Chapter 107
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 107
The next morning, the day of the sparring match with the Guard Knights.
Baek Sa-young, Lee Dae-ho, Cheon Seo-yoon, and me.
The four representatives left the hotel and headed for the appointed location.
Instead of last night's giddy revelry, everyone was burning with heated fighting spirit and confident of victory.
They chattered things like let's definitely win and if we lose, we're walking all the way back to Korea, then looked at me, so I reluctantly opened my mouth too.
"Let's do this."
"......."
"That's it?"
"What else?"
I looked at Cheon Seo-yoon with a nonchalant expression.
The result was already decided anyway, and I already knew it, so what was I supposed to do about being calm?
According to the original story, it was a 3:1 win.
Only the third-year senior who had raised his hand out of vainglory would lose, while the protagonists would make Axel's jaw drop with overwhelming performances.
But from the Guard Knights' perspective, the original story would actually have been better.
Since I was here, today would be 4:0. Because they wouldn't win a single match.
.......
I left the hotel today with my own serious resolve.
The quest was the quest, but a successful sparring match was also one of my objectives.
I intended to settle the match using patterns I hadn't been able to try in real combat.
Instead of flying-sword arts, using only sorcery.......
The starting point had been the individual sparring video-analysis assignment.
[The Magic Track and the Superhuman Track: A Study of Relative Advantage Between the Two Tracks]
[How a Ranged Track Survives in a One-on-One Duel.]
[Establishing Track-by-Track Combat Patterns in a Single Volume]
These three papers had led to today's resolve.
In particular, the author of the first paper, which I had read with deep admiration, was someone I knew well.
Because it was Professor Lee Taek-jin, my supervising professor.
He usually appeared with a prickly image, bluntly scolding and moving on, for the most part.
But in truth, he was an Awakener outstanding in combat. Which was why he also served as a practical-training professor.
If you looked at his character settings window, the first entry was probably [Meritocracy Obsession], the second [Psycho Professor],
and the one after that would be [High-Ranking Combat Mage].
He was that skilled a figure in combat, so his paper was written well enough to draw admiration.
Well enough that any ranged-type Awakener ought to read it as required reading!
"Anyway......"
The Guard Knight 49th Mobile Unit headquarters was on the west side of Verona, not far from the city center.
The moment we opened the door and stepped inside, the pervasive tension prickled at my skin.
"Whoa."
"What the hell."
Including me, our group couldn't go straight in and stopped for a moment.
"......."
With good reason. There were about two hundred of them, maybe?
It seemed all the Guard Knights stationed nearby had assembled, because even though the interior wasn't small, it was packed full.
All those people were glaring this way with fire in their eyes.
As if they'd been grinding their teeth, waiting only for today.
It looked like the pissed-off Axel had put them through the wringer for two days.
"......Hey, should we go back to the hotel?"
"Let's just say we lost. Yeah?"
Cheon Seo-yoon and Lee Dae-ho looked at Baek Sa-young as if they really wished he would agree.
"Why? They're welcoming us in their own way, aren't they?"
But this guy had no tact to begin with.
None at all. A whole lot of none.
Knock, knock—
"May we come in?"
He went so far as to knock on the already-open door and observe formalities, and when there was no answer, he scratched his head and walked in without hesitation.
"When you look at it, that bastard's the biggest problem."
"Agreed......."
In the end, Cheon Seo-yoon and Lee Dae-ho trotted after him. As always, I went in last.
We walked straight along the path, and before long, a familiar face came into view.
Axel was waiting in a single line with the other sparring participants.
"Thank you for accepting the invitation."
Axel bowed deeply and observed the courtesies of a host.
Then he gestured to each person in turn and introduced them.
"This is Alfonso, a fellow alumnus of the Royal Italian Military Academy and my classmate, captain of the 32nd Strike Unit. This is also my classmate and captain of the 54th Support Unit......."
I only kept my eye on the giant I had already marked as my opponent.
