Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Public Challenge
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-BOOM
-RUMBLE RUMBLE BOOM
With an enormous roar, the rocks floating in the sky began plummeting toward the Death Knight all at once.
In an instant, the filming crew nearby and the waiting swordsmen and mages sprang into frantic action.
One of them shouted.
"Swordsmen, move forward and clear out as many fragments as you can! Mages, deploy defensive spells across the board!"
-Slash
-Clang clang clang clang...
The swordsmen sliced away the larger fragments, while defensive spells blocked any stray debris that might hit the filming team or the less durable mages. Everyone worked together seamlessly.
The spell cast by the Masked Instructor was powerful enough to crater the earth, so it was only natural it would affect the surroundings. Fortunately, the Death Knight's position was quite a distance from where the others were filming and spectating, so no one suffered major injuries.
"Meteor...?"
Jang Hyena muttered, and the viewers watching the live stream went wild.
Those with some knowledge of magic could intellectually grasp how the Masked Instructor's spell worked. But even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn't believe it.
Jang Hyena herself was a mage who could handle magic to some degree, so she knew the fire rocks raining madly from the sky weren't true Meteor. But at the same time, she couldn't accept that they were just an application of the C-grade spell Stone.
-Twitch
Suddenly snapping to her senses, Jang Hyena thought.
'Ah... Why am I spacing out like this today? Pull it together. This is the time to stay sharp and commentate properly. It's a chance to promote myself to millions.'
Even with 5 million subscribers, most were ghosts. So she believed she needed to charm the live viewers into real subscribers.
Jang Hyena took a deep breath and shouted.
"Everyone! Look at that! The Meteor-like spell seems to be a mix of C-grade Stone, attribute enchantment, and other low-grade spells! Isn't it amazing? That Death Knight is crumbling helplessly! And to a mage, not even a swordsman!"
-Whirr
To film closer, she edged toward the Masked Instructor.
'Gotta show something more thrilling.'
Knowing the danger, she pressed toward the falling fire rocks.
[Urgh...]
-Slash
-Clang
-BOOM
The Death Knight had no room to do anything else while batting away the relentless fire rocks.
[You damn...]
As he deflected rocks aimed at him, he also had to fend off splashing fragments nearby.
-Clink
-Clink
-Clink
Fragments he missed kept stacking damage on his body.
-Slash
[This won't end at this rate.]
Abandoning total defense, the Death Knight accepted some hits to gather his demonic energy.
-Whirrr
-BOOM
[Cough...]
Even in that brief moment, airborne rocks hammered him.
The Death Knight had respawned dozens, hundreds of times as a dungeon boss, facing countless mages. That's why he was so rattled. He couldn't admit a mere rock barrage from low-grade spells was dealing this much damage.
[Grr...]
But feeling blood rising in his throat with every impact, he had to concede.
[This magic... it's no ordinary spell...]
As the Death Knight muttered in distress, I smiled and replied.
"Figured it out, huh? With all those elements mixed in, it probably feels like getting smashed by a massive iron hammer every time you block one."
The Death Knight's endurance stat was high. But the sheer number of falling rocks overwhelmed that. Repeated small impacts wear down the body, especially with gravity accelerating them explosively.
Blocking caused recoil; slashing created burning fragments. It had to hurt like hell.
I watched his slowing movements and thought.
'Alright, time to wrap this up.'
The performance was more than enough.
-Bang
[Wh-what are you doing?!]
I hurled myself into the fire rock battlefield.
My spell looked random, but I controlled every angle and trajectory. So the rocks wouldn't hit me even if I entered.
From the side, Jang Hyena's voice rang out.
"R-right now! The Masked Instructor has jumped into the inferno! He could get caught in his own spell! Is he okay?!"
-Whoosh
As if answering her, I charged the Death Knight.
In one instant, I canceled the spell. The sky-full of rocks vanished.
