< Chapter 128: Team Battle (3) >
Sunday night.
Having returned home, I thoroughly reviewed the plan for tomorrow’s team battle before lying down in bed.
Wondering what time it was, I checked my phone.
“Hmm?”
There was a message from Yu Hwa.
[If I could, I’d like to kill my past self.]
It was a message loaded with deep meaning.
“…You’ve come to your senses.”
At the barbecue party, she seemed to have lost herself a bit, but now that some stress has been relieved, it seems she has come back to her senses.
She might be in a stage where she’s drowning in regret.
[Have you fallen behind on work?]
The reply came immediately.
[Yes.]
[A lot.]
[Very much.]
[Insanely.]
The response was rapid-fire.
[Are you sitting in the guild master’s office right now?]
[Yes.]
[I feel like dying.]
The price for having 10 hours of free time seemed to be quite hefty.
[…Hang in there.]
That’s all I could say.
[(Emoticon of a bear burning in white flames)]
[Don’t look for me for a while.]
[See you alive.]
Her words sounded like a last will.
Indeed, after that, Yu Hwa didn’t send any more replies.
I silently wished her well.
The current time was 12:27 AM.
It’s my usual bedtime.
Maybe I should sleep now.
I placed my phone on the bedside table and lay down.
“Meow.”
From under the bed, I heard Goldie’s cry.
“Goldie?”
Goldie jumped next to me. When did he come in? He was surely sleeping with Rena and White Tiger.
“Why? Want to sleep with your brother after a long time?”
Goldie cried with a purring sound. Then, he snuggled against me and yawned lightly.
“Alright. Let’s sleep together.”
I embraced Goldie.
I had been feeling guilty for not paying enough attention to Goldie these days.
Feeling my touch, Goldie purred contentedly.
He seemed pleased.
“Oh, you’re so cute.”
Goldie fell asleep quickly.
I too closed my eyes, feeling the warm presence in my embrace.
…Speaking of which, Jia didn’t look too well today.
She insisted she was okay, but no matter how I looked at it, she didn’t seem alright.
Perhaps it’s because she failed to master the ancient magic technique?
I told her that it takes time, but she didn’t seem to believe me.
Is it because Si-yeon succeeded in one go? But that’s just Si-yeon being unusual.
I was surprised.
Even I, having acquired magical talents through the complete embodiment of the Dragon Tribe, couldn’t replicate it upon seeing it once, but she managed to reproduce it flawlessly.
I can’t help but admire the magical talent of a character like Ha Si-yeon.
“Hmm.”
Could it be that Jia feels inferior to Si-yeon?
Recently, she was also dethroned from the rank 1 spot, and Si-yeon’s growth rate is significantly faster than Jia’s. It’s just the right time for her to feel anxious.
Up until now, there was no one among her peers who surpassed Jia, so I thought she might have such feelings.
“It’s inevitable that Jia currently lags in growth rate.”
While Si-yeon has already awakened the “Sanctuary of Ice,” lifting her limits, Jia has yet to awaken “Transcendent Lineage” so she’s still limited.
It’s natural for there to be a difference in growth rate. If that fact is causing her impatience…
“I’m unnecessarily worried.”
Hmm.
It’s probably a needless worry, right?
And even if my concerns turn out to be true, it’s no problem.
“…She said she could master it within a week if all goes well.”
Once Jia awakens Transcendent Lineage, the problem will naturally be resolved.
“Besides, she might regain her confidence in this team battle.”
* * *
Monday.
The first-semester final practical exams have started. Our team’s first match is in the afternoon, so right now we’re watching other teams compete.
“Wow. Amazing. Ha Si-yeon’s team is like a piece of art, isn’t it?”
“Totally. What’s with them?”
The match was between a 5-person team led by Ha Si-yeon and another ordinary 5-person team.
Ha Si-yeon’s team undoubtedly stood out.
“Ha Si-yeon is taking care of the attack alone, and the other four are on defense.”
“The strategy seems simple. But Ha Si-yeon is so strong that they can’t stop her.”
The group match rule is essentially ‘Capture the Flag.’
Each team sets up a base and places a flag they need to defend. The team that finds and captures the opposing team’s flag first wins.
Though the rule sounds simple, the game is more complex than it seems.
The balance of offense and defense, while searching for the flag, is crucial.
Reading the opponent’s strategy and flexibly changing tactics requires both mental and physical abilities.
It’s a profound game in its own right.
“It just seems like Ha Si-yeon is doing everything by herself.”
But in this match, there’s no need for mental strategy.
“Is that what they call the human weapon strategy or something?”
Si-yeon’s physical abilities are off the charts. She searches leisurely on her own, storms into the enemy’s territory, annihilates the defending teams, and seizes the flag.
Simple is best.
The opposing team is completely caught off guard by this straightforward strategy.
“…We have to fight them next. What do we do?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to ignore Ha Si-yeon and go all-in on the attack?”
“Breaking through the four defenders isn’t easy either.”
“True. There’s no need to mention Kim Chul-jin and Choi Ji-hoon have become incredibly strong recently.”
“The other two seem to contribute defensively too.”
“It’s tough.”
