Chapter 11: Placement Test (1)
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Chapter 11: Placement Test (1)
Perhaps it was due to the menacing aura that Lee Soo-dok had exuded throughout his explanation, but the entire class seemed tense and on edge as they moved toward the arena.
In contrast, Go Hyeon-woos face was slightly flushed with excitement.
Ah, so this is what Shin-hyung meant by Big Day yesterday. I am quite looking forward to it.
Right, you seem like someone who would enjoy a good duel.
Duels with strong opponents are always fun. But how does this placement test work?
I held out three fingers.
Youll be randomly matched with three others, and you earn points for each victory. 300 points per win.
So if you win all three matches, you get as much as 900 points?
Exactly.
And if you lose or draw? Do you lose points as well?
You dont lose points; just nothing happens. A record of one win, one draw, and one loss would be 300 points, 0 points, 0 points.
I see. I understand.
If everyone begins the competition with zero points, its inevitable that lower-ranking students will be at a disadvantage.
To prevent this, at least to some extent, a placement test was conducted on the first day, and points were allocated in increments of 300 based on performance.
Led by Lee Soo-dok, Class 3 soon joined the other first-year students and then all converged towards the arena together.
This is because even though the classes were different, the placement test was held at the same time for all first years.
After walking a bit, a massive dome-shaped building filled my field of vision.
The structure of the arena was similar to modern stadiums, with the central stage where the games took place surrounded by spectator seats.
The difference lay in that stage.
It was the epitome of various magical and scientific technologies, capable of creating every imaginable type of terrain.
This included volcanic areas where meteorites fell and lava flowed, canyons with lightning striking like rain, and even deep lakes.
At that moment, however, there was nothing special; just grey tiles laid out.
Above them floated scoreboards, but instead of scores, something else was written on them since the placement test hadnt started yet.
MAP: [Round Arena]
RULE: [Deathmatch][5-minute limit]
The two elements that make up a duel are the map (environment) and the rule.
As you carry out requests as a hero, you realize that overpowering the opponent is not the only objective.
A prime example is escort missions.
In these missions, protecting the key figures takes precedence over subduing assassins.
If you just foolishly focus on enhancing your power, you will inevitably find yourself in the tragic situation where you wipe out your enemies with overwhelming force but the very individuals you were supposed to protect end up dead.
In order to prepare students for various environments and situations, the rules of duel battles change frequently.
The rule for this particular placement test, [Deathmatch], was a regular feature in duel battles.
It was a simple rule: the match wouldnt end until one person either ran out of all their stamina, became unable to fight, or declared defeat.
The additional [5-minute limit] rule meant that if there was no clear winner within five minutes, the match would conclude as either a victory by decision or a draw.
The environment was a round arena.
It was a circular space that was just the right size for two people to fight.
The large central stage was divided into several independent fighting rings, each set to host one-on-one student battles.
After seating the students of class 3 in the spectator area, Lee Soo-Dok explained these details.
The teacher from the neighboring class seemed to be giving a similar explanation a short distance away.
Lets begin. The students called should head to the arena. Choi Jeong-Pil. Park Kyung-Ah.
One male student and one female student stood up.
As soon as they stepped onto the magical circle in front of the central stage, they disappeared for a moment only to reappear in one of the several fighting rings.
The content of the scoreboard above changed to display:
[Choi Jeong-Pil 100% vs Park Kyung-Ah 100%]
[Remaining Time 5:00]
After confirming that everything was ready, Lee Soo-Dok nodded his head.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
As soon as the match started, both contestants began to gather mana without any delay.
Shrouding themselves in swirling mana-like armor, they swiftly closed the distance and collided in the center with a loud crash.
Boom!!
With that explosion, the numbers on the scoreboard shifted:
[Choi Jeong-Pil 89% vs Park Kyung-Ah 92%]
[Remaining Time 4:43]
Lee Soo-Dok checked the scoreboard briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.
There were still many empty arenas and a long list of names to call.
Next. Go Hyeon-Woo. Hwang Hyeok.
Oh! Its my turn.
Go Hyeon-woo was visibly excited and sprang up from his seat.
He seemed to be already itching for action as he began to absentmindedly stroke the iron sword at his waist.
