novelraw Chapter 69 : Gate (4)
Chapter 69 : Gate (4)
Sring!
Su-hyeon, running at the very front, drew his sword.
'Mana shield.'
Su-hyeon covered his blade with a Mana Shield instead of sword energy.
'Because I can't kill them.'
The first principle of fighting Ma-in.
The Execution Force must not kill Ma-in unless special authorization is given.
Therefore, Su-hyeon essentially created a harder and unbreakable training sword by thinly coating it with a shield to dull the blade, and.
'Eye Power.'
Kiiiiing!
Using his extremely sensitive dynamic vision, Su-hyeon positioned himself where attacks couldn't reach and delivered four slashes in one breath, sending five Ma-in flying.
Crash!
Then he struck a Ma-in who was trying to exploit an opening from the side with his left fist, turning its jaw, and.
Thud!
Like kicking down a door, he delivered a deep front kick, sending another Ma-in flying shield and all.
"Whew, no joke!"
Nam Tae-hoon, who had been hiding behind Su-hyeon's shadow, sprang forward.
Whoosh!
A large-bodied Ma-in swung a halberd toward Nam Tae-hoon as he rose into the air, but.
"Where are you looking!"
Nam Tae-hoon's form disappeared and suddenly popped out from behind a shadow.
Slash!
After slashing the ankle, Nam Tae-hoon immediately approached another Ma-in and stabbed his dagger into its side, and.
"Kaak!"
He struck its temple with the blunt handle of the dagger, knocking it unconscious, and.
"Oops!"
He tripped it, making it fall and get punched by Kwon Seung-yeon.
For Nam Tae-hoon, this chaotic battle was truly like his own playground, and.
Swoosh! Bang-bang-bang!
Yoon Ga-ram's long-range sniping pierced the abdomen, thigh, or arm of the Ma-in, neutralizing them one after another.
But today's most notable ranged dealer wasn't Yoon Ga-ram.
"5 meters ahead! Support at 3 o'clock!"
[Okay.]
Following Kwon Seung-yeon's firepower request, Park Chang-jun's tremendous bombardment continued.
Siiiiiii-
A rain of energy bullets crossed the battlefield, and.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
They overturned the ground at the targeted spot, blowing away all the Ma-in.
Charging into the tattered formation with collision force was Kwon Seung-yeon, who requested firepower and then sprinted at full speed.
"Haaaap!"
Her characteristic, 'Weight Control,' showed tremendous effect at times like this.
Making her body light as she ran, then increasing her weight 100-fold at the moment of collision.
The impact, reminiscent of knights' lance charges, sent the Ma-in flying like bowling pins.
"That hit feels good!"
Kwon Seung-yeon grinned as she nimbly avoided three Ma-in rushing from the side with footwork and lightly delivered flicker jabs.
Bwack! Bwack!
But the lightly extended jabs gained enormous weight at the moment of impact, sending the Ma-in flying like hammers.
"Uoooooo!"
Finally, Sung Do-kyung, who had the 'Body Enlargement' characteristic, concentrated his mana only on his right arm, creating an enormous volume of forearm.
"Huaaaap!"
The enlarged giant's right arm swept away the Ma-in.
"Kyaaaak!"
Thanks to his arms being wrapped in a special material with excellent elasticity, his body could be protected from external injuries without leather like a lycanthrope.
Hook, back blow, hook again.
To put it more simply, it was a basic attack of swinging his arms left and right.
But even with just that, Ma-in below D grade couldn't withstand it and were blown away.
"Making fighting look easy!"
"Kahaha!"
Meanwhile.
Hwang Ji-su's battlefield control, overlooking all this from afar, was truly exceptional.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
She complemented the ice whenever there was collapse or damage, while also.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
Attacking Ma-in by firing ice spikes and ice lances, and.
"All of you just freeze!"
When she had spare capacity, she concentrated her power and scattered cold air to freeze them all at once.
"...Amazing."
Yoon Ga-ram, seeing this overwhelming firepower, stuck out his tongue.
Even in the realm of 'subduing without killing'.
Hwang Ji-su's ability was exceptional.
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The instructor team, led by Kim Cheol-han, was watching the training of all three teams together on a large split screen.
"The cadets' combat power is certainly different compared to when they were admitted."
"Yes. Their growth curve is very steep."
"Team Seo Jun-seong is taking an orthodox approach."
"Indeed."
Under Seo Jun-seong's performance, who swept away Ma-in below D-rank alone using psychokinesis with powerful output.
Kang Geon-woo subdued Ma-in like heavy infantry, while Jeremy McGarr and Han So-yul ravaged the flanks with outstanding mobility.
But the cadets with the most notable battlefield dominance weren't them.
