The sparring was quickly prepared. The professor herself approached to get the details and was getting the facilities ready.
Given my status as a special admission student, I thought I should be cautious about this sparring session.
The cadets, who had been swinging their swords, slowly gathered around. It certainly was going to be quite a spectacle.
The sparring would take place in one of the arenas set up in the training hall.
As I checked my condition with the sword given to me, Hong Yeon-hwa quietly approached.
“Ha-yul, are you really okay?”
[Yes, I’m fine.]
“If you’re forcing yourself to accept, just say so. I’ll take care of it.”
She kept asking if I was really okay, insisting that she could solve it.
Worry was dripping from her eyes. She looked between me, who was feeling anxious, and the male cadet on the opposite side of the arena with a fierce glare.
…It was clear that asking Hong Yeon-hwa for a “solution” would lead to bad outcomes.
Perhaps it was because she was preoccupied; Yeon-hwa didn’t even notice that her friend she was talking to was looking at her with a shocked expression.
“Considering your situation, it’s insane for them to challenge you. You absolutely don’t need to accept.”
[It’s okay. I thought it was necessary, so I accepted.]
I shook my head at her concern, repeating that I was fine.
It’s not just empty words. I truly felt that this sparring was necessary.
Training with Professor Atra.
There weren’t clear stages; it was just one continuous session from beginning to end, which made it hard for me to gauge my own level.
One thing was certain: I had improved. I could guarantee that. If I fought myself from the first day, I might knock myself out with one hit.
But what about the other cadets? I wasn’t sure. I could read movements with spatial perception. I could even predict the next moves to some extent.
In comparison to my own movements, I could understand that I had grown quite a bit.
But if I were to ask whether I could win by fighting… who knows?
There are very few absolutes in a fight. Professor Atra always emphasized this.
Even a desperate struggle from a weaker opponent could inflict fatal wounds on a stronger one, meaning never let your guard down in any situation.
I could read the cadets’ movements. Those expected to be in the advanced classes were tough, but I could still see their moves. The lower ranks were much easier to read.
But I still hadn’t fought anyone yet. I couldn’t know the outcome. That’s why I had to try it out.
I had planned to attempt it around the Tower of Growth, but even now didn’t seem too bad.
“From now on, we will proceed with the friendly sparring. All cadets, take your positions!”
The professor shouted after finishing her preparations.
Leaving Hong Yeon-hwa, who looked like a worried child by the water’s edge, I strode confidently into the sparring arena.
The arena was huge. It was several times larger than the UFC arenas I had seen on my phone. Given it wasn’t civilian-grade but rather superhuman-grade, that made sense.
Approaching from the opposite side was the male cadet, holding his sword in its scabbard with one hand.
What was strange was that despite having applied for the sparring, he looked extremely tense. Plus, he was sweating profusely. If he felt that way, why did he even apply?
I glanced toward the source of his unease and saw Hong Yeon-hwa glaring fiercely at him.
Ah, that makes sense.
Noticing me and the male cadet had taken our places, the professor manipulated a holographic keyboard to adjust the machine set up near the arena.
– Whooom!
The magical energy stored in the bottom of the arena began to stir and took on a definite shape as it surged up from the periphery.
In an instant, the magic formed a square and enveloped the arena. Judging by my faint knowledge, it was a protective magic formation.
“The rules follow those of a friendly sparring match! Both physical and magical enhancements are permitted, and I, the professor, will have the authority to stop the sparring at any time!”
I pulled the lever smoothly. Even after hearing it several times, the sound still sent chills down my spine as my sword was drawn.
Since it was issued for training, the tip and edge were blunt.
The tense-looking male cadet also assumed his stance.
“I’m Aidan Reynolds, majoring in combat. Nice to meet you.”
‘…Huh?’
Was it a self-introduction? My mouth dropped open as I was trying to inject some tension into my body.
After a moment of silence, I gripped my sword with both hands, tapped my smartwatch, and replied.
[Special admission, Lee Ha-yul. Nice to meet you.]
Because I was a special admission, I didn’t have a major or a rank. Thus, my introduction felt shorter than his.
The moment Aidan saw me materialize the hologram, he flinched. But soon, he collected himself and assumed his stance.
Even I could tell that his stance had a decent balance for a newbie like me.
I too firmly gripped the sword’s handle.
All eyes were on us. Occasionally, whispers could be heard, but overall, silence filled the air as everyone concentrated on us.
It was a moment that could raise my tension to the max.
During the introductions, I was nervous. My fingertips trembled, and I made foolish mistakes by getting tangled in my words.
‘……’
I calmed my consciousness. I let go of all gazes. I adjusted my breathing to a balanced rhythm. I naturally clenched the handle.
Nervousness. An emotion that’s useless in a sparring match. That’s what Professor Atra taught me. It’s the same now. I should set aside the unnecessary and focus on the opponent in front of me.
“Then, both sides ready!”
‘Whew…’
I exhaled deeply and manipulated spatial perception. I reduced the scope, focusing on my opponent rather than the overabundant space of the arena.
Letting go of unneeded information, I intensified and collected what was necessary.
“Start!”
At the moment the professor’s voice ended, I kicked off the ground. My body moved with a speed different from before as I lunged toward Aidan with my sword thrust.
– Clang!
The sword ricocheted upward. Aidan’s eyes widened in shock. He seemed stunned by the unexpected recoil.
Aidan quickly recovered his emotions and advanced his sword toward me. In response, I drove my raised sword down onto him.
– Clang! Clash! Clack…!
Swords clashed and sparks flew. The distance between us closed.
