Chapter 84: The Reincarnated One Completes It All

In the terminal lobby of the Black Lotus Flood, the atmosphere was markedly different from its usual bustling scene where heroes from all over the world would come and go. Hundreds of screens floated in the air, broadcasting the live footage of students battling monsters, thanks to the familiars deployed by the Flood. Professors, who possessed the ability to observe, were calmly checking the screens and began to speak.

"21: Six Lotus Boars. Score distribution: A 192 points, B 108 points. 27: Eight Black Drakes. Score distribution: A 108 points, B 132 points..."

Scores were allocated based on the contribution of each student in a pair when they hunted monsters. Even when multiple students engaged in combat simultaneously, the professors, who had the ability to observe, did not miss a single moment, carefully narrating the battle process.

Tap, tap

The assistants quickly entered the scores and occasionally glanced at the pre-marked screens.

'They really do fight better in real combat. They're skilled at taking down monsters.'

'His ability to handle spirits is excellent, but he relies on them too much. His field of vision is so narrow...'

The professors were assessing the abilities of the juniors who were receiving attention, either from their mentors, friends, or clients. As the scoring was being done both formally and informally by the faculty, a continuous stream of scores was being announced.

"256: Eight Lotus Boars. Score distribution: A 281 points, B 119 points."

"256 again: Five Black Drakes. Score distribution: A 30 points, B 120 points."

"256 again: Seven Lotus Rabbits..."

Unlike the sporadic scoring of other parties, the scores for 256 were coming in one after another without pause. The speed was like a runaway locomotive, and the attention of those around naturally turned to the screen.

Whoosh!

The screen showed two figures moving much faster than the other students. While other students moved cautiously, checking their surroundings, the two from 256 were jogging as if it were a flat surface. An assistant muttered in disbelief.

"Running there...?"

The sticky mud and tangled tree roots, along with the slime from various plants and moss growing everywhere, made the Black Lotus Flood a place where even a clumsy student could easily trip and fall. Yet, in the video, the two figures, Isuhun and Jake, were running as if it were a flat surface.

'Jake, I can understand, but what about Isuhun? What is he?'

'Is he really from the Refining Department?'

Isuhun, who moved nimbly as if familiar with mountain paths, caught the attention of the faculty. They naturally looked at the other screens.

- "Aaah!"

- "Hey! Get up quickly!!"

Freshmen who had stumbled and rolled on the ground while fighting monsters. The stark contrast with the two first-year students made everyone watch their run with a strange expression.

- "Grrr!!"

Three monsters emerged from the sticky mud. They were about 3 meters tall, with black lotus flowers and stems sprouting from their bodies. They dragged their legless bodies with large arms. These were the C-grade Lotus Golems, one of the top-tier monsters in the Black Lotus Flood, each worth 400 points.

"Hmm. We'll have to stop for a moment."

"These guys are incredibly tough."

The golems' bodies were made of mud, with lotus stems densely growing inside. They had the physical defense of a B-grade monster, and even if injured, they could regenerate by absorbing soil.

With three of these, it would be difficult to take them down while passing by.

Just as everyone thought this,

Whoosh!

A white dagger shot from Isuhun's fingertips. Despite its sharpness, it only pierced the golem's body without causing significant damage.

Everyone was puzzled by this seemingly futile attack.

Thud!

Jake ran forward even faster.

Swish!

A blue trajectory extended from his waist. The faculty, following the trajectory, were stunned by what they saw.

"...A sword?"

A blue greatsword with starlight embedded in it. As everyone's attention was drawn to the blade, the bodies of the Lotus Golems that the trajectory had cut through began to move.

Thud!

The bodies split in half and collapsed. The cores inside, below the daggers Isuhun had thrown, were severed in one strike, preventing regeneration.

"..."

"..."

Without stopping, the two effortlessly neutralized the golems and continued running. The unexpected display left the faculty speechless.

"256: Three Lotus Golems defeated. Score distribution: A 800 points, B 400 points."

Kasar, who had been leaning with his arms crossed, spoke calmly.

"Is this score distribution appropriate?"

"Yes, sir. That's correct."

"Then everyone, keep scoring without getting distracted. If there are any omissions, it's a report for everyone, including the professors!"

"Yes, sir!"

Kasar, who had cleared the tense atmosphere, turned his gaze to the two running in the screen, focusing on Jake.

'When did this guy learn to use a sword?'

Jake, the second son of the Meyers family, who had given up on swords after turning many masterpieces into scrap metal and joined the Combat Department. The sight of him suddenly wielding a sword would be a huge topic if it became known.

