Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: B-Rank Tournament (3)
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From yesterday to today.
I fought a total of four matches.
Like the first, they all ended without a hitch.
It pricked my conscience, feeling like I was bullying the weak.
But perhaps because I was considerate in my own way, they didn't seem to hold any resentment.
After that, the final match of the preliminaries began.
As expected, I found myself facing Kalden.
He held only a wand in his hand, wearing no protective gear whatsoever.
‘He's underestimating me...’
Well, it was to be expected.
Just two months ago, this body's dantian was shattered.
He seemed convinced that I couldn't possibly have surpassed him in such a short time.
Hey. Haven't you ever heard the saying, "class is permanent"?
I've already more than met the standard for an A-ranker.
[Scorn for the Weak activated]
And just like that, the guy who was ranked 87th was judged as weak.
There probably wasn't a huge difference. It must have been a very slight margin.
If my power was 100, was his around 98?
If we had fought normally, it would have been a close match.
But with Scorn for the Weak activated, there wasn't a single variable left to chance.
[Scorn for the Weak]
[Lv 3/10 All stats increased by 16% & damage taken reduced by 16%]
Thanks to the skill's effect, my power was boosted by +16.
The damage I took was also reduced by that much, creating a considerable gap.
A god-tier skill, S-rank as long as it activates.
It felt like its level would rise again if I defeated him.
Before me, everyone is equal.
Even an A-ranker was nothing more than an experience vending machine.
I'm going to shake him hard and watch that experience gauge shoot up.
"Jace Crodain... So you've made it this far."
His tone reeked of arrogance.
I paid it no mind.
The more insolent he acted, the harder I'd beat him down.
"It seems you've somehow managed to build up some momentum, but that ends now."
"Well, we'll have to see about that."
"Hmph. Are you still lost in your past glory?"
His hostility was so blatant.
And this was despite never having clashed with Jace before.
I suspected the reason was an inferiority complex.
The problem was that this body was just too perfect.
Skill, background, looks, personality... and to top it all off, a beautiful fiancée.
The ultimate Mr. Perfect.
From the perspective of lesser males, he was bound to be public enemy number one.
"Why did Gale send you?"
"---!!"
My casually thrown words made him extremely flustered.
Belatedly, he feigned ignorance, pretending he didn't know what I was talking about.
"I already know everything, so cut the act."
"..."
"I'll ask again. Why did Gale send you?"
"Th-that's..."
"Because he was certain my existence would become a threat."
"..."
Only then did his expression freeze over.
He seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, but the outcome was already decided.
"I am Jace Crodain. No one can stand in my way."
As I declared this, he swallowed hard.
His dismissiveness quickly turned to wariness.
Right, struggle with all your might.
The skill experience was important, but real combat experience was just as crucial.
The more seriously Kalden took this...
...the stronger I would become through the process.
I felt a little sorry for the students I'd faced before.
But this opponent was just a villain, so I had no reservations.
The Sword Ki manifesting more clearly than ever before.
As if scorning the magic my opponent unleashed, I erased it with ease.
* * *
Kalden's eyes widened.
"---!!"
Every time Jace swung his sword...
...his own offensive magic vanished into thin air.
He wasn't blocking or dodging.
He was meeting it head-on, rapidly closing the distance.
He shattered the fireballs—hastily cast but still possessing undeniable power—from the front.
Why? How?
Kalden couldn't accept reality.
The duel had only just begun.
But just from his unhesitating movements, it was clear he was on the same level.
‘Just a short while ago, he was powerless...’
The troublemaker of the Hero Academy.
Back then, Jace's condition was no different from that of a fallen noble.
He had joined forces with problem children and wreaked all sorts of havoc.
Everyone thought he would self-destruct if left alone.
But as if mocking that prediction, he had somehow become strong enough to face an A-ranker.
‘Truly, an insane talent...’
The order to break Jace in the tournament.
Gale's instruction hadn't been an overreaction at all.
Just a moment ago, he couldn't understand it.
Why had he, of all people, been given such a troublesome task?
He might be a low-tier A-ranker, but he was a ranker nonetheless.
Couldn't he have just ordered the top B-rankers to do it?
He had been inwardly resentful, but he couldn't disobey a Hero candidate...
So he had taken out his frustration on the B-rank students.
They were vermin he wouldn't normally even look at, so he had acted boldly.
He had planned to dispose of Jace in the same way.
But at this rate, he was the one who was going to be taken down.
Feeling a sense of crisis, Kalden scowled and shouted.
"You were hiding your strength!"
"You're mistaken about something."
"What? What do you mean?"
"By my standards, you're just another weakling. There's no need for me to use my full power."
"---!!"
For a moment, he almost lost his reason to the humiliation.
But Kalden regained his composure with unnatural speed.
The reason was simple.
His opponent was Jace.
He may have recently been judged a B-rank, but he was originally a Hero candidate.
Even if he was weaker than before, the dignity of the strong still remained.
"So... so what about it!"
As if unable to accept that fact.
Kalden unleashed a barrage of magic with all his might.
Not yet.
At least for now, he was someone who could be broken.
It didn't make sense, logically.
No matter how talented he was, for him to already be handling his magic went against the natural order of things.
Kalden brainwashed himself into believing this.
Soon, he realized that Jace's responses were relatively passive.
His movements were on par with a low-tier A-ranker.
But he never used any techniques befitting that level.
‘Right, it was a bluff!’
For some reason, he felt clumsy.
For someone who was once a Hero candidate, his reactions were disappointingly poor.
He wasn't sure, but it was clear this wasn't the full strength of an A-ranker.
Kalden quickly finished his calculations.
After creating some distance, he generated a wall of fire.
Indeed, Jace failed to react in time and was trapped inside.
