Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Absurdity (5)
The fact that Baek Yu-seol was receiving the ‘Special Junior Training’ from a 2nd-year senior became a major issue throughout the school.
More than a hundred people came to watch, with the number exceeding two hundred, and even the professors were quietly peeking in.
Aiselle was also among those who came to watch Baek Yu-seol’s duel.
She was not alone.
She came with friends.
“Hey, Aiselle. Who do you think will win?”
“Huh, what?”
Aiselle hesitated for a moment at Harillen’s sudden question. In that brief pause, another friend answered for her.
“Of course, the 2nd-year senior will win. How can a 1st-year beat a senior who has been through practical combat and missions?”
“Come on, there’s always a chance, right?”
“Where’s that chance?”
Watching her chattering friends, Aiselle smiled bitterly.
Right.
Friends.
Aiselle was not alone.
Previously, Harillen had approached her.
Asking her to join them for a meal.
And when she went to the meal, there were three other girls.
They spoke honestly.
‘We’ve heard about you.’
‘But recently, you’ve caught our attention again.’
‘We became curious about who you are.’
They asked various questions. Pure curiosities one could have about a person named Aiselle. Some were uncomfortable to talk about, and some were inappropriate for a first meeting…
But because they were so honest, Aiselle could open her heart to them.
In just a few days, Aiselle managed to blend into Harillen’s group of friends.
Most of the girls were either commoners or from unknown noble backgrounds. Nobles’ children would frown, saying they were mingling with lowly folks, but none of them minded.
In fact, being commoners, they didn’t treat Aiselle as someone extraordinary.
Traitor’s child? They didn’t care about that; she was a famous person!
Among commoner teenage girls, Aiselle’s image was mostly like that.
And all of this… was thanks to Baek Yu-seol. Because she had been with him and his unique, outstanding actions, she could receive such positive attention.
“So, what do you think?”
As the topic came back to her, Aiselle answered.
“On the surface… the senior winning is reasonable.”
She gave a vague answer.
The senior winning was reasonable.
In other words, it meant Baek Yu-seol could win.
However, considering the situation, it would be difficult for him to win. If he dared to beat a senior here, it would cause a tremendous uproar.
So she was curious about his decision.
Would he completely put aside his pride and deliberately lose to the senior by hiding his skills?
Or would he crush the senior without hesitation?
“Hmm, true. Earth element attributes have particularly strong defenses, and I don’t think Baek Yu-seol’s firepower is strong.”
“No, I heard last time that he even pierced shields with a magic sword.”
“Still… can a mere magic sword really break through 3rd-class earth element defenses?”
Logically, it’s impossible.
But Aiselle, knowing that Baek Yu-seol had actually killed a 5th-class necromancer, found their doubts cute.
“Moreover, the earth element is specialized in field control. The more one dominates the field, the stronger and more versatile their attacks become.”
No matter how agile Baek Yu-seol was, once the opponent dominated the field, the duel would be over.
He would just be a sitting duck.
Probably, other mages sitting elsewhere were having similar discussions.
No matter how immature they were as teenagers, they were aspiring mage warriors, and seeing such an exciting battle made them instinctively want to analyze it thoroughly.
“Hmm, what would be the best approach then…”
As they were about to start discussing, the duel began.
“Now, let the duel begin.”
At last, the duel started.
[Blink] [Blink] [Blink]
Seeing Baek Yu-seol continuously blink and escape the field, everyone was left speechless.
“…Well, that is the right answer.”
It was indeed the right answer.
Just, it wasn’t easy to do.
In a duel between mages, turning your back and running away meant becoming a target and getting killed.
Even for knights who could use power jumps.
However… Baek Yu-seol wasn’t like that.
Freely manipulating distances with Blink, his spatial control sometimes worked like that.
Being Baek Yu-seol, who pursued unconventional fighting styles, he often surprised people by adopting methods they thought of but couldn’t execute.
“Hmm…”
While everyone else was thinking along those lines, Aiselle analyzed his decision from a different angle.
