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Chapter 165: Suddenly?

“Huh? Suddenly?”

“What do you mean suddenly? There was already a plan, wasn’t there?”

“That’s true, but I don’t really understand your intention of bringing it up again during the competition. Is there a reason you have to say it now?”

“There is, that’s why I’m saying it, you little brat. Didn’t I say I was going to get the materials to heal Noel? There’s one more thing you need to bring.”

“Wait, you want to send me on another errand here?”

“I mentioned looking for a blacksmith last time, right? He said to send over some materials to get to know your skills better. Bring back the best materials you can find.”

“Of course, I’ll bring them back. But this blacksmith must be quite skilled, huh? To make such a request from my mentor.”

At that, Yuri stroked his clean-shaven chin.

It felt awkward as always, yet he did it so naturally.

“He’s much better than you think. Well, even if you spend some time looking, you won’t feel like you wasted it.”

“Is he really that good? I’ll have to try my best.”

“But don’t forget about Noel’s medicine.”

“Yeah, of course. You’re keeping the Heavenly Circle safe, right?”

“It’s a scary thing to take out. How long do you think it will take?”

In response to Yuri’s question, Yeon-woo also awkwardly stroked his chin. He had always maintained a neat beard, so the action felt rather awkward.

“It should take about a week…? In the meantime, I trust you’ll cover my grades well.”

“I’ll make sure attendance won’t be an issue. If you bring back results, I’ll make sure you won’t lose points for missing a few questions.”

“Will you really give me that much?”

“Am I not able to do at least that much for saving my disciple?”

“It’s not a hero to you, it’s a disciple.”

“Of course. Why would I fuss over calling someone a hero?”

As Yuri snorted in response, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but laugh.

His tone was cool, but underneath, he was someone with a lot of affection.

“Noel will surely be happy to hear that.”

“Is it really necessary to state the obvious?”

“That’s not as obvious as you think, Master. Please let me know when the opportunity arises. I wouldn’t say this for anyone else, but Noel is a hero.”

Behind that glorious and shining name, there must surely lurk a festering wound, a mental anguish waiting to burst.

It has always been this way. The one who kills better than any monster is usually another human.

“Hmph, I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t get all grumpy now. Anyway, I get it. I just need to bring back the best materials I can find, right?”

“Yep. Do well in the competition. If I don’t see meaningful results, be prepared for some tough training.”

Oh my, Yeon-woo exaggeratedly shrugged as he left the Department Head’s Office.

“Tsk tsk, such a cheeky brat….”

…But despite not knowing if he’s raising them well, he’s somehow managing to take care of those two. Maybe it’s worth listening to his advice. Yuri, standing blankly in place, cautiously stepped beyond the gate and spoke.

“…Noel, is there a gate?”

*

The main events of the competition can be categorized into three major segments.

The Colosseum, the Raid, and finally, the Last One Standing.

The Colosseum was already in progress, and the Raid was set to commence soon. The Last One Standing was scheduled for the final day.

There were many other attractions as well, such as the teachers’ matches that took place during the competition.

Just before the main event of the afternoon, which was a group battle, the teachers’ matches were already underway. A competition exclusive to the representative teachers of each academy.

This too was one of the rare spectacles that could only be witnessed during the competition.

Of course, if these people were to seriously go all-out, the barrier at the current level could hardly contain the damage, so it was usually replaced with somewhat peaceful events.

– Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the leaders from each academy! Professor Kim Hyun-soo from Harmony, Instructor Raymond from Chaeonghae, Professor Delhain from Shinrok, Maestro Malagus from Wisdom, and Sheriff Cassie from Freedom, please enter!

As the announcer shouted that, the audience erupted with excitement.

Through the grand hall’s door, five figures stepped forward in a straight line.

Dressed in his usual neat suit, Kim Hyun-soo stood there awkwardly smiling and waving. A mace, which he always carried, swayed at his side.

Raymond from Chaeonghae was dressed in a blue rider jacket and casual attire.

