I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 103 : Credit Snatching (1)

‘I almost burned them.’

I thought, snatching the headbands of the two students who had collapsed, clutching their thighs.

Because the [Arrogant Young Master] debuff had come up after a long time, I had no choice but to be excessive with my hands.

“Go, I won’t chase you.”

As I gestured with my eyes as if granting mercy, the two students limped away. With this, I had obtained 4 credits.

It wasn’t a bad start. I wrapped the white headbands around my neck and scouted the surroundings.

According to the rules, the snatched headbands had to be tied to a visible place like a limb or neck so that they could be targeted.

If this was violated, it would be recorded by the instructors who were hiding nearby and watching with eagle eyes, and the credits would be confiscated.

‘Next up is the blue headband.’

The maximum number of credits that could be obtained by snatching headbands was a total of 24. For this, I needed two blue headbands and two black headbands each.

I moved through the bushes, hiding my body.

Unlike the white headbands, which were at most at the level of a first-rate master, the mid-tier blue headbands were those with skills ranging from a proficient first-rate to the peak.

It would be tricky if I met them in a many-on-one situation, even if it was a one-on-one.

With that in mind, I was walking secretly when I suddenly felt a presence brush past my qi sense. I could feel it instinctively. That the other side had also noticed me.

As I kept silent, hiding my presence, a heavy voice was heard from beyond the bushes.

“Why don’t you come out?”

Paaang-!

At the same time, a tree was pierced through, and a sharp fist wind blew. I reflexively stepped on the Spirit God Step and retreated.

‘This is bad luck.’

What revealed its appearance beyond the bushes was a black headband, Mo Yonghan.

“Is that Zhuge Cheonwu? I guess I can get my revenge for the friendly exchange match last time with this opportunity.”

He approached with a grin, holding a wooden sword. I gauged the distance with Mo Yonghan and brought up the matter.

“Think carefully. It’s a foolish decision to fight me for just one blue headband. You wouldn’t not know that I was the winner of this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, would you?”

Unlike the white headbands, who couldn’t even properly gauge my skills, Mo Yonghan would have a rough idea of my current realm.

The act of fighting a peak-level master to get just a blue headband was a losing battle in itself.

But it was the same for me. Mo Yonghan was a master who was among the top three among the intermediate students. I couldn’t be sure if I could win in a frontal fight, and even if I did, it was obvious that the physical exhaustion would be great.

“Your speech has gotten a bit short.”

“We’re the same intermediate students now. Are you dissatisfied?”

“It’s fine. It’s not wrong. As expected of a Zhuge family-like change of attitude. I had no intention of letting you go anyway. Because I’m a little short on blue.”

It was as he said. As I had glanced at earlier, the total number of students classified as blue was 18.

Since at least two blue headbands were needed to aim for the highest score, the calculation was that the five black headbands had to snatch at least 10 blue headbands.

Although arithmetically, about 8 people would be left, theory and practice were strictly different. Because the students were snatching and being snatched from each other, the blue headbands could be scattered all over the place or gathered in one place, and in the worst case, the possibility that more than 10 blue headbands would hide or form an alliance could not be ruled out.

Also, considering the additional variables such as the black headbands snatching more blue headbands to keep other students in check, the black headbands couldn’t just let the blue headbands they encountered go.

‘As expected, I can’t get away with it easily.’

There was a reason why the instructors had openly handed out the headbands earlier. It was to intensify the competition by indirectly informing them that the number each person could target was limited.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and held a wooden sword in one hand and a Daoist Scholar’s Fan in the other, forming a flame bullet at the tip of the fan and aiming it at the opponent.

“There’s also a way for the two of us to form an alliance and catch a black one, you know?”

“Unfortunately, I was properly burned by the sweet proposal of the Zhuge family last semester.”

The ground was deeply dug up, and Mo Yonghan’s entire body rushed in quickly. It was a secret and swift footwork that did not suit his large build.

I immediately fired three consecutive flame bullets that I had prepared. Mo Yonghan, who rushed in, deflecting all the flame bullets with a wooden sword clad in sword qi. His whole body accelerated in the midst of the scattering flames.

‘Incredible. As expected of a top-three master.’

