Chapter 90: New Semester

"Man! Percival packs a punch," Godfrey groaned as he sat in a tube full of icy water, leaning his head back so he could see the ceiling.

His ocean-blue eyes gleamed as he remembered their fight. Percival was indeed strong, strong enough to go head-on with him in his full boxing mode.

After pondering for a while, Godfrey shut his eyes and appeared in Mountain’s chamber. After Mountain rose to his peak, 6.0, his chamber suddenly lost its brightness, and even he couldn’t enter for the past two weeks, but now he was allowed in.

Godfrey stared at the eight-foot-tall knight seated on the stone throne. Mountain had changed, not only did he grow bulkier, a sign that he gained a lot of solid muscle mass, but the fan-shaped crest atop his great helm now had a short gray plume, like a brush.

The insignia of a sword and shield had changed. It now had a spear right in the middle.

Mountain rose to his feet, looking much bigger than before as he lifted up his Achilles Shield, hung his longsword at his back, and took hold of the long golden spear, almost four meters tall.

As if yearning to show him his new capability, Mountain assumed a stance, and his Achilles Shield grew slightly bigger with root-like designs spreading out to the edge.

It looked thicker and a bit darker than the Achilles Shield. Mountain slammed the shield with his spear, and the roots gleamed softly. He kept slamming it and finally struck the shield into the ground.

The stone floor exploded in ripples as a force burst out, destroying a pillar until it reached the wall.

’It can absorb blows and retaliate with the same force.’ Godfrey couldn’t finish his ponder when, at Mountain’s silent command, the shield became a golden dome. It still had the design of the shield but was more translucent, and it covered him.

Godfrey touched the translucent dome. It was cold to the touch but strangely solid. It didn’t look like it, but it felt like metal.

This skill had to be a higher form of an Adaptive skill, it surpassed Advanced, as that was where Achilles Shield stood. This was an Ascendant skill.

"Bastion," Godfrey muttered. "That’s what I’ll call your new shield."

Mountain retrieved the shield. The dome vanished as Bastion reappeared in its metal form.

"What about your spear? Can it do—?!" Godfrey’s eyes widened as the spear suddenly elongated, swooshing past him. The four-meter-long spear had grown to ten meters in the blink of an eye.

Amazed, Godfrey took the tablet to check out Mountain’s new build.

Summon: Knight-Captain of the Golden Order

Type: Hybrid

Tier: 6.0

Potential: 7.2

Description: [All-round Heavy Infantry Captain, leader of the greatest heavy infantry. Possesses a great round shield able to protect citadels and crumble terrains, a spear capable of elongating to great lengths, and a longsword for close combat. Granted a titan’s strength and can copy three skills at once in Black-Out State.]

"You broke past your limits... quite easily," Godfrey said, blinking several times. He knew how rare and lucky it was for a summon to break past its limits and become a higher version of itself, but all he did was increase Mountain to his peak, and the evolution began on its own.

Like he once thought, it seemed like he was simply raising some of these knights back to their true strength. What should have taken a lucky encounter or years took just four months and three weeks since he awakened.

"I’ve been learning how to wield a sword from Tempest. Lift your spear, let’s have a spar," Godfrey said.

Just then, Tempest opened the doors to Mountain’s chamber with Ballista by his side. Ballista looked at Tempest, who slowly lowered his head.

As they predicted, Godfrey was sent into a pillar in one strike. Mountain’s teaching methods were rather... extreme.

***

Semester break was finally over, and students returned to school. On the first day when class began, two luxury cars rode into the school, and even amongst the many, they were in a league of their own.

An eighteen-year-old boy came out from the first car, wearing simple glasses, his hair neatly combed back.

A girl of similar age came out of the second car, her ink-black hair gleaming attractively as it fell down her back. The boy in glasses was Damien, the ex-King, and the girl, Tyla, slim and elegant, was the ex-Queen.

Damien glanced at Tyla and turned to face the school. Countless students whispered to themselves, their eyes never leaving the two individuals.

"It’s Damien! My god, he looks cool."

"Tyla is still enchanting. I think she’s going to be a model, such long legs and charm are too good to end up in a dungeon as a combatant," another female student said.

"Haven’t you seen videos of her fighting? It’s as elegant as a dance."

Amongst the large influx of students were Janet and the Gum Girl.

"I don’t think Godfrey will last this semester. The ex-rulers are stronger than the current ones, and they won’t stand for rebellion."

Janet glanced at the pair who were making their way to their section, which was away from theirs, with some other seniors, all of whom she couldn’t deny looked cool. But when she recalled what she saw that morning and the headmaster telling her to keep silent, Janet sighed.

"There are monsters beyond monsters," Janet said.

"What’s that supposed to mean?!" Gum Girl shouted, and suddenly held her mouth.

The crowd suddenly became rowdy once again, prompting Janet to look back.

Walking into the boulevard, her eyes narrowed as she saw a golden-haired teen walking into the school in a white, thick leather jacket with a fur collar.

A backpack slung over one shoulder, his hands buried in the jacket’s pockets. Beside him was a pale blue-haired student wearing a nose mask.

Both of them walking side by side was a killer to the females, especially with the news circulating that there was an official Shadow King in Manhattan.

Who was this blue-haired student? Where had such a good-looking student been, and no one knew about it?!

’Godfrey’s changed,’ Janet thought as she watched Godfrey walk past her with a placid expression. She didn’t get the feeling of a handsome boy walking past her but of a leader, detached, yet somehow connected.

It was strange. It was the weight of a king felt by a subject.