Chapter 14

　　An hour after the duel, I stood in the office, watching Shinwook pack his things. I still couldn’t figure out how this school was run, but apparently, even a mere class representative was given a private office.

　　“…Here, take this,” Shinwook mumbled, rummaging through a drawer before handing something over with a dejected look.

　　“What is it?” I asked.

　　“The class representative’s armband.”

　　“They have these?”

　　“…Yeah, but everyone thinks they’re embarrassing, so they just keep them in their pockets.”

　　After his crushing defeat, Shinwook was a completely different person. The guy who’d screamed “Die, Kim Yusin!” with veins popping in his neck was now as meek as a lamb.

　　“There are dungeon assignments scheduled for next week and the week after,” he continued, his voice flat. “You can go to those now. And this is a pass for the paid training facility…” Despite his despair, he was diligently handing over his duties. “And as for the duties of the second-year class rep, first, when the student council or the senior reps come by, you get coffee…”

　　“Ah, that’s enough.” I waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t want the position. I’ll just take the dungeon assignments.”

　　“…Huh?” A spark of life returned to Shinwook’s dead eyes.

　　“And if you want, I can spin a story about today’s duel,” I offered. “After all, it wouldn’t do for the second-year class representative to be known for getting knocked out by a single punch from an underachiever, would it?”

　　Shinwook’s eyes widened. This guy cared a lot about what others thought. And since I was scheduled to take the early graduation exam in two weeks, I had no reason to take on the troublesome duties of a class representative. I could just act magnanimously and get what I wanted.

　　“Y-you’d really do that for me? Thanks, Yusin! I’ve really misjudged you!” He looked so grateful he tried to grab me in a hug, but I quickly backed away.

　　“But there’s something you can help me with,” I said, cutting him off.

　　“O-of course! Just say the word!”

　　And with that, I had my first obedient subordinate. A corner of my mouth lifted into a smirk.

　　“You know a girl in the student council named Jin Bora, right?”

* * *

　　After some digging through Shinwook’s various networks, I finally located my recruitment target.

　　So that’s her. Jin Bora was sitting alone in the campus cafe, tapping away on her phone. I approached quietly and, from a distance, opened her Status Window.

　　Name: Jin Bora

　　Unique Ability: Enchantment

　　Personal Traits: [Structural Comprehension Lv.4], [Sniper Lv.3], [All-Rounder Lv.3]

　　Main Stats: [Agility 78], [Magic 45], [Stamina 24], [Strength 10]

　　Special Stats: [Charm 20], [Adaptation 3], [Leadership 2]

　　Total Stats: 185

　　She was definitely talented. Even as a first-year, her total stats were significantly higher than Shinwook’s, the second-year representative. She’d grown even stronger since I’d last seen her.

　　But this is a bit strange, I mused. A Charm stat of 20…

　　These Special Stats, which varied between players, grew much slower than the main ones. For someone whose total stats hadn’t even surpassed 200, a Charm of 20 was exceptionally rare. It was even higher than her Strength.

　　…Hmm.

　　The more I looked at her, the more it made sense. She was short with a petite frame, her violet hair flowed like waves, and her cheeks had a soft pink hue. She wasn’t a stunning beauty or a runway model, but she had a cute, adorable quality that would make her popular.

　　More importantly, though, was her Unique Ability. Jin Bora’s Enchantment amplified an item’s performance. I was considering recruiting her on the premise that she could enchant potions. If that were possible, it would be a perfect match.

　　I approached her as naturally as I could.

　　“Hi.”

　　She glanced up from her phone, a puzzled expression on her face.

　　“You’re Jin Bora, right?” I said. “Shinwook told me about you.”

　　“Oh, yes. Hello.”

　　“By any chance…”

　　Just then, an alarm chimed on her phone. She looked down at the screen and let out a short, “Ah.”

　　“I’m sorry, I’m a bit busy right now…” She gave a quick bow and then vanished from the cafe.

　　…A failure. I was just ignored, wasn’t I?

　　“How dare that little…!” Shinwook, who had been hiding nearby, burst out in anger. But Bora was already gone, vanished like the wind. “She just blew you off even after I mentioned my name? I’ll go right now and—!”

　　“Forget it.” At my single command, Shinwook’s expression immediately shifted to one of fawning servility.

　　“Y-Yusin. Just give me a little time, huh? I’ll bring her here somehow…”

　　“I told you, I need to negotiate with her. I don’t want to drag her to the table by force.”

　　At the implication that he was being unhelpful, Shinwook’s shoulders slumped.

　　“But I’m surprised she ignored me so openly,” I said. “Is she always like that?”

