I Became The Academy’s Joker Character

Chapter 18

—–CROW—– 

After being slammed headfirst into the ground by Oz, Baekyang remained dazed for a long time.

“Nice weather~”

The sky looked beautiful from where she lay. She was escaping reality.

“Ow, my head…”

She couldn’t tell if her headache was from the hangover or the injury.

She knew Oz was strong. She’d heard he was an equal to the [Goblin King], whom she served.

Even so, she’d been confident. Oz’s advanced magic and above had been sealed as a penalty.  That meant he wasn’t a big deal. She could block intermediate-level magic. And if she got close, she could win.  Mages, without a front-line protector, were fragile as glass in close combat.

–Or so she thought.

“Ugh…”

Her head felt like it was splitting open. Baekyang broke out in a cold sweat, remembering the moment her head was driven into the ground.

The impact had shaved off 8% of the protective magic on her cloak. A frightening amount, considering it was a physical attack from a mage.

‘Was he really a pure mage…?’

She knew there was magic to enhance physical abilities.  She’d even seen it before.  But there were limits. It was usually used by mages too lazy to move or warriors who used magic as support.

“My hangover is completely gone…”

But Oz was different.  He was a pure mage, but he had no limits.  The intense blow that pierced through her magically reinforced cloak was enough to sober her up completely.

“Hmm…”

Baekyang considered what would have happened if she hadn’t backed down.  She might have won.  No matter how enhanced, Oz’s movements were still those of a beginner. If she had been serious from the start, she wouldn’t be rolling on the ground like this.

‘But still…’

However, the chilling gaze she met the moment her head hit the ground had paralyzed her.  That gaze alone was enough to rob her of her fighting spirit.

‘I couldn’t resist.’

This was just a test, but the thought that she might have died if they’d fought for real wouldn’t leave her mind. Fear had been etched into her, robbing her of rational judgment.

“Sigh…”

Baekyang sat up.  The training wasn’t over yet.  If she just lay here, she’d get a pathetic score. She didn’t usually care about grades, but wouldn’t it be embarrassing for a member of the to end like this?

Just then, she sensed the presence of prey who couldn’t even conceal their presence.

“At least one person…”

She immediately created a weapon of ice and charged towards her opponent. She was hidden in the backlight, and there was a height difference between them.

A perfect ambush.

“Ah…”

“Hmm?”

*Bang!*

But her ambush was thwarted with ridiculous ease.  Of course, as a guardian, her attack power wasn’t particularly high.  But her opponent had caught her ice weapon with their bare hand.

She couldn’t have imagined it would be blocked so easily.

“I thought it was Oz, but who are you?”

Blazing red hair and predatory yellow eyes glared at Baekyang irritably.  In that moment, Baekyang realized who her opponent was.

It wasn’t that her prey hadn’t hidden their presence.  She wasn’t the hunter.  The person in front of her was the flame itself, luring in the moth.

‘…My practical training score is ruined~’

*Crack!*

The [Fist King], who had followed Oz.

Alexios’ fist shattered Baekyang’s ice shield like glass.

“Gah?!”

And the merciless fist then slammed into her stomach.

* * *

Even though I was meticulously concealing my mana, I was surrounded.  Oz’s low luck stat was definitely real.  To be discovered already…

[Erosion Blade 20%]

That aside, it seemed I was being underestimated. It wasn’t just Baekyang; there were too many idiots trying to attack me.  Was the prejudice I’d planted too perfect?

Marksmen and mages tried sniping from afar, while warriors and guardians charged at me.  Once their positions were revealed to me through [Observation], sniping was pointless.  Furthermore, the fools rushing me were steeped in the foolish elitism that they could defeat a mere mage if they closed the distance.

“How amusing.”

“Ugh!”

I twisted the arm of an approaching warrior who seemed to be around R-rank and pumped [Magic Bullet] into his torso.  The student, having lost 50% of his protective magic in an instant, was teleported to a nearby professor.

“Sigh…”

For this plan, I’d challenged and been defeated by Gerard repeatedly, exposing my weakness.  The repercussions were already showing.  Idiots who wouldn’t have dared approach me normally were now underestimating me after seeing my apparent weakness.

Even though it was intentional, it didn’t feel good.  Being treated like a joke wasn’t enjoyable.

Intermediate Magic

[Parma Shield]

*Bang!*

[Parma Shield], which created a small circular shield, blocked the incoming sniping attack.  I’d initially thought it was useless due to its small area of effect, but after learning it, it was more useful than I’d expected.  Since I already knew the opponent’s location through [Observation], it was more efficient to block precisely than to put up a needlessly large barrier.

