Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The B-Class Tournament (2)
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The B-Class Tournament starts with a round of 1024.
Since I got a bye, I needed to win five times to advance to the main tournament.
When my turn came, I stepped into the arena to find a familiar male student as my opponent.
Who was he again? Why was he trembling?
Ah, you're that point dispenser from before...
Apologies, but I couldn't remember his name.
“We meet again.”
“...”
He gritted his teeth at my greeting.
Why, I wonder. For some reason, I felt like I had become the villain.
As I tried to deny it, Contempt for the Weak activated as if to say, *Not a chance.*
I could feel power surging through me.
A 12% boost was nothing to scoff at.
Under the skill's influence, my opponent looked like an experience point dispenser.
Well, my situation is a bit urgent, you see?
I'll be taking your experience points this time!
“Let the match begin.”
The men in black suits announced.
They were acting as referees here, too.
I gripped my sword and observed the student.
Perhaps because he was certain he couldn't win.
He looked resigned, as if cursing the heavens.
Still, it seemed he had no intention of giving up, as he belatedly ignited his fighting spirit.
“...”
I could roughly guess how he felt.
At the Hero Academy, we have tournaments instead of exams.
Of course, they were incomparably more important than those at a normal school.
He must have prepared diligently.
It was better to struggle futilely than to forfeit.
Right. Show me everything you've got.
Since fate brought us together again, I'll play along until the end.
If I used Mind's Eye and the spirits.
I could end this in under thirty seconds, but those were my trump cards.
‘I should save them for the A-Class students targeting me...’
Until then, I planned to hide my strength as much as possible.
Besides, I couldn't end it instantly anyway.
This was a chance to raise the experience for Contempt for the Weak.
I needed to take my time and milk it for all it was worth.
“Hah!”
He shouted as he swung his sword forcefully.
A stable form of Sword Ki. His skill itself was decent enough.
Was his rank around 500th?
He was in the lower tier of B-Class, but above average overall.
However.
His opponent was just too much for him.
I could read his every move.
There was no need to use Mind's Eye.
Perhaps because I'd been sparring with high-rankers, he seemed incredibly slow.
I relaxed my body completely.
I responded as if I were sparring with him rather than fighting a match.
His elimination was guaranteed the moment he faced me.
But I hoped he would at least learn something from this.
I mean, I felt too bad, right?
I took his points, and now he was my stepping stone in the tournament.
If he could at least swing his sword to his heart's content, he might be less pissed off.
“Uwaaargh!”
He squeezed out every ounce of strength, his voice just as loud.
I dodged, blocked, and countered, matching his pace appropriately.
As time passed, his breathing grew ragged.
In proportion, the experience for Contempt for the Weak filled up.
“Hah, hah...”
About fifteen minutes passed.
Just as my opponent was about to collapse from exhaustion, the skill barely managed to level up.
[Contempt for the Weak]
[Lv 2/10 All stats +14% & Damage taken -14%]
Hmm, it seems to increase by 2% per level.
The increase was smaller than I thought, but it wasn't bad.
Eventually, it would reach 30%.
The noteworthy part was ‘all stats’.
It meant attack, defense, agility, and so on were all included.
Plus, damage taken would also be reduced by 30%.
As long as it activated, it might as well be an S-rank skill.
‘And it's not even a skill I paid full price for.’
I only invested 100,000 points.
Since I got three skills from the random box, I basically got it for free.
I was very satisfied with this.
The required experience would increase significantly with each level, but this was the Hero Academy. Dispensers were scattered everywhere.
No problem at all.
Anyway, shouldn't I be wrapping this up?
Just then, my opponent declared his surrender.
“I admit defeat...”
He looked filled with frustration in many ways.
However, the object of his hatred seemed to be himself, not me.
I stared at him blankly.
He was just a B-Class extra. It wouldn't matter if I ignored him.
“...”
No, I couldn't end it like this.
I'd taken too much to just wipe my mouth and walk away.
I was a little worried it might backfire, but I decided to offer some light encouragement.
“It was a good match.”
No answer came.
So I silently extended my hand.
He glanced around for a moment before reluctantly taking my hand to stand up.
“I'll be moving on ahead. I expect you to follow me.”
“What? Follow you?”
“Yes. I'll be waiting.”
“—!”
Hmm, was that line too transparent?
For some reason, I felt like Jace would have said something like this...
Ah, stop it right now!
I was inwardly startled.
Why is this guy about to burst into tears?
It'd be one thing if we were alone, but everyone is watching!
His face flushed as if overcome with emotion.
Thankfully, nothing more happened.
“Your guidance... I've learned a great deal, thank you.”
“...”
He gave a slight bow and retreated.
His attitude became as respectful as if he were addressing the Jace of old.
Well, to a B-Class student, an S-Class must have seemed like a god.
So, in a way, he had received encouragement from a god.
The reality was a bit different, but what mattered was that he felt that way.
This was a clean finish.
My reputation might even improve a little...
It would have been troublesome if he'd misunderstood and thought I was just toying with him.
Feeling much lighter, I returned to my seat.
Aruru gave me a thumbs-up before focusing again on her munching.
My little cutie...
Is that popcorn really so delicious?
Your master returns victorious; you should be wagging your tail!
“Good work.”
As expected, my fiancée was the best.
She handed me a wet towel with a refreshing smile.
“You dragged it out on purpose, didn't you.”
“Well, about that...”
“It was to be considerate of your opponent, right?”
“—??”
“You really haven't changed at all.”
*My love is so kind!*
That was the feeling, and it left me speechless.
Well, she was right, in a way.
I felt sorry for the guy, so I gave him a bit of a chance.
