Chapter 55

<Episode 56> The Debate of Spicy Kimchi Leaves Leads to the Fiery Snake-Head Debate

The first person to react was none other than the Class President.

Well, you could say there was no other way around it.

Among the four, the only one who had the means to protect the majority was the Class President.

“Intermediate Magic: Magic Barrier!”

Whoosh!

The barrier that took the brunt of the flames shattered and dispersed instantly.

The unblocked flames splattered around.

From the shockwave, Young-hee and the Class President were pushed back.

But that was enough.

At least they avoided a direct hit, and no one suffered any major injuries.

‘Hmm… not great against giant monsters.’

Chul-soo muttered in his head while drawing his sword.

The main powerhouses of the team, Yu-jin and himself, lacked any significant area-of-effect skills.

Their martial arts techniques? Heavenly Piercing Divine Authority and Sky Piercing Sword.

Both were top-tier techniques, sure, but ultimately limited to one-on-one combat.

In other words, they were specialists in one-on-one duels.

Against such a colossal beast, there were inherent limits.

Ideally, battles against giants like this required more than ten mages bombarding from afar with ranged attacks.

‘Well, complaining won’t change anything.’

There was at least one bright side.

The fact that he and Yu-jin were among the top fighters.

Young-hee and the Class President weren’t slouches either.

It was doable.

Chul-soo judged as much.

“Intermediate Blessing: Protection of the Earth!”

“Low-grade Blessing: Whisper of Angels!”

Perfect timing, Young-hee’s buffs came through.

Not many buffers could dish out two buffs simultaneously.

In the entire Academy, even searching high and low, you’d be lucky to find ten people capable of it.

Strength flowed into Chul-soo’s sword hand, and his mind felt clearer.

Chul-soo locked eyes on the two-headed snake and shouted,

“Yu-jin Kim! Got any plans popping into that brain of yours?”

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, an immediate response came flying back.

How could anyone expect students to handle something so powerful?

Did this guy predict all this?

“What is it?”

“I’ll swing left; you slash right!”

Chul-soo stared at Yu-jin like he’d just seen a moron.

You gotta be joking, right?

…Nope.

This kid was dead serious.

“…Are you still messing with me, even in a situation like this?”

“Eh? Do you prefer left too? I’m a lefty, so that’s kinda…”

“Fine.”

Chul-soo shook his head.

He wasn’t counting on Yu-jin’s cooperation anyway.

Taking down one head would suffice.

Besides, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘Even if it’s huge, cutting off its head should finish it, right?’

While they prepared themselves, the two-headed snake finished its attack prep.

Snake heads the size of cars charged forward, fangs gleaming.

They lunged with razor-sharp teeth.

“KIIIIYAHHHH!”

A bone-chilling roar unique to boss-level monsters filled the air.

If this were the old Chul-soo, his fighting spirit might’ve wavered.

But now? Nothing.

‘That guy Yu-jin emits far scarier killing intent.’

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, sparring with Yu-jin had improved his skills.

Really, he couldn’t deny it.

“Sky Piercing Sword: Rising Dragon Slash!”

Chul-soo’s swift blade swept across the snake’s head.

Countless cuts appeared on the creature’s skull.

But soon, he realized it was meaningless.

The tiny wounds healed with a hiss, seemingly within less than a minute.

‘Unbelievable regenerative powers.’

Still, it didn’t matter.

His technique was meant to keep the monster busy and away from Young-hee and the Class President.

Now that he had its attention, the real assault began.

“Sky Piercing Sword: Original Technique – Azure Lightning!”

Pure magic energy in the air responded to Chul-soo’s call.

It coiled around his sword in the form of lightning.

The sword resonated as if alive.

Any swordsman seeing this would have said:

“This skill surpasses the goal every swordsman aims for—the manifestation of a blade’s spirit.”

‘This was originally a technique I developed to take down Yu-jin.’

Had he used his old sword, it wouldn’t have reacted like this.

It probably would’ve shattered under the magical pressure.

But with the current high-grade equipment? That changed things.

‘I’ll have to properly thank the Class President later.’

Chul-soo still mistakenly thought Yu-jin’s gift belonged to the Class President.

Anyway, the azure blade cut through the air.

As Chul-soo swung his sword, the snake opened its mouth wide.

“KIIIIIYAAAAH!”

Its massive fangs rushed toward him like wooden spears.

Instead of dodging, Chul-soo smashed them with his sword.

A sharp clang echoed.

“CRACKKK!!”

“AHHHHHH!!”

The snake’s fang broke cleanly, an artistic strike worthy of praise.

The injured snake reeled in pain.

Though Chul-soo was pushed back slightly by the force, he took no serious damage.

His arm was fine, and his sword still moved smoothly.

‘Thanks to Young-hee’s buffs?’

Fighting alone was definitely different.

He didn’t have to worry about protecting her.

The Class President provided solid backup from behind.

And Yu-jin… well, he was handling the other head effectively.

With their combined strength, what seemed impossible became possible.

‘Who knew we could fight a boss-level monster on equal footing?’

How many active heroes could match this level?

Chul-soo once again appreciated the strength of himself and his friends.

‘We can do it.’

Defeating this enormous beast wasn’t just about points anymore.

