The attack by the mythical beast was purely a coincidence.
It was a butterfly effect caused by my slip of the tongue.
Of course, in the original story, such an event would never have occurred.
So, what happened during the entrance ceremony in the original story? What kind of event befell the protagonist to pique the readers interest?
The answer to that question was now right in front of me.
The Minotaur.
The ground shook again at the roar of the mythical beast.
Hearing that sound up close made my ears feel like they were going to tear apart, but I didn’t have the luxury to worry about my eardrums.
The huge creature was trying to take advantage of the distraction caused by its roar, swinging an axe the size of a house down at me in a dirty fighting style.
‘I really didn’t want to use this…’
With the students behind me and no guarantee I could avoid it properly, I once again took advantage of the special privilege the Empire had granted me.
The Empire’s proud ritual engraving technique.
Modifying the single-use defensive magic etched into my suit was a trivial task.
I stretched out my right hand in haste.
Hundreds of shields stacked one after another in front of me.
Before I knew it, the barrier had expanded, enveloping both me and the students.
Whether it was because its species was different from something like an orc, the creature was smashing through the shields one by one with brute strength.
Still, it would buy me some time.
I quickly surveyed the surroundings to assess the situation.
‘This is insane…’
I was wondering why the other professors hadn’t shown up yet, but the answer was clear as soon as I looked around.
The auditorium was in chaos.
It wasn’t just one monster that had attacked the entrance ceremony.
This was an organized, thoroughly planned terrorist attack.
Though preparing multiple Minotaurs must have been difficult, as the rest of the beasts were weaker in comparison to the one before me.
Having the strongest enemy right in front of me was not exactly a blessing.
How could I be this unlucky?
The loud thudding noises were growing even louder.
The barrier protecting us wouldn’t last much longer.
Angered by its persistent prey, the Minotaur was slamming its axe down like a mad beast.
‘How can I possibly defeat that thing…?’
There’s no way.
‘If I were strong enough to handle a monster like that on my own, I wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble trying to leave the academy.’
All I’m really good at is analyzing and modifying rituals.
‘If the opponent were a magician, I might be able to make use of my strengths and struggle my way through. But this creature was just overwhelming me with brute force, which made it a terrible match for me.’
‘Relying on the students is impossible too.’
I briefly considered collaborating with the students behind me, but seeing as they were clinging to my back despite me telling them to retreat, it was clear they were in full panic mode.
There’s no way I could calm down terrified students and give them proper instructions to defeat a monster like that in such a short amount of time.
Some things are simply impossible.
‘In the end, there’s only one option left.’
I couldn’t defeat it myself.
Collaborating with the students was out of the question, so I had no choice but to borrow someone else’s strength.
There was no time to hesitate.
I gathered my strength and shouted as loud as I could.
“Professor Scott, I need assistance!!”
I know my abilities were overestimated after the entrance exam incident.
I know everyone believes I can handle that monster and is focusing on dealing with the other beasts.
In the middle of the battlefield.
I also knew my voice might not be heard clearly.
Nevertheless, I was certain he would come to my aid.
“If you ever need help, just say the word. I’ll lend you a hand, even if it’s just an old man’s.”
The steadfast old knight, the Empire’s Iron Duke, would never go back on his word.
***
I hear it.
The sound of an old man cutting through the wind.
With just one leap.
The silver-haired old man reached me and immediately raised his bloodstained sword toward the mythical beast.
“The young man is not someone you should dare to touch.”
His voice was calm yet chilling.
Sensing the hostility emanating from the old man, the monster roared and tried to swing its weapon.
But before the massive axe could even touch him, it was cleaved in two.
The monster, now weaponless in an instant, began to back away in fear, perhaps recognizing the insurmountable difference in strength between them.
“The price for laying hands on my benefactor will be your life.”
The old man calmly pronounced the creature’s death sentence.
A flash of light so swift it was impossible to follow.
In an instant, hundreds, even thousands of cuts appeared across the Minotaur’s body.
The beast, now unrecognizable and shredded beyond recognition, didn’t even have time to scream before it met its end.
The white-haired knight, who had reduced the enemy to a mere pool of blood, nonchalantly turned to me and asked:
“Professor Riyan, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Despite being drenched in blood and gore, his gaze was still full of concern.
I nodded, trying to calm my startled heart.
‘Let’s make sure he never finds out that I became a professor by lying about how much I admired him…’
“Thanks to you, I’m safe. But more importantly, where exactly is the Ancestral Dragon right now?”
I asked the old man as he calmly wiped the blood off his blade.
However, the answer came from someone else.
“He was likely in the Illusion Magic Faculty room. If he hasn’t shown up yet, it’s possible there’s an attack happening there as well.”
A black-haired man appeared from behind me.
I remembered who he was.
Professor Karon, an expert in illusion magic.
It was his presence that had made me mistakenly believe there would be a simulated attack by phantom beasts during the entrance ceremony.
“Given the situation, it’s probably best that we deal with the beasts attacking this place ourselves. Could I borrow some of your remaining magic power?”
Karon suggested using a large-scale spell to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.