Crafty strategies easily crumble once the opponent catches on.
However, a direct clash of strength against strength isn’t easily thwarted.
Kim Chul-jin understood their advantage better than anyone.
…That cunning strategist definitely has a good brain.
I expected something like this, but it seems we might need to adjust our strategy a bit.
After briefly learning about the magic operation from Rena yesterday, Si-yeon’s combat power has become stronger.
Moreover, the four who are focused on defense are stronger than I thought.
Hmm. What should we do?
— Winner! Ha Si-yeon’s team!
While I was contemplating, the match ended. Si-yeon’s face, beaming with a smile as she pulled the flag, filled the screen.
It was an overwhelming victory.
“Is it because she got tips from the princess yesterday? Si-yeon has become even stronger in the meantime.”
Jia whispered to me in a voice only I could hear.
Her expression was very serious.
“The remaining four also have better coordination than expected. Don’t you think we need to modify our plan?”
It seems Jia has the same thought as me.
“I was thinking the same thing. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Umm…”
I nodded, observing Jia’s expression.
She had her lips tightly sealed, lost in thought, her expression as calm and collected as always.
“How about throwing the bait right from the first match? Considering the current situation, it seems like it would be a much better strategy.”
Oh?
“Raise the tempo of our plan?”
“Yes. If we’re going to do it anyway, it might psychologically exert more pressure.”
“Hmm.”
It’s certainly not a bad approach.
“It sounds good. Just making Chul-jin think more is already an advantage.”
“Right?”
Jia smiled faintly.
It was a bright smile without a trace of negative emotion.
“Alright, let’s do that.”
“Yes!”
I looked at Jia’s smile and sighed with relief inside.
…It seems I was worried for nothing.
I set aside any concerns about Jia for now.
Let’s just focus on winning the group match.
“Let’s raise the tempo of our plan a bit, and Jia, you’ll take the lead in the attack from the start.”
“Yes. Then, I’ll leave the defense to Lord Seo-yul.”
We looked at each other and smiled.
* * *
As time passed, it was 2:40 in the afternoon.
It was time for the match between Kang Seo-yul and Shin Jia’s team.
“Whew.”
About 1 minute after the match started.
Kang Seo-yul was left alone guarding the flag, vigilantly looking out in all directions.
“I wonder how Jia is doing.”
Kang Seo-yul’s team’s strategy was even simpler than Ha Si-yeon’s team.
Kang Seo-yul was in charge of defense,
and Shin Jia was in charge of the offense.
That was it.
From the outset, since there were only two, the only strategy was for one to attack and the other to defend.
Of course, they could have both gone on the offense, an all-in strategy.
But considering the risk of leaving their base unguarded, it was too risky a move.
‘If we had a scouting skill that could detect the enemy’s position…’
Regrettably, Kang Seo-yul didn’t have such a skill.
Hence, the all-in strategy was off the table.
Naturally, depending on the situation, they wouldn’t hesitate to employ the all-in strategy but now wasn’t the time.
‘This is the best plan for the first match.’
The opposing team, facing Shin Jia and Kang Seo-yul, was a well-balanced team comprising ranks 6th, 98th, 201st, 308th, and 450th.
Their party composition was also balanced with one tanker, one supporter, two melee dealers, and a mage.
It’s a team that was expected to perform quite well based on the instructors’ preliminary evaluations.
‘The team that includes Cadet Seo Eunha.’
Cadet Seo Eunha was evaluated as having the best detection capability among the first-year students.
She would have succeeded in detecting Kang Seo-yul’s team’s position right from the start.
‘It’s about time they approached.’
Considering the time, the attacking team should appear soon.
‘Here they come.’
Right then, Kang Seo-yul’s ‘Elf’s Eye’ detected fast-approaching figures.
“You all can’t be good people.”
In front of Kang Seo-yul, five cadets revealed themselves.
“Are you alone?”
“You’ll see when you look, won’t you?”
Right.
‘Five of them’.
“As expected, you’ve come with an all-in strategy.”
Kang Seo-yul, as if he had known they would appear, twirled his dagger with a smirk.
“Looks like you anticipated this?”
“To some extent?”
Kang Seo-yul looked at Seo Eunha, who was ranked 201st, positioned behind.
“If there’s a team member with the ability to quickly pinpoint our base, then the all-in strategy isn’t much of a gamble.”
With detection ability, the search time is greatly reduced, giving them more time to focus on offense than the opposing team.
In essence, their strategy was to take down Kang Seo-yul and capture the flag before Shin Jia could locate the base.
“You know it well.”
Rank 6, Go Taejin, smiled.
“So, you anticipated that, but sent Shin Jia away and stayed alone because you’re looking down on us?”
His laugh was like a wounded beast, an attack on his pride.
“That could be one reason, or maybe not.”
Kang Seo-yul shrugged.
“…You’re arrogant.”
An infuriated Go Taejin gritted his teeth.
Acknowledging Kang Seo-yul’s strength is one thing, but facing five alone was sheer overconfidence.
‘Foolish guy.’
He had a good impression of him, but perhaps he was naive, not knowing the difference between self-confidence and arrogance.