Basic Magic

[Wind Piercing]

I fired a wind-attribute spell in the direction the sniping attack had come from. It was the fastest basic magic and had a piercing effect.

“Eek?!”

Immediately after, I heard the opponent’s scream.  Naturally, a basic spell couldn’t take them down in one hit.  But I’d bought enough time by taking advantage of their momentary confusion.

Intermediate Magic

[Stalagmite]

*Bang!*

As the completed formulaic structure at the tip of my foot struck the ground, huge stalagmites erupted from where my opponent had been standing.  Earth-attribute magic, despite utilizing the element, often fell under the category of phenomenon magic.  It seemed it was more efficient to induce phenomena from the surrounding earth than to create magic using mana.

“Now!”

At that moment, three students who had been hiding nearby jumped out, swinging their weapons at me. Since I’d known they were hiding, there was no reason to panic.

I quickly neutralized two of them with pre-prepared spells.  To the remaining student who’d managed to get close, I extended my left hand as if to block.

“Got…!”

The student’s eyes lit up, and they reached for my left hand.

“I should reconsider exposing my weakness so much.”

They’d figured out the habit I’d displayed when fighting Professor Gerard.  How insidious.

I quickly retracted my hand.

“Huh?”

Since I’d planned this from the start, I could withdraw it faster than they could reach.  Then, I delivered a powerful kick to the bewildered student. They seemed to be aiming for guardian, so this much should be fine.

“No, was that not enough?”

“Huh…? No, I think it was enough? It hurts a lot.”

“No, it wasn’t enough for you.”

Basic Magic

[Little Bomb]

After the finishing blow, I casually left.  With this, I’d taken down all the students ambushing me nearby.  At least, there were no enemies in the immediate vicinity.

“Should I target Noah instead?”

Wouldn’t it be advantageous to send Eleanor to an area with another professor before Gerard approached?

“No…”

I briefly considered it but shook my head.  Gerard was a time bomb.  Even if I avoided him now, he would eventually unleash his selfish rage on Eleanor.  Then it was better to know when he would explode.

In all likelihood, Gerard would be near Eleanor.  Furthermore, students who had depleted more than half of their protective magic were transported to the nearest professor.  But Gerard wasn’t a supervising professor.  So, he’d be lying in wait, armed with a magical tool to disable the cloaks.  It could be troublesome if I prematurely eliminated Noah.

* * *

Eleanor, luckily having joined up with Lucia, was carefully making her way to retrieve something she’d hidden in the training grounds the day before.

“Noah, are you sure this plan will work?  I’m getting nervous!”

“It’s okay, Lucia.  With this, we’re 100% guaranteed to win.”

Lucia clung to her arm, muttering in an exaggerated manner.  This was why timid cats weren’t enough.  The star of this show was herself, and no one else. Eleanor didn’t hide her blatant ego.

Eleanor always had to stand out. She wanted everyone to look at her in a crowd. She wanted to be famous.  Because she was afraid.  She didn’t want anyone to forget her anymore.  So, even if someone forgot her, there would be someone beside her to remind them of her existence.  She played pranks to be acknowledged by everyone.

“Fufufu! The professors didn’t know we’d taken the cloaks, did they? Once we get those back, we’re invincible!”

That was why Eleanor played pranks.  She caused trouble and gathered attention through cowardly methods. This training exercise was no different.  She had to win.  She had to win and make them acknowledge Eleanor’s existence.

‘I’ll show them that I’m here, that I exist.’

Actually, Eleanor didn’t really care about winning.  It was enough if she could just imprint her existence on someone.

“And if we wear three layers at a time, no one will notice.”

“But what if someone shows up who can blow through the protective magic on all three layers at once? No, what if we get caught before that?!”

“Oh, come on, who would do that? They won’t notice.”

“Here.”

“…”

“…”

On their way to where they’d hidden the items, Eleanor and Lucia ran into someone.

A person with black hair and icy blue eyes, exuding an air of arrogance.

Eleanor’s master, Oz.

“You’re here.”

“M-Master…?”

“Yes, so you were planning to do something like this?  I’m surprised by how foolish your plan is.”

Eleanor still remembered vividly. The trivial conversation she’d overheard in the classroom that day wouldn’t fade from her mind.

“How did you…?”

“It’s the disciplinary committee’s job to keep an eye on troublemakers.”

Oz’s words, that he would be watching her, often evoked strange feelings in her.  It felt like a mark, lodged in her heart, spreading through her body with her blood.

