Descent of the Legendary Archmage

“There will be one final check before the start of the match. Adella. Could you please check Hayul's protective gear again?"

"Yes."

At Jung Suha's request, Adella started checking my protective gear again.

In the meantime, Jung Suha checked the opponent's protective gear as well.

"There are no problems. All the protection settings are working safely.”

Adella finished all her checks first.

"Thanks for checking. There are no problems here either. "

Jung Suha soon followed suit.

"Then as of right now, everything is ready so the match will commence in one minute."

By the way, Jung Suha will be the referee for this match.

Originally, Kim Kangin was going to take the role, but it seems that Jung Suha stepped forward saying that if someone like the Blue Magic Tower's master were to be the referee, it wouldn't look good on them.

“Then, Adella, will you please return to the stands?”

''Yes. Will do.''

Adella bowed her head to Jung Suha and turned around, moving towards the audience.

“Thanks, Adella.”

At my thanks, Adella paused for a moment and turned around again.

"Do your best."

Then, after looking at me and leaving me with a word of encouragement, she slowly walked back to the audience.

"I'm going to go to the referee's position. So the two of you please go to your designated areas."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Jung Suha positioned herself where the referee was supposed to be and soon, at the center of the arena, my opponent and I faced each other with a gap of about 10 meters.

"I never would have known I would be facing up against the prodigy of the Magic Shin Clan like this."

My opponent, Joo Hanwuk, spoke to me as if he were experiencing something new.

"I hope for a good fight."

I bowed my head slightly toward Joo Hanwuk.

As a junior, I should show at least this level of courtesy to my senior.

“I wish for one too. Let’s fight each other with no regrets.”

Joo Hanwuk grinned.

As expected of a mage of the Blue Magic Tower.

He's really polite.

'Even though as a 5th circle user, this situation would hurt his pride.'

I'd heard that when selecting people to join the Blue Magic Tower, that one's character is equally important to their skill. It seems that was true.

* * *

— Then we'll start the count.

— 10, 9...

Jung Suha, who was in the referee's area, began the countdown through the speakers.

“I'll let my junior make the first move.”

Joo Hanwuk took a fighting stance and spoke sharply.

“The favor is appreciated.”

I lowered my stance so that I would be able to fly at him right away.

— 4, 3, 2...

Mana overflowed around Joo Hanwuk.

No matter what magic I use, he was prepared to take it on.

'He's on full alert.'

Though he was relaxed, he wasn't distracted.

Had he been distracted, I'd planned to try to take advantage of that gap and use a short-term battle plan.

As expected of someone selected by the Blue Magic Tower's master, there was no gap in sight.

'Looks like I'll have no choice but to use standard tactics.'

If my opponent was fully alert, then miscellaneous strategies would only work against me.

I got rid of all my sub plans from my brain and focused on my one main plan.

"Whew."

I let out one last deep breath.

— 1. Start!

And at that moment, the signal to start the match sounded out.

As soon as the fight started, I spurred right off the ground.

"I remember vividly that you said I could have the first move."

My opponent said that he would give me the first move.

That basically means that until I attack him first, he won't attack me.

'So in other words, it doesn't matter how long I spend preparing my first attack.'

I cast magic while running circles around Joo Hanwuk.

'Wind cutter, stay!'

'Flareball, stay!'

I continued to run around him, while not firing the magic that I had cast.

“So this is the rumored alteration magic. It's interesting. How can you fix them in place so easily?"

Joo Hanwuk observed the magic floating in the air with a look of admiration.

Even though my magic is surrounding him, he just stands there and nonchalantly watches the situation.

He seems very relaxed.

“Aren’t you too relaxed?”

"I'm in a situation where I can afford to be."

With only 3rd circle magic, I can never break through his magic.

That's what he's confident about.

"...I'll be seeing how long you can afford to be so relaxed."

Joo Hanwuk responded with a relaxed smile.

"Then, here I come."

After about 10 seconds of running, I managed to install a total of 15 Wind Cutters and 13 Flareballs around Joo Hanwuk.

With this, I'd completed my preparations for my first move.

'Fire!’

As I willed, a total of 28 magic spells, that were suspended midair, flew towards Joo Hanwuk. And just how I prepared it, some were fast.

And some were slow.

And some bent like snakes, each aiming at a different part of Joo Hanwuk, each with their own trajectories.

"Wha..."

Despite the fact that he was a 5th circle mage, as if he had never seen anything like this before, he let out a sound of bewilderment.

"If it was 5th circle magic that had flown like this... Agh that's haunting."

Yet he still had a relaxed smile.

Just before the first Wind Cutter hit him.

A spherical translucent shield formed around him.

'5th circle, no attribute magic.'

'Absolute Shield.'

A perfect shield wrapped around his whole body.

Baaang!

Naturally, the Wind Cutter collided with Joo Hanwuk's Absolute Shield and harmlessly bounced off.

Skid!

Slam!

Starting with the faster magic spells, they each collided with the Absolute Shield one after another and bounced off.

Of the 28 magic spells, 9 had already bounced off and disintegrated into remnants of mana. My magic didn't even scratch the Absolute Shield.

'It really is an absolute shield.'

This was the hardness of the Absolute Shield that could even easily block 5 circle magic. That's why Joo Hanwuk could be so relaxed.

With normal 3rd circle magic, no matter what I do, I wouldn't be able to break through the absolute shield.

Though of course, the Bytenor style of magic doesn't fit into that 'normal magic' category. There's a way I can break through that magic using the Bytenor style.

I immediately spurred off the ground and rushed at Joo Hanwuk.

The weakness of the Absolute shield is that the caster himself becomes isolated.

