Chapter 127: Cutting a smart figure
Under Deo’s remote gaze, Han Shuo nodded his head woodenly and didn’t say much. He flicked a glance at Fanny and walked inside of the magic barrier.
Arriving at Emma’s side, Emma looked at Han Shuo with benevolence and kindly said, “You’re called Bryan, right?”
Han Shuo was startled and looked at Dean Emma in confusion, and said, “That’s right, how do you know?”
“Heh heh, of course I know of you. You made a great contribution to the necromancy major during the Dark Forest excursion. Mm, go in and have a good fight. You’re not a good kid.” Emma smiled merrily at Han Shuo and spoke slowly.
Han Shuo seemed to think there were some hidden connotations in Emma’s words from the way she looked at him, but he didn’t quite understand what she meant. He didn’t pursue it and nodded politely at Emma, then walked into the square.
After Emma opened the shield, Han Shuo and the rest of the dark major, as well as the light major, all reentered the square. When they walked inside, Han Shuo suddenly noticed that what people saw inside and outside of the shield was different. When they looked in from the audience’s perspective on the outside, they were able see everything clearly although the lighting was dim.
But when Han Shuo walked in himself, he discovered that it was much darker inside than outside. There were even a few wisps of fog floating around the interior. All sorts of trees, artificial mountains, and moats existed, making the entire battlefield a place strewn with obstacles.
Han Shuo didn’t dare to release the originals demons within the magic shield. After all, there were so many audience members outside. Not only were there teachers from all majors, but the space archmage Dean Emma was there as well. With so many seasoned experts watching along with the existence of the shield, Han Shuo didn’t dare take the risk of releasing the original demons.
Even without the original demons, Han Shuo wasn’t affected by the fog or duskiness due to the way his brain was developed. The sensitivity of his ears and eyes were far greater than any of the other students present within the square.
Leveraging his eyes and ears, Han Shuo discovered that the five from the light major seemed to be setting something up under the guidance of Keelung. On the contrary, the four from the dark major were all trailing their heads in dejection. They looked like they’d all been forced into fighting.
That made sense. Ever since losing Phillide, they could tell from Deo’s conversation that even Deo had given up on this year’s battle. Having them battle was just for show.
It was a given that they weren’t willing to go on stage for a fight they knew they’d lose, but they couldn’t disobey Deo’s orders either. It was no wonder they were drooping their heads and had no morale whatsoever. Since they’d entered the fighting grounds, the four of them had had no inclination to discuss any details with Han Shuo. It looked like they were planning on acting according to what Deo had said, and just make a random showing.
From where Han Shuo stood, he could see all of their expressions. Yet he didn’t say much, he just chanted a section of magical incantation and summoned a few small skeletons and zombie warriors to battle.
The small skeletons and zombie warriors appeared faster than normal beneath Han Shuo’s incantation. The six skeletal warriors and three zombie warriors appeared in almost the blink of an eye within the square. There was no pause in between each one, and their speed was astonishing.
“Yo, that fellow’s incantation speed is rather abnormally fast. He’s summoned so many creatures in the blink of an eye.”
Those observing in the crowd were students and teachers from all majors. They naturally understood that the chanting of a magical incantation needed to be in concert with the speed in concentrating mental strength. If the two magics had a short interval in between them, that meant that the speed in concentrating mental strength was also very fast. They all displayed expressions of astonishment when they saw Han Shuo summon so many dark creatures in such a small time frame.
Even Dean Emma’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Han Shuo in interest, as if she was very curious as to what Han Shuo was prepared to do.
“Humph. Light magic is the antithesis of dark creatures. He might as well save his mental strength for a few more necromancy magics, as opposed to wasting his mental strength in summoning dark creatures.” One of the dark major teachers jeered as he looked at Han Shuo.
Fanny sat beside him, so these words were obviously meant for Fanny. Anger appeared on Fanny’s face, but she didn’t say a thing.
After summoning the skeletal warriors and zombies, Han Shuo was secretly delighted. When he’d summoned so many dark creatures previously, he’d felt a significant decrease in his mental strength. However, this time, after completing the summoning of so many dark creatures, the amount of mental strength depleted was negligible to Han Shuo. This was a practical demonstration that Han Shuo’s mental strength had also increased by quite a lot.
Joy filling his heart, Han Shuo once again chanted an incantation and a few more skeletal warriors, zombie warriors, and ghouls appeared.
As he was summoning these dark creatures, Han Shuo had already left the clump of dark major students and arrived on the left most corner of the square. There was cover from artificial mountains and fake trees, as well as fog wreathing the area. Therefore, the light and dark major students wouldn’t be able to see his motions.
When the dark creatures came out, they waved the weapons in their hands according to Han Shuo’s commands and quickly began to set up traps within the area.
