Chương 91: UNIFIED ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM (3)

The instant Hyun-woo stepped out from the tunnel, a deafening wave of cheers crashed over him. The voices of thousands of spectators blended into one overwhelming roar that echoed throughout the enormous stadium. For a split second, the sheer scale of the arena hit him. It was far larger than it had looked from the screen. The battle platform alone felt like an open battlefield. The other examinees entered soon afterward from their respective entrances, stepping into the sunlight one after another.

Up in the stands- Jimin leaned forward until both of his elbows rested on his knees. His eyes never left the entrance tunnels below. The moment Hyun-woo appeared, a grin spread across his face.

"Show them what you've got, Hyun-woo!" he shouted, trying to overpower the roaring crowd. Beside him, Yuna instantly jumped to her feet.

"Hyun-woo!" she screamed.

"Don't lose!" The excitement was contagious.

As the examinees approached their respective battle platforms, the host immediately reclaimed the audience's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" His energetic voice echoed through every speaker.

"Let's properly introduce today's opening contenders!" The host rapidly introduced the competitors occupying the opposite battlefield.

"And on Platform One..." He announced two names in quick succession. Both examinees belonged to prestigious backgrounds. The audience responded with loud applause. Then- The spotlight shifted.

"And on our second platform..." The host dramatically raised his voice.

"The electrifying Lee… Hyun-woo!" A loud cheer erupted.

"He will be facing off against..." The host continued.

"The brutal… Heavy-hitting contender Choi… Sung-min!" Jimin's eyes immediately tracked toward the opposite side of Hyun-woo's platform. There stood the well-geared Choi Sung-min, a broad-shouldered young man, adjusting a pair of reinforced heavy gauntlets. His movements were relaxed. As their profiles flashed on the massive floating holoscreen, Jimin's gaze locked onto the affiliation tags beneath both boys' names.

'Unaffiliated'. A cold, heavy knot of suspicion tightened in Jimin's chest as he stared down at the matchup. The excitement of the crowd seemed to fade into a dull hum in his ears. An unaffiliated versus an unaffiliated in the opening match? Two unaffiliateds forced to eliminate each other immediately… Is it really just a coincidence? He couldn't tell. Maybe. Maybe not. He decided to shake off the thought, focusing on the duel.

"Examinees!" The host's booming voice cut through the tension.

"Please take your positions on your respective platforms!" Both competitors immediately obeyed. They walked toward the center. The host continued.

"You have a strict ten-minute time limit! Respect the rules! Fight fairly! And remember… Any form of cheating will result in immediate disqualification! Both matches will commence… Right away!" Choi Sung-min cracked his neck, slamming his gauntlets. He bounced lightly on his feet. And his expression remained filled with a confident smirk. Opposite him, Hyun-woo felt the thousands of eyes pressing down on him, but his vision narrowed until only his opponent remained. An agile fist-fighter type huh?

Seems to have good power and defense too. His gaze sharpened as a slight grin formed on his face. Ten minutes is a lifetime… Blue sparks quietly danced around the edges of his gauntlet. I'll settle this in two. Both fighters dropped into their combat stances. Then, a brilliant neon countdown timer materialized in the air above them, ticking down rapidly.

"3" The entire arena held its breath.

"2" Yuna instinctively clasped both hands together.

"Come on..." she murmured.

"1" Jimin leaned even farther over the railing, his fingers tightening around the cold metal. End this quickly.

"0" BWOOO… A deep, resonant horn blasted throughout the stadium. The duels had begun.

The instant the horn sounded- Sung-min exploded forward. His boots kicked up dust as he immediately Dashed, closing the gap in the blink of an eye. His heavy gauntlets glowed with a dense white aura, as he threw a devastating punch straight at Hyun-woo's chest. But Hyun-woo didn't flinch. Blue lightning sparked across his feet and with a split second activation of 'Lightning Steps', he blurred to the left, leaving a faint afterimage. Sung-min's fist hit nothing but empty air. His eyes widened.