　　“Yeah,” Shinwook confirmed with a short sigh. “On the surface, she seems like a polite and kind junior, but she won’t give the time of day to anyone who doesn’t meet her standards. She’s… very decisive about who she associates with.”

　　“So she acts differently toward people who do meet her standards?”

　　“Oh, it’s no joke,” Shinwook said, shaking his head. “She’s a total angel. She does all sorts of nice and charming things for the upperclassmen. There are more than a few third and fourth-year seniors swimming in her fish pond, if you know what I mean.”

　　Her personal life sounded… complicated. I’d try to recruit her for her ability, but I made a mental note to avoid getting personally involved.

　　“So, what do I have to do to get on her good side?” I asked.

　　Shinwook thought for a moment. “First off, she seems to completely ignore anyone she judges as not being on her level.”

　　“Hmm.”

　　“And like I said, she’s really good to people in power. If you want her attention, you’ll have to get to the center of this school’s power structure.”

　　“The center of power, huh…”

　　Feeling my gaze on him, Shinwook flinched and shrank back.

　　“D-don’t tell me you’re thinking of taking the class rep position back?”

　　“I’m not interested in a job that’s just running coffee errands. Besides, it’s not right to take back something I already gave away.”

　　Shinwook sighed in relief. I pulled out my phone and opened the school app.

　　“Ah, this is getting annoying. I’ll just take the direct approach.”

　　“What are you going to do?”

　　“Who’s more powerful than a class representative?”

　　“Um, people who get more benefits than a class rep… would probably be the club leaders?”

　　Clubs were the academy’s version of extracurriculars. Students with similar abilities or hobbies would form factions on campus. The funding for these clubs was enormous, so they were quite active, forming cliques and holding competitions. The club leaders were, of course, the heads of these powerful groups.

　　I activated the duel function in the app and scrolled down the student list.

　　“Wait a minute! Don’t tell me you’re…”

　　“Most of the club leaders are out on dungeon assignments,” I noted. “Ah, but there are a few left.”

　　I started pressing the Duel button next to the names on the list, one after another.

　　[Duel request sent.]

　　[Duel request sent.]

　　[Duel request sent.]

　　[Duel request sent.]

　　“Aaargh! Are you insane?!” Shinwook clutched his head, looking like he was about to faint. “The club leaders are mostly third and fourth-years! They’re monsters who could get hired by a guild right now but are staying for the campus benefits! This is no joke!”

　　All the better. It was a perfect opportunity to test how well my magic worked against actual students on the track to be hunters.

　　“Actually, I haven’t been able to go to any dungeons, so I’m a little short on practical experience,” I said with a shrug.

　　“…Wow, haha! You’re really crazy…! I-I don’t know anything about this! Got it? Okay?”

　　I just smiled without a word. This academy had given me more bad memories than good. Before I graduated, I was going to turn it upside down.

* * *

　　Two days later, the academy’s indoor gymnasium was packed, despite the early hour. The reason was simple: a rumor had spread that the perennial second-year underachiever, Kim Yusin, had challenged four club leaders to a duel.

　　“It has been a long time since I have stood on this stage!” In the center of the gymnasium, Ma Yeonkyung, head of the Historical Drama Research Society, looked around as if overcome with emotion. “Since I entered the school’s inner circle, challengers have been few and far between.”

　　Like an actress getting into character, she placed a hand on her chest and spoke in a theatrical tone. “The duel system, created by the Chancellor himself, was intended for us to stimulate and motivate one another, to grow together! But what has it become? Over time, the hierarchy has solidified, and everyone has grown complacent in their positions!” Her captivating voice echoed through the hall. “Therefore, I am grateful that such a reckless challenger still exists.”

　　She turned her head to face me. “Normally, there is an order one must follow to face me, a club leader. However, out of respect for your courage, I have accepted your duel personally.”

　　“…Thanks, I guess.” Opposite her, I was finishing my stretches. “Can we get started soon?”

　　“Very well.” She extended both arms. “As we discussed, I will wager my position as club leader, and you will wager all your dungeon assignment rights and benefits. Any other conditions?”

　　“None.”

　　“Then let us begin.” She signaled to the facility staff member, who clicked his tongue and raised his arm.

　　“The friendly duel between second-year Kim Yusin and third-year Ma Yeonkyung will now begin!”

　　Woooooah!

　　Cheers erupted from the students, who had been thirsting for a big match. Yeonkyung, her emotions heightened by the long-awaited duel, smiled, her mouth stretching wide.

　　“Here I come! Chunchu!”

　　“…It’s Yusin.”

　　Casually ignoring my correction, she began to generate poisonous spheres around herself—her specialty, Poison Needle. “You have researched my Unique Ability, of course. But no defense or evasion technique can help you escape my power—!”

