Chương 92: UNIFIED ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM (4)

The whole arena was still overflowing with noise. Although Lee Hyun-woo's victory had sent the spectators into a frenzy, the audience's attention had already shifted toward the other platform where the remaining duel was still underway. Every now and then another burst of cheers erupted as skills clashed beneath the dazzling stadium lights. Meanwhile, down on Hyun-woo's platform- The sturdy golden barrier surrounding Choi Sung-min slowly dissolved into countless particles of light before disappearing completely.

Choi Sung-min slowly blinked. His complexion had regained some color thanks to the bracelet's healing effect, but his entire body still ached. He remained lying flat on the platform, staring blankly at the ceiling above.

"Damnit…" he muttered, as he clenched his fists weakly. I've been completely played. His jaw tightened. I couldn't even land a proper hit on him. Everything had unfolded the way Hyun-woo wanted.

"Tch," Sung-min clicked his tongue, as he tried pushing himself upright. This is embarrassing… This guy-. Just then- A shadow stopped before him. Sung-min looked up. And saw that Hyun-woo was standing there. For a second neither of them spoke. Then, Hyun-woo extended a hand.

"Sorry for that," he said with a warm smile. Sung-min blinked. The simple apology had caught him completely off guard. But the irritation inside his chest eased slightly. After a brief hesitation, he reached up, trying to grab the offered hand. Such a nice guy... But then-"I thought I'd finish it in two minutes," Hyun-woo said honestly. Sung-min froze.

"But you lasted longer." Hyun-woo smiled again.

"You're quite strong." Crack! Something inside Sung-min shattered. It was his leftover confidence and pride. His eye twitched. The compliment didn't sound arrogant. It sounded genuine. Which somehow made it even worse. His entire face darkened.

"Damn you..." he muttered through gritted teeth before abruptly shaking off Hyun-woo's hand. He nearly collapsed again. But before he could hit the ground, several medical staff caught him instantly. Within moments, Sung-min had been secured and lifted away. And he was out cold, while they did. Hyun-woo simply stood there, blinking in confusion.

"Huh?" His expression made it clear that he couldn't understand why Sung-min did that. So then, he simply walked off the platform, exiting the grounds as the audience cheered.

Up in the audience- Jimin watched Hyun-woo disappear into the tunnel. A faint smile lingered on his face. Then, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. Opening their chat, he quickly sent a short message, 'Congratulations for the win'. And then, he simply waited. After a few minutes, his phone buzzed in his palm with a reply, 'Thanks. Meet me after this ends. We can't leave and nobody except examinees are allowed inside. I'll text you'.

He let out a small chuckle, a faint grin spreading across his face. It was just like Hyun-woo to remain completely blunt.

'Alright', he simply replied, slipping the phone back into his pocket. By then, the other duel had also concluded. Soon, the next sets of duels began to take place one after another. The entire stadium remained filled with excitement. Yet after a while, Jimin found himself growing a little bored, as he was mostly interested in Hyun-woo's battle. So, he found a good way to kill time.

At first, he successfully edited his 'Appraisal' skill, such that it could now appraise items from a distance, instead of direct physical contact. But the problem was that he still needed to see them. So, to actually be able to see them, he created a new skill.

[Skill: Hawkeye] Category: Active Type: Perception Rank: Uncommon Level: 1/50 Description: Focuses intent to expand the user's field of vision and long-range sight. Scaling: Max range increases with Level. Max range: 100 m Cooldown: None Cost: (0. 5 - 1) MP / Second Required LP: 170 [Create] [Edit] [Draft] [Delete] You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The LP cost was pleasantly low. So after reviewing it once, he created the skill without any hesitation.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Hawkeye' – Acquired. Total LP: 507 The sensation of the skill settling inside his consciousness lasted only a brief moment. Then- He looked toward the arena with focused intent. And suddenly, his field of vision expanded. The distant examinees became clear to him.

"Whoa…" he muttered. He could clearly see all of their movements. A satisfied grin spread across his face. Now this is useful.

For the remainder of the tournament- Jimin spent his time appraising the examinees' gear from the gallery, while attempting to analyze the ongoing battle with the help of Mimi. He even tried betting with Mimi. But they ended up betting on the same examinees most of the time. Regardless, it was good training. Moreover, it was fun. Time passed just like that. Eventually, the round of 32 ended. And soon, the next round of 16 began. Hyun-woo was matched against an ice mage-type.

The duel began moments later. And it began fiercely. During this however, Jimin discovered something interesting about Hyun-woo. His gauntlet.

Name: Harbinger of Storm Category: Artifact Type: Weapon Rank: Epic Bound: Yes Description: A storm-forged relic that seamlessly morphs between a staff and a gauntlet based on the user's intent, acting as a direct conduit for raw lightning. Stats: +8 INT, +3 WIS Attack: +42 Effects: Mana consumption and skill cooldowns are reduced by -20%. Lightning damage output is increased by +10%. Ignores 6% from target's Lightning Resistance. Gauntlet mode: - 10% efficiency for all effects.

Boosts movement and casting speed by 10%. Durability: Functional

"Whoa," he murmured. That's basically tailor-made for him… Where did he get that? Hyun-woo managed to win the bout quite easily, propelling him to the quarter-finals. Soon, the round of 16 ended as well. The interesting part was that Hyn-woo was the only unaffiliated left by then. The Quarter-finals began shortly afterward. The brackets updated once more. Hyun-woo was matched against an examinee named Kang Min-jae this time. But this name made Yuna frown immediately.