His name was Maximus.
He was from the Superhuman Track and used an axe as his main weapon, with a build about the size of Lee Dae-ho's; maybe because of his bronze skin, he looked even more solid.
In terms of Awakener grade, he'd be around mid-level Tier 7, I supposed?
Not quite Yosal Corps squad-leader level, but similar to a senior member.
Here he led fifty men, but in Korea, he'd have the skill to lead five.
The reason I chose him was simple.
His somewhat sluggish combat style, as heavy as his massive frame, was suitable as a first practice opponent.
The author of [The Magic Track and the Superhuman Track: A Study of Relative Advantage Between the Two Tracks] argued that when a ranged-type faced someone from the Superhuman Track, a power-type was easier to handle than a speed-type.
That author was Professor Lee Taek-jin.
"You may designate your sparring opponents from your side."
Axel gestured to us with a fairly relaxed attitude.
He meant for us to discuss it.
We naturally gathered around Baek Sa-young.
"Is it because they're captain-class? They're no joke. If we let our guard down, we'll lose."
"Looks like they came determined to win."
"Do you have an opponent you want?"
They spoke in order: Lee Dae-ho, Cheon Seo-yoon, then Baek Sa-young.
Since the opponents were already decided anyway, I designated mine first.
"Maximus. I'll take that big guy."
"You?"
Lee Dae-ho asked back in surprise.
"Can't I?"
"No, it's not that you can't. He just looks like the strongest after Axel....... You sure you'll be okay?"
Of course I'd be okay.
I was about to tell him not to worry, that I'd handle it myself.
"Are you going to use your sword?"
Baek Sa-young abruptly cut in and asked. I shook my head lightly.
"No, today it's sorcery only."
"Why? That seems like it'll be a bit rough, and you're at a disadvantage in compatibility too. That Alfonso guy would be better instead......."
I knew Baek Sa-young was saying it out of concern.
But whether I drew my sword or not made little difference.
Unless I threw it, I wouldn't get to swing it more than a few times anyway.
"It's fine. I chose this after careful thought."
"......Hm. All right, for now. I wanted to see your sword one more time, so that's a shame."
Baek Sa-young scratched the bridge of his nose, seemingly sincere.
.......
Ever since I had cut apart a mana sphere with an Armament before going to obtain the Heavenly Sword, he seemed to think I was a real swordsman.
I just let him think that.
Explaining myself here would have been ridiculous anyway.
"What, isn't Park Ha-yul in the Sorcery Track? Why would he use a sword?"
"I'll go first in the matches. I'm going to warm up."
Lee Dae-ho asked back as if he couldn't understand, but I stood up from my seat and started stretching.
Neck, shoulders, arms, chest. Slowly working from the places farthest from the heart, hup, hup.
Meanwhile, once all the opponents had been decided, Baek Sa-young stood and approached Axel.
When he informed him of the matchups, Axel relayed them to his team members.
The captains each swept a glance over their respective opponents, and I too locked eyes with Maximus.
Maximus soon muttered to Axel in a voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
Why are you matching me with some scrawny little shit like that? Boring. Change it. Change, change.
Axel said that wasn't possible. They were the ones who chose it.
That seemed to be the gist of the exchange.
So I gave a visible smirk in return.
If my opponent got worked up, all the better for me.
* * *
The sparring only began twenty minutes after that.
Axel stepped into the middle of the training ground and explained the simple rules.
Since the sparring would be conducted with wooden swords instead of live blades, I separately received power-reduction equipment for the match.
It was a pair of crude metal bracelets, enchanted with magic that reduced the power of one's abilities by 50 percent when worn.
Wasn't that cheating?
No, it wasn't.
Because the magic only activated with the wearer's consent.
Equipment capable of forcibly producing that level of power did not exist except for hero-grade Armaments.
"Student Park Ha-yul, step forward."
Anyway, once I put on the equipment, my name was called.
