Chapter 113: How to Use Space Magic Sigh... What the hell is this geezer senile-ranting about now?
And why is Bukgeuk-jwa already here?
In Yggdrasil, there's this system—or maybe a regulation—for "additional successful candidates."
I'm not exactly sure how they're selected, but after one semester passes, extra freshmen are brought in.
The students who got in through the regular process, especially the ones with nasty personalities, tend to look down on them as failures or leftovers. But as far as I'm concerned, they're basically Heroine DLC.
One of those Heroine DLCs is Bukgeuk-jwa, Fei Chen.
She's one of the few elegant beauties in this game who gives off that "wise mother and good wife" vibe.
Well, it's only a "vibe," though.
On the outside, she carries herself like a noble and chaste lady, but her hidden true personality is that of a perverted, greedy woman.
You can tell just by her nickname in the community, "Bukgeuk-jwa," can't you?
Fei prefers women.
She's the primary culprit behind the "environmental pollution" that slaughters polar bears—meaning, while she walks around acting all virtuous, she soaks up the respect and adoration of the female characters, only to use that to pick them off one by one behind the scenes.
That said, she's not a total lesbian, so she's not exactly Akito's rival. If you play your cards right and romance her, she'll eventually bring other girls along for threesomes or whatever.
She's a character that any player aiming for a harem route must recruit, as she helps a lot with courting other heroines, and some heroines can only be accessed through her route.
This geezer is also a byproduct of the process of courting Bukgeuk-jwa, so in the actual game, this dojo only opens up around the middle of the second semester.
So why is she already here?
I don't have a time log for every single character, but inferring from the lines I remember, she was supposed to come to the geezer's house—which is close to Yggdrasil—after her admission was confirmed.
Is her admission already confirmed? No, that can't be right. Erin definitely held a meeting with the teachers to finalize the additional candidates around the middle of the break.
No matter how much I mess around, it's hard for me to influence things that far out. The only possibility is that they already knew she was going to pass.
Fraudulent admission?
Hmm... Come to think of it, with the geezer's status, he'd probably know whether she'd pass or not.
So that's why she's here early. There was no need to tell a regular student that they knew about the admission in advance, so the dialogue in the game just said she stayed at the geezer's house after the announcement.
"Gigolo, are you getting cold feet now that it's time to actually do it?"
While I'm lost in thought because of Bukgeuk-jwa, the geezer sneers and provokes me.
Seriously, that mouth of his. I really want to give it a good smack.
"No, it's just that I realized there's nothing in it for me."
"Nothing in it for you?"
"Exactly. What's my reward if I win? It's only good for you—I mean, for you—if you win."
"Ho ho... How bold of you to make demands of me."
Typical geezer—arrogant and stubborn. If he weren't so skilled, he'd be nothing but a cancer-inducing old fart.
The geezer chuckles to himself and then looks at Bukgeuk-jwa.
"How about this girl? She hasn't found a partner yet, and though it's awkward for me to say it myself, she's a granddaughter I can be proud of—"
"I refuse."
I'm only supposed to scavenge what Akito discards.
She's great and all, but Bukgeuk-jwa is a solid addition to Akito's party; I can't just snatch her up. Even getting involved like this right now makes me uneasy.
"..."
"Ah, I mean, the lady's own will is important too. While the decision of the family elders matters, I don't think it's right to proceed with things while ignoring an individual's wishes."
"Ho ho ho! So you're not just a beast in heat."
When I rejected his granddaughter, the geezer's expression turned terrifying, so I quickly made an excuse.
Fortunately, he seemed to take it well. He chuckled, nodded, and then rested his chin on his hand, observing me intently.
"Then what would be good? However, let me tell you this much: no matter what you do, you won't be able to beat this child."
He sure loves his granddaughter.
Among the Heroine DLCs, Bukgeuk-jwa has the highest level and the best base stats.
But do you know what, old man? Among players who like to customize builds to their taste, your granddaughter isn't that popular because her level is already too high to tweak much, and she has a fatal weakness.
"All I have is this dojo and my magic. If you beat this child, I will teach you one magic of your choice. Does that satisfy you?"
Now that is tempting.
The geezer's specialty is barrier magic.
Just now, he set up a barrier around the dojo using only his stick to prevent me from escaping.
Setting up barriers well can make things very uncomfortable for an opponent.
Since my fighting style involves forcing the opponent to attack me, this kind of annoying magic is essential.
"Fine. But don't blame me if your granddaughter gets hurt."
"Ho ho, that's what I should be saying."
Before I knew it, Bukgeuk-jwa had changed from her fluttering one-piece dress into clothes more suitable for fighting.
She's all geared up.
If I fight too coolly here and Bukgeuk-jwa falls for me, that'll be another hindrance to Akito, right?
I should try to be somewhat disliked...
"..."
