Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Snow Mountain (2)
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A massive explosion rocked the air.
I turned my head toward the source.
'That's...'
Class C's position, without a doubt.
A towering pillar of flame flickered into existence before fading away.
A cadet capable of unleashing magic on that scale?
There was only one.
"Putting on quite the show, huh."
One thing was certain—Yoon Ah-young had changed since meeting me.
She never skipped weight training, and her mana output far surpassed mine.
She was just barely eighteen, but she truly lived up to her prestigious family name.
What incredible talent.
From afar, I could sense she'd climbed quite a distance.
This was about the time to discover the ice cave.
The ice cave was located near a valley.
And there was only one valley around here.
"There it is."
The water had frozen into ice, but the traces of its flow were unmistakable.
Snow imps prowled about in spots, watching me closely.
They must have figured I was invading their territory.
Even so, they didn't attack.
Smarter than I expected.
They'd learned that coming at me meant death.
I followed the river upstream.
And finally, the ice cave revealed itself.
It was blocked by snow, but this was definitely the place.
The scattered bones of snow imps all around made it obvious.
All victims devoured by the yeti.
Yetis always sealed their cave entrances with snow when they slept.
A defensive instinct of sorts.
And sealing it with snow meant the beast was in deep slumber.
I approached the snow pile.
Ignition (Lv. ?)
Melting snow with intense localized heat.
Hiss...
Hot energy poured from my hand, melting the snow pile.
I melted just enough to make passage possible.
Soon enough, the ice cave entrance appeared.
I fashioned a torch from my switch weapon.
As the flame ignited, the cave's stunning beauty unfolded.
The ice gleamed like crystal, clear enough to reflect faces.
Sharp icicles jutted from the ceiling like blades.
One of those hitting you would send you straight to the afterlife.
"Grrr rumble... grrr rumble..."
The deeper I ventured, the louder the yeti's snoring echoed.
I proceeded cautiously, torchlight guiding my way.
My goal was the magic circle.
But the real objective was testing new techniques.
Within the torch's glow, the beast finally came into view.
The inner cave was spacious enough for a building.
And there, snoring away, was a yeti the size of a small villa.
'...Whoa. That's one big bastard.'
This was an advanced monster.
Normally, something I'd never take down.
But the program had nerfed its level, making it feasible for me now.
Before waking it, I surveyed the surroundings.
Sure enough, the magic circle sprawled across the area.
Likely set up by the advance team.
The first team to find this dungeon had dug out the cave and designed a safe magic circle here.
Of course, countless lives were lost perfecting it.
Traces of that blood still stained the circle in places.
'...Good. Magic circle confirmed.'
Now, take down the monster without damaging the circle.
'Hmm...'
Waking it plainly seemed boring, so I decided on a flashy entrance from the start.
I clasped my hands and raised them skyward.
The so-called Great Fireball.
"Fireball."
⟨ Great Fireball ⟩
Following Yoon Ah-young's instructions, I hyper-condensed mana into a fireball.
It grew enormous, to the very limit I could control.
My mana reserves weren't quite enough for a perfect great fireball yet.
The blazing orb heated the cave's interior.
It looked just like a miniature sun.
"Grooo...?"
Right on cue, the yeti rubbed its eyes and stirred.
I hurled the great fireball straight at it.
BOOM!!!
The fireball slammed into the yeti.
The beast thrashed in agony, trying to shake off the flames.
I seized the opening and nocked an arrow.
That last technique had burned through 30% of my mana.
Time for a blitz to end this quick.
Fire Quad Arrow (Lv. ?)
Four flaming arrows unleashed.
Four fiery arrows materialized on the bowstring.
I drew back the string.
"Grahhh! Graa!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In a frenzy to extinguish the flames, the yeti pounded the cave walls wildly.
Its blows sent icicles teetering precariously.
I released the string.
Shreeeeek! Pababak!
"Graaaaaah!!"
Huge as it was, it was weak to fire.
The four arrows struck true, sending it into further berserk rage.
Boom! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, the yeti's eyes bulged as it charged me.
Each step sent tremors through the dungeon.
I peppered it with fire arrows.
They sank deep into its flesh one after another.
"Grahhh!!"
Thud!
In that instant, a swinging fist smashed into my side.
My body flew like a leaf in the wind.
'Urk...!'
One hell of a punch.
In reality, it'd shatter ribs and kill instantly.
Even in simulation, three more like that and I'd be done.
I crashed into the wall, cracking the ice.
Blood trickled from my forehead.
I wiped it away with a finger.
"...Stay still, will you?"
I switched my bow to sword.
Had to stop the rampage before it wrecked everything.
A cave collapse would end us both.
I wreathed my blade in flames.
Dodging its slow, telegraphed swings with ease, I closed in on its legs.
Then mercilessly severed its toes.
"Kreeeeah!"
The yeti screamed in pain, but I wasn't stopping.
Once all ten toes were gone, it toppled sideways.
One finishing blow left.
I mounted its belly and drew my spear.
"Nothing cuts like lightning. Right?"
"Graaaah!!!"
Thunder Spear (Lv. ?)
Piercing thrust with rock-shattering lightning power.
Thunder Spear.
A spear that pierced all.
After Ah-young left, I'd confirmed it could shatter boulders.
Results: success.
My lightning now packed boulder-busting force.
"Raaah!"
Stab! Kra-krak!
I drove the spear in with all my might.
Flesh exploded as lightning ripped through its gut.
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
...The yeti writhed in torment before finally expiring.
Hidden boss cleared.