It was obvious that breaking through the earth element’s defense system was difficult with conventional wisdom, but given Baek Yu-seol’s skills so far, he could do it.
‘Choosing not to fight head-on… means he plans to fight quietly without revealing his full skills.’
Th i s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g m tl . o r g
So, how would he do it?
That question was soon answered.
Although the duel arena was spacious, the space was limited, and there was a limit to running away.
In other words, it meant that no matter where the opponent fled, they would eventually enter the magic’s range by chasing a little.
Although the earth element could control wide areas, it had short-range attacks, but that could be covered with skill. Without hesitation, Calivan entered the field where Baek Yu-seol had disappeared.
Although the forest was dense, various viewpoints appearing in the air through Stella Dome allowed spectators to see what was happening from different perspectives.
However, the camera capturing Baek Yu-seol kept shifting and changing locations, making it hard to focus.
T h i s w a s c o pi ed f r o m k i n g mt l. or g
Unable to do otherwise, students and professors focused on Calivan’s perspective.
“The senior is incredibly cautious.”
“Right. I’ve seen seniors showing off, dangling their staffs arrogantly, but seeing this is quite refreshing.”
Ignoring the students’ chatter, Calivan advanced through the forest with severely obstructed vision.
‘Damn, where did that bastard hide?’
He never imagined Yu-seol would run away during a sacred duel. According to rumors, he boasted about using a sword and knightly virtue, but it was all nonsense.
Swish!
‘Hmm!’
He sensed something moving. Given that no wild animals would be in the duel arena, it must be Baek Yu-seol.
“Stone Pierce!”
Without hesitation, he launched a sharp stone spear toward the sound, hitting something with a thud.
‘Good!’
Carving a magic circle into his hands and rushing forward, he soon found…
“What…?”
A monkey doll hanging by its tail from a tree branch, swinging left and right. Calivan’s eyes were drawn to what the monkey held in its hands.
‘Cymbals?’
At that moment.
The monkey clashed the cymbals, unleashing a tremendous shockwave.
Clang! Bang!
“Kuh…!”
But true to his earth element, he endured by increasing his body weight like a rock. The shockwave wasn’t lethal, blocked easily by a 1st-class shield.
T h is w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n gmt l . o rg
But that wasn’t the point.
‘It’s a trick!’
Realizing it instantly, he hastily raised a stone barrier behind himself.
Just as he predicted, Baek Yu-seol approached from behind, swinging a glowing sword.
Kagak!
The magic sword tore into the stone barrier but couldn’t penetrate it.
‘Stone Break!’
Clenching his left fist, not holding the staff, Calivan rolled forward, causing the stone barrier to explode and scatter dust everywhere.
Quickly creating another barrier and hiding behind it, Calivan didn’t get hurt, but Baek Yu-seol, who was right next to him, must have…
‘No?’
Yet, there was no trace of Baek Yu-seol where the stone exploded, only a golden bell gently swaying.
Mistaking the golden bell for an attack and urgently defending it…
Nothing happened.
‘Damn!’
T h i s w a s c o p i e d from k i n g m t l .o r g
Turning his gaze, he saw Baek Yu-seol running a few steps away.
‘Damn, he’s fast!’
But with the distance narrowed this much, he was well within the range of his magic.
Rumble!
Calivan swung his staff, causing the ground to rise and collapse in Baek Yu-seol’s path.
Rock fragments defied gravity, soaring into the sky, and several sharp rock slides formed in reverse direction, pressuring Baek Yu-seol.
Yet, without using Blink, he gracefully maneuvered over them like a monkey.
He deflected the rock fragments with his sword, and for attacks that closed in from blind spots, he cleverly hid behind trees and evaded.
Before long, Baek Yu-seol was out of Calivan’s magic range.
‘Damn it…!’
It all happened in a blink. Calivan, who had heeded the advice to beware of Baek Yu-seol’s Blink, kept more than half his attacks on standby in case Baek Yu-seol used Blink.
