nucmednet Chapter 360 Looking Up to the Peak
Chapter 360 Looking Up to the Peak
Chapter 360 Looking Up to the Peak
"I can give him a chance."
Upon learning of Roy's purpose in coming—to recommend a boy for enrollment—Badr, a god with principles, did not immediately agree. The school district had its own rules, and even a god could not act arbitrarily.
The school district's admission criteria are neither wealth, nor status or position, but one's own beliefs!
The desire to obtain something!
Anything is possible, as long as you have a strong will to study, you can enroll, and you don't even need tuition fees, and there will be material rewards such as scholarships.
However, very few people were able to pass.
Before the gods, one cannot lie; one's thoughts can be seen through at a glance.
Even kings ruling vast territories and merchants with immense wealth would be turned away if they could not pass the divine questioning.
As for whether offending nobles and the wealthy will cause trouble? Unfortunately, the real power in this world belongs to the powerful adventurers.
Adventurers at levels 3 and 4 can kill their opponents using sheer numbers and explosives.
At level LV.5, one can be considered extraordinary, possessing an abnormally strong physique and extremely high resistance to various things. A single ultra-wide-area spell can cover most of a city, and if there were no time limit, destroying a country by one person would not be difficult!
School districts are, after all, top-tier powers in this world.
A professional team of tens of thousands of people, a large number of high-level adventurers, many of whom are LV.5, and Leon, the ultimate weapon at LV.7. There are no people that the school district cannot afford to offend, only others cannot afford to offend.
Moreover, the school district truly has a wealth of successful graduates!
His students are all over the world, including high-ranking officials in major countries; his network of connections is ridiculously extensive.
"Yes, thank you, Principal Bader!"
Roy nodded in agreement after receiving Baldr's reply. It wasn't the school district's enrollment period yet, and it was already good that Baldr was willing to give them a chance. Even though he was a Level 7 and the leader of the Astrea Familia, he couldn't force the school district to enroll an unsuitable student.
However, it remains to be seen whether Little Bell will pass the Q&A session.
Roy had no doubts or worries whatsoever. If Bell couldn't pass, no one in the world could!
Roy said, "Principal Bader, his identity is a bit special. Just treat him like an ordinary student, and don't reveal my relationship with him."
"We treat every student equally." Bader said with interest, and judging from Roy's tone, the man seemed to have a sure thing through the question and answer.
Roy laughed and said, "That's good!"
The gods of the school district are rare and reliable beings. Roy doesn't even mind that the god Baldr knows about the existence of "superior transfer," as the other party will keep it a secret.
"The person personally recommended by the guild leader —"
Lefia left home early today and was unaware that Hestia had come to Roy's door asking him to take her on as an apprentice.
Badr was also curious about this, so he took out a crystal ball the size of a basketball, a magical artifact that could connect to crystals in different locations on the school district's giant ship and monitor the public areas on the ship.
It's equivalent to a degraded version of Fels's eye.
The advantages and disadvantages are obvious. It cannot be used for communication, that is, to transmit sound, and the distance is limited, but one crystal ball can connect multiple crystals.
Roy, Lefia, and Bader looked at the crystal ball, the images switching rapidly, and soon they found the intruder—a boy with red eyes and a white rabbit.
Roy said, "His name is Bell Crane."
"Um!"
Bader laughed. "Your intuition is quite sharp."
Under the watchful eyes of the three, the bewildered little Bell managed to calm down after a brief moment of panic. His rabbit-like intuition made him realize that his greatest advantage was that he had not yet been discovered!
He was also extremely lucky.
By chance, I wandered into the laundry room, got a set of school district uniforms, put them on, and looked completely natural, almost indistinguishable from the students in the district.
By disguising his identity and avoiding crowds, Little Bell cautiously made his way toward his goal.
As they got closer to the principal's office, Bell's heart was in her throat, overwhelmed by feelings of tension, confusion, and panic.
Even if we could get there, so what?
Little Bell had no confidence in whether he could pass the divine question; he was just a child from a remote rural area, with the world's top university right beneath his feet!
Despite feeling confused and nervous, Little Bell did not stop and continued walking towards the tower.
Little Bell's performance caught the attention of Roy and his two companions.
Badr nodded. "Good reaction."
"certainly!"
Roy's lips curled into a smile; this was also why he had thrown little Bell down—a small test, after all. The divine question and answer were actually quite easy for little Bell; too much smooth sailing wouldn't be good either.
Even though he was afraid of the current situation, confused about the future, and doubted himself, Bell did not give up. Instead, he endured the enormous psychological pressure and took step after step toward the office in the tower.
In a dungeon fraught with danger and unexpected events, this kind of resilience is essential.
Does Bell have any other options?
Of course there are. If caught, he will be punished, and it might even implicate Hestia. But if he commits suicide, out of respect for the dead, the school district will not pursue the matter further.
"She looks younger than me."
Lefia muttered to herself, she had never been praised like that by the captain, that wretched red-eyed rabbit!
"You're not a student in the school district, are you?" A gentle voice sounded behind Little Bell.
In the corridor just ten meters from the office, Little Bell, who had gone through many hardships, bumped into the knight who came to report to God Baldr.
