Chapter 108

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 108

Chapter Title: Tournament (4)

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"Winner! Leo of the Blue Corner! Advances to the finals!"

I stared at Leo, who had taken down Hiss and made it to the finals.

'Why's his face so red?'

It was like he'd spouted some cringey chuunibyou line and the other guy just didn't play along.

'Maybe I should head down soon.'

It wasn't a big deal anyway, so to prepare for my upcoming match, I picked out the gear I'd take with me.

'Time to bring a sword from here on out.'

Up until now, I'd only carried a staff to play the part of a demon race mage perfectly (or so I thought), but the guy I was up against didn't look like someone I could take on with just a staff.

Excel. Adventurer from the Earth Guild.

Hearing "Earth" did make me think of the planet, but I figured it was just a coincidence and brushed it off. What mattered more was intel on the opponent.

'These matches are all weird as hell.'

He seemed like a quicksword style fighter, relying on rapid strikes to rack up small wounds on his foes. The problem was...

'Every single match ended in a loss for the opponent with no explanation.'

In Excel's fights so far, he'd inflicted those accumulating injuries with his speed, but they weren't anywhere near enough to end a match.

Yet not long after, the protective magic on the arena floor would activate, and the opponent would be ruled defeated. Naturally, they protested, but the organizers confirmed the barrier was fine and that Excel had definitely taken them down.

'No idea what his deal is, but...'

The plan: Cast [Illusion Magic] the second the match starts. Then unleash a sword beam with the [Swordsmanship] power I'd been holding back, either dropping him or landing a solid hit. At least from his matches so far, this Excel guy didn't seem like he could handle a mana slash.

With my resolve set, I entered the arena...

"......A bow?"

Excel emerged into the arena holding a bow instead of a sword. The guy who'd only done close-range until now—why a bow all of a sudden?

'No, don't panic. I switched from staff to sword too. Maybe he's an archer who's been hiding it all this time.'

"Then the match...!"

My job hadn't changed. [Illusion Magic] right at the start, then sword beam.

"...begins!"

'[Illusion Magic]!'

The instant the match started, I cast [Illusion Magic] on my opponent as he nocked his arrow. Luckily, I got it off before he could shoot.

With even smoother mana control, a blue mist formed around my sword, sword aura rising from the blade.

"....What?"

I checked the sudden system message blocking my view and hurriedly looked at my opponent's eyes.

-Heh.

Excel was smiling, staring straight in my direction.

'Excel'—real name Choi Hyun-soo—was having a blast.

'Fucking full of total scrubs.'

The guild master had nagged him not to get cocky, not to rely solely on skills, but every opponent in the tournament had been trash. Even using skills without getting caught, as ordered.

The cheat skill he'd gotten crossing into this world: [Acceleration].

At first glance, it might seem like a buffer spell like [Haste] that priests or mages use... but it was way more versatile than that crap.

"Match start!"

In his tournament matches so far, the moment the announcer called it, Excel cast [Acceleration] on himself and charged with a single sword.

No matter how skilled the entrants, those in his bracket had limits. None could fully dodge or block Excel's accelerated sword.

-Slash!

"Guh!"

No matter how seasoned their response, the speed gap meant they'd take a hit, big or small. The wounds weren't lethal or match-ending... but...

"Hit ya, huh?"

Excel then cast [Acceleration] not on himself, but his opponent—more precisely, their 'blood.' Blood started gushing from the tiny wound at insane speed.

"Red Corner eliminated!"

Once the bleeding triggered the arena's protective magic, opponents dropped cluelessly. No way they'd spot the [Acceleration] skill from that.

At best, they'd guess some [Hemorrhage Curse] or whatever.

"The toughest-looking one was that beastkin, right?"

He recalled the beastkin 'Leo' who'd dominated earlier. Strong, intimidating... but...

"Bleed enough, and you drop all the same."

Get close, slash, [Acceleration]—massive bleedout. Protection magic meant no death, but elimination for sure.

Unless it was some troll with regen blood, bleeding meant death. Labyrinth monsters too. Oh, undead excepted.

"Excel! Enter the arena!"

Having steamrolled to the semis, Excel fiddled with the bow he'd specially brought instead of a sword.

'Tch. Wish I had my magic gun.'

He'd used a sword so far, but he wasn't a swordsman. His usual style: accelerate bullets and snipe. No guns in arena gear, so bow it was.

'More than enough for a scrub like him.'

From watching his matches, opponent was an illusion mage. Weirdly swung his staff like a madman for a caster... but mained illusions.

