Lee Jia (6)
Lee Jia (6)
After the interview with the Principal ended, we went to the sparring arena. That's because the afternoon class was one-on-one sparring. When we arrived at the arena, a bustling crowd greeted us. Since there are about 100 people per class, just by simple calculation, we have to go through 50 sparring matches today.
"Sparring will be randomized based on grades. Elemental affinity won't be considered. Because when you become heroes, you won't always be in peak condition, nor will you only be able to face opponents against whom you have an elemental advantage. However, if the affinity is unfavorable, additional bonus points will be granted at the professors' discretion."
"Yes!!"
Kang Han-ja said, looking at the students.
I looked around and checked the rankings. My rank was 11th in the class. For starters, I hope I don't end up fighting Han Jong-woo or the female hero who has an extremely bad affinity with me.
"Lee Si-woo, Kang Hannam. You two will start the first sparring match."
At Instructor Kang Han-ja's words, I stepped onto the sparring arena. Kang Hannam, who claims to be Han Jong-woo's subordinate, also started walking up with heavy footsteps. His lumpy, muscular body was impressive. He looked masculine and pretended to be magnanimous, so he was quite popular with the girls.
He was glaring at me intensely. He had been doing that ever since Lee Jia and I started getting close, but he was always glaring in a burdensome way.
"Oh, the first one is Lee Si-woo and Kang Hannam."
"Wow, that's a really extreme matchup. Hannam, who lacks technique but has superior physical abilities, versus Lee Si-woo, who lacks physical abilities but has top-tier technique..."
Whispers could be heard here and there. I could feel the attention of those around me focusing on this side. It is true that it's an interesting match that could be called a matchup. It's just that it's my business. If it weren't me, I would have watched it with interest too.
'Kang Hannam is quite a headache.'
Kang Hannam.
In a way, he's a more troublesome opponent than Han Jong-woo or Im Na-yeon. In a word, he is an ability user specialized in charging. His main weapons are a shield that covers most of his body and a short sword. They were really tricky weapons in a one-on-one.
'Knowledge Browsing!'
▼
Name: Kang Hannam
Strength: 18
Agility: 10
Stamina: 15
Mana: 10
Unique Ability: Reckless Charge
Trait: X
His stamina and strength were high. Mana and agility were low. Should I call it a blessing in disguise? His mana was higher than mine, and his agility was on par. I must never get into a strength contest. His unique ability is Reckless Charge. It's a B-rank trait that provides attack power, movement speed, and defense bonuses when charging. He probably plastered his traits with things related to that, too.
In that case, I should go with a tactic of nibbling away at him.
I picked up my sword and a dagger to use as a secondary weapon. I had to drag him into defense and stab at the gap when he let his guard down.
It wouldn't be bad to hold a spear and poke him here and there, but the opponent isn't a fool. If I enter his range, he'll toss me aside in the blink of an eye.
I calmly put on the Swordsman's Mask.
My mind calmed down. My senses became sharper, and I felt my strength increase slightly. I can't feel it right away, but my stamina must have increased as well.
The sword techniques I had seen through videos surfaced in my brain.
"Hoo."
I let out a light breath. My mind calmed down. I measured the distance to Kang Hannam. Roughly 10m. It's a long distance if you consider it long, but in this place overflowing with hero aspirants, this distance is a short one that can be closed in an instant.
"Lee Si-woo."
Kang Hannam spat out my name as if to devour me.
"Why?"
"If I win, stay away from Lee Jia."
"......."
Haven't you watched too much shonen manga? Unlike my reaction, squeals could be heard here and there.
"What, what?"
"Is it a lovers' quarrel?"
I could feel them chatting as if it were interesting. Even though they entered the academy aspiring to be heroes, they were all still young.
"Then what if I win?"
"......."
Kang Hannam shut his mouth. He must know that what he's saying is unreasonable.
"Kang Hannam."
"Ye-yes!"
"You... no. Hoo."
Kang Han-ja let out a deep sigh and said quietly to Kang Hannam.
'Come to the faculty office later.'
After Kang Han-ja spoke to Kang Hannam, he bowed his head to me as if apologetic. I bowed to Kang Han-ja to mean it was okay. It wasn't okay on the inside, but it was a gain because I could squeeze something out of Kang Han-ja with this.
Kang Hannam glared at me more fiercely than before.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, I am."
"Yes. I'm ready."
"Then start."
"Hup!"
At the professor's words, Kang Hannam charged at me. I quickly stepped back. But as if Kang Hannam had predicted even that, he extended his sword toward me.
Swish.
The sword extended with a sound cutting through the air. I also swung my sword toward his sword.
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound screamed. As soon as my sword and Kang Hannam's sword clashed, Kang Hannam's sword soared upward. For a moment, he looked flustered. It's partly the effect of the Swordsman's Mask, but the biggest factor is the Thousand-Hand Universal Tool Kit. The dexterity that is all-purpose for everything exerts tremendous effect even in parts related to swords. A move that one cannot help but fall for even while knowing it.
I want to land a few follow-up hits on Kang Hannam, who is momentarily defenseless, but the shield was bothering me.
Thud.
The sword I swung as a follow-up was blocked by the shield.
He didn't stop there and moved. Pretending to move to the right, I tilted my upper body to the left. Kang Hannam reacted a beat late, but he moved faster than me. But I had already expected it. I kicked off the ground, leaped to the right, and swung my sword.
Thud!
'Tsk, annoying.'
But Kang Hannam blocked it stably.
