Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Semester Start (3)
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Ice shards bent in from every direction, targeting Kim I-jun's openings. Even inanimate objects seemed to radiate an intense will to slip through any gap in his sword qi and pierce his body.
Kim I-jun furrowed his brow and let out a groan. Blocking them was the best he could do. Launching a counterattack in this state was like reaching for the stars.
How the hell was he supposed to deal with this barrage of ice? Kim I-jun gritted his teeth and swung his sword once more. A golden flash exploded outward.
The aftermath of that brief explosion bought him a momentary breather. Kim I-jun quickly regulated his breathing, wary of a follow-up barrage, and gripped his sword tighter.
He had to admit it first. Fine, he'd thought the bone-crushing training over the past year had closed the gap to some extent, but apparently, he was still far off.
Back in the early days of freshman year—before summer break—Lee Hyun-jin had already been a tough opponent, but now he was on another level entirely. The distance he'd barely narrowed had widened even further.
This wouldn't do. Last year, he'd worn down the guy's stamina in a grueling close fight and lost by the narrowest margin. But now?
The blue hologram floating incongruously above the volcanic terrain converted the exhaustion levels of the two ranking battle participants into numerical values. The result was a clear disadvantage for Kim I-jun.
Compared to the tiny bits of stamina he occasionally chipped away when his sword qi flew in a lucky direction, Kim I-jun's body was already a ragged mess.
Even if the damage taken here didn't affect his real body...
That wasn't the point. All Kim I-jun cared about was the ranking battle ending with his victory recorded.
Kaduk!
Kim I-jun ground his teeth savagely and glared straight ahead with bulging eyes. Ice blades incoming, his sword qi flying out in response, the flow of all mana—he took it all in.
The ice blades were sharp, no doubt, but what demanded even more attention was something else: the attribute latent in every bit of mana Lee Hyun-jin scattered in all directions.
In other words, the 'chill' was what he had to watch most carefully. A common mistake those facing this ice mage made was dismissing the accumulating damage from the cold as negligible.
From an objective third-party view, the terror of that chill—raking across the skin even worse than the ice blades—would stand out more.
Considering this extreme volcanic environment, it was an utterly monstrous ability. Kim I-jun twisted his lips in a hollow, bitter sneer.
A head-on fight was hopeless. There'd be no chance for his specialty, the sword's heavy strikes. He'd end up trapped in frozen hell first.
So what could he do? Kim I-jun racked his brain over and over. Nothing else mattered. He needed a way to win right now—no, only right now.
Kim I-jun's eyes cooled to a steely calm.
The barrage of ice blades. That near-perfect net of ice sealed his movements airtight, leaving no gaps to exploit.
Was this what they called a heavenly net in those wuxia novels?
...Probably not to that extent. No, it definitely wasn't.
Kim I-jun repeated that to himself as he focused his gaze even sharper.
There was no evidence. No proof. Just instinct. He imprinted one fact in his mind: his opponent was a fellow student from the same academy.
Lee Hyun-jin was Grand Mage Seol Ha-yeon's prized disciple, but he wasn't Seol Ha-yeon herself.
So there had to be a gap. Even if not, forcing the issue would likely create one.
Lack of long-term experience, a sliver of complacency from holding the advantage, the arrogance unique to geniuses.
He hoped those factors would tip the scales in his favor. It was a gamble, but he had to approach this showdown like a true high-roller.
It was right then.
"──Ah."
He spotted it—or thought he did. It was such an ambiguous opening that he hesitated even after noticing it...
But it was definitely an opening. In other words, an opportunity.
Kim I-jun didn't hesitate. Even if it was a feint, letting it pass meant the end of this ranking battle.
With his defeat, that is.
So why wouldn't he bite, even if it was bait? He'd shove his body in and devour it whole.
Kim I-jun's eyes bulged wide. Veins popped on the back of his hand, and the arm gripping his sword whipped out in a massive arc.
Then the explosion erupted.
"...!"
The ice blades' barrage showed no sign of stopping. Even if he broke through one direction, another summon would replace it instantly.
Not wrong. That was Lee Hyun-jin's intent. If Kim I-jun overextended to escape, he'd counter with an even stronger blow to end the battle outright.
So this was just a mistake. Simple carelessness, a split-second control lapse leaving a gap in the follow-up.
But seizing that gap was undeniably the result of Kim I-jun's skill.
One section of the blade legion crumbled away pathetically fast. Kim I-jun hurled his body into the fleeting void that created.
Lee Hyun-jin's expression twisted slightly.
'Damn it.'
His overwhelming dominance blurred in an instant.
He stood at the crossroads of victory and defeat.
The ice blades filling the rest of the space lost their utility in a flash.
They were useless now. Not enough time, leeway, or mana reserves to redirect their tips at Kim I-jun directly.
By the time 'oh shit' crossed his mind, Kim I-jun's gleaming golden blade was already surging toward his chin.
Light flared in Kim I-jun's eyes. Victory was in sight. No, he'd seized the momentum. The chance to finish it had come.
The stamina gap was real. The only way to overturn it before the time limit was one devastating blow.
Kim I-jun didn't waver. He turned thought straight into action.
The sword qi began to spin. A golden vortex swirled atop Kim I-jun's blade.
And with a ferocious momentum that could grind anything to dust, it bore down on Lee Hyun-jin, whose face twisted in dismay.
In time that suddenly slowed to a crawl.
'Can't dodge this.'
Kim I-jun was certain of his win.
It wasn't something a mage could evade. Distance and angle were perfect.
The moment it pierced him, that 89% health would plummet to 0% in a heartbeat.
As Kim I-jun moved to seal the deal—
"Huh?"
