Episode 393. Preparing for the Mage Conference (3)

“Since Ahyoung is here, I’ll crank up the pain to feel like reality.”

“… Do I really have to do that?”

Beep- beep-

Watching Professor Im Sol smiling as she set up the training ground, I smacked my lips.

Why does she like sparring matches that feel so realistic?

“Opportunities like this don’t come around often.”

“So why should I have to take that opportunity?”

When I could just not get hurt, isn’t there really no reason to feel pain?

The Professor, answering my question, had an excited expression.

“Because I want to. It’s been too long since I fought with genuine tension.”

“Ah, yes…”

Still, should I be thankful that she acknowledges me?

I hate getting hurt, but I guess taking hits from magic that hurts like hell beforehand wouldn’t be bad.

There’s also that saying: the sweat shed in training replaces the blood shed on the battlefield.

“Sol-ah. Uhm, don’t go too hard on the cadet. Okay?”

“If you saw our student fight, Ahyoung, you wouldn’t be saying that, would you?”

“No. You’re a professor. Hoyeon is a cadet, a cadet.”

Baek Ahyoung was earnestly pleading with Professor Im Sol, as if worried about me.

“It’s okay, Ahyoung-ssi. The Professor won’t go all out either. We sparred with penalties last time.”

“… If you say so, then I understand.”

I patted Baek Ahyoung’s shoulder to reassure her.

Of course, the fact that I got utterly crushed against a careless Professor after setting huge penalties is a secret.

“It’s ready. Let’s go.”

The Professor had a joyful expression.

It’s great that she hasn’t lost her initial passion and is so sincere about magic.

“The rules are the same as last time, right? Magic already used cannot be used again. And only one spell can be cast at a time, no multi-casting.”

“Yep. I won’t even use the magic from the last spar, so don’t worry.”

“… How much magic do you know?”

“I need to increase my student’s experience.”

The Professor went up to the training ground first.

As I followed behind her, I glanced back and looked at Baek Ahyoung.

Baek Ahyoung was clasping her hands tightly, like someone praying while watching their boyfriend step into the ring.

“It’s okay. It’s really not dangerous at all.”

“… Yep. Fighting.”

Baek Ahyoung clenched her fist and cheered me on, and I smiled and quickly went up to the training ground.

The Professor, standing opposite me, activated the training ground as soon as she saw me come up.

At the same time, a thin membrane formed around my body.

It was a mana shield protecting my life.

Now, if there was a risk of death, the training ground would stop automatically, right?

“The pain has been almost perfectly reproduced. It’ll hurt quite a bit if you get hit, so be careful.”

“… Be careful too, Professor. I won’t hold back either.”

“Yep, yep. My student, fighting! Still, getting hit here will be better than getting hit in reality.”

Clap-

As the Professor clapped her hands, magic circles began to draw themselves.

It’s starting already.

‘Fire Projectile.’

I felt intense flames from the Professor’s hand.

Skillfully casting a rune barrier, I pondered my strategy.

Actually, compared to the last spar, there’s only one difference.

‘Arc.’

A sphere of magic power using the core incantation of magic.

Perhaps since it’s a magic the Professor hasn’t imagined, I can surely achieve something if I use it now.

Although the possibility is very small, I might be able to win.

‘Should I use it now?’

If I think simply, using it is obviously the right thing to do.

My proficiency will increase by sparring with the Professor, and I’ll learn more ways to counter a mage’s magic.

But if my goal is to defeat Professor Im Sol, perhaps the right choice is to keep hiding it and secretly increase my proficiency.

After all, one decisive blow is what matters when it counts.

Kuaaang-

“Aren’t you concentrating?”

“I am. I am.”

For now, I’ll fight.

Watching the incoming wooden vines, I postponed my decision for a moment.

---

‘It’s the same as last time.’

Im Sol thought while sparring with the student before her.

Nothing had changed at all compared to the last spar.

Of course, I had let my guard down then and there was a brief crisis, but now I wasn’t showing even the weaknesses from back then.

I wasn’t using mental magic, and I shot down all incoming counterattacks without even blocking.

Feeling slightly bored, Im Sol opened her mouth.

“Like this, it’s the same as before I went to France? My student is disappointing.”

