Chapter 9: Practical Combat Training (2)

Thursday morning, another day of practical training.

Among the various curricula, today's class was virtual monster training.

It was a training where mana-created monsters were fought one-on-one or in teams, with the student's level determining the appropriate sparring partner.

"Although you all know this, I'll explain it one last time."

Professor Kim Jin-hyeok, the instructor, pointed with the pointer and began his explanation.

"First, go to the measurement magic circle on the other side and follow the guide assistant's instructions. Once the measurement is complete, enter the training ground matched to your level. Those who have pre-formed teams will enter the left training ground, and those who want 1v1 will enter the right side."

It had only been three days since the semester started, yet somehow they had already formed teams in advance. The ones with good chemistry paired up on their own during that time.

At least Rumi was with Lucy, and Kim Young-han had his original team, so it was natural for them to head toward the 1v1 training ground.

When I entered the training ground, a large measurement magic circle came into view ahead.

Following the guide's words, I stepped onto it.

"A-Class student Lee Ho-yeon, right? Place your hand here."

In the center of the magic circle was a spherical mana device emitting blue light.

Placing my hand on the sphere, a sound of "Uung—" accompanied by mana sweeping through my body.

After the mana swept up and down several times, the manas gathered back into the device.

"Combat Power Measurement in Progress. Please wait."

And then a number 5 floated above my head.

"... Five points? A-Class student, right?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Hmm, whatever. Go to the corner over there."

The average score for A-Class first-years was 7 points. Excluding me, the lowest was 6, and I had set a new record low. My pride stung.

Kuek—!

Looking at the other training grounds, everyone was fighting strangely shaped monsters.

"Die—!"

Kwoong—!

The sight of the enormous monster being blasted away by a small girl's punch and sticking to the wall was strangely fascinating.

It reminded me again that I was inside the game.

Among the A-Class students, the only one in the difficulty 5 training ground was me.

Positively, no waiting line. How nice. The 7th-stage guys there had over ten people in line.

When I stepped onto the training ground, "Combat Power 5" appeared above my head again.

"Difficulty 5? Isn't this the lowest record in A-Class history?"

"Wow, I knew from the start that switching to a mage would be a waste."

Students who had finished the test early gathered and whispered among themselves.

The ones evaluating me from below were extras, so it didn't matter anyway. But no matter how I thought about it, something felt off.

In the original story, the protagonist's measurement score right after entering was 5 points, thanks only to his unique ability [Combat Sense].

Yet I had 5 points with the bonus from Combat Sense. Probably the bonus wasn't even recognized.

Iceplatter: A flat, plate-shaped monster made of ice.

Its main attack was ice lasers fired from the crystal in the center of its body.

Fortunately, a good matchup monster had appeared.

Brrring—!

When the mana barrier between the monster and me vanished, the Iceplatter immediately fired ice lasers with cute sounds.

But I had already planned a counter.

The Iceplatter's ice lasers spread thinly and widely. They were tough for close-combat specialists, but I was a mage.

I spat out fire in a thin wave form. Luckily, I had practiced this exact shape in the training center's level test.

The fire wave expanded its area, swallowing the ice lasers, and reached the Iceplatter.

Startled by the heat, the Iceplatter scattered and fired ice lasers in every direction. If the three had gathered and concentrated their lasers, they might have endured the heat, but expecting intelligence from C-Class monsters was a mistake.

Since the arena was ready, I just needed to act.

I burned each scattered Iceplatter one by one with fire while they made brrrring sounds, doing individual strikes.

Since I knew the jewel in the center of the ice laser was the weakness, it was simple: just toss some fire magic at the jewel.

Brrring—!

If this was 5th stage, I could probably do harder things?

"What? I won. Hey, the measurement must be wrong."

"Yeah, even for A-Class, difficulty 5 doesn't make sense."

The mana device for measuring skill wasn't all-purpose. It roughly grasped skills and unique abilities, so it couldn't detect other interference or synergy factors. That's why the score came out low.

But even if the difference was large, it was only about one stage.

"Actually, even difficulty 6 is tough for A-Class, right?"

"You'll see."

By regulation, with permission from the observing professor, one could challenge up to two stages higher difficulty.

"I will challenge difficulty 6."

"Lee Ho-yeon student challenges difficulty 6. Approved."

"Passed difficulty 9. Good job."

Phew.

While arranging the blonde hair falling from under her collarbone, Elise let out a sigh of regret.

Again 9 points. She had been practicing steadily since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ability training institution before entering the academy, but she couldn't break the 9-point wall.