But by holding back on Blink as much as possible, he turned the attacks to his advantage.
Calivan hurriedly chased after Baek Yu-seol.
At that moment.
He felt his feet lift off the ground and sensed magic.
‘No, this is alchemy!’
As a student of Stella, his mind quickly analyzed the alchemy.
Bang!
The answer was a leaf under his right foot. Hard to believe, but the leaf had the effect of making whoever stepped on it float.
‘Is this… alchemy?’
Though seeing it for the first time, he didn’t panic, distributing mana throughout his body.
‘Earth’s Weight!’
Instantly, his body grew heavier, countering the forced levitation magic, and he swiftly landed, swinging his staff to launch several rock projectiles at the air.
Fwooosh!
The attacks scattered through the air, but it was enough to keep Baek Yu-seol in check… or so he thought.
Baek Yu-seol had already moved behind him, throwing something.
Clink!
T h is wa s c o p ie d fro m ki n g m tl .o r g
Fwoosh…
‘…Poison gas?’
Realizing what it was, Calivan quickly prepared a barrier to block the air, but ended up inhaling some of it, forcing him to cast detoxification magic.
In modern times, biochemical poison magic was almost useless. Detoxification magic had advanced to instantly analyze and counteract magical poisons.
Yet, sometimes alchemists used toxins from animals or monsters, making detoxification cumbersome.
Calivan thought Yu-seol had used such magic and hurried to detoxify…
“Cough, cough…!”
For some reason, the detoxification magic didn’t work at all, and he was overwhelmed by a stinging sensation in his eyes, nose, and mouth.
T h i s wa s c op ie d f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
‘CS gas…!’
Th i s w a s copi ed f r o m k in g m t l . o rg
It stung, burned, and stifled.
Gas designed not to kill but to cause pain and distress.
He needed to focus. No matter how painful it was, dropping his guard would get him struck from behind.
But with his vision completely obscured, he couldn’t locate Baek Yu-seol, so he raised square rock barriers around himself.
Though self-destructive due to excessive mana consumption, it was necessary to defend while the gas was detoxified.
‘Purify!’
Fortunately, the crude trick didn’t work on the experienced Calivan, who finished detoxification in seconds.
Believing he wouldn’t fall for such tricks again, he dispelled the rock barriers.
But then, the golden bell he thought was nothing turned out to have a timer.
Flash!
A blinding flash spread out.
“Ugh…!”
Instantly blinded vision.
T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m k in g m t l. o rg
…Thud!
Something hit his face, and while he quickly raised rock barriers behind him and a shield in front, something emerged from the ground, striking his waist, nullifying everything.
As if the attacker knew exactly how a blinded mage would respond!
Crash!
“Cough, cough…!”
True to his earth element, he surrounded his waist with rock and shield, deflecting most of the attack, but taking a severe psychological hit.
“That damn bastard…”
Struggling to stand with his knee down, he almost screamed in pain when his hand touched the ground.
“Aah…
Sharp tacks were bouncing all around him. Before questioning how tacks could move like that, he had to grit his teeth to endure the pain.
Swoosh!
But in that moment, he sensed someone approaching from behind.
Quickly turning and swinging his staff, he found a black sphere, not Baek Yu-seol.
Boom!
Though his shield blocked it successfully, it couldn’t prevent the gas seeping out.
‘Again with the tricks…’
He hurried to detoxify.
But this time, it wasn’t CS gas or poison gas.
It was just smoke meant to obscure vision.
T h is w a s c o p i ed f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g
And the smoke confined to his body, making his location obvious to outsiders.
Swoosh!
In that instant, Baek Yu-seol used Blink to approach swiftly, stabbing Calivan’s waist with his magic sword.
Kagak!
T h i s w as co p ied f r o m k ingm t l . org
“Ugh…!”
Though expending a lot of mana to defend, Calivan wrapped his waist in rock armor.
Baek Yu-seol’s magic sword tore through most of his rock armor.
“…Damn, explode!”
Boom!
