Achieving a New Record

A new wave was sweeping through the academy these days.

Apart from incidents and accidents, this was the first time a situation had heated up since the tournament.

"They're on the 10th floor now."

"With the 10th floor, Adrias won't be able to rely solely on magic anymore, right?"

The spark for the Tower of Modras, which had seemed to die down after Dianne, had been reignited by Adrias.

All surviving until the 10th floor.

The students were questioning just how that was possible.

Understanding Adrias' timely judgments and tactics was difficult unless you had experienced it firsthand.

However, outsiders who continued to watch without leaving their seats could still perceive how remarkable Adrias was.

How talented Adrias was.

Even though they couldn't hear the sound, they could roughly guess what was happening through Adrias' gestures and the movements of his team members, viewing it from the perspective of someone with experience as a leader or a commander.

"Looks like there was another unexpected talent."

"I suppose he'd be an interesting addition to the Northern Fortress. I've heard that small-scale regional battles still happen frequently, and Lord Bargrass would probably appreciate knowing that."

"Huh, sending such talent to the North is a waste! However, there's no doubt that he's a talent capable of both combat and command."

"Originally, even though Adrias Cromwell might be a student right now, he'll be a Count if he graduates. Everyone, be cautious of your words."

"Hehe, he's become so famous that we've been forgetting. But how is it that he's still maintaining the status of a Count?"

By this point, even the journalists who had stepped back after Dianne's achievements had to return.

Of course, they couldn't compare to Dianne's records, but if there were exceptional individuals who performed well in the same grade, that was enough to create buzz.

As a result, the area in front of the Tower of Modras was more lively than ever.

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As we ascended to the 10th floor, only a massive door awaited us.

Despite already taking enough rest on the previous floors, everyone's faces still showed signs of tension.

'I'd like to get everyone through the 10th floor if possible.'

I was someone who saw through unknown gimmicks and weaknesses.

Perhaps it was possible for everyone to survive on this floor too.

While pondering that, one of the freshmen suddenly came forward and bowed his head.

"I've been grateful up until now. Senior, you'll probably pass the 10th floor without any problems. I might end up eliminated, so I want to express my gratitude in advance."

At first, I was uncertain about the guy, but after coming up to this point together, he had become an ardent fan of mine.

After he greeted me, other guys followed suit, one after the other, bowing respectfully.

"I never thought we'd make it to the 10th floor. It's all thanks to Senior Adrias. Thank you for giving us this valuable experience."

"I was hoping to join a prestigious order of knights, but thanks to you, Senior, my goal has changed. If I get the chance, I want to become a knight capable of strategizing and commanding like you. Thank you for solidifying my life's goals."

"Adrias, Senior, do you have a girlfriend? If not, can I confess to you later?"

Britney's somewhat playful remark, the only lighthearted moment, brought laughter to everyone, diffusing what could have been a dark atmosphere.

Even Vincent, my fellow grade member, came up to me to express his gratitude, so I waved him off.

"Why do you think this is the end?"

Everyone who had been chatting as if they thought this was the end turned to me.

"As of now, the 10th-floor mission briefing begins. Listen well and follow along."

I smiled at their surprised expressions.

"Let's rewrite history."

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Up to this point, I had never once finished playing through the floors below the 10th.

With that, I could proudly claim to have a better understanding of the 10th floor than anyone else.

'The boss on the 10th floor is the Iron Golem.'

Although the name might sound weak, its danger and strength were immense, enough to be considered a true boss. Its immense strength was to the point that even one wrong hit from its powerful fist would mean an automatic elimination.

Furthermore, its speed was on par with its power, so there was no room for complacency.

Despite its massive size, its speed was comparable to that of an average knight, making it difficult for wizards to escape unscathed when the golem suddenly closed in while they were providing support from the rear.

'A golem, so it has unlimited stamina. Jousting is meaningless.'

Even the jousting techniques often used when facing formidable opponents were ineffective.

However, it was possible to stop its movements by destroying the magical core that powered it. But it was easier said than done, as the golem's magical core changed its position frequently. Fortunately, I wasn't worried about that.

"Whew."

Someone let out a tense sigh.

I had given a detailed plan, covering various gimmicks and weaknesses, but it seemed that tension was inevitable.

"I'll open the door."

They nodded.

As I did, the door blocking our way started to slowly moisten.

"Adrias, are you really okay?"

Vincent asked with an uneasy voice.

I raised my voice for everyone to hear in response to his question.

"Your current rankings alone put you in the top tier. There's no need to worry. Just do what I told you."

"That's right. We're all in the top ranks anyway."

