episode_0016

Kim Yijun frowned and let out a groan. Merely defending was his best option. Launching a counterattack in this state was akin to plucking a star from the sky.

How should he deal with this barrage of ice? Kim Yijun gritted his teeth and swung his sword once more. A golden flash exploded.

Boom!

The aftermath of the brief explosion created a momentary lull. Fearing a follow-up attack, Kim Yijun quickly regulated his breathing and gripped his sword.

First, he had to admit it. Yes, he had thought that a year of grueling training had narrowed the gap somewhat, but it seemed he still had a long way to go.

Lee Hyunjin, even in the early part of his first year—before summer vacation—had been a formidable opponent, but now he was even more so. The distance he had managed to close was dwarfed by how much wider the gap had become.

This wouldn’t do. Last year, he had also managed to wear down a significant amount of his opponent’s stamina, only to regrettably become the loser after a close battle. But what about now?

[Lee Hyunjin: 89%]

[Kim Yijun: 32%]

A blue hologram in the sky, incongruous with the volcanic landscape, numerically displayed how exhausted the two participants in the ranking match were. The result clearly showed Kim Yijun’s disadvantage.

Compared to the minute amount of stamina he had occasionally managed to chip away when his sword aura fortuitously flew in the right direction, Kim Yijun was already ragged all over.

Even if the damage taken here didn’t affect his real body…

That wasn’t what was important. All Kim Yijun wanted was for the outcome of this ranking match to be recorded as his victory.

Grind!

Kim Yijun, grinding his teeth roughly, stared even more intently at the front with wide eyes. He grasped the ice blades flying towards him, the sword aura flying in response, and even every flow of mana.

The ice blades were certainly fierce, but what he needed to pay more attention to was something else entirely: the latent attribute within all the mana Lee Hyunjin scattered in every direction.

In other words, what he needed to be most wary of was ‘cold’. A common mistake made by those facing an ice mage was to dismiss the cumulative damage from the cold as insignificant.

From an objective third-person perspective, the chilling fear of the cold scraping at one’s skin would be even more noticeable than the ice blades.

Considering this extreme environment, a volcanic region, it was an even more tremendous ability. Kim Yijun grimaced fiercely, full of futility.

There was no answer with a head-on confrontation. His specialty, powerful sword strikes, wouldn’t be given a chance to be used. Before that, he’d be trapped in an icy prison.

Then what should he do? Kim Yijun racked his brain again and again. Nothing else mattered. He needed a way to win right now, at this very moment, and no other.

Kim Yijun’s eyes became calm and cold.

The barrage of ice blades. That almost perfect net of ice, seemingly without a gap, thoroughly blocked his movements.

Was this truly what the Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap described in some wuxia novels felt like?

…Perhaps not that much. No, it surely wasn’t that much.

Kim Yijun repeated that to himself, focusing his inner strength even more on his eyes.

There was no basis. No confirmation. But it was a hunch. He only etched the fact that his opponent was a fellow academy student into his mind.

His opponent was Archmage Seol Hayeon’s beloved disciple, but he wasn’t Seol Hayeon herself, was he?

If so, there would be a gap. Even if there wasn’t, stubbornly searching for it would likely make one appear.

Lack of long experience, a slight carelessness born from gaining the upper hand, the arrogance unique to a genius.

He hoped those factors would play into his hands. It was a gamble, but now he had to approach the decisive battle with the mindset of a gambler.

It was at that very moment.

“──Ah.”

He thought he saw it, but it was such an ambiguous gap that he hesitated for a moment, lacking full confidence…

But it was definitely a gap. In other words, an opportunity.

Flash!

Kim Yijun didn’t hesitate. Even if it was a false opportunity, if he didn’t seize it, this ranking match was destined to end.

With his own defeat, no less.

Then, even if it was bait, what reason was there not to take it? He would force his body in, bite the bait, and swallow it whole.

Kim Yijun’s eyes widened. Veins clearly protruded on the back of his hand, and the arm gripping the sword swung in a large arc.

And so, an explosion occurred.

Boom! Crash!

“…!”

The barrage of ice blades was undeniably ceaseless. Even if he managed to break through in one direction, it felt like it would quickly be replaced by other summoned constructs.

That wasn’t wrong. Lee Hyunjin’s intention was precisely that. If Kim Yijun were to take a reckless gamble and attempt to escape, he intended to end the ranking match itself with an even stronger blow.