“It hasn’t even been a month, isn’t it strange to expect a dramatic change…!”

“I solved one difficult problem in the magic world within a month.”

“That’s you, Professor!”

Kwadeudeuk-

Lee Hoyeon barely managed to reply while batting away the incoming rocks one by one.

Every time I reveal a secret, it gets increasingly harder to beat the Professor.

Even now, Im Sol wasn’t using mental magic at all.

‘Should I hide Arc after all.’

Just revealing mental magic and magic whose composition changes right before my eyes eliminated any chance to exploit a weakness.

If I reveal Arc too, I’d be the biggest pushover ever.

“Tsk…!”

Lee Hoyeon rolled his body, dodging the incoming ice chunks.

Beads of sweat flowed down his cheek and dripped onto the floor.

Im Sol before me was casting magic relentlessly.

Counterattacks? Forget it. Just defending was already difficult.

If I don’t use Arc, I’m just an inferior version of Im Sol – that was my problem.

Chwaak-

The fiercely swirling blizzard slashed across Lee Hoyeon’s cheek.

Touching it lightly, I saw a trace of blood.

Not only was my gauge decreasing, but there were these realistic elements too.

It hurts like hell.

Glancing down slightly at the bottom of the training ground, I saw Baek Ahyoung with a worried expression.

Seeing her clutch her hands tightly and cheer me on, even in this dire situation, I felt strangely touched.

Looking straight ahead, I saw Im Sol with a bored expression.

Although I was grateful she was using new magic for my development even while looking bored, being a boring opponent hurt my pride and I couldn’t help it.

‘This damn pride is the problem.’

They say men die quickly because of pride, and I finally understood.

I hated it when women looked at me with disappointed eyes like that.

Even in a situation where losing is normal, I wanted to land one decisive blow that showed my presence.

If you’re born a man, that’s how you should live.

“Arc Conjuration. Three.”

Ttoreureu-

In the end, Lee Hoyeon summoned the Arcs.

Come to think of it, it’s not bad. The option of winning by increasing proficiency isn’t bad either.

“Blood Beat. Maximum output.”

Dugun- Dugun-

Mana rapidly circulating through my internal mana circuits.

With [Combat Sense], I momentarily gain mana comparable to Im Sol’s. Of course, the time I can fight like that will be drastically reduced… but that’s okay. My goal is to land one hit, somehow.

“What’s that? I’ve never seen that magic before.”

Before Im Sol could analyze the Arcs. And right now, while she’s still off guard, I need to make my move.

Lee Hoyeon rapidly circulated his mana.

‘Tempest Wind.’

‘Blaze Flare.’

He inserted the core incantations of known high-tier magic into the Arcs. High-tier magic like this is powerful but takes a long time to cast. Using such magic in a mage’s battle, where victory is decided in seconds, is practically admitting defeat. But Lee Hoyeon didn’t stop. This much wasn’t enough to create an opening against Im Sol.

‘Aqua Blaster.’

Three high-tier spells.

The Arcs rotating around Lee Hoyeon began drawing magic circles automatically, absorbing the core incantations. An Arc is a sphere that draws the remaining magic circles once you provide it with the core incantation. In the meantime, Lee Hoyeon cast a strong rune barrier to hide himself.

Only then did Im Sol sense the unusual mana. She had let her guard down for a moment to analyze the Arcs, but she hadn’t completely relaxed; the brief moment it took her to react to the unusual mana… Lee Hoyeon’s magic was already complete.

Kwagwagagagagak- Kung-!

“Since when could you cast three high-tier spells?”

Im Sol couldn’t hide her surprise at the high-tier magic completed in an instant.

Not just one, but three.

A strong wind and high-temperature flames filled the training ground.

And dangerous streams of water filling the gaps.

Lee Hoyeon’s magic, formed in an instant, rushed towards Im Sol.

Im Sol drew a high-tier magic circle while deploying a strong triple shield. She used multi-casting, which was a penalty for the spar, but her body reacted instinctively, so she hadn’t noticed yet.

‘Seven Light Pressure Bead Flame’

Seven red orbs floated above Im Sol’s head.

To suppress the already completed high-tier magic, overwhelming mana was needed on this side too.

