Chapter 128: 7th Week Mentoring and Duel Battle (13)

Chapter 128: 7th Week Mentoring and Duel Battle (13)

[Hong Yeon-hwa 688 points vs Bukgong Han-seol 968 points]

Hong Yeon-hwa quietly stared at the names and scores displayed on the scoreboard.

900 points.

This is the league of skilled individuals who achieved three consecutive victories in the placement test.

There was a time when she was immensely frustrated that she couldn’t start at 900 points.

According to Hong Ye-hwa, all the promising talents or those with equivalent skills this year had reached the 900-point range.

It made her feel particularly left behind.

Therefore, it was hard for her to accept competing in the 600-point range.

Even if she won and her score increased, it still felt significantly lacking compared to the 900-point range and losing only plunged her deeper into self-loathing.

However, her thoughts have changed a bit now.

The scores in individual matches are indeed a meaningful indicator of skill.

But one cannot judge a person’s skill solely based on their score.

The living proof of that was in her group.

Kim Ho who started at the 300-point range with one win and two losses.

Although his score was lower than Hong Yeon-hwa’s, when they actually faced off, the overwhelming difference in skill made it impossible for her to even make a move.

Another example was that recently, opponents in the 600-point range had started to feel too weak.

This week, Hong Yeon-hwa had faced two random opponents in the crystal duel battles, and both of them collapsed before she could even properly chain her spells.

Looking back, the memory of being beaten up by Kim Ho was so strong that it overshadowed everything else, but most of her other duel battles had been like this.

She was now certain.

As the semester continued and she participated in more duels, her score would only continue to rise.

As a result, her yearning for 900 points had significantly diminished, but a trace of curiosity still remained.

How would her skills measure up against those in the 900-point range?

Had they been effective before? How about now that she was stronger?

She was about to find out.

[3]

[2]

[1]

[Start!]

[Hong Yeon-hwa: 100%] vs [Bukgong Han-seol: 100%]

[Crystal: 0%]

Hong Yeon-hwa extended her wand forward.

The ruby on her wand shone as it instantly drew a large Fire Pillar magic circle beneath her feet.

Even though her casting speed was already unparalleled, it seemed to have shortened even further recently.

When she absorbed the completed Fire Pillar through Overheat, Hong Yeon-hwa’s entire body became engulfed in flames.

In her enhanced state, she kicked off the ground a few times and quickly ascended to the top of the layered cliff.

“...”

She spotted Bukgong Han-seol on the opposite cliff in the distance.

Since she arrived first, she was already searching for the crystal.

Hong Yeon-hwa quickly scanned the surroundings as well,

There it is.

She discovered a makeshift altar cleverly hidden among the cliffs.

When she glanced at Bukgong Han-seol, she noticed that the latter was still looking around and was still unaware of the altar’s location.

Yet she occasionally glanced towards Hong Yeon-hwa, ready to follow if she found the crystal first.

In that case...

Hong Yeon-hwa deliberately acted startled and exaggeratedly pretended she had found the crystal.

Then, with a thud, she stomped her feet and dashed down the cliff.

Bukgong Han-seol didn’t miss this and started running after Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Hmph.”

However, once Hong Yeon-hwa descended the cliff and was out of sight, she quickly changed direction.

Her deliberate behavior had been to create a fake-out.

She sent Bukgong Han-seol in the exact opposite direction of where the crystal was located.

Taking advantage of this, Hong Yeon-hwa leisurely moved to the makeshift altar, grabbed the crystal, and headed straight for the sanctuary.

“Oh my, Han-seol...”

Kim Gap-doo who was watching the match palmed his face.

To fall for such a simple trick.

He hoped Bukgong Han-seol would realize this soon, but she wandered aimlessly in the wrong direction, just as Hong Yeon-hwa had intended.

Whirrrrr—

In Hong Yeon-hwa’s memory, Aqua Flame had been E-rank.

At that time, its rank was low, so even when she used fire magic against ice-element opponents, they could somewhat cope with it.

But now it had risen two ranks while melting the Millennium Iron alloy and reached a remarkable C-rank.

Currently, the skill/trait rank limit for first-year students was generally C-rank, with the average being around D-rank.

At C-rank, it was a level that could competently apply to all opponents among the first years.

Even though she understood this in her mind, she hadn’t had the chance to face an ice-element opponent until now, so she was just starting to test its exact power.

But to see someone with over 900 points struggle so much just to shake off a single fireball.

Aqua Flame might be a stronger trait than she had thought.

Hong Yeon-hwa had inadvertently countered her opponent.

Bukgong Han-seol hardened her expression and looked at her opponent.

I must avoid it at all costs.

She must not get hit by any fire magic.

If she struggled this much with a hastily thrown fireball, a properly cast fire spell would be beyond her ability to handle.

That meant she had to dodge all the incoming spells and approach Hong Yeon-hwa to snatch the crystal.

But was that even possible?

Bukgong Han-seol took in the sight of the magic circles filling the battlefield.

To her eyes, they looked like fiercely burning flames rather than magic circles.

[Hong Yeon-hwa 100%] vs [Bukgong Han-seol 94%]

[Crystal: 34%]

However, time was not on her side.

The crystal’s charge percentage was steadily increasing even as she hesitated.

If she didn’t move, defeat was inevitable.

Bukgong Han-seol gathered her internal energy and concentrated it in her hands, then she lunged forward and released the energy.

Papapapapapapat!

Hong Yeon-hwa watched the threatening energy projectiles flying toward her and thought,

Should I dodge?

It might hurt a bit if they hit.

She was about to move sideways but quickly changed her mind.

She extended her wand forward and cast a spell rapidly.

Fwoooosh—

A stream of flames burst out like a flamethrower before engulfing the energy projectiles.

As expected, the Aqua Flame-enhanced fire easily neutralized Bukgong Han-seol’s long-range attack.

“......!”

Bukgong Han-seol’s eyes widened in shock. She didn’t expect her attack to be blocked so easily.

However, it was too late to stop, so she didn’t slow her momentum.

Just as she was about to unleash another powerful strike,

Hong Yeon-hwa snapped her fingers.

A magic circle right in front of Bukgong Han-seol turned red, and

Boom—!

“!!”

A vivid pillar of fire shot up.

Bukgong Han-seol barely managed to retreat and avoid the Fire Pillar.

However, she was already deep in enemy territory.

Magic circles filled the surroundings.

One was even set right under her feet and it was already glowing red.

Glowing... red?

Boom—!

Bukgong Han-seol desperately dashed to avoid the pillars of fire erupting everywhere.

Surviving was more important than targeting Hong Yeon-hwa at the center of the formation.

Boom—!

She zigzagged, running this way and that, before she finally escaped the reach of the magic circles.

After she managed to catch her breath, Bukgong Han-seol thought,

Well, at least I made her use up quite a bit.

Once a magic circle casts a spell, it disappears.

With her frantic running earlier, she had triggered dozens of Fire Pillars, so if she repeated this a few more times, wouldn’t she reach Hong Yeon-hwa?

However, what caught her eye next were new magic circles rapidly filling the empty space.

Bukgong Han-seol suddenly wanted to go home.