Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Duel - 2
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Kwoong!
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, Choi Do-han blocked the three arrows fired from Multi-Shot with his shield, but the impact sent him flying backward.
Multi-Shot was now at level 12.
Its power had increased significantly, amplified by the Berserk Potion, special training, and the +10 stat boost from [Black Dragon] to all stats except Luck.
Compared to the Multi-Shot I used against Professor Choi Seok-min during the practical evaluation, its power had increased fivefold.
“Ugh…! You were hiding your strength.”
He groaned, landing against the mana barrier.
Instead of replying, I cast another skill.
“Heavenly Bow Arrow.”
While weaker than Multi-Shot, Heavenly Bow Arrow had a faster casting speed and higher accuracy due to its easier targeting.
Just then, a fireball flew towards me, and I quickly dodged.
- *Whoosh!*
- *Boom!*
The fireball exploded against the mana barrier.
Judging by the small explosion, it was meant as a ranged distraction rather than a damaging attack.
He truly was a prodigy.
Even mages took at least a month to learn how to create and launch fireballs with mana.
But he had learned to use distraction fireballs in just a few days.
“…I see you’ve been learning from Professor Ella.”
- *Whoosh!*
He charged at me without replying.
His club swung low.
“Raise.”
He used an upward swing skill. I dodged backward and immediately fired Heavenly Bow Arrow.
Having read the original story over twenty times, his attack patterns were predictable.
- *Whoosh!*
“Hmph!”
- *Thud!*
The power of a bow came from the speed of the arrow. At close range, the power was halved, but it was harder to dodge.
So, my strategy was to create distance and fire whenever he closed in for an attack.
He blocked the arrow with his shield, but the impact pushed him back.
But he must have prepared a counter-strategy.
As expected, he used a charge skill and closed the distance even faster.
“Sprint.”
He was trying to get close enough to prevent me from firing.
I dashed in the opposite direction and jumped off the mana barrier, launching myself into the air.
And…
“Multi-Shot.”
I fired three arrows downwards at him from above.
He blocked all three arrows and then swung his club upwards, dragging the tip across the ground.
- *Screech!*
Like the principle of drawing a sword…
…he used the force of friction to maximize the instantaneous destructive power.
‘Damn it.’
My mistake.
Airborne, I couldn't dodge and was struck by the club.
- *Kwang!*
“Ugh!”
- *Thud!*
The brutal impact sent me flying like a projectile, crashing into the opposite mana barrier. I collapsed to the ground, groaning.
The force was so powerful that I could barely breathe.
It was common knowledge that ranged damage dealers had weaker defenses than melee fighters.
Archers, in particular, had lower base defense than other damage dealers upon awakening.
That’s why they sought out defense runes and titles, but even those couldn't fully compensate for their weak defenses.
So, archers prioritized dodging over defending.
Using their agility to evade attacks instead of relying on their flimsy defenses.
That’s why a single hit could often be fatal.
And…
He was undeniably fast and strong.
He had considerable experience in duels against villains outside the Academy.
His skills were almost on par with a seasoned Hunter.
“…Groaning after just one hit? I was worried for nothing.”
“Who’s groaning? It was nothing.”
“Still putting up a brave front, I see.”
I clutched my aching side and struggled to my feet.
Another direct hit like that would shatter my ribs.
“Heavenly Bow Arrow.”
I cast the skill again and aimed at him.
I would end this duel quickly, with a single decisive blow.
And my trump card, the artifact…
‘Activate Ring of the Deceased.’
[Artifact: Ring of the Deceased activated.]
[Duration: 30 seconds]
[Summoning a clone.]
I used the artifact I had been saving and summoned a double of myself.
The reason the Ring of the Deceased, a simple 30-second double summoning artifact, was A-rank…
…was because it allowed the double to replicate attacks with equal power at the cost of double the mana.
“…An artifact. Resorting to tricks, I see.”
The duration was 30 seconds.
I had to finish this before then.
- *Whoosh!*
- *Whoosh!*
Two Heavenly Bow Arrows shot out like bullets.
I followed up with Multi-Shot, firing a total of six arrows.
- *Crack!*
- *Kaboom!*
“Gah!”
While he was distracted by the barrage of arrows…
…I instructed my double to attack with daggers and nocked another three arrows for Multi-Shot.
- *Whoosh!*
Fifteen seconds remained.
This would be the finishing blow.
I poured all my remaining mana into the arrows.
I focused my mind, radiating killing intent.
My double swiftly closed the distance and swung its daggers. He shifted his shield to block, creating an opening.
‘Activate Detection.’
[Trait Detection activated.]
