“Phew…”
[Wow]
[What was that just now? LOL]
[That firepower was insane]
[One-hit cut]
[Wow]
[What did you use?]
“Ah. I used some stored spiritual power… Ugh.”
Gush!
Blood is surging.
Not just from my mouth, but blood is also oozing from my ears and nose.
I ended up using all the spiritual power equivalent to one Level 4 Spirit Stone, and it seems my internal injuries are more severe than I thought.
Some sorcerers who were healing Akal, who flew far away, hurried over to me and cast recovery spells.
Though they were decent sorcerers with ample skills and spiritual power, their healing speed wasn’t very fast.
“…You’re really injured. I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“Ha ha. I may have pushed myself a bit. If you think it’s too much, you can just leave me be.”
Since I forced myself to unleash my spirit power, my insides are in pretty rough shape.
If recovery spells could easily patch me up, I would have used them long ago to stop the bleeding.
It’s not a bad option to just leave things be instead of pouring spirit power into a bottomless pit.
‘I’m just going to break it again anyway.’
Gush gush gush!
“Even with this, my sturdy body can handle it.”
“Um… you look like you’re going to die.”
“Eh. I’m fine. I’m fine.”
[LOL]
[Lily, you’re bleeding a lot]
[Are you really okay?]
[Ah, if you die, you can just resurrect, right?]
[Lily looks like she’s in a lot of pain, LOL]
[Big Lily (vomiting)]
“Ugh.”
“W-wait! I’ll go get a senior sorcerer who was healing the opponent!”
“I’m fine…”
“Just wait a moment!”
The recovery sorcerer sprinted off to fetch another sorcerer who was healing Akal.
A Level 3 Sorcerer, who possessed considerable spiritual power.
Ignoring me with a glance, he had looked down on the lesser-ranked sorcerer, but after witnessing the recent match, perhaps his perspective changed as he swallowed hard and activated a spell.
Swooosh…
“Is that alright? Ahem! Are you okay?”
“Oh. I think it’s getting better.”
“Thank goodness.”
“Is your opponent okay?”
“Ah. That person is almost fully healed. They were pretty wrecked… I mean, they were so damaged that it was actually easier to treat them.”
“Hmm.”
Well, it’s definitely easier to heal something that’s completely wrecked rather than just fixing parts of it.
If I had been so damaged in the past that treatment was difficult, I would have chosen to kill and then resurrect.
It’s much faster and more stable that way.
After healing to a certain extent, I slowly moved up toward the arena.
The audience seating was usually buzzing after a match, but not at this moment.
Ahem…
Cough…
This arena’s a disaster…
I won again… hahaha…
There’s no monster like me.
Yikes! Be careful over there!
‘They’re scared.’
They’re afraid of me after just witnessing that ridiculous power I displayed.
Most of the audience here are sorcerers ranging from Level 5 to maybe Level 3.
Although they were comfortably watching since unauthorized battles are prohibited in the arena, the power I just showed was the might of a ‘Level 2 Sorcerer.’
If they weren’t fools, they’d realize I was hiding my strength, and if they wanted to live after the underground market, they wouldn’t dare speak carelessly.
Akals usually didn’t utter a word of complaint, but I completely crushed Akal.
“It’s quiet.”
“…Did you come?”
As I climbed the quiet audience seating stairs to the third floor, Yena was staring at me intently.
As usual, Yena tossed me the prayer bracelet.
Inside it were 25 Level 3 Spirit Stones and 20 Level 4 Spirit Stones.
For what was a pretty great payout, I didn’t earn much.
Reading my thoughts, Yena folded her arms and said as if it was obvious,
“Level 3 Spirit Stones are rare too! The payout is determined by the number of spirit stones rather than humans. Earning this much is a miracle.”
“Thank you, Miss Yena. You’re going to compete soon, right? I don’t think I’ll earn much, but I’ll still place a bet.”
“……”
“Miss Yena?”
“Just how much power are you hiding?”
Yena glared at me again with fierce eyes.
Since yesterday’s conversation, Yena’s hostility had calmed down a lot, but she still didn’t trust me completely.
I smiled and shook my head.
“My spiritual power is the same as what you know.”
“Then what was that just now?”
“I stored the spirit stones without absorbing them in my body, but to be precise, how I use them is…”
As I explained my method to Yena, her face turned pale with shock, and by the time I finished explaining, any small amount of trust she had vanished completely.
Yena became a real fierce cat.
“…Who are you really? Are you human?”
“I’m human. What else would I be?”
“…A ghost?”
“Nah. I’m a person.”
“……”
[Human Lily lololol]
[Is that true?]
[Human plus angel lololol]
[Lily is an angel, an angel]
[Oh my]
[That word…]
[Hehe]
[Info) Lily goes into convulsions whenever angels are mentioned]
[hahahahahaha]
“How can a human use spiritual power without absorbing it? Even ghosts can’t do that.”
