Chapter 535: Episode 535
They walked along a quiet path near the dormitory.
"Want to bring out your ghoul?" Benya suggested before Simon had even said a word.
He obediently nodded and summoned the creature from his subspace.
The ghoul appeared in a flash, its murderous eyes scanning the surroundings, instantly ready for a fight.
"Close your eyes," Benya instructed, "and focus on the ghoul’s thoughts."
As he did, the undead’s instincts flooded his senses—its primal rage toward all living things. He could feel the creature’s body as it stepped onto the grass and stood tall, and behind it, the faint thrum of the summoning circle and the swirling currents of Jet-Black.
"Good. Now, have it take one slow step."
The ghoul moved.
"You take a step forward too, Commander."
Simon stepped forward.
"Next, the ghoul and you. One step each, at the same time."
The ghoul’s hind leg followed, completing its stride as Simon took another step.
"Match your pace," she guided. "Let’s try walking slowly, one step at a time."
Simon and the ghoul moved in unison.
"Focus on the sensation in the soles of your feet," she added, her voice low and steady. "And go... slowly."
He felt a bit foolish, but the sensation of his feet treading on the soft grass was pleasant. He wasn’t sure if the feeling was coming from his own soles or the ghoul’s, but it didn’t matter. The rhythm of their synchronized steps was surprisingly smooth. A biped and a quadruped, moving as one. It didn’t feel bad at all.
"The ghoul is walking strangely," Benya observed.
Its gait was off—the front and hind legs on its left side were moving forward in unison. He quickly corrected its posture.
"This time, your right arm and right leg came out together," she pointed out.
Simon corrected his own form. As he focused, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He couldn’t understand why something so simple felt so difficult.
"You’re not losing the sensation in your feet because you’re concentrating too hard on your steps, are you?"
It was as if she had read his mind. Simon took a breath and focused, relying on the feeling of the grass underfoot to guide both his own movements and the ghoul’s.
’Rustle.’
The sensation of stepping on the grass was sharp and clear from the ghoul’s perspective. Since he was wearing shoes, he had to rely on its senses.
’Thud. Thud. Thud.’
When he focused on his feet, the rhythm and gait fell into place naturally. As he slowly synchronized his breathing with the creature’s, the mental link between them grew tighter, more cohesive. They walked like that for another thirty minutes.
’Oof...’
Simon panted, a pleasant sheen of sweat on his skin.
Benya approached him, a smile playing on her lips.
"Well done!"
"What was that just now?" he asked, catching his breath.
"It’s a training exercise to improve ghoul control and strengthen your mental connection."
’Simon groaned internally. If he had known about something this effective, he would have been doing it all week.’
"There’s another version where you and the ghoul walk on all fours together," Benya added with a chuckle. "But that’s a bit much, isn’t it? A rumor might start that a third-year is treating the Student Council President like a dog."
However, Simon was already on his hands and knees, ready to try.
"Don’t do it!" she yelped, horrified.
For the first time since they had met, Benya’s face was bright red.
---
After their walk, they got down to business. Simon showed Benya the ghoul schematic he and Byulya had finished the night before.
’Hmm...’
She studied it seriously for a moment before letting out a dry chuckle.
"Is something like this really possible?"
"Yes. I’ve already practiced it."
’You have a strange taste for conquest,’ Benya muttered under her breath.
"The main problem is the poison leaking out," Simon explained.
"For that, attaching a rubber organ to the ghoul should be enough."
"A rubber organ?"
She produced a book from her subspace and opened it, revealing a detailed anatoMikel diagram of a ghoul.
"You just create a fake organ and attach it right here," she said, pointing to a spot in the diagram.
"It’s an undead, so the material doesn’t really matter, right? You just need a place to store the poison. You could probably model it after the anatomy of similar species, like the Bubble Toad or the Black Viper."
"That makes sense!"
"But be warned," she added, "adding this will make it heavier, which might slightly reduce its mobility. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?"
There was no such thing as a free lunch. Sacrificing one thing to gain another was a fundamental principle. Simon nodded.
"That’s fine. Thank you for the advice!"
"Great! This plan of yours looks fun, so I’ll help. The dormitory training room will be packed, so shall we use the club room?"
Simon nodded again, his eyes bright with gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior!"
---
The free period ended, and afternoon finally arrived. The Summoning Department students gathered in the auditorium, their faces etched with tension. Aaron and his teaching assistants were present, though there were fewer TAs than usual, suggesting they were busy preparing the test site.
"Everyone’s here."
The head TA finished the roll call and stepped back, allowing Aaron to address the students.
"I’d like to ask if you all slept well, but judging by your faces, I’ll skip the pleasantries."
The students’ eyes were uniformly sunken from a night spent preparing.
Aaron held up a document.
"Before I reveal the details of the practical evaluation, there’s one more thing you all need to do."
A wave of dread washed over the students. Not another curriculum to pass.
Aaron continued in his characteristically languid voice, "And that is team formation."
A chaotic murmur swept through the hall. The sudden mention of ’teams’ threw the students into a panic.
"What? This is a group project?"