Ill be back.
Go for it and do well.
While I was waiting for my turn, I brought up the quest that had just arrived:
[Side Quest: Placement Test]
Objective: Achieve a mid-tier or higher rank on the placement test.
Win at least once in the duel battle placement test (0/1)
Rank in the top 50% in the strategy battle placement test (Current Ranking: N/A)
Reward: [Copy-Skill] Slot +1
All I had to do was secure at least one victory in the duel battle and achieve a mid-tier or higher rank in the strategy battle placement test.
To put it simply, this task was a piece of cake, so in reality, it was no different from a passing quest for me.
But the truly important matter was something else.
Scouting.
The placement test wasnt just about performing well personally.
This duel battle test was happening in front of the entire first-year gathering.
This meant you could observe every detail of the other students matches.
Gathering various pieces of information was crucial for everyone.
If you could understand the other students weapons, skills, tendencies, habits, and weaknesses in advance, it would be immensely useful in the duel battles throughout the semester.
Those who were fidgeting and just waiting for their turn were useless. The quick-witted ones had already fixed their gazes on the arena.
Because they want to absorb every bit of information from even a single battle.
This was a great opportunity for me as well.
It seemed like a gesture to disperse the opponents magic with his hand.
Seeing this, Hong Yeon-hwa frowned.
It was a movement no mage could be ignorant of.
Dispel.
A spell for negating magic.
But in her understanding, dispel was a spell used covertly, without giving away any hint.
Such an overt act of casting carried one of these two implications:
I am a novice and cant use dispel properly.
Or.
I can use it blatantly against someone like you and it will still work.
Thats pissing me off.
Though she thought the latter option was a bit of a stretch, Hong Yeon-hwas mood soured regardless.
Contrary to her boiling emotions, she cooled her head and focused on completing the spell.
Regardless, she already realized that he intended to use Dispel.
If that was the case, all she needed to do was to quickly complete her spell and release it before Dispel could take effect.
Kim Ho still had one hand stretched out towards her.
However, seeing that her magic was not being interfered with, it seemed he had yet to find the right timing.
Although he maintained a calm expression, she guessed that he was feeling the pressure inside.
Hong Yeon-hwa smiled triumphantly.
Its too late already!
A huge ball of flame the size of a human body was completed.
Hong Yeon-hwa hurled it directly at her opponent.
Dare to play tricks against me? Ill make you regret it!
[Flame Orb]
Boom!
The blazing fireball engulfed Kim Hos body.
The fireball erupted once again, engulfing the entire area in flames.
Feeling the heat brushing against her cheeks, Hong Yeon-hwa raised the corner of her mouth in a smile.
Its over.
If he had been hit by the Flame Orb in a real battle, he would have been reduced to ashes, but their school uniform had its own D-rank protective magic, and various safety measures protected students in the arena, so he wouldnt have died. Of course, it was clear he was now in no condition to continue the fight.
However
[Kim Ho 100% vs. Hong Yeon-hwa 100%]
[Remaining Time: 3:58]
Huh?
Hong Yeon-hwas mouth slowly opened as she checked the scoreboard.
When she hurriedly turned her gaze to the front, she saw Kim Ho slowly emerging from the diminishing flames.
He was unharmed.
Just like before he was standing there as if nothing had happened.
As if he were saying that this level of flames didnt bother him at all.
Did he really use Dispel?
Otherwise, there was no explanation for why he appeared unscathed.
Did he use Dispel in that brief moment just before the magic hit, causing it to dissipate?
But was it even possible to dispel a completed spell?
What surprised Hong Yeon-hwa the most, however, was that she couldnt even detect when he used Dispel.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Th-thats right. I let my guard down.
She reprimanded herself for underestimating her opponent based solely on his outward appearance.
After all, this man had too entered the Dragon Slayer Academy after overcoming numerous competitions as a hero candidate.
He couldnt be an easy opponent.
Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on her staff.
There was a good chance that her next spell could be disrupted as well.
In that case, she decided to compete using magic circle-based spells that were less susceptible to dispelling.
Boommm
Hong Yeon-hwa gathered up her mana.
The mana emanating from the ruby drew a crimson magic circle beneath Kim Hos feet.
