while crossing her arms.

    The principal raised one finger and said, "I''m going to teach you the extension of Ena Maniption. First of all, what are the categories for Ena maniption?"

    Selena answered instantly. "There are four basic maniptions: Speed, Concentration, Form, and Enhancement."

    "That''s right." The principal raised his palm. "When you gather your Ena, it''s hard to gather a lot of Ena instantly. That''s why having a good speed to gather that Ena is necessary.

    "Concentration is the opposite of speed. You simply gather as much Ena as possible without caring about the time it takes.

    "Form is what you currently have, the Avatar. Enhancement is the basic form of imbuing your Ena into something. Right now, the students have learned about the basic body enhancement, but once you get stronger, you will use it for other things like your weapons or armor.

    "What I''m going to teach you right now is the extension of that power." The principal twitched his finger. All of a sudden, Selena''s staff flew into the sky, leaving her hand.

    "!!!" Both of them were startled.

    "Do you see what happens?"

    They looked serious, not realizing at this time the principal was actually giving hisst lesson in this academy.

    After all, the one recing him arrived the next day.

    And it was none other than the man who was said to be the strongest in the Azilia Kingdom, the Sword Saint, Sullivan mante.

 Chapter 270: Training with the Principal

    "Did you see what happened?" The principal asked with a smile after knocking Selena''s staff up.

    "I notice there is a small burst of Enaing from below. It''s fast, so I have a hard time reacting," Selena exined.

    "Indeed." The principal nodded and raised his finger. Suddenly, the staff stopped falling and remained in its position as though something was holding it. "How about this?"

    "You are using the Ena to grab the staff." Selena looked down, falling into deep thought. "But I have done a simr thing on that ind."

    "Indeed. This is the simple technique that you used to carry the water." The principal nodded.

    "But¡­ that one doesn''t have a concentrated Ena¡­" Selena squinted her eyes.

    "That''s one of the few things you''re going to learn today." The principal nodded. He created a rectangle on the ground, writing the four basics in each tip.

    "The one I used to knock up your staff is ''Speed,'' and the one I used to hold the staff in the air is ''Form.'' What if youbine them together?"

    "!!!" Selena raised her vision and took another look at the staff. "Wait a minute. The ''Form'' is not enough to carry that staff. That''s why you create a small burst that keeps knocking the staff up and the ''Form'' is just there to keep the staff in that position!"

    "That''s right. This is thebination of Speed and Form." The principal nodded. "I call it Fold. If you do something like this on the ind, I bet you can carry at least three times the amount of water."

    The principal extrapted the line from ''Speed'' and ''Form'' and named it Fold. "How about the others?

    "The possibilities are infinite." The principal turned to Nathan. "What about your Ena maniptions? Bullets, correct?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes."

    "How about you program several bullets right from the start? You have been shooting the bullets by first creating it through your mind and calcting its trajectory, correct?"

    "Indeed."

    "From what I''ve seen, you''ve created three types of bullets. The explosive, the straight, and the curving bullets.

    "But have you thought aboutbining them?"

    "Combining them?" Nathan tilted her head.

    "That''s right. The Explosive Bullet takes the concept of ''Concentration'' while the Curving Bullet takes the concept of ''Form,'' which creates its trajectory."

    The principal raised his palm, forming an explosive bullet. He shot it to the front, which caused a powerful explosion.

    Of course, the principal was strong, so Nathan wasn''t really bothered by the power.

    However, the principal raised his other palm so that each palm could form the same explosive bullets. And this was the beginning of the difficulty.

    He actually fused them together, creating a bigger explosive bullet and shooting it forward. The explosion was at least three times more massive, which confused Nathan because the increase was supposed to be linear.

    "What?"

    "This is thebination between Concentration and Concentration. Selena has been using it instinctively by concentrating her Ena within the burst of an Ena. That''s the foundation of her skeletal avatar. But by programming it beforehand, you are able to activate it faster and more powerful."

    The principal started expanding the rectangr earlier,bining one line to another.

    Eventually, he created another rectangr perpendicr of the original rectangle. After that, each tip was extended and created a bigger circle, creating a total of 32 points.

    "Bybining each basic, it will lead to another possibility. And that possibility will bebined with another possibility, creating a new possibility. And this is the new form of the basic Ena Maniption, the one that makes me famous.

    "32-Form of Ena Maniption." The principal smiled.

    "There are four things that I want to teach you for the next two days." The principal started to point out one name after another.

    "Thebination between Form and Speed, ''Fold.'' Thebination of Concentration and Enhancement, ''Fortify.'' Thebination between Form and Enhancement, ''Augmentation.'' Last but not least, thebination of Speed and Concentration, ''Flow.''

    "Let''s begin the training, shall we?" the principal smiled.

    "Yes, sir!" Both of them nodded with a solemn expression. Even Nathan was surprised by this 32-Form of Ena Maniption. It looked simple at first nce, but it was also extremelyplicated. It was no wonder why the Fairy Queen asked, ''Is the world progressing backward?'' when he asked about ancient techniques.

    "I think I don''t have to teach you about the Fold again. The training is simple." The Principal raised his palm. First, create a small sphere and keep letting it burst. Repeat it again and again while gradually increasing its power."

    Nathan and Selena immediately proceeded with the training. As expected, Selena had no trouble doing it.

    Meanwhile, Nathan''s explosive bullets had been bursting again and again during the training, so he had gotten used to it. Although he was slower than Selena, he was still able to keep up with the pace.

    It only took them two hours to get the hang of it.

    "Let''s move on to the second training: Flow." The principal turned to Selena. "How are you using your sweeping force, Selena?"

    "I concentrate a certain amount of Ena on a single point and release it to follow the motion of my staff. I was inspired by Nathan''s concept regarding in-motion."

    The principal nodded. "In that case, how about attacking me with that sweeping force?"

    "Are you sure?"

    "It''s fine. There''s no way you are strong enough to hurt me." The principal waved his hand nonchntly.

    "Then¡­" Selena gathered her Ena and waved her hand, using the sweeping force from the left.

    The principal also waved his hand, which actually pushed Selena''s Sweeping Force much further to the left, ultimately missing him.

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes as if noticing something.

    "Do you see the difference?"

    "Yes. You don''t gather your Ena to match my power. Instead, you''re releasing the Ena with much higher velocity, which ended up directing my Ena."

    "Correct. Instead of gathering your Ena faster, you make your Ena flow faster. Knights or Martial Artists have been using this kind of technique this whole time. For a knight, they are usually able to extend their sword strike simr to your sweeping force, but if you increase the velocity, it will create a thinner but much farther sword strike. The same applies to Martial Artists.

    "Hence, try to move your Ena into your palm right now!"

 Chapter 271: 32-Form of Ena Manipulation

    Selena and Nathan sent their palms toward each other as the Ena flowed at high speed, neutralizing each other. Because of the speed of the bullets, Nathan had been doing it subconsciously, which helped him a lot during the training.

    "That''s good. Let''s move on to the thirdbination, Augmentation. Try to enhance your body."

    Nathan and Selena closed their eyes, following the principal''s instruction.

    After strengthening their body, the principal continued, "Then, release a bit of your Ena and try to form something you usually use."

    Nathan formed a bullet while Selena formed a skeletal frame.

    "In that case, I want you to change the form to a shield."

    Nathan and Selena frowned. Nathan tried it but immediately failed while Selena barely managed to do it.

    "It''s hard, right? Try again, but use these this time." The principal tossed two wooden shields.

    After holding them, they started releasing their Ena to form a shield. Instead of creating its basic form from the beginning, they subconsciously expanded the shield in their hand.

    The principal suddenly raised his hand and pushed it forward. A powerful sweeping force struck Selena and Nathan.

    Selena was pushed back while Nathan wasunched away.

    "What are you doing?!" They were perplexed. Without giving an answer, the principal continued, "Now. I want you to create a funnel shape to spread my sweeping force to the left and right."

    Nathan took a deep breath, calming himself down. As expected, he couldn''t do such aplex shape yet.

    Meanwhile, Selena barely formed a funnel in front of her shield. And that was when the principal used his sweeping force.

    Instead of getting pushed back, the shape of her Ena split the sweeping force into two, lessening her burden.

    "This is¡­" Selena gasped.

    "That''s right. We channel a river elsewhere to build a dam so that we can change nature. Ena is the same. By creating a shape that follows nature''sws, you will be able to gain a huge advantage against your opponent."

    "So the skeletal avatar¡­"

    "Yes. After your control improves, you can change it as you like. In fact¡­" The principal nced at Nathan, who seemed to have another idea.

    "Can''t we create armor like for a giant or my beast when they''re bigger by using this ability?" Nathan obviously wanted to do it since he had seen an example of it on Earth.

    "You definitely can." The principal nodded. "I guess I don''t need to tell you about it anymore. Anyway, your imagination is your limit, so do your best."

    "Yes!"

    "Last but not least, ''Fortify.'' Now, enhance your body once again."

    Both of them followed his instruction.

    "And now, can you enhance only one part of your body?"

    They followed his instruction, but as expected, it was easier said than done. Even Selena frowned, noticing the difficulty. "This is¡­"

    "What''s wrong? It''s hard, isn''t it?" The principal smiled.

    "But try to do it."

    Selena and Nathan kept trying until eventually Selena was able to do it. Nathan almost managed to do it, but the principal had already moved on.

    Looking at the concentrated Ena enveloping her hand, the principal said, "How about punching the ground?"

    Selena followed his instruction and, to her surprise, the burst of Ena actually shook the entire area as if there were an earthquake, leaving behind a massive crater.

    "This is¡­" Selena and Nathan dropped their jaws to the ground. Nathan instantly realized that this power was simr to the concept of the Dragon Fist. "No way!"

    "Feeling familiar?" The principal smirked at Nathan. "The Dragon King is the master of Fortify. For example, what if someone attacks you by concentrating all their Ena to boost their fist? What ability do you use to protect yourself?"

    "The same thing?" Selena frowned.

    "Half-correct. You are using the same thing, but with adjustment. What if the opponent hit you in a different spot? You will end up getting hit with that amount of power without any defense. What will happen next? You will die instantly.

    "However, if you can adjust it, for example, 20% of your Ena to cover your entire body and 80% of it to cover your hand to deflect that power. What will happen?"

    "We can still deflect it. In fact, we can win if webine it with Flow." Nathan answered.

    "Correct! This is the battle style of the Dragon King. He is able to change the concentration of Ena in all parts of his body so quickly. He calctes it with his instinct, which is the reason he''s able to have this level of power.

    "Of course, you might wonder why I teach you this, considering your fighting style is not rted to it? That''s because this is the basics. Even if you don''t use it in your attack, you can use it in your defense, lessening the damage to your body."

    Nathan and Selena nodded in understanding.

    "That''s why I want you to have a hand-to-handbat by changing the amount of Ena. It doesn''t need to be fast right away. Even if it''s slow, you can gradually increase your pace. Eventually, you will be able to use it in realbat.

    "Fold, Fortify, Flow, and Augmentation. These are the four things I want you to learn right now. I don''t care in which order you learn them, but I want you to master all those four techniques. Understand?"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Vivian couldn''t help but cross her arms, thinking, ''It seems he''s really nning to leave the academy after these two days. Despite calling it basic, his 32-Form is the mostplex and strongest Ena maniption technique. And these four techniques are actually the foundation for the second year, where they are finally allowed to gain elements.

    These techniques are much more profound than what the school is teaching. I wonder if they realize how lucky they are.''

    Vivian closed her eyes while sighing.

    As she expected, after training them in the past two days, the principal left the academy, leaving behind a single letter for Selena.

 Chapter 272: Letter

    "Hmm?" Selena rubbed her fuzzy eyes while yawning. She thought about summoning Risa and preparing for breakfast before continuing their practice.

    However, she was taken aback by the letter that was put on the table.

    "Nathan?" Selena raised her voice while taking a peek at the bedroom, finding him still sleeping.

    "Not him?" Selena looked down, examining the letter. "I don''t think anyone can easily break in. Someone strong?"

    When she flipped the letter, she finally understood what was going on. It was a letter from the principal.

    ''This is Leyfon. The first time I see your talent, I''m convinced that your talent is simr to mine, but I believe that your Ena Maniption is much higher than mine. I don''t have any shred of doubt that you will be the best Ena Maniption user in the future.

    ''However, don''t let this make youcent. Even if you are able to do it, you will only be able to walk alongside him. From what I''ve heard, the beasts are not ordinary, so if he keeps that up, he will definitely stand on the top.

    ''If you''re going to stay with him forever, you will need to continue polishing your skills. Strength speaks louder after all.

    ''Anyway, my objective in writing down this letter remains the same. I want you to focus on those fourbinations and make sure to master them before reaching the second year.

    ''Even though I was your master for a brief moment, I dere that from this point onward, we are two strangers. It was my fault, so you could hate me if that could make you feel better.

    ''As for the reasons, you could ask him about it. Basically, I had no other choice but to leave the academy to avoid all kinds of problems. And acknowledging you as my disciple would just bring you and him trouble.

    ''If you still wish to learn more about Ena Maniption, I have left behind several notes in Vivian''s hands. If you don''t need it and choose to advance your strength by yourself, feel free to do so.

    ''By the time you read this letter, I should have begun my journey around the world to take care of the problem.

    ''If you are worried about your position in the student council, you don''t have to worry about it. Sullivan has promised me to help you regarding this matter. Besides, your man won''t let them kick you out of the student council.

    ''Anyway, it''s only for a brief moment, but I have fun teaching you. You are talented enough to understand everything I teach, whether logically or instinctively.

    ''Once my name is cleared from any suspicion, I will return. However, I don''t know how long it will take.''

    Selena couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows. "What''s this? How could he just leave for no reason? What kind of reason forces the academy to change their principal?"

    Selena looked down, falling into deep thought.

    In the end, she summoned Risa to prepare for their breakfast while she returned to the room.

    "Nathan, wake up," said Selena while shaking Nathan''s body.

    "Mhmm? What? Isn''t it too early?"

    "Wake up right now. There''s a problem."

    "I don''t think there''s any problem within the academy right now. Maybe a kiss will wake me up." Nathan acted spoiled.

    Selena''s eyebrows twitched. She nted a kiss on his cheek while saying, "Wake up. There''s a problem. It seems the principal has left the academy. There''s another principal recing him."

    "Huh?" Nathan''s eyes widened but soon became sleepy again. "Oh! That must be the problem."

    "What problem?"

    "The terrorist organization that we''re currently pursuing. It''s created by someone who is¡­ how do I say it? Close to the principal? They learned from the same master, so they were fellow disciples."

    Selena''s body shook. "So that means once it''s revealed, the principal will be in suspicion?"

    "Yep. However, I don''t think they will reveal that truth. In fact, they probably won''t reveal it and will deal with this organization in secret. That''s probably why the principal leaves the academy. He is nning to deal with them without anyone knowing it."

    "What if they reveal it?"

    "Well, the principal will not like it. Considering the close rtionship between them, it will just turn the Sage against them. Even the Holy Kingdom and the Azilia Kingdom won''t be foolish enough to make someone as strong as the Sage their enemy."

    Selena crossed her arms. "How are you so sure the enemy is his fellow disciple?"

    "Three reasons. First of all, we have interrogated Axel. Then, the principal confirmed it to be his fellow disciple. The third reason is a bit of a stretch, but Teacher Dikkleus once said to me that the most dangerous people in the world are researchers and madmen. After everything that happens, I don''t think he is talking only about himself.

    "The principal told us he roamed the world after his master passed away while his fellow disciple remained on his research. And during the interrogation, the goal of the organization is to kill. We don''t know who, but it reflects the madness of that organization."

    "That''s why you believe what the principal said is true?" Selena frowned.

    "Yep." Nathan nodded. "The new principal should have a certain mission in this academy and he should have talked to the former principal. Besides, it''s Noelle''s grandfather."

    Selena raised one finger. "Are they going to use the interrogation of Axel as a way to change the principal?"

    "Most likely. It''s a perfect excuse and people will definitely believe it."

    "I see."

    Nathan looked at Selena. "What do you want, Selena? Do you wish for the former principal to return?"

    "I don''t know." Selena shook her head helplessly. Unlike Nathan, she didn''t have a lot of memories with the principal, which meant her bond with him was thin.

    However, it didn''t change the fact that she had benefited a lot from him and he was the most suitable teacher for someone with her talent.

    "I can understand your feelings. You can think of it slowly¡­or maybe you don''t have a lot of time to think because Sullivan is probably going to call us right after this."

    And so he did.

 Chapter 273 : Honeymoon

    "What?"

    "Why do we get a new principal?"

    "What is happening? Why is the principal leaving? Although the former principal was a strict man, he was a good educator."

    "On the other hand, Sullivan mante is Noelle mante''s grandfather, right? Are they going to dominate the school?"

    "This will be troublesome, no? Daddy''s power!"

    "Indeed. What will happen after this? Is there something they''re hiding from us?"

    The students were confused. They expressed their own opinions and spections about this matter in the hall.

    They couldn''t help but talk about it, especially since Axel was caught several days ago. They ended up linking it to the principal as if thetter helped Axel with that problem.

    To stop them from spreading the misinformation, the first thing Sullivan did aftering to the academy was gather them in this hall.

    Sullivan took the stage, showing his robust aura that made people instinctively fear him.

    Sullivan said, "I know you have a lot to say regarding me being the recement. However, I want to clear up three things.

    "First of all, the reason I reced the former principal is that of the action of the Frexia Academy. To capture, interrogate, and even eliminate the terrorist organization, I am a more suitable person than Leyfon.

    "The second thing I want you to know is that I don''t have any ns to make a huge change in this academy through my status as the new principal. In other words, everything will proceed the same as if there is no change in the principal. That includes the student council. Even if my granddaughter is in the student council, I will treat her like any other student.

    "Last but not least, I''ll be announcing the result of the interrogation. First of all, the Terrorist Organization''s name is Mad Coffin.

    "Unfortunately, there''s no way for us to find out how they operate or how to identify them right now.

    "But we know one thing. The academy has been freed from all the spies, so you don''t have to worry. We''ll update you on any progress we have made.

    "If you have any questions, you may inquire about it from teachers or other people. And the war is still going on. If you meet anyone who is confirmed to be a member of the Mad Coffin, they''re to be captured or executed immediately.

    "But don''t use this as an excuse to do your wanton killing. If you''re found to abuse this privilege to kill someone innocent, you will be judged by the academy''sw and might possibly be brought to the martial court.

    "That''s all I have to say. Once again, I''m Sullivan mante. You might know me as the sword saint, but I''m just a normal person like all of you. I hope you''re able to continue improving in this academy."

    His speech had cleared up their doubts, but the way Sullivan delivered the message was definitely different from the former principal.

    Leyfon usually told them while inciting their excitement and rage. Meanwhile, Sullivan''s strict tone and deep voice created tension in the hall, which scared them.

    Still, Sullivan didn''t care much about how they thought about him.

    Instead, he immediately called Nathan, Selena, and Vivian to his office right after the speech.

    "Oi, oi. Abusing your privilege already? Calling us right after recing that old fighter," Vivianined jokingly.

    "Hahaha." Sullivan scratched the back of his head. "Of course not. Before I was asked to rece Leyfon, I was in charge of the secret investigation of this terrorist organization.

    "ording to the researcher, they were experimenting with aliens. It wasn''t necessarily thebination of human and alien. It can be thebination of aliens with everything like familiars, nts, or other things.

    "It is as if they''re nning to create a perfect alien that will be a perfect imitation. And the ones that will be targeted first¡­" Sullivan didn''t continue, but his gaze fell upon Nathan and Selena.

    Nathan had beasts as his familiar, which was unique and might be the key to a breakthrough of whatever they''re doing. Selena had a lot of new races that might help them with their research.

    It could be said they were the most juicy targets.

    Nathan raised one finger. "We might be, but we are sure that they''re targeting other academies as well."

    "Ho?" Sullivan didn''t know where that information came from, but if it was true, the situation had just be much moreplicated. "They are targeting all summoners. No, maybe the students? Is it because they are young? Is it because they are weak and easy to capture?"

    Sullivan fell into deep thought, considering all kinds of possibilities.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter. We''ll be going on a vacation anyway, so we will just leave this matter for a while."

    "A vacation?" Sullivan''s eyebrows twitched, wondering if they knew about how dangerous it was for them to leave the academy.

    "They''ll be staying in Meyes City. I have a vi over there, so it should be pretty safe."

    "Meyes City¡­" That name seemed to ring a bell in Sullivan''s heart. "Now that I think about it, there''s something strange happening in Meyes City."

    Nathan''s expression darkened. ''My shitty luck.''

    "Do you want us to take care of that problem?" Selena asked while frowning. She wanted to enjoy the vacation with Nathan instead of taking care of aplicated problem.

    "That''s probably good, but I''m afraid they''re going to be quite strong. I think I should send some students with you. Let''s see, Flora and Noelle should be enough as reinforcements. Considering you''re the ones catching the culprit, you can use them as your pawn to deal with the problem. What do you think, Nathan?"

    Selena clenched her fists. She wanted to reject it. There was no way she would have another woman joining them on their vacation. In fact, Selena had been treating it as their honeymoon since this would probably be thest time they could spend time together alone after she considered Nathan''s personality.

    At the same time, she couldn''t reject it. If her selfishness ended up endangering them, she would feel so guilty that she couldn''t face Nathan anymore.

    But this was where Nathan smiled. "Ah! You don''t have to worry about that. Selena and I will be enough."

    "!!!" Selena widened her eyes and looked at Nathan with a perplexed face. Nathan only winked his eye yfully, as if telling her that no one would disturb them. Selena looked down. Her face was red, as she had a hard time containing her smile.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yep." Nathan nodded, adding inwardly, ''Besides, I can use the Sleeping Garden secretly. They''re stronger than Flora and Noelle. So there''s no need for them. This bro is finally going to graduate on this trip, so don''t you dare to interrupt it.''

    Or so what Nathan thought. One person definitely did not think the same thing.

 Chapter 274 : Nice Beach (Bonus)

    A few dayster.

    Nathan was sitting on his beach chair while wearing sunsses. He only wore a trunk while saying, "This is nice."

    "Hmm. It''s hot though." Fenrir was lying down underneath the umbre. "Well, it''s not that bad either."

    "That''s true. Sand that is different from where I resided¡­" Anubis nodded and yed with the sand, curious about all types of sand.

    Nidhogg simply slept as if nothing had happened.

    "By the way, talking about the sea, what kind of divine beasts can we actually summon in the sea?"

    "I''m not sure. They can be called a mythical beast, but I wonder if they can be called a divine beast. After all, they have appeared a lot in legend, but I haven''t heard their godly title.

    "For example, Leviathan. It''s a serpent demon, who is mentioned to be simr to divine beings.

    "There''s also Kraken¡­ but I''m rather skeptical of summoning a kraken. After all¡­" Nathan pointed at Fenrir. "You are from the same mythology, meaning the same as Nidhogg as well. Although it might sound rude, let me have some variation.

    "Well, there are also dragons who guard rivers in Chinese Mythology. If not, maybe I should summon one of the four heavenly beasts, the tortoise and a snake, Genbu?

    "I''m not so sure right now. Besides, we might not necessarily need to summon one just yet."

    Nathan exined.

    "That''s true." Fenrir nodded. "I''m just curious. I want to try fighting other divine beasts."

    "Well, there are familiars like Three-Legged Crow, who is said to live in the sun or maybe Kitsune. The nine-tailed kitsune is tempting, but I think the one that will be summoned is Tenko, a kitsune who has evolved and wields divine power.

    "There are also other divine beasts that are interesting, so I will be summoning them first. As for the fourth familiar, I will just base it on our current situation."

    "Hoho? Those guys sound strong." Fenrir smirked. "I''m going to challenge them after this. Don''t neglect our Ena, alright? I need more Ena if I want to fight them!"

    "Of course. I''m working on it." Nathan smiled wryly.

    However, Fenrir soon fell silent and pointed to the side as if signaling Nathan someone wasing.

    And that was the moment he was waiting for.

    Nathan''s eyes were wide open.

    Selena wasing together with Risa.

    Although he had seen what kind of swimsuit Selena chose a few days ago, this was the first time she was wearing it.

    She chose a white bikini that gave a contrast to her long ck hair. Her cold face coupled with this outfit showed a contrast that ended up giving a unique charm that couldn''t make him look away.

    Risa, on the other hand, chose a ck one, which blended with her hair. She was more like a bolder elder sister when walking next to Selena.

    Obviously, with how diverse familiar clothes were, he wasn''t surprised that someone would have brought a bikini to this world. In fact, there were still mermaids and other sea creatures that could show such a thing.

    For the first time in his life, he pped his hands together while saying, "My lucky day has arrived. I thank you for all the sacrifices of the fallen warriors who have brought bikinis to this world."

    "What are you talking about?" Selena asked while putting down a small bag.

    "Nothing. I''m just enjoying the beach to the fullest." Nathan showed a sly smile.

    Selena knew what he meant and didn''t ask further. "Still, this is the first time I can enjoy the beach, unlike the one on the tropical ind."

    "True." Nathan nodded. "That''s why just enjoy it to the fullest."

    "Mhmm. The sounds of the waves are soothing, the heat from the sun makes youzy to leave your chair." Selena sighed, feeling rxed. "This would have been a perfect vacation if not for¡­"

    Before she finished her words, another voice echoed from the side.

    It was none other than Serafina. She wasing with the fallen angel and Brunhild.

    The fallen angel was wearing a rather bold one, as if temptation were her first priority. Meanwhile, Brunhild covered her body with a long skirt slit on the left and a round white hat that enhanced her mature appearance.

    The problem was Sera.

    Even Selena was gritting her teeth while ring at her breasts.

    Compared to all the women in this ce, no one had a better body than her. If Noelle or Flora were here, she wouldn''t be this annoyed. But Sera was probably her biggest rival.

    ''Maybe changing religion is fine¡­'' Nathan thought.

    "It would have been perfect if not for her here. Why is she even here?" Selena clicked her tongue.

    "Don''t ask me. I can stop Sullivan, but I can''t talk to the Pope. And since the Pope is the one sending her over, my Master has no choice but to agree as well. The reason this time is for observation is because we might encounter the enemies again when solving this city''s trouble."

    Selena sighed.

    "Desperate time calls for desperate measures, huh?" Nathan muttered.

    "What?" Selena squinted her eyes.

    "Nothing. Do you want to eat or drink something? I will go." Nathan tried to act like a gentleman before Selena got angry because he had one ''mission.''

    What he didn''t expect was that there was another encounter waiting for him.

    While he lined up to buy a drink, he was approached by a woman.

    "Hello, young man. Are you buying something for your girlfriend?" The woman looked mature, but there were three distinctive features about her.

    She had red hair, used sunsses, and inhaled her tobo pipe.

    In that instant, he saw through the disguise, considering he never had an acquaintance with this kind of appearance. And that pipe gave away the answer.

    "Yes." Nathan nodded. "May I know your name, beautifuldy?"

    "Just call me E." She smiled.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. ''She just removed the ''B'' from her name. I guess she is the one dispatched from Sleeping Garden. Isabe.''

 Chapter 275: The Moon is Beautiful Tonight (Bonus)

    "Are you the only one here?" Nathan asked.

    "Yep. Do you think Evelyn wille to this kind of ce? And do you think she will wear something like this?" Be asked while pointing at her outfit.

    "Definitely not. I can''t imagine it."

    "Right? The rest are also busy and I have an illusion ability, which allows me to disguise myself."

    "I see. I will be relying on you on this mission. I don''t know what we''re currently up against, though." Nathan sighed.

    "We actually have some information. ording to the rumor, the enemy this time is an alien because there are a lot of scratch marks in the scene.

    "However, there''s a possibility of it being done by a human who uses aliens. After all, the scene is too clean for only an alien.

    "I can give you more information if you have more time tonight."

    Nathan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I will be extremely busy tonight¡­ maybe."

    "Hoho?!" Be chuckled, her gaze teasing him. "In that case, I will just tell you a few things right now and continue with the investigation. Since you have proven yourself, I will be following your arrangement. Evelyn has given her permission as well. If we can, we will need to catch the culprit and find out more about their organization."

    "Got it."

    "Alright." Be nodded. "First of all, the weird incident started happening two weeks ago. ording to the witness, there was a screeching noise from a mansion in this city. And the next morning, it was said that the merchant who stayed in that mansion died terribly.

    "There were a lot of scratch marks both in that mansion and his body."

    Nathan rubbed his chin. "What''s the response of the merchant group or his family?"

    "The merchant group is in panic, and he only leaves behind a single son who has to take his mantle because of the situation."

    "Can you get more information from his son? It doesn''t need to be focused on what happened to his father. Just let him say whatever he thinks is important."

    Be nodded. "Consider it done."

    "Any other information?"

    "Yes. There are four more victims of this incident. Three of them are civilians, while thest one is another merchant."

    "Another merchant? Are they aiming for a merchant or something? The civilians can be just coteral damage."

    "Probably."

    Nathan squinted his eyes. "Just like the first merchant, find information from this merchant. As for the other three people, just ask them about simple things. Also, is there anything shady in this city like trades, goods, or activities?"

    "I''m not very sure about it. I can check it as well."

    "Thank you."

    "Last but not least, I don''t sense any strong summoners here. Even if it''s going to be someone from that organization, it''ll probably be just one of the lowest ranking people. The problem is that if they know you are here, there''s a chance they will send more stronger people."

    "When that happens, can you ask Evelyn to take over? No. I''m not going to bait them right now. Because the former principal has just left, it should rm them. If you are able to push them away without revealing your identity, they will think that the principal is going undercover to protect us and wille backter.

    "By that time, I will have summoned my fourth familiar. It will make the situation much safer." Nathan smiled wryly.

    "I will tell the captain about it. When should I deliver this information to you?"

    "Hmm. Maybe three days from now. I will probably begin to take this matter seriously at that time."

    "Got it. In that case, I will not hold you any longer. Enjoy your time." Be winked.

    "Ah, wait. There''s one more thing." Nathan raised a finger. "If you can, stroll around the city and figure out the atmosphere of the city. What they think about the incident, how they feel about the loss of the people, and so on."

    "Got it." Be nodded and walked away.

    Meanwhile, Nathan returned to Selena and Sera, who seemed to have been ready to have a fight.

    Nathan had to stop them. Most of the time, Selena was staring at him mysteriously. It felt like she was annoyed and angry, but at the same time, she was thinking about something else and gathering her resolve.

    Nathan brought them to y with either the sand or the water to distract them, hoping for the time to pass quickly.

    As soon as the sun was about to set, they returned to the vi Vivian had. Even though she said it was a vi, it was practically another mansion. It was even bigger than the one she had near the academy.

    There were at least 30 maids and butlers receiving them.

    After settling down their luggage, Nathan just dropped to the bed. "I''m tired. I have prevented a future world war today. Well, I should coax Selena tonight to avoid future fights."

    That was what he thought until he heard a knock.

    *knock!*

    "Nathan? Are you still awake? This is Selena. Can I talk to you for a bit?"

    "Just enter. It''s not locked," Nathan casually said, as he had gotten used to them sleeping together.

    As if using that fact, Selena entered. She wasn''t alone.

    "Risa?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "Is it time to suck my blood again? I feel like it should be three days¡ª*ck!*"

    Nathan abruptly stopped when he heard the door getting locked. "Ahem. What are you doing, Selena?"

    Selena seemed to be embarrassed in saying it, so Risa stepped forward while saying, "Even though I''m a vampire, blood is not the only thing I can suck, you know?"

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock.

    "Desperate time calls for desperate measures. You said it yourself." Selena''s expression turned cold. "I''m not nning to give my position to anyone else. If they dare toe, I''ll show them who is the boss."

    Nathan raised his finger as if he wanted to correct her but immediately dropped his finger again, as if he had no objection.

    "Risa. We have to make sure that he doesn''t have the energy to see that slutty saintess in that way again tomorrow."

    Nathan thought he had to do something, but it seemed there was a blessing in disguise. Sera''s existence had forced Selena to be much bolder.

    This situation reminded him of the prophecy that the elder in the sand vige gave him regarding his luck with women.

    "Wait. Let me say one thing that I always want to say." Nathan raised one finger. He nced at the outside with a serene expression. "The moon is beautiful tonight (I love you)."

 Chapter 276: Selenas Fear

    "Heh? You''re nothingpared to me." Selena''s second mother pped Selena''s biological mother.

    "You¡­" Obviously, she wanted to fight back, but her second mother simply smiled, "What? You don''t have a position anymore. Who can you rely on?"

    "You slut. You don''t hesitate to betray your husband and just cling to the Ashton family." She bit her lips.

    "The only thing I hear is the excuse of a loser." She smirked.

    The first wife bit her lips and walked away. "Just you wait."

    The young Selena was peeking from the corner. It didn''t take long for her second mother to do such a thing.

    And because of this fight, she ended up suffering. The anger that her biological mother contained in her heart ended up being unleashed upon her, which was the cause of her suffering in the past decade.

    Why would they fight? Shouldn''t they work together to pass the crisis?

    Selena couldn''t get an answer for a long time.

    "!!!" Selena suddenly opened her eyes, her head still on Nathan''s arm. In fact, she was hugging Nathan as if she were clinging to her dear life.

    "¡­" Selena remained silent. ''Why would I dream about it? Is it because I resemble both of them? For most people, having multiple women is a sign of a prosperous family. After all, it shows the wealth to maintain their status and solve their problems.

    ''In addition, if each person has significant status in their former household, their families can also help with that problem.

    ''However, that''s also how my family began to crumble. The moment my father went missing, my biological mother, who was his first wife, lost her status, especially because the one having the most support from the family was not her but my uncle. If she had that support, she would have been fine.

    ''That''s why I need strength¡­ I need to be stronger than anyone else in the family, so that I can ensure the stability of the family even if something happens, which I never hope to happen.

    ''But the problem will be how easy it is for others to switch their allegiance. My second mother immediately remarried to my uncle so that she could gain the status surpassing my biological mother.

    ''In the end, for them, status and benefits are the only things in their mind. Once the one holding everything together is gone, it will crumble fast.

    ''Even though my biological mother beat me, she was loyal to my father until her death. It was because they had been helping each other when they needed it. Meanwhile, my father married my second mother because he was forced too due to my mother having a hard time conceiving a child. Although she ended up giving birth to me one year after her, it was toote.''

    Selena closed her eyes. As a noble, she had always thought that it would be normal to have several wives.

    At the same time, her experience made her think it wasn''t fine.

    ''Now that I think about it, I have been telling Nathan a lot of things, even when Victor was trying to mess with me. Have I been telling him things about myself?

    ''Right now, Serafina is simr to my second mother. She is doing it because of the pope. The first one to mess with the family in case something happens will be her.''

    Selena bit her lips. ''From the looks of it, there have been a lot of women around him. venya, Noelle, and Flora. As someone who has a unique summoning ability, Nathan really needs to be very careful, since the people around him will be more likely to approach him for that reason.

    ''Maybe this is just me being paranoid. Knowing Nathan, he probably understands it better than anyone else.''

    Selena took a nce at Nathan''s face and noticed Risa in the corner of her vision.

    ''Should I just summon a lot of female familiars to ensure that he won''t need another woman? Unlike people from this world, they don''t really need status within the family. They don''t give birth.

    ''And during the summoning ritual, or more like the chant, there are three agreements established. The first is to not hurt each other. If the familiars or the summoners do such things, the other parties have the right to fight back.

    ''The second is to be supportive, to a certain extent. Last but not least, the return of the familiar.

    ''Then again, I don''t think people will like it, since Nathan''s bloodline is unique. If I don''t let people near him, they will most likely try to remove me. Nathan will protect me, but it will be him against the world. I don''t want it to happen.

    ''Or is this just because of my experience? Am I being selfish? Why do I even think about this in the first ce?''

    Selena sighed. ''Maybe I''m just overthinking this matter. Has something changed in me? Have I be too soft?''

    When she thought about it, she noticed that everything had changed. Her emotions hade back to a certain extent, her abilities had developed much faster than she originally thought, and her view toward the world had drastically widened.

    Selena fell into deep thought for a moment.

    At the same time, there was a soft groaning from Nathan.

    "Mhmm?"

    Nathan''s body shook but soon noticed he was unable to move and stopped. As expected, the first thing that he did was open his eyes wide as if to check everything wasn''t a dream, only to find her staring at her.

    Nathan blinked his eyes a few times. "Good morning¡­ Selena."

    Selena was embarrassed afterst night, but she still nodded her head. "Good morning."

    Nathan wanted to say something, but Selena suddenly stopped him. "Nathan. This might be a little random, but do you mind answering my questions?"

    "Questions? Sure. I don''t mind. "Nathan nodded while lowering his voice so that Risa didn''t wake up.

    Selena''s expression turned serious as she dropped a bomb. "Do you really want to have multiple wives?"

    "¡­"

 Chapter 277: Answer

    "Do you really want to have multiple wives?"

    *Thud!*

    Nathan''s heart skipped a beat as though he had been caught. Nathan gulped down while Selena continued, "I won''tment about your reason. I just want to know your thoughts, since¡­ how do I put this¡­"

    Looking at Selena struggling to assemble the words made him realize how important the question was for her.

    Nathan took a deep breath and braced for impact as he said, "Yes."

    Selena looked at him for a second before lowering her head. "What will happen to the family if you''re gone? Ah, sorry. I guess I should tell you about myself for a bit."

    Selena calmed herself down. "My family began to fall apart after my father went missing¡­"

    She briefly recounted her story. She was nervous, considering this was the first time she had ever talked about it.

    After knowing it, Nathan could see the reason behind her question. It reminded him of the harem novel he read before dying.

    ''Harem is dumb.''

    ''Harem is peak.''

    He definitely heard a lot of arguments from both sides but never really partook in their discussion. He could give an excuse like ''Why not?'' or ''In this world, polygamy is allowed,'' or something along the lines. But it was just a mere justification.

    It wasn''t an answer he could give to the people within the harem.

    That was why he had thought about it and found one answer that he believed was the most suitable.

    Nathan looked her in the eyes. "Thank you for telling me all that. I do, but I have principles and a bottom line. If I can''t see someone who will do everything necessary to help the family when it needs them the most, I''d rather not be with such a person.

    "However, I''m not going to stop a little rivalry. In the end, I know that my choice will bring some trouble. For example, the battle to get some resources¡ªmaybe something I get from somewhere. It can be for them or their family.

    "When there''s a conflict of interest, it''s bound to happen and I can understand it. In the end, if they grow, as long as they still have that bottom line, everything will be used for the family.

    "However, if the family faces a problem and they won''t help, I''d rather not start in the first ce."

    Selena looked surprised. It wasn''t the best answer, but she could see an image that the family wouldn''t copse even if he was gone.

    "So, in the end, it''s circting within the family."

    "Yes."

    Nathan nodded.

    "I see¡­" Selena exhaled. After knowing about it, her heart was at ease.

    Nathan was quite surprised that Selena would ask such a question. It seemed she had changed.

    "That''s why you don''t have to worry." Nathan gave a little peck on the forehead.

    "Mhmm."

    Risa gulped down, as she never thought she would end up listening to such a heavy topic early in the morning. She had been awake for a while and wondered, ''When can I stop pretending to sleep¡­''

    Still, it was an unexpected answer from Nathan, which also satisfied her.

    "Anyway, the sun is already up. I''ll bring some breakfast, so you both can sleep for a little longer¡­ including you," Nathan teased Risa with a flick of her forehead.

    "Ugh! You knew?" Risa was startled as she covered her forehead.

    Nathan chuckled while getting up and grabbing his clothes. "Someone of your level not waking up after me and Selena making so much noise is basically impossible. I know you''ve been pretending to sleep this whole time and you have confirmed it just now."

    "Geh!" Risa panicked as Selena was staring at her with a judging gaze. Risa looked away while rubbing her cheek. "Ahahaha¡­"

    "So you''ve been listening to it?" Selena asked.

    "Yes." Risa nodded furiously.

    "What do you think?"

    "It''s not the best answer, but it''s a well-thought answer. Since you ask him such a question all of a sudden, he wouldn''t have enough time to prepare for that kind of answer. In other words, he has been thinking about it for a long time. Knowing him, it''s simr to his principle or something."

    "Indeed. And I also have found the clue about my father. Since there''s a high chance he is still alive and we can rescue him, the goal has be much clearer." Selena nodded. "How long does it take for you to be a duchess?"

    "A few months, and I can be a royal in a year or two. ording to the prediction, I can be as strong as a progenitor within a decade. However, this is just a spection from the Fairy Queen."

    "Considering she predicted your evolution correctly before, we could probably think of the other predictions to be true." Selena touched her forehead, falling into deep thought. "I''m thinking about finding my father before graduation, so you will be at least a royal. Although it will be unfair to you, I want you to help me testify."

    "Testify? For what?"

    "So that my father will ept our rtionship. I don''t know how he will react after all this. Even though I''m not a legitimate heir anymore, I''m still considered a noble. Having a rtionship outside of marriage is considered a scandal. But at that time, I want to use your strength and evolution as a way to convince my father so that he epts this rtionship."

    "Oh! I understand. I''ll do my best." Risa nodded.

    Selena rose from the bed. "In that case, we shouldn''t bezy. We still have a lot to do, especially since the principal has changed. If we don''t get stronger quickly, our n will be useless."

    She hurriedly grabbed her clothes as if she wanted to chase after Nathan, despite her body swaying left and right.

    Risa smiled wryly, muttering inwardly, ''I should be the one thanking you. Having you meet Nathan is the opportunity that can only be described as a miracle. Reaching a stage no one thinks is possible, huh?''

    Selena recalled her back and exited the room, only to find Sera stop in front of the door with a shocked expression.

    "You¡­" Sera blinked her eyes a few times, noticing her stagger. "Don''t tell me. You¡­"

    It might be the result fromst night, but Selena could actually smile in front of Sera. It indirectly asserted her dominance. "Good morning. Have you had your breakfast yet?"

 Chapter 278: An Attack

    "What''s wrong? You can talk to me about everything." Be smiled seductively, looking at the man in front of her. The man was wearing a robeced in an embroidered golden flower, as if showing his status.

    The man¡ªlosing focus on his eyes¡ªanswered in a monotonous tone. "My father has no enemies."

    Be asked, "In that case, who will benefit the most from your father''s death?"

    He thought for a moment. "Me."

    "So, are you the one killing your own father?"

    "No."

    Be frowned. "In that case, is there anything suspicious happeningtely? Maybe something or someone around your father?"

    He seemed a bit hesitant but still said it. "There was actually someone suspicious meeting my father one day before his death. I had never seen him before, but he imed to be someone from the government."

    "!!!" Be squinted her eyes as if she finally found the clue. "In that case, what do you know about that person?"

    "I don''t know anything. Even my father seems to be clueless about it. After the meeting, my father exined that he was a kind official. He had a rather kind expression, so I didn''t think much about it."

    "Kind, huh?" Be looked down, contemting. "Is it even an official? If the enemy is wearing a disguise or using an illusion¡­ What is their aim?"

    Be continued asking several questions as Nathan wanted, making sure to extract as much information as possible.

    After that, she continued interrogating other affected victims. The more she investigated this incident, the more it didn''t make sense.

    Eventually, she chose to sneak into the mansion, where the first screeching sound was heard.

    The mansion was obviously emptied by the government to gather all kinds of evidence to investigate.

    However, they couldn''t bring back the scratches on the walls, ceiling, and floor.

    There was a lot of blood sshed in the room where the merchant was killed. However, there didn''t seem to be any destruction, which symbolized the fight.

    In other words, the other party was either extremely strong or unsuspecting.

    Be''s expression became grimmer as she searched the mansion. In fact, she had gone to the government office before this, trying to find the person with a gentle face.

    However, she couldn''t find anyone, which meant the merchant''s story was either not true or not useful. The merchant''s son might not even be aware of such a person.

    As a result, Be had to check other crime scenes for clues, only to be left disappointed. Even though there were simr marks, she couldn''t determine who the enemy was or what kind of alien caused it.

    Of course, she didn''t forget to get information from the town. She had promised Nathan to know about the atmosphere of the city, especially with this serial killer.

    Everyone looked worried and had set up a curfew, trying to avoid any suspicious person.

    Meanwhile, Nathan used these two days to swallow as many cores as possible. Selena could finally focus on getting stronger rather than getting involved in a useless fight.

    Serafina had no other choice but to grow stronger or these two would definitely leave her behind. When that happened, Selena could easily push her away for all kinds of reasons.

    That was why she had to ask for some resources from the Holy Kingdom.

    There was actually another reason Nathan suggested the meeting would be held in three days.

    He might like the vacation, but dealing with this problem as quickly as possible would definitely allow him to have a peaceful vacation after that.

    So, why three days?

    After absorbing cores for thest two days, Nathan rose from the bed, rming Selena.

    "Nathan?" Selena opened her eyes.

    "I just want to get some cool drinks." Nathan waved his hand with a smile, assuring her he wasn''t doing anything dangerous.

    Obviously, someone who had known Nathan the most wouldn''t fall for such a thing. She knew that Nathan was nning to do something since they came to this ce with a task.

    But Nathan must have a reason for not involving her.

    It wasn''t her strength that was unnecessary. There must be something he nned to do where, even if she was there, she wouldn''t be able to provide any assistance.

    Believing in him, Selena nodded. "Alright. Take care. Get back soon."

    "Yep!" Nathan smiled.

    His destination wasn''t the balcony or somewhere near the mansion. Instead, it was a small stall on the corner of the street that was still open despite the current situation.

    "Oh my. Are you going to apany this elder sister, young man?" Be smiled coquettishly.

    "Of course. Do you want to walk around first, mdy?"

    "I''d love to."

    Both of them just bought some snacks while walking around the town.

    As soon as they were far enough from the stall, Nathan asked, "Is it¡­"

    "No. I''ve checked, but that stall owner is just a normal person. Because of theck of customers, he has to remain open to avoid going under and being unable to feed his children."

    Nathan nodded, feeling relieved. "Alright. I need the information. Have you gathered everything?"

    "Of course. I don''t know how reliable it is, but some of the information makes me wonder about something else. And looking at the evidence, I''m afraid the enemy is not that simple. At least a juvenile ss mutant or even a mature ss alien might be involved in this.

    "More importantly, the culprit is not just an alien. There seems to be a human involved."

    "A human, huh?" Nathan frowned. Thisbination couldn''t help but remind him of Dikkleus.

    All of a sudden, they heard a loud screeching voice as well as a loud explosion.

    Boom!

    The ss shattered, which produced a loud enough sound for the people in this city to hear.

    "!!!" Both Nathan and Be widened their eyes, not because they were startled by the sudden attack but because of the location of that attack. It was the mansion where Nathan resided. The one who could produce such an explosion was none other than Selena.

    "Not good. I have to go back. The mansion is attacked!"

 Chapter 279: Reinforcement?

    A moment ago.

    Selena had been refining the Ena from the cores with Risa, trying to get as much Ena as possible.

    Suddenly, Risa raised her head, noticing something. "There''s a smell of blood that I don''t recognize."

    "Huh? You can smell blood from this far away? What are you, a dog?" Selena tilted her head in confusion.

    "I don''t know. Maybe my senses have been strengthened because of my evolution? Or is it because of his blood? Or maybe it''s because ofst night?"

    Selena frowned. "We can figure it outter. Is Nathan back yet?"

    "No."

    "He hasn''t returned, but there''s someoneing into this mansion. An intruder?"

    "Most likely. I believe that person is on the second floor."

    Selena immediately grabbed her staff. There was no time for her other equipment. Instead, she summoned Sasha and Yin Zhen as guards.

    Yin Zhen took the lead. Unfortunately, Risa couldn''t locate the blood source precisely, so they had to search randomly.

    Obviously, the one they should check first was Sera''s room. Even if they were rivals, she was still important to them.

    Bang!

    Brunhild was thrown to the door and crushed it before she was stopped by the wall. She was raising her shield as if she had just blocked something.

    "!!!" Selena couldn''t help but widen her eyes. With no hesitation, all of them headed straight to Brunhild without calling her name, as if they were trying to not rm the enemy.

    Brunhild noticed them and charged forward without ncing at them, trying to stop the enemy in his tracks.

    A clicking sound soon echoed inside the room. When Selena reached the room, she found Serafina standing in the corner of the room, boosting Brunhild''s physical strength. The room was also in a mess, as the bed was already split in half.

    Still, the one giving off the pressure was a person d in a long robe. Its body had been covered from top to bottom, showing nothing but a shadow of its eyes from the slit on his mask.

    Its body was big, much taller than theirs, as if he wasn''t a human. But she had seen at least one person who had such a body in her life, so it wasn''t in the realm of impossibility.

    Couldn''t determine the identity of the attacker, Yin Zhen and Selena immediately leaped forward.

    Yin Zhen kicked him while Selena formed her blood tornado, trying to pressure him from both sides.

    The enemy grabbed Brunhild''s wrist and threw her to Yin Zhen, stopping their attacks. After that, he crushed the tornado with a single punch.

    Because the enemy was wearing a glove, she still couldn''t determine the enemy. There was one thing to do.

    Since the nature of the mission was dangerous, Vivian shouldn''t have any qualms about her mansion being destroyed. At least it was to protect Serafina, so the Holy Kingdom would definitely reimburse her.

    Hence, Selena gathered her Ena and let it explode in front of the enemy, trying tounch it to the window.

    However, Sera actually boosted Selena''s ability. Because of her synchronization focused on the Multiplication, it amplified Selena''s explosion by three times.

    Boom!

    The explosion swallowed half the room and sted the enemy''s away.

    "What are you doing? It''s dangerous to do that!" Selena wanted to say more about her actions, but she stopped. There was something more important to do.

    While biting her lips, Selena jumped off the balcony, finding the mysterious enemy to be escaping.

    Selena summoned her avatar, trying to catch him. Unfortunately, she blew her a bit too far, so the enemy was able to escape.

    Sera looked at them with a serious expression before saying, "Sorry."

    Selena wanted to say something, but it seemed Sera had realized her mistake. She clicked her tongue and said, "Nevertheless, we need to find Nathan¡­ No, I think it''s better to stay here. You can''t fight, so I will stay here with you."

    The butlers and the maids were alerted and hurriedly checked on them. Some were screaming in panic, but some reached the room.

    "This is¡­" The head butler and the head maid gasped in shock.

    Selena sighed. "Something just attacked this mansion. Don''t worry about the damage. I''ll let Nathan take care of it."

    All of them had been notified that Nathan was Vivian''s disciple. If Nathan would take care of this, they had nothing to worry about.

    Selena ordered, "Anyway, make sure the rest calm down. I don''t know how this explosion will affect the city, so be prepared for it as well. Report to me if something else happens."

    "Y-Yes!" They nodded furiously and hurriedly went to their post.

    As soon as they were gone, Selena turned to Sera. "Anyway, you will stay with me for now. Although I don''t want to do this, your safety is necessary. I can''t face Nathan if you''re hurt¡­ No, it feels like the enemy has been watching us this whole time and choosing to make its move as soon as Nathan leaves the mansion."

    "What is actually going on?" Sera asked.

    "I know as much as you do. Nathan must know more, but we can only wait until hees back. He should be rushing here after that explosion."

    Sera clenched her fists and nodded. "Alright."

    As Selena expected, Nathan returned to the mansion by himself three minutester.

    "Are you guys alright?" Nathan checked their bodies up and down.

    "Yes. However, the enemy is strange." Selena frowned. "It''s like they have been watching us the whole time."

    "Watching us the whole time?" Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. He didn''t manage to get a lot of information from Be since there wasn''t enough time. Be also had to leave since she couldn''t reveal herself in front of these two.

    And that was when he realized something. "I see. In that case, their next move will be¡­"

    Nathan turned around, facing the gate.

    They could see a lot of soldiers storming inside the mansion. One of them stepped forth and shouted, "We are the soldiers of Meyes City. We demand the people inside the mansion toe out!"

 Chapter 280: The Mayor

    That was what they said, but instead of trying to find the information, the first thing they did when Nathan and the others were cooperative was to put them inside a prison.

    Nathan was sitting in his cell alone with his hands cuffed on the back. Selena and Serafina were in the opposite cell, looking at Nathan and demanding an exnation.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. ''What a clever move. I see. So that''s how it is.''

    "Nathan. Don''t you think it''s time for you to exin to us?" Selena asked while frowning.

    "I know as much as you do." Nathan shrugged. "Well, not anymore."

    Suddenly, a smoke emerged from a hole inside the prison and moved toward Nathan.

    When Nathan inhaled it, he could see the illusion of Be appearing in front of him.

    "I''m here. It seems they''ve got us good. You can talk to me in your mind, so you don''t cause more suspicion."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "What''s the situation up there?"

    "The prison itself is not that hard to escape if you want to. Besides, with your status, they should release you pretty soon. From the way I see it, they''re trying to inform the mayor about the situation.

    "Once the mayor knows about this situation, he will know your identity since you live in your teacher''s mansion."

    "What about the mansion? Have they done something yet?"

    "The usual investigation."

    Nathan sighed. "In that case, let''s hear your report first."

    "Alright. Starting from the first victim¡­" Be began recounting all the information she received from all the victims, which made Nathan furrow his eyebrows. "Something is weird."

    "Weird?"

    "Yes. When I asked about the victims'' rtives, they described different people every time. However, they actually attacked the mansion by covering themselves. There was no interaction or whatever that made you lower your guards like other victims."

    "That''s true." Nathan tilted his head multiple times as though he were connecting the dots.

    "What about the marks?"

    "The mark I found in your teacher''s mansion is not simr to what I found in the merchant''s mansion. However, the rest is simr to the beast''s ws."

    "A different person¡­ No, a human and an alien? Or something even weirder¡­" Nathan looked at the possibilities. "To be honest, I can think of three possibilities. First of all, the enemy should be thebination of a human and an alien, but because they''re not supposed to fight together.

    "That means the alien we''re talking about is a familiar who has turned into an alien. But this is actually even more concerning.

    "The screeching sound¡­ Why would this alien let out a screeching sound when you''re supposed to be unable to let out a single sound once you turn a familiar or a human into an alien?

    "The only exnation about it is that this alien has evolved enough to repair the vocal cords, or at least not harm them.

    "The second possibility is where there are three enemies. The alien is there as a diversion. The human and the familiar are the culprits, who do things like this for whatever reason.

    "The third possibility is that the mayor of this city is trying to cover something by creating these incidents."

    Be crossed her arms. "The third possibility will be confirmed by whether the mayor releases you."

    "That''s true."

    "The other two possibilities are rted to this mysterious organization."

    "Yes. I just want to make sure. Have you heard any familiars producing a simr sound like the alien?"

    "No. The alien''s voice is rather unique. It sounds much otherworldlypared to the familiars. They also have no ent, so it''s weird. Even your beasts won''t be able to produce their sounds, right? I can''t imagine other familiars can. At the very least, I haven''te across one."

    Nathan let out a long sigh. "Last then. What''s the atmosphere in the city?"

    "Remorseful, eerie, and vague. They''re scared, but there doesn''t seem to be any big action taken."

    After hearing that answer, Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "In that case, please return for a while ande back after I deal with the mayor. Depending on the situation, I will be asking you to do something for me."

    "Alright." Be nodded and retracted her smoke.

    Once he escaped from her illusion, Nathan raised his head.

    "Selena, Serafina. You guys don''t have to worry. Everything is going to be fine. Just remember this one thing. You are innocent until proven guilty. So, don''t answer anything and just let me deal with them.

    "Understood." Selena smiled, feeling assured with that confident smile of his, not knowing whether he was genuine or acted tough. Sera, on the other hand, was more gullible, as she nodded her head furiously, as if it were an important order.

    "As for your questions, I will exin it once we deal with this situation, so please save your questions until then."

    Both of them understood the assignment and remained silent.

    In just fifteen minutes, they could hear footstepsing into the prison.

    Their footsteps echoed, which made them nervous with every passing second.

    ''Four people, huh?'' Nathan nced at the side. They seemed to go straight to Nathan.

    The mayor was a fat, middle-aged man. He had a bald head with only some side hair. Even when he reached this ce, his hand was busy wiping his sweat.

    The one next to him seemed to be themander of this city''s soldiers. He had a muscr body d in armor. He carried his helmet everywhere, as if he were prepared to fight at any moment.

    The other two were just normal soldiers, holding their spears while waiting for their orders.

    Nathan looked at the mayor with a nonchnt expression, since he hadn''t done anything wrong. However, these people looked at him with scorn. It was as if they didn''t know the owner of the mansion. To think they would capture the people under the protection of the Forest Queen, they were sure bold.

    The mayor stepped forward and shouted, "You are under arrest! Captain Marco. Bring him to the interrogation room. I will personally interrogate him!"

 Chapter 281: Unique Contract

    "I will personally interrogate him!"

    "What? Mayor! They''re dangerous. They''re summoners!"

    "Who cares? You have tied them so hard and even used the Cold Iron to bind them. They won''t be able to do anything to me." The mayor frowned, pressuring them to ept his demand.

    "That''s¡­" They looked worried, but the mayor continued pressuring them. "Hurry up!"

    "Y-Yes!"

    The soldiers had no other choice but to bring Nathan out and drag him to the interrogation room. It was a cold room, especially since it was night. With only a small window for the moonlight and a small candle to illuminate the room, it would be quite hard to see each other in this room.

    The mayor acted mighty in front of his subordinates, but the moment they were left alone within the interrogation room, the mayor hurriedly untied Nathan and kneeled on the ground, scratching his forehead with the cold stone floor.

    "My apologies¡­"

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. While feeling his wrists, he asked, "You know me?"

    "You are at least the guest of the Forest Queen Vivian. However, I don''t know your identity, esteemed guest."

    Nathan understood what happened a bit more. He asked, "Why are you acting in front of your subordinates?"

    "Yes, sir. Actually, the situation in the city is concerning. Because of the recent incident, I can''t really trust anyone at this rate.

    "From the investigation they''ve conducted, it''s clear that this person has several identities. I don''t know how he does it, but there''s a chance he will be beside me without me realizing it."

    Nathan squinted his eyes. "And it might even be you?"

    The mayor gulped down. Just like him being suspicious of everyone, Nathan had the right to suspect him as well.

    That was why the mayor didn''t try to deny that usation. "Indeed. If you think I''m the culprit, please don''t believe what I''m saying. This is better for you as well."

    Nathan looked down, wondering if he should use his Soul Contract. There was something he wanted to test, and this mayor seemed to be perfect as an experiment. He wasn''t an ally like Selena, who would ept everything, but a neutral party.

    After some careful thought, Nathan summoned Anubis.

    "!!!" The mayor took a step back, scared that he would lose his life.

    However, Nathan immediately assured him. "This is my familiar."

    "A familiar? A dog¡­ no, a jackal? Wait. I think I have heard of a summoner who can summon aplete beast as his familiar¡­ You¡­" The mayor gasped, realizing Nathan''s identity.

    "Indeed. I''m Nathan, the disciple of the Forest Queen Vivian."

    "Sire¡­" The mayor immediately lowered his head, not daring to look Nathan in the eyes.

    "It''s fine. You don''t have to give me special treatment. I just want your cooperation."

    "Y-Yes." The mayor nodded multiple times.

    "My familiar has a contract ability. This contract will allow us to trust each other." Nathan nced at Anubis.

    Anubis knew Nathan wanted him to act. He raised his palm while Nathan sneakily put his palm underneath him.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Exical Luren."

    A contract was soon formed.

    [For the next two weeks, Exical Luren is unable to hide information or allowed to lie to Nathan. In exchange, Nathan will help Exical Luren solve the problem in the city.]

    Of course, Nathan had to add one more rule.

    [For the rest of their lives, Exical Luren and Nathan are unable to disclose information regarding this contract in any form, like answering other parties'' questions in other forms, such as blinking, indirect reply, etc.]

    Nathan wanted to find a perfect solution, such as forgetting this contract after it was fulfilled or a punishment like instant death, but after thinking about it, he added only the condition.

    "This is¡­" The mayor gasped. This was the first time he saw such a magical contract.

    Nathan simply bit his thumb and signed the contract. "As long as you sign here, it means I can trust you. And the condition is as you can see right now. What do you think, Mayor?"

    The mayor trembled, scared to enter something he didn''t understand. But Nathan was Vivian''s disciple. There was no way such a reputable person would be a bad guy. He could easily kill him here as well.

    Hence, the mayor imitated him and signed the contract.

    The moment the contract was active, Nathan tried to open his mouth, telling Anubis about the contract.

    To his surprise, it wasn''t that his voice couldn''te out. He couldn''t even open his mouth.

    "!!!" Nathan was surprised at first, but he finally realized the Soul Contract was actually much more powerful than he thought.

    This contract didn''t even involve Ena, so he thought the binding would be weak. But if he couldn''t even do anything about it, it meant this use was extremely strong. At least he had confirmed what he could do with the contract in the future.

    If he could force someone to enter the contract, he could even interrogate people with it while ensuring everything they said was true.

    Now that the contract was active, Nathan asked, "Mayor. Are you my enemy?"

    "No."

    "Can you trust me?"

    "I will do my best."

    "Can you confirm that everything you say is true, or is there a lie in it?"

    "Everything I''ve said until now is true."

    Nathan nodded in understanding. After confirming these three questions, Nathan could finally begin his next step.

    "In that case, tell me everything you know about this incident."

    "Yes." The mayor gave all the information he had, which wasn''t that different from Be. Then again, he didn''t have Ena, and themander was a normal knight. There were limited things they could do to solve the problem.

    Nathan thought for a moment.

    "I will immediately release you and your people," the mayor assured Nathan, not wanting to get on his bad side.

    Nathan nodded. "But there''s something I''d like you to cooperate with."

    "What is it?" The mayor tilted his head in confusion.

    The fact that the enemy attacked the mansion as soon as Nathan left meant they knew something about him. If that was the case, there were a few things he could do. Of course, the first thing he should do was to bait the enemy out.

    With a sly smile on his face, Nathan said, "There are some goods that I want to bring in the city. I need permission for that trade."

 Chapter 282: Arrangements

    "Release them!"

    "But¡­" Themander frowned, not expecting the mayor would release them, especially after ''interrogating'' Nathan personally. He couldn''t help but wonder if the mayor had been bribed or threatened by him.

    "Are you the mayor? Are you trying to rebel?"

    Themander bit his lips, having no other choice but to release them.

    "Including all the servants."

    Themander could only follow his order, even though it was annoying.

    They all went out together as Nathan made sure everyone''s safety and condition.

    Even Anubis checked whether they needed some healing or not. Once they left the prison, Nathan said to the head butler and maid. "Both of you. Please lead everyone back to the mansion. Since all of you are local, you should understand what''s currently happening in this city.

    "That''s why I want you to return to the mansion. As for the damage, I will take care of them, so you don''t have to worry about being scolded or fired by my master."

    "Will whatever it is return?" The head butler asked.

    "Because of the failurest night, it was unlikely for the enemy to attack the mansion again. It could be said that the mansion and other ces that had been attacked by them are the safest spots in this city right now. However, I can promise you that everything will end in two days. Just tell your family to remain inside their houses before dusk. They will be fine."

    They didn''t understand much about it, but they still knew Nathan had such an ability. Hence, they bowed their heads and obeyed Nathan''s instruction, feeling a bit assured.

    After that, Nathan turned to Selena and Serafina.

    "As you can see, the situation in the city is quite concerning right now. This is the mission that the principal has asked us prior. And I will need both of you to return to the mansion right now."