Seeing Vincent finally relax, I realized how easy it was to deal with him, and I felt relieved.

Although I aimed to have everyone pass the floor, I was concerned about Vincent since his movements were slowed as a magician.

As the 10th floor was called the "Realm of Magic," golems were not as straightforward as they appeared. Vincent, who had slower movements, was an easy target for the golem.

"That's an Iron Golem."

"Seeing it in person, its size is much more noticeable."

As the door opened fully, an Iron Golem stood tall in the wide space.

In addition to the golem, there were hidden devices and traps all around, though they weren't visible.

"Be careful of the traps on both sides."

I reiterated the warning, just in case, even though I had already briefed them.

My team nodded and walked forward.

Whiiing.

Thump thump thump thump.

With a massive rumbling sound, the sound of the magical core activating reverberated through the air.

The door we had opened closed again, and the previously dormant golem rose from its crouched position, standing and looking at us.

"Follow the plan."

I whispered to my team and began counting inwardly.

Entering the tower, I drew out Galakshur for the first time and followed the plan as we had discussed beforehand.

Thwack.

Quaang—!

I struck the still immobile golem with a forceful blow.

Tremendous recoil was reflected through the magical barrier surrounding the golem's exterior.

"14 seconds. Not bad."

While I was drawing the aggro, my teammates took their positions.

As it was a boss room on the 10th floor, there was only one Iron Golem as the primary enemy. However, various traps were scattered throughout the spacious room, and my team members were already positioned near these traps, ready to use them.

"Vincent!"

While striking the slowly moving golem once more, I shouted. In response, Vincent, who had been preparing a spell, swung his staff.

Quaaak—!

The water magic he cast was unusually powerful for Vincent. Nevertheless, most of its force was absorbed by the magical barrier surrounding the golem's exterior, leaving the golem barely wet.

Perhaps because of this, the golem's aggro still remained focused on me.

Thump!

Without suffering any hits, the golem suddenly swung its fist towards me.

I intentionally evaded it narrowly and made my way towards my first target.

"41 seconds. Timing is crucial."

Glancing back as I ran, I confirmed that the golem's aggro was properly drawn to me and shouted.

"Gilbert! Now!"

Clank.

At my shout, Gilbert triggered a trap and quickly jumped out of the way.

In response, a high-voltage current began to flow from a specific part of the floor.

Zziizzt!

Since I had been anticipating this, I stopped abruptly without touching the floor and performed a rapid pivot. However, the golem following me couldn't overcome its own momentum and stepped onto the floor.

Zziizzzt—!

With a tremendous noise, the Iron Golem shuddered.

The water magic Vincent had prepared earlier collided with the electrical trap, producing a significant effect. It managed to disrupt the magical barrier surrounding the golem's exterior.

"1 minute 12 seconds."

Despite suffering tremendous damage from the electricity, the golem turned back to face me without showing any sign of pain. It was an artificial lifeform incapable of experiencing pain.

"Angelo! Not there! Two steps to the left!"

"Yes, yes!"

I shouted to a teammate who stood at the next target.

Angelo, tense with concentration, quickly moved two steps to the left.

Thump!

Then, the damage dealt seemed stronger than I expected. The golem came to a halt, raising both hands above its head. It was a signal that it was transitioning to the next phase.

"Change of plan! Formation B!"

However, I had already anticipated this category, so I swiftly switched to the second plan that I had prepared.

My teammates rushed to my side cautiously, avoiding traps, and the golem pounded the ground.

Quaang—!

The ground shivered like waves, and the edges crumbled away, forming precipices in all directions.

We jumped to evade the shaky ground, and Vincent carried one of the team members and jumped as well, quickly resuming his task.

"Grease."

I had previously made the ground slippery and already had a potion prepared, which I now retrieved from my pouch.

Here, it's at 3 minutes and 23 seconds.

"Faster than planned, but it should be fine."

After tapping the ground, the slightly delayed golem was tapped by each of my team members as they passed.

Gradually, the golem stood up, and as its two eyes began to glow red, I realized it was time and shouted.

"Vincent! Nine o'clock direction! Everyone, be ready!"

Vincent and the teammate carrying him dashed towards the golem facing the nine o'clock direction.

The critical factors now were whether Vincent's spell was ready and whether his magic could withstand the attack.

'If it succeeds, we can all pass.'

Finally, the awaited attack from the golem began.

Whoosh.

Zeeeek—

A beam capable of incinerating everything burst forth from the golem's eyes.

Concerned whether Vincent might miss the timing due to the beam's incredibly fast speed, I wondered.

