Book 1 Chapter 636

636.

Reel charged at an incredible speed.

A giant steel spike that shot up from the ground covered the charging Reel.

*Crack-!*

The sharp tip of the spike crumpled and shattered to pieces.

However, Reel, wielding the Battle Hammer, showed no signs of slowing down.

"It doesn't work!"

"Uwaaaaaa!"

"Block him! Block him somehow!"

The magic students screamed.

The knight students who had hastily blocked Reel were already long gone, blown away by Reel's hammer.

Just then, one of the knight students, carrying a large, thick shield, blocked Reel's path.

"Ooh!"

"It's Rex!"

Rex Stoner.

A student with excellent grades in the 3rd-year knight department.

His most prominent characteristic is being a typical vanguard.

His mobility is slow, and his attacks are straightforward.

However, his defensive power could be said to be the highest among the 3rd-year knight students.

He was literally the man with the best defense among the 3rd-year students.

He was the number one priority for mages to recruit into their parties!

The heavy-hitting Rex had stepped forward to block Reel.

"I am Rex Stoner! I will defend this spot with my life!"

"Wow! That's cool! Rex! I'll go on a date with you later!"

"Get lost, you guy!"

Rex, who had roared fiercely, slammed his shield onto the ground as he watched Reel charge towards him.

*Boom-!*

"Hup!"

With his shield planted on the ground, Rex charged forward.

Reel swung his hammer at Rex's shield.

*Kuwang-! Thud! Kugugugung-!*

A tremendous sound echoed as the hammer and shield collided.

The ground Rex was standing on caved in with a *thud-!*

The surroundings cracked due to the shockwave.

"He withstood it!"

"That's Rex for you!"

"Of course! Rex can even withstand Celia and Duran's attacks!"

While lacking in offensive means, his win rate in sparring was inferior compared to top-tier students.

However, when it came to withstanding attacks, no one could match Rex.

Rex spoke confidently, feeling the force transmitted through his shield.

"Senior! Further advance is impossible…"

*Kuwang-!*

Reel followed up with another attack.

*Bang! Bang! Bang bang bang bang!*

"Ugh?!"

An incredibly heavy and powerful barrage of attacks followed.

With a cry of astonishment, Rex began to sink into the ground.

*Kuwang! Kwajijik-!*

As Rex's body, except for his shield, was completely buried in the ground, Reel struck the shield with all his might as a finishing blow.

Like a nail driven into the ground, Rex was knocked unconscious by the impact.

Judged as incapacitated, Rex was teleported away.

Certainly, Reel's single hit was lacking compared to Celia's and Duran's.

The problem was that the attack was followed by an incredible barrage.

Reel, who had incapacitated Rex, charged again.

"What is this! Is he a tank?!"

The 3rd-year students screamed.

Every time Reel's hammer swung, the 3rd-year students were sent flying in all directions.

The one who stopped Reel's overwhelming momentum was none other than Warden.

*Clang-!*

Reel's hammer was caught by Warden's arm.

The two elementalists engaged in a battle of strength.

"Indeed…"

Warden clicked his tongue.

"There's a reason you're called a monster."

"Warden is also a monster!"

"Then it's a monster battle!"

"You shouldn't call your senior that!"

Reel glared and pushed Warden back.

*Hwaruru-!*

"Warden. Hold on!"

Celia swung her sword from above, aiming at Reel.

Seeing that, Reel threw Warden off.

Then, he kicked off the ground to dodge Celia's attack.

"You're too late!"

*Kwagagagag-!*

An aura of fire engulfed Reel.

However, before the fire aura could reach him, Reel accelerated at an incredible speed and dodged the attack.

"Fast?!"

Celia was surprised by a speed that far exceeded her expectations.

Just then.

*Saaaaa-!*

The surrounding temperature dropped sharply.

"Ice World."

*Jjeojeojeojeok-!*

As Chloe's spell was completed, tremendous coldness engulfed Reel.

