Chapter 307
Chapter 307
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Mana Overload (2)
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***
Dozens of mana arrows surged forward.
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Despite it being a clash between a spearhead and magic, a series of massive explosions roared.
Han Cheon-seong stood composed amidst the blue light that scattered like a brilliant afterglow, his expression serene.
And as for me… I hadn't expected much.
*‘This won't be enough to take him down.’*
This man was different.
I knew he was on a completely different level from the other cadets.
*Zing!*
The moment a blue spiral of air seemed to slice through the atmosphere.
Han Cheon-seong was in front of me again, as if he had erased the space between us.
*Crack!*
Then, as his spear tore through the air, a cacophony of shattering sounds echoed against my barrier.
As the faint impacts vibrated through the barrier.
I focused my mind even more intently.
Arcane formulas suited to the situation played out endlessly in my head, which I then brought to life through my hands.
What followed was a relentless skirmish.
Han Cheon-seong, trying to erase my barrier, and me, maintaining it while deploying other spells.
We were intricately intertwined, as if our breaths were synchronized.
*CRASH!*
Even now, as Han Cheon-seong retreated, spears of mana chased after him, slamming into the ground.
But not a single one was a direct hit.
Even when I seized a rare opportunity to weave another formula, launching a surprise attack from his blind spot…
*Shatter…!*
With a sound like breaking glass, my magic was mercilessly destroyed by his spearhead.
“...”
I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn't find a single opening.
I didn't think my spell deployment was slow, but it felt like nothing I did had any real effect on Han Cheon-seong.
Still, I steeled myself.
*‘It can't be helped.’*
The mana I had wrapped around my barrier accounted for nearly eighty percent of my total reserves.
It was a mana concentration focused on absolute defense, which naturally meant my offensive magic would be weaker.
And yet, this was the ‘fundamental’ approach for a mage.
For a mage to fight alone, they had no choice but to prioritize defense over offense.
Without someone to protect them, to buy them time, they had to allocate a significant amount of mana to their barrier.
It was an indispensable state for buying the time needed to cast a formula.
*Szzzzzzzzz…!*
The force of the spear striking my barrier grew even more intense.
The amount of mana I was expending was overwhelmingly greater than what I was regenerating, but I suppressed my wavering heart.
*‘Don't be hasty.’*
Now, I could see it, little by little.
As my own mental fortitude was being heavily consumed by the continuous use of arcane formulas, Han Cheon-seong wasn't completely unaffected either.
“Hah…”
Hearing his faint breath filled me with a sense of satisfaction.
To be able to fight on such even terms with Han Cheon-seong, who could be called the strongest among the current cadets without exaggeration.
*‘And the arcane formula I've just deployed….’*
Even Han Cheon-seong wouldn't be able to take it lightly.
As the thought crossed my mind, I slammed my staff into the ground, and a pulse of blue mana erupted.
*BOOM!!*
As the condensed sphere of blue mana exploded brilliantly in the air, I saw Han Cheon-seong’s figure get pushed back significantly.
Seeing that, I could finally catch my breath for a moment.
*Screech!*
As Han Cheon-seong, who had been sliding back, scraped his spear against the ground to a halt, I was about to draw an arcane formula when my gaze inadvertently fell downward.
*Tremble….*
The hand holding my staff was shaking faintly.
*‘Has it been close to twenty minutes since the duel started?’*
I had already deployed nine different types of magic, not including the barrier, and if I counted the spells I’d used repeatedly, I had cast over fifty times.
My mana consumption was becoming more severe, a staggering rate that had now surpassed fifty percent of my total reserves.
“Hoo…”
I let out a shallow breath, finding it hard to grip my staff tightly.
Looking straight ahead, I saw Han Cheon-seong, his breathing heavier than before.
“Hah…”
His hair was disheveled. Through it, his dark, sunken eyes were trying to regain some composure, but watching him, I felt it again.
*‘With this much mana, I can definitely close the gap in our levels.’*
At first, I could see Han Cheon-seong was holding back.
And now that the duel had dragged on this long, it was clear he was no longer doing so.
However, I felt I had yet to see his most important power.
The power that was the true measure of Han Cheon-seong, the power I was now hoping to see.
“Han Cheon-seong.”
“...”
As I spoke, I saw his deeply submerged eyes silently gaze at me. Nevertheless, I smiled faintly and spoke.
“Won’t you show it to me now?”
And I intentionally made my tone a little gentler.
“Luna. What are you talking about?”
He replied, his eyes narrowing. I calmly stated it.
“Your skill.”
“...”
For a moment, Han Cheon-seong’s eyes widened, but he immediately shook his head.
“No.”
His voice was firm, but I found it hard to understand.
The duel wouldn't be decided anytime soon.
*‘Because neither I nor Han Cheon-seong can reach each other.’*
As long as I didn't release the mana ratio focused on my barrier, Han Cheon-seong couldn't break through it, no matter how hard he swung his spear.
The same was true for me. As long as I was focused on the barrier, it was difficult for me to deploy any meaningful offensive magic against him.