'There's no reason to hide it if a current blacksmith made it. Could it be...?'

Kasar looked at Isuhun, who was running beside Jake, with a disbelieving expression. He was amazed not only by the sight of his sharpened kitchen knife but also by the fact that Isuhun had crafted Jake's sword, which was an even more incredible feat.

'His ability to adjust his strength during combat is almost supernatural... What kind of guy is he?'

In every battle, he used just the right amount of strength at the right time. While it might not seem impressive at first, the fact that there was no significant flaw from the perspective of an S-grade hero was crucial.

'Even if he can do it himself, it's hard to adjust to his teammates' abilities... Did Ma Guangshu, the drunk, teach him?'

Initially, Kasar had only planned to observe casually, but the more he saw, the more he couldn't look away. As he was focusing on Isuhun among the many students,

"Professor, I have something to say..."

An assistant, monitoring the Flood, approached Kasar urgently.

"What is it?"

"Another Fog Forest has just appeared, the eighth one."

The Fog Forest, a natural boundary in the Black Lotus Flood that creates a fog to block the senses, usually appears 3-4 times a day. The fact that it had appeared 8 times in a short period was no longer a coincidence. Kasar stroked his chin.

"An Area Boss, perhaps?"

"It seems so."

The Area Boss, a powerful monster that appears irregularly in dangerous zones, could potentially elevate the danger level of the area through 'evolution' if left unchecked, making it essential to eliminate.

"During the preliminary investigation, the probability of its appearance was low... Indeed, our technology is still lacking in this area."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not blaming you... Tsk. Never mind."

Kasar waved off the assistant, who was about to bow, and tapped the floating panel to read the Area Boss information.

'Lotus Hive. Large species, C+ grade.'

The plus grade indicates that while a hero of the corresponding grade can handle it, it is impossible to 'eliminate' it. In other words, to eliminate the Lotus Hive, a B-grade hero or equivalent firepower is required.

'If the top students take on the task, they might be able to handle it... The problem is the Fog Forests behind it.'

When the Lotus Hive appears, the Fog Forests expand their range by two times and the monsters become more active. For students lacking practical experience, this could be a daunting situation. Realizing this, Kasar's eyes sparkled.

'Wait. This might be a good opportunity.'

The purpose of this extermination exercise was to see how well students could respond to sudden situations in real combat. After a moment's thought, Kasar looked at the assistant waiting for his decision.

"The test will continue. The safety measures are secure, and the Area Boss will only appear in specific areas, so there shouldn't be a major problem."

"Understood."

"And..."

Kasar smiled as he looked at Isuhun among the students in the floating screen.

"Let's see how they respond."

***

[A connection with 'Kasar' has been established.]

Isuhun, who had stopped running and was stretching, chuckled at the notification that appeared before him.

'He seems to have a good impression of me.'

S-grade hero 'Smoke Sword' Kasar, one of the leaders of the Human Alliance who fought against the Demon God before the regression. Known for his exceptional combat and command skills, he had performed outstandingly in various battlefields.

He was particularly famous for wiping out the forces of 'Strange Sword,' one of the Ten Evils, which delayed the fall of Asia by about three years.

'Because of that, he was the first to be killed by Strange Sword, who became the Demon God of Sword...'

Kasar, who died with hundreds of swords piercing his body, came to mind, but Isuhun quickly pushed the memory out of his head. The important thing now was not the tragic end but the help Kasar could provide.

'He was always called to command when large monsters appeared.'

Even guilds and companies that kept command authority to themselves and the Hero Association, known for not sharing it, would hire veteran commanders for large-scale extermination battles. Kasar was one such person, and Isuhun was targeting his 'network.'

'The best materials are all consumed by them.'

After hunting high-grade monsters, the materials available in the market were mostly of low value. The best materials were often monopolized or sold only to those with connections.

'That's why there were many conflicts over it...'

People who monopolized rare materials through connections and created rare trash. Isuhun, who hated this type the most before the regression, had even smashed a few heads with a hammer, creating deep enmity.

'Fighting is just troublesome, so this time I'll take the easy way.'

Through Kasar, Isuhun planned to build connections to acquire rare materials. After reviewing his plan, he finished stretching and looked at Jake.

"..."

Jake, with his eyes closed, sat quietly on the ground. He appeared calm, but a closer listen revealed something different.