Therefore, this was merely a mistake. A common oversight, or a simple issue like a momentary lapse in control leading to a gap in follow-up attacks.

But seizing that gap was undoubtedly a result created by Kim Yijun’s ability.

One section of the blade legion collapsed with startling speed. Kim Yijun squeezed his body into the momentary void that had formed.

Lee Hyunjin’s expression twisted slightly.

‘Damn it.’

His overwhelming advantage blurred in an instant.

He stood at the crossroads of victory and defeat.

The ice blades that had filled the other spaces instantly lost their effectiveness.

They were useless now. There wasn’t nearly enough time, leeway, or magical resources to redirect the blades to directly target Kim Yijun.

By the time he thought ‘Ah, shoot,’ Kim Yijun’s glittering golden blade was already chasing him, thrusting up to his chin.

Kim Yijun’s eyes shone with a distinct light. He had a chance to win. No, more than that, he had gained the upper hand. The opportunity to conclude the match had arrived.

The stamina difference was evident. The only way to reverse that gap before the ranking match’s time limit expired was with a single, powerful blow.

Kim Yijun didn’t hesitate. He immediately translated his thoughts into action.

A tremendous whirl and roar!

His sword aura began to rotate. A golden vortex rose above Kim Yijun’s blade.

And with a fierce momentum that seemed capable of grinding anything to dust, the sword aura surged towards Lee Hyunjin, who wore a look of dismay.

In abruptly slowed time.

‘I can’t dodge this.’

Kim Yijun was certain of his victory.

It wasn’t a power a mage could evade. The distance and angle were also perfect.

The moment he was pierced like this, 89% of his stamina would instantly drop to 0%.

Just as Kim Yijun was about to deliver the finishing blow.

“Huh?”

Lee Hyunjin’s figure, which had been in front of his eyes, suddenly blurred and vanished.

The blade pierced the innocent air.

*****

Even as Lee Hyunjin and Kim Yijun’s ranking match began, Cheon Soyul was still in the arena lobby, yet to find a match.

She stood with her arms crossed, looking up at the monitor in the center of the lobby.

When Lee Hyunjin left, she had given him a scoff as if to say, ‘You’re in big trouble,’ but in reality, she hadn’t considered his unconditional defeat. No, she couldn’t.

…Within this academy, she probably knew Lee Hyunjin’s abilities best.

They had clashed for an entire year, and that wasn’t limited to the ranking match arena.

Whether it was minor quarrels or academic schedules like comprehensive evaluations. They had clashed in every form.

Because of that, Cheon Soyul couldn’t help but know the mage ‘Lee Hyunjin’ better than anyone else. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling, but…

Anyway, the important thing was that no matter if his opponent was Kim Yijun, he wouldn’t easily gain the upper hand against Lee Hyunjin. It was true that a swordsman’s position and the characteristics of his sword arts had good synergy with a mage, but… that was only if the opponent was some run-of-the-mill mage.

The mage Kim Yijun had to face now was one of the most talented individuals in the academy. Among second-year students, he was virtually at the pinnacle.

Cheon Soyul grimaced with a sour expression, wrinkling one eye.

She disliked it, but she would admit what needed admitting.

He was a mage equal to or superior to herself. Though they were probably nearly on par.

As such, even as many students in the arena watched the match between the two top-tier students with great excitement, Cheon Soyul alone subtly bit her nails, clearly showing her nervousness.

The only thought on her mind right now was:

‘Ah, if I lose this bet, it’ll be really embarrassing…’

She certainly had enough wealth to buy Lee Hyunjin late-night snacks, but that was utterly unimportant.

Only the wound that would be carved into her pride was all Cheon Soyul cared about now.

Thus, without realizing it, Cheon Soyul became almost completely engrossed in Lee Hyunjin and Kim Yijun’s ranking match, staring fixedly at the monitor.

When Lee Hyunjin summoned an ice spear and struck away Kim Yijun’s sword aura, she gasped. At the subsequent barrage of ice blades, her face turned pale.

The interjected exclamations like ‘Ah!’ or ‘That’s right…!’ were even filled with genuine emotion. Despite the sidelong glances from those around her, Cheon Soyul continued her cheering.

‘Win, please! You absolutely have to win…!’

Of course, the one receiving her cheers was not her close rival Lee Hyunjin, but Kim Yijun.

They weren’t particularly close.

Regardless, the two male students’ ranking match continued. By the time Kim Yijun’s stamina gauge dropped below 50%, roughly 15 minutes had passed. Only 5 minutes remained.

