Chapter 7: Life Is Not Beautiful 3
by fnovelpia
Even a kindergarten genius cannot defeat an adult in boxing.
This is because sports are designed to eliminate variables as much as possible and focus solely on skill.
In fact, a regular fight might offer better odds.
Even a kindergartener’s strength can be lethal with a knife aimed at an important spot.
A genius could somehow manage to win.
Therefore, my chances of beating him this time are slim.
I won against Professor Rachel in our last duel by introducing elements outside the context of the match.
Generally, sports and other rule-based competitions are much more fair.
Professor Rachel was an exceptional case, influenced by external factors.
“Anyone who harms themselves this time will be automatically disqualified.”
Professor Maximilian had taken steps to prevent a repeat of what happened during the class exam.
It was a tactic that could only be used once.
Until now, there had been no rule against self-harm as a strategy to win, as it involved sacrificing honor for gain.
But it’s an act that can be prevented.
Even the Korean Association for Suicide Prevention has persistently argued against self-harm and has tried to prevent it.
Though, judging by the suicide rates, it hasn’t been very effective.
“Well then, the first match should be between you and me, Cadet Abraxas.”
Why?
“Because I’m the professor! It’s my duty to set an example!”
I had arguments to counter, but I didn’t voice them.
I realized that no matter what I said, I couldn’t convince him otherwise.
“Take your position, Cadet Abraxas. Of course, I won’t be going all out. Just show your skills.”
Maximilian kept insisting, and eventually, I found myself being pushed to take the lead.
Following his declaration, all the Class A cadets, under the guidance of the martial arts professor, headed to the dueling arena.
The same was true for the non-combat departments.
It was a precautionary measure.
“The duel will last 5 minutes. You win by knocking down your opponent or by their surrender. If neither happens, the one who inflicts more damage wins. Any objections?”
“What’s the point? You won’t listen anyway.”
“Let the duel begin.”
And astonishingly, with no one else to officiate, Maximilian started the duel himself.
It was ridiculous, but all I could do, being weaker, was grip my wooden sword tightly.
‘If Rachel is right, then Abraxas has talent.’
Maximilian couldn’t yet acknowledge that Abraxas had talent.
Even if he did, wanting to leave the academy was a waste of potential.
‘His actions are unusual and he’s nothing but a ruffian. Of course, if he has some hidden purpose for leaving the academy, it somewhat makes sense.’
However.
No matter how logical his reasons might be, if the likelihood of his success is minimal, it cannot be advocated.
It’s like having video evidence of a murder and still claiming, against astronomical odds, that someone who looks exactly like the real culprit committed the crime.
Certainly, the emperor or other high-ranking nobles smarter than him could explain what this all means.
But he didn’t need to go that far.
‘After all, whether he truly has talent or if Rachel was mistaken will be determined in this duel.’
That’s why he had decided to duel from the first day.
Now, all that remained was to see the result.
Both stood in their respective positions.
Maximilian noticed Abraxas, wielding a wooden sword and enveloped in aura, just as Rachel had described – clearly untrained.
‘His stance is unstable, his lower body is weak, and even his sword is trembling.’
He emphasized every aspect of being untrained, as if he had never practiced posture.
With aura enhancement, one can move their body as desired by using aura.
Yet his stance suggested either deliberate carelessness or ignorance of its importance.
“Let’s not use weapons, and don’t worry, I won’t go full force.”
Thus, he imposed a limitation.
No matter how genius, a vast skill gap meant nothing could be demonstrated.
This wasn’t arrogance or recklessness, but the truth.
The gap between Abraxas and Maximilian was that significant.
Yet despite his words, Abraxas made no move.
Maximilian, seeing this, recalled how he had stalled for time before.
The attack began immediately.
“You won’t last by just enduring.”
Boom—
Maximilian lightly leaped towards Abraxas, combining aura enhancement for physical augmentation and aura expulsion for repelling force, propelling himself with incredible speed.
His right hand, moving swiftly, aimed straight for Abraxas’s face.
Swoosh—
But the punch missed by a hair’s breadth, cutting through the air.
Abraxas had narrowly dodged his fist.
‘Sense, pass.’
Maximilian inwardly admired his evasion.
Aura expulsion, a technique usable from any part of the body, allows an aura user to create attraction or repulsion forces, enabling movements that defy preparatory actions and inertia, resulting in unpredictable motions.
‘If he had dodged early, I would have changed my trajectory using aura expulsion. But he couldn’t take the speed advantage, so he waited till the last moment to dodge by a hair.’
Even with a body strengthened by aura enhancement, a punch already thrown couldn’t land effectively.
That was the best option he could choose.
Whiz—
However, Abraxas couldn’t relax just yet.
His right foot came flying again.
Using aura expulsion to stabilize his overall center of gravity, Maximilian launched a powerful kick without needing to set his stance.
Bang—
And Abraxas couldn’t avoid this second attack.
The speed of the combination was too fast, and his body couldn’t withstand the second burst of aura expulsion.
‘Even if he can use aura enhancement, the amount of aura and his basic physical abilities are too lacking.’
Aura expulsion only generates attraction and repulsion forces; it doesn’t enhance the body.
Using a weak body to create strong repulsion is like hitting oneself with equal force.
Fortunately, he employed a different tactic.
Unable to avoid the attack, he chose to make it less painful.
‘He infused aura into the area about to be hit, strengthening his body and using aura expulsion on that specific part to push away my attack.’
Most focus on avoiding or blocking, but the most crucial aspect is to get hit less painfully.
This is why preemptive strikes or surprise attacks often lead to victory.