Just by looking at the qi wave he was emitting and its speed, I could tell that he had reached the realm of a proficient peak level.

Just as Mo Yonghan, who had approached within 10 meters before I knew it, had a sharp glint in his eyes, I said.

“Let me tell you one thing. A sweet proposal isn’t the only thing you should be wary of.”

At the same time, I slightly stepped aside. Then, what was revealed was a highly compressed spear of flame lightning.

“It’s the intention of the proposal itself.”

“You deliberately bought time…!”

In the midst of the leap, it was too late to avoid. The spear of flame lightning, which had been hidden behind my back with a shadow curtain until now, was shot at Mo Yonghan along with my gesture.

Kwaaaang!

A single ray of light pierced the opponent, and a fire current and electric shock engulfed his entire body as if to burn it. Although his figure was not clearly visible due to the considerable power, I was not careless. I first retreated to create a distance and was preparing an additional lightning strike when.

Puwak-!

The flames swelled up and then were torn apart violently. Mo Yonghan walked out of the center of the karma.

“You’re tough. As expected of the Mo martial sect, which is said to be one of the best in the central plains in terms of the strength of their protective qi.”

“You…. You’ve completely changed from last semester.”

Mo Yonghan, who had briefly composed his breathing, immediately rushed towards this side. It seemed he had judged that he shouldn’t give me any more time.

I stepped on the Spirit God Step to create a distance and then flew a lightning strike when the opponent’s vision was blocked by a tree.

Pajut-!

But Mo Yonghan, who cut it down with his sword qi and narrowed the distance. I fired a flame bullet to block his mobility, and every time, Mo Yonghan either broke the magic or took it with his bare body and approached.

In the end, the distance was narrowed to just over 10 meters again. I could feel the ominous momentum that Mo Yonghan was emitting beyond my skin.

But he wouldn’t know, that in the midst of running away like this, I had made a big circle and had guided him to the very spot where we had first met.

I activated the formation, passing by the place where I had dropped the jade stone. Soon, the background, which had entered the range, began to flicker, centering on Mo Yonghan.

“A mere formation like this!”

But at Mo Yonghan’s strong stomp, the restraining formation exploded as it was.

‘As expected, a hastily made formation is useless.’

In the first place, a formation was an act of implementing a different space and a special effect by investing a lot of time and money in the best place and at the best time with the best materials.

Of course, it was difficult to get a big effect with a formation made on the spot. And even more so if the opponent was a peak-level master. It was rather a waste of energy.

‘It’s time to let go of the formation in a real battle.’

Although it had been useful until now, I had to fight against masters of Mo Yonghan’s level or higher from now on. In a world where victory and defeat were decided by a fraction of a second, there was no need to insist on a formation that wouldn’t work.

“Then how about this?”

I asked, exploding the magic that I had planted under my feet in advance.

Kwaang-!

The ground at Mo Yonghan’s feet, who had been rushing straight at me, exploded as it was, and flames soared. It was a kind of magic landmine.

“It’s just a petty trick!”

Mo Yonghan shouted, stomping the ground even more fiercely.

To think he had completely covered even his soles with protective qi. I thought there would be at least a little shock.

I exploded the additional magic that I had planted. Although it couldn’t inflict a big blow, it could slow down his advance or make him wary.

‘It takes stamina to maintain the protective qi. And besides, he has no choice but to be conscious of the ground now.’

The power of the magic landmine was not something to be ignored. Because it had worked to some extent on Seo Muk-ho, who had reached the peak of the peak.

As proof of that, Mo Yonghan was no longer chasing me along the path I had stepped on. Thanks to that, the path he had to traverse became longer, and the speed at which the distance was narrowing was decreasing.

‘But I can’t run away forever.’

There was a limit to creating a distance with traps and magic on the spot. In the midst of running away and attacking for just a few minutes, I had already consumed nearly a third of the mana in my circle.

‘I need to land a decisive blow soon. The distance is steadily decreasing.’

The problem was that protective qi. The hardness that could not be pierced even by a spear of flame lightning was tricky.

The natural enemy of a mage is a knight. The most frightening thing about a knight was that they could cut and endure magic and steadily approach. And Mo Yonghan was a martial artist who was faithful to the sturdy qualities of such a knight.