The man with lion-gold hair stood tall and straight, about 1.8 meters tall. His eyes were calm and still, without a trace of sharpness, giving people a feeling of warmth and comfort.
Leon saw right through Bell's true nature.
"I, I, I————"
Faced with this handsome man who could rival Roy in appearance, Bell was too nervous to speak, as he was not good at lying.
Leon stared at Bell, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "White hair, blood-red eyes, so similar, just like someone I used to know."
Little Bell looked at Leon curiously.
At that moment, the office door opened, and Bader said, "Leon, bring this child in."
"Yes!" Leon replied.
Leon and Bell entered the office.
Little Bell spotted Roy beside her and her eyes widened like a wronged woman's. "Mr. Roy!"
Roy smiled. "How about experiencing the dungeon ahead of time? Every floor in the dungeon is a dangerous environment like this."
"Thank you, Mr. Roy!" Little Bell wasn't stupid. After a moment's thought, she understood Roy's true intention, and the resentment in her heart vanished without a trace.
After all, Roy's presence here is the best proof that he had no intention of harming him.
On the surface, such training opportunities are very rare and precious, and can only be used once.
After that, it won't scare people anymore!
"I'm the school district principal, Bader. I already know the general situation, but I still have to ask, why do you want to enroll?" Bader looked at Little Bell, needing to hear it from him himself.
Little Bell looked respectful. The school district principal was another important figure, and he also possessed a special aura similar to that of his own god, making him a deity in his own right.
"My Lord God, I want to become a hero!" Little Bell looked earnestly at God Baldr.
A very common answer, like a child's fantasy of becoming a hero, defeating a great demon king or evil villain, and saving the world.
Everyone sensed an unusual aura emanating from Little Bell; his blood-red eyes remained unwavering, as steadfast as a rock.
Even after years of traveling the world, no student the school district had encountered had a stronger will than little Bell. Bader couldn't refuse; the purpose of creating the school district was to help children like this.
"I can feel your determination!"
Bader chuckled, "Bell, if you don't mind, you can stay and study in the school district."
"Thank you, Lord Bader!" Little Bell's face lit up with joy, not expecting things to go so smoothly.
Roy smiled slightly. Little Bell's strong belief in becoming a hero had already become a skill, so it was no surprise that it moved the gods.
A wonderful campus life awaits him.
"I'm Rafia, and I just graduated not long ago. You should call me senior!" Rafia stared at Little Bell, her tone slightly proud.
Little Bell obediently replied, "Senior Lefia!"
Rafia raised her head like a proud peacock.
"Lefia, don't bully your junior just because you're senior."
"Commander."
Lefia pouted, turned around, and glared fiercely at Little Bell. That wretched guy, actually getting the captain to take such good care of him! How envious!
Little Bell trembled; what a scary senior!
Roy looked at Leon. "Leon, is it alright to let Bell into your class?"
Leon gave Roy a deep look, pondering Little Bell's identity. It was too similar, and he had heard that Zeus and Hera's families had almost gone to war over something.
Plus Alphia's resurrection —
Of course, even setting aside all external factors, Leon was very happy to take on this student, as Bell's belief in becoming a hero also moved him.
However, having finally met Roy, Leon wanted to make a deal. With a calm smile, he said, "Of course, no problem, you're very welcome!"
Leon changed the subject, "But I feel like I'm not very agile lately. If I could train with adventurers of the same level, I might have more energy to teach students."
Roy immediately understood the other man's unspoken meaning: he just wanted a fight, why use being a student as an excuse? "I understand, I'll fight you!"
"That's great!"
Leon's smile deepened. Hearing that Roy had been promoted to LV.7, he had been wanting to fight him again. After all, as a LV.7, there were very few people on the surface who could train with him. Fighting against lower-level adventurers would hardly improve his abilities.
Roy loosened his muscles, his joints cracking. Fighting Leon was a good thing for him; the disappointment of reaching LV.7 should finally end.
Same level? Adventurer!
Little Bell was bewildered. He remembered that Mr. Roy was LV.7, so who was this man in front of him?
"Hmph, Teacher Leon is also LV.7, just like the captain, and the title bestowed upon him by the gods is 'The Best Knight'!" Lefia glanced at this country bumpkin.
"ah!!"
Little Bell's eyes widened. Was Orario really that small? Or were there just too many Level 7 adventurers? He'd already encountered two in less than two days. If you included Alphia's mother, that would be three!
"Gurgle!" Little Bell couldn't express his feelings in words. His head was spinning. He was about to enter the LV.7 adventurer class.
A level 7 battle couldn't possibly take place on the school district's giant ship, so Roy and Leon went to the lake to help the Njord Familia clear out the monsters in the lake.
"—The frozen earth is blanketed in snow, three harsh winters have passed, and my name is Alfre!"
Ecstasy: Fimbulle Winter!
As Roy finished chanting, a powerful burst of magic erupted, changing the sky in color and forming a thick, leaden-gray cloud. A biting wind howled fiercely and swept violently across the entire area, while a blizzard of shimmering ice crystals descended, enveloping everything in sight!
