Three figures rushed through the dense forest. One of them spoke urgently.
It was Lorraine, a support major with a unique sensing ability.
“It’s moving.”
“Escaping?”
“No, it’s slow. It seems to be leading us.”
The one who responded was Kim Hyun, a combat major cadet. He adjusted his sword at his waist as he stepped forward.
“Leading… Is it a trap?”
“Could be.”
The trio had formed a temporary party to find the special admission student, Lee Ha-yul.
Competitions among cadets are allowed inside the tower. But that doesn’t prevent cooperation.
They can team up as needed.
Combat majors Kim Hyun and Raven, along with support major Lorraine, formed a party based on their thoughts.
Of course, nobody had ill intentions against Lee Ha-yul.
Kim Hyun was just curious about Lee Ha-yul’s skills as a swordsman. He wanted to test his mettle against the widely talked-about special admission student and seized the opportunity to act.
Raven and Lorraine were eyeing Lee Ha-yul for the points they could earn.
1,000 points—an enormous amount. It’s the kind of score that usually requires capturing the top student twice. Even dividing that would still amount to over 300 points. There was no reason not to target it.
“Thank goodness… It seems we found him first.”
Although Lorraine was a sensing-type ability user, finding the trail of the special admission student was just happenstance.
Typically, sensing-type unique abilities aren’t very convenient.
They consume a significant amount of mental energy each time they’re used, especially in highly magical environments like this one.
This time, it wasn’t strictly through sensing abilities; they were simply following the traces left on nearby trees and the ground.
If it’s luck, then it’s luck. The group was targeting the special admission student after all.
“We’re close.”
At Lorraine’s words, the other two tensed and gripped their weapons.
They entered a clearing beyond the thicket.
*
Finally, he adjusted his senses.
The moment before combat. Luckily, he wasn’t too tense.
Thanks to Professor Atra’s teachings, he was able to keep his mind calm.
– Whoosh
The presence of the pursuers entered the clearing.
Lee Ha-yul turned to face them.
This time, he gauged the opponents’ magic. It felt awkward, but magic affinity helped him see through the properties and total amount of their magic.
‘One has relatively weak magic. A support major? The other two seem like combat majors, but they look experienced.’
He couldn’t determine specifics. He realized this could even be a mistaken judgment.
As Lee Ha-yul fell silent, the trio stepping into the clearing tightened their grips on their weapons.
‘…..’
His eyes were closed, but Kim Hyun, standing at the forefront, was convinced he recognized him properly.
Raven, holding his spear next to him, was the first to speak.
“I’m Raven, a combat major. I mean no ill will, and speaking of a 3-on-1 sounds weird, but I want to spar.”
“I’m Lorraine, a support major.”
“I’m Kim Hyun, a combat major. I’d like to hear your name.”
Kim Hyun called out, drawing his sword as a matter of courtesy. It was a formality he always took before sparring back at the main house.
He was the child of a reputed family. Always following proper etiquette before a duel was a given.
As soon as he finished speaking, Raven, holding his spear, looked at Kim Hyun with wide eyes, as if he were looking at a madman.
“Hey, hey.”
“?”
Kim Hyun tilted his head at the confusion in his friend’s voice and flinched. Lee Ha-yul. The rumors regarding ‘words’ about him were well-known.
“…I’m sorry. That was rude.”
“……”
Lee Ha-yul hadn’t seen such a comedy, but he understood the situation. He was somewhat bemused as he had always been comfortable thanks to his smartwatch.
He nodded quietly and drew his sword.
It was a signal to end the conversation.
– Swish
Lee Ha-yul drew the sword from his waist. The clear sound of the blade made Kim Hyun marvel inwardly.
It was an ordinary supply sword. There was nothing special about it, but he felt the disciplined posture accompanying the draw.
He was skilled. There was no way someone who had only awakened a month ago would show such poise.
Kim Hyun ramped up his tension and gripped his sword tightly. He tapped into the core within him to draw out magic.
‘I won’t be careless.’
Lee Ha-yul’s record of dueling had already spread far and wide. Even if his opponent were to become complacent, he had already bested a combat major cadet.
He was practically a superhuman. A slight sense of competitiveness bubbled up. It was a natural feeling for someone who prided themselves as a swordsman.
Just as he was about to charge forward with a deep breath, Lee Ha-yul raised one hand, pointing at Kim Hyun.
