The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School
In the Kizen Training Center, a man was lifting a heavy barbell late into the evening.
Each time the black dumbbell rose, his upper body and arm muscles bulged and then contracted repeatedly.
Beside him, a male student fiddled with a dumbbell, glancing nervously before speaking.
"Hey, Hector."
Thud! The heavy barbell dropped, creating a loud sound that echoed through the floor.
The student flinched and shrank his shoulders.
"Phew..."
Hector wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel.
The dark sheen on the barbell faded, returning it to its original metallic form.
"Where are the others?"
"Uh... oh! They're all gathered in the next building."
"There's no need for long talk. Just relay my message."
Crack! As Hector touched his neck, a chilling sound resonated.
"In this island survival assessment, we must capture Simon Polentia."
A flame of determination ignited in Hector's eyes.
Finally, the chance to defeat Simon had arrived.
There was no need to wait for him to be matched in the duel assessment anymore.
"You all must have realized during the Cyclops assessment, as long as he is standing there with both eyes open, we can never dominate Class A or achieve the top scores."
"Y-yeah."
"Class A is directly overseen by Vice Principal Kizen himself. Taking control of this class is of utmost importance."
The male student listening inwardly scoffed.
It was all too common and frequent to eliminate rivals or enemies in Kizen.
Factions and alliances could understand such goals.
Yet, Hector's obsession with suppressing Simon felt like something more than just rivalry.
Why was he so fixated on Simon? Was there some deep-seated grudge between the Moore family and the Polentia family?
"Understood? Then go."
"Y-yes!" As Hector lifted the heavy barbell again, it turned black once more.
This was a training method that honed both physical strength and the manipulation of darkness simultaneously.
Huff! Sweat poured down Hector's body like rain.
He looked like a vessel brimming with poison.
In the outskirts of Kizen, an abandoned building stood, old and dusty from years of neglect, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Moonlight seeped through the holes in the ceiling, and flickering light bulbs added to the eerie atmosphere.
Inside this dilapidated structure, a male student walked in, brushing aside cobwebs.
It was none other than Haren Cork, who had been defeated in the duel assessment against Simon.
Upon arriving at the meeting place, he looked around.
It seemed the person who had called him had not yet arrived. 'I hope this isn't a waste of time.' Haren stuffed the crumpled letter he was holding into his pocket and crossed his arms, closing his eyes. '...
Simon Polentia.' Even now, he could not forget Simon's words from that last moment.
"I don't know what grudge you have against me, but you will never defeat me with 'that kind of power' that isn't your own."
Grinding his teeth, Haren felt as if Simon knew everything.
He might have known that Haren had received treatment from Bahil or at least had some suspicion.
It was dangerous.
He didn't understand why it hadn't become an issue in Kizen yet, but knowing his secret meant he needed to act quickly.
Haren clenched his fist.
'This power...' Although he had lost to Simon, this power was undeniably real.
In the last week's duel assessment, he had overpowered a student who was deemed superior in every aspect and had risen to the mid-squad.
Because of that, Haren Cork had gained recognition among his classmates and had recently started mingling with the more popular students.
His self-esteem was soaring day by day.
'But...' He felt his strength gradually waning.
Bahil had said that the duration of this power would last at most two months. 'I must find a way to catch Bahil's eye again.' The only way was to become Bahil's direct disciple.
To do that, he needed to complete the mission he had failed last time.
This time, he would defeat Simon and prove his worth to Bahil.
"Is anyone there?" Just then, a strange female voice echoed in the abandoned building.
Haren replied, "It's just me. Who are you?"
"Oh."
A girl peeked her head in, and upon seeing Haren in his school uniform, she relaxed and stepped inside.
"Did you also receive a letter?"
"You too?" She nodded.
"My name is Jessica Kananor. I'm from Class H."
"Haren Cork from Class G. Do you also have a grudge against Simon?" Jessica averted her gaze slightly.
"Ah, no. I received an apology, so I don't really hold a grudge..."
"But why?"
"Just..."
Jessica had learned a lot from watching the duel with Simon.
The feeling of facing a being so vastly superior, born from a different world.
Looking back, it was a strange thrill.
She wanted to be like that.
She wanted to become stronger than she was now.
Thud— At that moment, a clear sound echoed through the abandoned building.
Thud— Thud— Haren and Jessica exchanged tense glances, looking around.
Haren shouted, "Who is it?"
Just then, the footsteps stopped.
As the two drew upon the darkness from their cores, preparing for any situation, a brilliant light poured down from the ceiling of the abandoned building.
They frowned and quickly shielded their eyes.
