The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 60. Midterm Evaluation (5)
“This brat won’t wake up.”
Two hours had passed since Yuren collapsed from mana exhaustion.
I’d tried tapping his cheeks and shaking his shoulders to rouse him, but he showed no response whatsoever, lost in whatever depths of sleep held him.
“At this point, isn’t he basically dead?”
Of course, I’d only said it in jest, given how stubbornly he refused to wake.
‘Normally, when you collapse from mana exhaustion, it takes forever to regain consciousness.’
I knew this better than anyone—someone who’d fallen into mana exhaustion countless times due to possessing barely a speck of mana, making me practically a professional in the field of mana depletion.
‘I need to start moving if I’m going to earn points.’
About four hours had elapsed since the midterm evaluation began.
Half of the eight-hour time limit had already passed, and remarkably, I’d accumulated zero points.
The wolf beast I’d caught initially hadn’t awarded points—apparently it had wandered in from outside—and with the unicorn, Yuren had claimed it, so I’d earned nothing there either.
‘At this rate, I’ll be dead last again.’
I was tired of being branded the lowest-ranked hero.
“If I’m going to earn points, I need to get moving….”
I exhaled deeply while looking down at Yuren lying on the makeshift bed—a simple construction I’d arranged since leaving him on the hard rock felt wrong.
‘I can’t just leave him like this either.’
There was no helping it.
“I suppose I’ll set up a barrier to repel beasts.”
In the past, I never would have considered using magic so wastefully—barriers consumed mana brutally.
But lately, my mana reserves had grown enough that I could construct simple barriers.
‘Though the effectiveness isn’t particularly impressive.’
Since I’d already defeated the unicorn, only lower-tier beasts remained in this area.
“Shh.”
I drew blood from my palm with my blade, then inscribed a magic circle around Yuren.
‘Finally putting the magic Sophia taught me to proper use.’
I’d created a barrier once before when fighting Ashtaroth, but that had been crude—more of a mana barrier formed by brute-forcing power rather than the refined construction based on theory and knowledge I’d accumulated. It was almost embarrassing to call it ‘magic.’
‘If I base the barrier’s axis on the Hexagram Theory and adjust the mana circulation structure according to Arcadia’s circulation incantation theory….’
Theory was one area where I had considerable confidence, so the process of creating the magic circle was rather enjoyable.
“Good, that should do it.”
Uuuuuuung!
I activated the barrier by channeling mana into its core like flipping a light switch, then gazed with satisfaction at the gray mist enveloping Yuren’s body.
‘After studying theory endlessly, actually using it feels completely different.’
Just as a novel can turn out differently from what you imagined despite meticulous plotting and planning.
Actually using magic taught me that while theory and knowledge mattered, intuition and feel were equally—if not more—important.
“There’s still a long way to go.”
Before I could use magic as naturally as Sophia did, there were still many hurdles to overcome.
“Well then, shall I start moving?”
I turned away from Yuren.
“Prrr… Puhiing….”
At that moment, the unicorn beast that had been lying collapsed with its entire body torn to shreds by Yuren’s blade trembled as it struggled to rise.
“What, it was alive?”
Indeed, one could only call it a beast of the sixth rank.
Somehow it had managed to cling to life even within that golden tidal wave of devastation—a force indistinguishable from a natural disaster.
“Wheeze, wheeze.”
The unicorn beast gasped for breath as it staggered away from me, as if fleeing.
“Hey, hey. I’m not planning to kill you, so there’s no need to run.”
I raised both hands to show I had no intention of attacking.
While the average intelligence of beasts wasn’t particularly high, a beast capable of being enslaved as a ‘subordinate beast’ should certainly be able to understand such a simple gesture.
“Hiiiiing… wheeze.”
“Hm?”
The unicorn beast didn’t stop despite my display of peaceful intent.
‘What’s going on?’
I narrowed my eyes and approached the unicorn beast.
The unicorn beast continued its labored, staggering steps as though it couldn’t see me at all.
‘It’s not running from me.’
For a moment I wondered if it was due to the barrier I’d set up around Yuren, but the barrier’s range was far too limited, and besides, it wasn’t the sort of barrier that would affect a sixth-rank beast anyway.
‘Then what is it?’
If it wasn’t fleeing from me, and it wasn’t affected by the barrier…
Then who in the world was it running from?
CRRRRRUNCH!
At that moment, the earth trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“Krrk!”
Before my mind could process what was happening, I urgently kicked off the ground and fled from the epicenter.
KABOOOOOOM!
The ground erupted explosively, sending dirt and dust shooting upward.
“Hiiiiiiing!”
The unicorn beast let out a pitiful shriek as it was seized by something and hurled into the air.
CRUNCH!
The unicorn beast’s body was split in two, and a torrent of crimson blood rained down.
“This is….”
I stared at the massive beast that had burst through the ground, drenched in the falling blood.
