Episode 31: Where Forbidden Items Gather (3)
When you think of fire fists, the first thing that comes to mind is the pyromancers’ [Fire Punch].
It is a magic that surrounds the fist with flames and strikes, but its destructive power is not very great.
Even more so considering that wizards’ physical abilities are generally poor.
That doesn’t mean that anything grand other than mana is used when using a skill.
It’s low risk, low return.
On the other hand, [Inferno Fist] is super high risk, super high return.
Instead of wrapping your fist in flames, you imbue it with flames.
In the process, it burns everything that makes up the fist: the skin, muscles, blood vessels, bones, and even the magical circuits.
Because it causes a huge burn to your fist every time you use it, you should only use it occasionally if you are accompanied by a powerful recovery item.
If you ignore this and cast it four or five times in a row, your fist will turn into a black lump of charcoal and shatter.
What you get in return is an overwhelming destructive power that makes things like the Fire Punch seem like matches.
If we could nullify the risks of this powerful skill and only take advantage of its benefits.
‘That’s awesome.’
I decided to learn it right away without having to take it out.
You should always be careful when handling forbidden skill books, but my case is an exception.
Anyway, the elemental penalty doesn’t do any damage to me.
[Use ‘Skill Book – Inferno Fist’.]
[Acquire ‘Inferno Fist (C)’.]
As expected, he was born with a C rank.
It’s probably a skill book confiscated from the third year students.
Dang Gyu-yeong asked his members.
“Did you get everything?”
“Yes, sis.”
The temporary storage facility has become even more empty than it was at first.
This is because quite a few banned items ended up in the Thieves’ Club’s inventory.
However, we cannot yet say that these items have been completely stolen.
It’s not over until you escape safely.
“Let’s go out.”
The route they invaded was used as an escape route.
Go back to Lab A through the hallway,
A Quickly run down the circular staircase outside the lab window.
Geumjohan’s clone was still patrolling the same spot with a blank expression.
Now all I have to do is get out of here.
Their expressions were unreadable because they were covered by masks, but everyone seemed to be in a more excited mood.
however,
– Kookookookook,
A wooden door suddenly appeared in front of the group who were just starting to pick up speed.
The door opened and a male student walked out.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“… … !”
2nd grade tie pin, leadership armband.
In one hand he holds a large emerald crystal orb.
A wood magician who is skilled in both tree and earth magic.
The twins took turns speaking to each other, as if they knew each other.
“Kwak Seungjae… … .”
“It’s you again… … .”
“If you do something, it pops out.”
“I told you that I dreamed about that wooden door?”
“The old school building is not your home, so I can’t let you come and go as you please.”
As the woodcutter manipulated the small transmitter, the tablet girl immediately rendered it useless.
Next, he raised the hand that was not holding the crystal ball to his shoulder.
A shadow followed and swallowed up the bright light that shot up.
“… … !”
The eyes of the woodcutter were filled with a strange light, and he discovered Dang Gyu-yeong, who had blown away the shadow.
Dang Gyu-yeong decided that there was no point in covering his face any longer, so he took off his mask and waved his hand.
“Hello Seungjae?”
“hello.”
The woodcutter, Kwak Seung-jae, immediately bowed.
“Can’t we just let them go?”
“I will send it to you. But,”
He gestures towards the open wooden door.
“Before that, please accompany me to the leadership room for a moment.”
“Go and throw up everything you ate?”
“It wasn’t the property of the thieves’ club in the first place.”
The smile on Dang Gyu-young’s lips deepened.
“… … Then I guess I’ll have to break through.”
“If possible.”
“Are you sure?”
“How can I be confident of victory against you, senior?”
“That’s right. The third-year students will have to come to be my opponents. I’ve already handed over the axe-wielder, and the others are probably outsourced, and Cross-Eyed… I can’t see him.”
‘That’s what happened.’
I wondered why things were being resolved so easily, but coincidentally, there weren’t many third-year leaders left at Yongsal Academy.
‘The Axeman’ is the hell that blocked the entrance to the temporary storage room.
‘Squinty Eyes’ would be the leader of the vanguard, Oh Se-hoon.
Kwak Seung-jae answered in a calm tone.
“The manager is currently away doing something else. He will be back soon.”
“Can you stop it by then?”
Although the shadow loomed menacingly, Kwak Seung-jae was not intimidated at all.
It meant that there was still a corner of belief, and Tang Gyu-young’s expression gradually became more serious.
“This time, given the circumstances, we also had to lend a helping hand.”
“… … !”
As Kwak Seung-jae stepped aside, another person walked out through the open wooden door.
He was a handsome man with light brown hair combed slicked back.
He is a third-year student and wears a badge on his chest instead of the captain’s armband.
