Chapter 204 — Things Gained at the Sports Festival

1

Manus thought while dodging the pillars.

Those pillars of tremendous mass.

What would happen if he destroyed or stopped them?

It was a sudden thought, but quite a plausible challenge.

Should he try attacking first?

The transition from thought to action was very quick.

Pajijik-!

There was no time to spread a magic circle.

So he used martial arts instead.

“Let’s try-“

Kwang-!

He threw a punch at the pillar passing below.

Debris and dust fell.

But the pillar itself was unharmed.

Seeing this, the announcer spoke with astonishment.

[What is this! Manus, you’re not thinking of breaking the pillar, are you? Give up. That pillar is harder than a crystal golem.]

Indeed.

But while crystal golems show strong immunity to debuff magic, would these pillars be the same?

Probably not.

Though the difficulty would be considerable, he thought of it as training and began forming magic circles.

Forming magic circles while moving violently was difficult.

That’s why mages need protection.

Still, mages must train to cast while moving.

‘Casting while dodging attacks. Plus forming high-power magic circles — this makes for good training.’

Mana recovery was sufficient.

All that remained was practice.

If successful, combat power would increase significantly.

Manus raised his mental strength to the extreme.

Seeing this, Castro also gritted his teeth.

Second year.

Just a one-year difference, but such incredible skill.

“Kugh-“

Another close call.

If he hadn’t rolled to dodge, he would have retired right there feeling like dried fish.

Kwang-!

While he dodged, another strange sound was heard.

Looking up, Manus was doing something outrageous.

[Baucis]

Debuff magic.

Magic precariously bordering on black magic.

Magic that slows enemy movement speed and weakens durability.

Naturally, it worked on the pillars too.

[No!?]

The announcer was shocked at this sight.

What’s suddenly happening!

Kuguuuu-.

It was slight, but definitely slower.

The pillar was slowed by the debuff!

Moving beyond simply trying to dodge, he was now trying to destroy the pillar itself.

Using the same mana for completely different results — it could be called innovation.

[Using debuff magic, that’s a good idea! But the consumption will be much higher than simply using mana! You should give up!]

The announcer admired while warning.

Just the mass alone was building-sized.

Plus incredible durability.

What Manus was trying was truly suicidal.

“But it’s working, isn’t it? That’s enough.”

Hwook-!

The passive accumulation alone was already at an amazing level.

A considerable amount of mana rose with just one breath.

He’d reached the level of being able to rapid-fire 4th class magic.

Manus quickly finished calculating.

Using martial arts has basic maintenance costs, plus debuff magic on top.

To break it in one shot with stacking effects?

‘It’ll be close. But possible.’

When else would he challenge his limits if not now?

Manus had lived a life avoiding challenges.

Before possessing Manus, his daily life always pursued safety.

Maybe it was time for that to change a little.

[Baucis]
[Altus]

This time he used enhancement magic to cast the debuff.

The pillar’s speed visibly decreased.

The giant pillar seemed to symbolize a boss that seemed impossible to destroy.

But steady debuffs, evasive maneuvers, and patience eventually weakened the boss.

Games were like that too.

You had to endure debuffs, buffs, various preparation processes.

Had to withstand attacks while turns passed.

‘At the end of that, tremendous damage awaits.’

If you do that, you can drive even the strongest boss to near death.

The actual attack turns were few, but the preparation process was terribly long.

This was the same.

Since others could see this spectacle from outside, he hoped the students would learn something.

This would be something they’d need to handle naturally when fighting strong enemies in the future.

Glancing around, he saw Guillermo, Castro, and Alano watching him with astonished expressions.

What would they think of this challenge?

[Baucis]
[Altus]
[Altus]

This time he cast even stronger debuff magic.

This too became fun as he got used to it.

How is it when you master advanced controls in games and use them more skillfully?

As you watch yourself gradually becoming familiar, your confidence and satisfaction would grow.

It was the same for Manus.

Control in intense situations becoming gradually familiar.

The pillars slowed very slightly, but as it accumulated, he could now dodge them comfortably.

“Manus! Let me help too!”

“Good. But haven’t you learned debuff magic?”

“I’ve been working hard too, you know?”

Black magic circles manifested from Alano’s fingertips.

Magic between black magic and regular magic activated.

The announcer was surprised again.

[No!? Are you in your right minds! Do you know how much effort went into making this!?]

“It’s just an illusion anyway, right?”

Who knew Alano’s bright smile could look so reliable.

Alano had learned much watching Manus’s magic.

So he had been learning different types of magic in his spare time.

