novelraw Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66: Lily Evans
A training ground densely lined with numerous circular sparring arenas.
Simultaneous duels began with the instructor’s command, and fierce battles unfolded everywhere.
The atmosphere inside the venue continuously heated up with clashing fighting spirits and competitive desires.
One of the circular sparring arenas.
A girl with impressive bright yellow blonde hair and green eyes stood leisurely on one side.
Lily Evans.
Reputed as a genius telekinetic user, she had ended all consecutive battles so far with a single simple hand gesture.
And opposite her.
Ryu Jinwoo, holding a wooden sword with his black hair hanging down, stood facing Lily.
His expression was calm and his steps were indifferent.
Not even a particular tension was revealed.
‘What is supposed to be special about this person?’
Lily’s gaze scanned Ryu Jinwoo thoroughly.
A cadet with nothing special on the surface.
However, Ju Yeonhwa was wary of this man and requested Lily to observe him.
She thought she should at least test whether he was a person worth doing so.
At the moment when everyone stood in their respective arenas facing their opponents.
The instructor’s whistle blew briefly.
“Starting the last round of today, Round 7!”
Simultaneously with the whistle, Lily raised her power without delaying even for a moment.
As she drew her hand down immediately, the force hovering around her naturally responded.
Kuguguk─!
The empty air above his head undulated, and heavy pressure was applied from above Ryu Jinwoo.
He momentarily twisted his body and moved his feet, showing a gesture to dodge.
However, he couldn't escape outside the range where Lily applied her force.
Because the entire small circular arena was the domain of telekinesis spread by Lily.
At some point, Ryu Jinwoo’s shoulders were crushed down as they were, and he was slammed onto the floor.
Sand splashed as if exploding, and the central part of the circular sparring arena sank deeply.
“…….”
Lily looked down at Ryu Jinwoo’s figure expressionlessly.
‘……Weak.’
Weak to a perplexing degree, and also helpless.
On one hand, it might be a natural result.
Ryu Jinwoo, whom she had investigated so far.
Basically, he was a Non-Awakened.
There was no way he would have resistance to magic power, and his physical training must have had limits too.
So it must be why he is so helpless against the force Lily applies.
Ultimately, innate talent and conditions were lacking. Significantly at that.
Talented prospects gather at Zero Academy.
But among them, there were prominent ‘special ones.’
Lily’s gaze naturally turned from Ryu Jinwoo to the side.
Battles taking place in surrounding arenas caught her eye.
Right next to them, a boy with dark reddish-black hair hanging calmly stood.
Soft golden pupils quietly stared at the opponent facing him.
A brief moment passed.
Swish-
He moved instantly leaving an afterimage, and delivered a sword strike to the opponent’s nape.
Pit-!
The moment the wooden sword touched the neck, a sound like a thread snapping rang out.
Too light a blow, but the result was never light.
“…….”
The opponent’s pupils dilated instantly as if the soul had escaped, losing focus.
Soon, he collapsed slowly as if tilting forward and rolled on the floor.
The boy’s name was Lee Junhyeok.
A person famous as the son of the Sword Emperor.
Having finished bowing to the opponent with perfectly composed movements, he slowly exited the arena.
The movement was simple.
A single strike extended straight towards the neck.
However, that speed and accuracy were never simple.
Lily’s gaze moved to another arena.
There was Seol Hayun with silver hair fluttering and red eyes flashing.
Certainty was embedded in her every movement.
As if revealing her thorough personality.
The moment the opponent’s fist flew towards her face.
Pajit-!
Flames compressed in front of the fist then flashed with a small explosion.
The flames were neither big nor flashy.
But just the repulsion exploded within that small range was enough to bounce off the opponent’s fist.
A defense achieved thoroughly efficiently.
Simultaneously, the opponent’s abdomen was momentarily exposed wide open.
Ppeok-
With a dull impact sound, Seol Hayun’s fist dug deep into the opponent’s abdomen.
