Chapter 17

“The mock battle keeps going on.”

Some want to climb up in the rankings.

Some want to hold onto their ranks.

It’s a bloody fight among students.

Jerion Academy is all about meritocracy.

The students with high grades receive more support and benefits.

This place is practically a microcosm of a massive world society.

A hub for the children of numerous high-ranking nobles and future heroes destined to make their names known.

Making a name for yourself at Jerion Academy is basically.

Making a name for yourself in the whole world.

Thus, children are even more desperate to move up the ranks.

Even the professors watch the mock battles carefully.

It’s that time when the kids’ passion is burning way too hot.

And at that moment.

Someone dashed across the arena.

Wham!

My fist landed squarely on my opponent’s jaw.

“Guh, crazy, new, jerk.”

My opponent’s consciousness was knocked out in a single blow and he crumpled down helplessly.

He had been dragging on all day with a stamina battle.

I seized the opportunity as he finally wore himself out.

For a moment, the children’s gazes turned this way.

“What rank am I now?”

“30th.”

“……”

Before I knew it, all the mocking voices vanished.

Instead, expressions of wariness started to creep into their faces.

With my unbroken streak of victories.

I’ve already knocked out 17 kids with my punches alone.

They all fell for the same trick I used when I first faced Mirizen.

“Is he using martial arts?”

“But he barely used martial arts at all.”

“Most of them lost in stamina battles.”

“He’s hiding his true abilities on purpose.”

“His endurance is impressive. He took a few solid hits and still stood strong.”

The kids were starting to grasp my skills.

This meant I was becoming a threat to them too.

‘So far, I’ve managed to rely on stamina and a long game.’

But there’s a limit to that.

As my rank rises, so does the skill of my opponents, making it harder to avoid them.

Just moments ago, I allowed a few effective hits.

‘Thank goodness for my steel skin.’

If it weren’t for that, some of those hits would have been real shockers.

‘Now comes the mid-tier.’

Only those who won’t fall for the same tricks remain.

Even with steel skin.

There are some who won’t be fooled.

BOOM!

At that moment, a deafening noise pierced through the air.

When I turned in that direction, a guy with green hair tied in a ponytail was rolling in front of Isabel.

Ranked 9th, Gelond Basis.

“Guh.”

In front of him stood a girl with honey-blonde hair fluttering.

Holding a dagger shaped like a crystal and a long sword.

Isabel Luna.

She looked down at Gelond with cold eyes, unlike her usual self.

During battles, Isabel is notorious for being ruthless.

Though usually bright and lovely.

Once she’s in combat, she shows a focus as if she’s someone else entirely.

But today, she felt even sharper than usual.

“Isabel, haven’t you gotten stronger?”

“I’ve been training alone at the training grounds lately.”

“You’ll rise higher.”

The students revealed their astonishment at Isabel’s skills.

Isabel was originally in the top ranks.

But after Lucas’s death, she lost all motivation and kept falling in the ranks.

But today.

She was showing a markedly different side.

More vigorous than her prime.

She turned her head.

Her eyes resembling the sun locked with mine.

Within those eyes, deep flames of anger flickered.

I understood very clearly why she regained her strength and became stronger.

She wanted to definitely defeat me and demand an apology for mocking Lucas.

That was loud and clear.

‘She’s really fired up.’

I’m grateful for her passion.

It means I’m steadily becoming a goal in Isabel’s life.

‘Grow even bigger, Isabel.’

Since you’re growing, make that ambition even larger.

Taking a breather, I spotted 1st-year students having their mock battles.

In the distance, there was a freakishly strong student swinging a great sword around.

The Iron Giant, Aisha Bizbel.

A student charging at her got sent flying after being hit by the great sword.

After barely dodging, he landed with a shocked expression as he looked at Aisha.

But Aisha’s expression became even more intense as she whipped her long azure hair.

Though usually diligent and hardworking, once she holds the great sword, she goes berserk.

‘I fell for that once too.’

Recalling the day I sparred with Aisha before the mock battle made me smile bitterly.

Watching that still leaves my side aching.

“29th Seron Parmia, 30th Hanon Irey.”

While watching Aisha finish off her opponent with the great sword.

I heard the instructor call my name.

When I shifted my gaze, one of the girls who had constantly slandered me stepped forward among the usual crew.

With reddish-brown, curly hair and a headband pushed back to show her forehead.

She wore deliberately oversized clothes to emphasize her cuteness.

One of the four girls who’s always trashing me.

Seron Parmia.

As soon as she met my gaze, she let out a haughty snort.

“What are you staring at? You look like a burnt sweet potato.”

What the…?

Burnt sweet potato, really?

She was the first to step onto the arena.

“Seron, wipe the floor with him!”

“Teach that nasty jerk a lesson!”

“You’re done for, Seron!”

The voices of the audience cheered loudly.

Seron wore a face of pride boosted by their support.

“Don’t think your cheap tricks will work on me. You’ll regret it, sweet potato.”

She warned me.

She clearly knows that the strategy of wearing me down like last time won’t work.

Besides, I know well the nickname she has stuck to her.

‘Unlucky girl, Seron.’

She’s just not lucky.

Every time during mock battles, something bad happens to her, causing her rank to drop below her true ability.

She ends up in the infirmary for inexplicable misfortunes time after time.

Woosh!

At that moment, Seron pulled out two axes from her waist at once.

Her skills are genuine.

She’s definitely capable of being in at least the mid-tier.

‘In fact, her stats are the strongest among the four girls.’

But as I said earlier.

She’s just not lucky.

“Yeah, I know.”

I pulled out a weapon from the rack beneath the arena.

Seron’s eyes widened as she saw what I was holding.

What I pulled out was one thing.

A shield.