Hyun-woo spun instantly, channeling focused lightning from his gauntlet to unleash a sharp, crackling 'Lightning bolt' into his opponent's exposed flank. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Crack! The attack slammed directly into Sung-min's side. Violent blue electricity spread across his body. His muscles instinctively spasmed. His jaw tightened. The audience collectively gasped. Sung-min staggered one step.

He grimaced as the electrical shock bit deep, but he soon stabilized. If not for my 'Reinforced body', I'd be… His eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as he pivoted on his heel. This guy is strong. But a mage can't survive a brawl. Once I lock you down… It's over. Then, Hyun-woo calmly retreated. He stepped back using 'Lightning Steps' again, creating distance. But Sung-min didn't give him room to breathe. He instantly followed and quickly stepped in, unleashing a relentless 'Fist Flurry'.

A barrage of white punches rushed toward Hyun-woo. Each strike carried enough force to shatter stone. Meanwhile, Hyun-woo's 'Lightning Steps' was on cooldown. So, escape wasn't an option. Yet, he stood his ground. Instantly raising a crackling, bluish, translucent 'Lightning Barrier' to intercept the flurry. The heavy punches smashed against the barrier in a rapid-fire succession of booming impacts. Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Incredible aggression from Choi Sung-min!" the host screamed into his microphone, his voice echoing across the roaring stadium.

"He's trying to suffocate Lee Hyun-woo with relentless melee pressure! But Lee Hyun-woo's defense is holding the line!" His excitement infected the entire stadium. The crowd erupted. Thousands of spectators rose from their seats. Up in the stands, the thousands of spectators were on their feet, completely captivated by the blinding blue flashes on their platform. Needless to say, they were the ones attracting the most attention.

"He's holding him off!" Yuna cheered, squeezing her fists tightly.

"He's completely controlling the rhythm!" Jimin however, was busy observing. His eyes were wide, tracking every movement. But still had a grin on his face. Yeah. He's the one in control.

Up in the VIP pavilion, the three Academy headmasters watched with collective, unblinking intensity. Moon Soo-bin of the Eastern Horizon Academy leaned forward slightly, her previously calm posture shifting just enough to reveal genuine interest. The faint indifference in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a sharp, evaluative stare. Jang Su-yeon's relaxed grin also faded a fraction. Even Kang Mu-rok's heavy gaze became noticeably sharper. Below- The duel entered its first minute. Sung-min's patience finally snapped.

His repeated barrage had failed to break through properly. His fists had battered the barrier repeatedly, yet Hyun-woo remained standing. A vein bulged near Sung-min's temple.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue, abruptly pulling back his right arm. Dense white mana surged around his gauntlet, instantly channeling dense mana into a quick, devastating strike. Smash Punch!. BOOM! The reinforced punch crashed forward like a wrecking ball. The sheer force shattered Hyun-woo's Lightning Barrier instantly. The translucent blue wall exploded into countless sparks. Hyun-woo's eyes widened. The shockwave caught him off guard, shoving him several steps backward. For a split second, his footing slipped.

Sung-min's eyes flashed. He didn't waste the chance. He immediately followed up, dashing in instantly.

"Got you!" he murmured with a wide grin. But Hyun-woo's instincts kicked in right on time. Instead of panicking, he instantly channeled a massive surge of mana through his gauntlet. Blue electricity surged and materialized into a blazing, 'Lightning Blade' protruding from his hand. He raised it in a tight cross-guard just as Sung-min's follow-up punch arrived. BOOM! The heavy follow-up punch slammed directly into the blade. Sparks exploded everywhere.

And a cloud of smoke briefly swallowed both fighters, as gasps echoed through the stadium. Then- Blue lightning flashed again. Hyun-woo activated 'Lightning Steps' and instantly retreated several meters away, creating distance. The smoke cleared. Sung-min stood there breathing heavily. He was fuming with rage, frustration visible on his face. Damnit. His fists clenched tighter. None of my attacks are landing properly. This wasn't going the way he had imagined. One clean hit. That's all I need.

