One of the detrimental weaknesses of a magus was Incantation or Chanting.
Incantations play the important role of self-hypnosis: to place the mind of the magus in a state in which it can effectively control the magic circuits.
Yes, they're are a lot of spells that require short incantations or none at all. But the trade-off varies depending on the type of magecraft that you used.
Jewel? Too expensive with limited ammunition. Rune? Took time to set up. Elemental? Lower power. You get the idea.
So, having a chance to prepare beforehand is something no magus should let go. I should double-check one last time.
" Magic circuit, check. Magical flow, steady. Reinforcement, check. Rune, check. Jewel? Ignore that."
"Ok, I'm ready. Let's do this."
"Team 26, we have secured a monster for your team. Come and get their location whenever you're ready."
That's my queue. "Yes sir."
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"What? His training has not even started yet?"
"That's weird, I thought that all of the class would start nearly at the same time?" Kim Suho commented.
"Yeah, and I've never heard about someone with that name. Is he a foreigner?"
"That would likely be the case."
"Anyway, did he get separated from his team? I didn't see him talk to anyone."
"I think so too, or maybe he's just shy."
"Only you would think like that. Either way, there is no chance he is the only person on his team."
"You're right. It would be hard to do this alone."
"Are you saying that you can?"
"That's not what I said."
"Forget about it, now where's his team?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen anybody else here except those who are already done."
"What do you mean? Are you suggesting that he is going to solo this? Are you crazy?"
"I don't have any other explanation here, Nayun."
Is he mad? Surely he is, right? There's no way a new cadet can fight a group of monsters alone, right?
I looked at Suho, thinking I would ask him again, but then I stopped.
His eyes. His eyes have been staring at the unknown guy this whole time. He knows something. He must have.
Knowing I wouldn't get any answer, I just followed Suho and watched him closely. He must have something that can make Kim Suho keep an eye out for him.
"What are you doing, Chae Nayun?"
I flinched.
"Shin Jonghak? What are you doing here?"
"That's my question. What are you doing?"
"That's none of your business."
"Hah? Why?"
"I SAID that's none of your business."
"Come on, Chae Nayun."
I snapped at Shin Jonghak. The guy is absurdly annoying. What did they see in this guy?
"Where did he go?"
"Where does who go?"
"Shut up, Shin Jonghak."
"Urgh."
I want to kill this guy.
"Ah! There he is."
"That guy? Who even is he? I have never seen him before. Must have been a weakling."
"Shi..."
"Shin Jonghak, please just shut up."
Even Kim Suho tells him to shut up. Even he got a limit, huh.
"What the hell do you mean, Kim Suho?"
"*Sigh* Forget about it."
"Hey, don't ignore me."
Shin Jonghak is irritated, and I don't have the energy to deal with him right now. So I choose silence.
"Team 26, ready." Missed my chances. Whatever, I'll ask him later. Kim Suho and I stand a few meters away from him, waiting for this moment. Despite Shin Jonghak complaining, he's also shifted his attention toward him.
"He's really gonna solo this."
I couldn't help but speak up.
"Yes, he really is." Even Suho had to comment.
"Hoh? Ain't that brave of him? Too bad he's just a weakling. If it were me, I would have...
*Crack* *Boom* *💨💨*
I couldn't see it. In a second, he crouched down, and the other was gone. Left behind crater, sound, and vacuum waves as the sole evidence of the figure who was once here.
"What the hell was that? I can't even see his movements."
"I couldn't see it either. How can he do that?"
The three of us were shocked. How could someone be this fast yet not a single one of us knows about him?
Shin Jonghak said nothing, but he knew. He knew that he was the weaker one. His pride has come back and bitten him.
Will he admit it? No. Can he deny it? Also no.
All he can do now is clench his fist and figure out how to get stronger.