*Jjeojeong-!*

Without a chance to react, Reel was encased in ice.

"As expected of Chloe."

Nella said with admiration and began treating the injured.

Until now, the 3rd-year students had been building a defensive line to stop Reel, who was targeting Chloe.

"We should be the ones pursuing, yet we're being chased. I think we underestimated our seniors too much."

Chloe said, breaking out in a cold sweat.

In fact, she hadn't been able to unleash her full power.

Reel's momentum was so strong that she felt he would reach her before her magic could be completed if she took any longer.

"He completely understood us."

Chloe shook her head, recalling Reel's movements.

Though he seemed to charge without thinking, Reel had meticulously targeted the weaknesses of each of the 3rd-year students.

This would have been impossible without knowing the characteristics of all the 3rd-year students by heart.

"That's definitely something to learn…"

*Jjeojeojeok-!*

As Celia agreed with Chloe, cracks began to appear in the ice that encased Reel.

Seeing that, the faces of the 3rd-year students hardened.

*Kwajik-!*

Reel, breaking free from the ice, threw his Battle Hammer towards the sky.

*Hwiririric-!*

The 3rd-year students were horrified as they watched Reel aim at the sky.

"Attack power, speed, and defense too? He has no weaknesses!"

"We have no choice but to overwhelm him with numbers!"

"He doesn't even have a weapon right now!"

"Did you say no weapon?"

Reel grinned.

"For an elementalist, the most powerful weapon is the spirit, isn't it?"

Having lost his weapon, Reel began to summon spirits.

Reel said resolutely, watching the astonished 3rd-year students.

"It's not over yet."

***

"All right! Caught… Ugh?!"

Iliana, who had caught up to Elena with tremendous speed and positioned herself behind her, cheered.

At that moment, Reel's Battle Hammer whizzed past her face at a terrifying speed, forcing her to retreat in shock.

And in that fleeting moment.

*Charyureureuk-!*

*Clang-! Clang-!*

"Iliana!"

Chains of light made of mana wrapped around Iliana's wrists and ankles, snatching her.

"Ayyayaayaayaya!"

Iliana screamed from the force pulling her arms and legs.

As Chelsea approached to save Iliana, chains of light poured out from a magic circle.

Chelsea clicked her tongue and dodged the chains.

Iliana, who had been screaming, whimpered as she saw a staff thrust into her face.

"Please, just this once."

"No."

*Flash-!*

Elena said with determination, and a massive surge of mana erupted from the tip of her staff.

Iliana, judged as incapacitated, was teleported away.

A terrifying gale whipped around Elena.

*Kwagagagagag-!*

Elena narrowed her eyes as the gale closed in on her, and mana surged from her body.

*Kwagagagag-! Pung-!*

"You offset my older brother's magic with raw power?!"

Chelsea's expression was one of shock.

"Do you know something?"

"……!"

At the voice from behind, Chelsea felt goosebumps all over her body.

"Who is the best in Rumern with pure mana?"

As Chelsea turned around, Elena was there, legs crossed, looking down at Chelsea with a relaxed expression.

"It's been me since five years ago."

Elena smiled sweetly.

There was another epithet that symbolized Elena, known as the Queen of Rumern.

Lethargy.

She was always insincere and had no interest in school classes.

She was the strongest in her grade purely based on her given talent and quickly reached the top ranks of the school.

It wasn't until Leo became student council president that Elena began to put in effort.

*Flash-! Pajijijik-!*

*Hwaak-!*

From both sides of Elena, Duran and Eliza appeared.

Their purpose in confronting Elena in the air was singular: to prevent Elena from using area-of-effect magic.

Therefore, students with high mobility coordinated their actions.

Chelsea, Duran, Eliza, Iliana.

And as a mage, Abad.

These were the cards for keeping Elena in check and suppressing her from the air.

"The combination wasn't bad."

Elena, who had performed a short-range warp, twirled her hair with her fingertips.

"If you had looked at me or Reel as much as you look at Leo, you would have won. But…"

Elena smiled wryly.

