The Protagonist Already Knows

Chapter 42: Day 4

Stepping outside the chapel as the fresh morning air rushed through my torn clothes, I watched as two familiar faces approached me.

Seeing me, Evangel nodded her head before entering the chapel with Haerin.

The courtyard was relatively empty, only a few students crowded around a pot that leaked the disgusting scent of fish.

Today was the day, huh?

The start of the siege.

Over the past two days, Ren had led countless groups of students to attack, already stealing about five golden balls and damaging countless fortresses

Our fortress was undoubtedly in first place, with no damage due to Leon and his group’s protection.

Stretching my hands, I entered the castle keep and ascended to the third floor, walking across the skybridge and toward the rightmost watchtower.

Peering over the ledge and past the lake surrounding the island, I smiled as over 200 blurry figures emerged from the fortress.

Under the early morning sun, they gathered in a circle like some sort of cult, beginning to draw in the sand.

Seeing them start infusing the magic formation with mana, I couldn’t help but wish I had taken a dip in the lake earlier.

But, alas, unless I wanted to drown, it was too late.

*BANG*

In the next moment, a light-blue ball of light shot up into the sky like a rocket before descending and falling into the lake.

*SPLASH*

As the light-blue ball sank into the lake, it seemed to disintegrate, as countless light-blue sparks spread across the lake’s surface, making it seem as if the lake were on fire.

Within a minute, countless sparks danced atop the entire lake’s surface, and beneath me, I could already hear shouts as the barrack’s doors slammed open.

"DOES ANYONE FEEL THAT?"

"T-there’s so much mana around!?"

In the next moment, as countless students crowded into the castle courtyard and peered through the closed portcullis, the lake...froze.

The entire lake froze over, its surface becoming completely covered with ice.

"..."

Before anyone could even react, even more students emerged from the forest and sprinted onto the now ice-covered lake, approaching our fortress at an incredible speed.

"ATTACK!"

"ATTACK!"

As I slipped back into the courtyard, countless students, led by Ren and Haerin, raced up to the walls with their bows while everyone else sprinted through the now-open portcullis and onto the ice-covered lake.

Raising his spear, Leon screamed out.

"BREAK THE ICE!"

Instantly, tens of weapons shot downward at the ice covering the lake; however, as if it were made of obsidian, the ice didn’t even crack.

It was the sword blades and spears that cracked instead.

Clicking his tongue from atop the fortress’s walls as more weapons were destroyed, Ren yelled.

"Stop!"

However, at that moment, the hundreds of students racing toward us on the ice lake suddenly halted, creating a semicircle around our island.

Stepping within that semicircle, Han Li smiled and waved at Ren atop the fortress walls.

"Before we attack, our alliance would like to propose something."

"Let us attack your fortress a tiny bit, just enough so that your advisory is still within the top 10."

"And then w-"

Before Han Li could finish his sentence, Leon, who was standing at the forefront of our advisory on the ice lake, smirked.

"Fight us."

Sighing, Han Li simply raised his sword.

"I thought so."

As those words echoed throughout the ice lake, everyone paused for a moment, awaiting the first attack.

But...it never came.

Turning around and re-joining the semi-circle of over 500 students surrounding the island, Han Li simply said.

"We’ll wait."

"Of course, that is, unless you’d like to attack first."

Gazing at the about 75% of all first-years gathered on the lake, I couldn’t help but pause for a moment.

The exam would automatically end once over 50% of first-years were eliminated, meaning it could end right now.

However, if things continued, the final fight would take place tomorrow, when the Dregs had already set their trap.

No. I couldn’t.

If I messed up their trap this time, the Dregs could create another one in the future that I would have no prior knowledge of.

Thus, I remained silent and stood on the frozen ice lake with my advisory, gazing at the over 700 students surrounding us.

However, at that moment, a voice suddenly shot out from beside me.

"You have something to say?"

Gazing at the white-haired girl beside me, I simply smiled and curiously asked.

"What?"

Raising her eyebrows, Lily looked up at me and answered.

"You had that same face before you told me my invention was wrong. I remember it quite well."

Masking my chuckle with a cough, I glanced away, only to find Evangel and Haerin to my left, both gazing at Lily and I.

Glancing at me, her eyebrows raised, Haerin paused before glancing at me, forcing me to look down to avoid her fiery gaze.

"He doesn’t seem like the genius type. He seriously caught your mistake, Lily?"

Clicking her tongue, Lily simply ignored Haerin and looked away.

...

...

...

*WHOOSH*

After another ten minutes of this tense standoff, an arrow shot forward at our fortress, but before it could even reach its apex, two arrows from Ren and Carissa met it.

*CLANG*

The three arrows fell onto the ice lake simultaneously.

And then...it repeated.

Every so often, the alliance would fire off some spell or a barrage of arrows at our fortress, and we would have to defend it, leaving no time for rest.

As over a hundred arrows and throwing knives flew forward at our fortress from all sides, Ren and Carissa were no longer the only ones intervening.

All of us on the frozen lake spread out around our fortress, forming our own semi-circle, while parrying the various projecting attempts to damage our fortress.

It truly was annoying.

But if we attacked, our fortress would undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire of the battle, pushing us down the rankings.

At that moment...a sudden voice resounded in my head.

"Hey, Ash!"