Arena Flames and Rising Fury
Three figures caught his eye.
They weren't extremely famous, but he vaguely remembered seeing a few videos of them during his paralyzed days.
Of course, he had no idea what their current skills were like, but since they were users who would gain some popularity in the future, their abilities were probably decent.
"Ah, when's this gonna end?"
He spotted a massive greatsword slung over the shoulder of the guy who'd just muttered that.
Mad Warrior, was it?
He recalled it being a pretty unique class.
The other two seemed pretty ordinary.
Mu-hyuk soon averted his gaze from them and turned back to the training ground.
The fierce close-quarters battle was still raging, but from the looks of it, a victor would be decided soon.
Kagel, the more agile one, held a slight but clear edge.
"Whoa, that's amazing."
Ye-rin, standing beside him, kept letting out gasps of admiration.
At that moment, OnePunch staggered back.
"I-I lost."
The referee stepped forward and declared Kagel's victory.
"Outsider Kagel: 1 win. Next challenger, please raise your hand. You there, yes. Come on up. What's your name?"
"Fireman."
"Let the duel between Outsider Kagel and Outsider Fireman begin!"
The second match kicked off immediately.
The clash between the mage Fireman and Kagel had a completely different flavor from the previous fight.
"What do I do, oppa?"
"Huh?"
"I don't know when I should go in."
It was definitely a valid concern.
"Just think of it as having fun, right?"
"Yeah, making some memories."
"Then go whenever you feel like it."
"You think?"
Ye-rin's eyes sparkled.
"Fireman wins! Next..."
With that, Ye-rin shot her hand up.
"Me! Over here!"
"You there, the female user. Come on up."
She was now set to challenge Fireman.
*
She hated pointless PK, but she was thrilled by contests of strength or duels for some greater goal. She'd always been a fan of martial arts videos, after all.
That's why she'd entered the strongest warrior tournament to make memories. Luck had carried her through the qualifiers, and now she faced a 1-on-1 against Fireman.
"I'll be right back, oppa."
"Do your best."
"Yeah!"
Ye-rin hopped onto the training ground with a beaming smile.
Her desire to create memories shone plainly on her face, evoking a child's innocent joy. Just watching her brought a smile to his lips.
Of course, most of the men were busy whistling and cheering.
"Ooh, she's a knockout!"
"She's totally gorgeous!"
Ye-rin blushed and bowed her head repeatedly.
"Th-thank you."
She was greeting everyone around her.
It was adorable.
"You got this!"
"I love her already!"
"Go out with me!"
But Fireman, her opponent, showed no reaction whatsoever.
His headband left his face fully exposed, amplifying the cynical chill of his impassive expression.
Unfortunately, Ye-rin missed it entirely, too pumped up by the tension and excitement of stepping into the arena.
The referee approached.
"What's your name?"
"Y-Ye-rin."
"Very well. Let the duel between Outsider Fireman and Outsider Ye-rin begin!"
The moment the referee stepped off the training ground.
Whoosh.
Fireman swung his hand.
A blazing spear of flame erupted like a demon, hurtling toward Ye-rin with heat intense enough to scorch the air itself. Startled by the sudden attack, she flailed in panic.
The men watching from below swallowed hard.
Was it going to end just like that?
As regret welled up.
"Hyaah!"
Ye-rin cast her spell.
Rumble rumble boom.
An ice barrier materialized in front of her.
Kaboom!
The flaming spear collided with it, unleashing a massive explosion.
Fire and water clashed in a spectacular blaze, each devouring the other.
Soon, both dissipated without either gaining the upper hand.
"Ooh!"
"Incredible!"
Fireman furrowed his brow.
"Hehe."
Ye-rin grinned happily.
Fireman's lips twisted into a grotesque smirk as he stared at her smile.
The stark contrast between their expressions was extreme.
His was so unsettling it stirred an ominous dread just to look at it.
Thankfully, Ye-rin's smile offset some of that malice.
"Annoying bitch."
Fireman's low mutter went unheard by all.
The fireworks display began in earnest.
Fireball.
Fire Arrow.
They flew at her in quick succession, but she parried with simple spells, blocking them effortlessly.
She even snuck in counters here and there—sharper than expected. The dazzling array of magic was a feast for the eyes.
Bang, kaboom boom!
The explosive power was mesmerizing.
Beautiful. Impressive.
She's got skills.
He already knew Fireman's level from watching his match.
So he'd thought Ye-rin might drop quickly, but no.
She was proving to everyone that she'd earned her spot in the preliminaries through skill, not luck.
She really has talent.
Mu-hyuk nodded as he watched.
But.
It was a bit lacking. Once levels surpassed 150, mage duels reached a whole new tier.
They'd learn Fly and even Blink.
Vanishing and reappearing, soaring through the skies—what spectacles those battles would be.
For now, with their lower levels, it was all stationary casting, minor dodges, blocks, and weaves.
From Mu-hyuk's perspective, it was inevitably a little boring.
Still, whatever.
It wasn't that bad.
It would improve bit by bit.
One thing was certain, though.