    "What are you going to do?" Selena thought for a moment. "Never mind. Does this mean I have to remain close to her?"

    "For safety, yes. Even if they are able to defeat you, it will definitely take a long time. At least, I should have enough time toe from wherever I am in the city.

    "That''s why the enemy won''t attack as long as both of you are together."

    "In that case, we''ll use my room." Selena nodded.

    "I don''t mind all of us sleeping together, though?" Sera smiled.

    "What happens with the purity of the saintess?" Selena''s eyebrows twitched.

    "I am known as the corrupted saintess."

    Selena let out a long sigh, as if she was going to ept it. But the moment Sera''s expression brightened, Selena immediately dragged her on the back of her cor while saying, "No! Let''s go back!"

    "W-What?!" Sera was shocked and tried to escape, but to no avail, leaving Nathan alone.

    However, Nathan wasn''t alone this whole time. Now that everyone had left, Be could finally show herself again.

    "Two days, huh? Whoever the culprit is must be very unlucky. It looks like you''re so pissed that you want to end this in two days." She chuckled.

    Nathan''s expression turned cold as his killing intent soared. "Of course. I have a hard time containing myself. How dare he, a mere terrorist, mess with my honeymoon! If not for him, I would have enjoyed the luxurious honeymoon for two weeks. And because of him, I have to spend two days preparing and two more days handling him instead of flirting with my girls!"

    Be was taken aback by the intensity of his killing intent. Nathan was actually serious. "You really are one of a kind. If your girl wants the world, are you going to get it for her?"

    "I might. Who knows?" Nathan chuckled.

    "What if Evelyn wants to level a world? Will you do it for the sake of love?"

    "Destroying the world sounds much easier than getting her heart, don''t you think?"

    "Pfft!" Be couldn''t contain herugh. "You''re truly the best. So, what do you want me to do? You can expect me to do anything for you if we can catch the culprit alive. Since there are three enemies, I guess we have to split up into three groups as well.

    "In other words, I will fight the strongest one while you handle the alien or the familiar. Those two girls will handle the rest."

    Nathan shook his head. "No. There are only two enemies, the summoner and its master. If we are talking about the screeching sound, I assume the alien has evolved so much that they are able to retain the vocal cord.

    "However, that''s not the problem right now. If we can capture them, we will be able to learn more about them. Does Neyeid have an important artifact or something? One that can be used for summoning." Nathan asked.

    "An artifact, huh?" Be pondered for a moment. "I don''t know if Neyeid has one, but I can ask Evelyn for an artifact. Are you going to use it to summon your fourth familiar?"

    "Of course not. Neyeid is famous, right?"

    "Indeed. Even though he doesn''t look like it, his family is rich, and he also has a big merchant group. Our funds are usually taken care of by him."

    "All I want is for him to announce that he will bring the item and make it as grand as possible. If possible, make it look like I''m utilizing my teacher''s influence to get that item and want to summon my fourth familiar."

    Instead of asking the reason, Be only nodded her head. "Alright. I can ask him to do it. Anything else?"

    "The portal will be destroyed pretty soon, so Neyeid will send the item from the north. Tell the captain to prepare in case they send reinforcement. And I want you to go to the west gate and monitor that area. The mansion is in the south, so I will take care of that side.

    "Just let me take care of this as quickly as possible and let me have a peaceful time for a while." Nathan sighed.

 Chapter 283: Bait

    As a merchant, Neyeid obviously knew how to spread his information. With the help of the mayor, it didn''t take long for everyone in the city to know that he would being to this city, bringing an important artifact.

    Inside one of the houses, a ring on the table suddenly let out the voice of a human.

    "That must be a trap."

    The guy frowned. "Even though this is a trap, we''re so close. These guys are outside the protection of the Frexia Academy right now, so it''s a perfect time to attack. Currently, we have two targets: Nathan or Saintess Serafina. If we can capture one of them, everything will be worth it.

    "Even if it''s only the saintess, we will be able to stop the Holy Kingdom from interfering."

    The one behind the ring just got angrier. "Can''t you see what''s currently happening? The Frexia Academy had taken down Axel, who was hiding neatly.

    "It was because of a simr trap like this. It was clear that this trap was meant to lure you out. Once you came out, you would be besieged by them.

    "Those three kids must be the bait. If you ended up biting it, you would be in trouble. You should retreat right now. We couldn''t afford to let them get any more information. So, just go back."

    He was frustrated by how they were unable to listen to the others. If Axel retreated before everything happened, he would have survived.

    That was why they couldn''t afford to lose any more people. The principal immediately left the academy after getting information from Axel. It was clear how much information they managed to extract from Axel.

    And if another person got taken out, it would be a bigger problem. Instead of ying into the Frexia Academy''s hand, it would be better to let go of this perfect opportunity.

    "Also, don''t return through the teleportation circle. There''s a high chance they will use the record to track you down. The new principal of the Frexia Academy has a lot of connections, so he should have a connection to a summoner with space ability and track the record of the teleportation, which will give our location away.

    "It''s useless to fool them by continuously warping, since they have more people than us. Destroy the teleportation circle so that they don''t get any more reinforcement and escape from the city."

    The guy didn''t like the order. However, he had no choice but to obey when the other party mentioned Axel.

    "Tsk!" The guy clicked his tongue and turned off the ring. "You should have just sent the reinforcement here. Even if they send reinforcement, we can still fight it out. They may have a number, but this is not the Frexia Academy."

    Since he reported this matter in the morning after checking Nathan and Serafina''s situation, he took action that night, destroying the teleportation circle.

    Because he had to erase his track, he couldn''t escape that night and had to wait until everyone was distracted by the destruction of the teleportation circle before leaving.

    ¡­

    "Young Master." The head butler hurriedly reported what he found from the townspeople. "The teleportation circle is destroyed."

    "Hmm?" Nathan raised his head. "The teleportation circle is made by the pact of several nations. Destroying it would mean all the nations and influences involved in that treaty would consider it a threat. And you''re saying someone has just destroyed it?"

    "Yes." The butler nodded.

    Nathan thought for a moment and said, "Alright. Apany me to the teleportation circle to take a look."

    "Yes, sir!"

    The head butler called for a carriage to bring Nathan to the center of the city.

    The tform was half destroyed and the teleportation circle was ruined. It was as if someone had just smashed this ce with a strong force.

    Nathan inspected the condition of the teleportation circle from afar.

    "The situation is not looking good, Young Master. The teleportation circle reflects the city''s prosperity, so if they''re destroyed, the townspeople will be panicking. There''s a chance of riots, and a lot of people will leave the city," exined the butler.

    Little did they know, they were being observed by another person from a distance.

    The guy''s fingers were twitching as if he wanted to kidnap Nathan when he exposed himself like this.

    However, he had no choice but to turn around and start jumping from one roof to another, heading to the west.

    ''Now that the teleportation circle has been destroyed, even if they try to stop me, they won''t be able to stop me without any reinforcement. Since that merchant group ising from the north, they will definitely bring a lot of strong people since they''re bringing an artifact.

    ''That means I can only escape to the west or south. In this situation, it''s better to go to the west since we have another teleportation circle that can be used not far from here.''

    The guy harrumphed and increased his pace.

    He leaped over the wall without anyone noticing. As soon as hended on the ground, he ran as fast as possible.

    All of a sudden, a mist appeared in front of him. The sky was clear and the air was clean, so he immediately realized this mist must be an ability.

    He hurriedly released his Ena, trying to disperse the mist.

    But when he waved his hand, a tobo pipe emerged from the mist and struck his hand as they both pushed each other back.

    "!!!" The guy raised his head. "So it''s really a trap¡­"

    "Indeed. However, you should have kidnapped him instead of escaping. Then again, you can''t, right? After all, you have been instructed to leave.

    "He calctes not only his moves but also takes into ount how his enemies move. He knows you will end up escaping after Axel''s incident. As expected of the former principal of the Frexia Academy. I have to say, I''m impressed."

    "!!!" The guy widened his eyes. "He''s the mastermind?!"

    Be didn''t know that the guy was actually smiling inwardly. He had a transmitter, which would provide that information.

    But Be was also smiling because that was her intention all along. By shifting their focus to Leyfon, they would underestimate Nathan, thinking he was just nothing but a brat.

    "But if you think you can stop me here, keep dreaming!" Since he got at least this information, he immediately moved forward and covered his hands with Ena.

    Be also did the same and struck his fist with her pipe.

    The sh of their Ena caused a massive explosion that dispersed the mist.

    *Boom!*

 Chapter 284: Demon (Bonus)

    *Boom!*

    Nathan raised his head, facing the direction of the sound. Nathan said, "I will head there. This should be the end of the problem in this town."

    "Yes, sir." The butler looked shocked but politely bowed to him, wishing him good luck. If it was like Nathan said, it would be good news for them.

    Nathan immediately jumped on top of the roof and summoned his ck dragon.

    The people were startled by the sudden appearance of a ck dragon, but he didn''t care. What he needed was speed.

    They flew toward the west gate, trying to find the enemy.

    As he expected, Be was still engaged in a fight. This time, it was a middle-aged man. He covered most of his body, but the hood had been blown away by Be, showing a rather ugly face.

    It wasn''t because he was inherently ugly. Instead, there were a lot of red dots, simr to pimples, covering his face and limbs. If he could see whatever was behind it, he might be able to find it spreading all over his body.

    Without hesitation, Nathan summoned several bullets and rained the enemy down.

    "!!!" The enemy waved his hand and created a ripple with his essence, neutralizing the bullets.

    Be wanted to use this opportunity to attack him, but multiple familiars appeared out of thin air.

    "Tsk." Be stopped for a moment and summoned three familiars.

    "Hoh?" Nathan was amused. Be''s familiar was as he expected. All of them were rted to mist with additional power. They were fox-person, who seemed to have two tails, a water elemental, and a fire elemental.

    Meanwhile, the opponents summoned the same number of familiars, but they were all somehow different.

    Two of them were already showing signs of bing aliens. Meanwhile, the biggest one, who looked like a demon but had a giant body, two heads, and two arms, didn''t seem to havebined with an alien.

    Still, there was no way the familiars would ept themselves to be an alien. Hence, there must be something else he was missing.

    Nathan squinted his eyes and shouted, "Be. Can you let me handle that big guy?!"

    Be raised her eyebrows. It seemed Nathan wanted to fight him because he looked strong. And considering this was a trip, he wanted to try fighting a stronger opponent.

    In addition, taking one familiar would allow Be to have an easier time against the summoner. She wanted them alive, so Be had to defeat the summoner without killing him.

    That was why Nathan''s idea wasn''t that bad.

    However, the problem was the strength''s difference. The enemy should have no problem taking down a mature ss alien. Even if it was a single alien, its strength should be extremely close, if not the same as that of a mature ss alien.

    Nathan alone wouldn''t be enough to defeat him.

    However, he never had the intention of fighting alone.

    In the corner of Be''s eyes, she could see two dots flying toward them. It was Selena and Sera. If the three of thembine their strengths, they should have some strength to go against a mature ss alien.

    That was what Nathan wanted to try.

    Isabe nodded her head. It appeared she had no choice but to reveal herself in front of those two. However, she had prepared another identity for this.

    With Isabe''s agreement, Nathan immediatelynded on the ground and summoned Fenrir and Anubis.

    "We''ll be fighting against that demon or something with Selena and Sera. Get ready."

    As soon as the two girls arrived, Nathan immediately pointed at the big guy while shouting, "You guys. That''s our opponent. We will take it down no matter what. However, don''t kill it if possible. The rest will be handled by her."

    "Who is she?" Sera asked.

    "I will tell you about herter. We don''t have a lot of time, so¡­" Nathan paused, seeing both of them summon their respective familiars.

    "Selena. You go from the left. I will go from the right. Brunhild will be matching our movement and see if there''s an opportunity. Sera will be taking care of the support. The fallen angel and the angel¡­ I don''t know your names, but you two will be in charge of protecting her. Make sure not to get too close because we don''t know its power."

    All of them nodded. They might be fighting together for the first time, but they knew Nathan''s directing ability, so they just agreed with his arrangement.

    "Go!"

    All of them approached the demon.

    Since there was no other chance but to let them fight the demon, the summoner shouted, "Go. Take care of them! Hurry up. If you can capture at least one of them, it will be advantageous for us!"

    The demon ground its teeth before charging ahead.

    Nidhogg sped up and released his breath, trying to overwhelm the demon.

    However, the demon pointed its lower left palm toward the fire and dispersed it. Once the fire was gone, they could see the palm glowing in purple.

    Selena summoned her avatar, believing that her avatar had the size to stop the demon.

    To her surprise, the moment the avatar was about to reach the demon, thetter smashed the avatar with the back of its lower right arm. At the same time, red-colored light shone from it.

    Instead of waiting for an opportunity, Brunhild chose to discover what the other arms could do by thrusting her spear forward, releasing a white beam.

    The upper left arm was facing forward, creating a translucent screen that blocked her attack.

    As a result, Risa summoned her blood tornadoes while Yin Zhen sent forth his tiger kick.

    As expected, the demon used its remaining hand to pull the blood tornadoes and the energy from the tiger kick toward its palm.

    Not knowing whether the demon would throw them back or absorb it, Fenrir let out a bark to disperse their power so that the demon couldn''t do anything about it.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn, looking at this demon that had four different powers in four different arms. The demons even had two heads, as one of their necks was glowing as though it was gathering its energy in it.

    When it opened its mouth, it released a purple-colored me, which made Anubis cautious. "Watch out. It''s poison!"

    ''Oi, oi. Can it breathe poison as well? This is going to be annoying¡­'' Nathan couldn''t help but smile.

 Chapter 285: Turning into an Alien

    ''Oi, oi. Can it breathe poison as well? This is going to be annoying¡­ or easy if Selena can figure out what to do.'' Nathan nced at the second head. ''If it can breathe poison, does that mean the other head has a healing breath or something?''

    ''I see. In other words, it has six abilities: poison, heal, strength, shield, absorption, and dispersion. Is there a demon like this?''

    No matter how hard he was thinking, he couldn''t find any demons with this kind of strength, at least in his memories.

    ''Then again, not all of them are from the mythologies that I know of. Even the Fairy Queen is called Charlotte instead of Titania. If that''s the case, I will have to somehow take down this opponent.''

    Nathan became even more excited. He wanted to win against this demon without the soul contract.

    With that thought in mind, Nathan charged forward.

    The demon let out another breath of poison, but Nidhogg dove and released his own breath, burning the poison.

    After that, Fenrir used his Gigantification and approached the demon''s ''Strength'' arm. Nathan approached the ''Absorption'' arm. While running, he gathered his Ena in his fist as much as possible.

    As if knowing what Nathan wanted, Selena approached the ''Dispersion'' arm while pointing at the ''Defensive'' arm.

    Risa and Yin Zhen headed to that arm while Sasha flew up, making the demon''s head focus on her.

    "Huh?" Brunhild frowned, not knowing what they were trying to do.

    Out of the four Ena Maniptions, Nathan focused on Fortify. Meanwhile, Selena focused on Augmentation.

    That was why the moment Nathan reached the ''Absorption'' arm, he had gathered all his Ena in his first. "If you think you can absorb this, then do it!"

    Nathan punched the palm. The demon tried to absorb it, but this attack didn''t contain only Fortify. It also had Sera''s Synchronization.

    The punch caused a massive burst of Ena. It was so big that the shock wave''s thunderous sound was like a dragon''s roar as it knocked back the arm.

    The demon took a step back, regaining his bnce.

    However, Fenrir immediately struck his ''Strength'' arm. Even in that position, the demon managed to punch Fenrir, blowing him away.

    ''Kh.'' Fenrirnded on the ground with his head bleeding.

    However, Fenrir was nothing but a distraction. The real attack was left in Selena.

    Yin Zhen and Risa first released their respective abilities.

    The ''Defensive'' arm immediately moved forward, forming a barrier that blocked their attack.

    After that, Selena came to the ''Dispersion'' arm. She summoned her avatar once again. However, there was something different from this avatar.

    There was no skeletal frame, which meant it should be weaker. Instead, all that Ena was moving toward the right hand as if she were using the Dragon Fist, but with her avatar.

    The demon used his ''Dispersion'' arm to disperse this amount of Ena, but that had never been Selena''s concern. In fact, she didn''t even fight back against the dispersion. It was as if Selena wanted it that way.

    As soon as the Ena dispersed in the air, Selena waved her staff down, forming a giant sphere.

    "!!!" The demon was stunned.

    Selena just switched from an avatar to a giant st. And the demon had nothing to fight against it.

    *Boom!*

    The stunched the demon away, his ribs getting crushed.

    ''They''re doing something interesting.'' Be looked amused. ''I see. That girl''s control is something else. She intentionally formed that avatar so that the demon would disperse it, allowing her to change her attack. On the other hand, if the demon didn''t do it, she would simply hit the demon as hard as she could, which would be serious even to that demon.

    ''It''s no wonder why the rest are sealing the other hands. Still, to be able to achieve all that without even saying anything. How do they even achieve that?''

    Nathan and Selena had fought a lot of battles together. In addition, Selena had been absorbing all kinds of methods Nathan used against his enemy. It wasn''t weird for Selena to see through such an obvious intention.

    The demon fell onto his back. Its stomach tilted inwardly as if the flesh and muscle on the stomach broke through the ribs due to the st earlier.

    "What are you doing? Stand up now!" The summoner''s angry voice echoed across the field.

    "Rooo?" The demon hurriedly got up, but to no avail. The damage was quite serious. Nidhogg and Sasha remained airborne, making sure that the two heads didn''t do anything to harm others or repair his body.

    As a result, the demon could only rise to his knees.

    Sera clenched her fists. Even though Nathan had said they would fight together, she didn''t do much. Even Brunhild couldn''t even react to their strategy.

    When Nathan and Selena wanted to deliver a devastating blow, the summoner''s voice stopped them. "As expected, you are useless!"

    He took out a cube that was glowing in white. As soon as the demon saw this cube, it panicked, as if something terrible was about to appear.

    It let out a groan as his hand tried to reach the cube, pleading with his summoner not to do something like that.

    ''What is that cube? The familiar is scared? I need to stop him, but I''m too far. It''s toote.'' Be bit her lips.

    "If only you''re useful, I won''t have to do this." The summoner harrumphed and crushed the cube.

    The demon''s eyes suddenly rolled back as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Such a huge and menacing demon was actually crying.

    "!!!" Nathan and Selena widened their eyes, not because of the demon''s reaction but because of what happened to the demon''s body.

    ck-colored cells began emerging on the surface of his skin, covering the part that had been crushed by Selena''s earlier. The deformed part actually recovered, showing immense tenacity from its cells.

    More importantly, the ck cells spread all over its body. Multiple tentacles ripped apart its back and twirled around. The two upper arms were covered in ck cells and formed one-edge des, while the two lower arms turned into shields.

    The demon couldn''t speak or let out any voice. However, it released an aura that was iparable to the original demon.

    "This is¡­'' Nathan, Selena, and Sera shuddered, feeling the immense pressure.

    Even Be couldn''t believe it. "Did he just turn his familiar into an alien? And this aura¡­ it''s simr to a mature ss demon."

 Chapter 286: Not Effective

    "Mature ss alien, huh?" Nathan''s expression turned solemn. A lot of questions appeared in his mind instantly.

    ''What is going on? How does he suddenly turn into an alien? It shouldn''t be possible unless there''s already an alien inside its body.

    ''If that''s the case, the alien must be in a dormant state or in an enclosed space. Is that what the cube is for?

    ''If this is true, the organization is much more terrifying than I originally thought. The demon shows how afraid it is, so the demon has most likely known about it and got threatened as a result.

    ''What an evil bastard. The demon doesn''t want to turn into aliens like other familiars.

    ''If this demon has truly be a mature ss alien¡­ this feels like the situation of murim type novels, like the one featuring the Heavenly Demon. They''re nting insects in their hearts that can kill them if they betray the sect or something. And that''s what happens to the demon.''

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. If this were true, there would be more aliens than they originally thought. There was a chance that a guy was kidnapped and their familiar was experimented on.

    Then, all of a sudden, their familiars turned into aliens. That was his spection, which he hoped he was wrong.

    Nevertheless, the enemy had to be taken down.

    As much as he wanted to continue thinking about this problem, he still had to defeat this alien first.

    "No need to change the strategy. The fact it has turned into an alien means it possesses no more special ability!" Nathan exined. "Attack him!"

    Without hesitation, Nathan released his bullets.

    Sera and Anubis improved his power simultaneously, increasing the number of bullets as well as their strength.

    He shot on the body, trying to distract the alien.

    To his surprise, the alien didn''t even bother to do anything, as though it already knew Nathan could do nothing to its body.

    The bullets hit the skin but were unable to pierce through it, causing Nathan to be surprised. "Seriously? How thick is that skin?"

    Even with Sera, it was actually not enough.

    Fenrir and the others were charging ahead. Fenrir tried to reach the de, but Anubis immediately pulled him down.

    His ws hit the de for a bit, but Fenrir soon noticed what actually happened to his ws.

    "What? The de is stronger than my ws? No. It cut my ws as if they''re butter."

    Nidhogg released his breath. The purple me burned the skin, but it showed no damage. The me lingered for a bit, but the cellpletely withstood the heat.

    Selena formed a massive sphere and let it fall upon him, but the alien simply raised the shield arm and blocked that massive explosion with little to no damage.

    Yin Zhen took this opportunity to kick the alien while Risa approached from a different direction.

    Yin Zhen gathered all his strength into his kick and hit his body.

    Surprisingly, the alien took it head-on.

    Bam!

    If it were any other familiars, their bodies would have bent or their ribs would have been crushed. Yet this alien only took a step back, as if the bnce was the only damage it suffered.

    Risa waved her hands, creating blood ripples in the air.

    The alien simply split it with a single wave of its de.

    "¡­" Selena and Nathan couldn''t help but squint their eyes, trying to figure out the way to defeat this alien. It seemed they had underestimated the mature ss demon too much.

    They thought they could somehow take down a mature ss alien as long as the three of them worked together.

    But this strength reminded them of the fact that the scale they used to measure the alien''s strength was the logarithmic scale. In other words, the juvenile ss was ten times stronger than a proto-ss alien. The mature ss alien was ten times stronger than the juvenile ss alien.

    Those mutated aliens could have the strength of two or three of aliens of the same level, but they were never ten times stronger.

    Even the familiar that had turned into a mutant they fought back then was only four times stronger, if not five times.

    ''None of our attacks are effective?'' thought Nathan while moving forward. He gathered his Ena in his fist, using the Dragon Fist with ''Fortify'' to get the maximum power.

    The alien skillfully used the other shield to block it and dispersed his power.

    When it was about to hit Nathan, Selena formed the arm and concentrated her Ena into the palm before punching the alien.

    Thetter struck her fist with the de and cut the fist.

    Brunhild, who had been waiting for her turn this whole time, looped around and struck the alien from the back.

    Because the alien had two heads, the other head had been staring at its back. Hence, the alien spun its body and kicked Brunhild.

    Thetter managed to stop on time, barely avoiding the kick.

    Now that her momentum was gone, she had to recharge her momentum.

    Sera muttered, "The enemy is too strong. The alien has made it much tougher due to the thick skin. If Nathan''s power is effective, we could probably try to make him expose his weak points¡­"

    Sera wondered if the demon could be taken down just by the three of them.

    However, Nathan was thinking exactly the same thing.

    As he expected, the key to winning against the powerful opponents would be his bullets.

    However, the fact it wasn''t effective meant he needed something that could boost its power.

    ''Should I use the soul contract? No, I don''t really want to use the soul contract. We also have to consider that this alien has a high growth rate. If that''s the case, we can''t really prolong this fight.

    ''But do I have no choice but to use my soul contract?'' Nathan''s expression soon brightened when he recalled something that the principal did before.

    Nathan raised both palms and formed a bullet in each hand.

    ''That''s right. The principal has done it before. I have to do it.'' Nathan moved the two bullets toward each other. ''Fuse!''

 Chapter 287: Composite Bullet

    ''Fuse!''

    The two spheres came toward each other and began to merge. However, Nathan could feel the two conflicting energies shing with each other. If he didn''t try to assimte both of them, they would burst.

    As if noticing what Nathan was trying to do, the alien ran toward Nathan, taking advantage of where he was unable to do anything to kill him.

    His familiars and Selena jumped toward the alien, surrounding it from all directions.

    Fenrir leaped from behind and tried to push the body to the ground. Nidhogg released his fire from above. Selena formed an avatar and stood in front of him. Yin Zhen and Risa attacked him from both sides.

    Fenrir scratched his back, but only scrapped some ck cells from its skin. Yin Zhen kicked the shield while Risa''s attack was destroyed by a single swing.

    Selena''s avatar punched him, but it was met by a shield. After that, the avatar was cut down.

    To the alien''s surprise, Selena never intended to protect herself. The moment the avatar was down, she leaped to the side and turned all that energy into a single sphere.

    "!!!" The alien couldn''t block it since the two shields had been upied earlier. In terms of abilities, it was clear that the demon was much higher than the alien.

    Hence, Selena was able to st the alien in the stomach.

    Fenrir immediately leaped away as the alien fell on its back.

    Seeing their efforts, Nathan became even more focused, knowing that he had to seed.

    ''The force from each other is tooplicated. If I let this be, it will explode.'' Nathan bit his lips. The principal showed it as if it were so easy, but there was nothing easy from this technique.

    If he just let his guard down for a moment, the bullet would explode and injure him.

    ''No, wait. The intention is to explode it, but just not on me¡­ I don''t have to make it stable like the explosive bullet. I can actually use something with a simr concept. That''s right. Like a grenade!''

    Nathan noticed something. He didn''t need to make it stable for a long time. Just two or three seconds was enough. In the end, the bullets had always reached their target within that time.

    He might have been so obsessed with Selena''s explosive bullet that he forgot the real purpose.

    Once he thought this way, the path became clearer. He merged the bullets, not to make it stable but to keep it as one for a few seconds.

    And it was actually much easier than he originally expected.

    "Go!" Nathan released that bullet into the air.

    It made a parabolic curve and hit the alien''s stomach.

    The alien cell blocked it, but this time, the bullet contained at least three times the original bullet power. He even formed only two bullets at the same time, which concentrated all that power in that bullet.

    The bullet pierced through the alien cell and actually hit the body. The hole was shallow, but it was still a wound, nheless.

    This attackplicated the situation for the alien. After all, Nathan, whom he could ignore due to his weak attack, was no more.

    The others smiled and hurriedly charged toward the alien, nning to match their movement with Nathan''s attack.

    The alien hurriedly rose from the ground, finding Selena, Sasha, Fenrir, Nidhogg, and Yin Zhen had surrounded him.

    The alien shed Selena''s avatar while Fenrir grabbed a shield and dragged it down with his body''s weight.

    Nidhogg created fireballs that hovered around him. He first smacked the shield and let the me hit the alien, burning its cells.

    Sasha might not possess much power, but she was able to loop around and hit the wound that Nathan left behind, trying to spread her poison through his flesh.

    When the alien was trying to cut her so that she would leave his body, Yin Zhen came and struck the body of the de, kicking it away.

    With this, his four hands were sealed.

    The alien got angry and wanted to release another burst of strength to free himself from this restraint.

    However, Anubis sent forth his bandages and covered the two heads'' eyes.

    "!!!" Before the alien could afford to grab the bandages, Brunhild had reached the alien''s feet and struck his calf.

    The alien opened its mouth but was unable to release his scream. He fell on one knee, which was definitely an opportunity for Nathan.

    He formed anotherbination bullet and shot it at the alien''s head.

    The alien tilted its body back to avoid it, but the bullet suddenly curved down and hit the chest.

    "!!!" The power of that bullet knocked the body back, causing the alien to fall on its back once more.

    "Attack!" Nathan shouted before biting his lips.

    ''Kh. As expected, it''s harder than I thought. Not only does it take a considerable amount of Ena, but it also takes a toll on one''s mind.'' Nathan smiled. Now that he knew how to make it work, he could finally change thebination of his attack.

    In that instant, Nathan summoned ten bullets. These ten bullets were reinforced by two Synchronizations. And each of these bullets were actually explosive bullets.

    He shot them in all directions so that they could reach the alien within two seconds.

    *Boom!*

    *Boom!*

    *Boom!*

    The explosions hit the alien but did little to no damage. However, the real target of those bullets was the dust that would be knocked up after the explosion.

    With the enemy that big, there was no way they would confuse each other''s attack.

    As if noticing Nathan''s intention, the demon waved its sword to cut everything near him, only to find himself cutting nothing.

    All the familiars and Selena had returned to their original position and gathered their respective Ena.

    The moment the dust settled down, they could see where they should strike.

    It turned out that the smoke screen was just to buy time for Nathan to build up anotherbination bullet.

    And with this, all of them were ready to attack while the demon had yet to go up because he was too worried that someone would attack by hiding in that smoke screen.

    "Attack him this time!"

 Chapter 288: Killing the Mature Class Alien

    "Attack him this time!" Nathan shouted whileunching hisposite bullet.

    "!!!" The alien had to make a decision. If he didn''t block this attack, it would mean the damage to his body would be even greater. If he blocked it with his arm, it meant one of his arms was sealed for a second, allowing others to take advantage of it.

    However, he suddenly noticed that the bullet curved once again, heading straight to the previous wound.

    Without the protection of the ck cell, it might pierce through his body.

    That was what he wanted to avoid at all costs.

    The alien was forced to block it with his shield.

    Suddenly, Brunhild leaped into the air, her spear glowing brightly like the sun. She gathered her Ena before throwing her spear.

    The alien used his other shield to block this spear. Although Brunhild didn''t stand out, she had been taking advantage of all kinds of opportunities to either create an opening or injure the alien.

    This time, she restrained the shield as her spear contained so much energy that it continued flying forward for several seconds.

    With only two arms left, Fenrir and Nidhogg approached the alien''s right head. Nidhogg bit the head as though he wanted to swallow it whole.

    But what the alien saw within that mouth was the zing fire. Even though the alien had covered most of its body part with the ck cell, the head was not one of them. In fact, the humans and their familiars had been too focused on his four arms than the two heads.

    There was no protection on the head, resulting in that me scorching the head.

    Fenrir bit its neck and tore it apart as both of them tossed it into the air.

    Meanwhile, Anubis covered the other head''s eyes. Sasha took that opportunity to sh the eyes, blinding the remaining eyes the alien had.

    As a result, the aliens had to rely on their senses to find the remaining people. Panicking, the aliens shook its body violently while swinging its swords around.

    Yin Zhen smashed the sword with his heel and knocked it down. Selena grabbed the other sword with the avatar''s hands and stopped himpletely.

    "Risa!"

    "Yes!" Risa nodded with a serious expression. She gathered her Ena and formed a tornado not from her palm but from the ground. As a result, it created a pointy tip at the bottom, which was located on the alien''s stomach.

    When she waved her hand down, the tornado moved down as if it were a drill, scraping all the flesh.

    The alien opened its mouth and struggled on the ground. It was painful, but it couldn''t show how painful it was by screaming.

    It released its Ena, but it was toote.

    Nathan had released another bullet toward the stomach, using the blood tornado as a shell.

    When the Ena neutralized the tornado, the bullet could reach the hole and widen it.

    After that, it exploded,unching all the flesh and bones into the air and widening the hole in the stomach.

    The alien shook its body but gradually lost its strength.

    Fenrir and Nidhogg moved to the other head and tore it off to make sure it died.

    The alien''s movement came to a stop as its arms fell to the ground lifeless.

    "Hu¡­" Nathan let out a long sigh, observing the alien''s movement.

    "Did we do it?" Sera asked.

    "Maybe, but it doesn''t feel like a victory." Nathan sighed. "In the end, we have to fight together to just barely kill him."

    As Nathan said, the alien was surrounded by nine fighters with Sera as support. At first, it could ignore Nathan, Anubis, and Sasha.

    Fenrir was strong, but he couldn''t do anything to his sword. That was why he aimed for the shield and used his body weight to restrain it.

    Nidhogg could do something, but a strong alien would have covered its full body with the cell, rendering his fire useless. If not for others distracting the alien, he couldn''t harm him. Enjoy more content froNovelBin

    The same applied to Risa and Yin Zhen.

    It all changed the moment Nathan was able to injure the alien. He couldn''t be ignored anymore, so it meant he would either die sooner orter or have to use his arm to block him, which messed the count.

    It allowed Anubis and Sasha to also attack the alien, which resulted in their victory.

    ''Whatever. I can now understand the strength of a mature ss alien. I will take this into ount when facing this alien. And it''s probably because it has just taken over, but the tentacles on its back haven''t been moving this whole time.

    ''I guess I need to know more about the alien.'' Nathan scratched the back of his head. ''I guess I can''t really be happy on this honeymoon. And I have to exin to them about Be''s identity.''

    "With this, we have killed a mature ss alien. We know how much stronger we need to be to defeat them ourselves," said Selena while walking toward him.

    "Still, there is a lot of information we have just gotten from what we''ve seen in this demon. To think that it can easily turn into an alien." Sera frowned. "I have to warn my teacher¡­ I mean, the Pope, about it."

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. I will handle the disposal, so you guys can take a rest in the mansion after this."

    "Well, I don''t mind, but don''t you think you have to exin about her identity?" Selena pointed at Be.

    "Now that I think about it, it has been quiet this whole time. Earlier, that guy would have shouted in anger about how useless the demon was, so I thought he would be panicking when his alien died¡­"

    "That''s true¡­" Nathan turned around, looking at Be, who seemed to haven''t finished her fight.

    As he wondered whether Be needed his help, the mist started to disappear, revealing the true state of the fight.

    The guy was on all four as Be used him as a chair. The guy had lost his focus on his eyes, probably still in the middle of an illusion.

    While exhaling the smoke, Be winked at them. "You guys are done now?"

    Nathan smiled wryly. He almost forgot that Be was Evelyn''s aide, the person who was said to have the strength approaching that of the sage. There was no way she would struggle against this kind of opponent.

 Chapter 289: Request to Join the Group

    Be came to them with a smile.

    Selena had been more at ease after that, so she only stood by Nathan''s side without saying anything. She just wanted to know who this person was.

    On the other hand, Sera was examining Be, believing that she had apetitor.

    Before Nathan introduced her, Be took the liberty of introducing herself by falling to one knee. "I greet the young master. The Mistress has asked me to protect you and I apologize for making my appearance all of a sudden. I''m d that you are alright."

    Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    "Young Master?" The two girls gasped. That title alone was enough to understand Be''s identity. She must be dispatched by Vivian, fully aware of how dangerous this mission was.

    Considering Vivian was going to visit this ce in ten days, it wouldn''t be weird for her subordinate to protect Nathan.

    Nathan was shocked as well. He thought, ''So that''s what you''re aiming for. By telling them you''re rted to my teacher, you are able to show yourself again in the future, if necessary.

    ''It''s no wonder you are Evelyn''s aide. You know how to make them trust you and show that you mean no harm.''

    Be smiled. Her eyes were as if they were saying, ''And it''s your turn to match my act, Young Master.''

    Nathan truly had no other way toe back after this. He nodded his head. "Just this once. It''s because of the danger the enemy possesses. If it''s not because of it, I prefer to act alone and ovee all the problems in my way."

    "I understand." Be nodded.

    "In that case, you are free to take him back. I will join youter."

    "Yes." Be lifted up her tobo pipe and re-summoned her mist. The mist gathered and concentrated into a single spot, turning itself into something simr to a smoke. It then carried the summoner and the familiars with her, leaving the three of them.

    Obviously, their action had caused a lot of noise. The soldiers who guarded the city couldn''t help but observe from the top of the wall.

    "Anyway, let''s go back!" Nathan waved his hand at Nidhogg, asking him to carry them back.

    Selena and Sera hopped on, but instead of going straight to the mansion, he stopped by the wall, which caused the soldiers to panic.

    However, Nathan only shouted, "I am Nathan, a summoner from the Frexia Academy. That was the culprit who had been killing the people of this town. With the agreement I have with the mayor, there should be no more incidents like that from now on."

    He just passed that message and headed to the mansion.

    It didn''t matter whether the soldiers believed it or treated it as if nothing happened.

    The rumor about him and the culprit being taken out spread like wildfire.

    The mayor remained sharp, making sure there was no more incident.

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Selena had been sitting next to each other, rxing on the beach.

    Sera came to them and asked, "Nathan. Do you mind if I join your group?"

    "My group? Do you mean going on a mission like this?" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

    "Aren''t you supposed to ask me as well?" Selena pointed at herself.

    "You''re going to reject me. That''s why I don''t ask you." Sera looked away.

    Selena rolled her eyes while Nathan contemted for a moment. "I am not entirely sure."

    "Why?" Sera pointed at herself. "I''m able to use Synchronizations. I might not be able to use it as well as Rudeus, but I don''t think I''m less than anyone else."

    "It''s just that''s the only thing you can do, right?" Nathan shrugged. "If that is all you can do, it''s better not to enter our group. I''m not saying you''re entirely useless, but if you keep progressing that way, you will be left behind.

    "I am, by no means, a genius. However, I don''t n to stay like this all the time and continue progressing, even if it means sacrificing all my time to get stronger.

    "Selena is with me because she has an ambition to fulfill. On the other hand, how about you?"

    Nathan sounded calm, but his words prated deep into her heart. He basically said that she was empty.

    Other than being the Pope''s puppet and following whatever Nathan ordered her to do, what kind of thing could she do?

    Even Selena was able to think of her own and ovee the challenges. It was true she had made some mistakes and failed along the way, but she kept improving by leaps and bounds.

    That was something he couldn''t see from Serafina.

    ''Whenever I read novels, there are a lot of characters in a harem story who aren''t fleshed out enough. Sometimes, they have been fleshed out enough for readers like me to care, but once they get together with the main character, they end up bing a brain-dead character.

    ''If I want to have someone, it will be a person like Selena. She might have ws, but she keeps improving herself.

    ''Then again, it might be too harsh for me to keep treating everything like the stories I used to read. In the end, this is the reality.''

    Nathan let out a long sigh. He shouldn''t really force his ideal on her. "Sorry."

    Sera''s body shook as if that apology struck her heart deeply. Sera looked down before shaking her head furiously. "No. You don''t need to apologize. Your words are like a wake-up call to me. Please wait for me. At the end of this trip, I want you to answer me."

    Sera ran back to the mansion as if she wanted to cry. However, her expression turned serious after it. It appeared she had found another goal in her mind.

    "Am I too harsh?" Nathan smiled wryly.

    "I would be much harsher, but are you sure you will be fine with her in the group?" Selena asked.

    "Shouldn''t I ask that question to you?" Nathan smirked, teasing Selena by grabbing her hand and kissing the back of her hand. "¡­mdy?"

    Selena''s face reddened as she looked away. "I will just have to make sure she knows I''m the number one. If you ever think of someone above me, I will show them why I''ll always be number one in your heart."

    Nathan chuckled. "You rarely show your emotion, so your embarrassed face is so cute."

    "!!!" Selena threw her face even further to avoid showing her embarrassed face, which made Nathan want to tease her even more. He whispered, "Should I show how cute you are?"

    *Thud-!*

 Chapter 290: Symbiotes Stronger Than Elite Class

    "Mhmm? Are you going to leave?" Selena asked while rubbing her sleepy eyes.

    "Yeah. I need to get some information from that guy." Nathan nodded while grabbing his coat. "You can go back to sleep. We won''t have anything to do after this, so it''ll be just training after training."

    "Alright. Make sure you go back quickly."

    "Mhmm." After giving her a little peck on the forehead, Nathan took his leave. Be and Evelyn had been waiting for him outside the mansion.

    "Good work, newbie." Evelyn nodded her head and snapped her fingers, creating a portal to the base.

    "Thank you." Nathan nodded. "I don''t mind a reward, though."

    Evelyn sighed. "Just pick something from our storage."

    "Eh?" Nathan looked away.

    Be chuckled and pushed Nathan gently from behind. "Let''s go back to the base first, shall we?"

    If it was anyone else, Evelyn would have done something to them. But Nathan had performed so well that she really couldn''t do or even say anything. After all, Nathan alone had finished a few months'' worth of work of the entire organization in just several weeks.

    In the end, the three of them disappeared into the portal.

    Once they returned to the base, Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "Alright. What have you figured out from him and the familiars?"

    Evelyn led him to another room where they saw Neyeid dismembering the familiars and scooping out the tentacles from within their bodies.

    "Oh, Captain. Nathan hase." Neyeid raised his eyebrows while putting down the alien on the table.

    "Thank you for helping me with the distraction, Neyeid." Nathan gave a thumbs up.

    "Hahaha. Anything for you, little guy. Thanks to you, we have been extremely busy with our enemy." Neyeid chuckled.

    "So, have you figured out anything from them?" Nathan pointed at the bodies.

    "Yes. From the looks of it, the guy has three familiars who have turned into an alien. These smaller ones are first. The aliens have matured quite a bit and their strength is close to mature ss, but not at that level yet.

    "And from the looks of it, they have repaired the vocal cord. I don''t know how long they have be an alien, but it should be at least several months, or maybe close to a year.

    "However, they are only capable of producing the unique noise of the aliens instead of talking like normal humans.

    "But the potential is there. Maybe if they evolve further, they can do such a thing. The one who is suspected of being the alien responsible for the mess is this guy." He pointed at a muscr orc. "He should be the one attacking your ce."

    Nathan contemted while crossing his arms. "Do you know why they are following the summoner''s instructions? Considering they have turned into an alien, their way of thinking should be different. They must think that the summoner is a threat."

    "That''s what I believe as well, but that''s the weird part we haven''t been able to find out." Neyeid nodded in agreement.

    "Anything else?"

    "There is something that piques my interest. ording to you, it is possible to create a mutant, right?"

    "Yes." Nathan confirmed it. "It''s from Dikkleus, though."

    "It seems possible. I don''t know the details because I''m not a researcher. However, a good enough host will increase the potential to be a mutant. For example, these two are mutants, but the giant is not.

    "But when I take another look at the aliens, they are practically the same."

    "!!!" Nathan gasped. "Are you saying that the giant is also a mutant?"

    "It can be a mutant as long as it has enough time to mature. In other words, a mutant is not a mutant at birth. If a certain condition applies, it will allow the aliens to turn into mutants. And because of a better host, the chance of it turning into a mutant increases.

    "I believe these corpses shouldn''t be monopolized by us. We should share it with the Frexia Academy." Neyeid turned to Evelyn.

    Evelyn nodded. "From our source, Sullivan has a separate investigation team and is using the Frexia Academy as a cover. The newbies can give the corpses to themter."

    "Sounds good to me," Nathan agreed. Still, he hoped Sullivan didn''t bring more trouble to him because of this.

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Creating a mutant, huh? If they know this method, are we going to assume the enemies have a lot of mutants in their ranks?"

    "Most likely." Neyeid pointed at the giant.

    "How about their sudden transformation?" Nathan asked.

    "That''s actually the biggest problem." Neyeid pointed at the alien. "Apparently, the alien has been inserted into this demon''s body beforehand. I see stitches in the demon''s body, so they must have operated on them.

    "This is extremely cruel, especially if they''re performing surgeries without the familiar''s knowledge.

    "You know that our enemy is two, right? The alien and the symbiote. The alien grants the body and power, while the symbiote has those regenerative ck cells.

    "Right now, the one doing all the transformation is the regenerative ck cells. In other words, the symbiote itself is like a parasite while the alien is a host like what is currently happening to the familiars.

    "If this theory is true, that means there''s a chance aliens might be neutral to us. It''s because of this ck cell that they''re hostile to us.

    "If we can somehow scrape the ck cell from the alien, they might be able to regain their consciousness¡­ or so what I originally thought.

    "However, I don''t think it''s possible. The ck cell upies their organs and other things, so if we scrap them, the alien will most likely die.

    "That also means anyone who has turned into an alien can''t be recovered, even if it''s you or me."

    Nathan looked down for a moment. "I can''t help but wonder what their purpose is to create this alien."

    Evelyn suddenly opened her mouth. "Alpha ss Symbiote¡­ or even higher, an Apex ss Symbiote."

 Chapter 291: Alpha and Apex Class Symbiotes (Bonus)

    "Alpha ss Symbiote¡­ or even higher, an Apex ss Symbiote."

    Nathan, Neyeid, and Be turned their heads to Evelyn.

    Evelyn said, "You know that currently, the most powerful summoners have the strength to kill the Elite ss Symbiotes, right?"

    "Proto-ss, Juvenile ss, Mature ss, Warrior ss, and Elite ss. These are the five categories of aliens that we know thus far. That Alpha ss or Apex ss¡­" Be squinted her eyes.

    "Yeah. My current ability only allows me to fight against Elite ss. However, I have only heard about this rumor, saying that there''s an alien much stronger than the Elite ss," confirmed Evelyn.

    "In their original world?" Neyeid gasped.

    "Most likely. It''s just a rumor, but from what I''ve heard, the Alpha ss Symbiote is a perfect alien who has be the leader of the symbiote groups. It''s extremely powerful.

    "It has a near-perfect shape-shifting ability, extensive regeneration, immense strength, or even telepathy and mind control. They are also highly intelligent. Their power is said to be equal, if not surpassing the current strongest people in this world.

    "And this Apex ss Symbiote is the ultimate form of symbiote, possessing almost god-like abilities. They''re the ones capable of invading the worlds, not only our worlds, but others. They have perfect shape-shifting and other abilities. They are beings that surpass anyone''s imagination," Evelyn exined.

    The tension rose as their hearts skipped a beat.

    Nathan''s heart felt heavy as he couldn''t help but think, ''If the Alpha ss Symbiote is stronger than the likes of the Sage, the Dragon King, or the Pope, it''s clear that they are beyond hero level.

    ''Well, if I have to assume, they''re simr to Anubis, Fenrir, Nidhogg, and other divine beings at their peak state.

    ''On the other hand, this Apex ss Symbiote is like an Apex Predator. They have surpassed divine beings. Then again, in the Lovecraft series, there are beings like Azathoth, Yog Sothoth, or Nyathotep. They can live in outer space, and their abilities are beyond logic.

    ''If I think that way¡­ no, wait. Is there Cthulhu in this world? He is a kind of messenger, right? Maybe he survives and bes a messenger to liberate his kin or something? There are simply too many questions that can''t be answered.

    ''However, the Alpha and Apex ss Symbiotes have justplicated the situation even further.''

    Nathan rubbed his forehead, thinking about it carefully.

    Meanwhile, Be couldn''t help but ask, "Are they aiming to find a host that can turn into an Alpha ss Symbiote? With that kind of ability, they''re trying to kill that and be the first person to kill an Alpha ss Symbiote?

    "Because of that, they caused the Bloody Banquet a few years ago? It was a bit of a stretch, but we couldn''t ignore this possibility. Or maybe they were simply not the same people¡­"

    Neyeid shook his head. "I don''t know anything right now. Actually, that''s your job, Be. Do you think you can extract that information from him?"

    "That''s the problem. ording to Christopher, he has the same curse. And because we have been targeting him, I''m afraid that the owner of the curse will elerate the process and kill him before we can ask about anything.

    "Right now, Christopher is busy praying to create a barrier that will stop the curses from getting activated remotely." Be sighed in frustration.

    "Hmm." Nathan rubbed his chin. "Can you make him summon his other familiars?"

    "Yes. All the familiars have been imprisoned right now, but they have be aware of what their summoner has been doing. Apparently, they haven''t been summoned for a while and are scared that there is an alien they''re not aware of in their bodies. That''s why they have been cooperating with us."

    "Can you give that authority to me? There''s something I''d like to try."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yep." Nathan nodded with a solemn expression. He was thinking about using the contract, especially after it worked during the negotiation with the mayor.

    "I don''t mind." Be nced at Evelyn, who nodded her head.

    "Before you go, there is one more thing I need you to know." Neyeid waved his hand, telling them to stop. "If you take a look at these three aliens, they are different types of aliens. This means it doesn''t necessarily need to be one particr alien to turn someone or a familiar into an alien.

    "With such an advantage, we have to prevent them from capturing people and releasing the people. They can be operated on without them even realizing it. And when they''re trying to cause chaos, they will turn them into aliens and cause massive devastation.

    "If possible, it''s better to get a massive scale search to ensure no one is suffering such a thing. If we can somehow stop it and get the ''embryo'' form of the alien and study it, I believe we will be able to find a counter against it¡­ like stopping them from turning into an alien."

    Evelyn thought for a moment. "Should we kidnap people too and figure out their bodies and aliens?"

    "I don''t think it''s necessary. If you can give me the list of people you suspect to be, I can use the mission as an excuse to go with them. The new principal should have no problemplying with my request. As soon as we confirm their existence, we will make a move and cooperate with the authorities. What do you think?"

    "Can you handle the negotiation? I don''t think it''s good for any of us to show ourselves to them." Evelyn asked.

    Nathan agreed. "Sure. I will negotiate with Sir Sullivan and tell my teacher about it."

    At this point, Nathan started to wonder if he had to tell the truth to Vivian regarding the Fairy Queen. If Vivian summoned the Fairy Queen much faster, they would have another thinker. After all, the Fairy Queen was a kind of walking library. Her wisdom might help them in this situation, and it was just his selfishness that pushed back the date of her summoning.

    Before he could reach a conclusion, Be yfully dragged Nathan to the other room. "Anyway, let''s go to the interrogation room!"

 Chapter 292: Versatile Soul Contract (Bonus)

    In the interrogation room, the summoner waspletely in a trance. His eyes didn''t have any focus and his drool was leaking out of the corner of his mouth. It was as if his soul had left his body.

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    "You are able to tell him to do anything for you, but don''t kill him yet, alright?" Be winked.

    "No worries. I know how important this guy is. I just want to try a couple of things and see whether it''s possible."

    "Alright. I will leave you here." Be nodded and exited the room.

    In fact, the interrogation wasn''t the only thing he wanted to do. He was trying to test the Sleeping Garden to see whether they were worth his trust or he should be wary of them.

    If Be and Evelyn knew what he was doing inside, it meant they had broken that trust and Nathan would probably find a way to leave the group.

    Once he was left alone with the summoner, Nathan summoned Anubis.

    "Why do you summon me? Another heal?" Anubis suddenly stopped when he saw the chained summoner. "Ah!"

    "Do you have any ways to remove curses?" Nathan asked.

    "As a living? Nope. If we can preserve his soul¡­" Anubis smirked.

    "Ah. I guess there''s that." Nathan almost forgot about this. If he upgraded Anubis'' power, he could call that soul and force him to confess. Even if the guy didn''t tell the truth, they could draw some conclusions.

    It would be much more effective than the current interrogation method. Still, he needed a lot of Ena to do that.

    "I don''t think it''s possible right now. I mean, I can use the soul contract to forcefully unlock that ability again, but it costs too much. If I keep using it, I won''t save enough Ena for the fourth familiar as well as your Ena along with Fenrir and Nidhogg."

    "That''s true." Anubis thought for a moment. "What if we postpone it? I mean, we can wait until we have enough strength. If they''re able to keep him in this state for a while, we might be able to do it? Or should we just kill this guy and wait until another person is captured?"

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I''m not sure either. In fact, I''m thinking about using my contract to test if I can remove that curse or not."

    "Soul Contract, huh?"

    "Yes. After the recent test, I''m able to create a contract without offering my Ena. However, this can only happen between two humans. If I have to make a contract with an object or ability, I need to offer Ena because that''s the only thing that keeps them in this world.

    "On the other hand, a human contract is as simple as mutual agreement. If I can somehow make him tell the truth, it means the experiment is a sess.

    "After all, I can use the contract for something else. For example, tell everyone to die. What if I create a contract that buys the life of someone else? I can give them Ena or money in exchange for their lives. And I can tell them to die if I want to."

    "Isn''t that too cruel, evening from you?" Anubis squinted his eyes.

    "No. I''m talking about a bad guy. I have principles too, you know? What if an assassines to take my life? And I use this as a trump card to buy his life? Even if I spend all my Ena, as long as I can keep my life, don''t you think it''s worth it? I can simply get back my Ena.

    "How about other objects? Can I put my own Ena into another object to make myself look weaker? And if I dispel that contract, the Ena will return to my body. It''s like storage. Or maybe a spirit weapon or something like those in cultivation novels.

    "Nevertheless, I want to test it." Nathan exined.

    Anubis fell into deep thought. "It doesn''t sound like a bad idea. If you are able to do all that with your Soul Contract, it will give you a lot more options."

    "Yes. For now, I want to use two contracts. Tell me if you have an objection after seeing the contract."

    Anubis nodded.

    Nathan turned to the summoner. "You are going to sign this contract with your thumb."

    After cutting the summoner''s thumb, Nathan began to form the contract right in front of his thumb so that he didn''t have to move to sign the contract.

    [In exchange for 500 Ena, the curses, who will be represented by its host, will not activate for an hour.]

    This was a simple contract, albeit it turned red and failed. "This kind of appearance¡­ Does the contract fail because of theck of Ena?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded. ''''I guess I can''t offer only 500 Ena for a curse inflicted by a Curse Grandmaster. However, I might be able to do it if I offer more Ena, but I don''t think I want to lose that much Ena right now."

    "Fair enough. What about the second contract?"

    "It''s this¡­" Nathan formed the second contract.

    [During the interrogation, Party A will have to answer everything truthfully. In exchange, Party B will also say everything truthfully.]

    And this time, the contract waspleted.

    "Oh? So you want to confirm whether the contract works if you use something that is not Ena?"

    "Yep. I believe the Soul Contract is much more powerful than I could ever imagine. It is not limited to Ena. I can use my action, money, or even my life as an exchange. Of course, I''m not going to offer my life or even my organs, but the idea is there. I can literally have anything as long as the contract is set up properly. The contract will be limited to my creativity."

    "Still, you have to make the other parties sign them, no?"

    "Yes. And because of this, I think I know which divine beast will be my fourth familiar."

    "And that is?"

    Nathan smirked.

 Chapter 293: Greedy

    "What do you think?" Nathan asked with a solemn expression.

    "I think it''s good. However, are you sure you''re able to control that familiar? From your tone, you''re a bit unsure about it." Anubis frowned.

    "Yeah. I think I can do it. Still, there are a few weeks left, so we can take our time to summon the fourth familiar."

    "Fair enough. What should we do now? Do you want to test anything else?" Anubis asked.

    "Nope. This is enough." Nathan shook his head. He immediately called for others to enter the room and exined, "I have good news and bad news. Which one do you prefer to hear first?"

    "Good news." Evelyn didn''t hesitate.

    "The good news is¡­ I can interrogate him without the curse."

    "Really?" Be looked surprised, since it would help a lot if Nathan was able to do it.

    "Yep."

    "What''s the bad news?" Evelyn became even more concerned, considering this good news was too good to be true.

    "The bad news is that I can''t do it right now."

    "Hmm? borate." Evelyn crossed her arms.

    "Anubis." Nathan took a step back.

    Anubis nodded and walked toward them. "My ability allows me to judge the dead. This curse might allow him to kill people, but it doesn''t necessarily allow him to stop the dead from talking. By judging his soul, we will be able to interrogate him."

    "The dead? He needs to die?" Neyeid widened his eyes in shock.

    "Basically, yes. We can let the curse kill him or you can kill him personally. Then I will invite his soul to the judgment room to interrogate him. That way, he will be able to escape from the curses."

    Be looked amused. "But what about the bad news?"

    "When I was trying to find out about Dikkleus, he exerted himself and manifested the courtroom for a bit, interrogating the souls in that ce to get more information. But the price is too much to bear, so the only solution is¡­" Nathan smiled wryly.

    "Is it to be stronger? I see. So that''s the type of familiar you are." Evelyn nodded in understanding. "There are two types of familiar in this world. The first type is for those who are summoned ording to their current state.

    "The second type is for those who are summoned after their abilities are sealed. There are reasons for them to seal their power, like the summoner is not strong enough.

    "Regardless of their reason, it doesn''t change the fact that they have sealed their abilities. By consuming cores to get more Ena, they are able to gradually release their full abilities. So, you''re thetter¡­"

    Evelyn squinted her eyes. She didn''t believe Anubis was the only one who belonged to the second type. If her prediction was correct, all the beasts Nathan had belonged to the same type.

    She just realized how dangerous Nathan truly was. What if his next familiar was the same?

    Even if all of them had the same level of ability at their peak, it didn''t change the fact they were stronger than other familiars of the same level.

    Be thought for a moment before saying, "So, you belong to the second type. Still, how long do you need to be able to reach that level?"

    Nathan thought for a moment. He had several thousand cores, which allowed him to get about 12,000 to 15,000 Ena if he swallowed everything. With his current amount, he should get a total of 17,000 to 20,000 Ena after absorbing them.

    Since he nned to summon his fourth familiar with 10,000 Ena, it meant he still needed a lot more Ena to let other familiars enjoy the treatment of 10,000 Ena.

    ''Let''s calcte all of them together at once since I''ll be the one swallowing the cores. Nidhogg has 2,500 Ena, Fenrir and Anubis have 1,500 Ena. In total, they have 5,500 Ena.

    ''If I want all of them to have 10,000 Ena each, that means I need 24,500 Ena. Meanwhile, I have around 10,000 Ena after summoning my fourth familiar, positively speaking. But because I also require 10,000 Ena, I guess I will get those 24,500 from another source. And this doesn''t include the increase in absorption rate as I get more Ena.

    ''This will be perfect, I guess. I don''t know how much Anubis needs to unlock that ability, but with 10,000 Ena, I can just sacrifice a bit if he still can''t unlock it.''

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    After making some calctions, Nathan raised two fingers. "20,000 Ena."

    "20,000 Ena? Huh?" Be tilted her head in confusion. "Do you mean 20,000 cores?"

    "Ah!" Nathan scratched the back of his head. "How do I exin this? Basically, my teacher manages to create a crystal that is able to measure Ena correctly.

    "And I have been experimenting with it this whole time. ording to the current absorption rate, a proto-ss core will give him 3 Ena, a juvenile ss core will give him 35 Ena, and a mature ss core will give him 500 Ena.

    "That''s the current data we have right now."

    Evelyn contemted. "500 Ena for a mature ss core. Since you mention it, that means his body is strong enough to endure the mature ss core. Still, 40 mature ss cores, huh? How many do we have right now?"

    "Are you seriously going to consider it? It''s a lot of money, you know. Right now, we only have about 12 mature ss cores in the storage. What about you, Neyeid?" Be turned to Neyeid.

    "Well, I rarely stock up such cores and would rather use it. So, I guess if you really need it, I have 3 cores and can get about 4 more cores? Maybe more, but I will have to fork out at least twice or thrice the original cost."

    Evelyn exined. "I think it''s better to do it right now because we want the information. However, are you sure this is worth the cost, Nathan?"

    "Yes. If it''s not worth it, I don''t mind paying it back." Nathan nodded. "I have been invited to that courtroom, so I know what can happen there."

    Nathan was smiling inwardly. They didn''t realize that Nathan was just trying to get a lot of cores without much effort. This way, he could increase his strength drastically in a short period of time. He needed those Ena for the battle against venya.

 Chapter 294: Evelyns Arrangements

    Evelyn contemted. "In that case, I guess I will have to go to the frontline and hunt some mature ss aliens. They are quite rare, but not as rare as warrior or elite ss aliens. It should be doable."

    "How about this?" Nathan raised a finger before pointing at the aliens on the table. "We sell those aliens to the sword saint?"

    "Selling those aliens?" Be looked surprised. "Now that I think about it, we can do that. If we sell those aliens, we should be able to get a few mature ss cores."

    Neyeid nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. Currently, they are aware of our movement and by presenting this alien, they will be able to figure out a lot of information.

    "Still, they aren''t worth much, since it''s better if we give the summoner and the familiars as well.

    "If I were Sullivan, I would definitely demand the summoner. With the Frexia Academy, the Holy Kingdom, and the Azilia Kingdom as his backers, he could get all the people he wanted for the interrogation. But once he got it, it was unlikely for this summoner to be returned to us. In fact, he might have died.

    "So, selling these aliens will probably only be worth 3 or 4 mature ss cores unless one of us ising to the negotiation instead of leaving everything to Nathan."

    After listening to Neyeid''s exnation, Evelyn''s face turned solemn. "I don''t want to meet him. And it''s better not to have any contact for the time being.

    "In that case, just give him all the cores we have first. Nathan can handle the negotiation and get as many cores as possible from Sullivan. As for the rest, I will think about it."

    "Got it. How long do you need to absorb all those cores?"

    "I am not sure." Nathan shook his head. "As early as one month or two months at thetest."

    "Can you keep him alive for that long?" Evelyn turned to Be.

    "I can order him to eat and swallow." Be exined. "So I can keep him alive indefinitely."

    "In that case, we will do it like this for the time being. Once we have secured everything, we will begin the interrogation."

    "I will handle the barrier to ensure the curse can''t be activated remotely." Christopher nodded.

    "Shouldn''t we wait until we catch another one, Captain?" Neyeid asked. "I mean, one or two months should be enough for us to catch another person, right?"

    Evelyn shook her head. "Considering we have gotten two of them in the span of one month, they will definitely y it safe. They might even stay hidden for one or two months, so there''s no guarantee about it.

    "That''s why our objective this time is to find out if they have kidnapped people or inserted the alien inside their body."

    Of course, there was another reason Evelyn wanted to give Nathan 40 mature ss cores. It was for the sake of their group. Nathan had done all that without a reward. If he left the group, they could probably hunt him down, but they would end up fighting against the Frexia Academy.

    And if Nathan was angry, there was a chance several of their members would fall for his scheme. That was why it was important to bnce the reward, especially for Nathan.

    "Alright then." Neyeid nodded in agreement.

    Evelyn then gave her orders, "Be, you are to manage the base. Make sure the prisoner is alive and the familiars aren''t revolting.

    "Neyeid. Move out our funds and, if necessary, sell my artifacts to raise some funds. Just make sure that we have a stable fund for the operation.

    "Christopher will maintain the barrier and ensure the curse is not active. Sonia will go and find out about the potential people who have been kidnapped by the organization and track them down. Make a list of them.

    "Revon. You will follow me to the front line. You like to fight, right? Let''s go and hunt down some aliens.

    "Last but not least, Nathan. You are to negotiate with Sullivan regarding the alien. But do it three dayster. Sonia will get the list. During the negotiation, I want you to add the mission to search for suspicious people."

    "Got it." Be nodded.

    "In that case, I will preserve their bodies so that they don''t rot. I''ll make sure nothing goes wrong for the next several days." Neyeid acknowledged the order.

    "Understood." Christopher and Sonia epted the arrangement.

    "Hahaha. It''s finally time for me to stretch my body. It''s been so long since I had a good fight. I hope those aliens can fight me hard. No. I hope we can find a warrior ss alien!" Revon smirked.

    "Alright." Nathan understood the reason he wanted her to do that mission. Considering he would get 40 mature ss cores from them, he should ept it and work hard for it. "In that case, I will take my leave here. I don''t want to make them worry about me."

    Evelyn nodded. "Alright."

    Evelyn immediately sent Nathan back with a portal. When he left, Neyeid couldn''t help but ask, "Are you sure about this, Captain? From the way he says it, it''s clear that he is using us to get more than what he needs. Isn''t he a little too greedy?"

    "Still, all his efforts are undeniable. By keeping him happy, he will continue working hard for us. If he''s gone, we''ll end up progressing slowly." Evelyn shook her head.