[Target zoomed in.]
- *Whoosh!*
I released the bowstring, drawn to its limit, activating the trait.
A split second was all I needed.
- *Thwack!*
“Gah!”
A direct hit.
Thanks to the distraction provided by my double, the arrow struck him squarely in the side.
He grunted and flew backward from the impact.
The training bow’s blunt arrowheads were a disadvantage.
Unlike sharp arrowheads, they created more air resistance.
But with the significant difference in our damage output, that resistance was negligible.
- *Kaboom!*
“Ugh!”
And…
I ignited my mana once more and cast Multi-Shot.
If I lacked experience in duels, I could simply overwhelm him with damage.
- *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
I fired the arrows rapidly at the fallen Choi Do-han.
A loud explosion erupted, creating a dust cloud along with the magical burst.
- *Crack!*
“Haa…”
I caught my breath, another arrow nocked and ready, waiting for the dust to settle.
A figure emerged from the dissipating dust cloud.
He was struggling to his feet, using his club as support.
“Haa… not bad…”
Choi Do-han gasped for air.
Despite the hit, his eyes were still sharp.
- *Creak.*
I drew the bowstring taut again, aiming at him.
With my double gone, I couldn’t afford to be careless.
My mana was running low.
This next shot would end the duel.
He seemed to be betting everything on this next attack as well, channeling so much mana into his club that sparks flew from it.
- *Whoosh!*
He charged at me. As he entered my range, he cast a skill.
“Blazing Strike.”
A skill he hadn’t used before.
His trump card, a practical combat skill he had been saving for the final blow.
But…
…it was a predictable skill, easily seen through by someone who had read the original story.
“Multi-Shot.”
I fired three arrows at a single target.
Not at him, but at his club.
Blazing Strike was a wide, sweeping attack that used an enlarged club to nullify defenses and dodges.
But I chose to meet it head-on.
And then…
- *Kaaa-boom!*
The arrows struck the swinging club, creating a deafening explosion.
The impact generated a powerful magical storm that momentarily blinded me.
In terms of pure power, Multi-Shot was weaker.
I couldn’t defeat him with brute force.
Club attacks had a wide range, and that range increased with power.
And due to the weight of the club, it was difficult to change movements mid-swing.
- *Whoosh!*
While his skill faltered from the impact, I closed the distance.
And I drew my training dagger.
[Daggers are better for offense than defense.]
Following my master’s teachings…
“Sting Dagger.”
I thrust the dagger into his abdomen and cast the skill.
The unsharpened blade couldn’t pierce his flesh.
[And daggers are the perfect conduit for channeling magic power.]
I poured all my remaining mana into the tip of the dagger and released it in an explosion.
- *Kaboom!*
Before the reverberations of the first explosion faded, another explosion erupted.
If I couldn’t pierce his flesh, I would attack his internal organs with a mana explosion.
“Gah—!!”
His eyes widened, and a scream, almost a groan, escaped his lips.
He collapsed, powerless.
Victory.
As the magical storm subsided, the arena erupted in cheers.
“Han Tae-jin… wins!”
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The next morning…
News of the duel spread like wildfire across social media and news articles, showering me with attention.
The duel footage uploaded to the Academy’s official YouTube channel garnered 2 million views in a single day, with thousands of comments.
[He defeated the Raonjena recruit?]
[Isn’t Choi Do-han the one who caught that C-rank villain?]
[Wow. So, he’s at least B-rank?]
ㄴNo way. No one except Park Na-yeon has ever graduated as a B-rank.
The comments section was filled with heated debates about whether it was luck or skill.
Some even showered me with embarrassing praise, calling me the birth of a powerful Hunter.
Anyway…
‘…Is Choi Do-han skipping class?’
I had clearly seen him walking home yesterday.
But he didn’t come to school today.
‘Hmm, don’t tell me he’s actually going down the villain route?’
I hadn’t expected him to skip class after losing a duel. It seemed the mental blow was significant.
Well, I would probably be too embarrassed to show my face after such a public humiliation.
‘He shouldn’t have made such a big deal out of it.’
Why did he even suggest a duel in the first place, leading to this disastrous outcome?
His foolish attempt to restore the original storyline had led to his self-destruction.
He hadn't adapted to the changes; he had resisted them, leading to his downfall.
‘Please don’t go down the villain route.’
I prayed as I headed to the cafeteria after morning classes.
Someone blocked my path.
“What.”
“Can we talk…? Just for a moment, please.”
It was Han-na.
Her complexion was much paler and gloomier than when I first saw her after transmigrating.
The haughty Han-na, pleading for a brief conversation…
‘What happened?’
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