He was just about to rush in. But suddenly, his body became stiff, jerking slightly. His muscles spasmed violently. He felt as if he was being electrocuted with a taser, as he was unable to control his body. What the hell! A slight smirk formed on Hyun-woo's face, as he channeled mana into his gauntlet. Right on time.

'Electrocute' has finally been triggered. Seeing this, Sung-min's eyes widened in confusion and horror. Wasting no time, Hyun-woo instantly shot a 'Lightning Bolt' forward. A crackling bolt of lightning hit the defenseless Sung-min right at the gut, who couldn't even move to dodge or block it. He screamed immediately. The exact same attack he had easily shrugged off a minute ago suddenly felt much stronger, much violent, leaving him completely devastated. His body convulsed violently. Smoke rose from his armor.

"The tables turned instantly!" the host screamed into his microphone, nearly losing his voice.

"Look at that crowd! Choi Sung-min is completely thundered! Lee Hyun-woo turned that melee onslaught into a perfect trap, striking his opponent down the moment his guard dropped!" The thousands of spectators erupted into absolute chaos. The sudden, flashing shift in momentum threw the stands into a total frenzy.

Up in the VIP pavilion, the previously indifferent expressions of the academy headmasters began to change. Making it clear that their fight was the one attracting them more as well.

"He's winning!" Yuna jumped up and down in her seat, gripping Jimin's shoulder with a bright, ecstatic grin. Jimin's grin widened as he watched the still Sung-min struggle on the platform below. As always… His eyes sharpened. Now finish it. Meanwhile, Hyun-woo frowned slightly, as he channeled mana into his gauntlet again. This guy is quite resilient. Still standing… But 'Lightning Bolt' is on cooldown. He took a deep breath.

'Chain Lightning' should end it. Without hesitation, he immediately activated it with a cold, focused glare. A similar bolt of lightning shot forward. It hit Sung-min with a deafening thunderclap. Flash! The sheer destructive force completely overwhelmed his defenses. But just then, a golden light burst from his wrist all of a sudden. Sung-min's protective bracelet had been automatically triggered.

A sturdy, glowing golden barrier immediately enveloped him, freezing the match as the arena system forced an automatic surrender. The arena fell dead silent for one breathless second, before the host's voice shattered the quiet.

"And it's over!" His voice thundered across the stadium.

"At exactly two minutes and thirteen seconds, Lee Hyun-woo secures the first decisive victory of the day!" The four thousand spectators erupted into a deafening roar. The sudden explosion of cheers echoed throughout the arena. Yuna let out a breath she seemed to have been holding the entire time, her cheeks flushing slightly pink. A soft, relieved smile broke across her face.

"He won," she whispered softly to herself. Jimin leaned back against his seat, a relaxed, genuine smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he crossed his arms. Total domination.

Up in the VIP pavilion, the three academy headmasters and the association president briefly shifted their attention from the ongoing match to glance at the one that just ended. Jang Su-yeon stroked his silver beard thoughtfully. A warm smile spread across his face.

"A truly delightful opening match," he murmured. The lightning user has a wonderful grasp of timing. And the young fighter showed fantastic grit… Both put on an excellent show. Moon Soo-bin maintained her sharp, serious posture. Her calculating eyes narrowed slightly as she stared down at the victor. Lee Hyun-woo… He calculated his opponent's movements from the very first clash... He is definitely a talent worth keeping an eye on. Kang Mu-rok sat like a rigid stone monolith.

Yet a faint look of professional approval appeared beneath his stern expression. Solid fundamentals on both sides… The boy with the lightning has an exceptional combat sense, while the fighter possesses solid power and defense… Both are well suited for my academy. While, Tae Won-shik simply rested both hands on his armrest. His gaze lingered on Hyun-woo for several long seconds. Interesting.