I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 287: Demon King? Castle (1)

The Tower of Growth was immersed in chaotic and intense battles.

The main rules of this Tower trial were focused on domination and flag battles.

Among these, the domination battles were particularly important in the early stages, with initial successes snowballing like a snowball rolling down a hill until the later stages.

Once a position was established, it was naturally hard to push out the entrenched forces.

“Structures! Find the structures first!”

“Location pinpointed! Push forward to the front lines!”

“Dispel the magic formations! They’ve hidden them between buildings!”

The early domination points, which were initially unclaimed, became the battlefield where the Red, Blue, and Green teams clashed haphazardly.

There were 2,141 students from all years of Siyoram, from 1st to 4th year.

About 700 superhumans from each formation clashed in large-scale battles, much larger than the small-scale dungeon and monster hunts where groups of a few dozen fought monsters.

Amid the confusion of the battlefield, there were still students who stood out remarkably.

Typically, the students who stood out during public events were the upperclassmen from the 3rd and 4th years.

These students had spent at least three years under the blessing of growth, rapidly gaining power and accumulating practical battle experience from external activities.

In particular, in domination battles where practical experience was key, the skills and experience of upperclassmen really shone.

Whooosh!

“Left side! Fire magic is being deployed! Get out of the way!”

“Ah, damn it! It’s here—AAAHHHH!”

“Anyone would think we’re in pain...”

But this battlefield was not like the usual.

Suddenly, crackling sparks ignited. A large explosion of fire quickly engulfed a section of the formation.

The students caught in the blast screamed as they were consumed by the flames. Even those who managed to hold on or dodge still found themselves hit, their limbs turning to light as they collapsed to the ground.

The survivors, now surrounded by fallen comrades who turned into glowing orbs, quickly distanced themselves from the flames.

“Don’t get hit by that! Evade at all costs!”

“Easier said than done...”

The first-year student, Hong Yeonhwa, from the Red team, ignited her fire magic and began wreaking havoc. Her magical output was far beyond her year level.

The danger of fire magic was already well known worldwide. However, Hong Yeonhwa's fire magic surpassed all expectations, wielding it with skill and ferocity.

It was hard to approach her fire magic at all, and her abilities were already surpassing even the upperclassmen.

Even the senior students couldn’t properly contain Hong Yeonhwa, who was wildly swinging her power across the battlefield.

“...! We’re getting hit from five directions at once!”

“That fire magic is too OP...”

As time passed, the Blue team attacking the Red team's territory suddenly turned around after receiving news of slow progress and an attack on their main base.

“Phew...”

Looking at the retreating Blue team, Hong Yeonhwa slung her sword over her shoulder and extinguished the fire she had been holding with a simple blow.

Unlike before when she had relentlessly pursued and burned her enemies, this time the fire simply died out.

‘...I’ve gotten better at controlling it.’

Hong Yeonhwa looked at her extinguished fingertips with a strange expression.

She knew she had a hot-headed and reckless personality, which reflected in the wild and untamed nature of her fire magic that used to be hard to control.

These days, however, it had become much easier to control.

And this change had come after practicing with Iha-yul.

There was nothing special about it.

When Hong Yeonhwa held Iha-yul in her embrace, Iha-yul would channel his calm and mild fire magic into Hong Yeonhwa’s wild flames.

Gentle, bright flames would mix with the red, fiery, and ferocious flames, and as they burned together, Iha-yul’s fire magic would calm down Hong Yeonhwa’s wild flames.

“I see~ Hong, have you learned how to show off now?”

“Shut up.”

Hong Yeonhwa rolled her eyes and turned her head. Her close friend, Shin Seoyul, who was also assigned to the Red team, playfully approached her.

“Are you just slacking off and not handling things?”

“I need a moment to breathe. How can a person keep handling things non-stop?”

“Hmmm.”

“That look really hurts... But I don’t want to get that kind of look from you, who’s abandoned us for a whole year!”

“You’re talking nonsense...”

Hong Yeonhwa clicked her tongue. Shin Seoyul... Though they were close friends, Hong Yeonhwa still remembered the trouble that came with Seoyul’s name.

If it hadn’t been for the mistake that day, maybe things would have gone smoothly, she mused.

