Chapter 172
After defeating Mary, on the scorched ground.
Kraush moved his staggering steps to the forest of trees and leaned his back against it.
His mind was in a daze.
The pain coming from his body ached here and there.
It was because he had pushed himself to the limit repeatedly to move within Mary's Transcendent Light of Heaven.
"...Really, what a monstrous creature."
Even though he had struggled desperately with all his might to reach this point, the threshold was still precariously narrow.
Once again, he deeply felt the extent of the Divine Spear's power.
And he recalled the time when the Divine Spear in its prime, far beyond Mary's reach, once existed.
Yet, even she couldn't stop the Destruction.
Now, he who had broken her spear had to stop it.
[ Will you take the exam in that state? ]
When Crimson Garden asked, Kraush spilled cold sweat as he barely exhaled.
"It'll get better if I rest a bit."
[ Sure. ]
"Squeak squeak."
The Corpse Rat, sticking its head out of the pocket, reacted with equal concern.
"Since my clothing wasn't damaged, it should be fine."
Was it because he had blocked all of Mary's attacks using his concentration squeezed to the limit?
Though his clothing was undamaged, his mind complained of extreme exhaustion.
'Damn it, my eyes keep closing.'
Kraush shook his head in hopes of clearing his drowsy mind.
'The score is the issue. What should I do?'
Until now, Kraush had been catching Erosion Species here and there on the way.
Moreover, as Mary had caught quite a few Erosion Species on her way here, her points were transferred to Kraush.
Thanks to that, the current score displayed in the sky showed Kraush in first place with 1,632 points.
But the second-year students wouldn't just sit idly by.
Even if the Red Line was impossible, there would surely be those attempting the Orange Line.
'If it's the Special Class guys, they'll definitely do it.'
Then, it wasn't impossible for the scores to reverse in an instant.
'At least, I want to catch a few more in the Orange Line.'
He figured he'd have to move as soon as he recovered.
It was at that moment when Kraush resolved himself.
Flinch-
Kraush's shoulder reflexively moved.
His Sixth Sense noticed an approaching presence.
This wasn't good.
If he encountered them here, it was obvious that the other party would attack.
They wouldn't get another chance to hunt the exhausted first-place contestant.
'What terrible luck I have.'
Kraush gripped the Rain Thunder Prime again.
But the Annihilation Erosion didn't activate properly.
Because it was only barely able to produce a blade.
'If someone has made it here at this point.'
They had to be one of the skilled individuals among the second-year students.
It was when Kraush, with tense eyes, looked toward the forest.
Crunch-
Along with the sound of grass being stepped on, Kraush got into position for an ambush.
Bang!
From beyond the bushes, a figure burst out.
At the same time Kraush stepped forward, black-and-purple-mixed hair and pins entered his view.
Then, a broad smile bloomed on the figure's face.
"Kraush!"
Seeing her shout joyfully, Kraush lowered the Rain Thunder Prime.
"Haring."
He didn't expect her to have come this far.
Even though there had been a fierce battle with Mary, Kraush had also run with full force before that.
For her to have somewhat kept up with such a Kraush meant her skills had greatly improved.
'It's a sign that I'm not the only one growing.'
For some reason, Kraush felt deeply moved.
It was because he realized that his influence wasn't absent in Haring's recent training.
When Kraush called her name, Haring ran toward him but noticed his physical condition.
"Did you fight?"
At Haring's question, Kraush lightly lifted his clothes.
"As you can see."
"It wasn't against an Erosion Species, right?"
She was quite perceptive.
When Kraush silently nodded, Haring approached him.
Then she opened a Poison Pouch and began taking out various things.
"This is the kind that helps boost recovery. If you eat it, you'll feel a bit better."
Kraush, caught off guard, blinked as he received the Elixir from Haring.
Whether he did or not, Haring looked at him as if urging him to quickly eat it.
"...Haring, didn't you forget something?"
"What?"
Haring tilted her head as if confused by what Kraush meant.
Her face looked so innocent that Kraush almost forgot that this was an exam.
"We're in the middle of the Midterm Evaluation right now. You and I are competitors."
Haring's eyes became round.
She now seemed to realize what Kraush had meant.
"I didn't put poison or anything in it."
Then, puffing out her chest confidently, she indicated the Elixir she handed over was safe to consume.
What could one say about a Ragren Family member claiming not to have poisoned it?
It seemed that Haring didn't care at all about the fact it was the Midterm Evaluation.
"And there wasn't any rule saying we couldn't help others during the Midterm Evaluation."
That was certainly true.
As Haring said, there was no rule against helping others.
Moreover, Kraush noticed a loophole in this situation.
'...What happens to the points when hunting Erosion Species together?'
It was something he hadn't been able to think about until now, as Mary had kept him preoccupied.
Even a 6th Class Erosion Species from the Orange Line was beyond the capability of most second-year students.
Not to mention a 7th Rank Erosion Species from the Red Line, which they couldn't even touch.
Quite literally, unless it was Kraush, not a single person could manage it.
However, Professor Ganon had only encouraged competition among the students and never forbade cooperation.
