Chapter 642

642.

The aggression of the first-years pursuing Kal was relentless.

A heavy tension had gripped the crowd initially after witnessing Kal’s magic systematically dismantle Vito.

Yet, observing that Kal refrained from employing further spellcraft beyond tactical snares, the newcomers threw caution to the wind and surged forward.

‘The lingering exhaustion of channeling that high-tier magic is restricting him!’

Kal had already attained global renown.

He was a rare figure who had ascended to heroic status at an remarkably early age.

Furthermore, he represented an entirely unprecedented breed of pioneer.

Throughout the winter vacation, Kal’s name had regularly graced the headlines of international publications.

Consequently, key details regarding Kal’s background had leaked to the public.

This included records of his academic performance and the specifics of his arcane capabilities.

This data gave the incoming class a foundational understanding of what they were up against.

When Kal deployed that devastating magic early on, they briefly worried their scouting reports were inaccurate.

But the moment his spellcasting ceased, they realized their advantage and narrowed the distance.

The freshmen currently enrolled at Lumerne were driven by boundless ambition.

Having been hailed as prodigies in their respective hometowns since infancy, each believed they were unmatched.

‘If I can manage to wrest that key from Senior Kal, my prestige at this academy will be solidified!’

The vast majority of the first-years viewed this encounter as their golden ticket to securing the freshman MVP title, an honor that would guarantee the undivided attention of both faculty and upperclassmen.

And then…

Kwagagagang-!

“Kyaaaah?!”

A female scholar from the Summoning Department let out a sharp cry, clutching her skull and collapsing into a protective crouch as violent detonations shattered the perimeter.

The supposed formation had collapsed entirely.

Their strategic synergy shattered under the weight of their individual greed to capture Kal.

Every student who had spotted Kal and rushed forward blindly was caught in the concussive blast radius and promptly neutralized.

The young woman from the Summoning Department, tears pooling in her wide eyes, huddled over her contracted companion and attempted to struggle to her feet.

Kal materialized directly before her, a crossbow leveled at her chest.

“Freeze right there.”

“Hiccup!”

Confronted by Kal’s sudden presence, the girl let out a startled hiccup, tears spilling over her cheeks.

The horned lagomorph, a Horn Rabbit cradled in her arms, let out a series of terrified ‘kyu~ kyu~’ whimpers, trembling in unison with its master.

“Waaaah-! I surrender! Please, just don’t shoot!”

Overwhelmed by panic, the freshman summoner wept openly as she forfeited.

She possessed a petite frame paired with exceptionally large, expressive eyes.

Watching such a delicate and endearing newcomer tremble in absolute terror was enough to spark an instinctive desire to protect her in anyone.

“Ah~ I’ve always had a soft spot for this sort of display.”

Kal clicked his tongue softly, casually slinging the single-handed crossbow over his shoulder.

“I’ll spare you the official elimination penalty, so make yourself scarce and head back.”

“Understood…”

Kal shifted his gaze away, observing the sobbing girl as she turned around to retreat in the opposite direction.

‘Hmph-!’

The moment her back was turned, the melancholy vanished from the girl’s gaze.

‘He completely swallowed the bait!’

Her calculated appeal to his sympathy had yielded flawless results.

The Horn Rabbit nestled tightly against the chest of the student, Perena, matched her sudden malicious expression.

‘Execute him!’

It was an underhanded tactic, but morality was irrelevant in this test.

‘He has only his own naivety to blame!’

She commanded the Horn Rabbit to lunge backward toward her unsuspecting target.

Yet, the exact moment a triumphant smirk crossed her face as she spun around.

Perena’s head was violently snapped backward by a blunt impact.

“H-How did you…”

Kal let out a low chuckle, “Hmph-.”

“Even if I had fired a bolt, that Horn Rabbit would have intercepted it easily. I deliberately feigned vulnerability to make you drop your guard so I could finish you without a struggle.”

“B-But you explicitly stated you were susceptible to that kind of behavior…”

“Oh, that? Purely theatrical, obviously.”

Kal shrugged nonchalantly, watching with an indifferent expression as Perena’s form began to dissolve under the disqualification mechanism.

“In an environment like Lumerne, where deceit and calculated manipulation dictate survival, the inept are weeded out instantly.”

“You’ll regret this!”