Looking at her face, it seems I don't even need to try to be disliked.
Hey, weren't you supposed to be putting on an act in front of others?
Normally, Bukgeuk-jwa would keep a smile on her face even in front of someone she hated, never showing her true feelings. But right now, she's glaring at me like I'm her sworn enemy.
Did I... say something wrong?
Because I said I wouldn't learn from the geezer? Because I rejected the marriage proposal? Whatever it was, I haven't done anything that should have broken this fake lady's mask.
I just can't understand it.
I shake my head and change my stick into the Etiquette Infuser.
"Ho... It's been a long time since I've seen someone use a blunt weapon. Are you a madman, or was the one who taught you a madman?"
Don't people usually say "either a madman or a genius"? Why are both your options leading to the same conclusion?
Stop the bat-hate already.
As the Gag Brothers scurried out of the training ground after getting scolded by the geezer, a barrier formed around us, creating an arena.
Bukgeuk-jwa, who had tied her black hair into a ponytail, pointed the tip of her thin blade toward the floor.
She stood with her arms relaxed as if beginning a sword dance, her right foot slightly forward. It was a cool stance.
Like Yukina, she didn't have overly large breasts or hips, but her long limbs gave her a model-like aura.
Under her calm eyes and long eyelashes, her orange eyes smoldered with rage as she glared at me.
What exactly did I do so wrong?
While I was still questioning it, Bukgeuk-jwa lunged at me before the geezer even called for the start.
She closed the distance in an instant, extending her arm for a long thrust. I scrambled to dodge.
"You're crawling on the floor like a damn beast!"
Stop with the play-by-play commentary.
Ignoring the geezer's boisterous laughter, I reached into my pocket.
Even while attacking, Bukgeuk-jwa's sharp gaze didn't miss my movement. She moved her hand quickly, knocking away all the coins I threw.
I threw a handful of coins right in front of her, and she swatted every single one of them down.
"...Are you mocking me?"
Bukgeuk-jwa came to a halt, frowning as she looked at the coins scattered all over the place.
Well... using coins as hidden weapons is a bit of a stretch.
But you know, these are damn expensive.
"I'm being serious, though?"
As I smirked while flipping a coin in my hand, Bukgeuk-jwa glared at me and then lunged with another thrust without any warning.
As I dodged the fierce thrust, the coin I couldn't catch fell to the floor, and I teleported behind her.
I'm not going to hit you~ No need to be so scared.
When I vanished from right in front of her, Bukgeuk-jwa hurriedly turned around and swung her sword through the air, but I was already far away, almost pressed against the barrier.
I'd been wanting to practice what I learned from August in a real fight anyway, so this worked out perfectly.
"Space magic... What a repulsive bloodline."
Now it's not just blunt weapons, but space magic hate too?
Is there anything this geezer doesn't hate?
Bukgeuk-jwa tried to attack while keeping short-range teleportation in mind, but I slipped away using magic every time.
August said his magic was a clumsy attempt to overcome the limits of a mediocre talent.
He said it could only be activated by using specially made... and therefore incredibly expensive... coins as a medium.
But as long as the magic works, does the method really matter?
Sure, it requires coins, but for teleportation magic, the mana consumption is low, and it can even be used on other targets.
It's the perfect magic for someone like me who has plenty of money but lacks mana.
"It seems all you know how to do is run away."
"Didn't the geezer teach you how to taunt? Your words are pretty weak."
When I gave her a bright smile, Bukgeuk-jwa bristled and charged, but every time she got close, I slipped away with teleportation.
Unless she's a mage-type who's used to long-range combat, she can't catch me.
How can you catch someone who's leaping through space just by running?
I expected the geezer to start swearing because it had turned into a game of tag instead of a duel, but unlike at the start, he was watching me silently and intently.
It felt like I was being analyzed, which was unpleasant.
Frustrated by me just dodging here and there with a coin in each hand, Bukgeuk-jwa stopped her attack, glared at me for a long while, and then stood in the center.
Since I wasn't attacking, she took a moment to concentrate, then lowered her sword tip to the floor just like at the beginning.
Maybe it's because my skills have improved, but I think I can tell now.
I could feel the surrounding air growing heavy, the space around her becoming rigid.
This isn't something you can see with your eyes; it's only felt through intuition. Coming from a world where such things don't exist, this is the best way I can describe it.
Anyway, it meant she was about to do something.
"I can thrust seven times in a single breath."
Not even a triple strike, but seven? Is that even possible?
Suddenly boasting about her skill, Bukgeuk-jwa scanned the coins scattered on the floor with calm eyes.
"There are a total of 34 coins on the floor. In terms of probability, it's about one in five. Some coins overlap in a straight line, and since you're trying to stay as far away from me as possible, I can predict your movements to some extent, so the probability will decrease even further."
"..."