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    "But he is a simple man. Why don''t you just give him a head pat or something? I bet he is going to be satisfied." Be smirked, teasing Evelyn.

    "You want me to sell my dignity?" Evelyn sighed. "Have you been Nathan-fied? Why do you even help him sell me?"

    "I''m just offering a simple solution." Be shrugged.

    ¡­

    When Nathan came back, Selena was already asleep, so he thought about retiring for the day, unaware that Sera was still awake.

    She covered her body except for her face with her bedsheet. She sat down on the bed while ring forward as though she thought about something.

 Chapter 295: Seras Burden (Bonus)

    "I wonder since when have I been following what the people wish for me? I have been doing everything I can for their sake¡­ their expectation."

    Sera remembered what Nathan said earlier that day. "They have taken me and I continue fulfilling their expectations as the most talented saintess.

    "I have done everything I can to make the Holy Kingdom and my teacher proud. At the same time, I have lost something precious. I don''t know since when, but I have been following people''s orders or requests every single time.

    "I have forgotten thest time I actually did something for myself?"

    Ten years ago.

    The adult Sera was staring at the young Sera from a third perspective.

    The young Sera, who was a mere orphan, stood in front of the church. With no shoes on her feet, she left behind several blood trails on the ground. Her tattered clothes smelled so bad, as though they had never touched water for a few months.

    "What are you doing, child?"

    Sera turned her head around, finding an old priest.

    Sera looked down and said, "They said if I join the religion, I can eat food."

    The old priest chuckled. He offered his gentlest smile and said, "Is that so? How about following me inside? Let''s wash you first and I''ll let you eat your fill."

    Sera didn''t believe it at first, but soon her eyes brightened. She nodded furiously, as she couldn''t contain herself anymore.

    "Un."

    The old priest treated her wound, asked the nun to wash her, and finally gave her a meal. The meal back then was simple andcked seasoning. But for someone like her who had been wandering around the street with no one to rely on, it was probably the most delicious meal she had ever had.

    When she recalled this scene, the old Sera couldn''t help but shed tears. "I can''t remember the taste of the food from back then, but it''s so delicious that I can''t help but tear up.

    "In the end, I joined the church and trained to be a nun. I can''t give enough gratitude to the father. If it''s anyone else, they will probably not ept me." The old Sera muttered as she saw herself training hard.

    And that was when her talent bloomed. She managed to learn a lot of things quickly, which helped her a lot.

    Everyone in that church helped her a lot. They were kind. It wasn''t a big church or anything, and it was hard to get by from time to time. However, everyone could smile.

    However, the turning point in her life was when she awakened her Ena at 10 years old.

    Sera saw her younger self surprised by the sudden appearance of glowing particles her body was emitting.

    "Father! Father! Sera¡­ Sera is¡­"

    When the priest came to the room, he was shocked to find Sera emitting Ena from her body.

    "This is¡­" The priest gasped. "Sera. You have awakened your Ena¡­ Sera, you are a chosen child."

    "A chosen child? What does that mean? Is it delicious?" She tilted her head in confusion.

    "That means you are destined to be someone great. You can help a lot of people so that they don''t be hungry like you."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. You need to go to the Holy Kingdom after this and learn a lot over there. If you manage to be stronger, you will be able to help many people."

    Because of his words, the innocent Sera was excited.

    Sera didn''t know what kind of thing she epted at that time. And when she learned about it, it was toote. The envoy from the Holy Kingdom had arrived and brought her to the capital city so that she could learn to be the true priestess.

    "Sera. You need to continue your meditation."

    "You are so good, Sera."

    "What is this? You are able to do it so quickly? You are so talented, Sera."

    "Good job, Sera."

    "You are more talented than anyone else. You will definitely be the greatest saintess and seed your teacher, the Pope."

    "Wow. You are already using Ena Maniption?"

    "Are you going to do the Synchronization next?"

    Back then, Sera just epted their kind words with a pure, big smile on her face.

    The training was hard, but their kind words were able to keep her going. Unbeknownst to them, those words ended up bing the very poison that made everything hard for her.

    ''I have to keep going.''

    ''I can''t disappoint them.''

    This thought always appeared in her mind. She sometimes wanted to take a break, but those people had too much expectation, which forced her to continue without a break.

    Sera just clenched her fist. "I can still go. I won''t disappoint anyone. Teacher is also very kind to me. I need to be strong so that I can help a lot of people."

    Three years after learning from the pope, Sera had grown a bit more mature. However, the burden she carried couldn''t be any smaller.

    In fact, every single step felt like there were numerous vines around her legs, shackling her down to the ground.

    She was exhausted without being aware she was tired. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    "I can continue."

    "I won''t disappoint them."

    She kept going with noints. She didn''t realize that, at one point, her thoughts began to change.

    "Why do I need to keep going? I think I have done my best. Why do they keep reprimanding me? I am tired. I just want to rest. Can''t I get some rest?"

    "But I still can''t disappoint them. What will happen if I disappoint them?"

    "They keep telling me to work hard, but why are they not working hard like they tell me? They have been doing almost nothing for an entire day!"

    "Why not¡­ stop all of this at once¡­"

    That day, her world fell apart. It was also the day she summoned her second familiar. As if she had been feeding all the darkness she kept in her heart the whole time, she ended up summoning a fallen angel.

 Chapter 296: A Teacher (Bonus)

    "What is this? A fallen angel?"

    "What?"

    "How can a saintess summon a fallen angel?!"

    The bishops and the pope were stunned. No one would expect Sera of all people to summon a fallen angel.

    Sera only looked at the fallen angel with a terrified face. That day, something died inside of her.

    "Why? Why? Why?!" Sera screamed, asking the same question over and over again. "Why did I summon a fallen angel? I had done everything I could and followed their teaching. But why?"

    It didn''t take too long for everything to crumble.

    "Have you heard that the saintess has fallen?"

    "To think she summons a fallen angel."

    "I guess we''re expecting too much from her. She is nothing."

    "There are other saints and saintesses who are better than her. She just wields Ena better. It doesn''t mean she is more suitable as the saintess."

    The people who had been talking good about her changedpletely. All their harsh words struck deep in her heart.

    At that time, her angel said, "This is a trial that you need to ovee. Are you going to lose just because of this, Serafina? I know you are better than anyone else. Prove them that they are wrong."

    However, her fallen angel said, "What trial? They don''t even realize that their expectation is like a poison. When you do good, you will be praised by others. They don''t care about you. They only care about your achievement. Once you are not useful anymore, they will throw you away without any hesitation."

    "You are wrong. Everything has been arranged. Once she ovees it, she will rise even further."

    "You always mention a challenge, but this one is not a challenge. It''s torture." The fallen angel snorted.

    Sera closed her eyes and ears as if she didn''t want to hear anything. She just wanted to iste herself without the need to care for other things.

    However, she knew very well it was impossible.

    At that time, the pope visited her.

    "Sera¡­"

    "Teacher¡­" Sera looked down, her tears streaming down her cheeks. "I''m sorry. I must have disappointed you."

    "You have never disappointed me." The Pope smiled. His gentle face looked so sincere.

    "But¡­"

    The Pope shook his head. "What is your goal, Sera?"

    "My goal¡­ I just want to¡ª!"

    The Pope stopped her. "No. I mean, your original goal. Why do you be one of us? Back then, what did you wish for?"

    "I¡­ want to help people. I was an orphan who had nothing. I kept rummaging everything just to find anything to eat. My parents had died due to the famine, so after that day, I wished I could end the world''s hunger. I know it''s impossible, but I will keep trying, at least moving toward my goal without stopping."

    "In that case, you still haven''t disappointed me." The Pope smiled. "All I wish for all of you to achieve your goal as long as it''s for the good of the world and the people."

    "But I have summoned a fallen angel!"

    "And what''s wrong with that?" The Pope looked up. "I will tell you about a certain story. In the past, there was a kid who killed his own father. Do you say that kid is bad or good?"

    "He is a bad kid," Sera answered without hesitation.

    "What if I tell you that because he hesitated to kill his father, thetter ended up causing a genocide, killing more than a hundred people? It was because the kid believed that his father should have the chance to remain alive that he caused the death of a hundred people."

    "That''s¡­"

    "Then let me reword it. What if, because he killed his father, he managed to stop the genocide?"

    "He¡­" Sera couldn''t answer. In the end, the kid did a good thing in the grand scheme of things. However, he still killed someone, which was a sin.

    That was when the Pope smiled. "What if you were that child? Would you kill your father or not, not knowing whether he would kill people?"

    "I don''t know."

    "That''s right. I don''t know." The Pope patted her head. "We don''t know whether you will do a good thing or a bad thing to the world by summoning a fallen angel.

    "So how could you know whether you have disappointed me or not? Even a criminal can repent and atone for his mistake, so why do you think the fallen angel can''t do that?"

    Sera looked at him with a shocked face.

    "You have summoned a fallen angel, but have you done something bad?"

    "I don''t know, but I have been striving to be a good person."

    "And that''s all that matters. That fallen angel, whose fallen angel is it?"

    "Mine."

    "Then, will you do bad things or strive to achieve your goal after all this?"

    Sera clenched her fists. "I will continue to strive for my goal! I know how hungry one can be. I don''t want them to suffer like that if possible."

    "Then do it. After all, you are the one who can determine your own fate. Whether you be a good person or a bad person, it''s you. Whether you help people or abandon them, it''s your decision. The one who defines you is yourself and¡­" the Pope pointed up. "So, choose your own path, my child."

    Sera took a deep breath. "Yes, Teacher!"

    "Just don''t forget this one thing. Bad things, at times, do happen to good people. However, continue believing in what is right. And as your teacher, I will support you." The Pope smiled.

    Unlike others, the pope never really judged her. A mistake would remain as a mistake if they didn''t correct it. And that was what she should focus on.

    When she recalled all those words, Sera closed her eyes. Her intense re calmed down and her shaken body stopped.

    She opened the bed sheet, tossed it away, and stood up. Her face had been filled with resolve.

    She finally had the answer to the question that Nathan asked back then. This time, it wasn''t because her familiars told her. It came from her own heart.

    "I need to see Nathan."

 Chapter 297: Seras Resolve

    *Knock!*

    *Knock!*

    "Mhmm?" Nathan rubbed his eyes, getting woken up by the noise. He nced to the side, finding Selena still sleeping.

    So, he rose from the bed and walked to the door. When he opened the door, he was greeted by Sera.

    She was wearing a white gown as if she were about to sleep, but her slightly red eyes showed that she hadn''t slept this whole time.

    Still, her serious expression made him realize what she wanted to talk about.

    Nathan nced at Selena. Since she didn''t wake up, he left the room and closed the door quietly, making sure she didn''t wake up. Little did he know, Selena was fully awake. Her gaze was cold. When Nathan left, she just covered her entire body with the bedsheet.

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Sera walked quietly to another room.

    Sera''s face had been serious this whole time, making him wonder what things she wanted to say.

    Nathan sat down in front of her while crossing his arms. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

    Sera took a deep breath. "I''m sorry for disturbing your sleep."

    "Just cut to the chase." Nathan shook his head.

    Sera smiled wryly. She looked Nathan in the eyes and said, "I am a gullible person. If they say I''m a good person, I might believe it. If they say you''re a good person, I will believe it.

    "All the ims or even the ns they think are the best¡­ I have always listened to them. And I might end up with this condition forever.

    "When I summoned the fallen angel, my world fell apart. But after summoning Brunhild, I could see a different meaning of myself.

    "It might not be because I was frustrated or tired that I summoned the fallen angel. It was probably because I was a gullible person that both the angel and the devil whisper to me about what I should do."

    Sera clenched her hands into fists. "However, I don''t think this is bad. It''s true that I might easily trust others, but because of it, I''m able to meet my teacher. I''m also with you right now.

    "It''s just¡­ I don''t know what I should do¡­ It''s probably because I''m empty inside that I''m unable to do anything or think for myself.

    "However, your words have made me realize something." Sera stood up. "I think it''s fine to trust people in this world. I don''t mean all people, but only some selected people. Those who I can trust with my life.

    "Instead of trusting everyone as their words turn into poison inside me, I''d rather to listen only to some people.

    "From my teacher, I have realized the importance of my goal. And how it has never changed, even if I summon anything.

    "That''s why I will keep pursuing my goal, which is to put food on the table for as many people as possible. Experience more on m-v|l e''-NovelBin

    "To achieve such a thing, a normal means is definitely not possible. That''s why, from this point onward, I think about summoning another demon!

    "In this world, there are always good and bad things. Bad things can happen to good people. Good things can happen to bad people.

    "If there is a light, there is also darkness. Hence, I believe I will be the bnce of everything.

    "I have summoned a servant of a god as my third familiar. In that case, I will summon something that opposes it to bnce their opinion.

    "And just like my familiars, I need someone to bnce my own opinion. I know that I''m brimming with positivity. That bes the very reason I will always be naive. My decision will definitely lead to my destruction at some point.

    "I need someone who can counter my opinion, someone who can be a necessary evil in my life, someone who will protect me even if it means bing a demon in my life."

    Sera took a deep breath and looked at him in the eyes. "And I believe you are suitable to be that person, Nathan."

    Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Did you just call me a demon?"

    "Ah!" Sera scratched the back of her head. "That''s just an analogy. I will probably continue moving on with my pure belief. Meanwhile, you do things rationally, even if it means going against that belief. That''s why I want to join your group.

    "I promise I won''t go against Selena. No, I won''t even say anything about your thought about family as long as you have the capability. It means I''m also one step closer to my goal.

    "I am ready to learn anything, so please¡­" Sera lowered her head.

    "What makes you think I''m the most suitable person? There are other people who might be more suitable than me. In fact, you can probably find that kind of person as long as you ask for it with your status."

    "It''s a bit embarrassing, but the time we spent in that desert¡­ has given me the answer to your question." Sera smiled.

    Nathan rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought.

    "I also don''t need resources. All the rewards from the mission can be given to you and Selena. I can always ask for resources from the Holy Kingdom."

    If he thought about it rationally, the calction would be a mess if he had to take care of Sera while their ie didn''t increase. After all, they had to split the cores into three.

    Still, having someone who could boost his ability like Anubis would be an excellent addition to the group.

    "Will you really do anything? Even if it means I ask you to strip right now?"

    "Yes." Sera grabbed her gown.

    "Oi! I''m not ordering you or anything right now."

    "As I said previously, I''m gullible and a bit dumb. Even if you tell me about your n, I might not understand half of it. That''s why I will just do everything you tell me to, because I will trust you."

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn''t a perfect answer, but he could see her resolve. "I will test you a bit. Since we have nothing to do right now, I will ept you into our group for one month. But you''re going to learn a lot, you understand?"

    Sera''s face brightened as she made a big smile. "Yes!"

    Unbeknownst to them, Selena was actually standing behind a wall, listening to their conversation. Her expression didn''t change, but instead of interfering, Selena just walked away.

 Chapter 298: Leaving

    "Where is Nathan?" Sera asked while looking around.

    Selena nced at her mysteriously, as though something bothered her mind. Ultimately, she said, "He is in the bedroom, absorbing some cores. Unlike us, he needs more cores to have the same amount of Ena as us.

    "That''s why this trip is for him to have the time to swallow those cores.

    "It''s quite stressful mentally and physically, so absorbing it here will help a bit. The school is pretty chaotic after all."

    "Fair enough." Sera looked surprised that Selena gave all that information. She soon smiled and gently pushed Selena from behind. "Now, now. Selena. Why don''t we train? I have heard that the sea can be used to train our bodies. Let''s do it, shall we?"

    Selena looked down, falling into deep thought. She ended up sighing. "Sure. Let''s do it."

    Sera smiled and led her to the beach.

    As Selena said, the trip was made for them to increase their Ena. But because of his absorption rate, Nathan had to spend more time to absorb the cores.

    On the other hand, Selena and Sera had more time to train and absorbed the cores during the night.

    After a few days, Nathan finally got a visitor.

    It was Evelyn. She brought 20 mature ss cores with her and dropped them on the bed. "These are half the amount I''ve promised. Other than the cores you will get from the negotiation with Sullivan, I will give you the rest in two to three weeks."

    "Woah." Nathan looked surprised. "You really give it to me?"

    "Of course. I don''t n to take back my promise." Evelyn nced at the numerous cores scattered in the room. She couldn''t help but ask, "It seems you''re going to summon your fourth familiar. Do you have any idea of what you want as your fourth familiar?"

    "I have been thinking about familiars with specific characteristics such as the one ruling over the sky, living inside the water, amphibious, and rare terrains like swamps. I can think of other possibilities, but I think I want a familiar that is versatile with my current situation."

    "Versatile with your current situation, huh? And do you understand the situation you''re currently in?"

    "Yes. I don''t know how much they prioritize me, but I am certainly targeted by this secret organization. As a result, I need fighting power that is not only unique but also powerful. This way, I can surprise the enemy.

    "It should be an escape artist and have an ability that can extract some information," exined Nathan.

    "You sound so greedy. Is there even a familiar that versatile? I have never heard about it." Evelyn frowned.

    "The thing is¡­ there is one familiar that can match all my criteria." Nathan smirked.

    Evelyn crossed her arms. "Heh¡­"

    "What?"

    Evelyn shrugged. "Nothing. The saintess'' Valkyrie as well as the other two familiars from that vampire girl are your doing, right?"

    "I don''t intend to hide it anyway. It''s the knowledge from my beasts." Nathan rolled his eyes. "It''s probably because they are beasts that they have different experiences, which allows me to gain a lot of knowledge about other familiars.

    "In the past, people who summoned their familiars knew nothing about them until they summoned them and studied about them, right?

    "This is the same. Of course, I don''t have any intention of telling them about weak familiars."

    Evelyn paused for a moment. "You should know my abilities, right?"

    "Gravity and space?"

    "Yes. What do you think I should summon for my new familiar?"

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. ''Is there a God of Space or Gravity? Since it''s quite rare with the terms of gravity, I should think about the God of Space¡­

    ''Hmm. I don''t know if there is even a God of Space¡­ at least directly linked to the space element. What about fantasy races? There are simply too many races that I can''t think of anything right now.

    ''Still, if it''s Evelyn, she should have a divine being. If only it were like a powerful god or goddess¡­ I could rmend her the Goddess of Night, Nyx.

    ''No. I think it''s more suitable for Selena since vampires and Lilitu are the creatures of the night.''

    Nathan sighed. "Sorry. I can''t think of anything. Maybe I will ask them about itter."

    She squinted her eyes, noticing that Nathan didn''t call them right away, even though he was able to do so.

    However, she didn''t press him. She simply took out a piece of paper. "Anyway, this is the list about the suspected students from the 2nd and 3rd academies. You can use this during the negotiation and see what mission will be suitable for you."

    "Understood. I''ll also tell you how many mature ss cores I get from the sword saintter."

    Evelyn nodded. "Tell me when you need the alien. I will send them directly to your room in the academy."

    "Got it. Thank you."

    Evelyn turned around and disappeared into thin air.

    Nathan sighed again. "It''s been a week. I guess I should return to the academy briefly. Besides, Master is about toe here, so I might as well invite them. I guess I should tell Selena and Sera. This is a perfect time for them to get to know each other. I hope they don''t fight without me around."

    With that thought in mind, he headed outside, finding Selena and Sera training on the beach.

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    Selena seemed to be correcting Sera''s form and position as if teaching her their fighting style so that there wouldn''t be any problem if they needed to fight together.

    The scene put a smile on his face as his worries disappeared.

    Both Selena and Sera noticed him and immediately came to him.

    "What are you doing? Are you done with the cores? Or are you too tired?" Selena asked while cing her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

    "No, I''m fine. I''m thinking about returning to the academy for a day. I need to negotiate with Sullivan, especially regarding our next mission."

    "Then, I will apany you." Selena wanted to enter as if nning to pack her luggage, but Nathan stopped her.

    "No. I will go alone this time."

    Selena looked shocked while Sera surprisingly hugged Selena''s arm while coquettishly asking, "It''s fine, isn''t it? We should continue our training, right?"

    Selena looked at her for a while before sighing. "Fine."

 Chapter 299: Sullivans Request (Bonus)

    "So, what do you want to talk about? It''s rare for you to suddenlye to me." Sullivan crossed his arms while squinting his eyes. "From the looks of it, you are nning something big."

    Nathan chuckled. "nning something big? I don''t dare."

    "Heh? Do you think I haven''t heard what you do to the Dragon King? Well, after taking this post, the Dragon King came to me and told me about venya''s situation. I never thought that to bring his daughter to this school, you would end up scamming the Dragon King.

    "What are you going to do with the challenge? It looks like you''re going to fight her after the six-month immunity is up. Even though she is only a second year, she is extremely strong, you know."

    "I know." Nathan nodded. "Well, how about sponsoring me? If you sponsor me, I can win."

    "Are youing here to ask me to sponsor you?"

    "Of course not. But since you told me about it, please also keep that in mind." Nathan smirked.

    "Pfft! Hahahaha!" Sullivanughed out loud. "You are the boldest youngster I have seen in ages. Not only the Dragon King but also me, huh? Well, even the Sage has told me to be wary of you. Do you know he has been calling you ''little devil'' behind your back?"

    "Eh? How can he do that? I have been the personification of innocence!" Nathan shamelessly lied, without batting an eye.

    Sullivan became even more amused. "Still, business is business. How about we go to the topic right now?"

    "That''s fine with me." Nathan nodded. "I have captured the person who is involved with that organization."

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    "!!!" Sullivan stood up. "Where is he?"

    "Unfortunately, I can''t give him to you because I n to interrogate him myself."

    Sullivan frowned. "Are you serious? Do you know the significance of that person?"

    "It''s because I know that I''m telling you I can''t give it to you. I believe I can get more information than you." Nathan''s expression was solemn, showing that he believed everything he said.

    Sullivan crossed his arms. "So¡­"

    "I will exin it from the beginning." Nathan started recounting everything from the enemy to what happened to the demon.

    Sullivan widened his eyes after listening to the story.

    "A demon turning into an alien mid-fight¡­" Sullivan tapped the table a few times, contemting.

    "Yes. From the way I can see it, it seems the alien was nted before the fight. And he used it to threaten the demon.

    "Dikkleus was unable to do this because he thought he couldn''t threaten the familiar, but this guy had just made an improvement and used the alien to threaten them.

    "A normal familiar had their unique ability, which allowed them to be more versatile and useful than when they turned into an alien, even if it meant they became stronger.

    "And if we think about this, they might have used their aliens to threaten all their familiars and even used it against others."

    Sullivan crossed his arms. "Do you know that three hundred years ago, there was an upheaval? It was so big that the world was trembling in fear.

    "In the past, people were abusing their familiars in one way or another. There were people who used them as sex workers, ves, or anything.

    "The condition was so awful, especially with the hierarchy we had. You should know how nobles acted, right?

    "As a result, one man led a rebellion that shook the entire world. He waster known as the symbol of liberation.

    "He was also a good thinker, which ended up changing the way we chanted in our summoning ritual. His life was dedicated to liberation, which allowed the current rtionship between humans and familiars.

    "That''s why we''re unable to hurt them or exploit them like that anymore and the way we see familiars has changed since then.

    "And the way they''re threatening the familiars right now¡­ it''s simr to back then." Sullivan sighed.

    "Yes. That''s why I''m thinking about trading the aliens they used to threaten the familiars."

    "Hmm. 2 aliens who have matured and 1 alien who hasn''t, huh? That will definitely be a good thing for us. If we can know everything about the aliens, we will be able to stop them or find them. What do you want?"

    Nathan raised two fingers. "I want cores."

    "Cores and¡­"

    "And your support. I believe there is a joint mission between two academies, right?"

    "Yes. There are missions that allow the students from two academies to work together."

    "I suspect they have been kidnapped and operated on without them realizing it. I hope this is just a fear of mine, but if this ends up to be true¡­"

    Sullivan''s expression turned cold. "The damage will be severe."

    "Yes. I have a list of names. I want your help to locate them, or at least help me with your connection to influence them to take on a joint mission without raising their suspicion."

    Sullivan rubbed his forehead before nodding. "I can probably do that with my power."

    "Is that all you want?"

    "Yes. But the cores for the aliens need to be mature ss cores."

    "Mature ss cores? For who?" Sullivan narrowed his eyes, suspecting Nathan wanted it for the organization behind him.

    However, he pointed at himself. "I have thousands of cores, so it''s hard to swallow them all. If I have higher ss cores, I can swallow them at a much faster speed."

    "Oh! Understandable. I guess I can give you¡­ hmm, 6 cores?"

    "Is your ''support'' included?"

    "You really¡­ greedy little goblin." Sullivan chuckled. "No. If you want her to stay, why don''t you ask the Dragon King''s support? You have to beat her if you want her to stay, no?"

    "Why don''t we just have you support me and make the Dragon King owe you this favor? Isn''t it better?"

    "Why are you helping me? Don''t tell me. You have agreed to enter my household?" Sullivan smirked. "If you say yes, I will immediately add ''mante'' in your name."

    "Of course not. I have my own n. Besides, helping you is a good thing for me, but I hope you don''t misunderstand it. I''m not sucking up to you or anything."

    ''This guy is really¡­ I feel like he knows how people behave. It''s as if he has seen hundreds of people of the same types.'' Sullivan thought for a moment. ''If I want to catch him by surprise, what should I do? No, wait. There''s something I can do.''

    With a sly grin on his face, Sullivan said, "Nathan. Since you are fighting a second-year student after six months, why don''t you fight a third-year student after 12 months?"

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "I''m talking about fighting my granddaughter, Noelle, in the Summoners War before her graduation. If you do it, I will support you."

 Chapter 300: Agreement

    "I''m talking about fighting my granddaughter, Noelle, in the Summoners War before her graduation."

    "Fighting Noelle before the graduation?" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you serious? Do you know how big the gap between us is?"

    "Yeah. I''m serious." Sullivan nodded. "I know how big the gap between you two is. However, you should have thought about it, no? If you are able to defeat Noelle before graduation, your reputation will soar even further. And with just a bit more achievement, you will be a noble."

    "Don''t you know that a noble has to fulfill all kinds of obligations? I don''t really want to handle all those problems."

    "I am aware." Sullivan waved his hand. "Whether or not you want to be a noble is up to you. The only question will be if you would fight my daughter before graduation."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought.

    ''If I fight Noelle, I don''t know if I can win or not. In case I lose, I still get Sullivan''s support for the rest of the year. If I win, the situation will be much moreplicated.

    ''Still, being a noble, huh? My original n is to either be a mercenary or a noble to avoid most of the problems. If I end up defeating Noelle, a lot more people will focus on me. In addition, the range of information I can ess will be much higher.

    ''Well, I can be a noble if I want it, so it doesn''t really matter. I guess I can get his support and lose.

    ''What Sullivan wants is just for Noelle to progress. If she is to fight me, she will have to¡­ No, wait. Is there even a need to fight her at all?''

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile. "Principal. You said that you want me to fight your granddaughter. I wonder, is it because you want her to progress, or is it just for a mere fight?"

    "Of course, the former. I have told you the reason. She is simply too stiff. If this goes on, she will end up in trouble. That''s why I want her not to be stubborn."

    "If that''s the case, I have a better solution for you." Nathan grinned. "Instead of fighting her, I will just y with her."

    "Hmm?" Sullivan crossed his arms. "Do you understand why I want her to get stronger before graduation?"

    "After graduation, I bet she will be deployed to the front line."

    "That is correct." Sullivan nodded. "I know that her strength and technique will progress, but there is someone who is able to deal with a lot of problems with his brain. I just hope that my granddaughter can learn from that person." Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "I have a solution. If you trust me, that is¡­ And of course, I hope you don''t get angry at whatever I''m about to do to her."

    "So be it." Sullivan nodded. "We can do it your way."

    "In that case, please support me through cores. I need a lot of cores and not just for me, but also for Selena."

    Sullivan chuckled. "As expected, she too, huh?"

    "Is there a problem?"

    "No. In that case, I will give you ten mature ss cores right now. Do you want anything else?"

    "I want an item, possibly of the highest ss. However, I don''t know what familiar I''m nning to summon, so I will just hold on to that promise right now." Clovis raised a single finger while adding inwardly, ''Not for me, obviously.''

    "Well, I can do that much for you." Sullivan nodded. "Alright then. I hope you''re able to make my granddaughter stronger."

    "I will do my best." Nathan only calcted six mature ss cores for the agreement between him and Evelyn. The other four were considered Sullivan''s support, meaning he could give them to Selena or Sera.

    Now that the agreement had been established, Nathan gave him the three alien corpses to Sullivan.

    Once it was done, the first ce he visited was none other than the student council. Since he was going to spend some time in the school, it was better to deal with everything first before going back to the beach.

    "Hmm? What are you doing here? I heard from Selena that you''re going on a vacation with her." Flora crossed her arms. Other people in the student council also stared at him.

    "Please don''t mind me. I need to go back here for a bit. After meeting the principal earlier, he wants me to pass a few messages to Senior Noelle." Nathan pointed at Noelle behind Flora.

    "Me?" Noelle was confused. There was no way her grandfather abused his authority as the principal.

    Nathan raised a finger. "He wants me to fight you in the Summoners War right before your graduation."

    "Eh?" Noelle wasn''t the only one confused. First venya, and this time, it was Noelle. "Why?"

    "I don''t know. However, he tells me about these conditions. If you lose to me, you are going to get married after graduation."

    "What?!" Noelle clenched her hands.

    "Also, if you reject this challenge, he will immediately marry you off."

    Noelle''s right hand reached for the sword on her waist.

    "If you win against me, that means you will marry me instead of someone else."

    "What are you even doing? You''re getting involved now?" Noelle frowned.

    Nathan sighed and started sobbing. "I am being threatened, you know. If I can get away from this, I would have done so."

    Noelle contemted. "Doesn''t that mean I have no escape? I thought he gave me freedom to join the army after graduation¡­"

    "It might be due to the recent event. The front line has be so dangerous that he can''t bear to part with his granddaughter... I don''t know." Nathan shrugged. "Then again, even if I want to find a marriage partner, I would find someone I personally choose. So, I''m also in a bind."

    "True." Noelle seemed to be thinking hard, trying to find the solution to this situation.

    That was when Nathan raised a finger. "Actually, there is a solution."

    "A solution?"

    "Yes. As long as we don''t fight, everything will be solved."

 Chapter 301: No Tournament

    "As long as we don''t fight, everything will be solved."

    "Are you stupid? He clearly says that it will be an immediate marriage? I don''t even understand why he suddenly does this¡­"

    "No. He only said that not epting my challenge, losing, or winning the fight would result in marriage. If you can find an excuse to not fight, everything will be solved.

    "That''s why we have to find a way to make it look like we don''t need to fight. Maybe sickness or something? But that won''t work. We need something big, especially from your side. You can think of something, right?"

    "Why don''t you think of something? You are good at this, no?" Noelle felt something suspicious.

    "Sure, I can do that. But there will be someone who needs to keep your grandfather in check. I was nning to do that with all this terrorist stuff, but I guess I have to divert my focus elsewhere¡­"

    "¡­" Noelle contemted. It would be troublesome not only for her but also for the school if Nathan stopped working on this new case.

    It seemed she really needed to do it whether she did it alone or with someone else, and she had to seed.

    Noelle nodded. "Alright. I will think of something. You can focus on those problems for the time being."

    "Alright. Anyway, I have passed the message from your grandfather. I need to visit my teacher." Nathan waved his hand and walked to Vivian''s office, leaving the entire student council speechless.

    "What the hell is that? Noelle. I heard that your grandfather and father are doting on you¡­ And because you keep beating all your fiance candidates, there is no one approaching you anymore," Regynar asked.

    "True. I have heard about it. Because of that very reason, you''re able to go to the army after your graduation. This is so sudden¡­"

    Flora scratched the back of her head. "Don''t tell me. Your grandfather is trying to seize Nathan? The condition is for you to marry someone, right? And only by winning in the Summoners War do you end up marrying Nathan.

    "If you think about this, doesn''t this mean your grandfather is trying to marry you to Nathan? That someone can be Nathan, no?"

    Noelle narrowed her eyes. "I don''t find him repulsing, but I don''t have any intention of marrying someone¡­ at least not right now. All I wish for is for me to be a sword master first before thinking about that. That''s why I don''t want this. Help me think about this, Flora."

    "Well, I will help. The graduation is still 8 months from now, so we can think of something. Anyway, this is weird, and I feel like something is going on." Flora waved her hand, assuring Noelle.

    After giving them a headache, Nathan went straight to Vivian''s office.

    "Master. I have dealt with the problem in that city."

    "Oh! Good work. Anything you would like to report?"

    "Nothing." Nathan shook his head. "I''m just wondering if you''re going to join us or not."

    "Sure. As I told you before, I''ll be joining you in thest three days. That means four days from now."

    "Can''t you go there faster? I mean, I am nning to absorb a lot of mature ss cores."

    "A lot of mature ss cores?"

    "Yes."

    "How many?"

    "Over 20 cores."

    Vivian frowned, thinking, ''He must have robbed someone.''

    Still, Nathan''s body would have a hard time enduring it. If Nathan overdid it a bit, he might be in trouble.

    Due to the amount of Ena in each core, the reaction from the mature ss core was bigger. That was why Nathan asked her to apany him, making sure everything was alright.

    "I don''t really mind going there early. But are you doing something crazy over there? Who did you scam?"

    "What do you mean scam? I am a morally upright person."

    Vivian looked at him with a judging gaze,pletely not believing him.

    "It''s a negotiation. I did negotiate for all those cores." Nathan shrugged.

    Vivian sighed. "In that case, I will join you in two days. I have seen the report as well, especially regarding the destruction of the mansion. I''m going there to fix it up."

    "Anything else?"

    Nathan thought for a moment. "There is something I want to ask this whole time."

    "What is it?"

    "Do we have apetition with other schools?"

    "Are you talking about thepetition to see who is better?"

    "No. I''m talking about apetition between all academies to see who is the best academy. How do you even know the Frexia Academy is the number one academy in the first ce?"

    "Of course, resources, teachers, and assets." Vivian tilted her head in confusion. "Still, apetition, huh?"

    "Yeah."

    "There is none currently. Right now, there''s no need topete with them that way. After all, we are being considered the number one because of our students, reputation, and all that contribution to the world. Rather than having a shallowpetition, which can easily change every year or every few years depending on the talented students you currently have, it''s better topete in a muchrger area."

    "Understandable." Nathan nodded in agreement while adding inwardly, ''Still, nopetition, huh? Whenever I read a story with an academy setting, they will definitely havepetitions between academies. 9 out of 10 cases, it will be a tournament. In this academy, there is only Summoners War¡­

    ''Then again, after listening to her exnation, it''s much more reasonable. In the end, they will have to depend on the talented students whoe and go. That ranking will change every time the tournamentes. Rather than having such a shallow achievement, it''s better to have a reputation all around the world. Well, winning it again and again will have different results, and these tournaments are usually used so that they can bless talented students with more resources¡­''

    Nathan shrugged. ''Never mind. It''s better not having a tournament.''

    "Anyway, you should go there first. What if those two girls cause ruckus over there because of their rivalry?" Vivian waved her hand.

    Nathan chuckled. "Don''t worry. It won''t happen, but yeah, I don''t think I need anything else. I will just take my leave after giving my report."

    Vivian looked surprised when she heard it was fine, as though Nathan had everything under control. It just gave her a weird thought.

 Chapter 302: Emergency Meeting (Bonus)

    Before going back to the vi, Nathan returned to his room first.

    This time, he summoned Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg.

    All of them had a serious expression, as they had to discuss one important thing.

    Nathan sped his hands while looking at all of them. "Gentlemen. We are currently in trouble. We are about to get about 15,000 Ena in the next seven days. And I don''t know what we should do with it. Should we summon the fourth familiar right away? With the fourth familiar, we can fight against the enemy in a much better position.

    "Or should we give any of you a few thousand Ena so that you would reach the 10,000 Ena mark? If that''s the case, who will be the first recipient?"

    Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg widened their eyes. Hearing Ena was like hearing money. They thought they would get money from this.

    Fenrir immediately said, "I should be the first one getting it. You have promised me I will be your priority.

    "Besides, if I have 10,000 Ena, I can do a lot more. Do you know that a divine weapon is needed to break through my defense? My strength is also abnormal. I will be a good vanguard for you guys."

    "NO!" Anubis stepped up. "Nathan. You have promised them you would interrogate that person. That''s why you should give me the Ena first.

    "This way, we have an assurance that I have enough power to interrogate that person. Besides, my power will increase. Although it''s only the courtroom, it''s still a domain ability. It is much more powerful than anyone can think of, not only for distraction but for offensive purposes.

    "Besides, you have thought that 10,000 Ena might not be enough to unlock my domain ability, so you should prioritize me.

    "If it''s not enough, you know you need another soul contract to unlock it. This way, you won''t have to panic when it requires you to get more Ena."

    "You don''t need it. I am the one who needs it." Fenrir gritted his teeth.

    Nidhogg suddenly opened his mouth. "Summoner. I think you should keep the Ena for yourself.

    "At least for now, we don''t need you to distribute the Ena. After all, the only big thing we''re going to do will be in one and a half months.

    "If we think about this, your quality is definitely going to increase with 50,000 Ena, which is 10,000 Ena for yourself and 40,000 to all four familiars.

    "Because of the quality increase, you will get more Ena, for example, an additional 5,000 Ena instead of the 3,000 Ena because you are impatient and give the Ena to us first.

    "In addition, you will have more Ena to make soul contracts in case of an emergency. This is a good opportunity for you.

    "As for summoning your 4th familiar, it''s good since you''re able toe up with a new strategy. However, you have Serafina right now, which adds up the number. So, I don''t think it''s necessary for now.

    "Meanwhile, I only have my chaos fire this time. If you give me 10,000 Ena, it means I''m able to unlock a new ability. I don''t know what it is, but it will make me stronger.

    "However, these two options will lead back to the advantage you will get by umting that Ena in your body for a while.

    "Hence, I suggest you keep the Ena for the time being. This way, you can give us the Ena or summon 4th familiar if the situation requires you to do so."

    When they heard Nidhogg''s exnation, Nathan looked shocked. Fenrir and Anubis dropped their jaws.

    "You dirty beast!"

    "Sly lizard!"

    Both of them cursed him. They had a simr thought in their mind.

    ''He is actually sucking him up so that he will be pleasing in Nathan''s eyes. This sucker.'' Fenrir gnashed his teeth.

    ''At this stage, Nathan might give the Ena to him. No. Is this not a question? Nathan should know how he should use his Ena. Is this Nathan''s trap? He is trying to test us and choose someone who gives a different answer?'' Anubis felt goosebumps.

    Nathan looked down, contemting. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    As a result, Fenrir and Anubis red at Nidhogg, who was actually showing a sly grin.

    Veins bulged on their heads as they thought, ''He freaking knows it!''

    On the other hand, Nathan had thought about those reasons before. The reason he was a bit skeptical about storing all the Ena to himself was because of the quality upgrade.

    There was a chance that the quality didn''t increase even after getting all that Ena.

    He might even need to have 100,000 Ena if he wanted to reach the next quality. The fact he didn''t know this made him confused.

    In other words, Nidhogg''s theory could be easily dismissed.

    Still, there was nothing wrong with testing it. If he gathered all that Ena, he would know how many Ena required to have that particr quality.

    After contemting, Nathan smiled wryly. "In that case, I will store the Ena in my body first. The mission will be quite hard because of theck of Ena, but I hope you can bear with me for a bit."

    All three of them dropped their jaws to the ground. Even Nidhogg realized what he had done. Since Nathan wanted to store it, it meant he would be overworked by Nathan because the missions he wanted to pick were harder than anything he had picked so far.

    Obviously, Fenrir and Anubis would experience the same thing.

    As expected, the three beasts immediately came to him.

    "How about giving it to me? I will definitely crush all your enemies."

    "I can heal you, detoxify, and do other things."

    "I will have a good ability if I have 10,000 Ena. The chaos fire is still too weak since it can still be overpowered by a huge amount of Ena like what happened in the fight against that snow woman. I really need a power-up."

    Nathan smiled. "No."

 Chapter 303: Selenas Advice (Bonus)

    "I''m back!" Nathan opened the door, finding Selena teaching Serafina.

    "Oh!" Selena turned to Nathan. "Are you done with your matter?"

    "Yep! Look. I have a souvenir for you." Nathan showed a bag.

    "Souvenir?" Selena raised her eyebrows. She grabbed the bag while asking, "What did you buy?"

    Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    When she opened the bag, she was startled to see several mature ss cores.

    "I got them from the new principal. You should use those cores to get stronger, Selena. With your absorption rate, you should get more than 10,000 Ena from four mature ss cores, right?"

    "Y-Yeah." Selena nodded.

    "That''s great."

    "Are you sure about this? You need cores more than me."

    "Don''t worry. I have gotten my share. Besides, this vacation is my idea, so I''m responsible for the time we spend here, which can be spent on a mission."

    Selena looked at the bag for a moment before nodding her head. "Alright. I will take this then. Thanks."

    "No problem. My teacher wille soon, so I''m nning to swallow the cores at that time so that she will know if something goes wrong."

    "Alright." Selena agreed with the schedule.

    "Do I get a souvenir as well?" Sera raised her hand, asking.

    Nathan looked at Sera and said, "Do your best first. Maybe you will get it next time."

    Sera pouted. "Come on! I have been doing my best," or so she thought, until two dayster.

    "Aaarrggghhh!" Nathan was screaming in pain. His body was writhing on the bed as his eyes rolled back.

    Vivian sat in front of the bed while crossing her arms. "What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to swallow all those mature ss cores? Just do it and keep your mouth shut."

    "Aahhhh!" Nathan couldn''t stop. It was simply too painful. After all, he swallowed two cores at once under the suggestion of Vivian. She said it would be painful, but the process would be much faster.

    Vivian remained calm, as though the sight didn''t affect her in the slightest.

    She only took out her note and started writing. "His current limit is two mature ss cores. I guess this is still too bad.

    "I should change the dose of his medicine to strengthen his body. Or should I go for a medicinal bath? I think I have the herbs ready.

    "I need to increase his sturdiness. He needs to be able to swallow 5 mature ss cores at once within two months.

    "Only at that point is he strong enough to swallow a warrior ss core.

    "In that case, this should be the n." Vivian was staring at her disciples as if he were a research subject.

    Selena and Sera were worried when they observed him from afar. Even Selena had to sleep alone because of Nathan''s grueling hours.

    Still, since they were on vacation, Vivian didn''t hold back on anything.

    She put medicinal herbs in their food and drink. After that, she prepared a medicinal bath for Nathan.

    It could be said she spent more money in these few dayspared to the four months Nathan had been in the academy.

    Of course, Selena and Sera were allowed to take advantage of them as well, but only after Nathan was done.

    While rxing in the hot bath, Sera let out a moan. "This feels good. I feel rejuvenated. This medicine bath is so awesome. Still, she is a demon, isn''t she? She is probably the only one who can make Nathan suffer like that."

    Selena closed her eyes while leaning against the wall. "Ena can be quantified right now. I''m sure you know about her recent work, right?"

    "Yes. It''s going to be popr soon."

    "I can get 10 Ena or even more from a single proto-ss Ena. Do you know how much Ena Nathan gets from a single core?"

    "Considering you are a genius, and Nathan is also one of a kind. I guess 7-8 Ena?"

    "Not even close." Selena shook her head. "He gets 1-2 Ena from a single core."

    "What?!" Sera widened her eyes in shock. "I''m not as talented as you, but I still get 9 Ena from one core. He¡­"

    "Yes. He only gets that amount. And soon, he will be categorized as the less talented. He needs 5-10x times the amount of cores we need.

    "Yet he is able to keep up with us. Why? It''s because he has been working hard this whole time¡­ much harder than any of us."

    Sera suddenly looked down, thinking about it.

    Selena continued, "Although it makes me physically sick by saying this, I just want you to know about the resource and work distribution. I''m nning to give most of the resources to him. And make sure that he doesn''t need to do as many things as possible.

    "Right now, my vampire is the one cooking for us and I''m dealing with all the administration problems as a part of the student council. If you want to join the group, I hope you can help with the work as well.

    "Anyway, that''s thest thing I want to say about you joining the group." Selena stood up. "I''m done."

    ¡­

    While Nathan was doing his best to get stronger, there was a high-level meeting held in a storehouse.

    The storehouse looked like it had been abandoned for a while. There was dust and boxes scattered around.

    A person walked into the storehouse, his footsteps breaking the eerie silence with their echo.

    He grabbed one of the boxes, which hid a secret entrance to the basement. Inside was like a different world. Wooden floor and wall, warm orange light, and tidy room.

    A lot of people had been seated ording to their respective ranks as the person who had juste walked to a grand throne located at the edge of the rectangr table.

    The atmosphere soon became tense as his body was naturally emitting a huge amount of Ena.

    With his head resting on his hand, he asked, "So, what actually happened in the past thirty days? How did three of our people get caught?"

 Chapter 304: Plan C

    "So, what actually happened in the past thirty days? How did three of our people get caught?" He asked.

    Ena erupted from his body. The amount of Ena caused the room atmosphere to feel heavy. Several of them were suppressed to the point where their upper bodies were mmed into the table. Some of them had their hair standing as their backs were covered in cold sweat. Only some managed to withstand this pressure.

    "Master. Please calm down. If you continue, it won''t be three people anymore." A young man raised his hand, his voice soothing the old man.

    The old man squinted his eyes. Even though he was annoyed, he still retracted his Ena.

    "Ha¡­" Several of them were clutching their chests while gasping for air.

    "So¡­" The old man red at them, expecting an exnation.

    "Currently, we have three pieces of important information. First of all, the principal of the Frexia Academy was reced by the sword saint. This led to Axel and Gustav getting caught.

    "ording to our source, there had been a disturbance at the Frexia Academy, which resulted in Axel''s weakened position. We had suggested making him return, but to no avail.

    "Ultimately, he still tried to return, but he wanted everything not to end in failure. Hence, he kidnapped Nathan, who was the beast summoner.

    "Unfortunately, the student council was able to locate him."

    The old man frowned. "What a fool. He should know that as a unique summoner, it wouldn''t be weird if someone tracked him all the time, especially since he was rted to Vivian. Kidnapping him should be thest thing he should have done."

    "Yes, Master. Gustav was the same. He wanted to kidnap the same person, but we managed to persuade him to just retreat unless he wanted to be like Axel, but he ended up falling into the enemy''s trick.

    "Still, he was somewhat useful. It seemed the Sage was the culprit. He had been manipting everything behind the scenes."

    The old man''s eyebrows twitched.

    "From the looks of it, the Sage has sent someone to protect him. No, it''s more urate to say that the Sage has been using the beast kid as bait.

    "Dikkleus was also in because of that kid. He had been the epitome of our failure. The Sage must have been enjoying using that kid as bait.

    "After all, Nathan is known to be strong and has a unique fighting style. He is currently standing toe-to-toe against Selena Ashton, who is said to be the top of the ss."

    The old man crossed his arms. "So, this Nathan has been the reason for our failures?"

    "Unfortunately, yes. Should we eliminate him? If we can send our elites, we will be able to win in a head-on sh."

    "You idiot! That''s exactly what they want us to think. By focusing on him because of the so-called petty reason, we would just end up losing more members.

    "For now, don''t take any actions against this kid and leave him alone. We will also cease our operation for a month to avoid the public''s eyes.

    "Once everything has died down, we''ll begin with a bold move. Also, what''s the progress of n C?"

    "n C is progressing smoothly. We''ll be able to shock all those academies. However, it''s quite hard to approach the Frexia Academy because they are on guard. It''s even harder because of Sullivan," one of them answered.

    "Don''t bother with the Frexia Academy right now. We''ll just hit all academies except for the Frexia Academy. And prepare to manipte the information and direct their anger to the Frexia Academy, making them believe that we have a ''deal'' with the Frexia Academy."

    "Will that be fine, especially since the Frexia Academy has dered war against us?"

    "Depends on how you twist the information. Work it out! Do you need me to tell you everything?!"

    "S-Sorry." He nodded furiously, trying to appease his anger.

    "Focus on n C for now. Once everything is right, we''ll surprise them."

    "Yes, sir!"

    "Should we do something against the Sage, Master?" The young man asked.

    He raised his head before shaking it. "No. Set up a team to track his location. We''ll avoid doing anything near his location. Iskar, you will handle this personally. Understand?"

    "Yes."

    "Remember¡­" the guy stood up, ring at them as another warning. "Don''t fail again. If you are going to fail and get captured, you will die."

    They looked down. They certainly knew that this wasn''t an empty threat. In their bodies was a powerful curse that would stop them from revealing their information and would kill them.

    So, if they failed once, it would be over.

    Still, a lot of them were trembling in fear. They were scared and relieved after the old man took his leave.

    After all, they thought someone would die because he was angry. It turned out he was more rational than they originally thought.

    The young man also left the room in the opposite direction, followed by a woman.

    "Are you going to do this personally, Iskar?" The woman asked.

    "Of course I will. Master has said it himself."

    "Should I help?" The woman smiled seductively while wrapping her arms around his neck. "Young Master Iskar Haygaiden?"

    Iskar snorted. "Master doesn''t like superstition because of his nature as a researcher, but the great prophet has prophesied our organization since 150 years ago. In a few years, there will be a catastrophe so big that it will engulf the entire world.

    "It would cause world-wide famine and countless deaths. He has prophesied our sess.

    "They don''t know that we are the salvation they need. If all of them turn into aliens, they won''t feel hunger. We''ll destroy the world and create a new one, even if it means massacring millions of people!" Iskar smirked.

    The woman smiled coquettishly while resting her head on his chest. "Of course. Everything will go ording to your will. You will be the ruler of this new world."

    "Heh¡­" With a smug smile, he raised his head as if imagining his sess.

 Chapter 305: A Demon?

    "Ha¡­ Ha¡­ It''s finally done." Nathan panted heavily.

    His body was drenched in sweat as he looked extremely tired.

    Vivian stood up while saying, "Yeah. It''s done. You have swallowed 26 mature ss cores. This should bring your Ena to above 10,000. It''s going to be hard to calcte that Ena at this point, so I have been working on a machine that can measure your Ena.

    "It''s going to bepleted soon. At that point, we can even count Ena up to ten million Ena pretty easily.

    "I have never thought you would think of a concept of measuring crystal, Nathan." Vivian smirked.

    "Ahahaha." Nathan let out a hollowugh, thinking, ''I only told you about the cultivation world''s measuring crystal. How many cultivation stories do you think I have read?''

    Vivian continued, "So, by merging ten Ena into one to create a slightly bigger particle with a different color, you can count it easily as ten Ena. Then, a hundred Ena, a thousand, and so on. To think you would use the concept of abacus to measure Ena. I''m impressed."

    Nathan smiled wryly. He didn''t use it. In fact, he was quite surprised that Vivian found Abacus to be rted to this. After all, he just spewed bullshit to make her believe it.

    "Anyway, get some rest. I will visit youter once I''m done with the machine. It should bepleted before we go back to the academy." Vivian waved her hand and exited the room.

    Nathan wanted to sleep because of how tired he was, but he ended up moving to the mirror to check his status.

    Name: Nathan Reckmoon.

    Level: 153

    Race: Human

    Quality: Good (High)

    "The quality is definitely increasing. I wonder how much Ena I need to reach Excellent Quality.

    "And once I reach that level, will I be able to upgrade my contract? Considering I have been able to make a contract with a person and an intangible object, will the next one be the tangible object? Doesn''t this mean I can sort of¡­ enchant a weapon?

    "How about a ghost in this world? Is there a ghost? I can make a contract with that ghost and put them into a weapon. Doesn''t this make it simr to the sword spirit in a cultivation novel?"

    Nathan smirked. "Well, I have to reach the next level first before I start fantasizing about them."

    "Nevertheless, I hope I can reach Excellent Quality with all the cores I have right now. There are still a few thousand lower level cores I have to swallow. Should I continue?" Nathan looked at the cores before sighing. "I feel like I don''t want to eat anything round after all this."

    In the end, Nathan continued. He swallowed a few cores at a time.

    Since this was less dangerous than the mature ss cores, Vivian didn''t bother to watch him.

    In the end, Clovis'' schedule was training with Selena and Sera in the morning, looking at Vivian''s research in the afternoon and helping her with random bullshit, and swallowing cores until he was too tired and slept.

    He repeated it several days to the point where he couldn''t be further away from the so-called vacation or honeymoon.

    Still, the increase in Ena allowed him to conjure more Ena bullets with bigger sizes.

    On the other hand, Selena had swallowed 4 mature ss cores and a few hundred lower-level cores.

    Because she didn''t need as many cores as Nathan, she spent the rest of her time polishing her ability.

    Sera also received some resources from the Holy Kingdom through the teleportation circle.

    As a result, she followed their schedules and focused on getting stronger, specifically the preparation for the fourth familiar.

    Before the training ended, Clovis couldn''t help but ask, "What kind of familiar do you want? I have gotten some lists from Fenrir and the others. Maybe I can give you some suggestions."

    "Huh? Are you sure about this?" Selena asked.

    "Yes. It''s fine. If you don''t like the suggestions, you can always search for something else." Nathan nodded.

    Selena and Serafina exchanged looks as if asking each other who would go first. After a few seconds, Sera turned her head and said, "In that case, I will go first. I think you have heard about this before, but I''m nning to summon a demon.

    "I don''t really mind any kind of demons, but because of my current familiars, I''m thinking about something that uses spells from afar. After all, Brunhild can be the vanguard for me. If we are fighting together, you guys can be on the front while I''m backing you up.

    "This is my fighting style, so I think a demon who mainly attacks from a distance is good for me."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. ''Since she wants a demon, I think it''s better to offer some demons from Ars Goetia.

    ''And since she needs something strong, I think I should give her the name of high-ranking demons who excel in magic or spells.

    ''Or should I give her something like Lucifer? No. If I want her to be strong, I think I should tell her about demon kings. Maybe, Paimon?

    ''No, wait. Should I tell her about Asmodeus? He is a demon associated with lust, right?'' Nathan stopped for a moment, imagining the lustful saintess. He soon shook his head while saying inwardly, ''No, no. If I do that, what will happen if Selena ends up summoning Lilith? It''s going to be hell. If both Selena and Sera attack me at the same time, I''m going to die¡­

    ''What about Paimon? He''s one of the most powerful demons and is known for his wisdom and teaching abilities. He will be a perfect fit to teach Sera. But with this, the bnce will be tipped over, considering Brunhild won''t be able to find any advantage against her.

    ''This is hard. I need to give her a demon who is strong but not too smart so that it won''t overwhelm her. However, the demon has to be intelligent enough to avoid traps and the like.''

    Nathan thought for a moment before turning to Sera with an answer.

 Chapter 306: Nathans Suggestions (Bonus)

    ''I don''t think I can rmend any demons from the trinity: Astaroth, Lucifer, and Beelzebub.

    ''The kings are also hard for her, especially the cunning ones. I don''t think she can handle seven deadly sins as well.''

    Nathan finally thought of one demon. "How about Aamon?"

    "Aamon?" Sera tilted her head in confusion. "I think I have heard of this¡­"

    "Aamon is a powerful demon prince. He is known for his shape-shifter ability as well as fire ability.

    "In his legend, he is more of an honest and straightforward demon, which means I can avoid you being swayed too much by him. What do you think?"

    "I''m not so sure about it right now." Sera shook her head helplessly. "But I will consider this positively."

    Nathan nodded. "What about you, Selena?"

    "I think I want something rted to the water. It''s better if they can live on thend as well. Even if we don''t fight in the water, the familiar will still be powerful."

    "Hmm?" Nathan crossed his arms. "Are you not going to summon Lilith?"

    "Lilith?" Sera tilted her head in confusion, wondering who it was.

    "I''m nning to, but I think it''s better to summon her as a fifth familiar. I know that someone at her level will probably need to match my Ena, but if we are talking about Lilith, it''s better to be at least the fifth familiar.

    "You should know that normally, people will have their fourth familiar around now. Those who are a bit unlucky will postpone it to the end of the first year.

    "However, those who are luckier will summon their fourth familiar around the half-year mark and their fifth familiar at the end of their first year or at the beginning of their second year.

    "With this, they can probably get about tens of thousands of Ena, if not over a hundred thousand.

    "With that much Ena, I think I''ll be more qualified to summon Lilith. She can also release most of her abilities at that point, I think?

    "That''s why I''m thinking that my fourth familiar will be someone that can make my fighting style more versatile.

    "As a result, I''m thinking about having a familiar rted to water."

    "I see." Nathan nodded in understanding. Selena''s reason made sense, so he dropped his idea about Lilith immediately. Instead, he wondered if there was a divine being that could fit her criteria.

    There was something he wanted to try, such as having two wondrous items to summon a higher-level familiar. That was why her father wanted a bloodstone from the Ashura Pce. It was to summon a high-level familiar, which might be Lilith for Selena.

    But she thought it would be fine and use that bloodstone for something else in the future.

    After some consideration, Nathan had a thought. "Mermaid. What do you think?"

    "Mermaid, huh? I think I have heard of such a creature before. It is said to be half-human half-fish. They''re living in the sea, or something?"

    "Yes. I''m thinking about suggesting creatures like Siren or Naga, but I think a mermaid is more suitable for you.

    "And it''s not just any mermaid. I''m thinking about rmending you a certain name." Nathan raised one finger as he said that person''s name. "Amphitrite."

    "Amphitrite? Who?"

    "ording to Fenrir, there was a woman who was described as one of the fifty Nereids. If you are asking about Nereids, they are sea nymphs, often depicted as mermaids.

    "Amphitrite is the Goddess of the Seas as well as the wife of the Sea God Poseidon. I believe she will be perfect to be your fourth familiar."

    Sera was shocked because Nathan actually suggested a goddess to be their familiar. Of course, having a divine being as their familiar wasn''t unprecedented, but the gods and goddesses were so strong that they would have a hard time controlling them.

    However, the main reason Nathan suggested Amphitrite was the fact that she had married. Nathan had no intention of ruining someone''s rtionship, as he didn''t want it to happen to him as well.

    Still, her wisdom would be quite beneficial in calming down Selena''s hot temper in terms of rtionships.

    Selena thought for a moment. The suggestion was good, but there was one problem. Would the goddess heed her call? She didn''t have a lot of Ena.

    "Will that even be fine? I mean, I don''t mind trying to summon her, but I''m afraid that my qualification is not enough."

    "In that case, I have a suggestion for you!" Nathan raised a finger. "It''s using three powerful items.

    "The first item will be the fish, or if there''s someone storing a mermaid''s scale, it will be better. The second item will be a trident. Thest one is Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg''s blood. I believe you can summon her with all those items." Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    Selena thought for a moment. If that were the case, the chance of her summoning Amphitrite would be high.

    Still, she didn''t know why he suggested the blood of his beasts, not realizing they were divine beasts. In addition, there was one big problem. "But I only have one chance to request an item."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. I will give you my chance." Nathan winked yfully.

    "NO!" Selena''s expression turned grim almost instantly. There was no way she wanted to ruin Nathan''s opportunity just because of her.

    However, Nathan raised a finger. "Actually, when I returned a few days ago, I managed to secure a deal with the new principal. One of the conditions I attached to that negotiation was to give me an epic item.

    "Hence, I could use that to summon a familiar." Nathan thought this would be enough to summon a divine beast. Although it was true that he might have a guaranteed chance to summon a divine beast even without all those sacrifices, he thought unless it was urgent, he nned to sacrifice a good item.

    It was like he was praying for them toe, which would affect their divinity.

    Nathan held Selena''s hands and smiled. "So, please don''t worry about me. I can use it for my fourth familiar. It''s enough, right?"

    Selena looked shocked and felt moved. She never thought Nathan would treat her like this.

    Sera, on the side, couldn''t help but pout, envious of Selena.

 Chapter 307: Removal (Bonus)

    "Try it!" said Vivian while pointing at a round crystal the size of a human head.

    Nathan nodded. When he ced his hand and poured his Ena, multiple particles in different colors appeared.

    There were one blue particle, six green particles, seven yellow particles, six orange particles, and five red particles.

    Vivian noted it down while saying, "I make it in the color of a rainbow, which will end up to seven digits, which is usable until millions, if not tens of millions.

    "ording to the crystal, your Ena right now is 16,765. It is already quite a lot. Do you feel any change?" Vivian asked.

    "Nope."

    Vivian nodded. "It seems you''re nning to swallow more cores, right?"

    "Yeah. I want all my familiars to have 10,000 Ena before my fight against venya."

    "Alright. I''m sure you have your n, so I''ll be measuring your Ena closely." Vivian turned to Selena and Sera. "Alright. Who wants to go next? You can measure your Ena urately and I will get good data from that."

    "Why don''t you do it, Teacher?" Nathan asked.

    "I did, but my level is much higher than yours. This crystal is not enough right now." Vivian shook her head.

    "Oh¡­" Nathan nodded in understanding, thinking, ''Since the mature ss core gives around 500 Ena, the warrior ss core should give around 6,000 to 7,000 Ena for me. The elite ss will give around 100,000 Ena each. And that''s just for me. If it''s for others, I need to multiply those numbers by three or four.

    ''Considering her level, who is clearly near that level, her current Ena should be in the tens of millions. The level of the strongest beings in this world should be above a hundred million.

    ''This is just my prediction. Then again, some people use their Ena to summon more familiars while others umte them, so this is not the basis. Besides, Master is probably trying to hide her power even though her Ena can still be measured by the crystals. I guess I should respect her privacy for now. It would definitely be surprising when she summons the Fairy Queen.''

    While Nathan was thinking, Selena raised her hand. "I will try!"

    "Alright. Just ce your hand on the crystal and pour your Ena."

    Selena nodded and followed the instruction.

    The result immediately appeared.

    "12,553. Quite good. You don''t really swallow cores, right?"

    "Yes. Well, I''m focusing on my vampire and Jiangshi right now. And prepare for the fourth familiar."

    "That''s good enough." Vivian pointed at Selena while looking at Nathan. "Nathan. Be sure to thank this girl. She gives a lot of her cores for you. If not, she would have been much stronger."

    "Of course. I give my gratitude in all kinds of ways." ''Nathan nodded.

    Selena looked away, feeling embarrassed. She hurriedly corrected her. "I should be the one thanking him. If not for him, I wouldn''t be able to reach this level right now."

    "Oh my." Vivian chuckled. "Alright then. Do you want to test your Ena too, your holiness¡­ I mean, Serafina?"

    Sera nodded. "Yes. I want to test it."

    Sera immediately put her hand on the crystal, which tranted to the amount of Ena she had. Surprisingly, she had the lowest amount of Enapared to others.

    "11,980, huh? It''s quite low. Are you sure you have swallowed your cores? If you continue this way, you will be left behind by them¡­ Eh, not Nathan." Vivian corrected herself at thest part.

    "Oi! How on earth do you have so little confidence in your own student? You have to be ashamed as a teacher."

    Vivian shook her head. "I mean, you are going to have four familiars and focus on all of them, right? That will slow down your speed a lot.

    "And what about the fifth familiar? Sixth? Seventh? I don''t know how many familiars you are going to summon. I believe it''s going to be above ten, so your progress will slow down drastically because your beasts need them.

    "That''s why I know she will still progress faster than you. Of course, progressing faster doesn''t mean she will be stronger." Vivian shrugged.

    "Hmph." Nathan crossed his arms.

    Sera chuckled. Nathan and Vivian looked so close that they could bicker with each other casually.

