Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Wager (2)
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The sparring arena was packed to the brim with spectators.
The class conducting their orientation, the ones building rapport with their homeroom professors,
everyone had dropped what they were doing and rushed over.
"The Chief Student versus someone from Class A?"
"This could double as a teaching aid."
"Let's go! Get a good look at Class A's level with your own eyes!"
The cadets might have dragged their feet, but with their professors lighting fires under them to go learn something, they had no choice.
That said, the cadets' anticipation wasn't low by any means.
Far from it.
"Who do you think will win?"
"The Chief Student, obviously! He'll crush him!"
"Still, it's Class A. Might be a closer fight?"
"Yeah. Golden Taeyang—that guy's rumored to have a 'Bloodline Ability'."
At the center of the sparring arena, Sin Bihyeong nodded inwardly as he overheard the cadets' chatter.
'Bloodline users are special.'
Bloodline Abilities were powers passed down through the bloodline.
In Solo Biography, players called them 'bloodline perks' or 'traits' most often, but their official name was Bloodline Ability.
'Bloodline Abilities grow stronger down the generations.'
A select few geniuses refined them, passing them on to their descendants.
That was why venerable old families received such preferential treatment.
'Earlier, when I saw it... Golden Taeyang definitely has one.'
Sin Bihyeong had already activated his wager in class and confirmed that Golden Taeyang possessed a Bloodline Ability.
Captured Sun.
A Bloodline Ability with an arrogantly grandiose name meaning "to capture the sun."
Of course, to Sin Bihyeong, it just left him thinking, How the hell is a Bloodline Ability named Captured Sun?
'And the bonus effect inside it.'
There was something called Uncontrollable Yang Energy.
'That's the one.'
The moment he witnessed that power, Sin Bihyeong was certain.
Acquire it, and he could delay the ticking clock on his crumbling "Perfect Neutrality."
'Yokai are inherently yin in nature. Meaning, they lack yang energy.'
A single ability alone couldn't suppress his nature entirely,
but it should hold him steady until he found a way to infiltrate the library.
'Above all, Bloodline Abilities that amplify yin and yang are rare.'
The veterans had all said the same thing.
Anyone with a yin-yang amplification Bloodline Ability? Recruit them as allies, no matter what.
Golden Taeyang wasn't someone he wanted as a comrade, so he'd just have to steal that ability.
"Alright. With everyone watching, the loser admits defeat cleanly. Rules are as you know: basic spells only. And since you haven't been here long, some might lack spirit energy, so..."
The homeroom professor glanced briefly at Sin Bihyeong before looking away.
"For fairness, we've sealed spirit energy circulation and permitted only vital energy usage."
Vital energy, simply put, was stamina.
It had more nuances if you delved deeper, but players just called it stamina most of the time.
"No one dies in spars, so go all out."
The Class A homeroom professor said that and stepped down from the arena.
Now alone in the arena, Golden Taeyang smirked crookedly on one side of his mouth.
"Finally, we clash. I've been curious about the Chief Student's skills."
"Didn't notice during the entrance exam?"
Golden Taeyang didn't flare up at Sin Bihyeong's indifferent tone like before.
Instead, he lifted the other corner of his mouth and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
"Exorcising yokai and fighting fellow exorcists... those are different realms altogether!"
The app activated.
He reloaded a single talisman from within.
It resembled a duel from some animation.
Except here, there was no concept of "turns."
"Aura!"
Flames gathered in Golden Taeyang's fist.
Energy from his dantian circulated through his meridians, amplifying in his hand through his blood.
Bloodline Ability: Captured Sun.
Uncontrollable Yang Energy.
Even a basic flame spell looked 1.5 times larger than normal in his hands.
'That's probably due to low proficiency too.'
It was a fire-element spell from the five elements.
Not just any flame, but one infused with yang energy.
Yin and yang held special properties.
Yang energy's effect: "activation."
It invigorated life and amplified energy.
Naturally, the power grew exponentially with the amplification.
