Book 1 Chapter 637

637.

Kale's strategy was exceedingly simple.

"Guerrilla warfare. The terrain is perfect for it."

A vast forest.

This alone gave Kale a significant geographical advantage.

"It means I have plenty of places to run or hide."

The terrain, with its abundance of cover, made it easy to hide and also convenient to escape.

"And the fact that the freshmen have absolutely no information about this island is another advantageous condition for me."

The islands in Lake Lumelia were all used for student practical training.

Kale had also visited this Island No. 1 countless times.

As such, he knew the geography like the back of his hand.

Kale opened his subspace and checked the potions in his possession.

Besides healing potions, they were filled with all sorts of offensive and defensive potions Kale had made.

These were items he had modified after studying Dwenow's alchemy book.

"Shall I prepare first?"

Kale armed himself with potions for immediate use.

"First, the absolute center of the island."

Kale busily moved around, digging traps in suitable locations.

"It will take time for the first-years to search this far."

*Thump-!*

Kale dug the ground with a shovel taken from his subspace and laid magic landmines within.

Then, in another spot, he created tripwires using wires.

It was an incredibly cumbersome task.

However, without such preparations, Kale could not possibly face 500 people.

Though it seemed like an unreasonable fight at first glance, Professor Lumern had indeed given Kale a loophole.

That was this preparation time.

How well he used this preparation time would determine whether he would be captured by the first-years or not.

Kale, having prepared not only potions but also trap magic, went to a small cave in the distance, took out a mana potion, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth.

"I've at least made a makeshift base."

Kale organized the potions he would use in battle in the cave.

An hour had already passed.

The first-years, being intelligent, would search cautiously.

No matter what anyone said, Kale was a hero whose name was on the Hero Records.

Rushing at such a person relying solely on numbers would normally be suicide.

"It's fortunate for me. Honestly, if they just charged in without thinking, it would be troublesome in many ways!"

"Well, then, now that preparations are complete."

Kale left the cave.

"Shall I go meet the first-years?"

A mage's abilities are maximized at their own base.

However, Kale had no intention of passively waiting for the first-years to come to him.

"It's a hastily made base anyway, and if 500 people swarm at once, there's no answer."

Therefore, Kale decided to expose himself to the first-years first.

*Pow! Papat-!*

Kale, running through the forest at high speed, soon hid behind a tree at the faint presence of first-years in the distance.

There, dozens of first-years were searching the area in parties.

"There will be other parties not far away, right?"

Thinking so, Kale chanted a magic spell.

"Fireball."

A representative magic of the fire element.

True to its element, it had strong destructive power and was also very flashy.

Kale conjured a sphere of flame on his palm and floated the fireball in mid-air.

"Mana reaction ahead!"

"Beep-!"

At that moment, one of the mage students let out a sharp whistle.

Kale immediately fled his spot and chanted a spell.

"Fireball!"

"Aqua Wall."

*Swish-!*

The fireball released from Kale's hand flew towards the first-years.

But before that, Kale's magic was blocked by someone.

Seeing that, Kale clicked his tongue.

"There's one troublesome guy among them."

Vito Inteum, from the Eastern Continent's Magic Tower.

He was from a prominent magic family of the Eastern Continent.

"I heard he was rivals with Betty, the second-ranked student in the Magic Department during their time at the Eastern Tower?"

In other words, in terms of magical skill alone, he was the best among the first-year freshmen.

"He is indeed the top student in the Magic Department."

The knights department students chased after Kale.

*Boom-!*

Then, when they reached the place where Kale was hiding, the fireball Kale had hidden exploded, engulfing them in the blast.

"Argh~"

"It's a trap!"

Screams erupted.

"You should have been more careful."

Kale smirked.

At that moment, water droplets began to form before his eyes, transforming into a large mass of water that took the form of a first-year student.

It was none other than Vito.

"Oh. A unique magic?"

Kale, stopping in his tracks, admired it.

"It is an honor to be facing Senior Kale, who has achieved the rank of Hero."

