“I...I’ll try,”
Sylvie might not be the most suited for this kind of wilderness combat, but even so, she is still the inheritor of the [First Lord’s Authority].
Despite some initial hesitation, she successfully cast the buff.
Whoosh!
Just as the guy in front of me realized Sylvie’s class, he immediately rushed towards me with even greater speed.
His movements became more swift and precise, as if he had abandoned all reservations.
‘He’s finally showing his full power.’
No sane person would go all out from the start and reveal their trump cards, though the guy in front of me might be young, at least he wasn’t as dumb as he looked.
He realized that the battle wasn’t going according to his expectations.
Clang! Clang!
His sword clashed violently against my daggers, each attack more forceful than the last. The earth pillars he summoned earlier indicated that he was no longer holding back, ready to use his skills to their full extent.
‘I need to end this quickly.’
With Sylvie’s buff, I felt a surge of energy coursing through me. My movements became more agile, and my overall capabilities were enhanced.
“Ha!”
He shouted as he rapidly charged towards me. His sword was coated in mana, while he also enhanced his own defenses.
Whoosh!
I evaded one of his powerful swings and quickly retaliated, aiming for his weak points.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
However, my attacks didn’t pierce his skin; instead, they were blocked by small shields he created using earth-based skills.
‘Earth Manipulation, is it?’
His ability to manipulate earth and stone to create defensive barriers added a layer of difficulty to the fight. Clearly, he wasn’t just relying on brute strength but was also employing a more strategic approach to combat.
“You’re like a cockroach!” he taunted, while gathering mana. Of course, I wouldn’t let him have his way, immediately closing the distance to disrupt his spellcasting.
However, he seemed to have anticipated this, slamming both hands violently onto the ice-covered ground, causing a powerful tremor.
‘Tch.’
Seeing his intent, I immediately leaped backward.
Crack!
The ground beneath my feet shook, and a burst of force launched my body into the air.
Whoosh!
I tumbled in the air, the world spinning around me. Fortunately, I had practiced using acrobatic movements to enhance aerial combat efficiency during training.
As I regained my balance in the air, I noticed that he was already preparing his next move. The ground in front of him cracked open, with small dust and smoke particles spreading.
‘Smoke?’
It seemed that this guy was quite clever, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent.
‘Looks like his high ranking isn’t just based on strength.’
[Eye of Time]
The moment the skill activated, I felt time slowing down. My vision became clearer, and I could see subtle movements in the smoke moving towards Sylvie.
‘Not a chance.’
Whoosh! Boom!
I immediately dashed towards Sylvie, quickly closing the distance.
I took her to a safe place and then refocused my attention on him.
This guy probably thought he could grab Sylvie as a hostage amidst the chaos and gain the upper hand. But he underestimated the speed boost from Sylvie's buff.
I also felt the wounds on my body healing, Sylvie’s healing was working. I didn’t have time to focus on her, but she seemed determined.
Swish!
In an instant, I intercepted his path, the dagger slicing precisely through the air. He tried to grab Sylvie but only grasped air.
“Nice try,” I said coldly, my tone firm. Although his choice of Sylvie as a target wasn’t wrong, for some reason, I felt slightly annoyed by his targeting of Sylvie.
Without giving him any chance to recover, I immediately closed the distance between us.
As I rushed toward him, I prepared to use a brand new move I had devised in training.
[Crescent Moon]
Whoosh!
In a flurry of rapid movements, my daggers danced through the air, each movement carefully calculated to efficiently disarm the opponent.
Clang!
The first movement disrupted his grip on the weapon, forcing him to release it. For this, I specifically attacked the tip of his weapon from the side, causing the weapon to vibrate violently.
Whoosh!
The second movement followed immediately, using the brief moment of imbalance to alter the trajectory of the weapon, creating an opening.
Clang!
The third movement targeted the weapon itself, knocking it away while ensuring he couldn't regain his balance in a short time.
Finally, the fourth movement seized the opportunity to completely defeat this defenseless enemy.
