02. Rank
02. Rank
""Accept.""
The two elves muttered lowly, and the dwarves that had popped out began to be absorbed into their respective legs and arms.
"What's that?"
To my absentminded question, Bari gave a curt reply: 'Absorbing them.'
No... I know they're absorbing them too....
Hwarak.
Flames shot up from one elf.
Blazing fiercely in an instant with enough momentum to burn the surrounding ground, spewing flames—it looked pretty threatening.
And the one on the opposite side seemed trapped in a water droplet.
"Hmm. Water and fire, huh. Perfect counters met nicely."
The instructor had an unexpectedly interested look on her face.
When water and fire meet, obviously water wins, right? Doesn't seem exciting enough to show that much interest.
"Louis, was it? Might turn into fratricide, so remember the name."
The guy who'd been blazing all over his body directed the flames toward his arms and legs, grinning as he spoke.
As the elf called Louis opened his mouth to speak,
"Idiot. What the hell did you even hear? I said no killing."
The instructor said coldly. The flustered Pantre stammered out something like 'Ah, no, that's not...'
"Aqua Cannon!"
At that moment, an enormous water cannon blasted from the water droplet side.
Seizing Pantre's moment of carelessness, Louis thrust his hand straight forward, and the water from his back instantly gathered in front and launched.
Thickness... hmm, about the size of my upper body.
"...Coward!"
Right before direct hit,
Pantre swung his hand in fury, and a circular shockwave burst from his body, unleashing a roar rivaling thunder.
It compressed the air visibly as it swept the surroundings, flipping the entire training ground floor and turning everywhere into a sea of fire.
Overwhelming firepower on a whole different level from moments ago.
The ground melted into lava, and metal facilities softened and dripped away.
The boldly fired water cannon had evaporated long ago.
Even the water droplet Louis had been covered in was completely gone.
But no heat reached me.
Whether Bari did something or the instructor did, anyway, no fire spread this way.
"...This is too much."
Louis wore a defeated expression.
Completely demoralized look.
"As expected... so that's why it's interesting."
By matchup, water should obviously win, but Pantre's power is too high to assume that... something like that.
"Striking the opponent's unguarded moment. Strategically excellent choice, but still cowardly nonetheless."
From within the scorching flames, Pantre haughtily glared at Louis.
"Fine, whatever. If I go on the attack, you'd die instantly, so surrender and I'll forgive you."
"Who said—,"
"Match over. Winner, Pantre."
"Y-Yes...? I haven't surrendered yet!"
"If the fight itself is hopeless, what changes by dragging it out?"
"..."
The instructor coldly cut him off and gestured for the two to come over.
While she restored the training ground (just one swing of her hand), Louis and Pantre walked toward us.
The loser Louis hung his head low, grumbling frustratedly, while Pantre was utterly triumphant.
Hmm.
They fight in a pretty unique way.
I figured they'd summon spirits and command them in battle, but who knew they'd merge with spirits. Guess reality strays a bit from the clichés.
"Eleonore-yang, I look forward to clashing with you."
The returning Pantre slinked up to Eleonore with a sleazy face as she prepared to leave.
Her reply was a single 'Yes.'
Total monosyllable, but he didn't look offended at all.
The guy named Louis kept sneaking glances at Eleonore too; must be a beauty even among elves.
"Ryu Si-hwan, Eleonore, come out."
The instructor called me and her.
The spots that had melted and shattered everywhere were now spotlessly cleaned up.
"Let's go, Bari."
"Yes. Take this."
As I walked to the center, Bari handed me something.
This must be that suit she made by scraping together meta-atoms.
It looked like a gauntlet.
Not too heavy, and the metallic design had no real flaws.
"As I mentioned, with no nanomaterials available, I had no choice but to fabricate it from meta-atoms, which requires a physical donning process. You'll be defenseless during that time, but with me here, it shouldn't be an issue."
"Just put it on now and go."
"That works too."
Meta-atom suit.
I slipped my hand into the gauntlet serving as the starting point.
