novelraw Chapter 124 : HAUT Duel (5)
Chapter 124 : HAUT Duel (5)
Crackling filled the outdoor training ground, again and again.
Rune was hurling a Lightning Spear almost every two seconds.
As with most lightning-element spells, her attacks were blisteringly fast—short cast times, swift projectiles, and brief cooldowns. The tradeoff was lower damage, and the faster the spell, the more often it was non-targeted.
But the Lightning Spear I knew had a three-second cooldown.
The reason she could cast every two seconds was her ability.
Her Ability: Frenzied Mana.
Despite the name sounding similar to Zen’s, the effect was different. Zen’s Ability boosted a spell’s power. Rune’s slashed a spell’s cooldown—starting at 90% at Level 1 and improving to a maximum reduction of 50%.
With rare gear that further cut cooldowns, she’d be terrifying.
Looks like she’s already leveled that Ability a bit.
Since HAUT-issued gear had no cooldown reduction, taking Lightning Spear from three seconds down to two was purely Rune’s Ability at work.
For mages, fights are decided by cooldowns and who lands the first hit. A lightning specialist who can cut cooldowns is a powerhouse. Among the magic-track students here, almost no one could beat Rune one-on-one.
Almost. The girl standing opposite her is different.
I shifted my gaze from Rune to her opponent.
Whoosh!
With a sound like air hissing from an overinflated bag, the incoming Lightning Spear vanished midair.
It was the same scene we’d watched play out ten or more times already.
Silence wrapped the steps around me. Mouths shut, faces baffled, everyone stared at Meiling’s motion.
“Why, you—!”
Rune sent another Lightning Spear.
Meiling flicked her wand, as she had each time before. A small blue mana orb shot up, met the oncoming spear, and both spells winked out.
She was using Mana Bolt—the most basic tutorial spell of all.
Despite having been issued several mid-tier spells, she hadn’t bothered to use any of them.
“That all you’ve got?” Meiling asked, a smile tugging at her lips. “Aren’t you and your brother the top talents of Magicka? I’m seeing the level loud and clear.”
Rune bared her teeth and whipped her wand again, but the result didn’t change.
She’s having fun, I thought, half a sigh.
“Why is a Mana Bolt erasing Lightning Spears!?” Zen blurted, incredulous.
Sweat poured down Rune’s face like rain.
She had been casting on cooldown without a single breath of respite.
At this rate, she’d run dry on MP.
How is this possible? she screamed inwardly.
Her Lightning Spears—snuffed out by a mere Mana Bolt.
There was only one explanation.
Mana interference—mutual cancellation.
A hunter’s skills, especially magic, were constructs of mana. You could meet them with a matching burst of mana to cancel them out, or deflect them with a weapon imbued with mana.
Even so, Rune couldn’t accept what she was seeing.
How could a low-level spell like Mana Bolt erase her Lightning Spear?
Her keen mind had already produced the answer.
The opponent’s capability simply far outstripped her own.
That was why Mana Bolt was canceling Lightning Spear.
And Mana Bolt had one of the shortest cooldowns of any spell.
No matter how she cut her cooldowns, Lightning Spear could never keep pace with Mana Bolt.
No. Impossible!
She refused to accept it.
Mana Bolt versus Lightning Spear! They’re not even the same tier. Are you telling me our levels differ by dozens? That her Mana Bolt is on par with my Lightning Spear?
That, too, was correct.
But accepting the correct answer meant accepting defeat.
“Iiiieek!!”
With a ragged cry, Rune raised her wand high.
Crackle!
Sparks fountained, coalescing into a massive sphere.
It looked like dozens of Lightning Spears bent and braided into a single orb.
“That one…!”
On the steps, Zen’s mouth curled up.
Shattering Thunder, a mid-tier lightning spell.
Rune’s Ability had expired and fallen into cooldown. So instead of speed, she’d opt for a single, crushing blow.
Among the issued spells, it was one of the highest-level lightning options—powerful enough to punch through the Mana Shield everyone had been given. No Mana Bolt could stop it.
So Rune believed, as she fixed Meiling in her sights.
Meiling didn’t even uncross her arms. She watched Shattering Thunder with a look that said, Go on then.
Heat flashed through Rune’s skull.
She thrust her wand at Meiling.
The lightning-packed sphere streaked straight for her—
Meiling lifted her wand.
Behind her, a red orb flared to life.
Firebomb? Zen frowned. And she only charged one?
Meiling leveled her wand. The orb shot forward.
Compared to Shattering Thunder, it was tiny.
Rock versus pebble.
The two spells collided.
All breath on the steps halted at once.
“No way…”
Rune stared, aghast.
Shattering Thunder vanished.
And that wasn’t the end.
“Rune!!” Zen shouted, springing to his feet.
The outdoor training ground crackled with lightning.
Even after her Shattering Thunder had collided with Meiling’s Firebomb, the blazing sphere still pushed through, streaking straight at Rune.
“Ugh!”
Rune hastily raised a Mana Shield—
Kwooooom!!
Flames engulfed her completely, swallowing her figure from view.
“Gasp!”
“No way…”
The watching students recoiled in shock.
Zen’s eyes widened, fixed on the blaze.
