Chapter 36
“…That’s enough. Go rest.”
“Thank you.”
Lienna’s sparring soon came to an end.
The result was her elimination.
Like Dwena, she couldn’t land a single effective hit.
“Wow, wow…”
“So this is the Holy Maiden…!”
“To think she can use divine power like that.”
The content was entirely different.
“Amazing… truly amazing.”
Angela admired in a barely audible voice.
There was only a slight difference between 3rd and 2nd place.
But the gap between Lienna and Dwena was truly immense.
‘If Dwena is the best among ordinary people.’
Lienna is categorized as a genius or a monster.
‘…Exceeding expectations.’
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised, but he had expected her to show skills beyond the ordinary.
She isn’t just a Holy Maiden; she’s the ‘Divine Oracle Holy Maiden.’
If anything, he would have been more surprised if she had fallen short of that.
“Now, it’s the last one.”
Reina, who had been catching her breath for a moment, shifted her gaze toward me.
“Come out, Lan.”
Finally, it was my turn.
I stood up silently.
“H-… hang in there! You can do it!”
Angela lightly tugged at the hem of my clothes and offered words of encouragement.
“Thank you.”
I responded with a faint smile.
Then I walked toward Reina at a moderate pace.
“He really is a man.”
“He seems to handle qi well enough, but… after all, he’s just a man.”
“Now we’ll see his limits, hehe.”
“He looks so fragile.”
Perhaps because I hadn’t acted rashly, the ridicule from the Alpha Class cadets grew louder.
Well, they didn’t take the entrance exam with me.
On the other hand, the Beta Class, who knew my skills, stayed silent.
“……”
Only a few had their eyes shining with curiosity.
‘This is ridiculous.’
The cadets who got in thanks to family connections had higher standards for skill than those who were admitted based on merit.
It seems that the corruption of bloodline, family ties, and regionalism transcends both time and dimensions.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
“I’ll say it again. There’s no holding back just because you’re a man.”
Reina clenched her fist and took a stance.
“Then, I guess I don’t need to hold back just because you’re a professor.”
“…How arrogant.”
A twitch appeared beneath Reina’s eye.
Whether she liked it or not, I raised my fist with a smile.
“I’ll learn something from you.”
The alarm signaling the start of the match rang.
I immediately unleashed the qi I had gathered in my legs.
Wind Wave Style: Ran
My steps scattered unpredictably in chaotic directions.
Charging directly at someone as strong as Reina would be suicidal.
Whoosh!
I approached her from the side and thrust my fist forward.
“You’re not just all talk…!”
But Reina caught my fist straightaway.
Swoosh!
She tried to pull me in and immobilize me.
If I got pulled in, it would end with a joint lock.
‘No chance.’
I opened my other hand and focused qi into my palm.
Steel Qi: Palm
“What…!”
A compressed wave of air blasted forth, sending Reina flying.
Boom!
A cloud of dust rose around the area.
“…Unbelievable.”
From within the dust, Reina walked out calmly.
“You, are you really a cadet?”
“As you can see.”
“Sometimes, what you see isn’t everything.”
What a vague way to speak.
Still, it didn’t seem like a bad comment, so I stayed quiet.
“It seems the title of top cadet isn’t just for show.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“I’ll be a bit more serious with you.”
She took out gloves from her pocket.
Black leather gloves with cushioning for shock absorption.
‘Those gloves mean…’
She’s planning to seriously beat me up now.
“Even if you end up unconscious, I hope you’ll forgive me, Cadet Lan.”
“If I do end up unconscious, that is.”
“…You really get on my nerves.”
Thud!
Reina, now wearing her gloves, moved her legs.
Her speed was unbelievable for someone who wasn’t using qi.
I spread my qi sense wide to track her movements as much as possible.
“It’s better to dodge than block.”
Reina, who had instantly closed the distance, swung her fist.
Thud! Thwack!
Her punches narrowly grazed my skin.
“As expected from the bloodline of the Duke’s family.”
Even without wrapping her fists in qi, the power was terrifying.
Slash!
Even though I dodged, a wound remained on my body, as if I had been cut by a blade.
‘If I had blocked that with my bare body, breaking bones would be the least of my worries.’
It’s a chilling thought, but I don’t intend to keep dodging.
Whoosh!
As Reina prepared a powerful attack, I wrapped both of my hands in azure qi.
“Break Sword Style: Flow”
Like a flexible stream of water flowing past everything, I softly diverted the enormous force.
Ssshh…
The trajectory of Reina’s fist, caught in the flow of “Break Sword Style,” naturally shifted.
“…!”
An opening.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and slammed my fist into her chin.
Thud!
However, I had overlooked one thing.