    Then again, they didn''t know that Nathan would be the one swallowing those cores since it would give more Ena.

    So, the number of Ena they would see from him would be much higher than they originally expected.

    And as Vivian said, there would be simply too many cool divine beasts that he wanted to summon. So, he didn''t know how many familiars he would summon in the future.

    In fact, he thought about summoning his tenth familiar before graduation.

    "Since you''re done, go back to school. You''ve been away for far too long. Are you going on a mission soon?"

    "Yeah. I''m nning to take one. Principal Sullivan should have prepared the information for me as well." Nathan nodded.

    "!!!" Vivian noticed his wording. "Are you doing something dangerous again?"

    "No. It''s a controlled danger. I believe it will be fine."

    "Alright then. If you need some help, just tell me. Depending on the location, I should know a person or two."

    "Yes, I will do that." Nathan smiled. After measuring their Ena, they immediately packed up their luggage and headed back to the academy through the teleportation circle.

    However, Nathan didn''t realize one miscalction in his n.

    As soon as they returned to the academy, Flora was the one greeting them, albeit with an angry face.

    "Se-le-na!"

    Nathan and the others were startled. Even Selena pointed at herself in confusion.

    Flora was ring at her as if she were being possessed by a ghost.

    "Hey¡­" Flora sounded exhausted. She grabbed Selena''s shoulders so tight to prevent her from escaping. "Vice President Selena. You have been away from school for two weeks. Ah, I really want to live like you. So carefree¡­

    "I hope you haven''t forgotten about your duty as the student council''s vice president, right?

    "There are a lot of documents you''re going to handle right now."

    Yes, Nathan''s miscalction was the removal of Selena on the next mission.

 Chapter 308: New Mission

    "There are a lot of documents you need to handle right now."

    "But¡­" Selena rubbed her cheek, feeling troubled. She thought she could go with Nathan again this time, but it appeared she had no chance.

    She wasn''t worried about Nathan''s safety, fully aware that he was strong enough to protect himself.

    The biggest problem would be Sera. If she left, Nathan would be alone with Sera.

    "Do you understand that your position is not just an empty position?" Flora was grinding her teeth, frustrated by Selena''s reaction.

    She angrily turned to Nathan and said, "Nathan. Help me convince her. If she doesn''t do any work, her position as the student council''s vice president would be gone. Are you alright with this?"

    Instead of other reactions, Nathan simply looked down, falling into deep thought.

    Flora exined, "I have told you when you were still a part of the student council. As the student council, we are the ones handling all the internal and external stuff of the academy, including the connection to other academies, nobles, and various influences.

    "As such, Selena''s role as the vice president is pretty important. In addition, she is currently a first-year student, which means there will be a lot of people who are curious about her. If we take advantage of this situation, Selena will be able to get various connections for herself, especially as a noble.

    "In addition, her own family, the Ashton family, is currently in shambles due to their reputational bacsh, so this is a perfect time to build up her own force."

    Nathan waved his hand as if he understood what she was saying. But before epting or rejecting her, he couldn''t help but ask, "It''s only sorting the documents? Nothing else?"

    "After handling the documents, Selena will have to handle a few cities, mostly governed by nobles, with Lovelia and Regynar."

    Selena looked at Nathan. It seemed no matter how hard she convinced them, the answer would remain the same. She had no other choice but to take care of her work.

    And that was what Nathan thought as well. "Alright. I don''t really mind."

    Nathan turned to Selena, saying, "It will be fine. Sera and I should be able to handle all the current missions."

    Selena sighed. "Alright."

    "Good." Flora felt relieved.

    Nathan waved his hand. "Take care."

    Flora didn''t hesitate to drag her back to the student council.

    Meanwhile, Nathan turned to Serafina while saying, "Since Selena won''t be with us on this mission, I''m just going to be blunt about this. We''ll be hunting down the organization like you''re supposed to do. However, this is going to be extremely dangerous."

    Sera nodded. "I''m prepared for it."

    "Alright. Our mission this time will be a joint mission. We''ll have to meet principal Sullivan to get their information. Also, I might ask you to do some questionable things, but you don''t have to worry. It''s not anything important that can change your life whatsoever."

    "Understood. Please don''t hesitate to give me an order. I will do my best to fulfill your expectations."

    "Alright. Let''s go to the principal then."

    It didn''t take too long for them to reach Sullivan''s office.

    As soon as Nathan and Sera entered the room, Sullivan immediately grabbed a paper from his drawer and handed it to him. "This is the information you''re looking for.

    "Among the eight people that you want me to investigate, three of them are practically out of reach. They are doing a mission or something and won''t be back for a while. Two of them are focusing on their training and research together with their teachers.

    Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "The remaining three are quite unique." Sullivan sped his hands while looking away.

    "Unique? What do you mean?"

    "They are from the same group. And I have managed to use my connection to have one of the teachers in that academy make the pick a mission."

    "What kind of mission?" Nathan crossed his arms.

    "Before I tell you the mission, why don''t you tell me why you''re chasing after them?" Sullivan asked.

    Nathan raised a finger. "I suspect the enemies are operating them and inserting the alien in their dormant form, either inside their bodies or their familiars. What I''m nning to do is to confirm it.

    "Since you have investigated them, then you should have seen the report about them finishing a mission longer than what a mission of that level needs.

    "As a result, something might happen during their time. And because of the advance of the healing ability, we all know that operation scar can basically be removed. Hence, I''m nning to ''kidnap'' them and check their bodies. If they''re fine, that''s fine. If they''re not, then it''s going to beplicated."

    Sullivan thought for a moment. "True. If this is proven, we''ll need to assume that other students are also infected and need to be dealt with."

    "Yes. Do you think it''s possible to clean them up secretly?"

    "I don''t think so. After all, it''s safe to assume that they''re also aiming for other academies. It can only be cleaned up by arge-scale operation."

    Nathan sighed. "Nevertheless, I''m nning to check on them until we find a clue."

    "Fair enough." Sullivan turned to Sera. "Now that I think about it, where is your little girl?"

    "Flora took her to the student council."

    "Ah." Sullivan nodded in understanding. "They''re nning to hold a big event involving several nobles. Hmm¡­ Am I allowed to say this? Well, it''s you, so just don''t tell anyone about this.

    "In a month, there will be a party we will conduct for all students. It happens every year, usually before the six-month immunity is up. This banquet is usually where you see a lot of summoners war among people, especially nobles. You know, their conflicts and stuff like that.

    "So, it can''t be helped if she is busy."

    "I understand." Nathan waved his hand as if it wasn''t a big deal. However, his mind was racing. ''Are you serious? A banquet? That means I''m able to see Selena in a dress? Sera and the others too?''

    "Anyway, this is your mission." Sullivan chuckled while giving him the paper. He could certainly see through his mind.

 Chapter 309: Subjugation

    Nathan took a look at the mission.

    [Mission: Bandit Subjugation.]

    [Description: Wind Calling Bandit is a notorious bandit group who has been terrorizing thend of Alba. Please subjugate them.]

    [Reward: 20 Gold Coins.]

    Nathan raised his eyebrows. "What''s wrong with this mission? It gives a lot of reward."

    "This Wind Calling Bandit is not a normal bandit group. They are notorious for their actions. Most importantly, it''s said that this bandit is led by a group of summoners. They are failed summoners who think that there''s nothing good in this world anymore.

    "ording to the information, they are a pretty strong group. There are approximately 6-7 summoners in their group.

    "I thought this would be perfect since Selena would be with you, but it seemed I was wrong."

    "What''s their strength?" Nathan asked.

    "One of them is able to take down a mature ss demon."

    "Where do you get that information?"

    "It''s because of where they''re staying. And this is the exact reason they''re going to give 20 gold coins for the bandit subjugation alone. We''re not counting the bounty on their heads.

    "They''re staying in Lave Forest, which is near the border."

    "The border, huh?" Nathan crossed his arms.

    "As you might have suspected, they''re hiding in the alien area. From what we know, this forest has three mature ss aliens. One of them is found dead when the scout is trying to locate them.

    "As such, we''re assuming that one of them has the strength of a mature ss alien. And it''s most likely this guy." He took out a bounty paper.

    It showed a portrait of a middle-aged man with a scar running from his right eyebrow to his right cheek.

    He had a beard and looked like a ferocious animal.

    "Davei. 42 years old summoner. He was a former mercenary who was betrayed by his group.

    "He was formerly known as the Lightning Davei due to his lightning spirit familiar.

    "Still, his talent is quite bad and because of theck of resources, he can only summon a total of six familiars. I also have their wanted posters here." Sullivan took out six posters, showing their name, bounty, and their basic information.

    "Why do you assume there''s a seventh member?"

    "That''s all I get from them. You need to meet the noble to get that information."

    "I see¡­" Nathan closed his eyes for a moment.

    "This mission looks a bit dangerous. What about our teammates?"

    "Two first-year students and one second-year student." Sullivan gave their information as well.

    "The first-year students are not as important. They have a quite good reputation and strength, but they''re not enough to handle a mature ss alien.

    "The second-year student is pretty high-ranking in his academy, so he might be able to take down a mature ss alien by himself."

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "The problem is not the first-year student. It''s the second-year student. Not only do we have to take down this bandit group, but we have to separate these three so that we can check on them."

    Nathan couldn''t help but recall the discussion between him and Evelyn when she handed over the list.

    "Take a look at them. Since we''re going to check on them, it means I will bring Be with me. Since we''ll be checking their bodies, we can go with Sonia, who is good at dissecting people.

    "Your familiar will be in charge of healing them, making sure they have no scar.

    "The process itself might take about thirty minutes for one of them."

    Nathan thought, ''Thirty minutes, huh? It might not look a lot, but thirty minutes is impossible during the day. In other words, I need to strike at night.

    ''How should I separate them? While making sure they''re not waking up, especially that second-year student. He is quite strong, so it''s clear that his awareness is pretty high. In this case, we have to avoid anything to alert him.

    ''Still, does he even get kidnapped? He''s pretty strong, right?'' Nathan crossed his arms in confusion. ''If the terrorists managed to kidnap him without alerting him, when did they attack¡­''

    Nathan suddenly fell silent.

    "Nathan? Are we going to kidnap them first or help them?"

    Nathan nced at Sera before an idea popped into his mind.

    "Ah! You! You are the key, Sera!" A big smile appeared on his face.

    "I''m the key?"

    "Yes. We definitely can do it. We''ll kidnap them after the subjugation. Pack up your luggage. We''ll be heading straight to the meeting ce. When is the mission again?"

    "Tomorrow in Elvean City. Baron Titus is the one governing thisnd. They are expecting all of you to arrive at his mansion tomorrow morning."

    "In that case, we''ll head there in the evening. There should be an inn in that city, right?"

    "Yes. The affiliated inn is there, so you can stay there for free."

    "Got it." Nathan nodded. "In that case, if there''s nothing else, I''m going to leave."

    "There''s one thing that you need to know." Sullivan took out another document. "These are the deeds that the bandits have done. All the damage they''ve inflicted. So, you don''t have to hesitate to fight or kill them."

    "Understood." Nathan immediately grabbed all that information to study it further. After that, he took his leave with Sera.

    Sera pointed at herself while asking, "You said I''d be the key in separating them. What am I supposed to do? You''re not asking me to seduce them, right?"

    "Of course not. You are the saintess, so talking to you should be quite an honor for them. As a result, there''s no need to separate them. Anyway, I''ll tell you about the nter. I''m going to visit the student council first." Without hesitation, Nathan dashed to the student council, leaving Sera alone.

    Sera crossed her arms with a wry smile. "Seriously. If only he treats me that way too¡­ Even after I tell him I will do anything for him as long as he agrees to help me."

 Chapter 310: Nathans Weird Action (Bonus)

    "So, this is the Elvean city?" Nathan raised his head, looking around aftering out of the teleportation circle.

    Since they were departing at dusk, they could still feel the bustling atmosphere around the city as they were beginning to go back to their houses.

    "It''s rather lively." Sera squinted her eyes.

    "Yep. It''s really lively, not as one would expect from a city terrorized by bandits," said Nathan in a low voice so that no one would hear them.

    Serafina pointed to the left while saying, "Anyway, I have asked the guard. The inn is that way and the baron''s mansion is in the opposite direction."

    "Alright." Nathan nodded. "Let''s go to the inn first."

    "Mhmm¡­" Sera agreed. While walking, she couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, Nathan. Why are we wearing this?"

    She was tugging her coat with a confused expression.

    "It is covering our uniform."

    "I will tell you once we check in. I bet you''re going to ask another question if I answer it now."

    Sera didn''t understand, but she still followed him to the inn.

    The inn was indeed quite lively as people were drinking booze while the bards were singing. A lot of waitresses were moving around with mugs on their hands.

    Because they covered their uniforms, no one really noticed Nathan and Sera. Considering how beautiful Sera was, Nathan even asked her to cover her head with the hood.

    As soon as they arrived at the counter, the receptionist asked with a big smile. "Wee to Axia Inn. How can I help you?"

    "I want two¡ª!" Nathan raised two fingers, only to find Sera suddenly grabbing his hands.

    Sera pouted while ring at him. "One room is enough."

    The receptionist had a wry smile, not knowing what happened. Sera and Nathan looked like a couple, so she just didn''t ask and let them decide it themselves.

    Nathan chuckled. "Alright, alright. "We''ll have one room, please."

    "I understand." The receptionist nodded. "That will be three silvers for a night. Do you need a meal?"

    "Yes, please. And can you deliver it to our room? We will take your best menu."

    "In that case, it will be a total of 3 silver and 50 copper coins."

    Nathan paid for it and received the key.

    "Your room is on the third floor. It''s the second room to your right."

    "Got it. Thank you."

    "You''re wee."

    Sera was confused by the interaction. She was slightly embarrassed when Nathan wanted a single bed, but it was quite surprising that Nathan actually paid for the room.

    "Nathan. When are you going to exin to me about all this? Why do we have to cover ourselves? Why do we have to pay for our rooms? Everything can be solved with the badge, right?"

    Nathan just wrapped his arm around her neck while saying, "Hahaha. What? You''re so eager? I can''t wait. Let''s go to our room!"

    "Wha¡ª!" Sera waspletely taken aback and her shock only stopped when they entered the room.

    In that instant, Nathan put his finger on his lips as if telling her to shut up.

    After that, he summoned Fenrir and Anubis. The two shook their heads, showing that no one was listening.

    "Ha¡­" Nathan let out a sigh of relief. "That''s good then."

    "Eh?" Sera scratched the back of her head. She waspletely confused.

    "Don''t worry. I''m going to exin it to you." Nathan raised a finger. "First of all, why do I want to cover ourselves? The reason is pretty simple. The city is already weird. The fact that the bandits are running rampant and the city is still lively like that, it means the situation itself is either getting covered up or not big of a deal.

    "However, when you think about the enemy, there''s no way it''s not a big deal."

    "Are you suspecting the baron is covering it up? Or is he working together with the bandit?"

    "If he is working with the bandit, he will be foolish. First of all, the one giving the mission is him. If he thinks he can trap us like this and send us to the bandits, then he''s wrong.

    "After all, this is a joint mission. It means he needs some assurance that both academies aren''t doing anything, which is impossible. By covering ourselves and revealing our identitiester on, the count will have less time to think about a n, which will end up with him abandoning his n altogether.

    "Of course, it''s better if the baron has no involvement. In that case, the bandits are acting independently. In that case, since the bandits are so strong, it means some of their members must have slipped into the cities.

    "Even an idiot will know where they should gather the information, right?"

    Sera thought for a moment and said, "The inn?"

    "Yes. The biggest threat to them right now is none other than a summoner. A strong summoner won''t bother to cover themselves. The students are more inclined to show themselves as well."

    "As a result, the enemies will notice." Sera squinted her eyes.

    "Exactly. That''s why we have to cover ourselves. If we use our badge and get into the room for free, it will also be noticed by the bandits."

    "Are they that powerful?"

    "Having 6-7 summoners and more than two hundred members, what do you think?"

    Sera fell silent. "The summoners alone are more than the sand bandits. So they''re going to give that information to their summoners."

    "Yep. If the enemies are too hard to handle, they''ll hide. If the enemies are weak, they will ambush them and defeat them properly.

    "By hiding our identities, the enemies will definitely think that only the three people from the 3rd Academy, Duxia Academy, will be the ones subjugating them. If they still know it''s a joint operation, it means the baron is involved.

    "If not, we will be able to suddenly change the bnce of the battle. That''s why for today, eat and rest early. We''ll head to the mansion while it''s still dark tomorrow."

    Sera couldn''t help but nce at the bed. "So, are we going¡ª!"

    "Oh! It seems the food is ready." Nathan stood up and headed to the door.

    Sera pouted. "It''s weird. Why is he avoiding me?"

 Chapter 311: Sneaking into the Mansion (Bonus)

    The moon was still up for two more hours, yet Nathan and Sera were already standing in front of the baron''s mansion.

    The night patrol couldn''t help but notice them. Both of them didn''t wear any coats this time, so their uniforms were immediately visible from afar.

    "Who are you?" The two guards rushed to them while holding their spears tightly.

    Sera turned around and smiled at them. "Hello. This person is Nathan and I am Serafina Dinta. We are summoners from the Frexia Academy. We''vee here for the bandit subjugation request."

    "Ah!" The two guards recalled this information. "We''ve been notified by our superiors that there will be summoners that will handle the bandit subjugation.

    "We appreciate your help, but isn''t this too early?"

    "See? Didn''t I tell you? It will be inconvenient if we introduce ourselves as students. Why don''t you just say you''re the saintess of the Holy Kingdom?" Nathan whispered loud enough that the two soldiers could hear it.

    "What?"

    "Saintess?"

    Serafina smiled wryly. "What are you doing? My identity as the saintess should be hidden. It''s better to remain as a student."

    "We¡­ We¡­" The two guards froze and suddenly saluted. "We greet Your Holiness."

    Sera waved her hand. "Be at ease. We are here just for the bandit subjugation request. If possible, can we enter the mansion?"

    "This¡­" The two guards didn''t know what they should do. On the one hand, they should let the saintess in. If the baron knew they had stopped the saintess, he might even kill them. On the other hand, it was still too early. The baron hadn''t even woken up yet.

    "Ah, I know it puts you in a difficult situation. Is there any servant still up? Maybe you can lead us to a room so that we can wait until the baron wakes up. Or, if not possible, how about waiting in the knight''s quarters?" Sera asked with a sweet smile.

    The two guards looked at each other before exchanging nods. "Please wait here for a moment. We''ll inform the head maid."

    "Please do." Sera nodded.

    The two guards hurriedly rushed. Although it would be good to have one of them stand here, it would be too awkward. In fact, they might even die on the spot, as their hearts couldn''t take it.

    Once they left, Nathan smiled. "Your acting was quite good. Keep it up."

    "Why are you even focusing on my acting?" She pouted.

    "Anyway, this should be fine, right?"

    "Yes." Nathan raised his head, finding Anubis on the roof. He was the smallest familiar, so no one would find her. Selena''s familiars were also looking around, making sure there was no one spying on them.

    After getting confirmation that no one spotted anything unusual, Nathan and Sera focused back on the matter.

    As expected, the head maid was rushing toward the front gate with the two guards.

    The first thing Sera did was to take out a holy cross with a golden circle behind it, symbolizing her status.

    In that instant, the head maid, who was in her forties, turned pale. She almost had a heart attack.

    "Your Holiness¡­" She panted a few times before lowering her head. "We are sorry for making you wait."

    Sera shook her head. "It''s fine. I''m in the wrong for suddenly barging in. However, due to my habit, I end uping a few hours earlier than normal. I think the guards have told you about it¡­"

    "Yes. Pleasee in." She extended her hand.

    "By the way, you don''t have to wake up the baron. If the baron gets mad about it, just tell him this is the saintess'' request. This way, you don''t have to be punished."

    "Y-Yes." She didn''t know what to say.

    Before entering, Sera put her finger on her lips while winking yfully at the two guards. "By the way, don''t tell anyone that we''re here."

    "Yes." The two guards nodded their heads furiously.

    The head maid led them to a living room where the baron usually met his guests. She was still looking around, wondering what she should do in this situation.

    As a result, Nathan asked, "No need to stay here. Maybe just bring us some snacks and tea."

    The head maid looked relieved and immediatelyplied.

    She just needed a reason to escape. After all, other than the baron, she would be the one who needed to meet the guests.

    No one told her that the saintess would be the guest.

    "It looks like everything is fine." Nathan chuckled. "If you don''t send the maid away, she will die because of a heart attack, you know?"

    "You''re joking." Sera chuckled. "So, with this, we''re clear?"

    "Yep. The spies won''t be spying on the entrance during this hour. In fact, only an insane bastard woulde up with such an idea."

    "Are you calling yourself an insane bastard?"

    "I''m not denying it." Nathan shrugged.

    "Anyway, the spies will most likely follow the people from the Duxia Academy. And they will confirm it when the three enter the mansion."

    "But what are we going to do when we exit? We''ll end up exiting at the same time, right?"

    "We won''t. Just follow my lead."

    Since there was a lot of time left, Nathan spent it to discuss the n, especially against the two strong summoners. After all, defeating a mature ss alien was not a small feat. At the same time, it was not impossible for Nathan and Sera to take it down. After all, their respective Ena was already much higher, meaning the abilities they could unleash would be more powerful.

    As Nathan expected, the trio from the Duxia Academy came a few hourster.

    The sun was already up, as the people had begun their day.

    They didn''t realize that there was a man who looked like he was moving the crate from one ce to another, but it turned out he had been observing them the whole time.

    The guards had changed, so they inspected them like normal and allowed them to enter the mansion. Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    After confirming it, the man walked into the small alley and released a pigeon with a small scroll attached to its leg.

 Chapter 312: Panic

    A few hours ago.

    The baron was panicking. He hurriedly fixed his clothes while rushing toward a certain room. The head maid followed him closely.

    "What''s going on? The saintess is here?"

    "Y-Yes, sir. She is a part of the Frexia Academy. In addition, she has shown me the silver cross along with the golden circle ornament."

    "A silver cross means heir and the golden circle means the highest rank. Since she is connected to the Frexia Academy, she must be Saintess Serafina, who is sent to the Frexia Academy due to the recent conflict." Baron Titus gritted his teeth. He never thought that the saintess woulde to hisnd.

    Even though Sera had told her to not wake up the baron, the head maid had to do it because the baron would definitely kill her if she didn''t wake him up when such an important person came.

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Sera were just rxing in the room.

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "Sera. It looked like the head maid was shocked after seeing your cross¡­ Was it the item that identified you?"

    Sera smiled. While taking out her cross, she exined, "The Holy Kingdom had nine ranks, which were divided by this cross and the golden circle.

    "Each of them has bronze, silver, and gold tiers. The cross itself signifies your positions in the Holy Kingdom. Bronze means you are assistants, silver means you are priest, and gold cross means you are bishops.

    "The golden circle signifies your rank. If you have a bronze cross and a bronze circle, it means you''re affiliated with the Holy Kingdom like a messenger and such. Silver circle means you are monks or nuns. Gold circle means you are the head nun or monk.

    "Once you reach the silver cross, it means you''re allowed to preach. The bronze circle for this cross means you are a priest or priestess who is roaming around. Silver means you have your own church, and gold means you are trainees for the next steps, which are basically saints and saintesses.

    "The saint or saintess who seeds will be the next Pope, which means gold cross and gold circle. Those who don''t seed end up bing bishops or even archbishops, which are identified by their bronze or silver circles."

    Nathan contemted. "That''s interesting. It''s a simple system but enough for the Holy Kingdom."

    "Yes!" She nodded. Before she could say another word, there was a knock on the door.

    "Saintess. This is Baron Titus."

    Sera pouted before sighing. Her expression returned to normal. "Pleasee in."

    Titus carefully opened the door and walked toward Sera. He was slightly surprised by the boy, who was sitting close to the saintess.

    Since the couch was quite long, he could easily grasp their rtionship. After all, Nathan was sitting on the edge while Sera sat in the middle and somehow leaned toward Nathan.

    He couldn''t help but want to cry, asking himself, ''Did I just mess up? Did I just ruin their rtionship? Wait. The saints and saintesses aren''t supposed to have a rtionship¡­ As expected, this must be the corrupted saintess, Serafina Dinta. She is the only one that can ignore the rules of the Holy Kingdom, but her position as the saintess has been reinstated. That means she is so special that she can ignore the rules.''

    Titus realized that he might be able to offend other saints or saintesses, but not her.

    "Baron Titus greets Saintess Serafina. It''s an honor to have your holiness grace your presence in my humble house."

    Sera waved her hand. "You jest. I am nothing but a mere student right now, so please be at ease."

    "This¡­" Titus looked hesitant, but he ended upplying to avoid further problems. "I understand."

    As soon as Titus sat down in front of them, Sera ced her hand on her chest while politely bowing. "I''d like to apologize for suddenly barging into your mansion at such a time. However, due to my status, I have to avoid people''s eyes for the time being. That''s why I have toe to your mansion at such a time. I hope you can forgive me."

    "It''s not a big deal. Actually, I''m honored to have you here."

    "Thank you." Sera pointed her hand at Nathan. "This is my partner, Nathan."

    "Nathan¡­" The baron felt like he had heard this name before. It took him a moment before he realized who Nathan was. "Ah. You''re the beast summoner."

    Sera chuckled. "Wee here for the subjugation request as the representatives of the Frexia Academy."

    "Ah, yes! The subjugation request. It''s¡­" The baron wanted to exin the mission, but Sera raised her hand, stopping him.

    "Please. You don''t have to repeat yourself twice. I believe it''s better to wait for the representatives of the Duxia Academy before we begin the briefing. I don''t want to waste your precious time."

    "Are you alright with that?" The baron looked startled, since no one could rival Sera''s status.

    "Yes. If you don''t mind, you can just leave us in this room until the people from the Duxia Academy arrive."

    Titus was worried, but looking at how close these two were, he had no choice but to agree. He stood up and said, "I understand. I''ll have the maid stand by. If you have anything you need, please don''t hesitate to ask them. In fact, if you don''t mind, I''d like to invite you to have breakfast with me."

    "Please don''t mind us. We''ll just stay here." Sera shook her head.

    "In that case, I''ll take my leave." Titus hurriedly exited the room, his back was drenched in sweat.

    When he closed the door, he was scratching his head violently while screaming inwardly, ''What is that? Does the Saintess have a special rtionship with the beast summoner? No, the Holy Kingdom must be trying to get the only beast summoner in this world. And the corrupted saintess is the only one who can do it.

    ''Is that why they reinstate her status? This is huge news. It seems the Holy Kingdom is trying to do everything they can to get the beast summoner. He must be so special that¡­''

 Chapter 313: Jinxed

    Nathan and Sera were standing in front of three people. The oldest one was a man with two swords on his waist.

    He was wearing his school uniform instead of other armor as though he had imbued enchantment into the uniform.

    His spiky brown hair and cheeky grin made such a confident face.

    Next to him was a woman. She had smooth, long brown hair, which was simr but different from the first guy at the same time.

    She had a rather different temperamentpared to the first guy. The first impression Nathan had on her was calm and collected, as well as mature.

    Thest one had long blue hair tied into a ponytail. His eyes had been ogling on Sera. It was pretty much clear what his thought was.

    Titus was smiling wryly. "These people are from the Duxia Academy. Likewise, these two are from the Frexia Academy. This will be a joint mission between the two academies to subjugate the bandits."

    "Please introduce yourself."

    The one who began was from their side. "I am Lees Rst, a second-year student from the Duxia Academy. Next to me are Lisa Rst and Eliot Gret. They are both first-year students."

    He extended his hand to Nathan with a confident look, as though he thought he was better than them simply because he was the only second-year student.

    Obviously, his objective was to be the leader of the party. Normally, the Frexia Academy had been on top of them the whole time, so having authority over the Frexia Academy''s students was satisfying.

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    On the other hand, Nathan simply extended his hand, his face saying that he wouldn''t lose against him but, at the same time, showing no aggression. "I am Nathan. This is my partner, Serafina Dinta. We are both first-year students."

    "!!!" Lees raised his eyebrows. He instantly recognized these names. In fact, he didn''t expect that the beast summoner and the saintess would be their partner.

    Serafina had much better status than them. Even his status as a noble and a second-year student couldn''t help him get the leader''s position.

    In addition, Nathan was a unique summoner. He had heard a lot of things about Nathan, especially rumors that he was secretly the number one person among the first-year students.

    As a result, his status was pretty high within the academy.

    That was why he realized he might not be able to get the leader position.

    However, Nathan said, "Because this is a joint operation, how about doing things ording to our own original n? However, because you''re the oldest, which means you have the most experience here, you should set the main n. It''s just¡­ I hope that you also consider our opinions if they''re reasonable."

    Lees was shocked that the other party seemed to have a broad mind. He acknowledged him personally and chose not to have a conflict.

    It appeared the rumor was true.

    Less nodded while shaking Nathan''s hand. "Agreed. If that''s the case, why don''t we have Baron Titus to brief us about the bandits?"

    Nathan nodded before turning to the baron.

    Titus smiled, feeling relieved that it didn''t turn into a conflict. After all, Nathan and Serafina''s identities were simply too much for him to handle.

    "Please sit down first."

    As soon as they were seated, Titus immediately took out the wanted posters and a map. "These are the bandits. We believe their stronghold is somewhere around this area."

    He circled a spot in the southwest of the forest.

    "Do you have any basis they''re here, Baron?" Lees asked.

    "Yes. I do. We have been sending our scouts around the forest. As you already know, the Land of Alba is directly next to the alien territory, so our scouts are much more experienced than other scouts.

    "And ording to our scouts, there is a sharp decrease in the number of aliens in this area."

    "So, you''re assuming they have been killing the aliens here¡­ Since it''s their ce, it''s normal for them to thin out their number to make it safer¡­" Less nodded in understanding.

    "Yes."

    Nathan couldn''t help but ask, "Do you have the locations of the mature ss aliens?"

    "Why are you even asking their locations? We are here to subjugate the bandits, not to kill mature ss aliens," Eliot snorted.

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. Sera, who usually couldn''t understand Nathan''s n, realized something after he taught her a few things. "Knowing their locations means knowing the danger. If their location is close to the base, we have to fight the bandits as quickly as possible, not causing too much damage and noise that will bring them into the battle."

    "W-Wha¡ª!" Eliot looked shocked when Sera rebuked him.

    Lees was much calmer and assessed their opinions carefully. "That''s true. Although the aliens will attack all humans, the bandits have been living in this forest, so they will most likely be able to avoid these aliens. Besides, a mature ss alien will definitely bring a lot of lower level aliens."

    Baron Titus looked troubled as well. "As you might have guessed, one of the mature ss aliens seems to be near their location. Thest time it was sighted, it was around this area."

    He pointed at the spot west of the suspected stronghold. It wasn''t that far either.

    "This is troublesome. If that''s the case, we might have to enter the forest through the south to avoid the mature ss alien or through the east, even if it means making our way through the forest." Nathan rubbed his chin.

    "My scouts have been entering the forest through the south entrance. We will give you the detailed map, so you don''t have to worry about it," Titus assured them.

    "Is that so? That would be a great help." Lees felt relieved. Still, he was quite surprised that Nathan was able to see all that. ''He has a great sense and good judgment. I guess it feels reassuring to have him with us.''

    Eliot pumped his chest while saying proudly, "Don''t worry, Baron. Leave everything to us. We''ll definitely solve this problem with ease."

    Nathan''s eyebrows twitched as he was screaming inwardly, ''For fuck''s sake. I have stopped everyone around me from jinxing the situation, and yet, this random person whom I met not long ago ends up jinxing it for me? Can I sew his mouth?''

 Chapter 314: Seventh Summoner (Bonus)

    Baron Titus smiled as if he were feeling assured.

    On the other hand, Nathan took another look at the wanted posters and couldn''t help but ask, "ording to the information, there are seven summoners. Who is this seventh member? Why don''t I see his wanted poster?"

    Lees'' expression turned solemn. He was also aware of this seventh summoner, so he couldn''t help but observe the baron''s reaction.

    Titus hesitated for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh. "The seventh member is most likely the former vice captain of this barony."

    "!!!" Lees and Nathan raised their eyebrows as this information signified a lot of things.

    "A former vice captain of the army?" Nathan crossed his arms. The mood turned heavy all of a sudden.

    "Yes." Titus nodded. "He was quite young. Because of his talent, he thought he would be the captain soon, considering the current captain was already 78 years old.

    "However, my army''s captain believed he would definitely pass his position to him, but there was one problem. The guy was still a bit reckless.

    "As someone living on the border like this, recklessness is the first thing we should avoid. After all, losing a lot of our soldiers will mean devastation.

    "That''s why, instead of sending our army against the bandits, I sent the request to the Frexia Academy and the Duxia Academy.

    "He didn''t ept that exnation and ended up leaving the barony. And from the looks of it, he was probably the one setting up everything, since our knights often hunted in that forest."

    Nathan rubbed his forehead. It looked like the situation had turned into a big mess.

    If this was a normal bandit, they would be able to take advantage of the terrain but couldn''t utilize the aliens because they had little information about the forest.

    But since this seventh summoner was a knight who had been roaming around the forest for years, he could utilize the terrain or even the aliens to his advantage.

    "What is his strength? Can he kill a mature ss alien?" Nathan asked.

    Titus shook his head. "I don''t know. His strength was already pretty close. With some help from normal knights, he could take down a mature ss alien. That was about six months ago.

    "He left one month ago and all this mess started. His strength might rival a mature ss alien now."

    Lees fell into deep thought. "This mission might be much more dangerous than we originally thought. I should be able to handle their leader, this former mercenary. However, I couldn''t take on two of them at the same time.

    "As for the lower level summoners, I think these four are able to handle five of them, including the normal bandits. Still, the moment the two attacked us together, it would be the end."

    Titus sighed. "Should I ask the captain to apany you? His strength should be stronger than him¡­"

    Lees was more inclined to ept, but Nathan stopped him with a question. "What do you want to do against this person? Should we capture him? Or should we kill him?"

    Lees'' eyes widened. Eliot stood and asked out loud, "Do you not understand the situation we are in?"

    Nathan ignored their reaction. He continued staring at Titus, demanding an answer.

    "If you are able to apprehend him, please do that. However, I know what kind of dangerous situation it has be, so you must have no leeway to do it. Hence, please kill him," Titus stated with a cold tone.

    Nathan smiled. "I understand. It shall be done."

    "Still, it doesn''t change the fact that there are two people of that level!" Eliot berated Nathan. Even Lisa, who had been silent the whole time, couldn''t help but open her mouth. "Ehm, fellow student Nathan. I know that you''re confident in your strength, but I think we shouldn''t be careless about this."

    Nathan raised a finger, stopping them from speaking. He tapped Sera''s shoulder twice, giving a signal to her.

    "!!!" Sera was startled since her turn came much sooner than they expected. At the same time, she couldn''t help but ask, ''I somehow finally understand what Selena is feeling. Does this guy only react because this girl speaks?''

    Unfortunately, she couldn''t get the answer. After all, she had to exin the situation.

    "I apologize. Due to my circumstances, I currently can''t be seen in public. As you probably already know about the conflict between the Frexia Academy and the terrorist organization, I have been sent as an envoy to oversee the cooperation.

    "If I were to be seen in public¡­" Sera nced at Lees.

    "Are you going to be targeted?"

    "Yes. That''s why we have been very covert this whole time and bother the baron by barging into his mansion in the middle of the night.

    "Hence, the only people they know are probably you guys. They don''t know our existence, which will allow us to set up an ambush.

    "We''ll eliminate several people during the ambush. Nathan will then take on this former vice captain. As someone from the Command Department, I''m also able to support him with Synchronization. This way, even if we are unable to deal with him, we''ll be able to stall him.

    "And because we have killed several of them, Miss Lisa and Mr. Eliot should be enough to handle the rest.

    "What do you think?"

    "!!!" They dropped their jaws in disbelief. No one would ever think that, due to Sera''s situation, they would get such an advantage. In fact, Nathan was the only one insane enough to turn that misfortunate situation into an opportunity.

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    No one could really say anything if the saintess wanted them to be the bait. In addition, this n should work perfectly.

    The baron was sweating. He couldn''t help but wonder whether it was situational or nned.

    "Of course, this means we have to go to the forest separately. And if there''s andmark where we can meet and keep our distance, we will be able to deliver a devastating blow to them." Serafina smiled, showing them the reason behind Nathan''s confidence.

    Little did she know, Nathan had lost that confidence after a certain person jinxed the entire operation.

 Chapter 315: Ambush (Bonus)

    "In that case, we''ll head to the forest and eliminate the bandits." Lees smiled, assuring the baron.

    "Yeah. Do your best. Maydy luck bless you with her presence." Titus nodded.

    Lees then led his group toward the forest. Little did they know, there was a pair of eyes observing them from afar.

    It didn''t take too long for the message to arrive.

    In the cave within the hill, a man was sitting on his bone chair. He had long, ck hair and a muscr body. Due to the torch illuminating the cave, the temperature within the cave was much warmer, causing him to not use any tops.

    After looking at the message, Davei said, "Three people from the Duxia Academy areing to this ce. It seems they''re pretty bold. One of them is older, so I believe this guy is a second-year student. They should have strength simr to mine. That''s why they''re confident."

    "Boss. We should kill that person and the other guy and keep the girl! Hahahaha!"

    "We should ambush them and make them pay for underestimating us."

    "Can they even reach here?"

    "They should be able to reach here. The baron has been scouting the area, so they should have found this ce."

    Davei looked concerned. It felt like things weren''t so simple.

    However, the former vice captain of the barony, Pavel, stood up and said out loud, "Boss. Just let me do it. My strength has improved a lot. If I have four people apany me so that two people can pinch each supporter, we will be able to win.

    "Besides, I know this forest the most. We can ambush them and deal with them easily!"

    Davei squinted his eyes. The bandit group, especially him, had helped Pavel a lot. It was easy to see that Pavel was trying to take advantage of this to express his gratitude.

    By killing them, there was no more reason for him to suspect Pavel. After all, Pavel had truly be a wanted person from both the academy and the barony.

    "What do you need?"

    "Just let me bring these four guys and a hundred men to shower them with arrows. And I can deal with them. I will ambush them in an area not far, but not too close to the aliens. This way, they can''t escape. And if it''s not necessary, I won''t utilize the aliens."

    Davei crossed his arms. After considering a few things, he nodded his head. "Alright. I will give you that chance."

    "Thank you! I won''t disappoint you!" Pavel''s expression brightened.

    He looked so eager to earn their trust.

    Davei looked at his subordinates leaving the cave while bringing their respective equipment. He couldn''t help but squint their eyes, thinking something was missing.

    ''The baron should have known that we have a lot of summoners. So, why would they send only three people? Is it because Pavel is a double agent? Or is it because he is confident that these three people are enough to deal with us? If the three peoplee from the number one academy, we would have retreated immediately, but there''s a sharp drop in quality between the Frexia Academy and other academies.''

    Davei pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if he was just overthinking the situation.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Lees and the others had entered the forest, steadily making their way toward the hideout.

    Nathan and Serafina entered the forest a bitter and used their fastest speed to avoid all eyes.

    On the way, Serafina couldn''t help but ask, "Nathan. Are you worried about this mission or something? I saw you frowning when Eliot told the baron that everything was going to be alright."

    "Ah, that¡­" Nathan looked away.

    "Now that I think about it, you have been giving out ns, but you have never said they will work ording to your calction. You''ve been worrying about Selena and the others during the mission¡­ I mean, it''s not bad, but it''s like you''re doing it more than necessary."

    Nathan shrugged. "I can give out a n, but no one can assure that everything is going to be alright. If all of a sudden, there''s a continent falling from the sky and destroying the world, no one can really say it for sure.

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    "If you''re going to say everything is going to be alright, then you have to keep your promise. That''s why all I can do is continue to worry, think about what the enemies will probably do, and just do my best."

    Sera tilted her head in confusion. "I don''t know. Maybe I''m wrong, but this is the first time you say it without any confidence at all. Am I lucky to see this weak side of yours?"

    Nathan chuckled. "I have been weak this whole time. I just love to act tough."

    "You? Weak?" Sera dropped her jaw as if she had just heard something unbelievable.

    "Yeah. I''m weak. In fact, I''m afraid the day where I consider myself strong wille one day."

    "!!!" Sera was startled. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing it wrong. After all, it felt like her teacher was the one in front of her instead of Nathan.

    Sera couldn''t help but recall the words that the Pope said back then. "There is nothing more enjoyable than knowing you are weak. After all, being weak doesn''t mean a w. It just means you know there''s room for improvement.

    "Once you be strong, that''s the end of your path. You won''t be able to see the path to be even stronger. You asked me why I was never angry, even when people scorned me, right? It is enjoyable to know that there''s still something I can still ovee.

    "Ask anyone who has reached the top, they will give you the same answer. We are just waiting to see if there will be a person in the future who can make us think we''re weak."

    After recalling that answer, Sera fell silent. It was no wonder why Nathan was able to improve a lot in such a short period.

    Their mindset was already different.

    A smile soon appeared on her face. "I see. So that''s how it is."

 Chapter 316: Arrows

    "We should head to the bandit hideout right now," said Eliot while looking around.

    "What should we do, big brother?" Lisa asked. "They should be in their position, so we should move now."

    Lees nodded. "Yeah. Let''s go to the enemy''s hideout. However, make sure you''re extremely careful. There''s a high chance that the enemies have figured out our location, so we can''t let our guard down."

    The two nodded.

    While walking, Eliot couldn''t help but click his tongue. "In the end, we''re the bait, huh?"

    "There''s no use inining right now. Besides, it''s better to shut your mouth. Saying things like that is the same as letting your enemies know your n. I''m saying this as your mentor. You are simply too reckless." Less frowned. Eliot clicked his tongue one more time, but he didn''t continue running his mouth.

    Less could only sigh. Lisa also remained quiet most of the time.

    "Still, as they reported, there are really no aliens around here. I have been keeping my vignce, but I can''t see anything." Less looked around while furrowing his eyebrows.

    "Should we summon our familiars as a precaution?"

    "That''s what I''d like to do, but I''m not so sure right now." Less shook his head. "For now, maintain vignce and don''t summon your familiar yet. They might suspect anything."

    The two nodded their heads.

    However, it didn''t take too long for numerous arrows to suddenly cover the sky.

    "!!!" Less raised his head and said, "Enemy attack!"

    "Shield!" Lisa raised both hands above her head. Her Ena started to spread and solidify, creating an umbre.

    Less pulled out both of his swords, while Eliot held his spear with both hands.

    The arrows hit the barrier. Unfortunately, the arrows weren''t strong enough to destroy the barriers. Still, with so many arrows being released at the same time, it still scratched the barrier quite a bit.

    All three of them immediately summoned their familiars, ready to fight.

    Less raised his head, as if staring at the person who seemed tomand them.

    ''This ce is surrounded by small hills, which made it easier for the archers to take aim. As expected, they have extensive knowledge about the terrain. And most likely¡­'' Less squinted his eyes.

    There were a lot of people standing on top of the three hills around them. However, the most important targets would be the five people who had Ena in their bodies.

    The one leading them had a rather robust build, showing that he had been training for a long time. He was holding a sword at his waist.

    Because the vice captain joined them not too long ago, there was no wanted poster of himself. The baron also didn''t have his face. Hence, they truly had no portrait of him.

    Still, the fact that his face wasn''t in the wanted poster and his form was like that of a knight, they could easily confirm that this guy was the vice captain.

    "So, you''re the vice captain of the barony, Rain." Lees squinted his eyes. "I have never thought a knight like you would join a bandit. You are still young, not even twice our age. Yet you end up destroying your life with such a bad decision. The baron has told us you''re reckless; I guess I understand why he deems you not qualified."

    When he heard those words, Rain shouted in anger. "I''m reckless? They''re the ones who don''t know my true worth. I am a man of much higher caliber than they think I am. To think they would think I''m not worthy of the captain position. I am not worthypared to that old man?"

    "The fact that you''re spouting all this nonsense is the reason they think you are not worthy. Unfortunately, it doesn''t seem like you don''t understand it." Lees sighed.

    "I''m not worthy? You must have heard the rumor about the mature ss alien that has died recently, right?"

    "Are you saying you''re the culprit?" Lees squinted his eyes.

    "Of course I am. I have grown stronger. To think that I would be treated much better than a bunch of nobles who don''t know anything! They are just fools." Rain clenched his fists.

    "Your action just proves their points. In the end, you will end up causing a lot of deaths because of your stupid decision." Lees shook his head helplessly, disappointed by him.

    "Do you think I don''t dare to kill you?" Rain raised his hand.

    His familiars appeared around him. Other summoners also followed suit, showing all their familiars.

    Lisa and Eliot were frowning, fully aware that they would be in trouble. The archers were also ready to release the second volley. At this rate, they would have to spend a lot of Ena just to block their attacks.

    In fact, they were wondering where Nathan and Serafina were.

    ''We have been buying a lot of time for them, but they haven''te at all¡­ Are they abandoning us due to their numbers? But we have an even number of summoners. As long as we are able to kill at least one of them, the battlefield will turn to our favor.'' Lisa frowned.

    "I don''t need to talk with you guys anymore!" Rain snorted. "You''re going to die here. Ah, wait. The woman won''t die. She can''t die, even if she wants it. Hahahahaha!"

    Those words made Lees squint his eyes.

    "What? You''re angry? Sadly for you, you won''t be able to do anything!" Rain shouted, "Archers. Shoot them. All summoners, get ready and overpower them!"

    When they were taking aim, Lees noticed something since he was looking up. He couldn''t help but smile. "Since I have known what you''re doing, it''s time for you to die."

    "Me? Die? You¡ª!" Rain wanted to beat them down with words, but it was futile. Light trails rose into the sky and spread, showing their number.

    Rain raised his head, noticing the Ena fluctuation. He shouted, "Watch out!"

    All of them turned around and saw the iing Ena bullets. They were trying to shield themselves, not realizing that there was a trick behind these bullets.

 Chapter 317: Enemys Reinforcement

    "Nathan. We are ready. I have seen all of them! The normal people seem to have gathered around those three hills. They are not strong, but they''ll be annoying.

    "The summoners are in that spot! You should be able to see them if you climb this tree." Sera pointed at the tree behind her.

    As soon as Nathan saw them, he smiled.

    "Should we do it now?"

    "Yep. Your Synchronization should be enough for now." Nathan raised his palms. Ena started to leak out of his palms and gradually formed spheres.

    Due to Sera''s Synchronization as well as sixteen thousand Ena.

    But before he shot, there was one trick that Nathan wanted to use.

    Before he released them, Nathan actually fused them with each other.

    Because he had sixteen thousand Ena now and better control, he was able to conjure 40 bullets from each hand. The bullets were also strongerpared to what he usually created.

    "Unfortunately, my control doesn''t allow me to fuse all of them. I can only create tenposite bullets. The remaining sixty bullets have to wait.

    "Let''s go, shall we?" Nathan smirked and shot those bullets into the sky.

    The people were shocked by these bullets.

    "Enemy attack!" They shouted, warning each other.

    Rain was the strongest, but because it came from the sky, the sunlight hindered him from reading their trajectories.

    As a result, he had no choice but to form a shield with his Ena. Still, he was a knight before, so he usually fought in closebat. As a result, his shield was not big and strong enough to cover anyone else aside from him.

    "Kh." Rain blocked those bulletsing at him. "What kind of firepower is this? They''re at my level?"

    Two summoners shielded themselves by relying on their familiars. The first one created a hut made of stone, while the summoner released the barrier to reinforce it. The second one had a familiar created a shield for them.

    The other two created the same shield, but instead of staying in their spots, they simply ran as far as possible.

    And that was where theposite bullets came in.

    The first summoner widened his eyes as his shield was shattered into pieces because of a single bullet. Even his rock hut was destroyed.

    "Not good!" The familiar pushed him away, but it was toote. Three bullets destroyed the half-destroyed hut and pierced their bodies.

    "Master. Get away! There are some weird bullets!" The other summoner had his familiar warn him. Unfortunately, he was one of the two summoners who stayed in their spot.

    Theposite bullets carrying three times the power of the bullet hit their barrier and shattered them. The familiar wanted to save the summoner, but to no avail. They both took several hits and died on the spot with multiple holes in their bodies.

    Those who ran away from the bullet rain managed to survive, but they took quite a beating as well.

    Theposite bullets hit them. One of the summoners had his leg shot by theposite bullet andpletely obliterated that leg. The other one had one of his familiars dead.

    Only Rain didn''t suffer any injuries because there were only a few bullets hitting him. In fact, those bullets were the normal ones.

    Lees and the others couldn''t help but drop their jaws to the ground.

    "That rain¡­ It has the same strength as my ability. It looks like it has been boosted by Synchronization, but it''s clear that even in its base form, the owner has the amount of Ena required to take down a mature ss alien." Lees sucked a cold breath. "He has that much power when he is only a first-year student?"

    Eliot waspletely shaken. He couldn''t believe it.

    On the other hand, Lisa finally understood where Nathan''s confidence came from. ''Despite having such power, he didn''t fight for the leader''s position¡­ He must have realized that fighting for that position would just cause the group to break apart, which was something he couldn''t afford to have. It seems we have been underestimating the guy called Nathan¡­''

    "Attack them!" Nathan shouted.

    Fenrir and the others charged forward, trying to finish the two summoners who managed to survive.

    "You bastard!" Rain shouted in anger and rushed toward them. He repelled Fenrir and Brunhild personally. His familiars also shed with the rest.

    Nathan personally didn''t target them. Instead, he summoned yet another volley of bullets.

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    The other summoners immediately raised their stances, trying to stop those bullets even though they were not confident.

    Lees immediately shouted, "We are going to help them!"

    Lisa and Eliot followed suits, ambushing the weaker summoners. They had to reduce their numbers somehow.

    Those weaker summoners wanted to put up a fight, but it didn''t seem to be necessary.

    When Nathan released his bullets, they all flew into the sky and spread in all directions.

    "!!!"

    "He is aiming for the rest of the bandits!"

    They panicked because there was no way they could win against these bullets.

    But before they could do anything, a shadow jumped into the air and spun his body, creating a humongous lightning sphere that isted all those bullets before they spread further.

    The bullets ended up getting electrocuted to smithereens, neutralizing Nathan''s attack.

    "!!!" All of them couldn''t help but raise their heads, finding two people. The one stopping that attack was none other than Davei, the boss of the bandit group.

    "Boss!" The two summoners looked happy. The rest of the bandits also cheered.

    "I thought it''s weird that only three people would be here, but as I expected, there''s an ambush. However, this is the end. You won''t gain any more advantage against¡ª!" Before he finished his words, a light pir shot up into the sky.

    Everyone was startled and followed the light, which turned out to being from the ground.

    If they traced it back, there was actually a hole behind Nathan''s body. That hole was created by his Ena bullet and ended up killing yet another summoner from their side.

    "You¡­" Everyone was speechless.

    "Oops." Nathan''s smile was provoking the bandit boss as he said in a condescending tone. "My hand slipped."

 Chapter 318: All-Out Fight (Bonus)

    "My hand slipped!"

    No one expected Nathan would release such a shameless attack. At the same time, Nathan''s fighting style, especially those bullets, was perfect for such a sneak attack.

    The boss'' killing intent soared. Nathan had done something unforgivable. He would kill him.

    Nathan''s smile became bigger. "Mr. Lees. You can take care of him. Also, that brat can take the fresh summoner over there while my partner will handle the injured one. Your little sister can handle the rest of the bandits and prevent them from interfering. I will handle this reckless guy."

    "Brat?!" Eliot was startled. Nathan fired his shot not only to his enemies but also to his allies.

    Lees didn''t hesitate to say, "Let''s go with that."

    After seeing those bullets, he knew Nathan was strong enough to fight against Rain.

    In fact, he was quite surprised that Nathan was so calm that he could react and kill another person.

    "You bastard! Do you have no honor even though you are a mere student?" Rain shouted in anger.

    "Honor?" Nathan looked like he was thinking before making a shocked expression, as though he had just understood what he said earlier. Nathan simply said with a cold tone, "It slipped my mind."

    Rain and Davei wanted to spit blood, as Nathan almost angered them to death.

    "You talked too much in a battle." Nathan shrugged.

    Davei leaped toward Nathan, trying to take him down. All his familiars were following him.

    All of a sudden, Lees appeared from the side and struck him. Davei had to punch that sword, producing a loud clicking sound.

    "Kh!" Davei gritted his teeth as he couldn''t advance. His familiars were also restrained by Lees'' familiars.

    Although he was still angry, Eliot also restrained the other summoner that came with Davei. In the end, Nathan had the right to fight Rain, even though it pissed him off.

    Sera, still wearing the hood, was staring at the summoner, whose leg was blown away. She nced at her familiars while saying, "We''ll kill him and help Nathan as quickly as possible!"

    "Yes." Brunhild and the others replied, knowing their roles.

    "I need to do my job. If I don''t, those archers will definitely hinder our movement¡­" Lisa looked serious. Even though she got the short end, she still felt responsible enough to handle this job. If she wanted toin, she should have done it once they subdued the bandits.

    This might be the reason Nathan used all his strength to shamelessly kill another summoner earlier.

    She waved her hand andmanded, "We will eliminate the remaining threats!"

    "Oh!"

    Looking at this situation, it looked like Nathan''s side had the upper hand, considering Sera''s opponent was heavily injured. It wouldn''t take long for her to kill him.

    However, Davei and Rain were so angry that they thought the same thing. "Rain! Kill him! No matter what you need to do, you need to kill him. Make him regret being born!"

    "Yes!" Rain clenched his sword tightly.

    "The trick won''t work anymore, huh? I guess I should do it the old way." Nathan smiled. In this fight, Nathan had the disadvantage. After all, Rain had four familiars while Nathan only had three familiars.

    Rain moved forward together with his familiars.

    Nathan immediately said, "Nidhogg. Don''t burn the forest. Just take care of the dryad for me, will you? Anubis will go against the elf, and Fenrir took care of that treant. I will handle the summoner and the bear person."

    "!!!" All of them red at Nathan, not agreeing to his method.

    Before they could say no, Nathan simply said, "Well, whoever can win against their opponent first means they can help me. If they help me, they contribute the most. The one who contributes the most deserves to get the Ena first, no?"

    They were startled. They had been fighting over this position, so this was the right time to settle their fight.

    They turned back to their respective opponents, looking at them like they were prey. All of them felt like they could hear what Fenrir and the others were saying.

    "You''re dead."

    Despite being fully aware that the Ena Rain used to summon his four familiars were higher than them, these three divine beasts charged forward with a much higher ferocity.

    Nathan couldn''t help butugh inwardly while saying, ''They''re so cute.''

    Still, he had to focus on his own fight. After all, the onesing for him were the bear-person and the summoner.

    As a knight, Rain charged forward, nning to settle this in closebat. The bear-person also had a simr fighting style.

    Meanwhile, Nathan raised his palms, summoning the Ena bullets once again. "It''s time to show the result of my training, I guess."

    Before they arrived, Nathan shot all those bullets at once. He spread them in all directions so that Rain had no way to focus on a single of them.

    "Raaa!" The bear-person let out a roar and punched the ground. The ground cracked as the rocks shot up, turning into a wall. This rock was thicker than the hut, so Nathan''s bullets couldn''t pierce through it, especially without Sera''s Synchronization.

    Still, there were bulletsing from the two sides and above.

    All of a sudden, the rock was sliced into pieces as the two emerged from behind it. Because the forward bullets'' trajectory was shorter, they were able to avoid the rest of the bullets by simply going fast enough.

    This would definitely startle Nathan, albeit he had actually expected this.

    Nathan actually used the one second when the rock covered their mission to close the gap between them.

    Rain was surprised and hurriedly waved his de to cut Nathan. Thetter ducked, letting the sword strike to hit the trees behind him instead.

    "Do you think I only have my bullets?" Nathan smirked as he gathered his Ena in his fist.

    ''Fist? He is also adept in closebat?'' Rain was taken aback.

    However, when Nathan punched him, the bear''s paw stood in its way, catching his fist.

    In the end, this was two versus one. Since Nathan was caught, Rain could definitely deliver some damage. The thought alone put a smile on his face.

    Yet Nathan surpassed his expectations again. His eyes turned bloodshot as the Ena in his fist erupted, creating a thunderous p like that of a dragon roar.

    Dragon Fist!

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 319: Suggestion not Order

    "Haaa!" Selena pped. Her avatar gradually turned into liquid and started moving around the dummy. "Kh¡­"

    She gritted her teeth, having a hard time matching every single detail like that of an armor.

    Even when she managed to create it, they were wobbly, providing no defense at all.

    Ultimately, the liquid Ena burst in all directions, resulting in a failure.

    "Another failure." Selena panted a few times. "The technique takes a toll on my mind, but I know I''m progressing. I can''t stop!"

    Selena took a deep breath to restart her mind before starting again.

    Before she could summon her avatar, Vivian''s voice echoed in her ears. "What are you doing here? You should be in the student council, no? Shouldn''t you finish your work and y here after that? I mean, Nathan will surely be delighted to see you in a dress."

    Selena shook her head. "I finished my workst night."

    "!!!" Vivian raised her eyebrows, noticing the meaning behind her words. "Oi. Have you slept at all?"

    "I will do soter. Right now, I should be training." Selena bit her lips. "If I don''t progress at all because I''m too upied with all those documents, Nathan will leave me behind."

    "Seriously¡­" Vivian scratched the back of her head. "Still, if you want to improve, you need a proper rest. It''s especially true since you''re training a technique with a high stress level."

    Selena hung her head low. "That''s what I want to do, but¡­ well, let''s just say I can''t sleep fully aware that saintess is seducing him."

    "Pfft!" Vivian chuckled. "You have truly picked up the bad things from him. You know how to joke now?"

    Selena thought for a moment before asking, "There''s something I want to ask."

    "What is it? You''re not my disciple, but I''ll answer your question nheless."

    "I have been thinking about armor this time, but is it possible to create a weapon or any other things with this technique?"

    Vivian nodded. "Indeed. The armor requires a lot of details, so it takes a toll on your mind. In fact, I''m quite curious why you practice this instead of other techniques? Knowing the Sage, he will probably ask you to focus on Flow instead of Augmentation."

    "That''s¡­" Selena sighed. "A certain person always says that they''re suggestions, not orders. It can be a direction, but you don''t have to follow it.

    "That was what he said when I asked him about his bullets."

    "His bullets?"

    "Yes. Do you remember the two-day lesson when he was suggested to program his bullets to ease theputation of those bullets?"

    "Of course. It''s straining his mind, especially now that he has a lot of Ena. More bullets will mean moreputation."

    "I saw him continue practicing that technique, half taking the suggestion. He basically controlled all 60 bullets at once."

    "Huh? Really? I don''t really observe his training unless it''s an important one."

    Selena nodded, recalling what happened during their training on the beach.

    Nathan raised his finger as seven bullets suddenly moved toward his fingertip and hovered around. "These seven bullets are a single group. In other words, I only need topute their trajectory as a single entity instead of seven of them. And since I have 60 bullets, I can control eight groups at once while maintaining four bullets as an emergency."

    "Huh? What''s the point? Can''t you just follow what the Sage said, like programming them? If you just program curves, straight, and other paths, it will be much easier, no?"

    "Hahaha. No way. Programming the bullets will make my life easier, but not stronger. I need to control them manually to make it more effective. Since it''s not possible to control 60 bullets at once, I create these groups so that I only control ''eight'' bullets at once, reducing theputation. In exchange¡­"

    Nathan walked forward and formed a bullet. The bullets suddenly spread horizontally before flying forward.

    Four bullets hit the dummy while the rest missed it.

    "Spreading the shot will allow me to have an easier time to target a moving person. Then¡­" Nathan continued. This time, he gathered the bullets into a single circle and released them at once.

    All the bullets hit the dummy and produced more impact than the first one.

    "This is¡­"

    "I gather them so that they will produce more power. This will be what I mainly use. There are also others like creating a straight line to increase their prative power orbining all those bullets into one to ''st'' the enemy. Instead of programming their trajectory, it''s better to program the way I shoot them. It will create a different kind of impact, which will be variety. The answer we reach is different, but the Sage is right about one thing¡­ Ena has infinite possibilities."

    Selena was utterly shocked at that time. In her heart, she couldn''t help but wonder if Nathan was more suitable to be the sage''s disciple than her or not.

    That was why, to make it look like it wasn''t a mistake, she had to work hard, much harder than before.

    Vivian smiled when listening to that story. "I see. That''s interesting. If that''s the case, what you need right now is not training. You need to sleep and think about what you actually want to use. Isn''t your avatar the product of your thinking? So, please use this time to think instead of training with no goal in mind."

    Selena froze as if she had realized something more important. She bowed. "Thank you very much."

    She didn''t hesitate to go back to the room, making Vivian shake her head. "This girl¡­"

    And that was what Nathan''s opponent, Rain, was going to face.

    Bam!

    The Dragon Fist sted the bear-person away.

    Shocked, Rain hurriedly made a diagonal sh.

    Nathan jumped to the side, avoiding his attack. When Rain was about to make another sword strike, Nathan made a gun sign and pointed it at the sword.

    The normal bullet had turned into aser beam, which pushed the sword back, resulting in Rain being unable to swing it down.

    "Kh!"

    Nathan took another jump to gain some distance.

    The bear-person and Rain had regained their form and were ready to fight Nathan, this time being more careful.

    Nathan then formed all 60 bullets around him. "It''s time for my bullets."

 Chapter 320: Nathan vs Rain

    Rain and the bear-person rushed toward Nathan. Thetter waved his hand while jumping back.

    21 bullets flew toward the bear-person from three different directions. Rain had to face 35 bullets at once.

    The bear-person stomped the ground and cracked it. After that, he grabbed the ground and picked a giant rock up, smashing the bullets by swinging the giant rock around.

    Rain, on the other hand, covered his left side with a shield while unleashing three strikes to deal with 21 bullets. Due to his fighting style that relied on the thin sword, he couldn''t strike thest group of bullets.

    They came straight at him and almost reached him, but the bear-person tossed the rock toward the bullets and neutralized them.

    Nathan hurriedly re-summoned his bullets before they wereing. However, Rain waved his sword down, releasing a crescent-shaped sword strike that ran through the ground.

    Nathan leaped to the side, avoiding it. However, the bear-person covered the distance between them in a single leap.

    "Tsk!" Nathan raised his arms to the side. The Ena that covered his body was shifted toward his left arm, where the bear-person pped him.

    The bear-personunched him away as his body crashed into multiple trees.

    "!!!" The three familiars nced at Nathan, looking concerned. Even Anubis activated his healing ability on him.

    Fortunately, Nathan was fine. The Fortify that the Sage taught him was truly useful even though he couldn''t master it yet. Since he was sparring with Selena most of the time, it allowed him to get used to activating it in a split second.

    The bear-person and Rain knew Nathan wasn''t someone who could be taken down with a single strike. Both of them were already closing in, not wanting to give Nathan a chance to shoot those bullets.

    Sadly for them, Nathan was faster. The bullets had flown toward Rain. From thest engagement, Nathan knew Rain had a much harder time to deal with his bullets. That was why he targeted him.

    The bear-person looked worried, wanting to help him. Rain, on the other hand, leaped to the side while shouting, "Don''t mind me! Kill him!"

    Rain cut several bullets while continuously running away. He even used a shield to protect him.

