Chapter 434: Promotion Match (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 434: Promotion Match (4)
Every observer looking down at the dueling grounds felt it.
“…The promotion match will now begin.”
Kim Do-jin and Kim Tae-yang.
The match had begun with both men harboring ill feelings toward each other.
“How do you see this playing out?”
“Well… it’s more or less predictable, isn’t it? It’s a fight between a mage who needs distance and a melee dealer who needs to close it.”
One observer’s comment represented the thoughts of everyone gathered there.
It was predictable, but that was the nature of it.
A mage versus a warrior.
No matter how skilled, a mage needs a certain amount of time to cast a spell.
And a warrior, skilled in close combat, must desperately close that distance to stop them.
That’s why, at lower levels, a warrior’s win rate is overwhelmingly higher in a one-on-one fight against a mage.
Unlike a warrior who just needs to doggedly close the gap and attack, an unskilled mage doesn’t have a variety of ways to shake off an opponent who gets in their face.
“Ah, Hunter Kim Tae-yang is on the move.”
The moment the observer finished speaking, Kim Tae-yang shot forward.
A battle between a mage and a warrior who have reached a certain level is decided by a complex battle of wits.
How many different moves can the mage use to effectively block the warrior’s approach?
How well can the warrior counter those moves?
At the end of that strategic exchange, the one who runs out of prepared moves first loses.
That was why all eyes were on Kim Do-jin.
“The key will be how many different strategies Hunter Kim Do-jin has prepared.”
“That’s most likely it.”
Having kicked off the ground, Kim Tae-yang closed the distance in an instant.
His speed was so immense that an afterimage was left where he had been standing.
In the literal blink of an eye, he was in front of his opponent, throwing a punch.
Kim Do-jin’s choice in response was defense.
「Fist Potato.」
A section of the dueling ground floor rose up in the shape of a fist, aiming a blow at the opponent’s chin and blocking his path.
It was a spell that was both offense and defense, blocking the attack while simultaneously delivering a mental blow with a gesture that looked like he was giving him the fist potato.
“Hraaaah—!”
With a roar that echoed through the arena, the punch turned the rock into fine powder.
Everyone was impressed.
“As expected, Hunter Kim Tae-yang’s strength and trait are legendary.”
This was thanks to his high strength stat and his well-known rare trait.
The name of his trait was ‘Shattering (破碎)’.
Just as the name implied, it turned everything he touched into dust.
The rock that had just been pulverized was one thing, but steel and even humans were no exception.
Because of that absurd destructive power, Kim Tae-yang always had the upper hand in a battle of wits without even trying.
Every single blow was a one-hit kill.
Everyone knew it was a hundred, a thousand times better to evade than to block, which naturally restricted the opponent’s actions.
“Alright, here comes the second one!”
Kim Tae-yang’s second strike flew.
Kim Do-jin once again raised the earth to block his opponent’s attack.
Stone dust scattered again.
As the same attack and defense repeated, looks of pity appeared on the faces of those watching Kim Do-jin.
“Oh dear… it seems his body has gone stiff.”
“Tsk, tsk. It’s understandable. This must be the first time he’s faced Hunter Kim Tae-yang’s attacks.”
“At this rate, the match will be over in a flash.”
“This might cause another huge uproar.”
That was what most of them thought.
That Kim Do-jin’s body had frozen up, intimidated by Kim Tae-yang’s immense destructive power.
But a few thought differently.
“It doesn’t look like he’s frozen…”
The basis for their argument was none other than Kim Do-jin’s expression.
Despite the situation looking like he was desperately blocking, his face was the picture of calm.
It was as if he was certain his opponent’s attacks would never reach him.
That expression planted a single, unbelievable hypothesis in their minds.
“…Perhaps he’s not moving because he thinks there’s no reason to dodge.”
“……”
“……”
Dozens of attacks had already been launched.
Yet Kim Do-jin hadn’t allowed a single one to land, nor had he retreated a single step.
Just then, someone turned to Han Ju-hee, who was sitting in the stands looking down at the arena with a sharp gaze, and asked.
“Um… Hunter Han Ju-hee, what are your thoughts?”
“…Well.”
It was an unexpected question.
Normally, she would have just ignored it, but perhaps the unbelievable sight before her had made her more generous. She shared her impression with everyone.
