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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The Arena of Strife.
A cacophony of noise from the bustling crowd filled the air.
With a large number of Clarice students participating in the Ranking Matches, duels were held simultaneously in eight different arenas.
-Aren’t those two war heroes over there? Did you see their faces?
-Shh, be quiet! They’re the people I admire.
-Are they here to watch Kaelan Heath?
-Probably. This is the only notable match in the morning…
In the VIP seats of the coliseum where Kaelan Heath and Lev Denec were scheduled to duel, two war heroes were seated.
Scarlett, her blue hair shimmering, leaned towards Dustin and whispered,
“Is Umberto still unreachable?”
“Yeah. He should be here by now.”
It wasn’t typical for all ten war heroes to travel together unless it was a wartime situation, but this time, three of them, including Umberto, had planned to observe the academy’s ranking matches.
However, Umberto had been out of contact for days.
‘Sigh, who’s he helping this time?’
Scarlett sighed, then turned her attention to the ash-gray-haired boy in the arena below.
“That punk, he’s definitely not ordinary, is he?”
“Most likely not.”
Their mission, as direct representatives of the imperial family, was to scout potential candidates for the Hero title, those who could purify sanctuaries and fight demons.
There might be hidden gems among the student body, aside from the well-known prodigies like Kaelan, Melissa, Aveline, and Lily.
Dustin himself was a prime example.
The first duel they had chosen to watch was, naturally, Lev Denec’s.
“A battle between a B-rank and an S-rank…”
Dustin had reviewed Lev Denec’s records and discovered his victory against an upperclassman archer.
Though overshadowed by Kaelan, Lev Denec was undoubtedly someone worth keeping an eye on.
Moreover, they had witnessed his prowess firsthand…
At that moment, a man approached them.
“Ah, there you are.”
“Sir Regillus… or should I say, Guild Master?”
“Haha, is that what I am now?”
Regillus, the former captain of the Imperial First Knight Order.
His impeccably white skin was marked only by a deep furrow in his brow, and his slicked-back hair, held in place with pomade, gave him a distinguished air.
His demeanor was serious rather than approachable, making Scarlett uncomfortable during her time as the Imperial Mage.
‘Ugh. This guy, here?’
She had heard that he had retired from the Knight Order and established his own guild, Crow Fae, which was rapidly expanding, but she didn’t know his true motives.
As the three exchanged awkward greetings,
an announcement echoed from the magic-powered speakers.
-We will now begin the first-year Ranking Matches, Group A-4.
“It’s about to start.”
At Regillus’s words, everyone turned their attention to the arena.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“B-rank, Lev Denec, S-rank, Kaelan Heath, step forward.”
I met Assistant Instructor Bella’s gaze, which seemed to say, “You again…?” We faced each other at her signal.
-Woooooo!
-Kaelan! Show us what you’ve got!
‘This is… a bit nerve-wracking.’
Being the first match on the opening day of the Ranking Matches,
a larger crowd than I had anticipated was gathered to watch our duel.
-Wooohooo!
-Fight!!! Show us what an S-rank is capable of!
The roars of the crowd were different from anything I had experienced in games or novels.
This was real.
Most of them were probably here to witness the downfall of yet another arrogant challenger who dared to defy Kaelan.
Kaelan, with a warm smile, extended his hand for a handshake.
“Long time no see. I thought you’d chicken out after refusing my challenge at the last minute.”
“Why would I pass up a free promotion?”
My nonchalant, provocative response was met with a chuckle.
Yes, I hoped this smile would be his last.
‘It’s showtime.’
Countering Kaelan was, in a way, the first step in surviving this academy.
Even if I managed to deal with him, there were the third and fourth years, leagues above the first and second years… and then there were the constant monster attacks and betrayals.
This academy life was truly… amazing.
-Wooooooooo!
As the cheers continued, Bella began explaining the rules.
“The detailed rules of the ranking matches, victory conditions, and disqualification criteria will be according to the regulations set by the academy.”
Unlike the boisterous crowd, the atmosphere of the ranking matches was solemn and serious.
Apparently, having an announcer hype up the crowd and incite trash talk was considered disrespectful to the nobles, a relic of the past.
That damn novel author was obsessed with these useless details and historical accuracy.
“If both of you are ready, please equip your protective gear.”
I put on the duel gear as instructed.
‘No Ash Grey Scatter Shot, no demonization, no Hermit.’
I steeled myself, and the announcement echoed through the arena.
-The Group A-4 match will now commence.
Bella began the countdown.
“30 seconds to start.”
-Shift.