He launched rock projectiles backward, but Baek Yu-seol had already retreated.
“Hah, hah, hah…”
Calivan breathed heavily, wiping the drool. His whole body stung, his eyes, nose, and mouth still burned from the CS gas, and he felt bruised all over.
But…
There wasn’t a single critical injury. After this duel, he wouldn’t even need to visit the infirmary, just simple first aid would suffice.
Then why…
Why was he so furious?
This place was meant to discipline an insolent junior. He was supposed to humiliate him, but instead, he was being toyed with by the junior.
There was no greater humiliation.
The mist cleared, and Baek Yu-seol stood at some distance. Calivan grinned and approached him.
The alchemy and magic tools permissible in the duel arena were limited.
Baek Yu-seol’s tools were impressive, but the number of tools an alchemy minor could use must have been exhausted.
Now, he would have to fight bare-handed. And he had already realized Baek Yu-seol’s sword couldn’t pierce his armor.
From now on, he would use all his magic for pursuit. No matter how agile he was, it wouldn’t matter.
Thinking so, Calivan pointed his staff at him.
“Don’t expect to go back in one piece.”
Rumble!
The ground shook, and massive rock walls blocked all directions.
Baek Yu-seol’s advantage was manipulating distances with the terrain.
But if the terrain was altered to prevent Baek Yu-seol from fleeing or moving freely, he couldn’t do anything.
Rumble!
Rock spikes and fragments rose into the air.
Investing all remaining mana into creating the spell, ‘Stone Shower.’
While the spell was forming, Baek Yu-seol didn’t even try to interrupt, just holding his sword and staring at the air.
To be precise… at the timer.
[14:46]
Finally, Calivan’s magic circle began to glow.
‘Good, the spell is complete!’
[14:50]
He wondered why Baek Yu-seol hadn’t fled or tried to interrupt the spell, but it didn’t matter.
[14:53]
“Kneel before me and beg for forgiveness until you’re beaten to death!”
All the magic turned towards Baek Yu-seol. If hit by that, he wouldn’t just be injured, he might become disabled.
Until then, Baek Yu-seol was still staring at the timer in the air.
“Die! Stone Shower!”
At last, as Calivan’s magic rushed toward Baek Yu-seol.
[15:00]
“I forfeit.”
Baek Yu-seol declared defeat.
Thud.
All the magic stopped by Stella Dome’s force. Sharp rock blades and arrows halted before Baek Yu-seol, trembling but unable to move forward.
“Wha…
What did he say?
Calivan couldn’t understand the words and gritted his teeth, pouring mana.
‘Move! Move!’
But no matter what, his magic no longer moved as he willed.
After the field dissolved into mana, disappearing in light, the situation became clear.
“This, this is…”
“The duel is over. The winner is 2nd-year C-Class Calivan.”
At that moment, the assistant professor stepped in, fully declaring the duel over, and Calivan’s face turned crimson.
“Wait, it’s not over! The duel isn’t over yet!”
The assistant professor, showing clear annoyance, spoke to Calivan in a condescending tone.
“Are you a 2nd-year who doesn’t understand the rules? Baek Yu-seol declared forfeit. The duel is over.”
“But…!”
“Stop it, will you?”
Calivan, wanting to argue further, had to shut his mouth quickly as the assistant professor spoke coldly.
“I’m already annoyed that I have to intervene in your petty hazing. Don’t make it worse.”
“But…
Calivan couldn’t say more. There were rare cases. Students of Stella who became professors.
This assistant professor must have been a student at Stella, finding it detestable to deal with juniors’ absurdities.
Baek Yu-seol, hiding behind the assistant professor, spoke.
“Thank you for the hard work, senior. I’ve learned a lot.”
Politely bowing, Baek Yu-seol quickly exited. Calivan stood there, staring blankly at nothing.
He won.
He clearly won.
…Yet it brought no joy, only deep-seated anger rising from within.
But the duel was over, and there was nothing more he could do.
End of Chapter
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Tbraxer
Yuseol humiliated him