Department of Dungeon Studies: A Magic Academy LitRPG, page 11
Several pairs of eyes glared at the duo. The group of ten wore better clothes than the rest, and their weapons appeared of better quality, too. At first, Nox chalked it up to Edward’s presence, but then he spotted a similar-looking slender figure. It was Louis. Nox couldn’t help but feel surprised by his half-brother’s presence. He was only eighteen and didn’t just have a well-developed mana system but enough skill for the apparently rigorous intermediate combat course. Some part of Nox felt envious and wondered whether he’d have achieved similar feats at that age if he benefited from the same resources. Then he bottled down the thoughts while telling himself that his brothers had no freedom. Queen Mercer had long decided their futures, and they needed to live as per her whims.
“Before we get started, I want to get something straight,” a harsh-faced tiny man said, marching onto the terrace. “I’m Battlemage Aaron Wolfhammer, and I believe a good deal of you don’t deserve to be here.” He faced the side of the terrace with Edward and Louis. Besides the obvious noble scion and gold-rich individuals, several common-looking students stood in the area, too. “You lot entered this course in the appropriate manner. You completed the beginner course and proved your mettle.” Then he faced the side with Nox. More than half the class stood scattered around him. “Meanwhile, the dean, your mentors, guild leaders, and commanding officers forced me to accept your lot, singing praises of your exploits.
“It’s not that I don’t want you here, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re not worthy of this class or the privileges accompanying it. Sure, you might have fought brigands or hunted magical beasts, but only a fool would think that makes them ready for dungeon delving. In a fallen god’s domain, everything is out to kill you. Besides the obvious beasts, you need to deal with their followers and the dungeon itself as they all try to kill you simultaneously. However, since you have practical combat experience, I’m willing to give you a chance to prove yourselves. I will be harder on you than the others, and sometimes it might feel like torture. I assure you, conditions in dungeons will often be worse. Talk to me if you can’t handle it, and I’ll move you to the beginner course.”
A heavy silence hung over the courtyard following the short speech. Smiles dominated Edward and his cronies’ faces. Meanwhile, Louis appeared passive and uncaring. His eyes had long moved on from Nox.
“What are you lot waiting for? Start your laps. I want five from the beginner course graduates and ten from the rest of you. No arcane reinforcements or empowerments allowed.”
The laps weren’t just around the giant terrace as Nox had hoped. Instead, his siblings, their entourage, and the other veteran students took off along the university’s roof. The long, wide path went all around Ygg’s trunk. The rest of the class hesitantly looked between them and Professor Wolfhammer before following.
After the second lap, the flask hanging from his belt tempted him. A combination of Feline Grace and Runner’s High would make the task a breeze. It was unlikely the professor’s mana sense would detect their presence. However, Nox refused to fall short of his step- or half-brother. It would be embarrassing if he got caught, too, and would probably delay his dungeoneering license.
Lillin jogged next to Nox, unaffected by the exertion despite the volume of greasy food in her belly. Each lap took the class’s veteran members eight minutes, and the pair successfully kept pace with them. By the third lap, sweat soaked his clothes, and maintaining the same speed grew difficult, yet Nox kept pushing himself until they finished and remained on the terrace for further instruction from Professor Wolfhammer. Edward and his cronies tried to body-block Nox, but he weaved through them effortlessly.
A friend with spatial magic proved invaluable, like always. When Nox got too hot, he removed his shirt and coat and dropped them in a pocket dimension. Lillin did the same with her clothing, leaving only a vest to cover her torso.
When the duo finished their tenth lap, hushed voices spoke of the pair. Some stared, and others stuck to quick glances. Nox heard whispers talking about the warped skin on his forearms and the tendrils extending from them. Others accused Lillin of using magic since not a single bead of sweat clung to her.
“Good,” Professor Wolfhammer said. “I expected more of you to quit.” Anyone that gave up had already left the terrace. Nox imagined they were demoted to the beginner class. “At least everyone here has decent tenacity.” He shot curious glances at Nox and Lillin, too. “Next, I’d like a demonstration of power from all newcomers. You can work alone or in groups of up to three.”
