Chapter 28: Overwhelming Power (3)

“Next.”

“Wooo!!!”

Following Noa Frozenheart, Gilbert stepped up.

Having been granted permission to use their personal weapons, Gilbert transformed the bracelet on his wrist into a shield.

This ridiculous guy.

And it was the first time Rohan learned that this guy’s main weapon was a large shield.

So the reason Gilbert swung a standard-issue blunt weapon during every practical class was simply because he felt like using a blunt weapon that day.

As a result, Gilbert started after receiving some harsh criticism from Juyeon almost immediately.

“Graaah!!! Shield Push!!!”

“While spirited shouts are good, I wonder if there’s a need to shout the action itself if it’s not a skill activation phrase.”

“Gorilla Down!!! Golden Spirit!!!”

“…?”

Gilbert cloaked himself in mana and charged at Juyeon like a raging bull, but the result was no different.

Even when he tried to collide with Juyeon using the combination of his shield and large build, Juyeon didn’t even budge from her spot and continued with her sharp critiques.

After 2 minutes passed…

Having used all his mana, Gilbert collapsed from exhaustion and wriggled on the floor.

And Rohan ended up being the one who had to drag him away.

“Next.”

“Instructor, I’m next.”

Next up was a character considered to be a decent A-rank Tanker in Abyss City.

Pavel Harris, the male Beastkin from Tigrova.

It seemed that Pavel Harris was stimulated by Gilbert’s shouts and reckless actions.

And although Rohan had never raised him, he was a cadet who received the evaluation of ‘Good enough for a second party in a pinch if you max out Transcendence’ in the Community.

Just like Gilbert, he too received similar critiques from Juyeon for 2 minutes.

After a few more went, Dick Wikitree took his turn in the middle of the lineup.

“Act more boldly, without hesitation. The Instructor won’t get hurt if you poke her with a spear.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

“If your hesitation shows in your attacks and you fail to display your true skills, then the critiques are meaningless.”

As Dick returned to his seat with his spear after being scolded by Juyeon, Ichinose Yui, who had finished meditating, rose from her seat.

“I will go next.”

The girl grasped her beloved sword, Yoru, and stepped forward.

All the cadets of Class 1, including Noa, watched with interest.

Tap. Tap.

Ichinose took graceful steps and stood directly in front of Juyeon.

Juyeon gave her the same instructions as the other cadets.

“Same as before, 2 minutes starting from your first attack.”

“Yes.”

Click! Ichinose gripped the hilt and lowered her stance.

As the girl mobilized all her developed senses, her spread-out senses struggled to find an effective sword path.

“…”

For about 10 seconds, she remained still.

…There’s no opening.

She couldn’t find any gaps in the opponent. There were no attacks to evade or parry.

There was absolutely no path for her sword.

A completely different feeling from Father.

Against an opponent who remained so still, where should she swing her sword?

She couldn’t even imagine scratching her, let alone cutting her down.

“Ichinose Yui. Unlike Noa, you think too much.”

Sensing Ichinose’s attempt to read her stillness, Juyeon couldn’t help but smile.

Brilliant talent.

Indeed, a bright girl.

But in a situation like this, it was a poison.

Because of her exceptional ability to read her opponent, she was able to perceive the unbreakable wall more clearly than anyone else.

And now that she understood that drawing her sword and swinging it wouldn’t reach its target…

Would this girl, who pursued efficient movements, be able to draw her sword meaninglessly?

That was the key.

“The Instructor already said she wouldn’t attack, so why are you hesitating?”

“…”

Unexpectedly, Ichinose drew her sword.

Piiing—!!!

Ichinose’s blade was stopped by Juyeon’s fingers.

Even though it was caught mid-swing, a deep cut remained in the side of the gymnasium wall.

Smart.

Rohan was amazed as he watched Ichinose.

The moment she attempted her first draw, she opened her eyes.

She severed her overly sensitive nerves and turned her gaze away from the oppressive wall.

And if Juyeon had known how Ichinose’s Unique Skill worked, she might have even expressed genuine admiration.

“Your speed and mana control are truly outstanding. They easily surpass the average Academy cadet.”

Ichinose didn’t offer any thanks at the Instructor’s praise.

She loosen the grip on her blade and thrust the empty scabbard towards Juyeon’s neck.

With a satisfied smile, Juyeon blocked the scabbard with the blade she held.

“Hup!”

Using what seemed like a martial art technique for her small frame, she tried to retrieve her sword.

Unlike Noa Frozenheart, Ichinose’s attacks followed a clear system.

“If it’s this much, I suppose I should return it.”

Having successfully retrieved her blade through her struggle, Ichinose clicked it back into its scabbard.

Then, she took a unique stance.

She held her sword upright in front of her, as if in a formal ceremony, and closed her eyes.

“Oh.”

Juyeon, who had served as a general in the Three Kingdoms Union, knew what kind of swordsmanship this was.

Dream Illusion Sword Style, is it?

The same swordsmanship used by Ichinose Jun, Ichinose Yui’s father and the chairman of the Cheonocheon Company.