    "Kh¡­" Rain looked frustrated because Nathan was able to control all these bullets. ''What kind of monster do I fight right now?''

    The bear-person punched Nathan, but surprisingly, Nathan wasn''t escaping. Instead, he met him head-on with the Dragon Fist.

    Bam!

    The collision of their fists caused a ripple of Ena that shook the forest. The ground underneath them cracked as the air felt heavy.

    The dragon''s roar caused the eruption of their Ena, which ultimately neutralized each other.

    Even though they managed to reach a standstill, the bear had a better foundation in terms of closebat.

    The bear immediately swiped his other paw after Nathan stopped his other paw.

    At the same time, Rain suddenly closed in from the side.

    "!!!" Nathan was startled. ''Where did hee?''

    At first nce, he noticed a few wounds. He realized that Rain was actually letting a few bullets hit him so that he could be faster even a second than Nathan''s calction.

    He struck him on the side, trying to split him in two.

    Nathan tilted his body to the side, allowing the coat to take it on. Of course, Nathan had also used his Ena to strengthen the robe.

    "Kh." Nathan gritted his teeth. Even though he managed to block it, it was still quite painful. Fortunately, the robe was durable enough that not a single cut managed to reach his skin.

    Nheless, the bear still had his own attacking toward his head.

    "Ah, shit!"

    The paw pped his head and caused him to bounce several times on the ground before stopping.

    Rain and the bear-person had to be there to make sure he died. But this was a trap.

    Nathan formed ten bullets this time and sent them forward.

    The first thought that came to their mind was that Nathan waspletely disrupted, and that he was unable to form all his bullets.

    However, when they were about to hit the bullets, Rain suddenly noticed the difference in the fluctuation.

    "This Ena¡­" Rain gasped. "Don''t touch it!"

    Unfortunately, he was toote. Neither he nor the bear-person could stop their attack from destroying these bullets.

    The moment they touched them, the bullets became even more unstable and produced explosions.

    Boom!

    Rain was flung into the air and fell from 10 meters (33 feet). The bear-person bounced several times on the ground and stopped after hitting a tree, his body getting crushed by the trunk.

    "Grooa!" The bear-person let out a wail.

    "Haaa!" Nathan rose to his feet. It was only due to Anubis'' healing ability that he could keep up with the two of them.

    Still, he believed he could defeat Rain if there was no bear-person.

    Nathan just formed all the bullets he could as quickly as possible and shot them toward the bear-person.

    The bear-person panicked and covered his vitals with his arms.

    Still, those bullets pierced his skin. Even though he was tough, the bear-person would bleed a lot because of these wounds.

    Nathan took a deep breath. He formed his bullets but didn''t shoot them immediately anymore since the two had also risen to their feet.

    They were staring at Nathan. They never thought they would be toyed with this much. The damage to his body should be quite serious, but Nathan looked fine, other than the blood that leaked out of his mouth.

    They really needed a new approach if they wanted to kill Nathan.

    "Aaaahhh!" Rain screamed while rushing forward.

    The bear-person didn''t know what he was nning but followed suit.

    Suddenly, Rain stopped and cut the ground.

    "!!!" The bear-person immediately rushed to that ground and lifted up the rock. He ripped it apart and tossed this rock te toward Nathan.

    This was simr to how they hid themselves with the rock, but the area was much wider.

    Instead of charging in, Nathan jumped back to gain a distance where he could react to anything they would throw at him.

    But all of a sudden, the bear let out a roar and smashed the te with so much force that the shattered rocks flew toward Nathan at high speed, simr to his bullets.

    Nathan had to remove his bullets and pour all his Ena into a shield, protecting himself from the rocks.

    It turned out Rain was amidst all those rocks. He used them to hide himself and approach Nathan.

    "Devil sh."

    Nathan could feel the extraordinary Ena in that sword, which made him imagine the sh cutting through the shield along his body.

    "Damn¡­"

    *Zap!*

 Chapter 321: Aliens Wreaking Havoc (Bonus)

    *Zap!*

    The sword cut through his barrier and hit his stomach.

    Fortunately, Nathan was throwing himself backward so that the wound wasn''t too deep.

    He rolled a few times on the ground as Anubis healed him. The wound was quite deep, so he had to press the wound for a bit even though it was hurt.

    Seeing the wound closing at high speed, Rain hurriedly rushed toward him. "We need to deliver a blow where he couldn''t recover or else we wouldn''t be able to defeat him!"

    The bear-person understood the assignment and immediately followed him.

    Nathan summoned all his bullets and shot them.

    As expected, Rain had trouble in taking down the bullets, even though he only sent 14 of them to him. Of course, he shot them in a circle so that they would get more firepower and harder for his sword to strike.

    Meanwhile, the bear-person received 42 bullets at once.

    The bear-person punched the ground to create a wall, but Nathan controlled the bullets to loop around the walls.

    "!!!" The bear-person waved his hand, creating a sweeping force with his Ena and destroying half of the bullets.

    After that, he threw his body to the side, avoiding all those bullets. Several bullets hit his body, but he managed to retain his life.

    ''That bear guy has the strength to mess with my bullets, but not enough speed. The summoner has speed but not the technique¡­ And more importantly, he responds well to the explosive bullets even though he sucks on normal bullets¡­ If I want to end this fight quickly, I have to target the bear-person.'' Nathan squinted his eyes.

    His target had been determined.

    Rain was the first oneing toward him and shed Nathan a few times. Nathan parried all of them with his gloves and tried to kick him. Unfortunately, Rain managed to block it with his de.

    Since the bear-person was about toe, Nathan immediately pointed his gun toward the bear. The bear immediately avoided it, but Nathan never released the bullet. Instead, he changed his target, as if Rain was his target all along.

    "!!!" Rain was startled and hurriedly leaped away as the pistol released aser beam that pushed him even farther.

    Due to this attack, the bear-person managed to reach Nathan and pped his waist.

    Nathan had no other choice but to ept this and gotunched toward a tree.

    The bear-person chased him, but Nathan had summoned his bullets and shot all of them toward the bear-person.

    "!!!" The bear-person immediately stopped. He had trouble when dealing with 42 bullets, so he definitely couldn''t do anything against the 56 bullets.

    He had to retreat and let his summoner deliver a killing blow to Nathan.

    To his surprise, Nathan actually sent forth the 4 emergency bullets this time. He had never sent them this whole time, even though there were multiple opportunities. They were wary about it, so they never reallyunched an all-out attack that would expose their bodies to those four bullets.

    But this time, Nathan made a change by sending those four bullets.

    The bear-person was even more determined to run away because this meant Nathan would bepletely defenseless.

    However, there was a reason Nathan sent them this time.

    Those four bullets were not normal bullets.

    He mixed them with the rest of the bullets to confuse the bear, but all of a sudden, there were a series of explosions to the rock and tree that the bear used to block his bullets.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    "!!!" The bear was shocked because he ended up tripping. The explosion knocked down a tree and smashed him.

    After that, Nathan summoned his bullets, twenty of them hebined to make tenposite bullets. He shot all of them into the sky and rained the bear-person down.

    "You bastard!" Of course, his choice allowed Rain to approach him and sh him with everything he got.

    Nathan tilted his body, using the robe to take the hit.

    Still, Rain released his sword strike that flew together with Nathan.

    "Kh!" Nathan gritted his teeth. The pain was simr to when he swallowed the mature ss core.

    Two of his ribs were actually broken by the impact. He spat a mouthful of blood in mid-air before falling down.

    However, thoseposite bullets managed to reach the bear-person and pierced through his bodypletely.

    Roar!

    The bear-person wailed in pain, but his voice soon died down as he disappeared from this world.

    "You bastard!" Rain shouted in anger. Nathan had just killed his familiar.

    Nathan''s injury was still treatable by Anubis. That was why Nathan stood up almost immediately, enduring all that pain. He acted tough by saying, "Hahaha. Finally, it''s only us. I can kill you anytime I want it."

    ''This is not good. My familiar has died. This bastard has killed my familiar.'' Rain was gnashing his teeth. His eyes turned bloodshot. There was only one thought in his mind. It was to kill Nathan, but how?

    However, he couldn''t see the path to kill him, especially when he was alone.

    Rain wanted to shout back, but Nathan was correct. The anger was overwhelmed by panic, fully aware that he might end up dying in Nathan''s hand.

    When everything started to look bleak for him, a ray of hope suddenly illuminated the darkness, giving him the chance to turn the situation around.

    Screeching sounds echoed through the forest as it was making its way toward them.

    "!!!" Nathan and the others couldn''t help but widen their eyes. There was only one creature that could produce such a unique sound. It must be the aliens.

    And the fact that there were screams right after that showed that it wasn''t only one alien.

    A big smile appeared on Rain''s face as he couldn''t help butugh. "Hahahaha! Screw all of you! You are the ones causing all those ruckuses and bringing all those aliens."

    The explosions that he used to take down the bear ended up hurting him in this way.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn as he nced to the back, thinking, ''As expected, I thought the situation had gone too well, especially after a certain someone jinxed it¡­''

    As Nathan thought about it, the ground started shaking as a giant pot bulldozed everything in its path. The pot had a big mouth and tentacles like nts in a pot.

    When this mature ss alien saw these people, it let out a deafening howl. "Reee!"

 Chapter 322: Taking on Two Summoners

    "!!!" Everyone was stunned. They never thought a mature ss alien would suddenly interrupt the battle.

    The bandits should have known more about the alien, so Nathan and the others were at a disadvantage.

    ''This is not good. A mature ss alien is now disrupting the battlefield. The bandits have gone quiet, so they are trying to make the mature ss core focus on us. However, there are still two more people of the same level. What should I do?'' Lees bit his lips, wondering if there was something that could change the situation.

    "Hahahaha! This is the price you need to pay for killing my familiar." Rainughed out loud before turning to Nathan. "You are screwed. I want you to die horr¡ª!"

    As one would expect from Nathan, he was truly taking advantage of every single gap. The moment they were distracted by the mature ss alien, Nathan had sent forth his bullets to the summoner Sera was facing. Due to his condition earlier, his condition was the worst among the bandits. Discover hidden stories at mvl

    In other words, he wouldn''t have realized the iing bullets. Even if he did, he wouldn''t be able to protect himself.

    Before Rainpleted his words, the scream interrupted him.

    "Aaahhh!"

    "!!!" Rain nced to the side, finding the person having multiple holes in his stomach as his body fell to the ground.

    When his head turned back to Nathan, he could see the cold and ruthless smile on his face.

    "Oops. You just gave me another opportunity."

    "You bastard¡­" Rain clenched his fists.

    But Nathan still had a lot of bullets left, so he sent them toward Lees.

    The bullets hit the bandit boss, but thetter skillfully struck them all down.

    Lees was startled. He thought the situation was already hopeless for them. If they said the mature ss alien had ruined their chance, no one would really me them.

    Yet Nathan''s voice still carried his fighting spirit.

    "Lees, take care of the mature ss alien. I will fight the boss with this guy myself. Sera, peel off the remaining aliens. Lisa will also need to join."

    "!!!" Lees was startled, thinking he heard it wrong. Nathan actually wanted to fight two people at once? And the second one was actually stronger than the first one. He was insane.

    "You can trust me on this. I''m more adept at fighting a human than an alien, but I hope you can leave your familiars behind to stop that guy''s familiars."

    Lees still exchanged blows with the bandit boss. He needed to make a decision fast. If he didn''t, Nathan would be in trouble.

    He couldn''t help but clench his teeth. It seemed this was the only chance. If they messed it up, they would be in huge trouble.

    Eliot and Lisa were stunned. Even though they were in the same grade, they couldn''t do the same thing. It was especially true for Eliot, who had been looking down on Nathan. In this crucial moment, Nathan was actually the one doing more than his own role.

    They were frustrated by theirck of strength. They wondered if this was the gap between the Frexia Academy and the Duxia Academy?

    "Haaa!" Lees waved his de and unleashed all his strength, pushing back the boss. Without hesitation, he leaped toward the mature ss alien while shouting, "Don''t die!"

    "Where do you think you''re going?" The bandit boss chased after him, but all of a sudden, 35 bullets came to him from five different directions.

    The boss had to stop and spin his body to strike all of them.

    The same applied to Rain, who had to handle another barrage of bullets.

    Nathan stepped forth as he boldly challenged them. "Come, you two idiots. I will take care of you."

    The boss nced at his familiars, showing no sign of killing Lees'' familiars. Rain checked his familiars, but their situation was worse than Nathan''s familiars. It looked like either Nidhogg or Fenrir would kill their opponent soon. If they wanted to kill Nathan, they had to do it fast.

    Both of them knew they had to kill Nathan. As long as they killed Nathan, they could turn the situation around.

    The moment they came to a tacit agreement, they turned their heads to Nathan.

    ''Well, how should I handle this? I can use my bullets, but it will be a repeat of the previous fight. One of them will be able to hit me again and again, and it will be bad if Davei is the one doing it.

    ''Should I use my wind? Well, I can activate a different element, but if I do that, Sera will know that my trump card is not only the wind element. And the Pope will know about this and I don''t know what will happen after that.

    ''If I use the wind, it will be reported to the Duxia Academy. It seems I have no other choice¡­'' Nathan thought. As he was about to activate his Soul Contract, Sera''s voice rang in his ears.

    "Brunhild, Lavi, Dane. Take care of the alien, match my movement, and watch out for my distance. We''ll use everything we have here." Sera pped her hands.

    She activated her Synchronization to the limit, boosting not only her familiars but also Nathan.

    Nathan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows. He never thought Sera''s ability had reached this degree.

    It was as if Sera was saying, ''You''re not the only one who has improved.''

    Nathan smiled. This was what he had been waiting for. "Alright. Let''s do this, shall we?"

    Earlier, the summoner had drawn Sera away, which was not possible for her Synchronization to reach him.

    Nathan summoned his bullets. Each bullet was much more powerful than the previous one.

    But if she only had to take down the aliens, she had some leeway to move slightly closer to Nathan. This would change the entire battlefield.

    Of course, Selena and Nathan had been helping her with positioning and fighting style.

    All three of them rushed forward at the same time. To everyone''s surprise, Rain suddenly turned around and leaped to the side. His real target was actually Sera.

 Chapter 323: Full Control

    Sera felt the iing presence, which slightly startled her. However, when she saw who it was, she regained herposure.

    Rain would have taken everyone aback but Nathan. All of a sudden, 21 bullets surrounded him from three sides.

    Rain wanted to take them down with his sword and shield, but he noticed the difference in the firepower.

    ''Not good.'' Rain stopped and struck the bullets. Each of them felt three times as heavy, causing him to be unable to advance.

    At the same time, Davei was also forced to stop due to the sudden increase in power.

    He never thought that Sera''s support would boost his power thisrge.

    In addition, Nathan skillfully used his bullets in a way to move them farther away from Sera, turning into a wall that would protect her.

    Both of them exchanged looks. It seemed they couldn''t do anything unless they pierced through Nathan''s defense. As a result, it was better for them to take Nathan down first before going to Sera.

    ''This guy''s way of using the Ena is too evil. If that guy has two swords, he won''t be able to do something like this due to his short range.''

    ''I have seen several summoners who are using their Ena like a mage, but they''re not as strong as this guy. No, he has a very annoying ability. If it''s any other summoners, they won''t be able to stop both of us.''

    They didn''t have a lot of time because Fenrir and Nidhogg were winning against their respective opponents.

    As a result, they charged toward Nathan, even if it meant he would be fully boosted by Sera''s Synchronization.

    Nathan obviously was well prepared for them. He sent the same amount of bullets toward each of them.

    Rain had a hard time dealing with the bullets, while Davei managed to brush the bullets off with his broadsword.

    As soon as he dealt with the bullet, he leaped toward Nathan and waved his sword, releasing a powerful sword strike that not only ran on the ground but also shattered the soil.

    Nathan simply sent forth the emergency four bullets to the side of the sword strike and disrupted the flow of the energy, neutralizing this sword strike before reaching him.

    However, Davei only used this technique to buy time from Nathan.

    That precious one second allowed Rain to free himself from the bullets. This way, both of them could gradually close in if they repeated this process a few times.

    Seeing their n, Nathan changed his target. He was fully aware that Davei possessed a much more dangerous ability, so he sent all his bullets toward Davei.

    "!!!" Davei had expected this, so he just stopped and fully focused on the bullets.

    But that was when Nathan revealed the twist. All of a sudden, all those bullets suddenly flew curved toward Rain.

    "What?" Davei widened his eyes in shock.

    Because he had stopped, he wouldn''t be fast enough to reach Nathan or Rain. In other words, Rain had to fight those bullets himself.

    Rain gritted his teeth. Without the bear-person, he couldn''t fight all this. He hurriedly ran away, trying to take a few at a time. This way, he would make enough time for Davei to reach Nathan.

    Obviously, Davei was sharp enough to take advantage of this situation. He immediately rushed to Nathan, but that was what Nathan wanted in the first ce.

    Because Rain ran away, the distance between him and Davei increased drastically. As a result, Nathan changed the trajectory of his bullets again, focusing on Davei.

    "Kh!" Davei gritted his teeth and smashed several bullets, but he couldn''t advance forward. During that time, Nathan sent forth four explosive bullets into the mix.

    When Davei struck a few bullets, it turned out one of them was an explosive bullet.

    Boom!

    The explosion knocked him back, then the rest of the bullets headed straight at him.

    "NO!" Davei waved his broadsword diagonally. The Ena from his sword flew forward like the extension of his de, taking down several bullets.

    However, he only took down one explosive bullet as the other two managed to slip past his defense and strike the ground next to him.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    The explosions flung his body into the air as the bullets headed straight at him, trying to kill him.

    Davei managed to put the sword in front of him, blocking several bullets, especially from his vitals. However, three bullets managed to reach him and pierce through his arms.

    On the other hand, Rain had been trying to get closer to Nathan, but thetter had gone too far earlier. As a result, Nathan was able to create his bullets before he could arrive.

    "What?!" Rain clicked his tongue.

    Because of these bullets, he had to stop. He could try forcing his way through, but he would be too injured to put up a fight against Nathan.

    Rain was contemting whether to be reckless or not, considering the time they didn''t have a lot of time left.

    Sera had been observing the situation the whole time. ''Amazing. He was taking advantage of the fact that Rain was having a hard time taking them down. As a result, he was able to manipte the distance between them.

    ''After all, Nathan not only pushed Rain away from me but also from Davei. As a result, he could separate them and stop them from getting too close to each other.

    ''By manipting the distance between them, he can fight only one person at a time. Although it''s true that my Synchronization is required to do this, it doesn''t change the fact that Nathan''s field of view, control over the battlefield, and battle senses are pretty high.

    ''Most importantly, the real ability that allows such a thing is none other than Nathan''s control. It''s because he is able to twist his bullets freely that he can dominate the fight.

    ''If he chooses to abandon his control by programming each bullet, he won''t achieve this level. A summoner that dominates the battlefield, a Full Control Summoner, huh?'' Find your next read on mvl

 Chapter 324: Victor (Bonus)

    Sera was impressed by Nathan''s performance, but there was one problem Nathan had to face. Because he had topete and program all those bullets, he not only had to spend a lot of Ena, but he also needed a strong mind.

    No one had realized it yet, but if they touched Nathan''s head, they would notice how hot it was. He basically overworked his brain to make all those bullets. This was Leyfon''s concern.

    Still, Rain and Davei looked frustrated, not knowing that Nathan could copse at any moment.

    Since Rain waspletely upied with the bullets, Davei rose back while ncing at the current situation, wondering if there was anything that could help him.

    His familiars were still upied with their respective fights. Meanwhile, the mature ss alien had a hard time fighting Lees. It was clear that Lees had a better position, but Nidhogg and Fenrir would finish their battles first from the looks of it.

    As a result, Davei wanted to change that situation.

    Instead of going to Nathan, he tried to pressure Nathan by going toward his familiars.

    As one would expect from Nathan, he saw it and immediately sent the remaining bullets toward Davei, pinning him down.

    Rain pushed forward, closing in. Nathan had just blundered. If he didn''t help those familiars, he would still have the chance of killing Rain. When that happened, he could still fight Davei with his familiar, which was better than letting Rain alive.

    After all, Rain''s familiars would be gone if he killed Rain.

    However, Nathan was fully aware that his familiar wouldn''t be strong enough to go against Davei''s familiars. In the end, the only one who had the power of a mature ss alien was him, not his familiars.

    He could handle Rain''s familiars because Rain had be someone of that level not long ago, so his familiars were on the weaker side.

    It was different for Davei, who had been a mercenary and a strong summoner for a long time.

    That was why Nathan had to focus on stopping Davei.

    It only took a second for Rain to reach Nathan. Thetter turned around and formed a shield.

    Rain skillfully split the shield into two and closed in. Nathan clicked his tongue and blocked the shes with his gloves.

    However, Davei would soon solve all those bullets, so Nathan had no other choice but to risk his life.

    Nathan grabbed his robe and blocked the attack from the left, exposing his right side. With no hesitation, Rain kicked his side, breaking one of his ribs.

    "Kh!" Nathan endured the pain as he punched Rain with the Dragon Fist.

    Due to Rain''s position, he was able to block the Dragon Fist with his de, only letting the force from the Dragon Fist push him back a bit.

    Nathan used those precious two seconds to form his bullets and summon his bullets.

    He sent them immediately to Davei, stopping him again. Still, Davei wasn''t frustrated. Out of all the strategies they had tried so far, this was the only one working.

    They had no hesitation in using it again and again.

    Rain closed in again. They exchanged several blows, but Nathan was overwhelmed by Rain. In the end, thetter was a strong knight with a good foundation inbat. He had no chance unless he let Rain hit him.

    In the end, Nathan punched him again with the Dragon Fist, this time spitting a mouthful of blood after his side got kicked.

    Still, Nathan managed to gain a bit more distance.

    Nathan suddenly furrowed his eyebrows as if he were in pain, but not from the wound Rain inflicted. This little change didn''t escape Rain and Davei''s eyes. Explore stories on mvl

    More importantly, blood actually leaked out of his nose.

    Davei immediately turned around and rushed toward Nathan.

    Nathan clicked his tongue and wiped the blood with the back of his hand.

    He tried to re-summon all the bullets, but to everyone''s surprise, half of the bullets ended up disappearing into thin air as though he couldn''t keep them up anymore.

    "!!!" Davei and Rain saw their chance.

    ''That''s right. All those attacks must have taken a toll on his mind. There''s no way he can keep that up for a long time. His brain must be fried right now. This is our chance right now.'' Davei''s expression brightened. This was the best news he could get.

    ''In that case, we only have one chance.'' Rain''s expression turned solemn. Both of them charged forward.

    Nathan clicked his tongue and changed his control from a group of seven to a group of five. He sent fifteen bullets to each of them.

    Davei and Rain released their shields, blocking a group of bullets. As for the other two, they sped up, trying to outrun them.

    As they expected, several bullets hit them, but they didn''t mind. They knew they had to take this kind of risk if they wanted to kill Nathan.

    Four bullets hit Davei, while Rain took six bullets. Yet they ignored the blood on their bodies and continued onward, almost reaching Nathan.

    ''There is nothing left. He doesn''t have enough stamina to take us down.''

    ''You bastard. You are finally going to die.''

    Both of them were already frustrated that they wanted Nathan to die no matter what.

    Sera noticed this and shouted, "Nathan!"

    She looked like she was trying to run toward him, even if it meant endangering her lives.

    Lees widened his eyes in shock. He never thought that such a talented student would die. It was because he failed to take into ount the existence of the mature ss alien.

    Eliot and Lisa looked at Nathan with mixed feelings.

    When everyone thought Nathan would die, that was when Nathan actually let out a smile.

    All of a sudden, Rain and Davei halted their steps and struck to the right.

    Nidhogg perked on Rain''s sword and pushed him down while Fenrir struck Davei''s broadsword with all his momentum. More importantly, both of them were already wearing bandages from Anubis'' strength enchantment.

    With a confident tone, Nathan stated, "As I expected, the victor is me."

 Chapter 325: Defeating Davei and Rain

    Nathan could guess why these two end up being covered by bandages. In fact, the answer would probably never change. It was because of him.

    They must have been so concerned that they abandoned thepetition and focused on dealing with the enemies, even if it meant they would be out ofmission after this.

    As a summoner, Nathan felt blessed to have them as his familiars.

    That was why, instead of asking them about it, he simply shouted. "Sera. Switch!"

    Sera was startled. The order confused her for a moment, but after taking another nce, his words felt so clear.

    In that instant, she retracted her Synchronization on Nathan and poured everything into Fenrir and Nidhogg.

    This was Nathan''s way of measuring Sera''s adaptability and strength. She was able to react quickly, which meant the training paid off. However, her limit was apparent, especially with the fact that Sera chose to focus on Fenrir and Nidhogg instead of just keeping the Synchronization on him and adding Fenrir and Nidhogg after that.

    Nevertheless, it was enough.

    Fenrir and Nidhogg''s strength grew drastically.

    Fenrir struck Davei with his paw while thetter swung his broadsword downward. The two shed for a second before Fenrir actually overpowered him.

    "!!!" Davei looked shocked. ''What is going on? This wolf is clearly weaker than me, in terms of Ena. The gap is so big that his physical strength alone won''t be enough to bridge the gap. How can he be so powerful?''

    Little did he know, the bandage and the Synchronization allowed Fenrir to achieve such a feat. Of course, he also had his original extraordinary strength, but the support made him at least three times stronger.

    Rain was the same. He couldn''t withstand Nidhogg''s entire weight. He just made a simple sh in order to stop him for a split second before moving away.

    Chaos Breath.

    Nidhogg released his purple fire as Rain gathered all his Ena into a single swing, splitting the fire breath into two.

    Nidhogg knew that the difference in their Ena would be enormous enough to render his chaos me useless, but the breath was just an attack to hide the main one.

    Several purple fireballs appeared on top of Rain.

    He raised his head while furrowing his eyebrows. The fireballs suddenly fell on top of him and burst,bining with the me from the breath to re up.

    "What?"

    Rain jumped away as the me hit his chest and right arm. However, he still managed to block most of them with his shield and sword.

    Knowing that this battle had ended the moment Nidhogg and Fenrir killed his familiars, Rain knew they had to run away.

    Hence, he turned around and focused on his speed. Unfortunately for him, Nathan had seen through his intention from miles away.

    Before he could escape, 21 bullets dove in front of him, surrounding him. Rain clicked his tongue, knowing he had to sacrifice something.

    He pushed forward. If he failed here, there was no way Nathan would give him another chance to escape.

    Ten bullets hit his body. Rain protected his heart and head, but the bleeding was all over his body.

    Stay connected with mvl

    There was one more thing Rain didn''t take into ount. It was Nidhogg''s physical ability after being enhanced by Anubis.

    He increased his speed and struck Rain''s back with his tail,unching him to the side.

    Rain''s body crushed multiple trees in its way, having a hard time stopping it.

    On the other hand, Fenrir also gained an advantage against Davei.

    With his Gigantification and Synchronization, a single p of Fenrir was equal to the swing where he put everything he had in it.

    Fenrir and Davei unleashed their attacks while defending. They were trying to gain an advantage over each other, but there was simply not a single way for Fenrir to defeat Davei, at least not in a short run, let alone having not a lot of time after boosting his power forcefully.

    That was why Nathan sent 35 of his bullets to Davei.

    Davei stomped the ground and swung his broadswords, trying to destroy some of them.

    However, Fenrir abruptly held his arms so that he couldn''t move.

    "Get off me!" Davei let out a shout while releasing more Ena.

    However, Fenrir simply wrapped him in his paws.

    "!!!" Davei was startled. If Fenrir did this, the bullets would definitely pierce through his paws.

    Fenrir, of course, knew this. He simply smiled as the bullets pierced through his paws. Even with all those holes, Fenrir knew Davei would suffer much more.

    In addition, they had Anubis'' healing ability, which allowed such a tactic to be possible.

    "Gah!" Davei spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes lost focus due to the bullets hitting his body.

    Both Davei and Rain rose to their feet and took his chance to escape. Unfortunately for them, the two beasts stopped them and Nathan''s bullets ultimately hit them one more time, which ended up being fatal to them as Davei got hit on the chest while Rain got hit on the head.

    Nathan simply stood in his position with a smile. After all, the moment Fenrir and Nidhogg showed up, he''d already won.

    ''Amazing. To think he is able to defeat those two easily. In addition, he is able to rearrange our positions in a way where we''re able to utilize our powerpletely.

    ''The unique summoner might not necessarily be unique because of his beast. It''s also his abnormal ability. I have to report this to the academy. I''m sure they''d like to hear about it,'' Lees thought, while ncing at Nathan.

    Nathan simply pointed at his familiars while saying, "Your familiars are free now. Please take care of the aliens. Sera and I will handle the remaining bandits."

    Lees nodded. "Alright. It''s time to finish everything up!"

    Obviously, the first thing Sera did once Lees'' familiars came was head to Nathan and check his condition.

    Nathan looked calm as he said, "Sera. Take care of the bandits. Fenrir and Anubis have exhausted their strength, so only Anubis can help you."

    "What about you? You are burning up." Sera ced her hand on his forehead, worried about his health.

    "Don''t worry. I can recover if I just do nothing." Nathan smiled, assuring her, albeit blood leaked out of his nose once again.

 Chapter 326: Completing the Mission

    Now that Davei and Rain had been defeated, Lees could focus on dealing with the rest of the aliens. All his familiars immediately gathered around him and took the enemies down.

    Other aliens suffered the same fate as they were unable to stop Lees.

    It took half an hour, but the mature ss alien along with three hundred aliens were defeated.

    Sera, on the other hand, chased after the remaining bandits scattered around the area.

    Lisa did the same, but in the end, she still had a considerable amount of stamina. Hence, Nathan asked her to defeat the only summoner that hadn''t been defeated.

    Although Eliot was reluctant about it, Lisa still helped him take down thest summoner, allowing them to focus on dealing with other bandits or the aliens.

    With all seven summoners dead and two-thirds of the rest of the bandits dead or captured, the bandit subjugation request was consideredpleted.

    In the end, the bandits scattered all around the area, so they might end up dying in the aliens'' hands.

    Nathan was sitting on the ground with Sera helping himpress his burning forehead.

    "Fellow summoner, Nathan. I''m grateful for your help with this mission. Without you, we would have lost." Lees came to him and politely bowed his head.

    "Please don''t worry about it. Because you called me a fellow summoner earlier. Of course, we should help each other." Nathan waved his hand nonchntly. However, his message was pretty clear.

    If he wasn''t his enemy, they should help each other unless they wanted to end up like Davei or Rain.

    "Haha." Lees let out a hollowugh. "Still, we have a lot of loot from this mission, such as the cores."

    "You should take those cores. You are the ones who kill them after all." Nathan waved his hand, interrupting them.

    "No way. If not for you, we would have been defeated. Your n was able to outsmart them, and if it wasn''t for you defeating Davei and Rain, we would all die¡­ or even worse than that¡­"

    "This¡­" Nathan looked down. "Then, half?"

    "No. Let''s split it into three. You two and I one."

    Nathan opened his mouth, wanting to rebuke him. However, Lees politely lowered his head while saying, "Please. This is a request as a fellow summoner as well as a big brother."

    Nathan raised his eyebrows, slightly startled. Still, the bandits had said earlier that his younger sister would end up in a much worse predicament if they lost, so it was understandable.

    He thought for a moment before saying, "Alright. Let''s do it that way. In that case, I will check their hideout to see if we can rescue anyone or seize anything."

    "I will take care of the aliens and watch the bandits then." Lees nodded with a smile.

    After reaching an agreement, Nathan and Sera took their leave. Meanwhile, Eliot crossed his arms while saying, "Why do you split everything that way? This will make us look like a pushover. Besides, he''s right. You killed them!"

    "I have stated the reasons." Lees shook his head. "You should know that he is a unique summoner. His status is unordinary. The other person is the saintess. She will definitely report this mission to the Holy Kingdom. Imagine what will happen to us when that happens.

    "The contribution is clear. And since the saintess doesn''t like to be in the spotlight, we just have to give them clearly the portion they deserve.

    "This way, they will think more about us being upright, which will give them a good impression if we ever meet again.

    "In the end, less than 1% of the world''s poption is a summoner. It won''t be weird if we end up meeting them again in the future.

    "And with their strength, they will definitely be a famous summoner. If we solve the situation like this, at the very least, we have less chance to be their enemies.

    "Instead of a momentary gain, it''s better to n for the future. This is my lesson as your mentor."

    Eliot bit his lips, but he couldn''t refute any of his words. Giving them all that stuff didn''t mean he threw his pride.

    Instead, he showed he had pride, especially in his righteousness, by giving them what they deserved.

    He looked at Eliot with a smile. Eliot might look like a brat, but in the past, he was the same. And his mentor taught him a simr thing.

    It was the reason he could be much more mature. He just hoped this lesson could help Eliot in the future.

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Sera raided the bandit''s hideout and found several things.

    They gathered all of them and nned to split it with those three. Since there were no knights involved, they didn''t have to turn these items in. Even the baron had stated that they could get everything they found during the mission.

    In the end, they concluded the mission and brought back all the bodies and prisoners back to the town, which allowed the baron to take over.

    "There are still 60 or 70 bandits who are inside the forest. They either die from aliens or still try to survive. Nevertheless, the seven summoners have been killed in action.

    "With this, the bandit subjugation ispleted. I believe that you will be able to handle the rest, baron. In the end, we don''t have the manpower or resources to check every corner of the forest, but without those summoners, they won''t be able to do much."

    Baron Titus nodded his head. "I have confirmed the seven summoners as well as the bandits. I''m grateful for your help. Please enter. I''d like to reward you personally."

    They nodded their heads.

    Eliot didn''t realize at that time that the lesson Lees had just given would end up being useful so quickly.

    After receiving their reward, Sera suddenly approached them. Your journey continues with mvl

    "Hello. There is something I''d like to discuss with you three. I wonder if you have time to spare tonight. Would you like toe for a tea?" Sera asked with a smile.

 Chapter 327: Cube (Bonus)

    "Thank you very much for the help." Sera smiled, looking at the three people before her.

    "No. It''s us who should thank you. If not for you and Nathan, we would have been in huge trouble. It''s only thanks to you we''re able to win, so¡­ we''d like to express our gratitude here." Lees waved his hand.

    He was slightly surprised that Sera chose to talk with them alone instead of with Nathan. Then again, no one really wanted to get into trouble with the Holy Kingdom, so they knew no one would harm her.

    Sera chuckled. She began the conversation as usual, but no one realized it yet that Sera was just buying time.

    In fact, their conversation had stopped being real after a minute.

    Nathan, Be, and Evelyn entered the room.

    "Good work." Evelyn nodded. "We can now bring them to the base and check whether there''s an alien in their body or not."

    Nathan nced at Be. "Does your illusion work?"

    Be waved her hand. "Don''t worry. During the entire time, they will think they are still talking to each other. And after everything is done, the illusion will go with them going separate ways and sleeping. It will look so natural that they don''t realize they have been taken away somewhere. And the next thing they realize, they will wake up in the morning.

    "Of course, we will need your healing ability to make sure there is no scar. Once everything is over, they won''t realize anything." Be winked yfully, assuring Nathan.

    "Alright then." Nathan nodded, looking at the four people who were sleeping on the table.

    Unfortunately, Sera had to be taken as well since Be needed to be around to keep the ability up.

    Hence, all of them disappeared from the room.

    Nathan carefully carried Sera and gently put her on the sofa. Meanwhile, the others had gone to the operation room.

    "How is it, Neyeid?" Evelyn asked.

    "Hmmm¡­" Neyeid narrowed his eyes while pressing their bodies. "I think I noticed something¡­"

    "Is that so?" Be thought for a moment. "What should we do? Do we need a barrier or something?"

    "I have prepared the barrier." Christopher pointed down, showing the magic circle he had drawn in thest couple of weeks.

    He pped his hands and poured all his Ena into the circle. "Activate!"

    The magic circle started glowing and formed a translucent golden sphere that isted them from the rest of the world. "This should be enough."

    "In that case, I will do this fast." Neyeid nced at Nathan. Thetter summoned Anubis while instructing, "Heal him, but not too fast. Just make sure he doesn''t die."

    Anubis nodded with a serious expression.

    Neyeid then took out a set of knives and immediately sliced open their stomach. After that, he formed a smaller hand purely made of Ena before pushing it into the stomach.

    While the hand was wiggling inside the stomach as though it were trying to get something, Neyeid said, "I am a bit experienced in this. I heard you could cause them to have underlying diseases whatsoever that could kill the people from the inside, so I used Ena to ensure it didn''t happen. I had cleaned this room, so it should be fine as long as we worked fast and no one touched these people."

    Nathan nced at Anubis. He had heard about this a lot in the modern operation, but he wondered if Anubis could actually remove viruses or bacteria from one''s body.

    Then again, bacteria could be used by the bodies. If he ended up removing all the bacteria in one''s body, wouldn''t it be too powerful? Nathan thought about such a possibility.

    Before he could finish his thoughts, Neyeid was already done. He gently forked out a small cube from within their bodies. The cube was protected by Ena, so it didn''t harm the people.

    Experience tales with §Þ??

    However, the most important thing was the content of the cube.

    "I''m out. Nathan!" Neyeid warned him.

    Without hesitation, Anubis activated his healing ability to the fullest, closing the wound at the speed visible to the naked eye. For others, it was simply too amazing since it was so rare to see a healing ability this powerful.

    Meanwhile, Nathan took another look at the cube. Inside that cube was a living creature.

    It looked like a small worm alien, but more importantly, it had a ck skin, which was the characteristic of the symbiote.

    In addition, there was a small core, which was used as a fuel to maintain this barrier. It had been covered with another magic circle.

    There was aplex mechanism within this cube, so they had to be careful.

    Evelyn examined the cube while saying, "The barrier itself is made from the magic circle inscribed on the alien''s body. The skin is covered by symbiote, but once you reach my level, you will be able to see the magic circle.

    "The core is used as fuel. The magic circle in this¡­" Evelyn fell silent for a moment. "It''s not activated. Nathan, Be. You told us that the enemy actually broke another cube simr to this and the demon turned into an alien, right?"

    "Yes." Nathan nodded.

    "Are you suspecting that it''s controlled remotely by the main cube?"

    "Most likely. If I have to guess, the main pir is something they have in their base, while the cube, you see, is like the remote for a specific cube." Evelyn''s expression turned dark.

    "Are you saying that they have full control over all these cubes? If they end up destroying the main one, all these cubes will pop out and¡­" Nathan''s tone became heavy.

    "All the people who have been inserted will turn into an alien. And that will be a huge loss for the world." Christopher sucked a cold breath. This was inhumane. How could even people do this?

    Evelyn thought for a moment. "Neyeid. Check out the other two. Sonia is currently investigating other academies, so we''ll have to move fast¡­ No, we alone might not be able to do it.

    "Nathan. If we have two of them, take one of them to the old swordsman. Try to see if he has someone who can track down the magic circle. If possible, we should track them and hunt them down and secure the main cube."

 Chapter 328: Prejudice (Bonus)

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    Neyeid followed the instructions. He immediately checked Eliot and Lisa. As expected, they actually had them in their bodies. The problems would be their familiars.

    Be immediately used her abilities to control their bodies to summon their familiars. Of course, due to the gap between their strengths, the familiars didn''t realize they had entered her illusion.

    Within those illusions, the familiars believed they hadn''t been called, and it was just something they felt mistakenly.

    Neyeid was extra careful with their bodies, ensuring that they didn''t die.

    However, they didn''t know whether to be rejoiced or concerned after they didn''t find any cube within their familiars. Only the summoners were infected.

    "This¡­" Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought.

    Be couldn''t help but ask, "Evelyn. Are they from the same group that attacked us in the past? If they did this only to the summoners, they only wanted to eliminate the summoners, right?"

    Evelyn shook her head. "It''s too early to draw that conclusion. We have to check other summoners who have been infected as well. If out of fifty people, none of their familiars have such a thing, we can conclude their targets are only the summoners.

    "Still, this is weird. If they''re only targeting the summoners, it''s over for the summoners. However, if they target both the summoners and familiars, when the summoners call their familiars and they explode it for both of them, all of a sudden, even the familiars will remain in this world."

    "True. If my familiar turns into an alien, I will definitely recall them back and seek help. But if I can''t do it, then¡­" Be shrugged. It would be as Evelyn said.

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I''m more concerned about the fact they''re still progressing in this matter. Since their members have been taken out by us, they can either attack me or continue with other ns.

    "I''m assuming this is one of their ns, since it will create a lot of chaos. If there is a huge movement from our side, they will know and destroy the main cube.

    "That''s why we have to do this secretly, fully aware that the people who aren''t infected could suddenly get infected.

    "Even if we end up clearing all the potential infected people within the Duxia Academy, another one might appear."

    Evelyn understood his concern. It was definitely bad, but they didn''t really have any solution. "Do you have a suggestion?"

    "I will ask Sera to talk to them¡­ maybe any difort or anything happening recently. Although the cube is not big, it''s still within their bodies. So, we can assume there''s a change in the organs, which will cause difort. If we can get a symptom, we might be able to locate them at a much faster rate.

    "If we cooperate with the higher-ups of the academies, they can only notify a few people to secretly find out about their students'' conditions. That''s the only n I can think of right now." Nathan shook his head helplessly.

    "As expected, Nathan. You get a good n already." Neyeid grinned and gave a thumbs up.

    "It''s not even a good n. It''s just a standard one. And I don''t think this is enough." Nathan shook his head helplessly, looking disappointed.

    Evelyn thought for a moment before asking, "Can these things be exchanged for mature ss cores? I have a few ready, but I need one more week to get a total of ten mature ss cores. If we can exchange them, I should be able to get the rest of the cores within schedule."

    "That''s your concern?" Nathan smiled wryly.

    Be chuckled. Evelyn must have thought Nathan had yed a huge role and that the previous reward had to be handed first before she could think of another reward.

    On the other hand, Nathan raised one finger. "I can negotiate with the principal."

    "Alright." Evelyn turned to Neyeid. "We will need to handle this carefully. First of all, since we have confirmed them, we can track them down with Sonia and kidnap them like earlier."

    "But you will need Nathan every time. He''s the only one who can close the wound without a scar. Look at them." Neyeid pointed at the Lees and the others.

    Evelyn turned to Nathan. "In that case, I will grab you during the night. They''re asleep, so¡­" Evelyn stopped when she noticed Nathan''s annoyed expression. "Why do you have that face?"

    Be chuckled. "Come on, Evelyn. You should know the reason for such a healthy boy to make that face when you want to grab him every night. He simply won''t have flirting time with his girls."

    "¡­" Evelyn''s eyebrows twitched.

    Nathan sighed and said, "Three nights every week. That''s the extent I can help. Just make it consistent."

    "Alright." Evelyn paused. "In that case, you should stay away from other academies for the time being. If you suddenly change and love to go on a joint mission, it will be quite suspicious."

    "I know." Nathan nodded. "I''m preparing for my battle, so I will just focus on that."

    Evelyn agreed. "Christopher, you will maintain the barrier. Be will go with me as usual to make sure they''re confused. Neyeid is to take easy with your activity during the day, since you will be quite busy after this. That''s all for now. Dismissed."

    After settling the problem, Evelyn immediately brought them back to the mansion. He made sure that everyone slept in their room perfectly as the illusion.

    Nathan ended up sitting next to Sera, having a concerned face.

    ''I wonder how I should convince her this time. She has been a great help. Besides, I get two cubes. Should I sell one to the principal and the other one to the Pope? This should make Sera''s position more stable within the cube and increase my value in the Pope''s eyes.

    ''Still, the Holy Kingdom, huh? I don''t really want to do this, since 90% if not 95% of the stories I have read in the past usually paint the church as the bad guy. No, is it 99%?''

    Nathan sighed while looking at her sleeping face. He gently rubbed her cheek. ''Maybe I''m just too scared because of all those stories that I have been building a thin wall so that I can check the Holy Kingdom first¡­ Then again, this world is full of wonderful people with decent IQs, unlike those novels. I might have to put down my prejudice.''

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 329: Seras Positivity

    "Hehe." Sera chuckled.

    "In that case, we shall take our leave."

    "Yes. By the way, Mr. Lees." Sera paused for a moment. "I don''t know if you notice it or not, but does something good happen to you? It looks like yourplexion has be better."

    Enjoy new adventures from §Þ??

    "Is that so?" Lees tilted his head in confusion.

    "Yes. I think it''s not just you." Sera turned to Eliot and Lisa. "Both of you look better as well."

    "This¡­" Lisa looked down.

    Eliot thought for a moment and said, "I don''t know. Not long ago, we felt a bit ufortable or more like slightly full."

    "Full?"

    "Yes." Lees nodded. "After a certain mission, we felt our body a bit full. It was hard to describe it, but you could think of it like feeling full after eating."

    "Are you alright?" Sera sounded worried.

    "No worries. It''s nothing big. There''s a decrease in our appetite, but we don''t really have a problem in our daily life. We have checked our body as well and nothing is wrong. It might be because of growth or something, so it will gradually return to normal sooner orter. No disease whatsoever," Lees exined.

    "Is that so?" Sera crossed her arms. "Do you have anyone suffering the same thing? Anyone you know."

    "Yes. I know two people personally. And they have been checked as well, and nothing is wrong with their bodies."

    "Is that so? If it''s not too much, may I ask for their names?"

    Lees looked unsure but still nodded his head. "I think it''s fine. We are honored to have the saintess concerned about us. They are Wein and Lidia."

    "Alright. Since there''s nothing wrong, I hope you get well soon."

    "Thank you."

    Once they were done talking, Sera and Nathan left the mansion through the back door while Lues and the others exited through the main entrance.

    Nathan secretly noted their conversation. He looked hesitant but after considering a few things, he asked, "Sera. Do you mind if I ask you about something?"

    "Sure?" Sera nodded. "What do you want to know?"

    "What is your actual role in this agreement between the Holy Kingdom and the Frexia Academy?"

    "I am the envoy. Supervising¡ª!" Sera wanted to answer with the same thing, but she suddenly noticed Nathan''s expression turned solemn, as if he knew it wasn''t her role.

    Sera scratched the back of her head. "I don''t really have any roles. My Teacher wants me to do whatever I want, so I do exactly that. There''s really no obligation, so you don''t have to worry about it."

    "Hmm¡­" Nathan crossed his arms. "In that case, I don''t have to show the Pope about the aliens, huh?"

    "The aliens?"

    "Yep. Aliens the enemies are using to suddenly turn a familiar or a person to an alien."

    "!!!" Sera widened her eyes. "Are you talking about the alien that guy in the port town used to fight us?"

    Nathan nodded. "Since you don''t have any roles, that means I can just focus on the principal."

    Sera was stunned. Nathan wanted to know whether she had a role or not. If Sera didn''t change her statement, it meant she was clear and there was nothing he had to worry about.

    On the other hand, if she suddenly asked for that alien, it meant Sera still hadn''t revealed her true intention to him.

    In other words, he couldn''t really drop his guard against Sera.

    Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, Sera actually replied, "Sure. In the end, the agreement between the Holy Kingdom and the Frexia Academy is limited to the war deration.

    "There hasn''t been any action taken by the Holy Kingdom, so I don''t think you have to worry about it.

    "In addition, the Azilia Kingdom is the one providing the personnel, so there''s no need for the Holy Kingdom to intervene for the time being.

    "Besides, do you know what the Holy Kingdom is doing right now?"

    Nathan squinted his eyes before shaking his head.

    "We are the figure who is standing at the very front against an alien. Due to the nature of the terrorist organization, it''s obvious we have to dere war against them as well.

    "But right now, the Frexia Academy is the one facing it, so the Holy Kingdom hasn''t done anything yet. We''re currently focusing on the front line. That''s all."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. Did he make a mistake for doubting her?

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Alright. I understand. However, there''s going to be a huge movement soon, so you should watch out or inform your teacher about it."

    "Alright." Sera had a big, sincere smile.

    Nathan was taken aback by that smile. He could only look away.

    "What''s wrong? Why do you look like you''re feeling guilty about something? Have you done something bad?" Sera asked. "Ah! I know."

    Nathan nced at her.

    "You must be feeling bad for not letting me in your room! So, when can I move in?"

    "¡­" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. But after some consideration, he just sighed and said, "Not yet."

    "Yet?!" Sera''s eyes shed.

    "Well, I''m nning to get a courtyard after fighting venya, so until then, it''s not possible." Nathan shrugged.

    "Really?" Sera thought for a moment. "So it''s not about Selena''s rejection?"

    "There''s that, but well, we don''t have a lot of space. Even right now, my familiars don''t have enough space."

    Sera nodded in understanding. "Then am I allowed to stay there? Once you get the courtyard, can I move in?"

    "You should talk with Selena instead. You should know her disposition."

    Sera smirked. "Well, that will be easy."

    "Easy?" Nathan looked away. Instead of easy, it was more appropriate to say she would have to risk her life.

    "Anyway, you should report to the Pope. I''ll have to go to the principal room." Nathan waved his hand, walking away.

    "Fine!" Sera waved her hand while running away. She really made it look like joyous news.

    Nathan shook his head helplessly, unaware that there was a shadow staring at him from a distance.

 Chapter 330: Weapon

    Nathan took out a cube and asked, "How much are you going to pay me for this?"

    Sullivan was stunned and nced at the cube. "This is¡­ the alien you''re talking about?"

    "Yes. Your team can definitely analyze them, right?"

    "Of course."

    "Can you track them? Considering it is remotely controlled, can you follow it to locate the culprit?"

    "I''m not sure. There''s a high chance it''s untraceable. If they''re that easily tracked, they won''t survive this long. However, I will use all my connections to see if it''s possible to track them down."

    Nathan nodded. "So, how much are you going to pay me for this cube? Of course, in mature ss cores."

    Sullivan crossed his arms. "You have told me how to acquire this sample, so it''s not really that big of a deal, right? I can procure one if I need it."

    "Just tell me how much¡­" Nathan shook his head. "I have two of them, by the way."

    Sullivan scratched the back of his head. On the one hand, he could pay him low, but it would mean disappointing Nathan.

    It was true that Nathan and the organization that supported him had done a lot in the short amount of time. If he gave too little, there was a chance Nathan wouldn''t help them anymore.

    Sullivan raised two fingers. "I will buy them for 2 mature ss cores each, so 4 cores in total. They are in a good condition, so it''ll be easy to analyze them. However, I''m willing to fork out one more mature ss core if you tell me what you have in mind regarding this matter."

    Nathan shook his head. "I have yet toe up with a good n. Only that we can''t make a big move and force them to activate all those cubes."

    "True. Right now, it''s best to move secretly."

    "However, I do have information about their symptoms. Due to the location of that alien, they are feeling ''full'' and lose a bit of their appetite. It might cause other symptoms as well."

    "Hoh?" Sullivan narrowed his eyes. "If that''s the case, I can just contact the school doctor/nurse. They can ask the students casually without raising their suspicion." Discover more content at §Þ??

    "Yes."

    "It''s good if we can remove as many of them as possible, but it''s going to be hard to find tens, if not hundreds, of them."

    "I know that." Sullivan raised a finger. "For now, that will be the solution."

    Nathan nodded.

    "I will send you five mature ss cores to your roomter. Anything else?"

    Nathan contemted for a moment. "Has the Holy Kingdom done anything against the terrorist organization?"

    "Nope. The Holy Kingdom is just a figurehead right now. Unless it affects a lot of things, they won''t make a move. However, due to them nting the alien in other academies, they might take any actions."

    "I see." Nathan felt relieved. Sera was saying the same thing.

    "Well, I don''t know what kind of action they''re going to take, but there are two probabilities. First, they''re going to dispatch another saint or saintess to this academy or other academies. Or they''re going to send a holy knight to handle this situation."

    Nathan nodded, feeling assured. "Alright."

    "Before that, I''m curious about something. You have done a lot in the past month. Are you going to do something else? Something big again¡­" Sullivan asked.

    "What? Are you going to tell me to bring your granddaughter?"

    Sullivan shook his head. "No, not that. You should go to normal missions for the time being if you need cores. If you do too many things, they will suspect you. In fact, I have a perfect mission for you. It won''t take long and give a lot of reward."

    "A mission? I have just returned, you know. Am I supposed to leave again?"

    "Of course not."

    Nathan sighed. "I don''t think you will give me a simple mission."

    "Hahaha. Just think about it. I will send you the details about the missionter."

    "Alright then."

    "Oh, that''s right." Sullivan looked at Nathan with a serious expression. "Your fighting style is quite unique, you know that, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Is it something like this¡­" Sullivan raised his finger, imitating the gun hand sign.

    "Yeah. Is there something wrong?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "I kind of wonder why you don''t want a weapon. I mean, you should be able to get a weapon like that if you describe them to the artisan. Don''t forget that this is a magical weapon. It will amplify your power, giving you a much bigger boost in your firepower." Sullivan asked, "So, I wonder if you have a reason you''re fighting with gloves instead of that one? Then again, you can use both of them at the same time."

    Nathan contemted for a moment. "I have thought about it. However, there is one thing that makes me a bit concerned. If I use that weapon, that means I won''t be able to use the Dragon Fist."

    Nathan thought that holding a gun didn''t allow him to clench his fist for the Dragon Fist, which was annoying.

    Sullivan nodded. "Anyway, the mission I''m talking about is rted to the cksmith Guild. If you need a weapon or a consultation about the kind of weapon you need, you can do it after that mission. So, please think about it carefully."

    "Alright. Thank you for your concern, Principal." Nathan bowed and turned around.

    When Nathan stepped out of the principal''s office, he was startled as a person was standing outside as though she had been waiting for him the whole time.

    "Woah! You startled me. What is this? venya¡­ Are you trying to silence me? Or are you trying to retract the Summoners War?" Nathan smirked.

    "Retract the challenge? Do you think I''m scared of you?"

    "No? In that case, what are you nning to do here? Are you trying to sabotage me?"

    venya really wanted to beat him up, but this was not the time. She took a deep breath and said, "I''m here to finalize the challenge, such as the rules and the bet."

 Chapter 331: Rules and Bets

    Nathan and venya were sitting in front of each other. Jason couldn''t help but sigh as he became the teacher that supervised this fight.

    While turning to Nathan, Jason asked, "Are you sure about this? Nevertheless, your opponent is a second-year student. And it''s not only any other student. She is extremely strong. To be honest, I don''t see how you''re going to win against her.

    "I don''t think I need to tell you this, but once you enter the academy, you usually have a drastic improvement as you summon more familiars and get more Ena.

    "And once you reach a certain level, your progress will slow down. After all, there are limited numbers of mature ss aliens and warrior ss aliens you can hunt down.

    "That''s why most of the time, once you reach a certain level, you will progress sideways, as in summoning more familiars or giving your familiars more Ena and proceeding with their evolutions.

    "As such, the gap between you guys is much biggerpared to the difference between a second-year student and a third-year student. That''s why¡­" Jason paused for a moment, thinking how reckless Nathan was.

    Nathan shook his head. "Thank you, Teacher Jason. I know the risk, and I''m willing to take it."

    venya fell silent, fully aware of how unfair this battle was. Still, her purpose remained the same. She was going to defeat him so badly that he would think twice to continue bing a summoner. This was the only way for the Dragon King''s honor to be restored.

    Looking at Nathan''s stubbornness, Jason could only sigh. "Your Teacher has also given permission, so I don''t have the right to stop you. As such, I will proceed with the finalization of the battle.

    "First of all, we''ll be talking about rules. How are you going to fight it out?"

    venya red at Nathan. She obviously wanted to have an all-out battle, but Nathan might choose something else in a way it would benefit him. And considering their position, Jason would most likely side with Nathan.

    To her surprise, Nathan actually said, "We''ll be fighting an all-out battle. If I''m not wrong, you have four familiars you are currently fighting with, no?"

    venya was taken aback. She never thought Nathan would dare to go against her this way. She nodded. "Yes."

    "In that case, I will also fight you with four familiars. Since it''s an all-out battle, is it possible to request the biggest arena?" Nathan asked.

    Jason thought for a moment. "Considering the scale of this fight, yes, it''s possible. The biggest arena should be enough for now. But if you are any stronger, it will be better to hold it in a in instead."

    "The biggest arena should be fine. I can''t see any way to destroy it, especially since I heard it''s equipped with a magic circle that can contain our abilities," venya exined.

    "Is that so? In that case, I''ll send the approval for the biggest arena. Any time limit?"

    "We don''t n to put on a show." Nathan raised three fingers. "How about this?"

    "I don''t have a problem." venya nodded.

    "In that case, the time limit is thirty minutes. Since it''s an all-out battle, that means you and your familiars will fight at the same time. The strategy is up to you, and I will remain on the stage to stop any of you from killing each other.

    "Unless the other party surrenders, we will not stop the battle. However, if it seems like you''re stopping the other party from surrendering, I will use my authority to forcefully stop the match." Jason narrowed his eyes.

    This was a warning to venya.

    venya frowned, wondering if she wouldn''t be able to exact her revenge. Nathan surprised her once again by saying, "I don''t mind changing the rules to knock out or die. No need to stop the match if they haven''t surrendered. If they can''t even surrender, it just shows their ownck of abilities."

    "!!!" venya clenched her fists. "You¡­"

    Even Jason was stunned. He warned venya to protect him, but why Nathan actually courted death.

    Nathan raised a finger. "In exchange, how about raising the bet a bit?"

    venya fell silent. "Let''s hear it first."

    "If I win, I will get the room with the courtyard we''ve agreed upon."

    "Yes. That''s the initial bet."

    "I''d like to add two more conditions if I win. First, you will stay in the academy and graduate properly. During that time, you are to work with me to solve your anger issues. The Dragon King will pay for the consultation fee."

    "Anger issues? Do you think I have an anger issue?" venya stood up.

    Nathan pointed at her with a smug smile, as if telling her, ''See?'' He added, "Besides, the Dragon King has approved of this condition. This is his letter."

    Jason opened the letter and nodded his head. "It''s exactly as he said. I see both the signature and the seal of the Dragon King."

    venya hurriedly checked it and she was shocked Nathan could make the Dragon King agree. No, he might have scammed him again. "You¡­"

    "The second condition is that you have to go on a mission with me. One mission of my choice."

    "A mission? Who wants to go on a mission with you?" venya ground her teeth, but the Dragon King had epted it, so the only thing that he needed was her confirmation.

    Nathan raised a finger. "In exchange, in the case I lose, I will¡­ leave this academy."

    "!!!" venya widened her eyes.

    "NO!" Jason red at him. Nathan was the top student of his ss. He was also a unique summoner. If they lost, it would mean a huge loss for the academy.

    Nathan''s drastic improvement would also halt, which meant a huge setback in his life.

    It was a huge deal if he lost. In fact, it was so huge that venya thought about it carefully.

    After some consideration, venya answered, "Fine. Let''s do it that way."

    "NO!" Jason stopped Nathan, trying to change his mind.

    Nathan waved his hand. "I have my teacher''s approval, so no matter what you say, I won''t change my mind."

    venya thought Nathan was a fool. The chance of her winning was above 90%. Unless Nathan used an unexpected trick outside the battle like poison, she wouldn''t lose.

    Little did she know, a few days ago, Nathan had sent a letter to the Dragon King. And that letter stated, ''Dear Respected Dragon King, I''m going to beat up your daughter. I have 70% assurance that I will win, but I hope you can answer this one question of mine. With your answer, the chance of me winning against her will increase to 99%.''

 Chapter 332: Two Ways

    Sullivan pushed open the door, looking at his team working together. The researcher he previously met, the former leading Court Researcher, Simon, approached him.

    "Well, what do we have here? Why would the new principal of the Frexia Academy appear here? Are you tired of all that paperwork?" Simon asked, teasing him.

    Sullivan shook his head. "I''m just observing your progress. Is there anything you''d like to show me? Maybe you have found out where the enemy''s location is?"

    Simon opened his mouth. He looked happy at first but soon changed, as if he wasn''t sure about it.

    "There are few good news and bad news." Simon let out a long sigh. "Follow me."

    Simon led him to the deeper area where the cube was examined.

    "First of all, I''m going to say this. I''ve contacted several tracking experts, but none of them has any lead on how to track it down. It''s practically untraceable, so we won''t be able to find their headquarters'' location.

    "ording to them, the way for the main cube to affect all the cubes is by releasing a tremendous st. The st wave will carry a specific energy that will deactivate the cubes.

    "As such, destroying the cube will just turn them into aliens. And we have no way to secure it."

    Sullivan frowned. "Does that mean we will let those bastards get their hands on our lives?"

    "Not necessarily." Simon shook his head and pointed at the cube in the center of the tube. It was floating inside the tube due to the energy. He said, "Zein. Try Deili Herb."

    "Yes." The guy nodded and injected the liquid made of that herb.

    When it started flowing toward the cube, the alien started wiggling as if it was disturbed. But due to the cube, it seemed to be unable to escape from its dormant state.

    "Hmm?" Sullivan squinted his eyes, noticing something. "What are you trying to do?"

    "We are trying to find a way for two things. The first is to kill the alien in their dormant state. The second way is to bypass the cube itself and deactivate the cube.

    "Let me exin the second one first. Deactivating the cube will result in the alien waking up, which will turn the host into an alien.

    "However, if we can deactivate the cube, for instance, by applying a solution or a medicine, this will not raise their suspicion. We can distribute those pills or even let the school''s doctors or nurses give them the medicine. Since the symptom is just the feeling of fullness and the loss of appetite, losing that cube will remove that symptom.

    "If you look at the size of the alien, it shouldn''t be that harmful for a human."

    Sullivan opened his mouth, but Simon nodded in understanding. "I know, I know. If we dissolve the cube, the aliens will be active.

    "Hence, I am looking for the first one. How to kill the alien? First of all, the alien is ced outside the organs, so using the digestive system will be hard to do. Oral medicine will be impossible, but we can use something else like salve.

    "To do this, we need to tackle three problems. The first one is a salve that is effective against aliens but not harmful to humans. That''s why we''re looking for all kinds of materials that can be used against the aliens and gradually testing them.

    "For now, we haven''t found the materials that can kill the aliens, but because the aliens are in the dormant state and not extremely powerful, there''s a high chance we can find them.

    "The second problem is how to prate the cube. If we destroy it, the alien will be active. If we don''t, most of the power of the medicine will be stopped by the cube.

    "Hence, we''re trying to find a solution that can be used to bypass that barrier. I''ve contacted a barrier expert to learn more about the structures of the cube and try to use herbs or other materials to solve this problem.

    "Last but not least, we have to remove the alien inside their bodies. Even though the aliens would be dead if we managed to clear the first two hurdles, the aliens would basically be another ''organ'' that is not doing anything. If the aliens are rotting inside their bodies, it might cause other issues.

    "We are thinking about using a poison or turning the aliens into another thing entirely, for example, a darkness entity. If we can do that, the priests from the churches will be able to purify them, evaporating the aliens out of their bodies.

    "If we are able to seed in creating this medicine, we will be able to distribute them without anyone noticing it."

    Sullivan closed his eyes for a moment. If they really seeded, there was no need to kidnap them and operate them. And the enemies would be less likely to pick up on what was going on.

    Sullivan couldn''t help but ask, "Do you really need a single medicine to do that? Why don''t you just make a couple of them?"

    "Yes. We are able to do that. But we need to find the effective substance first."