The seven red orbs began to cut through the sky.

Im Sol’s overwhelming mana completely suppressed Lee Hoyeon’s magic. It was a much higher-tier spell among high-tier magic, and Im Sol’s mana was overwhelming compared to Lee Hoyeon’s.

While suppressing the magic, Im Sol simultaneously targeted Lee Hoyeon’s main body.

“Hoo. Hoo…”

She attacked the area around where Lee Hoyeon stood, enough to melt the training ground floor, but Lee Hoyeon was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where is he?’

Im Sol didn’t let her guard down, even while catching her breath. The training ground, filled with smoke and steam, made it impossible to identify the opponent visually.

Im Sol scattered her mana, searching for Lee Hoyeon’s location.

He must be hiding somewhere, so I need to be wary of incoming magic. It could be behind me, or beside me.

‘I can react.’

I won’t let my guard down anymore.

If unusual mana like just now appears, I’ll eliminate it immediately…

“I’m here.”

At that moment, Lee Hoyeon’s voice whispered from behind.

Paaat-

Im Sol’s eyes widened, and she hastily deployed a barrier on her back, but it was too late.

She was thrown forward by the impact felt on her back.

The pain felt like her back was tearing. Im Sol squeezed her eyes shut, feeling intense pain for the first time in a long while.

“Did I get her?”

Having landed a hit on Im Sol, Lee Hoyeon released his rune barrier and gathered his mana.

I really drove Spiral into her back, so it must hurt quite a bit. Is the Professor okay?

Lee Hoyeon, worried about Im Sol, looked up at the air.

The gauge read 80 to 65.

Surprisingly, the leading score of 80 was his. That one hit had shaved off 35 points.

Catching her from behind during the brief window created by the high-tier magic had been effective. Blood Beat at maximum output, combined with the Arc-assisted rune barrier, allowed me to evade Im Sol’s mana detection. Until now, I had never shown Im Sol my close-combat fighting style. This attack exploited that gap.

‘I can’t give her more time.’

I need to press the advantage.

Lee Hoyeon quickly moved to get behind Im Sol again.

But.

Jiiing-

In an instant, a bright light enveloping the space made Lee Hoyeon close his eyes.

Less than a second.

Lee Hoyeon deployed a rune barrier, created distance, and opened his eyes.

What appeared before him were dozens of magic circles shining brilliantly and floating in the air.

And Im Sol, standing before them, was enveloped in blue mana.

Her aura made the training ground tremble. This was Im Sol’s serious mode, the one I saw when she stopped the Magic Expo terrorist attack.

Im Sol unleashed her mana, and massive magic circles began to slowly rotate and emit light.

Kwang- Kwang- Kwang- Kwang-

Four pillars of light descended from the sky.

It felt like watching an angel descending from heaven.

The surrounding space had completely become Im Sol’s domain.

An oppressive force, so strong it made breathing difficult, penetrated deep into Lee Hoyeon’s organs.

He tried deploying a rune barrier somehow, but it shattered like glass the moment it touched the pillars of light.

Woong- Woong-

The mana in the training ground vibrated intensely, and the mana shield covering my body began to shake as well.

‘I think I’m fucked.’

The power of the mana felt extraordinary.

Can this training ground even withstand such magic?

‘If this thing withstands it, then the person who built this training ground, not me, should be going to fight the Demon King.’

Lee Hoyeon thought, looking into Im Sol’s eyes.

Im Sol’s eyes were exactly the same as during the Magic Expo.

That cold gaze that couldn’t be stopped, no matter how hard I tried.

No way… she’s not so excited by the spar that she doesn’t even recognize her future husband, is she?

…She isn’t, right?

Jiiing-

“Im Sol! Stop!”

Just then. Baek Ahyoung, who had come up to the training ground, shouted loudly, and at the same time, Im Sol regained her senses.

“… Huh?”

Im Sol looked around in confusion. The training ground’s facilities were completely destroyed. And… her student, trapped between the pillars of light she had summoned.

“Student. No, Hoyeon?!”

“Professor. I’m okay, so please cancel the magic first…”

“Ah, okay. Right now.”

Im Sol quickly released her mana and ran towards Lee Hoyeon, who could finally get up.