I’ve never wielded a weapon up until now.

So when I picked up the shield at this moment, her expression scrunched up.

All the data I had collected up until now must have meant nothing.

It was a perfectly normal reaction.

“What do you think will change if you use a shield?”

Her response was full of disbelief, and I stepped up onto the arena.

“I can’t help it.”

Then I raised the shield and said,

“Your forehead was so shiny it was starting to hurt my eyes, I needed to block it.”

Thud!

I could see the veins popping on Seron’s forehead.

“What’s wrong with my forehead?”

She fell for the cheap taunt, just like a cheap shot in return.

“Start.”

Here she comes.

As soon as I felt it, my shield moved reflexively.

Bang!

With a loud noise, Seron’s axe collided with my shield.

Contrary to appearances, Seron’s axe packs a heavy punch.

“Isabel!”

Seron shouted my nickname as her eyes blazed with anger.

“I didn’t like your attitude since I heard you speaking freely!”

Bang!

She swung her axe again, and I blocked it with my shield.

She twisted her body and continued her series of blows.

“Now I see it for sure!”

Sizzling!

At that moment, I heard the crackle of flames igniting from the tip of the axe.

Simultaneously, flames rippled beyond the shield.

Seron’s unique ability.

‘Igniting axe.’

Boom!

I stepped back as an explosion rang out.

Her igniting axe has the ability to explode upon contact.

A faint smell of gunpowder tickled my nose.

The shock from the explosion reverberated through my arm.

“Become a burnt sweet potato!”

With a leap, Seron unleashed a flurry of strikes using her agile body.

Each time, I received her axe blows with my shield.

I was gradually being pushed backwards.

I caught onto Seron’s intentions.

She aimed to push me out of the arena altogether.

‘There’s a ring-out rule in the mock battles.’

That’s quite a decent judgement.

But as mentioned, Seron is just not lucky.

Just before I got pushed out of the arena,

My foot slid forward for the first time.

Seron’s eyes instantly noticed the movement of my foot.

Proving her adeptness in her skills, she had good vision.

But it didn’t matter.

My shield lunged in at the mis-timed moment, colliding with Seron’s axe.

Clang!

The forces met simultaneously, pushing the axe and shield in opposite directions.

The interaction canceled each other out.

But Seron didn’t only have one axe.

She wielded two axes with her technique.

In her other hand, the other axe charged towards my unguarded body.

Seron’s eyes brimming with confidence in her imminent victory.

Just before her axe could reach me.

I stuck my left arm out towards the axe instead.

Seron’s eyes widened.

Though the axe was enchanted with academy spells to avoid harm,

Her axe had the inherent property of igniting.

It was a situation where my left arm could be blown off in an instant.

No matter how many elite healers are on standby, this was an absurd act.

Crunch!

But a match is a match.

Seron didn’t hesitate and poured all her strength into her axe.

This time it was meant to make me feel some pain.

And her axe hit my arm.

Boom!

The explosion consumed the surroundings.

Direct hit.

At that moment, victory confidence sparkled in Seron’s eyes.

Whoosh!

Through the smoke emerged my hand as it firmly grabbed Seron by the collar.

Seron’s eyes widened in shock.

“What?!”

Her incredulity spilled out as she realized that was not just any hit from her igniting axe.

Though I hadn’t been sent flying, it was clearly a hit that would have twisted and hurt my arm.

Yet here I was, intact, grabbing her collar!

Seron’s mind momentarily short-circuited.

But her body moved instinctively.

The axe she swung earlier quickly returned to strike at the arm that held her collar.

Boom!

Another explosion resonated as the igniting axe activated.

I thought for sure this would break apart something.

Whooosh!

In an instant, her body got yanked into the air.

Shock filled Seron’s eyes.

My arm remained completely intact.

Once again, Seron was just not lucky.

After all, she met me in the early stages of this mock battle.

The Steel Empress has granted me her trait.

Steel Skin.

The effects of my steel skin are twofold.

It weakens physical and cutting attacks.

And grants fire immunity.

To break through my steel skin, you’d need to exert more firepower than a dozen fire essences.

Seron’s igniting axe, not a chance.

The shield was merely a façade to make her believe my defenses would collapse.

Fully duped, I slammed her down from the air.

Boom!

Her arms and legs registered the impact as they flailed in the air.

Simultaneously, her limbs slowly thudded down.

Her body began to quiver lightly.

“Hugh, guh.”

A faint sound slipped from her lips.

Like a hunted little animal, her body trembled.

I shook my left arm lightly.

Even with steel skin, the impact wasn’t completely nonexistent.

I had met a skilled opponent sooner than anticipated, and while using a trick was fine, I shouldn’t overdo it.

Step by step,

I approached Seron.

“Ugh, hick, ugh!”

Seron squirmed, trying to get up.

But with her powerlessly slammed down, she simply couldn’t rise unaided.

Perhaps it was the lighting, but shadows crept over my face.

As I slowly tightened the space between us, fear covered Seron’s face.

“D-Don’t, don’t come near!”

She lost all her earlier bravado and screamed in fear.

I glanced at her for a moment, then grinned.

“I’ll be on my way right now.”

Time for you to taste a burnt sweet potato.

And without mercy, I raised my fist.

“N-Noooo!”

My fist came crashing right into Seron’s face.

Crack!

She trembled once before her body fell limp.

Her adorably tiny legs lost all their strength.

“30th Hanon Irey wins.”

With the instructor’s brief statement, I lifted my head.

The kids, who never expected Seron to be beaten so atrociously, stood there with their mouths agape.

Especially the faces of three out of the four girls were quite a sight.

I locked eyes with them.

This was a warning that if they pushed any further, they’d be no different.

Make sure to remember how terrifying a burnt sweet potato can be.