“It’s possible because I’m me.”
“Right.”
“……”
“Just kidding. I pushed myself a bit too much. I ended up injuring myself a little, as expected when forcing things.”
If Level 4 Spirit Stones have this kind of side effect, I can only imagine how intense the side effects of Level 3 Spirit Stones are.
No matter who I am, I need to be cautious with using Level 3 Spirit Stones.
I chuckled as I looked at Yena, who was at peak vigilance.
“And Miss Yena is hiding something too.”
“That… is…”
“It’s even, since we’re both hiding things. Show me when we meet in the finals.”
“…Hmph! Prepare yourself!”
Yena slumped down in her seat and turned her head away.
Yena and I were positioned on opposite lines, so we wouldn’t meet until the finals.
With me as the pivot, all the Round of 16 matches were concluded, and now only the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals remained.
My opponent in the quarter-finals is a Level 3 Sorcerer, not as strong as Akal.
They didn’t seem to have any special jewels or spells, so it looks like I’ll win my quarter-finals without a hitch.
‘Yena’s opponent is… huh?’
As I tilted my head to look at the newly updated quarter-final opponents on the paper I received earlier, I muttered.
“Hmm?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Miss Yena, your opponent has changed.”
“?”
Originally, Yena’s quarter-final opponent was a Level 4 Sorcerer, a woman who wielded a whip, but a completely different sorcerer’s profile was listed instead.
Even worse, it was someone we knew.
“Geonseon?”
—
“Stronger than I expected. That woman. Was she hiding her power after all?”
Cough…
“What are you going to do, Geonseon?”
In the athlete waiting room, Geonseon finished preparing and gritted his teeth.
He had confidence.
The moment he held the Branch of Mourak, he was sure nobody could beat him, even if the opponent was a Level 2 Sorcerer.
But that girl, Lily, was different.
‘A Level 6 Sorcerer unleashing the power of a Level 2 Sorcerer?’
It was certain.
That girl wasn’t just a simple Level 6 Sorcerer; she was someone significantly higher, hiding her identity!
At least Level 2… or maybe even Level 1.
“…What will I do? I’ll just smash everything to pieces.”
“She might be stronger than you think. Don’t be careless.”
“Careless, my foot…”
Cough!
As Geonseon opened the door, the loud cheers from the arena filled the air.
He clenched the Branch of Mourak even tighter.
“The first opponent to deal with is that cat lady. I’ll cook her first, and then face that woman in the finals. I won’t be careless.”
“Alright.”
“Attention! As I mentioned, due to the personal circumstances of the channel sorcerer, the match opponents have changed! Thank you for your understanding! Introducing! The Level 4 Sorcerer of the Blue Door, Seongeon, who wields powerful jewels!”
Introducing! The powerful Jewel-wielder, 청 (Cheong) the Level 4 Sorcerer Seongeon!
Wowww!!
– Facing him is the Red Door Sorceress! It’s Yena! Renowned for her spells that summon gigantic Demons!
As expected of the quarterfinals, the introductions of the players were brief.
The two fighters faced each other before the match began, with Yena showing a blank expression while Geonseon flashed a sly smile.
Yena, who one would expect to be flustered or angry, responded with a seemingly indifferent demeanor, raising a momentary question in Geonseon’s mind.
But he quickly clenched his fists and maintained his smile once again.
“I’m so excited to meet you. Aren’t you? Cat girl?”
“Let’s get on with it, meow.”
“Do we have to? Enjoy it a bit longer. There aren’t many days left where you can breathe freely—”
“It’s a waste of time, meow. I need to face Lily quickly, meow.”
Crunch.
‘What a rude girl…!’
Lily is another story.
She is a high-ranking sorceress who keeps her identity hidden, and strong individuals have the right to be arrogant.
But this cat girl is not one of them.
‘She’s just a 3rd-grade Demon wielder.’
And even then, she can only barely summon a few. Did she actually think she could stop a Level 1 Jewel like the Branch of Mourak?
If she believes that, she’s truly arrogant.
‘Or maybe she can’t even recognize a Jewel.’
Regardless of what it is, that cat is going to get beaten to a pulp.
Thinking this, Geonseon positioned himself as Yena also spread her hands.
-Then prepare… Start!
Kwaaaak!!
As soon as it started, the Black Cat’s foreleg whipped at Geonseon.
Unlike the usual sorcerers who invoke spells by saying words beforehand, Yena employs a ‘post-curse’ method, saying the words after casting the spell.
Because of this, Yena could strike first faster than any other sorcerer, but her expression soon showed a slight crack.
Screeching…!
Twisted branches blocked her foreleg.
“Post-curse… Meow?”
“Open. Branch. Landlord. Domain Expansion.”
The realm of the trees engulfed the arena.
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