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"Wind, gather, condense"
A simple Aira, one that any magus capable of the element of wind can cast. As I focus my magical flow down below me, magic particles started to accumulate and create a spherical flow at my heel. I bend my knee, tuck down my head, and wait for my signal.
• • •
"Team 26, your training starts... NOW."
"BURST."
I called out and stomped my right foot hard. The elemental spell also exploded, creating an updraft wind pushing my body forward through the entrance.
I shot out like a bullet.
"Kyaahh!"
Did I accidentally hit someone? No, there's no impact, so I must have flown past them. Never mind, I'll apologise to that person later.
I can feel the downforce pressure on my body as I keep accelerating ahead. The grass plain came into my sight while I zoomed toward the area.
"Good gods, I should cast a spell for this the next time I ever go this fast. It's too late to complain now."
I made my way to my target. The moment I saw its head popping out of the lone tree in the grass field, my mind immediately went to work.
The creature was a white giant humanoid, with its head shaped like a tree stump with a root sprouting out of it.
A Spriggan.
"So you're my enemy. Sorry, but my defensive stats are a little pitiful right now, so I can't play around with you."
"Earth, gather, solidify, twist"
An earth pyke emerges in my hand. I focus my mana and draw magic circuits onto the sword-sized pyke, covering it with magical power.
'Reinforcement.'
"Gruh?"
The spriggan spotted me a bit too late. It gripped its pillar sword and swung at me out of panic. I ducked down, dodging the horizontal swing, and jammed my pyke at its throat.
"Grurhhhhhhh."
It screams in pain. It then dropped its only weapons and tried to hit its enemy with a backhand. A wise move, but its fate has already been sealed.
Even if I do nothing now, it would eventually bleed to its death. So, I'll give it a swift death.
I stepped back, left the pyke impaled in its throat, and chanted with my other hand.
"Flame, gather, fusion"
"Water, freeze, condense...."
"EXPLOSION"
*Boom*
I rammed the blunt end of the pyke with my fist and let magic burst out. The impact of my punch and steam bomb hit it full force, launching the Pyke clean through the Spriggan.
The giant stopped its movement, fell to its knees, and dropped onto the grass. Blood flows out as there's no sign of life left in the giant.
I sat myself down beside the monster and looked at my punching hand. Even with the Reinforcement taking most of the blunt force, there are still some small scratches and burned marks left on the back of my hand.
"My health stats couldn't withstand all those strains, even at this level. I must train hard if I even want to cast more powerful spells or even True magics. Can't let my body give in before my magic circuits."
I steel my resolve and start walking back to the plaza.
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<3rd P.o.v>
"Hey, Kim Suho."
"What is it, Nayun?"
"His team is team 26 right?"
"Yeah, that's what I heard. What's wrong?"
"Look at the scoreboard."
"Huh? What do you mean..."
L
All eyes froze as the cadets in the lobby could only look at the top of the school board.
[ Team 26's clear time: 5 minutes 23 seconds Current rank: 1st place]
The lobby got noisy as questions and conversations were passed around. Whose team was that? How did they do it? Where are they? Ect... Among the rambling talk between the cadets, 4 silent individuals stand out.
Chae Nayun: 'What am I seeing? Is that even possible? Am I dreaming?'
Shin Jonghak:' That's impossible. Must he have cheated, right? There's no way someone like him could've done it otherwise.'
Kim Suho: 'So strong! It took us nearly twice his time to get to the monster. Even our kill time is barely less than that.'
???:' It was him earlier, wasn't it? How can he be so strong? What secret could he have hidden? I must definitely find out.'
4 pair of eyes gaze at the lobby doors as a certain individual made his way back.
'Huh? There some people watching me. It's must been the one i had flown by. I'll say sorry the next time we ever met. For now let's get back to the dorm and figure out my next move.'
Meanwhile, a gun-wielding boy running on the sand has yet to know about the changes happening in this world.
"Achoo! Did someone mentioned me? No way, it must have been the co-author. Let's focus on this first."
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