The Runesmith

Chapter 726 – Impromptu Lecture.

“There it is. Time’s up. The contestants are returning! Just like before, against all odds, Xandar is still in the lead!”

The announcer’s voice echoed through the amphitheatre as groups of young mages appeared beside the dimensional doors. They walked forward just as they had before. Selphie waved enthusiastically at the crowds watching them, while even Elian, who had previously been shy, looked quite elated by the amount of attention their group was receiving.

Lucienne walked half a step behind the others, letting out a sigh of relief as the oppressive pressure of the underground maze finally lifted. Managing information, predicting enemy ambushes, and coordinating precise maneuvers through constant mana pulses had drained her concentration far more than she cared to show. Yet when she glanced up at the giant magical orb floating high above the arena, a faint, proud smile appeared on her face.

Xandar stood at the very top of the leaderboard, firmly securing their place in the upcoming final round.

“We actually did it.”

Elian whispered under his breath, gazing at the glowing numbers in complete disbelief.

“First place again. People are going to start thinking we cheated.”

“Let them think whatever they want.”

Selphie said this while puffing out her chest and waving enthusiastically at the roaring audience.

“We earned every single point. Leron was like a shadow back there, and Lucienne kept us three steps ahead of everyone else the entire time.”

Leron merely walked forward without saying anything, but a small smile crept onto his otherwise expressionless face. He had done quite a lot during this part of the trial. The underground tunnels had been perfectly suited to someone who preferred to stay in the shadows and use magic to disorient his opponents.

“Couldn’t have done it without your instructions.”

The whole group stopped as Leron turned toward Lucienne and actually spoke a few words of gratitude.

“Oh… I… uh, don’t mention it!”

Lucienne was clearly flustered by the sudden praise from her normally quiet teammate. She adjusted the leather strap of her satchel to hide her embarrassment as a bright crimson blush crept up her cheeks. Even Oxian nodded and gave her a pat on the back, which nearly sent her stumbling forward.

The announcer continued shouting, his voice booming across the grand amphitheatre and drowning out the disappointed remarks of the eliminated contestants as they slowly filed through the dimensional gates.

High above the stone arena, the giant floating leaderboard glistened with mana, firmly confirming Xandar Academy at the top of the standings for the upcoming final phase. In second place was Starbloom Academy, and the two noble mages appeared just as they had the last time.

“Oh, it’s them. Look, they’re mad.”

Selphie covered her mouth as she tried to hide her laughter. Lucienne looked in their direction and saw the blond boy and girl frowning. This time, they didn’t make a fuss or complain to the judges. They simply stormed out of the arena, clearly unwilling to remain there as the runners-up.

As the group walked out, Elian stopped and poked Selphie on the shoulder. The girl looked at him, unsure of what he wanted, but he tilted his head to the side. There he was. Deputy Professor Wayland stood inside the tunnel leading out of the arena, his metal helmet glowing faintly in the dim light.

“Oh no… is he mad? He looks mad. Did we do something wrong again?”

Elian panicked as he tried to whisper to Selphie.

“I don’t know. He always looks like that! How do you even know he is always mad when he always wears a helmet?”

“It’s a hunch!”

The two continued whispering as they stopped walking, causing Lucienne to chuckle as she finally caught up with them.

“I’m sure he is just here to congratulate us. You really need to stop reacting like this whenever you see the Deputy…”

She said it with a smile, though she understood where some of their fear came from. The training they received was far more intense than what regular teenagers went through, and Wayland had a habit of speaking quickly when explaining tactics, making it difficult for them to understand him at times.

“You did well.”

They eventually approached him, and he congratulated them, just as Lucienne had predicted.

“But…”

However, just as they were about to smile, Wayland crossed his large arms over his metal chest plate. His helmet concealed his entire face, while a glassy material covered his visor, hiding his eyes. Every now and then, they glowed with a faint red light. His deep voice caused them all to instinctively stand at attention.

“Do not let two victories convince you that you are invincible. You relied heavily on the narrow subterranean terrain to channel your mana pulses. In an open environment, where there is nowhere to hide, that tactic would not work. It will be even less effective now that your enemies are aware of it.”

“Are they aware of it? But how?!”

Selphie asked, flinching so hard that her hat nearly fell off.

“Because you were broadcast onto a massive magical projection in front of thousands of spectators. The archmages and seasoned instructors watching from the high towers are not blind. Even if regular students could not pick up on the faint mana ripples, any competent mage sitting in the stands would eventually notice your behavior and put two and two together.”

Lucienne bit her lip, realizing the truth in his words. She had been so focused on executing their strategy inside the dark tunnels that she had forgotten how closely the entire event was being monitored.

