When Sean regained consciousness, he found himself pinned beneath a pile of rubble. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the debris aside. Staggering to his feet, he clutched his side, realizing he had a puncture wound there, probably from a sword. He glanced around. Dust filled the air, and the sound of groans, coughing, and distant clashes reached his ears. A minute… Did I black out for that long?

  The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. The wall was gone—obliterated—and with it, their primary line of defense. Through the gaping breach, the undead army marched forward, being led by the undead knight at the forefront. Their empty eye sockets were locking on the breathing defenders, who scrambled to form a desperate resistance. This fight was far from over.

  Sean glanced at his remaining health.

  HP: 45%

  Although the pain shielding made him feel only mildly uncomfortable, moving his body was becoming difficult. Blood trickled down his temple, like a nonstop fountain. As he searched for his party members, a voice called out for him.

  “Hey, you okay?” Chicken clapped Sean on the shoulder, his own injuries looking not much better.

  “Where are the others?” Sean asked.

  “Uh…” Chicken hesitated, then pointed toward the fray. “Patrick and Scarlet are both missing. It’s just you, me, and Butterfly over there.”

  Butterfly was still ferociously fighting the undead like a total beast, destroying every single one with a single punch. But clearly, even a player like her wouldn’t be able to stop an oncoming train alone.

  Goddammit! Was this going to be the end of the academy and, by extension, the server they were playing on?

  As desperation clouded every player’s heart, an unfamiliar sound cut through the cacophony—a rhythmic, metallic clanging. From the forest behind the undead army, hundreds of mechanical golems emerged. They stomped into the fray, their weaponized limbs smashing and cleaving through the undead ranks ruthlessly.

  Then, swarms of Lesser Hiveborne Arachnids came into view. Once enemies of the players who had also invaded the academy, these creatures now joined the fight against the undead. At their helm was a queen spider, eerily similar to the one that had wreaked havoc on the players in the past but smaller. Her children tore into the undead with razor-sharp legs and venomous fangs, dismantling their ranks with startling precision.

  “What the heck is going on?!” a player shouted in disbelief.

  “Where are these forces coming from?”

  “Is this the game’s way of helping us players?”

  “Who cares why? What’s important is that reinforcement is here!”

  The players exchanged incredulous looks as they watched the unexpected forces cull through the undead army alarmingly fast. The mechanical golems and the spider monsters worked in tandem, cutting down the undead in their path. Slowly, the tide began to turn. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, hope flickered in the hearts of the defenders.

  Yet, even amidst this newfound optimism, they couldn’t forget the undead knight. Its overwhelming power was insane, and none of the reinforcements—neither the mechanical golems nor the queen spider and her brood—could match its terrifying might. A single strike from its greatsword could obliterate them all. So, how could they possibly defeat such a foe?

  And then, as if in answer, a figure strode through the chaos, clad in a Magus robe. The stranger had a long white beard and a weathered face, exuding an aura of authority and wisdom. In one hand, he carried a scepter that radiated faint magic power.

  “Is that the headmaster?” Chicken asked, squinting through the haze of dust and smoke.

  “No,” Sean said, shaking his head. “He looks much older—like a sage or some kind of legendary magician.”

  All eyes turned to the enigmatic figure as he calmly advanced and stood before the undead knight with measured steps and a confident posture.

  This was definitely the cutscene to the climax of the undead army’s invasion.

  ***

  Roland stood amidst the chaos of the battlefield, his hand tightening around the amber scepter he carried. The acrid stench of decay filled his nostrils, but he didn’t bother as his gaze remained locked on the Death Knight. He knew that this was no ordinary foe—it was a monstrous challenge even for a seasoned fifth-sigil Elemental Adept Magus like himself.

  He sighed. If not for the contract, forcing these old bones to face such a foe without the support of a Magus tower was asking too much.

  The Death Knight’s hollow, glowing eyes met his, its greatsword raised in a silent challenge. It acknowledged him as a worthy opponent. Roland exhaled slowly, focusing his mind. The sigils on the back of his hands flared to life, crackling with energy. Overhead, the sky darkened as a thunderstorm began to gather, summoned by his will. Clouds churned and roared, their flashing streaks of lightning casting eerie shadows over the battlefield.

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  “You are an abomination,” Roland declared in a steady and cold voice. “Your existence shall end here.”

  With a thump of his scepter against the ground, the earth trembled. A massive golem erupted from the soil beneath him, towering ten meters tall. Its hulking form, made of solid rock and compacted earth, moved like an extension of his will. The golem’s hollow chest opened into a protective chamber, which Roland stepped inside of. It then closed around him, leaving his upper body exposed as his limbs took control of the behemoth.

  He planned to go all out, for he knew that simply keeping the Death Knight busy would take everything he had. There was no room for hesitation!

  The Death Knight responded in kind. With a guttural growl, it surged forward with inhuman speed, its greatsword slicing through the air in a deadly arc. Roland reacted instantly, commanding the golem to intercept. The massive construct’s arm swung upward, meeting the cursed blade in a thunderous clash.

  Boom!

  The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, shaking the ground and forcing nearby undead creatures, magical beasts, mechanical golems, and acolytes to stumble.

  Roland retaliated with a sigil-powered spell. “{Skycloud Vajra}!” he chanted. A bolt of vibrant blue lightning tore down from the storm clouds, striking the Death Knight squarely. The creature staggered, its armor sizzling with electricity, but it remained standing, unyielding.

