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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“A public showdown. I suppose you could call it that. The difference is that a real showdown would get you penalized, while this is perfectly legal and can even earn you extra points.”
“Hmm… okay…”
What I had proposed to Han Min-ha was the interpersonal combat evaluation, part of the end-of-semester practical exam.
It was a type of sparring match where students used the skills they had learned throughout the semester to neutralize their opponents by any means necessary.
There were no rules.
Anything was allowed, as long as no tools were used.
If the professors deemed a situation truly dangerous, they would intervene.
Other than that, students simply had to fight using their full combat potential.
It was the signature evaluation of Graford Academy, where students were assessed solely on their combat abilities, with the sole purpose of creating powerful heroes.
I was suggesting that Han Min-ha choose Song Do-yoon as her opponent in this evaluation.
“The interpersonal combat evaluation is an opportunity. Every year, not only academy officials but also broadcasters and headhunters from renowned hero agencies attend the freshman evaluations. What do you think they’ll think when they see a lower-class student overpowering an upper-class elite?”
Frankly, I was more interested in the end-of-semester evaluations than in the revenge.
Song Do-yoon’s revenge was merely a pretext and a source of motivation for Han Min-ha.
That’s why I kept persuading and encouraging her to seek revenge.
Everyone would agree that “I’ll crush the bitch who insulted me” was a stronger driving force than “I’ll study hard to get good grades.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“So, choose Song Do-yoon. According to the evaluation guidelines, if a student in the bottom 10% defeats an upper-class student, they receive bonus points. Conversely, the upper-class student receives a significant penalty and could even be demoted to a lower class. So, you have everything to gain. It’s a chance to move up to the upper class and drag Song Do-yoon down at the same time.”
“Yes… I understand.”
Han Min-ha slowly nodded, but her face was filled with anxiety.
I knew what she was worried about.
“You’re probably worried that you can’t beat Song Do-yoon. But don’t worry. Based on what I know about her abilities, she can’t beat you.”
No one knew what Song Do-yoon’s main ability was yet, but I suspected it was either telekinesis or taming.
When I asked other professors, they said she hadn’t displayed any significant abilities yet, but it had to be one of those two.
I believed she had used that ability to either pull the bird towards Han Min-ha’s window or tame it to carry out the attack.
Taming was a negligible ability in evaluations, so the key was telekinesis.
As an upper-class student, her telekinesis was likely quite strong, so I decided to focus on something that could counter it.
Han Min-ha’s heavy and dense Aura.
“Telekinesis is the ability to move objects without touching them. Your Aura is extremely heavy, so telekinesis won’t work on it.”
“Is that because both are Aura-based abilities?”
“That’s right. Aura-based abilities are best countered with Aura. You can neutralize her telekinesis with a concentrated burst of Aura and then strike her with a long-range Eye Ray.”
“Do I have to use Eye Rays? I’ll be in trouble if I miss.”
Han Min-ha was right.
It would be problematic if her decisive blow didn’t land.
“Then there are other methods. For example, you could force an Aura collision or engage in close combat. You can adapt to the situation as it unfolds.”
Han Min-ha could win.
Considering their abilities’ compatibility, Song Do-yoon was at a significant disadvantage, and Han Min-ha’s Aura was strong.
If Song Do-yoon’s ability was neutralized, Han Min-ha had a good chance of winning in a brawl.
“Anyway… let’s do our best. It’s almost time.”
“Yes, Professor…!”
Han Min-ha replied with a determined look.
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After experiencing the sense of accomplishment at the shooting range, Han Min-ha trained with incredible zeal.
For someone who had never achieved anything before, the feeling of accomplishment was intensely addictive.
Yoo Hee-won, despite her harsh words, was helpful.
She was especially valuable during close-combat training.
“Ugh…! That hurts…!”
“Get up! If you can’t even dodge that, you’ll never get a good score!”
Yoo Hee-won grabbed Han Min-ha’s dobok and pulled her up from the floor.
“If I had used Aura, your ribs would be shattered. Get back in your stance. Don’t look anywhere else; watch my feet!”
“Okay…! I’m watching…!”
“Your feet have to move first, before your fists or anything else. So, if you watch your opponent’s feet, you can predict their next move. Now, watch closely!”
Han Min-ha barely managed to block Yoo Hee-won’s lightning-fast kick, pulling her arms close to her body.
There was a loud thud, but Han Min-ha somehow managed to stay on her feet.
“Ugh…”
“Lift your head! You’ll die if you keep looking down!”
“Got it! Ugh!”
Yoo Hee-won’s fist grazed Han Min-ha’s ear as she quickly twisted her waist.
Even Yoo Hee-won seemed surprised by that dodge.
Her eyes seemed to say, “Not bad.”
“Good. Now let’s try it with Aura.”