“Anyway, what’s the situation?”

“It’s a stalemate.”

Shin Seoyul shrugged and began to speak.

There were a total of 10 domination points inside the Tower. Each point had a number assigned to it, and the terrain varied.

1st point: Rocky Mountain. 2nd and 3rd points: Trees. 4th and 5th points: Plains. 6th and 7th points: Mountain Ranges. 8th and 9th points: Urban Areas. 10th point: Snow Mountain.

Hong Yeonhwa’s Red team had occupied the 2nd point (Trees), 4th point (Plains), and 8th point (Urban Areas) in the upper-left section.

The Blue team had taken the 5th point (Plains), 9th point (Urban Areas), and 10th point (Snow Mountain) in the upper-right section.

The Green team had taken the 3rd point (Trees), and the 6th and 7th points (Mountain Ranges) in the lower section.

The point that Hong Yeonhwa had been defending, the 4th Plains, was often in conflict with the 5th point, which the Blue team had occupied.

At first, the points were mixed up, and the teams didn’t pay attention to directions, but over time, the regions became divided and each team began to control specific areas.

Hong Yeonhwa, along with her comrades, had greatly influenced the direction of this process, just as the similar forces of Baek Ah-rin and Lee Ji-yeon had done.

“Ugh, these environmental buffs are ridiculous...”

The Blue team, led by Baek Ah-rin, had set up their base near the Snow Mountain, making full use of the Changhae technique. They were even building magic formations enhanced with the Changhae technique.

The Blue team was holding the 5th and 9th points on the upper side of the Snow Mountain.

Lee Ji-yeon had a more powerful influence.

Her unique ability, Taesan, allowed her to control the earth, creating natural fortresses at the two mountain range points. Even with the help of other mages in her group, it was difficult to take back these points.

Additionally, Taesan also had an element of summoning magic, which made it even harder to overcome. Lee Ji-yeon’s summoned creatures could overwhelm any attempts at regaining the points with sheer numbers.

The 3rd point (Trees) was situated right next to the mountain range points, so even if they managed to retake it, it would quickly be reclaimed.

“Tch.”

...On the other hand, Hong Yeonhwa’s fire magic had no such environmental benefits.

If she really wanted, she could set the trees on fire and create an inferno, but that would also destroy her own forces.

The defensive structures and formations she had built would be obliterated as well. Killing the enemy at the cost of her own allies would only lead to total defeat.

Thus, Hong Yeonhwa had to move carefully and ensure she didn’t waste her resources like the other two.

In any case, the heirs of the three great families, who had entered the Tower around the same time, were now at the center of this competition, surpassing the senior students in terms of their performance.

“...And so, four hours into the competition, we’ve reached a stalemate.”

The 4th point, the Plains, had become the focal point of the battle. Inside the tent set up near the central structure, a senior student with real combat experience began to explain the current situation.

It had already been four hours since the competition began. What had initially been a chaotic free-for-all was now settling into a more structured stalemate.

The last time the control of the points changed was over an hour ago. Since then, no one had been able to take over a point.

“If we push all our forces out now, we’ll be swarmed by the other teams...”

As time passed, the chaos of the command structure had settled into something more coordinated. Each team had begun to get a better read on the other’s capabilities and could now move more strategically.

With this new understanding, attempting to take another team’s domination point would draw attention from the other two teams, who would target an unguarded point.

After a close call where the Red team almost lost one of their points, the other teams were now cautious about committing too much force.

Each team currently held 3 points.

If they lost even one, they would fall behind in points.

So the tension continued to build as they waited, cautious about making the wrong move.

“How many flags do we have?”

“We have two flags worth 500 points, three worth 300 points, and six worth 100 points.”

“Hm... So, we have a total of 2,500 points... and if we multiply that by the number of points, that’s 7,500 points?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

They needed to keep in mind both the domination and flag rules.

The victory conditions for this Tower trial were simple.

Add the points from the flags each team obtained, and multiply them by the number of domination points held.

Then the final score would determine the winner.

So, they couldn’t commit all their forces to the domination points. They had to keep a small special force focused on searching for and stealing flags while still competing for domination points.