Chiik.
Cheolkeong.
It felt a bit loose at first, then tightened perfectly and clung on, and suddenly structures protruded from inside, wrapping my wrist—forearm—elbow in sequence.
"What's that?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained."
"..."
The instructor asked with curious eyes, but lacking confidence to explain advanced tech to someone clueless about it, I glossed over it.
After about 20 seconds, when it covered my head too, all sorts of info floated into my view, and right in the center, Eleonore with her long blonde hair cascading down walked up and took position.
Her hair fluttering in the wind, her subdued eyes and nose captivating attention—a classic(?) elf beauty.
"Ryu Si-hwan, I don't know how strong your doll is, but it can't defeat me."
Her voice was lovely too.
"At least you're a decent person."
"...What do you mean?"
"Calling me by name and all. I'm touched."
"We don't usually call humans by name."
Yuina suddenly butted in.
This girl's turning out to be a ditz with busybody traits on top. Keeps sticking her nose in.
"You called that Runan or Rinan kid by name, though?"
"Those kids are different. They're human, sure, but also my servants and pets. They're family, in a way. But the rest? Not worth calling by name one by one. You included."
"Yeah, brag all you want."
What a weirdo anyway.
"Enough pointless chatter. Begin."
With that, she retreated to the edge of the training ground.
Now left here were just me, Bari, and Eleonore—three of us.
Come to think of it, she's an elf too? Does she gotta pull out some spirit-looking thing and spout that cringy 'Accept!' line?
Swish.
"Take it easy. I'll wait."
"...What?"
"Don't you need to do Accept or whatever?"
She furrowed her delicate brows.
"Ryu Si-hwan-ssi, there's a huge gap between humans and elves. Don't say such provocative things."
Heh heh.
Guess I gotta show 'em something. Even this one I pegged as normal is trapped in prejudice.
"Provocative? This is my pride. Waiting for transformation-needing opponents is basic courtesy."
"...You have some odd notions."
"Don't exploit the weak's vulnerabilities. Common sense."
"If you put it that way, fine. You'll regret it."
Accepting my goodwill, she summoned a golden spirit and shouted 'Accept'.
Curious what power she'd unleash.
I waited with some anticipation, but nothing happened.
"What? Did it fail?"
"No."
Shaking her head, she extended her hand toward me.
"You've got preparations too, right? Go ahead."
Preparations?
I'm already geared up.
"Then Sihwan-nim, allow me to step forward."
"Huh?"
"The equipment I gave you is purely provisional. Just to keep you from dying to stray rocks or debris."
"...Kinda cold somehow."
"Your imagination."
What. Gimme it back.
My sweet Bari.
"Eleonore-ssi, I'll handle you."
Bari took a couple steps forward and firmly blocked my front.
Fine, whatever.
I just got the power suit, so I need time to adapt properly anyway.
No point risking a fight and breaking it—then hearing crap from Tweed and those losers—so I'll obediently leave it to Bari here.
But Bari's good to go, right?
Wonder how she'll fight without nanomaterials.
"By the way, I..."
Clank.
"...don't do any waiting or holding back bullshit."
She abruptly exposed gun barrels on both arms and unleashed a barrage.
Tududududu
"!!"
In mere seconds, over a hundred rounds poured onto Eleonore, pulverizing the ground she stood on and billowing smoke. Total chaos.
"Hey... hey... that's too cowardly. There's flow to these things."
"If at full readiness, maybe, but not right now."
"Hmm."
Fair enough.
Makes sense.
Wait, no.
Even so!
Blasting away mid-sentence? Where's that at, Bari.
"Didn't expect it to end this quick anyway."
"True..."
My view's info window confirmed it: Eleonore, not a scratch.
"Continuing."
Now gun barrels popped from thighs and calves too—for a total of six barrels hosing bullets.
No clue where the endless ammo came from, but hey, it's Bari.
"Mysterious weaponry. But!"
Chwarararang!
"If they don't hit, they're useless."
Eleonore deftly dodged the incoming bullets while slashing them down in droves with her sword.
