Chapter 97: Slaying! Title Unlocked!

Strike!

Lomio’s body surged toward the magical beast, the clear and deadly ring of the Dragon Sword echoing through the air.

*Slash!*

The sword light flashed, disarming the creature of its twisted, damaged bone blade by slicing through its most vulnerable joint.

“Roar!”

The Abyss Tearer let out a pained howl as more granulation tissue erupted frantically from the stump, attempting to regenerate.

However, Lomio’s second strike had already arrived.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

The Dragon Sword became a phantom in his hands. Following the lines of his previous cuts, he tore through the Abyss Tearer’s body layer by layer!

“This is—!?”

Everyone present, including the warrior Ibuki Rei, was unable to see his movements clearly.

They could only watch as that massive, terrifying Rank 5 magical beast was rapidly decomposed along a set of invisible patterns!

The carapace was peeled away.

The tendons were severed.

The bones supporting its massive frame were dismantled one by one.

Finally.

Deep within the layers of mangled flesh, a pulsing, fist-sized, dark purple core was exposed to the air.

“Destroy!”

Lomio’s figure paused for a fleeting moment.

The tip of the Dragon Sword pointed directly at the core.

He thrust.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

All of the Abyss Tearer’s struggling movements came to an abrupt halt. Then, as if every support had been stripped away, its massive body collapsed with a thundering crash. It began to dissolve, turning into motes of mana light.

“That blade… what is it?”

Lilith looked at her own greatsword, its flames now extinguished, and then at the pitch-black long sword in Lomio’s hand, which didn’t bear a single speck of blood. Her voice was dry.

That was certainly no ordinary weapon.

“The mana veins were severed… It couldn’t even manage to regenerate?”

Elena pushed up the glasses that had slid down the bridge of her nose. Her question pierced deeper into the heart of the matter. “Just how many credits did you spend to buy this much intelligence?”

It wasn’t just a question of the weapon. That level of understanding regarding a magical beast’s physiology had already surpassed the scope of academic knowledge.

“I can just do it,” Lomio said, flicking his sword to scatter any unseen filth. “Pay me one thousand credits, and I’ll tell you.”

‘Don’t ask. If you ask, I’ll just say I’m a pro.’

“Your swordsmanship has truly reached a transcendent state…”

Ibuki Rei gripped her own hilt tightly. Looking at Lomio’s back, her cheeks felt slightly warm.

Powerful.

An unprecedented level of power.

Even the old man she had taken as her master in the Eastern Kingdom had never struck with such dazzling, dizzying skill.

If she had to describe the difference, perhaps only a ‘gap in realms’ could accurately portray it.

*Thump.*

As her heartbeat accelerated, Ibuki Rei felt as if some dormant desire had suddenly been awakened.

A pursuit of the sword began to faintly itch at her heart.

“Rank 5…”

Karenina’s gaze moved back and forth between Lomio and the dissipating beast.

She could no longer remember how many times she had made deductions about Lomio.

Rank 4.

That was the highest estimate she had given Lomio based on his previous displays of strength.

But now…

A Rank 5 magical beast.

Even if it had been injured, it should never have died so quickly.

She suddenly understood.

This wasn’t just a test.

It was also a warning.

If she could not become a qualified heir who could satisfy him, perhaps her end would be no better than that of the Abyss Tearer.

This man her mother had sent was far more terrifying than she had imagined.

Amidst all of this.

Lomio simply stood in place, listening to the notification sounds ringing in his mind. A satisfied smile played across his lips.

**[Obtained Artifact: Rank 5 Abyss Tearer Core x1]**
**[Obtained Artifact: Abyssal Twisted Bone Blade x2]**
**[Title: Distinguished Talent]**
**[Title Effect: An outstanding student recognized by the Academy. Enjoy a discount of up to 15% on all purchases.]**

“Not bad, not bad.”

Lomio weighed his nonexistent harvest in his hand, feeling quite pleased. A 15% discount, and it was permanent!

While it didn’t directly increase his strength, credits were the most crucial resource for power progression within the Academy!

In the future, his efficiency in clearing minor mobs would increase significantly.

—

*Rumble—*

With the death of the Abyss Tearer, the blood-colored magic circle covering the entire basin let out a mournful wail. All the runes dimmed instantly before shattering completely.

The heavy sense of oppression that had weighed on everyone vanished into thin air.

“Oh? So the formation’s eye was anchored to its body.”

Seeing this, Lomio wasn’t particularly surprised. A Rank 5 beast was already a monster on a different level. Moreover, those dark mages had clearly intended to use the Abyss Tearer to complete even more formations.

Anchoring the core of the formation to the beast was a clever, shortcut-style operation.

Conveniently, it had saved him a lot of trouble.

“It’s finally… over.”

Someone had already collapsed onto the ground, their body devoid of energy.

“Is that so?”

Lomio sheathed his sword and turned to look at his two new clients, his smile as bright as a swindler’s.

“Regarding the credits, I’ll send you the bill later. Remember to pay on time.”

“…”

“…”

Lilith and Elena looked at his face. The slight sense of awe and relief they had just felt was instantly replaced by an urge to punch him.

But after glancing at the bloodstains on the ground and the fading corpse of the beast, they ultimately said nothing.

“Why aren’t you running yet?”

At his reminder, everyone looked toward Lomio.

“Condense.”

Before they could react, ‘Cafnir’ was already standing in the center of the team, raising his hand to manifest several ice walls.

*Thud! Boom!*

Several spells flying from a distance blasted the newly formed ice walls into pieces.

The flying ice and snow sprayed downward, drenching the group that had just begun to relax.

“The magic circle is over, but the exam isn’t.”

Realizing they were being besieged by other students, Ibuki Rei immediately stepped forward to clear a path. “There are still thirty minutes left!”

Lomio glanced at Lilith and Elena. “Don’t just stand there once you’ve recovered.”

“A reminder: you bought an investment product, not a service to make you the masters.”

“You don’t need to worry!” Having recovered some mana, Lilith’s confidence surged back along with her power.

Failing to kill a Rank 5 beast was reasonable for a Rank 3 warrior.

But failing to beat her own classmates?!

She was truly being looked down upon!

“Life is returning… I’ll show them the power of spirit arts.”

Touching the soil beneath her feet and sensing the natural energy within, Elena also regained her original composure.

She raised her hand, and a card appeared from her ring.

The card was emerald green and crystal clear. At a glance, it was vastly different from the standard alchemy cards of the Duchy.

‘Nature’s Wrath?!’

The others might not have understood, but how could Lomio not know that this card represented Elena’s true trump card!?

As long as one was within a forest, their life force would be locked onto, making this an unavoidable arcane strike!

Furthermore, the more targets it locked onto, the more the arcane power would grow with each subsequent bounce!

The only flaw was that its effectiveness against a single enemy was quite limited!

She was truly pulling out the big guns now!