Ropes and snares, as well as further deepened moats became hidden dangers in the area. The skeletal warriors raised their bone daggers to work quickly, the ghouls speedily moved the dirt to pile up in the front and formed a wall that would impede others from entering the side. The zombie warriors then used the wooden clubs in their hands to made the mud walls a bit thicker and firmer.
The three dark creatures started working orderly and without confusion under Han Shuo mental manipulation. Under the gaze of the students and teachers outsiders, they began to calmly and gravely set up the damaging traps, as if Han Shuo was a calm hunter.
They’d all originally held the mindset of watching a joke, but when they saw so many dark creatures appear and quickly work to set up the traps, their expressions turned from comical to gravely serious.
“As long as a necromancer’s mental strength is strong enough, he can summon an endless numbers of dark creatures. Only necromancers can use their dark creatures to complete work that requires manual labor. This is the kind of advantage that all other majors aren’t able to emulate.”
“This little fellow’s methods have thoroughly utilized the advantage of necromancers being able to utilize dark creatures. His mind is rather nimble. I think there will be a spot of interest with the fight this time.” Dean Emma flicked a slight smile at Deo and said faintly.
Snorting lightly, Deo’s expression was still cold and remote. “He still has to lure the people into his traps in order for them to be effective. I think the necromancy fellow will be hard pressed to do that. When he appears in front of the light major students, a wave of magical attacks will be enough to lay him flat. By then, his traps will be completely useless.”
Deo couldn’t help but be a bit regretful when his words finished. If he’d instructed the other four to work together with Han Shuo, then perhaps he could’ve lured the light major students into the traps and maybe truly caused some misfortunes to happen.
But battle had officially begun by now, and no matter how much Deo regretted things, there was nothing for it now.
Coldly surveying everything within the square, Fanny’s bright eyes landed on Han Shuo. She didn’t relax for a single second, and didn’t pay any attention to the mockery and jeering from those around her.
They say that a man seriously going about his business held the most allure. At this moment, Han Shuo was going about his business with not a trace of panic or franticness. There was even a hint of relaxed confidence playing about his lips. Add to that the fact that Han Shuo’s current actions were on Fanny’s behalf, he truly did have a mysterious allure to Fanny at the moment.
Because of the magic shield’s effect after entering the square, the noise and scenes from outside the square were completely obstructed by the shield. Han Shuo couldn’t see anything outside the shield after he’d entered it.
The dark creatures were still were busily. Han Shuo, having given his orders, began to walk amongst the shadows of the trees and artificial mountains like a ghost, approaching the center between the light and dark majors soundlessly.
Han Shuo’s movements weren’t particularly surreptitious, nor did he purposefully display a fast pace, but with Han Shuo’s current vision, his control over his movements had already reached the level of astonishing and magical. Ordinarily speaking, anyone passing through the shadows of the trees and artificial mountains would need to pass through an area of light. Any of the others students would be able to see someone pass through if they just concentrated a bit.
As these students walked, they would inevitably unconsciously turn their heads to observe their surroundings. Han Shuo would only suddenly move through two shadows in the instant that they moved their eyes or when they happened to blink. It was as difficult as trying to scale the heavens for an ordinary person to grasp that instant of open space. It could even be said that it was a wonderful art, but the current Han Shuo had well and truly accomplished it.
Therefore, no one discovered traces of Han Shuo’s footsteps as he snuck through the shadows and arrived at the artificial mountains at the center between the light and dark majors. The students and teachers observing on the outside also found it odd why the students inside hadn’t seemed to notice Han Shuo. This bizarre phenomenon made them feel that something was afoot.
However, Emma and several other archmages with unparalleled vision happened to observe some peculiarities at the same time. Emma didn’t say much after her eyes lit up, but two wind and water archmages exchanged shocked glances. Their originally disinterested expressions instantly refocused on Han Shuo.
Deo’s face darkened even further. He hadn’t thought either that Han Shuo would have such ridiculous powers of judgement and vision. As he was reeling in shock, he couldn’t help but look at Fanny behind him, wondering if Han Shuo’s wondrous abilities came from Fanny.
Han Shuo stopped in the shadows of an artificial mountain, and stood there without moving. The light major students had spread out and were cautiously probing in all directions on light footsteps, moving slowly towards the dark major’s territory and using the surrounding trees and artificial mountains to conceal their movement. It looked like they hadn’t lowered their guard even though Phillide had been taken out of the picture.
On the contrary, the four from the dark major side were lazily approaching the center area. Their expressions were dour and dejected as they complained ceaselessly. They seemed to be venting the anguish within their hearts. In their condition, they were likely to be demolished by the light major’s first round of attacks.