Unlike the sword, which benefits from talent adjustments, I couldn’t hold qi in my fists for long.
I had used up all the qi I had gathered while executing the “Break Sword Style.”
And…
“Impressive. No, truly outstanding skill.”
Reina was tougher than I expected.
“I’ve conducted countless sparring sessions, but you’re the first first-year student to land a blow on me.”
I was sure I had hit her vital point—her chin.
‘Is she made of stone or what!’
My fist throbbed with pain.
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
A heavy pain welled up in my abdomen.
Reina’s knee lightly struck my stomach.
To clarify again—
It was a light strike.
“Cough…!”
Even so, it felt like my insides were being torn apart.
Good thing I hadn’t eaten breakfast.
If I had overeaten, I might have thrown up everything.
“You!”
Angela’s scream brushed past my ears.
“Don’t feel too bad. It’s proof that I’ve acknowledged you.”
“Ha… your affection is a bit overwhelming!”
The sparring wasn’t over yet.
Neither of us had fallen to the ground or been knocked out of the ring.
“We’ll continue.”
Reina lifted her leg and stomped toward where I was standing.
I kicked off the ground, pulling my body back to dodge.
Boom!
The ground trembled.
The power was shocking, no matter how many times I saw it.
“Crazy…”
“Shouldn’t someone stop the professor?”
“The level… it’s on another plane…”
The mouths of those who had been sneering moments ago hung open in shock.
They probably didn’t expect Reina to take this so seriously.
‘When they see a shining gem, they can’t help but get excited.’
That’s the same for Karen and Ornica.
The easiest way to gain recognition in this world is to become stronger.
‘I lack power.’
Even if I somehow manage to land attacks on Reina, they are ineffective.
Simply wrapping my fists in qi and hitting isn’t enough.
Stronger.
Tougher.
More precise.
“…If it’s that.”
I’ve already seen it.
“Demon Fist”
Marco’s signature technique.
It’s her unique combat method that maximizes power by systematically wrapping qi around her fists.
I recalled the time I fought with Marco.
Her fierce, blazing fists of qi.
I sensed that same blind, raw intensity.
‘Eliminate everything.’
Shaving away all unnecessary thoughts.
A fist carrying only the intent to knock the opponent out.
‘It’s not just about reinforcing the fists.’
I’ll release qi outward.
‘To create a stronger fist!’
[Due to “Intelligence,” you’ve gained insight.]
[“Blessing of Growth” accelerates your growth based on the insight.]
A dense qi enveloped my right hand.
Vooom!
Just like Marco.
I formed a massive fist made entirely of qi.
[You’ve obtained “Steel Fist.”]
‘Steel Fist…!’
It’s different from Marco’s “Demon Fist,” but…
This should be enough.
“You’ve brought out something interesting again.”
“Thanks to you.”
Reina looked at me and… smiled.
“You won’t mind if I don’t wait, will you?”
She kicked off the ground and charged at me with great force.
‘At this rate, I won’t be able to dodge her fist.’
Then I have to strike back while taking the hit.
“Sss!”
I drew out the Frost Qi from my danjun and wrapped it around my left arm like a shield.
Shield and spear.
The ideal form of battle.
“Come on!”
“Raaaah!”
The distance between me and Reina closed quickly.
And then, our fists—
Boom!
—collided.
***
Thud!
The end of the sparring.
One person’s back hit the ground.
“……”
Lan Black.
After pouring everything he had, he lost consciousness and collapsed.
“You…! Wake up!”
Angela, who had been watching the match from the sidelines, ran over to check Lan’s condition.
Her teary eyes were quite beautiful.
“Professor! What are you doing! He’s just a boy, no matter what!”
“…Don’t worry. It’s not a serious injury.”
In fact, her blow had been mitigated by the ice shield, cutting its force in half.
Moreover, she had intentionally missed a direct hit, so there shouldn’t be much damage.
“…Wow.”
“What was that…?”
“……”
A silence descended around the area.
For a simple training spar, it had been excessively intense.
The fact that the opponent was a professor and a first-year student further silenced their tongues.
Reina swallowed a bitter smile and spoke.
“I lost.”
“…What?”
“It’s exactly as I said. I lost. I broke the rules.”
Right before the final clash.
Reina instinctively surrounded herself with armour made of Frost Qi.
It wasn’t a conscious action.
Her body had moved automatically, realizing that the attack was genuinely dangerous.
“…Ha.”
Even so.
Throb!
The pain radiating from her side.
Even with her body protected by qi, the force was at this level.
‘If I had taken that punch directly…’
It would be me, not him, lying on the ground right now.
“…As expected.”
Karen wasn’t wrong after all.
A clear smile appeared on her lips.
—
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