The catacombs resembled the highest peak in the world, Shinjung Mountain, where the hierarchy of monsters emerged every 1000m altitude.
“Every ten gates, the hierarchy of the undead increases. However, entities with special privileges, like the ‘Magic Brigade’ or ‘Skull Instructors,’ can ignore this and appear,” she said.
Ishtar, the Warrior of the Era of Peace, was skilled with a sword.
It was as Astarot, the Warrior of the War Era who was adept in magic, had said.
The second level was filled with zombies made up of the unfortunate, rotting corpses that had gained flesh from pathetic little bones, thus emitting gas and causing even more terrifying corpse explosions.
The third level was plagued by wandering spirits tormenting both mind and body, moving between incorporeal spirit forms and tangible materialized forms.
The fourth level added the abnormalities of non-humans, and the fifth level saw the emergence of mid-ranking species, with the higher-ranking species ruling them.
By the time they reached the 50th floor, the end of the fifth level, the Class 981 second years were already completely terrified.
“If it’s this bad at the fifth level, what awaits us at the sixth level?”
“Things that should naturally be found in a graveyard, I suppose.”
Titosso showed curiosity at Irene’s tone, which hinted she had an idea.
“For example?”
“The corpse of a ‘student’ who died in an accident.”
“…”
It was a pretty scary idea that nonetheless felt plausible.
“Those who die on the battlefield are laid to rest in special graves. Digging up the frozen ground to bury the bodies each time is a hassle, and throwing them in the snow isn’t a proper tribute to the dead; it’s also detrimental to the morale of the remaining soldiers. Thus, in the north, bodies that have been recovered are cremated, and their ashes are placed in the underground cemetery.”
The storage room for bones.
Watching Irene mention a facility that those far from the battlefield would easily overlook, Titosso realized once more that everyone in this place had lived in a different world.
If it weren’t for the Gift Academy, such a diverse group of people would never have come together.
She would have likely lived a life as the adorable youngest of Kanelle City, holed up in her mansion, indulging herself with chocolates and candy.
She wouldn’t have to face the threat of death from professors or instructors.
Nor would she be nodding off under the weight of assignments.
…That life sounds way too enviable?!
While lost in these thoughts, Titosso suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of unease.
The ground she should be connected to was missing.
She was floating in the air, her body chilled by the fear of plunging into an endless abyss of darkness.
Could it be an ambush from Professor Sadako?!
Thud.
The fear disappeared, thanks to the hand that grabbed her arm.
“Don’t daydream while walking. You’ll trip.”
“Sorry! Hehe. It really is just Jiang!”
The sudden emotion was merely a fear that arose from stumbling over her own feet.
Yeah, Jiang was right.
This was just unnecessary thinking.
As her sister said, thanks to the light stand, she could be both a social butterfly and a human lamp, drawing friends in for a colorful mirror ball show whenever they had a party! How fun was that?
Seeing Arcadia, who was excited about the light stand changing colors every time she gave out snacks, Titosso couldn’t blame herself for cunningly deceiving her into getting all sorts of treats by switching the light’s color!
Anyway, the good things that came from joining the Gift Academy far outweighed the bad!
‘If only Oknodie could be like this too!’
Secretly, Jiang was the friend she enjoyed the most at the Academy.
She shared new and exciting secrets, sometimes played pranks, maybe stuck cellophane on the light stands, and indulged in scary and mean antics!
If she could only invite one Academy student home, without hesitation, she would choose Oknodie.
“Oh? What’s this…”
“The weight feels different.”
“Hey, second years. Are you okay?”
The seasoned masters from Seoguyeon asked seriously.
Even after coming this far, did they really think their skills were lacking? With an agitated expression, Hestia’s leg wobbled for a moment.
Irene and Jiang gripped their staffs and fox masks tightly.
“Ugh…!”
Just as the mob was about to take a step forward, Jaku pulled them back from behind.
“Not yet.”
“I’m going!”
“You’re getting stronger.”
“How many times do I have to cowardly back down?”
“Still, endure it. The weak must hold onto their resentment to grow stronger.”
Mob noticed the blood flowing from Jaku’s fist and realized that Jaku was suppressing his own feelings of frustration too.
If he forcefully stepped in, he might be able to hold on.
But he wouldn’t be able to control the dark mana.
It was becoming demonized.
Jaku couldn’t choose this place as his place to die.
The same went for Mob.
Even putting their lives on the line, they were in a space where their lives meant nothing.
“Everyone, please take care of what’s beyond this point.”
“Please, seniors.”
