CHAPTER 17: COMPETITION – MOUNTAIN, THE STRANGE HUMANOID SUMMON

The Mountain everyone saw on the Day of Awakening just a month ago was nothing compared to the hunk of living steel standing before them now. He had grown from seven feet tall to a towering seven and a half.

A fan-shaped metal crest, bearing the motif of a blazing golden sun, had sprouted from the crown of his great helm. Three thick spikes, each as wide as two fingers pressed together, jutted from his massive pauldrons: one stabbing upward like a spear, another thrust forward as if to impale any foe foolish enough to be shoulder-checked, and the last stabbing backward in ruthless defiance. Both pauldrons had transformed into lethal weapons in their own right.

His heavy cloak billowed as he brandished his great oval shield and longsword. The sight of him was no longer that of a mere knight summon. He looked every inch the image of a royal Knight-Captain, radiating both the majesty and the suffocating terror of his Order.

"What in the world?! That’s not how it looked a month ago!" Cecil’s eyes narrowed, disbelief flashing across her face.

"Knight-Captain of the Golden Order. Elite Tier, 4.0!" the referee bellowed. He knew the name because the students were required to provide full summon details to the school’s staff.

It was an odd name, but nobody cared about that now. All eyes widened at the revelation of Mountain’s tier. A month ago, he had been a mere Low Tier 3.0 summon. Now he stood as a 4.0 Elite Tier!

That was shocking enough, but what unsettled them most was how. This was a humanoid summon, infamous for its painfully slow growth rate. Yet somehow, Mountain had surpassed even beast summons, growing at an impossible pace.

Feeding him dungeon cores was the obvious theory, but even that explanation didn’t fit. A Low Tier summon usually required months to digest that amount of core. This one had done it in a single month!

Maldred gritted his teeth, fury bubbling. His Iron-Tusked Porcupine-Boar bristled, then fired quills the size of arrows at Mountain. The deadly projectiles clattered harmlessly against the Knight-Captain’s steel hide, bouncing off with dull, mocking chimes of metal on metal.

Mountain did not slow. His strides grew longer, faster, a juggernaut accelerating toward the beast. Panic flared in Maldred’s eyes as his summon unleashed another hailstorm of iron-infused quills. These quills were strong enough to punch through vehicles with ease yet Mountain raised his shield, and the damage reflected.

Slashes and punctures tore open on the boar’s hide, blood spattering as if the beast had impaled itself. With a squeal of rage, it lowered its reinforced tusks and charged, no longer in control of its fury.

Golden lightning suddenly crackled across Mountain’s armor, coursing through his body like divine fire. Gasps erupted from the stands.

"That’s... Lightning Infusion!" someone shouted.

It was an adaptive skill, learned to counterbalance the burden of his colossal mass. No one expected a tank to move with the speed of a motorcycle, and as predicted, the Porcupine-Boar had no chance to react when Mountain vanished from its tusk’s path and reappeared at its flank.

Before the beast could whip its head around, Mountain slammed his colossal shield into its skull. The impact met the tusk at the same instant the beast tried to snap forward.

A resounding crack split the air. One of the boar’s thickest tusks snapped clean, while the monster itself was hurled backward like a broken doll. It smashed into the stone platform with a deafening crash, fractures spider-webbing across the stage as dust billowed upward.

But Maldred wasn’t finished. With a snarl, he darted past Mountain, his eyes locked on Godfrey, who stood calmly at the edge of the platform, arms crossed. Godfrey’s passive, unbothered expression ignited Maldred’s fury all the more.

Iron spikes erupted from Maldred’s palms, each six inches long and razor sharp. He raised his arm to strike, but froze. An oppressive killing intent bore down on him from behind, suffocating in its weight. The very air split as something cleaved through it, the sound shrill and deadly, and every hair on Maldred’s body rose in terror.

Instinct saved him as he ducked.

Mountain’s longsword came down like a thunderbolt, plunging deep into the stone floor, splitting it as though it were no stronger than parchment. The blade sank halfway into the platform, the impact rattling teeth across the arena.

’How can something this big move that fast?!’ Maldred’s pupils shrank, horror painting his face. He knew of Lighting Infusion but only summon affiliated with the element could learn that skill!

Mountain was already upon him, his shield raised high. If that weapon came down, it would not just break bones, it would kill him.

He rolled desperately forward, spikes bursting from his palm as he cursed Godfrey with every breath. But before he could strike, a gauntleted backhand met his face.

The blow was casual, almost lazy. Yet the force sent Maldred sailing five meters through the air. He crashed to the stone like a ragdoll, his skull cracking audibly even as blood trailed from his lips.

Mountain grunted. That had been a gentle slap, but even holding back, he had nearly caved Maldred’s head in. Pulling his longsword free from the stone, he began a slow, deliberate march toward Godfrey.

The audience could only stare, petrified.

"Maldred didn’t even stand a chance." One of the freshmen, who shared a dorm room with Maldred and often bragged about it, stammered in disbelief. "His spikes could pierce walls and he was even friends with the famous Snow, but he... he was demolished. And Godfrey... everyone can see it... he’s being merciful."

Mercy. A word reserved only for the strongest. And today, Godfrey had claimed it for himself.

"Godfrey wins!" the referee declared. He barely finished before Maldred was hauled away to the school nurse.

Godfrey stepped down from the platform, but his path was blocked at the north door. Siegfried awaited him, towering, his eyes alight with malice.

"Don’t fail. Meet me on that platform, and know this." His glare sharpened. "Once I’m done with that knight of yours, I will bash your head in."

Godfrey raised a single eyebrow, but said nothing. His silence was heavier than any insult. He walked past, leaving Siegfried to ascend the platform.

His opponent, a sophomore, summoned a wolf.

"Gray Direwolf—Low Tier, 3.1!" the referee announced.

A green magic circle flared behind Siegfried, and from it emerged a six-foot wolf, its body carved of gleaming jade, its eyes milky white with silent menace.

"Jade-Eyed Wolf—Elite Tier, 4.6!" the referee cried.

In the same instant, jade enveloped Siegfried’s body. His hands swelled, twisting into monstrous wolfish paws with elongated fingers and claws that could envelop a man’s head with ease. His tongue turned to gleaming jade as he licked his lips.

"This is going to be fun," he drawled, crouching low. Then his grin widened. "But quick."

He launched forward, leaping high into the air before slamming his massive paw down on the Direwolf’s head. The creature had no chance to dodge. It flattened under the crushing blow, blood bursting from its maw as fangs shattered.

Its summoner screamed, hurling himself at Siegfried in desperation. But Siegfried’s clawed hand wrapped effortlessly around his throat, lifting him like a child’s toy. The boy dangled mid-air, his hands clawing desperately at Siegfried’s jade skin, leaving no mark.

Standing 191 centimeters tall, Siegfried towered over the trembling sophomore, who barely reached 172.

With one arm, he strangled the boy, eyes never leaving Godfrey, who sat calmly beside Isolde. A malicious grin stretched across Siegfried’s face, his gaze taunting, as if saying. ’You’ll be here soon.’

"Siegfried wins!" the referee barked, urgency in his tone as if to remind Siegfried he was seconds from killing a classmate.

Clicking his tongue, Siegfried tossed the boy to the ground like a discarded rag, whistling cheerfully as the student gasped and clawed at the air, his face an ugly shade of red.

Beside Godfrey, Isolde spoke softly. "Will you be okay... facing him?"

Godfrey’s face didn’t change. His eyes stayed steady, fixed on Siegfried’s wolf. His jaw tightened. "I’ll do just fine. I’ve had my eyes on that wolf for a long time."

...

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