His gaze briefly lowered to inspect the magic circle.
Magic would promptly fall to the location where the magic circle appeared.
It was a simple cause-and-effect relationship that anyone could understand.
Therefore, if a magic circle appeared beneath ones feet, it was only natural to move as far away from it as possible.
Hong Yeon-hwa had anticipated that Kim Ho would hastily evade, so she had prepared her next move to trap him.
However
Hes not moving?
It seemed like Kim Ho intended to hold his ground.
Instead of dodging, he slammed his staff into the ground.
This meant that he completely abandoned even the slightest amount of mobility he had.
Considering that he was likely to be a support, it appeared he intended to confront her head-on with powerful defensive magic.
Hah. Haha.
Hong Yeon-hwa couldnt help but laugh in disbelief.
There was no way he couldnt know that she came from the Ruby Magic Tower.
Even though he knew that her fire magic was unmatched in terms of destructive power, he dared to challenge her head-on with defensive magic?
If so, great.
Flash!
The ruby embedded in her staff emitted a radiant glow.
The diameter of the red magic circle doubled, with additional runes filling the empty spaces, and it took on an even more vivid shade of red.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho remained as still as a statue and his staff was firmly planted in the ground, simply waiting for her to make a move.
To Hong Yeon-hwa, it seemed as if he was silently asking, So, when are you going to use your magic?
No need to rush me, Im about to use it now!
Lets see you try to block this!
[Fire Pillar]
Whoosh!
A towering pillar of fire erupted from the huge magic circle bellow him.
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Chapter 11: Placement Test (1)
Perhaps it was due to the menacing aura that Lee Soo-dok had exuded throughout his explanation, but the entire class seemed tense and on edge as they moved toward the arena.
In contrast, Go Hyeon-woos face was slightly flushed with excitement.
Ah, so this is what Shin-hyung meant by Big Day yesterday. I am quite looking forward to it.
Right, you seem like someone who would enjoy a good duel.
Duels with strong opponents are always fun. But how does this placement test work?
I held out three fingers.
Youll be randomly matched with three others, and you earn points for each victory. 300 points per win.
So if you win all three matches, you get as much as 900 points?
Exactly.
And if you lose or draw? Do you lose points as well?
You dont lose points; just nothing happens. A record of one win, one draw, and one loss would be 300 points, 0 points, 0 points.
I see. I understand.
If everyone begins the competition with zero points, its inevitable that lower-ranking students will be at a disadvantage.
To prevent this, at least to some extent, a placement test was conducted on the first day, and points were allocated in increments of 300 based on performance.
Led by Lee Soo-dok, Class 3 soon joined the other first-year students and then all converged towards the arena together.
This is because even though the classes were different, the placement test was held at the same time for all first years.
After walking a bit, a massive dome-shaped building filled my field of vision.
The structure of the arena was similar to modern stadiums, with the central stage where the games took place surrounded by spectator seats.
The difference lay in that stage.
It was the epitome of various magical and scientific technologies, capable of creating every imaginable type of terrain.
This included volcanic areas where meteorites fell and lava flowed, canyons with lightning striking like rain, and even deep lakes.
At that moment, however, there was nothing special; just grey tiles laid out.
Above them floated scoreboards, but instead of scores, something else was written on them since the placement test hadnt started yet.
MAP: [Round Arena]
RULE: [Deathmatch][5-minute limit]
The two elements that make up a duel are the map (environment) and the rule.
As you carry out requests as a hero, you realize that overpowering the opponent is not the only objective.
A prime example is escort missions.
In these missions, protecting the key figures takes precedence over subduing assassins.
If you just foolishly focus on enhancing your power, you will inevitably find yourself in the tragic situation where you wipe out your enemies with overwhelming force but the very individuals you were supposed to protect end up dead.
In order to prepare students for various environments and situations, the rules of duel battles change frequently.
The rule for this particular placement test, [Deathmatch], was a regular feature in duel battles.
It was a simple rule: the match wouldnt end until one person either ran out of all their stamina, became unable to fight, or declared defeat.
The additional [5-minute limit] rule meant that if there was no clear winner within five minutes, the match would conclude as either a victory by decision or a draw.