Despite the somewhat closed-off and oppressive nature typical of Chaeonghae, he wore a playful smile.

His grand sword, deserving of the title of one of the Four Swords of the Ten Sword Saints, was worn at his waist, his hand resting lightly on it.

Delhain, representing Shinrok, wore an outfit that leaned more towards clerical robes than that of a teacher. A beautiful elf exuding a gender-neutral charm.

She wore a mistletoe crown, signifying the era’s strongest Spirit Master, the Forest Maker, who could create forests with a mere gesture, strolled gently.

Next to her stood a broad-brimmed hat that caught everyone’s attention.

Beneath it emerged a wild, white beard, hinting at the man’s age.

Dressed in dark robes and leaning on a staff was the representative of the Magic Tower’s yellow division, Maestro Malagus, dressed like the classic mysterious magician.

Beside him, a blonde woman playfully adjusted her cowboy hat as she blew kisses to the crowd.

With a rather revealing outfit, Cassie Kanari confidently strutted forward as if advertising which academy she belonged to.

She had about eight pistols holstered at her sides, a uniquely striking sight.

As the five stood at the center of the grand hall, the environment around them began to change.

One side of the audience seating opened with a mechanical sound.

The side of the dome-shaped building opened, revealing a mountain on the academy grounds.

– A special stage for the leaders’ match!! In every event, the target will be that mountain! I believe everyone can easily guess what will happen to that mountain in the end!? By the way, this mountain was created by the magician from the Magic Tower’s green division, the ‘Commander’, just a week ago!

The mention of the magician’s nickname sent the crowd buzzing. Surely, being a magician meant it must have been created with magic, but somehow it felt more like it was made by manpower.

– Now, for the first event! Dart throwing! The task is simple: hit the target on the mountain with the provided darts. For scoring convenience, the closer to the center, the higher the points, and the scores from all leaders’ matches will directly impact the academy’s overall score, so don’t worry about ranking and just enjoy the event!

The commentators’ explanation earned nods from the teachers.

Two individuals rushed in from beyond the open door on the far side of the grand hall, dragging something behind them. Five spears, each about 2 meters long.

– Why are they bringing spears to a dart competition? I wonder! Well, why not? Alright, leaders! Please throw the spears however you prefer!!

At the commentator’s irresponsible statement, the five, momentarily frozen in disbelief staring at the spears, began to inspect their individual weapons.

From the audience, Yeon-woo pulled out three pairs of sunglasses and handed them to Shar and Tae-oh, putting one on himself.

“Can I get three popcorn sets here~”

“Sure, that’ll be 14,000 won.”

In the spirit of things, he also bought a popcorn set from a vendor passing by.

It was obvious it would be quite entertaining just to watch. Not buying popcorn in a place like this would be like throwing away half of your life.

“But why do they keep mentioning the fate of that mountain?”

“That’s what I’m curious about too. It’s just throwing spears, after all.”

“Well… I guess you’ll find out by watching, but Shar, don’t you remember when Professor Kim Hyun-soo came to help?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“But considering the accuracy of throwing by any means necessary among them, Professor Kim Hyun-soo would likely only place third.”

“Huh? Then who’s first and second?”

“Probably Delhain and Malagus.”

Shar tilted his head at the unexpected answer. Yeon-woo offered no special response.

He figured Shar would find the answer quickly, and even if not, merely watching would be sufficient.

Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-soo, having swung a spear a few times, finally spoke. He had a polite demeanor.

“I think it will take you two a bit longer, but the other two… um, should I go first?”

“That’s a tough position to be in. Going first feels weird, but going last is also a dilemma.”

“As Cassie said, it’s embarrassing for those like us, right?”

Raymond and Cassie grumbled lightly, while Kim Hyun-soo smiled broadly.

“Remember, we’re not competing based on power; it’s about accuracy. In fact, it’s more troublesome for me as I lack any distinguishing features in this group.”

At those words, Cassie and Raymond stepped back, indicating for him to go first.