Jaku and Mob.
Bowing their heads alongside the other stragglers, the clicking of Velvet’s heels echoed.
“Lift your heads. And watch closely. The backs of those who will carry the burdens you’ve entrusted.”
“…!”
“Next, it will be your turn.”
Among those students, who were part of the upper class but couldn’t take a step forward, tears of frustration flowed.
“Remember Velvet’s words in your hearts, everyone. If we don’t forget today’s humiliation, someday we’ll be able to step forward in front of someone else.”
They were all crying like students at a training camp, just like when the instructor shouted, “Alright, now everyone cry!” before the campfire.
Titosso found it hard to understand this atmosphere.
She was just confused.
‘Which side am I on?!’
She feared pain, but she didn’t look like she wouldn’t be able to cross at all.
As a result, whether they made noise or suppressed their tears, among the students turned into a sea of tears, she stood with wide eyes, her pupils shaking in an absurd manner.
“What are you doing? Hurry and cross already.”
“B-but… I’m scared of pain!”
“Stop babbling nonsense. You’re the Saintess of the Revolutionary Army.”
“Huh?”
“Have you ever seen a Saintess intimidated by the undead?”
Gasp!
Now that she mentioned it, a Saintess was the nemesis of the undead.
She had no reason to cower.
Gaining confidence, Titosso exclaimed, “Alright!” and jumped into the sixth level.
As if everyone else was dizzy, Titosso landed stoutly, looking around with a bewildered expression.
Did she perhaps misjump and not make it across?
“You made it across just fine.”
“Wow! It doesn’t hurt at all!”
“What’s this little twerp scared of after firing the Titosolla Beam at the Emperor?”
“Hehe. Right!”
“Let’s go. This time we really need to tell Professor Sadako it was too much.”
Watching Titosso cheerfully pull the light stand away, the remaining students were dumbfounded and stopped crying.
It was humiliating that Titosso’s figure was the one they had to look up to.
Hing hing, someone take this cellophane off!
Hik hik! The professor said the light’s too bright, so leave the light stand behind and come into the classroom. If I’m in a good mood, the light might brighten up a bit. Really, this is too much!
Waah wah wah! The stag beetle Oknodie gave me got bitten by a sparrow and split in half!
Every moment recalled was a whimpering sound, or someone was already crying, while the weak and pathetic child was now ahead of them!
“Ppyoi is also furious! That guy has such a high mana density that he can’t even equip curse items!”
Even Ppyoi, who had a troublesome habit of having to wear cursed bikini armor for a month to be able to remove it when angry, was helpless against Titosso.
Many students flinched when they heard Ppyoi’s complaints.
Jaku realized something terrifying.
‘That Ppyoi, hasn’t he been spreading bikini armor among the Class 981 students without anyone noticing?!’
It was a good thing he did well, but if he had looked down on them or made them mad, he could have ended up wearing bikini armor too!
“Be careful, Mob. It seems there are bikini armor-wearing ones spread all around. In front of Ppyoi, pay special attention to your words and actions.”
“Okay.”
Thankful for wearing a helmet, Mob cracked a wry smile at his friend’s belated advice.
*
While the remaining Class 981 students shivered in fear of Titosso and Ppyoi’s shocking strength.
The 980th-grade warriors who had entered the sixth level became increasingly uncomfortable.
“If there’s a dead student from the Academy, then… there must be that one too, right?”
“Probably.”
Most of the Class 981 students didn’t catch the meaning of that conversation, but Jiang, who knew of a special letter’s existence, grasped its significance accurately.
‘The third Agassi of Jonna. She must be referring to the 980th-grade students who died because of that woman’s scheming.’
Undead dressed in student uniforms filled the spacious hall like a classroom.
The expressions of the 980th-grade students who saw some of them became strangely stiff.
Jiang realized that his assumption was correct.
‘How much were they worth? The level of the students who faced the Foundation’s [Agassi].’
He didn’t have high hopes.
The students of Class 980 had forfeited their victory to the Class 981 students in last year’s inter-grade tournament.
Compared to the 981 students with Oknodie and Ishtar, the peak of Class 980 wasn’t very high.
Let alone two years ago.
When they were freshmen.
For them to line up at the sixth level was pathetic, at best a ‘Jaku’ or ‘Mob’ level who had made some effort.
That kind of contempt vanished the moment they locked eyes with the undead.
‘How did they manage to kill all of those…?’
Even to Jiang’s own eyes, undead that didn’t easily present a kill opportunity were conspicuously abundant.