“Do we know how many flags the other teams have?”

“That’s the problem.”

Someone’s question reflected the frustration all teams were feeling.

“We know the number of domination points. There are 10 in total. But the exact number of flags hasn’t been revealed or confirmed.”

The domination points were easy to identify due to the light pillars rising from the structures.

There were ten. Though there were eleven in total, one was a special flag, so it didn’t count.

“Hmm... So we need to figure out how many flags they have...”

“Can’t give an exact estimate, but it seems like they have a similar number of flags as us.”

The issue was clear. They couldn’t get the exact number of flags, but they could estimate the total.

Based on this estimation, they likely held a similar number of flags.

Of course, there would be some small point differences.

So, were they ahead? No one was certain.

They likely had the same number of flags, and each team had three domination points, which would contribute the same to the final score.

In other words, it was a neck-and-neck race. No one was confident they would win.

There was no greater anxiety than stepping into uncertainty. People naturally want to hold onto a thick, strong rope rather than a frayed, worn-out one.

"As we were warned before, the competition time has been extended. It might even go on until tomorrow morning."

They had been informed that the Tower trial could last for a few more hours, or even until the next day, depending on how things went.

If the competition ended too quickly or stalled without progress, it would have been ended at an appropriate time.

Despite the extension news, the students didn’t complain much. They had been warned ahead of time, and receiving more of the blessing of growth was actually welcomed.

"So what should we do..."

Time was now in their favor. No more flags had been discovered, so there were no additional points to be gained.

Now, they needed to focus on finding and securing the domination points, but they were wary of revealing their full forces.

The current situation was 3:3:3.

If they launched a full assault, they would likely be overwhelmed by the other two teams and would lose any point they captured.

On the other hand, if they managed to capture just one point, they would likely win.

"..."

Those determined to win began subtly turning their attention to the windows.

Each team held three points.

But right now, another force had taken one point.

Not a massive force of 700+, but a single entity standing alone.

Through the window, they saw the Rocky Mountain, a point of interest, located at the center.

And then...

Thunderous sound...!

"Did they set that up in advance?"

“Even if they did, could they have built that in just one or two days?”

A defensive structure like a fortress completely surrounded the Rocky Mountain.

Iha-yul’s occupation of the Rocky Mountain was an enticing target for the other teams.

No one doubted his strength now, but they all knew that even the strongest had their limits.

People expend stamina. They breathe, think, move their limbs—resources that inevitably deplete.

Superhumans like Iha-yul consumed a lot of stamina, as well as mana.

No matter how strong Iha-yul was, he still had limits. Magic specialized for large-scale battles consumed a lot of mana.

Iha-yul was known for his summoning magic, but even that had limitations.

Despite this, the Rocky Mountain stood firm at the center. Surrounded by attacks from all sides, it was bound to fall eventually.

Boom! Crackle!

Aaahhh!

Under normal circumstances, it should have collapsed.

Claire, who had experienced total annihilation from Iha-yul's magic before, thought this was the inevitable outcome.

However, the magical bombardment was narrowly blocked, and as she rolled across the ground, she realized that assumption was wrong.

Boom...!

The ground trembled violently beneath her. It felt like an earthquake, as massive vibrations shook her insides.

Recognizing the familiar sensation, Claire quickly lifted her head.

The source of the tremor emerged—a massive barrier rose from the Rocky Mountain.

The colossal size and thickness of the barrier left Claire visibly stunned.

"How many of these are there?"

The freshly raised barrier had identical-sized barriers on either side. One at the front, one at the back.

This thick wall had surrounded the Rocky Mountain like a fortress, with multiple layers of barriers.

It wasn’t surprising, though. Superhumans like Iha-yul, with such immense mana control, could certainly perform such feats.

Whooo...

But the reason the barrier was so unsettling wasn’t just its size.

The black barrier was etched with intricate light patterns. Mana flowed through the surface, revealing the inner workings of the magic. The barrier had absorbed the "combat" spell’s effects.

When the work was completed, the barrier was now an integral part of the defenses.

“Stop cheating!”

Lin Xin, who had also been obliterated by Iha-yul’s magic, screamed, filled with disbelief and frustration.

