In front of the eerie, ancient castle, three girls stared at the gargoyle, black smoke pouring from the back of its head, feeling their own brains were about to start smoking as well.
A gargoyle, the classic magical creature famed precisely for its toughness from inside out.
Which meant, when even a tiny crack appeared externally, its internal structure was likely already riddled with holes.
Yet, this gargoyle's condition went way beyond riddled—smoke was literally pouring out everywhere.
A fifth-tier gargoyle didn't even get the chance to show its terrifying power before being talked to death by Linen?
This man was terrifying! They absolutely had to be more cautious around him, or they'd end up devoured without even realizing it!
Cold sweat glistened on Hysteria's smooth forehead as she stared at Linen.
Elena, however, suddenly clapped her hands together in realization:
"Oh, I get it now! Linen's last answer to the gargoyle was meant to completely expose its underlying rules. Its deepest rule—answering any visitor's question and allowing non-visitors to pass the test—contradicts its core identity as an examiner."
"That's right." Linen nodded lightly.
As an examiner, the gargoyle had one rule it didn't even need to test: under no circumstances could it answer a question on behalf of a visitor.
If the proctor directly helped students answer questions, the whole exam would lose its meaning.
But as for Hysteria claiming she'd been the one to kill the gargoyle, Linen didn't agree with that at all.
Even without thinking, he knew that absurd rule—allowing non-participants to answer questions—had to have been added purely for a certain Headmaster's twisted amusement.
But Headmaster Sorgana, who wasn't an Artificer by training, obviously didn't understand that every seemingly pointless or broken magic circuit left by their predecessors had intrinsic value. Messing around carelessly was just asking for trouble.
Thus, who exactly killed the gargoyle—and who the gargoyle in turn killed (by causing social death)—was actually quite hard to define.
"Wait a minute," Hysteria suddenly realized something crucial, glaring at Linen unpleasantly, "You mean you figured out how to break the gargoyle's rules early on, yet you deliberately let us suffer social death?"
The moment she said this, Linen felt the gazes behind him turning distinctly unfriendly.
Their affection points were finally dropping!
Just as Linen was about to compliment Hysteria's sharp insight, a small, righteous fist slammed onto the crown of Hysteria's head.
Thud!
"Awoo!"
A good-sounding head is a good head indeed.
"You idiot, Hysia!" Elena withdrew her fist, a rare expression of anger crossing her face. "Weren't you the one who wasted our chances by testing rules recklessly right from the start, forcing Linen to proceed with extreme caution?"
"Next time, at least use your brain a bit before acting!"
"Uuu!" Faced with Elena's rebuke, Hysteria could only pitifully cradle her aching head.
Actually, when Her Imperial Highness first transferred into Eden Academy, her intelligence had been slightly higher than a paramecium's. But when she realized no matter how hard she thought she'd never outwit Little Elena or that annoying brat Norton, Hysteria decisively gave up thinking altogether.
Anyway, with that jerk Norton around as an external brain, he'd always have some solution ready.
Though she felt irritated, this thought had unconsciously taken root in Hysteria's subconscious.
Wait—could this guy be deliberately conditioning me into a thoughtless idiot who could only helplessly let him manipulate me?!
Hysteria vaguely felt she'd stumbled upon some horrifying truth but quickly dismissed the idea.
That worthless jerk Norton wouldn't do something that pointless, right? He couldn't possibly be that bored.
Meanwhile, Linen—whose attempt to lower his affection rating had failed thanks to Elena's quick intervention—could only click his tongue helplessly.
I'll definitely have to train these two into even bigger idiots later on!
"Of course I wouldn't do something meaningless like that," Linen said casually, "You'll understand why I deliberately broke the gargoyle after we open the castle gate."
Everyone's gaze followed Linen's, settling on the castle's towering, sinister gates.
"Speaking of tradition," Hysteria frowned, sensing something off. "Once the guardian is defeated, the gates are supposed to open automatically, awakening the Earl of Mist, who'll then chase down contestants until he's defeated. So, why haven't the gates opened yet?"
"Probably because we passed the trial in an unconventional way," Elena said, troubled, glancing uncertainly at Linen.
