"H-How can this be..."
The color drained from Alan's face instantly. His previous arrogance vanished, replaced by a boundless terror.
Mike and Rhode were also weak in the knees, their earlier disdain turning into absolute despair.
The three of them were only between LV22 and LV25. Dealing with one or two Necromancers of the same level might have been manageable, but facing a horde that far outnumbered them...
"It's over..."
Alan slumped onto the cold, muddy ground, his eyes vacant.
The other two boys and the three girls also collapsed, trembling so violently they didn't even have the strength to run.
However, just as the Necromancers began to raise their bone staves and eerie blue mana condensed at the tips, ready to launch an attack—
A figure took a firm step forward, standing between the six collapsed students and the group of Necromancers.
It was Victoria.
In her gray-blue eyes, there was no trace of fear, only a quiet, intense focus and... a faint hint of excitement.
After experiencing the far more dangerous battles on the second layer of the Academy Dungeon, these Necromancers seemed less threatening to her than an ambush by a few Shadow-Stalkers.
"Silvia, give me a blessing! Senior Catherine, use Wind Blades to disrupt the ones on the left wing—they're the slowest casters!"
Victoria barked out her orders with rapid-fire precision.
"Right!"
Though Silvia's face was still pale, she raised her hand almost by reflex upon hearing Victoria's command. A soft but powerful holy light descended upon Victoria.
Simultaneously, with a wave of her other hand, several instances of Flash exploded within the group of Necromancers. While the spell couldn't blind them, the intense holy fluctuations clearly disrupted their mana gathering.
Catherine reacted immediately as well. Although she mentally grumbled, "I'm not your subordinate," her hands didn't stop. Several precise Wind Blades whistled through the air, targeting the arms of the Necromancers Victoria had pointed out or the magic nodes they were currently constructing.
Strengthened and with fewer distractions, Victoria took a deep breath and raised her magic conduit high above her head. Surging mana poured frantically into the staff's body.
"Flame Storm!"
It wasn't the full version of Flame Storm, but a variant she had modified and refined through practical combat in the dungeon, reducing its range and power!
Although its destructive force was significantly lower, it could be cast as an instant spell, much like a Flame Burst.
A crimson tornado of fire erupted with her at the center. Carrying a scorching will to destroy all filth, it roared and swept toward the Necromancers directly ahead!
Boom—!!!
Fire and abyssal mana collided violently, producing a deafening explosion.
The scorching air pressure pushed back much of the surrounding mist.
The Necromancers' protective necrotic barriers shattered like paper before the rampaging flames. Their bodies were ignited by the holy-aspected fire, carbonized, and finally turned to ash.
With just a single wide-area magic strike, more than half of the Necromancers in front of them were wiped out.
The survivors were then systematically eliminated by Catherine's follow-up Wind Blades and Silvia's subsequent Holy Light Arrows.
In less than a minute, the battle was over.
In the area where the thick fog had been briefly cleared, only scorched marks on the ground and slowly drifting ashes remained.
The suffocating group of Necromancers had vanished without a trace.
Victoria lowered her staff, breathing slightly hard with sweat on her forehead, but her eyes were bright.
She turned around and looked at the six people sitting in the mud as if turned to stone, asking casually:
"Hey, are you guys okay?"
At that moment, in the eyes of Alan, Mike, Rhode, and the three girls, the gray-haired girl standing amidst the embers and ashes—with sparks still dancing at the tips of her hair—looked toweringly tall, like a Valkyrie tearing through the darkness.
Her face, though slightly smudged with dirt, couldn't hide her heroic spirit. Illuminated by the fading firelight, she appeared incredibly beautiful and powerful.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Six hearts began to beat wildly. Then, as if they had reached a silent agreement, they all prostrated themselves on the muddy ground before Victoria, their voices trembling with excitement and awe:
"Please let us follow you!!!"
Victoria: "...Huh?! What the hell?!"
She was completely blindsided by this display.
She had intended to refuse directly as usual, but as the words reached her lips, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind:
If it were that jerk Greg, what would he do in this situation...?
He would definitely... utilize them without hesitation, wouldn't he?
While Victoria was lost in thought—
Rumble...
The ground of the entire graveyard shook violently without warning!
It felt as if something massive was turning over deep underground, and the thick mist churned violently in response.
"Eek!"
Silvia let out a startled cry and instinctively drew closer to Victoria, her pink eyes once again filled with unease.
"T-That vibration just now was...?"
Catherine also frowned deeply. She walked to Victoria's side and lowered her voice, analyzing the situation rationally:
"Something's wrong. The appearance of that group of Necromancers was highly unusual, and now there's this mysterious tremor... I believe our gains so far are quite sufficient. We should withdraw immediately before the situation spirals completely out of control."
She had no intention of gambling her safety on an event that clearly exceeded the mission's expected parameters.
However, Victoria had a completely different idea.
Although she didn't know the cause of the vibration, her experience of easily resolving the Necromancer encounter—combined with the six followers before her—caused her confidence and sense of mission to swell like never before.
If that jerk Greg can do it, why can't I?
There must be many other students in the graveyard who didn't have time to escape and are now in danger.
If I save them and organize a large team to subjugate all the undead in this graveyard, wouldn't I win both fame and fortune!?
A bold scheme quickly took shape in her mind.
She straightened her back, her gray eyes sweeping over the uneasy Silvia, the frowning Catherine, and the six people still prostrated on the ground looking at her with fanatical eyes. She spoke loudly:
"No, we can't leave now!"
Her tone was firm, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
"There must still be many classmates trapped in danger who need help! The academy's commission is to clear the undead and investigate the anomaly. The anomaly is right in front of us—Necromancers appearing in groups, and mysterious tremors underground... How can we just walk away and ignore the safety of our fellow students just because we are temporarily safe?"
She gripped her magic conduit tightly, her gaze burning as she looked toward the deeper parts of the graveyard.
"I'm going to keep moving forward to help those who might still be trapped inside!"
Upon hearing this, the light in the eyes of the six followers practically materialized. They shouted in unison, their voices filled with excitement and worship:
"Please, you must let us assist you!!!"
"Eh?! We're... we're still not going out?!"
Silvia's face instantly collapsed at those words, and tears began to well up in her eyes again.
Being unable to leave this terrifying place immediately was nothing short of a nightmare for her.
Meanwhile, Catherine stood where she was, her azure eyes quietly observing Victoria, who seemed to be glowing at this moment.
Looking at that genuine, steadfast gaze wanting to help others, and listening to those declarations that sounded naive or even foolish to her merchant ears...
A thought suddenly surfaced clearly in Catherine's mind.
This... willingness to extend a hand to others in times of crisis, even at the cost of putting oneself in danger... this foolhardy proactivity...
Could this be the real reason Greg Sass wanted me to help her in the future?
Rate on N.U.