I knew it, but a shield is indeed annoying to deal with. When the opponent knows how to use a shield and has better physical abilities than me, that annoyance is unreasonable. I stepped.
Kang Hannam was wary of me. It's probably very different from what he heard.
Because a month ago, during the first sparring, I was still very inexperienced in utilizing the Thousand-Hand Universal Tool Kit and the masks.
He was moving slowly, wary of me from a 5m distance. I chuckled at that sight. Kang Hannam charged at me with an irritated expression. He's simple.
I drew my dagger and ran toward Kang Hannam. I stepped left and right. In an instant, I ducked my body. The disadvantage of a shield. It blocks too much of the field of view. Even if I can't see, I can feel that he is flustered.
"Ugh!"
While pressing my body against the shield, I pondered for a moment. Should I bully him hard? Should I bully him even harder? The contemplation was short. No matter how much he bullied me, it felt a bit wrong for me to bully a high school student. If he crosses the line further here, I'll definitely bully him then, but... It felt a bit wrong to be hostile to Kang Han-ja, who shows me goodwill.
I spun toward Kang Hannam's sword side. Kang Hannam, while flustered, was swinging his sword down at me. I swung my dagger as if to parry. Kang Hannam's sword, which hit my dagger, flew out as if bounced. And I threw the dagger just like that.
Thud!
His body, reinforced with mana, became fast enough to defend against the dagger aimed at his neck with his shield. However, the problem was that the other side was completely empty.
I held my sword to Kang Hannam's neck with the sword in my hand.
"Winner, Lee Si-woo!"
Professor Kang Han-ja announced my victory. His expression was slightly stiff. It must be because he doesn't like seeing his younger brother getting thrashed.
'Easy, it's easy.'
"Kyaa, Si-woo! You're cool!"
"Lee Si-woo is cool!"
Cheers could be heard here and there. Phew, the popularity of this body. As I slightly praised myself, I went down, pleasantly listening to the cheers of the girls, Im Na-yeon's sparkling eyes, and Lee Jia's slightly chilled cheers.
"That guy's weapon technique is truly art."
"The reason for the defeat is that Hannam got provoked in the middle and went in too hastily... but I think he would have won even without that."
"Come to think of it, didn't they say he hasn't even awakened his unique trait yet?"
"......That level without even awakening it? He's truly crazy."
Sounds of admiration could be heard here and there. Feeling unnecessarily burdened, I headed to a secluded place where there weren't many people.
I secretly spied on the students' status windows, wondering if there might be any useful traits among the students.
"Im Na-yeon and Lee Jia."
Kang Han-ja called Im Na-yeon and Lee Jia. At those words, the kids who were chatting here and there suddenly went quiet.
"Im Na-yeon and Lee Jia?"
"Is Lee Jia that girl? The scholarship student who came through the special admission."
"Lee Jia, isn't that her? The kid who was half-abandoned by a prestigious magic family for having no talent?"
"Uh....? From what I heard, she's a genius who will make a mark in magic history?"
Whispers could be heard here and there.
"Um.... May I sit here?"
I turned my head at the small, beautiful voice. I saw Kim Harin, a girl with transparently white skin, pink hair, and pink eyes. I nodded. Anyway, I had to talk to her because of the Thunderbird quest, and there was no reason to refuse.
"Yeah, you can sit."
"Yeah.... Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Kim Harin sat down demurely next to me.
I was watching the sparring arena.
Crackle!
As Lee Jia extended both hands, electricity swirled between her hands. The bright blue current reacted according to Lee Jia's will and was shot at Im Na-yeon in an instant.
Lightning Strike!
"Hup!"
A wave of bright blue current. Watching that, Im Na-yeon widened her eyes and steadied her breathing. A blue mana field was generated outside her body, and soon it began to wrap around her body like armor.
It was Qi Armor.
A kind of state that can be used when one learns martial arts and reaches a certain level or higher. It is weaving Qi one by one to wrap Qi around the body like a full-body armor. If you sharpen this, it becomes Sword Qi.
"Wow, crazy. They are real monsters."
"What kind of student is already using Qi Armor.... I grew up being called a genius when I was in the provinces, but after coming here, I feel such a huge sense of shame..."
Sounds of lamentation could be heard here and there.
"Um, by any chance, could you tell me how to tackle the Thunderbird? That, I'm a bit... very anxious..."
"Tackle method?"
Kim Harin spoke to me while I was watching the match between Lee Jia and Im Na-yeon. Well, I knew that in that state, Im Na-yeon would win easily, so there was no problem.
"It's a bit difficult to talk about it here. Because there are many ears listening around..."
"Ah, I'm sorry... I was clueless, wasn't I...?"
'Yeah, you're pretending to be clueless. Go away.' The words came up to my throat, but I held them back. I put on the Mask of Serenity. My mind became calm, and I felt like I had no worries in the world.
"No, it's okay..."
I stopped talking there. Because the fight between Im Na-yeon and Lee Jia had changed from the story. The 'canon' was that Lee Jia would unilaterally push, then reveal a gap, and Im Na-yeon would push Lee Jia and lead to victory.
But Lee Jia had changed. She was pressuring Im Na-yeon while spraying all sorts of lightning magic. Im Na-yeon rushes at Lee Jia with a serious expression, but.
Clang!
A metallic sound rang out. Im Na-yeon's critical strike was blocked by Lee Jia's staff. Lee Jia stirred her staff. Just like 'I' reversed Kang Hannam's attack, smoothly. A look of bewilderment appeared on Im Na-yeon's face. Her sword soared upward as if bounced.
And...
"Lee Jia wins!"
Im Na-yeon was defeated.