Most mages would be eliminated in the first round of finals this tournament.
It wouldn't be until the next one, after hitting at least level 150, that mages would start drawing real attention.
Hm?
Mu-hyuk's brow furrowed.
Something off about Fireman.
He was prepping something.
Would Ye-rin notice?
Even if not, he hoped she'd enjoy it fully. He refocused on the duel.
*
Fireman flicked his hand.
"Stone."
A massive boulder appeared before Ye-rin.
"Huh?"
She backed away in surprise.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the ground behind her.
Fire Wall.
No more retreating.
Left or right it was.
But changes were already underway.
Rumble.
A giant plant sprouted on the left; an earthen hand formed on the right. Back meant massive damage—or worse, leaving the arena. Forward had Fireman blocking the way.
The left with its plant looked tough to breach. Same for the right.
She had little time to assess.
Destroy them.
In mage duels, raw power ruled.
She'd freeze everything.
"Ice Ball!"
Cast time: 3 seconds.
Tiny ice orbs multiplied and scattered everywhere.
Crack.
Freezing all they touched.
"Fire Storm."
But Fireman had already cast a 5-second spell.
A whirlwind of flames closed in from behind, savage enough to pierce the Fire Wall and engulf her.
She scanned hurriedly.
Plant and earthen hand—both frozen.
Where to?
Then she saw the frontal boulder.
Frozen solid.
Looked brittle enough to shatter.
Yeah.
Ye-rin steeled herself. Better to charge head-on and lose fighting than flee and fall. More memorable that way.
Step.
She dashed forward.
Swinging her staff.
Crack.
The frozen rock shattered into chunks.
Fireman stood before her.
Was that a flicker of panic on his face? Or just imagination?
She smiled faintly and cast.
Ice Wave!
A wave of ice surged toward Fireman.
*
Truth be told, Fireman was a bit rattled.
What? Head-on?
Never imagined she'd smash the boulder.
He'd expected left or right.
His anti-escape spells were all prepped.
But her unexpected move wasted them.
Not a game-changer, but the disrupted plan irked him plenty.
Damn bitch.
She was already close, chanting a high-tier spell. He'd have to move.
Making me move.
Fine. No quick finish.
He'd break her thoroughly.
Whoosh.
He kicked off hard.
"Wha...?"
The crowd's eyes widened. Fireman's movement was unnatural.
Far too swift and light for a typical mage. Beyond reaction speed.
"Hyaah!"
He slipped into her guard in an instant, swinging his staff—which morphed into a blunt weapon mid-swing.
A transmutation-enchanted weapon, apparently.
The bludgeon hammered her body.
Thud, thwack thwack.
It looked brutal.
"Hidden class?"
"Moves like a thief."
"No, more than that—this guy's too much!"
"Take it easy!"
The men's fury boiled over.
"Sh-Shield!"
Ye-rin threw up a defense and chained basic spells.
Ice Ball, Ice Arrow.
A few hit home.
"Hup!"
He staggered back slightly.
Ice Wall!
She cast again, but Fireman dodged effortlessly.
High-power spells needed cast time—too long to risk.
She stuck to basics for pressure, but cooldowns betrayed her.
"Ah...!"
In her moment of fluster.
Whoosh.
Fireman exploited it perfectly.
Fireball erupted from his hand.
Kaboom!
Caught in the blast, then the bludgeon swung at point-blank.
Thud, thwack thwack.
One-sided beating again.
"I... surren...!"
Every time she tried to yield, a spell interrupted.
Kaboom!
The roar drowned her voice.
It kept repeating.
*
Mu-hyuk's fist clenched hard.
Crunch.
Like bones might shatter.
"Enough!"
The referee jumped in, halting the duel.
Ye-rin had yielded the instant her shield's cooldown reset.
Fireman, who'd been toying with her, clicked his tongue in disappointment. The crowd jeered.
"Boo, dirty bastard!"
"What a scumbag!"
Ye-rin descended. As the referee had said, all wounds healed instantly.
She poked at herself in wonder, then sat beside Mu-hyuk with an awkward smile.
"Hehe, pretty embarrassing, huh?"
"......"
He couldn't respond.
"Hated watching that?"
Finally, he shook his head.
"No."
"Phew, good."
Ye-rin sighed in relief, dipping her head. The referee's voice cut in.
"Next challenger..."
Mu-hyuk stood.
"Huh? Oppa?"
Ye-rin looked up in surprise.
Mu-hyuk gazed down at her, face hardened.
"Guess it's my turn."
"Oh..."
The referee pointed at Mu-hyuk, who'd risen fastest.
"You. Come on up."
He ascended to the training ground.
His footsteps echoed loudly. The referee's eyes gleamed as he eyed Mu-hyuk.
He'd read a thread of rage in that expression.
"Your name?"
"Mu-hyuk."
"Got it. Let the duel between Outsider Mu-hyuk and Outsider Fireman begin!"
The instant the referee finished.
Wind Step.
Mu-hyuk became a gust of wind.
Whoosh.
In a blink, he was upon Fireman, sword slashing down.