Eye Of The Typhoon

At the much faster and much more powerful wall of flame, Hwang Yu-na hurriedly took a defensive stance and retreated.

‘Silent casting? Something feels different.’

At the threatening force of the flames, Hwang Yu-na grew wary of Joo Hee-jun.
It was different from the analysis.
Hwang Yu-na glared at Joo Hee-jun through the wavering flames.

‘Joo Hee-jun can use magic this powerful? A defective product like him!’

When they had made their strategy, the people they had been most wary of were Cheon Su-ho, who had newly become A-rank, and Lee Ro-un, the powerful A-rank healer.
But Lee Ro-un had tied his own hands by sealing [Healing].
Even with only [Purification], [Protection], and [Blessing] remaining, he was still troublesome, but as long as they had fewer people who could attack, their side had the advantage in offensive power.

‘But what is this! The spirit is a defense-type spirit with the <Reflection> attribute, and Joo Hee-jun is using magic properly!’

Because of that, the other side was also balanced with one healer, two dealers, and one tanker.
No, maybe…!

‘I need to deal with him quickly.’

After confirming the enemy’s unexpected strength, Hwang Yu-na prepared [Slash].
But Joo Hee-jun moved one step faster.

〔Burn!〕
〔Burn!〕
〔Burn!〕

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoooosh!
“Multiple casting?!”

How on earth was he using magic so stably!
They said that guy’s mana control was a mess!
Joo Hee-jun’s magic quickly and accurately blocked the path Hwang Yu-na had been about to take.

“Tch!”

At the flames blocking her path, Hwang Yu-na eventually retreated.
Hwang Yu-na gritted her teeth at the fact that she had retreated and used [Slash].
However, a wall of flame rose up and blocked Hwang Yu-na’s slash.

‘Joo Hee-jun, a defective product like you! Why is your magic activating stably!’

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Hwang Yu-na’s swords swung, but her blades could not reach Joo Hee-jun.
Ro-un sneered at Hwang Yu-na, who was flustered because things had gone a little differently from what she had expected.

‘Compared to Cheon Su-ho, Hwang Yu-na’s swords are nothing. Losing her cool that easily.’

Cool-headed rationality was a virtue for Awakeners.
Because they failed to maintain it, dozens of Awakeners died or were injured in Korea alone every day.
If she wanted to claim she was no worse than a professional, she should at least pretend to be calm. Seeing Hwang Yu-na failing even to do that and tiring herself out on her own, Ro-un lost interest.
Instead, Ro-un looked at Joo Hee-jun with fresh eyes.

“Hoo.”

Thick beads of sweat flowed down Joo Hee-jun’s cheek.

‘He’s doing better than I thought.’

He was in the middle of throwing off his existing frame.
The magic he used was still limited to basic magic, but unlike before, when its power had been killed because he was forcing himself to control it, Joo Hee-jun’s magic was now far more powerful.
Judging from the training over the past few days, the talent Joo Hee-jun possessed was not at some ordinary level.

‘Don’t use standardized formulas. Use magic as your trait leads you.’

He had used Cheon Su-ho to throw Joo Hee-jun off so thoroughly that he could no longer rely on his existing framework, then pushed him until he could move his mana instinctively.

‘But that guy broke his fixed framework in an instant and started using magic as his trait led him.’

The magic activated that way was far more stable, far faster, and far more powerful.
Perhaps, long ago, the first mages had all used magic this way.
As that was passed down to later generations, it may have gone from mouth to mouth, from mouth to writing, and from writing to formulas.

‘Maybe Joo Hee-jun’s true magic is….’

As Ro-un watched Joo Hee-jun and Hwang Yu-na and thought about Joo Hee-jun’s true potential, a brilliantly multicolored barrier appeared before his eyes.

Ting!

“Too bad.”
[Grrrr!]
“Thanks, Hyung.”
[Woof!]

Ray barked proudly, as if it was his job.
An Mi-ru, whose attack had failed, aimed the muzzle at Ro-un again.
Honestly, among the opposing team, An Mi-ru might be the one with the most Awakener-like mindset.

‘It’s about time to end this.’

Ro-un shouted toward Cheon Su-ho, who was driving Kim Jun-tae into a corner.

“Cheon Su-ho. Finish it!”

‘Damn it. What the hell is going on?’

Cheon Su-ho struck down at Kim Jun-tae.
Kim Jun-tae gritted his teeth and blocked Cheon Su-ho’s sword.

Ka-gak!

“Kgh!”

It’s h-heavy!
It’s damn heavy!
Kim Jun-tae gritted his teeth, unable even to deflect the attack.
On the other hand, Cheon Su-ho offered advice to Kim Jun-tae with a relaxed face.

“Your lower body is weak. It seems you neglected lower-body training.”
“Who do you think you’re,”
“There is nothing as good as hiking mountains for lower-body training and improving stamina. How about going up and down to the mountain peak every day? I know Bukhan Mountain is also a place rich in mana.”
“You’re saying that in this situation?”
“Lee Ro-un told me that since this is a friendly sparring match, I should teach a lot. Did I make some mistake?”
“Haa?”