In comparison, Nam Da-eun was different.

"Did you hear about Nam Da-eun? She wiped out and disappeared in 30 seconds at 10th stage?"

"Wow, even if her fighting spirit isn't there, her skill is top-tier."

Crack.

No matter how much effort, the gap with Nam Da-eun didn't close. What's more annoying was that Elise thought she was her rival by herself.

Nam Da-eun was always one step ahead of Elise no matter how much she tried.

"It's okay. You'll do well next time."

She shouldn't immerse herself in these emotions. She comforted herself and headed out of the training ground.

"Hey, Lee Ho-yeon is doing up to 7th stage?"

"Who is Lee Ho-yeon?"

"That handsome guy who switched to mage."

"Ah, him? But he got 5th stage and is challenging 7th stage?"

The test was almost over, but people were gathering at the 7th-stage test site.

Normally I wouldn't have cared and continued on my way, but my mood was bad, and something felt off today.

Pushing through the crowd, I saw a handsome male student standing in the training ground.

'Lee Ho-yeon...?'

Honestly, no big interest. He switched from sword to mage and entered the academy right after, but the students here had been working hard for over ten years to enter the academy.

Yet after entering with that result, he immediately changed his specialty upon entering the academy. I just couldn't understand what he was thinking.

'Is he trying to graduate as a mage and enter administrative work?'

Graduating from Victoria Academy as a mage usually led to administrative positions in guilds or associations.

Of course, if that was the goal, it would be more efficient to prepare differently, but who knew what people were thinking.

"Lee Ho-yeon student challenges 7th stage. Approved."

From the other side of the training ground, mana surged, and machine parts suddenly assembled from somewhere.

"Hey, Scrap Giant appeared. It's over."

"No luck."

Kkiigigik— kkiigikikik—

The creepy sound of gears and scrap pieces combined to form a giant form. Over three meters tall, the giant was covered in rust, and every movement produced unpleasant creaking sounds.

"It's over."

The Scrap Giant was considered the worst opponent at 7th stage. Practically 8th stage level.

I had wasted my time coming here for nothing. How valuable was my 5 points?

Kkiigikikik—!

Kwoong! Kwoong!

As soon as the test started, the Scrap Giant began moving its heavy body.

The body of the Scrap Giant was made by gathering scrap pieces. The scrap of the Scrap Giant was special. No matter how much you broke it, it reformed due to some strange power.

The weakness was attacking the joints of the giant to prevent the body from forming.

But because the cohesion was so strong and sturdy, external ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impacts were almost completely absorbed.

In the end, an excellent mana control ability to insert mana into the gaps between the scraps forming the body was needed, but at student level it was not easy.

That's why many people suggested upgrading the Scrap Giant to 8th stage, but because the weakness was clear, it stayed at 7th stage.

The weakness was easy to target with attributes like water or ice, which easily exploited the gaps between joints.

If Lee Ho-yeon had been a water or ice attribute mage, the Scrap Giant would have been an easy opponent, but he was a fire attribute mage.

Kkadureudeudeuk—!

The Scrap Giant raised both hands high to the sky. That was the pattern of slamming the ground with both hands. Because the movement was large, quick evasion was necessary, but he used magic.

A thin wave of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flames extended from his hands to the giant.

'It's over.'

He must have thought to attack the gaps in the giant with thin fire. The idea was good, but with that, even if you squeezed into the gaps, the output was insufficient.

It would have been better to throw a high-power advanced magic like a pebble.

At the moment when interest in Lee Ho-yeon completely faded and I was about to turn my head and walk back.

Kwoong!

The sound that hit her ears was completely different from the sound of Lee Ho-yeon being hit by the Scrap Giant's punch.

When she turned around, a picture unfolded in her eyes that she had never imagined.

The Scrap Giant had fallen in a ridiculous posture while trying to slam its fist, and its left leg was cut off at about knee level.

"What? What magic was that that cut off the leg?"

"It seems like only the knee joint melted instantly... I don't know what it is."

'What is this...'

Did he melt the Scrap Giant with that magic? To melt a Scrap Giant with fire, you needed at least 1000 degrees of firepower, but with mana radiating so thinly like that, it was impossible to produce such firepower.

Kkiigikigik—

The Scrap Giant somehow stood up with both arms and the remaining right leg.

Approaching Lee Ho-yeon with uncomfortable movements, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but the speed was significantly slower.

Lee Ho-yeon slowly retreated while using magic again.

'This time it's the same form.'

His magic slowly expanded the area, then suddenly began to gather into one line.