New techniques still rough, but they worked.
I dismounted and wiped blood from my eyes.
"Whew. Good."
Magic circle secured.
Just fire a signal flare to Lee Jae-yeol, and we're done.
About six hours since class started—Class C should be nearing the summit.
I headed to the magic circle.
Planned to activate it first.
"Wow~ Impressive, oppa."
In that moment, an unfamiliar voice echoed through the cave.
Shwooo!
A pillar of flame descended from above.
'Ambush?!'
I summoned a slime shield, curling up defensively.
But the flame pillar didn't target me.
I cracked my eyes open stealthily.
"...?!"
The flames encircled me, forming prison bars.
Fire Prison.
Mid-tier fire magic.
I turned toward the voice.
A girl sat on an ice rock, chewing gum.
Oddly dressed in a tank top, shorts, and slippers.
"Oh, Yoon Ah-young. You've got yourself a decent guy, huh? Kinda jealous~"
She grinned down at me.
I recognized her instantly.
Another Yoon Family scion.
Yoon Ah-young's half-sister, Yoon Seo-hyun.
Ranked 3rd officially.
After four grueling hours of climbing, we reached the summit.
Most of Class C was exhausted.
But collapsing here meant failure.
"The boss?"
"...Gone."
"...Should be an ice bear. Nowhere in sight."
Lee Jae-yeol scanned the summit, but no ice bear anywhere.
Just bloodstains and battle traces everywhere.
Someone had beaten them to it.
"Damn. Looks like Class V got it first."
"What? No way, we hauled ass here."
We'd climbed without a single break.
Yet Class V beat them.
Ah-young glanced around.
'With Seo-hyun here... figures she could.'
The Yoon Family's seventh daughter.
Two years younger, but her innate talent let her enroll alongside her older sister.
Second only to the eldest in the family, they said.
"Ah-young. What're you thinking?"
"...Nothing. Guess we have to find the magic circle."
If they lost that too, it'd be total defeat to Class V.
Jae-yeol pulled out a signal flare.
No wireless devices allowed this exercise, so flares it was.
Comms failed in this extreme cold anyway.
Plus, some dungeons blocked them outright.
This was training for that.
Pssshh—Boom!
A black flare shot up.
Signaling mission failure.
Hurry and link up with Kang Tae-hyun.
Yoon Seo-hyun hopped down from the rock and approached Tae-hyun.
The biting cold dipped below -20°C.
No way anyone could handle tank top and shorts.
But the girl seemed unfazed.
"Oppa. Hi~ First time saying hello, right?"
"..."
Tae-hyun glared silently.
She backpedaled with a grin.
"Whoa, what’s with the face? You're ugly as hell right now."
"What the hell are you doing? Class V?"
"Mm... yeah, Class V."
"How do you know my name?"
"Weirder if I didn't. Freshman rank 29, Kang Tae-hyun. First to shatter the test mana stone this semester, stole the show at the tournament. Buzz all over school. That showoff in Class C~"
Seo-hyun headed to the magic circle.
She touched it, then began channeling.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Huh? Channeling it."
"I found it first."
"But I'm channeling first~?"
Tae-hyun was floored, words failing him.
He swallowed his rage and continued.
"Cancel it. Last warning. No regrets."
"Whoa~ Oppa, scary~"
She finished channeling and summoned flames.
They shaped into a clone.
Seo-hyun spoke to it.
"Yup~ yup. Mission complete here. Boss?"
"Ahh~. Yeah? Told you Yoon Ah-young's no match."
"Ahahaha!! Right? Got it. Come here. Yup, yup, yup~ Gotcha."
Seo-hyun hummed cheekily.
Tae-hyun reached for the fire bars.
She taunted.
"Better not touch~ Can't break those easily."
"You ready to deal with a formal protest?"
"Pfft!... Ahahaha!!! Oh man, you're hilarious. Yup, picking a fight. Whatcha gonna do, trapped like that? Nyah nyah."
She stuck out her tongue mockingly.
Laughing till tears, she wiped her eyes.
"Oh yeah, about Class C. Know the rumor? Trash bin. Trash bin. Pfft...! Takes dropouts from every class, right? Kicked out from everywhere. What can you do with trash? Oh, sorry. You're a showoff too."
...Trash bin?
Class C?
Kang Tae-hyun's brow furrowed.
Lee Jae-yeol at least never dragged the class down.
"All brawn, no brains. Just booksmart idiots. Why be hunters then, go teach. Oh, decent healer though. Decent, that's it. And the flunk-out!"
"Flunk-out?"
"Yup, Yoon Ah-young. Secret, but... Yoon Ah-young got disowned by the family? Hilarious."
Yoon Ah-young, a flunk-out?
Disowned by the Yoon Family?
Ah-young was from the twentieth house.
Twentieth house heirs were born with innate mana and power.
All Yoon daughters were envied and feared.
Seo-hyun approached, gripping the bars.
She whispered.
"Oppa... could slot you into Class V. Dump our trash while we're at it... whaddya say?"
She turned, sat on the rock, crossed her legs smugly.
But he didn't answer.
Instead, he gripped the fire bars.
Zzzzzzt...!
Flesh sizzled, the stench of burning meat filling the air.
Tae-hyun endured the pain stoically, bending the bars.
Crack!
"...Whoa, what?"
Crack!!
The fire prison bent and warped under his strength.
He stepped forward.
"Say it again. Trash bin?"
"Ah... ahaha... no, that's not..."
Boom!
A powerful aura flooded the cave in an instant.
Black aura.
(To be continued)