Chapter 228
Chapter 228
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: 76. Transition Season (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The boom mic draws closer.
Even in this astonishing situation, the cameraman doesn't forget his role. He swings the camera to capture the stunned expressions of the guardians and cadets.
"This doesn't make any sense..."
Those words came from a guardian who was formerly a mage.
"Not Blink, but some other spell, right?"
Only video and audio transmit beyond the display screens.
The viewers have to speculate based solely on that.
"Some other spell? Space transfer magic isn't exactly common."
"Not common, but it does exist, doesn't it?"
"What exists? At best 'Zeta Blink,' 'Space Swap,' or 'Cross-Dimensional Gate.' Even chaining those three, a cadet couldn't cover 60 meters that quickly."
"True enough. But it's the Yoo family, isn't it?"
The rebuttal dies on the speaker's lips.
A name carrying strange persuasive power. The Yoo family.
"The Yoo family's unique magic?"
"Probably... maybe?"
Interest sparkles in the eyes returning to the displays. Perspectives shift. If Yoo Gaeul is the mage position, maybe they'll get to see more of the Yoo family's unique magic.
On screen.
A fork in the road opens up ahead of the running Gaeul.
Gaeul opens her watch to check the provided map. Left led along a ridgeline up a steep hill, crawling with monsters and traps.
Right followed a cliff along an extremely narrow side path.
Standing at the fork, Gaeul peers ahead and down the cliff. The path was so narrow that if she stood straight, she might slip off. Below stretched an endless drop.
The fierce wind still howled, and not far off, a flying monster was visible.
Using spatial folding to move would scatter thick mana, high chance of drawing the flying monster's attention.
The problem was that Gaeul was still loaded down with weapons on her left side. Already short in stature, the two-handed greatsword and broken spear looked comically oversized.
"Argh! What are you hesitating for? Ditch that junk and take the narrow path!"
Unable to stand it, Yeoreum snapped irritably.
As if ignoring the shout, Gaeul clutched the weapons tightly in both arms, turned her back to the cliff, and began inching carefully along the narrow path.
Her neatly tied golden ponytail swept the cliff like a broom.
"What the hell is she doing?"
"Probably trying to get far enough to Blink out of the flying monster's range."
Bom's answer.
"So why? If she's a mage, just blast it and go."
Bom didn't respond.
She couldn't understand Gaeul either.
But Yoo Ji-tae had said to leave it be. There must be a reason.
Then crisis struck.
At the far end of the narrow path. From a corner too sharp to see around. A zombie poked its head out.
"Ah, that. Looks dangerous."
The guardian, with 30 years as an operator, spoke up.
"Dangerous?"
"That's an 'Infected Zombie.' When you kill it, bodily fluids explode everywhere."
"Ah. Right."
Greenish spots bloomed across its skin.
An enemy anyone could predict.
"Normally, you'd try to knock that zombie off somehow. But this one's a variant that lives on cliffs. Its heel bone, cuboid bone, and tarsal bones have grown into hook shapes."
"Yeah. Like spikes on Eisen shoes... Won't slip easily like that."
"Sharp Shooter is optimized for hitting weak points with pinpoint impact. Tough to kill a zombie without obvious weaknesses. Hard to deliver enough shock to knock it off too. Would have to go close-range brawl or blow up the ground to topple it. But killing it bursts infectious fluid. Blowing the ground blocks the path..."
"So jump over without touching it? Her steps are slow."
The guardians nodded.
"Treat it like a moving obstacle in tight quarters where balance is tricky."
"Sounds doable that way."
But the ex-operator guardian shook his head.
"Probably not."
"Huh?"
"Why would an 'Infected Zombie' be on a cliff below a branch path?"
"Artificial dungeon, so someone placed it...? Wait, huh...?"
The muttering guardian realized something.
"That's the problem."
Unlike others, Lair's artificial dungeons famously mimicked 100% natural ones.