"Kim A-yun's lightning strike is certainly tremendous in its destructive power."
"Hmm."
Seo Jun-seong solved Kim A-yun's problem—that her power extended in all directions without direction and was difficult to control—very simply.
Lifting Kim A-yun's body with psychokinesis, moving her to where the Ma-in were concentrated, and then.
"Hmmmph!"
Kim A-yun's electrical discharge with her eyes tightly shut.
That alone was enough to electrocute many Ma-in, rendering them unable to act.
"If Kim A-yun can better control her ability, she could become a truly formidable Awakened in the future."
The instructors' gaze turned to Team 2 with Lee Yu-jin and Hong In-hyeon.
"A strategy of surrounding the Ma-in with Oh Min-seon and Hong In-hyeon's abilities before annihilating them. This is also good."
"Low-level Ma-in can't break through Oh Min-seon's asphalt walls."
Choi Min-ah's magic rapid-fire, Go Do-il's charge, and Lee Yu-jin's exquisite swordsmanship.
Team 2's operation execution ability also deserved good marks.
"Personally, Team 3 is the most impressive."
Kim Cheol-han nodded at an instructor's words.
"Unlike the previous two teams, they chose tactics to block walls front and back, then divide into three directions for individual crushing."
Looking at just that itself, it wasn't worthy of such high praise, but.
"The role distribution and resulting efficiency stand out."
Also, thanks to the containment lines created front and back, they even impressively covered demonic beasts trying to break through the containment line outside, occasionally evading attention.
"This should earn them bonus points."
"Yes."
Those confronting them were the three people providing firepower support with long-range attacks from the rear.
"Park Chang-jun!"
"I got it!"
Especially the sniper Yoon Ga-ram with the "Accuracy" characteristic, who first detected escapees with his excellent eyesight and fired precise arrows, and then.
Park Chang-jun's precision bombardment followed where the arrows flew.
"Kieee......"
The Ma-in, almost neutralized this way, were then frozen by Hwang Ji-su's cold energy, completing the subjugation.
Crackle!
Seeing the Ma-in freeze in an instant, Hwang Ji-su snorted.
"Small fry."
By the way.
"You guys have quite good coordination?"
Hwang Ji-su, who had devised this method on the spot, smiled showing her white teeth with pride.
"Hahaha! That's right!"
"Hmph."
Park Chang-jun rubbed his nose as if embarrassed by the praise.
"Well, we're still far from done. Do you all have enough stamina?"
"Of course!"
Park Chang-jun also seemed to be finding energy in the smoothly proceeding battle situation.
"...The most impressive thing is precisely that."
Kim Cheol-han, watching the three with his arms crossed, said.
"Look at how they've properly found a place for that talkative and uncontrollable Park Chang-jun."
"Hmm. It's impressive."
"This fight has raised the tactical capacity to utilize Park Chang-jun's abilities on the battlefield to another level."
Until then, Park Chang-jun had only used his characteristic by indiscriminately firing and bombarding to form a fire net.
But.
"The overwhelming mana quantity coming from the 'Mana Tank' ability is by far the strongest among the cadets."
"Yes. A tactic of receiving firepower requests and delivering precision bombardment based on that. This is a method even we hadn't considered."
Kim Cheol-han smiled with a pleased face.
"The effect is truly remarkable. It's like infantry easily traversing and finishing off enemy territory devastated by fire support."
"Unexpectedly, we're seeing Park Chang-jun in a new light in today's battle."
"Though he can't yet use high-powered magic, if he someday raises his level enough to learn advanced magic like Choi Min-ah, that firepower will be a great merit on the battlefield."
"To be honest, I didn't expect much because of his personality and temperament."
An instructor admitted that his thinking was wrong as he stroked his chin.
"Now... he looks a bit different."
"Whose idea could it be? Jeong Su-hyeon? Hwang Ji-su?"
"It seems to be Jeong Su-hyeon."
Kim Cheol-han answered, recalling the scene where Su-hyeon called Park Chang-jun separately for a conversation.
"Hmm."
"That Jeong Su-hyeon, really."
The instructors' admiration now turned toward Su-hyeon.
'Jeong Su-hyeon, you...'
Kim Cheol-han thought as he watched Su-hyeon sweeping away Ma-in in a corner of the screen.
Furthermore, if Park Chang-jun ends up caught by Su-hyeon like a mouse and losing his edge?
'That's quite good.'
It seemed like a good picture could emerge.
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"This is too easy, isn't it? Have we become too strong?"
Su-hyeon cautioned Nam Tae-hoon, who was getting excited.
"It's going to be different from now on."
If all the Ma-in they were facing in this event were just small fry, there would be no reason for the instructors to give advance warning.