'So that's why the point distribution is so wide.'
Upon thinking this far, Kraush reached a conclusion.
'Perhaps the points are distributed equally.'
If the point distribution was wide, then it was worth cooperating to hunt Erosion Species, even if distributed evenly.
And likely, this facet carried a strong underlying intention from Professor Ganon.
He might've hoped for the students to build cooperative relationships in any situation rather than fighting each other to death.
Kraush immediately downed the Elixir Haring had handed him.
Chewing noisily and swallowing down his throat, Kraush placed his hand lightly on Haring's shoulder.
"Haring, you were right."
"Huh?"
When Haring, aware of the hand on her shoulder, flinched and asked back, Kraush's eyes sparkled.
"Cooperation, that's what the professor intended."
It was fortunate that the second examinee he met was Haring.
If it hadn't been her, he wouldn't have realized the loophole in the exam.
"You and I are heading to the Red Line together."
Hearing Kraush's words, Haring blinked.
Then, she immediately clenched her fists tightly to show her determination.
"Yes, I'll do my best."
She looked incredibly happy that Kraush was relying on her.
At that moment, he began to sense several presences simultaneously heading their way.
The higher-ranking ones were starting to come over to this side.
Feeling his body slightly recovered thanks to the Elixir Haring had given him, Kraush stood up.
"Oh wow, people—oh, Kraush!"
"Kraush, you say?"
"Mr. Kraush!"
Then, three individuals suddenly appeared at once.
Balak Hogma
Glen Diana
Karandis Poseus
As expected, the three members of the Special Class appeared, each from a different direction.
The three stared at each other and hesitated.
That's because, for now, they were aware that they were enemies to each other.
"All three of you, this is perfect."
The ones he needed most had gathered.
As Kraush formed a meaningful smile, the three showed doubt simultaneously.
At that moment, Glen looked around cautiously.
It was because, on his way here, he had sensed another strong presence besides Kraush.
Without a doubt, that presence belonged to Mary.
Glen's eyes, observing his surroundings, then met Kraush's.
When Kraush nodded, Glen understood and gripped his spear tightly.
"...I see."
Mary had been defeated by Kraush.
Holding onto the memory of Mary, who had once been an idol in his heart, Glen raised his head.
"Kraush, you must be planning something again."
He was always up to something extraordinary.
This time too, it seemed he was about to take on something significant.
"Yeah, I'm planning to pull off something."
Initially, he had intended to handle it alone, but given the situation, aligning with Professor Ganon's intention didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Let's catch a 7th Rank Erosion Species together."
Let's create a temporary Skyborne Generation here.
* * *
Beyond the barely restored screen in the situation room.
Ganon was lost in thought as he watched the students start to gather.
'To think they'd start grouping at this point.'
After Haring joined Kraush's side, the children began to assemble rapidly.
They must have realized the loophole in the exam.
'They're quick to read the situation. And while their abilities are remarkable, they also know how to bring people together.'
One of the purposes of this exam was to distinguish talented students, but beyond that, it was also to observe their charisma.
In the World Erosion, the more outstanding the skills, the better.
However, just because one's skills are excellent doesn't mean they naturally attract people.
There exists something called charisma that draws people in.
Those with such charisma naturally take the lead among groups.
But sometimes, this charisma can act as poison.
Just as a captain failing to steer a ship leads to its sinking.
If someone with charisma doesn't move in the right direction, they'll sink along with those following them.
As much as the ability to attract people is vital, so is the ability to decide the right direction.
And Kraush also clearly understood that direction.
Those with exceptional talent often don't know how to lead those beneath them.
That's because they've never lacked talent, so how could they handle those who are less than them?
But Kraush was clearly different from such geniuses in that regard.
Whether it was his natural perceptiveness or something he had developed over time somewhere.
Kraush skillfully positioned people and knew how to use their individual strengths at the right moments.
Even watching the scene on the screen, where they were hunting a 6th Class Erosion Species, it was evident.
'He once mentioned there was a time when he was a Half-Penny.'
Ganon recalled Kraush's past.
Though it was surprising how strong he had become compared to those days as a Half-Penny.
Perhaps the experiences from back then were what shaped him now.
'The strongest one has become the best leader.'
Ganon felt he was starting to understand why Durandal, the dean, was interested in Kraush.
He was a star leading countless other stars.
'This generation has an unusually large number of remarkable individuals.'
It's no wonder people from above had started calling this generation the Skyborne Generation.
'Skyborne Generation.'
Who will end up leading them, soaring high into the sky, is something no one can predict.
This generation has far too many exceptional individuals.
Perhaps even Kraush will hit the limit of his talent and end up following someone else.
But if he does end up being at the forefront of the Skyborne Generation...
It might truly become the strongest generation.
A generation that could turn the world upside down.
'Nawon, when I was invited to Rahelrn Academy as a professor, I only thought I'd be taking care of kids.'
To think I'd get to witness someone who might change the world.
Now I somewhat understand why Durandal is so interested in him.
"Professor, Kraush and the Special Class members have entered the Red Line."
Finally, the five of them broke through the Orange Line and entered the Red Line.