It was 1 p.m., and the fresh-faced freshmen of Class A were lined up in three rows at the training ground.
It was time for some one-on-one duels, also known as individual combat training. It's a straightforward class where we pair up and go at it.
"The tournament bracket will be randomly determined on the spot. Personal matchups don't matter at all. Life isn't about always fighting opponents we have an edge over. It's actually a good thing to face someone who poses a challenge, because those opportunities don't come by often."
"Yes, sir!"
Perhaps because they were new students, they all seemed eager for this moment.
"However, I will grant a special challenge before the first duel. You get to pick your opponent."
Getting familiar with the main characters would be nice, but who knows how well I'll fare in individual combat. I'll just go with the flow today.
"Can I choose, sir?!"
"Yes, go ahead Lucy."
Lucy stood next to the instructor, scanning the students with her eyes. She frowned as if the person she was looking for wasn't in sight, but then our eyes met.
"I challenge Lee Hoyeon!"
What? Me?
"Why him all of a sudden?"
"He showed surprising skills in the morning class."
"Even Professor Lim Sol praised him."
"Isn't she just making a public confession? She wants to embarrass him in front of everyone."
"Wow, Lucy is unexpectedly aggressive!"
Confession my foot.
"Both of you, come up to the training ground. Bring your weapons."
Lucy and I are both mages, so carrying weapons would just weigh us down unnecessarily. But as I was about to go up empty-handed, I spotted a lightweight dagger and decided to grab it.
It might come in handy.
As I stood facing the circular arena, I could feel someone's intense gaze. I looked up and found Lucy staring at me with a smile.
I have to admit, her threatening look was kinda cute, but those eyes also had a ferociousness to them.
As we're squaring off, chaos erupted among the clueless onlookers. All eyes were on us.
I knew this day would come. In Victoria Academy, with all its combat training classes, I figured I'd eventually face Lucy. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Lucy was one of the talented heroines, a gifted mage. Her younger sister, Lumi, specialized in defense magic, while Lucy focused on offense.
Although she's not limited to just offense in later half of the game, seeing her unleash powerful firepower while looking cute was quite the sight to behold.
At this point, she's still just a promising talent, and as someone with zero practical combat experience, I was no match for her. I just wanted to gain some experience by going up against her.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
[Affection: 20]
[Lust: 5]
[Appetite: 40]
[Fatigue: 20]
Ever since yesterday's apology, the affection has gone from 2 to 20 huh. I don't get it though. She doesn't seem mad, so why does she want to fight me?
"Ready to apologize?"
Lucy spoke up first from the other side.
"Looks like apologizing in the training ground is a thing now."
"Well, I'm not that mad. I knew your situation back then, and your apology yesterday seemed sincere."
"If that's how you see it, then I'm grateful."
Lucy's lips curled into a slight smile.
"But you know, if you're sorry, there should be consequences, right? I'll accept your apology after the duel."
So she does expect an apology, but do I really have to pay for accidentally groping her watermelon? Is she wanting me to receive some kind of punishment?
In the mana field of the training ground, even if you get attacked, you won't have physical wounds. But the pain is still there for practical experience. I really don't want to get hit by magic in a real situation because it's going to hurt.
"There's no issues now that we're in the mana field, and we're both ready, right?"
[Sub quest has been received]
[Time for the other sister!]
[Don't let your guard down just because you got closer to Lumi!]
[You can't increase Lucy's affection just by exchanging a few words like with her younger sister. How about becoming a bad guy by overwhelmingly winning in the duel?]
[Reward: Slightly increase Lucy's Affection points]
I was just relaxing, getting ready for the duel about to begin, when suddenly a quest window popped up in front of me.
Wait, if I win the duel by a landslide, does that mean I'll become a bad guy? Wouldn't it be bad?
"Lee Hoyeon! Answer if you're ready!"
"Ah, yeah!"
The instructor's shout brought me back to reality.
Well, there don't seem to be any penalties for failing, so why not give it a shot?
The dagger hanging from my belt keeps hitting my thigh with every step. It was kind of annoying. I brought it along, even though I doubt I'd use it.
"3, 2, 1, begin!"
The barrier separating us shattered, and the duel commenced.
As soon as the starting signal sounded, I gathered my mana. Lucy used fire attribute mana. I also primarily used fire attribute mana, so it was a fifty-fifty compatibility. Of course, I could use other attributes too. I'd tried it in the training grounds, and it's a breeze.
Showing off various attributes now would just attract too much attention.
Lucy effortlessly manifested her mana in the form of fire arrows, summoning not just a handful, but hundreds, no, thousands of them.
Swoosh!
Approximately 10 fire arrows were launched towards me. With the fire shield I had already prepared, I swiftly blocked the arrows, causing them to collide with the barrier and lose their power, dissipating into nothingness.
That was just her warm-up.
"Not bad. I thought you were switching to become a mage and aiming for a position in the Association."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Our casting speeds were fairly equal. The only distinction was that I had to expend a considerable amount of mana just to create the shield, while Lucy appeared to possess an abundance of it. Those arrows were merely a small taste of what she could do.
Undoubtedly, she displayed more composure than me, considering my lack of experience. Her mastery of magic was evident. If I had greater expertise, I could have efficiently neutralized the fire arrows using mana projectiles. Unfortunately, I was limited to dividing my magic into ten or more fragments.
"Let's finish this quickly. Many people are waiting for us."
Crackle!
Dozens of fire arrows hovered above Lucy's head. An overwhelming number of arrows, with their majestic presence and impending flight towards me, exuded a palpable pressure.
