Chapter 59

EP.59 Is He Really an Intern? (2)

Ding-

We arrived at the underground training hall.

I heard that there's a huge training hall for clan members' training and seminars on the Ilsan side, but it seems that the clan tower, being a large clan, also has a training hall.

'I haven't even seen all the buildings yet…'

The first floor and some buildings in the 30s.

And the 25th floor is all I've seen.

I was just about to start touring the departments when I was caught by a team leader like Park Jin-woo.

Kang Joo-yeon also found it difficult to refuse the sparring match.

She looked at me with a slightly apologetic expression.

I shook my head lightly.

And conveyed my intention through my mouth.

-It's okay.

Honestly, I understand.

If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't think highly of a new hire who suddenly got a special hire, especially one who only plans to stay for two months as an academy student.

Frankly, sending a 5700-character complaint email to the clan master would be justified.

Moreover, while Kang Joo-yeon is the clan's successor, Kwon Oh-jun is also an important member of the clan.

The opinion of a team leader cannot be completely ignored.

Additionally, since the sparring proposal was reasonable, it needed to be respected.

'The training hall is huge.'

There's no small place here.

The underground training hall, which occupies an entire floor, has various items needed for sparring placed throughout.

From various weapons to armor and other defensive gear, and some special items.

On one side of the training hall, various potions are prepared for emergencies.

With this setup, even without divine series, emergency treatment is possible during sparring.

"Since you've done sparring since entering the academy, you should be familiar with it, and the rules will follow the academy rules. Attacks on vital points are prohibited, but all other physical and magical attacks are allowed. The sparring will end when a participant concedes, the outcome is objectively determined, or the referee decides it's over."

After Kwon Oh-jun explained the lengthy rules,

He lightly looked at me and the opponent holder alternately.

"Any objections?"

"None!"

"I have none either."

Kwon Oh-jun nodded and looked around.

"Items are soon the holder's power. You can use any items you have. However, the use of special items that clearly change the battle dynamics, such as corrosive powder or mana control gas, is prohibited. Unlike the academy, we won't tolerate such things, so keep that in mind... If you need to, use the weapons or armor in the training hall. Most are normal grade but in good condition, so they should be usable."

I was a bit puzzled by this.

I already have a [Well-Honed Longsword] and a normal-grade dagger, so there's no problem with weapons.

But I don't have any proper armor.

This is partly because I couldn't find any usable armor at this point, but also because I keep my body light to maximize speed during battles.

After all, I'm a close-range holder with the highest speed stat.

'Looks like a mage series... from the lack of weapons...'

However, the opponent holder has no weapons on their body.

Considering the sparring is about to start, it means the opponent is a holder who doesn't use weapons.

In other words, it's highly likely to be a mage series holder.

It's definitely better to use armor when facing a mage series.

Especially heavy armor that significantly reduces speed.

'...Just use a shield.'

I took out the [Hobgoblin's Bronze Shield] from my magic bag.

Although I'm still a bit awkward with one-handed swords, I can switch to a two-handed sword during the battle if I need to, so it should be fine.

Using a shield will also be more efficient in blocking magic.

"Then, let's start the sparring among clan members of the Fire's Judgment 5th team. Shin Yuna, Joo Dae-hyun. The two holders should shake hands and prepare for the sparring."

Her full name is Shin Yuna.

It's a pretty name.

It doesn't quite match her appearance, though.

I shook her hand and lightly said,

"Let's do our best."

"Hmph."

But her attitude was quite cold.

...Did I get on her bad side?

Not just the team leader, but the holder in the team also doesn't seem to like me.

I can foresee that my clan life won't be easy.

It was the same in the academy, and it's the same now...

It's been a continuous series of proofs.

I cleared my throat and prepared to draw mana.

The opponent is a legitimate active holder who graduated from the academy.

There's no room for leisure like when dealing with freshmen.

"Sparring, start."

And Kwon Oh-jun's start signal rang out.

The sparring began.

"Huff...!!"

I didn't wait for a moment.

I held my breath and immediately used [Charge].

And [Ruthless Charge] followed in quick succession.

Maximizing the charge speed and the special effects of runes used during the charge.

This is the combo I mainly use to take the initiative.

'Magical attacks are effective... but...'

[Ruthless Charge] only ignores physical attacks during the charge.

This means it doesn't defend against magical attacks.

It's a defense effect that doesn't matter much to a mage series like Shin Yuna.

'The key is to make the opponent flustered.'

However, taking the initiative is important when facing a mage series.

Casting magic takes time, and if a close-range holder suddenly attacks, it can distract and disrupt their concentration.

In this sense, the combo that simultaneously charges and attacks is crucial.

Especially, the additional effect of 'hitting the opponent with twice the strength stat' has the advantage of dealing damage without weapons to a flustered opponent.

'Bullseye!'

As expected, Shin Yuna looked greatly flustered.