Juyeon wanted to praise Ichinose for using such a difficult swordsmanship.

A promising future.

A mental-type swordsmanship was always incredibly troublesome to face.

However,

The gap between Ichinose and Juyeon wasn’t something that could be bridged simply by using an incomplete sword technique.

And no matter how she swung,

No matter how much mana she poured into the illusion.

Ichinose’s current skill failed to shake Juyeon’s firm mind.

Perhaps finding the pressure of her efforts being futile too much, a single drop of sweat trickled down the girl’s jawline.

“You seem frustrated. When using that type of swordsmanship, feign composure. Never show impatience on your face.”

“Ugh!”

Ichinose, who had remained silent, let out a grunt for the first time.

Juyeon smiled warmly at the glimpse of the girl’s inexperience.

“The fact that the Instructor was familiar with that sword style made it easier for me to deal with it, so don’t be too discouraged. You were excellent.”

Ring! Ring! Ring!!!

The 2-minute alarm rang along with the praise.

“…Thank you for your guidance.”

“Yes. Go and rest.”

As the disappointed Ichinose returned, the next cadet took their turn.

Rohan still hadn’t gotten up from his seat.

“Next.”

“Yes!”

“2 minutes starting from your attack.”

“Understood!”

Rohan watched Juyeon deal with the next cadet.

Hmm.

He observed her carefully, as if his eyes would pop out.

But there were no results.

She’s a real monster.

And even though Rohan observed Juyeon until the very end, he failed to find any habits or weaknesses to exploit.

“Next.”

His turn arrived without having made any significant gains.

Holding his longsword, Rohan stood up abruptly.

“You are the last cadet.”

“That’s right.”

“2 minutes starting from your attack.”

“Yes!”

Rohan replied loudly and drew his sword.

Shwing—!

A sharp sound.

Not intending to use the scabbard, he casually tossed the empty one to the floor.

“Hooo…”

He took his stance and exhaled deeply.

Since he had time, he circulated his mana to strengthen his body smoothly, just as Juyeon had advised.

Blazing Blade.

Rohan’s mana flowed over the cold steel.

Tzzzzzzt—!

The sword began to glow red, emitting heat as the sound of heat rose from the blade.

“…!”

Juyeon’s eyes opened wide as she watched Rohan’s preparation.

A clear emotion was displayed. Beyond simple surprise, it was close to astonishment.

It was definitely an expression she hadn’t shown before, and Rohan was also taken aback.

What’s up? Is it because we have the same Attribute?

However, there was another cadet among those with the Fire Attribute who used a crossbow.

And besides, Blazing Blade wasn’t a high-ranked skill that would surprise Juyeon, nor was it a Unique Skill.

Anyway, maybe this was an opportunity.

Rohan kicked off the ground and thrust his sword.

Clack!

As expected, Juyeon caught it, seemingly unaffected by the heat generated.

I can’t pull it out.

Everyone who experienced this must have been bewildered. The sword, caught between Juyeon’s fingers, refused to budge.

It felt like a giant beast was biting down with all its might.

Rohan immediately drew the standard-issue pistol he’d hidden at his waist, and pulled the trigger right in front of Juyeon’s face.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The strong smell of gunpowder filled the air.

Having blocked all the bullets with her fingers, Juyeon simply stared at Rohan with a strange expression.

And while he was feeling puzzled, Rohan didn’t stop moving.

He tried to poke Juyeon’s eyes and stomped on her boots.

He even tried to grab Juyeon’s fingers, which were blocking his attacks, and bend them backward, but they wouldn’t budge, almost as if they weren’t flesh and blood but steel bars.

Juyeon, who had been patiently observing Rohan’s struggles, finally spoke.

“…Practical.”

A voice that sounded as if she had just woken from a dream.

Juyeon snapped out of her hazy recollection and began to focus on the class again.

“I commend your versatility. But everything besides your swordsmanship is shallow.”

Rohan had used all the standard-issue weapons he had hidden on his body, and twisted his body, utilizing all the methods he had learned in his previous life.

But none of them managed to reach Juyeon.

“If you aren’t able to imbue your projectiles with mana, a gun poses no threat to the Instructor. You should know that I didn’t even need to block them.”

An expected critique.

Rohan glanced at the clock.

Almost 2 minutes.

Rohan had been pondering in the waiting area.

What would happen if he were to use Weakness Induction on Juyeon?

I definitely don’t have enough mana.

And considering the mana consumed was in proportion to the target’s strength, the answer was rather simple.

Wouldn’t it fail because he lacked the required mana?

But it was just a guess.

So, instead of stopping at a predicted outcome, he had to try it at least once.

What would happen if he used the skill against an opponent with such a vast difference in strength?

I thought making contact itself was the problem.

Juyeon had offered herself as a target for grappling, surprisingly allowing contact quite easily.

And would there ever be a more appropriate and safe situation to test the skill?

Pretending to try and bend them back again, Rohan grabbed Juyeon’s fingers…

And channeled his mana.