However, that was just a secondary reason.
Raising my experience was more important...
“You even encouraged him, didn't you? In the past, you would have just grinned and offered a handshake...”
She trailed off, lost in thought as if recalling something.
I flinched for no reason. Maybe my words and actions were a bit much?
“Ah, I understand. You've come to understand the feelings of the weak.”
“...”
“I think that's truly admirable.”
*My man can do no wrong.*
*Whatever he does is cool, and I'll respect him to the end.*
The girl's assumptions were getting worse and worse as time went on.
Sorry, but it's the exact opposite...
Your partner is a villain who holds the weak in contempt!
Not that I really am one.
But with a skill like that, it'd be weird to deny it.
“I'm so proud of you.”
At this point, I didn't know what to say.
I just gave an awkward smile and shrugged.
Well, it was a misunderstanding in a positive direction, so it wasn't all bad.
My next match would be after lunch.
My body was itching with the need to gain more experience.
I did a quick calculation in my head. There were eight matches left until I won the tournament.
‘If I can hold out until then...’
Achievement points would come pouring in.
Combined with the points I've saved, it should be around 500,000.
Then I should learn Unity of Sword and Self right away.
The state where body and sword become one.
With that, I wouldn't be afraid even if a group of strong A-Class students came at me.
“Hmm, the B-Class Tournament is quite fierce.”
I nodded absently.
Just as Ceria said, every student participating in the tournament was fighting with all their might.
When there was a large skill gap, it ended with minor injuries.
But when they were evenly matched, serious injuries often occurred.
A deep gash in the side.
A cracked head bleeding profusely.
A limb shaken so violently it was nearly severed...
“...”
This was the reality of the Hero Academy.
Since the goal was to cultivate talents who could defeat the Demon King's army, no one found it strange.
Well, it was a relief that the medical staff, including the priests.
Were always on hand to prevent any unfortunate incidents.
“He's finally here.”
The A-Class ranker, Kalden.
A mage belonging to Gale's faction.
That shameless bastard stepped onto the arena stage.
Mages are fundamentally weak in one-on-one combat.
But at the A-Class level, that wasn't necessarily true.
With a wider variety of spells at their disposal.
They could create distance, bind their opponent's feet, and respond in diverse ways.
Their mana pools were also quite large.
Allowing them to cast powerful spells multiple times.
I didn't know about his skills, but he had a punchable face.
A face that reeked of arrogance.
An authoritarian air emanated from his entire being.
Even if he was a low-tier A-Class, he clearly didn't give a damn about B-Class students.
The student matched against Kalden had a sour expression, as if he'd drawn the worst possible opponent.
“Hurry up and forfeit, you insect.”
“What?”
“You think I have time to play with the likes of you?”
“—!”
As expected of someone who looked like him, he had a terrible attitude.
Anyone watching would think he was a Hero candidate.
“Tch, just a mage...”
The student retorted, muttering under his breath.
It seemed he was running a hope circuit, thinking that while he'd have no chance against a weapon user, a mage might be manageable.
A clear misjudgment.
Underestimating his opponent's strength was one thing.
Pissing off that arrogant bastard was not a wise move.
“Just a mage? Fine. I've changed my mind.”
The corner of his mouth twisted into a sneer.
He was clearly planning to toy with and humiliate him.
The match began with the B-Class student's attack.
Kalden didn't even dodge the incoming sword.
A defensive spell activated just in time.
It easily nullified the power of the Sword Ki.
Fwoosh!
Perhaps because he belonged to Gale's faction, which specialized in fire magic.
He skillfully created a dozen fireballs and continued his assault.
“—!”
It was hopeless.
The difference in their levels was just too great.
He was managing to dodge, but only because Kalden was holding back.
“Kuaargh!”
In the end, a part of his body was burned.
The burn left ugly blisters.
He must have tried to reinforce his body with mana, but Kalden's magic pierced right through it.
It was a one-sided affair.
The situation was so dire he didn't even have a chance to forfeit.
A moment later.
The student collapsed, his body scorched and in a wretched state.
“Tsk, insects should crawl like insects.”
He kept running his mouth even after his opponent lost consciousness.
It was pretty harsh, but not particularly surprising.
How many bastards like him were there?
Plenty were even more vicious.
Hmm, at this point, they should make character education mandatory...
Kalden suddenly looked this way.
As if he had no intention of hiding his purpose.
‘You're next.’ He smirked with that kind of feeling.
“...”
For a moment, I was dumbfounded.
It wasn't because I fell for his pathetic provocation.
[Contempt for the Weak activated]
My head spun.
That guy, why is he weaker than me?
Does this mean my skills are at least in the top 90?
No, well... I did think I was close to the top 100.
It seems I was a bit off, but anyway, this is great!
Ceria tilted her head and whispered discreetly in my ear.
“What do you think? Nothing special, right?”
“Yeah. You're right...”
I'll have to change my plan.
Originally, I planned to use Mind's Eye and the spirits if I faced him, but I'll save them.
With the effects of Contempt for the Weak.
I could overwhelm him with just my fundamentals.
He's a strong opponent, so he'll give a lot of experience, right?
The petty schemes of those trying to harm me are actually helping...
[Sudden Quest]
[Target: Kalden]
[Reward: Achievement Points +100,000]
[Sudden Quest]
[Target: Yulian]
[Reward: Achievement Points +120,000]
You've been quiet lately, but here you go again, huh?
It felt like even the system window was cheering me on.
Suppressing a laugh that threatened to burst out.
I gazed at Kalden's retreating back.
Just you wait!
You looked down on B-Class students for being weak, didn't you?
I'll have to show him what real contempt for the weak looks like.