Chapter 43: Tactician of an Instant
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Tactician of an Instant
It felt like some kind of social experiment.
The moment the escape scroll vanished, the people who had been fighting just seconds before fell eerily silent, as if on cue.
Everyone was lost in thought.
What are our roles? How many notes do we have left? What’s the most efficient way to use them to subdue the other team and win?
I, too, was lost in thought.
Let’s review the situation.
The strength of both sides.
1. I am a wizard.
My randomly assigned character spells are Mass Disguise, Ice Spike, and Silence.
I have two notes left.
I also have two item cards.
2. Yernil is a rogue.
Her randomly assigned character skills are Trap Disarm (Passive), Magic Dagger Throw, and Steal.
She has three notes left.
3. Isel is a cleric.
Her randomly assigned character spells are Blessing, Guardian's Shield, and Healing.
She has two notes left.
On their side, Professor Hailey is the wizard. The only spell of hers that has been revealed is ‘Transcription,’ which copies the text from a scroll onto a blank one.
Beyond that, we have no information.
They must have far more notes than we do, since they just followed us without solving any of the incidents themselves.
Furthermore, we can’t compete with their speed in using the notes. All three of them are using shorthand magic.
A head-on confrontation is basically hopeless.
“25 seconds. 24 seconds.”
Professor Hailey checked the message note she received when she was hit with Silence.
The message written on the small piece of paper was changing in real time, counting down the remaining duration of the spell.
“23 seconds.”
The Silence would wear off slightly before the escape scroll reappeared. They would attack then.
“We need to buy time. Our goal isn’t to beat Professor Meldini’s team. We just need to hit the scroll with a Message Transmission. Got it?” I whispered to Yernil and Isel.
“To do that, we absolutely cannot lose control of the area around the altar.”
The three of us were occupying the space near the altar. All we had to do was be the first to grab the scroll when it reappeared and successfully transmit our message.
“Honestly, our chances of winning are pretty slim,” Isel whispered back.
“The professors will anticipate our strategy.”
Of course they would.
The professors here were the best tacticians when it came to this kind of battle.
“They’ll probably attack the moment the Silence ends, before the scroll returns. If not that, then…”
“They must have another way to snatch the scroll. Besides Transcription.”
“Right.”
Or both.
“I’d better get ready.”
Isel took out a note and began to write a message. As expected of a Tier 5 wizard, she knew what to do without me having to spell it out.
[Isel has used ‘Guardian’s Shield’.]
I also wrote on my message notes, preparing them to be activated with just a Message Transmission.
I used both of the notes I had.
“You’re using both?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t erase what you write on a note. You might just end up wasting them.”
“It’s fine.”
Because I’m going to use them all.
“What should I do?” Yernil asked, having been watching us quietly.
“Prepare Magic Dagger Throw. But don’t transmit it yet.”
With that, all three of us now had five judgment boxes floating above our heads.
The moment we activated Message Transmission, the boxes would start rolling. As long as we used them within a reasonably logical context, they would succeed.
Now, we waited together, notes in hand.
“2 seconds, 1 second.”
For the professors’ first move.
“Time.”
The ‘Status Effect: Silence’ note in Professor Hailey’s hand vanished.
“Shorthand! Cast Flame Burst!”
A magic pen scribbled across a note at incredible speed, and Professor Hailey aimed her wand and shouted.
“Message Transmission.”
At the same instant, Isel also used Message Transmission to cast Guardian's Shield.
Huge, illusory flames erupted from Hailey.
Being illusions, they wouldn’t cause actual injury, but you could feel the intense heat.
The target was…
“Yernil!”
The professors had anticipated it.
They knew Yernil, whose messages couldn't be disrupted, would be the most troublesome opponent in this fight. And for that reason, they figured we would have saved the most notes for her as our hidden card.
Boom! Cra-boom!
Isel rushed in front of Yernil and blocked the flames with her Guardian's Shield, but…
“Caleb, do you know what character I chose?”
Meldini was charging toward them.
