Chapter 10: Weapons of the Weak

"What the...? That's just..."

Chris slowly observed the bird circling in the sky. It took a moment for him to recall where it had come from.

'Ah! The one Aria made at the start.'

The reconnaissance bird created by Aria's magic tool. Someone had definitely come looking for them.

"Hey, Aria, hold onto this for me."

Chris tossed the pouch containing the score orbs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Aria.

"You gonna fight? You're weak as hell. And I've barely got any mana left."

Aria looked at him worriedly. Chris shook his head, his eyes sharpening.

"Isabel and Lake are with Zien. That bird's gotta be the archer Rita scouting."

"Ugh, that's bad news..."

An archer with keen eyes and senses might pick up on the unnatural tension hidden around here.

"I'll handle it. You're right, I'm weak."

Chris gazed toward the horizon beyond the lake.

The vast lake felt like an ocean. A gray sea that would swallow anything without spitting it back out. With his mind made up, Chris murmured quietly.

"But the weak have weapons suited for the weak."

'What the hell's that supposed to mean?'

Aria pocketed the pouch with a distrustful look. Meanwhile, Chris strode forward confidently.

Thwip!

The arrow flew straight and true.

It grazed Chris's sideburns and passed by. Blood trickled from the thin cut where the bowstring had sliced.

"You missed on purpose, right?"

The mana arrow vanished quickly. Rita showed Chris the stigma on the back of her hand—a gesture that said she'd shoot if he moved.

"Surprising. I figured you'd just run away... Given up already?"

"Shouldn't an archer be more careful charging in like this?"

Chris pulled out a chain. This freely extendable chain was a cheap custom order from the forge.

"Pfft, who cares? Might as well."

Rita drew her magic tool bow and aimed at Chris. At this range, she was absolutely certain she'd hit.

In response, Chris spun the chain like a yo-yo.

"This chain's just some low-grade junk. Pathetic compared to your magic tool bow."

Chris's self-deprecating words.

Rita sneered and drew back the bowstring taut.

'Head? Chest? No, to figure out where the pouch is... Gut it is. Can't have him die outright and get ported out.'

Rita finished her thought, while Chris kept muttering.

"But being a chain, it has its perks. Insanely tough."

"I hate chatty guys."

Rita released the string.

Bang!

The arrow burst through the air with vicious speed.

Chris didn't dodge.

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

"Gah!"

The arrow hit his stomach but bounced off unnaturally. With death-defying resolve, Chris hurled the chain.

Whirl.

The chain wrapped around Rita's ankle at blinding speed.

"Haa... Gotcha!"

"Pointless... What good's a damn chain?"

Rita nocked another arrow.

This time, she'd aim for his legs to pin him down.

"Plenty good."

Grinning, Chris shed his tattered uniform jacket. Rita's face flushed with shock at what she saw underneath.

"That's why the arrow..."

The chain's other end was wrapped around Chris's stomach. The mana arrow hadn't pierced because of it.

"To beat the strong as a weakling, you've gotta be prepared for this much."

'Yeah, prepared.'

A faint smile on his lips, Chris glanced at the lake. Then, as if for someone to hear, he muttered.

"Ah! Bet the lake's freezing. Hate the cold."

Finally catching on, Rita screamed.

"No way! Do that and you'll drop out too!"

Chris pondered her words briefly, then shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. Besides, 144th has less to lose than 22nd, right?"

With the chain coiled around him, Chris threw himself into the lake.

Splash!

Too late, Rita infused mana into her legs, but as the chain went taut, even her archer's strength couldn't hold.

"Shit, you, stupid bastard! Waaah!" With a short scream.

Splash.

After the commotion, silence blanketed the lake's edge.

A few minutes passed.

🧊 🧊 🧊 💧 🧊

When forming a party of just two, what's the ultimate combo? Most people would say tank and DPS.

That's exactly what Lake and Isabel were to Zien right now. Lake, the massive martial artist prioritizing bulk and stamina training.

And beside him.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠academy's top firepower. A witch with red hair fluttering in the sky.

Clap.

Isabel lightly clapped, and nine blue flames embroidered the air.

"Magic tool's gloves, huh."

Zien's gaze went to Isabel's hands—or rather, the gloves encasing them.

"Yeah. Name's Blaze."

"Black Fragrance."

