CHAPTER 22: COMPETITION – DREADFUL SUMMON

"The quarterfinals have begun," Evangeline, the headmaster’s P.A., said while looking down at the arena through the wall-to-ceiling window behind the headmaster’s desk.

The headmaster, Sebastian, stood beside her with one hand folded behind him, smiling softly. "Strangely, the boy is also among them."

Evangeline looked at him. "Is he actually a King Tier?"

"A King Tier with an unclassified growth potential doesn’t exist. As much as I hate to admit it, the gauge you used must have malfunctioned," Sebastian said firmly, though doubts flickered in Evangeline’s eyes.

’The gauge was made with resources from blue dungeons, and for the past six decades, not once has there been a mistake.’

While she pondered, two students ascended the battle platform under the watch of hundreds of spectators, some whispering, some yelling one of the contestants’ names, while others watched in silence.

Dale stood with his arms crossed on the platform, facing Orwen, who without delay called for his summon. A white diagram flared beside him, and a huge scorpion emerged, its exoskeleton forged entirely of mana-reinforced diamond. It glittered enticingly under the sun, a sight many would lunge at, for such a summon was worth hundreds of millions. But this beast was deadly.

And for that reason, dreams could only remain dreams.

"Diamond Scorpion, Elite Tier – 5.4!" the referee announced.

Every summon had what could be considered their stats: Offense, Defense, Recovery, Speed, and Trick. Whatever stat they leaned more toward defined their traits. The Trick factor had to do with unnatural abilities such as elements and other unique skills. While the Diamond Scorpion’s Trick factor wasn’t worth noting, its Defense, Offense, and Speed were terrifying, especially its venomous offense.

This made the fight worth watching, but Dale’s Armoured Emperor Bull shot a bolt of lightning at the scorpion, and it collapsed instantly.

"I’ve lost," Orwen said, raising his hand and retrieving his summon.

Silence swept across the arena. Everyone could see the Bull hadn’t even used enough mana in that bolt to justify a Diamond Scorpion collapsing.

From a classroom window above, Jon chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Around him sat a group of boys and girls, members of the Nexus Club, known as the Numbered. Each was ranked according to strength, and only the boldest dared sit in Jon’s presence.

"It’s finally time for the Humanoid Summoner," said a seventeen-year-old boy with light brown hair and sharp features. His looks alone had earned him a place among the top ten most attractive boys in Manhattan High. A light smile played on his lips as he focused on the arena.

"I never thought you’d be interested in a one-sided beatdown, Percival," Jon said, his eyes locking onto Percival, who gave him a casual glance.

"I just find it strange that our world hates summoners whose summons look like us."

"What?!" a red-haired girl snapped, leaning against the wall beside Jon’s desk. "We don’t hate them, they’re just pathetic. They’ve made the lives of summoners miserable. Do you know what it’s like to summon a clumsy undead skeleton whose only merit is not dying even when its head gets slapped off?"

’How dare you go against Jon. Just because you’re Number Three doesn’t give you the right!’ Lilith scowled inwardly, her cold eyes fixed on Percival.

Percival only shrugged. "His summon is different."

Meanwhile, Godfrey approached the platform as Dale descended.

"You’re up. Do well, knight boy," Dale chuckled.

"Yeah, sure, Bull man."

Dale’s teeth clenched, his body snapping back in fury, but Godfrey was already ascending the staircase. Cecil stood on the other side, arms folded lazily, like she already knew the outcome. According to her predictions, even if Godfrey’s summon reached Tier 5.0, it was still an Elite Tier, and nothing compared to her Tier 5.8 High-Tier summon, which had mastered human martial arts, multiplying its lethality.

Against massive summons, there might have been a problem, but against a humanoid summon, hers was the predator.

"Come out," Cecil said lightly. A glowing diagram flared to life beside her, and a towering, ape-like monster emerged, covered in thick white fur suited for frozen landscapes. Its eight-foot frame dwarfed Cecil. Its fur looked coarse and rugged, but underneath was a mountain of raw muscle.

Its arms were long and powerful, fists the size of boulders built for smashing foes. While fur covered parts of its forearms and hands, its chest and torso were bare, revealing purplish-black, steel-like skin.

Its legs were massive, twice the size of renowned bodybuilders’, built for explosive kicks, leaps, and sprints. Two wolf-like ears jutted from its head, and its wide, snarling mouth revealed rows of sharp fangs. Burning eyes glowed with malice and brutal intelligence, while a mane of longer fur ran down its head and back, tousling like a wild mane in the wind.

"Titan Yaoguai! High Tier – 5.8!" the referee announced, instinctively glancing at Godfrey and silently praying the blond boy wasn’t foolish enough to fight such a dreadful summon.

"Kek! You’re toast!" someone shouted from the crowd. Godfrey turned and saw it was a curly-haired freshman with a bag of chips.

Shouts like a true fanboy, Godfrey thought with a scowl. Truthfully, he was toast, if not for the subway dungeon.

"What are you waiting for? Bane’s excited," Cecil said, stroking her summon’s thick leg. "He doesn’t get excited often, but I guess he likes it when the crowd is watching." She raised an eyebrow. "Don’t tell me you’re scared? If you are, don’t be. I’m not a brute like Siegfried."

’I haven’t spoken to her before, but she’s a talker,’ Godfrey thought as a golden diagram flared behind him, brighter than the ones before.

Cecil quickly noticed the symbol at the top of the diagram. Where once there had been a shield and a sword, now there was a giant warbow.

’What’s This?!’ Her pupils shrank.

...

A/N: There will be another Chapter later on but still today. Also, we’re still at seven reviews. Please leave a review in case you forgot to. Add to library and support with powerstones. Seeing 100 powerstones at the end of the week honestly motivates me.