CH 38

"Haha, those guys don't stand a chance!"

"What if the dude is the freshman rep or the top student in the South? They'll end up last if they can't even get started!" The Summoning Department students who were responsible for the mass attack were laughing.

"Hey, what's up, Eliza? Doesn't it feel good to let off some steam?" Rio, the guy who orchestrated the attack, chuckled and called out to Eliza, who was leading the way.

At the moment, they were part of the top group in the race, being first-year summoning students with high grades.

Eliza, who was at the front, replied in a disappointed tone to Rio's words, "I don't like it."

"What do you mean?" 

"Look, we can totally crush Leo Flove and Wald Tiden. If we team up like this, they'll just stand out more. Plus, what will people think of summoning department students?" 

"Haha, but those dweebs will fail anyway...." 

"Just think before you act next time. We're in the middle of a test, so focus." 

Eliza spoke coldly, turned her head, and flew high into the air. 

Rio watched her go and frowned, "That damn bitch! She acts all noble just because she was born rich!" 

Rio sneered inwardly at Eliza. 

"Anyhow, Wald's so far behind it's not even funny. I'm the next best flyer after Eliza! I'll totally get second place. Plus, I got this new phantom beast!" 

Rio snorted. 

Right before the exam, he luckily found a phantom beast in Lumeria City! 

"Snagged it from a clueless seller! Still tricky to handle, but if I summon it during the final stage and beat Eliza...I'll be number one! Let's see her act all fancy then! Eliza!"

"Hey, Rio, someone's gaining on us from behind," a female summoning student said, sounding confused. 

They thought they were way ahead, so who could be following them? 

"What? Who... Oh my God, Chen Xia?" 

Chen Xia was flying at an unbelievable speed. But her riding posture was a little strange. She was squatting with both feet on the saddle. 

"What's with the way she's flying?"

"She only caught up 'cause we slowed down. If we'd kept up our speed, she'd be left in the dust."

To a summoner, spirit power wasn't just the power to summon and command creatures, but also the power to strengthen the summoned beast. 

Since the griffon's abilities were enhanced with spirit power, Chen Xia's griffon was so fast that she could easily outrun other summoning students. 

"Nah, who knows what tricks she's got up her sleeve."

Rio chuckled, "Why not just knock her out now?"

In summoning races, cooperation was optional. So it was also possible to team up against strong opponents. 

Eliza, who was leading the race, looked back for a moment. 

"Hmm, ain't it better to just speed up than take a tough route?"

Eliza smiled wryly and watched the race. 

"What's so great about being the top student in the East? I'll show that unlucky girl her place," said a female summoning student, summoning a spirit with a fierce smile. 

"I'll make sure she can't even finish the race! Go!"

The wind spirit turned into a bullet and flew toward Chen Xia, who was in an unstable position on the saddle. 

Sensing the attack, Chen Xia lowered her posture even more. 

Swoosh! 

Chen Xia's griffon suddenly soared upwards. As the summoning students were taken aback, Chen Xia's griffon turned around, with the saddle facing the ground. 

Hanging upside down on the griffon, Chen Xia kicked off the saddle and let go of the reins. 

"What, what, what's happening?" 

The female student who attacked Chen Xia was frightened. 

She never expected the rider would attack her directly. 

Chen Xia summoned the wind spirit and adjusted her trajectory in the air, then delivered a kick with a smile. 

The female student Chen Xia kicked, screamed, and fell to the ground before she could react. 

"Kyaaaah! That's cheating!" 

"I didn't use aura, did I?" Chen Xia, with her friendly smile, pulled the reins of the griffon and calmed it down.

"Ha! Chen Xia! You…!"

"Hello, Rio." 

"I'll be your opponent, but you're in a tough spot now. You made the wrong choice." 

Although it was a surprise attack at first, once the opponent's attack method was identified, there were many ways to counterattack. 

"Hmm, it's true that I'm at a disadvantage in aerial combat. But I'm not your only enemy, am I?" 

"What?" 

"There's someone upset about your little prank." 

Chen Xia smirked and pointed her finger behind her. 

Kwaaang! 

A massive explosion erupted in the distance. 

"What, what's going on?" 

Kwaaang! Kwaang! 

