BXBX NOVEL Chapter 23 Battle Royale [1]
"Freya wins!"
The battle ended almost instantly.
It was just less than ten seconds excluding the pointless conversation between Freya and her opponent, Karl Cromwell.
\'I won!\'
Freya felt an overwhelming joy rushing within her. It was her first time; fighting someone other than her parents, and sometimes Russell.
After some time, the participants went back to their seats as the referee called the next matchup.
She looked at her previous opponent who was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the moment, sitting on the far right side of the benches.
Freya recalled what had happened. She instantly used her Short Blink (Lvl. 1) two times to bridge the at least 10 meters distance between them.
Karl Cromwell — who didn\'t manage to quickly process the last words that Freya said before she strike — was left open, giving Freya the perfect opening to aim for a vital part to be struck.
At that moment, Freya used the Skill: Wind Cutter (Lvl. 2), making the training sword sharper and granting it the Wind Element.
Normally, Freya planned to go for an arcing slash, but it might not trigger the barrier that\'s protecting her opponent, and it\'s a wide attack that might have blocked or cushioned some of the impacts of the training sword.
Then, trying something out, instead of an arcing slash, Freya utilized the Wind Element to propel her weapon, going for a thrust instead of an arc. This caused a destructive force through the added speed to the thrust.
Apart from that, she went for Karl Cromwell\'s Solar Plexus, and shockingly, even though the barrier was triggered, her opponent was still somewhat sent flying for a couple of meters, and got knocked out with his face on the arena ground.
It was due to the shockwave that her stab or thrust had caused.
With a Low-Grade Health and Stamina Potion that\'s provided by the referee; Karl Cromwell, who became unconscious, quickly woke up.
...
\'As expected of my younger sister.\'
Russell had watched his younger sister just a few minutes ago.
\'It seemed like she recalled something I had said before we moved into the academy premises...\'
It was about the arrogant people who flocked to the Obelisk Academy.
\'I know that she will grow stronger in the future, and I don\'t plan to keep everything from her.\'
Explaining such stuff about the Chaos Training Grounds, which provided him a "temporary" help to grow, and Chaos Dungeons, which seemed very ominous.
\'Though explaining everything will be a problem... I\'ll just find my way around it.\'
After some time, Russell, with his younger sister, watched the 4th matchup.
Two mages were holding their own respective training staff, and respectively shooting Fireball and Ice Blast.
\'Two opposing elements... It\'s clear who has the advantage when it comes to Elemental Attribute... but that\'s only when referring to Element itself.\'
One of the deciding factors that was not only applicable to Mage-related professions was the "Mana Capacity" a player has.
...
\'That was interesting to watch.\'
After some time, the 4th match ended, and the one who won was the Mage that was using the Skill: Fireball.
Due to repeatedly blinking and firing Magic Spells, the Mage that used the Skill: Ice Blast became exhausted first, which could only mean one thing: her Mana Capacity was lower than her opponent, who did the same movement of blinking and firing.
Russell thought about again regarding the Blink-related skills.
Although the Blink-type skills had no cooldown, a weakness to counter it exists; Tele-Interference-type skills render the use of any kind of Blink skill, as well as Teleport skill.
The difference between the Blink and Teleport was simple; the former only covered short distances, while the latter was used to travel long distances.
\'But, Tele-Interference-type skills are at least in the realm of A rank or above, and there\'s a required profession to use such a skill...\'
Russell recalled that it\'s the Profession: Black Mage; this didn\'t mean that it\'s an evil profession, but rather, Black Mages were prone to get the interests of Evil Constellations.
...
After the referee used the Mana Chain skill, Russell used the Skill: Gaze of the Abyss (EX) earlier.
He thought as he watched the referee at this moment, presiding over the ongoing battle of the 4th matchup.
\'I guess it\'s a fruit of the setting I\'ve written in my unpublished novel.\'
He recalled what he had written about when it came to describing the Obelisk Staff or Personnel such as the custodian or referee at this moment.
|| They were unrivaled academy staff that no students would be able to match up, so that order could be maintained at all times. ||
Meaning, all of the academy staff, regardless of their positions were all powerful people in their own respective ways; whether they were Cafeteria Staff, Blacksmith Workshop Staff, Monster Processing Facility Staff, Herbal Garden Staff, and so on.
Though some of them had no superb fighting capabilities, Russell designed them to have their own way of fighting style.
\'It\'s a laughable setting when I thought about it.\'
He cackled in his mind as he looked to his side where Freya was, watching the ongoing battle with earnest eyes.
Bam-! Shing-!
The exchanges of slashes also prompted Russell to focus on the fight that was unfolding in front of his deep blue eyes.
Both participants were holding a broadsword of their own.
"Mana Blade."
Muttered by a boy whose height was about 168 cm, with a slightly good build. A stream of Mana flowed through his training sword.
Russell heard shocked reactions from some of the audience.
Freya, who was shocked, too, whispered to her older brother.
"Oppa... isn\'t that an expensive and hard-to-find skill?"
Russell chuckled before he answered without looking at his younger sister.
"Hmm... I think that\'s not a Mana Blade, he\'s bluffing."
"...What...?"
The stupefied younger sister asked in a seemingly reflexive way.
"He just coated his training sword with Mana, and pretended for it to be a Mana Blade."
Russell was refraining himself to burst out laughing due to the trick the boy had used.
