Descent of the Legendary Archmage

At the mansion of the Mystic Wi Clan.

The current head of the Mystic Wi Clan, Adella's father, Wi Sangchul was looking at the large hologram screen with a serious expression.

“I honestly thought that he was just lucky.”

A friend of 40 years sat opposite him.

He glanced furtively at Shin Inhyuk and opened a new topic of conversation.

“Are you talking about Hayul?”

"That's right."

Shin Inhyuk answered without even taking his attention off the screen. He was completely enraptured by the fight between Shin Hayul and Adella that was occurring on the hologram screen.

“I know it sounds as if I'm slandering your child right in front of you. But honestly, I thought he would shine for a moment and then disappear again.”

“Mm. Since Hayul is incompatible with AI.”

It wasn't that controversial of a statement.

In fact, Shin Inhyuk had that exact same thought.

“Especially since he beat Jisoo not with skill, but with technique and strategy. So I thought that eventually, people would analyze the information on him and when his limits were exposed he would crash."

Modern magic is a high-level battle of numbers with concrete information and thorough strategy as its foundation. And right after information gathering, analysis is most important. Depending on how much information you have, your win rate can vary by up to 50%.

This is the case in the sporting world as well. There are cases where a shining rookie isn't able to use any of their strength and falls horribly after they are analyzed.

This should have been the case with Shin Hayul.

Shin Hayul was a completely blank sheet of paper in terms of such information.

No one had any information about him. So in other words, he had an absolute advantage over everyone else in the battlefield that is modern magic, where information is king.

“Actually, I thought my prediction was correct until the beginning of the battle.”

You can tell just by looking at the state this battle is in.

Adella collected and analyzed Shin Hayul's information, not stopping ever since the midterms had ended. And as a result, the beginning of the battle played out as so.

Even if Adella had become a 4th circle mage, Shin Hayul had already beaten her once, yet he was put completely on the defensive.

As a rookie who had been fully analyzed, he was completely overwhelmed by Adella's abilities, unable to even properly counterattack.

“But I guess my thoughts were short-sighted.”

Wi Sangchul chuckled as he stroked his beard.

“It seems that Hayul isn't a rookie that only shines once.”

At Wi Sangchul's words, the corners of Shin Inhyuk's lips rose slightly. He felt a little better from his son's praise.

“I never expected him to be able to fight Jisoo right now on an even playing field...”

Wi Sangchul was genuinely impressed by Shin Hayul's battle.

“Inhyuk. What the hell is that magic?"

On the holographic screen, the moonlight bomb that was flying toward Shin Hayul swerved in the wrong direction just before it hit him. Almost as if the moonlight bomb were dodging him.

“Just what kind of magic can do something as absurd as changing the trajectory of another's magic?”

Even at a second glance, that kind of magic just made no sense. Just what magic was it?

"I wonder. I don't know either."

Shin Inhyuk smiled softly.

“I've never heard of it either.”

"...Hayul didn't even tell you?"

"That's right."

The edges of Shin Inhyuk's lips lifted a bit more.

An expression that said that he found the current situation very entertaining.

“That's a surprise. To think Hayul would hide it even from you."

Wi Sangchul, who had been reminded of what Hayul had been like before he entered the Obelisk Academy, stroked his beard as if to say that it was curious.

“He got quite a bit more daring over the course of the year. Now he hides more things than he tells me.”

“Seems like he's changed a lot in the year he spent away from home.”

“He has.”

"Hmm. After all, I suppose a man can only grow upon leaving their homes?"

Wi Sangchul looked at Shin Inhyuk's smiling face and grinned.

“Anyway, I’m glad. Because Hayul's like that again.”

Wi Sangchun breathed a sigh of relief. It was a sigh of relief meant for the fact that Hayul had completely overcome his disability of being incompatible.

“Thanks to that, Jisoo's gained motivation again.”

His daughter, who had lost her rival and was wandering aimlessly, had regained her motivation, so it was a fortunate thing all around.

“I think, with this momentum, we can expect some good results at the Olympiad next year. Huhuhu."

Wi Sangchul had a good laugh as if he was genuinely looking forward to next year.

“I wonder if there's really a need to wait for next year.”

“We won't have to wait till next year? What do you mean?”

In response to Shin Inhyuk's profound remarks, Wi Sangchul asked back.

"It looks like Hayul has set his sights on the gold medal this year."

“A gold medal this year? Hayul said that?"

"That's right."

Shin Inhyuk grinned as he looked at Shin Hayul on the screen.