‘What?’
A sudden action.
Just before he could register the doubt, a chill ran down Kim Hyun’s spine, and he quickly lifted his sword. At the same time, he wrapped his blade in fierce magic.
– Whoosh!
‘Magic Slash.’
His instinct was right. A powerful, fierce slash flew toward him, cleaving the ground in its path. It was too late to evade, and he frantically lifted his sword.
– Crash!
“Ugh…!”
Kim Hyun’s eyes widened at the overwhelming powers of the strike.
Using magic. He’d heard the rumors.
But.
With an invisible spear and at such speed? And he didn’t expect it to have this level of power.
With a loud crash, both his legs dragged along the ground before finally losing contact with it.
– Boom!
Kim Hyun, caught in the violent wind produced by the slash, was flung far away. The gust later slammed against Raven and Lorraine.
Raven’s ponytail whipped wildly in the wind.
“Crazy.”
The battle had begun. The slash barreled forward, effortlessly snapping a few trees as Raven dashed in, cursing.
A low-level magic, Magic Slash. Even someone who hadn’t started magic like Raven recognized that much.
The power was so otherworldly he realized he’d reacted too late.
A sharp point of the spear wrapped in magic shot forth, accompanied by a flick of his wrist. It was textbook spear technique.
– Clang!
Sure enough, Kim Hyun’s sword blocked the trajectory of Raven’s spear, their magic clashing together.
– Crash! Clang! Crash!
Spear and sword intertwined as they struck again and again, their magic steadily dwindling.
‘What the hell.’
Combining spear technique with sword technique.
Raven came from an esteemed family and had proven his merit by being admitted to Shio-ram.
He was confident in his spear skills. He had been using a spear since he was very young. He could justifiably say his life had been spent with the spear.
The spear was blocked by the sword. It wasn’t about the superiority of spear techniques; it was his technique being thwarted.
The linear spear, ready to alter its trajectory, was shot down by the fluid swordsmanship.
– Whoosh
Of course, he wasn’t completely overwhelmed. In this clash, the upper hand belonged to Raven.
The spear tip kicked the sword aside and thrust forward. Lee Ha-yul twisted his head. The spear grazed his cheek narrowly.
This pattern repeated during the brief exchange.
But that wasn’t the issue.
– Crash!
Their weapons crashed against each other. The slashes from their magic had been carving away at their energies.
…Both sides were losing their magical fortitude. Raven’s face turned pale with disbelief.
The spear technique… To be fair, it was shocking he couldn’t dominate. He understood talent. He’d heard that his visual was replaced by sensing type, but failing to dominate a blind swordsman in spear technique was beyond expression.
The intensity of their magical powers was crucial. He realized he was losing. It was evident. Whenever their powers collided, Raven’s magic diminished further.
What did that mean?
It meant that his 20 years of accumulated magic, the techniques he had trained for, were being overpowered by Lee Ha-yul, who had merely trained for a month.
‘Wow…’
This was insane. Raven let out a resigned laugh and twisted his spear. He adjusted to counter the altered trajectory of the spear.
Just then, Lee Ha-yul twisted his waist. The sharp tip of the sword barely skimmed his clothing. Lorraine, who had moved in from the side, swung her sword at him.
Lee Ha-yul pulled back and gripped his sword firmly. Two against one. Soon, Kim Hyun, who had been flung away, would rejoin them.
‘Raven.’
Things were a bit strained. His still-uneasy senses were treating him awkwardly. He had sustained numerous wounds in just moments.
He couldn’t see, but based on the original descriptions, he knew he was bleeding red particles.
Spear and sword. Owing to the distance, responding was quite difficult. It was daunting that the spear was well-handled, not allowing him to close the gap.
‘Lorraine.’
Support major. Still, she was handling a sword for battle. If it came down to a one-on-one, he could finish her off quickly. But Raven wouldn’t let that happen.
‘Kim Hyun.’
The lead of their group. The one who had asked his name and apologized. Likely the strongest among them.
If Raven was struggling, three against one would be hard to match with just a sword.
With just a sword.
He forcefully channeled his magic into the grip of his weapon. The blade trembled violently, imbued with massive magic. He clenched his teeth and swung the sword forward with great force.
Gained through elixirs, his magic had become sufficient for actual combat.