"I'll tell you what's about to happen to you. You will be pierced by my sword and fall to your knees."
Ah, so we're playing a game of probability now?
Although her attacks are thrust-heavy, it's not like Bukgeuk-jwa lacks long-range options.
Just by thrusting, she can push out mana or wind, giving her a reach longer than her sword, and she has techniques to fire that energy.
Seeing as she's including coins that are out of her sword's reach, she's saying she'll settle this with long-range attacks.
And it's incredibly disadvantageous for me.
Bukgeuk-jwa can attack as many times as she wants as long as she doesn't get hit, but if I keep dodging, I'm bound to get hit eventually.
No matter how much I play mind games or put on a show, if the attempts are repeated, I'll eventually get tagged.
...Wait? It doesn't matter, does it?
I'd forgotten because I was practicing August's space magic, but my original style is fighting while getting hit.
Still, it's a bit of a shame. Frey said that even if I have a specific build I'm growing, I need to learn various combat methods.
Let's try a little harder.
I fiddle with the coins in both hands and wait for Bukgeuk-jwa's attack.
After a moment of silence, Bukgeuk-jwa's attack begins without any telegraphing.
At the same time I felt her relaxed arms move, long, thin lines scattered in all directions.
"Guh—!"
While I was flipping the coins in both hands, my shoulder was pierced.
How is a thrust this heavy?
As my mana barrier defended, it seemed to create a strong repulsive force; unable to withstand it, I was pushed back and rolled across the floor.
"Did you think you wouldn't get hit if you stayed still? Such shallow tricks won't work on me."
"You're the one who shouldn't be staying still, you know?"
Bukgeuk-jwa, who had been sneering, frowned at my smile and then looked at the coin that had rolled to her feet.
She flinched and tried to pull her foot away, but the magic had already been activated.
In an instant, Bukgeuk-jwa vanished.
I had thrown two coins instead of dodging the thrust.
One was at Bukgeuk-jwa's feet, and the other I had thrown as far as possible, high into the sky.
Bukgeuk-jwa, who had been swapped with the coin sent flying high, seemed momentarily surprised to find herself in mid-air, but she soon ignored it and began to fall, pointing her sword tip toward me.
The judgment and reflexes to grasp the situation immediately, the will to attack, the sense of balance to take a stance in mid-air, and the physical ability that was excellent in both offense and defense... Her overall stats are great, but you have one weakness.
Ting, ting!
I flip two more coins with a slight interval.
One flies past her, high up, and the other targets Bukgeuk-jwa as she closes in on me.
As soon as Bukgeuk-jwa swats it away, the magic activates, and she is swapped with the coin that flew high into the sky.
"I'll tell you what's about to happen to you from now on. You know about free fall, right? If you calculate the acceleration, d²y... uh... what was it? Ah, screw it, I don't know. Anyway, you're going to keep free-falling until you slam into the ground."
I keep throwing coins upward, sending the falling Bukgeuk-jwa back up high.
Bukgeuk-jwa has outstanding stats, but her one fatal flaw is her weak magic resistance.
She can endure being beaten physically, but if she's hit with pure mana, her mana barrier gets shredded. That's why, along with Angelica, she's a difficult character to handle in the game.
Normally, one would ignore such forced movement through resistance, but not Bukgeuk-jwa.
As her falling speed gradually increases, I start throwing handfuls of coins into the sky.
Bukgeuk-jwa tries to stop it somehow by firing thrusts at the coins or at me from mid-air, but there are too many coins, and my mana barrier is sturdy.
"Shall we keep going? If you get any faster, you might get hurt."
When I ask while tossing coins upward, the geezer watches me with a grim expression before letting out a small sigh.
"Stop. She's lost."
"Grandfath—"
Boom!
Sorry, I stopped as quickly as I could because I felt like I was losing control too.
Bukgeuk-jwa, who was about to say something to the geezer, slammed into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
"Miss Fei!"
"Fei, are you okay!?"
These pieces of trash are worried about Bukgeuk-jwa, not me.
As soon as the barrier opened, the Gag Duo rushed to support Bukgeuk-jwa, but she stood up on her own.
As expected, her physical defense is strong, so she still has some mana barrier left.
However, it would have been dangerous if I'd repeated it a few more times.
"Child, haven't I told you repeatedly? You need to compensate for your weaknesses. Magic isn't simply about hitting and blocking."
"I am sorry."
The geezer, who had approached and scolded Bukgeuk-jwa, turned around, looked at me, and bowed his head slightly.
"I express my gratitude for your consideration. Thanks to you, the child wasn't hurt."
Oh—I've been promoted from a beast to a human.
I'm grateful, but the geezer's kindness—something even Akito never received—is just awkward.
And so is the gaze of Bukgeuk-jwa, who is glaring at me as if she wants to kill me.
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