The short Halfling professor had chosen a giant Barbarian Fighter as his character.
“Shorthand! Meldini uses Heavy Charge!”
Suddenly, the brawny form of an illusory barbarian warrior appeared behind Meldini.
The barbarian raised a two-handed hammer and charged toward Isel and Yernil.
“Professor, you have to keep up!” Enver shouted.
“I know!”
If the distance between Meldini and the illusory barbarian grew too wide, the judgment box would rule it a critical failure and the illusion would disappear.
But the distance to the altar was short enough, and thanks to a swift-step spell, Meldini was just about able to keep pace with the skill.
Heavy Charge. Its destructive power increases in proportion to the distance covered.
I knew the skill’s properties. At that distance, it would probably…
CRACK!
Isel’s illusory shield shattered in a single blow.
Fragments of the illusory shield scattered in all directions.
It was like when we blew up the Steel-Eater with a bomb.
“Aah!”
Yernil screamed in surprise. Isel was struck by the force that broke through the shield.
[You have fallen and cannot move! Lie down on the spot. Time remaining: 10 seconds]
A judgment message appeared above her head.
“Tch.”
Isel clicked her tongue and lay down on the spot.
That’s it.
Now I know everything.
I took out the message notes and cards I had prepared beforehand.
[Your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]
[Action Points: ■■■■]
I flipped the hourglass.
*
“Message Transmission.”
First, I used the first note. The spell written inside was ‘Fire Ice Spike.’
Message Transmission was a Tier 1 utility spell with a 5-second cooldown.
After a brief pause.
“Message Transmission.”
I used the second note as well.
Then, I observed Professor Enver, who had been watching the situation unfold until now.
Three questions came to mind.
‘What character is Enver playing?’
‘Why isn’t Enver attacking?’
‘What is Enver waiting for?’
Professor Meldini’s role was a Barbarian Fighter.
An excellent character for frontline combat, but not very adept at protecting the rear.
Professor Hailey was a wizard.
High destructive power, but low health.
Logically, Enver would have chosen a position that could move between them and protect his allies.
For example…
‘A priest.’
I was one hundred percent sure.
First piece of evidence:
The professors said they came to help us.
But now, they were proposing a 3-on-3 battle for educational purposes. This meant that even if they had found us in the labyrinth, the help they would have offered would have been limited and indirect.
Like blessings or healing.
They would never have taken the lead and solved the incident for us with the power of a barbarian or a wizard. That would go against their educational objectives.
A priest was the most suitable role for supporting us from behind while we solved the case. And since Enver started this game with that purpose in mind, he would have chosen to be a priest to observe me for longer.
Second piece of evidence:
Enver still hadn’t attacked us. Since notes were limited consumables and character skills and spells had cooldowns, it would be most effective to attack all at once.
So why hadn’t he?
‘He can’t attack.’
Just as our cleric’s three spells were all healing, shield, and blessing, Enver likely had no offensive abilities.
So, what was Enver the priest aiming for right now?
He must be looking for an opening to back up Meldini’s barbarian.
Meldini had drawn all our aggro, recklessly charging into the Guardian's Shield.
He did this despite seeing me and Yernil prepare our notes in advance.
It was because he was confident he wouldn’t die even if he was focus-fired. Enver would protect him.
The answers were all there.
‘What character is Enver playing?’
A priest.
‘Why isn’t Enver attacking?’
He can’t.
‘What is Enver waiting for?’
He’s going to cast a protection spell on the barbarian.
In other words, in that moment, he wouldn’t be able to defend against an attack aimed at himself.
Therefore, I…
“Message Transmission.”
I chanted a third time.
I had already used the two notes I had, but I could still perform a third chant.
Because…
[Banshee's Tear *Throw]
I had farmed this item earlier.
And one more thing.
“Yernil. Use Message Transmission for Dagger Throw. On Professor Meldini.”
After giving Yernil her instructions, I ended my turn.
[End Turn.]
[The hourglass has been flipped again. Cooldown: 60 seconds]
*
Thwack!
“Whoa!”