    Sullivan crossed his arms. "What about other materials? I mean, there''s a restaurant weird enough in the east. They''re coating the food with edible gold. What if we use that kind of substance to create a sphere or item that can be digested by people? When they''re digested, they will activate their magic, which will dissolve or weaken the barrier, allowing your medicine to prate that protection?

    "Well, I don''t know how it works since I''m not a researcher. I''m just talking about dissolving a barrier in my own way other than brute force it."

    Simon dropped his jaw before pointing his finger at Sullivan. "T-That''s it! It might work!"

    "Huh?" Sullivan tilted his head in confusion.

    Simon didn''t bother to entertain him anymore. He simply ran away while shouting, "Enju! Enja! Contact the cksmith Guild. Also, where is my material list?"

    "Oi¡­" Sullivan sighed but soon smiled. It seemed everything was going to work out in the end. "I guess I have to take care of other things."

 Chapter 333: New Mission Partner (Bonus)

    "Guh¡­" Nathan let out a long sigh.

    Sera looked troubled. Nathan had been like this for the past few hours. "Are you alright? Shouldn¡¯t you eat first? There¡¯s no point in thinking about it right now. You have seven days."

    Nathan lied his head down on the table while grinding his forehead.

    All of a sudden, a pair of eyes appeared behind Sera. They carried an intense bloodlust. Her expression darkened as a chilling voice echoed.

    "What happened to him? You haven¡¯t done anything bad, right?"

    Those two questions sent chills down her spine as Sera couldn¡¯t help but scream, "Kyaaa!"

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    Sera hurriedly threw herself to the front before turning around, finding Selena with a cold gaze.

    "Selena?! What? What are you doing?" Sera gulped down.

    Selena walked closely to Sera, judging her. If she was the one causing Nathan trouble, there was no telling what she would do.

    Sera shook her head furiously while saying, "It¡¯s not me. It¡¯s not me. Trust me. Actually, he is contemting whether he should ept this mission or not."

    "A mission? What mission?"

    "It¡¯s a mission from the cksmith Guild. The principal has just given him this mission. If he seeds, he might get a weapon from the cksmith Guild."

    Selena frowned. "When is the mission?"

    "Seven days from now."

    "That¡¯s¡­" Selena looked down, falling into deep thought. "I¡¯m still too busy. I don¡¯t think I can go."

    "Yeah. That¡¯s one of the problems he¡¯s contemting."

    "Only one of the problems? What kind of other problems is he thinking about? Is the mission so hard that he can¡¯t think of a way to solve it?"

    "Not that¡­" Sera shook her head helplessly.

    Suddenly, Nathan opened his mouth. "The mission is hard, but not impossible. In fact, the first thing I¡¯m thinking about is that I don¡¯t really want to do a big mission in the next couple of weeks.

    "First of all, you¡¯re quite busy, so it¡¯s better to do a couple of normal missions and get a lot of cores for us.

    "If we want to do a big mission, it will be after we summon our fourth familiar."

    Selena thought for a moment. "So, the problem is you¡¯re thinking that getting this big mission without me will cause some inconveniences?"

    "Not really. I know your strength and talent. Not participating in this mission shouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to kill Sera if she ends up joining me on the next mission without you, right?"

    "Well¡­" Selena looked at Sera. Thetter smiled wryly. "Come on, big sister. No need to look at me that way."

    Selena sighed. "I don¡¯t know what I will do, but killing her is not one of them."

    Sera wiped the sweat on her forehead.

    "So, what¡¯s the problem?" Selena asked.

    "The problem is who I will go with."

    "Who?" Selena raised her eyebrows. "It¡¯s not just the two of you?"

    "The level of the mission is too high for only both of us. It is expected that we will encounter at least ten mature ss aliens. There¡¯s a rumor about a mutant among those ten aliens. That¡¯s why for this mission, it¡¯s required to have a major powerhouse among the students. And the principal has given me the name."

    "Who?" Selena squinted her eyes.

    "It¡¯s me!" A bright voice echoed in their ears.

    "!!!" All of them turned around, finding Flora and Noelle. And that voice from earlier was clearly not from Noelle.

    "Flora?!" Selena widened her eyes in shock. "You¡¯re going on this mission? No, you¡¯re leading this mission?"

    "Yes." Flora nodded with a smile. "I have finished my work. My vice president has returned to deal with the rest of the problems, so I can go. Besides, it¡¯s a big client, so I have to go."

    Selena looked at this sly smile and protested, "What are you doing? Since the mission is dangerous, shouldn¡¯t Noelle be the one to go?"

    She preferred Noelle to go because Noelle was rather stiff. There was no way Noelle would do anything questionable to Nathan.

    On the other hand, Flora was sly. She wasn¡¯t as deceptive as Nathan, but she had a higher chance than Noelle of outsmarting Nathan.

    Flora raised a finger. "The answer is simple. This time, the mission requires my expertise, specifically my earth spirit. Noelle doesn¡¯t have such an ability, so the principal asked me to go a few days ago."

    "That¡¯s¡­" Selena gritted her teeth.

    Flora waved her hand. "Anyway, I¡¯m here to ask for your response. Are you going to ept this mission or not? I prefer to only bring you since I can¡¯t afford to have a lot of mistakes in this mission, but I don¡¯t mind if you have Serafina go with us."

    Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. "Objectively speaking, I don¡¯t really mind about the mission itself. The reward is quite big, and having this kind of experience will help me a lot, especially in the uing fight against venya.

    "It¡¯s just¡­" Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    "Do you perhaps have a personal vendetta against me?" Flora pointed to herself. "Do you hate me or something? It feels like you¡¯re trying to build a wall against me. I can¡¯t see any of that in other people."

    "I don¡¯t really hate you or have any personal grudge." Nathan looked away, thinking, ¡¯Well, I have three most hated tropes whenever I read webnovels. They are the church, the throne, and a dense ck hole motherfucker.

    ¡¯I personally don¡¯t like dense people unless they¡¯re pretending to be one for one reason or another. The church is still questionable, but I can at least trust Sera for the time being.

    ¡¯But the throne battle is annoying. In fact, bing a noble alone is annoying, let alone having a connection to royalties. One wrong move, I might identally enter the throne battle and fight against other princes and princesses. Those bloody fights are something I want to avoid.¡¯

    Nathan sighed. "Well, can you give me one more day? I will give you the answer tomorrow."

    "Alright then." Flora nodded. "I¡¯ll be looking forward to your positive response."

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what he should do.

    After seeing Nathan¡¯s reaction, Selena grabbed Sera¡¯s shoulder and whispered with a solemn tone. "Come with me for a second. I need to tell you something."

 Chapter 334: Leaving Again

    "What do you want to talk about?" Sera asked as Selena dragged her to another room.

    After they were far enough, Selena turned around and looked at Sera with a serious expression.

    "Although this makes me physically sick, I have to tell you about one thing. Whatever you need to do, do it! Just make sure Flora doesn¡¯t get too close to Nathan."

    Sera raised her eyebrows. "Whatever I need to do? You mean anything?"

    Selena pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn¡¯t help but to recount what Nathan told her back then.

    She once asked Nathan, "So, are you going to get closer to Noelle and Flora? On top of that, venya?"

    Nathan was taken aback by the question. Looking at Selena¡¯s serious expression made him consider his response. Instead of pushing it away or joking about it, he decided to respond with his sincere thought.

    "Well, I can¡¯t say they¡¯re not beautiful. I don¡¯t know what kind of thought you have, but Flora is a no-no for me."

    "Do you hate her because she is maniptive?" She frowned.

    "Nope. It¡¯s just that her status is too special. I don¡¯t really want to have anything to do with the royal family. And I don¡¯t think I need to tell you the reason¡­"

    "Throne, huh?" She looked down, falling into deep thought.

    When Sera heard all this, she tilted her head in confusion. "Then you shouldn¡¯t be too worried about it. After all, Nathan is still amoner and it won¡¯t go that way.

    "In addition, Flora will definitely marry someone with a much better status, like another prince, for political reasons. The fact that she isn¡¯t that close to anyone means I¡¯m correct."

    Selena shook her head. "Now. Let¡¯s think about this."

    She pointed at herself. "Sage."

    Her finger then turned to Sera. "Pope."

    She then pointed elsewhere while saying, "Dragon King."

    Sera opened her mouth in surprise, as if she finally understood what Selena was trying to say. "Don¡¯t tell me¡­"

    "Yep. Who is the one that gathers all of us together?"

    "Nathan." Sera¡¯s expression turned solemn. "Even if we don¡¯t count venya, he is still the center of the connection of all those powerful figures. Marrying him means they will be able to ess those connections. In addition, Nathan is special and strong. He is also smart enough to overwhelm others. There is no way the royal family won¡¯t like such a connection. Even if they don¡¯t do anything, other princes or even princesses might use themselves as coteral in order to get his connections."

    "Now, you understand my worries, right?"

    Sera nodded furiously. "But what if Flora ends up losing her status as a royalty? Won¡¯t that solve the situation?"

    Selena widened her eyes in shock. She pinched the bridge of her nose and asked, "Has Nathan ever told you to not ask or say something along the lines? Ehm¡­ What¡¯s the term again? Jinx it?"

    Sera fell silent for a moment before opening her mouth in surprise as she grasped what she meant. Sera covered her mouth with both hands as if she had realized she just screwed it up.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Nathan wasing to Vivian¡¯s office, reporting all the situations, including the mission.

    "I see. Do whatever you need to do regarding the terrorist organization. I won¡¯t really intervene unless I think you¡¯ve gone too far or you ask for my help." Vivian nodded.

    "Thank you."

    Vivian nodded. "How about the mission? The cksmith Guild, was it? Mr. Thompson, who has a high-ranking elder dwarf as his familiar."

    "Yep. I¡¯ll be going there. I don¡¯t think I need a weapon, but I will go there to see if I really need a weapon or not. After all, having an expert opinion will surely be useful."

    "Got it. Do whatever you need to do. However, I heard this mission is a bit dangerous. It¡¯s not the matter of the mature ss aliens." Vivian looked down, falling into deep thought. "How do I say it? The God of Earth is angry."

    "The God of Earth?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "Gaia?"

    "Gaia?" Vivian had never heard about this.

    "Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Fenrir once mentioned the Goddess of Earth, Gaia."

    "Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re talking about the same person. Nevertheless, the earth has been shaking for quite a while over there. We don¡¯t really feel much here because of the distance, but you have to be careful. It¡¯s not stable in that ce."

    "Understood." Nathan nodded.

    "If there is anything you need to know or if it¡¯s something rted to my research, just don¡¯t hesitate to send me a letter. I will use my knowledge if it¡¯s necessary."

    "Yes. I know your research, so I know if it¡¯s rted or not. Thank you, Teacher. I will ept the mission."

    Vivian nodded.

    Nathan politely bowed his head and headed out. After getting Vivian¡¯s approval, he told Flora that he would go with Sera. Although it was a shame that Selena couldn¡¯t go, he spent most of the time with her in the next seven days.

    He also gave his blood to Risa, which made her even stronger. It would take a few months to a year or two to be a vampire royal, but all of them were looking forward to it.

    ¡­

    Even though he just returned a few days ago, he ended up taking another big mission.

    "Muaahh." Risa lifted her head and gradually pulled back from Nathan¡¯s neck. "I¡¯m done. Thank you very much."

    "Haha. No need to thank me. Support Selena while I¡¯m not here, will you?" Nathan yfully winked.

    "Of course!" Risa chuckled.

    Selena walked to him while bringing his bag. "Everything you need is in this bag. Make sure you finish it as quickly as possible and go back. I will definitely finish all my work in the next few days."

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    "Thank you." Nathan nodded. He put his hand into his pocket as if he were trying to find something. "Ah. That¡¯s right. Take this¡­"

    Selena tilted her head, wondering what he wanted to give.

    All of a sudden, he pulled out his hand while crossing his thumb and forefinger together, creating a heart sign.

    "What?" Selena didn¡¯t understand what he was doing.

    Nathan chuckled as he exined it. "Heart. This is a heart sign. Love you. Understand?"

    Selena smiled helplessly, not knowing what to do with this guy. Whenever he did something foolish but wholesome like this, her expressionless face just melted. She couldn¡¯t help but give a little peck on his lips. "I prefer this."

    "Well¡­ That also works." Nathan waved his hand. "I¡¯ll return quickly. Take care."

    Nathan didn¡¯t realize at that time this mission would lead to a much bigger problem than anyone had expected.

 Chapter 335: Earthquake?

    Nathan raised his head as he, Sera, and Flora had arrived at Conwell City, where the cksmith Guild headquarters was located.

    The first thing he saw was none other than the giant pavilion that seemed to reach at least twenty floors.

    "Woah?" Nathan thought, ''Skyscraper? Twenty floors, so about a hundred meters (328 feet) high?''

    "That''s the engineering marvel. The cksmith Guild headquarters. It''s said that it''s built two hundred years ago and has undergone a lot of renovation to ensure the stability of the structure," Flora exined.

    "That''s our destination, huh?"

    "Yep. We are going to the 19th floor, which is one floor below the top one. Do you want to put down our luggage first, or should we head to the cksmith Guild first? Since Noelle has vouched for your ability, I''m thinking about giving you themand for this mission.

    "I''m curious about the ability that Noelle regards so highly. Of course, I will do the talking and take over themand if necessary. What do you think?" Flora asked.

    "Let''s put down our luggage first. It''s going to be a hassle to go that high with our luggage."

    "Alright."

    All of them headed to the Axia Inn to check in. Since the mission wasn''t rted to bandits or anything that revolved around the intelligencework, they boldly came through the main entrance.

    Flora used the special privilege given to the student council to get the best suite in the inn, which provided several rooms.

    Nathan didn''t bring a lot, so he just tossed the bag next to his bed and came out, wanting to see the city.

    Considering the cksmith Guild headquarters were here, the city looked more advanced than any other cities he had seen before.

    ''Although it''s not as advanced as the modern world¡­'' Nathan looked around. ''The structure, the road, and other vehicles are quite advanced. Have they made a steam engine or something? But since I don''t see any machines, I guess they haven''t.''

    "A tourist? Are you sightseeing?" A guy with long blue hair walked out of the inn while lighting up his cigarette.

    "Yeah. Everyone would like to see the marvelous engineering of this city at least once in their lives. It''s amazing." Nathan nodded.

    "Is that so? I have gone to this ce multiple times. It has transformed a lot in the past few years." The man smiled. "There are a lot of things you should try. Should I give you some suggestions?"

    "It''s fine. I don''t want to trouble you. Besides, exploring this city without knowing anything sounds much more fun."

    "Hahaha. That definitely sounds fun. Alright. You won''t get anything from me. Still, you shouldn''t really be here for too long. I have heard that recently, this city is being cursed. There have been several incidents happening in thest few months.

    "The earth is angry, so it shakes violently. If you look around the town, you will see a lot of cracks in the buildings. They look fine, but some are already crumbling. If this continues, that huge tower might end up falling."

    "Woah? That sounds ominous." Nathan looked shocked. "The earth is shaking, huh? Is it happening only recently?"

    "Yep. I don''t know the details, but the inn staff has told me to calm down if the earth is shaking again because their building can withstand it. However, it will cause some mess, so just call the staff when that happens."

    "Fair enough." Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. ''Why do I feel the exnation is rather simr to something I''ve read in the past?''

    "Anyway, I need to get going." He straightened his back while extending his hand. "My name is Iskar. If we ever meet again somewhere, I will buy you a meal."

    "I''m Nathan. Haha. I should be the one buying you a meal. Thanks for the information."

    Iskar waved his hand and walked away.

    Nathan looked down, trying to recall the information. However, Sera and Flora had appeared before he could gather his thoughts.

    "Nathan. We''re done."

    "Sorry for the wait."

    "Should we head to the tower then?" Nathan nodded.

    "Alright. Let''s go."

    All three of them walked toward the cksmith Guild. As he expected, the building was quite advanced. Although it was not as advanced as he originally thought, the building had an elevator.

    It was a simple cube, like a cage instead of the interior he had seen on the Inte. In fact, this looked like an elevator inside a mine but was more neat and clean.

    The staff guided them to the room of their destination.

    The elder they had to meet this time looked like he was in his fifties. He was wearing a in white shirt and long brown pants.

    His room was a bit messy, which slightly surprised everyone.

    "Sorry to let you see this mess. I haven''t really cleaned my officetely."

    "It''s fine, Mr. Thompson." Flora nodded. "We are here for the mission, not to judge you."

    "Well, it''s just something that happened recently. I don''t know if you''ve heard about it from the city."

    "Do you mean the earth is shaking?"

    "Yeah. They''re exaggerating, but it''s truly happening recently. However, you don''t have to worry. People are already investigating the causes, but because of that, we''recking in manpower."

    "So that''s why you want us to solve this problem?"

    "Yep. North of this city, there is a mine over there. The location is only 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border. Due to the sudden shake, the area is basically flooded with the rampaging aliens.

    "They seem to be disturbed by the shaking as well. Or there might be the potential of a mutant alien that causes all this shaking.

    "Hence, I would like you to investigate the mine."

    "Is the mine empty?" Flora asked.

    He shook his head while taking out a letter. "No. There are a lot of people over there. If you need anything, just show this to the supervisor, and he will assist you."

    "I understand."

    "Still, be careful inside the mine. It''s going to be a bit dangerous if you enter the mine and the ground starts shaking. The mine might end up copsing."

    "We will keep that in mind."

    Nathan remained silent this whole time. After all, he was still trying to figure out what was going on with this area.

    What shocked him the most was what Thompson said next.

    "Still, I wonder if the earth is alive and gets angry by moving themselves¡­''

    ''Earth is moving¡­ Isn''t this¡­ Earthquake?'' Nathan just remembered the terminology. At the same time, the building suddenly shook.

    "!!!"

 Chapter 336: Natural Disaster (Bonus)

    The people were going back and forth inside the town. Although a lot of things happened in thest few months, they were still able to recover.

    However, everything changed when the birds suddenly leaped into the air. Animals started rampaging or doing weird things as if they were scared of something.

    The horses became uncontroble, resulting in them crashing into buildings or stopping entirely.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Is iting again?!"

    All of a sudden, the entire city was shaking.

    "NO!"

    It shook violently as people started falling to their knees, having a hard time stabilizing their bodies.

    "What is going on?!"

    The people were screaming and running if they were able to do it.

    *Crack!*

    One guy raised his head and turned it to the left, finding the building beside him suddenly crumbling. "Aaaahh¡ª!" He screamed, but soon that voice died out as the building buried him.

    Other buildings were suffering the same thing. However, most of them didn''t copse.

    As the tallest building in the town, the cksmith Guild headquarters experienced the shake much more violently than others. In fact, the people outside could see the building swaying left and right.

    "Kyaa! What''s going on? The earth is angry?" Sera ducked while covering her head with both hands.

    Nathan immediately pulled her into his embrace while covering her head. Thompson released his Ena, trying to protect the people around, while Flora summoned her Earth Spirit.

    The Earth Spirit looked around, feeling the shaking in the ground. It looked surprised and soon panicked. From its expression, the Earth Spirit was also clueless about what was going on.

    Only Nathan was able to figure out what was happening.

    ''Earthquake? This is an earthquake? Ah, fuck. I have read a lot of stories about a continent falling from the sky or a meteor destroying the world, but not a lot of stories using natural disasters as a trope.

    ''No, wait. There was a novel that exined an earth movement. What was the name of the novel again¡­ ''Let''s Find Oil in Martial World'' or something?

    ''If I''m not wrong, he has exined about several movements, but I don''t think any of his exnations can fit in this situation, especially since they''re talking about an earthquake at regr intervals.'' Nathan fell silent as if he thought about something.

    The shake onlysted for two minutes before it vanished entirely. However, the books, shelves, or other items had fallen to the ground, causing a big mess.

    Everyone was breathing heavily, looking at each other.

    Flora''s hands were shaking, but she hid them so that Nathan and the others didn''t feel scared. She asked, "Are you alright?"

    Nathan nodded while checking on Sera, who had a much bigger reaction. As a devout believer, she really thought the god was angry, thinking this was the end of the world.

    She was shaking, so Nathan had tofort her.

    Meanwhile, Flora checked her clueless Earth Spirit before turning to Thompson. "Was that the shaking you talked about earlier?"

    "Yeah." Thompson nodded with a grim expression. "This is a mess. We have to calm down the city again."

    "Is this happening all the time?"

    "Since a few months ago. It has been happening more often recently. At first, the second shock came four months after the first one. The third one came three months after the second¡­ And the one earlier was the fifth." Thompson nodded. "We have dispatched the team to investigate it, but we haven''t found out the cause yet."

    Flora looked disappointed. This made her a bit scared to actually enter the mine.

    To their surprise, Nathan''s voice echoed in the room.

    "Earthquake."

    They both turned their heads to Nathan in confusion. "What did you say?"

    "Earthquake. The terminology to describe this incident. I read this in the book (novel) in the Ancient Library (Inte)." Nathan sighed. "The world''s crust is moving."

    "Do you know what''s going on?" Thompson gasped.

    Nathan raised both hands, pointing at each other. "The crust¡­ or more easily to understand¡­ There are several big ''grounds'' all around the world. If they are moving apart from each other¡­"

    Nathan moved both hands away from each other. "This is called Divergent. It causes volcanic eruptions and shallow earthquakes.

    "On the other hand, if they''re moving toward each other, the pressure between these giant lumps of ground will be so high that they increase the temperature and turn it into magma.

    "However, there''s a certain point where they''re unable to withstand each other anymore. And¡­" Nathan suddenly moved his right hand upward while the left hand was downward. "The one moving upward creates a mountain range. That breaking point causes arge earthquake. The third movement is where these two tes are slidingterally past each other.

    "Last but not least¡­ a movement because of magma, which can cause earthquakes as well. Isn''t there a record about something like this happening when a volcano is about to erupt? I think this one might be the cause of this earthquake. A volcano might be about to erupt¡­"

    Everyone dropped their jaws to the ground. They never heard of anything about this. Nathan was so lucky that he could read it in the Ancient Library.

    Thompson looked down while muttering, "I have heard about this before. Now that I think about it, the Ancient Library is made by a Dwarf King¡­ Don''t tell me, the record is there? I see. If it''s a Dwarf King, he might know something about this. Earthquake, huh?"

    Thompson fell into deep thought, his expression bing more and more serious.

    "What''s wrong? Is the theory he read in the Ancient Library wrong?" Flora asked, worried. If Nathan was wrong, she was ready to apologize. At the same time, she never thought Nathan had this kind of knowledge.

    Thompson shook his head. "The problem is¡­ There are no volcanoes around here. The nearest one is located."

    Thompson looked around and grabbed a map. He opened it and pointed at a location.

    "This one. It''s located more than 350 km (217 miles) from here."

    All of them looked shocked. With such distances, they didn''t think it was possible to affect them.

    Nathan let out a long sigh. ''I wonder if there''s more information from that novel¡­ I should have read more sci-fi novels based on real science.''

 Chapter 337: Rampaging Aliens (Bonus)

    Everyone looked concerned. After knowing what happened, Sera became a bit calmer.

    "Do you know anything?" Flora asked her Earth Spirit. Thetter shook its tiny head. Flora fell into deep thought. "What should we do then?"

    Thompson raised his head. "I will talk to the investigation and provide them with this information. Since it''s from the Ancient Library of the Fairy Queen, it should be pretty credible. We will proceed with that information in mind."

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought this mission would end after they killed some aliens. However, they were wrong.

    Flora turned to Nathan. "I''m really d that I brought you here. I know you''re useful."

    "Before thanking me, I think we should go right away." Nathan shook his head.

    "Go? Where?"

    "The mine. This kind of earthquake will cause a huge mess over there. They might need our help, especially to rescue the miners."

    "Ah!" Flora gasped in realization. She immediately said, "Yes. We''ll go there immediately. Mr. Thompson!"

    Thompson nodded. "Alright. Make sure you don''t do anything dangerous. If it''s not possible, retreat immediately. We can''t exin to the Azilia Kingdom if something happens to you."

    Flora acknowledged his words and waved to Nathan, signaling him to go.

    Nathan rose from the ground, helping Sera, who gradually calmed down.

    "Thank you, Nathan. The situation bes clearer after your information. I never thought you would have all that information. I''m really speechless." Flora smiled. "I''m really d I brought you here."

    "Still, we haven''t figured out what causes it. There''s a chance an alien might cause this as well." Nathan shrugged, thinking, ''In this kind of world, anything can happen. In fact, the aliens we''re facing can survive in outer space, right? What if they end up sending a huge meteor to this world¡­ Like the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaur?

    ''Fuck. I thought I was lucky that I got reincarnated in this world, since I could pursue a dream that I had. If only I got reincarnated into a much safer world and enjoyed a slow life¡­ My luck is practically negative.''

    Nathan closed his eyes for a moment before ncing at Flora. ''That too¡­ Flora''s status is annoying, but it can also help me through a hard time. If I help Flora, thetter will definitely help me back.

    ''Maybe I should tell her about some mythologies revolving around elements like Undine? Well, don''t be too hasty for the time being.''

    After some contemtion, Nathan added, "Flora. I think we need to clean up the area first. Since there are a lot of aliens near that area, the earthquake might not only destroy the mine but also cause the aliens to rampage."

    "Still, it''s pretty far from here. There is no teleportation circle near that area. Can your dragon bring us there?"

    "Yes. But it will take about an hour or two."

    "That''s fine as well. We have to reach there, but don''t tire yourself out. We know how dangerous the situation can be with many mature ss aliens."

    "Got it."

    The three of them picked up their luggage and immediately headed outside the city. Only after leaving the city could Nathan summon his dragon before taking off into the sky.

    On the way, Nathan asked, "Is this city near the sea or something?"

    "Hmm¡­ It can be said it''s near, but not that close either." Flora thought for a moment. "It''s in that direction."

    Flora pointed to the east.

    "East, huh?"

    "Yes. Ournd is surrounded by water, but ording to the legends, there are othernds across the ocean. No one has ever found it and returned, but the theory is there.

    "The cksmith Guild is located east of the continent, and much further from this is the ocean."

    Nathan raised a finger. "It might be an underwater volcano."

    "There''s a volcano underwater? Doesn''t a volcano have magma in their belly? If it''s inside the sea, doesn''t that mean the magma is fighting against the sea all the time? How''s that going to work? There was once an experiment that dumped a huge amount of water into the volcano, but the water instantly evaporated and caused a steam explosion. If there''s an underwater volcano, won''t the sea heat up or even evaporate entirely?"

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "I don''t know much. I read those books, not understand them."

    "Fair enough." Flora nodded.

    "Anyway, I''m just pointing out another possibility. It''s, by no means, the truth."

    "Yep." That possibility made her fall into deep thought. "Does this also make the sea god angry?"

    "Sea god?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion but soon linked to another disaster. "Tsunami?"

    "Tsunami?" She tilted her head in confusion.

    "Yeah. If this earthquake happens underwater, it can cause a tsunami ording to the book. This tsunami I''m talking about is a high wave that carries a lot of energy. It can sweep away an entire city near the ocean with ease."

    "Yes. That! To think the Ancient Library also has that kind of information." Flora shook her head helplessly.

    Nathan couldn''t help but wonder what she would do if she knew it came from a novel from another world. And what would her response be if she knew that the master of the Ancient Library would be summoned to this world again through his master? He ended up with a headache.

    However, that headache became even more serious when they reached the site.

    "Nathan¡­" Flora gasped. They could see the mountain the cksmith Guild was mining. There was a colossal mature ss alien leading hundreds of aliens.

    A group of fighters seemed to be resisting, but with that number, they couldn''t really do much.

    Nathan scanned the area and said, "Sera and I will take care of that mature ss alien. You should handle the rest of the aliens and rescue those people. If possible, find the supervisor and coordinate with them. There''s a chance another mature ss is among those aliens but with a smaller size, so this is much more suitable for you since you won''t die easily from a sneak attack.

    "And you have the authority of the group, so you should go." Nathan didn''t wait for her reply as hemanded Nidhogg. "Go."

 Chapter 338: Worse Scenario

    Nidhogg sped up, heading straight toward the mature ss alien.

    As soon as they were directly above the people, Flora jumped off Nidhogg''s back. Her wind spirit helped her descent.

    Meanwhile, Nathan examined the mature ss alien as well as other aliens from the sky.

    The alien looked like an elephant. It had six legs as well as tentacles covering its back.

    The size alone was concerning, as the elephant caused a small tremor just by moving. There was a chance it would end up causing even more major problems in the mine.

    On the other hand, the mine''s entrance was located at a slightly elevated position on the mountain. It would be a problem if the mature ss alien would climb the mountain since there was a high chance the mine would copse.

    However, if they focused on the mature ss aliens, the rest of the aliens would surround those people.

    He knew Flora was strong, but he didn''t know her exact strength.

    Hence, he wanted to y it safe. "Sera. Take care of the enemies over there. Make sure that you stop all the aliens in the center and those that wille after that, so I and Flora won''t need to care about them.

    "Flora should have enough ability to take care of the entire left side while protecting those guys."

    "I understand. Do I need to boost your ability?"

    Nathan pondered. "Yes. Give me your Synchronization. Currently, we need to push that giant alien away from the mountain. Hence, I need a lot of firepower."

    "Got it."

    When they were about to reach the elephant, Sera and Nathan leaped off Nidhogg as they summoned their respective familiars.

    Nathan said, "All of you will take care of the aliens on the right side. Make sure no alien passes because I have to fully focus on that freaking elephant."

    Fenrir and the others nodded their heads.

    Anubis used his Synchronization before leaving.

    Sera did the same before going with her familiars.

    Nathan skillfully positioned himself between the mountain and the elephant.

    The elephant-like alien had a body reaching as high as thirty meters (98 feet). It seemed to be nning on unleashing all its weight on the mountain.

    Hence, Nathan summoned his bullets, but this time he didn''t split them. He just made two giant spheres andbined them into a single bullet.

    The elephant noticed him and waved its trunk to smash him.

    Nathan shot the bullet first and hit its body.

    The bullet exploded upon impact, causing the alien''s body to sway left. To his surprise, the alien''s body remained intact.

    In addition, the elephant recovered almost immediately and smashed Nathan. Thetter managed to jump away, but the impact caused a shock wave that knocked him to the ground.

    He then summoned thirty explosive bullets and shot the right side of the body, trying to knock the elephant to the ground.

    A series of explosions echoed on the battlefield, and it looked like the attack was working. The elephant''s body was tilting almost forty degrees. It would soon lose control and fall to the ground.

    The elephant surprised Nathan for the second time. The tentacles on its back stretched themselves to the limit and hit the ground, acting as a support pir that stopped the elephant from falling.

    ''Are you serious?'' Nathan narrowed his eyes. ''I''m hitting it with explosive bullets boosted by Anubis and Sera. And it''s still not enough? And it only scratches the surface of its skin. How thick are they?''

    Nathan clenched his teeth. It looked like killing the mature ss alien was possible, but it would take too much time.

    Fenrir and the others focused on their respective battles. Yet Nidhogg''s chaos fire created another concern. It looked like Nidhogg was going all out.

    Although he had promised not to burn trees, it didn''t change the fact it was just a second priority.

    Nidhogg wouldn''t have gone all out if the aliens were not fierce. Hence, it appeared there were a lot of strong aliens among them.

    He thought there should be at least a few juvenile ss aliens among the enemies. A mutant might also be possible. While Nidhogg and the others were strong, their Ena hadn''t reached the level where they could fight a mature ss alien by themselves.

    Sera was able to manage due to her Synchronization, but if the enemies were the same. She might end up using too much Ena in the process.

    ''This does not look good. Are we going to have trouble against a single mature ss alien?'' Nathan bit his lips.

    And the situation was actually worse than he thought. He told Lees he was better at fighting humans because they were relying on their rationality during the fight.

    On the other hand, even if the alien had a certain level of rationality, they would still rely on their instinct.

    That instinct had just proven to be extremely annoying.

    A deep horn sound echoed from within the elephant, as if it were trying to call other mature ss demons.

    They suspected there were ten mature ss aliens. If all of them came to this ce, even Flora might not be able to take them on by herself.

    The situation became even more hopeless on Flora''s side.

    Floranded next to the people that seemed to be ready to fight the alien. All of them looked scared because the enemy''s numbers were too high. It was impossible for them to take care of those aliens by themselves.

    If they ran, they would end up getting ughtered from behind. The people inside the mine would also be exposed to danger.

    They might have to sacrifice their lives today.

    When the hope looked bleak, Flora made her appearance. Without waiting for them to react, Flora said, "I am Flora Vietta Ezelia, the student council president of the Frexia Academy. I''vee under the request of Elder Thompson. I need to work with all of you in order to escape from this current situation. Where is the supervisor?"

    "Supervisor?" The people looked at her with a worried expression. They said, "The supervisor is inside the mine."

    The moment she heard that reply, her heart sank.

 Chapter 339: An Even Worse Scenario

    "The supervisor is inside the mine."

    "The mine?" Flora''s heart sank.

    "Yes." They nodded. One of them stepped forth while exining, "Because of the shake not long ago, a part of the mine copsed. He was bringing people in to rescue the workers."

    Flora bit her lips. ''The situation doesn''t look good. In this scenario, thest thing you want to do is go into the mine. Not only the earthquake, but the alien can also cause another copse. It''s especially true with an alien of that size¡­ What should I do? Should I go to the mine?

    ''But Nathan and Serafina will be in danger. Should I abandon them? The mission will be considered a failure.''

    As a royal, she understood that her own life had a higher priority. She didn''tck people who would sacrifice their lives for her sake.

    However, it didn''t mean she could just abandon them like this.

    Even though they weren''t her subjects, she was still tied to a contract.

    ''Should I ask Nathan? Although I hate to say this, that guy might have a solution to this situation. No. I''m hoping he has a n. If we don''t have one, I need to take a more drastic measure.''

    Flora bit his lips. She was forced to make a decision when she heard the deep roar of the elephant.

    "!!!" Flora raised her head and immediately summoned her familiars. "You guys. Go rampage in this area. Kill as many aliens as possible and ensure the safety of these people and mine."

    The spirits nodded without hesitation. "You guys wait here."

    The people were confused, but Flora had already leaped toward Nathan. She pointed her palm at the alien and formed a magic circle. "Advanced Lightning Elemental Magic, Thunderbolt."

    A bolt of lightning flew toward the elephant.

    Boom!

    A massive explosion hit the elephant''s right side, causing it to almost fall down. It was wailing as though it were in pain.

    "!!!" Nathan raised his head as he noticed a presenceing her way.

    When he turned around, he saw Flora reaching his location.

    "Flora? What are you doing here?"

    "The situation doesn''t look good. The supervisor is leading people to rescue the workers inside the mine. It doesn''t seem like we are able to retreat." Flora pointed at the elephant. "I should take care of this mature ss alien. My familiars are rampaging on that side. As long as you can also unleash all your abilities to kill the rest of the aliens, we should be able to finish all this within fifteen to twenty minutes."

    "This alien has a tough skin, though."

    "Yes. Don''t worry. I might not be as strong as Noelle, but my firepower is the strongest."

    Nathan nodded immediately. Although he wanted to kill the mature ss alien by himself, he realized the situation didn''t allow him to do so.

    If he was stubborn, it would be toote.

    However, the enemies seemed to have exceeded their expectations.

    "Huh?!" Flora widened her eyes in shock. Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg picked up threats from all directions due to their sharp instincts.

    They looked around and realized the predicament they were in.

    Nathan was confused, so he followed what they were doing. Chapter Enjoy:

    "Ah shit." Nathan gritted his teeth. From the north, he could see more than a hundred aliensing. They were easy to spot because they wereing from the sky. Yeah, all of them were flying aliens.

    More importantly, he could see a giant humanoid alien. Instead of a beard, it had tentacles. There was a pair of wings on its back as the alien was holding a giant club made of the symbiote.

    His instinct was telling him this was a mature ss alien.

    From the east, he could see a giant six-legged spider. The legs looked simr to humans, and the top of its body was filled with many tentacles. This, too, was a mature ss alien.

    Underneath the spider was a cloud of dust, showing that there were also a lot of aliensing with the spider.

    From the west, he found a worm that bulldozed everything in its path,ing at a much faster speed than the rest of the aliens.

    Last but not least, they didn''t see anything but a dust cloud. However, Nathan''s familiars were most wary of this direction, as if they realized the strongest one was actuallying from this direction.

    ''What is going on? Howe all those aliens move so fast? If they''re near us, Flora would have noticed. Nidhogg should be able to sense them too.

    ''The fact that they haven''t sensed it this whole time means they''re not there. It''s as if the alien is moving as soon as we arrive here.

    ''Are they waiting for us? No. The alien might be smart, but they shouldn''t be able to use such a tactic. In other words, something is going on without our knowledge. We have been trapped.''

    Nathan bit his lips. The situation was looking worse. There were at least five mature ss aliens in this area, along with a few hundreds, if not a thousand, lower-level aliens. The number of juvenile ss aliens must have surpassed a hundred as well because Nidhogg had a hard time earlier, showing the ratio between juvenile ss and proto-ss aliens.

    Unbeknownst to them, there was a man watching them from afar. He was the person Nathan met earlier in the town, Iskar, or more like Iskar Haygaiden.

    Iskar smirked. "Well, how are you going to handle this? If he is able to survive, it means he has another backer protecting him, as long as I don''t sense the Sage. If he doesn''t survive, the Sage will lose a piece he needs.

    "Of course, I''m going to kidnap him right before the alien kills him. Still, Master has told me not to mess with Nathan for the time being, but there''s no better time than this. I need to know whether the Sage is the one moving piece, or this guy is a hidden threat."

 Chapter 340: Nathans Choice

    "Nathan. There''s a very strong aliening from that direction." Fenrir returned to Nathan''s side.

    "The mutant?" Flora''s expression turned solemn.

    "Can you handle all these mature ss aliens if I can take care of the rest of the aliens?"

    "Three mature ss aliens and one mutant, huh?" Flora paused for a moment. "Noelle and I once killed a warrior ss alien, but our individual level is not at that level yet. If these four are just normal mature ss aliens, I might be able to do it, but I might have to use everything I have, including my familiars, to handle the mutant alone.

    "So, it''s impossible." Flora shook her head, disappointed that she wasn''t strong enough.

    Nathan, on the other hand, squinted his eyes, thinking about the situation. They had been surrounded, and the enemies left them with only a little time.

    ''Someone must have set this up. Who is their target? Is it Flora? Or is it me? Regardless, if we try to break through, there''s a chance that the other six mature ss aliens that haven''t reached this area are following right behind them. In that scenario, we might not be able to break through even with Flora.

    ''In addition, it also means we''re abandoning the mission. All the people will die. While I''m not necessarily a hero, leaving people behind without fighting back gives a bad taste to my mouth.

    ''Should we fight? Should we ask the supervisor to evacuate the mine? No. We don''t have enough time.''

    Nathan''s expression turned grim.

    "Nathan." Flora pointed to the west. "Should we escape? I will bear the responsibility. Although you will hate me for saying this, a summoner''s life is much more precious than that of a normal person. After all, only less than 1% of the poption in this world is a summoner."

    Nathan squinted his eyes.

    ''I have three ways to solve this problem. The first is to use the contract to grant me godlike ability. I haven''t tried it yet, but I might be able to get space or time ability. Then again, time will require a lot of Ena since I might end up altering the entire world''s time or even the universe? The space is the same. If I end up using thousands of Ena to use that kind of ability for a few minutes, I''d rather summon another familiar.

    ''Or maybe other abilities are enough? I will end up showing my cards to Flora, and I don''t know what will happen after that. But it''s better than dying here.

    ''The second solution is to call for help. If the Sleeping Garden reveals themselves, they should be able to resolve this situation easily. At least Evelyn has that strength.

    ''However, if the mastermind is aiming at me, they will realize I''m the threat, not the Sage. I will end up facing more trouble.

    ''Last but not least, summoning a new divine beast. I currently have about neen thousand Ena. I can use ten thousand and the rest to bring up one familiar to ten thousand Ena mark. They can handle one mature ss alien each.

    Chapter Read:

    ''Sera and I will handle thest mature ss alien, while Flora takes care of the mutant. The problem in this scenario is what to do against the lower-level aliens. They''ll be running rampant and killing a lot of people.

    ''Is there another summoner in the mine? If there are multiple summoners, we might be able to take care of this situation. But it will change if the other mature ss aliens will being as well¡­

    ''Or should I just escape from here? It will be bad if we''re surrounded by all ten mature ss aliens, but I don''t have to reveal my card.''

    Nathan never thought he would face this dilemma. When he read novels, he couldn''t care less about the people in that world. If they were massacred, he considered those people as random people and didn''t put much thought into it.

    Aftering to this world, he knew that was not true.

    When he came to a military camp, he saw all the soldiers tearing up for theirrades who had fallen on the battlefield. Those people had their families as well.

    Their expressions, their words, their farewell...everything was nted in his mind.

    In the past, Noelle was once forced to undergo a summoning ritual, resulting in the iplete ritual.

    "Nathan! We don''t have a lot of time yet!" Flora once again warned him. She was about to take over and make the best decision for the group.

    "Make a choice you will never regret in your life¡­" Nathan took a deep breath. Out of all the options he had, he really needed to enter the mine. Nathan asked, "Can your spirits strengthen the mine? Just make sure we''re able to hold out for a bit¡­ Ten minutes is fine."

    Flora thought for a moment before nodding her head. "I can."

    "In that case, let''s go to the mine. I''ll be summoning my fourth familiar and we''ll resolve this situation. We don''t have a lot of time, so we''ll have to kill all these aliens within a short amount of time."

    "Inside the mine? Summoning your fourth familiar? Are you insane? Do you even bring any items to do that?" Flora looked worried. After all, she didn''t want Nathan to suffer the same fate as Noelle.

    To her surprise, Nathan smiled. "I''mpletely fine. Besides, I have a recement."

    "Recement?"

    Nathan suddenly ran toward a certain tree and used all his strength to pull the tree out.

    "A tree? That''s¡­ a mulberry tree?"

    "Yeah. I need your help to bring this to the mine. The entrance is small, so I need your full strength to make sure it enters the mine. I will bring Sera."

    "Are you sure about this?"

    "There''s an awesome guy in the past that told me this¡­ ''Do what you need to do so that you don''t regret your choice at the present. If you worry about everything, you won''t be able to make a decision. Instead, use every bit of your wisdom to solve the problem that wille because of your choice.'' That''s why I''m fine."

    Flora bit her lips. This was her fault. She was so adamant about bringing Nathan and Sera here that she ended up ruining their future.

    But the enemy was chasing after Nathan. Even if she didn''t bring him here, they would definitely do it at ater date.

 Chapter 341: Former Fourth Familiar

    "Sera. We''ll be retreating into the mine." Nathan reached Sera and immediately turned around, ordering, "You guys. Prepare for a retreat. We''ll coordinate with the people and push away all those aliens until the retreat ispleted."

    Brunhild and the others nodded.

    Nathan rained down the bullets upon the aliens, gradually overwhelming them. Brunhild was holding the rear while Fenrir and the others monitored the entire situation, especially against the mature ss aliens.

    "Go in! Hurry up! Go in!" Flora waved her hand, ordering all the people to go inside the mine. She was apanied by two spirits on her side. The first one was her earth spirit that would reinforce the mine, while the other one was her nt spirit, trying to nourish the tree.

    If Nathan nned to use this tree as a sacrifice, she tried to give it in the form of a much better tree.

    When the evacuation waspleted, Flora raised her voice. "Nathan, Serafina!"

    Nathan nced at them and immediately retreated into the mine, leaving behind their familiars.

    The nt spirit entered first, carrying the tree inside. Due to the small entrance, a portion of the tree snapped, and the leaves were falling down. However, the tree could still enter the tunnel and head into the deeper part of the mine.

    As soon as Nathan and the others entered the mine, the earth spirit raised the soil to seal the entrance. After that, it touched the ceiling and poured everything he had to reinforce this giant mountain.

    Nathan and Sera recalled their familiars that were still outside. Due to the space, Nathan only summoned Anubis in case something went wrong and they needed treatment.

    Nathan asked, "Is there a bigger space in this mine?"

    "I have asked them. There is a big cave inside."

    "Got it." Nathan turned to Sera. "Sera. Help me create the summoning circle. We don''t have time, but please treat it carefully."

    Sera nodded. She was worried that Nathan would end up ruining his future, especially with the fight against venya right around the corner.

    What she didn''t know was that Nathan had wanted to test this in the past. Since his summon was guaranteed to be a divine beast, he wondered if he could use something else instead of a powerful item to summon his divine beast. Although he wanted to give the best treatment to his summoning ritual, he expected there would be a time like this.

    "Flora. We''ll talk to the supervisor. If possible, I want to kill that elephant before we have to face the rest of the enemies. Still, whoever did this really pissed me off."

    "Who?"

    "I don''t know. However, I know it''s a human."

    "Not an alien? The mutant can definitely arrange this kind of thing, no?"

    "Not really. If the mutant is the one creating this situation, the mutant will definitely bring all nine mature ss aliens. The fact that there are only four¡­ five mature ss aliens means the enemies don''t know about the rest of the aliens or it''s a hassle and simply think five of them are enough."

    Flora looked down, falling into deep thought. At first, it looked like she was at fault since there would be a lot of people wanting to kill a royal. However, Nathan and Sera had the same worth as her.

    Hence, she didn''t know who the target was. But she would definitely find out about this and punish whoever dared to do such a thing.

    Anubis, on the other hand, was fixated on the tree that Nathan chose. He couldn''t help but recall what Nathan said when they tried removing the curses on the Sleeping Garden''s base.

    "The fourth familiar needs to be someone strong and skilled and who would allow me to utilize my contract. From all these reasons, I think I know which divine beast will be my fourth familiar."

    "And that is?" Anubis squinted his eyes.

    Nathan smirked. "Tenko or known as the Heavenly Fox. Tenko is a nine-tailed fox or Kitsune who has transcended the limit and be a heavenly being. Nine-tailed foxes are more famous for their illusion, which means I can do what Be does. The illusion will allow me to utilize my contract since I can force the other parties to sign it."

    Anubis chuckled. "I''ve heard from Fenrir that Kitsune is also a shape-shifter and mostly known to turn into a beautiful woman. Is that your main reason?"

    "Do you think I''m such a man?" Nathan looked wronged.

    However, Anubis nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I do. And you can''t make me think otherwise."

    "¡­"

    Recalling their brief conversation made Anubis realize how much Nathan nned to sacrifice in this summoning. He didn''t know what kind of divine beast he was nning to summon or the defect that this new familiar had. Still, he knew Nathan had just made a big decision.

    Anubis couldn''t help but ask, "Do you need anything? My blood or something?"

    "No. I''ll be summoning him with this tree, my blood, and Nidhogg''s blood." Nathan turned to Flora. "If possible, can you release a powerful ability that can take down the elephant in one strike? You have injured it a bit, so do you think it''s possible?"

    "My earth spirit will be out ofmission since he is using all his Ena to reinforce the mine. I will also need to use a certain amount of Ena to take down the elephant before fighting against the mutant¡­" Flora muttered before nodding his head. "Alright. I should be able to manage."

    "Thanks!"

    "No. I should be the one to thank you." Flora clenched her hands into fists.

    Nathan smiled as he assured her, "Don''t worry about it. If you still feel guilty, how about giving me their cores? I don''t really mind since I''ll be losing a lot of Ena for the summoning."

    Flora knew it was just to make her happy and free of guilt, but that small gesture warmed her heart. In the royal pce, she had been isting herself because most of them were maniptive. But this small, wholesome gesture was something that kept her sanity intact. With a bright smile on her face, she nodded. "Of course!"

    "We have arrived!"

 Chapter 342: Demands (Bonus)

    The space immediately opened up. More than a hundred people appeared in their vision. Some were injured, some were taking care of others.

    The thirty people that wanted to fight the aliens were the first ones to notice.

    Flora didn''t bother to maintain her etiquette and just asked out loud, "Where is the supervisor¡ª!"

    Before she could finish her words, the mountain suddenly trembled heavily.

    All of them were covering their heads, afraid that the mountain would copse.

    Outside the mountain, the elephant had climbed the mountain. The humanoid alien smashed the mountain with its club, causing all this tremor.

    Fortunately, the earth spirit managed to use his power to reinforce the mountain. Although it wouldn''tst for long, it should buy them some time.

    A guy raised his hand and hurriedly rushed toward Flora. The people around him followed suit.

    "I''m the supervisor, Daniel."

    "I''m Flora Vietta Ezelia, the student council president of the Frexia Academy. I need you to cooperate with me right now. I have the letter from Elder Thompson." Flora looked around. "How many people are there?"

    "There are a total of 160 workers. I have brought a hundred people with me."

    "The number doesn''t add up." She frowned.

    "Yes. Fifty people have just gone down to rescue the rest."

    "Tsk." Flora clicked her tongue.

    Nathan immediately said, "Anubis. Treat the injured ones."

    "Alright." Anubis immediately headed off.

    After a brief assessment, she immediately asked, "Do you bring a summoner with you?"

    "I have brought two summoners."

    "What level?"

    "ording to their certification, they are able to fight multiple juvenile ss aliens. However, they''re not strong enough to challenge a mature ss alien."

    "Where are they?"

    One person raised his hand. "I''m the summoner."

    "Another one is going down with the crews." The supervisor added.

    Flora''s expression turned solemn. "Recall that summoner back here. I''m sure these people have told you about the situation. There are five mature ss aliens outside the mine, with one of them being a mutant.

    "In total, they bring over a thousand lower level aliens. That''s why we have to fight back or the mature ss aliens will be destroying this mountain.

    "I need your summoners and all fighters to take care of the lower level aliens. Me and my team will be taking care of the mature ss aliens and arge portion of the aliens."

    "What?" The supervisor looked shocked. He never thought they would have to fight. "If you are from the Frexia Academy, that means you should have been warned about the situation. Why did you not bring enough people?"

    Flora gnashed her teeth. They never mentioned working together like this, especially due to the earthquake. It was the fault of the cksmith Guild that didn''t state such a thing.

    While the cksmith Guild didn''t know about the earthquake itself, it didn''t change the fact that they should be held ountable.

    She had brought enough people. But because of the situation, Nathan had to sacrifice himself for their sake.

    She was so angry and frustrated that she grabbed the supervisor''s cor and said out loud, "With my position as the First Princess of the Azilia Kingdom, I order you toply. If not, dead!"

    The supervisor was trembling, especially when Flora was exuding all that killing intent.

    Even the others were scared. Flora''s Ena leaked out of her body, showing that she would definitely do it.

    She could easily kill this supervisor and change to a new one who wouldply with her demand.

    With her status, the cksmith Guild would definitely turn a blind eye to this.

    The supervisor gulped down and turned to the right. "C-Call him back. Bring all the knights back."

    "But, sir¡­ the workers¡­"

    "Are you kidding me? We can still save them if we move fast enough. But if this mountain is destroyed, not only those workers, but we will also die. Hurry up!"

    The people couldn''t say anything. In the end, the guy brought several people and headed down.

    Flora took a deep breath to calm down. "I need a space for a summoning ritual. Also, I need the map and the situation report."

    The supervisor turned to another guy. "Make a spot."

    Sera ended up following him since she would be the one making the summoning circle.

    The supervisor continued, "The situation is looking grim. There are screeching noises all around the mountain. We are assuming that there are aliens trying to break into the mountain. That''s why a lot of fighters are going down. They are there in case the aliens suddenlye out of the wall.

    "There are also a lot of injured people. If we try to make a run for it, I''m afraid¡ª!"

    Nathan interjected him. "Don''t mind the injured people. No one is injured anymore."

    "Huh?" The supervisor was confused and saw Nathan pointing at the people.

    One injured guy who was bandaged all over his body suddenly stood up while shouting, "This is a miracle! I can feel my feet again. I think I can run like I''m in my prime!"

    "My familiar will take care of the injured ones. And we have to kill the aliens fast in case the enemy''s reinforcements areing. When that happens, we will truly have no other choice. If we can do it fast, we can send rescuers, and my familiars will heal them. This way, more people will be saved," Nathan exined.

    Flora added, "That''s why I need full cooperation from all of you. The entrance is blocked, but I''m sure the aliens will being sooner orter. We''ll set up a defensive position and kill those aliens before the situation worsens."

    "Right, Map! You need the map to do it." The supervisor nodded furiously. "Ajin, go fetch the map. Mike, you gather the people and equip them with anything you can find. We''ll be moving ordingly. Bring out the rock bolt and manually strengthen the rock so that it can withstand the enemy''s attack a bit more."

    "Got it."

    However, they seemed to not have a lot of time left. Another tremor happened as a few rocks fell to the ground.

    Anubis caught the nearby rocks with his bandage, but the cave itself showed a sign of copse.

    Nathan looked at the ceiling and muttered, "We don''t have a lot of time. A few minutes at best¡­"

 Chapter 343: Nathans Fourth Familiar (Bonus)

    "We''ll reinforce this area." Nathan exined to the two summoners and the rest of the fighters before Sera''s voice echoed from the distance.

    "Nathan. I''m done with the summoning circle."

    "You should go. I''ll handle the rest. The sess of this defensive battle relies on you." Flora nodded. "The people havee back, so once you''re done with the summoning, we can fight them."

    "Alright!" Nathan dashed to Sera and checked the summoning circle. "Everything is good. I can proceed to the summoning."

    "Yes." Sera nced to the side. Anubis came to him, bringing the mulberry tree into the circle. "Everyone has been healed. This is the tree. Do you need anything else?"

    "No." Nathan summoned Nidhogg. "I need your blood."

    "Take as much as you need." Nidhogg understood their circumstances. If he was stingy, there was a chance the summoning would go wrong, so he just gave whatever Nathan wanted so that all of them could survive.

    Nathan nodded. Before stepping into the summoning circle, he couldn''t help but think about one thing. ''Is this summoning ritual fated? Has someone jinxed it? There''s only one way to find out. If the thing I need the most to summon this familiar appears, fate is truly ridiculous.''

    Nathan stepped into the summoning circle. Nidhogg cut his palm and let his blood drop before moving away.

    Nathan thanked Nidhogg and cut his wrist because he might need a lot of blood for this.

    ''I don''t know if it''s going to work or not, but if my blood is special, it''ll work.''

    Nathan looked down at the summoning circle as he began to unleash his Ena.

    Instead of starting with the chant right away, Nathan actually began with something else.

    While closing his eyes, Nathan muttered, "In the legend, there were originally ten suns, each represented by a golden crow. These suns took turns crossing the sky on chariots driven by the sr goddess, Xihe.

    "One day, all ten suns rose at the same time, scorching the earth. The mighty archer Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns with his bow to save humanity, leaving only one sun to illuminate the world.

    "You, who are the sole survivor, now represent the sun. Your legs represent the three phases of the day: morning, noon, and evening."

    Flora couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows. They didn''t have a lot of time, so why did Nathan not start it already?

    Still, the legend of what he was trying to summon sounded scary. She never thought Nathan was actually nning to summon the sun itself.

    Flora couldn''t help but wonder what kind of being woulde out of that summoning circle.

    All of a sudden, another tremor shook the mountain.

    Her earth spirit fell down to the ground as if it were unable to endure the power.

    *Crack!*

    All of them could hear that loud cracking sound and raised their heads.

    Flora panicked because she saw the elephant and the humanoid aliens. They actually used all their strength to destroy the top of the mountain.

    That was right. They crushed the top, causing all that rock to fall down. Even though they were pretty high on the mountain, that amount of rock would definitely crush them.

    The wind spirit appeared next to Flora as it generated the wind to push away the rocks.

    "Kh." Flora gritted her teeth. If the mature ss aliens attacked again, even she would have a hard time with so many people she had to protect. "Nathan. We don''t have time!"

    Nathan actually smiled when the roof copsed.

    The sunlight illuminated the cave. More importantly, it felt like all that sunlight was concentrated on the summoning circle, as if thetter were absorbing the sunlight itself.

    "It seems fate itself wants you toe out." Nathan''s expression turned solemn. "O'' Miracle of the World, Divine Being of Summoning, please use my body as the beacon and grant the beloved being your passage. By my name, Nathan, heed my call ande forth to this world, the great being of another world."

    In that instant, all the items fused into one and formed a sphere.

    "Watch out!" Flora shouted, seeing the humanoid alien reaching for Nathan.

    Before Flora could protect her, the sphere suddenly shot up into the sky.

    Flora was confused, Sera examined the sphere, and the aliens didn''t know what was going on.

    All of them looked at the sphere in the sky.

    "Reveal yourself to this world," muttered Nathan.

    Suddenly, the sphere expanded to be bigger than the elephant''s body.

    It unleashed a heat that no aliens could expect.

    In the past, Nidhogg was able to release that dragon roar, but this time, the familiar had at least four times of the Ena Nidhogg took at that time.

    The sphere was burning and released heat so hot that it burned everything in the surrounding area. The aliens covered their bodies with everything they had, whether it was their tentacles or their arms.

    However, the heat was burning them, forcing them to retreat.

    The lower-level aliens scattered around the mountain got hit by the heat and started burning. If not for the fact they were much farther than the two mature ss aliens, they might end up evaporating.

    The trees on top of the mountain red up and soon were reduced to ashes.

    Everyone couldn''t help but drop their jaws to the ground. Most people covered their eyes because they couldn''t see such a bright light.

    Sera and Flora managed to look at it a bit, but they became even more shocked.

    The sphere felt like the sun had descended on top of this mountain.

    Within that sphere, they could see the shadow of a crow with three legs.

    The sphere gradually formed its flesh and body before a golden crow shot up into the sky and pped its wings, scattering the intense heat from the sphere.

    Dozens of aliens instantly died due to the heat. The mountain was on fire.

    The golden crow was flying in front of the sun. While spreading its wings, it released a loud cry as if proiming itself as the ruler.

    Name: Jinwu

    Level: 119

    Race: Three-Legged Crow

    Quality: Good (High)

 Chapter 344: Fenrir and Jinwu

    Flora''s body was shaking uncontrobly as she gazed upon the sun that Nathan had just summoned.

    ''He is really summoning the sun? No, that''s not important. Howe he is able to summon a familiar of this magnitude without a good item? He only has a mulberry tree. The dragon''s blood might be good, but his blood?

    ''Now that I think about it, he is talking about the familiar''s information. Considering he has gone to the Ancient Library, does he know a different version of the summoning chant? Is it like a prayer?

    ''Nevertheless, it doesn''t change the fact that he can release a beast of this level.''

    Back in Noelle''s day, she managed to summon a high-ranking demon, but that was with a huge defect. The reaction wasn''t as big as Nathan''s summoning.

    ''If he can even summon a familiar of this level with such a preparation, it''s clear that in the future, his familiars will be of the same level or even higher. Although their paths might be different, he might be able to go toe-to-toe against the likes of the Sage. No, he might even surpass them.''

    Flora gulped down as though she were thinking about something.

    "Flora! What are you doing?" Nathan shouted while pointing at the elephant.

    "Ah!" Flora snapped back, almost forgetting about her role. She immediately leaped into the sky while summoning all her spirits.

    As soon as she got a clear view of the elephant, she channeled her power into a massive magic circle. It even created threeyers.

    "Advanced Elemental Magic, Lightning Dragon."

    The magic circle fused into one before summoning a long dragon. The lightning dragon flew toward the elephant.

    Thetter was still affected by the burning sun but managed to tilt its body so that its trunk would hit the lightning dragon.

    To the alien''s surprise, the lightning dragon burned the trunk with intense heat before hitting the alien''s head.

    The alien let out a cry, trying to use its tough body to withstand the power of the lightning dragon.

    "It''s impossible to stop it in your condition, especially after I pour 40% of my Ena. You have to die now." Flora muttered coldly.

    The lightning dragon suddenly let out a roar and started melting down the head.

    The elephant looked shocked, but there was nothing it could do. Once the lightning dragon broke through its tough skin, it melted its flesh and blood, piercing through all the way to its body before exploding.

    Boom!

    The explosion engulfed the elephant''s entire body.

    It onlysted two seconds before the effect of the explosion was revealed. The lightning dragon obliterated the entire body as the alien''s core dropped into the ground.

    The long legs of the elephant fell down and crushed trees or aliens underneath it.

    The death of the mature ss alien made the aliens even angrier. They were nning to kill Flora with everything she had.

    However, her gaze was fixated on the humanoid alien on the ground. The humanoid alien had a round head with multiple red eyes surrounding it. It didn''t seem to have a mouth.

    The mutant had a pair of wings and its arms looked like a human. Each finger had been covered by the ck cell, causing the nails to look like des. In addition, the arms had several tentacles that could extend and shrink depending on what the alien needed.

    Sera flew right after with Brunhild, looking at the giant worm. "Our mission is to kill that worm with Nathan. It''s going to be hard, but we don''t have a choice. I will focus all my abilities on you since you''re probably the only ones who can prate the worm''s thick skin right now."

    Brunhild nodded. "I understand. I will do my best."

    Nathan, on the other hand, had stood on top of the mountain with Nidhogg''s help. Fenrir and Anubis had appeared at his side.

    He first nced to the side as the fighters and summoners from the cksmith Guild emerged from the tunnel.

    "Let''s go. We''ll fight those aliens!"

    "They''re scary, but we just have to handle the little ones."

    "Ooh!"

    They looked pumped up, especially since the mature ss aliens had been contained by the sun earlier.

    Nathan positioned them around the worm so that they could take down all the unnecessary aliens while Sera fought the worm. If they did a great job, they could peel off aliens from Flora''s side as well.

    Nathan turned to the giant humanoid while saying, "Nidhogg, Anubis. You two work together with Fenrir and peel off those pesky aliens. Jinwu doesn''t need help, I think¡­ His power is centered on abilities that could kill a lot of targets, so make sure Fenrir can kill the spider."

    Nidhogg and Anubis nodded. Although they were a bit disappointed, it seemed Nathan had chosen Fenrir to fight the spider this time.

    Nathan raised his head, looking at Jinwu. He raised his hand and showed the contract he made with Fenrir.

    [In exchange for killing the mature ss alien spider, Nathan is to give him 7,500 Ena up front.]

    Fenrir''s expression turned solemn. "Are you sure about this?"

    "Well, I don''t know what kind of thing will happen with the addition of Jinwu, but ording to your legend, once you are able to free yourself from the chains, you will devour the sun. Jinwu represents the sun, so if something happens, you are the one who needs to contain him.

    "I hope nothing goes wrong... Either way, this is a task for you, Fenrir. Kill the spider as quickly as possible and start rampaging on other battlefields. Your power focuses on your superior physical abilities, so you will be able tost longer in a battlepared to others. So, kill those aliens."

    Nathan then turned to Nidhogg and Anubis. "Sorry, both of you. That''s how it is¡­"

    Anubis and Nidhogg nodded. "It''s fine. We first need to survive from this situation."

    Nathan smiled. "Go, my family."

    Anubis leaped into Nidhogg''s back as both of them took off. Fenrir felt the weight of the responsibility and swore not to disappoint Nathan and the others.

    Gigantification.

    Fenrir''s body gradually expanded, matching the size of the spider. His eyes turned bloodshot as he let out a howl.

    There were two abilities he got from getting all that Ena, and he used both at the same time.

    "Absolute Strength (Low)."

    "Divine Body (Low)."

 Chapter 345: Jinwus Domain

    *Cry!*

    Jinwu rose into the sky and flew toward the humanoid alien.

    The humanoid alien was quite surprised by the intense heat from Jinwu''s summoning. Now that the heat was gone, the humanoid alien let out a roar while waving down his club, ordering the aliens to charge toward Jinwu.