The environment was a round arena.
It was a circular space that was just the right size for two people to fight.
The large central stage was divided into several independent fighting rings, each set to host one-on-one student battles.
After seating the students of class 3 in the spectator area, Lee Soo-Dok explained these details.
The teacher from the neighboring class seemed to be giving a similar explanation a short distance away.
Lets begin. The students called should head to the arena. Choi Jeong-Pil. Park Kyung-Ah.
One male student and one female student stood up.
As soon as they stepped onto the magical circle in front of the central stage, they disappeared for a moment only to reappear in one of the several fighting rings.
The content of the scoreboard above changed to display:
[Choi Jeong-Pil 100% vs Park Kyung-Ah 100%]
[Remaining Time 5:00]
After confirming that everything was ready, Lee Soo-Dok nodded his head.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
As soon as the match started, both contestants began to gather mana without any delay.
Shrouding themselves in swirling mana-like armor, they swiftly closed the distance and collided in the center with a loud crash.
Boom!!
With that explosion, the numbers on the scoreboard shifted:
[Choi Jeong-Pil 89% vs Park Kyung-Ah 92%]
[Remaining Time 4:43]
Lee Soo-Dok checked the scoreboard briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.
There were still many empty arenas and a long list of names to call.
Next. Go Hyeon-Woo. Hwang Hyeok.
Oh! Its my turn.
Go Hyeon-woo was visibly excited and sprang up from his seat.
He seemed to be already itching for action as he began to absentmindedly stroke the iron sword at his waist.
Ill be back.
Go for it and do well.
While I was waiting for my turn, I brought up the quest that had just arrived:
[Side Quest: Placement Test]
Objective: Achieve a mid-tier or higher rank on the placement test.
Win at least once in the duel battle placement test (0/1)
Rank in the top 50% in the strategy battle placement test (Current Ranking: N/A)
Reward: [Copy-Skill] Slot +1
All I had to do was secure at least one victory in the duel battle and achieve a mid-tier or higher rank in the strategy battle placement test.
To put it simply, this task was a piece of cake, so in reality, it was no different from a passing quest for me.
But the truly important matter was something else.
Scouting.
The placement test wasnt just about performing well personally.
This duel battle test was happening in front of the entire first-year gathering.
This meant you could observe every detail of the other students matches.
Gathering various pieces of information was crucial for everyone.
If you could understand the other students weapons, skills, tendencies, habits, and weaknesses in advance, it would be immensely useful in the duel battles throughout the semester.
Those who were fidgeting and just waiting for their turn were useless. The quick-witted ones had already fixed their gazes on the arena.
Because they want to absorb every bit of information from even a single battle.
This was a great opportunity for me as well.
It seemed like a gesture to disperse the opponents magic with his hand.
Seeing this, Hong Yeon-hwa frowned.
It was a movement no mage could be ignorant of.
Dispel.
A spell for negating magic.
But in her understanding, dispel was a spell used covertly, without giving away any hint.
Such an overt act of casting carried one of these two implications:
I am a novice and cant use dispel properly.
Or.
I can use it blatantly against someone like you and it will still work.
Thats pissing me off.
Though she thought the latter option was a bit of a stretch, Hong Yeon-hwas mood soured regardless.
Contrary to her boiling emotions, she cooled her head and focused on completing the spell.
Regardless, she already realized that he intended to use Dispel.
If that was the case, all she needed to do was to quickly complete her spell and release it before Dispel could take effect.
Kim Ho still had one hand stretched out towards her.
However, seeing that her magic was not being interfered with, it seemed he had yet to find the right timing.
Although he maintained a calm expression, she guessed that he was feeling the pressure inside.
Hong Yeon-hwa smiled triumphantly.
Its too late already!
A huge ball of flame the size of a human body was completed.
Hong Yeon-hwa hurled it directly at her opponent.
Dare to play tricks against me? Ill make you regret it!
[Flame Orb]
Boom!
The blazing fireball engulfed Kim Hos body.
The fireball erupted once again, engulfing the entire area in flames.
Feeling the heat brushing against her cheeks, Hong Yeon-hwa raised the corner of her mouth in a smile.