I defended against incoming strikes, countering and dodging. With the opportunity created, I shoved my sword forward.
The sparring was established. At the very least, it wasn’t going to end in one move.
I assessed the situation.
‘I’m slower.’
I was the one gradually getting pushed back. It showed in my stats and skill. The further I moved back, the more Aidan’s strikes began to catch up.
With each sword swing and defense, the burden on my body increased.
But,
‘This is manageable.’
It was turning out to be easier than I thought.
First-year at Shio-ram. A rookie who hadn’t even entered the Tower of Growth in two weeks.
The current 121st class of Shio-ram was said to be a golden generation. Just look at Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ahrin; the overall average was higher than other classes.
According to the original content, they’d at least reach the level of a low-tier hero.
Was Aidan the same? He likely possessed a unique ability. He must have trained hard at a rigorous academy before entering Shio-ram.
– Clash! Jingle!
The match was ongoing, even though the specs were skewed in his favor.
Of course, he was probably holding back to some extent. Even in the current situation, his specs were significantly higher, and he had plenty of energy left.
Yet, he appeared oddly annoyed while hesitating, so it didn’t seem he meant any malice.
In fact, even now during the sparring, he seemed to be maintaining a level of restraint.
But that was his situation. Just because he was being restrained didn’t mean I needed to hold back as well. I was the one starting at a disadvantage. All I had to do was exert my full strength to seek victory.
‘So then.’
As I continued to fend off Aidan’s persistent attacks, I racked my brain.
Professor Atra always said that fighting is about exchanges of cards. It’s advantageous when the opponent isn’t aware of my hand, and I should use those unexpected cards at the most critical moments.
I pondered. From the outside, what would they think of me?
The unprecedented special admission student.
However, a blind and mute one. A physically weak guy. Essentially, a disabled person slightly below average.
The reactions around me were proof enough. My current posture was the same. Clearly, while physical and magical strengthening were allowed, Aidan was not using them.
Because I wasn’t using them. He probably didn’t think I would use them.
This was my opportunity. Although I could only use it now, it was definitely a crucial chance emphasized by Professor Atra.
– Clang! Clash!
I was gradually being pushed back. I was nearly a few steps away from the protective barrier. It was starting to look tough to block his sword.
– Clang! Crack!
Eventually, I felt the hard sensation under my heel. At that moment, Aidan gripped his handle tightly.
‘Gotcha.’
He took the bait. Aidan’s assaults intensified, believing victory was near. That was exactly what I wanted.
Slowly, my defenses began to falter. I wanted it to appear this way.
– Crack!
Suddenly, I twisted my sword in a quick motion. One of his hands lost their grip. The other hand, still clutching the sword, was sent flying.
The opening in my defenses was exposed.
Confident of his win, Aidan raised his sword. A powerful downward stroke came next.
He must have thought the sparring arena’s system would block the blow right before impact.
– Whoosh…
The sword fell, the blade cutting through the air with a crystal-clear sound.
At this moment, I wouldn’t be able to respond. My arms had gone limp, and I was too slow to evade.
I had to time it perfectly. Focusing all my nerves on the task, the world began to slow down.
– Whoosh…
As the sword came down, just an inch away, I tapped into my core. A massive force of magic burst forth throughout my body.
– Whoosh!
Vitality surged from within my core. While the world slowed, my body accelerated in the opposite direction, twisting away.
“What─”
Body reinforcing technique. A basic technique to enhance the physical body through magic.
The descending blade grazed my cheek. It was close. Aidan’s face turned with shock.
With the opportunity following his attack, I now had my moment to counter.
He hadn’t used any body strengthening technique. But I had. This was the first time my specs were comparable to Aidan’s since the sparring began.
I yanked the sword flung to the side. My body, activated with magic, delivered a performance different from before. The sword rushed toward him at several times its previous speed.
Aidan panicked and tried to retract his sword.
– Clang!
“Ugh…!”
His defense was sloppy because of the sudden hit, and he was surprised by my strength that equaled his own. Aidan’s feet dragged against the ground as he was pushed back.
His eyes widened in disbelief. He was thoroughly flustered.
I didn’t wait for him to recover. I kicked off the ground again.
Bam, a sound different from before echoed. I poured power into the tip of my sword as I lunged forward. The sword brimming with magical energy sliced through the air.
Magic surged above Aidan, and he was forced to activate his body reinforcement technique.
With that, our specs flipped. If this blow got blocked, the situation would revert as before.
Aidan had made several miscalculations.
One, he misjudged my abilities.
He didn’t know about the training I was receiving from Professor Atra. He misinterpreted me due to a lack of information, mistakenly thinking I wouldn’t be able to predict his movements.
Two, he assumed I couldn’t use body enhancement.
It was a reasonable conclusion, but he hadn’t accounted for the unexpected. Thus, he had left an opening.
If that had been all, there wouldn’t have been a big problem. The advantage of specs would revert back to him. His skills were still superior. He might have managed to block this attack and shifted the tide back to him.
If it had gone that far.
– Whoosh!
Magic pulsed again. The sword, now fully charged with energy, trembled in my hand. The empowered blade resonated strongly.
– Crack…!
The blade that had been spinning in the air dropped to the ground. Its handle was gone. The cross guard had vanished too.
All that lay on the ground was the blade that rolled away without its handle. The handle remained in Aidan’s grip.
My blade stopped right in front of Aidan’s neck. It hadn’t stopped on its own; it was blocked by a protective barrier.
At the end of my sword lay a blue aura pulsating with energy. It was distinct from Aidan’s azure barrier.
A technique that the frontline position’s hero had to master.
The manifestation of strong energy.
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