"I was sure it was an individual assignment!"
"We haven’t had any time to practice together!"
"Quiet," Aaron commanded, his voice easily cutting through the noise. "You will now form teams of four. With fifty-two students, that will make thirteen teams in total."
At his words, Serne zipped over and latched onto Simon’s right arm.
"It’s finally here! I’ve been looking forward to this day, when I can be on the same team as Simon and we can finally sync up!"
Lorraine narrowed her eyes and approached from the left.
"What do you think you’re doing in the middle of class? Let go, Serne."
"Yeah, yeah... Here we go with the nagging again," Serne sighed dramatically.
The other students began to move frantically, a huge crowd quickly forming around Hector and Aseraz. A few students approached Simon, but none were bold enough to interrupt the standoff between Lorraine and Serne. They just hovered nearby, swallowing nervously.
’THUD!’
Aaron stomped his foot, the sharp sound silencing the room. The students’ attention snapped back to him.
"You seem to be mistaken," he said calmly. "This isn’t like your first year, where you can team up with whomever you please."
"In the second year, we have clear rankings that include practical and combat abilities, and your skills have stabilized. While it’s unlikely, if Simon, Hector, and Aseraz were to form a team, they would be unbeatable."
It was true, and the students nodded in understanding. The strong would flock together, creating a massive imbalance between teams. A new standard was needed for the second year, where every student had to be evaluated fairly.
A student raised his hand.
"Then how are the teams decided?"
"Look behind you."
A TA stood before four boxes labeled 1-100, 101-200, 201-300, and 301-400. Another TA stood at the blackboard behind them, chalk in hand.
"Your rankings will determine your groups," Aaron explained. "Ranks 1 to 100 are Group A, 101 to 200 are Group B, 201 to 300 are Group C, and 301 to 400 are Group D."
"We will draw one ball with a student’s name from each group, and those four will form a team."
Simon’s mouth fell open. ’I see!’ As the top-ranked student, he was in Group A. That meant it was impossible for him to team up with other powerhouses in his group, like Hector and Aseraz. Every team would be a mix of students from different tiers, ensuring a degree of balance.
Serne grinned.
"Hehe, so there’s still a chance I can be on Simon’s team."
Lorraine quietly nodded. Ranked 280th and 287th respectively, both she and Serne were in Group C. Either they would both be assigned elsewhere, or only one of them could join Simon’s team.
Just then, a hand shot up.
"Benz McBeef! White and I are transfer students, so we don’t have Kizen rankings. What about us?"
Aaron looked at him.
"While you may be top-tier at the other great necromancer schools, your skills have not yet been proven here. Therefore, as is customary, your names have been placed in the mid-tier Group C."
"Yes, sir, understood!"
"Then we will now begin team selection."
A TA drew a ball from each box and passed it to the head TA. It was a crucial moment. The students watched, their throats tight with anticipation.
"The members of Team 1 have been decided," the head TA announced. "Hector Moore, Pierre Buckler, Matt Comer, and Raubel Buenmers."
The star of Team 1 was Hector. He and Pierre Buckler, both from Class A, exchanged a sharp high-five as their two new teammates came over to greet them.
Whispers broke out among the students.
"One tough team right off the bat."
"For a Buckler to be in Group B, he must have ranked 100th or 101st."
"I heard he bombed a few BMATs. Otherwise, he’s basically Group A level."
Simon watched anxiously, his arms crossed. Several teams were formed in quick succession, most of them looking well-balanced and solid. The students whose teams were decided were already busy shaking hands and laughing, but even after seven teams had been formed, Simon’s name had not been called.
A moment later, the head TA spoke again.
"The members of Team 8 have been decided."
A roar went through the crowd. Another legendary team had been born.
"I can’t believe that lineup."
"Isn’t that combination completely overpowered?"
"Aseraz Mikel, Eldarin Luo, White, and Viend Clack."
It was the ultimate team, composed of the aces from each group.
’Aseraz and White on a team,’ Simon mused. White was easily skilled enough for Group A, but the transfer student rule had placed him in Group C, and Aseraz had snatched him up. The most powerful team had been formed.
"I’m looking forward to working with you, transfer student!" Aseraz said, extending a hand with a broad smile. "I’ll make you the best in the department."
White stared blankly at the outstretched hand before spinning around and running to the window, distracted by a bird flying outside. Aseraz awkwardly retracted his hand.
"In terms of raw power, they’re undeniably the strongest," a voice said nearby.
It was Fitzgerald, pushing up his glasses.
"But when you consider teamwork and communication, I’m not so sure."
Simon looked at him.
"Fitzgerald, you’re in Group A?"
He nodded.
"It’s a shame we can’t be on the same team."
"Can’t be helped. Those are the rules."
Neither of their names had been called yet.
"We will now begin Team 10," a TA announced.
She drew a ball and passed it back. The head TA took it and began to write the name.
In an instant, the entire room fell silent. Students all over the hall, even those in their newly formed teams, stopped what they were doing and stared at the blackboard.
Finally.
The name everyone had been waiting for appeared.
-Team 10: Simon Polentia.