NOVEL NEXT Chapter 912
<912 – Dark Shadow vs Dark Shadow (21)>
With a bit of leisure, I glanced around, noticing that Jiang, who had rushed at the Shinigami alone, and Jigoku, who was thwarting the Shinigami sneaking up on the Jigoku Pirate Ship with Irene, were holding up well.
It seemed like the experience of messing around with Professor Sadako’s army in the catacombs had helped me get a handle on battling against strong spirits.
“Professor Sadako is truly amazing.”
“Right?”
As Sadi Chocolate said, the professor was one step ahead.
She was charging in with the intention of slicing through magic and auras, equipping even the high-ranking Shinigami with [Bone Armor], turning them into deadly foes for their fellow Shinigami.
There was no need for me to intervene directly; the living armor operated automatically, so even a veteran like me could learn a thing or two about its convenience.
If things went wrong, it would deal damage with bone explosions and, when the armor was damaged, it would forcefully commandeer a Skull Instructor’s body to cover the Shinigami.
Supply and combat sustainability issues were neatly resolved.
There was no need to mention that the success rate of this operation, which utilized sturdy Skull Instructors over my own strategy relying on transparent mosquitoes, was significantly higher.
[Phase 3 – Grand Release]
The God of Death realized that trivial means could not stop us.
So, he began to unleash the immense power of faith gathered from all creatures who feared death, which amounted to a staggering number of points.
[Field Declaration: Infernal Hell]
[Territory Declaration: Flame Fortress]
A territory that tortures the dead residing in hell, compelling their screams and cries to plead for mercy from the God of Death.
A facility aimed at accumulating faith by feeling gratitude for a slight reduction in suffering.
As a monstrous lair of great evil that should not exist in the human realm emerged, all students, including myself, hastily set up their respective domains or cast spells to protect themselves.
[Heat Shield]
[Protection Zone]
In such a situation, simply deploying a sword-immune protective technique couldn’t handle the overwhelming heat, necessitating either a stronger domain that threatened to entirely block out nature mana or assistance from a magician.
Some students, either lacking sufficient mana or the capacity to deploy protection zones, or those greatly exhausted from recent battles, found themselves in a dire predicament.
“Now! Everyone, cast support magic!”
“The Lecture Building has collapsed, so today’s classes are canceled. Don’t hold back on supporting the Dark Princess who granted us this free day!”
“It’s a contribution copy chance! Just by buffing, we can gain a lot of contributions from this major hunt. Use up all the mana stones you’ve been saving!”
Due to the two tidal waves summoned in the weekly event and the subsequent destruction of the Lecture Building, a snowball effect was in play!
While everyone else rolled around trying to stop the weekly event, I continued on my path, focusing solely on my studies, as selfish students appeared with anxious expressions.
“Damn it. The deadline for being able to stay at the Academy ends this year; don’t let some petty god waste precious time!”
“That damn god completely submerged my secret stash built underground. I can’t forgive that!!”
“I can’t even find where that hidden rest area in the support column has drifted off to… I’ll split open the belly of the God of Death who took my earnings and reclaim my losses with hunting points!!”
Though I felt the piercing gazes of those who knew I was the one who summoned the tidal waves, if you think about it, it was the God of Death who triggered it.
This is not my fault!
[Oh pitiful beings of the Middle Realm. Seeing you all stressed from your studies and assignments, I find no peace as a being who has become a god.]
[Why do you waste your limited mortal time on something that ultimately amounts to nothing in the face of eternity?]
[Those who return to death shall transcend mortality and attain immortality. The qualified will engage in leisure training instead of rigorous training for the divine.]
The God of Death announced a new opportunity for the students buried under studies and tasks, promotions, and graduations.
The phase of grand release.
In a pattern of desperation that employed any means necessary, the ‘recruitment’ of Gift Academy students was included as well.
“What is this lunatic god saying?”
“I can see the state of your territory clearly!”
“Who would willingly enter a land of death where life doesn’t thrive and only the cries of the dead echo?”
“Is there anyone who peeked at the faith-gathering methods with espionage? I got chills just reading it. They say that if others generate more suffering energy and offer it to the God of Death, the points will be distributed at a higher ratio according to quantity and quality. Isn’t this completely nuts?”
“Even the demons of hell wouldn’t stay in a filthy place without reason; they cling to the Middle Realm for a reason.”
Thanks to the stability of the Middle Realm, capable strong individuals managed to see through the traps set by the God of Death and mocked him.
Even if students were invited to inhabit the God of Death’s territory, for survival, they would inevitably take part in evil deeds and indeed may even lead them.
Such beings are referred to as demons in the world.
There’s no rational reason for those who used to live fine at the Academy to become demons.
Even that demon, who couldn’t stand hell, fled to the Middle Realm, and despite living in lands more severe than the barren northern regions of the Empire, viewed it as paradise compared to hell.
Isn’t it an honor to migrate to such a place?
Isn’t it foolish to seek it out voluntarily?
As the Middle Realm sunk into an irreversible great war and was collapsing, those foolish enough to escape anywhere but this place met their end in hell.
Having personally experienced the end of one of those who boarded the command center’s open meta, I know this all too well.
[If you cannot follow by offering rewards, punishment is the only option left.]
[Hell’s army! I permit your manifestation with my tremendous authority; ravage the earth to your heart’s content!]
[Immediate Summon: Demon Army]
[Immediate Summon: Monster Brigade]
[Collective Grant: Veil of Life]
[Tax Exemption: Pillaging the Middle Realm]
The cyclical torment of demons trying to earn points from the beings of hell and monsters seeking to elevate their resistance in order to fight back endlessly repeats in hell.
