I Became the Academy’s Hidden Skill Master – Chapter 109

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

A week passed quickly.

‘This is incredibly hectic.’

The most challenging part was managing his condition. After the ordeal with Raystember, his body wasn’t responding as he’d expected.

Though the events in the dreamscape felt like a distant memory, the mere thought of them was enough to trigger a wave of nausea and exhaustion.

‘At least I’m mostly recovered now.’

Time, as they say, heals all wounds. Seven days had been enough to bury the past, to push the trauma to the back of his mind.

‘So much to do…’

He’d spent most of the week responding to messages, rather than strategizing for the upcoming matches.

The sheer volume of correspondence was overwhelming. Handwritten letters from prominent guilds and knight orders like the White Blade, the Iron Blood Knights, and the Invincible Rod Guild—he couldn’t simply ignore them.

And it wasn’t just the established organizations; even independent merchants were clamoring for his attention, eager to sponsor him, vying to be the first to secure his endorsement. The number of offers was staggering, far exceeding what he’d expected, even considering his recent exploits.

‘It’s not just about the Death Meteor incident. It’s about the connections themselves. They want to build a relationship, to establish a link, regardless of my current status.’

Being a student entitled him to certain protections, but those protections wouldn’t last forever. In a few years, he’d be facing the demons directly, and building a strong network of contacts was essential for survival. The more connections he had, the better his chances.

‘Time for a final check.’

Before the strategy meeting, he opened his status window, assessing his current condition, taking stock of his strengths and weaknesses.

‘Two General-related titles…’

Both with the potential to reach level eight, offering significant long-term growth.

While his hidden skills remained capped at four, his overall stats were steadily increasing, his progress consistently upward.

With the Manaplate Armor equipped, he could now confidently take on a mid-rank demon, perhaps even solo. Garan had been a fluke, a victory achieved through a combination of circumstances, and Raystember… that had been pure luck, a series of improbable events aligning in his favor.

Like flipping a coin and getting heads twenty times in a row.

‘Something like that won’t happen again.’

Bad luck came in stages, and what he’d experienced so far, even at Final Destiny’s hardest difficulty, was merely a level zero tutorial.

At its worst, Final Destiny could end your game before it even began, a swift and brutal execution.

“Commoner, it’s almost time to start.”

“Ah, already?”

Lost in thought, he hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed. It was almost time to choose their opponents for the next round.

‘The winner-take-all system in the exchange competition is brutal.’

First place in the Territory Capture event granted the winning academy the right to choose their opponents first in the subsequent rounds. This advantage extended to all remaining competitions.

First place had the privilege of selecting their matchups, allowing them to strategically avoid stronger opponents and conserve their strength for later rounds. It was a significant advantage.

“Seriously, how badly did we mess up last year to end up with such a terrible record in every round?”

“Didn’t you watch last year’s competition? I can send you the recordings. It was a disaster, apparently.”

“I heard the commoner representative and the noble representative fought amongst themselves throughout the entire competition.”

“That’s… awful.”

Bellos and Mijuran’s words made Lee Seok-hyun frown.

Even he, accustomed to Final Destiny’s brutal difficulty, couldn’t comprehend that level of incompetence. It was one thing to make a few mistakes, but to consistently perform poorly in every single round?

‘Even if we managed second place in the Territory Capture event, if we finished last in everything else…’

He pushed the thought aside as the Velutos team appeared on the waiting room screen, ready to choose their opponents.

Since the order for choosing matchups was Velutos, Ruamos, Tanteroi, then Mirinae, they effectively had no choice in the matter.

Four academies competing meant a total of six matches. And Velutos had the privilege of choosing three of those matchups.

–And their first match is against Tanteroi. A classic matchup: mages versus knights. They’re clearly confident in their ability to exploit Tanteroi’s weaknesses.

–Indeed. While knights typically have the advantage in close combat, it’s not so simple in a controlled environment. Mages can use pre-prepared spells to reshape the terrain, creating obstacles and traps that can severely hinder a knight’s mobility, especially at the first-year level.

This year, Gainard wasn’t the sole commentator.

Lee Hwa-ryeong and Kerrar had joined him, likely due to the heightened security concerns following Raystember’s attack.

They were stationed at the front lines, ready to intervene if necessary.

This also allowed for a more comprehensive analysis of the matches, providing insights from each discipline: Martial Arts, Magic, and Other Studies, which would be invaluable for the students.

–And they’re leaving Mirinae for last.

–Of course. That’s the most strategic approach. It allows them to conserve their strength and observe the other academies’ strategies.

–It’s the right choice. Leaving Mirinae for last… It shows just how much they’re wary of that team.

Kerrar, clearly enjoying his role as commentator, enthusiastically analyzed the matchups, seamlessly transitioning between play-by-play commentary and strategic analysis.

