I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 8: Succession Ceremony (3)

“Gasp, gasp!”

On the huge maze of the third floor of the Palace of Qualifications, Renette can be seen running along the winding path out of breath as her eyes were tinged with bewilderment. Renette was constantly looking back as if she were running away from something.

“Something is wrong.”

She felt it from the moment she arrived on the first examination floor. Hundreds of thousands of poisonous insects rushed to her as she entered and this was never the level applied to the succession ceremony. If it hadn’t been for her “assimilation” skill, which hides all signs from her opponent, she would have melted without even leaving any bones. This time, Renette became more convinced about her suspicions when she reached the next floor.

— Keueueu!

She was surprised that there were undead in the middle of the palace, but what was more surprising was the unimaginable strength of the Death Knight. As the Death Knight ran toward her with a loud voice, she can feel the knight’s great distinction and its whole body emanating with power, this made Rennette flee without even thinking of fighting.

“Kkeuaaaak!”

“It’s too strong— Argh!”

“Just what is this— Kugh!”

Then, she heard the screams of the other participants from beyond the wall of the maze.

Was the succession ceremony been like this until now?

It wasn’t, this can only mean that they intended to kill all the participants. A succession ceremony that is by no means normal. How long did she have to run to escape the Death Knight that followed her?

“Crazy!”

A bewildered word flowed from Renette’s mouth as she saw the spacious space in front of her with four death knights waiting for her in that space. No, to be precise, they were not waiting for her.

What, are they fighting?

The Death Knights, who she couldn’t even handle, were fighting against one— and that person is—

“Prince… Zion?”

It was Zion, he was dealing with the Death Knights with ominous darkness all over his body and wasn’t even being pushed back.

No, he’s not being pushed back. He’s rather winning. Just how—

Her gazes slowly fell into Zion’s movement against the Death Knights.

Jjong! Jjojojojong!

It’s not flashy, but precise and strange even. There was no meaningless movement, not even a gesture or a toe movement, the darkness just hovers around Zion as if she was watching a dance.

Kwajik, kwajijik!

Every time the darkness flowed, there was a huge effective blow to the Death Knights. It was a natural movement beyond beautiful.

I can’t see his movement at all.

It didn’t mean that the movement itself was invisible, she just couldn’t understand the principle even when she saw the movement itself just like an animal living on the ground could not know what the stars were while looking at the stars.

“He’s been hiding his skills.”

That was the only thing that made sense. Such military abilities and skills looked like he had participated on the battlefield hundreds of times which could never be made within a day or two.

I was fooled. All the people in the world, including the Imperial Castle, were deceived by that man. It was appalling that he had endured so much persecution and insult to achieve his purpose, but never revealed his strength.

Just what he has been doing until now…

When Renette is mesmerized by her misunderstandings and looks at the battle.

Even if he hits the Undead midway, they won’t die. He has to destroy it completely.

Zion was getting ready to end the battle.

The Storm.

One of the techniques under the Astral Darkness is an attack that completely erases the opponent’s buffs. A while ago, it was the Storm of Darkness that began from the tip of Zion’s toes, the storm completely blew away the energy of death that covered the Death Knights. Since then, the chance of winning has been leaning towards him, but Zion has no intention of delaying this anymore.

— I see— strong—

Zion grasped his right hand strongly as he looked at the Death Knights saying one or two words each as if they were gradually regaining their rationality.

Kwadeudeudeudeuk!

The Astral Darkness agglomerated in Zion’s fist. As if sensing the unusual power from him, the Death Knights swung their weapons at Zion simultaneously from different directions.

However, since Zion was watching all those movements with his own eyes from the beginning, he did not panic and began to respond immediately.

Huuuung!

One of the Death Knight’s halberds brushed past right above Zion’s head, who lowered his head with a big step forward. Instead of just avoiding it, he immediately penetrated the arms of Death Knight who wielded the halberd.

Kwaaang!

The attack of the other Death Knight missed by a narrow margin behind Zion and smashed the floor. As if it had experienced numerous battles when it was alive, the Death Knight immediately discards its halberd and brandishes a dagger from its waist to penetrate Zion.

Kiiiing!

The Death Knight’s dagger gathers the energy of death and creates another dagger. While looking at the dagger swinging toward him, Zion rather accelerated his movements. The moment the Death Knights approached Zion’s neck—

Tuuung!

Zion’s fist hits the dagger, the impact twisted the trajectory, slightly scratching Zion’s neck. Meanwhile, the Astral Darkness assembled at its peak on the other fist of Zion—

Kwadeudeudeuk!

It pierced through the Death Knight’s armor and chest all at once. The Astral Darkness, which burst from Zion’s fist was embedded in the Death Knight’s heart and began to eat up all the magic that existed in the Death Night. Even an undead resurrected from the dead is ultimately born by necromancy magic. Therefore, if you erase the magic that is the source of it, it would die.

Thump!