A beast with a crocodile’s head and a human’s body.
Its body, covered in green scales, was packed with muscles hard as armor, and between its gaping jaws gleamed razor-sharp teeth.
And.
“…hah”
A hollow laugh leaking from between its lips.
On the head of the crocodile beast that had torn the unicorn apart in a single bite, eight red eyes glinted with malevolent fury.
‘Why is an eight-eyed beast here?’
What in the world is this cursed situation?
“Grrrrrrr.”
A low, guttural growl.
The acrid stench of brine and algae assaulted my nostrils.
Four pairs of crimson eyes gleamed across the elongated snout of the beast.
‘An Eight-Eyed class magical beast.’
Even heroes ranked within the top hundred of the Three-Nation Hero Rankings—those called “rankers”—were said to struggle against such a formidable creature.
Likely, only professors with exceptional prowess like Lucas Kane or Elisha could hope to face it.
‘So why did such a beast appear in a third-year Candidate Program Test Site?’
I narrowed my eyes, surveying the massive five-meter frame of the crocodile beast.
Like the wolf beast I’d encountered upon entering the Test Site, this crocodile bore no visible ‘mark’ upon its body.
‘It’s definitely not a surprise event orchestrated by the professors.’
Which meant this crocodile beast had also infiltrated from outside.
‘I’ve never heard of such a creature appearing in the Test Site in my previous life.’
Two possibilities came to mind.
Either no one had encountered this beast in my previous life, and the exam had concluded without incident.
‘Or.’
The future had somehow been altered.
“Regardless of which it is… one thing is certain.”
Now was not the time to calmly ponder where this beast had come from.
“Grrrrrrr.”
The crocodile beast released a low rumble and took a step forward.
Boom.
A single footfall sent a weighty tremor through the earth.
“Krraaaaaaah!”
With a savage roar, the crocodile beast charged.
I pivoted sideways and slashed my blade toward the advancing creature.
Clang!
My sword rebounded off the scales.
The impact reverberated through my palm as if I’d struck solid steel.
“Tsk.”
Ordinary attacks were useless, then.
‘I need to target its vital points.’
Drawing a deep breath, I pushed off toward the beast.
As the crocodile lunged, it whipped its elongated tail like a whip.
‘Now!’
Solar Blade Fifth Form Variant—Black Point Absorption.
A technique that exploited the Black Point’s property of condensing mana, drawing in surrounding energy and channeling it into the blade.
Whoooosh!
Wind spiraled inward toward my blade as if a vacuum had been unleashed.
I thrust my sword toward the whipping tail, releasing a fierce cutting edge.
‘I can’t meet it head-on.’
If I collided directly with the tail covered in those hard scales, my blade would shatter instantly.
‘Just touch it lightly.’
I swung my sword toward the tail as it whipped through the air, striking with the flat of the blade rather than the edge.
Whoooosh, snap!
The moment the flat of my blade made contact with the tail, the tension created by the black spots caused it to stick fast to the beast’s tail.
“Screech!”
My body launched upward as if I’d been tied to the end of a whip.
‘Wind Step.’
I pulled at the sword clinging to the tail while pushing off against empty air with my feet.
Using the mana bursting from my toes as propulsion, I vaulted onto the back of the crocodile beast.
“Hnn!”
I reversed my grip on the sword and drove it downward toward one of the four pairs of eyes gleaming with crimson light.
But.
Clang!
The blade bounced off the eyelid.
‘This is insane.’
How hard was this thing if I couldn’t even pierce its eyelid with a blade?
“Roooaaarrr!”
Though the blade had bounced away, the impact itself was real—the crocodile beast thrashed violently, unleashing a horrific shriek.
“Ugh.”
I tried to hold on by gripping the scales, desperately fighting not to be thrown off, but the beast’s strength was overwhelming.
As my body lifted into the air, I crashed hard against the dirt ground.
Boom!
“Cough!”
A dizzying impact traveled through my back.
My internal organs felt crushed, and my limbs twisted into unnatural angles.
“Grrrrrrr!!!”
Certain of its victory, the crocodile beast clicked its razor-sharp teeth together and roared triumphantly.
“Grrrk.”
The beast turned its body and approached where I lay.
It savagely swung its tail, shattering the barrier I’d spread around my body to ward off the beast.
“Grrrrr.”
As the crocodile beast loomed over my prone form, letting out a low growl.
“Hey, you crocodile-headed bastard.”
A voice came from behind it.
“Grrk…?”
The beast blinked its four pairs of eyes and turned its head.
Standing where the human had just moments ago been crushed against the ground was now a figure completely unharmed.
“We’re not done yet. Where do you think you’re going?”
Fierce, gleaming emerald eyes.
Sizzzzzzzzzzle!
With a sound as though flesh were charring away.
“Bloom.”
Ashen smoke billowed upward.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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