He still had unspent amounts within him. Even at this moment, those unspent amounts were responding favorably.
– Crash!
The scattered magic enveloped the field ahead. Raven recoiled, and a small cut appeared on Lorraine’s arm, who was slow to dodge.
“Ugh!”
They both created distance. Lee Ha-yul steadied his breath and extended his senses beyond.
Amidst the chaos stirred up by the Magic Slash, Kim Hyun, with a hardened face, was charging forward.
‘Three against one.’
It was an unfavorable situation. Once they confirmed Kim Hyun’s return, the other two adjusted their pace and distance.
They seemed to be planning a triangular formation to encircle him.
Lee Ha-yul soothed the magic within him, taking a deep breath. His pure magic moved without any resistance, complying with its owner’s intent.
Kim Hyun approached head-on. Pure magic entwined over his sword, creating a clean trajectory.
His swordsmanship was just worthy of admiration.
Watching him, Lee Ha-yul lifted his leg and slammed it into the ground.
– Boom!
The ground trembled around Lee Ha-yul as a thick earthen wall started rising.
‘Magic!’
Once again, Lee Ha-yul executed the incantation for invisible spears with difficult to detect high-speed casting. Kim Hyun marveled as he swung his sword. A clean line was etched atop the earthen wall.
‘Magic Slash.’
The precise Magic Slash sliced the earth wall smoothly. Parallel casting. Kim Hyun’s sword met the incoming Magic Slash.
– Crash!
This time, he had expected magic. Therefore, he didn’t get blown away; instead, he was able to push against it.
A force that was not typical for a low-level spell. But he believed he could handle it. He thought to channel magic force back into the sword once more.
However, Kim Hyun miscalculated.
‘Magic Slash.’
Originally, low-level spells aren’t made for sheer power, but for their efficiency in spamming magic.
Yet another Magic Slash came screaming, this time three of them. Kim Hyun jumped back in panic.
The three slashes could carve the ground as if huge claws of a beast swiped down.
After using magic, the brief moment of vulnerability was the opportunity. Raven and Lorraine aimed for both of his flanks.
Lee Ha-yul calmly gripped his sword again. The magic within him was writhing again.
Boom! This time, without standing up, the ground erupted toward Raven’s front.
‘Is a slash coming?’
Raven wondered inwardly, having witnessed the preceding combination. He saw how the earth erupted, followed by the magic slash.
A brief contemplation. During that time, Lee Ha-yul pivoted towards Lorraine and slammed the ground.
Lorraine bit her lip and lunged forward with both hands pushing the sword. The sharp tip of her sword sliced through the air.
She could feel it very distinctly; the gust of wind slicing past her ears.
The penetrating sword. She felt the fierce magic burning above it.
Lee Ha-yul exhaled, sharpening his senses. Suddenly, blood started oozing from his nose.
During the battle, his senses had become extraordinarily acute. Though still inept, now, he had a sufficient level to use.
It was a curious perception.
He couldn’t see anything, yet he could feel everything.
With only sound and the silhouette of magic, with sensations felt through skin, the world transformed into awareness in a mystical manner.
He reached forward with his sword.
The blades clashed together. Huh? Lorraine gasped in astonishment.
It was not merely being deflected. Like a smooth stream of water, Lee Ha-yul’s sword flowed seamlessly.
– Clash!
A dissonance. The suddenly altered trajectory raised her sword. She lost grip. Her arms flew wide open.
The spinning sword twirled into the sky. Lorraine, watching her sword spin like a bird, gazed in awe.
‘Oh?’
He felt the disparity in talent clearly. He was a member of the Ipchun Class. He hadn’t forged close ties with Lee Ha-yul, but he had felt his skills firsthand during their duels.
Victory during sparring against a combat major. Despite being a special admission, it had strained his subpar reputation in battle.
Though he had achieved his win through a lapse in attention, that didn’t diminish his skill.
But at his previous level, he thought he was fairly matched with Lorraine. After all, she was a student of a support major, not a combat major.
At that time, it was comparable. So, he naturally expected to win. It was three against one. Of course, he thought it was a win.
Now, however, he almost got defeated in one hit. That reality was beyond his comprehension.
While in thought, something cold pierced his brow.
Crunch! It wasn’t gentle, but harshly jabbed as if splitting a watermelon.
‘One.’
Lee Ha-yul coldly counted inwardly.
*
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