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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟐
16 participants with outstanding mental capabilities have stepped forward into the arena.
「 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 41 𝙩𝙤 48. 」
Among the opposing team, the hooded man had the highest level, followed by Sophia, who was at level 45.
I, myself, was at level 42, indicating that I was slightly below the midpoint.
「 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧. 」
After meticulously examining their traits, it became evident that Sophia and the hooded man, Choi Chang-il, were unexpectedly formidable.
Choi Chang-il’s abilities surpassed those of an average 3rd-grade exorcist, placing him among the most skilled participants in this year’s competition.
“What should we do?”
Heo Min-woo, a 44-year-old member of my team, whispered a question. After assessing the situation, I formulated a conclusion and promptly relayed my response.
“As soon as the match commences, you must deploy your most potent defensive spell.”
“Excuse me?”
Screech!
Before he could inquire further, the starting signal reverberated throughout the arena. I immediately began deploying the top mid-level defense technique, Wall of Heaven.
Less than 10 seconds after the completion of my spell, Sophia, who was positioned at the center of the arena, unleashed a powerful advanced spell, targeting everyone except her own teammates.
“Eight-sided Rotating Lotus Net.”
A versatile advanced spell that damages and restrains opponents with a wave of spiritual power.
However, its potency was far from ordinary.
Crash!
Screech!
“Ugh!”
“Ack!”
“Gyaaaah!”
Those who failed to react in time, as well as those who hastily deployed their defensive spells, were unable to withstand the onslaught of spiritual power and were sent flying out of the arena.
My teammate, Heo Min-woo, was no exception. With this latest attack, a total of twelve participants were eliminated from the competition.
Only Sophia, her teammates, the hooded man, and I remained.
「 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝? 」
Although I had anticipated her growth during our previous training sessions, the difference between her current abilities and those she displayed on Yeongwol Island was astounding.
The casting speed and power of her spells far exceeded my expectations.
「 𝙄𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠. 」
To avoid an embarrassing defeat, I needed to heighten my focus and intensity.
While I was committed to a fair fight, I also had a clear objective: to establish a comprehensive record in this qualifying exam and solidify my reputation.
“Um, Mr. Jeong-won, could you handle that man over there? I have something else to attend to.”
“Ah, yes. Of course. I will.”
Sophia’s teammate seemed momentarily stunned by the recent events but soon regained his composure and moved to confront Choi Chang-il.
To be honest, Sophia must have realized that her teammate was no match for Choi Chang-il. However, it seemed that her strategy was to eliminate all potential obstacles before engaging me in a one-on-one battle.
In truth, Sophia had fulfilled her role by eliminating all the members of the other teams. Therefore, I had no reason to complain.
After briefly observing the two opponents as they began their confrontation, Sophia turned her gaze towards me, a gentle smile adorning her face.
“Don’t worry. Soon, it will just be the two of us,”
” . . . Is this even allowed in the qualifying exam?”
“Well, there’s no rule against using underhanded tactics, so it should be fine, right?”
Sophia was fully prepared for battle.
In response, I summoned all of my shikigami, the familiars that I primarily rely on in combat.
However, I excluded Eve, whom I had recently revived.
Swish.
Poof!
Thud!
“Well done. That’s exactly what you should have done.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise.”
“Thank you.”
Without delay, Sophia unleashed a series of spells in quick succession.
The first few included Hundred Flower Heat Wave, Venomous Fog, and an intermediate-level close-range spell, Sky Blade.
Sophia, who typically preferred to maintain a safe distance during combat, seemed to have specifically chosen close-range spells to counter me.
As the relentless barrage of spells approached me, my hands naturally accelerated to counter them.
Whoosh.
“Bifong, Rending Slash.”
First, I preemptively cast Bifong, a simple defensive spell, to neutralize Venomous Fog. Immediately after, I used Rending Slash, an improved version of Hundred Flower Heat Wave, to compensate for the difference in spiritual power.
Sophia, wielding a blade of spiritual power, charged towards me, but her advance was met with resistance from Ggong-sam-yi’s flames and Black Yin’s feathers.
Although the task seemed incredibly complex just by thinking about it, my body and mind, accustomed to such situations, executed them effortlessly.
Despite Sophia’s relentless casting of powerful spells, she was unable to find any openings in my defenses. With a hint of disappointment, she took a step back.
As she did, she directed a complaint towards me.
“Tch, they said you were weak in close combat, but that’s clearly not the case.”
“That’s because I’ve been paying close attention to my training.”
Unfazed, Sophia summoned more spiritual power and began casting spells once again.
This time, it was two.
One of them was Tri-Flow Quicksand Array, which I had seen her use several times before.
However, the other one was an unfamiliar spell that I had never encountered.
