Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

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Ding-

We arrived at the underground training ground.

I’ve heard that there’s a massive training ground in the direction of Ilsan where clan members undergo training, and it seems there’s a training ground even in the Clan Tower, true to its enormous nature.

‘I haven’t even had a chance to explore the whole building…’

A few buildings on the first floor and in the 30s. And a tour of the 25th floor.

Just as I was about to start exploring the departments that interest me, I got caught by someone like Park Jin-woo, a team leader.

It must have been difficult for Kang Juyeon to decline the duel.

She looked at me with a hint of apology in her expression.

And conveyed my intentions with a gesture of my mouth.

-It’s okay.

Honestly, I understand.

Even if it were me, suddenly coming in through special recruitment and planning to experience it for only two months as an academy student, there’s no way I’d look dignified.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to send a 5700-character complaint email to the Clan Master.

Besides, even though Kang Juyeon is the heir to the clan….

Regardless, Kwon Oh-jun is also an important asset to the clan.

You can’t completely disregard the opinion of a team leader-level figure.

Moreover, the proposal for the duel was reasonable, so I needed to respect it.

‘The training ground is really huge.’

There’s practically no small place here.

The underground training ground on one floor is filled with various items needed for dueling.

From weapons to armor and other defensive gear, as well as some special items.

Various potions for emergencies are also prepared on one side of the training ground.

Without even considering divine spells, it was possible to provide immediate treatment even if a duel got intense.

“Dueling is something you’ve done since entering the academy, so you should be familiar with it. The rules will follow the academy’s rules. Only attacks targeting vital spots are prohibited, but all other physical and magical attacks are allowed. If the duel participant surrenders, if the situation is objectively one-sided, or if the supervising official deems it’s over, the duel will end.”

After Kwon Oh-jun explained the lengthy rules,

He lightly looked at me and then at the opposing Holder.

“Any objections?”

“None!”

“I don’t have any either.”

Kwon Oh-jun turned his gaze around after we all shook our heads.

“Items represent the strength of a Holder. You can use any items you possess. However, using special items that significantly change the course of battle is prohibited. Items like Corrosion Powder or Magic Control Gas are not allowed. Unlike in the academy, such things won’t be tolerated, so keep that in mind… If you need to, you can use the weapons and armor in the training ground. Even if they’re mostly at the normal level, they should be usable.”

I hesitated a bit at his words.

I already have a [Well-forged Longsword] and a normal-grade dagger in my inventory, so there’s no problem with weapons.

However, I don’t have suitable armor.

At this moment, I couldn’t find armor that would be useful. Additionally, there’s a reason I kept my body light to maximize my speed during battles.

Anyway, among my attributes, my speed is the highest in the melee category.

‘Seeing that you don’t have a weapon, you must be a mage-type…’

But there’s no weapon on the opposing Holder’s body.

Considering the duel is about to begin, if the opponent is a Holder who doesn’t use weapons, it’s highly likely they’re a mage-type Holder.

When facing mage-type Holders, using armor is definitely a good idea.

Especially if it light armor to minimize speed loss.

‘…I’ll just use a shield.’

I took out the [Goblin’s Bronze Shield] from my magic bag.

Using a one-handed sword is still a bit awkward for me, but during combat, I can discard the shield and switch to a two-handed sword at any time, so it should be fine.

Using a shield is also more efficient for blocking magic.

“Now let’s begin the duel between Team 5 of the Judgment of Fire clan’s members. Shin Yuna and Do Jae-hyun, after shaking hands, get ready for the duel.”

So, her full name is Shin Yuna.

It’s a pretty name.

It doesn’t seem to quite match her appearance, though.

I shook hands with her and exchanged a few words lightly.

“Let’s do our best.”

“Hmph.”

However, her attitude was quite cold.

…Is it because of her hair?

It seems that not only the team leader but also the other Holders don’t like me.

It’s clear that the clan life ahead won’t be easy.

Just like it was during the academy and is now…

It’s been a continuous series of trials.

I focused my energy and prepared to raise my magic again.

She’s a current Holder who graduated from the academy.

There’s no room for leisure, as with facing rookie students.

“Duel, start.”

And Kwon Oh-jun’s starting signal echoed.

The duel began.

“Ugh…!!”

I didn’t wait even for a moment.

I immediately used [Sprint], then followed up with [Ruthless Charge].

I maximized the charge speed and used the synergy of runes that activate special effects when used in conjunction with a charge rune.

This combo is what I usually use when seizing the initiative.

‘Magical attacks won’t work, but…’

[Ruthless Charge] only ignores physical attacks during the charge.

This means that magical attacks won’t be blocked.

For a mage-type like Shin Yuna, it won’t be a significant defense effect.

‘What matters is catching the opponent off guard.’

Especially when facing a mage-type, seizing the initiative is crucial.

Casting magic itself takes time, and dealing with sudden melee attacks from a close combatant like me distracts and disrupts their concentration.

In that sense, this combo of charging and attacking simultaneously was important.

Especially the additional effect that states ‘deals damage equal to twice the strength stat,’ which means I can deal damage without a weapon to a surprised opponent.

‘It’s a hit!’

As expected, Shin Yuna seemed greatly surprised.

She wasn’t prepared to defend against a warrior-type Holder with such a rapid charge, even though she’s not from the cavalry class.

I closed the distance rapidly and got close to her in an instant.

If I can deal damage now, the duel will become easier afterwards.

Once a mage-type suffers damage, they lose a significant amount of power in battles.

It feels somewhat bittersweet.

As expected, is a normal C-grade Holder not my opponent?

Feeling a slight regret at Shin Yuna’s inability to even handle such a simple attack, I continued to attack her…

“Huh?”

…but couldn’t engage her.

Consider donating for site maintenance fees at Buymeacoffee. I am currently running on fumes…

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