Dragon Heart (4)
I headed northwest.
It was a direction leading away from the center of this field.
"Mr. Frondier, is it okay to go this way?"
"Huh?"
Aten spoke up from beside me.
"From what I know, there's supposed to be a boss in the center of this field."
"Yeah, that's right."
This practical test awards points for subduing magical beasts.
Of course, the points awarded vary from beast to beast.
Stronger and higher-ranked beasts yield more points than weaker ones, and small, fast creatures that primarily flee also have their own high point values.
And then there's one with exceptionally high points.
Catching just one of those is enough to guarantee first place, so to speak.
That would be the field boss.
"Shouldn't we head to the center if we're aiming for the field boss...?"
Aten's doubt was natural.
I nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. But we're not going to aim for it."
"Excuse me?"
The field boss is beyond my specs.
From what I remember, it's called 'Trunkus,' a monster you could think of as an enormous stag beetle.
It flies around, bites, and charges with its body in a rather simple manner.
However, its simple specs are so powerful that there's nothing I can do about it.
I could manage it using 'Gram,' but there are likely many students challenging Trunkus, meaning there would be many onlookers, and I'm not yet able to freely use Gram due to my mana capacity not being large enough.
"Let's target the monsters on the outskirts while other students are distracted by the field boss."
Soon, the center of the field will become a chaotic battleground.
Those employing a direct approach to tackle the boss, those focusing on subduing the monsters around for safety, the hyenas hiding and watching eagerly to steal the boss's location, and even thieves looking to pickpocket those students.
I'm not confident I can handle that chaotic fight.
"But there are fewer monsters on the outskirts."
"It's fine."
All because of me.
We took advantage of the gap while the everyone’s Atention was on the boss and took out the monsters on the outskirts.
And when I had acquired a substantial amount of material, I stopped walking.
"The operation went well. I'll be able to get good grades without any problems at this rate."
"......"
"Frondier-ssi?"
I could hear Aten's voice, but I was preoccupied with something ominous.
"......It's too empty."
"Too empty? I think we've collected enough materials."
"I'm not talking about the monsters, I'm talking about people."
This is the outskirts of the field.
Originally, there's nothing to say about that, but there's an eerie feeling hovering around the place.
Aten said.
"Frondier-ssi just said it a while ago. Everyone's Atention would be on the field boss."
"Yeah, but I thought there would be students who thought similarly to me."
I didn't think I'd be able to hunt monsters without any interference.
This kind of thinking is possible for anyone.
However, after coming to the outskirts, I haven't seen any students.
Is this really just a coincidence?
Did all the students really head to the center and none of the students who came here?
I glanced around for a moment.
I spotted a drone diligently filming this place nearby.
...Should I try using that to fly it up high and check out the situation?
It won't work if it's just Weaving, but maybe it'll work if I use Obsidian.
I put the drone in the workshop.
[Copy of Constel's Manufactured Filming Drone]
- A fake drone imitating the appearance of Constel's video drone.
- Doesn't have a video function because it's a fake.
"......What?"
As soon as I saw it, a cold feeling ran through my body.
"......Aten."
"Yes?"
"Be on the lookout."
Aten paused as if to say something in response to my words, then straightened up and surveyed the surroundings.
Seeing my expression, she must have decided to hold her tongue.
I appreciated that consideration.
‘Was it fake from the beginning? No, that can't be.’
It would have been discovered immediately.
After all, Aten is right beside me.
If the drone capturing Aten didn't show up on the screen, it would be immediately noticeable.
That means, after the game started, and the Atention was on the field boss, a drone was switched out without my knowledge.
A drone this close to me was switched, and I didn't even notice.
...A foe of a different caliber.
I made a decision.
"Menosorpo."
With that word, I spread out a rune.
Better to fortify my defenses while the enemy has yet to reveal themselves.
Within the domain of Menosorpo, all coordinates are mine.
Meaning, if the enemy is inside, I can immediately detect them.
"Frondier, what are you-"
"Shh."
I brought a finger to my lips.
This should convey the seriousness to Aten as well.
However,
I worried whether my voice shook, or if Aten noticed.
‘...What is this monster.’
I broke out into a cold sweat the moment I spread it out.
The enemy is already within the domain.
And not far away.
The intensity of its presence is enough to scratch at my skin.
Such a tremendous pressure that the boss of this field seems laughable in comparison.
The location is-
"What's that."
Suddenly, a voice cuts through.
Aten, surprised, turned towards the direction of the voice.
Aten was rarely taken aback.
The enemy is close enough for their voice to be heard.
Meaning we hadn't realized it until just now.
"Could it be that I've been discovered?"
Through the darkness with a carefree voice,
A man revealed himself.
...Gray hair, a rough beard.
A muscular body and a massive greatsword that matched it.
With that, the man approached us, carrying it on his shoulder.
I was frozen, watching him.
I know who he is.
That he's a named character and a villain.
That the current me stands no chance against him no matter what I do.
─The Glutton of Chaos, Renzo.
The man who is ranked among the strongest of the human villains stands before me.
"I never thought I'd get caught. Man, you've got a good instinct. I may not know what this rune is, but you've got good judgment to set it up here."