For a moment, I thought about just taking the hit and calling it a day. But then I realized, even if I took the hit and apologized, it wouldn't magically fix our relationship.
Honestly, maybe, just maybe, being a bit of a bad guy, like the system suggested, could actually work out better.
Yeah, why not? Let's give it a try!
As soon as I made up my mind, my heart began racing. My body refused to relinquish the identity of 'Lee Hoyeon,' the protagonist of this world.
Thump!
Blood coursed rapidly from the depths of my chest, infusing vitality throughout my entire being.
This sensation gradually crept up my spine—Battle Sense. Although it was my first time utilizing it properly, I swiftly adapted. The intense Battle Sense skill retained a hint of nervousness while adjusting my sensitivity.
My mind sharpened. Clear Mental Strength swept away any inclination to give up and prompted me to search for a way to overcome this predicament.
Mana Sensitivity kicked in, analyzing and understanding the fire arrows before me as comprehensively as possible.
A surge of exhilaration enveloped my entire body, indicating that my condition had improved even further since the beginning of the duel.
I can win. I will!
Amidst the unanticipated variables and circumstances that would typically be unlikely to occur, yet another unexpected skill surfaced.
[Unique Ability is awakening]
[Unique Ability: Vision Enhancement has been acquired]
[Vision Enhancement]
▶ Unique Ability
▶ Concentrate mana into the eyes to maximize visual acuity.
The ability to perceive and distinguish beings or forms infused with mana is greatly amplified.
——————————————–
Vision Enhancement…?
"Giving up already? I thought you had something, but I guess I was wrong."
Lucy looked at me, standing still, with a puzzled expression. She then shrugged her shoulders and launched a volley of fire arrows towards me.
As the fiery projectiles closed in, I activated Vision Enhancement. Concentrating mana into my eyes, I felt a slight sting.
"Ouch."
The sting in my eyes got more intense. Not one to back down, I briefly closed and reopened my eyes.
Zing!
At that moment, mana became visible to my eyes, and as I visualized it, my field of vision expanded.
It felt as if extra eyes sprouted on either side of my face, widening my perspective in an unnatural manner. I could discern the invisible mana saturating the air at will.
But there was no time to be awestruck by this sudden change. I had to deal with the impending barrage of fire arrows.
Zing!
As I properly examined the magic, my vision distorted. I understood the principles of the magic coming towards me and the structure of mana.
I forcefully imprinted in my mind where the magic was coming from, how far its firepower could reach, and how destructive it was.
It was already too late to counter with magic. I had to evade.
In the midst of my contemplation, the optimal path unfolded before my enhanced sight. I could visualize their trajectory with clarity.
Swoosh!
I saw about 30 red lines. Among them, about 15 would pierce through me, while the remaining 15 intended to block my escape route. However, if I could see the path, evading them was feasible.
I leaped forward along the path with the fewest red lines. Most of the arrows veered wide of their target, leaving only three red trails in pursuit.
I quickly manifested mana projectiles in my left and right hands, countering them, and dodged one by turning my head to the left.
"Looks like luck is favoring you."
Fire arrows materialized above Lucy's head once more. They descended one by one, fewer in number but faster, demanding my utmost control. But this was not enough. My enhanced vision enabled me to anticipate their path.
Dipping my body to the left, I evaded the arrows. Then I gradually concentrated mana at the tip of my foot.
"There's an opening…!"
Another 20 fire arrows hurtled towards me. Their count diminished, but the gaps between them narrowed. It was an attempt to prevent me from escaping.
The attack seemingly had no openings. But with my heightened vision, the truth lay bare. A narrow gap, just wide enough for my shoulders, beckoned me to seize the opportunity.
I exploded the mana at the tip of my foot, gaining propulsion, and precisely leaped into the gap between the red lines.
Swish!
Lucy widened her eyes in surprise and bit her lip, still launching a barrage of fire arrows. But I effortlessly dodged them one after another. after another.
"Wait, what?!"
As our distance closed, she attempted to create a barrier and create some space between us. However, before she could cast the spell, I reached her.
Swoosh!
I swiftly pulled out the dagger I had grabbed earlier and held it near her neck. Sure, I could have used magic up close, but I didn't want to actually harm her. Plus, a bit of flair was necessary for an overwhelmingly victorious display.
Plop.
Lucy's legs gave way, and the students outside the training ground stared at me in astonishment.
"Instructor, please announce the winner."
"Um, yes. The winner is Lee Hoyeon! Both of you can come down."
I had emerged victorious in the duel, yet there was no applause, and the onlookers seemed unsure how to react.
Lucy still sat there, seemingly lost in thought.
[Sub quest completed! Lucy's affection points have increased by 3]
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
[Affection: 28]
[Lust: 5]
[Appetite: 40]
[Fatigue: 20]
Her affection has increased by 3, but why is it 28? It was definitely 20 just a moment ago. Could it be that my overwhelming victory and the 'bad boy' act captivated her? Could she actually be into that type?
I approached Lucy, who was still lost in her thoughts, and extended my hand.
"Lucy, are you okay?"
"Hah, I wanted to get my revenge, but it backfired."
"I know it may sound weird after winning, but it was really risky."
Lucy took my hand, stood up, and patted her bottom.
"Sigh… So, what's the story with those eyes of yours?"
My eyes? What's up with them?
I used the mirror function on my smartwatch to check my face. There I saw. My irises were a soft, distinct shade of golden, emitting a captivating glow.
***