Episode 88: The Way Two Civilizations Fight (2)
After the preliminary round, a strange smile found its way to Kang Min-hyuk’s face.
[Klinssman: 60th. Advance to the finals]
Only 64 participants had been selected for the finals, and Klinssman had made the cut. Min-hyuk knew how to deal with Armadillo, and Klinssman’s body was even stronger than before, so he had confidence in his abilities. The result was tight, though…from 60th place to 64th, the rankings were divided by 2-3 seconds. The 65th participant’s time was five minutes and four seconds, so if Kang Min-hyuk took ever so slightly longer, he would have failed.
The fact that the magical civilization’s wizards were stronger than expected made Kang Min-hyuk feel excited rather than humiliated. These wizards were the future – it was a prospect he felt oddly comforted by. The wizard to take first place was Elisha, and her results were astounding. One minute and forty-eight seconds, it had taken her. The record screamed of blood and laughter.
No matter how fast he was, and even if Jeong Pan-ho had taken the test in his place, he couldn’t deal with 30 Armadillos so swiftly. It was a monster-like record. Among the people ahead of Kang Min-hyuk, there were several fourth circle wizards. It was clear that the magical civilization was ahead of the fortified civilization when defeating many enemies.
Kang Min-hyuk was glad to have passed, regardless of his slightly disappointing grade. After he checked out the wizards’ stats, he experienced a sincere desire to stick with them. However, while Kang Min-hyuk was admiring the wizards’ records, they reacted even more emphatically to his. They had all assumed that he would be eliminated – the twist of events was shocking.
“Klinssman made it to the finals!?”
“Nonsense!”
“How can you handle 30 armadillos in less than five minutes without using magic? It’s impossible – Armadillo’s shell is tough, and he’d be lucky to take ten minutes to process that many of them. What the hell did Klinssman do?”
Their shock was substantial.
Kang Min-hyuk understood both worlds, but reinforced civilization was very new to them. Everyone’s eyes were focused on Kang Min-hyuk. However impressed they were, they expected his limitations to become apparent very soon. Now that the mass had been separated, the participants’ quality had undergone a general, and excellent, increase.
[Square Table]
[Number 64: Klinssman vs. Chris Kyle]
Kang Min-hyuk’s opponent was a magical genius in the senior class of the Royal Academy.
* * *
Elisha was the best magical genius currently recognized by the Royal Academy of Magic.
As a student, she reached the sixth circle, and the possibility of entering White Castle was already being discussed. Beneath her, the uppermost genius, who was there?
One of them was Chris Kyle. He was a fifth circle wizard and a known perfectionist; he was always just shy of Elisha’s greatness. His time against the Armadillos was two minutes and fifty-eight seconds. In short: he was an exceptional mage and a challenging opponent.
The academy conducted an interview just before the finals. The Royal Academy of Magic was England’s pride, and since all events held there were broadcasted, the camera captured the exhibitors’ emotions and aspirations. That way, people take pride in seeing the geniuses of the Royal Academy of Magic. In the interview with Chris Kyle, the presenter asked:
“Your opponent, Klinssman, wields a sword. What are your thoughts on that?”
Chris Kyle’s blonde hair was parted neatly above a cold expression, which distorted his face as he considered the question.
“I don’t understand why Klinssman was able to participate in a dueling contest.
I heard that Klinssman did an excellent job in the Green Dragon, but the duel competition is a wizard’s festival. Since the dawn of the tournament, nobody but wizards have participated because they dare not step in.”
At the end of Chris Kyle’s gaze, Klinssman stood, waiting to be interviewed. When he had been revealed as Chris Kyle’s opponent, Chris was offended.
“He doesn’t even know the fundamental steps into the sacred stage. What a waste of my time!”
He was angry. Four minutes fifty-two was an excellent record. Passing the preliminary round was acceptable, but in a one-on-one against a wizard, Klinssman was bound to fall.
“I’ll bet that he never even grazes my body. It will be one-sided; I hope that the medical team is prepared for Klinssman’s injuries!”
Thus, the interview was over. No respect was offered, and no strategy was discussed – Chris Kyle clearly believed he didn’t need one.
In the highly developed world of magic, disregarding 2000 years of tradition caused a backlash from students. It was a natural response. Regular people witnessing Klinssman’s skills would want a piece of it – for those who were not gifted with magic, physical prowess was an enticing alternative. The duel wasn’t like that, though.
The duel competition was held at the Royal Academy of Magic, and that was a sacred place for wizards – a land where numerous archmages were born.
In Kang Min-hyuk’s interview, the presenter was impolite, unlike a little before.
“How much do you think you can withstand Chris Kyle’s magic? Are you fully aware of how dangerous this is?”
Kang Min-hyuk knew that if he were hit by magic, unable to defend himself by the same means, he would be, at best, severely injured. Regardless of speed, magic was difficult to evade. The wizards of the magical civilization had a fast cast and sufficient ability to cope with unpredictable occurrences.
Kang Min-hyuk looked at the camera.
He was having fun – the more their emotions boiled, the stronger their interest became.