"Isn't that guy tough?"

"Yeah," Jimin replied, as his expression gradually became serious. In fact, this guy was also the one expected to place first in this exam. He had made quick work of his opponents in both of his matches. And was also adorned in top-tier gear from top to bottom. Jimin found that his gear gave him quite a good defense. A member of the Kangs… Jimin quietly sighed. He's not gonna be easy.

After a while, there was now only one platform on the ground, at the center. Then-"For our next quarter-final matchup, please welcome the contenders to the center platform!" the host's voice boomed over the speakers.

"The thunderous Lee Hyun-woo... Facing off against the prodigy of the prestigious Kang family, Kang… Min-jae!" The crowd erupted into a deafening roar as both examinees emerged from opposite tunnels. Hyun-woo stepped onto the ring with his usual calm expression. Walking out from the other side was Min-jae, a tall, broadly built youth wearing shining crimson armor. And an obsidian greatsword rested casually over his shoulder.

As they arrived at the center of the platform and faced each other under the singular spotlight, the tension in the arena skyrocketed. Min-jae looked down at his opponent with a highly confident smirk, his fingers lightly tapping the hilt of his sword. This one had a surprising run for an unaffiliated. He slowly drew his sword forward, taking his stance. But his journey ends right here. Opposite him, Hyun-woo analyzed quietly, his focus narrowing onto the huge sword and heavy armor.

He's someone with high defense and endurance. He maintained his usual calm expression, his eyes entirely flat and unreadable. This guy... is a bad match for me. Then, the countdown began. And Hyun-woo also took his stance. Jimin, Yuna, and even the thousands of people filling the arena unconsciously held their breath as silence settled over the entire stadium.

As soon as the countdown hit zero, the horn blasted. The quarter-final match kicked off with explosive momentum. Min-jae moved first. With a sudden activation of Dash, he instantly closed the distance. A blazing crimson aura wrapped around his greatsword before carving a lethal arc through the air with a heavy 'Slash'. But Hyun-woo's reflexes flared on instinct. Blue sparks crackled beneath his feet as 'Lightning Steps' activated, his body blurring backward just before the sword swept past.

The enormous blade missed him by inches. He could feel the wind pressure from the greatsword brush against his face, yet he remained completely calm. Without any hesitation, he thrust his gauntlet forward, unleashing a 'Lightning Bolt' mid-retreat. But Min-jae blocked it with his huge greatsword. But though the lightning had seemingly spread across his whole body, he shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Is this all you got?" he shouted with a grin on his face and simply kept advancing, chasing after Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo got serious this time.

The fight continued at a relentless pace. Min-jae swung his massive greatsword with terrifying power, but he failed to land a proper hit on Hyun-woo. On the other hand, Hyun-woo successfully struck him a few times. Yet, despite Hyun-woo's lightning hitting him directly, it didn't slow Min-jae down at all. Hyun-woo's brows furrowed slightly as he slipped away from another wide swing. Something's off. He shouldn't be moving like this after taking those hits.

Meanwhile, up in the stands- Jimin's grin had completely vanished, replaced by a deep frown. He suddenly had a gut feeling that something was up. A faint sense of unease settled into his chest. Wanting to confirm his suspicion, Jimin focused hard, activating 'Hawkeye'. Instantly, his field of vision zoomed in with absolute clarity. He could see Min-jae very clearly. Jimin used 'Inspect' on him immediately. And he found out that he was a Level-18, just like Hyun-woo. But he noticed something unusual.

His status showed that he was 'branded'. Jimin became confused. What's 'Branded'? Is this the reason? He had never heard of this kind of status effect. But he soon shifted his attention, as there was no point in wasting time over something he had no answer for. Jimin desperately monitored Min-jae's gear, searching for the anomaly. His eyes swept across his equipment piece by piece. Then- A tiny metallic glint caught his eye.

It was a small locket that was hanging around Min-jae's neck, barely visible as it was almost entirely hidden beneath his shining crimson armor. As Jimin focused his appraisal on the item, its details were revealed. And it turned out to be a high-tier rare grade artifact that provided him a good amount of lightning and wind resistance. Jimin was completely baffled as the realization hit him. He had high defense to begin with. And then there was this. A cold sweat broke out on his neck.

And a wave of intense worry for Hyun-woo washed over him, his fists clenching tight. He is literally counter-built for Hyun-woo.

Down on the platform, the hidden disadvantage had begun to show its teeth. Hyun-woo was slowly getting pushed back. Sensing the shift, Min-jae pressed the advantage. The massive blade of his greatsword suddenly flared with a dense red aura. He was about to launch a devastating 'Slash'. Hyun-woo's eyes widened. But his 'Lightning Steps' was currently locked on cooldown. With no space to dodge, he had no choice but to stand his ground.

He pushed his hands forward, instantly raising his 'Lightning Barrier' to absorb the incoming blow. But the moment it manifested, a confident grin spread across Min-jae's face. Got you. Throughout the entire opening exchange, Min-jae had been secretly absorbing small portions of Hyun-woo's damage, storing it as energy. And now, that energy was already filled to its limit. It was his unique skill, 'Warrior's Vengeance'.

So, along with the heavy physical weight of the vertical slash, he unleashed the entire stored energy in a singular, explosive discharge. As he shouted with a grin, "Taste my vengeance."