"That trickster bastard..."
Freya reacted somewhat strongly, while he analyzed what one of the participants did.
The boy who muttered Mana Blade just coated his training sword with Mana through Mana Control, which could be done by any player with Mana Control skill.
The Mana Blade was entirely different because it would cause the Mana to be like a tangible blade and could easily be seen through the naked eye.
While coating the weapon with Mana wouldn\'t make the Mana tangible, rather, it would be swept and dance with the air as though it\'s flowing water.
\'Oho, that works, huh.\'
The trick of the fake-Mana Blade user worked, considering the psychological condition of his opponent who announced his surrender upon seeing a fake-Mana Blade.
...
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, there will be a break of 1 hour, so do whatever you want from now and come back here by 2:30 P.M.
"And the basic information about your opponents will be posted in a while. That will be all, Dismiss!"
The referee or one of the custodians of the Obelisk Public Training Grounds that\'s been assigned to the E Rank Bracket made a short announcement.
...
Some of the arena Rank Brackets ended quicker such as the F Rank Bracket, as well as the E Rank Bracket where Freya was participating.
"Do you want to watch the other arenas...?"
Russell asked as there were ongoing battles for the D and E Rank Brackets.
"Can we?"
Freya asked with anticipation, but Russell was just about to reply when he noticed with his profound vision that the other two remaining Rank Brackets simultaneously ended.
"I guess we won\'t be able to see others fight."
He said to his dejected younger sister who wanted to watch the fight between the students with a higher rank than them.
...
After the first round of matches, and after a few minutes since the short break was given; the basic information of the remaining participants was posted through a holographic screen of one of the bulletin boards in the training ground.
...
Battle Royale per Rank Bracket list:
F Rank Bracket
1. Mira von Obreyon (F+) – A-11
2. Claire Bachiler (F+) – A-7
3. Kevin Hue (F+) – A-9
4. Roland Hesse (F+) – A-12
5. Violet Loredan (F) – A-12
E Rank Bracket
1. Amery Blight (E+) – A-1
2. Ken Raven (E+) – A-3
3. Freya Moon (E) – A-1
4. Roxie Luvile (E) – A-6
5. Rekker Wolf (E) – A-6
...
Russell checked the participants for the lower-ranked brackets and didn\'t bother to check the second year\'s list that might have presumably joined the trial exam without informing the first year due to what the Student Council President wanted.
\'There\'s Mira, too...\'
After checking the list, he analyzed what he recalled based on previous matchups.
\'Amery Blight is the Swordsman who wields a broadsword, while Ken Raven must be the one with an Assassin-related profession that was almost slammed by a training axe...
\'Hmm... Roxie Luvile? She\'s probably the Mage with who uses Fireball, and Rekker Wolf... the Swordsman who tricked his opponent.
Russell guessed using the process of elimination by recalling the names that the referee shouted, as well as their respective weapons.
\'I don\'t know anything about Mira\'s opponents, though.\'
"Hey, Oppa! What are you thinking about?"
He was snapped back from his lost thoughts as he heard his younger sister\'s voice.
"I just thought of Mira, she\'s participating, too"
He replied casually, but it seemed that his younger sister took it differently.
"Why, do you like her?"
She asked as she slightly strongly elbowed Russell from his side; at that moment, her deep blue eyes constricted as if her previous question has been totally forgotten.
"Whaaat...? Oppa, your body…"
Freya seemed in a stupor, but she didn\'t manage to finish her words as Russell interjected.
"What are you talking about? Let\'s grab something first."
Russell held her wrist and gently dragged her to the nearest cafeteria, a few minutes away from the Obelisk Public Training Grounds.
\'She\'s probably going to ask about my body which is sturdier than before due to my Constitution stat.
\'Although she sometimes pinches my cheek or pushes my shoulder, the change in my Constitution was barely to not noticeable.
\'Sigh... I don\'t know what she\'s thinking right now, but now is not the time for this.\'
He thought as he silently admired his younger sister\'s instinct that something was amiss with his body during that short moment.
...
The two of them arrived at the cafeteria named, Obelisk Cafeteria Two.
Russell inwardly let out a self-deprecating smile as he was reminded of how bad his naming sense was... That he couldn\'t come up with a name for cafeterias and just named them one by one using consecutive numbers.
"We should order light meals, what do you want?"
"Uhmm… That yogurt from Etheria... Etherian Yogurt Cheesecake."
His younger sister replied, but he knew that she was somewhat lost in thoughts because of earlier.
After a few minutes, the waitress came with their order.
"Hey."
"Yaaaay. That hits the spot."
Enjoying her desserts, Freya rubbed her belly under the training uniform that the participants wore during the Disciplinary Officer Trial Exam.
"Uhmm, sorry Oppa."
She dejectedly replied without looking at him.
"I\'ll tell you, but now is not the right time, okay? Focus on your battle first."
Russell reminded her not to lose focus, then as if she understood what he said, her normal expression came back as if nothing happened.
\'She understands that I know what she is about to ask... and I\'m not the kind who will keep a secret remain as a secret, unlike some main characters I\'ve read in my previous life.\'
He thought before he said casually to the enthusiastic Freya.
"You should go easy on Battle Royale."
As if she understood what he told her, she just put on a wicked smile on her face as she continued consuming her remaining desserts.