'Still far to go.'
First, it starts with Phase 1.
"Here they come!"
"Those guys don't look ordinary!"
"Stay alert. They're not ordinary."
The strongest enemies in Phase 1, boss-level Ma-in corresponding to B rank, could be seen moving in the distance.
"All three seem to be at least B- rank?"
Hwang Kyung-soo tensed up, recalling the memory of five people struggling against one Ma-in during the previous practical, but.
"Don't be scared. We're not the same as back then, are we?"
Kwon Seung-yeon raised the atmosphere by bumping fists with spirited vigor.
"Kwon Seung-yeon, Sung Do-kyung! Each to the left and right!"
"Got it!"
Su-hyeon also relayed instructions to the rear.
"Hwang Ji-su supports Sung Do-kyung, Park Chang-jun supports Kwon Seung-yeon!"
"Okay!"
"Nam Tae-hoon, I'm counting on you!"
"Okiki."
After completing the deployment, Su-hyeon directed his gaze forward.
"Kill all of them."
A Ma-in that could use short language despite having just transformed.
This meant it was quite high-ranked.
'Weapon is a short spear. Wearing light leather armor, and has a slender build.'
Su-hyeon, who deduced this just by scanning the fighting style from hunter days, disabled the Mana Shield and unleashed sharp sword energy.
Swoosh!
The sound of air being pierced passed over Su-hyeon's head.
It was three arrows shot by Yoon Ga-ram with full power.
'Spine-chilling sound.'
One flew straight, one aimed to pierce downward from above, and another curved like a boomerang, targeting the blind spot in vision.
"!"
The Ma-in, sensing that the power was no ordinary matter, immediately responded.
After easily avoiding the arrow that flew in a straight line by bending its body.
Tat-ta-tak!
It spun its body once using the spear blade and shaft, deflecting both arrows.
'Considerable skill!'
The Ma-in's defensive posture, which didn't lose alertness toward Su-hyeon even while making large movements, truly gave the feeling of someone accustomed to fighting, but.
"!?"
Nam Tae-hoon, who appeared beneath the Ma-in's feet, first severely cut its ankle, then swung his dagger multiple times, completely disrupting the Ma-in's posture.
"Kraak!"
The Ma-in, screaming in pain, drew spear energy from the spear blade and stabbed at Nam Tae-hoon, but there was no way it could reach him as he had already hidden his body between shadows.
"Well done."
Su-hyeon immediately attacked the Ma-in whose posture and concentration had already collapsed.
"Keu!"
The first attack belonged to the Ma-in with a much longer range.
The Ma-in, quickly regaining posture despite its confusion, delivered a lightning-like triple thrust targeting the upper and middle sections.
It was a fierce thrust that would create air holes all over the body of an ordinary opponent before they could even perceive it, but.
'Force, speed, and trajectory are all imperfect.'
In Su-hyeon's eyes, the limitations of an attack created clumsily with a shaky posture were clearly visible.
'Just bait for a counter.'
Shuk! Shu-shuk!
Su-hyeon, accurately seeing the trajectory of the spear, avoided one by tilting his head, one by bending his left shoulder, and.
Clang!
After parrying the last thrust with his sword, he immediately threw a left straight at the Ma-in's face.
Bwack!
The Ma-in managed to receive the attack with its forehead in the emergency, but feeling as if its brain was being concussed from the unimaginable power, it momentarily stiffened.
'Got it!'
Not missing this opening, Su-hyeon kicked the wrist holding the spear shaft and struck the other side with the back of his blade, making the Ma-in release the spear from both hands.
"Kuk!"
Clang-rang!
Almost simultaneously with the spear falling to the ground.
Su-hyeon grabbed the Ma-in's collar with his left hand and executed a full-body throw by sweeping its inner leg, instantly slamming the Ma-in to the floor.
Bwack!
The Ma-in, falling head first without a chance to break its fall, lost consciousness right there.
It was a fight concluded literally in the blink of an eye.
"Hmm. Is that all?"
"Good heavens!"
Even the watching instructors widened their eyes.
"That combat power is really...?"
"Unbelievable."
"As expected, Jeong Su-hyeon is incredibly skilled in fighting. It's somehow different from dimensions like strength, speed, and characteristics."
"He literally just fights extremely well."
"Yes."
Kim Cheol-han nodded.
'He pierced the opening created by Yoon Ga-ram's sniping and Nam Tae-hoon's surprise attack with extreme precision and settled it in an instant. A quick attack I'd like to put in a textbook.'
The corners of Kim Cheol-han's mouth involuntarily rose.
But.
"It won't end this easily."
Kim Cheol-han smiled.
"This is where Phase 2 begins."
The true stage of the test was about to open.