Chapter 10: Sparring (2)

The difference between Level 23 and Level 53.
It’s practically an insurmountable gap.

No matter how experienced you are, facing such a level difference leaves you with virtually no answers.

What’s my chance of victory against Odette in this situation?
Anyone would bet everything on a 0% chance.

However, there are a few variables in this duel between me and Odette.

First, Odette currently cannot use her holy power.
Since she fled from the Holy Empire, she can’t recklessly use her divine abilities.
Second, I know all of Odette’s patterns during combat.
Of course, this isn’t a game anymore—this is reality.

I’ve been running simulations in my head for days, and it was pretty tough.
Though it’s just two variables, that’s enough for me.

“Begin!”

As soon as Louise’s shout marked the start, a thud resounded, and a cloud of dust rose.

————————————————————-

[ Accessing Magic Category. ]
[ ▶ 1-Star ]
[ ▶ 2-Star ]
[ ▶ 3-Star ]
[ ▶ 4-Star ]
[ ▶ 5-Star ]

A list of magic spells appeared before my eyes.
No time to hesitate.

——————————————————————

[ Favorites List ]

I opened the pre-saved magic spells.
In an instant, the air filled with densely arranged spell formulas.

‘Right side.’

Crack—!
The pre-deployed barrier shattered with a single punch from Odette.

As soon as I slightly tilted my head, her fist grazed past me.
The wind pressure from her blow made my hair flutter.

‘D*mn, she’s insanely strong.’

It was within my expectations.
I don’t even have time to be impressed.

I immediately visualized Odette’s next attack path.

‘Downward strike.’

A translucent barrier formed at the exact spot.
About two seconds passed.
With a blast sound, Odette’s heel struck the barrier.

Crack—!
The barrier crumbled instantly, not withstanding a single hit.

No problem.
It was just a distraction to buy time anyway.

A punch enhanced with mana, followed by a downward strike.
And now that all her patterns are broken—

[ 1-Star Magic: Grease ]

I created a slick, slippery oil film at the spot where Odette would land.
Even Odette wouldn’t be able to react to this.

Just as expected, she lost her balance and staggered.
Taking advantage of the moment, I dashed in the opposite direction to widen the gap.

“What are you?”
“What else? Just a regular student.”

Seems like the shock of having all her attacks predicted was pretty significant.
I smirked and prepared my next spell.

[ Player-Exclusive Magic: Memorize ]

Memorize.
A special magic that activates pre-saved spell formulas with just a keyword.
It’s essential for me since my spell casting is slow.

Boom—!
Odette stomped the ground, making the earth tremble.

The distance I barely managed to widen was closed with just one leap from Odette.
As she soared through the air, her eyes gleamed a bright yellow, reflecting the light.

[ 2-Star Magic: Fire Arrow ]

I conjured a flaming arrow at my fingertips.
At almost the same moment, Odette deployed a barrier.

Odette’s barrier wasn’t a flat surface but a spherical shield enveloping her entire body.
Unlike me, she has an abundance of mana to spare.

‘Predictable.’

Odette will undoubtedly keep trying to approach me like this.
Since she can’t use holy power and never received proper training in the Holy Empire, the magic she can wield is limited to a few basic spells.

In other words, she has plenty of mana but lacks the means to properly utilize it.
At most, she can surround her body with reinforcement-type spells.

Of course, even just that makes her insanely strong.

Whoosh—
The Fire Arrow struck Odette’s barrier, spreading flames all around.

With the flames partially obscuring Odette’s vision, I activated a spell stored in Memorize using the keyword.
Then, I closed my eyes.

[ 1-Star Magic: Flash ]

Boom—!
A blinding flash erupted in the air.
Immediately, the students watching the duel let out annoyed groans.

Among human senses, the eyes are particularly difficult to train.
No matter how much of a superhuman you are, it’s hard to respond to a sudden flash of light.

Odette was no exception.
Already partially blinded by the flames, the sudden bright light only worsened her situation.

I opened my eyes again.
There she stood, trying to keep her balance despite the dizziness.

“……”

So far, about three minutes have passed.
Even in the game, this was always the crucial moment.

Odette’s barrier was still intact.
Honestly, with my current firepower, breaking through that barrier is nearly impossible.