It would inevitably take a considerable amount of time to escape.
The moment the firestorm was complete, the match would be decided.
As Kalden calmly prepared his high-level magic.
A part of the wall crumbled, and a figure shot out.
"---!!"
As if unafraid of the roaring flames.
The noble prince of the sword walked forward with imposing dignity.
Kalden belatedly canceled his casting.
He tried to cast another spell, but his opponent was slightly faster.
"..."
The sharp chill of metal against his neck.
Everything, from start to finish, had been a misjudgment.
Toward the humiliated Kalden, Jace slowly opened his mouth.
"How much mana do you have left?"
"...Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm going to humor you until it runs out."
"---!!"
What in the world was this arrogance?
It felt as if his head was on fire.
Jace's next action drove Kalden mad.
As if he hadn't expected an answer in the first place.
As if his own intentions didn't matter.
He withdrew the sword at his throat and casually stepped back.
"You goddamn bastard... I'll make you regret this for all eternity!"
Kalden gave it his all.
Fueled by rage, he desperately continued his assault.
And five minutes later, the exact same situation repeated itself.
"Mana?"
"..."
Again.
This time, he didn't even last three minutes.
"From the look in your eyes, I think we can go one more round."
Again.
In the end, unable to contain his rage, Kalden overextended himself.
As a result, his mana ran wild, twisting the vital energy throughout his body.
"Guuuh..."
It wasn't life-threatening.
But it was a serious injury that would require at least a month of bed rest.
Not only would he feel excruciating pain until he recovered,
but a one-month gap was extremely detrimental for a ranker.
Before losing consciousness, Kalden's eyes met Jace's, who was looking down at him.
"---??"
It would have been one thing if he'd shown a victor's superiority.
But he was smacking his lips as if something was a pity.
That completely incomprehensible attitude made his last thread of consciousness snap.
* * *
I was left with a sour feeling.
"..."
My toy... no, my vending machine broke!
I had planned to shake him for as long as possible, but he suddenly self-destructed.
It seemed his mana had run wild, and it looked incredibly painful.
Not my fault.
I never landed a direct hit.
Maybe his stamina was weak because he's a mage?
The other guy is a swordsman, so I can probably look forward to that.
Anyway, what a shame.
If we'd fought just a little longer, the skill would have leveled up.
It felt like it stopped at 99%, leaving me feeling unsettled for no reason.
Well, I still got a good amount out of him.
It rose more than it did from fighting three B-rankers.
I looked down at the half-dead Kalden.
I wanted to give him a good stomp, but I had to be mindful of this body's dignity.
Well, it should be fine.
It was a bit absurd, but the current result wasn't half bad.
I defeated an A-ranker with Scorn for the Weak alone.
With my other skills sealed, I effortlessly claimed victory.
My predictions had been spot on, leading to a significant achievement.
[Sudden Quest Complete]
[Reward: Achievement Points +100,000]
As if it had been waiting, it showered me with a sweet reward.
With this, my total points reached 300,000.
Just as a storehouse fills up, my heart too became abundant.
"Good work."
I knew it. My man is the best!
Ceria gave me an eye smile that seemed to say just that.
"Mm, I didn't really do much this time..."
A match that was regrettable in many ways.
Kalden's cowardly (?) self-destruction made for an unsatisfying finish.
"But you won an overwhelming victory. Oh, right. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"As you can see, I'm just a little singed."
"Then that's all that matters."
She was overjoyed to hear I was fine.
As if her lover's physical condition was her top priority.
Somehow, I felt like I understood her heart.
Because his dantian had been broken, she seemed to be constantly worried.
She probably cherished this body more than her own.
I was lost in thought for a moment.
A relationship that would one day become one.
In other words, perhaps she also had a stake in this body.
It goes without saying, but the reverse was also true.
As lovers, we should take care of each other's bodies and minds.
There were many ways to do that, but for now, the priority was to get stronger.
That must be the girl's wish.
Once all her anxieties were dispelled, we would grow even closer.
By the way, something felt empty.
Just as I figured out the reason, a small fox beastkin came bounding over, wagging her tail energetically.
"Did you win?"
My little cutie. What have you been up to?
If you came to cheer for me, you should have been focused on my match!
"I saw your opponent go down, but then a delicious smell tempted me away."
*Chew, chew.*
She was chewing on something. Ah, could that be...
"Here, you have some too."
"..."
She casually handed me some grilled butter squid.
I absentmindedly popped it into my mouth.
Right, this taste is irresistible.
It's much more expensive than popcorn, making it a top-tier snack.
This savory flavor...
...made me momentarily forget that my food budget was completely shot.
"..."
Well, as long as it's delicious.
Even the great Aruru chewed the squid normally.
If she had been gobbling that down too, I would have brought a giant squid and tormented her with its tentacles...
"The main tournament starts tomorrow, huh?"
As if to congratulate me on advancing to the main tournament.
She smiled shyly and wagged her tail.
My disappointed feelings vanished completely.
As expected, there was no resisting a fox's charms.
* * *
The next day.
The main tournament began.
The contenders were all powerhouses from the top of B-rank.
Even with Scorn for the Weak, I couldn't let my guard down.
However...
An unexpected situation unfolded before my eyes.
"Jace, we're counting on you!"
"You have to win!"
"Show us how cool you were back in the day!"
"---??"
Out of nowhere, they were cheering for me.
What is this? Did they all eat something bad?
It wasn't just one or two; more than half the students were shouting.
The proportion of female students was high, but the number of male students wasn't small either.
Hm? I haven't really done anything, have I?
The situation was so incomprehensible it was almost scary.
Hey, you guys, give me a heads-up!
You're coming at me so suddenly, I can't keep up