Episode 97. 1-on-1 Duel (3)

[The quarterfinals will begin soon. Spectators, please take your seats.]

“Looks like it’s starting. I’ll head back too. Do your best in the main tournament.”

“Yes. Thank you. After all the exams are finished today, I’ll come to the lab.”

“Okay. Got it.”

With the announcement that it was starting soon, Im Sol returned to the spectator seats.

Talking so enthusiastically about magic research, I ended up promising to visit the lab today.

I should start getting ready now.

There aren’t many matches left.

There are four matches in the quarterfinals, and then the finals right after the semifinals.

Probably, after the quarterfinals are done, the semifinals and finals will take place after lunch.

[The first match is between Cadet Kim Young-han of Class A and Cadet Jeong Yeon-ju of Class A! Let’s give them a round of applause!]

The first match was Kim Young-han.

Since the next match is mine, if Kim Young-han wins there, I’ll face him in the semifinals.

I didn’t get to see Kim Young-han’s abilities in the Round of 16 because my opponent was weak, so I hope I can see them this time.

As the match progressed, Kim Young-han used a peculiar skill.

Thorns sprouted from the sword he held, overwhelming the woman named Jeong Yeon-ju throughout the duel.

“The sword is incredibly cool, but… it lacks something.”

It was exactly the feel of a top-tier cadet.

He’s strong among ordinary cadets, but he’s on a different level than the absolute elites like Nam Daeun or Alice.

‘With that level, I can win easily?’

Relieved of my worries, I prepared for my match.

Once Kim Young-han’s match is over, there’s a short 10-minute break, and then it’s straight into my match, so I should start warming up and head to the waiting area.

Knock knock knock.

“Cadet Lee Hoyeon-nim. It’s time to prepare for your match~.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Right on time, a staff member came to get me.

I followed the staff member to the waiting area for my next match.

[Match over! The winner is Cadet Kim Young-han of Class A!]

It was a clean win for Kim Young-han.

And now, it’s my turn for the next match…

“Of all people, my opponent is this bastard.”

The tournament bracket had the name Do Jin-hyuk on it.

Lately, I’ve become so famous that he doesn’t directly bother me, but he used to be a troublesome brat from Class A who used to pick fights unnecessarily.

I thought we’d pretend not to know each other and focus on charming girls, but of all things, we meet here.

Winning isn’t the problem, it’s just uncomfortable and annoying.

“Cadet Lee Hoyeon. It’s time for your match.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Ten minutes have already passed.

I headed to the arena for the duel.

[The next match issss! Cadet Lee Hoyeon of Class A and Cadet Do Jin-hyuk of Class A! It’s a duel between them! Both are incredible prospects. This is a highly anticipated match!]

The announcer’s energetic commentary and the roar of the crowd combined to make my ears ring.

I scanned the first-year cadet section, looking for Lumi, and waved.

Lumi gave a small wave back before shrinking back into herself due to the surrounding attention.

From the VIP section, I looked towards where the professors were gathered and saw Im Sol’s face.

I waved to Im Sol too. Im Sol gave a slight nod in my direction, and the beautiful woman with cat-like eyes sitting next to her waved enthusiastically with both hands, greeting me.

“Who is that person?”

She’s pretty, but I’ve never seen her before.

Im Sol seemed to be saying something to the person next to her, but it was too far to hear.

Since I had to go up to the arena anyway, I turned my head and went up.

Do Jin-hyuk was standing in front of me.

As expected, he was radiating hostility towards me.

“Don’t get cocky just because you’ve become famous lately. I’ll crush you.”

“…”

Why is he like this?

When I think about it, I’ve never done anything to harm him.

Does my success bother him?

In the original work, he picked a fight saying I got into Class A without any skill, but I was in Class A from the start.

“Hey, you don’t like me, do you?”

“Yeah. I don’t.”

While the announcer was rambling about our exploits and predicting the winner, I spoke to Do Jin-hyuk.

