Descent of the Legendary Archmage

After my father had left, I entered school late.

"Sorry I'm late."

"I heard from Instructor Ko Changsoo that your father was here."

In an instant the muttering started to grow.

As my relationship with the Magic Shin Clan was of interest to the entirety of the Obelisk Academy, such mutterings were natural.

"Yes."

"My temper isn't bad enough for me to punish a student for something that was unavoidable. Sit down.”

At the instructor's joke, a few laughs burst out.

"Thank you."

I bowed my head and took my seat.

“Then I'll start the class again. I think I was explaining how to use an algorithm with magic and how to apply this with artificial intelligence.”

‘‘Yes, after creating the data, you explained up till how to map this data onto the AI chip.”

"Hm. Then in that case I'll move straight on to the open source magic recorded in the 'library'.”

I sat down and was trapped in thought, allowing what the instructor was saying to pass through one ear and go out the other.

'Good. For now the first step's been taken. My father gladly accepted my offer.'

Although of course he didn't accept it because he believed in me; he accepted it because he judged that either way he wouldn't lose anything.'

Though in the first place it was an offer that was trying to use that fact.

‘Anyway, with this I've passed over the first hurdle.’

All that's left is to get a good grade in the mid-term.

'Within 10th place. It won't be all that easy, but it won't be all that hard either. '

Before I had received the Bytenor style of magic, it would have been impossible, but now it's within reason.

'Hmm, let's see. Then, I have to prepare for eight days...'

I had a feeling that the 8 days of preparation would be worthwhile.

* * *

In an instant, two days had passed, and today was Friday the 24th of April.

Even though all the classes had ended, there was not a single student who had left the classroom.

"Whew... I'm shaking. What kind of test do you think it'll be?"

"Last year was a test on wiping out the monsters. Maybe this year it'll be a fight against humans?"

Today was the day they revealed what test the mid-term comprehensive evaluation would be composed of, so everyone was on edge.

"Personally, I prefer fighting humans."

“I definitely prefer it. Especially since I have no talent in multitasking or ranged magic.”

It was a time when everyone was eagerly praying that the test that they excelled in would be chosen.

“Everyone, please take a seat.”

Just in time, Instructor Ko Changsoo came into the classroom to announce what the test would be.

The students quickly took their seats.

"I'll make this short and tell you what test the midterm will be straight away."

With the words of Instructor Ko Changsoo, the whole classroom went silent.

Everyone is praying earnestly for the test they want to be chosen.

"The test method of this mid-term comprehensive evaluation is a one-on-one tournament, against each other."

With those words, two types of reactions burst out.

"Oh yeah! Fights against humans!"

“And it's 1:1 too, that's my specialty!”

Half of the class cheered.

“Oh, out of all the things it could have been it had to be fights against humans?”

"I'm not too confident."

"And it's 1:1 as well..."

And the other half were in despair.

If you were wondering what half I was on, I was on the cheering side.

I also personally preferred fights against real people.

"The test is to be scheduled to run for three days from April the 30th to Saturday, May the 2nd."

Due to the nature of the test being a tournament, not all will have finished in a single day. So naturally, the test period was increased by three days.

"The top 16 will fight on Saturday, where outside companies and even those affiliated with magic towers will attend, so try your best."

The commotion grew even more at the mention of business and magic tower officials.

"So if you're able to get into the top 16, you'll give off a strong impression."

"Reaching the quarterfinals may be hard, but if it's only reaching the top 16, well..."

"Getting into the blue magic tower is my dream."

Everyone was all riled up.

This was because they held the hope of entering a 'coloured' magic tower if they were able to luckily give off a strong impression.

“Then, I will reveal the all-important tournament bracket.”

The instructor fiddled with the interface of a small machine.

And simultaneously, the classroom darkened and a hologram screen lit up.

Slowly, the tournament bracket began to appear on the screen.

‘‘There are 16 groups divided fairly according to the student's grades, and a tournament bracket has been made randomly within that group.”

In short, the higher-performing students were distributed evenly so that they weren't all in one group.

“There is also an individual score separate from the tournament's rankings based on the performance displayed in the matches, so you don't need to feel disappointed that the opponent's not a good match for you.”

Even if you were to unluckily meet the strongest student right off the bat, as long as you perform well, you'll receive a good enough mark.

That was what he was saying.

"Of course, if the student underperforms in this process, then that student will be judged to be 'below standard' and will be expelled, so be careful."

With those words, the class's attention all turned to me.

In the history of the Obelisk Academy, there were less than 5 people who were deemed to be 'below standard' and I was one of those rare students.

'I think it was 4 including me.'