Perena screamed, her eyes burning with pure resentment.

Kal offered a faint smirk, dismissively waving his hand as he spoke under his breath.

‘Perena Hergin. A complete contrast to her elder sister Eliza; she’s a viper who will employ any treacherous means to secure victory.’

Whatever her faults, Eliza possessed the pride to confront her adversaries face-to-face.

Perena, conversely, was a pragmatic opportunist who utilized every dirty trick at her disposal.

Kal had already thoroughly memorized the profiles of the incoming class.

Attempting to deceive Kal with such a transparent ruse was Perena’s fatal miscalculation.

“At any rate.”

Kal, who had successfully neutralized nearly two hundred first-year combatants by this point, thoughtfully stroked his chin.

“Kuh~ To think that I, the absolute lowest rung among the third-year students, am reigning supreme over the entire freshman class.”

Allowing himself a brief moment of self-satisfied pride, Kal turned his steps back toward his primary outpost.

He had exhausted the entirety of his prepared defensive traps.

‘Step one is replenishment.’

The instant that thought crystallized.

Kal, alerted by a sudden, razor-sharp spike of murderous intent emanating from the distance, threw his body into a desperate slide.

Kwaak-! Tididing-!

Kal swallowed hard as an arrow reinforced with dense aura tore through the airspace directly above his head.

‘It seems the main threat has finally made her move.’

Milia Rola.

The single most dangerous individual Kal had categorized among the first-year demographic.

Kal prioritized Milia above all others specifically due to her choice of armament.

‘A longbow!’

Milia, utilizing a bow as her primary tool of engagement, was capable of unleashing devastating strikes from extreme distances.

‘Her effective firing distance surpasses even Juen’s!’

Granted, there was a clear disparity in raw destructive capability and rate of fire between the two.

The critical issue for Kal was that Milia, who favored sniping from positions far beyond his sensory awareness, represented a far more dangerous counter to his skillset than Juen, whose strategy relied on overwhelming momentum and rapid-fire barrages.

‘Furthermore, she possesses a tactical mind!’

Despite having multiple windows of opportunity to assassinate him previously, Milia had chosen to patiently observe Kal’s patterns.

She waited to strike until the exact moment he was most vulnerable.

Based on the intelligence Kal had gathered, she was an exceptionally perceptive adversary.

‘Worse still!’

Kal propelled himself forward, sprinting at maximum velocity through the dense undergrowth.

Wheee-shhh! Kwaak-!

A projectile narrowly missed Kal’s flank.

Catching sight of the projectile’s design, Kal rapidly retrieved a crimson mantle from his cloak and draped it over his torso.

Kwaaang-!

A thunderous detonation reverberated through the trees.

An arrow capable of triggering a massive concussive explosion.

This was not a manifestation of Milia’s innate magical capability.

‘No, it is an asset! Because she leveraged her immense financial capital to secure it!’

Milia Rola.

She was the sole heiress to the legendary Rola Merchant Guild, an enterprise that held an absolute monopoly over the southern commerce networks of the continent.

‘And she harbors zero reservations about relying heavily on auxiliary items!’

Typically, the students of Lumerne possessed an unyielding sense of personal honor.

Because of this pride, even during evaluations where external tools were technically permitted, they chose to rely strictly on their inherent martial prowess.

Milia, however, was cut from a different cloth.

She was driven entirely by practical efficiency.

In a scenario like this evaluation, she unhesitatingly maximized her use of high-grade equipment.

From Kal’s perspective, this made her an exceptionally problematic foe.

Having successfully evaded the blast radius, Kal activated his mantle’s concealment and relocated with silent speed.

‘Hmm?’

Milia narrowed her gaze, scanning the empty terrain where Kal had vanished immediately after dodging her opening salvo.

‘I was certain that would connect.’

She had anticipated inflicting a debilitating injury, if not an outright elimination, yet Kal had flawlessly anticipated and dodged every single long-range projectile Milia sent his way.

The display was genuinely startling.

What Milia failed to account for was Kal’s recent regimen.

Throughout the entire winter intermission, Kal had spent his days fleeing from Duran’s blade—a weapon infinitely faster and more lethal than any arrow she could fire.

The core directive Duran had drilled into Kal during their brutal sparring sessions was absolute:

‘Abandon all thoughts of counterattacking. Discard any notion of parrying. Your sole objective is evasion.’