Its over.
If he had been hit by the Flame Orb in a real battle, he would have been reduced to ashes, but their school uniform had its own D-rank protective magic, and various safety measures protected students in the arena, so he wouldnt have died. Of course, it was clear he was now in no condition to continue the fight.
However
[Kim Ho 100% vs. Hong Yeon-hwa 100%]
[Remaining Time: 3:58]
Huh?
Hong Yeon-hwas mouth slowly opened as she checked the scoreboard.
When she hurriedly turned her gaze to the front, she saw Kim Ho slowly emerging from the diminishing flames.
He was unharmed.
Just like before he was standing there as if nothing had happened.
As if he were saying that this level of flames didnt bother him at all.
Did he really use Dispel?
Otherwise, there was no explanation for why he appeared unscathed.
Did he use Dispel in that brief moment just before the magic hit, causing it to dissipate?
But was it even possible to dispel a completed spell?
What surprised Hong Yeon-hwa the most, however, was that she couldnt even detect when he used Dispel.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Th-thats right. I let my guard down.
She reprimanded herself for underestimating her opponent based solely on his outward appearance.
After all, this man had too entered the Dragon Slayer Academy after overcoming numerous competitions as a hero candidate.
He couldnt be an easy opponent.
Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on her staff.
There was a good chance that her next spell could be disrupted as well.
In that case, she decided to compete using magic circle-based spells that were less susceptible to dispelling.
Boommm
Hong Yeon-hwa gathered up her mana.
The mana emanating from the ruby drew a crimson magic circle beneath Kim Hos feet.
His gaze briefly lowered to inspect the magic circle.
Magic would promptly fall to the location where the magic circle appeared.
It was a simple cause-and-effect relationship that anyone could understand.
Therefore, if a magic circle appeared beneath ones feet, it was only natural to move as far away from it as possible.
Hong Yeon-hwa had anticipated that Kim Ho would hastily evade, so she had prepared her next move to trap him.
However
Hes not moving?
It seemed like Kim Ho intended to hold his ground.
Instead of dodging, he slammed his staff into the ground.
This meant that he completely abandoned even the slightest amount of mobility he had.
Considering that he was likely to be a support, it appeared he intended to confront her head-on with powerful defensive magic.
Hah. Haha.
Hong Yeon-hwa couldnt help but laugh in disbelief.
There was no way he couldnt know that she came from the Ruby Magic Tower.
Even though he knew that her fire magic was unmatched in terms of destructive power, he dared to challenge her head-on with defensive magic?
If so, great.
Flash!
The ruby embedded in her staff emitted a radiant glow.
The diameter of the red magic circle doubled, with additional runes filling the empty spaces, and it took on an even more vivid shade of red.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho remained as still as a statue and his staff was firmly planted in the ground, simply waiting for her to make a move.
To Hong Yeon-hwa, it seemed as if he was silently asking, So, when are you going to use your magic?
No need to rush me, Im about to use it now!
Lets see you try to block this!
[Fire Pillar]
Whoosh!
A towering pillar of fire erupted from the huge magic circle bellow him.