Naturally, Linen had already anticipated this scenario—and the solution.
Since we're after thrills, might as well go all the way.
The gargoyle had already been destroyed—what was one more castle gate?
"Since it won't open the gate for us, this castle no longer has a reason to exist."
With total indifference, Linen pulled from his pocket a sphere carved with ominous, red-glowing runes, radiating palpable danger.
The moment it appeared, the sharper-eyed teachers in the observation area shot to their feet simultaneously.
"A Ritual Rune Bomb!"
"What's that?"
"It's a simple-to-make but extremely deadly curse bomb, commonly used by Arcana terrorists, assassins, and border bandits—a coward's weapon! Why does His Highness even have this kind of thing?"
Teachers had originally gathered here to guard against potential infiltrators from the Tower of Chronomancy. If not for Linen's identity, someone would likely have rushed up and seized him immediately for questioning.
But several veteran teachers didn't mind at all—quite the opposite; they revealed approving expressions.
So-called "deadly" Rune Bombs required layering many Mana Stones for explosive power—the more stones stacked, the greater the damage.
Effective against lower-tier mages or civilians, sure. But in high-level Arcana duels, no one would foolishly wait around letting the enemy slowly stack bombs.
Besides, using Mana Stones as bombs? Only a fool or someone obscenely rich would be that wasteful. Might as well hire an Arcana mercenary.
Only if the Tower of Chronomancy had gone insane would they send someone with these toys to attack Eden.
Instead, they appreciated Linen's unconventional style.
All that nonsense about bombs being weak or dishonorable—it's long outdated. Eden Academy's traditions might be old-school, but recently, its only ethos is this:
"Just kill the other guy—that's success enough."
And Sorgana, the biggest contributor to that attitude, stood atop her chair, squeezing her cheeks with both hands, her expression uglier than crying as she stared at the screen:
"How can this still be happening?!"
Thanks to Linen disrupting the Recording Crystals she'd placed around the castle earlier, she'd scrambled to activate the nearest backup crystals, intending to record his embarrassing moments—only to catch him verbally dismantling the gargoyle instead.
The student area below had erupted in excitement.
Since the Spring Cup's inception, many had relied on sheer bravery or thick skin to pass. But Linen had opened up a brand-new path: verbally killing the gargoyle!
Sorgana felt truly awful.
She'd intended to livestream Linen's humiliation as punishment for angering the Headmaster.
Instead, every livestream perfectly showcased Linen being unbearably cool. She even overheard students gossiping about whether the Headmaster was shamelessly chasing after the prince's affection…
If that happened, given her relationship with Tivira, would she call Tivira sister and herself become her daughter?
Impossible—absolutely impossible!!
"Damned Norton family dragon-brat, don't think you've won yet! The worst is yet to come!"
Sorgana clenched her tiny fists, gnashing her teeth.
Because Linen had already eliminated the intended final boss—a Mana Spirit—during the Selection Trial, the academy had urgently substituted the strongest native creature of Misty Valley: The Earl of Mist.
And she'd given the Earl a ridiculous power-up to truly fit the final boss status.
Regeneration, flight, sunlight immunity, blood-heal kills, Arcana-silencing, Super Armor, stealth... As long as she wasn't the one fighting it, she had no qualms stacking every nasty ability possible!
But right then, Gust's Arcana Message suddenly reached her, breaking her fantasies.
"Headmaster, the Earl and castle mechanisms only activate after the guardian opens the door. You must have a backup plan for forced guardian shutdown, right?"
"Of course!" she replied smugly.
The backup trigger was placed somewhere perfectly safe…
...On the guardian itself!!
Sorgana's eyes widened in horror.
The safest place had seemed to be a fifth-tier gargoyle's body. But now, because Linen had verbally fried the guardian's circuits, it had force-shutdown!
She had no way left to activate the traps or the invincible Earl of Mist.
In other words, this Mist Castle, meant to be every contestant's nightmare…
...
"Heh, as expected."
With an earth-shattering explosion, the castle's enormous gate crumbled to pieces beneath the stacked rune bombs. Gazing into the castle interior, Linen wore a satisfied smile.