  “So, you are as durable as the legends claim,” Roland muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Good. You can become my experiment subject. Let’s see how you handle this.”

  The golem then swung its massive fist in a crushing blow, forcing the Death Knight to leap back. Roland followed up with another spell, weaving runes in the air that glowed with a fierce Geo-elemental energy.

  “{Stone Edge}!” A series of jagged spires erupted from the ground, aiming to pin the Death Knight in place.

  “GRRAAH!!” The Death Knight countered with a dark energy slash from its greatsword, shattering the rock spires into rubble with alarming ease.

  Despite the Death Knight’s resistance, Roland remained calm. He understood his role wasn’t to defeat the Death Knight but merely to occupy its attention and buy time for the others. Even as a fifth-sigil Elemental Adept Magus, bolstered by the life-extension elixir that had restored much of his former power, he knew his limits.

  Defeating the Death Knight outright was beyond him. A pragmatic man by nature, Roland only accepted this quest as it was a request from Victor. After all, he didn’t have the confidence to defeat it. But this wasn’t about confidence—it was about principle.

  This was his oath as a Magus: to repay those who had saved him, no matter the cost. And so, he stood resolute, ready to endure the impossible for the sake of his savior.

  ***

  While chaos reigned on the academy grounds, the traffic on the forum reached an all-time high. Players who had been killed in the invasion flooded in, venting their frustrations, sharing their experiences, and uploading footage of the battle. Curious outsiders and those still on the waitlist added to the frenzy, captivated by the sheer scale of the event unfolding in the game.

  The battle against the undead army had eclipsed anything seen in prior invasions, sparking a frenzy of discussion. Many netizens expressed concerns about the possibility of the academy losing, which in turn would result in a server reset.

  Still, the innovative and eye-catching strategies being employed—creative traps, luring magical beasts, magic cannons, and more—captivated the online audience. Streams of the ongoing battle were flooded with enthusiastic viewers, many of whom couldn’t get enough of the action.

  BunnyFam: “Oh my god! Who would’ve thought luring magical beasts could be so effective? Watching those Dreadbeak Birds tear through the undead while magical beasts chased them was chef’s kiss perfection!”

  MariaC: “If a conservationist heard that, they’d probably faint. Those poor creatures were forced into battle! ??”

  GladiusZone: “What poor creatures? They’re walking murder machines! Try giving one a head pat and see how long you keep your hand.”

  Viper Moon: “But you’ve gotta admit, it’s genius. It’s like the players unlocked the wild card strategy of the century!”

  HaruHiro: “Forget your ‘brilliant’ strategies! Can someone explain how I died to our own magic cannon?! Like, forget the undead—I was just trying to run into battle, and then BOOM! I died just like that, damn it! щ(oДoщ)”

  Starsfall: “Lol, are you a noob? Any seasoned player knows to duck and stay out of the cannon’s line of fire. The cannon firing squad is a refined operation, tyvm.”

  Aphrodite96: “Haha! Friendly fire, my dude. Consider it the price of innovation!”

  HaruHiro: “Hey! YOU’RE the one who invented the magic cannons! Just wait till I respawn—I’m coming for you! [VengeanceIsMine.jpg]”

  Zylvern: “But seriously, who thought it was a good idea to let players operate the cannons? Half the deaths are us killing ourselves!”

  SirLaughsALot: “Don’t forget the people who set up the explosion and the fire traps. Pretty sure one of them ended up burning himself to death.”

  SonOfKratos: “Pyromania and magic: the ultimate combo. 10/10, would burn the undead and myself again.”

  SirLaughsALot: “I’m just waiting for the devs to add an achievement for ‘Most Creative Accidental Suicide.’ Half of us would qualify at this point.”

  HaruHiro: “Don’t joke about that. I’ll probably win it. ??”

  Viper Moon: “Don’t worry, Haru, you’ll die with honor next time. Probably. Maybe. Okay, no promises.”

  Amidst this serious discussion, another thread discussed the sudden appearance of an unknown Magus who was locked in a battle against the Death Knight.

  Squadzell: “Speaking of which, did anyone see that old Magus go full beast mode against the Death Knight? I wonder if he’s a new professor at the academy or just the game’s version of Gandalf on steroids.”

  Gigglebelly Grumblefart: “Let’s not talk about old men unless you’re into that. The real discussion is about the queen spider! Who knew an army of arachnids and their queen would swoop in to save the day? Terrifying and awesome.”

  NuclearCode: “Hehe. Although I didn’t last until I saw the queen spider in action, it’s good to see that another one has emerged. I really like its character design, if you know what I mean. (?° ?? ?°)”

  ButaYaarou: “I agree! She’s got this eerie elegance to her, like Lolth or Quelaag—but even more badass!”

  Pendagronias: “Eerie elegance? Dude, she’s got fangs that could rip through steel and a look that screams ‘Touch me, and you’re dead.’”

  ButaYaarou: “Exactly! That’s what makes her elegant. You don’t mess with her!”

  SirLaughsALot: “Why do I feel like the discussion is always off-tangent with you people?”

  Despite all of this, players couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the unexpected turn of events. The golems and arachnids were turning the tide of battle. This gave the players and onlookers alike hope and fueled their determination to see the academy come out victorious.

  Unbeknownst to them, every aspect of this extraordinary development had been orchestrated by none other than Victor—the game’s promotional manager as well as the headmaster.