In fact, I was the only student in the second year who had not received a passing mark.

In other words, it meant that I was the only one who was at risk of expulsion.

'Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore.'

I brushed aside the eyes that were focused on me.

‘In any case that tournament bracket...'

More important than that were the tournament brackets.

"No way. Amazing."

‘‘Hey, look at the second match of Group H."

Some of the students who had noticed what I had noticed started to make a fuss.

At the same time, more gazes focused on me.

"Holy crap. Those two are facing each other?"

[2nd match of group H]

[Baek Sahyuk VS Shin Hayul]

Baek Sahyuk.

There were only 22 people who were 3-circle mages out of the second years, and even among them, he was one of the top students.

In addition,

‘‘Doesn't Baek Sahyuk really hate Shin Ha-yul?”

“He always went around singing that he would kill you half to death if he ever got the chance.”

“He's got his final chance to do just that now.”

After receiving a crushing defeat from me in the youth magic competition 5 years ago, he's been a bully-like bastard that tries to have a go at me whenever he has the chance.

"Shin Hayul's luck's really bad. How can that happen to him even up till the end?"

“If it's this much hasn't he been abandoned even by the sky?”

Everyone looked at me with sympathetic gazes.

Everyone seems to feel sorry for my misfortune.

‘Baek Sahyuk, huh.’

However, my thoughts were a little different.

Misfortune?

No way.

‘I'm so lucky to get a chance like this.'

There's no one more suitable for my first opponent than that bastard skill-wise, personality wise or popularity-wise.

* * *

The bout between me and Baek Sahyuk was a hot topic between the second years that spread like wildfire.

"Have you heard? Baek Sahyuk said he's going to just go kill Shin Hayul. ”

“He said he'd mess him up so badly that he won't even be able to fight in the consolidation match."

Rumours about me quickly spread, regardless of whether they were big or small.

This time, the speed and the impact of the rumours that spread were completely different.

"Wasn't it Shin Hayul who made the nickname 'loser' stick with Baek Sahyuk 5 years ago at the youth magic competition?"

“I heard that he was the reason why there were problems with his family's succession war.”

“That's why Baek Sahyuk grinds his teeth whenever he even hears Shin Ha-yul's name."

The bad relationship between me and Baek Saehyuk was quite deep.

But in the first place, the relationship between the Magic Shin Clan and the Baek clan wasn't that great, and 5 years ago, the final blow was dealt.

When the two of us were decided to be faced off against each other, of course, there would be lots of interest.

"But to be honest was there anything that Shin Hayul actually did wrong?"

"All he did was win against Baek Sahyuk. ”

"That's true. It was because Baek Sahyuk lost he gained the nickname of loser, so it was all his own doing.”

"If even the Baek family were unable to silence the media, then just how badly must he have lost?"

It's just that kind of relationship.

All I did was win the competition fairly and squarely, but Baek Sahyuk decided to take that to heart and now he just can't wait to kill me.

‘‘Honestly, don't you think Shin Hayul wants to kill Baek Sahyuk as well? Considering what Baek Sahyuk did to him in our first year..."

"I felt sorry for my eyes after witnessing what he did to him."

For Baek Sahyuk, I was good prey, having been someone incompatible with artificial intelligence.

And because of this, he annoyed me all throughout the first year.

Like the snake-like bastard he is, he kept getting under my skin, and you don't know how frustrating it was.

‘The worst thing he did to me was when he burnt all of my ancient texts.’

Others just feigned ignorance, but for some reason, I just couldn't ignore that incident.

‘I collected them so diligently as well.’

Just thinking about it pisses me off.

‘‘Hey, shush! Baek Sahyuk's coming.”

Speaking of the devil, I could see Baek Sahyuk approaching from afar.

A foul expression like that of a demon who had crawled out of hell.

A foul expression that complemented his tall height and muscular build.

Anyone could tell from his short hair adorned with scratches that he wanted to give off the impression that he was a tough guy.

"Long time no see? Huh, defective product?"

Baek Sahyuk.

He puts his hands in his pocket and looks down at me.

The students buzzing around us began to increase.

Everyone looked at me with an interested expression.

“Our defective product. Your luck really is rotten. You were hiding in your room to try and avoid me. And who's your opponent now?"

He tapped my shoulder and sneered at me.

His eyes shone with jealousy and hatred.

“I heard this was your last exam? That you were abandoned by your family. Kehehe!"

He was referring to the ‘expulsion in case of failure to receive a pass mark’, a new rule that my father proposed.

“Our pitiful defective product. What should we do? It would be sad to get expelled. And I guess now you're going to be punished by me before leaving~?"