“From what I can see… it looks like Hunter Kim Do-jin is conducting an experiment.”
“What…? An ex-experiment?” the man asked in surprise.
Han Ju-hee pointed a finger at the earth he was continuously raising and continued.
“That magic he’s using to block Hunter Kim Tae-yang’s fists… it’s getting harder.”
Hearing this, everyone’s gaze shifted to the magic Kim Do-jin had cast.
Each time it blocked a fist, it crumbled into dust without resistance.
At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed, but those who observed closely and carefully began to notice.
The speed at which the rock was shattering under Kim Tae-yang’s fist was gradually slowing down.
* * *
Earth Magic.
As the name suggests, it refers to magic that uses mana of the earth attribute.
And in this era, Earth Mages, commonly called practitioners of ‘Earth Law,’ are on the verge of extinction.
The reason is simple.
It has absolutely no advantages compared to other types of magic.
You can crush an opponent by throwing a rock the size of a house?
Ice Magic can do that too.
In fact, it’s far more versatile since it can also freeze the opponent.
The advanced spell called the pinnacle of Earth Magic, Petrification (石化)?
You’d die of attrition in the lower and intermediate stages long before you could learn it.
And even that so-called pinnacle of Earth Magic, Petrification, is so mana-inefficient that in reality, you can’t even use it more than a few times.
Thanks to this, Earth Mages, despite being mages, are not treated very well.
They’re the kind of class you take if you have no other choice, and are almost always excluded if there are other options.
I heard this aversion has become so severe that mages whose primary attribute is earth tend to just ignore it.
What was it called again?
The Anti-Earth Phenomenon.
With phenomena like this emerging, Earth Magic is steadily losing its place in the world.
So, let’s reconsider.
Is Earth Magic really useless?
“Well, no, not really.”
“The hell are you muttering to yourself for, you bastard!”
CRACK!
There is just one thing.
Earth Magic does have one advantage worth mentioning.
And that is its fast casting speed.
Other types of magic begin by creating water, fire, or ice through mana.
But Earth Magic uses the very ground we stand on.
It can skip the creation stage and start directly from the shaping stage.
The advantage in casting speed gained from this is precisely one beat.
Doesn’t seem like much, does it?
And it’s true.
In most battles.
But in a high-level battle like this, where even a split second is precious, it’s a different story.
An attack that would normally be impossible to block… can be blocked, just like this.
CRUUUMBLE!
BOOM!
“Tch…!”
It allows for a perfectly timed block.
“You damn Earth Beggar, you’re holding on pretty well, huh?!”
Earth Beggar.
If ‘Earth Law’ is a dismissive term for Earth Mages, then that was a slur.
A painful name born from a deep-seated hatred for Earth Magic.
Hearing that fired me up.
I, Kim Do-jin.
Will stand at the pinnacle of Earth Magic and wash away all its stigmas…!
“Die!”
Each time my defensive magic, rising up like a fist potato to my opponent, blocked his attack, Kim Tae-yang’s assault grew fiercer.
Shattering, indeed.
It’s a trait so outstanding it was once called the future of Korea.
If I had something like that, I could have taken Lu Bu’s head with Son Si-woo’s body.
“What a waste, what a waste.”
“Waste my ass!”
“You know, reacting to every little thing I mutter to myself is a bit much.”
Is he the Bionic Woman or something?
I once again block his attack by feeding him a fist potato.
There’s only one reason I keep defending against his attacks with the same magic.
It’s an experiment.
“Hmm… this one’s not great either.”
It might look the same on the outside, but the inside is constantly changing.
I’ve tried increasing the density to its limit, and I’ve also tried changing the internal mana arrangement to an embossed form, better for shock absorption.
After several such attempts, I reach a conclusion.
“This is hopeless, utterly hopeless.”
I’m feeling it in my bones why Earth Mages are called Earth Beggars and are on the verge of extinction.
At the same time, I search for a way out.
A needle-thin opening for an Earth Mage to survive.
“Hraaat—!”
As the guy throws a powerful punch, I blow a light puff of air at his face.
“Shoo.”
At that, the stone dust he had so neatly pulverized flies on the wind and sticks to his face.
His nose, inhaling deeply; his open mouth; his ears.