Since the Absolute Shield is a structure that covers the whole body, it has a fatal flaw where the caster can't move till it is released.

'Now Joo Hanwuk can't stop me from approaching.'

With nothing to stop me, I approached his Absolute Shield.

"Seeing how you left space, did you plan on rushing me down from the beginning?"

"Yes."

"But even if you do get close, what difference will that make?"

Joo Hanwuk laughed like it was funny.

I wonder how long he'll be able to laugh like that.

“It'll make a great difference.”

I soon put my hand on the Absolute Shield.

'Interference.'

'Minimize the strength of this area in a 30cm radius.'

At that moment, the specified area of the Absolute Shield's color faded.

It looked like broken glass.

"This is..."

As if noticing the Absolute Shield weakening, Joo Hanwuk widened his eyes.

For the first time, his expression was no longer relaxed.

“You're too late.”

I immediately flung myself back.

And at the same time, the magic that was flying slowly accelerated.

'Simultaneously accelerate and change trajectory.'

The remaining 13 magics changed trajectory and flew toward the weakened section of the absolute shield.

The trajectories of 6 Wind Cutters and 6 Flareballs perfectly overlapped each other and became one.

'Fire Storm!'

And it became new magic.

Crack!

The Absolute Shield, which was weakened by my Interference, shattered.

Kwaaaaaang-!

An explosion occurred between the broken Absolute Shield fragments.

Unbelievable firepower that can't even be thought of as 3rd circle magic.

"...Huh, you really weren't an opponent I could afford to relax against."

In the midst of the swirling flames, I could hear Joo Hanwuk's voice.

“One misstep and I would've lost, just like that.”

Perhaps he had known this would happen the moment the absolute shield was weakened. Joo Hanwuk had formed a new shield to block my Fire Storm.

"...It would have been great if you were a little less alert.”

''I'm always on alert. You may be relaxed, but never be unalert. That's what the Magic Tower's master teaches."

Joo Hanwook turned his head towards the audience.

He probably turned his head specifically to look at Kim Kangin, who was watching from among the audience.

Woooosh!

As Joo Hanwuk waved his hand, a wind blew, blowing out the Fire Storm in an instant.

“Anyway, I'm scared of what the future holds. To think that you could do this with only 3 circle magic..."

A streak of cold sweat flowed down his forehead.

Seems like he had been quite flustered at my attack.

"I can see why the Magic Tower's master's interested in you. It's very interesting.”

Joo Hanwuk's eyes glistened with curiosity.

As expected of someone from the Blue Magic Tower, the way his eyes glistened when in front of interesting magic was just like Kim Kangin.

Almost like a mini Kim Kangin.

“Then this time, here I come.”

Joo Hanwuk's aura changed.

His relaxed look had been replaced by a stony expression.

This is when it gets important.

'Joo Hanwuk's specialities are fire attribute magic and body strengthening magic.'

I rapidly recalled the information about him.

'An adventurous spirit.'

'Curiosity that can't suppress his interest for new magic.'

'He's currently in the state where he's unable to control his interest for my magic.'

'So, in order to satisfy his curiosity, he won't be aiming for a fatal blow.'

I inferred this based on the profile that Kim Kangin had prepared for me, the information I had gathered myself and the behavior I had just seen.

'There's a high chance he'll engage me in close combat using his speciality Flame Sword and Instant Acceleration.'

I came to a conclusion right away.

And the moment I had made my conclusion, his body vanished.

'If he wants to observe me anymore, he won't be aiming for my vitals.'

'But that doesn't mean he'll want to take it easy on me, so that means...'

As his body vanished, I twisted my body.

'That there's a ten-to-one chance that he'll be aiming for my right arm.'

And instantaneously, his Flame Sword flew past my right arm.

'And from here, I'll lightly strike his ribs that are left wide open due to him striking with his sword!'

I rotated my body and using my fist, hit his ribs using the force of that rotation.

I felt like I had hit some kind of hard metal.

“Hmph!”

Joo Hanwuk grunted slightly and made some distance between us.

“You could react to that?”

“I'm quite good at fighting you see.”

"...Hmm.''

Joo Hanwuk nodded as if he understood.

It seemed that he had heard rumors of my physical ability.

''As expected, it seems like it would be better for me to avoid close combat."

Joo Hanwuk released the flame sword.

The Flame Sword that fluttered in his grasp vanished in an instant.

'Now that he won't fight me in close quarters, he can only fight me using long-range magic.'

Swooosh!

As I anticipated, Joo Hanwuk started preparing for a magic battle.

Soon, concentrated, 5th circle gunfire would rain down upon me.

I'm sure I might even get hit.

He'll forget about being vigilant and he'll try to pin me down using his overwhelming firepower.

'Just as Adella did in the battle survival test.'

With his overwhelming magical output, he'll fire his magic with the intention of not even letting me approach.

“From now on, I'm going all out.”

Flames engulfed the sky as he spoke.

A cloud of flames.

'Fire Rain.'

A privilege of being a 5th circle wizard.

Wide-area annihilation magic.

I witnessed this unfold right before my eyes.

“How do you plan to stop this?”

Joo Hanwuk slammed down the arm he had raised.

Fireworks fell like rain.

I can't stop this with 3rd circle magic.

And even if I tried to avoid it, because it affects the whole arena, that was impossible as well.

'My father probably is probably thinking that the fight is over now.'

For some reason, I could see the scenario play out from the perspective of the audience.

'Well actually, the fight is over.'

As I watched the rain of fireworks slowly get bigger, the ends of my mouth twisted.

'In my victory.'

With the activation of this Fire Rain, my equation to victory had been completed.

'Resonance.'

1 minute.

That's how much time's left before my victory.