“What would you like us to do?” a young woman asked. She stood a head shorter than Nox, had a frizzy mane of light brown hair, and striking green-gray eyes. He recognized her from Beginner Shaping despite her disheveled form. Dean Myrina had relied on the young woman to pass around handouts and take notes. Now that he got a better look, Nox noticed similarities between the two women. They shared several facial features. Unlike the dean, her cheeks carried some fat, but the chin, nose, and brow were near identical. “My magic excels at defense.” She nodded at the dummies and targets lining the terrace’s sides. “These won’t give you an accurate impression of my capabilities.”
“I have a solution for that,” Professor Wolfhammer said. “Everyone that completed the beginner course had to fight a magical beast to pass the course. You’re going to do the same now.”
“Where—”
Floating spell forms solidified around Professor Wolfhammer. Six-limbed wolves grew out of them. Nox had never heard or read about the giant creatures. Four legs stayed on the ground like that of a regular canine. It was the human torso growing out of the neck and shoulders that made them odd. The creature had two furry arms ending in giant hands with monstrous claws and wolf-like heads.
“He’s a summoner,” Nox whispered, struggling to hide his amazement.
The wolf-centaurs stood seven feet tall, and each of them carried a war hammer as long as their torsos. One side had a meat tenderizer–like hammerhead, while the other featured a pick.
“Each group will face one of my beautiful beasties.” The professor grinned. “To pass my test, you must either defeat your opponent or survive five minutes against them. My babies won’t hold back. They’ll avoid fatal blows, but that doesn’t mean your limbs are safe. If you’re not careful, you might end up crippled or maimed.”
“What if we fail?” a man asked. The wet hair and sweat-soaked clothes made him look half a decade older than Nox. “Will you demote us to the beginner class?”
“It all comes down to your performance,” Professor Wolfhammer replied. “If I sense your mentors and backers exaggerated your capabilities, I won’t have a choice but to demote you. That’s the entire point of this exercise. If you fight well and still can’t defeat my summons, you’ll repeat this exercise every lesson until you do.”
“And if we defeat them?” Nox asked. He left his shirt and coat off but had pulled on the glove accompanying Ratra’s bow while the professor spoke.
Professor Wolfhammer grinned. His eyes narrowed as he studied Nox and Lillin. “You’ll enjoy the same privileges as them.” He nodded at the half of the class standing around the training dummies. “That means only five laps, custom training plans, and a fair bit of freedom with delving party creation. These are the weakest of my summons, but defeating them on the first try will also win you privileges. I’d suggest you not get overconfident. They’re not easy opponents.” His eyes scanned the newcomers. “Who’d like to go first?”
Five hands shot into the air. Nox, Lillin, and the young woman from Beginner Shaping were among them.
FOURTEEN
ALL FEAR THE CONTROL MAGE
Nox and Lillin went first.
The rest of the class retreated to around the targets and training dummies. Only Professor Wolfhammer and his summons remained. The tiny man cast another spell, and a hammer as tall as him manifested in his hands. Unlike the weapons held by his “beasties,” its head resembled a wolf and was bigger than his skull. Puffs of white vapors rose from the nostrils every few seconds, making it look like hot breath on a cold day.
“Are you sure you don’t want a third?” the professor asked. “It’s a bad idea to face my beasties without a vanguard.”
“We’ll be fine,” Lillin said.
“Are there any rules?” Nox asked. “Anything we can and can’t do?”
“There are no rules when it comes to dungeon combat, boy. If I had to make one, it would be to come out alive. Victory isn’t always necessary, but survival is. You may use everything at your disposal.”
Professor Wolfhammer raised his weapon high above his head and slammed it down on the ground. The stone terrace warped. Blocks rose and dipped. After a moment of shifting, the stone stilled, leaving the space looking more like an obstacle course than an arena.
“Begin!”