The explosions continued one after another. In the distance, dropouts could be seen falling. 

"Looks like Wald's the type to pay back what he's been through."

After saying that, Chen Xia waved her hand and jumped off the opponent's griffon without hesitation. 

Chen Xia's griffon, waiting in the air, lifted her up on its back and flew high. 

"Kuk! Catch her and drop her..." 

Kiiiaaaaak! 

Rio urgently shouted, and a griffon's cry could be heard in the distance. 

When he turned his head, he saw Wald's griffon carrying him, flying at an incredible speed. 

Wald, who caught up with the lead group in an instant, laughed. 

"Got your little gift, you jerks."

Hwarrrrrrrng! 

A massive flame gathered around him. 

"This is payback for that."

"Scatter!" 

Kwaaaaaang! 

With Rio's urgent cry, a huge explosion hit the surroundings.

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ 

Leo, who was in last place, leaped over the fence and approached the last remaining griffon.

Krrrr-!

As he saw the griffon's high alertness, he was puzzled.

‘The griffons provided for the competition are all managed by Lumeln, right?’

Phantom beasts that have been tamed by humans do not usually show hostility towards humans.

Leo, who was feeling doubtful, soon realized that the griffon was injured as he carefully examined its wings.

"It's not a wound from a griffon fight. Someone intentionally hurt it," Leo murmured, recalling the pre-departure checks.

"There seems to be someone playin' dirty in the competition,"

Despite the griffon's ferocious response, Leo approached it.

Kyaak!

The griffon showed a fierce response, but Leo did not back down.

Kyaah!

"Oh! Leo, he’s being too reckless! Even if the griffon is a low-level beast, approaching it so hastily while it's on high alert could cause problems in taming! He’s making a huge mistake out of impatience!"

Celia, who was watching from the spectator stands, also shook her head in frustration.

"What's wrong with that guy, being so reckless?"

Riss stroked his chin, watching Celia's annoyed expression.

"He must have a plan."

Kyaah!

Leo took the reins of the griffon, which was running amok with excitement.

Kyaah!

In the end, Griffon lost its temper and swung its claws at Leo.

Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden situation.

Tightening his grip on the reins, Leo looked the griffon in the eyes and commanded firmly.

"Submit."

The griffon was taken aback by Leo's forceful voice of his.

Then, lowering its raised claws, the griffon cautiously observed Leo before lowering its posture.

Seeing the griffon give its back as if it were obedient, Leo sat in the saddle with a satisfied smile. "Good boy," he said, patting its neck.

"The griffon obeyed of its own will! Player Leo's time taken for taming is the shortest," said the bewildered commentator, Runba.

It took Leo the shortest amount of time to tame the griffon as he had said.

Yura, who was watching Leo, clicked her tongue in amazement. "Did he just win it over with that momentum? What can't he do?" she wondered.

The thought that he would be weak in a real fight was a complete misjudgment.

"If Wald has crazy strength, then Leo has mad skills."

Yura's eyes lit up.

"This match might turn out to be interesting after all."

Kyaahh!

Leo tugged on the reins, prompting the griffon to let out a mighty roar and take flight. However, due to one of its wings being injured, it struggled to gain speed and altitude.

"Player Leo's griffon is in trouble!" exclaimed Runba in a pitiful tone. "With that injury, it's doubtful he'll be able to compete, let alone win."

Leo continued to stroke the griffon's neck, trying to ease its discomfort as it struggled to flap its injured wing. 

He then focused his energy and chanted, "I Command in the name of the pledge, make your appearance before me!"

Fwooosh!

Flames burst forth around Leo, enveloping him in a bright ball of fire. 

"What's that?"

"Looks like he summoned a fire spirit?"

"Didn't they say he hadn't made a pact with any spirit beast yet?"

The audience cheered at the unexpected summoning.

"What's that flame?" Celia's eyes widened in amazement as she watched the scene unfold.

Riss, on the other hand, couldn't help but twitch his eyes in suspicion. "That's not Gerdinger's flame," he muttered to himself. "Then what is it?"

Amidst the flames, a summoning circle materialized on Leo's palm. From the circle emerged a small bird, tweeting merrily.

Tweet tweet.

Leo looked at the tiny creature and remarked, "You always look like a little chick." In response, the baby phoenix, Fiora, pecked at Leo's thumb.