It was a dreary laugh, like the laughter of a snake.

"Well, I wonder. Don't we have to wait and see who'll get beaten up in the end?"

I swatted Baek Sahyuk’s hand off my shoulder and returned the sneer.

”Kekek. Even in this situation, you're still our defective product. You still have confidence, huh."

Baek Sahyuk gave a croaky laugh.

Then, after properly facing me, who had been sitting down, looked me straight in the eyes.

“Wake up, you defect. How long are you going to be obsessed over the glory that you can never obtain?”

I could feel the filthy murderous intent coming from him as if he was a mad, white snake flickering his tongue.

“You're a defect with nothing now. If you're a defect, you should act like one and be begging for mercy on the floor. Hm?"

The filthy pair of eyes that I had seen every day since I had first enrolled at the Obelisk academy is looking down at me. I stared at those eyes and laughed.

"You really... haven't changed."

"...What?"

“You're still a lowlife that can only talk shit. It's still the same as it was five years ago. You haven't grown one bit.”

Baek Sahyuk's expression contorted.

"...You. You son of a bitch. "

As always, Baek Sahyuk's fuse was shorter than a finger so his temper soon exploded.

"Did you hate being compared to me that much? Loser Baek Sahyuk?"

"This son of a bitch...!"

I too was also angry at Baek Sahyuk.

Over the past year, my anger has been piling up, and now that I had gained confidence due to my Bytenor style of magic, this was a good time to let it all out.

But I can't be angry here.

True anger can only be revealed after being patient.

I'm not an idiot who loses himself to his anger.

"If you're really that mad, should I at least try to comfort you now? Should I call you Baek Sahyuk the genius?"

I rationally continued the conversation.

I included the keyword ‘genius’ not just to anger Baek Sahyuk. I only included it because I had to.

"This disgraced, defect bastard..."

" I don't really want to hear that from a loser who hasn't been disgraced yet."

My purpose was to implant the word 'genius' into his head so that he is able to recall this conversation subconsciously.

“Have you heard this before? The saying that once you're a genius, you'll eternally remain a genius ”

I hoped that after this conversation ended when he thought of what I had said, he would remember these last few words.

“Why was such a saying created? I'll show you on April the 30th.”

While hoping that he would do as I intended, I desperately twisted the corner of my mouth.

“Look forward to it. Loser. ”

* * *

"AAHHH!"

Back in his room, Baek Sahyuk couldn't control his anger and wreaked havoc.

“That defective bastard!”

When I think of Shin Ha-yul's face, who kept talking back without any anger, I can feel my anger flaring.

‘That relaxed expression!'

I want to tear that expression that reminds me of what happened 5 years ago at the youth magic competition off his face.

I want to enjoy watching that face twist into despair.

I want to see Shin Hayul become nothing short of a corpse and be in despair of everything in the world.

For that reason, Baek Sahyuk had bullied Shin Hayul for the past year, but still, Shin Hayul's relaxed expression remained.

"Defective product bastard..."

Shin Ha-yul working hard without fail, despite being embraced with the fatal disability of being incompatible with AI, was unpleasant to him.

Being compared to him, after losing in the youth magic competition did nothing to lighten his hatred.

"Defective products should just be cast aside in a warehouse somewhere..."

And most of all, he hated how Shin Hayul, the defect, was making him feel so unpleasant.

"I was going to be satisfied just by giving him some shame and kicking him out but...“

Baek Sahyuk's eyes shone like that of a white snake.

He took his phone out of his pocket and made a call.

“It's me. Please could you publish some articles?"

The Baek family had many close connections with celebrities.

So they were obviously well versed in taking control of the media.

In terms of the ability to take control of the media, they are regarded as being superior to the Magic Shin Clan.

"And make the contents of the article..."

Baek Sahyuk recalled the last thing Shin Hayul had said to him.

‘Did you know? There's a saying that goes, once a genius always a genius. '

'Look forward to it, loser.’

Shin Ha-yul's face, who had been repeating the word genius over and over, was the epitome of annoyance.

‘You said you're going to show me why you said that on April the 30th?'

There was no way that a defective bastard who couldn't forget his glory of the past was going to crawl back up.

‘If you like the title of genius that much then go ahead. Call yourself that all you want.'

Baek Sahyuk scoffed, and said, "Shin Hayul. April the 30th, the return of the genius. The declaration to the expectant world. Yeah, that would be great."

Baek Sahyuk's mind was filled with the idea of disgracing Shin Ha-yul.

'On April the 30th, you too will be ruined in front of the watching public, as I was five years ago.’

The sound of Baek Sahyuk's laughter echoed vilely.