-Slash
True to his veteran swordsmanship, the Death Knight whipped a strike at me the moment the magic ended. But it only nicked my clothes—no real damage.
-Land
I leaped onto his massive sword, expelling external mana for thrust.
-Bang
My body rocketed to his face.
-Thud
Exhausted from hundreds of gravity-boosted rocks battering him, the Death Knight reacted only to the first strike. He left himself wide open after.
"Absorb."
-Whirrr
Hand on his torso, I absorbed his demonic energy in a flash, used Recovery to heal, spun for synchronization, and released an attack—all in under a second.
-BOOOOOOM
The released energy smashed his face dead-on.
-Thud
Finally, the tenacious Death Knight dropped to his knees.
-Step
-Step
I walked slowly toward him.
[Cough... Urghhh...]
Crawling in agony, he'd lost his fearsome aura.
"How's that? Feel the gap in our levels now?"
[...]
Even staring at me up close, instead of attacking, he forced his trembling body to kneel on one knee and spoke.
[I acknowledge my defeat... You are undoubtedly the prophet's emissary... From now on, I serve you as my lord.]
No sooner had the alert sounded than the Death Knight handed me an orb and spoke.
[My lord, my body is bound by black magic, so I cannot wield a sword at your side. Am I merely a dungeon-trapped wraith? Though my form cannot leave, my will shall forever serve you. All I am is in this Thought Orb. Please, accept it.]
As I took the orb, its info appeared.
Death Knight's Thought Orb
A Thought Orb radiating ominous energy. Using it allows gradual acquisition of the Death Knight's swordsmanship skills from life.
'Jackpot.'
Since possessing this body, I'd never considered swordsmanship.
I had zero related skills. But this orb would change that. The Death Knight was once called Sword Saint in life, so it'd grant sword skills.
'Now I can wield both magic and sword.'
Smiling under the mask, he looked at me and said.
[My lord, I'm glad it pleases you. My demonic energy is spent; I return to the darkness. Hopefully, we meet again...]
-Whoosh
The Death Knight dissolved into ash in the air.
"..."
The surroundings fell eerily silent. Even the chattering Jang Hyena stared mutely at me.
They were probably more shocked by the scene than the rare hidden quest and reward. The Death Knight's total submission.
It proved a mage could solo clear an A-grade dungeon alone.
Leaving the stunned crowd, I faced Jang Hyena's camera.
"Solo clearing an A-grade dungeon as a mage. Success. President Baek Juseok."
The silent onlookers erupted in cheers.
"WAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!"
"Insane! First mage to solo an A-grade dungeon!"
The broadcast viewers exploded too.
Soloing an A-grade dungeon without support mage buffs or a physical powerhouse swordsman shocked countless people.
Riding the momentum, I spoke to the camera.
"Everyone, the only high-grade spell I used was one A-grade. This result is thanks to external mana. Mages, deemed inferior to swordsmen in dungeons, could shatter this place alone because of external mana utilization!"
Of course, it was half a lie. Few, if any, could wield external mana like me.
Simple principle: Giving someone the world's top chef's tools, ingredients, and recipes doesn't make heavenly dishes. Learning external mana doesn't enable this madness. But it motivated them hugely.
'Anyone can do this with effort. No need for S-grades or genius talent. Assuming you master external mana.'
That was my message throughout.
'The stage is set. Time for an area-wide taunt.'
I'd shown my prowess to millions live—still watching. So I faced the camera.
"President Baek Juseok. Who's the amateur now?"
"I'll forgive you toying with me. People see only what they know."
"But you must pay for labeling me an amateur—nay, a fraud instructor. You anticipated the backlash when you sniped me publicly, right?"
I paused deliberately, glancing at the reporters. Everyone held their breath, lest my voice reach mics or recording artifacts.
Staring at the cameras, I declared publicly to Baek Juseok.
"Prove it yourself to the instructor you called a fraud and amateur."
"President Baek Juseok, I publicly challenge you to a magic duel."