That grueling conditioning under Duran’s tutelage manifested perfectly here, elevating Kal’s reflexes to a degree where he could interpret raw hostility and react before the trigger was even pulled.

A thrill of excitement shot through Milia, and she passed her tongue lightly over her upper lip.

‘Excellent. A target of this caliber makes the pursuit genuinely exhilarating.’

Milia swiftly advanced toward Kal’s last known coordinates.

An invisibility mantle might obscure visual confirmation, but physical footprints and displaced air remained.

Reaching the impact site, Milia concentrated her aura directly into her optical nerves.

With her vision enhanced to its absolute limits, she began tracing the subtle environmental disturbances Kal had left in his wake.

A confident smirk graced Milia’s features as she verified his trajectory.

‘Now, let us see how well you endure the exact same torment you inflicted upon our peers, senior.’

Kwaang-!

A sudden detonation tore through the clearing.

Kwagagagang! Kwang-! Kwagagagang-!

A chain reaction of explosions shattered the silence.

While Kal had been occupied utilizing guerrilla tactics to humiliate the main body of first-years, Milia had quietly constructed a minefield in this sector, utilizing explosive arcane charges identical in design to Kal’s own fabrications.

Her motivation for doing so was beautifully direct.

To subject Kal to his own medicine.

Milia, finding a strange rhythm in the rhythmic cadence of the detonations, utilized aura-stepping techniques to ascend to the canopy of a massive tree.

Kwaang-!

Peering through a pair of high-magnification binoculars, she focused on the epicenter of the latest blast.

Kal’s obscured form was navigating the hazards with frantic agility.

“To successfully maneuver through a dense trap network of that scale… You truly are remarkable, Senior Kal.”

Lowering the binoculars, Milia whispered to the open air.

“He really is fascinating.”

Milia’s admiration for Kal predated his ascent to heroic status.

Despite being raised by parents who controlled a mercantile empire, her lineage remained common.

She found herself naturally captivated by Kal, a fellow commoner who had shattered traditional barriers to claim the mantle of acting student council president at Lumerne.

Furthermore, he had survived countless academic crises using unorthodox methods, despite constantly teetering on the brink of expulsion.

While the general student body attributed Kal’s continued survival to mere fortune, Milia recognized the truth.

‘If luck alone sufficed to survive this institution, Lumerne would hardly hold the title of the continent’s premier academy, would it?’

She understood intimately that every accolade he possessed was paid for in blood and desperation.

That grit was what drew her attention.

Far more so than the naturally gifted and radiant Leo Floff.

Ultimately, Kal had validated her fixation by achieving true heroism.

In the current era, every individual harbored an idol they revered. For Milia, that idol was Kal.

She was, in the truest sense, a dedicated follower.

Her ultimate desire was to observe him from the closest possible vantage point.

To witness his intellect grind through overwhelming adversity and impossible odds.

The masterful way Kal toyed with and dismantled the arrogant fools who charged him blindly was nothing short of brilliant.

‘Yet, the sight I desire most is witnessing the senior rise above an absolute crisis.’

Milia’s primary pastime had always been the hunt.

Observing her quarry struggle desperately against the inevitable provided a unique satisfaction.

‘In a balanced, one-on-one engagement… I wouldn’t stand a fractional chance against him.’

Regardless of the fact that Kal’s heroism was recognized for attributes outside of raw destructive power, he remained a champion validated by the divine.

On top of that legacy, he was a veteran who had successfully navigated three full years of Lumerne’s gauntlet.

There was no logical scenario where a green freshman could best him in a fair fight.

‘Rather than acting as the predator, I would have broken within moments.’

However, the current parameters forced Kal to split his focus against hundreds of opponents simultaneously.

This imbalance provided her the unique luxury of treating him as prey.

Milia tracked Kal’s frantic path, the corners of her mouth curling upward into a sharp smile.

“That location must serve as your primary refuge, senior.”

Letting out a low chuckle, Milia descended from the branches and advanced toward Kal’s coordinates.

“I genuinely believed my life was forfeit just now!”

Kal was breathing heavily, his frame trembling slightly from the adrenaline.

“If not for Duran’s agonizing survival drills, that would have marked my absolute end.”

