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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Sun Wukong.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
The Monkey King of Journey to the West, wielding his cloud and staff, a master of shapeshifting and magic, with a strong affinity for spirits.
He was practically immortal, having consumed the Peaches of Immortality.
The author, aware of Sun Wukong’s overpowered abilities, had imposed a limitation on Sonny.
He was a reincarnator.
Of course, the readers had been outraged when this was revealed.
―But Sun Wukong is immortal! He altered the Book of Life and Death!
Immortal, and yet reincarnated?
The author clearly didn’t understand the meaning of “immortal.”
I remember the author’s response:
―This is a work of fiction. The setting is slightly different from the original Journey to the West. Sun Wukong’s soul was reincarnated after his immortal body was destroyed!
So, the reincarnated Sun Wukong had lost his physical abilities, his cloud, and his staff. And he was also free from his confinement under the Five Finger Mountain.
But hadn’t he already been freed in the original story’s ending?
Either way, he had been significantly nerfed.
The typical reincarnation trope involved gaining a stronger body and using your past life knowledge to your advantage.
But that wasn’t the case for Sonny.
He was weaker than his previous self.
But he had retained some of his innate skills, like shapeshifting and cloning.
And as a reincarnation bonus(?), he had a talent for daggers.
Though it was debatable whether that could be considered a bonus.
In the original story, the author had pushed Sonny towards the Ranger class, due to his skill with daggers and his shapeshifting abilities.
Sonny leaped forward, his daggers held in reverse grip.
His clones followed him.
Anya was overwhelmed, struggling to fight the multiple Sonnies.
Sonny darted past her, leaving a thin cut on Anya’s thigh.
Blood trickled down her copper-colored skin.
Anya swung her hammer, trying to swat him away like an annoying insect.
If Sepia and Tia’s duel had been a dazzling display of magic, this was a brutal brawl.
Small cuts appeared on Anya’s arms, legs, and hands.
And as she was injured, her brown eyes slowly turned red.
Crimson Mode.
A skill that enhanced her mental fortitude and physical abilities as her health decreased.
Anya had awakened it during the summer break.
The audience, which had been murmuring about the clones, grew louder as they saw Anya’s red aura.
“What’s that? Red mana?”
“Red mana is a sign of a Berserker!”
“Is Anya a Berserker?!”
Blue mana and red mana clashed, a whirlwind of energy.
Anya swung her massive hammer.
–Bam!
The ground cracked.
Two of the clones vanished. Sonny, taken aback by her sudden surge in power, muttered,
“What are you? Some kind of monster…?”
Anya’s red eyes glowed.
Without a word,
She charged, her hammer swinging towards Sonny. He twisted his body, dodging the attack.
But the hammer grazed his arm, severing it.
His arm flew through the air.
But Sonny used the momentum to spin and land behind Anya.
“Huh?”
Anya was precariously balanced at the edge of the arena.
“Just fall.”
Sonny kicked her.
Anya fell out of the arena. Everyone thought the match was over.
But she used her hammer as a pole, vaulting herself back into the arena.
And then,
She swung her hammer, sending Sonny flying. He crashed into the wall, his body crumpling like clay.
No one had expected that.
Sonny, back in the real world, snapped out of his daze.
“What the—?! That’s cheating! Referee!”
He called for the referee, who looked flustered. He had never seen anything like this before.
He went to consult with the professors.
After a few minutes of discussion,
The referee returned and announced,
“A ring-out occurs when a part of the contestant’s body touches the ground outside the arena. Anya’s weapon touched the ground, but her body did not.”
He paused.
“However, since this rule wasn’t explicitly stated, and Sonny was caught off guard, the judges have decided to declare this match a draw!”
Anya looked disappointed, and Sonny looked indignant.
The audience murmured.
It was an unusual outcome.
But the next match was about to begin.
Several matches followed.
There was Luban von Euphiros, whom I had dueled at the social gathering, and Raynel, whom I had asked to shoot Reus’s heel during the first semester finals.
Both Luban and Raynel won their matches.
And then,
It was time for the main event.
Tesha vs. Reus.
They stepped onto the stage and exchanged glances.
Tesha had almost defeated Reus during the first semester finals. But Reus hadn’t used his full power then.
And he wouldn’t use it now either.
His secret weapon was the armor forged by Hephaestus.
The armor he had donned during the battle against the Colossus.
He didn’t want to reveal it.
They were transported to the virtual arena.
“Reus! Fighting!”
Reus’s fans cheered from the stands.
He was a handsome demigod, and he had many admirers.
Sepia shouted, refusing to be outdone,
“Tesha! Crush him!”
Tesha glanced at the arena and smiled confidently. She twirled her sword and spoke, her voice low and steady.
“I look forward to our match, Reus.”
“Likewise.”
The match began.
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Everyone held their breath, their attention focused on the battle between the top two students.
Tesha lowered her stance.
She was excited.
‘Punishment! Punishment! Punishment…! If I win, Ethan will punish me!’
To the others, she looked like she was excited about the fight.
But despite her excitement and anticipation, Tesha remained calm. She had honed her skills in countless battles.
“Begin!”
The referee shouted, and Reus charged.
Their blades clashed, a flurry of attacks and parries.
Blue mana crackled in the air.
Thrusts, slashes, and parries. Reus retreated, then lunged, his spear aimed at Tesha’s chest.
[The God of War is amused by your battle.]
[The Goddess of Wisdom suggests you use your wisdom.]
[The Sea Goddess is cheering for you.]
Reus ignored the messages.
Tesha darted to the side, releasing more mana. She narrowly avoided his spear.
She had exchanged a few blows with him and knew she couldn’t match his strength. She would have to rely on her speed and magic.
Blue lightning crackled in her left hand.
—Crack!—
She unleashed a lightning spell. Reus swung his spear, preventing her from getting closer.
Suddenly, Tesha was standing on his spear, her balance impeccable.
“Tsk, nimble as a rat.”
“That’s a bit rude.”
Reus flicked his spear, and Tesha leaped back, landing gracefully.
He threw his spear at her.
Tesha didn’t dodge. She created a mana shield in front of her. But the spear pierced right through it.
[The Sea Goddess cheers at your prowess.]
[The Sea Goddess is your biggest fan!]
[The Sea Goddess…]
Thetis, Reus’s mother, was showering him with support.
—Clang!
Tesha, as if anticipating his move, deflected the spear with her shortsword. The spearhead flew past her, narrowly missing her head.
A few strands of her blonde hair fluttered to the ground.
‘He’s strong. I can’t fight him head-on. I’ll run out of mana.’
—Thwack!
The spear embedded itself in the wall outside the arena, its shaft vibrating from the force of the impact.
Reus reached for it.
The spear, pulled by his telekinesis, flew towards him.
But Tesha seized the opportunity.
She took two quick steps, closing the distance.
Her shortsword aimed for his chest.
Reus twisted his body, dodging the attack, then aimed a knee at her stomach.
Tesha ducked and slid backward, her shortsword slicing at his heel as she moved. The acrobatic maneuver made even the professors smile.
‘She’s targeting my weakness again…’
Reus leaped back, putting some distance between them. The wound wasn’t deep.
But blood was dripping from his heel onto the floor.
‘I can’t let this drag on.’
The spear, extracted from the wall, returned to his hand. He didn’t want to reveal his trump card, but he had no choice.
He hated losing more.
“Oh, Goddess, sing of rage.”
Reus chanted softly. Tesha’s unexpected attack had forced him to get serious.
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