The Academy Geniuses I Raised and Dressed

Chapter 122 : HAUT Duel (3)

“I’ll be back.”

Seo Yui spoke calmly and stepped down the stairs.

Jin Cheongryong and Seo Yui, huh.

Jin Cheongryong—the third-year vice president of Martial God Academy.

With stats of Strength S, Energy C, and Mental Power B, he was a melee-type damage dealer.

Yet, back when I played as a Martial God Academy student, I almost never recruited him as a companion.

“Take your places.”

After confirming neither of them had items to use, Abel separated the two.

“Begin!”

Jin Cheongryong, his fists clad in spiked gauntlets, charged.

In a blink, he closed the distance, his fist flying forward—while Seo Yui raised her shield.

Kwaaang!!

The impact didn’t sound like a human punch.

It was the booming crash of a boulder tumbling, dust exploding as if a blast had gone off.

With a sharp cry, Seo Yui parried his punch aside and thrust her spear.

Clang!

But Jin Cheongryong smacked it away with his fist.

Then he spun and snapped a kick toward her chin.

The air cracked.

Seo Yui twisted her torso, dodging. A few strands of her hair floated away, sliced clean by the grazing strike.

“Wow.”

“That’s insane.”

Rio and Zen exclaimed, faces alight with excitement.

No one else could tear their eyes from the clash.

The two exchanged several more blows before, as if on cue, both leapt back to create distance.

“Hm…”

A look of deliberation crossed Jin Cheongryong’s face. Then he lowered his fists to his waist.

A sudden gust of wind burst out.

“Uwah!”

“What the hell!?”

Students shielded their faces as dust swept over them.

So Cheongryong’s the first to use his ability.

I turned to Seo Yui.

She held her spear and shield steady, her expression unshaken behind that mask-like composure.

As the dust settled, a figure burst forth.

It was Jin Cheongryong—though changed.

“Wait—that’s Cheongryong?”

“His body… it’s transformed!”

Rio and Zen cried out.

Scales like a fish sprouted across his arms and legs, and antler-like horns jutted from his head.

Once again, he charged Seo Yui, his fist shooting toward her face.

She blocked with her shield.

This time, fire flared with the impact. Sparks burst wildly, and frost crept across her shield.

“!”

Startled, Seo Yui kicked back to widen the gap.

“Whoa!”

“Don’t tell me that was three elements at once!?”

Rio and Zen shouted.

But they weren’t the only ones astonished.

Even Meiling and the other magic-track students stared, wide-eyed.

“He combined three elements in a single strike?”

“That’s even possible?”

“To use multiple attributes without channeling separate skills…”

A mix of awe and envy filled their gazes.

Understandable.

I too had once been captivated by Jin Cheongryong’s ability the first time I saw it, enough to recruit him right away.

But from the next run onward, I never gave him a slot in my squad again.

The first reason: third-years graduated after only one year. They weren’t reliable long-term companions.

It was the same reason I never picked third-years in Gwangcheon.

Some exceptions existed, of course.

Iris, for example—her level was high and her ability invaluable. Using her for that one year was worth it. She practically carried you.

That was one of the reasons Crystal Academy was considered easier.

You could even call it a developer-sanctioned cheat.

But outside of a few exceptions, most third-years were traps.

Cheongryong was one of them.

Strength S looked impressive, sure, but his Mental Power was only B. In other words, his durability was weak.

And despite how flashy his skill seemed, it didn’t output enough damage to qualify him as a true burst DPS.

His ability, Dragon’s Authority, was as grand as the name implied—every attack imbued with fire, frost, and lightning.

For a beginner, it looked incredible. The colorful effects, the potential for three different status effects—it made your heart race.

But after leveling him a bit, you realized: it was a dud.

The damage multipliers were abysmal.

Maybe the devs thought three elements at once broke balance, but compared to other companions’ offensive abilities, his numbers were pitiful.

The boost from Dragon’s Authority? A mere 120% damage. Even maxed, it capped at 200%.

And that was across all three elements combined.

If each element stacked 200% for a total of 600%, he might have been on Iris’s level, a near-mandatory pick.

But no.

Worse, the status infliction rates were lower than regular skills.

With the right rare skills and items to enhance elemental attack and status rates, his potential could finally shine.

But if you’re investing that much, wouldn’t it be smarter to put it into a character who’s already strong? They’d break the game long before Cheongryong ever did.

Once I understood that, Cheongryong was shelved in my mind as a character for romantics only.

Lore-wise, he’s supposed to be Martial God’s strongest, a paragon of conviction, admired by all… but his ability was garbage.

I turned back to Seo Yui.

Though surprised at first, she now blocked his triple-element attacks calmly, realizing they weren’t that threatening.

She even looked composed, while Jin Cheongryong was drenched in sweat.

Thud!!

Then Seo Yui shifted. Instead of defending, she shoved him back hard with her shield.

“Urk!?”

He stumbled into the air, caught off guard.

Seo Yui swung her spear.

“Gah!”

The blade tore into his chest plate, and he crashed to the ground on his back.

Seo Yui didn’t hesitate—she closed the distance, spear poised for his head.

“Kh…!”

Cheongryong gritted his teeth, fist lashing out to knock the spear away.