And he had a counter for illusions. Since he'd made semis anyway, time to swap useless sword for bow.

"Match begins!"

'[Acceleration]!'

The semi started, and as expected, opponent illusioned him right away. How'd he know?

Skill that accelerated only the 'duration' of debuffs on himself to end them faster, without boosting effects. It triggered—the illusory opponent melted away, revealing the real one mid-swing.

-Heh.

Grinning mockingly, he accelerated an arrow and loosed it.

-Ping!

Arrow flew over three times faster than normal. Even he couldn't track it visually. Let alone this guy...

The moment he released the string, opponent twitched—just barely—before the shot.

-Slash!

"What?"

Aimed center mass, but evasion made it graze the shoulder.

'Doesn't matter. Wound's a wound!'

Miss or not, arrow hit. Accelerate blood, and unless troll regen, down he goes.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

'What the? [Regeneration] kicking in super fast?'

I twisted on [Instinct]'s ping but took a hole in the shoulder. [Regeneration] filled it several times faster than usual.

Mana already infused, I numbed the shoulder nerves and fired the condensed mana from my sword.

-Whoosh!

The mana wave surged ferociously at Excel, but he freaked and dodged.

-Tadah! Tat!

'That movement!'

Excel suddenly sped up leagues beyond his prior slowness, dodging leisurely. Movements kinda off though...

'Some skill? Not a [Haste] buff...'

[Instinct] pinged again; I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠twisted quick, but low level meant imperfect dodge—another graze.

-Sizzle!

'He's seriously fast?'

But [Regeneration] fired at several times normal speed, wound gone in seconds.

"Argh! What the hell!"

Seeing him rage, I charged. Another supersonic arrow, but [Instinct] let me twist pre-shot, avoiding vitals for grazes.

-Sizzle...

'Speed dropped back now?'

Wounds regenning at normal speed now, but I ignored it. From his matches, unknown method to eliminate foes—could happen to me.

End it quick.

-Whoosh!

"Hup!"

New skills boosted speed; I lunged, swinging. Excel panicked, retreating fast—dodged easy, but...

'Why so awkward?'

Speed fast, but movements ridiculously clumsy. I'd thought prior awkwardness was hiding his skill...

-Whoosh! Whoosh! Thwack!

"Hup! Hup! Ha! Too slow to hit me!"

Misses made him drop panic, mocking me. Made his movements seem like his true skill.

'Over-the-top dodges, no proper counters... no mana in attacks.'

Just fast, movements trash. Feints? Couldn't tell basics, flailing to dodge all.

"Hup! Hup!"

He dodged fast, regained confidence, mocked... but inwardly, Excel was dying.

'H-Hurts...!'

He'd climbed relying solely on [Acceleration]. Trained it hard for derivatives, but never basic [Body Enhancement] like others—stamina abysmal.

Even accelerated, dodging was manual. Double speed meant double movement.

Prior matches ended fast via bleed, hiding it... but...

-Thwack! Thwack!

Opponent adapting; that sword swinging sharper. At this rate, he'd get cleaved.

"Hup! Hup! Uwaaa!"

Dodging sword, Excel realized he couldn't hold—ignored guild master's warning, maxed [Acceleration] at risk of exposure. Speed surged, dodging easier.

"Got it! Now...!"

"Got what?"

Seeing speed-up signs, I countered with [Limit Break lv. 3]. Saving for short duration, but...

"Hahk! Hahk!"

'......Why's his stamina so garbage?'

Gulping air like death, he'd tire before [Limit Break] ended.

-Slash!

Max skill, but clumsy dodges, crap stamina, poor response to my sudden acceleration—Excel ate his first hit.

"Aaaagh! Aaaaaah!"

Screaming like world-ending over a thigh slash—utterly ridiculous.

Even the slash slightly healing... he had [Regeneration]-like skill too...

"Hey, with that recovery speed, you got some regen skill, right? Then why's your healing so shit? Didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠train it?"

"Ughk! Hahk!"

I stopped attacking in disbelief to ask, but he just screamed.

'Just thigh muscle cut, heavy bleed, bone peeking... tch tch.'

Stayed cautious, pressed on...

"Ha... I surrender!"

"Huh?"

Excel's surrender made me—and the crowd—stunned, then boos rained.

"What the hell! Keep fighting!"

"Thigh nick and you're whining?!"

Labyrinth city common sense: not serious, plus one potion mid-fight allowed. Justified boos...

"Fuck... goddamn barbaric savages. Primitive isekai fucks...."

Excel pathetically muttered.

Wait, what'd you just say? Isekai?