“Because Kang Yoon is known for his exceptional ability to counter versatile spells. So, I’ve prepared something a little different for you.”
” . . . . . . .”
I pondered her words, rapidly searching my memory for the countless spells I had encountered.
Soon enough, I realized what it was.
「 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩? 」
It was a truly obscure spell from a minor school of sorcery, which made it all the more surprising that she had managed to acquire it.
The name of the second spell Sophia had cast was Soul Scorching Purgatory.
While it shared similarities with curses, it was a unique type of restraining spell that took on a different form.
The target of this spell would be bound by increasingly heavy chains for each spiritual link they currently possessed.
In PVP, it was a minor spell that was only used to target specific meta classes.
However, for me, a shikigami summoner and warlock, it was potentially devastating.
「𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙂𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙨𝙖𝙢-𝙮𝙞, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙩. 」
Fortunately, I had also encountered this spell several times in PVP and knew how to counter it.
Soul Scorching Purgatory could be broken using another intermediate-level spell, Breaking.
「 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚, 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛. . . . . . . 」
But I had no choice but to do it now.
First, I cast Wall of Heaven to block Tri-Flow Quicksand Array. Then, I immediately prepared Breaking and charged forward.
「 𝘼𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 12 𝙤’𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 」
I needed to close the distance quickly to catch that precise moment.
Whoosh.
Ping!
Sophia, sensing my approach, deftly extended one hand and fired a Hundred Flower Heat Wave spell, even while casting another spell. However, Black Yin, which had been following me from above, intercepted it with a barrier.
With that, I was able to break Sophia’s Soul Scorching Purgatory spell with Breaking at the exact right moment.
Whoosh.
Crack.
Boom!
As the spell completely collapsed, a significant shockwave surged through Sophia and myself. I seized the opportunity to retreat and used the Spirit Absorption trait to replenish my depleted spiritual power.
Gulp.
Whoosh.
Sophia briefly grimaced and shook her hand before addressing me with a look of admiration.
“Um. Did you know about this spell too? I can’t believe it.”
“I had the opportunity to encounter it in the past.”
“Really? I found it in the depths of the vaults of the family that sponsored me. . . . . . .”
“Perhaps the origin of the spell itself is different.”
Since it was an ancient spell, there was no reason to disbelieve such an explanation.
Sophia sighed in exasperation and summoned spiritual power, enveloping herself with a defensive spell.
“I guess there’s no point in continuing like this. Ugh, all that preparation was for nothing.”
“Honestly, it was quite threatening.”
“Um. Really? It didn’t seem that way to me at all.”
Sophia pouted, her eyes narrowing in dissatisfaction.
Then, she glanced to the side and unleashed a series of merciless attacks on Choi Chang-il, who had defeated her teammate.
Screech!
Boom!
Rumble!
“Um. That was clean. I guess there’s no need to hold back anymore?”
Perhaps she was worried about getting caught in the crossfire, but Sophia began to increase the intensity of her spiritual power, her demeanor noticeably different from before.
“It might not be the most elegant approach, but I guess I have no choice but to rely on firepower to win.”
” . . . . . . .”
“I’m going to cast three advanced spells in a row. The last one will be my most powerful attack spell.”
It was both a provocation and an expression of her unwavering confidence.
In simpler terms, she was inviting me to try and block her if I could.
「 𝙏𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. 」
What exactly is an advanced spell?
Even among 3rd-grade exorcists, there are very few who can use them. And even if they do, many remain stuck at the intermediate level throughout their lives, unable to grasp the incredibly complex principles behind the spells.
In Cheonghwa Academy, which gathers the most outstanding talents in Korea, only a handful of students are capable of using them.
However, Sophia, with her extraordinary intellect and vast spiritual power, had already mastered advanced spells to the point of perfection.
Judging from the casting speed and power of her Eight-sided Rotating Lotus Net earlier, it was likely that she could execute her other spells flawlessly as well.
Despite the pressure, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
After all, I had anticipated this very situation since before the fight even began.
「 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩. 」
Of course, Sophia was a prodigious fighter who far surpassed the level of ordinary students. However, I had no intention of losing to her, and as a result, the battle had dragged on.
This inevitably limited the options available to Sophia.
And in such a situation, the most reliable course of action for her would be to exploit her greatest advantage, her spiritual power, and engage in a battle of firepower.
In short, this was the moment I had been waiting for.
I discreetly recalled some of my shikigami, who were no longer needed for containment purposes.
Then, from within their ranks, I sent another shikigami forth.
Swish.
Thud!
It was none other than Eve, the legacy of the ancient witch Verdi and the guardian of the Witch’s Room.
” . . . Please give me your orders.”
It was the spell puppet, Eve.