NOVEL WEB Chapter 41
✦ Chapter 41 — Duel (2) ✦
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
“Captain, it’s not over yet, is it?”
Professor Idra approached Professor Elysia, who sat alone in the stands.
“Idra, did you make that?”
Elysia kept her eyes fixed on the arena as she spoke to Idra; the ‘that’ she spoke of referred to the mine that had exploded beneath Lophrey’s feet.
“I made it, but the idea came from student Loki. I swear, that kid is a genius—I adore him!”
“For something you made yourself, doesn’t the impact seem rather weak?”
Although Lophrey was injured by the mine, he wasn’t incapacitated to the point of immobility.
Of course, the magic artifact had provided some protection, but if Idra had made it with true intent, it would have pierced through the artifact in one go and knocked Lophrey unconscious.
“Loki specifically requested it. He asked me not to make it too powerful.”
“Loki did?”
Elysia couldn’t comprehend Idra’s words.
Was there really any need to deliberately make it weaker?
“Loki asked me to make it just strong enough to disorient someone when hit.”
Idra had adjusted the power according to Loki’s request. And as a result, Lophrey was now struggling to regain his composure.
‘What just hit me?’
He remembered being engulfed by light and noise when something the opponent threw exploded; then, shamefully anticipating the opponent’s sword strike, he had swung his own sword wildly in self-defence.
Buying time with his desperate swings, he opened his eyes when his vision cleared. And there was that bastard, not even approaching, just sitting and watching him.
The smug look in Loki’s eyes infuriated him, and he’d charged to wipe it off his face—only to step on another trap and trigger an explosion.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you coming over?”
Loki’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, the mockery in his tone unmistakable.
“I’m going to ki—”
He tried to rush at Loki but hesitated.
Fear gripped him—the thought of triggering another trap held him in place.
“Someone once told me that footwork is crucial for a swordsman.”
Loki spoke to the bewildered Lophrey.
It was delightful to watch this worm frozen in confusion.
Indeed, asking Professor Idra to adjust the power had been the right choice.
Ending the duel with a mine blast would have been far too merciful.
He had many more items prepared for this worm.
‘That’s why I couldn’t hold back my laughter earlier.’
He couldn’t contain his laughter seeing the vermin speak with such confidence, not realizing he was deliberately prolonging the fight. Everything that would unfold in today’s duel would soon have this worm trailing behind him like a shadow.
“So first, I’ll strip away your ability to walk.”
Loki spoke these words while extending his hand from his seated position.
“What is that?”
“Looks like a frog?”
A single frog perched atop Loki’s outstretched hand.
“That’s a magic artifact, isn’t it?”
A third-year mage noticed the frog’s true nature as a magic artifact.
The frog on Loki’s hand opened its mouth wide.
*Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!*
And an enormous torrent of water shot out of the frog’s mouth, arcing high into the air before cascading down onto the arena floor.
*Pitter-patter-splash.*
As the deluge fell, it soaked the dueling ground below, and Lophrey, standing in the middle of it all, couldn’t escape getting soaked. His hair and clothes clung to him from the water.
Yet unlike him, not a single drop had touched Loki’s head or clothes.
“Ah, looks like rain! Though it’s stopped now—must’ve been a passing shower,” Loki twirled the umbrella he held over his shoulder, speaking in an infuriatingly relaxed tone.
“Oh my! You’re completely soaked. One should always carry an umbrella, you know. Perhaps you’d like to borrow mine?”
He offered the dripping-wet Lophrey a smile, his tone thick with mockery.
“You bastard!!!”
And mocked, Lophrey could no longer restrain his fury. He charged at Loki with reckless abandon.
Anticipating another mine explosion, he activated his artifact to shield his feet and reinforced his body with mana. This time, the explosions didn’t hurt as much, but they still caused damage.
*Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!!!*
As he continued stepping on mines while charging forward, cracks began to form in the defensive barrier created by his artifact.
“I must say, I hadn’t expected such a brutish charge.”
*Swish.*
Loki spoke while tossing a dagger.
The dagger sliced through the air toward Lophrey, who immediately recognized it — it was identical to the dagger that had blinded him earlier with its brilliant light and deafening sound.
Memories of that disorienting moment flashed vividly in his mind. Acting on pure instinct, he dropped into a crouch, tightly shutting his eyes and covering his ears with his hands.
Yet no explosion came, even as time passed.
Sensing that something was off, he looked ahead to see the dagger lying harmlessly on the ground.
“I’m not foolish enough to use the same trick twice,” Loki said, his voice dripping with amusement.