–And Velutos has chosen to face Ruamos next. A classic strategy: defeat a weaker opponent first, secure an early victory, then use the rest time to observe and analyze the remaining teams’ strategies.

–Exactly. It’s a tried and true tactic.

–The other academies now have to decide who to face next. They can’t afford to leave Mirinae for last as well.

Having dominated the Territory Capture event, Mirinae was now seen as a major threat, a force to be reckoned with.

The other academies were treating them like a ticking time bomb, desperately trying to avoid being the last to face them.

And so, the matchups were decided.

Lee Seok-hyun stared at the screen, his expression grim. They’d been dealt the worst possible hand.

While he’d anticipated a challenging schedule, this was beyond anything he’d imagined.

They were last in every single matchup, which meant no breaks, no opportunities to rest and recover. It was a relentless gauntlet of back-to-back battles.

‘This is going to be brutal.’

Two matches at a time, or even three, would have been manageable, allowing for brief periods of rest and recovery between rounds. But six consecutive matches in a single day? It was a recipe for exhaustion and potential disaster.

And this was precisely the point of the team match format.

When facing demons, there were no guarantees, no assurances of a fair fight. You couldn’t always be at your best, couldn’t always operate at peak efficiency. Unforeseen circumstances could force you to fight when you were injured, exhausted, or otherwise compromised.

The compressed schedule of the team match was designed to simulate these unpredictable conditions, to test their ability to adapt and perform under pressure.

While he understood the logic behind it, the prospect of facing six consecutive battles was daunting.

‘We’ll be facing teams who’ve already had a chance to warm up and refine their strategies, while we’ll be starting cold.’

Winning or losing a match wasn’t just about the outcome; the very act of competing provided valuable experience, a chance to hone their skills and refine their tactics.

But they would be denied that advantage, forced to enter each match at a disadvantage.

“Let’s warm up and wait.”

“Okay.”

“Seok-hyun, could you help me stretch?”

“Of course.”

As soon as he suggested they use the remaining time to warm up and prepare, Mijuran approached him. Partner stretches offered unique benefits, allowing for deeper stretches and improved flexibility. He readily agreed.

“Seok-hyun, can I join?”

Meiri, so light he hadn’t even noticed her perched on his shoulders, poked her head down.

If there were levels to piggyback riding, Meiri would undoubtedly be the final boss. Whether through magic or some innate fairy ability, she could cling to him with an almost supernatural lightness. It was uncanny.

“Commoner, you might not be a commoner when we meet again after you grow up.”

“Oh, were you thinking that too? Me too.”

“What are you two talking about?”

Bellos and Woo Do-hyun’s cryptic comments confused him.

‘Do they think becoming a noble is that easy? If it were, I would have done it long ago.’

Kids these days, so naive. They had no idea how difficult it was to navigate the complexities of social mobility.

–A tingling sensation. A prickling of his skin.

A surge of killing intent.

Arak, the first-year representative from Tanteroi Academy, sensed something was amiss.

‘What is this? It wasn’t this intense before.’

He’d assumed his loss against Velutos was due to a type disadvantage.

His victory against Ruamos had been a fluke, a desperate gamble that had paid off, offering a brief glimmer of hope.

Both matches had been close, the outcomes uncertain until the very end. He’d believed he had a chance, a fighting chance.

But now…

‘I’m afraid.’

When he’d first met Lee Seok-hyun, he’d dismissed him as a clown, a jester meant to entertain the crowd before being unceremoniously eliminated.

But Lee Seok-hyun had defied all expectations, demonstrating the strategic brilliance of a seasoned general.

That’s why he’d believed Lee Seok-hyun would be less effective in the smaller-scale team matches.

Explosives were less effective in close quarters, and spider silk, while versatile, became a liability in a crowded arena where friend and foe were constantly shifting positions.

With Main Skills allowed in this round, Lee Seok-hyun, lacking one, would be at a disadvantage. That had been the prevailing opinion. That had been his hope.

‘But this is different.’

How wrong they’d been. Arak realized this the moment he saw Lee Seok-hyun.

The killing intent radiating from the Mirinae representative was sharp, predatory, like a snake eyeing a frog. It was a chilling presence that made his knees weak and his resolve crumble.

‘Impossible…’

Arak suddenly realized the source of that oppressive aura.

“Everyone, don’t be intimidated. That’s just Lee Seok-hyun’s Main Skill.”

“What? That’s his Main Skill? I thought it was just… killing intent.”

“Don’t be absurd. No one can generate that level of killing intent.”

Arak’s declaration – that Lee Seok-hyun’s Main Skill was the ability to manifest killing intent – reassured his teammates. If that was all it was, then there was nothing to fear. Their spirits, momentarily crushed, began to revive.

“Begin!”

But courage and confidence were no match for overwhelming power.

They were about to face a force they couldn’t comprehend.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