“Uuk……!”
The opponent vomited a painful groan and collapsed just like that.
On the abdomen he was clutching, traces of being scorched black as if clothes were burnt remained clearly.
Lily’s brows narrowed.
Such precise operation even while handling the attribute of fire, which is difficult to control.
‘……As expected of Ju Yeonhwa-nim’s granddaughter.’
An appearance of overwhelming the opponent using only the necessary amount of power at the necessary moment.
Seol Hayun brushed her hair back without even a sign of catching her breath.
‘Ultimately, it means if one has ability like that, they thoroughly toy with the opponent.’
In front of real talents, the majority inevitably become overwhelmingly helpless.
Even here where prominent prospects gather, ranks were divided.
Lily prided herself on understanding that structure better than anyone else.
Because she, too, had thoroughly trampled on those trying to climb up from the top of the pyramid.
Just like Ryu Jinwoo is suffering now.
Before she knew it, Ryu Jinwoo, who was buried spread-eagled unable to withstand the pressure, showed no movement.
It seemed he had already given up.
That’s why it had to be strange.
‘Nothing particularly special seems to be there…… Why is Ju Yeonhwa-nim wary of this person?’
Whether looking at his actions or looking at this appearance, she couldn't feel any value to be cautious about at all.
Just when Lily naturally harbored doubts.
“…….”
The sand made a crunching sound—kkudeuk—and hollowed out.
Slowly, Ryu Jinwoo placed his arm on the ground.
His fingertips grabbing the sand began to tremble.
Shoulders that were wobbling unsteadily tightened firmly, and the body that was spread-eagled gradually lifted upwards.
Gradually, the upper body began to lift.
The pressure crushing down—kkuuk—was felt all over the body, but he didn't yield.
Drops of sweat dripped from his forehead, then his weight was entirely placed on his knees.
“What…….”
Lily’s eyes narrowed.
Ryu Jinwoo was resisting.
Against the force crushing him.
He, who had been spread-eagled, had raised his upper body before she knew it and changed into a posture with one knee on the ground.
He should have definitely been crushed.
Normally, he should have fainted right there.
However, Ryu Jinwoo was rather regaining his balance by planting his feet.
Lily immediately increased the intensity of the pressure.
As if to crush the air, she added another layer of telekinetic force.
Kuguguk-!
The empty air undulated and crushed Ryu Jinwoo’s shoulders once again.
But his posture didn't collapse.
Rather, clearly, he was standing up.
Strength was visibly gathering in his upright posture and raised eyes.
‘This is, impossible.’
Lily’s brows narrowed.
With this level of pressure, even a Grade 7 demonic beast would have had its bones crushed and posture collapsed.
But he withstands that?
Magic power was not felt at all.
It meant he was enduring the pressure solely with physical ability.
“Phew…….”
Exhaling a breath, Ryu Jinwoo gripped the wooden sword.
Instantly, finally, he stood upright.
With a face gritting his teeth, he began to move his steps slowly.
Footprints were dug deep into the sand.
Following the suppressed pressure, the ground sank deeper.
However, wondering where the strength suddenly surged from, his gaze was not broken at all.
He was steadfastly moving forward in the middle of the whirlwind of pressure.
Suddenly, a chill ran down Lily’s spine.
She is the one applying pressure with telekinesis, but an illusion as if she was being crushed instead washed over her.
She instinctively raised her power.
Telekinesis poured down stronger as if crushing the air, and due to that recoil, her feet sank deep into the sand.
Nevertheless, Ryu Jinwoo didn't stop.
Finally, at that moment when Ryu Jinwoo reached right under her nose.
He raised his sword high.
“Stop.”
A cold and low voice suddenly rang out.
Instructor Hojin, who had approached before she knew it, firmly grabbed Lily’s wrist.
As the cool touch reached her, Lily’s body flinched instinctively.
His gaze settled mercilessly.