Golden Aura flared around Yoo Hee-won, enveloping her body.
Not to be outdone, Han Min-ha also activated her violet Aura.
It wasn’t long ago that Han Min-ha didn’t even know what Aura was.
Now she could activate it at will.
Her learning speed was incredible.
Powerful sparks flew as the violet and golden Auras collided.
The intensity of their Auras was similar, creating a fierce spectacle.
“Alright. Begin.”
“I’m going to do my best this time, Hee-won. So… Wah!”
Han Min-ha was sent flying across the training ground by Yoo Hee-won’s attack.
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Han Min-ha’s special training continued.
Yoo Hee-won and I dedicated ourselves to honing her skills.
A forced march, practically dragging her by the collar, to make up for the time she had lost due to her inability to awaken her Aura.
If she didn’t get good grades this time, her future was uncertain.
As Yoo Hee-won put it, she was “destined to wallow and stagnate in the gutter.”
That’s why I pushed Han Min-ha so hard, even to the point of overexertion.
But despite the hardship, Han Min-ha didn’t give up.
Her desire for revenge against Song Do-yoon and the confidence she gained from awakening her Aura fueled her.
Meanwhile, Song Do-yoon continued to harass Han Min-ha, making sure Yoo Hee-won didn’t notice.
I had told Han Min-ha not to react or retaliate.
“Just back down. There’s no need to react to her.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“The further you pull back the bowstring, the stronger the arrow flies. Lull her into a false sense of security, then shoot an arrow right through her heart.”
“Yes…!”
Han Min-ha, with her eyes bruised from sparring with Yoo Hee-won, replied clearly.
“Good. Then let me give you a tip.”
I created a small, square Basic Physical Barrier in the air in front of Han Min-ha.
“This is the Basic Physical Barrier. It blocks basic attacks, and even if it breaks under a strong attack, it absorbs some of the impact, acting as a buffer. If you layer several of them, it can even function like body armor.”
“Yes. But is this the tip?”
“No.”
I slightly tilted the barrier, angling it.
“By adjusting the angle of the barrier, you can deflect attacks that would normally be too powerful to block. Or rather, redirect them. It can be very useful in a pinch.”
Han Min-ha observed my barrier carefully and then created a similar one.
“Well done. The Basic Physical Barrier, as its name suggests, is a basic barrier, but it can be created quickly and has countless applications. Always think creatively. On the ‘field,’ heroes with rigid thinking don’t survive.”
“Yes, Professor. I’ll keep that in mind!”
Han Min-ha replied energetically, creating a second barrier and connecting it to the first.
Excellent.
Wonderful.
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As the end-of-semester evaluations drew near, the atmosphere at the academy became quite tense.
It was a sensitive time, an opportunity for the lower classes but a potential crisis for the upper classes.
The faculty were working on creating the match-ups for the interpersonal combat evaluation.
They would create Plan A, based on their assessment of the students’ abilities, and Plan B, based on the students’ desired opponents.
Then, they would combine the two to create the final Plan C.
The entire faculty worked overtime for days, sweating over the creation of the optimal match-ups.
They had to avoid creating any unfairly one-sided matches.
In that respect, Han Min-ha’s choice of opponent became a hot topic among the faculty.
It wasn’t unheard of for a lower-class student to challenge an upper-class student.
And in such cases, it was customary to honor the challenger’s request.
But Han Min-ha…
“Professor, are you sure Min-ha… actually requested this herself?”
Jin Se-young whispered to me, looking at the match-up list.
“Yes. She said she really wants to move up to the upper class next semester.”
“Really? That’s admirable, but… are you sure it’s okay…? Song Do-yoon… she’s a bit scary.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo, overhearing our conversation, chimed in.
“Song Do-yoon? You mean the girl who acts like Yoo Hee-won’s secretary?”
“Yes. I know she’s skilled, but… isn’t she a bit… scary?”
“There’s no denying that. Honestly, I’m also worried about Min-ha facing her.”
I smiled and shook my head at their concerns.
“No, I think this is for the best. This is an opportunity for student Min-ha. We can’t take that away from her just because we’re worried.”
“That’s true…”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo nodded in agreement, while Professor Jin Se-young still looked uneasy.
But what could they do?
This was my plan.
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A few days later, when the match-up list was posted in the lecture hall lobby, the students reacted similarly to the professors.
[Han Min-ha – Song Do-yoon]
“Han Min-ha…? Who’s Han Min-ha?”
“Isn’t she the lower-class student who fainted during the basic evaluation?”
“What?! She’s going up against Do-yoon? Is there a mistake?”
Behind them, Yoo Hee-won smirked as she looked at the list.
“Huh? Interesting. Hey, Song Do-yoon. What’s this?”
“I don’t know.”
Song Do-yoon’s expression hardened as she looked at the match-up list.
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