“There’s no need to delay. Let’s finish this quickly. Everyone, get ready.”
“Okay. We proceed as planned?”
Team B formed their strategy and charged at Kang Seo-yul simultaneously.
Two of them went for Kang Seo-yul,
The next two headed for the flag,
The last one prepared for long-range fire support.
“You should regret your foolishness in taking the exam as a 2-person team!”
Go Taejin grinned.
It was the smile of someone certain of victory.
Kang Seo-yul also smiled, as if finding it amusing.
“Well, I think it’s you guys who will regret it, not me.”
Kang Seo-yul gently gripped his dagger.
“From the start, did you guys forget that I’m currently receiving an advantage point?”
He swung his sword.
Chiiing-!
Kang Seo-yul perfectly parried Go Taejin’s sword with his dagger and at the same time,
“!”
Kiiiiing-!
He flawlessly deflected the tanker’s shield charge with his longsword.
“Eugh!”
The tanker, completely off balance from the deflection, fell toward Go Taejin.
“Kuk!”
Pushed by the tanker, Go Taejin’s stance wavered.
‘Bingo!’
Kang Seo-yul didn’t miss that opening.
He quickly retracted his dagger and thrust it into Go Taejin’s body.
“Kuk!”
It was a shallow strike.
But he didn’t mind.
‘I never thought I could handle it this easily.’
Kang Seo-yul took a step closer, pressing Go Taejin.
Cling! Clang!
While blocking Kang Seo-yul’s lightning-fast attacks, Go Taejin internally screamed.
‘…They say it’s a 35% stat increase, but it feels more than double!’
The power of Kang Seo-yul, enhanced by the advantage point, was beyond imagination.
And it made sense.
Even with an average C-rank stat, Kang Seo-yul was comparable to higher rankers.
Now, with the advantage point boost, he had achieved B-rank combat power. He was undoubtedly formidable.
‘I can’t hold out much longer!’
Go Taejin gritted his teeth and shouted.
“He’s restrained! Just grab the flag!”
“Got it!”
The other two, who had been waiting for Kang Seo-yul to distance himself from the flag, began to act. At this position, they could snatch it!
“Hey now.”
But Kang Seo-yul wasn’t one to just stand and watch.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Kang Seo-yul summoned his magic.
Whooosh-
“Agh!”
Flames surged, enveloping the flag. The two who were trying to snatch it screamed and retreated.
At that moment.
Crackle!
Sparks erupted from Kang Seo-yul’s body.
‘Electric shock!’
Go Taejin’s eyes widened.
He realized what Kang Seo-yul was about to do.
“You’re too late.”
Kang Seo-yul grinned devilishly.
Kwaang-!
At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
“Aaaaargh!”
That bolt of lightning pierced through the cadet who was casting a spell from afar.
“That makes four.”
Thud-
The cadet who was hit directly by the divine punishment (aka Thunder Bolt) collapsed, emitting smoke.
“…”
“…”
Silence ensued.
Four pairs of eyes trembled.
‘What did we just witness?’
It was a sight that made one doubt their own eyes.
“While dealing with both of us with a sword, he cast both fire and lightning magic simultaneously…?”
“That’s impossible…”
Looking at the astonished group, Kang Seo-yul smiled.
“Why? First time seeing dual casting? Or is it the first time seeing me properly use magic?”
Everyone remained silent.
Perhaps enjoying the silence, Kang Seo-yul’s smile deepened.
“Then you must be seeing this for the first time as well?”
Power began to concentrate around Kang Seo-yul’s body.
Whooosh-
Magic arrows began to rise and float around him.
“Gasp!”
The sound of swallowed breath echoed loudly from all directions.
Astonishment.
Shock.
Such a torrent of emotions poured out.
Likely, those watching this spectacle from beyond their monitors felt the same.
“What is that…”
Arrows imbued with the essence of flames continued to multiply.
“It can’t be…”
Soon, countless magic arrows of Kang Seo-yul filled their view.
But that wasn’t all.
Whooo-
Amidst the intense heat, a whirlwind began.
As if asserting its presence, the wind merged amidst the flaming arrows, coalescing into intangible arrows.
Everyone’s mouths hung open.
“Wi… Wind?”
“Wind attribute!”
It was the first time Kang Seo-yul’s wind magic was revealed to the public. And that meant…
“Tri… Triple… attribute!”
Facing their astonished gazes, Kang Seo-yul smiled.
As if it was too early to be surprised, he smirked confidently.
“It’s not over yet.”
At that moment, flame and wind began to mingle.
Whoosh, Whirling!
The wind fueled the flames,
And the flames intensified the wind.
The intense heat and fierce wind pressure became one.
“What in the world…”
Arrow of Wind and Fire.
The fusion magic showcased by the top ten rankers, ‘Witch of Fire’ and ‘Wind Emperor,’ was reproduced by Kang Seo-yul.
“Fusion magic… all by himself?”
Looking at the dumbfounded cadets, Kang Seo-yul laughed.
“I’ll give you exactly 30 seconds to surrender.”
It was a devilish, sinister smile.
“Change of mind. Make it 5 seconds.”
< Chapter 128: Team Battle (3) >End.
