Chapter 269

[Academy对抗赛 Elementary Division 2nd Grade Candidate List: Shin Si Hoo, Seoyuna, Han Gyeol Kim, Ji Hye, Iharu]

“Congratulations, Shin Si Hoo. I guess you’re in first place.”

“Your name isn’t on the candidate list. Are you sure you’re going, Namé?”

With overwhelming skills, Si Hoo, who secured the ace position of the 2nd-grade elementary division, asked me.

“I have to go for the middle school candidate selection later.”

“How?”

“Very well.”

I actually prefer groups that strictly adhere to regulations. As long as they don’t contradict the rules, they tend to be quite lenient.

I contacted Emilie Mayakovsky at the Seviron Foundation headquarters to inquire about the regulations.

First, there are no height restrictions in the middle school division.

Second, the candidate list can only include students from the same or lower grades.

By identifying loopholes in these two regulations, I argued that lower grades could include elementary school students, citing Article 3, Section 4 of the academy’s founding purpose, “continuity of primary and secondary education.”

In fact, there had been precedents where a 6th-grade elementary student participated in a match in place of an injured 1st-grade middle school student, so it wasn’t hard to convince them.

“But the selection must be over by now.”

“It seems we can hold a separate informal selection through the principal’s recommendation to the head of the grade.”

“Wow…”

Of course, the foundation was merely issuing a ‘permission’ stance.

However, I exaggerated this opinion to Principal Guon Yu as if the foundation was ‘recommending’ my participation.

“I bet the foundation thought I had already been selected for middle school without prior consultation, and conversely, the academy probably thinks the foundation ordered this?”

“Isn’t that a lie? What if you get caught later?”

“I don’t think it matters even if they know. But the important thing is that I can still be with you guys, right? So, wouldn’t you dislike me following you?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you answering, Shin Si Hoo?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and shook his head back and forth.

So cute.

It doesn’t really matter whether the foundation or the academy knows this fact.

As long as I can prove my skills, this academy has always sent its candidates regardless of the event or battle in the past.

It probably won’t change much now either.

[Hoo hoo. Ah. The selected candidates for the 2051 Academy对抗赛 are asked to gather on the first floor assembly hall immediately for tournament safety and ethics training.]

“Anyway, have a good time. Si Hoo, you take care of our Yuna, okay?”

“Got it. Don’t worry; I’ll watch over her.”

“Oh? Watch over? Ooo…”

“Why…?”

“Nothing, heh.”

Usually, Si Hoo would fiercely deny it, but for some reason, he calmly nodded this time.

Could it be that he’s changed his mindset since the day of the fight is fast approaching?

Unfortunately, I was too busy to press him further.

I’ll definitely tease him a lot when I meet the others later.

* * *

The Academy对抗赛 is not just about winning; there are many considerations when viewed from a broader perspective.

First of all, the competition event itself must be a success.

The competition between the eight academies, broadcasted through the three major networks, was a national event.

However, since all academy competitions nationwide are held in the same week in October, proper collaboration with the rival academies is also vital.

Originally, the matchup between Seviron and Altear Academy in Seoul was selected as the most popular match, but due to Altear’s continued victories, that popularity has significantly diminished.

Additionally, since the myth built by Ban So Wol in recent years, the viewership for the competition between Aspen Academy in Busan and Maha Academy in Daegu has been catching up at an alarming speed.

That said, it would be a huge misunderstanding to think Altear Academy would go easy on them.

“There’s no way those rotten little fish would do that.”

The head of the middle school department squinted in the glaring sunlight in the middle of the playground.

Broadcast revenues are at the mercy of each foundation, and while the popularity of the tournament might wane, losing it is something the academy faculty would never tolerate.

However, the department head had received a shameless request last night from the principal of the elementary division to allow a child to participate as a candidate.

The rumored child just put down the red backpack they were carrying and hopped onto the sand.

“Was the one supposed to come today you?”

“A student with cigarettes? I sincerely apologize for the previous incident.”

“Now that I see it, there’s no sign of reflection, is there? Tsk, it’s alright; it’s the elementary division, and their teachers will have educated them well. What difference would it make if I got involved?”

“None at all.”

The department head’s words, laced with subtle pressure, were met with complete indifference by Namé.

With that unordinary demeanor, the department head’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“… Alright, let’s begin. Name No Name. 2nd grade elementary division. Is your first semester grade first place? Why aren’t you participating in the elementary division match and coming to middle school?”

