The call resounded through the entire area as Ruk felt a powerful surge of energy bloom not far from where he stood.
One incredibly potent—so much so that he felt his heartbeat increase by the thousands, and that same sensation didn’t occur to him alone.
It struck the Colossal as well. Its massive feet, which had been pressing down on Ruk, instantly froze in place as its snapped gaze shifted toward the source of the energy.
That brief lapse in its concentration gave Ruk just enough time to shift his form beneath its weight, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
Only now, safe at last, did he dare to turn his gaze toward the origin of the energy.
It came from none other than a golden-haired human.
He stood firm, gripping a large sword embedded in the ground, his arms resting on its hilt.
Golden sword-shaped images flashed within his eyes, interlocked with intricate runes that pulsed in perfect harmony.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
An intense burst of golden energy erupted from the young man’s body, spiraling into the sky. Every student in the vicinity watched in awe as a gigantic phantom appeared behind him—
A warrior clad in radiant golden armor, formed entirely of energy, towering at thirty meters in the air—standing even taller than the Colossal itself.
The beast, sensing an overwhelming threat of death, let out an earth-shaking roar and lunged forward at the golden-haired boy.
But it was too late.
The young man lifted his sword from the ground and raised it high into the air.
In perfect synergy, the phantom warrior behind him mirrored the movement, its enormous luminous blade rising toward the heavens.
And then—Arthur called out:
"Stab of the Pendragon!"
In the next instant, he stabbed his sword down into the earth.
The golden phantom did the same, driving its colossal blade toward the advancing Colossal.
Like a knife slicing through butter, the phantom’s sword instantly solidified—piercing straight through it from the top of its head.
The Colossal attempted to resist, slamming its massive hands toward the attack.
But it was futile.
The golden blade ripped straight through its limbs, slamming into its skull, then tearing down through its entire body.
It cleaved the creature cleanly in two, the blade lodging itself deep into the earth as the Colossal’s now-severed halves collapsed onto the ground with thunderous impact.
A flood of dark blood surged across the battlefield, painting the land in its wake.
Arthur felt his strength draining away as he watched the Colossal’s body split in two. His sword vanished into thin air, and just as his body began to fall, his knees giving out beneath him—
Before he could even touch the ground, he was pulled into a firm grasp.
Then, in an instant, his rescuer leapt away—clinging onto the wall, evading the waves of dark blood spreading beneath them.
Arthur’s weary eyes fluttered open, locking onto a pair of dual-coloured red and blue irises staring down at him.
"…It’s you…" he muttered.
Ryuk’s narrowed gaze remained steady as he observed the blood trickling from Arthur’s lips.
"Talk no more. You’re too injured," he stated, his voice calm yet firm.
Arthur’s vision blurred, and soon, his consciousness faded, his body going limp in Ryuk’s arms.
---
CLAP.
CLAP.
CLAP.
The sound of slow, deliberate clapping suddenly rang through the now bloody ground
The various students turned their heads skyward, finding none other than Instructor Kain gently descending onto the blood-soaked ground.
His eyes lingered on the severed remains of the Colossal before he took a single step forward—then vanished—only to reappear before Ryuk in an instant.
Without a word, he reached out, took Arthur’s unconscious body from Ryuk’s grasp, and slung him over his shoulder.
"You have all managed to survive," he declared. "Thus, the class is over."
The students barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before his next words came.
"Your homework?"
"In the next class, each of you will be required to explain how you managed to defeat a Colossal Titan at the Peak Stage of the Plane of Dominion—just as you did today."
"So go home. Think deeply."
"Until next time…"
With that, Instructor Kain turned, stepping into a swirling vortex that had appeared before him.
And just like that—he was gone.
The vortex remained in place, waiting.
No one moved for a long moment.
Even Ryuk, who had endured the fight to the very end, felt his legs finally give way. His back slammed against the wall as he slumped down, stretching his legs out in front of him.
His heart pounded heavily within his chest.
---
[Endurance: 10]
[Mana: 0]
The system’s panel flashed before his eyes as he silently heaved for breath.
He wasn’t the only one.
Every genius in the battlefield—especially the top ten—had collapsed onto their backs, gasping for air in exhaustion.
---
[Congratulations. Host has completed the Main Quest: Survive a Colossal.]
[Rewards Obtained:
+2 Level Up Cards, +4,000 EXP!]
The geniuses were beginning to leave.
And just as Ryuk regained a bit of his breath—
He opened his eyes to find someone standing before him.
A half-naked figure, his skin riddled with red marks, stretched out a hand toward him.
It was none other than Erin.
Despite the clear signs of battle upon his body, Erin stood with ease, as if he hadn’t taken any damage at all.
"I wasn’t able to introduce myself properly before," Erin said with a grin. "I am Erin GiantKin."
Ryuk took his hand, and with one swift jerk, he was pulled to his feet.
"Ryuk," he replied.
But suddenly—
DRIIIIIIING!
The sound of their Apex Watches vibrating violently echoed through the air.
They both glanced down at their wrists, finding a new notification flashing before them.
[You Have Been Rewarded With 1,350 Apex Points.]
Ryuk’s gaze shifted toward Erin’s watch, catching sight of his notification:
[You Have Been Rewarded With 1,300 Apex Points.]
Erin smirked. "Seems like the Academy values brains more than brawn," he chuckled, his laughter ringing loudly.
Ryuk let out a small chuckle of his own.
And then—without another word—the two of them stepped into the portal, soon followed by the rest of the students.
The Combat Class had ended.
Without a doubt, it had been the most hellish class of their lives.
A class where most of them never believed they would survive.
Yet, here they were.
_____
A/N:
200 Chapter Count Reward: +6 Extra Privileged Chapters Released. Check It Out!