"Not placed by humans."
As Gaeul reaches the halfway point of the narrow path, the camera feed rises higher.
Beyond the alley hugging the cliff wall.
A massive chameleon-like monster, lying in wait after shoving the zombie into position, clung to the wall, sensing vibrations.
Its eyes swiveled unnaturally side to side.
"Ugh, shit..."
Even Yeoreum's expression turned grave. The chameleon was elephant-sized and ugly as hell. Didn't look weak.
If Gaeul burst the zombie to topple it, infectious fluid blocks the path.
If she jumps over assuming the zombie chases from behind, the chameleon attacks.
Even if she barely blocks, narrow path means high fall risk.
Still in flying monster range ahead, so can't advance. Best to Blink back.
While carrying those 'weapons'...
But time left isn't generous. Turning back makes passing the test impossible.
Gaeul halts, hesitating as she backpedals from the approaching zombie.
"What now...?"
Gaeul's solution was intuitive and simple.
Something no cadet could dare, unfolded before them.
Snap— Gaeul flicked her fingers.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Wha-what...?"
Once more, everyone doubted their eyes.
The zombie, wrapped in light, appeared from behind the alley.
The principle: Blink.
Gaeul had teleported the zombie.
"What the hell is that!?"
"How is that even possible? Huh? What?"
"Even on objects, that shouldn't work, let alone a zombie...!"
Gasps mixed with groans erupted.
Mana manifests intent. Zombies, unlike living beings, have weak intent. Like moving objects, space can fold around them.
For world-ranked top-tier mages, yes.
Shock pours in.
As everyone reels in astonishment, the vibration-sensitive chameleon mistakes the sudden object before it for prey.
Blink's light acts as a smokescreen. The chameleon whips out its tongue, snatching the glowing something into its mouth.
The instant it does, it realizes the mistake.
Gack!
It spits it out hastily.
Its tongue was coated in sticky blue-green gunk.
The cautious, timid monster that set bait fled in confusion far away.
Thus, Gaeul leisurely passed that section of the narrow path.
"Time left?"
"Yeah. 5 minutes 32 seconds. Fast."
"Last year's transcendents averaged 5:37 there? She's right up there."
As guardians and cadets watched the suddenly flipped situation with interest,
Mikhailov checked Kitty Bljenk's complexion.
The man's face was quite the sight. Like watching a painstakingly built domino tower collapse. Still annoying to look at, but Mikhailov wanted to see it crumple even more messily.
"The yapping dog that was barking so excitedly is gone. Oh, can you see it from your side?"
"......"
Oh? A glare. Pride properly bruised, it seems.
"Or did someone sew its muzzle shut? Must've been tough, with all that flopping around."
Mikhailov burst into laughter. What was most needed in such a joyful moment? This retired Russian soldier could swear it was vodka.
He pulled a pocket-sized vodka bottle from his coat and downed it in one gulp. The burn felt especially refreshing today.
Around then,
Kitty Bljenk struggled to contain his irritation.
Born into the Bljenk family, life was always boring. Having so much but unable to flaunt it was frustrating.
Then, a hard-won false identity. Time in this form was limited by tending to Tyr Bljenk. At 40-something, the superhuman needed to cram in dense enjoyment.
Just when a promising amusement appeared after so long, and he'd lit the fire,
This? Being humiliated instead.
"Heh heh heh."
And what was with that redhead snickering?
No, not just her.
The superhumans he'd been needling were subtly turning away, smirking.
Kitty Bljenk, top 100 worldwide, treated like royalty anywhere.
Vermin who wouldn't dare meet his eyes outside, laughing at him? Unbearable.
Even if his own blunder.
He was 'Bljenk' after all.
"Hm. Usually, booze tastes come from the view. How do you think mine tastes today?"
Mikhailov's grinning face twisted her guts in real time.