A light major student suddenly approached where Han Shuo was and looked at the artificial mountains in which Han Shuo was concealing himself. He was paying attention to the direction where the dark major students were going to appear, drifting closer to the artificial mountain Han Shuo was residing in without any guard up at all.
This light major student was about ten paces away from the closest person. He’d initially looked over the artificial mountains as he walked closer, and didn’t pay much attention to things when he didn’t discover anything out of the ordinary. He started walking over with his guard down.
Within the shadows, Han Shuo’s body was almost one with them. His body was like a boulder as he stood there unmoving. The audience outside looked on as the light major student approached Han Shuo in the shadows, sucking in a breath as the entire scene became deathly quiet.
Suddenly, Han Shuo, hidden within the shadows, became a demon concealed by the darkness. His demonic arms suddenly opened as one hand covered the mouth of the light major student, the other hand abruptly closed on his body and the light major student was dragged into the darkness.
Just as the light major student was reacting with astonishment, Han Shuo brought a fist crashing down onto the back of his head. The light major’s student went limp and he fell directly unconscious. Within the darkness, Han Shuo dragged this light major student into the shadows and quickly swapped clothes. He then strode out openly from the shadows and slowly approached the center.
The five light major students were more than ten paces apart from each other. They could see those beside them, but could only determine that they were on the same side via the same clothes, due to the fog and duskiness. They couldn’t see faces or features clearly. Add to that the fact that winter clothes tended to be thicker and made all their bodies bulkier. Therefore, Han Shuo’s appearance didn’t draw anyone else’s attention.
However, the students and teachers within the square got a full view of what was about to happen. The outside was going crazy with noisy chatter and discussion. The necromancy major had suddenly become the center of attention. Lisa and the other’s yells stood out even in the midst of the boisterous square.
“Oh my gosh, that’s incredible, he took out a person just like that.”
“The five from the light major have been observing their surroundings with their eyes for half the day. How could they have not discovered that he’s approaching them, how is that possible?”
“He’s become part of the light major team now. I think the light major fellows are in big trouble this time. Their companion has suddenly become a ticking time bomb, but no one realizes it. This is quite interesting!”
Voices raised in incredible conversation rose and fell in waves. The students still found everything hard to believe, but given that the truth was right in front of them, they had no choice but to believe.
“Master Fanny, your student is quite interesting!” Deo’s usually cold and remote face had become much more tender, as he looked at the composed Fanny. However, her subtly dancing eyebrows gave away her repressed excitement.
A feeling of comfort flowing through her heart, Fanny flicked a chilly glance at Deo and mocked, “Now how would that be? He’s just there to make up the numbers, Master Deo is too complimentary.”
Deo didn’t say much after getting shut down, and his expression also appeared a bit nervous. His gaze patrolled the demonstration area within the square as he paid attention to further developments.
At this moment, Fanny’s heart was filled with contentment. She’d been continuously mocked and belittled by others because of the her major’s uselessness. Now, because of Han Shuo’s rise to prominence, the gazes of those looking at her were filled with astonishment and incredulity. Even Deo, who’d jeered at her before, had nothing much to say now. This almost made the joy within Fanny’s heart overflow.
Everyone had a vain heart, and Fanny had often been suppressed by others. Now that the situation was suddenly reversed, Fanny’s joy and comfort was felt even more strongly. When she looked at Han Shuo now, she found him extremely pleasing in her eyes and a trace of a sweet smile unconsciously curved on her lips.
Within the square, Han Shuo naturally didn’t know that there was an uproar outside the field because of his performance. He strode out calmly and steadily, slowly moving towards the center with the other four light major students.
The four dark major students slowly appeared from the other direction. They had spread out their formation and kept an appropriate distance from each other. When they saw the light major students, the four dark major students abruptly halted their footsteps.
Two Deep Slumber spells and another two Hand of Darkness magics were chanted from the mouths of the four dark major students. The two Deep Slumber spells came floating towards Han Shuo and another light major student. Two enormous hands also suddenly formed in the dim sky and started swooping down towards the other two light major students.
Light major captain Keelung was standing in the center and watched all of this with a cold gaze, completely unmoved. This was because not a single dark major attack landed on him, or perhaps this was because the dark major students knew that they would be useless on Keelung.
Han Shuo had also been attacked with a Deep Slumber spell. He shifted his body at this moment and walked swiftly, dodging the spell.
The light major student standing beside Han Shuo remained coolly composed when the Hand of Darkness appeared overhead. A Radiant Slash suddenly appeared and shot towards the Hand of Darkness high overhead.
A bone spear suddenly appeared out of thin air at this time, with another one appearing shortly thereafter. It pierced the Radiant Slash attack and both bone spears and the Radiant Slash broke apart as white dots of light. At the same time, an Agony of the Soul appeared in front of this light major student, along with the Hand of Darkness.