Like a lamp losing all its power supply, the Death Knight, whose light has disappeared from its eyes, lies on the ground. Then–

— To me… it was glorious… death!

Behind Zion, a Death Knight struck its sword with a speed that was incomparable to before, it’s a massive blow that can easily smash any building.

“I will accept it.”

Did he get excited or something? Until now, he would have avoided such a blow, but this time Zion did not. He reached out his hand toward the approaching attack with a small smile on his mouth.

“Da-danger…!”

The great sword was wrapped with the embodied energy of death while the other was bare hands with no energy. The scene seemed so precarious to Zion that a voice unknowingly popped out of Renette’s mouth who was hiding and watching. Zion’s hands and the sword finally collide. However, the results were completely different from Renette’s expectations.

Smash!

Zion’s hand simply smashes the sword and blows the Death Knight’s head all at once. In his hand, the Astral Darkness which held the power to deny everything was in the form of an awl1ED/N: Yes it’s an awl, it’s basically a metal shaft with a sharp point.. Zion, who smashed two Death Knights in such an instant, immediately rushed toward Death Knight with a spear.

The darkness that hung long behind Zion was a figure that was similar to a Death God.

Tuung! Kwajijijijik!

The third Death Knight also strikes its spear, but Zion simply reversed the direction of the attack, and then pierced and finished it with a single blow. The Death Knights who were hit by the same pattern were not weak yet Zion succeeded in all of the patterns without a single error.

Kwaaaang!

“Huu…”

Soon after, Zion who had destroyed the last remaining Death Knights in an instant organized his breathing and looked at Renette, who was secretly hiding.

That’s bad luck.

That woman and all the other collaterals who participated in the succession ceremony were all unlucky. All the nonsense that was going on in the Palace of Qualification was just to kill Zion. They had been involved, but he had no intention of helping because it was their choice to take part in the succession ceremony in the first place. Besides—

I have to wrap this up first.

Thinking so, Zion looked up. The ‘they’ who are watching it all somewhere want Zion to die in this Palace of Qualification that’s why Zion didn’t intend to move as they wanted. And finally—

“I’d better smash their heads too.”

The moment a small voice comes out of Zion’s mouth.

Srrk–

Zion’s body disappeared from the spot without a trace.

* * *

“Just what is this…!”

On the ninth floor of the Qualification Palace, there is a control room that can control the entire other examinations along with the test. It was the control room where Lambard, the general supervisor of the succession ceremony, was located. Numerous screens fill the walls of the control room. The screens showed the entire Palace of Qualification.

However, Lambard’s eyes were perplexed as he looked at the screen. The most important person wasn’t on the screen. No, the signal was on but the signal— Fourth floor, fifth floor, sixth floor— it was breaking through the floors at a frightening speed as it headed upwards. A speed that only makes sense when passing through the floors in a straight line. Is there an error in the mana equipment that sends the signal?

Zion Agnes, the main character of this succession ceremony and the one who must be killed at all costs.

Things are getting complicated.

What Lambard and all other supervisors had thought when Prince Zion entered the first test floor was that Prince Zion would die without even passing the first test. It was Prince Zion who had less ability than ordinary people, let alone a low-ranking knight.

Even if he was really lucky to survive, he should have died right on the second floor.

The trap they planned was originally made based on the assumption of force when the current direct royal family held a succession ceremony. However, Prince Zion destroyed all of their expectations.

I’ve never seen or heard such power.

The darkness that burns all the waves of poisonous insects. The sight of Prince Zion walking slowly spreading such darkness was overwhelming enough to give him goosebumps just by looking at it on the screen. And it was on the third floor of the test that the astonishment of all the supervisors peaked. Death Knights were made of dead bodies of knights that are so powerful that they cannot even guarantee a one-on-one victory yet Prince Zion won a perfect victory against four Death Knights all at once.

That was never the image of Zion Agnes, who was called the imprisoned prince. No, not to mention the imprisoned prince, there were no princes or princesses who ever made such a strong impression in any succession ceremony that Lambard had seen so far.

“What on earth happened? Has Agnes’ blood finally awakened? Or was he hiding his power? Then since when—”

Lambard grabbed his confused head with his hands. Everything he had planned had gone awry. If he fails, all the supervisors, including him, will fall out of ‘his’ sight. There was only one result left if that happens.

We have to do something about it. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll step up and do it! 

Lambard, who quickly organized his thoughts, asked the wizard who operated the screen in the control room.

“How far is Prince Zion’s signal?”

But there was no answer from the wizard.

“Cardo, I asked where are you? Why don’t you answer?”

It was the moment when Lambard nervously called the name of the wizard again.

“Are you talking about him?”

An unfamiliar yet familiar voice, a voice that should never be heard here. Lambard’s mouth stopped as he slowly turned his head to the side where the voice came from.

Soon–

Pop! Rolled~

The wizard’s head rolled on the floor as Lambard saw Zion grinning at him.