There it is—the chain reaction.
The Mist Castle was dead silent, indistinguishable from an abandoned ruin. Creepy, yes—but compared to the lair of a final boss, it was nothing.
If the first character of a program went wrong, expecting the rest to run smoothly was just absurd; the world of Arcana was no different.
Since the guardian of the first stage malfunctioned, it was entirely logical that none of the traps or bosses would activate.
In other words, Mist Castle, originally designed as the decisive dungeon for the finals, had just become a treasure trove—filled with rewards and entirely free from traps, monsters, or any dangers at all!
Thank you, Headmaster Sorgana. You're not a collector, you're a philanthropist.
"Go ahead, collect all the loot before anyone else arrives. And remember, find the Spring Cup. As agreed, that one's mine."
"Yay!"
Both Hysteria and Elena cheered excitedly and dashed inside to hunt for treasures.
Linen turned back, noticing Novie, who had been unusually quiet and motionless from the start.
"Novie, are you not feeling well?"
"Linen…Onii-chan?"
At Linen's voice, Novie jolted awake as if startled from a dream, covering her forehead in discomfort.
"Sorry…there was a battle earlier, I'm just a little tired."
Weakness suits you. This is the punishment a traitor like you deserves—taking back the power you stole.
Thousands of miles away, inside a distant mage tower, the black-robed mage was significantly weakened, but compared to the reward he'd just gained, it was well worth it.
After Novie had shamelessly stolen his power, the black-robed mage grew angrier the more he thought about it. In the end, he'd resorted to a forbidden spell—separating a fragment of his soul and forcibly invading Misty Valley through his connection with Novie.
The price was enormous: if he couldn't cause enough havoc in Eden and earn recognition from the Sage and the Rings, he risked permanently dropping in rank.
But it no longer mattered. He had already discovered a far superior body and no longer needed this hesitant little brat!
To the Withering Faction, flesh was merely a vessel for the spirit; true power lay in the mind.
Though Novie had tricked him and stolen his blessing, this deceit allowed him a glimpse into Misty Valley.
And upon approaching this castle, he sensed a perfect vessel—far more powerful than Novie—that could bear his soul's full strength.
An unclaimed fifth-tier body!
Super regeneration, flight, immunity to sunlight, blood-healing, Arcana silencing, Super Armor, stealth…
He shuddered at the mere thought of truly wielding such a magnificent vessel.
While Novie succeeded in stealing some of his power, he'd secretly eroded Misty Valley's barrier. Once activated, it would sever Eden's connection entirely. No one could enter or leave.
At that point, Eden's so-called elite students would be lambs awaiting slaughter!
"Slaughtering nearly an entire generation of Eden's finest students—I'll easily surpass my current self with such a feat… I may even gain recognition from the Sages and ascend to become a Ring!"
The mage boldly controlled his soul fragment, leaving Novie's body to claim his new perfect vessel, utterly fearless of detection.
Only students roamed these woods, their feeble spiritual powers incapable of noticing even a fraction of his presence. Teachers strong enough to detect him were helpless observers behind their mirrors, bound by rules of fairness.
His only possible threat were those Norton brats. Rumor had it the dragon-bloodline occasionally awakened a talent called Dragon's Soul, immensely boosting spiritual strength.
But that talent was impossibly rare—even Quinn, the Silver Dragon Princess, hadn't awakened it. Not to mention the two Nortons here: one wasn't even blood-related, and the other was famously hopeless, a zero-percent awakening chance. Nothing to fear.
He only needed time; occupying a new body required temporary immobility.
With blatant arrogance, he guided his soul fragment toward his newly discovered perfect vessel.
Outside the castle, after seeing the girls safely upstairs, Linen watched thoughtfully as dark mist oozed from Novie's sword sheath, crawling along the walls into a room on the second floor.
"Hey, worthless jerk, we found the Spring Cup!" Hysteria's voice called from upstairs.
Already?
Linen frowned slightly, hurrying upstairs. In a central chamber, Hysteria was waving energetically.
Entering, he saw Elena and Novie already there.