I climbed onto the stage amid my companions' cheers, and Maximus likewise made a majestic entrance from the opposite side.
Before I knew it, around two hundred Guard Knights had surrounded the area.
"Captain Maximus, fighting!"
"Finish it in one blow."
Naturally, the cheering was skewed toward Maximus.
Seeing that Axel didn't stop it either, he seemed to be trying to use the home-ground advantage to bring us down somehow.
But I was originally the type to be indifferent to other people's reactions.
The kind of person who didn't care what anyone spouted as long as they weren't cursing me out.
Maximus, shoulders raised to the max, said to me,
"I don't normally like ranged-types. I have no intention of going easy on you. If you think you're going to die, give up right away."
What.
I was briefly surprised that unexpectedly fluent Korean leaked out of him.
Then did he know this saying too?
"None of your business."
"None of my business? What am I buying?"
At that moment, beeeep— the signal sounded.
Calmly, but quickly,
I activated Manifestation and imprinted a sorcery.
Thud, thud, thud—
A foreign wild boar....... No, Maximus also hoisted an axe the size of my upper body and leaped toward me.
It was probably almost simultaneous.
My entering the axe's range, and the sorcery's activation.
"Hup."
Maximus let out a short shout and swung the massive axe horizontally.
The material was wood, but I heard a ripping sound as if the air were being torn.
......?
But Maximus's axe couldn't reach me.
A 64-stroke, 2-star Wood-Style Sorcery, Grasp of the Earth.
[Manifestation Accuracy: 79%]
Because before I knew it, tree trunks that had surged up from the floor were coiling around Maximus's forearm.
Maximus staggered for a moment, unable to overcome his own momentum, but soon corrected his stance and wrestled with the tree trunks.
The first thing a ranged-type must not forget when facing someone from the Superhuman Track.
Binding the feet first — I had successfully put it into practice.
The second was maintaining a distance from which I could respond even if an unexpected situation arose, so I kicked off the ground three or four times and retreated backward.
And the third was to think of this as my last chance and pour out magic or sorcery like crazy, so I imprinted another sorcery.
The 64-stroke, 2-star Water-Style Sorcery, Wave Flame Bullet.
[Manifestation Accuracy: 81%]
The principle was the same as a Flame Bullet, but I envisioned a fireball vastly superior in size and power.
"You little......."
The imprint was completed when Maximus had escaped about half of the Grasp of the Earth.
Boom—
The Wave Flame Bullet flew with a heavy sound, like a cannon firing.
Maximus hastily drew up mana and wrapped it around his entire body.
Body-Protecting Steel Aura.
A specialty of Superhuman Track Awakeners with exceptional understanding of the body, Body-Protecting Steel Aura dispersed mana between the muscles.
The technique linked that mana together like a single membrane.
According to the original work's setting, Body-Protecting Steel Aura at its peak could even deflect projectiles.
BOOM—
But Maximus's level was far below that.
Even with the 50% power-reduction penalty applied, my sorcery was originally imprinted based on Manifestation, so its accuracy was high, and therefore its power was strong.
"Ghk."
Therefore, a single Wave Flame Bullet nearly shattered Maximus's Body-Protecting Steel Aura.
And unlike magic, sorcery caused attributes to react with one another.
Wood-Style Sorcery and Fire-Style Sorcery were a combination with definite synergy,
so the embers that had caught on the Grasp of the Earth began to blaze up again.
Smoke rose from the gaps in the punctured Body-Protecting Steel Aura as his skin cooked.
"Did I overdo it?"
The injuries weren't minor, so I considered stopping here.
But if I didn't accept his surrender now, I would ultimately be the one to lose, so I imprinted another sorcery.
If he thought he was going to die, he'd give up on his own. Well.
The 32-stroke, 1-star Fire-Style Sorcery, Song of Fire.
[Manifestation Accuracy: 90%]
I sent a total of three fireballs flying toward Maximus one after another.
Naturally, the surroundings were silent— no one said a word.