Though he couldn’t learn ancient magic, he steadily learned holy magic and black magic.

He too understood the utility of magic that weakens enemies, strengthens himself, and heals wounds.

Who knew those results would show here.

“Oh, it’s almost stopped now?”

“Almost no one survived.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“Try breaking it. There’s something I want to test.”

Alano nodded.

The pillars had reached a meaningless level now.

It had become a game that would never end.

If Manus completely destroyed the pillars here, the game would end with the survivors remaining.

“Huuuu-“

Manus circulated mana throughout his body.

The mana filling his entire body gave him transcendent power.

Manus decided to use the skill he had just learned.

Martial arts.

The martial study he delved into after elemental studies.

It was time to decide whether to take martial arts to the end or learn moderately and move on.

Jennifer’s teachings came to mind.

How to contain attributes.

Though he saw it with his own eyes, honestly it was hard to believe.

‘I had no interest in martial arts in the game.’

He learned it to compensate for weaknesses in reality.

In doing so, he learned new knowledge.

Like now.

Engraving magic circles on the body.

Maintaining until the magic duration ends.

[That’s the true value of martial arts.]

[Martial arts is fighting with magic. Naturally you need to know how to use magic circles. I can use elemental studies too.]

[Fighting without magic circles has clear limits. That’s why we fight by implanting magic and using that power.]

Manus’s eyes lit up seeing Professor Jennifer spread 5th class magic with one hand.

Now it was time to test the power.

Second advantage of martial arts.

The enemy can’t properly tell what magic you’re using.

Pajijik-!

Maximum destructive power was needed to pierce through in one shot.

So he slammed two magic circles into his legs.

Lightning magic and enhancement magic.

Kwajijijijik-!

The lightning arising from his legs pushed Alano aside.

Tremendous lightning and mana erupted from his legs.

“Manus!?”

“This is quite a new feeling.”

Martial arts.

This was why Professor Jennifer was called the unofficial strongest in the Academy.

A study that maximizes both magic and human body performance.

Would the synergy be just double?

No, the combination of extreme physical ability and magic utilization created tens of times more synergy.

Manus took a crouching start position and put strength in his toes.

Clank-!

The shackles on his legs released and his mana explosively increased again.

[Fulgurator]

Pajijik-!

In that instant, Manus’s form disappeared.

A beam of light passed through the giant pillar.

The greatly weakened pillar.

The opposite side of the pillar that was now just a giant sandbag with almost no movement.

With a chiiiik sound, Manus appeared as if sliding.

The smoke erupting from his entire body testified to how violent the movement had been.

Tick-.

A strange sound came from the pillar.

[This… can’t be.]

Pajik, pajijik-.

Small cracks appeared in the giant pillar.

The cracks starting from there began growing gradually.

And then…

[You crazy bastaaaaard-!]

The giant pillar.

The pillar that seemed absolutely unbreakable broke.

The competition ended forcefully like that.

2

Images flowing from the giant crystal ball.

Those watching stared blankly at the screen filled with rising smoke.

Silence fell.

He had ended the game in a way no one could have imagined.

“This is… quite a masterpiece.”

“How could he think of…”

“A tyrant is a tyrant indeed. To think he’d come up with such an idea.”

“Professor Jennifer. When did you raise such a monster?”

The surrounding professors turned their gazes to Professor Jennifer.

Enjoying those gazes, Professor Jennifer shrugged her shoulders.

Honestly, she too was deeply impressed.

“It’s not that I did well, that kid’s just a monster. I had no idea he’d apply it like that.”

“But you recognized the talent. Congratulations.”

“Hehe, this bet is completely…”

Jennifer started grinning.

This is quite fun, isn’t it?

Watching her precious disciple’s achievements.

Getting praised for it, feeling proud.

It was exhilaration she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Perhaps that’s why it felt even more gratifying.

It took so long indeed.

To find talent similar to, no, perhaps surpassing her own.

‘Now I have no regrets.’

She had been thinking life was quite boring lately.

Someday one would appear.

Someday one would emerge.

Someday…

How many years had passed thinking that?

She had been teaching since Caesar Labeth was a child.

She had watched the current Emperor travel freely across the continent.

And now.

Until watching the next generation grow up, she had raised countless disciples.

But none showed the potential to surpass her.

“Huhu… looking forward to the field trip.”

Already anticipating, aren’t we?

From mages to warriors to guardians.

Watching their training these days was complete chaos.

They need to train at least as hard as Melanie to get dramatically stronger.

“Good luck, Manus.”

Professor Jennifer’s mouth corners rose.

It was a smile that spelled disaster.

–TL Notes–
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