The more Kim Yijun was cornered, the more Cheon Soyul frowned and let out sighs of frustration.

Before long, the surrounding students were using her reactions as a sort of commentary, enjoying the match themselves. She was a celebrity of the arena.

Cheon Soyul looked up at the monitor with a pounding heart, and she also prayed.

Please, let an opportunity come for Kim Yijun!

And a miracle (?) occurred.

An unexpected turn of events took place.

Boom! Crash!

“Ugh…!”

A massive explosion sound erupted from the speakers. Given the arena’s characteristic of not broadcasting ranking match sounds too loudly, even the few uninterested students lifted their heads.

Cheon Soyul, who had reflexively covered her ears, also frowned and raised her head again.

“…Ah!”

And so, she saw it. Kim Yijun finally breaking through the ice blade blockade and rushing towards Lee Hyunjin after finding a gap.

Nice! Cheon Soyul jumped up and cheered. She had forgotten her original objective and now only anticipated the sight of Lee Hyunjin’s collapse.

Lee Hyunjin’s reaction, visible beyond the high-quality monitor, was also excellent.

That look of dismay on his face was, for Cheon Soyul, a superb delicacy above all else.

Even though there was still a considerable stamina difference, it was at that moment that Cheon Soyul, Kim Yijun, and many other students were convinced of an upset victory.

“Oh.”

“…What is that?”

“He disappeared?”

The arena suddenly began to stir.

The cause, of course, was the video on the monitor.

Kim Yijun extended his blade. The color of his sword aura was the most intense of any he had ever unleashed, and anyone could sense Kim Yijun’s victory.

It was simply because, in battles between mages and swordsmen, this kind of decisive one-shot victory was quite often seen.

A swordsman, enduring the magic spells fired like artillery shells, buys time and then closes the distance with a swift charge. Then, with a slice! The fragile, soft body of the mage is instantly cut down, a common outcome.

Because it was a scene often witnessed, the reaction speeds to accept the anomaly were rather slow.

Even when Lee Hyunjin’s body blurred like mist and vanished, and when Kim Yijun was greatly flustered by the disappearance of his opponent.

Finally, even when the vanished Lee Hyunjin reappeared in a translucent, Ethereal state and froze the back of Kim Yijun’s neck.

Those in the arena lobby couldn’t grasp the situation in time. Only those who belatedly came to their senses exchanged a few uncertain words.

“What was that, uh, an invisibility spell? Something like that?”

“No, hmm. With Invisible, you wouldn’t be able to evade a sword, would you…?”

“Then what was it?”

“How should I know?”

“But you’re a mage too.”

As two male students a short distance away half-heartedly exchanged words, Cheon Soyul’s expression hardened considerably, unlike moments before.

‘Invisibility? No, that’s not it…’

She didn’t agree with the male student. As the other male student said, basic invisibility couldn’t evade physical interference.

At this moment, her mind was filled with information about all sorts of magic that could manifest such a wondrous evasion.

However, among that long list of spells, there was nothing that perfectly matched.

Yes. Not a single one.

“…”

Cheon Soyul’s complexion began to worsen rapidly.

She was recalling a hypothesis.

As far as she knew, Lee Hyunjin didn’t have many efficient evasion skills of that sort to begin with.

True to his personality, he preferred defense over evasion, and pre-emptive attack over defense.

…And above all, though it was just her intuition. What Lee Hyunjin had just used was probably not ‘magic’.

It wasn’t magic. It was a skill. One from a close-combat system, not a mage’s.

At best, she didn’t have the ability to feel the flow of mana through the screen. Therefore, this was merely an unsubstantiated guess.

But… no other possibility came to mind, no matter how much she tried.

That was likely a stealth ability mainly used by scout-type awakeners, probably the higher-tier Etherealization among them.

And for Lee Hyunjin, a pure-blooded mage, to instantly master such a close-combat ability with considerable proficiency, the miraculous method for that was…

…at least as far as Cheon Soyul knew, there was only one way.

It was his unique trait.

“…Ha.”

Cheon Soyul’s lips twisted into a cold grimace.

Flash!

And immediately after, her body was enveloped by the light emitted by the arena and vanished.

*****

[Left: Cheon Soyul (1110 points) vs Right: Baek Ayun (972 points)]

[Cheon Soyul: 100%]

[Baek Ayun: 0%]

[Cheon Soyul Wins]