It was then that he realized he had been thoroughly played.
“I will tear you apart and kill you, you bastard!”
“But you see, I used it again precisely because I knew it would work on someone like you.”
*SCREEEEEECH!!!!*
“ARRRGHHH!!!”
The delayed explosion of light and sound erupted from the dagger, catching him completely off guard. Blinded and deafened, he screamed in agony, unable to react in time due to his overwhelming rage.
“Well, shall we get moving now?”
As Lophrey covered his eyes with both hands, he recalled Loki’s words.
That bastard said he would move.
If he lost in this state and got expelled, the throne would surely pass to his younger sibling.
Once again, he swung his sword wildly, disgracefully, continuing until his vision would return; and as soon as he could see again, he opened his eyes wide, scanning for Loki.
However, to his utter shock, Loki was casually sitting in his chair, tying his shoelaces.
“Oh, my apologies. I forgot to tie my shoelace.”
“You fucking bastard!!!”
Lophrey charged at Loki.
‘I will definitely kill that bastard.’
Because of him, he had become a laughingstock in front of so many people.
“This looks rather scary, doesn’t it?”
*Thwack*
As he charged toward Loki, a wall suddenly materialized, blocking his path.
‘Obviously fake. Does he think I’ll fall for something like this?’
He had done some research on Loki before the duel; though he hadn’t learned much, he had discovered the nature of Loki’s Unique Magic. And convinced the wall before him was an illusion, he charged straight through.
*BANG!!*
But to his disbelief, the wall was real, and he crashed into it at full speed.
“Ouch! That looks painful even from here.”
Lophrey, seething, pushed past the pain and scaled the wall, determined to reach Loki.
*Thwack*
Once more, a wall appeared before him.
This time, he leaped toward the wall, extending his foot to climb over it, but his foot passed right through.
This wall was an illusion.
Lophrey lost his balance mid-air and tumbled forward.
“Pfft!”
A stifled laugh rang out, and Ropri instinctively snapped his head toward Loki.
“That wasn’t me laughing this time,” Loki said, gesturing toward the stands.
At Loki’s words, he turned his gaze toward the spectator stands.
Several students were visibly holding back their laughter as they watched Lophrey. Others, unable to contain themselves, burst out laughing outright.
Shame and rage coursed through his entire body as these weaklings — who would fall quickly to him in a direct fight — dared to mock him.
“You know, I’ve been practicing archery lately.”
Lophrey, who had been glaring murderously at the laughing students, turned his attention back to Loki at these words.
Loki was holding a bow aimed at Lophrey, his stance awkward and unrefined — anyone could see he was handling a bow for the first time.
*Whoosh*
The arrow, released from that clumsy posture, didn’t even come close to reaching Lophrey.
“I suppose three minutes of practice before coming wasn’t quite enough.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Well, half-mocking, perhaps.”
Loki shrugged as he spoke.
“But you shouldn’t let your guard down just because an arrow missed.”
At Loki’s words, Lophrey quickly glanced at the fallen arrow.
But it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary arrow.
*Whoosh*
While he was distracted by the fallen arrow, Loki loosed another shot.
*Clang*
This time, Lophrey deftly deflected the incoming arrow with his sword; the deflected arrow fell harmlessly to the ground.
“Is that all you’ve got?!”
“Oh come now, didn’t I tell you? Don’t let your guard down just because an arrow missed.”
*Crackle*
Electricity coursed through the arrow lying on the ground.
Normally, it shouldn’t have caused any damage given the distance between the arrow and Lophrey, but…
The dueling ground and Lophrey were thoroughly soaked from the frog’s earlier deluge.
BZZZZZZT!!
“ARGGGHHHH!!!”
Electricity surged through his body, drawing another anguished scream from him.
Only after falling victim to several more traps did he finally reach Loki.
Lophrey was in tatters.
His hair was wildly disheveled, and his clothes were torn in several places.
“Now you have nowhere left to run.”
Lophrey contemplated how he would kill Loki.
If Loki would finally face him head-on without relying on tricks, he was confident he could destroy Loki with his sword alone.
*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!*
Still seated in his chair, Loki began applauding.
“Oh my! How impressive that you made it this far.”
Meanwhile, Lophrey thought this display of composure was mere bravado.
He moved to charge at Loki sitting in the chair, but…
Loki vanished before his eyes, chair and all.
“What?”
While he was still trying to make sense of the situation, a voice rang out from behind.
“Now, please come all the way over here again.”
Loki sat in his chair at the opposite end of the arena.
END of CHAPTER
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