Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

-The duel is over. Assassin-type intermediate class Holder Do Jae-hyun wins. The Recovery Medical Team, please quickly check Kim Hyo-won’s condition.

With the supervisor’s words.

The tiresome duel with Kim Hyo-won has finally come to an end.

A tenacious brat.

He definitely possesses the [Endurance] Rune.

If you’re originally from the warrior branch, it’s natural to receive the normal Raked Rune during awakening.

Thanks to that, even after battling him for about 15 minutes with [Combat], the duel didn’t end, so I used [Venom] and its derivative skill, [Poison Claw], to gain the upper hand.

‘I’m using it for the first time, but it’s quite useful.’

I didn’t have a chance to utilize [Poison Claw] before since I didn’t need it, but when combined with [Combat], it becomes quite powerful.

As the level increases, the destructive power of the skill also becomes stronger. Therefore, [Poison Claw] was nothing but deadly for Kim Hyo-won, who had no resistance to poison.

“Justice Implementation completed….”

Honestly, at first, I was angry and thought about using all my runes at once.

Kim Hyo-won annoyed me by showing off fair play and even using special items.

But it seemed too attention-seeking, so I held back.

Just using [Combat] and [Venom] was enough to draw interest.

If I also demonstrated [Fiery Flames] and [Sturdy Fangs], along with [Quadruped Combat], I might have been treated as a true monster.

Dueling while igniting flames and using hands like feet.

Even biting like a beast with fangs?

It’s like I’m a complete lizard-type monster.

[Relentless Strikes, Anticipating the Next Move! Your combat skills are becoming stronger and more agile.]

[The level of the Rune has increased.]

[Derived skill of the combat Rune, ‘Combo’ gained.]

[You have won the duel! With the mysterious power of the Rune Hunter, you can replicate one of your opponent’s runes. Please choose the rune to replicate.]

[1. Sturdy Endurance 2. Sword (unselectable) 3. Magic Control (unselectable) 4. Ground Defense 5. Triple Sword Technique 6. Shield (unselectable)]

The information window appeared a bit late.

It contained the rewards for the duel we just ended.

As I poured my willpower into [Combat] and completed the duel, my level increased significantly. With the accumulated duel skills and practical experience, [Combat] reached level 5. Additionally, I gained the new derived skill, [Combo], Like [Sword]’s [Combo], it seemed to be the main derivative skill of [Combat].

‘And…’

There was the reward of the [Rune Hunter] for winning against Kim Hyo-won.

The runes he possessed were quite surprising.

‘It wasn’t just Endurance?’

[Endurance] is a common rune among warrior-type Holders.

Since they often take on the role of tanking in parties, they need their toughness to sustain battles for a long time, so they usually receive the [Endurance] rune during awakening. Even Holders who didn’t gain it initially often awaken it through academy classes.

I still don’t have [Endurance], [Ground Defense]… These are common runes the Assassin class could acquire.

There was a possibility that Park Jin-woo wouldn’t have gotten it by now.

Yet, Kim Hyo-won didn’t Possess mere [Endurance].

He had the Rare Rune, [Sturdy Endurance].

‘No wonder he lasted so long.’

Kim Hyo-won is a typical warrior-type Holder.

Among them, he possessed runes more suited for a tank.

Including the rare rune, [Sturdy Endurance], the most basic swordsmanship rune for sword-wielding warriors, [Triple Sword Technique], and even the ones that improve efficiency in party hunting, like [Shield] and [Ground Defense].

Perhaps he didn’t use the shield because it was a one-on-one duel.

‘Just use the shield anyway.’

Even though his stats were inferior to mine, the runes he utilized completely outclassed mine, so there was no way he could win against me. Even his high toughness and [Ground Defense] runes were pierced by [Venom].

I chose the rune from him to replicate.

There was only one rune I could replicate from him.

[You have chosen Sturdy Endurance. As it is a level 7 rare rune, its level will be lowered to 4 upon registration.]

[You have gained a new rune.]

[As a result of the rune’s attribute, you gain +2 Endurance.]

< Rune Information >

◎ Name: Sturdy Endurance

◎ Grade: Rare

◎ Level: 4

◎ Engraved Location: Lungs

◎ Special Effects:

: Gains the toughness and endurance to engage in duels and training for a long time. This power is not reflected in the numerical values of stats and grows stronger as the rune level increases.

: +2 Toughness

◎ Derived Skill: –

–

◎ Detailed Information: Being able to endure directly translates to toughness. Strengthened endurance enables the Holder to continue fighting and endure for a long time.

‘Not bad.’

Closing the rune information that showed satisfactory effects befitting a rare rune, I returned to where the others were waiting.

