Why were those beings that were supposed to roam only outside the building suddenly charging in like mad?
I had no time to think. My eyes locked onto the adult doll at the very front. It roared, surged forward, and shattered the window with a brutal headbutt.
Shit, I thought those things couldn't be shattered. For a moment, I considered that everything Arin had said was the exact opposite of the truth.
Then, the doll that had broken inside the building fixed its gaze on me. It resembled a teddy bear, but its appearance was anything but fluffy. Thick saliva dripped from its jagged teeth, and its eyes flashed blood-red. Its ragged, torn costume bore crude stitch marks, while parts of it oddly resembled human skin. It had the horrifying appearance of a person crudely grafted onto a stuffed doll.
With Alderson strapped to my back, I leapt aside to avoid a direct collision with the doll. As it thundered past, shockwaves rippled from its heavy footsteps.
I could see why they called these "adult dolls." Compared to the smaller dolls inside the building, this one felt like an adult towering over a child. Of course, they were barely the size of a bug compared to Khajitta, whom I had just fought.
Just as I realized that wide, sweeping moves were impossible with Alderson weighing me down, I recalled the Force Palm that Khajitta had demonstrated in battle.
Let's give it a try. I had a basic grasp of the Force Palm's principles and felt confident enough to try.
I stepped up to the teddy bear doll, pressed my palm firmly against its head, and channeled my internal energy. In the next instant, its head exploded instantly.
A foul smell stabbed my nose. It wasn't just the stench. As the head burst, it sprayed black blood and shards of unidentifiable debris in every direction.
This is exactly why I hate fighting barehanded. I wiped the sticky black blood off my hands onto Alderson's clothes and looked ahead.
A terrifying roar echoed through the hall.
Do those dolls have a sense of smell? Several adult dolls charged toward me, their eyes rolling back wildly. Maybe the blood had triggered some primal frenzy.
I couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. They finally looked like real demons. It felt better than burning tiny dolls with the White Sun Eclipse. No matter how many came, they weren't a serious threat as long as I didn't get completely surrounded.
Still, the unconscious Alderson on my back slowed me down. I slung him over my right shoulder and sprinted down the hallway. Naturally, the dolls chased after me with their chilling screams.
There are a lot of them. It wasn't just those chasing me. Suddenly, a few adult dolls shattered the window ahead and lunged at me as well.
I drew the Yin-Yang Dao with my empty hand. Right now, it was the best weapon I had. The White Sun Eclipse required broad, sweeping movements, and the Seven Sins Sword suited powerful swordsmanship. Against these clustered cotton monsters, the sharp Yin-Yang Dao was perfect.
After roughly slashing through eight dolls, I reached the first-floor cafeteria. My hands were full, so I kicked the door open. It crashed down, revealing the chaos inside.
"D-don't come here!"
"Taylor, you idiot! Get down!"
A large doll had already broken in, surrounded by many smaller ones. The students had barricaded themselves behind a long table, fighting desperately.
Fortunately, none appeared seriously injured or dead. The one battling the adult doll was Zidon, the knight student I had encountered on the fourth floor. He looked the most at risk, fighting alone against the adult doll. They were clearly not evenly matched. Blood streamed down his face from a gash in his forehead, and one arm hung limp at his side, likely broken during the battle.
I spotted the non-combatant students trembling in a corner. It was a pitiful sight, but hiding was the right move. It was better to stay out of harm's way than become dead weight.
"Please look after Dean Alderson," I told a random student.
"Y-yeah...?" the student stammered, uncertain.
I quickly handed Alderson off to the student and charged into the fray. My first priority was Zidon, who was in the most precarious situation. I delivered a swift kick to the head of the adult doll he was fighting. The doll's head snapped off and sailed through the air like a ball.
"I-in one blow..." Zidon gasped, stunned.
"Senior, you held the line well," I said, offering brief but sincere praise. Without Zidon's stand, none of the students here would have survived. I gave his shoulder a firm pat before clearing the remaining dolls.
"Shit! Don't retreat! If we lose here, we're all dead!"
To my surprise, Rousseau and his group fought fiercely at the front. Bloodied and ragged, Rousseau bellowed as he battled the dolls, so focused he didn't even notice I'd arrived.
The dolls' formation was flawless, but I sliced through them all in a single, fluid motion.
"W-what...?" Rousseau's eyes went blank as he realized that the enemies were wiped out in an instant. The others looked just as shell-shocked.
"Pull yourselves together." I slapped the cheeks of the students standing in a row, one after another. As the color returned to their eyes, I asked, "Can you all stand? I assume you understand the situation. This place is no longer safe."
