CHAPTER 5: VENGEFUL UPPERCLASSMAN SAM

Thinking back on what had just happened, Godfrey recalled the descriptions of his summon.

A Knight-Captain of the Sword and Shield unit — the greatest of them all. Oath-bound soldier of the Golden Order. Alchemically altered to slay monstrous beasts. Wields a fifty-pound sword, a hundred-pound shield, and armor weighing one hundred and fifty pounds. In Black-Out State, this Knight-Captain breaks the limits of his base strength, ascends to greater heights, and mimics the abilities of his foes.

’Alchemically altered to slay monstrous beasts...’ His eyes slowly widened as he realized the implication. His summons were once an order of knights created specifically to handle threats revolving around beasts – and most summons were beasts. After all, most originated from creatures within dungeons.

Over time, human souls began to manifest these creatures within themselves. But their roots, their origin, had always been dungeon gates.

"You’re walking with a girl and your mind is somewhere else? You’re quite something, Godfrey."

Isolde’s voice cut through his thoughts like sunlight piercing mist. He turned his head to his right, his ocean-blue eyes meeting the golden-orange of the captivating beauty walking beside him. She carried her white backpack in one hand, the faintest smile on her lips.

"There was no permanent damage," she reassured, reading his thoughts or so she thought. "Didn’t you hear when the combat instructor said the nurse reattached the crab’s claw?"

Godfrey nodded slowly. "I honestly didn’t expect that to happen."

"Your expression was enough for me to know that." Isolde narrowed her eyes slightly. "I was stunned too. To see a 3.0 summon completely overwhelm a 3.1... it was impressive. The way your knight moved, refined, precise, without wasted motion. It didn’t look like the usual clumsy strikes of a low-tier summon. So I came to a conclusion." She tilted her head. "Your summon is intelligent, isn’t it?"

"Perhaps," Godfrey shrugged casually.

Isolde clicked her tongue and shoved his shoulder lightly. "Stop acting all high and mighty."

The school day had ended, and students were scattering toward their dormitories. Godfrey thought Isolde would be heading to hers too until a sleek black car pulled up ahead, honking twice. A suited man stepped out, opening the back door with a bow.

"Miss Isolde."

Godfrey lifted a brow. "You don’t stay in the dormitory?"

She shook her head, brushing her hair back. "My parents made arrangements with the school management for me to have my own apartment outside the school. I don’t know how long it will last though. See you tomorrow." She waved as the car door shut, and the vehicle rolled away.

Godfrey blinked, sighed, and turned back toward the boys’ dorms. His excitement simmered, he wanted to return to his soul space, to explore the palace he had glimpsed.

Perhaps through the carved symbols on the second door, he could uncover what lay within. And from today’s fight, he knew Mountain’s armor wasn’t ordinary steel; it had effects of its own, like the shield’s reflection ability.

There was so much to discover.

Lost in thought and walking at a slower pace than usual, Godfrey noticed the campus path had grown quiet. Most students were gone, either in their rooms, glued to their phones, or hanging out with friends. Which was why it struck him as odd to see someone waiting ahead.

A student leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He looked older, seventeen, maybe eighteen, a third-year. Their eyes met, and Godfrey immediately caught the blaze of anger flaring in the boy’s gaze.

The upperclassman cracked his neck as Godfrey drew closer.

"I heard you weren’t a summoner, so we skipped you. No one gave you a proper introduction into the boys’ domain." The student sneered, stepping into his path.

Godfrey loosened his shoulders. "What do you want?" Just when was this nonsense going to end?

The third-year’s expression twisted with rage. "You just summoned a useless humanoid... and you dared flaunt your worthless knight’s sword on my sister’s crab!" He clenched his fist, and a summoning diagram blazed to life beside him. A golden-armored creature emerged, a beast that rolled itself into a gleaming wheel.

"You’ll pay for that."

The Iron-Scaled Armadillo shot forward, its body compressing into a spinning golden sphere. In the blink of an eye, it shrank from the size of a man to that of a basketball, its speed tripling. Like a streak of light, it slammed into Godfrey before he could react. The impact lifted him off his feet, hurling him through the air. He hit the pavement, rolling hard before skidding to a stop.

This was an Iron-Scaled Armadillo. Current Tier 4.0. A beast infamous for its defense and speed.

But this one was worse. Flames burst from its plated body, fire licking across its scales. Not only fast and sturdy, it had developed elemental offense.

Sam, the third-year, loomed over him with a vicious grin. His arm gleamed, scales spreading over his skin until his entire forearm was plated in the beast’s steel-like armor. "You’re dead." He raised his clawed hand.

Before the blow could fall, a golden diagram ignited beside Godfrey. Mountain charged forth, sword already in motion. His horizontal slash forced Sam to exchange places with his beast, vanishing in a flash and reappearing at its location. The armadillo took the strike instead.

Sparks flew as Mountain’s sword rang off its iron scales. The beast retaliated with brutal force, its claws blazing. Mountain barely raised his shield in time, but the blow was so heavy it shattered the pavement beneath him, dragging him backward in a grinding trail of stone and dust.

Sam chuckled darkly from behind. His summon reared, its talons of fire sweeping down. Godfrey barely rolled away, feeling the searing heat scorch the air above him. His chest tightened. A third-year... an elite-tier summon... there was no way Mountain could match this thing in his current state.

There was only one option left.

’Use Black-Out State. Now.’

Godfrey’s mind screamed the order as the flaming claws descended again. A sudden gust swept through the street, tousling his hair.

The source was Mountain.

No longer golden, the knight’s armor now gleamed a dark crimson, his longsword black as obsidian, his shield the shade of dried blood. He towered with a terrifying aura, flames of his own igniting across his form.

With a roar of steel, Mountain charged. The seven-foot knight rammed into the armadillo, slamming it into the wall hard enough for cracks to spiderweb across the white stone.

The beast shrieked as Mountain’s flames burned hotter, fiercer, even more violently than the armadillo’s own fire.

Sam’s smirk vanished. His beast tried to roll into a ball, entering its strongest defensive form, but Mountain was relentless. He smashed his shield down with crushing force, breaking the stance, then leveled his sword for the killing strike.

"Stop!" Sam screamed. His face drained of color.

In less than five seconds, the battlefield had reversed.

That knight... he hadn’t just grown stronger. He had copied the armadillo’s flames.

Mountain turned from the fallen beast, boots ringing against stone, his blood-red helm tilting toward Godfrey. The obsidian sword pointed downward, the crimson shield steady at his side.

As if asking, What is your order?

....

A/N: I hope you enjoy this novel. Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Thank you.