"Die!"
The flames in Golden Taeyang's fist shot forward.
A fireball the size of an adult man's upper body flew at Sin Bihyeong with devouring momentum.
Sin Bihyeong kicked off the arena floor and leaped.
'Slow.'
The fireball wasn't slow.
Just like during the assembly, once "combat" began, everything around him slowed down in his perception.
Awakening his yokai fighting spirit, Sin Bihyeong looked down at the arena below.
Golden Taeyang's smug expression came into view.
"Jumping up? Are you stupid?!"
Flames gathered in Golden Taeyang's fist again.
This time, unlike before, numerous firefly-sized sparks—far more in number.
"Scorching Scattershot!"
Golden Taeyang's Scorching Scattershot flew in all directions.
But all aimed at Sin Bihyeong.
Their trajectories bent midair, flames occupying up, down, left, right—like a tiny prison.
"...Isn't that dangerous?"
Even as a cadet's mutter echoed through the chilly stands,
Sin Bihyeong's expression showed no change.
'I see it.'
In the sluggish world, he saw—felt—every fireball trajectory.
Ignoring the sensations brushing his skin, Sin Bihyeong twisted his body midair.
The first fireball grazed his shoulder and passed.
The second skimmed the back of his hand as he spun like a top.
After dodging the third and fourth, he landed and kicked off again.
Boom! Booom! Bwoom!
Fireballs relentlessly chased Sin Bihyeong.
But they couldn't match his speed.
'Even without building energy in my dantian, I can move like my body's enhanced.'
Is this the flesh of a yokai... no, a half-demon?
'Yokai skin repels most spells... Wonder if that's possible too?'
Time to test it.
Sin Bihyeong abruptly stopped, ducked his head to dodge a few fireballs.
The last remaining one.
The moment it aimed for his head,
'Hup!'
Sin Bihyeong twisted his waist and whipped his leg up.
Bam!
His sole met the fireball.
Like a baseball off a bat, it couldn't withstand his leg strength, flying forward before exploding.
'My sole tingles.'
Strangely, his planted foot tingled more than the one that took the hit.
As Sin Bihyeong shook his foot, Golden Taeyang's sneering snort reached him.
"Hah. So the esteemed Chief Student specializes in running away? Heard you exorcised a yokai, but looks like you just fled."
"......"
"Got any excuses..."
Right before Golden Taeyang could continue.
"Hm. Felt it burst midway... couldn't fully deflect it, huh?"
Sin Bihyeong was seen mumbling to himself.
Ignoring him completely.
That only provoked Golden Taeyang further.
"You rotten bastard...!!"
Golden Taeyang's face flushed red and purple.
His furrowed brow, temples throbbing with rising heat.
'Yang energy rising. So that's what "uncontrollable" means.'
Yang energy invaded past his temples to the crown of his head, burning away all stray thoughts.
Only one remained: kill the opponent.
The more it swelled, the larger the fireball grew—even with a basic spell.
"Die!!"
The fireball, now too massive for Hierarchy Rank 1, hurtled forward.
'A direct hit wouldn't leave me unscathed.'
Assuming it hit directly, that is.
'Got a feel for my body now. Time to try some spells.'
I wonder if Golden Taeyang realizes.
Sin Bihyeong hadn't gone all out yet.
As a half-demon's gifted body and derived story perks.
He'd prolonged the fight to test them.
Path to the Apex.
Both limited to "basic spells," Sin Bihyeong wouldn't predict his own defeat—even as Chief Student by racial advantage.
'Time to end it.'
Sin Bihyeong lightly tapped the arena floor with his foot.
Kwaaang!
A two-meter earthen wall erupted, blocking Golden Taeyang's fireball.
"Petty tricks!"
Enraged as his fireball hit the dirt wall, Golden Taeyang rampaged.
Basic fire spells just created flames.
Infused with yang energy, they wriggled like living serpents at his command.
The snake-like flames lunged at Sin Bihyeong like a beast.