An achievement like this would go down in Academy history.

“KIIIIYYYAAAAAAH!”

The snake charged again, faster this time.

Unlike before, it aimed to crush them using its long neck.

Chul-soo moved like a flying squirrel, evading the attack with ease.

‘Even if my attacks land, its sheer size remains a threat.’

But conversely, that also meant plenty of openings.

Chul-soo swung his sword wide.

Blood sprayed from the fresh wound.

“KIIIIYYYYAAAAAAH!”

Clearly enraged now, the snake lost control and charged recklessly.

Flames gathered in its mouth—superheated fire easily surpassing 100 degrees Celsius.

But Chul-soo was ready this time.

‘I won’t fall for the same trick twice!’

Unlike before when he got ambushed, Chul-soo was fully prepared.

The snake’s head shot out flames.

In perfect sync, Chul-soo swung his sword.

A surge of azure magic erupted from it, launching a blade of energy.

“Sky Piercing Sword: Moonlit Rush!”

The flying blade collided with the flames.

The blue and red energies clashed mid-air, canceling each other out.

The resulting energy wave briefly obscured their vision with smoke.

Of course, Chul-soo wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

“Sky Piercing Sword: Cloud Conceal!”

Chul-soo’s figure disappeared instantly, reappearing hovering above the snake’s head.

His sword glowed faintly blue.

Realizing too late, the snake tried to thrash its head but failed.

Without hesitation, Chul-soo swung his sword wide.

“Sky Piercing Sword: Crescent Moon Dance!”

Squish!

The snake’s neck was heavily slashed, spraying blood everywhere.

“THUDDD!!!”

Its massive body collapsed.

Chul-soo landed gracefully and turned to look at the fallen beast.

Almost half the neck was severed.

It twitched but showed no signs of healing.

‘Would’ve been nice to bisect it cleanly.’

Then again, with a neck this size…

You’d need a dragon-slaying sword to cut through in one go.

Beyond his current skill and weapon.

Even so, this performance deserved passing marks.

“THUDDDDD!”

Another heavy thud sounded as the other head fell.

Looks like Yu-jin handled his opponent without much trouble either.

Given how Chul-soo managed it, there was no way Yu-jin wouldn’t succeed.

Considering the nature of impact-based attacks, they were naturally worse against enemies with superior recovery abilities.

Yet Yu-jin showed no difference—a testament to his capabilities.

‘…What would happen if we fought now?’

A renewed competitive spirit arose within him.

They teamed up this time, but eventually, Yu-jin remained his rival.

After all, Chul-soo had the duty to protect both Young-hee and the Class President.

‘…Nah, forget it.’

But Chul-soo quickly shook his head.

Not the time or place for that.

At least not until after this exam ended.

“Good job winning barehanded.”

“Just kept hitting till it fell over.”

Yu-jin replied with characteristic nonchalance.

No exaggeration, no boasting—just a calm statement of fact.

Like this whole ordeal was nothing special.

Definitely not someone to underestimate.

“You both worked hard~”

A clear voice called out to them.

The Class President approached, waving a hand.

Their contributions in this battle were certainly not insignificant.

Just as Chul-soo was about to smile and respond—

Suddenly, the Class President’s face froze in horror.

Simultaneously, a murderous intent emanated from behind.

Instinctively understanding the situation,

‘They’re still alive?!’

Turning back, Chul-soo saw the two snake heads ablaze with fire.

Not standing, but merely opening their mouths from their fallen positions.

Less an attack, more a final desperate lunge.

Gathering their last ounce of strength to kill whoever was in front.

Just a few seconds.

Their flames would reach them directly.

Still, it was blockable.

The problem was—

‘Two targets!’

One aimed at the Class President, the other at Young-hee behind.

Was it because of their higher rank?

Seemed they understood how to weaken their opponents.

‘Which one to stop…?!’

Of course, choosing between the two wasn’t an option.

But alone, he couldn’t block both fiery onslaughts.

Chul-soo hesitated.

Swiftly checking Yu-jin’s position.

Ultimately, the most crucial question now was—

Would Yu-jin choose to protect Young-hee or the Class President?

‘Hell, don’t even need to ask.’

Who was the girl he pursued despite everything?

…

…

…

Biting his lip till it bled, Chul-soo raised his sword and moved.

Behind him stood the Class President.

Should he consider this fortunate?

Or did it play out exactly as expected?

Yu-jin moved to shield Young-hee.

Damn it.

His actions were correct.

Done to protect both.

Still, why?

Why couldn’t he bear the thought of Young-hee’s face behind him?

No, he knew why.

Suppressing rising emotions, Chul-soo swung his sword.

“BOOOOOM!!”

The two streams of fire were canceled out by the two boys.

No one was hurt.

But no one felt triumphant either.

Instead, an awkward tension hung in the air between the four.

Breaking the silence was Young-hee.

“Hmm~”

She tilted her head up, staring at Chul-soo with deadened eyes.

Choosing her words carefully, hoping to stab deep into Chul-soo’s heart.

“Chul-soo, so in emergencies, you prioritize the Class President over me, huh…”

Chul-soo silently turned his head.

The gazes of the two childhood friends met in mid-air.

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