Kaelan subtly adjusted his stance.
The Ranking Matches weren’t about killing each other.
But beneath his smile, a chilling intent was palpable.
He definitely saw me as an eyesore, someone he wanted to crush.
-Ding!
‘Damn… he’s strong.’
He had grown even stronger in the past few days, according to my ‘Demon Eye’.
To curb his insane growth, I had to succeed with ‘Parasitism.’
The key was making him steal this [Parasitism – Fireball].
‘Sigh…’
Let’s review the novel’s events.
During his ranking match against Edwin,
Kaelan initially had the upper hand, but as Edwin’s ‘Tenacity’ and ‘Execution’ traits activated, he started losing ground.
Just as the scales tipped in Edwin’s favor,
Kaelan used ‘Copy’.
This implied that even that shameless author wouldn’t make ‘Copy’ a skill that could be spammed endlessly.
There had to be a trigger, perhaps when he was pushed to his limits, when his ‘Carnage’ mode activated.
The novel described Kaelan’s reaction at that moment as
‘Well, it seems I have no choice…’ or ‘Now, let the real battle begin.’
‘Typical self-insert behavior…’
To create that scenario, I needed to replicate Edwin’s fight as closely as possible.
I had to provoke him, rile him up.
-10 seconds.
Kaelan was a close-range fighter.
His posture was relaxed, but he was poised to strike.
I, on the other hand, was a ranged fighter, and he would be anticipating my first move.
-5 seconds.
He wouldn’t charge directly at me.
Even if it meant taking a detour,
he’d rely on his agility and pursue me.
-1 second.
But I wasn’t far behind in terms of agility.
The Spirit King’s blessing had boosted my stats.
Most importantly, Kaelan at this point… lacked real-world combat experience.
That was his weakness.
-Begin!
-Whoosh!
He vanished the moment the signal to begin rang out.
I remained calm.
-Whizz!
I calmly activated [Wind Archery – Second Style, Wind Barrier].
-Ding!
[25 Wind Energy consumed! 135/160]
I had spent the past few days practicing this technique.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Victory required strategy.
But for Kaelan, a genius, such notions were meaningless.
‘The difference in skill is obvious.’
Victory was a foregone conclusion.
It was more about figuring out how to prolong his opponent’s suffering than devising a winning strategy.
He couldn’t be too brutal; there were too many eyes watching, and he couldn’t risk Lev Denec fleeing.
But he felt no compassion for this boy.
His primary goal was to crush that indifferent face, to inflict pain.
-Begin!
-Dash!
Kaelan launched forward, charging towards Lev Denec.
-Whizz!
And as expected, an arrow flew towards him.
Its trajectory… was too slow.
-Clang! Clang!
He deflected a few, then dodged the rest effortlessly,
minimizing his movements.
He closed the distance, preparing for a direct confrontation.
Fighting a ranged opponent was simple.
Archers typically initiated the first attack,
and Lev Denec was no exception.
‘…?’
But that was all he did.
He had expected him to use those cheap tricks he had witnessed during the duel with Gailon, but there was nothing.
-Clang!
The distance was closing, but there was no rapid fire, no multi-shot.
‘What? Is he looking down on me?’
As Kaelan evaded the incoming crossbow bolts and finally reached Lev,
‘Just… die.’
… he unleashed a flurry of attacks with his twin swords, exploiting his speed.
-Clang!
A barrage of sword strikes…
Left, down, right… confining Lev’s movements, he pressed his attack.
-Clang! Clang!
His movements were swift, precise, and controlled, a deadly dance.
-Woooo!
-He’s so fast!
But despite the cheers from the crowd, Kaelan’s attacks weren’t inflicting any significant damage.
‘Is he using some cheap trick…?’
The duel swords lacked power, and a strange, transparent barrier surrounded Lev.
‘So he’s relying on that?’
Kaelan scoffed at his opponent’s pathetic reliance on gimmicks.
As Kaelan paused his assault, momentarily creating distance, Rev retaliated.
-Whizz!
“!”
A crossbow bolt whizzed towards him through the brief opening.
-Cling!
The bolt, which would have been a direct hit, was blocked by the sword in Kaelan’s left hand, held in a reverse grip.
“Sorry, but those cheap tricks don’t work on me.”
“Too bad.”
“What?”
Lev’s indifferent expression fueled Kaelan’s anger.
-Clang! Clang! Clang!
His sword strikes became faster, more relentless.
-Crackle! Zap!
The barrier was magic.
It had to have limitations, and although Rev was originally an aspiring mage, he was now an archer.