Sin Bihyeong reacted a touch faster.
"Mutual Generation."
No one heard his quiet mutter.
But it definitely worked.
Cracks suddenly spiderwebbed the earthen wall, mineral pillars shooting toward the flame serpent.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like rebar impaling it, the serpent's head was crushed in an instant, slumping limp.
"Wh-what!?"
Dodging the endlessly flying metal pillars, Golden Taeyang kicked off the ground.
Flames propelled him, making him soar like he was flying.
One such pillar grazed past his head.
'...Huh?'
Suddenly, Golden Taeyang noticed water droplets on the pillar's surface.
And then,
Pwwoom! Pwwoom!
The droplets burst like a downpour, drenching him.
"Gaaah!"
His flames extinguished, he plummeted to the ground.
Fire is weak to water.
The classic elemental counter.
Even as he fell, Golden Taeyang tried reigniting his flames.
But his soaked body resisted.
'Yang energy. More!'
The moment he dried himself and sparked flames again.
Kududuk!
Something rumbled from underground.
Looking down, amid the puddles soaking the arena floor, a massive vine rose.
It stood rigid like a trap, sharpened tip gleaming wickedly toward the sky.
Fwoosh!
Golden Taeyang ignited fiercely, burning it and landing.
His eyes widened.
Sin Bihyeong's impassive gaze met his—as if asking if the circus was over.
No more tricks?
"Don't... look at me... with those eyes!!"
Yang energy scorched his brain.
Embracing it fully, Golden Taeyang thrust both hands skyward.
Fwoooosh!
Expending all his energy,
pouring in stamina until his face paled.
The flames, now three times an adult man's size, condensed intensely, shining like the sun.
Even from afar, throats parched from the heat.
Sin Bihyeong eyed him and activated his final spell.
"It works."
Mutual Generation.
The five elements interconnect.
In Solo Biography, timing spells to this cycle boosted the next attack's power.
A basic technique for veterans—but he hadn't expected the timing to match in reality.
Sin Bihyeong had chained three Mutual Generations so far.
And now,
'The fourth.'
Ambient energies swirled into his hand.
The earth from the initial wall,
metal from the pillars,
water from the downpour,
wood from the vine—
Cycling through, they multiplied his flames several times over.
"Die!!"
Golden Taeyang's massive fireball launched.
Perfectly timed,
Sin Bihyeong gripped his flames like a bow and drew back.
'Fire... bow?'
Eh, close enough.
He released the fully drawn fire bow's string.
Pew!
A tiny arrow compared to the oncoming blaze.
But.
Bwooom!
On impact, it pierced a single point, incinerating Golden Taeyang's sun from within.
Fwaaah!
Heat surged.
Golden Taeyang realized it instantly.
His fireball was pierced.
Fwaaaah!
The blinding light reversed toward him.
Colors faded around him, everything turning white—even himself.
And then,
Fwoooosh!
Fierce inferno engulfed Golden Taeyang.
"...Kuhk!"
Charred black, he coughed black smoke.
His lungs must have scorched too.
But he wouldn't die.
The arena-wide ritual prevented sparring fatalities.
That's why Sin Bihyeong had fully committed to stacking Mutual Generation without holding back.
Worst case, professors would intervene.
'I win.'
Sin Bihyeong smiled down at the fallen Golden Taeyang.
At the same time, a notification filled his vision.
But the moment he read it, Sin Bihyeong froze.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have achieved victory in the wager! By the effect of Bloodline Ability, 'Wager', you claim the opponent's stake! Acquiring Bloodline Ability, 'Captured Sun'! 'No, why...'
He'd only aimed for the Uncontrollable Yang Energy.
Why toss in that useless Captured Sun too...?
'Feels kinda gross, like I've inherited the whole Captured Sun.'
But the effect was huge.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Uncontrollable Yang Energy' activates 'human nature'. Achievement, 'Perfect Neutrality'—time until collapse extended. Remaining time: 21 days