The badge symbolizing the student council president.
Topaz shone from the dark gloves on his hands.
Dang Gyu-yeong was impressed.
“… … Songcheon-gi.”
“You’re starting this semester off by stealing again.”
“Then why are you helping out at the vanguard? You’ve always been so heavy-handed.”
“You don’t need to know that.”
While they were having a heated conversation, a shadow appeared on Dang Gyu-yeong’s back and formed letters.
– Kids, just jump around and do your best.
The situation was rapidly worsening.
Leading members arrive one after another from all directions.
First-year students including Han So-mi and Song Cheon-hye, as well as second-year students whose names are unknown.
It’s only a matter of time before we’re completely surrounded.
A small gap that Dang Gyu-yeong made before that.
That gap was the only chance to attempt an escape.
“That’s all for words, Dang Gyu-yeong. Disarm and follow me obediently to the leader’s office.”
“What if you don’t like it?”
– Gulp,
As Song Cheon-gi silently raised his mana, a small thunderclap rang out.
“It will be governed by the rules of Yongsal Academy.”
“Umm… … .”
Dang Gyu-young rests his chin on his hand and thinks for a moment.
A few seconds of silence.
People who watch in silence.
Dang Gyu-yeong lowered the hand that was resting his chin on.
And then suddenly he smiled brightly.
“I don’t like it—!”
Shadows erupted in all directions as if exploding.
At the same time someone shouted,
“Jump!”
The members of the thieves’ club scattered in all directions.
Kwak Seung-jae stood in place, fixed his gaze on the crystal ball, and gave instructions.
“Don’t miss a single one.”
* * *
“Huh? Where did you go?”
Han So-mi raised a question mark above her head.
He was following me closely, so it made sense that I disappeared in an instant.
Run to this side and check, then run to that side and check again.
Of course, there was no way he would come looking for me.
‘I’m glad I borrowed it.’
The transparent ghillie suit I borrowed from the calligrapher was paying for itself.
“? ?? ???”
Han So-mi was so confused that she kept looking around in the wrong places, but then she quickly left, perhaps thinking that it would be better to support other leaders.
Although his skills are excellent, he is ignorant of the dark world of martial arts.
It is to make up for such weaknesses that the Yongsal Academy exists.
You can learn it little by little.
‘The problem is that woodcutter… … .’
I think your name was Kwak Seung-jae.
If we look back at how exactly we were able to block the escape route of the Thieves’ Club, perhaps… … .
‘I’ll catch up soon.’
A full-scale battle seems inevitable.
However, to prevent more intruders from interfering, it would be best to keep as much distance as possible in advance.
I started running again, picking up my pace.
* * *
Kwak Seung-jae looked into his crystal ball.
To be exact, it was not a crystal ball, but an orb made by processing a large emerald whole, and it was a masterpiece of the Emerald Tower.
There were seven red dots inside the orb, one of which was Dang Gyu-yeong, who was fighting right nearby.
– Gulp! Boom!
Lightning strikes and blades of shadow flutter.
But this is a fight whose outcome has already been decided, so it’s not worth paying attention to.
So what he was watching were different things.
Two of them had already stopped as if they had been subdued,
The three are closely followed by other leading members.
But one red dot.
There was a point where he just kept getting further away without any pursuit.
Since he felt he had to do it himself, he casted a spell.
– Kookookookook,
A large wooden plate was placed on the ground.
As Kwak Seung-jae climbed on top of it, a palm rose from the ground and began to move quickly while supporting the plate.
In an instant, the field of vision changed rapidly and the distance to the target quickly narrowed.
And eventually, it completely caught up.
There was nothing to be seen with the naked eye.
But Kwak Seung-jae’s orb shines,
– Kookung!
Somewhere in the distance, the ground began to rise up.
This is a warning spell cast to stop an opponent who keeps running away.
Kwak Seung-jae spoke dryly.
“Come out.”
The air shook and the masked man appeared.
Optical camouflage ghillie suit.
I guess the thieves’ club managed to get that expensive item.
Or maybe they stole it.
If it was a transparent Gilly, the first-year’s pursuit would have been easily shaken off.
Still, the way Kwak Seung-jae was able to track him was… … .
The masked man looked to one side of the ground.
As if he knew there was something there.
Kwak Seung-jae nodded.
“That’s correct.”
A tiny dwarf suddenly popped his head out from under the ground.
Gnomes, lesser spirits of the earth.
Kwak Seung-jae scattered gnomes widely around the old school.
With the help of that gnome, I read things through the ground that were invisible to the eyes.
It was similar even now.
Just before the members of the Thieves’ Club started to run away, they attached a gnome to each of them, which made it possible to track them.
