CHAPTER 19: COMPETITION — A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT

As if that wasn’t enough, the spikes rose even higher, curving inward until they formed what looked like the ribcage of a massive beast. The crimson jade rib prison gleamed under the sun like the bones of some ancient monster. Mountain, leaving behind heavy echoes with each step, charged toward Siegfried. At that very moment, Siegfried suddenly stretched out his hand.

Beside Godfrey, a black summoning diagram flared to life. From it emerged a giant dog, a 2.5 low-tier summon. The instant it appeared, Siegfried activated Exchange, swapping places with the beast.

In a blink, he was standing right beside Godfrey, his lips curling into a prideful grin as his jade claws arched toward Godfrey’s head. At the same time, the Jade-Eyed Wolf, which had already been on the battlefield, lunged forward, its deadly fangs snapping for Godfrey’s neck.

Godfrey couldn’t even form a coherent thought. Everything happened in less than a heartbeat, too sudden for him to consciously react. But instinctively, he called upon Echo.

Mountain’s armor materialized around him, and lightning crackled across his body. This lightning wasn’t meant to attack, its only purpose was to amplify his speed, though that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt when he landed a blow.

With every ounce of strength he had, Godfrey forced his body forward, just enough to evade the wolf’s snapping jaws. His gauntleted fist, wrapped in golden lightning, shot upward in a devastating uppercut.

The punch connected squarely. Siegfried’s eyes widened as blood and spit burst from his mouth. He collapsed instantly, knocked out in a single blow, his jade skin receding.

Furious and more aggressive than ever, his summon roared. The Jade-Eyed Wolf burst forth with renewed speed, only to slam headlong into the metal surface of a shield Godfrey summoned.

Its claws tore through the shield with ease; this construct wasn’t as durable as Mountain’s true defenses. But the brief delay gave Godfrey enough time to retaliate. He thrust forward with an Echo longsword, but the blade bounced harmlessly off the wolf’s jade skin.

Its strength was around 4.6, nearly twice Godfrey’s own 2.5 and its defenses could withstand even some 5.0-tier attacks.

Growling, the wolf tried to crush him under its sheer weight. Godfrey discarded the shield, rolled aside, and vanished in a flash of light.

What appeared in his place was an eight-foot-tall knight clad in crimson armor, its presence oppressive and commanding. With a single swing of its massive sword, the knight carved a gash straight across the wolf’s eye. Before the beast could recover, the knight slammed into it with his shield, sending it flying backwards and lying limp.

Godfrey tugged his helmet off, his gaze landing on the giant dog lying on the ground. It whimpered in agony, its bones broken and body pierced by spikes that would kill it the moment Mountain willed it.

Siegfried’s secret, that he possessed two summons, would have cost Godfrey this battle. If he hadn’t reacted in time, he would have been the one bleeding on the floor, his face torn open by the wolf’s fangs. Maybe even half-dead. There had been no mercy in Siegfried’s eyes. He was prepared to kill.

Godfrey’s face darkened.

"He... he beat Siegfried?" Orwen’s pupils dilated, his expression twisting with disbelief. Beside him, Cecil narrowed her eyes.

"The innate skill and growth rate of that knight..." she murmured, "...it might place him in the same growth potential as the dragon species."

"What nonsense," Dale snapped, scowling. "Siegfried was just careless."

"No," Cecil countered, her voice a bit sharp. "His summon has the ability to copy the innate skills of other summons, and not just copy, but make them stronger. That knight isn’t some mindless metal golem. It has intelligence." Her gaze locked on Mountain.

Gasps and whispers erupted across the arena. A humanoid summon, especially one that intelligent, was unheard of. Godfrey was the only student in all of Manhattan Summoner’s High to possess one.

Orwen crossed his leg and leaned back casually. "So, he’s entered the quarter-finals then."

Cecil rose as the referee declared Godfrey the winner and announced the matches for the following day. Apparently, she and Godfrey would face each other first.

Her lips curled into a sharp smile. "His summon may have revealed all its cards. It can rise to 5.0, but so what? My summon is 5.8, has mastered the ancient art of Muay Thai, and above all..." she glanced at Dale and Orwen, who already knew what she meant, "...it has no innate skill."

As Godfrey left the platform, Orwen chuckled. "I almost feel bad for him. He doesn’t realize his fate is already sealed."

"He humiliated me, Cecil," Dale said darkly. "Make sure he understands why that won’t happen again."

With the last match concluded, the students began to leave, their conversations buzzing about what they had just witnessed. Most of the talk centered on Godfrey and his incredible knight.

"...And make sure he stays away from Isolde," Dale added. "He’s dragging down her prestige."

***

Godfrey lay on his bed, one hand behind his head, staring at the ceiling. After the match, he had gone to the cafeteria with Isolde, then returned to the dormitory as sunset neared.

Cecil’s summon, a 5.8 high-tier, was another matter entirely. Fearsomely intelligent, it had even mastered ancient martial arts from a bygone nation destroyed during several red-gate dungeon breaks.

For the first time since his return, Godfrey felt he had hit a wall. Mountain stood no chance against such a monster, especially since it lacked an innate skill. The information weighed heavily on him, filling him with a creeping sense of hopelessness.

Closing his eyes, he retreated into his soul space. Before him loomed the great door, its surface almost entirely turned to wood now. Only the divider at the center, the link between the two massive doors, remained petrified.

He could feel it in his core. One more push, even the smallest increase in Mountain’s strength and the door would unlock completely.

His eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly, went to his desk, and flipped open his laptop.

Typing "Green Dungeons in Manhattan," he scrolled through the search results. Manhattan had far fewer green dungeons than places like Amazon City. Many were already claimed by guilds or cleared entirely. His heart sank with every passing line.

Grinding his teeth, he kept scrolling, his expression growing darker. Then a video title caught his attention.

He clicked it. On screen, a girl tearfully recorded the entrance of an abandoned subway station, its construction halted more than a decade ago. Her words were broken, but Godfrey understood. She was talking about her father and younger sister.

’A family of ordinary people...’ His eyes softened. People like them were often ignored.

The video was a month old. It still hadn’t gone viral. Some comments dismissed it as a hoax, others blamed the family for walking into obvious danger. Only a handful acknowledged its weight.

Closing his laptop with a snap, Godfrey rose, pulled on a black hooded jacket, jeans, and sneakers. As the sun dipped below the horizon, he boarded a taxi and left the school grounds.

He had only one goal in mind.

Clear this dungeon.

And unlock the second door.

...

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