“Why? Did I ever harm you? Or badmouth you? You’re the one who did all that.”

Do Jin-hyuk remained silent.

“Is it perhaps that you feel hatred towards me without any real reason? Does just seeing my face make you want to kill me?”

“…” I won’t deny it. Every time I see your face, anger surges within me. It’s an unbearable amount.”

“Hmm.”

Judging by that reaction, he seems sincere.

Is it because he’s set up as a true villain?

Do Jin-hyuk is a villain in the original work.

Therefore, even with the story twisted, he’s destined to be the villain towards me.

Just like Moon Surin, the easiest heroine to conquer, gets a favorability boost just by looking at me, he’s in a similar situation, just in a different direction.

[The second match of the 1v1 Duel quarterfinals begins now…!]

After the announcer finished enthusiastically listing our careers, the duel was about to start.

“Alright. Do your best.”

Even though he might be pitiful, I have no intention of saving him.

If I just overwhelm him completely, he’ll realize he’s no match and back down.

[5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Duel start!]

Mana surged from Do Jin-hyuk’s body.

Materialized mana wrapped around him, forming a full-body shield.

His specialty was close-quarters combat, utilizing immense defense and physical prowess.

Do Jin-hyuk charged towards me with great speed, but his movements were predictable.

Thump.

My heart rate quickened slightly.

Still, as Do Jin-hyuk is a renowned prospect, my combat senses reacted slightly.

‘Awakening’

I also assumed a combat stance, facing Do Jin-hyuk.

Ending this quickly would be the best way to show the difference in our levels.

I summoned fireballs to keep Do Jin-hyuk, who was approaching me, at bay.

Do Jin-hyuk dodged the fireballs and threw a punch, but

Thud!

Just as my Cotton Guard, which even an ogre couldn’t break, Do Jin-hyuk couldn’t possibly penetrate.

“Ugh!”

Instead, Do Jin-hyuk seemed surprised by the recoil after attacking.

Fwoosh-!

I attacked Do Jin-hyuk, who was pushed back by the recoil, but his defense was indeed tremendous.

The shimmering mana surrounding him was functioning perfectly as a shield.

‘Still, he’s not completely weak.’

However, I had the perfect skill to deal with someone who relies solely on defense.

I accelerated the mana around me, preparing my counterattack.

Do Jin-hyuk sensed something was wrong and charged at me, but my preparations were already complete.

Reading the trajectory of his right fist coming towards me, I ducked and simultaneously flashed a weak flame into Do Jin-hyuk’s eyes.

“Ngh!”

People instinctively recoil when momentarily blinded.

Using ‘Acceleration’, I pursued Do Jin-hyuk and condensed spiral mana in my hand.

Do Jin-hyuk twisted his body to regain his balance, but with double casting, I summoned a pillar of flame behind him.

The startled Do Jin-hyuk tried to force his retreating body downwards.

He was clearly planning to roll away to safety.

He must have been relying on his defense to tank one hit, but my ‘Spiral’ had broken through even an ogre’s defense.

“Aaaargh!”

I drove the Spiral into Do Jin-hyuk’s back as he tried to evade, and the impact immediately triggered the safety settings.

This means the impact would have been fatal outside the mana field.

[Match over! The winner is Cadet Lee Hoyeon of Class A!]

The referee’s declaration confirmed my victory, and the excited announcer hyped up the atmosphere.

Soon, the mana barrier of the arena disappeared, and the roar from the stands hit my ears.

“Waaaaah-!”

“Lee Hoyeon! Lee Hoyeon!”

I glanced towards the VIP section and saw Professor Im Sol staring at me with wide eyes.

‘Professor, your disciple is this strong.’

For some reason, I felt a strange sense of pride.

Do Jin-hyuk was still down.

Even without physical damage, the pain was real, so he must have felt like his back was being torn apart.

“…” Why did you even pick a fight, you punk. Tsk, tsk.”