Is this guy an idiot?
A friendly sparring match was just the pretext.
Surely there was not actually someone who believed that sincerely?
Kim Jun-tae’s good-natured-looking face twisted.

“If you aspire to be a tanker, you need to practice reading your opponent’s attacks more.”
“You…!”

Kim Jun-tae hurriedly stepped back from the sword stabbing in at the gap opened by his shield and pressed his body close to the shield.

‘What the hell is this! Why are we the ones being pushed back one-sidedly!’

There had been an item in Cheon Su-ho’s evaluation saying, ‘a promising prospect who would have been recruited by a famous guild if not for <Mana Disability>,’ but since the same was true for them, he had thought they were simply at a similar level.
In fact, because Cheon Su-ho had only just overcome <Mana Disability>, he had thought he alone would be enough to toy with him, but once the lid was actually opened, this side was the one being toyed with!

‘When I get back, I’ll fire every single one of those analyst bastards!’

Kang! Ka-gang!

“Hahahahaha. Lower your body a little more.”
“Shut… up!”

Cheon Su-ho swung his sword nonstop with a smiling face.
This side was trembling and barely managing to block, while the other side had a face that said he was not tired at all.
Kim Jun-tae and Cheon Su-ho’s eyes met over the shield.
At that moment, Lee Ro-un’s instruction cut between the two.

“Cheon Su-ho. Finish it!”
“What?”

A dumbfounded sound slipped out of Kim Jun-tae’s mouth.
It was a sound that slipped out before passing through his head.

‘Finish? Finish what?’

While Kim Jun-tae belatedly thought that, Cheon Su-ho moved like the wind.
Kim Jun-tae belatedly followed Cheon Su-ho’s movement as he became a golden wind.
Seeing the direction Cheon Su-ho was heading, Kim Jun-tae realized the person he was targeting and shouted.

“An Mi-ru! Dodge!”
“What?”

An Mi-ru, who had been targeting Ro-un, spotted Cheon Su-ho charging at her with the excellent dynamic vision befitting a shooter.
An Mi-ru quickly turned her body and aimed the muzzle at Cheon Su-ho.

“Stupid.”

A melee dealer was targeting a ranged dealer at a long distance.
An Mi-ru threw herself backward to create distance and simultaneously cast [Rapid Fire], a skill that fired quickly.
It was an attack that poured out wildly, as if keeping in check the fact that Cheon Su-ho had deflected bullets at the start of the spar.
Bullets calculated to cover Cheon Su-ho’s movement distance shot out like rain, but Cheon Su-ho didn’t dodge the rain of bullets and charged straight ahead.
Cheon Su-ho smiled.

Ti-ti-ti-ting!

A brilliantly multicolored barrier blocked the bullets.

“That…!”
[Woof!]
“Thank you! Lee Ro-un’s Hyung-nim!”

Ray, who had moved in front of Cheon Su-ho at some point, barked proudly.
As Ray climbed onto his shoulder and settled there stably, Cheon Su-ho increased his speed even more.
A spirit leaving its master!

‘A summoned beast should prioritize its master’s safety above all else!’

An Mi-ru created more distance from Cheon Su-ho and glanced at Lee Ro-un.
Lee Ro-un was inside a milky-white hemisphere.

‘[Protection]. Seems stronger than our intel. This is why Lee Ro-un is annoying as an enemy!’

In a party, the healer was the highest-priority target for protection, but Lee Ro-un was a top-tier healer who could protect himself.
He had a means of protecting his own body, enormous Holy Power and healing power great enough that he would one day be called the future Saint, and on top of that, a Blessing that multiplied the strength of his party members!
Meeting Lee Ro-un, whom they had thought of as a recruitment target, as an enemy was extremely annoying.

“An Mi-ru!”
“Ah.”

At Kim Jun-tae’s shout, An Mi-ru quickly tracked Cheon Su-ho.
There was no need to search for him.
Because Cheon Su-ho was right in front of An Mi-ru’s nose!

“An Mi-ru!”
“I’m sorry. Lee Ro-un is telling me to finish it. I would like to continue the sparring match longer too, but I hope you understand.”

Cheon Su-ho spoke politely in words that sounded like they came out of a textbook and swung his sword.
At the attack accurately targeting the hand holding the gun, An Mi-ru quickly pulled her hand back.
However, Cheon Su-ho’s attack did not stop there.

Shuk!

Seeing An Mi-ru dodge, Cheon Su-ho’s sword changed its trajectory and persistently followed her.
Kim Jun-tae tried to step between them to protect his endangered party member, but someone moved faster than him.

〔Blow.〕

Whooooong!

“Kgh!”

A massive wind pushed Kim Jun-tae.
He hurriedly lowered his lower body and held out his shield to withstand it, but for an instant, his body nearly lifted off the ground.

‘Wind… magic? How? That guy Joo Hee-jun. Wasn’t he only able to use flame magic?’

Kim Jun-tae, who had confirmed the opponent’s hidden strength, panicked and looked for his teammate.