But suddenly, it pulled back.

“What—ugh!!”

The end of her shield slammed into his stomach, driving the air from his lungs.

The spear had been a feint.

“Ugh…”

“Ohh…”

“She hit the same spot twice…”

Groans rippled through the students.

For a moment, I thought his eyes rolled white.

“That’s enough.”

Arms folded, Abel called the match.

“Ah, wa—”

Cheongryong tried to rise, biting down hard, but he trembled and collapsed again.

“This duel goes to Seo Yui. Well done, both of you.”

Seo Yui bowed to Abel, then extended her hand to Cheongryong.

“You okay? Here.”

Clutching his gut, he stared at her hand for a long moment before finally grasping it and pulling himself up.

A little later, Seo Yui returned to her seat.

“You were amazing, Yui-senior!”

Lumina’s face shone with admiration.

“Hmph. You could’ve finished him faster. Why drag it out like that?” Meiling scolded.

She wasn’t wrong. Seo Yui could have ended Jin Cheongryong much sooner. With both of them boasting Strength S and using identical HAUT-issued gear, the higher-level fighter had the advantage.

“It’s a duel.”

Seo Yui, back in her seat, spoke with her usual drowsy expression.

“A duel’s not about victory—it’s about trying things, learning more. A true battle is far scarier, far crueler.”

At that, even Meiling fell silent.

Seo Yui had grown up in a world where you killed or were killed.

The final bout of the melee track followed: Crystal’s tank, Jo Inhu, against Dai’s tank-damage hybrid, Poff Yen.

Tank versus tank—tedious.

Both displayed excellent defensive skills, which only meant a long, drawn-out exchange.

For the first time, the duel dragged on until the full ten-minute limit.

“Enough.”

Abel stepped between them.

“This match is a draw.”

“….”

Jo Inhu bit his lip.

Poff wore a face caught between disappointment and quiet satisfaction.

“Now then, we’ll take a twenty-minute break. After that, the magic-track duels will begin. Rest, and return here afterward.”

The students rose one by one.

I stood as well.

“Huh? Yein, where are you going?” Lumina asked.

“Thirsty. Going to grab a cup from the dorm.”

“Oh, then I’ll come too. I want some water.”

“Me too,” Seo Yui said.

“What about you, Meiling?”

She only nodded, her eyes still fixed on the training grounds.

Image training, huh.

The next round was for the magic-track students.

There was no way to know if Meiling would immediately face Rune or Zen today. But if she did, it would be a harsh trial.

Against the twins.

“I’m stepping out for some water.”

Iris rose abruptly, striding toward the dorm with a speed closer to a march than a walk.

“Muimi.”

“H-huh?”

The girl with glasses and braided russet hair looked at Toby.

“Follow her.”

“O-okay.”

Muimi stood and hurried in Iris’s direction.

But Iris moved quickly, her steps like a warning bell.

Muimi’s low Strength aptitude made it impossible to catch up at a walk. She broke into a run—but Iris only quickened her pace and passed the dorm entirely.

Instead, she headed for a small hill behind the cafeteria, disappearing into the brush.

Iris?

Muimi frowned.

She learned the reason moments later.

Kwooom!!

A crash shook the trees and bushes.

Then came a muffled sound—like someone holding back sobs.

Muimi realized Iris hadn’t even noticed she’d been followed.

Panic set in.

Never once had she seen Iris like this. Never even imagined it.

“Iris…”

Looking up at the hill with a pained expression, Muimi sighed and turned back to the training grounds.

“Where’s Iris?”

From the steps at the edge, Toby glanced up at her.

Muimi shook her head.

“I see.”

Toby’s expression said he’d expected as much.

“Leave her be. She needs this.”

“Mm…”

Muimi sat down again, letting out a small sigh.

Nam Yein.

Toby silently repeated the absent boy’s name.

I never thought Iris would lose to him.

No one had.

If it had been Seo Yui or Lumina, maybe. But to Nam Yein? The sting must be unbearable.

After three years alongside her, Toby knew Iris well.

At first, she must have dissected every mistake, telling herself there are no absolutes in combat. That she’d learn from this, fill her gaps, and come back stronger.

But the more objectively she tried to view it, the more the fact gnawed at her—she had lost to Nam Yein.

In the end, her emotions overwhelmed her. She left rather than show her broken composure to the others.

I’ve never seen her this shaken. Not even when Eleanor snapped at her.

Toby pressed a hand to his chest.

Inside, something hot and sticky churned like boiling tar.

So Gwangcheon’s only magic-track representative is that girl, Meiling?

His eyes shifted to the back row, where Meiling sat deep in thought, staring at the training grounds, oblivious to his gaze.

“Muimi.”

“Y-yeah?”

“We haven’t earned a single point yet. So whoever you face, go all out from the start.”

“Y-yes!” Muimi nodded sharply.

Break time ended.

Abel returned to the training ground and lifted his tablet.

“Now, let’s set the order for the magic-track duels.”

As he tapped, the magic-track students’ smartwatches buzzed.

“!!”

Muimi’s eyes went wide.

She looked across the grounds at her assigned opponent.

“Tch. Not me.”

A boy with navy-blue hair glanced at his watch, his face falling with disappointment.

(End of Chapter)