It's understandable to lose composure when a close-range holder charges at an incredible speed, even if you're not a cavalry series.

I quickly closed the distance and approached Shin Yuna's nose.

If I hit her like this, the subsequent sparring will be easier.

A mage series that takes damage in battle loses a lot of power.

I feel a bit melancholic.

After all, a regular C-grade holder isn't my match.

Feeling a bit disappointed at Shin Yuna's inability to handle such a simple attack, I was about to...

"Huh?"

...hit her.

Literally, right in front of her nose.

I approached right in front of Shin Yuna, but...

Suddenly, she disappeared.

This is a phenomenon that can't be explained by speed stats.

It can only be explained by a movement rune like [Agile Movement].

In other words,

Shin Yuna has a movement rune.

'No way. A mage series with a movement rune?'

Honestly, it's not impossible.

I'm a more extreme case.

But unlike me, Shin Yuna didn't seem to be a multi-holder...

The surprises didn't end there.

As soon as I stopped [Charge] and the physical attack effect of [Ruthless Charge] ended, Shin Yuna's fist flew at me with a fierce speed.

That's right.

It was a 'fist.'

My head went blank for a moment.

'Combat rune!'

Shin Yuna was a close-range holder.

I thought she was definitely a mage series, but she seems to have a [Combat] rune that doesn't use weapons.

Once I realized this, it made sense why she had a movement rune and why she could evade my charge so quickly.

Combat series naturally have high speed, and with the bonus from a movement rune, their reaction speed becomes even faster.

For such a holder, evading my charge was not difficult.

Moreover, despite being a close-range holder, she didn't counter my charge.

She evaded first, then looked for an opening to counterattack.

Not ignoring the runes and skills the opponent has.

It was a brilliant combat sense and a humble attitude.

'Quickly, the shield...'

If she really has a [Combat] rune, relying solely on durability is a poor strategy.

The moment I raised the shield, using [Shield] was the most ideal defense.

Fortunately, I also have a movement rune.

Thanks to [Agile Movement], I could react quickly to Shin Yuna's surprise attack and defend.

Clang- Clang- Clank-!!

The sound and impact of the shield being crushed were transmitted to my body.

Three consecutive attacks.

Three powerful punches, infused with mana, flew at me.

This is a skill I know well.

A derivative skill that can be obtained by leveling up the [Combat] rune, [Rapid Strikes].

The moment I realized Shin Yuna had a combat rune.

'This was just repaired yesterday...'

The shield feels broken, and my stomach hurts.

With this level of impact and sound, it must be dented.

I lowered the shield and briefly looked around.

Shin Yuna had already finished her first attack and was putting distance between us.

After the attack,

Without giving an opening, she returned to a defensive and evasive stance.

As I noticed earlier, her combat style stands out for not giving variables.

"Hmph. You thought I was a mage series just because I don't have weapons? Your vision is narrow."

Shin Yuna sneered at me.

Taking advantage of the lull in the battle, she took out a 'knuckle' from her magic bag and put it on her hand.

'...Putting on knuckles now is a foul.'

It seems she used bare fists for the first attack to make me let my guard down.

...And it worked as intended.

I cursed inwardly but was secretly impressed.

The feeling that 'the game is rigged' is strong.

It means she did a good job designing the sparring from the beginning.

Despite her passionate attitude, her combat style was quite calm and clean.

Moreover, the process of suspecting my charge, evading, taking advantage of my lowered guard to counterattack, and then regaining distance to reorganize her defensive stance.

As a close-range holder, it was flawless.

It was a textbook close-range combat style.

She just joined <Fire's Judgment>, right?

It makes sense that she passed the entry test of one of the top three clans in the country.

"Try that strange charge again. This time, I'll land a proper straight punch."

"You're good, but you're a bit cocky."

"Hmph. Are you scared?"

Whoever thought a holder who uses fists wouldn't be good at provocation, their provocation skills are maxed out.

I chuckled and put the [Hobgoblin's Bronze Shield] back into my magic bag.

Now that I know the opponent is a speed-oriented series.

Using a shield that would slow me down is not a good idea.

It's a shame not to use the core defense skill [Iron Defense], but if I can't counterattack, blocking is meaningless.

"…Putting away the shield? Do you want to be considered as conceding?"

"You talk too much. Just attack."

"Hmph."

Shin Yuna prepared for a full-fledged attack.

I also changed my stance to a two-handed sword.

While moving my hand from the shield to the sword handle...

I pulled out the dagger from my waist and threw it at Shin Yuna.

"......?"

[Quarter Knife].

A roulette-type skill where mana is concentrated on only one of the four daggers.

This is now a derivative skill of my [Dagger], which has reached level 7.

Shin Yuna, who looks flustered, is trying to avoid the four daggers.

The second round starts, Shin Yuna.

Taste some fakes too.