"Who’s controlling this combat spell?! If they could extend it like that, the frontlines wouldn’t have been such a nightmare!”

The speed with which the combat spell was evolving was unimaginable, even for a mage recognized by the Magic Council.

Tap!

The magic etched into the barrier activated.

The spell applied to the completed formation was one designed to repel intruders.

Light spheres shot toward the sky as Claire and Lin Xin’s faces turned pale.

Boom! The light spheres shattered into dozens of pieces.

“Ahhh!”

The students of Claire’s group screamed and raised their defensive shields. They had all experienced complete annihilation from this magic.

Energy shields, magic, summoning, special abilities...

Hundreds of magical projectiles poured down on them, overwhelming their defenses.

“Here it comes again! Defense!”

"Damn it! It just broke! Wait—!"

“Don’t go ahead! If you go too far, you’ll get targeted!”

This scene unfolded all around the Rocky Mountain.

The three forces engaged in a tense standoff, while they subtly moved their remaining forces toward the Rocky Mountain.

The enemy was just one person. If they wore him down, he would eventually collapse.

And when the time came, they would take the Rocky Mountain.

Even if the enemy was just one first-year student, it would be humiliating for hundreds of soldiers to fail at breaching a single point guarded by one person.

“Damn! Here it comes again!”

But contrary to expectations, hours passed, and Iha-yul showed no signs of tiring.

Boom...!

"This is insane...”

Even when his mana was drained, Iha-yul showed no sign of slowing down. He reinforced the barrier, modified the combat formations, and expanded the range, relentlessly pouring magic at the approaching enemies.

There seemed to be no limit to his endurance. He showed no signs of exhaustion. In fact, his relentless supply of resources made the situation even more frustrating for his opponents.

"Now! Charge right in!"

But it wasn’t all one-sided. Despite the overwhelming barrage of magic, other teams, busy fighting for their domination points, slowly began to shift their focus toward taking down Iha-yul’s position.

Dozens of skilled students, after a barrage of attacks, quickly moved to the front lines.

With the remaining strength of the barrier, the magic it released was quickly broken through by the leading students, who used their own unique abilities to overcome it.

Most of them were adept at defense. They used massive shields and enhanced them with their energy to absorb the magic's blasts.

“Ugh...!”

These were all mid-tier magic spells. But still, it was the kind of magic that required some preparation to cast. But the way it was being unleashed was absolutely chaotic.

“They’ve broken through...!”

They had finally reached the outermost barrier. It was just the first of many layers, but they didn’t give up.

They knew that pushing further would eventually make the entire defense collapse, and if they could keep pressing forward, the hole would inevitably widen.

Boom!

Just as they had hoped, a barrier in front of them suddenly rose.

It wasn’t that the wall grew taller, but rather, a passageway was created.

Could it be that Iha-yul was opening the door for them? One of the students blinked, confused by the unexpected development.

As the dust settled, several things became clear.

Clank! Clank!

Giant golems made of rock and metal, clad in thick armor, appeared.

Growl...

Hundreds of summoned creatures, acting as shields, stood in front.

Whoosh...Heh heh heh...

Behind them, dozens of mid-tier elemental spirits, each strong enough to fight high-level monsters, flew into the air, their strength easily surpassing the regular monsters.

“This is ridiculous...”

“Isn’t this the Demon King’s fortress or something?”

“Demon King’s fortress, my ass...”

The students nearby, holding shields, nodded involuntarily at the absurdity.

And within themselves, they had a different thought.

‘Instead of trying to capture this, shouldn’t we focus on making sure they can’t get out?’

Hundreds of soldiers poured forth.

[Player Buff System: Exploration]

[Sub-quest "Birth Festival: Tower Entry" Completed]

[Sub-quest "1st Domination Point - Rocky Mountain" Completed]

[Sub-quest "Special Flag Ownership" Completed]

...

[Sub-quest "Master of Defense" Completed]

[Sub-quest "Impenetrable" Completed]

[Sub-quest "Demon King?"]

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[Points are accumulating]

...

[The Master of Knowledge Tower nods proudly]

[You’ve learned well]

[The Master of Tuning Tower shrugs]

[Ah, yes~ well done]