“I didn’t meet the height requirement.”

“Height?”

The teacher’s eyes lowered.

Namé pretended to stand on tiptoe but promptly returned to ground level.

“There’s a height restriction.”

“Really? If you participate, you’d just get crushed by the weight. But you bravely tried out for the middle school selection?”

“It actually worked out well. It felt a bit lacking with the elementary kids.”

“Hahahaha! A little kid saying something like that? Namé, you’re really a funny one.”

“Thank you.”

“Ha ha, yeah. Since the weather is hot today, let’s finish early, alright?”

Namé shrugged their shoulders.

The department head smiled contentedly as he took out the wooden stick he had previously displayed.

“That was a wand, right?”

“You recognized it immediately? I modified it. How’s it look?”

“Not particularly…”

“They do say kids are the embodiment of honesty. Good, I like that attitude. Let’s see just how good you are.”

Whoosh—

The department head drew a massive magic circle with the stick.

On the soft, earthy ground, geometric patterns appeared, inscribing eight runes at each vertex to complete the spell.

[General Spell: Sisyphus’s Barrier]

Blue mana thrashed and formed into chains.

Clang-!

Clang clang clang-!

Twelve taut chains soon became the edges of a cube, encircling the two.

The six faces of the cube had transparent, glimmering walls, creating gentle ripples whenever the wind blew.

Namé placed a fingertip on the cube’s wall and began analyzing the alterations in the mana flow.

‘The mana is stable.’

Mana flows in one direction.

The department head tossed the wand out of the cube barrier, lowered his stance, placed his hands on his knees, then shouted loudly.

“Now the test begins! Try to knock me down, kid. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your knees or arms; just touching the ground is enough. Do you understand?”

* * *

‘This isn’t simply a barrier that stabilizes the mana.’

When I took a step closer to the department head, I found myself an equal distance away again.

This is a type of physical illusion magic.

It deceives the caster’s senses, making them think I have moved while I’m actually just staying in place.

On the other hand, long-distance attacks were relatively easy.

Since the mana was stable, the time to construct a magic circle was reduced significantly.

‘For now, let’s just play along.’

[Cast: Rapid Cooling]

[Cast: Assign Polar Coordinates]

I frozen the damp earth, shaping it into a rigid icicle.

Simultaneously, with double casting, I assigned coordinates to the magic circle, freely setting the initial casting space.

That took only one second.

It should be sufficient time for the opponent to react.

But the department head maintained his stance from earlier.

Kaboom-!

Spikes began to rain down like a storm, obliterating the center of the barrier.

While pondering whether to enhance the spell’s power with unchanged aura responses, I realized that the direction of the icicles was slightly off.

None of my spells hit.

Was my magic canceled midway?

No, the mana within the cube space had changed instantaneously.

“How can you double cast so quickly—”

“You seem to know quite an interesting spell.”

A blend of illusion and environmental manipulation magic; truly, human imagination is boundless.

What kind of runes could he have used? I couldn’t even guess.

It stirred up a fun emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time, causing my lips to curl up slightly.

[Cast: Polarization Arrangement]

Most of this type of barrier magic uses light to disrupt vision.

Therefore, as I did when facing Balbein Vonus in the past, if you entirely block outside interaction, it can be simply dispelled.

[Cast: Light]

I cast Light magic, illuminating the interior of the barrier.

From now on, it would be close combat.

Focusing my aura into both legs, I leaped towards the department head in one swift motion.

Linear attacks are easy to block.

However, if the attack isn’t just a point, but fills a narrow space, it changes everything.

The moment my foot touched the ground, I transferred all the aura I was handling into my fist and unleashed it all at once.

“Whoop.”

“This…!”

Swish—

Finally, the department head pulled back as my attack barely grazed his side.

A fierce shockwave erupted behind him, filling the barrier with a sandstorm.

“Impressive doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’ve never experienced this in my life.”

Even with his massive frame likely exceeding 100kg, the department head neutralized the sandstorm with just a light roundhouse kick.

Yet I could no longer find that sense of leisure on his face.

“Why don’t you use simpler spells like friction coefficient adjustments?”

“It’s obvious that it wouldn’t work.”

Despite his stout appearance, his physical balance was surprisingly well-practiced.

