The Crown Jewel of Finals: One-on-One Duel Day
The highlight of the final evaluations had arrived: the day of the one-on-one duels.
A massive crowd had gathered to watch the duel featuring the top student, Yoon Seoa. Being the center of attention like this was nothing new for her. After all, she possessed overwhelming talent.
And standing in direct opposition to her was Kim Siu.
Everyone around them was predicting Kim Siu's defeat. In a way, it was the obvious outcome.
'He hasn't awakened yet, right...'
Potential is measured by the size of one's mana core. Once the mana core activates, you can wield mana—that's what we call awakening. Most people awaken around age 19 on average, though some do it younger, others much later. Generally, the later the awakening, the weaker the ability.
So what if someone still hadn't awakened by now?
Yoon Seoa ignored the chatter around her. To her, Kim Siu was no different from anyone else.
'Just end this quick so I can sleep...'
"You both know the duel rules, right?"
"..."
"The first to destroy 50% of the opponent's protective barrier wins."
Semitransparent protective barriers enveloped both Kim Siu and Yoon Seoa's bodies—a safeguard against injury. In duel exams, they fought like it was real combat, so actual gear was permitted. That included mana weapons, with permission. But weapons like those ramped up the injury risk, so they used barriers, and the 50% destruction rule prevented overkill damage right before a barrier broke.
The method originated at Daehan Academy and proved so effective that other academies adopted it too.
"If you've confirmed, respond."
"Yes."
"..Yes."
Yoon Seoa, Daehan Academy's top student. From the moment of her first awakening, she'd started ahead of everyone else—with a 2nd awakening, no less, a feat only 10% of hunters achieved. 2nd awakeners gained unique abilities tailored to them. Hers was freezing. She'd launched with talent that crushed the competition.
A promising hunter tipped for S-rank status. Always admired and envied, yet simultaneously resented and jealous. The Frost Queen Yoon Seoa.
Her opponent: Kim Siu, the academy's bottom-ranked student.
"We'll start in 10 seconds."
As Yoon Seoa drew on her mana, a chill began to blanket the air around her.
"9"
"8"
Normally, casting magic required complex formulas and calculations—hence the preparation time, which left mages weak up close. But Yoon Seoa was different.
"6"
"5"
Her 2nd awakening infused her mana with cold. No formulas or calculations needed for ice; releasing mana skipped every step. Combine that with her vast reserves?
The Frost Queen Yoon Seoa. Impenetrable ice walls sealed everything off, bone-chilling frost slowed movements to a crawl, and razor-sharp icicles pierced foes mercilessly. A fortress unto herself. Most first-years couldn't even approach before losing.
"2"
"1!"
"Begin!"
She planned to end it in one strike. No need for walls or frost slowdowns. Her attack flew—a sharp ice spear aimed at Kim Siu, calibrated precisely to shatter exactly 50% of his barrier.
"It's ov—"
"..?"
Kim Siu dodged as if he'd known it was coming. Fine, dodges happen. It was a straight-line attack, obvious as hell. She fired another spear. Once. Twice. Three times.
He evaded them all.
Having sidestepped every assault, Kim Siu grinned at Yoon Seoa.
"Isn't that a bit too dismissive?"
"..."
Of course, she hadn't gone all-out. Straight shots were easy to avoid. But could a normal person manage it?
"Why are you mad?"
Kim Siu stared her down with smug confidence.
"I'm not."
Yoon Seoa had a peculiar habit. If a monster had 100 HP, she got a thrill from dealing exactly 100 damage. Perfect cost, perfect hit—spot-on damage. And she'd whiffed it four times now. The power she'd judged sufficient had failed repeatedly. Unbeknownst to her, anger was building.
'Was my judgment off...?'
"You're not pissed, right?"
"..."
She admitted her mistake. Time for stronger attacks. Three frost arrows materialized around her, each locking onto Kim Siu from different angles.
"Knew you were mad."
"..."
The three arrows launched simultaneously from varied directions. Dodge one? Try three. She'd poured in more mana than planned. No more mistakes. This would end it.
But her judgment failed again. Kim Siu blocked one arrow with his sword.
And that confirmed it for her.
"You... you've awakened."
She'd sensed a trace of mana in his movements—just a hint.
"You're really sensitive.."
"That's why... I kept missing.."
Wrong intel doomed her from the start. The moment she recalibrated to treat him as an awakener, Kim Siu struck.
A burst of smoke erupted with an explosive pop.
'Smoke bomb!'
Visibility vanished in an instant. Yoon Seoa activated mana sense. She detected Kim Siu charging explosively through the haze. She raised an ice wall to halt him—pointless. He slipped past every wall and attack like he knew her moves in advance.
In a blink, the distance between them halved.
"Tch."
Pride stung, but she ditched the perfect-damage obsession. Her arrogance had led here. Before he closed further, she unleashed her chill. Her strength was cast speed; frost exploded outward from her, visibly slowing Kim Siu.
She raised walls to trap him. Then—a strange mana surge. As the walls rose, Kim Siu's eyes flashed blue, mana cloaking his sword in azure light.
"2nd awakening?!"
The moment she sensed the anomaly—
"Standing there without moving a step is way too arrogant!!!"
The blue mana sliced her ice wall clean through. Kim Siu burst forward, smashing barriers. She recoiled in shock.
She'd always won duels rooted in place, never stepping back. Her impassive face amid the swirling frost had earned her the title Frost Queen. Now, that queen retreated.
"Kyaa!!"
With Kim Siu nearly upon her, she thrust both hands out. She didn't know his power, but the pristine cut on her ice wall suggested no mere physical force. Normal attacks would cleave right through against that sword.
So, an unstoppable one. Her strongest, no holding back—she forgot power control entirely and unleashed.
Ice crystals bloomed like flowers, then fired shotgun-style in a deafening blast. The barrage hammered Kim Siu mercilessly.
Her miscalculation: his blue mana had already faded. He had no defense for her full power.
"Haa.. haa.."
Drained, she realized her error.
"Ah.."
The smoke cleared. Ice crystals studded Kim Siu's body. Blood poured from wounds as he writhed in agony.
"Fuck..."
But this wasn't ordinary ice.
"Ah.. this.. this is.."
The mana-forged ice began freezing its surroundings. Medical staff and professors rushed in. Healers poured recovery spells on him. The freezing halted once they intervened, but the chill made treatment hell.
Kim Siu's state was gruesome.
"Student, you okay?!"
"Kim Siu!"
The worst wound? An ice shard lodged right in his groin.
"Sh..it.. fuuuuck!!!!!"
Everyone winced. The guys especially clutched their own crotches.
"That’s gotta hurt like hell.."
"Hey! Kim Siu!!!"
His thrashing slowed as frost crept over him. Kang Minji, who'd been watching the duel, sprinted over.
"Don't die! Kim Siu! Don't you dare die!!!"
"Lo… Lord…."