Being hit hard initially can impede normal performance due to the ensuing pain.
‘He does have talent.’
It was clear he had talent.
His movements might be clumsy, but his coping methods were accurate, and his sense was overflowing.
Even now, as he flew through the air, he used aura expulsion to adjust his body for a safe landing.
Thud—
Abraxas landed unharmed.
He rubbed his calf, which seemed to be throbbing from the hit, a couple of times.
Seeing this, Maximilian immediately prepared to leap.
His hefty body sprung forward in an instant.
Pang—
The air burst from his toes, temporarily moving faster than sound.
His body, while slower than that, was still faster than sound.
Swoosh—
As the sound of slicing air struck everyone’s eardrums.
Abraxas turned and ran away.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
And he did so while screaming.
‘Even while running away, he’s maintaining what needs to be protected.’
His running form was awkward.
And his breathing technique was a mess.
He showed no consideration for managing his stamina.
Yet, one element made Maximilian take another look.
‘He’s compensating for his lack of absolute physical ability through aura manipulation.’
He used aura envelopment, combining aura with materials to maximize friction.
He maximized the friction between his feet and the ground.
He enhanced his thighs and calves with aura enhancement for explosive power.
At the right moment, he released the aura envelopment and accelerated using aura expulsion.
This reduced inertia and added acceleration for agile movements.
And…
‘Wind? Can he use magic too? Without an incantation?’
He used basic wind magic, manipulating the air movement to add acceleration to his actions.
Using magic in pain, and with such calmness, was too difficult for a first-year freshman with no real combat experience.
‘Is he really hiding his strength, or is he truly a genius? If he’s hiding his strength, why? And if he’s a genius, why isn’t he putting in the effort and instead trying to leave the academy?’
As the duel continued, Maximilian’s curiosity only intensified.
At some point, resolving his curiosity became more important than the duel itself.
However, even as he tried to escape, Abraxas couldn’t outrun Maximilian.
Soon, Abraxas allowed a direct hit to his chest.
A kick flew towards his face.
Even as he lay against the wall, not the floor, Maximilian’s foot stepped on his stomach.
Abraxas had failed to see the attack coming.
Only 1 minute and 12 seconds remained.
Abraxas’s body was battered.
Bruises were everywhere, and blood flowed from wounds caused by grazed fists.
His clothes were stained with blood, and his body was exhausted, gasping for breath.
In such a state, Maximilian spoke.
“Will you keep running? Given the damage you’ve taken, you have no chance of winning.”
To win the duel, one must either inflict more damage or knock down the opponent.
But Abraxas hadn’t managed to harm Maximilian at all.
If there were a way to turn the tables, he would have used it by now.
‘Is it stubbornness or does he really have a plan? At this point, no one would blame him for surrendering.’
Surrendering would be appropriate if there were no other options.
But his persistence implied either stubbornness or something more.
Secretly, Maximilian hoped there was more.
Pang—
Once again, Maximilian’s foot left the ground and soared into the air.
Abraxas just watched as he rushed towards him at high speed.
Then, Abraxas pointed his left hand suddenly at Maximilian.
A flash erupted from his hand, engulfing Maximilian.
‘Flash… Is it magic?’
The intense light from the tip of his left index finger obscured his vision.
But it was of little use against Maximilian.
An experienced aura enhancement user can enhance their senses to ‘see’ without sight.
‘A good psychological tactic to use the fist instead of the sword, but it’s not enough.’
Abraxas thrust his left hand towards Maximilian within the obscured vision.
His right hand still clutched the wooden sword.
Maximilian thought he used his left hand for psychological warfare, assuming the attack would come from the right, where the sword was.
So, Maximilian lightly caught the arm that flew in from his right and flung it away…
…Only to see Abraxas’s body and arm detach.
“What…!!!”
Maximilian quickly adjusted his stance, but it was already too late.
As the light filling the dueling arena faded,
Maximilian found the aura-wrapped wooden sword positioned at his neck.
With one arm severed, Abraxas grinned at him, his gaze locked onto Maximilian’s eyes.
‘I’ve been hit.’
Sensory enhancement is not about sight but about feeling.
One can sense the motion or shape of matter, but not its state.
It’s like a radar, revealing only the contours of matter, that’s the limit.
That’s why he didn’t realize.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand sensory enhancement.
Abraxas just used it to his advantage.
‘Was he stalling so I wouldn’t notice his arm was cut off? Hidden behind his injuries?’
After the flash, he cut off his arm, temporarily holding it in place with aura support.
Blood leaked from his body, but it was indiscernible with sensory enhancement due to existing wounds.
‘He managed to manipulate an opponent stronger than himself.’
Maximilian, never suspecting the arm had been severed, thought throwing his left arm would be enough to send him flying.
The severed arm had no effect on the main body, allowing his approach.
And that brief lapse led to the wooden sword reaching Maximilian’s neck.
The clothes were torn, bruises all over, and blood still dripping from the left arm.
The left arm rolled away in a corner of the dueling arena.
And his opponent, without any injury, stood perfectly fine.
However, one thing decided the victory: the position of the wooden sword in his right hand.
In a real situation, Maximilian’s head would have been severed, rolling on the ground.
‘Appropriate sacrifice and creation of variables. Excellent sense. And psychological warfare to manipulate a stronger opponent… Professor Rachel was right.’
Abraxas indeed had talent, and at a remarkably high level.
And to the victor, there was only one thing Maximilian could say.
“You win.”
These words sprung from the mouth of Maximilian Wilhelm.
With that, Abraxas’s victory was confirmed.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!”
Abraxas let out a victorious scream.
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