Vol 1 Chapter 21

Just wait until then, they’ll regret having messed with him. Those guys must have been feeling quite a chill down their spines by now. With a satisfied smile, he began training the final spells.

The last day of the week passed quickly as he tested whether he could use magic and swords simultaneously. The trembling feeling when he first held the sword was still there, but he felt a sense of rejection deep in his heart, making it difficult to swing immediately. Should he be grateful that he wasn't dropping it like the sword he used to use? Although he had originally intended to use it as a support rather than a main weapon, if it was worse than not using it at all, it might be better to use bare hands instead.

Anyway, this was the first time he had enjoyed doing something this much besides swordsmanship. If people addicted to games were called "game addicts," he was already sufficiently a Mist addict.

Finally, on the eighth day after a week had passed, he stood on that path again, having become a 3rd class master as he had vowed. As he stood there, oddly aware of the heavy scabbards hanging on both sides of his waist, a familiar silhouette slowly approached from afar after a while. The unique white and red form-fitting priest's robe was something only Kion-hyung wore, as far as he knew. His blonde hair sparkled, reflecting the sunlight.

Hyung must have spotted him too, as he waved with a confident smile. Kapros waved back in return, grinning.

"Did you level up?"

That was hyung's first words as soon as he came within earshot. Kapros nodded. Hyung let out a strange sound.

"Kuh... You monster. You said it took you nearly a month to master 2nd class, but was it really possible to master 3rd class in just a week?"

He grumbled, 'I should have become a mage too,' but Kion-hyung's eyes couldn't hide his joy. Kapros felt happy too. Kion-hyung was congratulating him in his own way.

"Thank you. Have you reached the point where you can send orcs flying with a kick, hyung?"

"Hahaha, I could do that from the start, but now I'm fine even if they come at me in droves. Besides, I don't just use my fists, so if you're in danger, I can come and support you anytime."

"That will absolutely never happen."

Kapros responded lightly, and the two of them started walking towards the eastern field as agreed. In fact, even if they went there, they had no intention of fighting in front of people. They should move to a less populated area before doing anything. Kapros thought there was no benefit in making himself conspicuous to people. That would only lead to unnecessary trouble.

He decided to trust Kion-hyung as a comrade to fight back-to-back with from now on. This feeling was quite nice too.

"You came?"

"Yeah. We'd like to move to a place without people first."

Their group, who had arrived first and were waiting, agreed, and they began to move away from the field in a tense state.

There were seven of the opponents. There were two of them. He wasn't sure how they would act, but whether it was a melee or a proper duel, he had already thought through how to handle it. Feeling the hostility on his skin anew made him tingle. After walking for a while, they reached a field where there were almost no people, and the guys stopped. The two also kept their distance from them.

"First of all, we don't want to hear that seven people ganged up on two, so let's have a 2-on-2 duel."

One of them stepped forward and said.

Duels always had to be with equal numbers of people, and there was no damage when killing or being killed. They could just fight, but that would be considered PK and incur penalties.

It seemed they weren't completely brainless guys, contrary to expectations.

"That's fine!"

Hyung said, already seeming to be in battle mode, clenching his fists wrapped in white cloth, and Kapros nodded almost imperceptibly.

"The ones going out from our side are me and this friend. We're the highest level among us."

Saying that, the guy wore a relaxed expression.

"I don't know what you guys prepared for a week, but the result will be the same anyway. Don't whine later about not being able to play the game!"

With those words, the two who stepped forward from the opponents and the two of them stood about 50 meters apart. Kapros stood behind hyung, hiding himself, quickly preparing to draw a circle with his right hand while grasping the handle of the left Twin Light Sword with his left hand. Both opponents looked like swordsmen.

"We'll go first. [ I request a duel! ]"

- You have received a duel request. Do you accept?

"[ I accept! ]"

As hyung accepted, Kapros, being in the party, also entered duel mode. As soon as the words of acceptance fell, the opponents started running at a terrifying speed.

"Here we go!"

Kion-hyung started running at a speed far superior to theirs. And before one of them who was running ahead could defend, he suddenly moved behind him with an explosive speed leaving only afterimages, and attacked his leg with his always powerful roundhouse kick. With a thud that could be heard even from here, the one who took the powerful kick that could knock down even an orc in one hit flew and rolled, being lighter than an orc as a human. As expected, attacking the leg, which was the axis of the center of gravity, was more effective than attacking the body encased in armor.

The guy's friends shouted from afar, but hyung's second attack immediately followed. Watching this, Kapros had already manifested Lightning Bolt using the time given before the remaining guy could run towards him. Once the image became firm, he could clearly feel the casting speed decreasing from then on.

"A weak mage is finished if you cut them before they can cast a spell."

It was the guy who had been talking to him from before. The moment the guy raised his sword as he ran, Kapros grasped the last generated Lightning Bolt and lifted it.

"With my light and burning lightning, turn even the soul into a handful of ashes! Lightning Bolt!"

To Kapros's eyes, the flying Lightning Bolt seemed somehow slow. No, perhaps it was his illusion, wanting to clearly see with his own eyes the power of the 3rd circle attack magic he was using for the first time. The Lightning Bolt, along with the current of magical power generated, slowly collided with the guy's descending sword, and instantly, light burst forth, causing an explosion.

Crackle, Bang!

"Argh!"

At the moment of explosion, Kapros's vision returned to normal. The guy was blown away and crashed, injured by the strong explosive force, but he didn't seem to have fainted. Strangely, Kapros's heart trembled at the fact that his magic was used against a human, not an orc, for the first time.