Meldini flinched in surprise.
A magic ice spike had flown from Caleb and embedded itself in Meldini’s body.
It was his first message note. The Ice Spike spell belonging to Caleb’s wizard character.
Meldini knew he had prepared the note beforehand. But he hadn’t heard the chant, ‘Message Transmission.’
That’s why he was doubly surprised.
Chantless casting!
Meldini recognized the skill at once.
He had heard that some mages with exceptional talent could unconsciously display such an ability when highly focused.
Rumors that Caleb was a chantless caster had been circulating for a while.
Since this ability wasn't something the caster could control at will, he had never asked for a demonstration, but…
So it was true!
Meldini witnessed the incredible sight with his own eyes.
Caleb had truly cast a spell without a chant. And not only that…
Swoosh!
An item card vanished, and an illusory object resembling a bottle was suddenly launched.
Rapid casting!
He had cast Message Transmission twice in a row to use the item card as well.
The bottle was flying toward…
“Enver!”
“Message Trans—huh?”
Enver’s spell, which was meant to transmit ‘Phoenix’s Regeneration’ to Meldini, was drowned out by the pop of the bottle exploding.
What followed was a chilling scream.
—Kyaaaaaaaah!
For a moment, Enver’s body froze like a rabbit that had heard the roar of a predator.
[You have been hit by a Banshee's Scream! Status Effect: Stun. Time remaining: 20 seconds]
“Damn it!”
Enver let out a curse.
“I’m stunned! I can’t use magic!”
“What in the…!”
Meldini’s eyes shone with a mixture of bewilderment and admiration.
And above his head, a message note was falling.
[You have died!]
He had been so focused on the chantless and rapid casting that he hadn’t even noticed the other skill being used.
“What the hell is this?!”
The Magic Dagger Throw that Yernil had activated with Message Transmission was stuck in Meldini’s back.
“Huh… How did this even happen?”
In an instant, one of them was dead and the other was stunned.
And at that moment.
“Caleb!”
Isel shouted from behind him.
“The escape scroll is back!”
The escape scroll had appeared on the altar.
“We won!” Yernil shouted in delight.
Caleb quickly aimed his wand at the scroll, while Hailey used her shorthand to scribble on a note at blinding speed.
“Shorthand! Target Area Summoning!”
Then, the two of them shouted at the same time.
“Message Transmission!”
“Message Transmission!”
*
For a brief moment.
A fleeting silence passed.
Isel realized they had failed. They hadn't escaped the labyrinth yet.
The escape scroll hadn't entered the judgment box!
“He took it!” she yelled.
The scroll was gone from the tip of Caleb’s wand.
Hailey had been faster, by a razor-thin margin.
Hailey fluttered the scroll in her hand.
“That was close, Caleb. Look here.”
An illusion of Caleb was standing next to her.
“Since it’s a Spatial Summoning, you have to come here too, Caleb. The judgment is that you were summoned together. As per the game rules, please move to the illusion’s location.”
Hailey smiled kindly.
Caleb calmly headed down the stairs.
“That’s a shame.”
“Phew.”
Enver, still stunned, let out a sigh of relief.
“I really thought we were going to lose.”
Meldini burst out laughing.
“Now, let’s end the game.”
Hailey aimed her wand at the scroll.
“Message Transmission.”
“…”
But nothing happened.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Why isn’t it working?”
In that moment of utter confusion that gripped not only the three professors but Yernil as well…
Oh my god!
Isel understood the trick.
No way!
Just before the battle began, Caleb had said it.
That they would attack the moment Professor Hailey’s Silence ended. Or that they would have a way to steal the scroll besides Transcription.
Caleb had considered the second possibility in advance.
And to confirm and eliminate it, he had set a trap.
“This… this isn’t a scroll, is it?”
Hailey and Enver’s jaws dropped as they belatedly grasped the situation.
The illusion magic, Mass Disguise!
“There were three!” Meldini shouted.
“He transmitted three messages with rapid casting!”
One was the item card, Banshee’s Tear.