The fragile order holding this hell together had collapsed. The adult dolls roaming outside had smashed through the windows, and even the rooms we thought secure were now death traps.
"T-then what should we do?" All eyes turned to me.
Honestly, I had no perfect plan. But showing doubt would only spread panic, so I suggested, "Let's go to the rooftop."
"R-rooftop?"
"If it's the wrong choice, we could get trapped..."
That was a risk.
As the students exchanged worried glances, only Zidon nodded firmly. "In this situation, getting trapped is better. At the very least, we won't be surrounded."
I nodded.
Adult dolls swarmed outside, and the rooms inside the building no longer offered refuge. It made more sense to retreat to the rooftop, barricade the single entrance, and hold our ground. Of course, my judgment could be wrong, but in a crisis, making a quick wrong decision beats hesitating over a right one. I steadied the students, and we rushed down the hallway.
Adult and child dolls attacked in relentless waves, but I cut through them with ease using the Yin-Yang Dao. I was surprised by my own technique. Each sword stroke landed clean and precise, the blade extending exactly as I willed.
It wasn't just because the Yin-Yang Dao was a rare artifact. It was due to my battle with Khajitta. My recent battle with Khajitta and the burns covering my body had deepened my understanding of fire's nature. I also gained new insight into controlling internal energy. Though my dantian remained empty, that awareness let me channel Sword Qi and unleash a sword wind with only a fraction of internal energy.
After pushing through the second, third, and fourth floors, we reached the roof. Behind us, a horde of dolls chased us, pounding up the stairs.
"C-close it quickly!" someone shouted, Rousseau slammed the door shut.
The door wasn't strong enough to hold.
Is there something to wedge in the latch? Anything solid. At that thought, I drew the Seven Sins Sword and jammed it into the latch.
—Messenger?
"I'm sorry."
I barely had time to apologize to the Martial God before the metal door shuddered violently under heavy blows.
From beyond came a dull, pounding sound, like something ramming its head against the door. It bent slightly but held firm. It looked like we could hold out for a while.
"Please take care of this place for a minute," I told Zidon, who I trusted the most.
"Leave it to me," he replied.
I then checked on Alderson. "How is he?"
Arin, who happened to be taking care of him, stammered, "I-I think he's in a deep sleep. This... he is Dean Alderson, right? Where was he?"
"In the underground prison," I answered briefly and placed my hand on Alderson's abdomen to examine his internal condition.
His insides were a mess. Tangled blood vessels twisted beneath the skin, and wild mana surged uncontrollably. I clicked my tongue quietly. Judging by this, I doubted he would be much help even if he woke up.
Still, I should be able to talk to him if he wakes up.
After a moment, Alderson coughed violently and opened his eyes, gazing at me with confusion. "You...?"
"I am Luan Badniker."
"B-Badniker?" Arin gasped beside us.
Right—I never told her my last name, did I?
"A Badniker..." Alderson coughed. "I see. You were supposed to arrive at the academy after the hero disciples' training camp."
"Let me explain briefly. This is the Otherworld, and I just rescued you from captivity." As I spoke, I felt Alderson's condition stabilize and withdrew my hand.
"I see." He met my gaze steadily. He hadn't earned the title of Archmage without reason. Though it would have been understandable if he were deeply shaken, he showed no sign of panic. "Keep talking."
"The dolls in this Otherworld—likely demons wearing doll masks—turned ferocious suddenly. We are on the roof of a building, with rampaging demons beyond that iron door. To put it bluntly, this is a crisis," I said.
"I understand. Then we need to act quickly," Alderson said and rose up.
"Dean Alderson?"
"Just a moment." He stood still and drew a deep breath.
This... At that moment, I sensed turbulent mana writhing around him.
After taking several steady breaths, Alderson suddenly spoke. "I declare it."
The other students quickly sensed the surge of turbulent mana.
His robe whipped violently as five, six, then seven magic circles overlapped, spinning like interlocking gears. He then announced, "This will be my stronghold."
A fountain of light burst forth, shooting skyward. The immense pillar centered on Alderson shattered into countless tiny particles, drifting through the building like snowflakes rather than raindrops. At the same time, the building trembled, and horrific screams echoed. I felt countless evil presences dissolve into nothingness.
"You can all rest assured. The building is safe now." Alderson smiled, and the students erupted into cheers. Some of the weaker ones collapsed to the floor, crying as if rescued after being stranded for weeks.
