KakaoPage Originals
The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student
[Original — Yerona]
[TL — MiT7]
[PR — Spades]
[QC — Lumi]
Chapter 11 — The Spider Princess
——————
Galivan was certain he'd pass the exam.
He hadn't been eliminated yet.
Plus, he had a reliable party.
His survival was simple.
The first group he t aid to cooperate and defeat monsters.
He'd latched onto them ever since.
The party was skilled.
They handled trolls with ease.
In their last battle, Galivan's fireball had finished one off.
'I'm the real deal.'
He basked in self-praise.
But his luck ran out.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Galivan scread.
The party's leader, mid-bite on his arm, crushed his orb to escape the Hero's World.
Kieeeeeek!
A massive monster let out an ear-splitting screech.
A creature unlike any they'd seen.
A giant spider-like monster.
Eight of its ten legs were grotesquely twisted, save the front pair.
Its silk-spinning abdon was crushed, and half its head was torn off.
A near-corpse, yet this horrific creature clung to life.
Kieek! Kieeeeeek!
"F-Fireball!"
Galivan frantically cast his spell.
Whoosh! Boom—!
The fireball struck the spider's face.
"Haha! How's that? Taste my fireball!"
Galivan clenched his fist.
But as the smoke cleared, the unscathed spider erged.
Galivan's face turned ashen.
Kieeeeeeeeek!
"A-Aaagh!"
As the enraged spider charged, Galivan scread and fled.
Knight candidates gripped their weapons to block it.
Thud—! Crunch!
"Urk!"
But they were flung aside by its overwhelming strength.
This was a monster they couldn't handle.
"How do we beat that?!"
A candidate wailed in desperation.
Trembling, Galivan fumbled for the blue orb in his pocket.
'I-I have to escape! B-But if soone else defeats it, I might still pass!'
Too cowardly to fight, Galivan wavered, hoping soone else would do the job.
Then—
"Wind Fang."
Thwack—!
Kiaaaak!
A wind-ford fang struck the spider's back from above, spraying dark purple blood.
Sssss—!
The wound healed instantly.
"...A true monster."
Abad, floating via Fly magic, grimaced.
Whoosh—!
Flas rained down.
They coalesced into a single point.
Celia, her rapier blazing with fiery aura, thrust forward with gleaming eyes.
Crack!
Kiaak!
The spider screeched as its head was pierced, flailing its front legs.
Celia dodged its range, landing on the ground.
"Tch! It regenerates from that too?"
Hearing the scream, Celia and Abad had rushed over and attacked imdiately.
But despite direct hits from magic and aura, the spider healed effortlessly.
"A species I've never seen."
"Could be a Tartaros demon."
Celia tightened her grip on Fla Storm at Abad's murmur.
"And likely the exam's objective."
"Hm? So this is the key to conquering this world?"
Abad's lips curved.
Staff in hand, he began chanting runic incantations.
Wind mana swirled around him.
Celia, startled, flared her aura.
'Trying to steal the lead.'
If defeating the giant spider was the exam's goal, the top rank went to whoever struck first.
They'd cooperated until now, but from here, they were rivals.
Whoosh!
Celia's red eyes blazed.
Fla aura gathered at Fla Storm's tip.
Pulling her left arm back, she assud a thrusting stance.
Crack—!
Her feet dug into the ground.
'Prominence!'
Her most powerful attack.
A thrust concentrating aura into a single point!
Swoosh—!
A crimson blade of fla shot forth.
Kiaak?
The fla pierced the spider's half-torn head, blasting through to its abdon.
"Yes! No matter how fast it heals, this should—"
Thud! Thud!
Kieeeeeeeeek!
"No way!"
The spider rose, shrieking ear-piercingly.
"Impressive attack, but..."
Abad, still airborne, flashed a sly smile.
"A knight's destructive power pales compared to a wizard's."
Spreading his arms, he completed his spell.
"Raphael."
A Lewallin family secret spell.
A raging gale enveloped the spider.
"Aaaagh?"
"This is a spell from soone our age?"
Candidates caught in the gust gasped in awe.
'It's over.'
Abad's expression was smug.
But—
"What?"
As the magic dissipated, the spider reappeared.
Its body, shredded by the gale, was tattered.
Yet it regenerated rapidly.
Even Abad's attack, arguably the strongest among the candidates, failed.
Despair crept onto Celia's face.
'How do we beat this thing?'
***
"Truly worthy of Zerdinger and Lewallin's pride! Such power at their age!"
The aide exclaid in admiration.
'They've chosen competition over cooperation.'
Watching them, Albi's lips curled.
The drive to be the best wasn't bad.
Celia and Abad had the skill to back it up.
'But can they defeat that monster alone?'
The endlessly regenerating beast required a decisive blow.