“I hope he doesn’t fall easily against me. I hope that Chris Kyle’s greatness lives up to his . I don’t care about winning. I seek a good match against a great wizard, even if it results in serious injury. I won’t resent you…if you hurt me, I won’t resent you. I anticipate a good match.”
The presenter’s eyes widened in response. As Kang Min-hyuk turned his head, he saw the glowing face of Christ Kyle, who had lingered to take the bait.
Min-hyuk’s words were a provocation. In provoking Chris Kyle, he had provoked the academy of magic.
* * *
The White Castle treasure was coveted. Min-hyuk had no idea of its contents, but it was sure to be as great as its reputation. The treasure wasn’t important to him, though. What Kang Min-hyuk wanted was an experience. He wanted to see what these wizards were made of and how different they were from the ones back home.
What was essential to Kang Min-hyuk was not a treasure. He wanted the duel to nourish his growth. He would observe the way they fought, the spells they used in close combat, and if he tried his utmost to defeat them, they’d have no choice but to reveal the source of their power. His provocation worked just as he had planned.
“Klinssman said that he wanted a tough fight with Chris Kyle – will he get it?” Words have been spoken from the beginning. Chris Kyle is a perfectionist, a professional, a magician with great skill. Now, Klinssman tickled the nose hair of a sleeping beast.”
In response to the MC’s remarks, people who came to watch the duel showed interesting reactions. A story arose from Kang Min-hyuk’s provocation. It wasn’t just the challenge of a unique participant who used a sword, but the base-battle between the sword and magic added intrigue to the situation.
“Okay then, let’s start the duel!”
Beep-!
The signal to begin. Chris Kyle, who was suppressing boiling mana, exploded energy at the beginning.
“Chain Lightning.”
Chijichi!
Pababak.
Engraving magic: a white light rose from the back of his hand, and a bundle of electricity hit Kang Min-hyuk, who immediately evaded. He had no intention of being easily beaten by the opponent’s attack. Kang Min-hyuk’s speed was so fast that he disappeared instantly and tried to approach Chris Kyle in return.
“Whoah!”
Kracklacklack!
The electric bundle’s direction changed and caught up with Min-hyuk as though it were a living creature, and he had no choice but to fall back quickly. It was an incredible sight. Chris Kyle entered the Chain Lightning’s new coordinates in real-time and kept as far away from Klinssman as possible.
The techniques of close combat, such as moving to cast, came out. The moment Chri Kyle began another double cast, mana rose from Kang Min-hyuk’s sword.
Sassasak!
Kang Min-hyuk interrupted Chris Kyle’s casting with an aura wave. It was an exact attack that cuts mana’s flow, but Chris Kyle’s expression never altered. Five circles rotated tight, completing second circle magic without casting.
“Shield.”
Caang!
Kakakakang!
Aura wave’s blade was blocked…however, Kang Min-hyuk had expected that. He had higher expectations of James Kyle than he did of James Chester.
Kang Min-hyuk approached quickly. The question was never “who would win?” but rather, would Klinssman get a single hit in before being wiped out? A flame broke out in Chris Kyle’s hand.
“Fire burst!”
Quaang!
Rumble!
The fire rose in thick tongues of flame, and Chris Kyle continued to use Circle 2 magic that conserved mana and required no casting. The magic that burst out with every step he took. The second circle showed the power of the third circle, and Kang Min-hyuk couldn’t move forward. His skin grew intolerably hot in proximity to the intensely raging fire.
With magic that can be used without casting, the magical civilization’s wizards were not weak in close combat. Chris Kyle aggressively swung his two-handed sword.
“Thunder Cannon.”
Chijichi!
The fifth Circle Electric magic was strong enough to fill the field of view of both competitors. Simultaneously, Chris sprinkled magic around Kang Min-hyuk, limiting the paths he could avoid until there was only one route. There, Thunder Cannon exploded.
Bang!
Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji!
The power was tremendous. Exhilarated, the presenter yelled into the microphone.
“Oh, great! If it continues in this vein, Klinssman hasn’t got a chance of even grazing Chris Kyle!”
All of a sudden, Kang Min-hyuk appeared through a bundle of lightning. The MC’s expression was stained with confusion.
“How did he avoid it?”
Kang Min-hyuk had learned that if you focus intensely on the mana, you can make out its flow. He figured out the flow of mana and avoided its touch. He endured the sensation of second circle magic in his body, but the shock was minimal due to his mana-applied skin. As Kang Min-hyuk manifested through the thunder canon, the audience emitted sounds of admiration.
Chris Kyle’s brilliance was undeniable. His use of engraving magic and coordinate control to push Kang Min-hyuk into a corner was a good strategy. The explosive, continuous attack, inflicted upon an ordinary reinforced warrior, would result in serious injury. It wasn’t the case with Klinssman.
Chris Kyle’s expression changed, “Cheeky cub…”
Had his magic failed? He felt so confident that he would crush Klinssman without a hiccup…Kang Min-hyuk was also impressed by Chris Kyle’s ability to regenerate mana at speed – the sight emphasized the wizard’s place of dominance in this world.
He grew more determined…
Min-hyuk grit his teeth together and whispered,
“I must win…”
Dumpf!
Kang Min-hyuk hit the ground.
From then on, it was a real match.
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