    Jinwu rose into the sky as a giant sphere appeared on top of his head.

    The alien looked concerned, but it didn''t give the same intense heat as the previous sphere, so he thought it would be fine.

    The aliens were flying toward Jinwu, trying to surround him.

    Jinwu then entered the sphere and pped his wings. It broke apart the sphere and turned it into a wave of zing sun.

    Most aliens were fast enough to avoid it, but more than ten aliens failed. They were hit by the zing wave and scorched to death. Their skin turned crisp. Even with the ck cell that made the alien able to resist intense heat, it wasn''t enough.

    Because of this attack, the alien became even more wary of Jinwu, knowing thetter could kill a lot of them at once.

    In fact, the residual zing wave continued until it hit the ground and burned the trees and soils. Continue reading at M-V-L

    The humanoid alien moved toward Jinwu, covering the gap between them in just two giant steps. He waved his club down.

    Jinwu flew back, trying to avoid it, but surprisingly, the club was extended, hitting Jinwu''s body.

    Bam!

    Jinwu crashed into the ground. Still, he rose into the sky almost immediately and spread its wings. His mouth was wide open.

    For a split second, it felt like the sky turned dark for a moment as the sunlight was absorbed by Jinwu and stored in his throat.

    The moment he spat out, the sunlight turned into aser that first hit the ground. As Jinwu lifted its head, theser moved toward the humanoid alien. Thetter raised the club to protect himself, but Jinwu didn''t care. He continued lifting up his head until theser hit the sky.

    The humanoid alien endured intense pain.

    Theser hit his left leg and the left side of his body all the way to his shoulder. His chest was protected by the club, but that was the only thing that remained unharmed.

    The rest had the skin turn ck as if it had turned into molten rock.

    The alien took a step back. In the end, the previous attack was to buy time for the rest of the aliens to surround Jinwu.

    Jinwu squinted his eyes. As the legend said, it was said that the three legs of the golden crow represented the three phases of day.

    Jinwu''s middle leg shone.

    All of a sudden, the sunlight became even more intense.

    "!!!" The alien noticed the sudden increase in temperature and raised its head, noticing that the sun had reached the top of his head.

    He wasn''t the only one to notice the sudden change. In fact, all the people who were currently outside the mine could feel it.

    Flora nced up, her body shaking uncontrobly. ''This is¡­ one of the most desired abilities from a summoner. A domain type ability familiar¡­

    ''A domain is basically an area in which the user has absolute power. It can be said that the user will possess absolute power within their domains.

    ''And this domain¡­'' Flora recalled the legend that Nathan recounted earlier. ''Midday, huh? The power to control the intensity of the sun. It''s said that the morning sun has a gentle heat that warms up everything because it has a high humidity. The afternoon has the harshest sunlight because it''s dry. He is changing the time to midday, where the sunlight is the most abundant.''

    Flora knew that this domain ability didn''t necessarily control the sun itself. Instead, Jinwu enveloped a certain area with his domain ability so that it could slightly distort the sunlight, making it look like the time had changed.

    It was different from Anubis'' domain, where he held the authority to judge.

    No one could imagine how she would react if she knew about Anubis'' domain.

    Jinwu gathered the sunlight toward himself.

    The alien noticed the power of this ability and immediately ordered the aliens to charge. He also moved forward and swung his club once again.

    Jinwu suddenly spread his wings as his feathers spread the sunlight that turned into beams.

    The aliens covered their bodies or avoided it, but this attack covered a wide area as the beams moved ording to the feathers'' movements.

    As a result, more than thirty aliens died in a single attack.

    Still, the humanoid alien managed to close in and hit Jinwu. Thetter immediately closed his wings so that he could concentrate the sunlight on a single point.

    "!!!" The humanoid alien continued pushing forward, but the beam was simply too powerful. It even made his body flinch.

    Other aliens who managed to survive from the previous attack moved toward Jinwu. One of them reached him and grabbed his leg before tossing him to the ground.

    Bam!

    Jinwu crashed into the ground. Several aliens dove and grabbed Jinwu, whether with their arms or mouths. In addition, the humanoid alien nned to finish his swing to kill Jinwu, even if it meant other aliens would also get hit.

    Jinwu spun his body, causing the heat from his body to be released in all directions and scorching the surrounding aliens.

    Still, the humanoid alien''s club was about to hit him. Jinwu hurriedly flew to the side, barely avoiding the club.

    Jinwu gathered the sunlight into his mouth once again and shot the humanoid alien''s stomach.

    Theser hit him directly, causing the skin to melt. A portion of the stomach came out and so much blood spurted.

    Jinwu thought the alien had died, but the humanoid alien endured all the pain and let out a roar. The club that had hit the ground suddenly moved once more toward him.

    He hit Jinwu to the mountain, causing a huge crash that created a massive crater on the mountain, as though it had been hit by a meteor.

    Jinwu was in the center of the crater. A part of his golden body had turned to its original ck color.

 Chapter 346: Fenrirs Might (Bonus)

    On the other side of the mountain, Fenrir, who had grown as big as the spider, charged forward.

    The spider did the same. Running alone caused the mountain to shake, let alone when they shed.

    The alien hit Fenrir''s paw with the front legs. The tentacles on its back came for him from above.

    Fenrir used his nails to injure the front legs, but to no avail. He raised his head and bit the tentacles.

    Both of them seemed to have the same weight, so they wouldn''t be able to throw one another.

    However, Fenrir utilized the Absolute Strength to the fullest. He tilted its head and threw the spider into the air.

    When Nathan saw this, he couldn''t help but smile. ''In the past, it''s said that Fenrir can be 10 meters (33 feet) tall. I guess it''s true. His normal form hasn''t been affected anymore after the increase of Ena, but his Gigantification seems to have reached the highest level, allowing him to have his peak size.

    ''Still, he must have gotten other abilities. ording to the legend, Fenrir will break free from the rope that binds him, Gleipnir, and kill Odin.

    ''Looking at how he is able to overpower the spider shows the fact that he has gotten something rted to his strength.

    ''While Anubis and Jinwu have a domain, Fenrir has an absolute strength that can break anything. That''s why he is known as the monstrous wolf of Asgard.''

    Nidhogg had flown over both of them and released his breath, burning the lower-level aliens.

    Some aliens moved skillfully within the woods and jumped toward him. Nidhogg didn''t bother to fight them because Anubis was standing on his back. He used the bandages and pped them away.

    As a result, all the aliens ended up moving toward them, allowing Fenrir to focus on the spider.

    The spider, surprisingly,nded on the ground without difficulty. It twisted its body and legs as if it had no upper or lower body.

    Fenrir and the spider once again leaped toward each other. This time, the spider chose to take on Fenrir''s strength head-on.

    Both of them fell to the ground, causing a huge tremor. Fenrir wanted to overpower the spider, but thetter tilted its body and made both of them roll on the ground.

    Fenrir tried to bite the spider, but thetter simply rolled again, smashing Fenrir''s head to the ground.

    Because the spider had no visible head, Fenrir didn''t know where he should concentrate his attack. He might have to rip apart this alien to kill it.

    That was why he rolled one more time and pinned the spider on the ground.

    The spider used the tentacles to hit Fenrir from the sides. Each tentacle released a huge amount of force that wanted to hit him, each blow containing a huge amount of force that could sweep away almost everything.

    However, Fenrir didn''t even flinch. Instead, he was grinning as though he didn''t feel a single thing.

    "Although this is only the minor version of my true body, my divine body is not something you can harm." Fenrir put more strength, nting the spider into the ground.

    The spider let out a cry, as if his n had failed. All of a sudden, the spider''s legs rotated 180 degrees. After that, it leaped into the air, carrying Fenrir on top of its body and smashed him into the ground.

    "!!!" Fenrir widened his eyes because he felt something sharp hitting his belly.

    Find your adventure at M-V-L

    Fenrir kicked the spider into the air and looked at his body, noticing that the spider''s leg was left behind, nted on his body. In fact, it managed to pierce through his Divine Body.

    When he raised his head, he saw the spider showing his broken leg that regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was telling Fenrir that his Divine Body was useless. He would just jab him with his legs until he died.

    "Aoo!" Fenrir let out a howl while rising from the ground. He ran at his fastest speed and hit the spider.

    The spider made its leg sharp once again, trying to strike his paw.

    Fenrir became aware of this and changed the trajectory of his paw to avoid it. However, this just let the spider slip past his defense and throw his entire body toward him with his tentacles, punching Fenrir''s face.

    "Kh." Fenrir gnashed his teeth and took a step back, doing his best to defend himself. After that, he counterattacked by leaping into the air and hitting the spider with his tail.

    Unfortunately, the spider''s skin seemed to be tougher than his tail. Hence, Fenrir turned around and pped the spider''s body.

    The spider raised its back leg, or maybe now front leg, to stop his paw. After that, it moved closer and stabbed Fenrir in the body.

    The front leg pierced through his skin, causing some bleeding.

    Yet Fenrir didn''t flinch this time. His mission and the weight of responsibility bestowed upon him had made him almost forget that they had Anubis.

    Wounds? He would fix itter if this form was simply too big and used too much Ena to be healed.

    Fenrir instead raised his paw and pulled the spider closer, locking the spider in this position.

    "I have reliable teammates with me. I no longer need to fight alone. And do you know how fucked you are right now?" Fenrir grinned. He let the spider hit him intentionally.

    Anubis couldn''t help but nce at Fenrir. Instead of feeling moved, Anubis simply said, "Why does he learn the curse word from Nathan¡­ It''s unfitting his status as a divine beast. How improper."

    Fenrir wanted to crush the spider by hugging it with his Absolute Strength, so the spider jabbed him one more time. Unfortunately, it didn''t work. Hence, the remaining four legs tried to pull away. The spider even tried to leap away.

    "You aren''t going anywhere." Fenrir grinned as he opened his big mouth and bit the spider''s body, tearing it off.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 347: Maestro

    Nathan raised his head, staring at the worm.

    He had to kill this worm without the help of his familiars. He didn''t even have a lot of Ena left in his body. In addition, Brunhild hadn''t reached the level of a mature ss alien.

    The angel and the fallen angel, as well as Sera''s Synchronization, might help to a certain extent, but it was hard to say whether they could take it down or not.

    Despite having to find a way to defeat the worm, Nathan''s mind wandered elsewhere.

    ''Well, I should have expected something like this the moment I decided my fourth familiar to be Tenko. Fenrir is my first familiar and his summoning is kind of forced. Sun Wukong was supposed to appear instead of Anubis. The only time everything worked in my favor was Nidhogg''s summoning.

    ''I guess I should just keep a few options possible so that something like this doesn''t happen again in the future.''

    Nathan sorted his own thoughts and started ncing at Serafina.

    Nathan dashed toward her while forming multiple bullets. "Sera."

    Sera nodded and shared the Synchronization with him.

    Nathan examined the worm. The worm seemed to be the most worm-like creature than any alien so far. It had a long, sectioned body and no tentacles on the skin. However, it had a huge circr mouth that symbolized the position of its head. The teeth were spread evenly, as though it could crush everything that would enter its mouth.

    The worm had a high speed and zigzag movement like a snake. It could even bounce off the ground.

    Fortunately, Brunhild had expected it and flown away.

    Brunhildnded on the worm''s body, poured her Ena into her spear, and thrust it into the worm.

    To her surprise, the spear barely pierced through the skin. Even though she didn''t use her full power, she thought it wouldn''t be impossible to at least reach the alien''s flesh.

    The worm once again leaped into the air, forcing her to fly away. To her surprise, the worm wriggled. That unpredictable movement caused her to fly back to Sera. In addition, Nathan had caught up, so it was the sign of a counterattack.

    Brunhild reported, "The skin is extremely tough. Even with my full power and Sera''s Synchronization, I might barely hit his flesh."

    The angel and the fallen angel nced at her. If she could only do that, they might only be able to scratch its skin.

    "This¡­" Sera looked worried, unable to see how they should defeat the alien. If Nathan still had his previous Ena, his firepower should be enough to take down this worm, especially with Brunhild''s help.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile.

    "It''s fine. All of you are going to fight ording to my will. Even if it means we''re unable to take down the worm, I will show you that stalling for time isn''t the only thing we can do."

    "How are you going to lead the fight?" Brunhild saw the worm was going toward them. They didn''t have a lot of time, so she immediately leaped toward the worm, trying to buy time.

    However, the worm ignored her and moved toward Nathan and Sera.

    The fallen angel and the angel flew into the sky while Nathan and Sera used their fastest speed to run away.

    Sera maintained her Synchronization just in case while Nathan formed his bullets. Due to his current Ena capacity, he could only form fifteen bullets.

    Fortunately, they had been enhanced by Sera. Even if it was weak, it still packed some punch.

    However, he wanted to y it differently this time. Instead of grouping them into three, he divided them unevenly. There were three individual bullets separated from the rest of the group.

    "Go." Nathan released all those bullets into the sky.

    The worm noticed the aggression and wanted to focus on Nathan. To the worm''s surprise, the eleven bullets swirled around the air, confusing him. He had to decide whether to go for Nathan or watch how these bullets tried to make an impact first.

    And that was when Nathan''s n took effect. The three individual bullets that he separated earlier actually flew toward Brunhild, Lavi, and Dane.

    "!!!" All three of them were startled at first, but the bullets continued flying in a certain trajectory, making their way toward the alien''s body.

    After fighting with Nathan for so long, they picked up Nathan''s intention.

    "So that''s how it is."

    They followed the bullets.

    Brunhild concentrated her Ena into the tip of her spear and dove, increasing her momentum as much as possible.

    When the worm was about to reach Nathan, Brunhild suddenly dropped like a meteor.

    Bam!

    "!!!" The worm was shocked as the impact vibrated his entire body. The spear managed to reach his flesh as Brunhild hurriedly tried to expand the wound with her spear.

    The skin was much tougher than the flesh, but once it was cut, it became easier for the rest to be sliced.

    And that was when the bullets for Lavi and Dane arrived.

    Lavi, the fallen angel, rose into the sky and raised her hand. Dark mist started to gather above her palm as it gradually formed a spear.

    "Darkness Spear." She threw it down with all her strength, aiming for the open wound.

    Dane, the angel, pped his hand as a cross made of light appeared on top of him. He also let it drop to the open wound.

    "Holy Drop!"

    The two attacks hit the worm where it hurt.

    Even if they were weaker than Brunhild, it didn''t mean they couldn''t make an impact.

    The worm writhed violently as it was trying to push Brunhild and the others away. It turned out the bullets were nothing but a distraction.

    The worm had realized that following Nathan''s bullets was more important, especially the ones that guided Brunhild and the others.

    And this was when Nathan actually smiled.

    "It seems it has realized my intention, but it doesn''t matter. After all, this is where the fun begins." Nathan spread his arms, summoning more bullets. "I never y music, but I have imagined myself bing a maestro on the battlefield when reading novels."

 Chapter 348: Mutant

    On thest side of the battlefield was the fiercest fight.

    The lightning spirit shot his lightning toward the mutant at the same time as Flora.

    Both of them were supposed to hit the mutant, but thetter actually punched them in rapid session.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    A series of explosions urred, engulfing the mutant. In addition, the fire and wind spirit came from the side. The wind spirit summoned a tornado while the fire spirit torched it up.

    However, the mutant simply pped its wings, producing a massive gale that neutralized the tornado.

    "!!!" Flora looked shocked because right after, the mutant rushed ahead, trying to close the gap between them.

    That was where her nt spirit activated its power. A giant root emerged from the ground to function as a wall. If the mutant tried to leap over it, other spirits would be able to catch up.

    To everyone''s surprise, the alien charged straight in. Instead of leaping over or tearing the root apart, the mutant punched it. He punched it so hard that the root ended up snapping into two, resulting in close to no loss of time.

    But as soon as the mutant managed to push through thest obstacle, it was his time to be shocked. Flora was already waiting behind the root.

    A magic circle appeared on her back as lightning sparked around her.

    The mutant tried to overwhelm her with his speed. His right hand tried to rip apart her arm while his other hand wanted to take her head.

    However, Flora ducked as if she were able to see his movement in slow motion. She skillfully avoided with a minimum movement as her palms reached for the alien''s chest.

    "Heart Shock."

    As soon as her palms made contact, the magic circle was activated, releasing a massive spark, blowing the alien away.

    The alien flew for more than a hundred meters (328 feet) away and crashed into multiple trees.

    His chest had an inward dent as the alien spurted out blood as though it had been squeezed out by the shock from earlier.

    "How many times do you think I have fought Noelle? While it''s not my main fighting style, I still can fight in close¡ª!" Before she could finish her words, a wound suddenly appeared from her shoulder all the way to her cheek. The blood spurted simr to the alien.

    "!!!" Flora widened her eyes in shock. She pressed the wound while looking at the blood stuck in her hand. "This is¡­"

    Flora couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows. "When did¡­"

    What happened earlier reyed in her mind. Everything was supposed to be working perfectly, but at thest second, there were several sharp des emerging from his arm.

    It seemed the nail and superhuman strength weren''t the only thing she needed to worry about.

    "I see. This is going to be hard." Flora took a deep breath, trying to calm herself despite her injury.

    Other aliens that had been pushed back earlier started encroaching on the mountain once again. The nt spirit summoned the roots, trying to make them in disarray.

    The aliens ended up either getting crushed or thrown into the air by the roots. They did their best to maintain their original objective, but that was when the me spirit released his power.

    He burned all the roots so that the aliens near the roots ended up getting burned alive.

    The mutant stood on his feet. While the spirits were getting distracted, he covered a great distance between him and Flora in a single leap.

    The wind spirit waved its hand, trying to create a ripple of wind to slow him down. The lightning spirit came forth with a lightning bolt from above.

    With this, they blocked the top and the front. Although it wouldn''t be enough to stop the alien, it would give enough time for the other spirits to reach them.

    To their surprise, the mutant actually tilted its body forward and punched the ground, turning it into a crater. This punch caused the dust to cover his track. This way, they wouldn''t know where the mutant would being, giving a tremendous advantage to the mutant.

    Flora''s expression turned grim. She had formed another magic circle on her back, as if trying to fight the alien in closebat again.

    In that instant, the alien broke through from the front.

    The lightning spirit and the wind spirit tried to stop him, but they were toote.

    The nt spirit called for the root, but once again, it was destroyed. This time, the mutant was ready if Flora was going to fight him in closebat.

    However, Flora chose to leap away, trying to get some distance from him. The alien made onest leap to cover the remaining distance between them.

    Flora''s magic circle glowed as if she had expected such a move from the alien.

    The magic circle let out a sphere-shaped shock that would electrocute everything within the sphere.

    The alien didn''t bother to protect itself. It allowed Flora to hurt him, as his skin began to get scorched.

    Still, the alien managed to reach Flora.

    Flora raised both arms to block the punch, but it was so powerful that itunched her into the mountain. It broke her right arm.

    The alien didn''t realize that it had miscounted the attack. There was one more spirit that hadn''t attacked him.

    It was the fire spirit.

    A circle of me appeared out of thin air.

    "!!!" The alien wanted to get away, but the circle had tightened around his waist before he could escape.

    The alien let out a scream as it was desperately trying to break free. Even though the alien had a powerful elemental resistance, it didn''t mean much when it was basically beingpressed by that element.

    It was as if the alien had a belt of magma that was getting tightened every passing second.

    The alien managed to snap it, but it had caused a lot of damage. A part of its organs had started to melt. The ck cell tried to regenerate it, but there was no way Flora would give him that chance.

    Still, no one would expect that a great change would ur on the battlefield. And it all started with Jinwu.

 Chapter 349: Superiority (Bonus)

    A moment ago.

    Nathan released his bullets into the sky for the second time.

    Knowing Nathan''s way of utilizing the bullets, the worm focused on the three bullets that came toward Sera''s familiars. He put special attention toward Brunhild, considering she was the only one who had enough damage to hurt him.

    That was why the moment it sensed the movement of the bullet around Brunhild, it immediately leaped toward her, trying to sabotage her movement.

    Brunhild was confused because the bullet didn''t change its direction. It simply hit the worm and left no damage.

    She didnd another hit on the worm, but because the worm threw all his momentum and weight, it was impossible to fight it head-on.

    As a result, she was getting pushed back until the worm started falling to the ground.

    Bam!

    The worm rolled on the ground, but it looked like the worm wasn''t hurt. In fact, he was trying to wriggle unpredictably so that he would be lucky enough to hit Brunhild.

    That was when the angel and the fallen angel made their appearance. They struck the body part that stood out at the very peak.

    They hit that part with all their strength and caused the worm to fall.

    "Scree!"

    Aliens'' screams echoed in their ears.

    Brunhild couldn''t help but look down, realizing that the worm actually crushed the lower level aliens with its giant body.

    Nathan was smiling. He didn''t hesitate to send more bullets,unching the third wave of attack.

    The worm was confused. It didn''t know whether it should follow Nathan''s bullets or prepare for an attack.

    And that was when Nathan changed his strategy, depending on the situation. He intentionally shot a bullet for Brunhild from a direction where a lot of aliens wereing. As a result, a lot of aliens would die.

    The moment the alien tried not to get tricked, he focused on everything to create a lot of wounds on its body through Brunhild.

    When the worm chose to ignore the rest and focus on Nathan so that he couldn''t pull any trick, Nathan simply ran away. Unlike other people, his summoning range was extremely far, so he didn''t have any trouble running around the mountain.

    Sera couldn''t help but gasp. ''He¡­ actually controlled the worm''s movement. Now that I see it directly, it''s kind of scary. The worm has at least killed over a hundred lower-level aliens¡­ Or was it close to two hundred?

    ''The worm has basically killed more than Nathan''s new familiar. In addition, the worm continues to get hurt from the sudden attack.

    ''In addition, even though we have been fighting against the worm for quite a while and killing a lot of aliens, the battlefield hasn''t shifted too far. In fact, we are nowhere near the people from the cksmith Guild¡­

    ''Nathan is controlling the battlefieldpletely.'' Sera gasped. Even though they were much weaker than the worm, it didn''t look like they would have trouble killing the worm.

    Still, this method of fighting required a lot of time, since Nathan needed to weaken the worm by making it bleed a lot. The worm was a mature ss alien, so its regenerative ability was extremely high, making it even harder.

    More importantly, they heard a loud banging sound on the mountain.

    Nathan turned his head around, seeing Jinwu getting smashed into the mountain.

    Anubis frowned and tapped Nidhogg''s back, signaling to him they should check on Jinwu.

    Fortunately, Jinwu never needed their help.

    Before the humanoid alien could do anything, Jinwu had already soared into the sky once again. His golden body had started to break apart. Still, Jinwu was ring at the humanoid alien as if telling the alien that he would win.

    The humanoid alien tried to recover from the huge wound on its stomach, but Jinwu flew into the sky.

    Nathan couldn''t help but smile.

    ''Well, there are a lot of divine birds around. I have considered the likes of Phoenix or Vermilion Bird. But the reason I picked the three-legged crow is not only because of the situation but also his power.''

    Jinwu was spreading his body as if he were trying to absorb as much sunlight as possible.

    And that was when the alien found out that Jinwu was actually recovering.

    "!!!" Anubis was shaken by this. ''He¡­ is not only recovering from his wound but also recharging his energy? Isn''t he basically invisible as long as he is fighting during the day?''

    Because he was flying so high, the alien would have a hard time reaching him. Lower-level aliens tried to chase after him. The humanoid alien started pping his wings, trying to bring his huge body into the sky.

    Unexpectedly, recovering from the wound was just a trick Jinwu yed in order to confuse his enemies.

    When they were about to arrive, he closed his wings so that the sun would blind them.

    The humanoid alien covered his eyes with one hand while waving the cub with the other hand.

    However, Jinwu had spread his wings once again, casting a huge shadow that allowed the aliens to see again.

    But the next thing they saw was a huge burning sphere that was falling upon them.

    "!!!" The humanoid alien was startled and smacked it, but he was a bit toote.

    Jinwu had split the sphere into two with his wings and spread the intense heat, burning down the lower-level aliens.

    With a lot of them going down, the humanoid alien wanted to make this one hit count. Unfortunately, that rash action just got taken advantage of by Jinwu as he was flying toward the remaining aliens.

    Jinwu was above them, so the club woulde from the same direction. With Jinwu passing the aliens who were blinded by the sun, the club ended up hitting them and smashing them into the ground. With this, almost all the aliens that this humanoid alien brought had been wiped out.

    Jinwu soared once again into the sky and let out a loud cry, looking at the humanoid alien with a proud face, as if telling him he was superior.

    With no one supporting him, Jinwu had no doubt that he could destroy him.

 Chapter 350: Eliminating the Humanoid Alien

    Jinwu and the humanoid alien were ring at each other. Without much support from other aliens anymore, the humanoid alien finally realized how grave the situation he was currently in.

    Jinwu flew forward, challenging the humanoid alien head-on. Thetter waved his club down, trying to smash him.

    However, Jinwu easily went sideways, avoiding it.

    Numerous spikes surprisingly emerged from the club''s surface, trying to impale Jinwu.

    As if he had expected this, Jinwu avoided every single one of them. He had looped around the club.

    The humanoid alien dragged his club sideways. If it seeded, Jinwu would end up suffering the same fate as earlier.

    Just one more strike, and his golden body would be broken.

    There was no way Jinwu would fall for the same trick twice.

    Before the club reached him, Jinwu gathered the sunlight in his throat before shooting it straight at the humanoid alien. The sun beam shattered all the spikes standing on its path and continued toward the alien''s chest.

    The humanoid alien didn''t care about this anymore. He let the beam hit his chest. The alien blood spurted everywhere. Still, the beam didn''t manage to pierce through his body.

    Both his chest and stomach had been obliterated, and the blood continued gushing out from the huge wound. However, it didn''t mean the alien would cease to function.

    That was why the humanoid alien took it so that he could hit Jinwu.

    Little did he know, Jinwu suddenly passed all the spikes and soared into the sky instead of sideways. This way, the humanoid alien was forced to lift up its club if he still wanted to hit him.

    To the alien''s surprise, the moment it raised the club, the club was stuck. It wasn''t because of vines binding the club. Instead, it was because of the huge wounds the alien suffered.

    The alien simply received so much damage that it couldn''t lift up the club as effectively anymore.

    It used every bit of his strength to raise the club, but Jinwu was simply faster.

    He formed another sphere above his head and fused into one. When the club was about to arrive, he broke the sphere apart with a p of his wings. This time, he targeted the alien''s chest instead of lower-level aliens.

    "!!!" The humanoid alien wanted to protect himself because he knew the attack might cause a fatal injury to him.

    As a result, the alien let go of the club and just raised both arms to the front, blocking the zing wave.

    Two scorched lines appeared on both arms. The alien didn''t realize that it had a hard time regenerating the cells that Jinwu scorched.

    Even though the attack had ended, the scorching temperature still burned the regenerating cell, which rendered its regeneration ineffective.

    With the alien''s current condition, Jinwu let out another cry as his left leg glowed. All of a sudden, the color of the sky changed to orange. It was as if several hours had passed.

    "!!!" The humanoid alien widened his eyes because the sudden change caused all his wounds from earlier to re up.

    The humanoid alien didn''t understand how the wound could re up. What Jinwu actually did was to change his domain into the harsh and dry sunlight, which was when the sun was about to set.

    With no moisture protecting his body, the intense sunlight ended up torching those wounds.

    "Ghhhhh!" The humanoid alien screamed in pain as the me gradually enveloped him.

    The symbiote was doing its best to repair the damage, while the alien was trying to put the me out.

    At this point, there was nothing Jinwu had to do since the alien would sumb to his wound sooner orter. Still, to eliminate the threatpletely, he gathered the sun beam once more.

    The humanoid alien noticed this and predicted where Jinwu was trying to attack.

    He covered his head with both arms. As if he couldn''t care less whether there was protection or not, Jinwu shot the beam.

    With his vision being covered, the alien didn''t realize that the beam Jinwu had just released was iparably weaker.

    It didn''t even scorch the arm when it made contact.

    After all, Jinwu had flown around the arm, took advantage of the covered vision, and reached the side of the alien without thetter realizing it.

    The alien could feel the intense heating from the side, but he was toote. Jinwu had released the true beam toward its head.

    "Gaaaaaaa!" The alien was wailing in pain as the beam melted the left side of his head and made the me engulfing his body be much more intense.

    The humanoid alien red at Jinwu for two seconds before it suddenly fell down to the ground.

    Jinwu spread his wings and let out a cry, showing his superiority.

    There weren''t a lot of flying aliens left, so he could kill them easily.

    However, he had gotten some information and memory during the summoning. He might not understand Nathanpletely, but the fact that the other three divine beasts trusted his order meant Nathan knew what to do next.

    As Jinwu expected, the fall of that giant caused a huge tremor, which ended up alerting Nathan.

    When Jinwu turned around, he already saw Nathan pointing in a certain direction.

    "Kill them all!"

    Jinwu followed the direction and found the mutant and a huge number of aliens.

    At first nce, it looked like Nathan wanted him to kill the mutant, but that was just foolish. He could barely take a mature ss alien down, so it was impossible to challenge the mutant.

    He could help from the side, but his ability might end up harming those spirits.

    Hence, there was only one task that was suitable for him.

    Without hesitation, Jinwu flew in Flora''s direction.

    "!!!" Flora raised her head and saw Jinwu waving his wings forward, shooting out zing waves toward the iing aliens.

    Unlike the flying aliens, they were much easier to target. The zing waves simply grazed the aliens, burning them.

    "Ah!" Flora realized Jinwu was there to kill the aliens. She had to take on the mutant while pushing away the rest of the aliens in this direction, so her battle was much harderpared with those in other directions.

    Now that Jinwu wanted to take care of the aliens, Flora immediately shouted, "Gather up! We will focus our attention on that mutant and kill it within several minutes!"

 Chapter 351: Fenrirs Task

    ''Nice.'' Nathan grinned. ''I was a bit worried before because Jinwu hadn''t spoken a single word. However, Jinwu looked smart enough to understand me. It didn''t seem there was a chance for him to be our enemy for the time being.

    ''And since that side has been covered, we have a bit more leeway to fight the aliens. Even if there are more mature ss aliens, we still have an escape route ready. Patching up that hole will require a lot more aliens and time, which is impossible since we''re more aware of this problem.

    ''With Jinwu helping Flora¡­'' Nathan nced to the side. ''We''ll be able to turn the situation around. And I have no doubt we will because¡­''

    It was because Nathan had ced his hope in his most trusted person, Fenrir.

    Fenrir and the spider had been dealing damage to each other''s bodies for quite some time.

    Fenrir still had multiple legs nted on his body. The blood dyed his fur red. On the other hand, the spider had a part of its body getting torn down by Fenrir''s paw or teeth.

    The spider charged forward while Fenrir did the same. Both of them leaped into the air, trying to be higher than the other so that they could push the other parties down.

    Unfortunately, both of them reached the same height.

    They shed in the air and had no choice but to fall down.

    Fenrir immediately headbutted the spider, pushing it back. The spider released his front leg to pierce his body, but Fenrir grabbed it with his teeth.

    "Raaa!" Fenrir tore it off and spun his head before nting the leg on the spider''s body.

    "Ree!" The spider was screaming in pain. Fenrir used all his strength to pierce through the spider''s body and ultimately nted it on the ground.

    However, the spider chose to move away, avoiding that worst-case scenario.

    Fenrir chased after the spider and even leaped into the air. The spider wanted to get away, but Fenrir released his bark, which caused a powerful shock wave that pushed the spider into the ground. As a result, the spider didn''t jump as far as it originally expected.

    Fenrir took this time to reach the spider with his tail. Instead of hitting the spider directly, Fenrir actually hit the leg he nted on the spider''s body earlier, finally piercing through the spider''s body.

    The spider tried to get away, but to no avail. Fenrir''s relentless attack had just begun.

    He first raised his front body and smashed the spider with both paws. As a result, the spider had no choice but to raise its own legs to meet those paws, locking each other''s movement.

    The tentacles attacked Fenrir, but Fenrir didn''t even care about them. They punched him numerous times but showed no effect.

    Fenrir only smirked. The Divine Body was one of the reasons he was feared.

    It lessened the impact of physical damage, increased his resistance, and even thickened his skin. It could be said that Fenrir''s Divine Body was simr to the symbiote''s power, considering a higher ss meant they had more resistance and regenerative ability.

    In addition, he had the ''Absolute Strength'' that could tear down even one''s divinity. These two were among the abilities that became Fenrir''s divinity.

    "Heh!" Fenrir grinned. The spider wanted to stab Fenrir one more time, but thetter had opened its mouth, trying to bite it again. The spider couldn''t help but hesitate because this leg might end up impaling his body again.

    And that hesitation allowed Fenrir to change his target to the spider''s body.

    "!!!" The spider was startled. It was so focused on the leg that it forgot that the body was his highest priority.

    Fenrir bit the body and tore it once more. This time, the area was actually near the front leg. When he tore it down, the leg was also taken.

    The spider wanted to fight back, but it lost a bit of its bnce after losing one leg. Fenrir immediately dragged the spider body to the left side, where it only had two legs supporting his entire weight.

    He pinned the spider on the ground. The spider used all remaining legs to stab him, but Fenrir simply endured all those attacks. Instead, he aimed for another leg.

    With only four legs left, the spider might not be able to stand anymore.

    "This is the end!" Fenrir pressed the spider''s body with his paws and turned around. He bit all the legs and divided the body into six, which resulted in the death of the mature ss alien.

    "Ha¡­" Fenrir spat the blood while looking at all the legs, confirming that none of them were moving.

    ''It seems I''m done.'' Fenrir thought while pulling out the legs from his body with either his paws or mouth.

    He then turned his head to another battlefield. Nathan had tasked him with an important job in exchange for all that Ena. That was why he had to take down another alien.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Brunhild was still following Nathan''s bullet, trying to hit the worm once more. The wormunched its body toward her.

    Instead of going up as usual so that the worm would end up crushing a lot of aliens, the bullet suddenly turned around.

    "!!!"

    Brunhild was startled, not knowing what he was nning to do. But her doubt was answered the moment she raised her head.

    The worm wasing straight at her, but behind it was a huge wolf. The wolf pounced on the worm and pped it to the ground.

    That was right. Fenrir''s next target was none other than the worm.

    The worm was startled as Fenrir had the strength, size, and weight to actually drag him back to the ground.

    His ws were reaching for the wounds as if he wanted to tear them apart. All Fenrir needed to do was to avoid the worm''s head, which could skewer him.

    Nathan''s voice suddenly echoed in her ears. "Brunhild. Go there and take care of the aliens. We''ll be preparing our escape route just in case."

 Chapter 352: Suspicion (Bonus)

    Iskar had been watching them the whole time. He waspletely shocked when Nathan''s familiars were able to take down the mature ss aliens.

    "He is this strong? No way. Shouldn''t a first-year student have the ability to take down a juvenile ss mutant, not the mature ss alien?

    "Does that mean the Sage is truly using him as a trump card? In addition, what is that bird? It can utilize the power of the sun. The domain is also quite worrying. Still, does he n all this?

    "No. The sudden encirclement should have caught them off guard. That means he can summon such a terrifying bird with no preparation¡­

    "This is his true talent. If this continues, he might grow strong enough to¡­ maybe fight a mature ss mutant before his second year. This is simply too terrifying. No wonder the Sage pays attention to him.

    "Even if he doesn''t, this kind of talent will be a threat to us. We can''t let him grow whether the sage is watching from afar or not. Then again, there''s no sign of the Sage here. Has the sage left his side? Is this our chance to attack? There''s a possibility that the Sage has realized this is not a natural urrence. I can''t risk it. He might be hiding, waiting for me to strike him.

    "I should wait like my master said." Iskar squinted his eyes. "Nevertheless, I have confirmed how much of a threat that guy is. Our organization should pay close attention to him. Besides, the prophecy states that an ultimate destruction that will impact the whole world will ur next year. There are still two months left before next year.

    Iskar raised his head, feeling a bit cold. "In that case, enjoy your peaceful two months, Nathan. You will have to die next year."

    Iskar disappeared into thin air.

    ¡­

    "Raaaa!" Fenrir roared while unleashing all his strength and ripped apart the wound, erging it. The blood spurted out of the worm''s body as the worm wriggled in pain. It was trying to do something, but its strength was leaving him.

    It wouldn''t take long before the worm sumbed to its wound.

    Looking at this made Brunhild clench her spear tighter. She couldn''t help but grit her teeth. ''This is not good. He keeps getting stronger. I can''t even do much to this worm, but he is able to kill it. If this continues, I won''t be able to avenge my lord¡­''

    ''Still, we have been fighting on the same side for a while. Howe I did not notice that he had be this strong? At the very least, he was not this strong in thest mission. After all, if he was that strong, he would have taken care of his enemies much faster.

    ''Does that mean he has grown this strong in just a week? No. This is impossible. I don''t think he has gotten mature ss cores.

    ''What is going on? Howe he can grow this strong? Is it because of his divinity? No, I have never heard of something like that, even in Asgard.

    ''Even in the prophecy, it''s not like he''s growing in an instant.'' Brunhild couldn''t help but think of one reason. Her eyes eventually stopped at Nathan.

    ''That''s right. Nathan might have done something. Even Nidhogg told me that Nathan holds the power to bully Fenrir.

    ''Does that mean Fenrir''s sudden growth is rted to him?'' Brunhild couldn''t think of any other reason. At the same time, even with all her memories and experiences, she couldn''t recall a single thing that allowed such an explosive growth.

    ''This is weird. What kind of power does he have to be able to grant that kind of power? Well, Nathan himself has be extremely weak. It seems granting Fenrir power costs a lot.

    ''Still, the kind of ability that can give such explosive growth¡­ I can''t think of anything other than divine abilities. Does that mean Nathan has a divinity? This is impossible. Isn''t he supposed to be a mortal?''

    Brunhild bit her lips. No matter how hard she thought, she could only conclude Nathan had a secret.

    And she ultimately reached the same conclusion as Nidhogg. It was to seduce Nathan. In the end, Nathan had the ultimate power to bully Fenrir.

    ''Do I¡­ really need to resort to such an immoral thing to punish Fenrir?''

    While Brunhild was facing a dilemma, Flora was quite shocked to know that the three mature ss aliens had been taken care of.

    Blood was leaking from her mouth, right eye, and a few other wounds. She stared at the mutant, whose condition was much worse than hers. The mutant was bleeding everywhere. More importantly, his chest had an inward dent, as if the organ around that area had been squeezed, his waist waspletely scorched, and his left arm was gone.

    Even though Flora had the same questions as the ones Brunhild had in her mind, she had to focus on the alien in front of her.

    ''Thanks to the sun bird, I''m able to progress this much. I should be able to take down the mutant in three minutes or so. There is one problem. Will there be another reinforcementing?''

    Nathan was thinking the same thing. He regrouped with Sera and said, "I will need you and your familiars to take down the rest of the aliens. I want Fenrir and Jinwu to conserve their strength."

    "Are you worried about the enemy''s reinforcement?"

    "Yes. There are still five mature ss aliens in the area." Nathan nodded. "When you help those people from the cksmith Guild, I want you to order them to split into two groups. The first group is to go back to the mine to rescue the miners.

    "The second group is to scout the area around, making sure there''s no reinforcement. Choose only people with good conditions. The injured ones will help inside the mine after I heal themter."

    "What about you?" Sera asked.

    "I need time to formte a n and secure the escape route in case of an emergency."

    "Alright. I hope¡ª!" Sera immediately covered her mouth as Noel did the same. Both of them realized they almost screwed it up.

    Nathan said, "Don''t say it."

    Sera nodded furiously.

    Nathan let out a long sigh. He really needed the location of the remaining five mature ss aliens.

 Chapter 353: Nathans Blood

    "Haa¡­ Ha¡­" Flora panted heavily, staring at the mutant before her. There were a lot of cut wounds on her body, while the mutant finally fell down to the ground, unable to move anymore. Half of his head had been destroyed from the lightning attack.

    But Flora released one more lightning strike topletely destroy its head, ensuring the death of the mutant.

    "Finally¡­" Flora fell to her knees. "This is hard. If not for Nathan''s new familiar, I might not be able to defeat the mutant."

    Flora tried to thank Jinwu, but when she raised her head, Jinwu was nowhere to be seen. "Where is that guy?"

    Jinwu, on the other hand, let out a small cry to alert Nathan.

    "!!!" Nathan was startled, but fortunately, he was just monitoring the situation instead of doing anything else. As a result, Jinwu perched on his shoulder.

    "Jinwu. Can I call you that?" Nathan asked, taking the initiative in their first conversation. He wanted to see Jinwu''s stance about the summoning as well.

    "Yes." Jinwu''s voice sounded like a teenager instead of a mature guy like his other familiars.

    "Alright. Sorry for summoning you out of nowhere. Is anything bothering you? Maybe you''ve lost something during the summoning or something?" Nathan asked.

    "No." Jinwu shook his head. His eyes soon shifted to Fenrir and the others. "It doesn''t seem that others are aware of the magnitude of what you have."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I''m talking about your blood."

    "My blood?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. "I know that my blood is special¡­"

    "But you don''t know how special it is, right?"

    Nathan thought for a moment before confirming it.

    "The reason I don''t have any defects is because of your blood. The nourishment from your blood is much higher than that dragon over there."

    The statement made Nathan fall silent for a while. "Seriously?"

    "Yes."

    Nathan never knew his blood was this special. Jinwu was basically saying that his blood was actually superior to Nidhogg, who was a divine beast.

    "But if I''m not wrong, my blood should be special because the original body has a high amount of Ena while my soules from Earth. Still, how can I bepared to a divine beast?"

    "I''m not sure myself, but I notice a divinity in your blood."

    "!!!" Nathan widened his eyes in shock. "Are you¡­ serious?"

    "Yes. Although it''s faint, I notice it."

    "But doesn''t that mean I''m like a divine being? But I''m a human. Even the status I get defines me as a human."

    "I only feel that trace. As for the exnation of what is currently happening, you might have to figure it out in the future." Jinwu shook his head.

    "I see¡­" Nathan looked down, falling into deep thought. First, he found out that he was actually a familiar, specting that he was the familiar of the original body''s owner that somehow took over the owner by using the Soul Contract.

    Then, the mystery of his body changed when Vivian informed him that the original body''s owner had a tremendous amount of Ena that somehow mysteriously disappeared. He didn''t even get that Ena to summon Fenrir.

    After summoning Jinwu, he learned there was actually a trace of divinity in his blood. It must eithere from the original body''s blood instead of his soul. After all, he was a normal person on Earth.

    However, Nathan couldn''t help but think of one more possibility. ''Is this going to be simr to the reincarnated in another world story I have seen in the past? Like getting reincarnated by a god or a goddess? That''s what gives me divinity? But I haven''t experienced any of those¡­ Or maybe I have locked that memory through Soul Contract?

    ''Argh. This is gettingplicated. There''s no proof that the answer I reached is correct. And it''s impossible topletely figure out this matter.

    ''But if Jinwu is telling the truth, this is the only exnation why Risa is able to evolve so quickly after taking my blood. If I offer my blood, it shouldn''t be hard for Selena to summon Lilith.

    ''As for the truth about my body, I will take my time to learn it. It''s not that urgent anyway.'' Nathan sighed.

    "Thank you for telling me this information, Jinwu. You must be exhausted. You can conserve your energy for the time being. I might need you to fight more mature ss aliens."

    "It''s fine. I will be staying on your shoulders for the time being, making sure you''re well protected. Unlike those guys, I am the smallest."

    "Now that I think about it, your body has shrunk to the size of a normal crow. Other than the fact you have three legs, I can''t differentiate you from any other crows."

    "That''s my battle form. That body allows me to utilize the power of the sun to a certain extent. This is my rxed form, which allows me to recover my Ena at a simr pace as getting recalled into that space."

    "I see." Nathan nodded in understanding. "Still, I will bring Anubis to heal your physical wounds. Everyone has worked hard, so I just need to make sure the rest. Thank you for your hard work."

    "You too. You need to take a rest. Your head is releasing some heat."

    "Hahaha. I will." Nathan chuckled.

    It didn''t take too long for Fenrir, Anubis, and Nidhogg to regroup with him. Although it wasn''t that far, they had confirmed that there was no sight of mature ss aliens. The lower level aliens had also been wiped out, so there was no risk of sudden reinforcement in the next half an hour.

    Nidhogg was recalled back while Fenrir returned to his smaller size and apanied Nathan with Anubis.

    Of course, Anubis immediately healed both Fenrir and Jinwu, since their wounds were quite severe.

    With the people from the cksmith Guild taking over the scouting, Nathan headed back to Flora, who was struggling to walk.

    Anubis immediately healed her, while Flora was staring at him for a few seconds, as though she were thinking about something.

    All of a sudden, she dropped a bomb. "Nathan. Protecting the princess of the kingdom is a huge achievement, especially in this situation. How about bing a baron?"

 Chapter 354: Baron?

    A moment ago.

    Flora panted heavily. Now that the aliens had beenpletely wiped out, she finally had the time to shift her focus elsewhere.

    Obviously, her thoughts immediately went to Nathan.

    "Nathan managed to summon such a powerful familiar without any preparation. While his dragon contributed his blood, why would Nathan donate his blood instead of his beasts? Does that mean his blood is special?

    "Then again, he is the only one who can summon a beast. Of course, his bloodline is special. Still, does he know something else about his bloodline from the Ancient Library? The Fairy Queen is known to be someone who has the biggest record in the world, so she might know something that I don''t.

    "If that''s the case, I have to re-evaluate his worth. What if he can spread his bloodline and allow more people to summon beasts? While I don''t know if they will be stronger than him, the more unique bloodline in this world means that there''s a possibility of a new bloodline appearing.

    "He likes women, right? Should I help him get Noelle? Selena''s father might be a count, but her family''s condition creates a possibility where she might abandon it all.

    "However, Noelle''s family is different. The sword saint is a duke. He married the second princess of his era, which ended up binding him to the kingdom. If he got together with Noelle, there was no way Sullivan would allow him to escape from this kingdom.

    "Or is his appetite so high that he wants royal blood as well?" Flora fell silent for a moment, recalling his expression. "He definitely doesn''t like me for one reason or another.

    "Is that why Sullivan wants Noelle to fight against him before graduation? It looks like they are both trying to avoid the sh, but what if I be a bit nosy here and make their n fail?"

    During her thought, she couldn''t help but catch a glimpse of Nathan in the corner of her eyes.

    She raised her head and saw him apanied by his beasts.

    "Anubis. Heal her."

    Anubis approached her before activating his ability, which dumbfounded her.

    ''This is¡­'' Flora looked at her hands. The wounds on her body were closing at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was so fast that the wound looked like it''d never existed since the beginning.

    The pain was gonepletely. It felt like her blood was regenerating at high speed and that the energy that left her body earlier returned.

    ''What kind of healing ability is this? Even the priest in the Holy Kingdom who is boasted of having the best healing ability in this world is not this terrifying.

    ''Even with an angel, the priest requires at least a lot of time to heal one person. But this¡­ Is this the secret why he is able to win against everything?

    ''This kind of healing ability is at least required of a being on the level of an archangel. Does that mean his second familiar, Anubis, is at that level? No, even his first familiar, the wolf, is capable of killing two mature ss aliens.''

    All this absurdity had just made the situation extremelyplicated. This just guaranteed what kind of beings he would summon in the future.

    ''If his fourth familiar is this strong, he will most likely summon a being surpassing the archangel the pope has, the Goddess of Magic the Sage has¡­ And it won''t just be a single familiar.

    ''We really need to bind him into this kingdom. That''s right. First, we need to make sure that his family is well protected. If they die, Nathan might end up going rogue. I will report this to my father and ask him to dispatch some elite units to protect them from the shadow.

    ''I will try with Noelleter, but knowing Sullivan, it seems Nathan has to be a noble first. At least he should be a count¡ªno, a marquis. Should I give it to his parents? No. He should have known his parents'' situation, so if I give the title to them, they will have a hard time running a territory.

    ''And it might end up burdening him even further. In that case, I should give it to him. Selena is familiar with nobility. It should also solve the issue about him having multiple wives in the future¡­ No, it''s more like he will be encouraged to do so.''

    After a lot of thoughts in her mind, Flora couldn''t help but suggest, "Nathan. How about bing a baron?"

    Nathan was taken aback by the sudden question. "Pardon?"

    "You have protected me and contributed a lot to this battle. In addition to your status as a summoner, bing a baron is not possible. You are also pretty strong, so it would be a waste to just give you the knighthood."

    Nathan''s face was distorted as he was looking away.

    "You look annoyed."

    Nathan sighed. "Why do I have to bear a responsibility that I have never signed up for?"

    On the one hand, bing a noble would bring a lot of prestige. It was a kind of goal for normal people.

    On the other hand, a summoner status was enough for most of the time. If he became someone as strong as the Sage, he could easily outrank a count or a marquis. Even people like Flora would definitely have to be polite to him.

    In this scenario, granting him a title is the same as forcing him to do a duty he never signed up for. That was why Nathan looked annoyed.

    "Ehm¡­" Flora scratched the back of her head. "Of course, this is just a question. You don''t have to answer me right away. Just consider it for the time being, as I have no intention of forcing you."

    Nathan sighed. It seemed he couldn''t escape at all. He never really bothered to hide his power for a reason. He had seen a lot of things happening when the main character was hiding their identities when reading novels.

    Rather than going that path, he preferred to build up his reputation gradually. This way, people would know him as someone strong enough to challenge other people with noble status. And he might not even need to be a mercenary like the Dragon King.

    Nathan nodded. "Alright. I will think about it first."

 Chapter 355: Mission Completed (Bonus)

    "Let''s go!"

    "Here they are."

    "We''re going down now!"

    A few people tossed the rope and started going down the mine. They immediately grabbed one person at a time, bringing them up with the rope.

    Several others were trying to push away the rocks and helping people who almost got crushed by them.

    Some miners sumbed to their injuries before the rescue squad came. However, they could only grit their teeth because, after seeing the scale of the battle, they realized fighting the aliens first was the correct choice.

    Still, they were determined to save all the remaining people.

    Another group of people were scouting the area outside the mine, making sure no mature ss alien was nearby.

    Nathan, Sera, and Flora were resting inside the mien. They had fought so hard earlier, so they deserved some rest.

    Curious, Flora couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, you said this incident was not natural¡­"

    Sera frowned. If this was true and her life was actually their original target, she had to report this to the Holy Kingdom.

    Nathan confirmed it with a nod.

    "Who was the target?"

    "Who knows?" Nathan shrugged. "It can be me, you, Sera, or the people in this ce. Who knows, there might be important people among the miners who are currently hiding their identities."

    "If someone was behind this, why would they not bring the rest of the mature ss aliens?" Sera asked.

    "I could think of several reasons." Nathan wanted to continue, but Flora interjected him. "Most likely, the earthquake has shifted the location of those five mature ss aliens closer to the mine. As a result, they could only pull in these five mature ss aliens.

    "In addition, there was a chance the enemy would be careful so as to not reveal themselves. Since we were more aware of the situation, we could find their identities, which they seemed to be doing their best to hide."

    "Oh."

    "What will we do now?" Flora asked while ncing at Nathan.

    "I''m thinking about killing the remaining mature ss aliens. There are two reasons. First of all, this is our main objective before epting the mission.

    "The second reason is the mine. If we eliminate them, the mine will be safer. I bet they''re trying to send more miners since they have to clean up from the previous copse as well.

    "In that case, providing a safe ce should be a priority," exined Nathan.

    "Sounds good enough."

    "In that case, please leave the mature ss aliens to me and Sera." Nathan pointed at Sera. Sera herself wasn''t disappointed in her performance. However, Brunhild looked down because of the gap in their strength.

    In order to reduce that gap, Brunhild was trying to get stronger. And he nned to kill the aliens to amplify that desire. This way, her determination would increase, which would end up beneficial for Sera.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yep."

    "In that case, I will be observing you from afar. Well, this is also a good time for you to get used to fighting with your fourth familiar. In that case, I will let you do whatever you want. It''s not like we need to return immediately. In fact, it''ll be better if we let them return first and report what has happened here. Elder Thompson will be more grateful to us."

    As expected of Flora, she understood it. Nathan chuckled. "Yeah."

    "Alright then." Flora thought for a moment. "That''s right. You should take all the mature ss cores, including the mutant."

    "I can''t take it all."

    "But it was due to your fourth familiar we managed to hold on." Flora frowned. "If you rejected this, I would feel burdened."

    "If I epted everything, I would feel indebted. After all, your power was the one that made it possible. At the very least, you should take the mutant''s core. As for the split, 8 to 2 should be fine. I get 8, you get 2. Or should we use some cores topensate those people?" Nathan asked.

    "There''s no need to do so. The cksmith Guild will be the ones doing thepensation. Unless you''re from the same faction, you shouldn''t do that. While it''s a nice gesture, the other party might be offended. In this case, it''s like you''re throwing rocks at them by saying they couldn''tpensate their people properly." Flora shook her head.

    "Is that so?" Nathan shrugged. "Alright then."

    "Still, I''m d that you joined me on this mission." Flora nced at Sera. "Of course, you too, Sera. If we miss just one person here, the situation would be much worse."

    Nathan just nodded while Sera looked away.

    In the end, Flora changed her mind and decided to actually scout the mature ss aliens personally.

    Once she found a mature ss alien, Nathan and Sera would then head out and take the alien out.

    They had to make sure they didn''t leave the mine for more than an hour so that the people could be immediately treated.

    The people from the cksmith Guild were working tirelessly. After more than 60 hours of search and rescue operations, they recovered all the people from the mines.

    There were originally 160 miners and 101 rescue workers. However, 51 miners ended up dying right after the mine copsed. 18 more miners sumbed to their wounds before the rescue. Anubis healed the rest.

    In addition, the rescue workers also had casualties. Two of them died during the rescue and 20 of them fell in battle.

    It was such a big loss.

    Nathan could see the people tearing up. In the end, the earthquake was simply too severe.

    Fortunately, they managed to take down the remaining mature ss within that time. Nathan asked Fenrir to use his Gigantification to bring all the bodies that had passed away for a proper burial.

    After that, Nathan and the others escorted them back to the city, making sure no one was injured.

    Of course, Flora let the workers return first while they finally had a proper bath after three days.

    They went to the cksmith Guild''s headquarters the next day. It was time for the reward.

 Chapter 356: Nathans Choice of Weapon (Bonus)

    Nathan and the others once again stood in front of Elder Thompson. The elder had a serious face, as though there was a problem.

    However, it turned out to be a false rm. Instead, he was politely bowing to them while saying, "I have heard about the situation from the people. You didn''t abandon them despite the overwhelming odds. And I heard the boy end up summoning a new familiar. It must be without the preparation.

    "I''d like to express my gratitude and apologize for all the trouble. It''s thanks to you that we are able to save so many people."

    Flora smiled. She nced at Nathan while saying, "It''s fine, Elder Thompson. I trust his decision."

    "Hahaha. To think that the princess thinks highly of him¡­" Elder Thompson chuckled. "He must be a good guy."

    "Of course. He even wanted topensate the people from his own coffers. He felt responsible because his decision to fight the alien first had caused some people to sumb to their wounds." Flora didn''t hold back when praising Nathan. She didn''t n to take the credit he deserved.

    Elder Thompson nodded, knowing her intention as well. "Don''t worry. The cksmith Guild will properlypensate them. Thanks to you, the mine is not destroyed as well, although that''s not important right now."

    "ording to the agreement, the reward will be a piece of equipment made by your elder dwarf. In that case, please make his equipment, not me." Flora pointed at Nathan.

    "Ah! Actually, I have told the current head of the cksmith Guild regarding the earthquake. It didn''t take them too long to understand it. And they confirmed the movement of the ground, which would allow us to do proper research about this phenomenon.

    "As such, they are nning to reward you as well. After hearing it, I couldn''t help but think, ''Why don''t I be the one to give you the reward?'' Hence, I''m nning to give two pieces of equipment, so you don''t have to be reserved, Princess Flora," Elder Thompson exined.

    "I don''t need it. You can give that to her then." Flora pointed at Sera. "I can simply get equipment from my family."

    Elder Thompson turned to Sera, but before he could talk, Sera had raised her hand, stopping him.

    "No. I don''t need any pieces of equipment. If I need one, I will simply ask my teacher, the Pope. Besides, this is for my training and my teacher has agreed. So, just give it to him." Sera pointed at Nathan.

    In the end, both of them pointed at Nathan, telling Elder Thompson to just give two pieces of equipment to Nathan.

    "Woah. You''re blessed, young man." Elder Thompson chuckled. "When I was at your age, let alone a girl taking care of me, I would have been happy if there was even a random girl talking to me."

    Nathan smiled weirdly.

    Elder Thompson thought for a moment and summoned his elder dwarf.

    The dwarf looked old, but he looked clean, as though he hadn''t touched the forge earlier.

    Elder Thompson introduced him. "This is my elder dwarf, Zalton. His skills are among the top five in the cksmith Guild. He will be the one making your equipment." He turned to Zalton. "This is Nathan, a summoner from the Frexia Academy. We have finished our discussion. Can you make two pieces of equipment for him?"

    Zalton nodded and walked toward Nathan while extending his hand. "Zalton."

    "I''m Nathan. Thank you in advance." Nathan shook his hand.

    To his surprise, Zalton frowned after shaking his hand. He raised his hand and noticed there were no calluses on his palm. "You''re not using weapons?"

    "My weapons are gloves right now. And I''m using my Ena to attack."

    "Can you show me?"

    "Zalton. How about bringing them to your workshop?" Elder Thompson asked.

    "Fair enough. Follow me." Zalton nodded. Sera and Flora followed them because they were curious about the equipment Nathan had in mind.

    They reached the workshop in less than five minutes. The workshop was made of cobblestones and separated into two rooms. The front room was for disy and testing. The back room was where his furnace was.

    Zalton pointed at the armor stand in the corner of the room. "How about attacking that armor? It has special material, so I want to see your power and your fighting style."

    "In that case, I will just use normal bullets. If I use explosive bullets, other items might be hit." Nathan nodded.

    "Oh?" Zalton hurriedly pushed away the shelves, isting the armor stand. "Use everything you have."

    "Alright." Nathan first used normal bullets from the straight path to the curving ones that would follow his bidding. After that, he released the explosive bullets. Last but not least, he showed theposite bullets, which surprised Zalton.

    Zalton looked down, contemting. "To be honest, I don''t know what weapon I should make for your fighting style. A wand might be good, but while your hands don''t have calluses, your muscles are refined. That means you are throwing punches, right?"

    "Yes." Nathan was impressed. As one would expect from a dwarf, they really could see it.

    "In your case, it seems you should get a weapon. Looking at your physique, you must be relying on your speed and strength, so I can''t suggest heavy armor. In that case, a light one will be good. As you are a student from the Frexia Academy, you can probably upgrade your uniform with better material. Or do you want me to upgrade your uniform personally?"

    Nathan thought for a moment. He could either contribute to the academy or rely on his teacher to upgrade his uniform. But he needed to fight venya soon.

    "Please upgrade my uniform."

    "In that case, I will use light-weighted materials but with good resistance and reduce the impact. As for your weapon¡­ I don''t have a suggestion because I might need to create a new weapon that has never existed in this world. Do you have something in mind?"

    "Actually, I do." Nathan nodded and took out a paper from his pocket, showing it to Zalton. Flora and Sera couldn''t help but take a peek at the weapon.

    "I''m nning to have this weapon. It''s called Gun."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 357: Gun

    "It''s called Gun." Nathan exined.

    When Zalton took a look at the sketch, he couldn''t help but gasp. "This is¡­"

    Nathan only drew a simple sketch that showed its base appearance. He didn''t have the details other than the trigger.

    And he only showed a pistol since he wasn''t that sure he could bring anything bigger than that.

    Flora and Sera tilted their heads in confusion.

    "This is the first time I see a weapon like this." Sera frowned while thinking, ''Does he get this weapon from his beasts?''

    "This looks like a crossbow, but there''s no bow on top of it¡­" Flora crossed her arms, falling into deep thought.

    Zalton couldn''t help but recognize what Nathan actually wanted.

    "A crossbow, but without a bow. Instead, it has this rectangle-shaped front. I''m assuming it has a hollow cylinder inside and finally released its ''arrow'' from within. From the looks of it, the arrow is something small."

    As one would expect from an elder dwarf, Nathan thought. However, he was aiming for a magic gun instead of a normal one.

    ''I have been thinking about this, but creating a normal gun is practically impossible. I didn''t have a gun on Earth and never really researched one. That gun knowledge only came from either the Inte or novels. Then again, if they brought guns in novels, they really never exined how to manufacture the design¡­

    ''Even if they did, it would be a wall of text that I often skipped when reading¡­ So, I don''t know how to make a normal gun.

    ''Hence, it''s better to create a magic gun. I will use Ena as the bullets.'' Nathan added, "I got this design from my familiar. I''m thinking about using Ena as the bullets and practically firing them. And yes, the bullets wille out from this small hole in the front."

    Zalton narrowed his eyes. His eyes were glued to the design for a few minutes, and he said, "This is an interesting concept. From the looks of it, we can actually ce magic circles as the amplification in this rectangr part.

    "When the bullets are crossing this area, they will get boosted and turn into something much bigger beforeing out. That also means I need a conductive material as well as something strong enough to make sure this gun remains intact for a long time."

    "Boosting the bullets?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. "What kind of boost are you talking about?"

    "I''m talking about the ''Synchronization'' kind of boosting, the one with the multiplication effect. Looking at the sketch, it seems you want to have something small. Something around half or two-thirds the length of your lower arm. This way, you can hold it with a single hand.

    "This curving part must be the trigger. I can use the concept of a crossbow to make it."

    Nathan was impressed. It seemed Zalton had figured out what he wanted. "There are a few things I''d like to add. I wonder if it''s possible or not."

    "This is going to be an interesting project, so let''s hear it."

    Nathan pointed at the handle part. "Is there an item that can store Ena? Something that is not included as a part of the gun. Instead, it''s something like an add-on."

    "Ah! It''s like a quiver, huh? In the end, this weapon will be useless if your Ena is locked. However, if you have something to store, then you can fire it manually and independently from the whole system.

    "And due to the design, it''s simr to a hidden weapon in terms of speed." Zalton pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately, we don''t have something like that. There is only one thing that I can think of.

    "However, acquiring this item is practically impossible because it''s only a theory¡­ No, has she made the prototype?

    "Nevertheless, it''s practically impossible to ask her for help just for this weapon. So, I don''t think it''s possible. After all, you have to negotiate with that stingy researcher, the Forest Queen, Vivian Lorelei."

    "Eh?" Flora and Sera widened their eyes in shock.

    "What?" Zalton tilted his head in confusion. "What''s wrong? Well, you guys are from the Frexia Academy, so I guess you might have some shot. If you can ask her, I don''t mind adding that part."

    Nathan rubbed his forehead while Sera exined, "What some shot? He is her disciple."

    Zalton opened his mouth wide, wanting to say something. However, not a single word came out.

    "Have you really never heard of it, Nathan? Then again, you are still a bit too weak, so your teacher might think you''re not qualified enough to know her research." Flora smiled wryly.

    Nathan was actually recalling all her research topics.

    Vivian said that he didn''t have to hesitate asking for help if it was necessary. After all, he knew about her research.

    But he had a hard time recalling the topics that Zalton was talking about.