"Listen. The bet isn't over, Mikhailov. Stop the rudeness and watch the test."
"Didn't you do the same? Judging before Gaeul even cast, and now you call me rude? Stick to your principles."
"Mikhailov... You talk too much."
"Why? It's my mouth. Any problem?"
This time, Mikhailov parroted Kitty Bljenk's own words back at her.
Then, something interesting caught Kitty Bljenk's eye.
"Right. Now I get it... Put away the bottle."
"Revving up for more nonsense. Vroom vroom. Needs a muzzle patch."
"Shut up. I'll win. Yoo Gaeul is a one-trick Blink mage. Can't use other spells."
"What?"
"Explains it otherwise. Cadet level outputting that? Repeated spatial transfers too?"
Kitty Bljenk's voice brightens. Like grasping a lifeline. No more pretending.
"Then passing the test is hopeless. There's a mandatory combat section."
Smirks fade from laughing faces.
In truth, mages watching the test so far harbored similar doubts.
Yoo Gaeul had passed sections using only 'Blink.'
Even now.
Next, three monsters blocking the path—she Blink-dodged.
Finally, trap-infested underground cave—she Blinked through.
By then, onlookers shared Kitty Bljenk's doubt.
Perhaps,
The Yoo family's uniquely efficient Blink?
Plus Yoo Gaeul's 'Eyes Open' blessing related to spatial transfer.
Makes sense.
Of course, still impressive.
Undeniably so.
But expectations for something more absurd chipped away.
In the oddly quiet observer lounge,
Kitty Bljenk punctuated the suspicion.
"See? Won't use combat magic here either."
The ruined village's sole entrance was guarded by a massive monster.
3.7m shoulder height. Male humanoid body covered in muscle. Curly fur. Topped with a rifle head.
A+ grade beast-kin. Minotaur.
Mid-boss with insane motor nerves surpassing ogres.
Not winnable head-on at cadet level.
Needs at least thousandth-ranked superhuman.
But this virtual dungeon Minotaur wore a nose-ring 'Restrictor.' Level 2 artifact that greatly weakens monsters.
One precise hit to the nose-ring, and it'd briefly lose consciousness.
"Can't Blink past it. Too fast."
As Kitty Bljenk finished, the Minotaur spots Gaeul.
Gaeul's movement wasn't stealthy at all. That was the issue. Humans are enemies to monsters. Spotting 'prey' from afar, the Minotaur bends into a Z-shape. Pillar-thick thighs tense. Muscles split along fibers. Shoulders lower. Finally, thighs loaded with immense power kick off the ground toward Gaeul.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—!
The Minotaur charges through space.
Momentum like a tank.
City walls couldn't stop it.
"Has to fight this time. What now? Drop rocks from above?"
That stride covers Blink's max 60m in 2 seconds.
Thumb-sized monster swells to house-sized instantly.
One hit means instant death.
158cm tall Gaeul, already petite, looks tiny.
Cracks appear on the gleeful Kitty Bljenk's face.
Compression Formula
Mana density peaks • Ground cracks under pressure
A chilling 'Compression' formula manifests.
Mana gathers at Gaeul's extended right hand as a golden dot. Tiny. Yet the density, even visible from the display, was suspiciously packed.
Soon, suppressed by 'Compression' and 'Focus,' the mana converts to 'Launch,' 'Penetration,' 'Onslaught' formulas.
The ground within 3m radius of Gaeul's right hand shatters and pushes away.
The Minotaur's head charges in.
Simultaneously.
Thwang—
As if the world compressed. Like a dam bursting. Volcano erupting. Mana beyond simple measurement blasts like a beam.
It pierces the Minotaur's skull. Vaporizes the upper body. Still unrelenting, carves a clean cylinder, shearing off part of a distant mountain.
Unbelievable even watching it. Everyone felt that.
The moment Gaeul's magical output proves itself.
Shouts and screams mixed with awe explode in the lounge.