If the armored soldiers numbered 250, I couldn't win no matter if I unleashed the purple flames, entered the White Flame state, or used any other power. Even with Alderson's help and the other hero disciples joining the fight, it would make no difference.
I stared at Alderson in disbelief. "Why did you create so many battle golems? Were you planning treason?"
"I told you," he said. "I admire the White Knights. Their legendary order had exactly 250 members."
I shook my head. "Why make so many? One, two, even ten would be enough."
"That..." Alderson hesitated under my glare. "It's because historical accuracy must be maintained..."
I almost lunged at him, grabbing a handful of his beard.
"What are you doing?" he yelped, recoiling.
I snapped out of it and noticed I was still gripping his beard. I let go and took a small step back. Once again, I realized that Alderson was eccentric. Though the Alderson I first met was just a puppet, it perfectly mirrored the original's personality.
I sighed. "If the demon king has already descended and shown himself, it's safe to assume that most of this world has been corrupted by miasma."
"You're right. It's especially thick outside the building. A normal student would die in less than half a day. In other words..."
"The only ones who can hold out in this situation are the members of the Great Families with blessings," I finished.
"That's correct," he said.
I thought about it for a moment before asking, "Are dolls affected by miasma?"
"What do you mean?" Alderson tilted his head.
"The first sign of the demon king's descent is that living things exposed to miasma mutate," I said, casting my gaze out the window. Dolls scurried around the building like rabid animals. "If the dolls mutated into demons because of the miasma, it would explain what's happening."
" Hmm. " Alderson contemplated on it for a moment before replying, "It is possible if a doll contains a soul."
"Soul?" I echoed.
"It's a common necromancy technique," he explained. "You've heard of the Abanaham Witch Society, right?"
"Ah, them."
Alderson saw right through my feigned understanding and explained, "One of the mysterious forces on the continent. It's a secretive organization whose headquarters and members remain unknown. I'm somewhat acquainted with the Doll Witch who's affiliated with them. Binding a soul to a doll creates a cursed puppet. Some might even call it a form of life, depending on their perspective."
"Then maybe it's fair to say that the smaller dolls are mutated creatures, and the larger ones are summoned demons," I said.
The second stage involved summoning demons. The third stage was a solar eclipse. I glanced up at the blood-red moon. Since the sun never rose here, there was no way to tell if an eclipse had occurred. In truth, the demon king had already descended. There was no time to waste analyzing the signs.
"The miasma feels unusual," I added.
"Huh?"
"Dean Alderson, is this building safe?"
Alderson explained, "What I just invoked is a powerful spell. It's a fortified barrier, the kind used only in large-scale wards. Even the demon king's miasma cannot breach it right now."
"So you are saying that it will eventually fail?" I pressed.
"If I had the right amplification tools and was in good condition, I could have maintained it for at least a week," Alderson muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
As an Archmage, he rarely acknowledged his own limits, even in dire situations. It felt right to respect his dignity.
I nodded. "That's reassuring. It means the students inside are safe for the moment. The situation is simpler now. If the princess falls, it will be our victory."
Alderson shook his head. "We're back to square one. The 250 armored soldiers will guard the princess. Your skill in defeating the legion commander is impressive, but you can't take on the White Knights."
"Is there no way to control them? Battle golems with that kind of power are dangerous. You must have installed a safety device for emergencies."
Alderson hesitated, then sighed. "Of course I did. Each armored soldier has a mana stone I personally refined. If I send mana through it in a specific rhythm, they will cease moving."
That sounded like an easy solution, but Alderson's reluctance suggested hidden complications. I pressed him.
"Are there conditions involved?" I probed.
"Yes. You've probably noticed I'm not in great shape. My insides are a mess, and I can't channel mana properly. The rhythm I've set is complex and takes at least ten minutes to calibrate," he answered.
"Ten minutes," I repeated.
Alderson shook his head. "I know that it is impossible."
"No, I think ten minutes might just be doable."
"Really?"
I nodded vaguely. It was a risky tactic with many variables, so I held back from explaining the details.
