"Ha!"
[Dash]
Without even thinking further, I used Dash to retreat backward and dodge the sudden attack. I moved several meters away, stopping just centimeters from the edge of the zone. When I lifted my head, Sae-jin was standing there, looking at me with surprise, his sword still raised.
[Countdown before Dash can be used again: 7 seconds]
"Oh... I didn't expect that... Well played, Sugil!"
He said with a smile.
'That monster didn't even hesitate before attacking me!'
Even though the [Battle Zone] prevented bleeding, limb loss, or even death, it didn't block pain. Basically, it was like a miniature [Simulation Room] meant for student combat.
And Sae-jin had just been about to cut my body in two.
'No mercy—'
Suddenly, two swift shadows appeared behind Sae-jin, ready to launch devastating attacks. It was Lim Astread and Park Ha-joon, both seemingly just as surprised by Sae-jin's speed as I was.
"You damn bastard, Don't ignore me !"
Ha-joon shouted angrily, while Lim smiled—both satisfied and nervous.
During that split second, Sae-jin turned around calmly, still wearing that confident, unshaken smile.
'Whoosh'
With a simple step back, he dodged both incoming swords simultaneously.
"Wow, you two almost caught me off guard!"
"Grgh… Don't mock me !"
spat Ha-joon.
"And I didn't expect you to be this fast, Sae-jin."
Lim replied, grinning.
[Countdown before Dash can be used again: 3 seconds]
'Three more seconds before I can use Dash again…'
With my current strength, I had no chance of defeating Lim or Ha-joon in this fight. And Sae-jin? Not even worth considering. But so far, things were playing out more or less as I had planned.
Lim and Ha-joon were keeping Sae-jin occupied while I stayed in the background...
'This is the only and best option in a situation like this—stall for as much time as possible until one of them goes down, and then I'll fall right after.'
Between the three of them, Park Ha-joon had the highest chance of being eliminated first. Because of his temper, he would keep attacking Sae-jin relentlessly without any real strategy, unlike Lim, who would try to come up with a plan. But…
'This Sae-jin is different…'
Not only did he obtain the Seijuro style way earlier than he should have, but he also seems much stronger than the one at the beginning of the novel. I don't know if this fight will be as balanced as it was in the story or if…
"GUARKH!"
Looking up, I saw Ha-joon and Lim struggling against a smiling Sae-jin, dodging and countering their attacks effortlessly.
'At this rate, I don't even give them five minutes before Sae-jin beats them…'
"Damn, what should I do…?"
At that moment, a notification appeared before my eyes.
[Dash cooldown complete]
'…I can use Dash again. Great… Now…'
I need to find a way to deal damage to that monster…
—
Several classrooms had students watching through the windows, observing the A-20 class's training—more specifically, the battle between Kim Sae-jin, Lim Astread, and Park Ha-joon.
'Class A-34'
A girl with long, dazzling blonde hair resting down to her waist leaned her head against her desk, watching the training session like the rest of her classmates.
Her gaze was fixed on a certain boy with jet-black hair and brown eyes so bright they could almost be mistaken for gold—effortlessly dodging the attacks of his two classmates.
'Kim Sae-jin…'
[Quest: Reach Level 5 during the entrance exam
Rewards: New card abilities of 1 or 2 stars, gain points in STR and END.
Failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in penalties for the next 10 days. Quest difficulty: RANK F.]