It was understandable. The students had been suddenly dragged into the Otherworld and trapped in this hellish place for weeks, perhaps even months. They lived each day in constant fear, uncertain when death would come, until they finally met an adult they could trust for the first time. And that adult was Alderson, the most powerful figure in the academy. Their reaction was hardly surprising.
"It's all right now, so pull yourselves together. Would a proud student of Cartel Academy cry over something like this?" Alderson gave a faint smile as he comforted them, his voice gentle but firm.
I was probably the only one who noticed it—his complexion had grown noticeably worse since he woke up.
This isn't good. I didn't know much about magic, but I could tell he was pushing himself too far. The fact that he could cast something this powerful while still struggling to control his mana was impressive.
"Hero Disciple Luan." Alderson turned to me, his eyes unreadable. "Can we speak privately for a moment?"
I nodded.
***
Alderson sank heavily into a chair with a weary sigh.
I scanned the room, found a water bottle, and handed it to him. "Here, drink this."
"Thanks." He drained half the bottle, closed his eyes, and fell silent. He wasn't gathering his thoughts—he was steadying his trembling body.
Though I had already taken a sip, my throat suddenly felt dry. It was as if I'd swallowed blood all over again.
Alderson murmured, "The legion commander must've been guarding me."
"He was a formidable opponent," I said.
He paused at my words, then asked, "You defeated him?"
"That's right."
Alderson stared at me for a moment as if he was trying to determine the truth. "Luan Badniker—the youngest child of the Iron-Blooded Lord despised one of the Badnikers. I thought you were a disgrace for selling the treasure sword, but it was all a front."
"Um, well..." I didn't bother to clear up the misunderstanding I'd grown tired of.
Alderson stood and walked to the window. His deep-set eyes locked on the blood moon. "It's much closer now."
"What do you mean by closer ?" I asked casually, following him to glance at the moon.
At that moment, I understood what he meant. Indeed, the moon hung far nearer than when I first saw it. "Is there something on that moon?"
"It's not that something is on it. The blood moon is Hadenaihar himself," Alderson revealed.
"Say what?" I blinked, stunned. Then the title Blood Moon is not just a nickname but a literal description of his form. No. There is also Tantata, who looks like a real tongue.
Alderson continued, "It will keep moving closer. Once it fully touches this earth, it will corrupt the spirits of everyone in the Otherworld. The damage will spill over into the real world."
"Then we have to stop the mastermind before that happens," I said.
Alderson glanced at me, surprise flickering in his eyes. "You know more than I expected. You're right. But..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Do you know who the mastermind is?" Alderson asked with a heavy sigh.
"I'm almost certain it is Princess Perist."
"It is exactly as you said." His tone revealed he had long known.
"Are you worried about killing someone from the imperial family?" I pressed.
"Not really. The laws of the empire don't apply to church members."
Then what was the problem?
I voiced my doubt, and Alderson admitted, "I'm ashamed to say it's been so long since I was brought here. There must have been a puppet living my life in the real world, right?"
"Indeed."
"In that case, the princess must have secured full control over the Tower of Training. That's the real issue," he revealed.
The Tower of Training?
"Is the issue that she can mass-produce puppets?"
"Not exactly. Hero Disciple Luan, have you climbed the Tower of Training?"
"I have."
"How far did you make it?"
"To the fourth floor."
"I see." Alderson nodded, his expression grim. "At the top of the tower stands an armored soldier who oversees the final trial. It's my greatest creation—a battle golem."
"Ah." I recalled hearing about it from Alderson's puppet.
"Perhaps the princess has seized control of the armored troops," said wearily.
"Is that a serious problem? I doubt that armored soldier is stronger than a demon legion commander." I wasn't being sarcastic. I genuinely wanted to know.
Alderson shook his head. "Not at all. The legion commander assigned to watch over me was a powerful demon, even weakened. Khajitta, the Hellfire Legion Commander... He poses a serious challenge for my armored soldier.
"Still, it wouldn't be a one-sided fight. The armored troops boast exceptional durability and resistance to water, weather, and heat. Their combat skills surpass those of advanced knights who wield aura. If I deployed at least ten, maybe fifteen, they could take down Khajitta."
I struggled to grasp the full meaning.
Avoiding my gaze, Alderson muttered, "The armored troops are modeled after the White Knights. Do you know of them? The legendary order of knights that served the Platinum King 300 ago."
The Platinum King stood among the empire's five kings that were revered as gods after their deaths. Still, that was not what caught my attention.
"The order of knights?" I repeated.
"Yes. I always admired the legend of the White Knights and wanted to create a similar order of armored soldiers. Thus, I spent a fortune on mass-producing battle golem...." He paused. "There are 250 in total."
This was insane.