"Aaaah!"

Amid Vincent's scream, his magic activated abruptly.

In the instant that the beam was about to hit Vincent and the team member carrying him, a mirror magic was activated, deflecting the beam away.

"Stay calm and act as planned!"

The reflected beam scattered in all directions.

My team members narrowly avoided the dispersing beam, and finally, a single beam struck the golem.

Crash!

Clang!

"It's shattered."

The magical barrier shattered.

Then, the waiting team members swiftly rushed towards the broken barrier and started attacking the golem.

Splat!

Thud!

Thanks to the team members who focused on the legs as we had discussed earlier, the slippery ground caused the golem to fall.

Thud!

"5 minutes and 11 seconds."

Considering the time, I approached the golem.

"It's in the 5-minute range. Attack the designated areas we discussed earlier."

"Can you repeat it one more time?"

"Group 1, target the left arm! Group 2, aim for the heart! Group 3, hit the right flank!"

Before entering, we had already assigned attack positions based on where the magic core would be every minute. Since the position changed every minute, I had told them in advance which body parts to target. In this chaotic situation, however, my mind was a bit scattered.

Crash! Thud!

Despite the absence of the magical barrier, its body was made of steel and not easily penetrated.

However, this time, I intended to end it. I used the fusion magic, "Aurora," that I had prepared in advance.

Sizzle.

Black flames emerged, and Galakshur melted into the right flank of the golem I was attacking.

'It's a failure.'

There was nothing in my hand.

And the golem's resistance had intensified.

Creak!

"Ugh!"

A team member attacking the heart blocked the golem's swinging arm and was deflected away.

Fortunately, thanks to Vincent's protective magic from behind, the team member was not pushed off the cliff.

Realizing I had no time, I shattered the potion I had prepared and threw it into the pierced side.

Crash.

Pshh.

With the smell of corrosion in the air, the golem's body began to undergo deformations.

"Now, retreat!"

Staying any longer was dangerous.

Following my command, the team members stepped back, and I also withdrew.

Just in time, the golem stood up from its position.

"It's not regenerating!"

One of the team members shouted.

Several factors made the 10th-floor boss challenging, but its regenerative abilities played a significant role. Unless the magic core was destroyed, the ever-regenerating Iron Golem should have healed the punctured side, but due to the potion I used, it remained solid.

As a result, the golem's movements were somewhat unnatural.

"6 minutes."

Time for the magic core to change position again.

Coincidentally, it was now on its head.

"I'll distract it for just one minute."

When the golem was standing, I couldn't target its head.

Afterward, we played a game of cat and mouse, taking turns to aggro the golem to buy time.

Still, with all seven of us surviving, buying time was easy.

'The potion played a role too.'

Since the wound on its side wasn't regenerating, its movements became sluggish.

Thanks to that, we safely endured a minute and entered the seventh minute.

"Left leg, right arm!"

Targeting the legs was relatively easy, so the team members left marks on the legs forcefully.

No matter how steel-reinforced its body was, Galakshur-infused strikes began to penetrate inward.

Crash!

"Huh?"

One of the team members tapped the leg and voiced doubt.

Then, with glistening eyes, the team member who was aggroing the golem called out to me.

"I hit its leg! The magic core is in the leg!"

"Let's all attack together."

I could have attacked the leg, but someone still needed to aggro the golem. If another team member took aggro, they could become easy prey in an instant. So, I decided to entrust the magic core to my team members.

Bang! Clang!

Thanks to Vincent, who cast spells at the right time from behind, we could navigate through those perilous moments.

Especially the times when the golem attempted to throw us off the cliff were prevented by Vincent using ground or wind magic.

Crash!

"Huh?"

Suddenly, with a massive cracking sound, light exploded from the golem's leg.

"Get down!"

Even though I had warned them in advance, there was hardly any time to think. I shouted at the team members who were standing there dazed. Then everyone hurriedly flattened themselves on the ground.

Kwaaaah!

Amidst the blinding light, an enormous shockwave surged forward, pushing us away.

As the light gradually faded and we opened our eyes, the golem had completely vanished, and a staircase leading upward had appeared.

"Huh?"

"Could this be..."

"Am I awake? This is unbelievable."

The team members, still in disbelief despite what they had accomplished, turned to each other with bright smiles.

"Wow!"

"We did it! We did it!"

"Nobody got eliminated? How is this even possible?"

"We must be the first! Everyone on the 10th floor survived!"

While everyone was rejoicing,

I shifted my gaze toward the shared magical screen that was recording us.

'Dianne, sorry, but I'm taking the victory of the bet.'