“He boasted to me very confidently that he would present the gold medal to me as a present.”

As I recall Shin Hayul who daringly demanded 2 months of protection, even I can't help myself from smiling.

"Huh. That’s highly ambitious.”

Wi Sangchul clicked his tongue.

“Well, I don’t know if he will or not. But at the very least, setting your sights on the gold medal is a good thing.”

Wi Sangchul nodded his head a couple of times.

Beeeeep!

At that moment, a loud buzzer sounded from the speaker announcing the end of the test.

The test was over.

"Hmm. So that’s how it ended up.”

“It's not what I expected."

“Well, it happens.”

Wi Sangchul chuckled.

“The battle ended due to the lack of time. Both are probably feeling a bit regretful."

Beyond the screen, both Shin Hayul and Adella were looking at each other with dissatisfied expressions on their faces.

* * *

An hour had passed since the end of the test.

In the end, Adella and I were unable to decide the victor of our match.

This isn't a test that only ends when the battle is won.

It's a Battle Survival Test.

A test with the goal of surviving for 32 hours.

It's natural for the battle to end as soon as the time limit is up, regardless of whether there's a victor or not.

“If we had kept fighting, I would have won.”

"Nope. As per usual, in the end, I would have won.”

As a result, the battle ended awkwardly.

The current situation is very unsatisfactory.

“I was starting to see how to defeat that magic of yours that changes the trajectory of my spells. If we had just 5 more minutes, I would have won.”

''It's the opposite. You would have been mentally exhausted by the times 5 minutes were up.”

”...”

"...If you're going to keep arguing I'm going to leave."

Soonchan, who had been watching our childish squabble, shook his head with an expression that said he was really tired of us.

“The 26th dropout can stay out of this.”

“This is a fight for my pride. Please don't disturb me."

"...No, excuse me you two? Putting your harsh words aside. Weren't we gathered here to give feedback on the battle?" asked Soonchan, with a sour look on his face.

‘What the hell am I doing here?’ That's what his face says.

“If you want to decide the victor that badly, then you should duke it out right now.”

"Nope. That's not allowed."

“Yes. I agree.”

Adella and I both soundly rejected the notion.

"...Why not?"

“Everything's different now.”

“The terrain, our conditions, the situation at that time. If everything is not the same as then, it's not a fair match.”

"...Ah, yes. I see. I was unaware.”

Soonchan laughed loudly with an expression that asked, 'Who am I and where am I?'

"...You really are childhood friends. You're the exact same~”

Then he looked at me and Adella with the same expression and clicked his tongue. It seemed like his awkwardness with Adella has completely gone now.

"Now, now. Let's do it like this then."

Soonchan said with a determined expression on his face that said 'even if these two don't, at least I have to see things through logically.'

“If you keep arguing with only your mouths, we're never gonna get anywhere. So let's start with the combat feedback. If we look through the battle step by step from the beginning, wouldn't the answer to who would have won naturally be revealed?"

It was a sensible suggestion that was very unlike him.

"That's a good idea."

“Yes. I agree.”

Adella and I nodded at the same time.

"Phew."

Soonchan breathed a sigh of relief as if he could finally rest easy.

"Then where should we start from? Should we start from when you began your fight?"

Soonchan skipped through the test VOD using the remote.

“What are you talking about?”

"...Why? Should we start 10 minutes earlier then?"

Adella looked at Soonchan as if she were looking at something strange.

"No. We have to start from the beginning.”

"...From the beginning?"

"Yes."

“You mean watching the entire VOD?”

"Yes."

"...Why?"

Soonchan asked with a genuinely scared expression.

“That way the analysis will be more reliable. There might be something that we need feedback on that's not our fight."

"..."

Soonchan has his mouth half opened as he looks at me while laughing dejectedly.

He looked like he was asking for my help. As if pleading with me to say something. That expression of his was pretty funny. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person to ask for help.

“Of course, we should watch from the beginning.”

Because I agree with Adella.

The three of us decided to gather together to give each other feedback using our collective intelligence. If we watch only that short fight, then it's useless. We have to thoroughly analyze it from the start.

"...I'm beat"

Soonchan despaired. ‘Why did I agree to come?’ That was what he seemed to be thinking.

“Turn it on already.”

“Time is gold.”

Upon being grilled by both Me and Adella, Soonchan looked up to the sky and lamented.

"Ah. I should've just washed my feet and hit the sack. What did I even come here for..."

I could feel that his words were genuine.

* * *

Exactly 14 hours passed like that.