From above, someone descended.
Dressed in a black robe that covered their entire body and with a hood pulled down low, their identity was obscured.
Floating in the air, it was hard to estimate their physique, age, or gender.
Yet, an incredibly alien power radiated from them.
"Wh-who...?" Jessica asked, her eyes darting nervously.
It seemed this person was the one who had sent the letter.
Instead of answering, they slowly moved their hand.
Flap!
"......!" A pair of large wings unfurled from behind the robe.
As they slowly lifted the hood with their fingertips, they spoke.
"I have an offer for you that you cannot refuse."
Haren's eyes widened as he saw the figure beyond the hood.
"Y-you are...!"
On the day of the island survival event, Kizen students buzzed with excitement, exchanging lively conversations.
A total of 14 large teleportation magic circles were being prepared, and Class A was among them.
In the center was a large magic circle, surrounded by smaller circles spreading out like leaves.
The students stood on the smaller circles.
"I'm a little anxious," Kamibarez said, trembling.
"What if I get separated from you all?"
"It doesn't matter where you are, Kami. It's supposed to be completely random teleportation," Simon said with a gentle smile.
"If you're anxious, should I switch places with you?"
"N-no! I'm fine!"
"By the way, girls," Dick asked, resting his arms behind his head.
"Are you really going to dissect monster meat to eat?"
"I-I just practiced fishing," Kamibarez replied, forcing a smile.
Mei Lin sighed lightly.
"If we get really hungry, we might have to eat monsters as we learned, but for now, let's aim for supplies as much as possible."
Supplies were one of the detailed rules of the island survival.
Occasionally, a large magic circle would appear in the sky during the survival event.
Exactly one minute later, supplies would descend from the magic circle.
They were said to contain food as well as special artifacts that could only be used during this survival.
The competition would inevitably be fierce.
Students nearby would all be aiming for the supplies.
"Alright! Please prepare!" At that moment, the attendants rushed around, announcing.
"We will now teleport to the island!"
"Please do not step outside the magic circle!" The students gathered their legs inside the circle, their faces tense as they waited.
Simon, feeling his heart race, crossed his arms and waited, noticing Hector glaring at him from a distance.
'If I meet him, we'll end up fighting again.' He couldn't understand why Hector was so eager to catch him.
But if they were bound to clash someday, he thought that facing him this time might be a good idea.
Vroom! Vroom! Suddenly, the magic circle lit up.
Cheers and screams erupted all around.
"Everyone, let's do our best!" Kamibarez shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Ha ha, everyone survive and see you back at Kizen!"
"I told you! Don't go acting tough in the center and get yourself killed! Just try to avoid the lowest score!"
As Mei Lin's voice faded with last-minute advice, the light of the magic circle intensified.
The scenery blurred, and Simon felt his legs lift off the ground.
For a while, the world was filled with dazzling light, and slowly, outlines began to take shape.
His sense of touch returned before his sight, and he felt the wind tickling his body.
Simon took his time, waiting for his vision to clear before surveying his surroundings.
"...... Wow."
He had truly fallen right into the heart of a jungle.
Everywhere he looked was green, lush vegetation.
It was his first time in such a dense place with a high density of plant life.
Large tropical plants with broad leaves and vines growing wildly covered the trees.
Moreover, the climate was extremely hot and humid.
The air felt heavy, and the ground was damp, as if it had rained.
"So I have to survive here for four days?" Simon's body trembled slightly.
A strange tension coursed up his spine and spread throughout his body.
An overwhelming sense of catharsis bubbled within him.
"This is going to be fun!!" The birds startled by Simon's shout took flight.
The familiar spirit of Pier, hanging from his school uniform, also awakened and looked at Simon.
[Looks like we’ve arrived.
But why are you so excited?]
"Adventure is calling me."
[......
You madman.
You haven't forgotten our purpose, have you?]
Simon grinned.
"Of course not. I need to find the leader of the Giant Brigade, Big Kroom, faster than anyone else."
Saying this, Simon lifted his legs and stomped down hard on the ground.
Crack! Something burst beneath his feet.
"Good."
Simon bent down to pick it up.
[Ugh! What is that disgusting thing!]
Simon smiled brightly and replied, "It's my snack for today."
A large snake with a net-like pattern lay limp.
Simon, excited, stored the dead snake in his spatial pocket.
"Getting snacks so easily, this is a great start!"
[......
Boy, you seem more excited than usual.]
"Yes."
Simon looked around the jungle and smiled.
"No matter what anyone says, this is my stage."
The mad survival expert of Reshill had entered Kerasum.