Then, from within the inferno, a shadow burst free.
Zen sighed with relief and slumped down.
Rune had escaped with a movement skill.
“Cough, cough!!”
Her face twisted in pain as she hacked out smoke. Her uniform and hair were smeared with black soot.
“How about it?”
Rune flinched at the voice, shoulders trembling. She turned her head away.
“…”
She bit her lip hard.
Meiling was already walking forward, another Firebomb fully charged, her wand leveled.
“So, do you finally understand? Whether I’m just some spoiled rich girl, or someone who actually has the skill to stand here.”
Rune’s own words came rushing back.
“We’ll see, won’t we? Whether you’re just a spoiled daughter of privilege or if you really deserve to be here at HAUT.”
And Meiling’s reply—
“No need to wait. I’ll show you right now. Once your head starts burning, you’ll know, whether you like it or not.”
“No answer?” Meiling smirked, wand aimed squarely at Rune’s head.
“Then I’ll just have to make sure you learn.”
Rune’s pupils shook.
“Stop!”
Abel darted between them like a flash.
“Meiling. Dispel the skill and lower your wand.”
This time, there was no smile on his lips.
“Hmph.”
Meiling snorted but obeyed. Her wand lowered, the fire orbs behind her vanishing.
Abel’s grin returned. “This duel goes to Meiling. Both of you, return to your seats.”
Rune stared darkly at the ground, unable to move.
Meiling glanced at her once, then let out a sharp laugh before heading back up the steps.
Hearing that laugh, Rune trembled, clutching the dirt so hard it crumbled in her fists.
The HAUT Executive Committee’s headquarters.
Inside the conference room, the number of people present was barely half of what it had been on the first day.
Most of the committee members remained. Alongside them sat guildmaster Zeke of All-Around, Abel’s guild, and a few corporate representatives.
Those absent were all patched in through video. Though too busy to attend in person, no investor would miss watching today’s matches live.
Not because of some unwritten rule demanding attendance on Day One.
But because, however HAUT called them “duels,” in truth these were matches between aspiring Hunters—and the clearest program to rank their worth.
Naturally, the trainees with the most wins would draw the most sponsorship offers.
And beyond that, watching these duels was, in its own way, entertaining.
They had just finished watching the first duel of the melee track.
Silence hung in the room.
“Well, well…”
Zeke rubbed his chin with thumb and forefinger, then cast a sidelong glance.
His eyes landed on Ahn Hyunggi, president of Crystal Academy.
Hyunggi’s lips were pressed thin, his gaze locked on the replay screen.
The other executives stole cautious looks at him as well.
After all, the student who had just been humiliated was none other than his eldest daughter—Iris Ahn.
And her opponent: Nam Yein.
A trainee from the so-called trash heap, Guangcheon Academy. With aptitude grades of F/F/C, no one could understand how he had even been admitted to HAUT.
Until now, Yein had impressed through theory classes and as a leader guiding his squad.
But this result—none in the room had seen it coming.
[Kukuku.]
Laughter crackled through a feed.
[Well now. Truly unexpected.]
The voice belonged to Oh Sungcheon, heir apparent of the Forward Group.
[I was told Iris Ahn was the greatest talent Crystal Academy had ever produced. But it seems those claims were… rather inflated, don’t you think? Hahaha!]
The conference room froze again.
No one dared speak.
To earn Crystal’s enmity could doom a corporation before sponsorships were even considered.
“…Indeed.”
The silence broke.
Nam Yein’s victory had been remarkable, said Riyu Homar, the bearded Chairman of the HAUT Committee, known as the Sage of Amethyst.
“But does that mean Iris Ahn lacks talent? By no means.”
[…Hmph.]
Sungcheon’s voice soured.
[And why not? Nam Yein has the lowest aptitude among every HAUT candidate here. Losing to such an opponent—]
“Aptitude and level do not dictate everything,” Riu interrupted calmly.
“That is what HAUT teaches its students—and the very doctrine of our committee.”
He tapped his tablet.
The footage rolled back. Iris charging. Yein bracing. His shield item catching her two-handed sword.
Riyu replayed the sequence again and again.
“See here. Iris clearly moves with the strength of an S-aptitude Hunter-in-training, Level 30. Strong enough to ignore the blast of an ice mine. Most trainees would never defeat her. But…”
He pointed at Yein.
“This boy waited. Even with items capable of binding her outright, he waited until she was forced to use her trump card. He drew out her Ability, measured its duration, and slashed her power in half.”
The old man’s lips curled.
“Debuffing her resistance. Binding her movements. Not chasing raw damage, but layering status effects until she collapsed. Set aside the suspiciously large stock of items—this was a strategy perfectly tailored to his strength. Smooth. Professional. Exactly what you’d expect from a veteran Item Hunter.”
Zeke nodded.
His guild had plenty of Item Users. Yein’s duel had looked just like theirs.
“A shame he burned through everything in one fight. I’d have liked to see more.”
“…Found.”
Zeke turned. “President Ahn? What did you say?”
“Nothing,” Ahn Hyunggi murmured, eyes still fixed on the screen.
A slow smile curved his lips.
At last, I’ve found the talent I was searching for.
The one Iris needs most—the perfect rival.
(End of Chapter)