If the duel was going to end in a war of attrition for both of us… I wanted to see the power of the skill Han Cheon-seong possessed.
“Why not? Instructor Rudmina is here too.”
“...”
Despite my words, Han Cheon-seong shook his head and lowered his gaze, and I couldn't help but frown.
The emotion in his eyes right now… I could feel it without even trying.
*‘He’s worried about me….’*
Worried that if he were to unleash his skill, its power might somehow reach me. That’s what that man was worried about right now.
*Grit.*
I bit my lip, disliking the very thought.
*Whoosh!*
I brought my hands, still gripping the staff, to my chest. Then, without hesitation, I focused my consciousness and unleashed all my mana as if causing it to erupt.
*FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!*
My vision was dyed blue amidst the brilliant wave of mana that exploded outward.
It was a state of ‘Mana Overload,’ a use of mana I didn't normally employ.
My mana consumption would increase several times over, and the destructive power of my magic, as well as the strength of my existing barrier, would be greatly enhanced.
However, the duration of this power was extremely limited, and the aftereffects would linger for several days.
Because I was essentially burning through my own mana.
Knowing this, I still wanted to see Han Cheon-seong's skill.
“Luna, what are you doing…”
“I’m using Mana Overload.”
“Are you crazy!?”
Seeing Han Cheon-seong shout in surprise, I felt a surge of delight.
It seemed he knew about Mana Overload, which would make things easier.
“The duration of Mana Overload is three minutes.”
The barrier surrounding me was no longer a transparent blue. It was a solid, deep blue, enveloping me completely.
With ordinary power, one couldn't even dream of piercing this barrier, let alone causing the same kind of nullifying cracks as before. Moreover, the arcane formulas I would draw now would boast twice the destructive power.
“You really…”
As Han Cheon-seong began to speak, looking dumbfounded, I spoke in a slightly cold tone.
“Han Cheon-seong. If you don’t manifest your skill, even you won’t be able to withstand this.”
I stated it as if it were a final notice.
No matter if Han Cheon-seong was Trait Level 5, he would know that my current power was on a different dimension.
The difference in our mana was just that great.
The mana stat that had increased overwhelmingly when I reached Level 4 was 91.
Considering my other stats were only in the low 30s, I now fully understood what my greatest strength was.
*‘And….’*
I myself was curious to see just how much power my mana could manifest.
I wanted to confirm it through Han Cheon-seong, who stood before me now.
*‘If it’s Han Cheon-seong, who gave me the greatest motivation to train….’*
There must be something about him that I don't know.
…!
Following my hand as it danced through the air, I began to draw an even more vivid arcane formula.
***
*Murmur, murmur.* An unusual commotion arose in the training grounds.
At its center was a duel.
Han Cheon-seong, who was always the center of attention, and Luna, who had shown great growth recently.
Every cadet in the training grounds was watching their duel.
And now…
Luna, having mentioned Mana Overload, looked as if she were shrouded in mystery.
…….
A blue aura rippled out, dominating the atmosphere with Luna at its center.
The mana emanating from her body was so dense that it dyed the surrounding air blue.
“What in the world is this…?”
“This much mana?”
A few cadets uttered words of disbelief, and the others felt the same way.
Furthermore, most knew that Han Cheon-seong’s mana reserves were low. To the point where even an average cadet could say their mana pool was larger than his…
So, at that moment when Luna’s overwhelming mana stood out.
“...”
Rudmina, the supervising instructor, could no longer watch the duel casually.
A faint shimmer of energy now enveloped Rudmina’s entire body, a state where she was prepared to intervene in the duel at any moment.
Even so, she was bewildered by how different the duel was from her expectations.
*‘Cadet Luna is….’*
She had originally expected an overwhelming victory for Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
The gap between Trait Level 5 and Level 4 was that significant.
The evolution of a trait not only increased its power but also brought about a general enhancement of the body that could not be ignored.
*Swish….*
However, the vivid blue arcane formula being drawn in the air by Cadet Luna’s hand was, even to her eyes, not something to be taken lightly.
She could feel what kind of magic the formula was for.
*‘Spear of Yuratla.’*
A spell that instantly created hundreds of spears made of mana.
It was a type of magic usually deployed on the front lines to deal with numerous monsters… and it seemed Cadet Luna was planning to cast it now.
This made Rudmina’s dilemma even greater.
*‘Should I stop this duel?’*
Above all, Rudmina could sense Han Cheon-seong’s conflict.
If he didn’t use his skill, even as a Trait Level 5, it would be difficult for him to handle Luna's Mana Overload, which had far surpassed the average.
As she thought this, her eyes fixed on Cheon-seong.
"Hoo."
With a faint breath, a change occurred.
■■■■■■■■■■!!
Immediately after, a colossal spiral current erupted, swallowing the entire area.
A massive spiral storm, so large it didn't just envelop his spear but consumed the very space around it.
“...”
At the center of the storm, amidst his faintly scattering black hair, Cheon-seong's eyes had turned a brilliant gold.