Kal shook his head to clear his thoughts, then pivoted sharply.

Click-clack- click-clack-

The distinct echo of footsteps resonated within the confines of the cavern.

“Milia Rola.”

“Oh, you actually recognize my name. I am profoundly honored, senior.”

Milia offered a radiant, pristine smile.

Kal scratched the back of his neck, his eyes locking onto Milia’s stance.

The exact instant he tensed his muscles to bolt from the cavern.

Thwack-!

“Kuh?!”

A projectile launched from Milia’s bow cleanly impaled Kal’s thigh.

Maintaining her draw on the bowstring, Milia spoke, “My deepest apologies, Senior Kal. I truly did not wish to inflict physical harm upon you. Oh, to raise a hand against the senior I hold in such high esteem.”

“…”

Kal let out a dry, mirthless laugh as he stared at Milia, whose trembling shoulders and apologetic expression were entirely performative.

“You’re failing to hide how much you’re enjoying this.”

“…”

“Just let the laugh out.”

At Kal’s blunt observation, the artificial frown on Milia’s face gave way to a wide, manic grin.

Struggling back to a standing position while keeping his eyes fixed on her, Kal remarked, “You’re twisted, aren’t you? A total sadist who derives pleasure from breaking people.”

“Yes. That is entirely accurate. I am deeply twisted. Though not indiscriminately. I simply find the greatest joy in breaking the things I cherish most.”

Milia’s pupils dilated with excitement.

“Tell me, how does it feel? To find yourself ensnared by the very tactics you pioneered? What is it like to occupy the position of the quarry? Oh, please do not misunderstand my intentions. My reverence for Senior Kal is absolute. Had this been an isolated duel, I recognize I would have been utterly defeated. I am not posing these questions to mock you.”

A genuine, flushed warmth spread across Milia’s cheeks.

Kal observed her ecstatic state and felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Wow, she is completely unhinged.’

He had crossed paths with an immense variety of eccentric personalities during his tenure at Lumerne.

Yet, he could state with absolute certainty that he had never encountered an individual as profoundly unstable as Milia.

Kal shook his head slowly, plunging his hand deep into his pocket.

In a swift motion, he extracted a metallic object and hurled the key directly at Milia’s face with maximum force.

Milia snapped her head to the side with razor-sharp reflexes, the projectile whistling past her cheek.

“To think that I am the one orchestrating the downfall of Senior Kal! This is the apex of my life!”

Kal let out a quiet chuckle at her proclamation.

“I hate to disappoint you, but.”

“Yes?”

“The match is already decided.”

“As expected of my senior! To possess a hidden trump card specifically for an absolute crisis!”

Milia’s smile widened, her expression filled with genuine, unwavering belief.

“However, given the severity of your injury, do you truly believe you can withstand the remaining waves of first-years waiting outside?”

“Oh, those guys? I swept the board clear of them a while ago.”

“What?”

Milia’s triumphant expression faltered, her eyes widening as Kal’s lips curled into a mocking grin.

“What are you implying…”

“Those traps you so meticulously laid out. I took the liberty of repurposing them.”

“…!”

‘He anticipated my movements to that degree?’

The precise millisecond Milia realized the trap.

Smack-!

A heavy, blunt force struck the completely exposed back of Milia’s skull.

It was the very key Kal had thrown moments prior, returning along its trajectory.

Thwack-!

Snatching the returning artifact out of the air, Kal offered a broad smirk and propelled himself toward the western recess of the cavern structure.

He cast a quick wink back at the disoriented girl as he vanished into a concealed passage, his form dissolving beneath an invisibility shroud. “Whoosh-!”

“A commendable effort, junior.”

The exact moment Kal’s figure cleared the threshold of the tunnel.

Flash-! Kwagagagagagang-!

A synchronized network of volatile explosion elixirs, carefully planted throughout the structural foundations of the cavern, detonated simultaneously.

Milia collapsed to her knees, watching the cascading wall of flame rush toward her.

‘I wasn’t the predator. I was merely dancing to his tune from the very inception of this hunt.’

Kwagagagang-!

Milia pressed her palms to her burning cheeks, a shudder of pure ecstasy passing through her.

‘He is absolutely magnificent!’

With Milia’s formal elimination, the entire freshman deployment had been utterly systematically annihilated by Kal alone.