Isabel named her magic tool—her stigma—after her fierce fight, and Zien responded in kind.

Exchanging stigma names instead of personal ones was the greatest courtesy among Sabers.

"Isabel, don't get cocky. Rita's out."

"You stay out of it."

Isabel snapped irritably at Lake's advice, her fingers forming a gun shape as her index finger aimed at Zien.

The pre-made blue flames melted everything in their path as they flew at him.

Year ranking 5th.

A genius with the highest mana potential in Arcana history. Her magic art's destructive power was beyond imagination.

"Nngh!"

It'd been less than a month since Zien accessed his past life's memories. His mana was worlds apart from Isabel's. And now Lake joined in—it was two against one.

"Hey, four-eyes. Got anything else?"

Isabel asked, stomping out the scattered flames on the ground.

"Just a practical feature."

Zien removed his glasses with a playful grin. Isabel let out a disbelieving snort. Lake, beside her, felt his hairs stand from her mana.

'First-year for real? Lucky she's on my team...'

Isabel brushed past Lake and approached Zien slowly.

"Let's make a deal."

She scattered the extinguished flames into the air.

"A deal?"

A proposal in this situation. Zien naturally shifted toward the lake.

"Yeah. Not a bad one. You can't beat us both anyway—you'll drop out like this, right?"

Zien nodded instead of answering. Isabel took it as agreement.

"We're pressed for time too—less than an hour left. So betray your team."

Isabel pulled out two orbs.

"In exchange, two 5-point orbs. We won't attack you. No last place, yeah?"

It was a solid offer from Zien's perspective. Assuming he dropped out here.

'Everline Lake.'

Zien's eyes turned to the lake.

This test site's Everline Lake was a virtual gate. Already conquered. And the one who cleared it?

'Fate's a real bitch.'

His past life, Evan.

'This body's still overwhelmed by just Isabel. Gotta separate Lake and her.'

The wildcard slept deep in the lake. As time dragged, Isabel grew annoyed.

"No stalling. Decide."

"Pass. And my goal isn't avoiding last place..."

Zien sighed deeply, staring at the lake. Misty water, poor quality, unfathomable depths. Eerily ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ominous.

"It's number one."

"You..."

"Just like you think."

Zien dove into the lake.

Splash.

A ripple spread, then nothing.

The lake remained still and silent. Stunned, Isabel murmured.

"...What a lunatic."

Caught off guard, she glared at the lake. Lake eyed her stormy mood.

"Uh, Isabel? No time left, and we still gotta find the last one..."

"...Shut it. Can't go like this."

Isabel calmly examined the lake, a fireball larger than her head hovering in her palm.

'Tough, I'll give him that. But even holding breath, max three minutes.'

If he needed air, he'd surface. Her fireball was the gift waiting then.

"You'll drown like that?"

Her voice, amplified by mana, echoed across the lake. Then, a shadow under the surface.

Proof something lurked below. Isabel seized the chance.

"Found you."

Striking a pitcher's pose, she hurled the fireball like a baseball. It screamed through the air with terrifying momentum—and hit.

Boom!

A massive waterspout erupted.

"Huh?"

Isabel's eyes widened round.

She backpedaled in panic. It wasn't Zien she'd hit. No, not a person.

"Groooar!"

A massive roar shattered the lake's silence. The fog parted, revealing the source.

Two long whiskers. A mouth that could swallow a bull. Dorsal fin trailing to the tail. Unmistakably catfish-like, but with a tadpole's bloated body on freakish legs. In one word.

"Whoa... gross..."

Isabel's haughty face paled.

"Gift for ya!"

From across the lake, Zien waved cheerfully, grinning.

"That guy's for real..."

Isabel gritted her teeth.

Mad or not, hold it in. Priority was that creepy fish.

"Grulk?"

As Isabel eyed it, a hologram screen appeared beside the fish, proving this was a gate.

An outrageous reward, but Isabel had no attention for it.

The dramatic encounter between the emerging catfish-humanoid and the humans stole the show.

"Uruk?"

Uruk's whiskers groped toward her, substituting for poor eyesight.

Even in this undying virtual gate, the sensation felt real. Goosebumps prickled Isabel's skin. Her voice sank low.

"...Can't even with this freak."

My Previous Life was the Strongest Sword God