Clang! Clang! Whoosh! Clang!
This series of movements was executed in one smooth motion, and before he could react, his weapon had already fallen to the ice-covered ground, and I stood before him with my dual daggers.
“What?”
These movements not only disarmed him but also left him bewildered by my speed and precision.
This entire combo was only possible thanks to Sylvie's buff. Without her help, my strength wouldn't have been enough to force his weapon out of his hand.
Before he could fully react, I focused mana on my hand, I swiftly struck the back of his head with the hilt of my dagger.
Bang!
With this final blow, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. I saw his breathing gradually stabilize, and other signs also indicated that he had lost consciousness, confirming the end of the battle.
‘It worked as expected.’
As I stood beside the fallen swordsman, confirming that the immediate threat had been eliminated, I turned my attention to Sylvie, preparing to ensure her safety.
‘Hmm?’
To my surprise, the archer I had shot earlier emerged from the shadows, now holding Sylvie hostage.
“Drop your weapons, or your companion gets hurt,” the female archer threatened, forcing a strained smile.
“……”
I didn’t speak, just quietly looked at the female archer and Sylvie.
“What?”
“You had a chance to run away,” I said softly, locking my gaze onto her.
“I won’t warn you again.”
She looked at me with clear annoyance on her face, while her body trembled slightly, seeming both scared and in pain.
‘Her wounds haven’t healed.’
The wound from my first shot was still bleeding, and something seemed to be preventing her from escaping.
‘Must be Serafina.’
If she found out that the archer had run away during her fight… then this girl's future career might be over. This might also be why the swordsman still fought me even after I was buffed.
However, if you want to take hostages, you have to be very careful about your surroundings. Especially as an archer, actively exposing yourself when you are not good at close combat.
‘Whatever, let’s do this.’
I don't need to do anything anyway. After all, the main goal of this test is not to eliminate other students, but to ensure that the mana formula is submitted.
Therefore, I just stood there quietly, testing the girl's patience. At the same time, I was also observing Sylvie, the fear revealed in her eyes indicated that she was not ready.
‘This should be a good lesson for her too.’
I persisted in not compromising, refusing to comply with her demands, and the female archer's impatience gradually became apparent. She gestured with her bow, a hint of threat in her eyes.
“If you don’t want her to get hurt, drop your weapons now,” she warned, while tightly grabbing Sylvie.
I slowly shook my head, maintaining a calm demeanor. “I don’t think you’re in a position to threaten me. If you hurt her, you lose the leverage you think you have.”
The female archer’s anger flared, and she glared at me. “Don’t play games! Are you so heartless that you don’t care about your companion’s safety?”
“Sigh…” I sighed at her question, letting go of my hands, the daggers plunged straight into the ground.
As the daggers plunged into the ground, I noticed that her muscles relaxed a bit, as she let her guard down.
Pull!
Then, I suddenly pulled the mana thread connected to my fingertips.
Thud! Thud!
With my movement, the small daggers buried in the ground flew back into my hands, and another one struck the girl in the head from behind.
“Ah!”
[Quick Step]
She was initially surprised, staggering forward. Before she could react, I quickly closed the distance.
My summoned dagger accurately struck her bow, knocking it away, sliding across the icy ground.
The archer girl knelt on the ground, disarmed and bewildered, while the tip of my dagger gently brushed against her neck. I looked at her, her eyes filled with pain, probably from the previous wound.
“This will hurt a bit.”
Bang!
After speaking, I knocked her down to the ground with the hilt of the dagger as well.
As I turned my attention to Sylvie, my gaze locked onto her bright green eyes. Seeing this kind of situation that could happen at any time in reality made me very annoyed, if it was a real event the attacker's target would be her life.
“This is why I told you to learn how to fight. If there’s no one around to protect you, you’re just a liability.”
I was also angry at myself for letting my guard down after defeating the swordsman. If this was a real situation, I needed to pay attention to the archer at all times, but I was too confident in my first attack at the beginning, thinking that one hit would make the opponent unable to move.
‘I need to be more careful next time.’