Judging from the reaction, it seemed like Lee Ja had noticed that fact a long time ago.
Kwak Seung-jae, curious, asked.
“How did you know I had a gnome attached to me?”
“… … .”
“Can’t you speak?”
“… … .”
‘How clever.’
Since I have a detailed account of all the members of the Thieves’ Club, I can guess their general identities even beyond their masks.
On the other hand, since it was their first time meeting, I asked him to at least listen to his voice, but he quickly realized this and remained silent.
But it doesn’t matter.
Anyway, it’s something you can subdue and check for yourself.
“It seems like you have no intention of surrendering….”
“… … .”
Instead of answering, the masked man snapped his fingers.
To Kwak Seung-jae, it sounded like this.
– Let’s stop wasting time and hurry up and catch up.
It was a bit unexpected.
The members of the thieves’ club are all thinking about how to create an opening and escape, but I never thought they would openly suggest a fight like this.
‘Sometimes this is good too.’
The two stared at each other for a moment.
And the battle began.
– Kookung!
As the orb glowed green, the ground began to bounce up and down, trying to strike the masked man.
The masked man moved between the intertwined ground, his feet moving gently.
The level of [Thief’s Step] was so excellent that it felt like he was gliding on the ground.
The masked man who got close in an instant tried to kick his face, but
– chin,
A rising earthen wall blocked the kick.
The next moment, a heavy lump of dirt fell from behind the masked man.
He stepped back just before he saw that there were eyes on the back of his head.
The masked man’s hand flashed as he retreated, and a ray of lightning flew towards Kwak Seung-jae.
‘Is it a hummingbird?’
[Earth Gatling]
A machine gun made of dirt fired a barrage of tightly packed dirt bullets.
It was a move to target the opponent while shooting down the hummingbird.
However, the masked man moved smoothly again and dodged, and the hummingbird also dodged the bullets here and there and landed on Kwak Seung-jae’s shoulder.
– Phagec!
“!!”
Kwak Seung-jae was a little surprised.
How good must the control be for a hummingbird to move like that?
Instead of my body being paralyzed, one of the defensive spells I had cast beforehand was broken.
Kwak Seung-jae gave the masked man praise in his heart.
‘That’s great. But there’s no second chance.’
Because this will end with one conversion.
Before we knew it, a thin earthen wall had surrounded the area.
So that the masked person cannot dodge the next attack.
[Earth Gatling]
[Earth Gatling]
[Earth Gatling]
Several machine guns erupted simultaneously here and there.
And then he fired hundreds of bullets at the masked man.
[Crossfire]
– Doo doo doo doo!
The inside of the mud wall was covered with thick dust.
“… … .”
When the dust cleared, Kwak Seung-jae had no doubt that the masked man would be lying there.
But he stood still.
Without a single scratch.
‘The interest is… … beyond my ability.’
Earth Gatling was something he was quite proud of, as it was his main spell.
If he casted it multiple times at the same time and it didn’t do any damage, then it would be right to see him as an unbeatable opponent.
Where on earth did this guy come from?
It’s highly unlikely that they’ll win, but judging by the way the battle went up until just now, it doesn’t seem like they’ll lose either.
In that case, we will continue to tie up the interest and wait for support.
– Kukung… … .
The sounds of battle came from far away.
This means that other leading groups are engaging in combat.
The battle between the leadership and the thieves’ club has an obvious outcome.
We’ll subdue them soon and support will come in this direction.
The masked man turned his gaze to the distance for a moment.
He too seemed to realize that he did not have much time left.
“… … .”
The masked man looked straight at Kwak Seung-jae.
It feels like the atmosphere has changed abruptly.
As he took up his stance, his clenched fist began to glow red.
Are you trying to use fire magic?
But the color of the rising fist was very ominous.
A blood-red flame, almost black, blazes.
Goosebumps ran down Kwak Seung-jae’s back.
‘no way!’
If my guess was correct, I shouldn’t have responded carelessly.
Kwak Seung-jae quickly collected all the orders and switched to a defensive stance.
[Three-tiered stone wall]
[Strong wall]
– Kookung!
Three walls of stone rose up, thickening and solidifying.
At the moment when I thought that wasn’t enough and was about to cast additional barrier strengthening magic.
A crimson fist touched the first stone wall.
– Kwakwakwakwang!!
The stone walls shattered and a tremendous amount of heat and shock struck Kwak Seung-jae.
All defensive equipment, accessories, and even uniforms, including defensive magic that had been placed in advance, were destroyed in an instant.
Kwak Seung-jae thought as he rolled around on the floor like a rag.
As expected, my guess was correct.
The identity of that skill is… … .
‘… … Inferno… … Fist.’
The supporters eat it all
