Ch.349344 – Earth’s Strongest Animal

“Go Blue Team! Faster!”

“We’re almost catching up! Kim Kang-min, fighting!”

At the halfway point of the race, a third-year student passed the baton to a fourth-year.

‘The gap is about half a lap?’

I observed the runners, examining how the magic devices operated and their effects.

Looking at it now, it doesn’t have much to do with running speed.

The mini parachutes on their backs opened and closed repeatedly depending on the density of aura they were using.

Using aura is basically advantageous, but if I kept using it continuously, I’d quickly run out of energy.

Plus, I needed to be mindful of my stamina since I had to run 600m instead of 400m.

“Woooooah!”

The second-to-last runner on the Blue Team receives the baton.

Shortly after, the White Team also passes the baton to their sixth-grade ace, collapsing onto the inside of the track.

“Huff… huff… They’re not getting caught! They’re too fast!”

As a third-year, I was placed last in the lineup.

So our White Team should have closed the gap by now with the upper grades moved up one position each, but…

The Blue Team was still half a lap ahead of us.

It seems that our first-grade friend falling at the beginning had put us at a severe disadvantage.

“Hic… sob… I-I’m s-sorry…!”

The first-grade student next to me was sobbing heartbrokenly.

Her knees were still covered in wounds from how hard she had fallen.

While the school nurse was treating her, the other relay participants were comforting her.

Before entering the track, I pinched the cheek of the sobbing girl.

“Eep?”

“We haven’t lost yet. Don’t cry.”

It’s too cruel for the burden of defeat to fall on just one person.

I need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

At the starting line, the towering senior who stood out everywhere was waiting.

“NoName junior.”

“Yes?”

“The outcome seems pretty much decided, but don’t give up and run your best till the end.”

“Ah, well… sure.”

“Then I’ll go first! Sorry about the competition!”

Even his voice was gruff, making him seem like a real adult.

Is he really a sixth-grader?

Before I could think further, the Blue Team runner entered the straight course.

Click-click-

The giant senior started warming up, opening five parachutes.

His legs, a full 40cm longer than mine, strode across the starting line.

As soon as he received the baton, he pushed off the ground with explosive leg power, creating a cloud of dust.

THUD-!

I closed my eyes against the billowing dust and waited patiently for the baton.

10 seconds to go.

These 10 seconds feel unbearably long.

Theoretically, the maximum human speed is known to be 60km/h.

The ability to cover 100 meters in just 6 seconds.

The key is to contract muscles to their limit, minimizing the time feet touch the ground.

But with my short stride and the hindering magic devices hanging all over me, even 30km/h feels strenuous now.

’72 seconds to finish? That’s too long. I need to come in under 50 seconds at worst.’

Even concentrating all my aura to activate all the hindering magic devices won’t be enough.

Then there’s only one answer.

“Name, here’s the baton!”

If you can’t avoid it, break it.

[Sloth: Medusa – Transformation]

The moment the hard plastic object entered my hand, I released all my aura and concentrated it in my legs.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

All 40 gold ring cases were torn away at once, and parachutes woven with etherophobic mana threads unfurled behind my back.

Simultaneously, green sparks appeared, and the transparent parachutes gradually turned black.

“HYAAAH!”

With a shout, my body shot forward quickly.

My arms and legs, which had felt impossibly heavy, gradually became lighter.

The parachutes, now changed to ethero-philic mana particles, tangled together and hardened like a solid ball.

With the surface area drastically reduced, I no longer needed to worry about resistance.

“WOOOOOAH!”

Roars and cheers erupted from the students filling the field.

End of the straight course, beginning of the first corner.

Should I reduce speed and stay on the inside course, or maintain speed and go outside-inside-outside?

‘The answer is to take the inside course at this speed.’

External manifestation of aura.

I attached a prosthetic to just my right foot, extending one leg by 10cm.

Sharp spikes dug deep into the ground.

At the same time, I steeply tilted my body to the left and exited the corner without reducing speed.

Far down the straight course, I could see the sixth-grader already entering the second corner.

Still so far away.

‘This won’t do… Faster, faster!’

[Gluttony: Erysichthon – Metabolic Control]

Extreme hunger and weakness washed over me.

Above all, my heart felt like it would burst.