Delhain and Malagus were already engaged in discussions about the spears’ structure and materials, so Kim Hyun-soo thought it best to throw first.

He placed the target point between his left thumb and index finger, pulling back his shoulder that held the spear.

Even though his main weapon wasn’t a spear, throwing isn’t much different from using a blunt object.

While a spear may feel like it’s shot due to its trajectory, that much inaccuracy will be adjusted by his senses.

Taking two steps, then a third, he released the spear with the sensation of tossing a stone.

──Piiing!!

Light shot forth at a speed nearly impossible to comprehend visually.

Typically, with throwing a spear, one would expect a parabolic arc, but the spear Kim Hyun-soo hurled flew out in a straight line.

In an instant, a screen appeared in front of the audience.

Yeon-woo could see it using his ability, but of course, the other spectators could not.

The spear struck the upper right corner of a target about 2 meters in diameter.

Bang!!

The explosion echoed throughout the stadium, even a kilometer away. A massive cloud of dust shot up, and it was only after the dust cleared that the situation could be fully grasped.

“I said long-range shooting isn’t my forte.”

“Still, a 9-point isn’t bad. Great! I’m worried about what the kids will say if I come back placing last.”

Raymond patted Kim Hyun-soo on the shoulder.

– Wow, the target obliterated!! It wasn’t accurate, but the power was undeniable! Truly, the pride of Harmony, Professor Kim Hyun-soo! Harmony scores 9 points!

– Considering his usual position, this is still quite remarkable. Especially since it’s a spear and not a mace.

Upon hearing that, Cassie Kanari stepped forward, indicating she wanted to take her turn.

“I got this. This is worth a perfect score! Hitting an apple placed on my son’s head is easier than this!”

“You don’t even have a son.”

“You know I have to throw the spear, right?”

“I know, I know!”

As the two professors teased her, Cassie shot back.

She awkwardly grabbed the spear and tossed it into the air.

A spear thrown half-heartedly wasn’t going to fly towards the mountain, of course.

But the narrative changed when Cassie swiftly drew two pistols from the holsters at her sides.

With a series of gunshots, the flinging spear stabilized in the air.

After emptying the two pistols, she discarded them and drew another enormous sniper rifle from her waist holster.

What had previously been two pistols was now a massive sniper rifle in her hands.

Cassie fired while standing, pulling the trigger and expelling the spent shell casings repeatedly, while continuously shooting the spear’s tip to accelerate it.

Thus, the spear flew in a nice arc and lodged itself perfectly in the center of the target.

“I wonder if they’d call this a bullseye.”

“10 points.”

“I’ll give it 10 points too.”

“You don’t even need to score her, it’s 10 points already!”

As the three professors joked, Cassie flinched, startled, and quickly retreated towards where Kim Hyun-soo stood.

Her hair stood on end. She was not a cat, so she wouldn’t fluff up from being startled, which made it easy for Kim Hyun-soo and Raymond to predict something was up.

“Haha, seeing the young ones show off their skills puts my old heart at ease. The stabilization of the ritual is complete, and the mana infusion is finished… go ahead.”

Fzzzt, crackle!

Yellow currents of electricity sparked and flowed from the ground. Yeon-woo, seeing the familiar spell, let out a laugh.

In the early days of admission, Park Seong-in attempted to use a high-tier magic at the last moment during his duel with Je Gal Seong-ryong.

Named ‘Astrafe’ because it resembled the lightning wielded by the mythical thunder gods, the old man casually implemented the magic without the need for a lengthy incantation.

As a spear encircled in lightning shot forth like a beam of light,

A giant root from Delhain surged up and crudely grabbed a spear the size of a finger before throwing it.

Malagus’s spear shattered Cassie’s spear planted in the center, creating a slender hole in the mountain, followed by Delhain’s spear crashing down with unfathomable force to flatten the mountain.

Malagus scored 10 points, and Delhain received 9 points after VAR review.

And finally, Raymond could only mutter in dismay.

“Damn it. After showing something like that, and I’m the last one?”

(To be continued in the next part)

 

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