Chapter 101. One-on-One Duel (7)
"Kugh."
Nam Daeun attacked me as if this were her last chance.
The reason she was acting so desperate was to lure me into dropping my guard.
She wanted me to believe it was her last burst of energy, that all I had to do was endure it, and in doing so, make me use double casting.
Zzzzz—
Mana radiated from Nam Daeun's body and surrounded me. My body felt heavier. It was like the air in the arena gained weight and pressed down on me.
'She can even do something like this?'
At this point, she was no different from the Nam Daeun one year from now.
Just how much strength had she been hiding?
As my body got heavier, it became harder and harder to fend off her attacks.
But as long as the purple glow of her sword—indicating Space Slash prep—remained, I had to keep one slot of my double casting open to block it with Cotton Guard.
I blocked a slash aimed at my thigh and summoned a fireball to keep her in check.
'This isn't working.'
Even with 'Clairvoyance' predicting all her attack paths, it was hard to block them due to her overwhelming speed and power.
Boom!
I could still counter her attacks using Cotton Guard for now, but she was getting faster and I was getting slower.
At this rate, I'd lose before we even got to Space Slash.
I played my trump card.
The reason Nam Daeun wasn't using Space Slash yet was because she wanted to use it at the perfect moment.
Since it was an unrevealed skill, she wouldn't think I knew about it.
So I had to exploit that assumption.
The tide of the match wasn't in my favor, but from her side too, the mana drain would make her want to end it quickly.
That's why if I intentionally gave her a chance to use Space Slash, I could bait her into attacking.
Space Slash could cut through any space under her mana's control.
But what if it met a Rune Barrier?
Rune Barrier was the strongest among all existing barrier spells.
It severed all connections to the outside, which could even cancel out Nam Daeun's [Spatial Domination].
"Kugh!"
A sword slipped through a gap in Cotton Guard and grazed my arm, drawing blood.
Even using 'Acceleration', being in her space meant I was still too slow.
I widened the distance and activated 'Rune Barrier.'
The barrier expanded from my body, covering half the arena.
"Let's finish this...!"
Once the Rune Barrier fully cut off the space around me, the suffocating pressure vanished.
Realizing I was completely free of Nam Daeun's [Spatial Domination], I shouted and began casting spells.
I summoned fireballs and fire lances with both hands—double casting.
Nam Daeun, standing opposite me, smiled.
"This is the end!"
She must have thought I'd finally run out of options.
Her purple-glowing sword shone brilliantly as she slowly sliced through the air. A slash that transcended space should've split me in half and ended the match.
But... my body wasn't cut.
"Huh?"
A flash burst in front of Nam Daeun's eyes as she let out a confused sound.
Normally, she wouldn't have fallen for it, but I caught her in that moment of confusion, and she reflexively shut her eyes.
"Khuhp!"
She quickly came to her senses and raised her arms to protect her head and body—but my spells wouldn't miss.
The fire lances slipped through the gaps and pierced Nam Daeun's body.
She had failed to defend properly and took my magic head-on, so the injuries would be severe.
If I finished it now, the match would be over.
Despite her shredded body, Nam Daeun still held her sword, but there was resignation in her eyes.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Nam Daeun]
- [ Affection: 31 ]
- [ Lust: 20 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 33 ]
Current Status: It hurts, but I have to win. I must win. If I lose... I have no choice but to kill them all and die.
"...."
My mind, fired up by battle instinct, cooled down a little.
Could I help Nam Daeun right now?
Maybe, if I used every connection I had.
Im Sol, Baek A-Young, Moon Surin, even Elise.
I had so many capable girls around me. If they all helped, it might be possible.
But using other heroines to help me conquer another heroine... no matter how I looked at it, that wasn't right.
Of course, I had considered using the Iris Guild Leader commission Elise gave me on Nam Daeun, but that didn't count as direct help.
Given my current growth, I could save Nam Daeun within half a year.
My skills, my position—if I tried to save her now, I'd need help, but by then, I wouldn't need it.
So for now, stepping back was the right choice.
Honestly, I kind of wanted to teach the rude Nam Daeun a lesson... but I also felt bad for her. Heroine conquest takes priority.
I looked at Nam Daeun, sword in hand, preparing to block my attack. I began drawing a magic circle, then canceled it, clutching my chest and dropping to one knee.
"Graaagh!"
I couldn't just forfeit here... so I had to pretend I was out of mana.
All Nam Daeun had to do now was take the chance and cut me down... but she just stood there, watching me.
'What are you doing?! Hurry up and hit me!'
★ Heroine Status Window
[Nam Daeun]
- [ Affection: 31 ]
- [ Lust: 20 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 33 ]
Current Status: Mana exhaustion without warning...? Could he be doing this... because of me? I have to surrender. But if I do... Dahee will...
Maybe the act was too sudden—seems like Nam Daeun caught on.
But I thought Nam Daeun, with her deep care for her sister, would strike me down without hesitation even if she figured out the act... but she didn't. Her obsession with managing her image had become her downfall.
Just then, Elise suddenly came down from the stands and caused a scene in front of the arena.
"R-Referee! Cadet Lee Hoyeon isn't looking good! Stop the match immediately!"