Having already reached maximum heart rate, I used aura to squeeze my heart and forcibly increase blood flow.

I’d only gone half a lap, but my entire body felt like a furnace, sweat pouring down like a waterfall.

But the more calories and aura I burned, the more my thin legs would become like steel springs.

I tackled the second corner the same way, at a terrifying speed.

The shocked expressions of the teachers flashed by like a panorama.

WHOOSH-

Another straight course.

But now the positions had changed.

My stride length and air time were overwhelmingly longer.

“How already?!”

The sixth-grader quickly looked back and swung his arms more vigorously.

‘Getting desperate because I’m catching up? He’s clearly over-pacing.’

Now the third and final corner.

The student sprinted around the corner, using every last bit of strength.

But in one step I adjusted my entire body’s blood flow, and in two steps I burned all my remaining aura.

Finally, his shadow stretched right in front of me.

The shadow that was in front moved to my side,

The shadow at my side moved behind me.

By the time we exited the corner, he was already behind me.

The finish line was right in front of me.

‘Good, I’ve won…!’

At that moment.

Everything went black before my eyes, all vision cut off.

Transient blackout, a temporary lack of blood flow to the retinal artery.

In the brief moment my attention wavered, I made an uncharacteristic mistake.

I didn’t even have the luxury to sense my surroundings with aura.

Just keep running straight in the same posture.

Straight section, about 30m left.

My average stride length is 2.8 meters.

Just 11 steps.

So… 2 seconds.

‘One… two… now!’

My eleventh step lifted off the ground, my legs gave out, and I flew through the air.

I prayed I had already crossed the finish line.

[Affinity: Barrier Setting]

[Cast: Double Air Layer Barrier]

I cast the spell I had prepared in my mind, wrapping my body in a large plastic ball.

The ball bounced on the ground several times as it rolled.

I rolled around inside the ball too.

And then it stopped in front of where I sensed many people gathered.

“KYAAAAH!”

Belatedly, sounds like cheers and screams reached my ears.

“Phew… that was brutally hard.”

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw fluffy clouds and the high sky.

I raised my wrist to check my watch.

[200m – Laptime]

[1: 00:13:857]

[2: 00:13:104]

[3: 00:12:905]

[Total: 00:39.866 s]

A dry sigh escaped me.

“Haha, NoName, you’re dead tired. What good are you if you’re slower than a cheetah.”

I said with self-deprecating laughter while catching my breath.

I couldn’t tell if it was me being disappointed in myself, or the residual thoughts of the Corrosions mocking me.

* * *

The academy’s sports day began with Name’s performance and ended with Name’s performance.

“The MVP of Cephiron Academy’s Sports Day is… 3rd grade Class A’s NoName! Please come up to the stage.”

Name, whose shoe soles had completely worn out during the relay, climbed the stone steps barefoot.

Principal Gu On-yu handed Name the trophy and said gruffly:

“Don’t you know the meaning of moderation?”

It had been a moment that could have led to a serious injury if Name hadn’t created the bouncy ball barrier at the last moment.

Turning around again for a photo, click.

And Name responded to her with a smile.

“Next time, it might be better to make the rules a bit stricter.”

“I’m thinking about it. I’m even considering banning you from the sports day next year.”

“Isn’t that a bit much?”

“Taking another picture, Name, look forward. Everyone together, kimchi!”

“…”

True to Principal Gu On-yu’s love for old things, the Polaroid photo was developed immediately.

Name’s classmates greeted her as she came down with the photo, trophy, and prize.

“Name, you don’t have shoes now, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind going barefoot.”

“No way! We’ll carry you on our shoulders back to the classroom!”

“What?”

Name’s body was lifted up.

Sitting awkwardly on the children’s hands, Name looked around nervously.

“That’s enough, put me down-“

“Behold the strongest animal on Earth! Everyone make way!”

“Huh? Don’t you mean fastest, not strongest? Name is fast, right.”

“No, strongest is right too. Name could tear apart a polar bear.”

“Whoa, is that true?”

“Guys, stop making things up.”

When Name chimed in, the children became dejected and loosened their grip.

“Name can’t tear apart polar bears?”

At the friend’s innocent question, Name smiled and shrugged.

“Why would I tear apart a cute polar bear? A dragon, maybe.”