Even his eyes.
“Kegh!”
No matter how developed a Hunter’s senses are, the sense they ultimately rely on most is sight.
As his vision blurs, I lightly dodge his lost punch and create some distance.
In that time, he roughly rubs his eyes to restore his vision, his face twisting into an even uglier scowl.
“You son of a bitch…!”
“Woof?”
“I’ll kill you!”
The moment he’s about to kick off the ground.
I manipulate the surrounding earth.
Not the solid ground that would allow him to gain speed with a powerful kick, but a deep mire that sucks his feet in with every step.
“Nngh…!”
Still, he gained speed.
His leg strength must be insane. It seems a simple mud pit isn’t enough to restrict his movements.
But it doesn’t matter.
His speed is already incomparably slower than before.
“I’m really going to fucking kill you—!”
After I messed with him a few times, he seems genuinely pissed, charging at me like a bull that’s seen red.
Vwoooom—!
A dark blue Aura of Strength clearly envelops his fist.
The manifestation of an Aura of Strength.
A blow that far exceeds the level permitted in a promotion match.
But that’s fine.
I’ve already found it.
A way to neutralize his trait.
「Fist Potato.」
I create another fist potato.
I’ve found a way to handle Earth Magic more efficiently.
It’s to mix in mana of other attributes to give it more varied forms.
Carrying sand on the wind to obstruct the opponent’s vision.
Mixing water with earth to create a mire.
There’s also a method of adding fire to earth to make it denser, but that’s not particularly useful right now, so I’ll skip it.
His trait, Shattering, is destructive enough to turn anything it touches into dust.
But here’s a question.
Does the same force truly apply to every object it touches?
After experimenting, I concluded that it does not.
While hard objects take the full impact and are easily destroyed, softer or more malleable objects seem to dissipate some of the shock, lessening the degree of destruction.
So, I made the outside hard to maintain its shape, but filled the inside with mud.
A very, very sticky mud.
“Hriiiyaaaah—!”
The fist, cloaked in a dark blue Aura of Strength, flies forward, violently tearing through the air.
Thwack!
The fist shatters the outer shell and penetrates.
But that’s as far as it goes.
Splurch!
The mud packed inside doesn’t get destroyed; instead, it clings to his fist, sapping its strength.
And it traps him.
“Wh-whoa…! What is this…! It feels like a pussyyyyy!”
“……”
There are so many people watching, and he’s talking about pussies over some tightly packed mud.
He has to be a magnificent bastard.
“Nngh… why is it so… tight… uoooh!”
“Dude.”
Why is he suddenly having sex with the mud?
“Sigh.”
This won’t do.
I have to end this quickly.
“Domain of the Ruler.”
A line is drawn across the world.
A declaration of territory, stating that everything within this line is mine and mine alone.
[Domain of the Ruler has been activated!]
The amount of mana I can move at once increases exponentially.
With this, I shape a single form.
What is born is a pair of hands.
They look identical to my own, but they are massive, large enough to crush one or two people into dried fish jerky with room to spare.
“Eek, eeek!”
Toward the guy who still can’t pull his arm out of the mud, I lower a palm.
Ever heard of it?
Sun Wukong in the palm of Buddha’s hand.
“W-w-wait…!”
As if he predicted what was about to happen, the flustered guy raises his other hand to stop me.
I ignore him and raise my hands.
Just then, a voice from outside the dueling grounds tries to stop me.
“W-wait a moment! The promotion match ends here—!”
Says who?
You may have started it on your terms, but it doesn’t end on them.
Ignoring the urgent shouts from behind me, I clap my hands.
Clap!
A light sound echoes through the arena.
Simultaneously, the pair of hands made of solid rock rush violently toward each other.
「Buddha’s Palm (如來神掌).」
KWOOONG—!
“Keoheok…!”
Thud!
Unfortunately, the guy who was in the path of the two colliding palms gets the massive impact full-body, his eyes rolling back as he loses consciousness and collapses.
“…The bastard used a killing move in a promotion match. How arrogant.”
After muttering at the guy twitching on the floor, I look up at the now-silent spectator seats outside the arena and ask nonchalantly.
“Sorry? What did you say a moment ago?”
“……”
What? What is it?
I’m telling you, I really didn’t hear.