Vito bowed exaggeratedly to Kale, then drew his magic staff.

"May I be able to surpass Senior Kale's wit and strategy."

Vito's eyes turned cold.

Seeing such Vito, Kale clicked his tongue.

"Oh no. He's coming at me seriously from the start."

In Kale's eyes, Vito was different from the average freshman.

"This guy has definitely finished his research on me."

In a pure magical duel, Vito would have the advantage.

However, that did not mean Kale let his guard down.

"He said he's wary of my wit and strategy, right?"

Kale poured out a multitude of magical weapons from his subspace.

And he used enchant magic.

It was one of Kale's specialties.

Sharp weapons targeted Vito.

Seeing Kale's magic, Vito raised his mana.

*Swish-!*

Hundreds of ropes shot out and wrapped around the enchanted weapons.

*Thwack-! Splat-!*

A giant axe cut through the water ropes.

Water poured out, thoroughly soaking the ground.

But the ropes were endless.

Vito, amazed, stood in place, scattering mana and watching Kale chant his spells.

"Indeed, an impressive magic."

Kale, as if it were his livelihood, considered his enchant magic so impressive that even Vito was amazed.

"Even if he's the weakest of the third-years, he's still a third-year. I can't be careless. If I attack rashly, I'll be defeated."

With that thought, Vito formulated a more solid defensive strategy.

Seeing such Vito, Kale shook his head in disbelief.

"He's determined to defend even when his calculations show he has a sufficient chance of winning in a direct confrontation?"

Beyond being cautious, Vito's judgment was extremely cold.

After all, time was on Vito's side.

Soon, the first-years would swarm in, and Kale would be finished.

"If it were another first-year, they would have rushed at me to show off."

Kale took out a potion from his pocket.

"This is why decisive people are sometimes easier to deal with than those who constantly change their minds! It's exactly as the information suggested!"

*Pop-!*

Kale opened the potion bottle.

As Vito eyed the potion warily, Kale grinned and drank it down.

Just as Vito had investigated Kale, Kale had also investigated Vito.

In fact, it wasn't much of an investigation.

During the preparations for last year's Hero Tournament, Kale had also been simultaneously managing the freshmen's preparation.

Through that, he had naturally absorbed all the information about this year's freshmen.

And he had foreseen that if he were to fight Vito, Vito would engage in a delaying tactic against him.

Indeed, Vito had only shown a defensive stance against Kale.

Even when Kale used mana and cast spells, Vito simply thought Kale was using enchant magic.

It was understandable.

Vito's intelligence about Kale would not include information about high-level magic with powerful destructive force.

He had judged that his own magic would be sufficient to defend against Kale's magic.

*Goooooo-!*

An immense amount of mana began to surge from Kale's body.

Seeing that, Vito flinched.

"What? This much mana!"

"It's true that I can't use high-level magic with my pure strength. But I have a method called doping."

Kale swayed the empty bottle back and forth.

"It's a potion that refines my mana, temporarily boosting it. Well, after using it once, I won't be able to use magic for a while, and I'll suffer muscle pain for a week."

Kale smiled wryly.

"But it allows me to unleash a single powerful spell!"

What Kale had been chanting was the spell 'Fire Explosion.'

It was a spell that couldn't be activated even after completing the incantation due to insufficient mana.

But now, with his mana amplified, he could complete the spell.

"Fire Explosion!"

A massive fiery explosion engulfed Vito.

*Ka-ga-ga-ga-! Whoooosh-!*

Destroying the surrounding area, Vito collapsed to his knees.

However, he had not been judged as incapacitated.

"Kuh! Not yet… Not yet! If you can't use magic now, then I win…"

"I can use magic?"

"Huh? You clearly said you couldn't use magic just now…"

"Don't you remember being beaten by the second-year students during last year's Hero Tournament when you came to our school?"

Vito's face slightly stiffened as he recalled being beaten by the magic students, who were first-years at the time, after trying to flirt with Chloe.