    "Wait a minute¡­" Nathan thought something. The title of the research was ''Core Recement Project.''

    ''That''s right. The Core Recement Project is to find something that can store some Ena. If they could just put the Ena of a few cores into a single thing, they would be able to absorb a few cores worth of Ena at a single time.

    ''I thought it would be a kind of storage. Then again, the magazine is a kind of storage¡­ Why haven''t I thought about this before? A small storage that can act like a battery¡­''

    Nathan let out a long sigh. "Are you talking about the ''Core Recement Research?''"

    "Yes. That one. That''s the only thing thates close to what you''re asking for. Are you really her disciple?"

    Nathan nodded. "I will try talking to her about it. For now, can you just make the shell first and leave that part empty?"

    "Sure. I can do that." Zalton nodded without hesitation. "Man. I have never thought you would be Vivian''s disciple. Since you''re giving me this unique project, I should give some bonus to the other one. Do you want anti-Ena material included in your uniform?"

    Nathan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No. It''s going to be annoying for me to have it. However, something durable and easy to repair is enough. If you are thinking about giving a bonus, how about giving me one more set of uniforms?"

    "Alright." Zalton agreed as his eyes were fixated on the sketch. "Hehehe¡­hehehe¡­."

 Chapter 358: Awkward

    "So, we''re done here?" Flora asked while walking toward the inn.

    "I think? We have finished our job." Sera nodded.

    "Yes. I''ll be visiting the dwarf after talking with my teacher." Nathan thought for a moment. "I don''t think we need to do anything else. Still, we don''t experience any earthquakes in our location, right?"

    "Yes. I haven''t heard anything about that." Flora confirmed it without hesitation. "And even if it happens, with this information, it''s easier to calm down the people."

    "I''ll ask the Holy Kingdom about it as well. Do you mind if I share this information?"

    "Sure. It''s not like this is a secret." Nathan crossed his arms. "I guess it''s time to go home?"

    "You don''t normally buy souvenirs?" Flora asked. "When going on a mission, it''s good to buy some souvenirs, you know? For example, how about buying some for Selena?"

    Nathan chuckled. He had be a bit toofortable with Selena. In the past, they were poor since Nathan hadn''t gotten his allowance and Selena didn''t have any money from home. So, they didn''t care much about buying souvenirs.

    Even when they had money, they would treasure experiences and memories instead of souvenirs.

    Nathan shook his head. "It''s fine. Both Selena and I aren''t the types who like to spend needlessly."

    "Is that so?" Flora tilted her head before shrugging. "Well, that''s fine. It''s evening. Do you want to return tomorrow or before the night?"

    "I will end up assisting with my teacher''s research, so let''s return tomorrow. I don''t want her to pull another all-nighter."

    "Sure."

    Because they returned tomorrow, Flora ended up going around the town, buying some stuff.

    Meanwhile, Nathan might end up questioning whether his decision to return the next day was correct or not.

    After all, Sera had finally decided to make her move.

    "Nathan¡­" Sera was sitting in front of him with a serious expression. She was wearing a nightgown even though the sun hadn''t set.

    "Yes?" Nathan gulped down.

    "I want to ask you something."

    "Sure. What is it?"

    Sera squinted her eyes before sitting next to Nathan to the point where their arms were touching. "Do you hate me?"

    "No. I like you. Why would I hate you?" was what Nathan said, except for the fact that he was slightly moving sideways.

    Sera''s eyebrows twitched. "Then why are you avoiding me? Is it because of Flora? Is it because of my affiliation with the Holy Kingdom?"

    Nathan would be lying if it was not for thetter. However, he thought about dropping it, since it would be unfair to Sera. In addition, he had chosen to live without regret and used his wisdom to just deal with the problem that came his way.

    Hence, Nathan shook his head. "No. That''s not a problem."

    "Then why?"

    "Well, I have to be fair. What if my decision ends up bringing disaster to my rtionship?"

    "Then, what if I told you Selena had given me the permission?"

    "Selena? Did she?" Nathan was taken aback. He knew Selena pretty well. She would most likely object to it.

    Even though she had been changing thanks to him, he believed he needed a few more months before making it work.

    Nathan didn''t expect that Selena would give her the permission. At first, he thought she was lying. But Sera wouldn''t lie in this situation.

    "Seriously?"

    Sera nodded. "To avoid you making a move on Flora, she has given me her permission. We''vee to an agreement that rather than restricting you, it''s better to stop you from going down the path you shouldn''t."

    "But looking at the situation, there''s no way I''m going with Flora, right?" Nathan''s eyebrows twitched. "How low is your trust in me?"

    "If we''re talking about women¡­ close to none. Anything else, I will trust you with my life."

    Nathan raised his finger, wanting to refute her. However, he ended up retracting his finger, realizing that might be true. "Are you serious?"

    "Yes. I''m really serious. Besides, who cares if you are going to make a move on Flora or not? She has given me the permission. If I don''t seize it, I feel like I will never seed. That''s why please decide. Do it now, or do you want me to seduce you?"

    "Is that even an option?" Nathan scratched the back of his head.

    Sera only smiled. "Well, I would only move in with you once you got a bigger room. That was the agreement."

    Nathan took a deep breath. "Even if it means our rtionship will be different?"

    "I know that. However, I won''t call it different. I will consider it unique. Besides, I never really care about my position. As a saintess, if not for summoning a fallen angel, I wouldn''t even think about this kind of thing.

    "However, this is something I''ve decided by thinking about myself," Sera confidently said.

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Seriously? What can I do with you?"

    "Hehe." Sera''s smile became even bigger.

    "It will be different, but I promise that¡­" Nathan held her hands. "I will protect you even if it means going against the god."

    Sera pouted. "Say it against the world instead of the god."

    "Hahaha." Nathan chuckled. "Well, it seems we need a new room."

    Sera nced to the side. Even though they were inside the room, they were still in the same suite as Flora. Even if it meant downgrading their room, they really needed a new room.

    "Yes. I think we need it."

    "Then grab my clothes for me. I will ask for another room." Nathan stood up and immediately exited the room.

    Although their rtionship was awkward because of her boldness as well as Nathan''s previous prejudice, she couldn''t help but smile. After all, everything could be improved with enough time.

    She immediately packed up their luggage. Of course, she had to write a note for Flora so that she didn''t panic.

    However, it appeared her rtionship would end up being filled with a lot of awkwardness.

    Just right after she dropped the note and grabbed her and Nathan''s bags, Flora actually came back.

    "I''m back. Nathan, Sera. Are you guys still here¡ª!" She abruptly stopped when she saw Sera right in front of her.

    Both of them froze, staring at each other.

    Sera''s face turned red as she just lowered her head and ran past her.

    "Sera?" Flora was astounded. What was actually going on? And that was when she noticed a note telling her about them moving to another room. It took her an instant to realize what was going on.

    While looking back at the open door, Flora couldn''t help but mutter, "Did those two¡­"

 Chapter 359: Godly Concept (Bonus)

    "So, you''re talking about remodeling the core recement?" Vivian crossed her arms.

    "Yes." Nathan nodded with a serious expression. "Can you actually remodel them?"

    "That depends on what you want. I kind of understand what you''re trying to aim at with this weapon. Right now, the Ena inside the core recement can''t be absorbed due to the difference in medium.

    "No, it''s more like the core''s unique characteristic. Once it''s extracted, it will end up being unusable. That''s why we have to continue swallowing it.

    "However, you are trying to change the purpose of the project. Is that correct?"

    Nathan raised two fingers. "I''m not trying to stop the research. I''m just wondering if this research can be extended to new stuff."

    "Hoh? Let me hear about it."

    Nathan nodded. He drew a circle and a cube. While pointing at the circle, he exined, "Right now, we are extracting the Ena from the circle to this cube that can contain the Ena inside.

    "However, what do you think about turning this cube into a kind of storage? For example, we are usingmps in the street during the night, right?

    "What if we have a magic circle that can produce light instead?"

    Vivian narrowed her eyes. "The one that will fuel that magic circle is the cube?"

    "Yes. Depending on the size, it can be transported pretty easily. And I''m nning to make this small storage and impart it to my weapon. This way, even when I don''t have Ena, I can still shoot some bullets." Nathan exined.

    Vivian suddenly dropped her jaw to the ground. "What did you say?"

    "Depending on the size, it can be transported pretty easily." Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "No. Thest part."

    "This way, even when I don''t have Ena, I can still shoot some bullets?"

    Vivian sucked a cold breath. "You¡­ Did you understand what kind of concept you have just brought up?"

    Nathan was perplexed. He thought for a moment, but soon shook his head. "No. Is there something wrong with it?"

    "You have literally changed my research to something even more terrifying."

    "Terrifying? Due to their size, I don''t think they can hold a lot of Ena, so I don''t know what kind of terrifying thing is in your mind right now, Master."

    Vivian pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let''s say we manage to make it. What will happen next? Do you think it can be implemented in other weapons?"

    "Other weapons? Why would they¡­" Nathan suddenly fell silent. He lowered his head, thinking about one more possibility. "Master¡­ Are you talking about normal people?"

    "Yes." Vivian''s expression turned grim. "If we seed, people will be thinking about creating this as an add-on for a sword or other weapons. Summoners might not need it, but what about knights and other kinds of fighters who aren''t summoners?"

    Nathan''s face darkened. "A normal knight can wield Ena? No. Instead of wielding, it''s more like throwing Ena. Nevertheless, they might be able to unleash an attack much stronger than they have ever released.

    "Producing such a thing will be hard, but if the elite knights wield this type of weapon¡­ I''m assuming that a single elite knight can actually kill a juvenile ss alien alone¡­" Nathan gasped. He finally understood how big the concept was. It would literally impact the world.

    Currently, they are in the Azilia Kingdom. There was a chance that the Azilia Kingdom would do everything they could to acquire this kind of technology to make their military even stronger.

    Vivian continued, "And it''s not limited to knights. We have siege weapons and the likes. Combined with many knights and the high number of weapons, killing a mature ss alien is possible even for normal humans.

    "But if we apply this kind of technology to those big weapons, you can imagine the power of a ballista that is powered by Ena.

    "It''s basically enabling the humans to fight back. Yes. Right now, we''re simply defending against the aliens.

    "However, with these weapons, we might be able to fight back and reim our territories."

    And that was only with the concept of a magazine. Of course, this might only happen because Vivian was a researcher, but it was still too absurd.

    "I guess it''s not possible to develop this technology without being coveted."

    "Yes." Vivian nodded. "The first person that wille to you is¡­ I don''t think I need to tell you¡­"

    "I know. It''s Principal Sullivan." Nathan smiled wryly.

    "Yeah."

    "But is the concept possible? Even if we develop this, we can still keep it to ourselves, right?"

    Vivian fell into deep thought. After a few minutes, she actually said, "No. Let''s publish this, not in the national forum, but in the international forum. This way, we can stop a country from monopolizing it. And the Holy Kingdom will be trying to bnce it so that they use it against the aliens instead of each other.

    "More likely, they will ask Serafina something. Nevertheless, publishing this will bring more good to humanity for the time being, as we have onemon enemy. It might be a weapon that destroys humanity itself once we drive away the aliens, but if we don''t publish this, the aliens will continue to push us back and eventually kill all humans in this world. Hence, we have no options in our current situation.

    "However, we''re not taking a normal path. Do you know the Magic Tower?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. They''re the ce where researchers gather."

    "Right now, I''m about to make a patent for the numerical Ena concept. And I''ll be presenting it to their researchers.

    "I want to bring you with me and introduce you as both my student and co-author. At the end, I will give a showcase of this new type of weapon without putting in too much detail.

    "In other words, our names will drastically be famous. And I will open the concept of storage¡­ maybe after you be a second-year student.

    "Before that, you need to summon your fifth familiar and have at least 100,000 Ena in your reserve.

    "Of course, I will also focus on getting stronger¡­ at least approaching the level of Leyfon or Sullivan. This way, no one will be reckless enough to bother you.

    "What do you think?"

 Chapter 360: Becoming Famous (Bonus)

    "What do you think?"

    The question was simple, but the effect of agreeing to this n would be huge. He would be famous, which meant he would be targeted by a lot of people.

    Most likely, the terrorist organization would being for him because of this very reason. Or they might join hands with other people.

    If they chose thetter, they would definitely end up revealing themselves. If he yed this right, he might be able to catch that terrorist organization, but a wrong move would cause him to end up dying or kidnapped.

    So, the core of his n would revolve around Sleeping Garden.

    He approached Sleeping Garden for a few reasons. It seemed he could aplish all of it by proceeding with this n.

    On the other hand, it would also mean Selena and Sera would be targeted. The Holy Kingdom would most likely make their move on Sera.

    Considering the grudge between Selena and the Ashton family, they might try to kidnap him or kill Selena because she was his woman. His rise would definitely crush the acting count.

    However, if he seeded, Selena could get her revenge.

    In addition, building his reputation was also something he wanted to do. Despite knowing that being popr meant bringing a lot of enemies, Nathan knew there were a lot of other benefits.

    After some considerations, Nathan made his decision. "Alright. What''s the time for the presentation, though?"

    "For the first one, it will be around a few days after your fight against venya. If you win, people won''t doubt you about being my co-author.

    "For the second one, it''s after graduation. Maybe a few weeks before we ept the new freshmen."

    Nathan pondered. "Still, I''m not a researcher. My knowledge is pretty shallow, especially about Ena."

    "I never asked you to be a researcher. A co-author isn''t necessarily another researcher. They can be sponsors and other kinds of people, so you don''t have to worry about that."

    Nathan nodded in understanding. "Still, do you think it''s possible? I mean, the concept of this storage?"

    "Yes. The storage itself shouldn''t be that hard to make. If we calcte the amount of Ena that can be contained within the size of the storage you''re currently asking¡­ I''m thinking about 500 to 1,000 Ena.

    "It might be nowhere near enough to defeat a mature ss alien, but it''s possible to kill a juvenile ss alien¡­ no, it might be enough to kill a few of them.

    "What we''re currently missing is how we can release it, but you have answered that already. If we create a trigger that can unseal the storage and let it flow, it''ll solve the problem."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "Do you think it''s possible to control this Ena?"

    "If you are a summoner, you can control the Ena. If you are not a summoner, I don''t think it''s possible. The only way for them to control it is¡­" Vivian looked around. She found a cube on the shelf.

    With a snap of her fingers, her Ena brought it to her hand.

    She then released Ena from her hand and let it float around the cube. "If you take a look at the Ena, they''re currently stationary. But what if we do this?"

    Vivian released her Ena while tossing the cube. As a result, the Ena was following the cube''s movement.

    "Motion?"

    "Yes! I''m using another one of your concepts, ''in-motion.'' If they press a trigger while swinging their sword, they will release that Ena. Depending on the rate of Ena that is discharged from the sword, it might be a simr attack, like the crescent-shaped sword wave.

    "From the looks of it, it will be limited to only one or two types of discharge, which will be determined by their design.

    "Nheless, this will change the world." Vivian nodded. "In fact, I don''t think there are a lot of things that need to be changed from the current prototype. We just have to shrink the size.

    "Then again, they might be able to create something bigger to kill a mature ss alien other than those siege weapons. For example, an exoskeleton that has 10,000 Ena storage or something.

    "Unfortunately, if we charge the storage with our own Ena, it will disappear if we lose control over that Ena. Hence, it can only be charged by cores.

    "However, if we can somehow improve the efficiency, it won''t matter much. The cost of the weapon will be lower than the reward.

    "And it might be possible if we expand the Ena ssification again. That''s a topic for another time. To answer your question, yes, I can make the prototype for you. If you show it to that elder dwarf, he can create a new shell that will match the design of your weapon."

    Nathan listened attentively. He crossed his arms. "Should I assist you?"

    "Sure. It will only take a day to create the new prototype and a few days to make sure it''s functioning properly. I don''t want to put you in any danger because of my untested creation."

    Nathan smiled. "I understand. Let''s do it that way. I will go on a mission with Selena and Sera in a week, so I have enough time. Should I ask him to sign a confidential contract?"

    "I will draft the contract. You don''t have to worry about that." Vivian smiled. "However, I need to ask you one question. Are you sure you''re fine contributing this to the world?"

    Nathan nodded. "Yes. I personally don''t mind. I might not be a hero, but I''m not heartless. Why do you ask?"

    "I mean, if you present this kind of research as a bride''s price, you can basically get any woman you want, including Flora." She smirked.

    Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Why do you even mention Flora?"

    "She always put on a yful expression, as if everything had gone ording to n. I just want to p her and put her in her ce. Ah, it will be satisfying."

    "Please don''t use such an important reason for such a petty reason, Master." Nathan interjected.

    "I mean, she is teasing people most of the time, right? Don''t you just want to bully her from time to time? I can see it. I can see that frustrated face!"

    "I will take my leave then." Nathan bowed while letting out a long sigh.

 Chapter 361: Settling the Prototype

    "Where are you two going?" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

    "A secret." Sera stuck out her tongue while pushing Selena away. "Shoo, shoo. Don''t ever follow us or we''ll hate you. Let''s go, Selena."

    "Mhmm." Selena nodded.

    It seemed Selena and Sera were getting along just fine. She might have told her about what happened during the mission, including his fourth familiar.

    Selena didn''t talk a lot after they returned, so she must be frustrated that she couldn''t be of any help. After all, Nathan didn''t have to forcefully summon his fourth familiar if she was there.

    "Oi." Nathan raised his voice, only to be stopped by Risa.

    "Young Master. There are times when you shouldn''t ask further, you know?" Risa smiled wryly.

    Nathan nced at the two, who had finally exited the room. He chuckled, grabbed a small pouch filled with coins, and put it in Risa''s palm. "I just want to tease them."

    Risa looked at the pouch. "This¡­ they already bring the money¡­ I guess they can''t escape your eyes."

    "I know they have the money. I''m giving this money to you. Buy a dress too. Even though we aren''t allowed to summon our familiars during the banquet, I just get a sudden craving to see you in a dress." Nathan shrugged.

    Risa opened her mouth in surprise. She wanted to say something, but soon smiled. Nathan said those words, but his true intention was just to make sure she didn''t feel left out.

    "Jeez. Alright, alright. I will show you privately." Risa kissed his cheek while saying, "Alright. I will apany them right now."

    Nathan winked yfully. "How long is it going to take?"

    "From what I have heard, they''re not nning to create the dress from the start. Instead, they will be buying the already existing dresses and adjusting them. This is the only way for them to finish within a month.

    "Besides, there are a lot of people who are trying to get a new dress since the banquet is about toe. Hence, they''re nning to search for other cities if the boutique in this town is full."

    "I see." Nathan nodded. "Just be careful out there."

    "I know, they know. Don''t worry about us. You''re really such a worrywart. Just wait for a month and you will see us in a dress, alright?" Risa sighed with a smile. "You should be the one who needs to be careful."

    "Mhmm. Take care." Nathan waved his hand. Once all of them left, Nathan headed to Vivian''s office to get everything sorted before they started going on a mission.

    For the next several days, Nathan focused on assisting Vivian with her research. Because the girls were busy with their dresses, Nathan and Vivian isted themselves in the office, progressing the research as quickly as possible.

    As she said, they managed to create a prototype ready in a few days. Of course, he had to return to the cksmith Guild once again to meet Zalton.

    "So, you''re really the Forest Queen''s student¡­" Zalton sucked a cold breath, looking at the cube and the contract on the table.

    "You couldn''t believe it before?" Nathan chuckled.

    "Well, don''t you know that your teacher is somewhat special? Don''t tell her that you know this from me, but your teacher is rumored to bury herself in her research because she is heartbroken.

    "And that herpanion right now is the wood¡­ People often call it Morning Wood instead of Forest Queen."

    "¡­" Nathan shook his head. "I will just pretend I have never heard that."

    "Of course, she has a good reputation among us dwarves because her research often involves a new type of machinery. That''s why our race likes her." Zalton pointed at the contract. "This is the standard contract. If it''s anyone else, we will probably take a look at it carefully.

    "However, because ites from her¡­" Zalton immediately signed it without even bothering to look. "Your teacher is fair, so there''s no need to look at the details."

    "No wonder my teacher told me to exin what the contract is all about." Nathan shook his head helplessly. "Well, you have to keep everything a secret until it''s revealed.

    "In addition, she wants you to optimize the design of the prototype. Make sure that the flow of Ena goes ording to her instruction.

    "Not only that, you will also have to change the design depending on the weapons. This project is for my gun, but it''s also for a future project.

    "She wants you to create various weapons and a socket for this storage that can be inserted and clipped into the weapon. The details of what she wants are in this letter.

    "She will be providing the materials after learning about the designs."

    Zalton nodded in understanding. "Sure. That sounds simple enough."

    "This is the prototype of the storage, as well as its blueprint. See if you can change it to match the weapons.

    Zalton took a glimpse of the blueprint and said casually, "Sure. There''s no problem. For your gun, I already have the container. All I need to do is adjust the inner part with this design and material. Anything else?"

    "When will you finish the project?" Nathan asked.

    "I have been trying a few things after seeing your gun. The prototype should be done this week. After several tests, I should be able to finish it within three weeks.

    "As for the uniform, I have been doing it for a long time, so I''m familiar with the process already. It won''t take long. Is there a problem?" Zalton asked.

    "Well, I might need them within a month, because I have an important fight."

    "Oh! Since you allow me to work with your teacher, I will work extra hard and make sure that you get both of them within a month."

    Nathan smiled and politely bowed. "Thank you."

    "You''re wee." Zalton waved his hand. "Now, go. I will work on it immediately."

    "Ah! Yes. I will not hold you any longer." Nathan nodded and walked away.

 Chapter 362: Fulfilling His Promises

    Once one week of rest was up, they picked up several missions, spending half of the month on a mission and another half to absorb the cores.

    Of course, Nathan received the remaining mature ss cores from Evelyn. In addition to the rest of the cores, he managed to increase the Ena of Anubis and Nidhogg to 10,000.

    Still, due to the amount of cores he received from the mission with Flora, he actually surpassed his original goal.

    It might not be by arge margin. In fact, he might have gotten a lot more had he saved his Ena instead of summoning his fourth familiar. However, it didn''t matter much to him. He had made a decision he wouldn''t regret.

    As a result, all his familiars now had 10,000 Ena each. In addition, his own Ena had surpassed 12,000.

    He knew that venya was most likely to be stronger. In fact, her familiars might have at least twice the amount of Ena of his familiars, while venya might have several times his Ena.

    However, this was a good enough point that allowed him to have the confidence to win.

    A few days before the banquet, Selena waspletely busy with the banquet.

    "We need a flower pot over there." Selena pointed to the wall on the right side, directing the maid. "Have we procured the ingredients for the food?"

    "Most of them. The rest are ingredients that can expire pretty quickly, so we will only buy them one or two days before the banquet. Some will have to wait until the day of the banquet."

    Selena nodded. "Alright then."

    "Selena. Stop working for a bit and eat!" Sera waved her hand while raising a bag of food. "If you don''t eat, Nathan is going to get worried."

    "Where is he?" Selena asked.

    "I don''t know where he is right now. It seems he has something important to do." Sera shrugged.

    "Alright then." Selena grabbed the bag while looking around. "Have the others eaten yet?"

    "I saw Regynar and Leon going to the cafeteria earlier. Lovelia is outside. I don''t know where Flora and Noelle are."

    "Flora is talking with the organizer, while Noelle is working with the security to ensure the safety of the banquet. Well, thank you for helping me here."

    "No worries." Sera smiled.

    While the two were focusing on preparing the banquet venue, Nathan obviously had to fulfill his promise with Evelyn.

    That was why he went to the Sleeping Garden''s base.

    Evelyn, Be, Neyeid, and Christopher had been waiting for them.

    "Are you ready, Nathan?" Be asked.

    "Yep. I will have Anubis inspect him alone. If nothing goes wrong, we should be able to extract as much information as we can. Have you prepared the questions?"

    "Of course. There are a lot of things we want to ask, but we don''t know how much this guy knows about them."

    "Fair enough. I''m going in to take a look first."

    "Yup."

    As soon as Nathan entered the room, he summoned Anubis.

    "Thankfully, it doesn''t seem we need to get more Ena to unlock your domain."

    "Yeah. Now that I have gotten all that Ena, I have unlocked three abilities, with one of them being my domain. It''s still the lowest level of domain, but it should be pretty effective."

    "In that case, there''s only one thing to do." Nathan raised his hand, forming a contract.

    [In exchange for a proper final judgment that Party C will undergo, Party C will answer all the questions presented by the judges and Party B truthfully. The conclusion of this contract will be supervised by Party A, the summoner of Party B. In addition, Party C will have to abide by the proceeding decided by Party B.]

    He made the man sign the contract.

    Anubis couldn''t help but say, "It seems you have been morefortable with the contract."

    "You noticed?"

    "Yeah. You word it in a way that he has to answer our questions and can''t hide anything. Instead of ''need'' or ''have to'' answer our questions, you use ''will,'' which means he will answer whether consciously or subconsciously."

    "That''s the intention. And a proper judgment is indeed a good price to pay, no?"

    "Yeah." Anubis nodded.

    "Alright. Should we call the others in?"

    With Anubis'' confirmation, Nathan came out of the room while saying, "We are done. Everything is proceeding properly. Let''s take him out and kill him so that we can extract his soul."

    "Neyeid."

    "Alright!" Neyeid entered the room.

    "Well done, Nathan." Be winked.

    "Haha. I''m just fulfilling my promise since you''ve given me the mature ss cores. You can thank me after we manage to extract a lot of information from him."

    As soon as Neyeid brought out the summoner, he took a nce at Evelyn. With a nod from her, he slit his throat, which ultimately killed him.

    "Christopher?!"

    "The curse is getting undone since he dies." Christopher checked his body. "Please wait. It needs some time. Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ It''s gone!"

    "Nathan." Evelyn nced at Nathan.

    Anubis took a step forth and activated his power. An ankh suddenly appeared underneath his feet as it released an ethereal light that made them feel inferior.

    "This is¡­" Be frowned. "This is a domain?!"

    Christopher and Neyeid were startled, while Evelyn remained nonchnt. She only nced at Nathan while muttering inwardly, ''This light surpasses that of an archbishop. As expected, his familiar is not just a normal beast¡­''

    Within a blink of an eye, they were transported to a golden courtroom.

    Be, Neyeid, and Christopher were sitting in the spectator seats. Anubis had turned into his humanoid form while Evelyn and Nathan sat down next to him as judges.

    "Is that the beast?" Neyeid was shocked, staring at Anubis'' giant body.

    "Nathan¡­ How many times are you going to surprise me? At this point, I need insurance for my heart." Be sighed.

    Christopher only sped his hands together as though he was praying.

    Of course, the summoner had been summoned and looked confused. "Huh? Where is this? Wasn''t I¡­"

    He turned his head to the side and saw Nathan and Be. "You two¡ª!"

    Before he was running his mouth, Anubis shouted, "Shut up! You are in the presence of the Supreme Judge."

 Chapter 363: Questioning (Bonus)

    "Shut up! You are in the presence of the Supreme Judge."

    The summoner abruptly shut his mouth, unable to open it again. The summoner was trying to open his mouth with his hands, but to no avail.

    "You are forbidden to self-harm, talk back, and get away from your seat. We''ll now begin the proceeding. I will be apanied by two other judges." Anubis raised his hand. All of a sudden, a huge golden scale appeared in the middle of the courtroom, which would measure his deeds.

    "So strong. He can make him obey. During the previous fight, he had a hard time taking down that demon¡­" Be was impressed.

    "Well, he has certainly gotten stronger, so that might also be the case." Neyeid nodded. "Still, he is a little too strongpared to other students in his year, don''t you think?"

    Evelyn observed everything first and waited until her turn.

    With the guy unable to do anything, Anubis began. "What is your name?"

    "Y-Yassen."

    "Your age and how many familiars do you have?"

    "38 years old. 8 familiars." Yassen looked frustrated as he was trying to stop talking. For some reason, he couldn''t do anything other than answer Anubis. His eyes turned bloodshot, as if he wanted him to stop, but thetter didn''t care.

    From these questions alone, they should be convinced that his power would allow him to extract information from them.

    Hence, he continued, "How many familiars have you turned into aliens?"

    Yassen was resisting with all his might, but to no avail. With a hoarse voice, he answered, "18."

    "!!!" Be stood up in shock. "18? That''s not just his familiars?"

    Anubis remembered Lees and the others, so he asked, "How many humans have you turned into aliens?"

    "7."

    Anubis'' expression darkened. Yassen knew he had screwed up. He never expected he would blurt out all this information. The scale on the left had dropped to the lowest point and had no sign of going up.

    "Are you involved with the kidnapping incidents? Do you kidnap people and put aliens into their bodies?"

    "Y-Yes."

    "How many people have you operated on? How many of them have turned into aliens, and how many of them remain oblivious?"

    Yassen clenched his fists but loosened them again due to the prohibition of self-harm. "39 people. 5 have turned into aliens, and the rest are still oblivious."

    Be gasped. "This is¡­ Since the number doesn''t match up, it seems he is turning people into aliens, not with the same method."

    Anubis nced at Be and said, "What method did you use to operate them?"

    "I cut their bodies and put the alien into their bodies with my Ena before closing it again."

    "What about the other method?"

    "I shove the alien into their mouth directly."

    Anubis squinted his eyes before ncing at Evelyn. "Do you want to continue?"

    Evelyn thought for a moment before nodding her head. It was her turn to ask him the questions. "How many familiars have you turned into aliens or operated on?"

    "I have operated on 79 familiars and turned 23 of them into aliens."

    Evelyn bit her lips. "Did you do this alone? Is there anyone with the same role as you in the organization?"

    "Yes."

    "!!!" Evelyn gasped. As expected, the true number was much higher than they expected. "How many of them?"

    "7 people."

    "How do you get the aliens?"

    "We have caught a mother alien whose symbiote cells can regenerate almost infinitely. It produces small children."

    "How many people in total has your organization operated on?"

    "I don''t know."

    Evelyn was frustrated. She never thought that the organization was this powerful.

    "Should I begin questioning him about the organization?" Nathan asked.

    Evelyn thought for a moment. "One more question. Is your organization rted to the massacre at the banquet a few years ago where the rising stars all over the world gathered?"

    "I don''t."

    Evelyn looked confused, wondering if this organization was the one responsible for that massacre.

    To stop her from losing her motivation, Nathan asked, "The reason for your answer. Is it because you joined the organization recently or is it because you don''t know?"

    "I joined the organization two years ago."

    "¡­" Evelyn looked surprised at Nathan but soon let out a long sigh, knowing Nathan''s intention. She appreciated the gesture.

    Now that it was his turn, Nathan asked, "What''s the name of your organization?"

    "Divine Hand."

    "Whoa. What a ridiculous name. Do you consider yourself an envoy of god or something?" Nathan chuckled.

    "I don''t know, but I have heard about the rumor about a certain prophecy. It''s said that chaos will plunge the world next year. And it is our organization''s mission."

    "Chaos will plunge the world next year? What kind of prophecy is that?" Neyeid frowned. "Are they trying to be that chaos?"

    "I think I have heard such a rumor in the past." Be closed her eyes, recalling it. "It''s an old prophecy that has been lost in the passage of time. However, there was an insane guy that shouted something simr in the past."

    "What do you know about the prophecy?" Nathan asked.

    "I don''t know anything else."

    "Who is your leader?"

    "I don''t know."

    "What do you know about your organization structure?" Nathan crossed his arms while thinking, ''It seems this guy is still a low level guy, but¡­''

    Yassen fell silent for a moment, which made Anubis angry. "Answer!"

    Yassen gritted his teeth but ultimately gave the answer. "I only know that the organization is led by a death god. Every person who joined the organization would be marked where insubordination meant death.

    "The death god has ten hands. I''m reporting to the seventh hand. Each hand has several subordinates."

    Everyone''s expression turned solemn. Yassen knew that he had screwed up big time. Their biggest advantage was that there was no information about them. With him blurting out all this, the organization would definitely be hunted down.

    That was why Nathan''s next question was obvious. With a cold tone, he ordered, "Give me their names!"

 Chapter 364: Four Questions

    "Geiza. 31 years old. A tall man with a long beard. He has ck hair and ck eyes. There is a scar running from one side of his forehead to the other side. His body might not be muscr, but he is fit."

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. In the end, Yassen gave a total of eleven names, which were seven of hisrades, his superior, and three hands.

    However, there was limited information about them.

    Nathan couldn''t help but think, ''This is annoying. Considering there are only less than one percent of humans in the world who be summoners, they should have thought about registering them like the hunter novels I have read. Even with this information, it''ll be hard to find them.''

    Nathan crossed his arms.

    "What''s the location of your organization?"

    "Our meeting location is always changing. I don''t know if we have a base or not."

    "Tell me all the ces you have used as meeting points."

    "Gehena Forest, a cave next to T River. The¡­" Yassen listed everything.

    Nathan turned to Evelyn. "We have to check each of them. Try to see if there''s a hidden room or something."

    Evelyn agreed. "Should we wrap it here?"

    "I still have four questions." Nathan shook his head. He turned to Yassen. "What do you or your organization intend to do to me?"

    "You have been listed as an anomaly. Removing your existence is important to avoid our ns from going awry. After capturing you, we are nning to open you up to see what made you able to summon beasts instead of normal humanoid familiars. Ultimately, you''ll die."

    Nathan''s expression turned cold. "So, what are the ns of the organization?"

    "We are nning to capture you, kidnap people, and turn the world into chaos with the sudden appearance of the aliens among humans."

    Nathan continued, "What about other important targets? Do you have any other important targets like me?"

    "We have three people. You, the Ice Prince of Lexia Academy, and Sage Leyfon. But we couldn''tunch our n because Sage Leyfon suddenly disappeared, most likely due to the information leak from Axel."

    Nathan thought for a moment. "In that case, if they turn the people into aliens, won''t they also die? The chaos might look good for the psychopath, but in the end, all of them will die as well. Why would they throw their lives away?"

    "The new world is about to be born where people live with the aliens inside of them, which will also prevent further invasion. As long as one can maintain their consciousness, the new world will be born."

    Nathan let out a long sigh. "I''m done. Do you want to ask anything else?"

    Evelyn shook her head. "We know that there''s no more information we can get from him due to his low rank."

    Be and the others shook their heads.

    Nathan then nodded to Anubis. "In that case, I will leave the rest to you, Anubis."

    Anubis nodded and threw them out of his domain while asking, "Alright. Let''s move on to your good deeds¡­"

    In the end, he deserved a fair trial ording to the contract.

    Meanwhile, Be was impressed. "You''ve truly outdone yourself. To think that we would get that much information. At this rate, you can be the master of interrogation."

    "Not really." Nathan shrugged. "Anyway, I have fulfilled my promise, right?"

    "Yes." Evelyn nodded.

    "Anyway, it appears they have changed their n. I''m pretty sure that they are going to leave me be for the time being. During that time, they will try to kidnap the Ice Prince of the Lexia Academy. Who is he again?"

    "You don''t know him?"

    "Yes." Nathan tilted his head in confusion. "All I know is that Lexia Academy is ranked second in the world. That''s all."

    "Now that I know your strength, I can basically say that you are the strongest freshman. Noelle mante can be said to be the strongest among the third-year students, but the strongest summoner among the second-year students is not from your academy."

    "Not from my academy? Even stronger than venya, the daughter of the Dragon King?"

    "venya is still third among the second-year students within your academy, so I can''t really say she is the strongest."

    "Hoh?" Nathan looked down, contemting.

    "Yep. His name is Welline."

    "Hmm¡­" Nathan closed his eyes, thinking, ''Ice Prince, huh? Considering he is the strongest, does that mean he has a kind of absolute ice? Either way, I don''t think I will have to meet him, so who cares?''

    Nathan added, "Anyway, we should check on him, making sure that he doesn''t get kidnapped. Do you know why they want to kidnap him?"

    "Yep. It''s said that his ice is able to freeze everything, even other elements. They must want to know what kind of ice element it is."

    "Fair enough." Nathan nodded. "I guess you guys will be busy?"

    "Indeed." Be nodded while sighing.

    Evelyn immediately took over by giving the order. "Be. Your task is to protect the ice prince in secret. Sonia will be in charge of identifying those names. Christopher, you will be going with me to check all those ces he mentioned before. Neyeid, you will remain on the base and take down the people once Sonia confirms their identity. Our priority will be those hands."

    "Understood."

    Evelyn turned to Nathan. "I will drag you again once we''re able to find an important person. We need you to interrogate that person."

    "Fine. But I''m going to be busy for a while because of a lot of things happening in the academy."

    Evelyn''s eyebrows twitched. "I will throw in some bonus if you interrogate them right away. We don''t have a lot of time."

    "Do you think I''m such a materialistic person?" Nathan smiled wryly. "Well, I don''t mind if you teach me your abilities¡­ I mean, the knowledge is fine."

    "¡­" Evelyn narrowed her eyes. If she taught him her ability, Nathan wouldn''t be able to use it even if he wanted to, since he didn''t have the familiar that could give him that element.

    Nathan''s aim was to get the knowledge so that he could make a specific contract that allowed him to find a perfect contract to borrow the power of a powerful element like space or gravity.

    "I''ll think about it."

 Chapter 365: Extorting Sullivan

    "Anyway, that''s all about the interrogation. I''m sure you''re satisfied with this amount of information, right?" Nathan asked while squinting his eyes.

    Sullivan smiled. "It''s beyond my imagination. To think that you would be able to get that much information from a single person. I wonder if our people are ipetent or if you''re just abnormal."

    Nathan shrugged. "Anyway, I have told you about the information. Now it''s time for you to pay up."

    "¡­" Sullivan''s eyebrows twitched. He said, "Come on. We are currently conducting arge scale of research for the medicine that can help those who are affected. You simply can''t ask for more money, can you? Please be more considerate."

    "It''s your role as the guardian to help them. My role is to kill them." Nathan shook his head.

    "How about exchanging information?"

    "Do you have information that is worth exchanging?"

    Sullivan raised his finger but soon lowered it down. Now that he thought about it, most of his information came from either the medicine research or Nathan.

    "This¡­" Sullivan scratched the back of his head.

    "I don''t mind giving you a discount."

    "Hoh? What do you want?" Sullivan squinted his eyes.

    "After the fight against venya, I''m sure that Count Ashton will do something."

    "Assuming you win, then yes. But are you sure you can win? venya is strong, you know?"

    Nathan nodded. "Indeed. Well, I have some assurance. If you can help me take care of the aftermath, I will give you a discount."

    "To what extent are you nning to do this?"

    "Just stopping them is enough. In the end, I''ll leave the revenge part to Selena."

    "Alright. I can handle that kind of stuff."

    "Great." Nathan raised three fingers. "If we count all that information, it should be worth about 50 mature ss cores. If you take care of them, I will give you a twenty-core discount."

    "30 mature ss cores? Are you serious? It''s too expensive. You''re already overcharging your information."

    "You can''t interrogate people like I do to get all that information. Even if you have them, I won''t be helping you." Nathan smirked.

    Sullivan''s eyebrows twitched. "Lower it a bit more."

    "31 cores."

    Sullivan gritted his teeth. "You know, I can just make your life much harder, right?"

    "You won''t do it." Nathan casually shook his head. "If you''re able to do that, I can do the exact same thing."

    "How about I beat you up here?"

    "Let''s see what the world will do because of that."

    Sullivan pinched the bridge of his nose. He finally understood the reason for venya''s anger. The Dragon King must have been scammed like this.

    Sullivan took a deep breath before saying, "0 core."

    Nathan crossed his arms.

    "If you also promise that you will help with the interrogation if we end up catching the enemy, especially a high-ranking enemy, let''s say I owe you a favor."

    Nathan''s expression brightened. He had never thought Sullivan would actually give him a favor.

    Both of them should know what a favor meant. If he could call for Sullivan''s help in the future, it was worth over 50 cores. The interrogation would also mean he got some information, so it didn''t really matter.

    That was why Nathan immediately said, "Why don''t you say that since the beginning? Fine. I promise."

    "You¡­" Sullivan clenched his fists, wanting to grind Nathan''s head out of frustration.

    "However, this also means I won''t be taking care of your mess after the fight¡­ Then again, I don''t think it''ll matter. Flora seems to have moved a few people in order to protect your parents. I''m pretty sure she is also watching Selena''s family."

    Nathan nodded. "Alright."

    "If you have anyone to interrogate, you can call me. However, I''m not going to help you interrogate a hundred people, you know."

    "Eh?" Sullivan looked as if he had been wronged.

    "Stop acting. Both of us know it''s not going to happen. Do you think I''m that free?"

    Sullivan let out a long sigh. "So, are you going to swallow all those cores if you ever get them from me?"

    "Not really. Both Sera and Selena are about to summon their fourth familiars. I don''t have to worry about Sera, but Selena was different."

    "I see." Sullivan nodded in understanding. "Fine. Go away. I don''t want to talk to you anymore today. Just enjoy your banquet, whatever¡­ You really annoy me."

    "Hehe." Nathan smirked and waved his hand while walking out of the room. "Understood. Thank you very much, Principal."

    While looking at the door, Sullivan gritted his teeth. "Seriously. What''s wrong with that guy¡­"

    Sullivan ended up bing another prey after the Dragon King. Unfortunately, he couldn''t really beat him up, unlike the Dragon King.

    Nathan, on the other hand, was humming happily.

    Now that everything had been settled, it was time for the banquet.

    ¡­

    A few dayster.

    "Young Master. Make sure you have a dance with them. It''s very important, you know? Also, don''t forget topliment them." Alisha was fixing Nathan''s tie.

    "I know." Nathan nodded. "This should be enough, right? I don''t really like wearing formal clothes. They''re ufortable."

    "Well, it should be enough." Alisha took a step back, examining Nathan from the top to the bottom. "It''s time for you to go."

    "Thanks, Alisha." Nathan rushed out of the room, heading to his own room where Selena and Sera were.

    He was kicked out of the room because they wanted to surprise him. Still, they would go to the banquet hall together.

    That was why he immediately headed back to his room. He carefully knocked on the door, asking, "Selena. Sera. Are you guys done?"

    "Yeah. We''re done." Sera replied out loud.

    Nathan was a bit excited, wondering how they looked.

    It was there when the crackling sound of the door opening echoed.

    "We''re here. Let''s go¡­" Sera came out while waving her hand cheerfully. Selena, on the other hand, looked shy despite her being a noble and often attending a banquet. After all, this time, she wasing with her own partner.

    Nathan turned around as he was going to escort them to the banquet hall. And that was when he saw a sight that took his breath away.

 Chapter 366: Banquet (Bonus)

    The banquet took ce in one of the buildings within the Frexia Academy. While it wasn''t the biggest building, it had the biggest venue.

    There were a total of 198 students across all three years. It was a lot, but not enough to fill up the entire hall.

    Of course, they hired a few butlers and maids in the academy because the main event was for the students.

    The students wereing one by one. However, not all of them nned to attend the banquet.

    While it was true that this was an event to build up their connection with each other, it didn''t change the fact that a lot of them wereing.

    As one would expect, there was one person among the students who chose toe first and greet people as they entered. It was none other than Lovelia.

    "Wee everyone." Lovelia smiled.

    "Whoa. I have never thought that Lovelia would be greeting us here."

    "Right? The student council is different from the rest of us, so it''s surprising to see them here."

    "As expected of the one handling our public rtionship, she looks gentle, cute, and harmless."

    "Indeed. With the white dress, she looked like a princess."

    "Still, I''ve heard a lot of rumors about her. Despite her harmless appearance, it''s said that when she is negotiating with other people, they end up having a ghastly face."

    "Reall¡ª!!"

    Before they could finish talking about her, there were a lot of whispersing from the side as a few people had just arrived.

    They were none other than the student council members.

    "It''s the rest of the student council."

    Flora was wearing a light blue dress that gave a yful and cheerful atmosphere. Regynar matched the color of his tuxedo with his brown hair, whichplemented his ever-serious face.

    Leon was wearing pure white. He even changed the frame of his sses so that it had the same color. It was as if he wanted to stick out on this dark night.

    Still, there was one thing they didn''t expect from them. It was Noelle. Noelle had been the fiercest among them, yet they couldn''t find any of it today.

    "I don''t really like wearing a dress¡­" Noelle said while looking at her purple dress that made her look cooler and more mature.

    "It''s fine, isn''t it? It''s just for today. Besides, you might wear it a lot in the future." Flora grinned.

    "¡­" Noelle''s eyebrows twitched. She agreed with that statement, but it was still annoying.

    The people were obviously staring at Noelle because of the contrast of what she had been showing this whole time.

    "This¡­"

    "I think I''m in love."

    "It feels like she has be a different person."

    "Just look at that embarrassed face."

    "Embarrassed? I would call it shy."

    "Well, Her Highness Flora is still the most beautiful, but Senior Noelle is definitely the one standing out the most."

    "I know, right?"

    "Who cares? I''m just here to watch my prince, Senior Leon."

    "That''s right. Senior Regynar is more pleasant to see."

    The people were discussing them until they noticed one person was missing.

    "Now that I think about it, where is the vice president? I have heard that the new president is Selena Ashton, right?"

    "If we''re talking about her, isn''t she supposed to go with the student council?"

    "I don''t think so. If she is going to go with someone, it will definitely be with that guy."

    "Who?"

    "Nathan. That beast summoner."

    "Ah! That''s right. She is his woman, right? I''ve heard that she immediately takes over the vice president position because of him."

    "Damn. Where is Nathan? I want to get closer to him."

    "That''s right. My family has been thinking about roping him in. Our family might end up having the second generation of beast summoners if we can get his seed into our family."

    "Don''t be too thirsty. While it''s true that there''s a higher chance for a summoner to be born if both of their parents are summoners, it doesn''t change the fact that there is a high chance they don''t have Ena."

    "Besides, there''s a rumor of him being taken by the saintess."

    "Is the Holy Kingdom nning to do something as well?"

    "Damn. This is gettingplicated."

    More and more people came into the venue. Unfortunately, there were 30 people who were still on a mission, which meant they were unable to participate in the banquet.

    There were around 20 people like venya who disliked taking part in the banquet. And they had no obligation like Noelle toe to this banquet.

    As a result, none of them were seen anywhere near the banquet.

    Still, a lot of people were actually waiting outside instead of going inside and talking with others. They still wanted to see the peopleing, especially all the famous people.

    As one would expect from Selena, she knew when the banquet began. Hence, there was no need for them to arrive early.

    Instead, they were among thest people to arrive.

    Obviously, their entrance surprised many people.

    Sera was wearing a long yellow gown with a flower decoration on her right waist. She was wearing a flower hairpin for her bangs and tied her back hair on the left side of her head. She gave the atmosphere of spring, which made them forget that winter had just begun.

    Just her appearance alone brightened the atmosphere around the venue. Her well-endowed body just made people unable to look away.

    On the other side, Selena was wearing a red gown with a ck color on the edge. She was wearing long ck gloves. The red dress made her ck eyes shine red as though they had the color of blood, which matched the fact she came from the vampire family.

    Her hair was braided from the sides and eventually met at the back, which ultimately flowed together with her long hair.

    Both Sera''s bright theme and Selena''s elegant look took Nathan''s breath away. And it seemed he wasn''t the only one.

    At the same time, it seemed that both of them had realized one more thing. They weren''t the only stars in this banquet. There were a lot of people, especially women, staring at Nathan as if he were a prey.

    As a result, Selena grabbed his right arm while Sera took his left arm as both of them casually dragged him inside while pushing away anypetitors.

 Chapter 367: Banquets Purposes

    "Is that really Nathan? The one who is rumored to be fighting venya the day after tomorrow?"

    "He is insane. I''ve heard about him being the hidden expert among the first-year students, but he is too bold. venya has been wreaking havoc in the second year-ss. Her strength is much more apparentpared to him¡­"

    "I don''t think he will win."

    "It''s fine. He has won our hearts. After all, bold males are hot!"

    The upperssmen were arguing with each other as they looked at Nathan. Due to the rumor about their fight, Nathan somehow became the center of attention.

    People were predicting he would lose immediately, but some thought there might be a reason for this challenge. Nathan shouldn''t be foolish enough to challenge her without any chance of winning.

    Hence, people thought Nathan might have a trump card. After all, he was Vivian''s student. While Vivian wasn''t stronger than the Dragon King, she was still the vice principal in this school.

    Selena nced at him while saying, "Look at you. People are busy talking about you¡­"

    "Hahaha." Nathan chuckled.

    "At this rate, all those people mighte to take a look at your battle. Are you nervous?" Sera looked concerned. "In the end, you have pushed away a lot of responsibility toward Selena. Isn''t it because you don''t want to stand out too much?"

    "I don''t care about standing out." Nathan shook his head. "And this is also a perfect chance to do it."

    "ording to your teacher, there might be a bet to see who would win. After all, the matter has grown this big. I will still put all my money on you, though," Selena casually added.

    "Me too." Sera hurriedly raised her hand, not wanting to lose.

    "Thank you." Nathan smiled. Before he could say another word, the atmosphere inside the room had changed as a group of people made their appearance.

    As soon as they appeared, Selena dashed. "I need to go for a bit. Sera, take care of him."

    "Of course." Sera gave a thumbs up.

    The student council had finally taken the stage, grabbing their attention.

    Flora stepped forth while saying yfully, "Hello, everyone. Flora here. As you already know, our academy has gone through a lot in the past few months. It all started with the incident on the tropical ind where the first-year student had to do their best to survive.

    "Then, there was Axel. The terrorist organization, known as the Divine Hand, had infiltrated deep into our ranks.

    "Thanks to the valiant efforts and relentless chase, we are able to uproot them from the academy. And for that, everyone has to bemended." Flora apuded, and the others followed.

    After a brief moment, she continued, "Normally, this banquet''s purpose is for all students to meet each other and form a mutual rtionship. The summoners have to band together because there aren''t a lot of us in the world.

    "The upperssmen can bring our freshmen on a mission to expand their horizons. The freshmen can give a breath of fresh air for our further growth. It''s alling together.

    "However, this banquet is different. Other than for gathering, this banquet holds three more purposes.

    "With the increasing threat from the Divine Hand, we have to get stronger as quickly as possible. As such, we encourage even the Summoners War between all of you.

    "I have personally taken part in multiple Summoners Wars, and each time, I can see how my opponents use their Ena. Some were unique, some were normal. Nevertheless, all of them gave me inspiration and new understanding.

    "Hence, I believe the Summoners War could teach us a lot of things.

    "Second of all, the student council has worked hard to extend our hands to all nobles, not only in this area but also in other kingdoms.

    "Some of you might have already known about it from your parents, but to make sure the Divine Hand can''t gain any advantage. We have loosened up our security for the nobles and merchants.

    "This is, by no means, trying to stop normal people from advancing. It''s the other way around. With resources easily entering the academy, this will create a growth spurt. Of course, we''ll do our best to ensure an academy life that is devoid of social structure. The student council will guarantee it.

    "Last but not least, I hope this banquet will allow the sharing of information, whether it''s technique or anything rted to the summoners. The first-year can ask for advice regarding what to summon or the materials for them. The upperssmen can do the same.

    "If you''d like to keep some information a secret, I don''t mind. But if possible, please think of this sharing of information as a good thing. That''s all." Flora straightened her back and dered out loud. "As such, the banquet begins."

    The apuse immediately filled the air.

    A lot of people were excited, especially the first-year students. The teachers had been a great help, but there were still things that the upperssmen could do better. In the end, hearing a lot of things, such as what they could do in their situation and what they couldn''t do from the upperssmen, made it feel more rtable.

    Of course, there was one thing they were curious about. Most of them were ncing at Nathan and Selena.

    There were a lot of mysteries behind Nathan''s beasts. At the same time, Selena had also shown two new species back-to-back, which meant she must have some secrets for those species.

    As soon as the banquet began, people started to form groups. Some first-year students were bold enough to intrude on those groups to get their answer. Some students weren''t so easy-going, which ended up with others picking them up so that they could join the fun.

    Of course, the first one toe to Nathan was none other than the student council. Not only did Selena have to return to Nathan''s side, but Flora also had something to say. After all, his unique approach and knowledge were something that people might want to know.

 Chapter 368 Approaching Nathan

    "Are you enjoying the banquet?" Flora waved her hand.

    "Enjoy what? The banquet has just begun¡­" Nathan shook his head helplessly. "If you greet other guests first, I could probably answer that question, but¡­"

    "Hahaha. You''re an important guest today. After all, you''re the one solving the crisis of the academy." Flora chuckled.

    "Have Selena¡­ I mean, the vice president told you about the purpose of the banquet?" Regynar stepped forth, asking with a solemn expression.

    "Yes. There are a few things I can share, but there are also others that have to remain secret." Nathan nodded, assuring him.

    "That''s good then. We''re sorry for asking you to share your knowledge, even though this is your biggest advantage." Regynar politely lowered his head.

    "It''s fine, it''s fine. I don''t mind." Nathan added inwardly, ''I''ve already got the reward anyway. From the vice president, that is.''

    "In that case, please enjoy the banquet. It''s fine to greet other people as much as you like. Well, you''ll probably get surrounded after we leave you, so¡­ good luck." Regynar paused for a moment. It looked like he was hesitant about something.

    As a result, Noelle was the one to speak up. "Beware of the Silent Night Tea Party."

    "Tea party?" Nathan tilted his head in confusion.

    "You know the three powers within the academy, right?"

    Experience new stories on empire

    "Yes. The student council, the club, and the association."

    "The association has gained a lot of power because they''reposed mostly of merchants, which is included in the course the academy is currently taking.

    "The student council has to maintain their neutrality and ensure the stability of the academy. However, with the increasing power of the association, the Silent Night Tea Party, which is basically the most influential club in the academy, might approach you.

    "In the end, this is the battle between merchants and nobles. The tea party is usually attended by nobles after all. People like Rudeus are at this tea party.

    "Joining them basically allows you to get a lot of connections among nobles across all kingdoms.

    "On the other hand, the association will most likely try to stop them. That''s why you might end up in the middle of their sh." Leon ended his exnation by fixing his sses.

    Nathan''s expression turned solemn. He couldn''t help but think, ''As expected, in all the academy stories I''ve read, there are definitely clubs or organizations within the academy that are so strong that they be so arrogant that they think they''re in control of the academy.''

    Nathan nodded his head. "I understand. Please don''t worry. I know how to deal with them for the time being."

    "Alright. That''s good."

    "In that case, we''ll be greeting the others. Good luck with your fight." Flora waved her hand as the group moved away.

    As they said, the people began to swarm Nathan.

    "Hello. I''m Sandra from the second year. I''m surprised by how you''re able to summon a beast instead of a humanoid familiar."

    "I am Erwin from the third year. How do you summon your beast?"

    "Hi. I am Lydia from the third year. Do you want to have a coffee after this?"

    Nathan had a wry smile, feeling a bit overwhelmed. They definitely wanted to know about his secret.

    When he nced to the other side, he saw Selena being swarmed as well. However, Selena only pointed at Nathan while saying, "I actually owed everything to Nathan and his familiars. If not for them telling me about the new species, I wouldn''t know. And hopefully, I could summon a vampire progenitor like my father and ancestor in the future."

    When they heard it came from Nathan, all of them turned their heads around, staring at Nathan with a dumbfounded face. They had the same thought.

    Without hesitation, they rushed to Nathan, even though it was already crowded.

    "Wait, wait." Nathan raised both hands, trying to calm them down. He looked at Selena as if he was asking, ''You dumped all of them on me?''

    Selena winked yfully like what Sera did, telling Nathan, ''I will definitelypensate you once we''re back. Please?''

    ''Where''s your emotionless face? Don''t act cute at a time like this and help me¡­ Do you think I will ept that¡­?'' Nathan paused for a moment before continuing, ''You better watch out after this.''

    Sera, on the other hand, didn''t have a lot of visitors. In the end, she came as the envoy and had the saintess status. They had to be careful when approaching her.

    Since there weren''t a lot of peopleing to her, she could handle them easily, unlike Nathan.

    "Do you have a powerful demihuman, like the ogre?" One person asked.

    "Ogre?" Nathan raised his head for a moment. "Now that I think about it, my familiar once told me about a certain species called Oni. Their appearance was simr to an ogre, but they have red skin and have a pair of horns on their head. Instead of a sword like most ogres wield, they use a spiked club. They possess immense strength and are depicted as demons instead of demihumans."

    They exchanged looks in shock, realizing what they needed to do. For those who had an ogre or wanted to summon one, they might be able to summon this Oni as a recement.

    "Well, since I haven''t summoned it myself, I can''t guarantee their strength. I think I remember them mentioning two names: Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji. The former is one of the most powerful Oni, who is known for their immense strength, magical abilities, and insatiable appetite for sake.

    "Thetter is often described as his right-hand man. So, take my word with a grain of salt."

    When Nathan finished exining, a female voice echoed from the side.

    "Since it''s the word from the famous Nathan, of course, we have to take it seriously."

    Nathan and the others nced to the side, finding a woman with long, curly brown hair. Her elegant atmosphere reminded him of Selena.

    She gently lifted up her skirt and bowed. "Hello. My name is Caroline Iliesta, the vice president of the Silent Night Tea Party. Pleased to meet you."

 Chapter 369 Offers (Bonus)

    Everyone couldn''t help but open their eyes wide. Find your next read on empire

    "Silent Night¡­"

    "Caroline? Is she that Caroline? The eldest daughter of Marquis Iliesta, the one who is rumored to be the guardian of the north?"

    "Is the tea party finally making their move?"

    "But why does the club president note personally?"

    "I don''t know. I''ve heard that he is not in the academy recently."

    As expected, they really came to him. Nathan was quite surprised that they would send her instead of the club president himself.

    When he raised his head to meet her eyes, he actually saw Rudeus in the corner of his eyes. In that instant, he saw through what was going on.

    This must be Rudeus'' idea, he thought.

    "What is this? The tea party can''t even show their sincerity? Does President Edward think he is above everyone that something like this is not worthy of his attention?" A deep voice echoed from the opposite direction.

    Nathan took a nce at him. He had spiky brown hair with a rather muscr build.

    When their eyes met, the guy politely introduced himself. "Hello, Fellow Nathan. I am Ricky Silverstar, the president of the Merchant Association."

    "As expected, Ricky personallyes here."

    "Right? Ricky is the second heir of the Scarlet Flower Chamber of Commerce. It''s said that his chamber ofmerce is known to be the second wealthiest in the world."

    "For such a person toe directly¡­"

    The people gasped. Both big shots had sent their envoys. Meanwhile, Nathan noticed August standing not far from Ricky as if he was trying to listen to their conversation.

    In the end, both August and Rudeus joined their respective groups.

    August and Rudeus red at each other.

    A few months ago.

    Right after Nathan defeated them, Rudeus and August ended up meeting each other.

    "I''d followed your instructions and even used the anti-Ena material. Yet we still lost!" August gritted his teeth.

    "They were simply too strong. No one would expect them to grow this much in just a couple of months. At this pace, it was close to impossible to actually catch up with them."

    As a result, both of them broke their pair, which created a rift between them. Their rivalry became even fiercer as they ended up trying to get the third spot after Selena and Nathan.

    Rudeus obviously joined the Silent Night Tea Party as royalty, while August picked the Merchant Association since his cksmith Guild had been dealing with merchants a lot.

    Rudeus squinted his eyes and recalled what he said to the club president.

    "If we want to recruit Nathan, I believe that instead of you, the vice president should be the one to go."

    "Caroline?"

    "Yes. There''s a reason Nathan is going around with Sera and Selena. It''s because he is more lustful than others. And he doesn''t bother to hide it. While it''s true that you can show your sincerity bying personally, having a partner that is pleasant to see or even the possibility of seduction gives a higher chance of sess if we''re talking about him."

    The president pondered it carefully. "Alright. I''ll tell Caroline to handle this matter."

    After recalling it, Rudeus couldn''t help but smile inwardly. ''Let''s see his reaction. Even if I have failed right now, it doesn''t mean I can''t win. Next year, my younger sister ising to this academy. At that time, I can make a lot of excuses to make them grow closer. In the end, you can''t escape from me. As long as I can maintain the status quo between Selena and her family, I can convince her to leave the Azilia Kingdom.

    ''With her leaving, Nathan has no reason to stay in the Azilia Kingdom. As expected, against him, the oldest trick in the book, the honey trap, is the most effective.''

    On the other hand, August also had a card up his sleeve.

    He remembered what his father had told him.

    "Rudeus. That Nathan has almost everything. His beast is knowledgeable. Even the natural disaster we''re currently experiencing is recognized by him. Thanks to him, we''re able to advance our research and take all the necessary measures. If possible, grab him for ourselves. The cksmith Guild doesn''t necessarily mean you need a profession rted to smithing. There are other professions like the guardian. If needed, you can use our resources to rope him in."

    August clenched his fists. He thought he could handle everything without his family''s help, but Nathan had grown too big.

    The two sides fired everything they had.

    "I''d like to extend an invitation to you, Nathan. If you join the Merchant Association, we''ll be willing to give you 1,000 gold coins a month as well as cores of the same value. We have also worked together with the cksmith Guild and are willing to provide you with every piece of equipment you need," said Ricky.

    With a sweet and seductive smile, Caroline gave an offer. "Don''t join them. Join us. If you are willing toe to us, we''ll give you 500 gold coins a month. However, as a summoner, the cores are the most important. You might not know, but our group consists of a lot of nobles. We know that you''re going to be worthy of a noble title at one point, so we''re willing to invest in you.

    "We''ll give 2,000 gold coins worth of cores. If you work with us, you can basically use the connection of our tea party to travel and utilize the resources of the nobles within the group.

    "Besides¡­" Caroline approached him sweetly while holding his hand. "I''m willing to help you with anything. With your talent, I don''t doubt you can be the next president of the club."

    "Caroline. You''re so shameless!" Ricky wanted to separate both of them.

    However, Caroline yfully avoided him and hid behind Nathan''s back. "Look at him. He is so violent. If you join them, you might get hit if you make a small mistake. Ourmunity, on the other hand, is very supportive of each other."

    "You¡­"

    Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, Nathan had actually a perfect response to their offer. In fact, he might have to thank Vivian for this.

    If he won against venya and helped Vivian with her presentation, his status would soar even further. He doubted that both of them would think the amount they presented would be appropriate.

    That was why, with a warm smile on his face, he simply said, "Can you please wait for another week before I give you my response? I don''t want to make a rash decision."

    Both of them didn''t know about the presentation. Hence, they had the same thought.

    ''Is he implying that he will win against venya and has enough confidence in making us change our offer? If that''s the case, we have to watch the battle and determine our next move after that.''

    Ricky thought for a moment before agreeing. "I understand. It''s not an easy decision to make. Please focus on your match first. We''ll be cheering on you."

    "I''ll wait for your positive response. Since you''re fighting the daughter of the Dragon King, if you need anything or don''t understand something, you cane to me. I usually stay in the library from lunch to evening. I''m willing to help you, whether in theory or practically."

    "You¡ª! How shameless you are!" Ricky gasped.

    However, it was no wonder why the tea party actually left this in Caroline''s hand. Her skin was much thicker than even Nathan''s imagination.

    Caroline was looking at him with expectant looks, asking, "If you don''t mind, would you be willing to dance with me? Of course, I''m not nning to steal the show from your girls. It''s just¡­ After you have danced with them, would you spare some time to dance with me?"

    Ricky gasped. He wanted to say something, but there was no way he could ask for a dance. He realized he had lost the initiative.

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