The tallest of the three summoned beasts charged forward, not giving the pair any time to prepare—not that they needed it. Nox and Lillin had fought creatures more than twice their size before. He stood his ground, manifesting a composite mana bow, while she retreated a dozen steps behind him.
The first projectile fired lacked form. It looked more like a bolt of energy than an arrow. It struck the wolf centaur in the chest and inflicted minimal damage. However, Nox hadn’t just fired an ordinary arrow. It was combat, and every unit of mana counted. The beast slowed to half its starting speed. The mana he fed the bow had just circulated through the Slow half of his core’s spell form.
When readying the second arrow, Nox poured more magic into it. He let the mana circulate through the star before channeling it through his father’s weapon. Nox tried his best to shape the energy as it grew into an arrow. The projectile adopted a faint outline, but the intended crystal head didn’t form. Instead, sharp, jagged fragments rotated around the body. When Nox released the arrow, the essence glass went with it.
Unlike the first attack, the second inflicted damage. Crystal shards ripped curving lines in the gray, furless hide around the chest before remaining embedded in the chiseled flesh. Meanwhile, the mana arrow shattered, leaving burned and warped skin behind, typical of mana burn.
A whine escaped the wolf centaur. Its snout crinkled, revealing monstrous, chipped fangs. Despite the ongoing Slow effects, it picked up speed and leaped between the jutting blocks. The hammer rose high above its head, and the metal hummed in its hands.
An invisible force tugged Nox backward just as the weapon came down. He didn’t fight it. The spell pulled him several feet away from the monster. Then Lillin flew over his head. She reached the wolf centaur just as the hammer smashed the spot where Nox had stood a heartbeat ago. A black sphere pulsed in each of her hands. The force pulling Nox weakened as she passed him. Lillin thrust her palms forward, and the spheres remained hovering in place.
The beast roared as the essence shards ripped free from its flesh and took up orbit around the gravity orbs. The wolf centaur’s wounds grew, and veins pressed against bare hide as it struggled to lift its hammer. Tufts of fur ripped free and joined the essence shards.
Veins bulged on Lillin’s forehead as she forced the gravity orbs together. When the wounds on its body grew, the beast leaped away, abandoning its hammer. She threw the gravity orbs after it. Much to the duo’s surprise, the wolf centaur launched forward as soon as it landed. The humanoid torso bent forward, and the gravity orbs shot past it. Instead of picking up the hammer, the beast pulled its arms back and swung from the shoulder, swinging its clawed hands like scythes.
Lillin flittered away like a lithe dancer. Sweat beaded her forehead as another gravity orb solidified in her hand. She threw it at the wolf centaur. Unfortunately, it was ready for her attack. The creature sped away, taking its hammer with it. Another projectile caught the creature midstride, cuttings its speed in half. Instead of following up with another projectile, he and Lillin sped at the beast in unison. Instead of two, she only conjured one gravity orb twice as big as the ones before. Nox felt its effects and let her move ahead of him.
When she caught up to the wolf centaur, Lillin stopped short. His giant hammer’s swing packed so much power the blast of air following it made her stagger backward. Nox shoulder charged Lillin, pushing her out of the way before the follow-up attack could hit her. The hammer grazed his shoulder, ripping his sleeve and peeling his skin. The blow rattled every bone in his body, and it took every ounce of focus to complete a cast of supercharged Slow. Staying upright in his current state proved challenging. His hand grazed the wolf centaur as he fell. It froze, and essence crystallized around the hammer before clattering to the ground.
Lillin’s giant gravity orb pulled the super-slowed wolf centaur off balance. It landed stomach-first on the sphere. The magic ripped pieces of fur, hide, and flesh free of the creature. It thrashed and whined but still didn’t fall. Professor Wolfhammer’s magic appeared potent enough to hold the beast together through Lillin’s violent gravity magic. Nox saw no option but to waste valuable resources.
First, he smashed a thumb-size vial on the wolf centaur. The contents expanded into foam as it reacted to the air. The gravity orb accelerated its movements and swiftly covered the beast. Nox struggled to resist its effects. His body still hadn’t recovered from the hammer graze. The gravity forced him to his knees. Fortunately, the orb kept the foam on the wolf centaur and away from him. The wild mana radiating from the spell and the summon roiled, twisting and mingling.