The people on the school district's behemoth looked up. Had the weather forecast system malfunctioned? They hadn't heard anything about snowing today—no, it was a super-wide-area magic!
"Is this Mr. Roy's magic?"
A fierce wind carrying extreme cold swept by, and Little Bell got goosebumps all over his body. His thin clothes could not retain his body heat, and he felt as if he had been transported back to the harsh winter of the north. The two sides had not even started fighting yet, and it was already this terrifying!
The giant ship quickly activated its temperature control system, and the wings on both sides opened, releasing heat and bringing the temperature inside the ship back to normal. People breathed a sigh of relief.
This giant ship travels the world and faces all kinds of extreme environments, so insulation is naturally an essential function.
call!
A biting wind swept across the freshwater lake, its chill freezing every inch of the flowing water with alarming speed.
In the blink of an eye, the shimmering, enormous freshwater lake vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless ice field emanating a chilling white aura.
Roy at LV.7 is no longer the same as before. When he releases super-wide-area magic, the range and power are extremely terrifying. Enveloping the entire Orario is not a problem.
Leon was amazed by this, and even if Roy became a mage, he would definitely be a top-notch one!
The sudden magic also caught the attention of the people on the school district's giant ship, with students, teachers, and staff from all walks of life crowding the railings.
"It's Teacher Leon, and the Madman!"
"I understand, they're going to fight!"
"Leon, if we lose, forget about being from the school district; we can't afford to lose face!"
The students in the school district and Leon's friends joked that the atmosphere inside the giant ship was just as warm as the cold on the freshwater lake.
In the school district, everyone is like a family.
Little Bell cast his gaze. Having never met his parents since childhood, he couldn't help but envy the warm, family-like atmosphere, even though his grandfather treated him very well.
Bader stroked his little head. "Bell, watch this. They are the closest thing to 'heroes' in the world. If you want to become a hero, the best thing to do is learn from them and then surpass them—"
Little Bell shifted her gaze, her clear eyes fixed on the two figures on the ice.
"The Madman" Roy and "The Best Knight" Leon Wadenberg represent the pinnacle of the modern world!
And he!
Bell Craney is going to surpass them?!
When Leon heard the shouts from the school district, he looked helpless. It was really asking too much of a question. Roy, who could challenge people of higher levels, was not so easy to deal with.
However, he is at least one of the two veteran stars.
It would be too embarrassing to be defeated by a newly promoted LV.7, Leon smiled confidently, "Let's begin! A deafening roar of light, and the twelve seats of heroes will be revealed!"
The magic was activated, and the golden light of the lion gathered in Leon's palm, condensing into a one-handed sword.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Roy also activated his magic, and surging lightning erupted from his palm, materializing into a longsword.
Their gazes pierced through the swirling ice crystals and snow, silently locking onto each other.
Without any warning, the two figures, like deadly arrows shot from the same bowstring, tore through the swirling snow and charged toward each other at a terrifying speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye!
Clang!
In an instant, they arrived in front of each other, the two longswords carrying great power clashing together, the crisp, sharp sound of metal clashing suddenly exploding.
The ice beneath their feet could not withstand the onslaught of LV.7 power. Centered on the two of them, countless fine, jagged cracks spread wildly in all directions.
It's sizzling!
Intense golden lightning erupted from Roy's longsword, blinding sparks dancing wildly as they swiftly gnawed at Leon along the intersecting blades.
Leon's eyelids twitched. Uncast magic was truly unpredictable, and he quickly created distance.
Retreat is advance!
As the blades separated, avoiding Roy's golden lightning, Leon twisted his waist sharply. Using the momentum of his retreat and the terrifying torsion bursting from his core, the gleaming one-handed sword in his hand transformed into a silver arc of light that sliced through the wind and snow, aiming for Roy's throat.
Roy's keen intuition kicked in, and he suddenly veered to the side at an incredible angle!
The sword's edge grazed Roy's neck, its chilling edge barely registering its passage.
Without the slightest pause!
Roy's sword-wielding arm shot out like a venomous snake, faster than lightning, the tip of the sword precisely locking onto the opening in Leon's ribs exposed by his swing, transforming into a deadly point of cold light that pierced straight into his abdomen!
A dangerous and icy chill enveloped Leon, his pupils contracted sharply, and in a flash, he hastily raised his one-handed sword, holding it horizontally in front of him.
Ding—Click!
A crisp clang resounded through the sky, then turned into a series of fine cracking sounds.
Roy's sword tip, wreathed in destructive golden lightning, struck Leon's one-handed sword with tremendous force, unleashing a torrent of terrifying power and raging thunder.
The one-handed sword shattered instantly, its blade covered with a dense, crisscrossing spiderweb of cracks!
boom!
The next instant, the entire longsword shattered, turning into countless lion-gold fragments of light. The immense force of the recoil sent Leon staggering back three or four steps, numbing his entire arm.
The exchange between the two lasted only a moment.
However, it fully demonstrates the abilities of LV.7, while LV.5 adventurers can only see afterimages and cannot capture their clear figures.
Not to mention Little Bell, who is only LV.1.