ALL NOVEL Chapter 40
40th Episode. I’m Sorry. Just Wanted to Show This (2)
The newspaper was published as soon as the writing was completed. In just 30 minutes, the hastily assembled edition was disseminated throughout the academy via the archive.
Students with free time enjoyed perusing the archive filled with various pieces of information.
The archive, a sort of library, was a privilege granted solely to Aligieri Students.
The Great Sage Dantia.
Her genius creations were captured in documents that her students imitated to create advanced magic formulas.
Thus, the archive was deserving of being called a virtual world.
Similarly, the Nobel Record allowed its users to relive stories from that novel in their dreams.
That too was an offshoot born from imitating the formulas inscribed on the documents.
Such incredible convenience taunted the bored individuals.
Academy students accessed the archive through their ID mirrors at every opportunity.
Naturally, the professors’ transmissions appeared at the top, followed by articles from the Newspaper Department.
Content exposure affects readership, and appealing titles draw even more attention.
People seldom care about the actual content.
The ‘title’ serves as the device to at least hint at the content, determining the audience’s interest.
Of course, titles that could pique curiosity garnered the most attention.
Tips on succeeding, sensational pieces, and the like.
However, what captures the most views are purely matters of interest.
Currently, most students at Aligieri Academy were fixated on a singular topic.
The blood of divine beasts for better final grades. The means to acquire that blood.
“I know the location of the divine beast; gather at Libel Hall by 10 AM. (First come, first served)”
Publisher – Radon Crawler
For them, an article like this was impossible to ignore.
Given the number of views, it would be hard to gauge the overall student population.
Moreover, the content was ridiculously short and easy to read, yet conveyed substantial information.
A massive number of students sharpened their blades after reading that article.
Even though they knew the publisher… such trivial matters never crossed their minds.
They were desperate to resolve uncomfortable situations quickly, simply wishing to relieve that thirst.
– This must be the place, right?
– Central Gymnasium of Libel Hall… it’s written right here in the article.
– But can we really trust this?
– The publisher’s name is rather irritating.
– Still, he’s the only witness. He’s our single ray of hope.
Despite it being the weekend, a certain building in Professors’ Building bustled with noise.
Though passersby existed, no special gatherings typically occurred on weekends.
The one responsible for this unusual phenomenon was none other than me.
The central area of the gym on the first floor of Libel Hall. While it’s a common place for students to gather for training, it’s extremely rare for over 100 of them to assemble.
The crowd was so thick that students who came to train had to make do with the second floor.
They must have gathered for a specific reason, so no need to waste words.
– Current time 9:45 AM –
‘There’s quite a crowd here.’
All for a single line penned in an article, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
With reduced exam prep time, those at the lower end were cornered.
They were desperate enough to choose a reckless course of action.
The divine beast hunt.
The news that drinking its blood would enhance their talents set their eyes ablaze.
A witness claimed to reveal its location, and they couldn’t just ignore that.
But the one who claimed this was Radon Crawler.
He was known for being notorious in our first year.
However, rumors had spread that he was seen with the divine beast.
Last weekend, there was a tip-off that he had taken it to the eastern mountains.
With such concrete testimony, it was impossible to disregard it.
Yet today, I intended to shake off that burden.
Tap, tap—
When the very person stepped onto the podium, the buzz escalated even further.
“Radon Crawler, where did you hide the divine beast? Don’t waste the time we invested in you!” were some of the remarks thrown my way.
I spoke into the microphone prepared at the podium.
“Ah, um. Thank you all for gathering. You must be keen on the content of my article. I respect that choice.”
Despite trying to sound cordial, they were too rowdy, suggesting no need for formality.
There seemed to be over 200 students. Scanning their faces, I recognized familiar ones.
They were the mobs that would fight for the divine beast.
They were underachievers who planned to climb the mountains for Angela’s blood.
They wandered around, uncertain of the place, until they stumbled upon the main characters.
Including Angela, whom they brought with them.
Since characters like Jenny were upper-tier students, they felt intense jealousy at the thought of monopolizing the divine beast’s blood.
Even attempting to explain the misunderstanding would likely lead to combat. That’s how the main plot unfolded, but now they had come to find my exact location.
“I’ll emphasize once more before I divulge. This is your choice.”
I wasn’t forcing anyone.
Certainly, there was no hint of coercion.
“Moreover, there’s no compulsion to come here, yet you all visited of your own volition. I hope you recognize this fact.”
“So what are you trying to say!”
“Just get to the point!”
As I continued to ramble without revealing the location of the divine beast, protests grew louder.
But though my words seemed nonsensical, they were not incorrect.
Their choice was an undeniable fact.
In a nutshell… whatever humiliation occurs here is not solely my responsibility.
I could only hope they’d realize that.
“Could it be you’re so oblivious despite everything I’ve said? I’ll give you 10 seconds to decide.”
I summoned a sliver of conscience to grant them a final chance.
Upon hearing that, some students felt a heavy silence.
“Then I will reveal the location.”
Despite growing jeers, I counted down the full 10 seconds and slowly lifted the corners of my mouth to speak.
“That is…”
Only about 20% of them… began to dash outside Libel Hall.
Radon Crawler, should we reconsider what kind of fellow he is!
But it was already too late.
“In fact, it’s a trap.”
