Conqueror of the 20th Floor
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"Is it okay if you're not prepared, senior?"
I looked up from my research as Lucia asked me that question.
It had been about a week since the mid-term evaluations had begun. In the meantime, the evaluations for other subjects had already finished, and I was expecting to receive a decent score this time as well.
Lucia was probably asking about the joint evaluation with the Knight Academy – the Tower of Modras.
"Uh, I've studied all the strategies."
"Well, if studying strategies was all it took to climb, then anyone could have climbed it."
I couldn't argue with that statement.
And truth be told, saying that I had studied the strategies would be a lie, so I hesitated to answer.
"Even Senior Dianne hasn't been coming lately because of that. It's weird to see you so laid-back when our other seniors are not."
"Your point is valid, but getting anxious won't change anything. I'll just do my best when the time comes."
Dianne was in the 88th team, right in front of me, due to the division of teams in sets of 10.
And she was about to go in soon.
"But let's go watch Senior Dianne climbing."
"Just a moment."
I checked my tablet.
I could see that teams 71 to 80 were mostly done, except for one team, from what I could tell.
"Alright, let's go."
I was curious as well.
The current Dianne had achieved overwhelming growth compared to any other time.
I wondered how far she would be able to climb.
'She can't possibly reach the end.'
If she did, she would completely seize the Hidden Piece.
I started to feel a bit uneasy.
For reference, the 1st-year trio finished the evaluation with respectable scores.
The one who reached the highest floor was, unsurprisingly, Louis Artman, who climbed up to the 15th floor.
And that was no small feat.
The 10th floor was known as the Demon's Territory – a sort of boss floor.
Most participants faced elimination around the 10th floor, but even if they managed to pass that, the difficulty spiked dramatically in increments of 10 floors after that, making it incredibly challenging to advance step by step.
'The highest record in Academy history is the 24th floor.'
The 20th floor was not the Demon's Territory but rather the Celestial Realm.
There were a few individuals in the history of the academy who had reached the 20th floor, but only one had conquered it. That one person had astonishingly hurdled all the way to the 24th floor in a single attempt.
He was the monster known as Maximen Kronel.
He was one of the Aura Masters, and even among them, he was at the top of the ranks in terms of strength.
Graduating from the Rodren Academy, he was currently in his 60s. As expected of an Aura Master, he had an eccentric personality, ignoring the honors bestowed by the Empire and roaming freely as he pleased.
'If Master is like a hermit, then Maximen is a living disaster.'
Anyway, even he had reached his limit at the 24th floor.
Of course, each student had the opportunity to challenge the Tower of Modras only once in their 1st and 4th years. By the time Louis became a 4th-year student, he might have had a chance to surpass Maximen's record.
"Assuming he has grown properly..."
Before Louis graduates, I need to give him a sense of direction.
I left the research room with Lucia and headed towards the direction of the Tower of Modras.
The vicinity of the Tower of Modras was already bustling with activity, even though it wasn't the grade's turn to watch the evaluations.
"Senior Dianne!"
Lucia spotted Dianne in the distance and rushed over.
Dianne, who was waiting, greeted Lucia with a smile.
"Lucia, you came to watch?"
"Yes, I came to see, senior."
She seemed even more enthusiastic now than when she was facing me.
Feeling a bit bitter about that, I said to Dianne:
"Next in line?"
"Yeah, I'm waiting in anticipation. I'm going to break a record."
"Sure, I'll be looking forward to it."
"Remember our bet?"
I smiled and nodded at Dianne, who looked at me with a slightly pleased expression.
"Of course."
"I hope you're ready to grant my wish."
"I won't be losing, so don't worry. I'll be nervous though."
At that moment, I saw the last remaining student in the Tower of Modras getting eliminated.
The assistants who had been waiting immediately called up the teams that were waiting for their turn.
"Teams 81 to 90, please enter."
Upon hearing their call, Dianne waved at Lucia and me, then entered the Tower of Modras. Lucia cheered for her as she entered, clenching her fist.
"Lucia, did you hear about the bet between Dianne and me?"
"Yes! So, I hope Senior Dianne does better."
I don't have anyone on my side, I don't have anyone.
Even if I try my best, it's all useless.
Stopping these pointless thoughts, I focused on observing Dianne through the screen.
It seemed like she had planned ahead, as the knight apprentices, along with other mages, surrounded her in a circle.
This was the most common formation.
These formations could also be learned at the academy.
"Wow!"
"I didn't even imagine this!"
The first floor was a simple one to break through, filled with traps.
However, the positions and types of traps changed each time.
Dianne cast space-distortion magic around her, connecting it to the knight apprentices surrounding her.
As a result, a round-shaped barrier formed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The traps were triggered, and arrows rained down.
However, the incoming arrows passed right through the students in front, hitting those at the back.
As long as it was limited to the traps that shot projectiles, this strategy was extremely effective.
Of course, the traps were not limited to projectile-based ones, but Dianne had already analyzed the space using spatial magic to move forward.
'Kind of like a cheat code.'
The traps posed no threat to Dianne.
The challenge for her would likely be the floors with monsters that needed to be defeated to proceed.
But being the tournament winner, Dianne's combat prowess was overwhelming.
"She's already on the 2nd floor!"
"Hey, isn't this a new record?"
Advancing to the 2nd floor, she swiftly navigated through the intertwined maze-like floor and effortlessly killed the goblins that sprung out.