“Wow! You’re like a martial artist!”

Moon Ga-eun pointed at me with a teasing expression.

Now I was used to her expressions, and it was somewhat cute, so I couldn’t help but smile.

The other party members also looked surprised.

“Jae-hyun, when did you get the Combat Rune?”

“As expected of Do Jae-hyun! He’s my acknowledged rival.”

“….”

They must have been quite surprised since I hadn’t shown [Combat] and [Venom] during the dungeon raid.

I just smiled and delayed my response.

After all, runes are like trade secrets for Holders…

Everyone would understand.

“Now, only three are left, right?”

The remaining ones are Park Jin-woo, Kim Chae-eun, and Kang Juyeon.

I was looking forward to Park Jin-woo and Kim Chae-eun’s duels.

Park Jin-woo, as the protagonist of the original story, would undoubtedly show significant growth on his own, and I wanted to see how much stronger Kim Chae-eun had become after repeatedly going through dungeons and growing.

As for Kang Juyeon…

She was so talented that there should be no problem with her duel.

-Twelfth duel. Warrior-type intermediate class Holder, Park Jin-woo, and Assassin-type upper class Holder, Lee Dong-jin.

“Yes! That’s me!”

As expected, the tiger came out when called.

Park Jin-woo’s duel was immediately after mine.

I wondered if Ji Yoon-jae would appear as his opponent, but this duel followed the flow of the original story.

At that time, he fought against a regular assassin, and I can recall it clearly.

‘How much will he show this time?’

Park Jin-woo will make his name known in the end-of-semester evaluation.

In the original story, he showcased [Wave Sword Technique], which he had mastered to a high degree, and overwhelmed his upper class opponent. His overwhelming strength became the turning point that completely changed the perception of those around him.

However, this time, Park Jin-woo doesn’t have [Wave Sword Technique].

Instead, he compensated for it with even more passionate effort.

The boy who continued his growth alone…

I was curious to see what kind of duel power he would show this time.

-The two Holders shook hands and prepared for the match.

The director’s announcement remained unchanged.

Park Jin-woo and his opponent exchanged a light handshake and prepared for the duel.

Then, the starting signal followed.

The twelfth duel began.

“Urrrgh…!!”

Park Jin-woo let out a strange cry and took the initiative.

…Did he make such sounds originally?

It seems like his duel cries are becoming more distinctive with time.

Nevertheless, despite the mighty duel cry…

His movements were as fast as the wind.

“Wow. Park Jin-woo is much faster than he looks. Does he have a high agility?”

“It’s not that. He probably received rune assistance.”

I briefly answered Moon Ga-eun’s question.

She was referring to the [Agile Agility] rune that I gained while hunting the Poisonous iguana. Park Jin-woo had a speed-boosting support rune from the beginning of his awakening.

Park Jin-woo continued to run at full speed…

And approached the assassin Holder’s front.

“What the…!!”

I could feel Lee Dong-jin, the opponent Holder, being taken aback.

That was natural, as duels where one’s advantage is based on speed are typically reserved for assassin-type Holders.

[Stealth], is the assassin-type Holder’s possess runes related to runes enchantments, allowing them to use derived skills freely and quickly overpower opponents.

‘…Though I don’t exist in that category.’

When I first awakened, I had only [Dagger] as my weapon, and there were very few common runes available to me. Despite being categorized as an assassin-type, I am actually more like a half-hearted assassin with tendencies toward the warrior-type. Of course, since I lacked warrior-type common runes, I was finally able to get one.

However, Dong-jin still falls into the category of an assassin-type. Though temporarily, he was surpassed by the speed of the warrior-type due to his agility. Lee Dong-jin couldn`t believe it; it defies common sense.

“Oh, what a pity.” Kim Chae-eun sighed with regret suddenly. Park Jin-woo’s attack, infused with the utmost speed of his counterstrike, was unfortunately blocked by Dong-jin’s dagger. But Park Jin-woo didn’t stop there; he continued to rotate his sword, relentlessly pushing Dong-jin.

‘He’s incredibly fast, isn’t he?’ I watched in awe as I observed his duel.

It was unexpected. His speed and the support from the related runes were overwhelming. Even considering his abilities, it was excessively fast. However, upon further thought, it made sense. Park Jin-woo had superior speed from the beginning. Whether during the entrance exam or before learning [Wave Sword Technique] from Professor Tak Won-ho, he focused primarily on speed-based swordplay. It was only after learning [Wave Sword Technique] that he began to balance strength and speed. But the current situation forced him to develop speed-based combats without Professor Tak Won-ho’s guidance. It was only natural that his speed-based combat would advance further.