To sum it up in one word, the compatibility was not good.

‘I can’t win unless I break through the opponent’s defense.’

But the opponent didn’t give me a chance to prepare a bigger magic, and I couldn’t inflict any significant damage with the moderate magic I was making while running away.

But even if it flowed into a war of attrition like this, it was a situation where this side was more likely to fall first. It was a time when a change in strategy was needed.

After looking at myself, the opponent, and the surroundings for a moment, I decided on a way.

‘If I can’t break it, I’ll chip away at it.’

I created a flame with mana and burned the surroundings. The branches and leaves burned, and the trees in the area began to be engulfed in flames. I created a strong wind with magic and made the forest fire grow bigger. Since it was autumn and the time when it was getting dry, the forest burned hotly.

‘It’s not forbidden by the rules, so it should be fine.’

But in the meantime, the distance that had narrowed was precarious. I threw myself into the surging karma, and Mo Yonghan shouted.

“You’re crazy! Are you trying to burn to death together?”

“No, you’re the only one who’s going to die.”

I guided the flame with wind magic so that only I would be less affected. And I also put on a shield. I adjusted the flame while shaking off Mo Yonghan’s pursuit. In addition, I blocked his vision with the flames that were scattered all over the place, slowed down his feet, and endured.

The guy who was engulfed in flames while chasing had no choice but to keep his protective qi up.

I was also being consumed by guiding the flame with magic, but since the fire itself was caused by the burning of the trees, it was much more efficient than a normal flame magic.

It seemed that energy without carbon neutrality was cheap for this reason. On the other hand, the other side’s protective qi was an eco-energy that came from pure natural generation. The fuel efficiency was incomparable.

“How long are you going to run away!”

Mo Yonghan, who was rushing in stubbornly, blowing away the blazing flames from all directions with his sword qi and fist wind.

But the more he did, the more the spreading flames just blocked Mo Yonghan’s path.

Although he tried to run like crazy, this side was also at the peak level, and since I was using the Spirit God Step, which was at the highest level in terms of footwork, the distance did not narrow within 5 meters. On the contrary, when I controlled the fiercely rising flames and launched a counterattack as he approached, the distance gradually widened.

In the midst of the burning noise, Mo Yonghan’s roar was heard.

“You, you coward!!”

“What’s wrong with using the terrain?”

A short question and answer, and at the same time, I created a wind magic. In response, a wall of fire soared. But Mo Yonghan rushed in like a bulldozer, regardless of the flames. At the sickening sight, I gathered my mana again.

“You can’t just rush in recklessly…”

Just then, something was shot at a high speed from the front. When I reflexively raised my sword to block it, a heavy impact followed.

‘A wooden sword?’

It was a wooden sword imbued with sword qi. The unavoidable throwing attack that was shot from a close distance made my movement slightly waver. Although I tried to push it away by adjusting the flame, it didn’t work on him, who was firmly clad in protective qi.

‘He ate up the timing to shoot the magic.’

Originally, I should have shot a flame bullet to push the opponent away, but he had thrown the wooden sword at the right time to prevent me from doing that.

Mo Yonghan, who had exploded all the internal energy he had condensed for this moment, rapidly got closer.

To get close somehow, create an opening, and then rush in. It was a very simple strategy, but in order to realize it, he had to endure the agonizing time of his whole body burning.

Mo Yonghan had endured until now for this moment.

‘He’s persistent.’

Before I knew it, Mo Yonghan, who had approached within a meter, clenched his fist. Since the Moyong martial sect was originally famous for its fist techniques, its power was needless to say.

Kwaang-!

The fist strike that broke even the shield struck the wooden sword clad in sword qi.

I used the subtleties of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art to twist the fist path and retreated, dispersing the impact.

But Mo Yonghan, as if he wouldn’t miss the opportunity he had caught, rushed in fiercely. Fists that poured down like a huge sledgehammer.

The fists, which contained protective qi, were more threatening than an iron mace with each blow.

‘This is dangerous.’

In a close-range battle, the difference in realm with the opponent was absolute. I had to use this side’s advantage somehow to endure. I formed a shield at the opponent’s knee while blocking the fist strike with my sword to block his rush.