How'd she dodge?
No idea. Can't see it. I just read the info in my display.
"Unnecessarily quick."
"Could go faster—don't get shocked at this level, human-doll-ssi."
Toying with us like it was a game, she zipped every which way.
The bullets couldn't keep pace with her.
Even with Bari's trajectory calcs for pinpoint shooting, slow projectiles meant she could spot and evade, and any that closed in got parried by her blade.
Finally, Bari stowed the barrels and shifted phases.
All the exposed muzzles retracted, reverting to her original neat womanly form.
"Ranged proving tricky. Eliminating at close range."
"Close range? Pointless. I'm several times faster than so—,"
Peoreong!
"...?!!"
"Supersonic?"
Eleonore's arm got gruesomely shredded mid-boast.
Bari had dashed in at near-teleport speed and ripped it clean off.
To her eyes widened in shock and agony, Bari declared.
"Do you know what lightspeed is?"
Eleonore wobbled, barely steadying herself.
Somehow their positions had flipped.
Eleonore's back now faced me, with Bari across from her.
If I jumped in, it'd be total encirclement, but she wasn't thinking that. Eyes locked solely on Bari.
Drip.
Drip.
Red blood poured nonstop from the torn shoulder.
"...How...!"
Bari fights way more brutally than expected.
Not slicing with a blade—straight-up tore it off.
Swish.
Bari casually scooped up Eleonore's severed arm from the ground.
"Thinking supersonic makes you fast is a problem. Well, unavoidable. Biological limits mean you can't handle G-forces past a threshold. Mach 10's probably your ceiling."
Bari can't hit lightspeed.
Precisely, nobody can.
Some AI out in the universe might've cracked it, but not Bari. Sub-light's her max.
Even that's impossible now with resource constraints.
But even heavily nerfed, no biological matches her speed.
Plus, as a machine, her situational awareness and decision-making are insanely fast. Like I said before, she crunches in one second what'd take a human like me 80 years. Bet she finds me frustrating as hell usually?
Take baduk as example. Player making one move per second vs. one per 80 years—who wins? Obviously the latter, even if they're a total newbie.
Unless Bari faces a peer AI, that dynamic plays out every time. And her raw power's overwhelming too.
Thus, Eleonore has zero shot.
"Result's plain as day—keep going?"
"..."
Eleonore went silent.
Face out of view, no clue her expression.
"Hah!"
Suddenly she spun around and charged me at way higher speed than before.
The space rippled ominously.
Sssiiing!
Instant downward sword strike.
Blade plummeting right to my face.
0.01 seconds from now, I might get cleaved in two—but no need to defend.
Bari volunteered to fight solo, so she'll handle it to the end.
No reason for me to step in.
"Arrogant...!"
As trusted, Bari—eyes glowing red—flashed in front of Eleonore's thrusting sword aimed at me.
Tung!
Teleport-like velocity.
But pure speed, no warp.
Evidence: thicker smoke venting from her body than before, patches glowing cherry-red.
"Monster..."
The belated shockwave rattled the surroundings, but irrelevant to us.
Eleonore stared in bewilderment and fear, her sure-kill effortlessly blocked; Bari glared back, heaving.
Going for me while ignoring uber-Bari.
Figured I was Bari's weak spot?
Yeah... spot on. I am.
Unaware, bypassing the guard to take the master could seem smart.
But that's past error—straight-up blunder.
I'm Bari's weak spot and reverse scale.
Eudeuk.
"Guh...!"
"I told you, I'd be your opponent?"
Bari's grip on Eleonore's arm.
One already ripped; desperate swing with the last got seized and now snapped.
Chiiik.
That's not all.
Bari's body was scorching hot right now!
No elf flesh withstands that—even tough ones get cooked in seconds.
Shuddering.
Eleonore's sword quaked wildly before clattering to the ground.
Figured that wrapped it up... but Bari wasn't done.
Her left arm morphed into a bizarre shape, then swung straight toward Eleonore's face—