Thump, thump, thump, thump

His heart was beating wildly inside his chest. He had maintained his accelerated heartbeat with blood magic while running, initially making mistakes with his breathing, but he had adapted perfectly within a few minutes.

'I took months to reach this state... This quick progress is a bit annoying.'

More than jealousy of talent, it was the discomfort of seeing someone learn faster and with less effort than himself. Isuhun, slightly annoyed, cleared his throat and spoke.

"Jake, let's move."

"Ah, okay."

The two started running through the forest again, and Jake, following Isuhun, looked around.

"The monsters are getting harder to find. Is it because the others are hunting them?"

"Most likely."

Despite the Black Lotus Flood being vast and known for its numerous monsters, the presence of nearly a thousand students would inevitably change things. Considering the monsters' tendency to act as a group despite being different species, they were likely starting to form groups.

'With this, I've given them enough training... Should I wake the Divine Tree now?'

Before the regression, the Divine Tree could hide in dangerous zones because it was in a dormant state deep underground, appearing as a normal plant. To bring it out, it needed to be awakened from its dormant state, which required 'roots.'

'While there's an easy way to find them... It might be difficult.'

Rather than relying on luck, a thorough search was better. Just as Isuhun was about to use Touan,

- "Ah. There will be an emergency announcement."

Kasar's voice came from the emblem on their cloaks.

"An emergency announcement...?"

"Let's stop and listen."

The two stopped running and listened to the announcement from the emblem.

- "Signs of an Area Boss appearing have been detected in various parts of the Black Lotus Flood. Although this is an unexpected situation, it is manageable, and I will add a few rules."

The emblem on their cloaks glowed with mana, and a blue window appeared before them.

A map of the entire Black Lotus Flood, with blue, white, and red dots marked on it.

- "The blue dots are your current positions, the white dots are the locations of the Fog Forests, and the red dots are where the Area Boss will appear."

As Kasar explained, the dots glowed, and the white dots began to flash again.

- "Students who enter the Fog Forests and destroy the 'Lotus Trees' will receive 3,000 points each as a reward."

"3,000 points...?"

Jake's eyes widened at Kasar's words. 3,000 points, separate from combat points, were a significant score, especially for mid-tier students, who could use it to drastically change their rankings.

- "For the Area Boss, the Lotus Hive, there is no limit to the number of participants. If the extermination is successful, all participating students will receive 1,000 points. The points from the battle will be..."

Kasar paused and spoke with a smile.

- "A total of 50,000 points will be distributed based on contribution."

"..."

- "According to the analysis of the faculty, the Lotus Hive is expected to appear within an hour. Move quickly. That's all."

The communication ended, and Jake, pondering the content, quickly thought.

'50,000 points distributed based on contribution... It might seem like it will be split a lot, but it won't be.'

The Lotus Hive had strong durability and regeneration, making ineffective attacks useless. The contribution would likely be concentrated among the top students.

'In some cases, one person might get tens of thousands of points...'

Lower-tier students might not, but top-tier students would definitely participate. Realizing this, Jake looked at Isuhun.

"I think we should go to the Area Boss and prepare in advance. What do you think?"

"..."

In response to Jake's question, Isuhun looked at the map instead of answering. The 'Tomb of the Lotus,' where the Area Boss would appear, was a 10-minute run away. They could easily get there if they moved now, but Isuhun was looking at something else.

'It seems today is the day.'

The white dot, a Fog Forest, near them caught Isuhun's attention. Unbeknownst to others, the core of the Fog Forest, the Lotus Tree, was the root of the Divine Tree.

Now, he could approach the root and awaken the Divine Tree without arousing suspicion.

'And I can pretend to discover it by chance and call the professors to exterminate it...'

Even if he didn't directly exterminate it, discovering such a hidden threat would earn him far more points than an Area Boss. If he negotiated well with Ludwig, he could also secure a large amount of the Divine Tree's byproducts, making it a perfect plan.

Suppressing his involuntarily curling lips, Isuhun pointed to the nearby white dot.

"Let's stop by the Fog Forest before we go."

"What? We'll definitely be first in the test if we just get the Area Boss. Why...?"

Jake, sounding annoyed, grumbled. Isuhun, without a long explanation, simply replied.

"Backup sword. Don't you need it?"

"It still seems difficult. Should I slow down? Or carry you?"

Jake, who seemed eager to escape the situation where he was held hostage by the Radiant Sword, spoke formally.

"Good. Carry me."

"..."

Jake, carrying the larger Isuhun, ran toward the Fog Forest with a mix of emotions on his face.