Chapter 11: Placement Test 1Perhaps it was due to the menacing aura that Lee Soo-dok had exuded throughout his explanation, but the entire class seemed tense and on edge as they moved toward the arena.In contrast, Go Hyeon-woos face was slightly flushed with excitement.Ah, so this is what Shin-hyung meant by Big Day yesterday. I am quite looking forward to it.Right, you seem like someone who would enjoy a good duel.Duels with strong opponents are always fun. But how does this placement test work?I held out three fingers.Youll be randomly matched with three others, and you earn points for each victory. 300 points per win.So if you win all three matches, you get as much as 900 points?Exactly.And if you lose or draw? Do you lose points as well?You dont lose points; just nothing happens. A record of one win, one draw, and one loss would be 300 points, 0 points, 0 points.I see. I understand.If everyone begins the competition with zero points, its inevitable that lower-ranking students will be at a disadvantage.To prevent this, at least to some extent, a placement test was conducted on the first day, and points were allocated in increments of 300 based on performance.Led by Lee Soo-dok, Class 3 soon joined the other first-year students and then all converged towards the arena together.This is because even though the classes were different, the placement test was held at the same time for all first years.After walking a bit, a massive dome-shaped building filled my field of vision.The structure of the arena was similar to modern stadiums, with the central stage where the games took place surrounded by spectator seats.The difference lay in that stage.It was the epitome of various magical and scientific technologies, capable of creating every imaginable type of terrain.This included volcanic areas where meteorites fell and lava flowed, canyons with lightning striking like rain, and even deep lakes.At that moment, however, there was nothing special; just grey tiles laid out.Above them floated scoreboards, but instead of scores, something else was written on them since the placement test hadnt started yet.MAP: Round ArenaRULE: Deathmatch5-minute limitThe two elements that make up a duel are the map environment and the rule.As you carry out requests as a hero, you realize that overpowering the opponent is not the only objective.A prime example is escort missions.In these missions, protecting the key figures takes precedence over subduing assassins.If you just foolishly focus on enhancing your power, you will inevitably find yourself in the tragic situation where you wipe out your enemies with overwhelming force but the very individuals you were supposed to protect end up dead.In order to prepare students for various environments and situations, the rules of duel battles change frequently.The rule for this particular placement test, Deathmatch, was a regular feature in duel battles.It was a simple rule: the match wouldnt end until one person either ran out of all their stamina, became unable to fight, or declared defeat.The additional 5-minute limit rule meant that if there was no clear winner within five minutes, the match would conclude as either a victory by decision or a draw.The environment was a round arena.It was a circular space that was just the right size for two people to fight.The large central stage was divided into several independent fighting rings, each set to host one-on-one student battles.After seating the students of class 3 in the spectator area, Lee Soo-Dok explained these details.The teacher from the neighboring class seemed to be giving a similar explanation a short distance away.Lets begin. The students called should head to the arena. Choi Jeong-Pil. Park Kyung-Ah.One male student and one female student stood up.As soon as they stepped onto the magical circle in front of the central stage, they disappeared for a moment only to reappear in one of the several fighting rings.The content of the scoreboard above changed to display:Choi Jeong-Pil 100% vs Park Kyung-Ah 100%Remaining Time 5:00After confirming that everything was ready, Lee Soo-Dok nodded his head.321Start!As soon as the match started, both contestants began to gather mana without any delay.Shrouding themselves in swirling mana-like armor, they swiftly closed the distance and collided in the center with a loud crash.Boom!!With that explosion, the numbers on the scoreboard shifted:Choi Jeong-Pil 89% vs Park Kyung-Ah 92%Remaining Time 4:43Lee Soo-Dok checked the scoreboard briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.There were still many empty arenas and a long list of names to call.Next. Go Hyeon-Woo. Hwang Hyeok.Oh! Its my turn.Go Hyeon-woo was visibly excited and sprang up from his seat.He seemed to be already itching for action as he began to absentmindedly stroke the iron sword at his waist.Ill be back.Go for it and do well.While I was waiting for my turn, I brought up the quest that had just arrived:Side Quest: Placement TestObjective: Achieve a mid-tier or higher rank on the placement test.Win at least once in the duel battle placement test 0/1Rank in the top 50% in the strategy battle placement test Current Ranking: N/AReward: Copy-Skill Slot +1All I had to do was secure at least one victory in the duel battle and achieve a mid-tier or higher rank in the strategy battle placement test.To put it simply, this task was a piece of cake, so in reality, it was no different from a passing quest for me.But the truly important matter was something else.Scouting.The placement test wasnt just about performing well