“That is another secret that is now gone. You should expect the other mages to use some kind of measure to interfere with your mana. Considering what the final treasure hunt grounds will look like, however, that will not even be necessary. Now, come with me. We need to discuss a few strategies while I still have the time.”

“Ah, but we just…”

As Wayland turned around, Elian started to raise his hand.

“You just what?”

Before he could finish his sentence, the professor turned back toward him. The sight of that glowing visor made Elian immediately shut his mouth.

“Ah, nothing… L-let’s just go!”

He laughed weakly as the other students simply shook their heads and followed their teacher without complaining. Even though they were tired, they did not ask too many questions. They knew better than to question the Deputy.

People were still cheering outside as he led them through the stone corridors toward a private chamber nearby, a room reserved for their school. The roar of the crowd gradually faded until the heavy iron door slammed shut behind them.

Roland took a seat at the central wooden table. An actual screen was positioned behind it, much like the ones they were used to, making the students wonder if the professor had prepared the room for them while they were still in the semifinals.

“You already know that the third phase is an open field treasure hunt spanning up to three days. Unlike the subterranean tunnels, you will have to deal with wide sightlines, variable weather, and full environmental exposure. The top academies will once again form temporary alliances or hunt smaller groups to eliminate competitors early.”

Some of this was already known to them, so it seemed more like a refresher. Still, Wayland activated the screen, displaying a detailed three-dimensional map of the final arena. Glowing topographical lines depicted sprawling forests, rocky cliffs, and an expansive central plain surrounding a massive ruin.

“The final area will be larger than the last, and you will encounter far fewer teams. Your priority should be gathering treasure rather than needlessly putting yourselves in danger by fighting other groups. Any conflict will create noise and attract third parties, who may use the opportunity to eliminate weakened teams.”

“Deputy Professor, you have a map of the whole area? I thought such secrets were kept hidden?”

Selphie asked while raising her hand. This part was new to them, and soon they knew the answer.

“No. This is only a simulation of what I predict it will look like, given the information I have. Think of it more as a template of what might be waiting for you once you step through that portal. The terrain will most likely feature dense woodlands, elevated cliffs, open plains, and ancient stone ruins where the highest value artifacts are concentrated. Because the region is vast, direct confrontations will be fewer at first, but every high-value objective could become a battleground.”

He continued talking, and the group of five listened attentively. They knew it was important. At this point, they also knew their professor would not simply waste their time so soon after the semifinals had concluded. Either he would not have time to discuss it with them later, or perhaps he simply wanted to strike while the iron was hot.

“Now then, this is the important part. This isn’t going to be a simple treasure hunt. I and the other professors have just been informed that there will be a change. Your competitors are probably being informed about the change as well, so there is not much time to prepare proper countermeasures.”

“Oh?”

The moment he said this, the others perked up. Most of what they had heard so far was information they had already received a week ago, a few days before the competition started. This time, however, Wayland had some visual aids to accompany his explanation. Now it made sense why he had approached them immediately after the semifinal event ended.

“Look at this…”

Wayland turned toward the screen. The map soon zoomed out, revealing several large rings across the arena.

“This final treasure hunt will be a battle royale. Do you see those circles?”

The group nodded, though they did not truly understand what he meant by battle royale. To them, the term simply meant a free-for-all, yet they were clearly competing as teams.

“During the treasure hunt, after a certain amount of time has passed, these areas will be marked. A magical storm will then form in these locations, making the area uninhabitable. If you get caught in one, you will be forcefully removed from the treasure hunt. You will be able to remain inside the storm temporarily, but doing so will cause continuous mana drain. So be careful.”

“Oh… such a thing was decided just now?”

Lucienne asked as all of them watched the presentation on the screen.

“It was probably decided beforehand, but knowledge of the change was kept secret until the finals began.”

Wayland replied as he pointed toward the screen once more.

“Four main locations on the map will be designated as prime artifact sites. However, as the storm contracts, those outer sectors will be consumed one by one. After the first day, one of them will be consumed. After the second day, two more will disappear. On the third day, the fourth will be consumed, leaving the central region as the final battleground for the remaining teams.”

The presentation moved slowly, showing the circles turning red one after another until the only remaining safe area was the one in the middle. The visual aid was quite helpful, something they appreciated about their professor, who usually made even complicated concepts easy to understand.

“Deputy Professor Wayland.”

Elian raised his hand, and Wayland simply nodded.

“You have a question. What is it?”

“Yes…”

The young man gulped before speaking.

“If all four of those regions are consumed by this mana storm, wouldn’t it be best to simply remain in the middle region and wait there?”

