NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3.1
“Huh, what?! Why is the summoning circle so suddenly...!”
“Hey, you! Bring the sainte-, no, bring the cardinal! Quickly!”
A wave of light hit seven high school seniors who were taking selfies while cheering each other on in the classroom the day before the entrance exam.
As if they were on a boat drifting amidst a white stormy sea, they were left feeling queasy, and so all of them couldn’t help but complain.
“Fuck, what’s wrong with your phone?”
“No, why did you turn on the flashlight? I must have gone blind while taking pictures.”
“Ah... My eyes hurt... I’m dizzy...”
“The camera is crazy. Whose phone is this?”
“Ji-hoon is gone... What is going on? Where is this?!”
It was a vast space with no windows.
Luxurious wooden poles holding up burning white torches hung on the walls, brightly illuminating the interior of the space.
The huge magic circle drawn on the central altar, which could not be seen with just a glance, lowered in its luminescence as if it had completed its job.
It was like a scene from a fantasy film.
Except, of course, for the school uniforms worn by the students.
Paladins in pure white armour surrounded the altar.
All of them were shocked and nervous, cold sweat running down their backs while pointing their swords, spears, and staffs at the students who were still bewildered at the circumstances they found themselves in.
The high school seniors were huddled together in the centre of the altar, each emitting a certain light.
A female knight took a step forward in the encirclement of armour and shouted out-
“Who are you guys?! How did you get in here?!”
Unlike the other knights, she had a golden insignia on her armour.
“Huh...? Armor...? Swords?!”
“Hey, where are we?!”
“Kyaaaaa!!”
“Don’t move!!”
A shout erupted from within her helmet.
The armour worn by the Paladins was shining bright as if it would not accept any impacts from enemy weapons.
The holy light is reflected on the sharp blades held in their hands, expressing their anticipation.
No matter who saw it, it would appear a genuine scene of hostile knights and not a theatrical imitation.
Most of the students fell into a panic in the terrible atmosphere.
And it was the same for the paladins who faced something that shouldn’t have occurred.
“Hey, Minho...”
“Ah-Yeong, what the hell is this...?”
However, only one person, Park Min-ho, desperately calmed the agitation of his fellow classmates in this absurd situation.
Overthinking and remaining confused would do nothing to solve this problematic situation.
As the only one who managed to stay calm in this situation, he spoke the most blunt words.
“We are students- high school students! Is this a hidden camera prank...?”
“Students...? What did the academy students do and how did they get here!? Why did they touch the summoning circle!?”
“No, what...? Calm down, you guys! Tomorrow is our CSAT!”
Unfortunately, it was impossible for Park Min-ho, who had never read web s or light s, to accurately deduce the current circumstances.
Of course, it wouldn’t change anything even if he properly grasped the situation.
The female knight exchanged glances with the other knight beside her.
“They keep making strange noises...! Tie them up!!”
Park Min-ho was going to speak a little more, but he suddenly became aware of a straight rod of light flying towards him.
Looking at her subordinates arresting the seven suspected terrorists, the Holy Knight Alayna McHowl thought-
‘I was late.’
After receiving an urgent call from her subordinates, she rushed over and saw the altar glowing white.
It was a display of a terrifyingly huge amount of magical power, and even then there were parts that could not be observed with magic since it was engulfed in light.
The brightness was truly blinding.
And the 7 intruders who could then be made out afterwards from amidst the light were secured.
She was nervous about their suspicious identities and intrusion skills, but they were caught rather anticlimactically.
No matter what their identities were, it should have been impossible that the security was breached in this place, which is the heart of the temple and the sanctuary.
There were certainly a squad of paladins guarding the only entrance.
Why did this happen when the saintess was absent?
Enemies must have been aiming for this gap.
‘What’s the purpose anyway? Summoning Circle Sabotage? Leaked summoning magic?’
Hundreds of years have passed since the last summoning of the Champions of Light, and so she dared not imagine a scenario in which they were summoned beings.
She just prays that there are no problems with the altar and the summoning circle.
‘It’s not possible, but...’
The summoned group is an imperial-class secret.
In order to judge whether or not there is an abnormality, a priest of cardinal rank or higher must come.
Checking on the cardinal panting in the distance, she prepared her emergency report, and soon she heard the incredible news.
“...! Are you saying that 10 intruders were caught inside the imperial palace?!”
***
“Kirruk!”
Two goblins charged at Jihye.
As I watched, of course, I didn’t go and shout “It’s dangerous!” out of concern for Ji-Hye.
I may have done so if the target of the attack had been any other spoiled and weak person instead of Jihye.
If I did, I would have been able to attract the attention of the goblins and change their attack target to me.
Or I would have been able to enlighten them of my presence and force the enemy to retreat.
But in this situation, there is no reason to do so.
Jihye is already aware of the enemies, and it is more strategically advantageous to attack the goblins from a blind spot than to have my position discovered by shouting.
And I’m sure this has already been mentioned, but I understand Jihye better than anyone else in the world- even more so than her parents.
She has very good motor capabilities.
She’s a bit mischievous, but always calm.
And she doesn’t hesitate in the face of this sort of danger.
They are 0.5 seconds from my position.
Having judged the situation, I picked up a good stone to throw from the ground surrounding me and got ready to intervene at any time.
She started running to the right.
The goblins ran screaming after her back.
It seems that it is not only the physical condition of theirs that is inferior but also their intellect.
Jihye was climbing the sloping ground, turning around and crossing the bush.
If she keeps going like this, she will soon reach the same elevation as me.
Fortunately, I don’t have to move from my hiding spot.
What is she thinking of doing?
As she ran forward, in front of her lay the roots of a large tree that were intertwined, forming a structure that reached about the height of her neck.
She didn’t stop running though.
The ferocious screams of the goblins and their diminutive bodies did not stop.
If she didn’t slow down eventually, she would collide with the roots.
But she ended up accelerating.
Tree roots stood in front of her as she ran faster and faster.
Jihye used her running as momentum and jumped over the hurdle, holding the roots with both hands.
“Ugh... Ugh...”
The goblins that finally caught up with her were left gasping for breath.
But roots at the level of the neck of Jihye were just too tall a wall in front of them.
The goblins started climbing up the roots.
They were just so stupid that they couldn’t even think of retreating.
Her eyes were looking down on them.
Unlike her indifferent and unshakable pupils, Jihye supported her body with her legs, turned her waist and stretched her right arm—
—And then a sharp branch pierced the goblin’s eyes.
“Kieeaaag!!!”
As if supplementing the scream, the goblin became petrified and stopped moving altogether.
The goblin next to it climbed almost all the way up the wall, seemingly unconcerned about its comrade’s death.
Jihye kicked the goblin in the forehead with her left foot.
“Kieek!”
The goblin ended up falling under her roots.
After a moment of panic and recollecting its bearings? it started climbing the wall again.
‘It does not even have the ability to learn.’
Before long, the second goblin died just like the first.
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