"What is that?"

A momentary exclamation of surprise, some looked at her, but Elise had no time to care about the surroundings.

He spread the flames shallowly and widely. The magic had been designed that way from the beginning.

But this man was forcibly twisting and condensing that magic.

The flames overlapped and overlapped again. Eventually, a thread-like thin but powerful condensed flame was completed.

The flame thread dug into the gap in the right leg of the giant maintaining precarious balance with two arms and one leg.

Pukwang—!

Soon, the right leg was also cut off, and the precarious posture collapsed, dust rising.

Soon, the light slowly disappeared from the giant's eyes.

It was a result different from what everyone expected.

The guy who was ignoring the difficulty 5 defeated the Scrap Giant with such magic? Everyone stared blankly at the training ground in disbelief at the unbelievable sight, and the professors watching the series of events couldn't hide their shock.

'Is this mana manipulation at student level?'

'What kind of...?'

The magic Lee Ho-yeon used was originally a form that spread flames like a wave. Of course, each flame's size was small. That's why he dug into the gaps with it, and the insufficient firepower was made by gathering the flames.

The idea was good, but the delicate mana control ability seemed like a miraculous ability to the professors.

Even Elise who passed 9th stage naturally noticed the mana control.

The voices of people talking around her didn't enter her ears.

The idea of using small fire particles to attack the Scrap Giant wasn't important to her.

What was important was the mana manipulation.

The mana manipulation of pulling out the flames thinly like threads and inserting them into the gaps was already not that of a student's.

No, even pulling out like threads, Elise might be able to do it if she concentrated. But using them overlapped was a completely different story.

Elise realized that his talent was real, and Lee Ho-yeon had entered her eyes without her knowing.

"It sucks that according to the regulations, I can only challenge up to two stages higher difficulty. I thought I could do 8th stage too."

"Haha, no."

After the test, I came down from the training ground.

There was no mana left in my body, how could it be 8th stage.

"Wow, it was tough. Really."

Today's virtual monster training was really tough. I hadn't mastered the advanced magic to attack the gaps in the Scrap Giant's body yet.

Since I didn't know any usable magic, I used the magic I used against the Iceplatter again.

I changed the mana type of the magic excessively while fighting, but I used too much mana.

"If your head is bad, your body suffers. I caught it for nothing."

I thought I should greatly increase the magic I could use in the future. Still, the result was good, so it was fortunate. Phew.

"Hey, what's the lunch today?"

"I think it was steak? Should we just go out and eat?"

"I heard there's a homemade burger shop near the main gate, where?"

After the morning class, lunch time.

I headed to the student cafeteria.

Many students went out to eat, but since my meal allowance was the end of my income, I had to save money.

Fortunately, the Victoria Academy operated the 'student cafeteria' for free for student welfare.

"Steak, please."

I received the ordered lunch steak and was about to sit anywhere, but my sight caught Mun Su-rin.

She was cutting a steak alone in a corner seat behind a pillar.

While staring at her appearance hypnotically, she sensed my gaze and lifted her head.

Our eyes met, her pupils slightly widened, and she tapped her own seat with her finger.

"Huh?"

Does she mean for me to come?

When I pointed to myself with my index finger, Mun Su-rin nodded.

Nod nod.

Yeah. Eating alone is worse than eating with a beauty, it goes down better, right?

"Hoyeon? You came to the cafeteria too?"

A voice from the side made me turn my head, and Kim Young-han was waving at me.

"Ah? Yeah."

"If you're eating alone, let's eat together. I came alone today too."

"Sorry, but I actually have someone to eat with..."

I was about to refuse and head to Mun Su-rin's seat, but Mun Su-rin had already disappeared.

"Where? There's no one. There."

"... Let's eat together over there, yeah."

Since she was the popular student council president, I understood the position.

As I sat with Kim Young-han and sliced the steak to eat a bite, it was so delicious I was surprised.

'Why leave this student cafeteria and go out to eat?'

Yeah, even if the food was delicious, it was hard to stop the health damage from eating outside.

"After lunch, aren't you expecting 1v1 combat? You were in the training ground all day because of that yesterday."

"Hmm, so-so?"

Afternoon class was 1v1 combat training.

It was a training in the training ground where safety was guaranteed. Since I wanted to do 1v1, I was a bit looking forward to it.

Well, there probably wouldn't be any big issue?

"..."

"Hoyeon, why are you like that?"

"No, I feel chills. Why all of a sudden?"

My arms suddenly had goosebumps. Did I miss something...?

Hmm... Really, nothing happened, right?