Another was the pre-written note, ‘Ice Spike.’
And the last one was also a pre-written note.
[Use the illusion magic—Mass Disguise—to disguise the ‘Two-Handed Sword’ item card as the exit scroll.]
The scroll in Professor Hailey’s hand transformed into a two-handed sword card.
“The real scroll hasn’t appeared yet!” Meldini yelled.
Pop!
As if to prove his point, the escape scroll appeared on the altar just then.
But it was already over.
Professor Meldini, standing next to the altar, was dead.
Enver, even after his stun wore off, was a priest and had no magic to retrieve items.
Professor Hailey’s three spells—Transcription, Flame Burst, and Spatial Summoning—were all on cooldown.
None of them could go for the scroll.
Yernil, on the other hand, was right next to the altar.
“Yernil.”
Caleb said, having arrived at the illusion’s location.
“End the game.”
“Haaah.”
Amidst the professors’ sighs, Yernil picked up the scroll.
“Message Transmission.”
*
“Game over!”
Edward clapped.
“Whoa, what? It’s over already?”
The senior mages, who had suddenly been summoned en masse to the mansion lobby, began to murmur.
“Which team cleared it?”
“Was it the professors?”
They naturally flocked to Meldini’s party.
“No, it wasn’t us.”
Professor Hailey was smiling, a thrilled expression on her face.
“Caleb’s team won.”
Meldini looked the same.
“Caleb?”
“The freshman team?”
“…”
Hailey and Meldini were moved by this spectacular defeat.
And Isel…
Oh my god.
Everything she had experienced since meeting Caleb today had been a series of shocks, but what had just happened was on a completely different level.
Caleb had said it.
That he knew more than Professor Enver’s club. That he would teach her about the Deep Layer. That if she wanted to work with him, she should let him know before leaving the mansion today.
It might have been true. Enver had said something similar.
So why hadn’t Isel given him a definite answer yet?
First, because the possessor professors’ club was more stable in terms of maintaining power and trustworthiness than a freshman. Second, because the club consisted of top-tier mages who possessed physical power that went beyond mere knowledge.
But.
He won…
Setting aside the disparity in high-tier grimoires, in a pure battle of tactics, Caleb had defeated the professors.
And he did it even though they had more message notes and were using shorthand.
“Well, with Isel on their team…”
“Still, to think they’d beat the faculty.”
“Luck must have played a part, but it’s still amazing.”
“That’s Isel for you.”
The chatter of the senior mages could be heard from all around.
But the ones who fought in that final battle knew the truth.
It was Caleb who had engineered the victory.
How?
By using chantless, rapid casting to transmit three messages in a row—one to take down Meldini, one to neutralize Enver, and one as a safety measure in the battle of wits against Hailey.
Is he even human?
Until the moment the barbarian charged, Caleb had no information about their side. That much was certain.
So how, in the split second after Guardian's Shield shattered and Isel fell…
How did he make all those decisions in that fraction of a second?
Even Isel could have guessed that Enver’s position was a priest if she thought about it hard enough.
But to think of it the moment he saw Meldini’s barbarian, predict that a protection spell would come from Enver, calculate that using Banshee’s Tear in that opening would result in an undefended hit, and while transmitting that item card, also anticipate Yernil’s dagger throw, calculate the damage it would do to Meldini and add an Ice Spike, and at the same time, prepare for Hailey stealing the scroll by creating a fake scroll with disguise magic before the real one appeared? Because if a desperate Hailey snatched the fake, there would be no threats left when the real one appeared? Because no matter what happened to him, Yernil, next to the altar, could use the real scroll to end the game?
“…”
The same question kept circling in Isel’s mind.
Is he really human?
It wasn’t his knowledge, his observation skills, or his deductive reasoning.
It wasn’t even his talent for rapid or chantless casting.
The most powerful ability he possessed…
Was the speed of his tactics, which devoured the entire battlefield in a fleeting instant.
“Ca… Caleb.”
Isel approached him and whispered softly.
“Let’s talk for a moment before you leave the mansion.”