Lee Hyun-jin's figure before his eyes suddenly blurred and vanished.
The blade skewered empty air.
Up until the moment Lee Hyun-jin and Kim I-jun's ranking battle began, Cheon So-yul was still unmatched and lingering in the arena lobby.
She stood with arms crossed, gazing up at the central monitor.
When Lee Hyun-jin left, he'd gifted her a mocking sneer that screamed 'you're in deep shit,' but she wasn't banking on his unconditional defeat. No, she couldn't.
...She probably knew his abilities better than anyone else in this academy.
They'd clashed for a full year, and not just in ranking battles.
Petty squabbles or comprehensive evaluations—whatever the context, they'd collided.
That meant Cheon So-yul understood the mage named 'Lee Hyun-jin' better than anyone. Not a pleasant feeling, but...
Anyway, the key point was that even against that Kim I-jun, Lee Hyun-jin wouldn't yield momentum easily.
Sure, his position and swordsmanship gave him good matchup against mages... but only against mediocre ones.
The mage Kim I-jun faced now was among the academy's top talents—near the pinnacle of second-years.
Cheon So-yul grimaced, squinting one eye sourly.
It grated on her, but she'd acknowledge what was due.
He was her equal as a mage. Maybe slightly superior. Virtually neck-and-neck.
So while many students in the arena watched the top-rankers' clash with bated breath, Cheon So-yul alone bit her nail, visibly anxious.
Only one thought occupied her mind.
'Ah, if I lose this bet, it's gonna be so embarrassing...'
She had the cash to buy him late-night snacks, no problem. That wasn't the issue.
The only wound that mattered was the one to her pride.
Before she knew it, Cheon So-yul was glued to the monitor, utterly immersed in Lee Hyun-jin and Kim I-jun's match.
When Lee Hyun-jin summoned ice spears to deflect sword qi, she sighed. The follow-up ice blade barrage turned her face pale.
Her interjections like 'Ah!' or 'Yes...!' midway were laced with genuine emotion. Undeterred by sidelong glances, she kept cheering.
'Win this, please! You have to win...!'
Of course, the one receiving her cheers wasn't her sworn enemy Lee Hyun-jin, but Kim I-jun.
They weren't even that close.
In any case, the two boys' battle raged on. By the time Kim I-jun's health dipped below 50%, about 15 minutes had passed. Only 5 minutes left.
The more cornered Kim I-jun got, the more Cheon So-yul frowned and sighed.
Soon, surrounding students were enjoying the match through her reactions like it was live commentary. She was the arena's celebrity.
Cheon So-yul stared up at the monitor with bated breath, praying too.
Please, let Kim I-jun get an opening!
And then, the miracle(?) happened.
An upset unfolded.
"Ugh...!"
A massive explosion boomed from the speakers. The arena rarely amplified ranking battle sounds that loud, drawing even disinterested students' eyes.
Cheon So-yul, who'd reflexively covered her ears, frowned and looked up again.
"...Ah!"
That's when she saw it: Kim I-jun finally breaking the ice blockade, exploiting the gap to charge at Lee Hyun-jin.
Nice! Cheon So-yul hopped in glee, cheering wildly. She'd forgotten her original goal, now just craving Lee Hyun-jin's downfall.
Lee Hyun-jin's reaction on the crisp monitor feed was delicious too.
That dismayed expression was the ultimate treat for Cheon So-yul.
Despite the remaining health gap, Cheon So-yul, Kim I-jun, and many other students were convinced of the reversal.
"Huh."
"...What the hell is that."
"He vanished?"
The arena suddenly buzzed.
The cause was obvious: the monitor footage.
Kim I-jun thrust his sword. The sword qi's glow was the brightest yet, and everyone sensed his victory.
In mage-vs-swordsman fights, these decisive clashes happened often enough—simple as that.
The swordsman endures the mage's barrages, closes in with a sprint, and slash! Severs the fragile mage's body.
It was such a familiar sight that reactions to the anomaly lagged.
Even when Lee Hyun-jin's body faded like mist and vanished.
Even when a stunned Kim I-jun stared at the empty space.
And even when the translucent ethereal form reappeared, freezing Kim I-jun's nape.
The lobby crowd failed to grasp it in time. A few exchanged uncertain words belatedly.
"What is that? Invisibility or something?"
"Nah, uh. Basic Invisible can't dodge a sword blade..."
"Then what is it?"
"How should I know?"
"You're a mage too."
Overhearing the guys chatting at a distance, Cheon So-yul's face hardened unlike before.
'Invisibility? No, that's not...'
She disagreed. As the other guy said, basic invisibility couldn't evade physical interference.
Her mind raced with every spell that could pull off such evasion.
But among that vast list, nothing matched perfectly.
Exactly.
Not a single one.
"... ."
Cheon So-yul's complexion rapidly worsened.
One hypothesis dawned on her.
As far as she knew, Lee Hyun-jin didn't have many efficient evasion skills like that.
True to his personality, he favored preemptive strikes over defense, defense over evasion.
...And above all, just her intuition. That thing Lee Hyun-jin used moments ago probably wasn't 'magic.'
Not magic. A technique. Something from the melee classes, not mages.
She couldn't sense mana flow through a screen. So this was baseless conjecture.
But... no other possibilities came to mind.
It was likely the stealth skill scouting awakeners favored—probably the advanced etherealization.
And for a pure-blood mage like Lee Hyun-jin to master a melee ability at such proficiency...
As far as Cheon So-yul knew, there was only one way.
His unique trait.
"...Hah."
Cheon So-yul's lips twisted coldly.
Right after, her body was engulfed in the arena's light and vanished.