personally.This duel battle test was happening in front of the entire first-year gathering.This meant you could observe every detail of the other students matches.Gathering various pieces of information was crucial for everyone.If you could understand the other students weapons, skills, tendencies, habits, and weaknesses in advance, it would be immensely useful in the duel battles throughout the semester.Those who were fidgeting and just waiting for their turn were useless. The quick-witted ones had already fixed their gazes on the arena.Because they want to absorb every bit of information from even a single battle.This was a great opportunity for me as well.It seemed like a gesture to disperse the opponents magic with his hand.Seeing this, Hong Yeon-hwa frowned.It was a movement no mage could be ignorant of.Dispel.A spell for negating magic.But in her understanding, dispel was a spell used covertly, without giving away any hint.Such an overt act of casting carried one of these two implications:I am a novice and cant use dispel properly.Or.I can use it blatantly against someone like you and it will still work.Thats pissing me off.Though she thought the latter option was a bit of a stretch, Hong Yeon-hwas mood soured regardless.Contrary to her boiling emotions, she cooled her head and focused on completing the spell.Regardless, she already realized that he intended to use Dispel.If that was the case, all she needed to do was to quickly complete her spell and release it before Dispel could take effect.Kim Ho still had one hand stretched out towards her.However, seeing that her magic was not being interfered with, it seemed he had yet to find the right timing.Although he maintained a calm expression, she guessed that he was feeling the pressure inside.Hong Yeon-hwa smiled triumphantly.Its too late already!A huge ball of flame the size of a human body was completed.Hong Yeon-hwa hurled it directly at her opponent.Dare to play tricks against me? Ill make you regret it!Flame OrbBoom!The blazing fireball engulfed Kim Hos body.The fireball erupted once again, engulfing the entire area in flames.Feeling the heat brushing against her cheeks, Hong Yeon-hwa raised the corner of her mouth in a smile.Its over.If he had been hit by the Flame Orb in a real battle, he would have been reduced to ashes, but their school uniform had its own D-rank protective magic, and various safety measures protected students in the arena, so he wouldnt have died. Of course, it was clear he was now in no condition to continue the fight.HoweverKim Ho 100% vs. Hong Yeon-hwa 100%Remaining Time: 3:58Huh?Hong Yeon-hwas mouth slowly opened as she checked the scoreboard.When she hurriedly turned her gaze to the front, she saw Kim Ho slowly emerging from the diminishing flames.He was unharmed.Just like before he was standing there as if nothing had happened.As if he were saying that this level of flames didnt bother him at all.Did he really use Dispel?Otherwise, there was no explanation for why he appeared unscathed.Did he use Dispel in that brief moment just before the magic hit, causing it to dissipate?But was it even possible to dispel a completed spell?What surprised Hong Yeon-hwa the most, however, was that she couldnt even detect when he used Dispel.A shiver ran down her spine.Th-thats right. I let my guard down.She reprimanded herself for underestimating her opponent based solely on his outward appearance.After all, this man had too entered the Dragon Slayer Academy after overcoming numerous competitions as a hero candidate.He couldnt be an easy opponent.Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on her staff.There was a good chance that her next spell could be disrupted as well.In that case, she decided to compete using magic circle-based spells that were less susceptible to dispelling.Boommm Hong Yeon-hwa gathered up her mana.The mana emanating from the ruby drew a crimson magic circle beneath Kim Hos feet.His gaze briefly lowered to inspect the magic circle.Magic would promptly fall to the location where the magic circle appeared.It was a simple cause-and-effect relationship that anyone could understand.Therefore, if a magic circle appeared beneath ones feet, it was only natural to move as far away from it as possible.Hong Yeon-hwa had anticipated that Kim Ho would hastily evade, so she had prepared her next move to trap him.HoweverHes not moving?It seemed like Kim Ho intended to hold his ground.Instead of dodging, he slammed his staff into the ground.This meant that he completely abandoned even the slightest amount of mobility he had.Considering that he was likely to be a support, it appeared he intended to confront her head-on with powerful defensive magic.Hah. Haha.Hong Yeon-hwa couldnt help but laugh in disbelief.There was no way he couldnt know that she came from the Ruby Magic Tower.Even though he knew that her fire magic was unmatched in terms of destructive power, he dared to challenge her head-on with defensive magic?If so, great.Flash!The ruby embedded in her staff emitted a radiant glow.The diameter of the red magic circle doubled, with additional runes filling the empty spaces, and it took on an even more vivid shade of red.Meanwhile, Kim Ho remained as still as a statue and his staff was firmly planted in the ground, simply waiting for her to make a move.To Hong Yeon-hwa, it seemed as if he was silently asking, So, when are you going to use your magic?No need to rush me, Im about to use it now!Lets see you try to block this!Fire PillarWhoosh!A towering pillar of fire erupted from the huge magic circle bellow him.