　　Before she could finish her line, my Mana Arrows shot out, striking and scattering the poisonous spheres as they formed.

　　“…Huh?”

　　“I have no intention of dodging or blocking,” I stated flatly. “I’ll just shoot them all down.”

　　My Mana Arrows, fired in a near-constant stream, shattered the poisonous spheres as soon as they appeared.

　　“…This is!”

　　Yeonkyung countered by reducing the potency of her spheres to increase their creation speed, but I was unimpressed. The deployment speed of my magic circles was far greater, and I even had the leisure to create spares in advance.

　　“…Wh-what?” she stammered.

　　“What’s going on?” a student in the crowd muttered.

　　Everyone had come expecting to see me writhing in agony, but the duel wasn’t going as planned. Ma Yeonkyung, the leader of the prestigious Historical Drama Research Society, hadn’t landed a single proper attack.

　　I-I can’t keep up with his speed! They just keep increasing! Cold sweat trickled down Yeonkyung’s forehead. I was completely toying with her.

　　Thwack! Crack!

　　Now, the Mana Arrows began to target her directly. As they relentlessly struck her shoulder and thigh, straining the protective field of her mana suit, her expression hardened. Her concentration wavered, and the creation speed of her Poison Needles dropped.

　　…I can’t win this. It’s a terrible matchup. That bastard… so that’s why he challenged me! She gritted her teeth, glaring at me. Even now, new Mana Arrow magic circles were multiplying around me at an unbelievable rate.

　　“Will you surrender?” I asked.

　　“…Hmph!”

　　Just as a frustrated Yeonkyung was about to gather all her mana to fight back, the sky-blue magic circles covering the ceiling caught her eye. Just how many were there? The power difference was overwhelming. Staring blankly at the spectacle above, she finally lowered her head.

　　“…I surrender.”

　　A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd. The facility staff, who had been watching in a daze, belatedly snapped to his senses and raised his arm.

　　“The match is over! The winner is second-year Kim Yusin.”

　　Hearing the confused whispers of the crowd, I let out a light breath as the blue magic circles vanished.

　　Even a third-year is an easy win.

　　-An obvious result, Tower Master, Ea confirmed.

　　Just then, a man who had been watching from the side strode forward.

　　“I’m next,” he declared. It was Ha Jinho, the third-year leader of the Fierce Flame Club. He had a rugged, aged face that was hard to believe for a university student. He threw off his tracksuit top, revealing bulging muscles underneath. “I saw the duel. It seems what you’ve done isn’t just some childish prank, so I won’t be careless.”

　　“I look forward to it,” I replied.

　　The facility staff glanced at me.

　　“Are you okay with fighting back-to-back?”

　　“Yes. No problem.”

　　The staff nodded and raised his arm.

　　“The friendly duel between second-year Kim Yusin and third-year Ha Jinho will now begin!”

　　The starting buzzer sounded, and cheers once again erupted from the spectators.

　　“The last match must have been a favorable matchup. There’s no way he can take on senior Jinho.”

　　“Of course not.”

　　“He’s not an opponent you can beat with speed alone.”

　　While everyone was whispering amongst themselves, Jinho spread his legs shoulder-width apart and tensed his stomach.

　　“Raah!”

　　His entire body turned a dark brown as scales materialized on his skin.

　　Crack! Creak!

　　His hands and feet grew larger, claws emerged, and his face transformed into a reptilian form with a protruding snout. He was a Metamorphosis-type, one who inherits the power of monsters. Jinho’s main was the dragon-kin monster, the Salamander.

　　Creaak!

　　Red, vein-like lines appeared all over his upper body. As Jinho held his breath and leaned back, his abdomen bulged, the mass churning as it moved upward. It passed through his abdomen, chest, and throat until he opened his mouth to reveal a blazing sphere of fire. It was the symbol and essence of the Salamander: the Flame Breath.

　　“Oooooooh!”

　　Hearing the cheers from all sides, Jinho looked at me with an air of triumph. While he was preparing his ultimate attack, I had just been standing there, watching.

　　Why is he so calm? he must have wondered.

　　Finally, I began to move. As I opened my palm, mana rapidly wove itself into a circle.

　　Fwoosh!

　　“Huh?”

　　“Him too!”

　　This time, my magic wasn’t in the shape of an arrow. A crimson fireball materialized above the magic circle I had deployed.

　　What is this…! Jinho’s eyes filled with astonishment. It was the same type of flame skill. And it looked even bigger than his own.

　　“Well,” I said with a grin, extending my arm. “Which one of us is faster?”

* * *