Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 154 - 147: Powerful Creation

The spectators outside the examination venue watched the giant stone slab before them, as each skull marker on it shattered one by one. In place of those shattered skull marks, as if seeds had been planted and were now blooming, new skull emblems were being formed. Atop these skeletal marks, a small circlet of magic power was constructed, resembling a tiny crown, and on some of these skull crowns, there were one or two bone spikes vertically embedded.

Mr. Giant Dragon nodded in satisfaction, "The candidates this year are doing much better in terms of unity and cooperation compared to last year. So many newcomers have created constructs so quickly," he scrutinized the new marks and their tiny crowns, tapping his bone rod lightly, "though the strength of the constructs is a bit uneven, a little weak on average."

Someone in the audience raised a question.

"Mr. Giant Dragon, what do the bone spikes on those crowns signify? Are they different?"

"Without bone spikes, it means a very basic construct," Mr. Giant Dragon made a sweeping gesture to indicate the majority of new marks along the path, "one bone spike represents strength reaching the ’One Lock’ level, like this one," he searched and pointed to a mark with a spike on its crown. "Similarly, two spikes represent ’Two Locks’ strength," Mr. Giant Dragon managed to find a mark with two bone spikes that he had almost missed earlier, "Maybe creating a ’Two Locks’ level construct is a simple task for most of you present, but keep in mind they are newcomers. At their level, whether or not you could create a construct of your own equivalent level is another matter. A necromancy construct with a controller can perform above its level, which is normal, because they have a brain."

"Then, Mr. Giant Dragon, what level would a newcomer be if they could create a ’Two Locks’ strength construct? An honor student?"

"Yes, they could be considered the honor students of the new generation in Spirit Summoning Studies, and with proper nurturing, they will definitely be the future of Spirit Summoning Studies."

"Mr. Giant Dragon, what’s the level above honor student?"

"Honor student is the highest level."

"Then isn’t that too unfair for those who create ’Three Locks’ creations?"

Mr. Giant Dragon chuckled, "My dear sir, I think your knowledge in Spirit Summoning Studies might not be up to date; I suggest you reread it. Basic Spirit Summoning Studies as taught by Andrey doesn’t cover advanced remodeling knowledge, so the most a newcomer can create is a ’Two Locks’ ability construct—that’s already the limit for newcomers."

The gentleman who was mocked wasn’t someone to take it passively.

"Mr. Giant Dragon, I recommend that you relearn Spirit Summoning Studies," he boldly pointed at a spot on the map, "Please look carefully with your eyes before you speak."

Mr. Giant Dragon turned his head.

There was a newcomer’s mark, with a white skull adorned by a circular crown, three bone spikes horizontally inserted into the circular crown, the spikes forming a bone claw that struck viciously across Mr. Giant Dragon’s face.

"My giant dragons, what is this thing?"

"Look, the ’Three Locks’ creation has started moving, it’s so fast! It’s going to collide with the two nearest skull marks!"

....

Rumbling.

The two newcomers who chose to cooperate felt the ground tremble; their constructs were right beside them.

One of them started to speak.

"Did you feel that tremble?"

"I did, it felt like a stampede of beasts, maybe there are some wild animals migrating nearby."

"Are you an idiot? We’re in the White Bone Forest, where would there be a herd of beasts? Get ready!"

Before he finished speaking, a high-speed white blur that seemed almost blurry entered their field of vision, like a fierce gale that collided harshly with their constructs. The painstakingly assembled bone frames shattered in an instant, and the white blur flashed a streak of red light which instantly grabbed the bone fragments flying in the air into the shadow and dashed away, leaving the two sitting amidst a heap of scattered debris.

....

"Destroyed two ’One Lock’ creations instantly?"

The speed of the ’Three Locks’ creation did not decrease; in fact, the mark on the map sped up significantly, like a rampaging monster train charging at its next victim. The only sound echoing in the minds of the audience was laughter.

"Mr. Giant Dragon, did the ’Three Locks’ skull laugh?"

"That’s part of the original rules we set, when a construct defeats a monster and scores points, its mark emits a laugh."

Mr. Giant Dragon sensed something was amiss and summoned a specter.

"Mr. Amazement, please investigate this peculiar construct. I want to know who its creator is."

....

The controller, navigating with his giant humanoid construct, advanced shoulder to shoulder alongside Flexibility.

"Controller, did you hear anything?"

"I did, a big fellow is coming, Flexibility, I need your creation."

Mr. Flexibility’s three bone plate spheres transformed into armor that covered Controller’s giant humanoid form.

He held a huge bone sword, took up a stance, and faced the direction of the sound.

"Here it comes!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Controller saw it, a giant spinning ring, a white distorted spine bone making up the ring, flying towards him with an unstoppable force.

Can’t block, must dodge! 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Controller made his humanoid form lunge to the side, avoiding being crushed by the white spine bone wheel right before it smashed into his creation.

"Good thing this monster only charges blindly; as long as I avoid its straight-line crushing..."

Before he could finish, a large mass of entangled black tentacles shot out from the center of the spinning bone wheel, the tips of the tentacles wrapped around sharp bone spears, driven by the force of the spin. The drill, buzzing furiously, pierced deeply into the humanoid creation’s chest.

Like a broken toy discarded in the air, the black tentacle devoured everything it could from the humanoid creation, and then tossed away the remaining refuse onto Controller’s face like a broken doll, before once again speeding away.

Flexibility nudged his brother, who was still standing dazed in place, looking foolish.

"You okay, Controller, did you get your brain smashed?"

Controller looked at his brother and slowly said,

"I saw the Plague Doctor’s pet tentacle monster inside that wheel."

......

"Killed a second lock monster in an instant??!! Is it weirdly powerful, is it really a newbie’s creation? Examiner, isn’t someone cheating? Don’t you find this outrageous? Start investigating now!"

Seeing the unrest from below, Giant Dragon was also somewhat concerned; the fairness of the examination was being questioned. He continually urged the shocked Mr. Dumbfounder to investigate, trying to uncover the truth.

"Whoever dares challenge the authority of Spirit Summoning Studies will pay the price."

"Giant Dragon," Mr. Dumbfounder, who was a Specter, appeared before him, "that creation’s movement speed is too fast. We were unable to block it, and the identity has been clearly confirmed."

"Who is it!" Giant Dragon was more eager than anyone; he planned to make an example of the culprit.

"The soul signature shows it is a candidate named Plague Doctor."

All of a sudden, Giant Dragon was no longer in a hurry.

"Hmm, got it, then let the examination continue."

"But aren’t we supposed to hold him accountable for disrupting the order of the examination? He used an advanced remodeling ritual."

"Ah, because he’s a genius, you see. I taught him that advanced remodeling, don’t worry, he’s a freshman who joined this year; there’s nothing wrong with his identity."

"...Giant Dragon, giving private lessons is not right."

"How can you blame me? I only repeated it once, and he learned it on his own. What can I do, blame the student for being too smart?"

The skull markers of the three locks creatures rampaged on the map, devouring other prey just like in a Pac-Man game.

The score notification sounded just like Giant Dragon’s mood.

An unbroken series of wild laughter echoed in every audience member’s ears.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!