‘Hwang Yu-na! What was Hwang Yu-na doing without even dealing with Joo Hee-jun!’

Where was she and what was she doing that Joo Hee-jun was here?
If Joo Hee-jun could use other magic too, she should have told us immediately!
When Kim Jun-tae gritted his teeth and looked for Hwang Yu-na, he could not help being shocked, even forgetting his anger.

“That’s a trap?”

Hwang Yu-na had been caught and bound by a trap item.
She was subdued?
Hwang Yu-na, by Joo Hee-jun?

“…When?”

Kim Jun-tae, who had thought that far, whipped his gaze back to Joo Hee-jun.

‘Raising the walls of flame and continuously using only flame magic were all to hide the trap!’

A chill ran down his spine.
It was surprising that Joo Hee-jun was using magic properly, but it was even more surprising that he had used that magic as a smokescreen to set a trap that would ensnare Hwang Yu-na.

‘I thought wrong.’

These guys were by no means easy opponents.
The side that had known and prepared more than them, despite their excellent analysts, was Lee Ro-un’s side!
But regret had already come too late.

“It will hurt, but endure it for a moment.”
“Aaagh!”
“Mi-ru!”

Cheon Su-ho struck An Mi-ru’s head with the flat of his sword.
An Mi-ru fell face-down onto the ground.
Her gun was nowhere to be seen.

‘He pushed An Mi-ru that far in that short time?’

After knocking An Mi-ru down, Cheon Su-ho took out a binding item and restrained An Mi-ru’s body.

“Lee Ro-un told me to make sure to neutralize any enemy I brought down.”

These guys were needlessly thorough!
Seeing An Mi-ru completely subdued by Cheon Su-ho, Kim Jun-tae grew urgent.
There was only one way to reverse this situation.

‘Where did Lee Ro-un go?’

Found him!
Why is he over there!

“Do you want to get hit, or do you want to surrender?”
[Grrrr!]
“I surrender.”
“Good choice.”
[Woof!]

Lee Ro-un was threatening the last teammate, Tae Seong-ho!
Tae Seong-ho held out his hands and obediently accepted being bound.
Kim Jun-tae cursed Tae Seong-ho with his eyes for not resisting even once.

Flinch!

“Now you’re the only one left!”
“H-how about that! Surrender! …Please!”

Joo Hee-jun and Cheon Su-ho pressured Kim Jun-tae from both sides.
He seemed about to raise his weapon and resist, but Kim Jun-tae’s eyes shook like a small boat adrift in a typhoon.

‘Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Me, in a place like this!’

Three of his teammates had already been captured.
Should he throw out everything he had and resist now that he was alone?
What if the sight of him resisting looked even more ridiculous?
After weighing this and that, Kim Jun-tae eventually lowered his shield with a humiliated face.

“…I lost.”
“That’s it! Winner! Jiri Academy!”

Uwaaaaaaaaaah!
Kyaaah!
Aaaaaah!

Cheers like screams pierced through the sound of rain.
It was a perfect victory for Jiri Academy’s side.

“This makes no sense! How!”

At the declaration of victory, An Mi-ru, who was bound on the ground, squirmed.
Lee Ro-un, who was bringing over Tae Seong-ho after binding him, glared at Cheon Su-ho, who was binding Kim Jun-tae.

“Cheon Su-ho. I believe I told you to neutralize them completely.”
“I tied her up so she can’t move an inch, Lee Ro-un.”
“Her mouth is still moving. What would you do if, for example, she bit down on something like a bomb ignition button?”
“Oh! That’s true. I have to block the mouth too! Got it, Lee Ro-un.”
“Mmph? Mmmph!”

Cheon Su-ho faithfully followed Lee Ro-un’s words and blocked An Mi-ru’s mouth.
Joo Hee-jun, who had been watching from the side, hesitated before blocking Hwang Yu-na’s mouth with a handkerchief while she was tied up in the trap.
Hwang Yu-na’s gaze sharpened as if it would cut Joo Hee-jun to pieces.

“Sorry.”

After blocking Hwang Yu-na’s mouth, Joo Hee-jun hurriedly slipped beside Lee Ro-un, who was walking over while holding the restraint item attached to Tae Seong-ho.
As if answering the thoughts of the Bukhan students, who were dumbfounded that their mouths had been blocked on top of their bodies being bound, Ro-un spoke.

“You’re weak. I thought this would at least be a proper sparring match.”
“Hmphmmph!”
“Mmph!”
“Khmph!”
“Uh, well. I think that’s because our analysts measured your strength incorrectly.”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, sir!”

Tae Seong-ho, the only one whose mouth had not been blocked, shut his mouth tight at Lee Ro-un’s words.

“The problem was that our side’s strength was too high.”

Ro-un glanced at Joo Hee-jun, who was standing close beside him and holding onto his sleeve.
The variable who had shown such outstanding performance in this sparring match that even Lee Ro-un was surprised.

Even among the countless mages called geniuses, Joo Hee-jun was a genius worthy of leaving his name in history.