Just as those trying to escape reached for the entrance—
Boom!—
A loud noise echoed like a twisting siren.
Simultaneously, light burst forth from the ground where they stood.
A rectangle of light surrounding the gym shot up like a geyser. A circular drawing reminiscent of a pit appeared on the ground.
The students floundering on it looked as if they were about to fall into a trap of despair.
And the movements of all the people standing above it froze. Even those trying to escape became unable to budge.
That was the effect of the magical device known as the ‘Trap Card’ laid out beneath this gym floor.
“What the hell is happening!”
“Radon Crawler… you can’t be serious…!”
The paralyzed students gazed at me with trembling eyes.
Despite all the warnings and a 10-second opportunity… they only now caught on.
How could they be so dense?
No wonder such a lowly idea as wanting to suck the blood of a divine beast emerged.
They were petrified, unable to move. And given that it was the weekend, no professors were nearby to release them.
“You bastard! What is your scheme?”
All they wanted was the divine beast’s location. But since there were still students who didn’t grasp the situation… I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Kyuk, kyuk, kyuk. I sincerely apologize for drawing attention! But what can I say? Being competitors, you should have been prepared for this level of traps.”
“Are you also… after the divine beast?”
“If so, what are you going to do about it?”
“You bastard!”
Once they all set their sights on the same target, the race had already begun.
Pushing and overtaking would be permissible. If I were part of that race, mitigating circumstances would apply.
To wail about one side being bad without anticipating that was sheer hypocrisy.
[Erosion Rate Decreased: -5900%]
[+590000 Credits]
[Experience exceeds a certain amount! Obtained 12 Stat Points.]
[Exceeding mastery in the ‘Deception’ category.]
[As a resultant effect, various skill levels increase.]
– Bug Summoning Lv2, Aura Mastery Lv3, No Lies Lv2, Threat Detection Lv5
In the end, those who remained oblivious would simply become a regular meal for those who understood the world around them.
I had discreetly warned them before activating the trap.
Despite explicitly stating it was a final chance and giving them 10 seconds, they still fell for it.
Of course, trapping them forever would be impossible.
If they were lower-tier students, it would be one thing, but if it were figures like Jenny or Luska, they would break free by force.
Moreover, the trap had a time limit of 2 hours.
In other words, they’d be freed by lunchtime.
However… by then, the competition for Angela would be over.
‘Still, it seems some have managed to escape.’
They were simply hidden by the numbers, but it seemed several students had broken out.
Those who deciphered my intentions must possess both wisdom and skill.
Perhaps those students were the culprits behind the struggles faced by the main characters in the real story.
‘Should I check the situation?’
*
To the east of the academy arose a picturesque mountain, but that place had already become a battlefield.
Angela’s identity had suddenly spread throughout the academy. For those guarding her, it was a shock.
Had someone leaked what was intentionally kept secret? I began to suspect Radon and Lyman, who knew this secret too.
Particularly, rumors circulated that Radon had been seen sprinting through the plaza carrying Angela on his back that weekend morning.
So when I asked Angela directly, her response was, “I just wanted to eat some rice balls!” It was a real agony.
However, surprisingly few students were aiming for Angela.
Rumor had it that a great army was advancing into the mountains, but only around 30 actually arrived.
They were all lower-tier students, so I could laugh off their attempts easily, but that would turn out to be a mistake. Just as I thought they were easy prey, the gas from potions dispersed by the alchemy department made them rigid.
After much ado, although I defeated them all… another mountain awaited beyond the one I had just crossed.
The mountain just crossed was but a trivial slope compared to the overwhelming gap that lay ahead.
Six shadowy figures draped in black cloaks stood before me.
Even Crona, who usually wore an arrogant demeanor, stiffened at the sight of those shadowy existences.
Such monstrous beings demanded Angela in exchange for their own departure, yet they would not back down.
What crime had this child committed to warrant such a demand for her blood? Do they not realize they could bleed her to death?
At that moment, Jenny Chain Silver was furiously enraged. Those blinded by greed detested not only her but also the others.
“Hand her over while it’s still civil. We have no wish to hurt you.”
Even just one was overwhelming in the current situation, let alone six. Despite the odds, I felt no inclination to retreat.
Radon Crawler had risked his life defending students; how could I let myself fall short of that as part of Class A?
“There’s no other way. This all started because of you.”
Swoosh!—
“What is this?!”
Suddenly, a lasso flew and wrapped around the shadowy figures. Not all of them, but four were dragged away.
It came barreling in at an unbelievable speed, pulling with extraordinary force. Four members of the Shadow Brigade with superhuman reflexes were forcefully pulled away.
“Activate ‘Transformation’ for all!”
One of them called out, their body morphed into a black mist, freeing them from their bindings. It was a skill that turned their entire body into fine particles, shrouding themselves in black mist.
But they had already been whisked off to an unknown location.
It was by a lakeshore. Where the morning sunlight created the most beautiful scenery.
Standing on the surface of that water was a young man with white hair.
If you excluded the lower part of his body, he appeared quite calm.
But if one glanced down, they would find it quite astonishing that he wasn’t sinking into the water.
In the hands of this extraordinary figure was the magical lasso that had just pulled them.
The strangely unsettling young man, Lyman Begilius (the clone), looked down at them and spoke.
“Have all the Shadow Brigade members turned into snot-nosed brats nowadays?”