Only Celia and Abad could deal it any aningful damage.
But their current strength wasn't enough.
'If you're true hero material, overco this trial.'
***
'As expected.'
Following Celia and Abad, Leo's eyes glead.
'The Spider Princess, Talatunia.'
He'd suspected it when he saw the trolls' corpses.
Their drained state matched this monster's feeding habits.
Daughter of Demon Queen Silatuna, ruler of the cursed Demon Forest.
Originally, a calamity capable of destroying nations single-handedly.
But now, she was a shadow of herself.
Her body was mangled, barely holding its form.
Her once-terrifying mana head was half-ripped.
Compared to her pri, she was a pitiful monster.
'So Albi's left eye holds the Fairy King's mana.'
Fairies.
Ancient allies of the elves.
Palm-sized with translucent wings, they wielded potent mana.
Only elves could bond with them, making them rare in human realms.
Five thousand years ago, Talatunia devoured the Fairy King's right hand.
Luna, furious at the desecration of her holand and her sworn ally, wouldn't forgive her.
The Spider Princess, capable of razing nations, was slain by [The Nebula's Progenitor].
Yet, thousands of years later, Talatunia lived.
The reason was simple.
'It's in her belly.'
The Ring of Life, the Fairy King's symbol.
Granting infinite vitality, it was consud with his hand.
Leo tightened his grip on his sword.
Taking a throwing stance, he hurled it.
Whoosh! Thud!
Kiaaaak!
Talatunia screeched as the sword lodged in her head.
Standing beside Celia, Leo said, "Looks tough?"
"Stay back, Leo. Without aura, you can't handle this."
Wind blades rained from above, striking Talatunia.
Writhing in pain, she glared skyward, shrieking and leaping with terrifying force toward Abad.
"Wind Break!"
Chelsea, following closely, unleashed a pre-cast spell.
Crack—!
The wind blades struck Talatunia.
Disrupted, she failed to reach Abad and crashed to the ground.
Boom—!
The earth shook as she landed.
"Brother, you okay?"
"Thanks, Chelsea."
Smiling at his sister, Abad descended.
Staying airborne was too risky.
Other candidates surrounded Talatunia.
"How do we beat this thing?"
Abad muttered gravely.
"Does it keep regenerating?" Leo asked.
"Yeah. My strongest spell didn't work," Abad said.
"Sa with my attack," Celia sighed.
"That's it, then. Simple."
"What?"
"If we can't beat it alone, we combine forces. Easy."
"Leo, this butter and I are rivals," Celia said.
"Why's my brother butter?!" Chelsea snapped.
"I agree with Celia this ti. Whoever downs that monster first takes top rank," Abad added.
Leo gave them a pitying look.
"And if you can't?"
"What?"
"If that monster keeps reviving endlessly? If your aura and mana run dry first?"
Facing Talatunia's growing hostility, Leo said coldly, "If the exam's goal is to conquer this Hero's World, failing to defeat it ans we all fail."
"No way! If Brother and Celia Zerdinger can't beat it, no one our age can. That'd an the exam's flawed!" Chelsea protested, pouting.
But Celia and Abad couldn't argue.
Failing due to an unbeatable monster would be unfair.
Yet the world was inherently unfair.
"Even together, crafting an attack to kill it in one shot will take ti," Abad said.
Thirty candidates bombarded Talatunia, yet she took no damage.
They were being pushed back.
They'd collapse soon.
Celia's voice was grave. "Who holds it off in the anti?"
Abad glanced at Chelsea.
'Even Chelsea's not enough.'
One misstep could an death.
The Hero's World was virtual, but death here was real.
Seeing their grim faces, Leo smirked.
"I'll hold it."
"What?"
"I can manage five minutes."
"That's suicide! You can't use aura!" Celia exclaid.
"That's why five minutes is my limit."
Leo turned.
"So, you guys gather your strength for five minutes."
"What if the attack fails?" Abad asked coldly.
Leo chuckled.
"Then we all fail. But I don't think we'll miss."
"Why not?"
"Fire and wind have been friends since ancient tis. They synergize well."
With a relaxed tone, Leo walked toward Talatunia.
Celia called out, "Get ready, Abad."
"Huh. Never thought we'd team up like this."
Abad smirked, summoning his mana.
***
Step—Step—
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
"B-Barely! But that monster..."
"I'll hold it for five minutes."
"What?"
A fallen knight candidate gaped at Leo.
"Let borrow this."
Leo picked up the knight's polearm.
It felt heavier than a sword.
Step—Step—!
Kieeeeeek—!
Talatunia, driven by primal malice, let out a low screech at Leo.
"Brings back mories."
Leo's smile was icy.
"Ti to crush that ugly mug again, you filthy bug."
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