"Then—" Alderson started eagerly, but a sudden scream from the other side of the window cut him off.
We both fell silent and moved toward the window. The academy grounds outside were stained with red light, and a group of figures sprinted across them.
"This..." Alderson trailed off.
They were students of the academy.
"They're being chased," Alderson said urgently. "We have to save them immediately."
"With your condition?" I rebuked.
"I'm not in perfect shape, but that many dolls isn't a problem," he claimed.
"No. Dean Alderson, conserve your strength. Let me handle it." As I spoke, I fixed my gaze on the face of the student at the front wearing the large hat. "I just spotted someone I have some business with."
***
I went to the rooftop, leapt off, and landed lightly. Then I sprinted across the academy's blood-red grounds.
The concentration of Dark Qi here feels much higher than it was at the training camp. That made sense. The demon king had already descended. Still, it was more bearable than before. Perhaps the contract with a divine beast had greatly boosted my demonic immunity.
Spending my free time training on the way to the academy has clearly paid off. As for the rest of my condition... Thanks to Leone, my body felt nearly perfect, but my internal energy was almost drained. If I had to guess, about 5% remained. Considering the battles ahead, that was far from enough.
Apart from that, I could feel the Dark Qi inside me stir the moment it touched the Dark Qi outside the building. It felt absurd. Instinctively, I knew that if I opened my body even slightly, the Dark Qi would flood in immediately.
No, I can't. Completely eliminating the Dark Qi was unlikely, but I had to stop it from growing any further. Once it passed a certain threshold, hiding it would become impossible.
I need internal energy. If my dantian filled with internal energy, the Dark Qi's presence would naturally diminish. Usually, the only way to restore exhausted internal energy was through internal energy itself.
I glanced at the sky. It was blood-red, with no trace of the sun visible. Trying to perform the First Fire Technique here would yield only a small amount of internal energy.
Fortunately, I had a solution. I pulled out the Spirit Jade. It had shrunk to about half its original size, worn down by steady internal energy circulation. The method was crude and inefficient, but I had no other choice.
I put it in my mouth and started to chew. Of course, it did not break easily.
It is very hard. Nevertheless,I was not the kind of man who waited patiently for a candy to melt. My temper demanded crushing it with my teeth—I could never back down here.
I pressed the Spirit Jade firmly between my molars, applying steady force. At the same time, I channeled my remaining internal energy around my teeth to strengthen the bite.
Finally, the Spirit Jade shattered. A massive surge of Yang Qi, condensed inside the broken jade, burst forth like a flood. My jaw weakened, and I nearly spat it out. I quickly covered my mouth, knowing all my effort would be lost if that happened.
I thoroughly chewed the fragments of the Spirit Jade. Once broken down, they turned mushy, making them easy to swallow. Of course, my throat burned with heat, but the sensation was somehow bearable.
After swallowing the Spirit Jade, I kept running forward, drawing the Yang Qi into my body. The excess energy I couldn't absorb freely roamed my meridians. For now, my focus was on filling my empty dantian. This was possible only because of the First Fire Technique. If an ordinary martial artist tried this, their entire body would be reduced to ashes.
Not bad. By the time my dantian brimmed with internal energy, I had reached my destination.
I spotted Glenn surrounded by a much larger group of students than I'd expected. At a glance, there had to be fifty of them. They were fleeing from the dolls chasing them, but most of them wore dazed expressions. Some were even drooling, likely a side effect of the Dark Qi. Judging by their condition, they would either die or succumb to madness if left like this for another hour.
The moment I placed my hand on the Yin-Yang Dao, the bushes to my left rustled, and a flash of golden light streaked through the air.
Fast. I caught the sharp face of the figure who appeared like a thunderbolt. It was Barter Goodspring. The Sword Qi on his sword gleamed brilliantly, as if forged from pure gold. The ground dipped slightly beneath him as he planted his knees with force. In a blink, his figure appeared among the students.
An adult doll's throat was sliced open as Barter swung his sword with lightning speed—one clean, precise strike.