Although the shield that had been overlapped was broken by the foolishly kicking leg strength, it could at least slow down his speed and attack timing.

Although Mo Yonghan tried to stretch his arm fiercely even in a twisted posture, the fist that was swung without the connection of the lower body could not help but have its power significantly reduced.

I, who had barely raised my sword to deflect the opponent’s fist, immediately stepped on the Spirit God Step and escaped from the barrage of fists.

And I flew a lightning strike at Mo Yonghan’s face to make him defend. But even in the midst of the explosion of the electric current, Mo Yonghan persistently followed this side.

‘He’s damn tough.’

My wrist was tingling. If I hadn’t reached the peak level, I would have dropped my sword in one or two exchanges.

A situation where I might be shattered by a barrage of fists if I’m not careful.

There was a limit to blocking with a shield while strengthening my body with my blood and keeping him in check with flames from all directions.

In the end, a final blow was needed.

‘I’ll accelerate the circle to its limit.’

With the decision, the mana in my body resonated like crazy. The atmosphere, which had been shimmering with heat, trembled as if in sympathy, and the energy leaked out in all directions.

Kwaang-!

A deafening roar that was hard to believe had come from the clash of a fist and a wooden sword erupted right in front of me. I, who was barely enduring with my body strengthened by my blood, desperately formed a flame bullet.

Five high-density flame bullets, which were created by a momentary calculation that seemed to burn my brain, exploded on Mo Yonghan’s entire body.

Mo Yonghan, who flinched at that power and then rushed in again. In an instant, the ground he was stepping on exploded greatly.

The high-density landmine magic that I had planted on the ground while dividing the sum had hit.

The remaining mana was now about 10%. Ignoring the dangerously creaking circle, I was about to retreat and prepare an additional magic when.

Stagger-

Mo Yonghan, who was approaching, staggered on one leg. In the midst of the smoke from the explosion where the flames were dying down, his one foot, which was blackened, came into view.

‘Did I finally break through?’

What I had been pounding with flames and magic until now had paid off.

The protective qi that surrounds the whole body consumes a considerable amount of internal energy in itself. Of course, it’s impossible to maintain it for a long time in an extreme situation like this.

Thinking so, I was about to retreat. But my two feet wouldn’t listen.

‘Exhaustion?’

Perhaps because I had used up my mana and internal energy rapidly, my two legs were heavy. And Mo Yonghan, who had captured that moment, threw two fists into the air.

‘Fist qi!’

Although I raised my sword to cut one down, the other one hit my ankle.

“Keuk!”

For this weak body, even a shock of this level came as a big blow. I gritted my teeth, feeling the pain and exhaustion coming up from my feet.

‘It’ll be difficult to escape.’

I lifted my head and looked at Mo Yonghan, who was panting heavily. And then I held out my wooden sword at him, who was approaching like a zombie, limping.

Mo Yonghan, who couldn’t even properly maintain his protective qi, was clearly at his limit. But I was also at my limit physically, with my breath up to my chin.

‘I’ll bet everything on this one blow.’

I held the Daoist Scholar’s Fan and the wooden sword together and then put all my remaining mana into the sword. As if that wasn’t enough, I imbued the blade with flame magic.

The flames that had been dominating the area responded to the mana and its will and began to stick to the sword, swirling from all directions.

The fire sword, which was gradually growing in size, absorbing the surrounding flames.

At that fantastical sight, Mo Yonghan shouted.

“Hahaha! Good! I’ll brace myself too!!”

Mo Yonghan’s one arm swelled with muscles. The protective qi, which was concentrated only on his fist, turned a dark brown and then wrapped around his forearm like a lance. At the same time, his two legs, which were crouched, expanded as if they would explode.

Meanwhile, I also lifted the fire sword, which had grown to a size of 2 meters before I knew it. The blood vessels, which had been strengthened by my blood, seemed to explode at any moment, and my head and circle, which were maintaining the huge fire sword, were dizzyingly hot.

Neither of us could avoid it with our current mobility. Then, all that was left was to clash our full strength against each other.

In the midst of the battlefield, which was shimmering with a hot wind, our gazes intertwined, and soon, the figures of the two people rushed towards the opponent.

Flash-!

And the karma engulfed everything in the area.

(End of Chapter)