The sudden change completely derailed the light major student’s train of thought. The Agony of the Soul had already landed on him before he had time to react. The Hand of Darkness followed quickly after and grabbed his body.
“Deron, are you alright?” Off in the distance, Keelung immediately cried out and started walking over when he saw what had happened.
Deron immediately reacted. Although Han Shuo’s chant had been made in an exceedingly low voice just now, he still heard it because the two were so close.
Deron was anxiously trying to tell Keelung to watch out for Han Shuo, but unfortunately he was finding it difficult to breathe, given that the Hand of Darkness was wrapped tightly around him. The dark major student who’d casted it was watching with a face full of excitement off in the distance. The student reached out forcefully, causing Deron to pass out.
Apart from Deron fainting, the other light major students easily handled the dark major attacks that had targeted them. Keelung, having not been attacked, swiftly approached Deron, wanting to check on him.
There was one unconscious Deron between Han Shuo and Keelung. Han Shuo also approached the unconscious Deron as Keelung approached, appearing to want to see how Deron was doing.
The light major captain reached Deron first. He’d just stooped down and was about to examine Deron’s condition when three bone spears materialized, followed by two bone arrows and an Agony of the Soul.
Keelung gave an abrupt start and suddenly stood up, finally catching a glimpse of Han Shuo’s face. He shouted involuntarily, “This is bad!”
A light magic attack was suddenly released as an incantation was rapidly recited. It formed a semicircle in front of his chest and started rushing over. The bone spears, arrows, and Agony of the Soul were destroyed in an instant.
However, when the magical fallout had begun to settle down, several bone arrows flew out again. This gave Keelung a great shock as he hastily backed up.
The release of magic was dependent on the amount of mental strength and the speed of focusing it. Although the time elapsed between two magics could be decreased, theoretically speaking, the more destructive a spell was, the longer amount of time there must be between each cast. A spell, such as bone arrows, expended very little mental strength, and so it could be quickly cast in succession.
Seeing the situation, Keelung had sent out an answering wave of magic and needed a bit of time to recover. It was a pity that Han Shuo wasn’t giving him any opportunity to. Three bone arrows flew out from behind, causing him some panic and taking one to the rear when he couldn’t dodge in time.
“The necromancy major fellow is masquerading as Billy. This person’s too sinister! Take him down first!” Keelung rubbed his butt and immediately called out.
Off in the distance, the other two light major students evading the dark major attacks hesitated only briefly and immediately met up with Keelung to attack Han Shuo after hearing his shouts.
Han Shuo laughed loudly at this moment, raising his voice, “Fainting already counts as being out. It’s three of you now against us five, I think it’ll be difficult for you to win!”
Han Shou didn’t stay where he was as soon as he’d finished speaking. He dashed off to where the traps had already been set up with the speed of a normal mage. Keelung and the others were stunned for a second as Keelung then said resolutely, “Take down this fellow first. The other four from the dark major have no fighting spirit left, we’ll take care of them after.
The other two from the light major nodded and rushed towards Han Shuo after hearing Keelung’s words, leaving the four from the dark major looking at each other with some embarrassment. One of them yelled out, “We’re five now, why should we be afraid of the three of them? Let’s take them out!”
In this way, the odd scene of Han Shuo running in front, the three from the light major in hot pursuit, and the four from the dark major chasing madly after was formed.
It was a hubbub of noise outside. If it was said that Han Shuo had been lucky when he took down a person within the shadows just now, then his later interactions with Keelung and the fast speed of his magic being released and injuring Keelung’s butt proved that Han Shuo’s strength was definitely uncommon.
Add to that the fact that they had seen Han Shuo setting up traps and saw him running there now, the audience immediately knew what sinister intentions Han Shuo had in mind.
“Oh damn it, why are things happening like this?” Light major archmage Voigtlander had been smiling smugly, assured of victory. He couldn’t help but cry out at this moment. The development of the situation was completely out of his expectations.
“Master Fanny, your student is very strong. To think that the necromancy major had a talent such as him. This is truly incredibly!” Suddenly, several teachers, who often mocked Fanny, had a complete change in attitudes, and they all spoke with great praise to Fanny.
This was Fanny’s proudest moment in all her years in the necromancy major. Han Shuo’s actions had won the respect of all those present for Fanny. She was crazy with joy inside, but still smiled demurely and said calmly, “This is nothing. Our necromancy major has great talent, we just tend to keep a low profile. Now do you understand how shallow your understanding was before?”
The other teachers looked askance at each other after Fanny had spoken. They hadn’t thought that thanks to Han Shuo’s bizarre rise to prominence, Fanny’s presence would also be bolstered as well.