Elise's panicked expression threw me off even more.
'What the hell is she doing?'
The referee, clearly troubled by Elise charging down to the arena, called for the staff.
Nam Daeun was still standing there, pupils trembling, seemingly unsure whether to attack me.
"Referee!!! Stop the match!!! If he dies, it's on you!!!"
Elise was making a bigger scene than me.
"Cadet Lee Hoyeon, if there's an issue with the match, speak up so we can act."
The referee ended up asking me directly.
I didn't know what to say. I hadn't planned on surrendering, but if Elise was going this far, I might as well.
"I-I'll forfeit."
For the sake of method acting, I closed my eyes and collapsed spread-eagle.
"Emergency patient! Emergency patient! Call an ambulance!"
'...Is this really okay?'
I was carried out of the arena on a stretcher.
Whatever vehicle that was, it dropped me off at... the infirmary.
"We meet again, A-Young."
"...There's nothing wrong with you. Why were you brought here on a stretcher?"
Baek A-Young, having rushed out at the mention of an emergency patient, tilted her head in confusion.
It must have shocked her to see me being carried in on a stretcher.
"...Sorry."
★ Heroine Status Window
[Baek A-Young]
- [ Affection: 87 ] (+0.4)
- [ Lust: 73 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 35 ]
Current Status: C-Could it be... he came just to see me...?
'If I came to see you, why would I come in on a stretcher...'
I still couldn't figure out how this woman's brain worked.
After Lee Hoyeon was carried out, the finals ended.
With Lee Hoyeon's mana exhaustion, Nam Daeun took first place.
But Nam Daeun didn't feel happy at all.
'He let me win.'
She had known from the time he offered her a drink that Lee Hoyeon's acting skills were trash.
She still didn't know how her Space Slash was blocked, but she was sure he had noticed her move. His attack had stopped just as her own had failed.
The match was essentially over the moment she took that critical hit. She had just barely managed to stand with her sword.
Unlike her near-collapse, Lee Hoyeon still had full momentum. There was no way he would suddenly suffer mana depletion like that.
'I lost... Lee Hoyeon must've wanted first place too... but for me...'
How arrogant must she have been to think he'd let her get second. And yet, she ended up the winner.
It was because of the phone call with her sister before the match that Lee Hoyeon had let his guard down and forfeited.
"Haa... I'm trash."
It was like selling out her sister to win first place.
Still, in the end, it was fortunate.
Thanks to Lee Hoyeon, she had taken first place.
It was the same as him saving both her and her sister's lives.
'I have to repay him for this.'
Nam Daeun vowed to properly thank Lee Hoyeon for giving her that victory.
The day after the practical exam. Victoria Academy conference room.
All the first-year professors had gathered, looking at the hologram monitors in front of them.
"Now that the one-on-one duels are over, let's tally up the scores."
Practical exam grading was done collectively by all professors.
It was to ensure fairness and give the most objective scores possible.
"Since Nam Daeun won the one-on-one duel... she'll probably be first overall, right?"
"Yeah, considering how much weight that duel carries. No one who won it has ever failed to be first in the practicals."
"Hmm... everyone, take a look at this for a moment."
While the talk was all about Nam Daeun, one female professor brought up a new document on her monitor.
It was a report on Nam Daeun's attitude during the team exam.
"Ah... she still hasn't fixed this, even during midterms. I'm pretty sure it was pointed out during the dungeon training too."
"Right. She has absolutely no communication or teamwork."
"Honestly, it felt like Lee Hoyeon was the key player in their group. He had similar combat strength, but he held back and focused on the team. His situational awareness was outstanding."
"Isn't that exactly the kind of talent we want in dungeon exams?"
Lee Hoyeon was already a complete package.
Most cadets in training tended to get drunk on their own power and ignore the surroundings, but Lee Hoyeon showed no such arrogance.
In fact, his ability to piece together clues, find paths, and predict boss monsters was at pro hunter level.
"He also set a new record in the real monster training. Stage 10 in 9 seconds—that's unheard of."
"How strong must his mind be to break through the 'Nightmare of Hamel Dungeon' in just 9 seconds? It's absurd."
"Maybe he has some kind of skill related to willpower. Either way, Lee Hoyeon's scores are looking great."
The female professor checked Lee Hoyeon's scores and entered the totals into the hologram monitor.
"Oh? Wait a minute. Even with the one-on-one duel factored in... Lee Hoyeon's total score is a bit higher."
The one-on-one duel was weighted heavily, but Lee Hoyeon had still finished second in it.
Plus, Nam Daeun had lost to him in the other two exams, so the scores flipped.
"That's a shame for Nam Daeun. She won the duel but still placed second."
One professor shook his head.
"Her team exam score deduction was just too big. It can't be helped."
"There's a big gap between her and third place, Elise, but first and second were neck and neck."
"Then let's finalize the top scorer of this practical exam as Cadet Lee Hoyeon. We'll announce the results after all exams finish, right?"
"Yeah, we'll do the announcement after next week's tests."
'Guess I don't need to step in.'
Watching from among the professors, Im Sol felt relieved that Lee Hoyeon had taken first place without her needing to intervene.