“Lily Evans. You have already exceeded the allowed magic power limit for this spar. I cannot allow any more for safety reasons.”
A warning ringing low.
Lily let out a rough breath and realized only then.
The fact that she had been using power exceeding the limit for quite a while without realizing it.
Hojin’s continuing voice was more resolute than ever.
“Knowing how to control power is also a quality of a hero. No matter how strong magic power you possess, if you cannot control it properly, it is disqualification.”
A painful rebuke.
Lily bit her lip tightly.
“……I was just excited for a moment. Control is no problem.”
“For that, you exceeded the limit for quite a long time.”
At Hojin’s words, Lily’s gaze fell to her wrist.
The output of magic power she emitted appeared from the smartwatch.
[61 arc.]
It was a figure exceeding twice the limit of 30 for this spar.
‘Not Grade 7, but Grade 6. Power enough to defeat even a mid-rank demonic beast.’
Lily’s head jerked up.
The figure of Ryu Jinwoo standing while panting was visible.
Ryu Jinwoo put down the wooden sword and opened his mouth.
“Instructor. Then did I win?”
Hojin looked at Lily and Ryu Jinwoo alternately for a moment, then nodded.
“That is correct. Lily Evans, disqualification due to rule violation. Any objections?”
“……None.”
The words ‘I want to object’ caught in her throat, but Lily nodded while barely suppressing them.
Right after that, Ryu Jinwoo turned his body and walked out without saying much.
It looked like strength had drained from his legs, and seeing him clutching his thigh, it was clear he was feeling intense pain.
However, even so, the scene just now was unbelievable.
‘He really withstood the power of a mid-rank demonic beast level with a bare body?’
There is something.
That thought brushed through Lily’s mind.
‘As expected, Ju Yeonhwa-nim also noticed something strange.’
She doesn't know if that person is dangerous.
But there is definitely something.
Something that is not revealed to others.
Lily thought she should watch Ryu Jinwoo in earnest.
***
‘Ouch, aching.’
It felt like dying.
Pain as if shoulders were being crushed, pressure felt intensely as if blood flow was blocked, and even fear coming from breath tightening.
But while enduring, I definitely felt it.
As the pressure became stronger, stats increased little by little.
I feel it every time, but converting pain into power, it truly is an ironic system.
I staggered and lay down on the bench as if drooping.
My thigh twisted as if having a cramp, and breath scratched my throat roughly.
[Lily Evans]
[Questioning, Curiosity]
On one hand, Lily was feeling curiosity watching me now. Enough to consider it ominous.
Well, it would be worth finding a bit strange.
Since a guy who was crushed from the beginning suddenly resisted the power and stood up.
‘But didn't Lily look at me a bit strangely since the first meeting?’
When I was led by Senior Jin Cheongha to the Student Council room and saw Lily by chance, she was already looking at me harboring huge suspicion inside.
Even after that, whenever we met by chance, she considered me uncomfortable.
I do get a hunch about one thing.
That Lily is a severe meritocrat.
Even if she acts politely on the outside, she is thoroughly meritocratic on the inside.
A personality that keeps close to talented people and deliberately distances herself from untalented people.
In other words, the tag ‘Non-Awakened’ attached to me might itself be a reason for Lily to keep distance.
‘But we have to get involved eventually.’
For the final chapter, Lily is also a position that must go together until the end.
That’s why I endured without giving up just now too.
Because it would be good to at least prove that I’m not a guy to be just ignored.
Plus, although it was a win by disqualification, since I achieved victory against Lily, I could get the highest score for this training.
Ding-!
[You have shown very good performance in the training evaluation.]
[10,000 SP is provided.]
[School Supplies Store Discount Coupon (-20%) is provided.]
Simply put, it’s a huge gain.
[Lily]
[Ominousness, Wariness]
‘…….’
It seems Lily’s gaze looking at me changed slightly more negatively, but it should be fine.
‘……Is it not fine?’
Well, I don’t know.