Watching Do Jin-hyuk being carried away on a stretcher, I clicked my tongue.

*

Unlike the stands, which were roaring loud enough to shake the arena, the VIP section was eerily silent.

The duel Lee Hoyeon had just put on was so impressive that even the most influential VIPs were speechless.

“What was that last magic…? It seemed like a unique skill, but is that level of destructive power even possible?”

“This isn’t the mana manipulation of a first-year cadet…! Not only can he condense mana so precisely, but there’s zero mana loss in the process!”

“There was also a skill that temporarily boosted his speed. That seemed like a unique skill too.”

As one person muttered, others began to chime in.

The match itself was short.

Do Jin-hyuk charged at Lee Hoyeon, was blocked, charged again, and was countered to end.

It lasted just over 20 seconds, but Lee Hoyeon showcased incredible skill in that time.

“How’s that contact I told you to make going? What? Not getting a reply? Then go find them and beg, you bastard!”

“Even without an official guild backing him, with that level of skill, we must recruit him. Yes. The conditions aren’t important anymore…”

“I think he’s much stronger than Nam Daeun. His demonstrated skill surpasses Nam Daeun’s by far!”

The scouts were frantically contacting their guilds, and the guild masters were pushing their scouts.

In this situation, Im Sol and Min Yeji were just as surprised by Lee Hoyeon.

“…” Sol-ah. Sorry, but can I contact you about guild recruitment, not business matters?”

“…” Do as you please.”

Im Sol was stunned by her disciple’s combat power.

He’s stronger than I was at twenty.

Even more so than when I was called a monster and faced all sorts of envy and jealousy, my disciple is even stronger.

Of course, Im Sol was called a monster not just for her combat power, but also for her ability to instantly grasp any magic, but Lee Hoyeon’s magical talent matched hers.

“Wow, how did you find such a talent? Sol, you really have a tight grip on the magic side.”

“I have to protect him.”

“Huh? Protect him from what?”

I must protect my disciple from people worse than starfish, preventing them from hindering or challenging him.

Im Sol didn’t want Lee Hoyeon to walk the same path she had.

One monster created that way is enough.

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

“Hmm, what message should I send to get Cadet Lee Hoyeon to reply….”

Min Yeji, sensing the shift in Im Sol’s mood, immediately lost interest in her.

She knew better than to provoke her at times like those.

*

“Strong…”

Alice, waiting in the waiting area for her next match, was shocked by Lee Hoyeon’s performance.

Lee Hoyeon was a far stronger opponent than she had imagined.

“Despite having a congenital mana disorder, how is he manipulating mana like that? What method did he use?”

Even when replenishing mana with magic stones, using large amounts at once is burdensome.

Yet, Lee Hoyeon used advanced skills consecutively without showing any strain.

That shield wasn’t ordinary shield magic, and the skills to speed up his body and condense mana for attacks are naturally extremely mana-intensive.

Lee Hoyeon cast magic as if he didn’t have a mana disorder.

“There must be a secret.”

I had a hunch.

Top-grade magic stones. Or perhaps a Saint.

One of them must have alleviated his congenital mana disorder.

“Could there be an application for top-grade magic stones that I don’t know about…?”

I haven’t neglected researching top-grade magic stones.

The Iris Guild invested a fortune to cure my mana disorder.

But the result was only the use of mid-to-low grade stones.

And I had even sought out a Saint.

For a fee paid to the Association, I could receive treatment from a Saint.

However, the Saint’s answer then was that congenital illnesses could not be altered by her healing magic.

So I had forgotten about the Saint, but perhaps she found a way recently.

“I can contact the Saint later… Should I research top-grade magic stones again…?”

Alice messaged Sebastian, asking him to send over the research data on top-grade magic stones.

Turning her eyes back to the screen, Lee Hoyeon was bowing deeply to the spectators, offering his greetings.

“He’s so polite…”

Alice wanted to become friends with Lee Hoyeon, who suffered from the same condition.