"You guys, were we even in your consideration?"

"……"

To that sharp question, no one answered.

"Reel and I have been watching you since your first year. That's why we know you well. How you fight, your habits, your strengths, and your weaknesses."

Elena continued, twirling her hair.

"How much of your attacks we can withstand. How to win. We naturally came up with strategies."

Elena removed her hand from her hair and wore a look of boredom.

"You guys didn't underestimate us, did you? I know you respected us and treated us as seniors. But…"

Elena narrowed her eyes and asked.

"Did you ever think about surpassing us?"

"……"

"Did you ever think about catching up to us?"

Seeing her juniors unable to answer, Elena smiled coldly.

"We are your seniors. Let me make this clear while I have the chance."

Elena raised her right hand, with her index finger extended, above her head.

"We are not beings following Leo like you are. We are beings ahead of you… beings that you must catch up to."

*Gooooooo-!*

A sphere of flame blazed at Elena's fingertips, as if a small sun had been created.

"When did she learn such magic?"

"No incantation?!"

Elena smiled sweetly as she saw the shocked juniors.

"It's nothing much. It's multi-incantation."

"You can complete such a powerful spell with multi-incantation?"

Chelsea asked in shock, and Elena shrugged.

"It was possible."

Indeed, the 3rd-year students had never truly seen Elena and Reel.

They had Leo, a too-brilliant goal in the same grade.

How immense Elena's mana and genius were.

Why Reel was called a monster by graduates and a flawless elementalist with no weaknesses.

They had simply thought, "That's what they're called, so it must be true."

And the price for that was tragic.

Elena and Reel, who had meticulously observed the 3rd-year students.

The 3rd-year students, who had only looked at Leo.

The outcome of the battle between those who were prepared and those who were not was obvious.

Before unleashing the magic, Elena said to Chelsea.

"You weren't the only ones chosen by the Hero of the Beginning."

Chelsea's eyes widened.

*Flash-!*

*Kwagaagagag-!*

As the magic was unleashed, everyone except Elena was swept away by it.

Screams erupted from all around.

Watching the scene, Elena said indifferently.

"It would have been dangerous even with just Karl or Siya."

Recalling Karl, the commander, and the cautious Chen Siya, Elena chuckled.

"Even our professors are strict."

Just then, a resentful cry was heard.

"Senior Elena! Why me toooooo!"

"You won't collapse from this much, will you?"

"This is too cruel!"

Reel's desperate cry echoed.

***

*Fwaat-!*

"That way! They went that way!"

"Catch them! Quickly!"

"What are the knight students doing?"

"Why are you ordering us around?!"

At the shouts from behind, Karl poked his face out from the bushes.

"As expected, freshmen are easy!"

Karl, who had disguised himself by sticking reeds into his hair tie, grinned evilly and put on his invisibility cloak.

After waiting for the knight students to pass, he approached the magic students following behind, who were passing by him.

"Peek-a-boo?"

"Hic! Senior Karl is here…"

*Whoosh-!*

Karl threw the long potion bottles he was wearing on his fingers at the magic students.

*Kwagaagagagag-!*

"Hahahaha! Easy! So easy! They came running after me thinking they could escape! And they're playing solo because they think I'm an easy target!"

Karl burst into laughter, watching the magic students fall into combat incapacitation from the explosions.

"There!"

As the knight students in front rushed to chase Karl in a panic, Karl grinned evilly.

"These guys have such poor learning ability!"

Karl took out a crystal ball from his pocket and pressed it with his finger.

*Kwagaagagag-!*

"Uaaaaaak!"

"It's a trap!"

An explosion occurred on the path that the knight students had passed without suspicion.

"There was a loud noise over there!"

"Yikes. Let's get out of here."

Karl, who had devastated his party, quickly fled at the sound coming from afar.

Watching Karl, one of the male knight students muttered.

"Co-cowardly…"

"In Rumern, there's no such thing as cowardly or anything! Surviving is the truth!"