Nox knew what he needed to do. He fought down the urge to retch and crumble under the pain. A shuffle brought the thrashing wolf centaur within his mana zone. A stray limb whipped past him, and the claws drew blood from his cheek. He ignored the pain and poured all the mana he could spare into Crystallize Essence. A flower of black, clear, and blue essence glass bloomed. Shards grew out of the hardening foam and wolf centaur’s flesh. It gurgled blood before going still.
Lillin’s strong hands wrapped around Nox’s shoulder and pulled him away from the still-growing glass flower. She pulled a metal flask out of thin air, unstoppered it, and poured the contents down his throat. Skin itched, and bones groaned. Nox felt the wound on his cheek knit itself closed. A cold rawness consumed his left arm as fresh skin grew. Something also clicked in his shoulder, suggesting a dislocation.
A few cheers sounded from the group waiting for their turn at the test. Meanwhile, heavy silence hung over the rest of the class. Edward, Louis, and their entourages stared at him either with horror or contempt in their eyes.
“Professor Kris wasn’t lying when she said you two had talent,” Professor Wolfhammer guffawed. “I’ll admit it, I expected a lot less from you. It’s not every day a new professor shows up with two recruits. When they do, they’re rarely competent, let alone good. I don’t remember the last time someone beat one of my beasties on the first try.”
“Louis Mercer did,” one of the young women sticking to the Trade Empire’s prince said.
“Surviving five minutes against my summons and defeating them isn’t the same.” The professor returned his attention to Nox and Lillin. “You pass, as promised. I’ll treat you the same as everyone else. We’ll talk more after class.”
A wave of whispers passed through the group of veteran students as Nox and Lillin joined them.
“What was that foam?”
“Is he really using a mana bow? Don’t they drain your star super fast?”
“How the hell does an apprentice have gravity magic?”
“That’s the disinherited prince. I bet he bribed the professor.”
“He did. That wolf was the weakest.”
13/40
The whispers weren’t all wrong. The pair had won by the skin of their teeth. A summon’s durability, physical strength, and magical prowess grew with the summoner’s power and mana levels. Professor Wolfhammer’s stars stored more arcane energy than the two apprentices put together. Every arrow ate away at Nox’s stores. Lillin’s gravity orbs consumed even more mana. If the fight had gone on any longer, the pair would’ve lost or relied on Nox’s creations to trap the beast and stall for time.
Nox looked over his shoulder at one of the groups discussing the fight. He spoke loud enough for the whole class to hear. “I’m an alchemist,” he told them. “Trap Foam is one of my patented creations. If you’d like some, I’d be happy to sell a few vials to you. I require an advance payment if you want a case or more.”
“Typical Nox.” Edward scoffed. “Trying to scam his betters.”
“Please save business discussions until after class,” Professor Wolfhammer said. “Who’s next?”
More people volunteered than before. Watching Nox and Lillin in action appeared to have filled them with confidence. Some fought like aspiring Aether Warriors, using Haste or other body enhancements. Some utilized offensive magic ranging from throwing fireballs to conjuring blades and manipulating them to slice, stab, and block. Only teams with debilitating effects got close to defeating the wolf centaurs or surviving the five minutes. In the end, every group failed one after the other until there were only two people left.
The young woman from Beginner Shaping faced the last of the summoned beasts with a lone companion. A boy barely as old as Louis stood far behind her. If he moved any further back, his coat would touch Ygg’s bark. Standing a little over five feet tall with chubby cheeks and a lanky frame, he looked like an adolescent barely out of puberty and carried himself like such. One of the young men hanging close to Edward’s entourage had started a betting pool, and much to Nox’s surprise, the odds were in the duo’s favor.
“You’re not going to bet against Dean Myrina’s grand-niece and -nephew, are you? They’ve got druid blood running through their veins. If the banished boy and his servant girl can win, they can, too.”