"...Ah, I wish they would both just... drop dead."

Soonchan has been asleep for a while. He rested his head on the desk as he drooled away. He cursed me and Adella in his sleep.

"Ugh... analysis... Don't like."

It looked like he was having a nightmare.

Looking at Soonchan like that, Adella covered her mouth and giggled.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing. It's just too funny.”

“Huh?”

"Yes."

“Well, Soonchan is pretty funny.” '

'Yes. He's funny. And good-natured.”

Adella casts a spell on Soonchan, who was suffering from a nightmare. One of the basic 1-circle magic spells: Sleep.

At that moment, Soonchan's muttering stopped. He was freed from his nightmare by falling into a deep sleep.

''Honestly, I thought he would run off halfway through."

Since Soonchan kept complaining about why we had to do this. So it was natural to think that he would run off.

"Well, he's the type to constantly grumble but give it his all."

“Yes. I was actually a little surprised. He had that good idea as well...”

"He thinks in the 4th dimension, so he's good at that kind of thing."

I've also received a lot of help from Soonchan's sudden ideas and opinions.

"And... He's a really good friend.”

“He’s a friend that's almost too good for me.”

I did hear that a friend who sticks by your side even when you have nothing is a true friend. Soonchan is that kind of friend.

"...I'm sorry."

Adella suddenly apologized.

''What's this all of a sudden?"

"For not... saying anything to you for a year."

"Hm?"

I was wondering what she was going to say.

“Why are you sorry for that? When I'm the one responsible for that.”

A year ago, when I was diagnosed. That day when my world felt like it had collapsed.

Adella definitely tried to console me, but I was the one who rejected her. The reason was a bit complicated. And my self-esteem was hurt too. My mental state was a little... No, a lot. 'She didn't go to France and stayed in Korea, just to try and defeat me. How could I face her when I'm like this?'

There were many reasons why I couldn't show my face to her. That's why I refused Adella's approach. In other words, I was the one who caused that awkward relationship between us. Adella has nothing to apologize for.

“And, all you did was not talk to me. I know you supported me a lot from behind the scenes.”

The reason why the bastards like Baek Sahyuk didn't do all that much to me for the past year was that Adella was helping me in secret from behind the scenes. If it hadn't been for Adella, the year would probably have been a lot tougher.

“I'm the one who has to apologize. And I also have to say thank you. So why are you the one apologizing?"

"...Just.”

Adella laughed bitterly.

“As I watched the relationship between the two of you, I had a thought. I was wondering if it hadn't been the right idea to keep approaching...”

It seemed like she had a lot to think about.

"Forget it. I'll say it again, but this isn't something you should apologize for. And of course, it's not something for you to regret.”

A year of awkwardness was inevitable. It's not something to talk about now, a year later.

"And..."

I swiftly raised my fist and struck Soonchan, who was sleeping on his stomach, on the back of the head.

“Ugh!”

“If you’re going to say something so embarrassing, do it when it's only the two of you. Don’t say it in a place where some guy who'll remember it for a long time will hear it."

Soonchan raised his head stiffly

“....What gave it away? I was even holding my breath properly.”

Soonchan had been awake for a minute.

"What do you mean what gave it away? I knew because you were holding your breath."

His breathing didn't sound the same as a regular sleeping person's would.

"Wow. Are you some kind of murim master?"

Soonchan clicked his tongue.

Beside us, Adella seemed to be a little surprised. Her cheeks were a little red. She felt ashamed that she had brought up such an embarrassing story in front of Soonchan.

“Enough of that. Since you woke up, let's have a talk."

"Huh? What talk?"

Soonchan stretched as his neck made cracking noises

“A talk regarding my magic.”

"Sorry?”

"...So suddenly? That's out of the blue.”

Both their eyes had widened into circles.

"I think I'll have to team up with you guys for the Olympiad. So wouldn't it be beneficial to know about my magic if we're going to be a team?"

Of course, I'm not saying that I'll talk about the Bytenor style of magic. I'm only going to tell them of magic, including interference, that I plan to use at the Olympiad.

In order to win the gold medal with greater ease at the Olympiad.

“Can you explain in detail? I think I've missed out on too much.”

“Look at this first. It'll be easier to explain.”

I lightly revolved my mana. At that moment.

Vrr-!

A fusion of black and white swirled around my palm.

"...!"

Adella jumped out of her seat in shock.

"...M-moonlight?"

"That's right."

The magic that the Mystic Wi Clan boasted.

“This is my magic.”

The magic with the moon attribute shone in my palm.