“Run, Noah!”

“Uh… Okay!”

Grumbling that he didn’t have to watch her even now, Eleanor followed Lucia.

‘He’s ruined my carefully prepared grand stage!’

She was truly startled by his sudden appearance. So startled that she thought her heart would burst.

“S-See you later, Master!”

“Kyaa! Noah, focus! Please focus!”

Yes, her heart was racing only because she was surprised. Because she was running with all her might, dodging the incoming magic spells.

‘Yes, that’s all it is.’

Eleanor thought so.

* * *

Chasing away Eleanor and Lucia was easier than expected. I wondered what kind of trouble they were planning, and it turned out to be a laughably bad plan. The moment a single cloak was sent back without an owner, Eleanor’s plan would have been exposed.  Lucia, knowing my plan, skillfully led Eleanor away.

“It’s good to see she’s looking out for her.”

The fact that Lucia was near Eleanor, even knowing I would intervene, meant she was prepared for any contingency.

“Now then…”

The problem was Gerard, who was cautiously approaching while watching Eleanor and her group.

He was nearby, as expected.

[Observation] showed him covered in suspicious magical tools, waiting for an opportunity.  Not only tools to disable Tia’s magic, but also tools to erase traces and tools for murder.  Just entering the training grounds with those items was enough to arrest him on the spot.

So, I would strike first.

[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]

The battle had already begun.  Gerard didn’t know I’d discovered him.  He was overconfident in the suspicious black robe, a magical tool that concealed his presence. Did he not realize that its origin in Spellergy meant I would see through it? Or was he so blinded by rage that he couldn’t think straight?

“Well, at this point, it doesn’t matter.”

My first strike, the opening salvo, was an advanced lightning-attribute magic used by SR-rank characters.

[Thunder Calling]

*Rumble!*

Dark storm clouds rapidly began to cover the sky.  Was the process too fast?  Gerard noticed the anomaly.

I hadn’t expected [Mana Dominator] to reveal such an unexpected weakness here.  It couldn’t be helped that he’d noticed.  For now, I’d be satisfied with discovering this new fact.

*Crackle, Boom!*

Lightning began to pour down from the sky like rain.  As if a god were punishing humanity, lightning swept across the earth.

Gerard’s figure was hidden by the dust and smoke.  But [Observation] didn’t miss his movements. I’d never thought I could defeat him with the first attack anyway.  And since he’d noticed the magical prelude, he wouldn’t just stand there and take it.

Intermediate Magic

[Storm Blade]

Activating [Mana Dominator], I launched the intermediate magic I’d been preparing towards Gerard.  A fierce blade of wind sliced through the dust and smoke, heading for Gerard.

*Bang!*

But as expected, Gerard blocked the attack. No, it was more accurate to say he pulverized it with his fist.

Gerard now recognized my clear hostile intent.  He started moving towards me, zigzagging to avoid the magic.

But I’d anticipated this as well.

I struck the ground, deploying earth-attribute phenomenon magic.

Intermediate Magic

[Stalagmite]

It didn’t matter if I didn’t hit him directly.  I created stalagmites to obstruct his path, limiting his movement options.  This would make his movements even more predictable.

Basic Magic

[Wind Piercing]

I fired rapid-fire magic at Gerard.  He pulverized the spells with his fists as he approached.  As expected, it was difficult to inflict significant damage with basic magic.

And for a moment, I saw a light emanating from his fist.

[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]

Gerard’s attack, which had crushed all my basic magic, vanished as it hit the [Spatial Barrier].

A brief lull fell between Professor Gerard and me.

The purpose was to buy time.  Both of us needed time, so this lull occurred tacitly.

“…What is the meaning of this, Oz?”

“Isn’t it the disciplinary committee’s role to apprehend suspicious individuals beforehand, Professor Gerard?”

“Haha, there seems to be a misunderstanding. This cloak may look suspicious, but it’s actually a magical tool prepared for the exam…”

Such a natural lie. Even though it was impossible for supervisors to have such suspicious magical tools, he spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Despite the sudden turn of events, his smile didn’t waver.

He would have made a better actor than a professor.

“It’s truly admirable.”

But I wasn’t going to let him keep up the charade. The cooldown for [Spatial Barrier] was over, so there was no need to stall any longer. I would skip all the tedious methods.  Even probing him was too much effort.

“Then how about you make a Mana Oath right here?  Say, ‘I have no intention of targeting Eleanor von Chrysos.’”

“…”

If he had a problem with it, he could just make the Mana Oath.

—–CROW—–