Lucienne and the others nodded as well. It sounded like a good tactic. They could simply wait there and perhaps seize the treasure orbs from their competitors.

“On paper, it’s a sound strategy.”

The professor responded, but he also shook his head.

“The problem with that strategy is the randomness of the areas affected by the mana storm. As I’ve said, this is only a simulation. The areas will be affected randomly, so you won’t know which region will remain safe.”

“Randomly?”

Selphie repeated the word, and Wayland simply nodded.

“Indeed. This means that tactic will not work unless you can predict the future and determine which area will remain safe from the advancing perimeter. It could be the northwestern one or any of the others, and there would be no way to determine it beforehand. I assume the mages in control of this magical ground might even be the ones determining which area gets cut off first.”

Wayland continued speaking as he pointed at the screen.

“Furthermore, positioning your group at the center too early leaves you exposed to ambushes from every direction as fleeing teams funnel inward. If you secure artifacts early in the outer regions, you gain points before those zones are destroyed. However, lingering too long risks getting trapped in the mana storm, which drains your mana pool and leaves you weakened for the clashes that come later.”

The man continued to speak while the group of five students looked increasingly drained by the sudden change in circumstances. They had expected nothing more than a large open field where they would battle the other schools. Now, besides their competitors, the possibility of temporary alliances, and the dangers of fighting at night, they also had to worry about being caught in this mana storm at any moment.

“I know this is sudden, but the students from the other schools will be going through the same thing. You have been practicing for this occasion, and I believe that when it comes to preparation, our school is second to none.”

Wayland’s words made the students perk up with a hint of pride. They were not used to praise from this particular teacher, as he usually did little more than bore them with theory before demanding perfection during practical training.

“Now then... now that we are done with the introduction...”

Wayland said as he looked toward the large flat screen.

“Introduction, Deputy Professor?”

Elian repeated his words as a foreboding feeling washed over him.

“Yes, we have to, of course, cover all possible scenarios, starting with perimeter collapse protocols, resource allocation under pressure, and counter tactics against multi-academy ambushes.”

Elian groaned softly under his breath, but Wayland completely ignored the quiet complaint. He placed something down on the central table. They were regular cubes with runes etched into them, which he positioned at the corners of the rectangular table. Once they were in place, they began to shine, producing a light they were familiar with. It resembled an illusion, though Wayland preferred to call them holograms.

Another demonstration layout of the future battleground appeared within the hologram. It was far more intricate than the previous one, and once it was activated, the students quickly realised they would be there for a while.

The ever-shifting map was designed to take them through various scenarios, beginning with what to do depending on which geographical zone they arrived in and continuing with what to do once a mana storm appeared and they were cut off by enemy teams.

For the next several hours, Wayland systematically broke down every tactical error they could possibly make. He adjusted the magical projection to display different weather conditions, terrain shifts, and ambush formations, forcing the five students to remain there even as their stomachs continued to grumble. Only then did he finally let them leave, though not before giving them some homework.

“Here. Take these notes and study them.”

All of them wanted to ask how the man had managed to produce such detailed strategic notes on such short notice, but they were afraid that if they did, he would simply continue talking.

Normally, Wayland was known as a man of few words. However, once he started lecturing and explaining things, he seemed capable of rambling for hours.

“Ugh... this is not how I wanted to spend our free day. We could have visited so many places and eaten all kinds of food...”

Elian grumbled as he looked at the notebook. Lucienne chuckled as she walked beside him with Selphie and the others.

“Be glad that the Deputy did not keep us in there any longer.”

“Lucienne’s right!”

Selphie quickly joined in now that they were safely out of Wayland’s field of vision.

“That man cannot be underestimated. How did he even prepare that room for us? Where was he keeping that magical screen?”

“Who knows?”

Lucienne replied, chuckling once more. She was much calmer about the situation, simply happy that they had already made it this far.

“Let’s just go get some food, guys. I’m famished!”

She started moving faster, forcing Elian and Selphie to hurry after her.

“Hey, slow down, Lucienne!”

Selphie shouted while holding onto her hat so it would not fall off as they ran.

“Can’t do that! Last one there has to pay for the food!”

“What!?”

The moment she made the declaration, every member of Team Xandar surged forward. Even Oxian and Leron joined the sprint, determined not to waste their hard-earned money.

The school provided them with food, but what they really wanted was the food from the various stalls scattered throughout the city. It simply tasted better, though it also cost real money.

People parted as they saw the five youths rushing forward, their faces displaying various expressions of surprise and amusement. Despite the chaos, however, it was clear that the youths themselves were happy.