It’s also impossible to aim for a blind spot, as a spherical barrier covering her entire body has no gaps.

Ideally, I would use Dispel to break the barrier and launch my attacks.
However, Dispel is still far beyond my current capabilities.

“Annoying.”

Odette muttered, seemingly regaining her composure.
It wouldn’t be long before she switched to a full offensive stance.

But I possess the collective knowledge of years of gameplay and countless community strategies.
If I can’t break the barrier, I’ll just make her break it herself.

[ Mana: 1,850 / 3,000 ]

My mana level is sufficient.
I immediately activated Memorize.

[ 1-Star Magic: Aqua Ball ]
[ 2-Star Magic: Rapid Freeze ]

A surge of water burst forth, crashing down on Odette from above.
The torrent of water quickly encased her entire body in a spherical shape.

Crack—!
In the blink of an eye, the water sphere froze solid.

“What the hell.”
“How can he double-cast that fast?”
“Is he just messing with her?”

Nope, that’s not it.
It’s not double casting—it’s Memorize.
And I’m not toying with her; I’m desperately trying to buy time.

“Whew.”

The combo itself may not look like much, but it’s a proven strategy.
The simplest way to break out of that hastily created ice sphere is to use fire magic.
However, casting a fire spell inside a sealed spherical barrier would be suicidal.

Crack—
The ice sphere around her began to fracture.
Through the cracks, melted water trickled down.

Bang—!
With a small explosion, shards of ice scattered in all directions.

As expected.
Odette stood up, brushing back her wet hair.
She must have temporarily disabled her barrier, causing the melted water to drench her.

‘Now’s my chance.’

[ 4-Star Magic: Call Lightning ]

An overwhelming sense of depletion swept over me as chunks of mana drained from my body.
Bright blue mana spiraled upward, shooting into the sky.

Before long, a deep navy aura spread across the sky, forming a shimmering mirage.
It was a truly mystical sight.

‘Damn, that’s amazing.’

Seeing this effect in reality rather than just in the game gave me a strange thrill.
A shiver ran down my spine from the unfamiliar sensation.

Wooong—!
The pressure of mana vibrated through the air.

In that moment, a streak of lightning shot down from the sky, striking the ground.

Boom—!

A bolt of lightning crashed precisely above Odette’s head.
Blue flashes erupted repeatedly with a deafening roar.

As expected of a 4-star spell—the power was impressive.
But using it just once left my mana reserves nearly empty.

[ Mana: 850 / 3,000 ]

I barely had time to lament my pathetic mana pool.
Through the smoke and charred air, Odette stepped out unscathed.

The ground around her was scorched black, leaving a deep crater.
Apart from her hair being frizzed out from the powerful shock, she looked surprisingly fine.

‘Is that balance even fair?’

Even with level 53, how can her durability be that absurd?

But it’s fine.
The result is clear now.

“Duel over!”

Louise’s shout rang in my ears.
As the five-minute time limit ended, the duel was officially over.

Silence hung over the students who had been watching.
But Louise, unfazed, continued with her usual demeanor.

“The result is a draw! Both of you did well!”

Cheers erupted—
The training ground echoed with thunderous applause.

While I was catching my breath from the intense mana usage…

“You.”

Odette spoke to me.

“Why did you hold back?”
“Huh?”

Hold back? Me? On her?
Does she think I went easy on her?

“I gave it my all.”
“Liar.”

Odette kept staring at me with that same expressionless face.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s my line.”
“What?”
“You were holding back too, weren’t you?”

I noticed it.
Her eyes widened just a bit, ever so slightly.

“Take care of the next duels too.”
“Go ask someone else.”
“I don’t really have any friends.”

It hurt because it was true.
But for some reason, that seemed amusing to her as her lips curled up just a little.

‘Did she… just smile?’

As I tilted my head in confusion, she mumbled under her breath.

“Strange person.”

With that, Odette turned her back and walked away without any lingering hesitation.

So, the first event is a success, huh?
A strong sense of accomplishment made me grin.

“Your name is Luke, right?”
“That duel was seriously top-tier!”
“Do you have any tips for spellcasting?”
“How did you get into the Disciplinary Committee?”

A flood of questions came pouring in as the other students swarmed around me.

“W-wait a second…!”

Thus, the first event came to an end.