He wasn't alone. A group of armed fighters followed at his heels. Judging by their ages, they weren't students. Barter's subordinates, most likely. They entered the fray without hesitation and quickly overwhelmed the dolls. Some faces looked familiar.
"Luan," Hector said, locking eyes with me.
I nodded curtly and joined Barter's group to eliminate the remaining dolls.
There were many dolls, but Barter's group was highly skilled. It didn't take long to wipe them out. Moments later, the last doll collapsed, and Barter let out a quiet sigh. He then sheathed his sword cleanly and bowed to Glenn. "I'm glad you are safe, Your Highness."
"Sir Barter," Glenn replied.
Were they acquainted? Their tone made it seem likely. Considering it was the imperial family and the Goodspring family, it wouldn't be surprising if they knew each other.
As I tilted my head, trying to catch more of their exchange, a familiar face approached beside Hector. It was Seren, her white hair unmistakable.
"You are safe," she remarked.
"For now." I looked at Seren and asked, "I didn't expect for you to be brought here. What happened?"
"I was taking a tea ceremony class in the main building. I clearly remember taking notes, but suddenly, I opened my eyes and found myself here," she replied.
Her response startled me, and I pressed, "You were in the main building? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
I had wondered if she had been dragged from the research wing, but looking around, the number of people was too large for that.
I gathered my thoughts and spoke. "There is a temporary base in one of the research buildings. Dean Alderson used powerful magic to make it safer than anywhere else. Let's evacuate there first."
" Hmm. That's not a bad idea, but it's a bit—" Seren's expression darkened slightly.
What's with that reaction?
I saw Seren subtly nod toward Barter's group.
"That's ridiculous." Hector's voice rose slightly.
Barter and Hector exchanged heated glares and words. I had heard their relationship was cordial, but now it seemed otherwise.
Hector flinched when he noticed many eyes on him. He lowered his voice, though I still caught his words clearly. "If we leave the students like this, they will all die."
"The opposite is also true," Barter countered. "If we can't kill the demon king, everyone will die anyway."
"Yes, but..." Hector paused. "I could lead them to a relatively safe place around here."
"This is an urgent situation. I can't guarantee how long the princess will stay in one place. Losing her in this vast academy means our defeat," Barter replied sharply.
"Then allow me to leave for a while. I will lead them," Hector suggested.
"Denied. Every person is precious. Our chances are already slim. We cannot waste valuable manpower like you without reason," Barter said, his tone serious. "Hector Badniker, in an emergency, the authority of the Imperial Special Forces surpasses even that of the Imperial Knights. Violating an order is a felony. Do you understand?"
I understood the situation. Barter and his followers seemed to have discovered the princess's location. The group was clearly divided between pursuing the princess or protecting the students they had encountered along the way.
They must have realized the princess is the mastermind.
In any case, Barter insisted on tracking her, while Hector appeared torn, believing the students' safety should come first. Honestly, it was hard to say which approach was right. Barter's seemingly cold logic wasn't without merit.
Still, refusing to let Hector leave feels too extreme. Either way, continuing this argument served no purpose. These fellows didn't know it yet, but I had already secured a safe place with Alderson's help. Hector wasn't needed. I could escort them myself and guide them to the building.
I was just about to step in when Barter said with a sneer, "Or do you refuse to follow a Goodspring's orders simply because you're a Badniker?"
His off-topic jab irritated me. "Hey, Sir Butter, listen. You talk too much."
Barter's eyes snapped to me. "It's Barter, not Butter. Are you Luan Badniker?"
He smiled faintly. "I heard you received a blessing during the second blessing ceremony. That means you should be capable of using your full strength. Join my unit part-time and follow orders."
I stared at him blankly before asking, "I'm not even your subordinate. Why should I follow your orders?"
"Because in times like this, people like me must take command."
"And what kind of person is that?"
"A person who can accurately assess the situation, make the right decisions based on that, and take responsibility for those decisions. In other words—" Barter locked eyes with me. "The strongest person here."
"Your logic isn't wrong." I nodded at his calm words and added, "But even as the strongest person here, I have no intention of taking command."
Barter paused, looking at me with a strange expression.