“Dong-jin can’t even use his strength.”

“Was he always this strong?”

“Park Jin-woo seems much faster than an assassin-type.”

“Is this an intermediate-class versus upper-class duel?”

“Both Park Jin-woo and Do Jae-hyun are not really intermediate-class. Jae-hyun’s victory in the previous match proved that, he overwhelmed his opponent.”

The surrounding students were amazed and began buzzing with excitement. Considering the negative attention directed at Park Jin-woo and me at the beginning of the semester, this change in public opinion was quite a turnaround. Indeed, proving oneself through duels seemed necessary.

‘But he’s genuinely overwhelming.’ Dong-jin struggled against Park Jin-woo…

And he couldn’t showcase any proper performance. The battle began too quickly, before Dong-jin could bring out his individual skills through [Stealth] runes, and the use of magic-type runes like Kim Chae-eun wasn’t effective against Park Jin-woo’s [Agile Agility], which covered him thoroughly. The advantage the assassin-type Holders had against the warrior-type was nullified as Park Jin-woo countered everything.

“Crazy!”

During this time, suddenly, I was taken aback and stood up from my seat. Park Jin-woo, who was relentlessly attacking, had executed a move by turning his entire body like a windmill and landing a sword strike on Dong-jin. The speed was so fast that it couldn’t be easily seen with the naked eye. It was too quick.

‘It can’t be true. A rotating combo attack….’

[Rotating Combo Attack], an upgraded version of [Combo Attack], was a skill that rotated the entire body and sword at an incredible speed, striking the opponent with sword strikes. This skill wasn’t derived from the [Sword] rune. It required an Epic Rune called [Unstoppable Swift Sword Technique].

Speed and swordsmanship, the two elements were combined at the highest level to create the Epic Rune [Unstoppable Swift Sword Technique]. In other words, Park Jin-woo had realized and acquired the Epic Rune solely through his own power. From the beginning of the duel until the end, it was a moment when I could understand the full extent of his incredible speed.

-Duel over. Warrior-type intermediate-class, Holder Park Jin-woo. Wins.”

The duel was over just like that. Dong-jin, whose dagger was already heavy to handle, couldn’t withstand the [Rotating Combo Attack].

I looked at Park Jin-woo in a daze. ‘This talent is beyond belief….’ How can you even call him a growth-type protagonist? His growth rate is simply astounding.

“Haha, how was it, Do Jae-hyun? Are we on the same level?”

Park Jin-woo returned triumphantly, filled with high spirit. I stared at him with eyes that said I was tired of him. “You’re a monster…. I won’t fight you anymore.”

“Wow! Who’s calling who a monster?”

This guy’s way of speaking has changed.

Nevertheless, Park Jin-woo’s duel ended, and the duels continued. Kang Juyeon’s duel was also there; she easily won against Lee Tae-joon. Her nearly perfected [Unquenchable Flame] and diverse real-world experience made her forget about her defeat. She proved why she was the top-graded student and a B-grade Holder.

After a few more significant and minor duels passed, the name we had been waiting for was finally called by the director.

-Here comes the 26th duel. Warrior-type upper-class, Holder Ha Do-kwon….”

‘He’s finally out.’

Ha Do-kwon, the most crucial figure in this end-of-semester evaluation.

A spy for the <Villain> clan, the decisive Holder who carries out the order to assassinate his classmates and throws the academy into chaos.

His duel was finally announced.

A duel where someone must die.

The director’s call for the duel to begin, filled with tension, made me wait anxiously for the next call.

However…

-…and Magician-type intermediate-class, Holder Kim Chae-eun. Both students, please come to the exam room.

“What?”

I questioned my ears for a moment.

Kim Chae-eun…?

Why is her name called here?

The name of the Magician-type Holder who is supposed to be killed by Ha Do-kwon in this end-of-semester evaluation…

Her name…

‘…didn’t come out.’

I murmured in a daze.

It felt like a huge hammer had struck my head.

In the original story, the name of the Holder killed wasn’t mentioned.

This means that it could be anyone.

But this is absurd.

Kim Chae-eun… is it her?

The classmate Holder who will be killed by the plot of the <Villain> clan?

“Is that… possible?”

“I’m going to get him! I’ll be back!”

As if denying everything, Kim Chae-eun smiled brightly at me and walked into the exam room.

I could only watch her with a blank expression.

The strong cognitive dissonance overwhelmed me.

The scattered puzzle pieces, each placed throughout, found each other as if seeking to fit together.

My brain throbbed with a strong sensation.

A Holder who is cruelly assassinated by Ha Do-kwon.

That was really… Kim Chae-eun, my first friend in this world.

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