Tired of the inefficient fights in hell, many demons and monsters stepped into the Middle Realm.
To avoid the torment of the evil demons.
To seek out more convenient prey than persistent monsters.
And even, some high-ranking demons who suffered no hardships in hell sought to make a big score in a tax-free haven, free from the constraints of point submission.
[A large number of demonic races have appeared in the Middle Realm.]
[The purity of the Northern Demon Realm is increasing.]
[All beings belonging to the demon race are becoming stronger.]
Like a worthless god, the God of Death incited a continental-scale event right at the moment of phase activation!
However, the God of Death was overextending himself.
If he had that much strength to force out, he should have used that power for escape.
“The instructor’s permission has been granted. From now on, all mana bombs used will be funded by the ‘Academy’, covering all mana and costs. It’s free shooting endorsed by the Academy!”
“Wow!”
“Open all ports! Burn that damned fireball to ash! Fire at will!”
Under the relentless cannon bombardment of the Jigoku Pirate Group, the demon who was leading the charge was utterly wrecked.
“I can’t advance. These guys are crushing us with the power of civilization…!”
Something not allowed for lions.
Something only permitted for the living.
It’s the civilization of the Middle Realm.
Civilization evolves intertwined with war.
Unlike the hellish, distorted wars developed solely for torturing others, the ground is increasingly striving for faster and more convenient means of warfare, wanting to wage wars from afar.
Because civilization has flourished.
The costs of losing outweigh the benefits.
They aim to exterminate the enemy efficiently without allowing even an attack on their homeland.
If the ultimate weapon in scientific civilization is nuclear weapons, then the ultimate weapon in magic civilization is grand magic.
Earthquakes.
Storms.
Thunderclouds.
Artificially invoking natural phenomena.
They fall under what could be called calamities enabled by human error.
In contrast, in a hell devoid of civilization, absurdly the range and destructive power of magic have diminished.
They have no capacity left to conserve their power and the costs required to defend themselves are large.
“Push through despite the cursed shells.”
“Something bigger is gathering behind that.”
“The Undead Queen is about to unleash a grand magic we cannot handle!”
However, it was too late.
On the Jigoku Pirate Ship were students who had survived thanks to the aid of the pirate ship.
Even those who couldn’t exert their strength in the last Death Zone felt the experience with Sadi Chocolate, the Disaster Bug, and my collaboration.
Compared to that, those here are nothing at all.
Early education and preventive strikes nurtured their resilience and instilled confidence.
[Summon: The Great Army Descends]
Fueled by that confidence, Professor Sadako’s grand magic was activated.
The great army, which had been forcibly suppressed by her own power, advanced onto the surface as she opened the gate to the catacombs.
The undead, defying death, rose against the growing fiend legions that feasted on the God of Death’s minions.
Quantity against quantity.
Great army against great army.
Many students stood in awe at the majesty of the professor who commanded an army on par with a god.
“The professor of the Three Great Evils class is that strong?!”
“But… still, they can’t catch up on everything.”
While the Skull Instructors managed to halt the powerful high-ranking demons flying over the great army, they had exhausted themselves holding back the Shinigami, resulting in a shortage of high-tier forces.
No matter how vast the army collected against death may be, everything Professor Sadako could rescue had turned into the deceased.
The professor waged an utterly reckless fight against the God of Death, who commands more believers than the sun god, who reigns over all living beings.
[The God of Death is consuming points to replenish his legion.]
[The God of Death is consuming points to newly summon the undead army.]
[The God of Death is consuming points to bestow the undead army with reincarnation’s combat techniques and weapons.]
Beginning to replenish the lost numbers at an alarming rate with the power of points, the God of Death!
With the assistance of awakening Shinigamis, I too struggled to prevent the advancing great army directed at the professor.
However, time was on our side.
[The god of points teaches the method of utilizing divine power.]
[The god of points will conduct an increase and reduction of points based on the karma of good and evil.]
[All points acquired through
Even in the Gift Academy, there was a god.
Now a transcended professor, Mahabharata!
[The god of points gifts a fair compensation to Professor Sadako, who suffered unreasonable losses due to the distorted history.]
A massive amount of points surged back, rapidly accelerating the revival speed of the fallen Skull Instructors.
The point cheat code was no longer a cheat code for just one side.
When the powers of both sides were set to equal again, I managed to call Jiang, who had successfully killed a Shinigami through tremendous hardship.
[The Shoes of Hermes, Blessed Wings]
Jiang couldn’t help but be drawn to the emergence of this luxury item that no assassin could afford to miss; he eagerly chased after the shoes like a fish biting the bait while in the shadows.
“Jiang, do you still have strength left?”
“I think I can manage if I get this.”
“Then take it!”
Gaining the new shoes, Jiang hugged them with both hands, wearing a satisfied smile.
“Thanks to the professor and other students holding up well, the God of Death’s power has spread widely. The instant death range of the double domain has greatly shrunk, so the subordinates he can mobilize are likely stretched thin!”
“Is there a weakness?”
“There is. While he’s frantically replenishing Shinigami forces, he can’t fully resurrect completely perished entities. He’s probably using ‘defective’ ones that haven’t completely undergone the Shinigamification.”
“Defective?”
“Recently deceased people who have yet to completely whitewash their memories or enforce their loyalty marks. If we can revive the memories of those capable individuals, the high-ranking Shinigami would become our allies, tipping the balance completely in our favor!”
“The most famous recently deceased competent individual other than Professor Mahabharata would be… well, there’s no one else.”
Jiang’s Hermes shoes dropped in shock as he realized.
“The former Three Great Evils.”