"Why are you suddenly talking about that…"

"Weren't those guys using physical magic?"

Kale ran towards Vito at full speed.

His entire body screamed with muscle pain, but if he couldn't endure even this much muscle pain, he wouldn't survive at Lumern.

Seeing Kale jump towards him splendidly, Vito shouted.

"Why do mages always resort to crude violence!"

"You try living in Lumern. Do mages not use their bodies and expect to get by! Physical magic! Magical Dropkick!"

*Thwack-!*

Kale landed a dropkick to Vito's face, similar to the ones Chelsea often used on him, and Vito was immediately declared incapacitated and warped away.

"Here! An explosion happened here!"

"Oops!"

Kale donned his invisibility cloak and lay flat on the ground.

"…Incredible. Such magic."

"Is the rumor that Senior Kale can't use high-level magic false?"

The freshmen passed by with serious expressions.

After the rear students had passed, Kale removed his invisibility cloak and stood up.

Then, he took out a crossbow from his pocket and aimed it at an unprotected mage.

"Hey! Where are you letting your guard down!"

"Ack?"

*Thwack-!*

"Ack?!"

"You should have watched your back!"

The mage student, who had been ridiculously incapacitated, was warped away.

"Huff! There!"

"Here!"

*Fawash-!*

Kale dashed forward.

A student with a massive build blocked Kale's path.

Looking like a student from the knight department, he clenched his fist and swung it at Kale.

*Smash-!*

"Kugh?!"

Kale's body flew into the air.

Reaching the treetops, Kale gritted his teeth.

"This hurts like hell!"

The student who sent Kale flying was Grantz.

A brawler knight student who fought with his fists.

He was the second-ranked student in the knight department.

Kale, who had been sent flying into the sky, fell back to earth according to the law of gravity.

At that moment.

He spotted a student sitting atop the tallest tree in the vicinity, watching him through a telescope.

"Oh? Is he mocking me?"

That student was Millia Rolle, who had surpassed Grantz, the second-ranked knight student, to become the top student in the knight department.

"Number one on the list of concerns."

The successor of the Rola merchant group, a massive southern trading company, Millia was staring at Kale with a twisted expression.

"Honestly, these arrogant types."

Kale clicked his tongue and landed on the ground, using acrobatic landing to reduce the impact.

Then, he began to run at full speed.

The freshmen, who had been watching Kale with tense expressions, suddenly looked dumbfounded.

"After using that much magic, there's no need to run away?"

"Why is he running?"

The first-years looked at each other.

"Perhaps… his mana is depleted?"

At that thought, greed flickered in the eyes of the first-years.

If they succeeded in stealing the key from Kale, they would undoubtedly attract immediate attention.

With that thought, the first-years began to pursue Kale like colts breaking loose.

And then…

*Ka-ga-ga-ga-!*

"It's a trap!!"

"Kyaaak!"

They began to be toyed with by Kale.

"Wahaha! Easy! So easy!"

Kale burst into laughter and began to weave through the forest.

***

"Idiots."

Milia, watching her classmates from a high vantage point, scoffed.

Even if he seemed to be unable to use magic, her classmates who thoughtlessly rushed at a hero were truly pathetic.

"By the way."

Milia looked back at Kale through her telescope.

Watching Kale leisurely toying with the first-years, Millia's twisted lips relaxed.

A moment later, Millia removed her gaze from the telescope, covered both her cheeks, and mumbled.

"Sigh… Senior Kale… So cool…"

Her previously twisted lips were now agape.

Milia, with a dazed expression, flinched and covered her mouth.

After taking a deep breath, Millia leaped down from the tree and began to chase after Kale.

Then, she stopped abruptly at the place where Kale had defeated Vito.

She suddenly crouched down, rapidly turning her head back and forth as if searching for something.

A moment later, Millia found an empty potion bottle rolling on the ground and put it in her pocket.

"Please wait, I'm coming to meet you now."

Then, she began to run in the direction Kale had gone.