"Oh? You get me now?"

On Leo's palm, Fiora gracefully flapped her wings and raised her chin.

It was a gesture that seemed to show off the dignity of a phoenix, but of course, from Leo's point of view... ….

'You're a perfect chick.'

"If we can chat, that'll make things easier. Fiora, can you bestow protection on this griffon?”

The phoenix possessed a unique ability called "Protection," which allowed it to channel a portion of its power onto a specific target. This ability was one of the factors that made phoenix summoners renowned as the strongest summoners.

Fiora, the baby phoenix, tilted her head inquisitively before jumping off Leo's palm and landing atop the griffon. This made the already frightened creature tremble even more as it felt intimidated by the presence of the powerful phoenix, the highest-level Phantom beast.

However, Fiora displayed her gentle nature by gracefully stretching her neck and lightly pecking the griffon's head with her beak.

Go-oh-!

In an instant, the griffon's fur stood on end, and even its previously injured wings began to gain strength. As the Phoenix's power coursed through its body, the griffon's white fur began to glow red, and its yellow eyes turned orange, displaying its newfound strength and vitality.

Leo's grin widened as he placed Fiora on his shoulder.

WOOOORRR-!

Suddenly, the flames surrounding them dispersed, and the griffon let out a powerful roar.

Kaaaaaagh-!

"Let's go!" Leo shouted, pulling on the reins and propelling the griffon forward at an incredible speed.

"What? So fast!"

"A first-year can use such a high-level reinforcing recovery?"

The audience was amazed.

As they soared into the sky, Leo spotted a group in the distance and narrowed his eyes before descending. The audience gasped in horror.

"Wait! Ain't that too fast?"

"How's he gonna dodge obstacles at that speed?"

A pillar of light suddenly appeared in front of Leo as he descended. It was the trap that formed the basis of the phantom beast race. The light pillars created by magic fired red magic bullets in all directions without pause. If a mistake was made and the beads hit, it would cause tremendous physical damage, potentially resulting in immediate elimination. Naturally, the faster the speed, the harder it was to avoid.

However, there was a pattern, not just randomness. 

Leo's eyes quickly recognized the pattern of the magic bullets being fired. 

"Up-down-down-left-left-right-up-left," he muttered under his breath. 

Swish! Whizz! Whizz!

With incredible control and skill, he and the griffon weaved their way through the magic bullets without slowing down.

The spectators were amazed and cheered, and the commentator shouted in excitement, "Wow! Player Leo possesses incredible control ability!"

Leo deftly passed through one obstacle and tugged on the reins, having anticipated the need to limit his speed in order to avoid the dangerous magic bullets. 

After passing through the starting point with his careful speed limit, Leo found himself flying through the sky with plenty of room to accelerate. As he made his way forward, he couldn't help but notice other students struggling and flying around in a state of distress.

‘That Wald. From what I see, everything in front's been wiped out by him.’

Of course, they weren't wiped out.

But everyone had suffered considerable damage and couldn't maintain their speed properly.

Thanks to that, Leo was able to quickly catch up to the rear group.

"Huh? Leo, Leo Flove?"

"You escaped that magic? No, but how'd you catch up so fast?"

As Leo approached from behind, the Summoning Department students were seized with fear and trepidation.

"Leo!"

Upon spotting Leo, Class 5 Summoning Department student Laura's expression brightened. 

Leo then pulled on the reins of his griffon as he observed Laura being held back by some other students.

"Guess you didn't learn after Wald smacked you around."

The griffon that Leo was riding extended its paws and grabbed the male student who was restraining Laura by the scruff of his neck.

"This lil' punk!"

"I've got a temper, gotta pay back what I got."

Leo flashed a smile at the male student, who tried to free himself in a hurry.

However, before he could do anything, Leo's griffon took off into the sky. The male student struggled helplessly as his neck was still gripped by the griffon.

Leo maneuvered the griffon and tossed the male student toward another student.

"Aaah!"

"Why are you coming this way...!"

Crash!

As the two students collided and fell to the ground, the rest of the group in the rear was shocked at the sight. 

Leo, looking down at them from above, let out a cold laugh.

"Alright, everyone ready now?"