In a luxurious antique coffin lay a pale, sickly-looking bald man. His nose was sliced cleanly off, leaving only eerie holes. Skeletal arms tightly clasped a massive golden chalice—the Spring Cup.
"Definitely the Spring Cup. Then this guy must be the Earl of Mist," Linen mused, stroking his chin.
"Yes, but unfortunately, Linen, even a fourth-tier Arcana Scroll couldn't sever his arms and retrieve it." Elena helplessly held up the remnants of a broken scroll: Fourth-Ring Space Arcana—Dimensional Slash.
"Not even fourth-tier?" Linen's brow furrowed deeper. That spell's raw power already surpassed his second-ring fusion magic.
"Probably impossible." Elena shook her head. "The dungeon's rules say only a specific sword can kill the Earl."
"A sword?"
"Yes, one called Edenfindor," Elena explained carefully. "Misty Valley is Eden Academy's classic dungeon. Students defeat a demon lord, the Earl of Mist, who repeatedly regenerates. The only way to truly kill him is either massive destructive force in one go or the legendary sword Edenfindor, wielded by the Academy's heroic headmaster."
Why does this setup sound incredibly familiar? So this Earl of Mist must be a snake fanatic, and Sorgana probably carries an old wand that switches sides whenever convenient.
"Hey, worthless jerk, should we go find this whatever-sword now while you guard the castle?"
Noticing Linen's gaze, Hysteria crossed her arms, turning away defensively.
"Don't misunderstand, it's not because you barely found anything and I'm pitying you. I just don't want to owe you anything."
"I agree," Elena smiled warmly. "We've found plenty. You and Novie can guard here and search the castle."
"I refuse! Don't secretly give Onii-chan a big sword without me!" Novie snapped, still slightly dazed.
"No need," Linen declined after consideration.
Given Sorgana's utterly randomized placements, finding Edenfindor was pure luck. Besides, he'd just confirmed that no one except him could see that ominous dark mist.
Through his eyes, the Earl's body was rapidly engulfed by a thick, chaotic purple fog, quickly filling the coffin.
I can get good Arcana items without the Spring Cup, and these three aren't greedy—a rare virtue. What they really lacked was time.
Since they'd gone this far seeking excitement, might as well go all the way!
If I've blown the castle gate, why stop there?
"I have a better idea." Linen rejected their plan, turning to Elena seriously. "You said destroying his body in one go prevents regeneration. But will the Spring Cup be destroyed too?"
Elena hesitated, already guessing Linen's insane idea.
"Nobody tried before…but probably not? Special dungeon items are usually indestructible. But to destroy his body in one go would require fifth-ring power. The scrolls we found won't suffice…"
"It's fine. I have this." Linen pulled another Rune Bomb from his spatial ring.
Elena frowned slightly. "Even an entire ring full wouldn't be enough—" Her voice suddenly stopped.
Because Linen had now poured out not just bombs, but an entire mountain of high-grade Mana Stones.
"Will these Mana Stones amplify the explosion enough?" Linen asked sincerely.
Elena gaped, stunned, nodding slowly.
Not just enough… If Linen's financial power detonated this many bombs with these stones, more than just an Earl would go flying…
...
Half an hour later.
Inside the coffin, the corpse-like Earl of Mist's eyes abruptly snapped open, crimson with malice.
He casually flung the Spring Cup out the window like trash.
"Possession complete! Eden Academy, here I fucking come!"
"Now let's hunt some little Eden brats trapped in dark—huh?"
A mountain of Mana Stones piled in front of him left him momentarily dumbfounded.
He clearly remembered there being nothing but a coffin here earlier.
At that moment, a glowing red sphere flew through the window, smacking into his face. The Earl disdainfully caught it without even looking.
"What worthless garbage… Wait, fuck—!"
Outside, Linen took a deep breath, triggering the Rune Bomb.
"Art is an explosion! Fade away with your castle, Earl of the Old World!"
BOOM!!!
A dazzling explosion lit the sky. Amidst the girls' sparkling eyes and Sorgana's anguished screams, Eden Academy witnessed the grandest fireworks in its history.
An entire Mist Castle—gone in a blaze of glory.