Her speed was so astonishing that it could be described as overwhelming.
"3rd floor!"
"Other teams are still on the 1st floor!"
Cheers and amazement mixed with astonishment echoed around me.
Perhaps this could be the moment when a new chapter of the academy's history was being written, so these reactions were only natural.
"Senior, are you okay?"
Suddenly, Lucia looked worried.
Although she had been cheering for Dianne earlier, it seemed that now that she thought I might lose, she was getting concerned.
"Why are you worried?"
"It's not that... I just thought that Senior would definitely win, but seeing you so calm..."
"I will win."
I might be slower than Dianne.
However, the bet was about who would climb higher.
Unless Dianne managed to reach the 30th floor, I was confident I would win.
'There must be at least one floor where you can't proceed without knowing the gimmick. Maybe Maximen couldn't go any further because of that gimmick, even after reaching the 24th floor.'
Smirking, I looked at Lucia, and she grinned in response.
.
.
.
.
The midterm evaluation had been ongoing for 11 days now.
As soon as the classes ended, Louis Artman headed to the Modras Tower.
Accompanying him was Serena, who hadn't been around for a while.
"Is it the fourth day?"
"It's the fourth day today."
It had been three days since Dianne Alben entered the Modras Tower.
During that time, all her team members had been eliminated, leaving her alone in the tower.
"Today she's finally going to reach the 20th floor."
"Yeah, but can Senior Dianne reach the 20th floor?"
All those prominent figures who had been students of Rodren Academy and had fallen on the 20th floor were now the center of attention.
"Even reaching the 20th floor is remarkable."
"Indeed, you could say that as the winner of the tournament."
As someone who had only reached the 15th floor, he couldn't help but see Dianne's ascent to the 20th floor as something impressive. Having experienced the floors above the 10th level, the number 20 had a clear impact.
"Once Senior Dianne finishes, it's Senior Adrias' turn. Even though Senior Adrias is amazing, I doubt he can break Senior Dianne's record."
In response to Serena's question, Louis maintained his silence.
Frankly, he didn't think Adrias could surpass Dianne's performance. However, he couldn't be certain.
This was because Adrias was a dual-class user, skilled in both magic and swordsmanship, which introduced an element of unpredictability.
"Let's wait and see."
"By now I understand how amazing Senior Adrias is. I've faced him in a duel, so I can't be unaware. But no matter how amazing he is, can he reach the 20th floor?"
As we talked, the train had arrived near the Modras Tower.
Stepping off the train, we saw an enormous crowd gathered near the tower.
"There are not just students."
As Serena noted, it wasn't only students present; professors, heads of various departments, and even famous external figures had gathered, all observing the screen that had been magnified using magic for everyone to see.
"Wow!"
"She did it! She did it!"
Suddenly, a tremendous roar of cheers erupted, causing Louis and Serena to turn to each other and then rush to check the screen.
"Oh..."
On the screen was Dianne Alben, who had defeated the 20th-floor boss with an exhausted appearance.
After Maximen, it had been a remarkable 42 years since someone had successfully passed the 20th floor—a remarkable feat for a magician.
The area near the Modras Tower became a boiling pot of cheers and astonishment. Even the external attendees who had come to watch were struck with awe.
"We salute you, Lord of the Magic Tower!"
"This is truly amazing! The mage of the century has been born!"
"Hmph, this is nothing for Dianne."
Countless congratulatory messages were directed at Bart Alben, who happened to be present.
Bart retorted with a nonchalant tone, but his upward-twitching lips gave him away.
Unfortunately, Dianne's journey ended on the 21st floor.
As the 20th floor was a boss stage, it could be argued that the 21st floor was more challenging. Having already expended all her strength on the previous floor, Dianne was eliminated on the 21st floor without much resistance.
"Wow!"
"Dianne! Dianne!"
Yet, none of the assembled individuals expressed disappointment at seeing Dianne exit the tower.
Dianne Alben had already succeeded in making history by reaching the 20th floor.
"Student Dianne Alben! Please share a few words."
"First 20th-floor passer in over 40 years! And the first from the School of Magic!"
Among the external attendees, there were reporters from newspapers, and they seemed zealous to gather interviews.
As Dianne emerged from the tower, she seemed somewhat taken aback by the large crowd waiting for her. She stared blankly for a moment at the scene before turning her gaze in a particular direction.
When she did, everyone gathered around shifted their attention in that direction as well. There, the next waiting group was standing.
Dianne ignored the questions directed at her and walked steadily toward a certain individual. She came to a stop in front of that person.
"Adrias Cromwell."
Click! Click!
The sound of cameras taking photos accompanied the sight of Dianne and Adrias facing each other, locking eyes.
"Sorry, but it seems I won again this time."
Dianne's provoking words caused a stir among the onlookers.
Through her words, one could infer why Dianne had approached Adrias.
Adrias looked at her with an expressionless face, then smiled faintly.
"Well done, Dianne."
"Are you admitting defeat?"
"Dianne."
Adrias calmly called her name and then, slowly opening his mouth, declared:
"I will conquer the Modras Tower."
A moment of silence swept through the surroundings.
The atmosphere turned chilly due to the absurdity of his statement.
However, Adrias wasn't finished.
"This is merely a passing process. We should aim for the real goal."
By "real goal," he meant the "Tower" situated within the palace.
His extremely ambitious words quickened the pace of the reporters jotting down his words.
"Dianne Alben, this time the victory shall be mine."