If he pressed his attack, he would find an opening.
This was why, in a battle between a ranged and a melee fighter, the moment the archer engaged in close combat, the outcome was practically decided.
-Boom! Clang!
He relentlessly attacked, Rev Denek barely managing to block, unable to retaliate or even aim properly.
-Clang! Clang!
His controlled, elegant strikes
-Crackle!
… were becoming increasingly brutal.
After dozens of exchanges,
-Thud!!
…he felt it, that satisfying sensation that sent a thrill through his body.
‘There it is.’
He had landed a clean hit on Lev.
-Thud! Clang!
‘That crossbow is useless at this range, isn’t it?’
Lev Denec could no longer fight back.
The mysterious barrier had shattered.
He was simply dodging, trying to minimize the impact, his movements purely defensive.
But his expression remained unchanged, his face betraying no pain, no emotion.
Kaelan’s rage intensified.
-Growl…
His blood boiled, excitement coursing through his veins.
His vision narrowed, focused solely on Lev Denec.
His Inheritance ability, ‘Carnage’, was taking over,
urging him to kill, to slaughter.
At that moment,
-Thud!
“!!”
Lev stumbled, a soft gasp escaping his lips, his defenses wide open.
Kaelan wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
He focused all his energy on a single point.
‘This is it.’
-Whoosh!!
-Clang!
“?!”
-Shatter!
But his attack was blocked by multiple layers of Lev’s Wind Barrier.
“?”
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Kaelan.
-Thud!!!
A heavy, dull thud, and the red-haired figure crashed to the ground.
-Thump.
He rolled, tumbled, his world spinning.
-…
A cold, hard sensation against his cheek. A throbbing pain in his head.
-Wooooooooo!!!
-What the helllll!!
Roars and screams from the audience.
A cacophony of voices.
‘Ugh…’
Instinctively, Kaelan rose from the ground.
“…Ugh…”
Lev Denec stood before him, having created distance, gripping his crossbow like a club.
While Kaelan had been fixated on the crossbow’s firing trajectory,
Lev had slammed the weapon into the side of his head.
‘You… bastard…!’
He had been careless.
Lev hadn’t intended to use it as a ranged weapon, nor did he care about his reputation as an archer.
That stumble, that exposed weak point… it had all been an act, a setup for a devastating counterattack.
“This… is pissing me off…”
The impact had been amplified by his own momentum.
His head pounded,
his vision blurring.
But Lev Denec must have taken considerable damage as well.
“Huff… huff…”
He actually seemed more exhausted.
His movements were impressive, but his lack of stamina and strength was evident.
And if necessary, Kaelan could always resort to magic.
But… he didn’t want to win that way.
-Woooo!
He had already shown a moment of weakness to the entire audience,
‘Hehehe… hahahahaha!!!’
… and to control this overwhelming rage, he needed to make Lev Denec truly understand the difference in their power.
Therefore, he would use Lev’s own tactics against him.
-Stumble.
Kaelan pretended to stagger, as if still disoriented from the blow.
-Wooooooo!!!
The crowd roared,
giving him time to deliver a final blow.
‘Come on, show me your pathetic tricks, you trash.’
He had ‘Resilience’, ‘Immunity’, and a divine gift… the Inheritance ability to copy any magic or swordsmanship technique he witnessed.
He wouldn’t be careless again.
He would simply bait out his opponent’s special move, copy it, disarm him, and retaliate with his own stolen technique.
And then…
-Flare!
…the crossbow erupted in blue flames.
-Throb!
“Ugh…!”
A chilling voice echoed in Kaelan’s mind, still reeling from the blow and fueled by adrenaline.
-He was using… blue… blue Wind Archery… Wind Archery…
Information about Lev Denec, from Selena.
Kaelan smiled.
‘Thanks for the meal…?’
It was showtime.
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“Cheap tricks?” Asks the human version of a cheap garbage back that only works in the head of an amateur writer
Ohhh, I see. So that’s why Lev used the parasite skill on himself. I completely forgot about Kaelan’s copy ability tbh, even though it’s been a major plot point.
Oohh, that’s kind of smart, having Kaelan copy his parasitized fireball by making him think it’s his wind archery.
Cocky sadist vs cold blooded killer. The red goblin didn’t stand a chance
Unfortunately meal contaminated
Hmm, as expected. Now, how will Kaelan cope with it, I wonder? I doubt it will be enough to put him out of commission in the long term, considering how overpowered he is he’ll probably find a way to neutralize it eventually, but how long will it eat away at his talents for?