His center of gravity was stable, and expecting basic spells to work against someone who knew how to manipulate aura through their soles is just asking too much.

And if the exam were so easy to pass, he wouldn’t have created such troublesome general spell magic.

“You’re a young person with excellent insight… I’m really amazed the more I look at you.”

“Isn’t it time for you to be knocked down now?”

“Could you show me just a bit more? I’m curious about how far you can go.”

This guy is really pushing my buttons.

Though I have more mana capacity than others my age, I can’t afford to waste it excessively, so I considered my plan.

[Cast: Circuit Reconfiguration]

Interfering with Sisyphus’s barrier magic, I rotated the mana 90 degrees.

The barrier had no special security spells and was easily approached.

Perhaps they expected a student to interfere with the barrier; this seems like the right conclusion.

As I dashed toward him, I kept drawing the magic circle with my right hand.

[Cast: Uplift]

Gugugugung-!

By lifting the earth as a whole, I restricted his movements.

A massive wall rose a few steps behind where he stood.

[Cast: Rapid Cooling]

I swiftly conjured an ice sword directly from the ground and aimed it at him.

Clang-!

The department head didn’t simply go down without a fight.

He reinforced his arm with aura, deflecting each of my attacks roughly.

I couldn’t expect my weak body to land a hit on that solid armor.

My goal was to force him to back up little by little until he was cornered against the wall.

Clang-!

[Cast: Rapid Cooling]

I hurriedly conjured another ice sword, pressing him even further.

Sand and droplets scattered from both swords.

As my continuous assaults left our hands damp, sharp counterattacks came flying my way.

Thud—

The department head’s back hit the cold sand wall.

“Even cornering your opponent like this… where did you learn that sense?”

“I just picked it up from playing games.”

“If our parents hear this, they might have a heart attack. But what will you do now? It will be even harder to knock me down while I’m against the wall.”

I then dropped both swords onto the floor.

“…?”

The teacher scratched the back of his head, displaying a puzzled expression.

Of course, he wouldn’t understand the situation.

“I won! My back touched the ground.”

“Huh? That’s a wall, not the ground.”

“Are you really sure?”

This is why handing over control of the barrier to the opponent could cause serious trouble.

The department head might have intentionally loosened security to test me, but in actual combat, those who chant the superiority of the barrier tend to retaliate in such manners.

The transmutation circle I had hidden behind the uplift spell was activated.

[Transmute: Cyan Acrylate]

His clothes stuck tightly to the wall and slowly began to burrow inwards.

“What? Why is the ground—”

At that moment, the duration of my Light magic expired, and the Polarization Arrangement magic vanished along with the barrier, revealing the blue autumn sky.

Unlike me, who stood up straight,

“By turning the ground 90 degrees like this, it’s now the floor, not the wall, right?”

The department head lay sprawled on the ground.

“Wow… You know barrier magic too? Have you adopted it as your own?”

From the moment I turned the mana 90 degrees, it was clear I had the authority to interfere with the entire space.

I merely rotated the cube by 90 degrees.

The ground where he stood became a wall, and the wall glued to his back became the floor.

“Is that correct?”

“200 out of 100. You’re the first person to knock me down inside a barrier like this.”

Thank goodness. Understanding the examiner’s intent is always the most challenging part.

* * *

Barrier magic is typically a subject learned in high school.

Thanks to that wretched study secretly prepared at Altear, last year, the Seviron Academy middle school was devastated.

All participants found themselves trapped in barriers, fumbling around until their heads cracked, leading to elimination.

Naturally, Seviron blamed the Altear faculty for carelessly teaching advanced courses, but in the end, all that remained was the result of defeat.

To ensure they wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, they taught all middle school students how to handle being trapped in barriers and focused the selection process heavily on barrier studies.

“Ha, what an interesting fellow…”

The head of the 1st-year middle school department snickered and recalled the informal selection that had just transpired.

[Escape Time: 1:36.492]

The result was no less than if one were selected for the team.

“What’s this?”

He discovered a pale doodle etched on the slab that mediated Sisyphus’s barrier circle.

[No Name has come by.]

A doodle inscribed before the barrier magic was disposed of.

Namé had already held control from the moment they first entered the barrier.

“How interesting… this will truly be delightful… this upcoming tournament.”

The department head found himself feeling more excited than worried in this stage where young talents would showcase their skills, a feeling he hadn’t had in a long time.