When Yoo Ara and the other team members joined the battle, the situation shifted rapidly.
15 vs 5.
The difference in numbers was overwhelming. Lee Seo-jun’s team stood no chance.
No matter how talented a genius Lee Seo-jun was, it would be impossible to overcome the sheer numerical superiority, especially when someone as powerful as Yoo Ara was among the opponents.
Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-joon, and the remaining three exchanged glances and began discussing something.
Soon after, they nodded to each other and scattered in different directions.
Fwoosh!
Shin Young-joon and the three others charged toward the group of 14, including Yoo Ara.
It was clear that their plan was for the four of them to stall the other 14 as much as possible.
And as expected, Lee Seo-jun came charging straight at me.
Even if they were outnumbered and at a disadvantage, the ultimate goal of this test was to defeat the opposing team’s “Captain.”
In other words, if they managed to take me down—the captain—it would count as their victory.
At that moment, Lee Seo-jun’s body flickered and disappeared from my view. He reappeared behind me and swung his sword.
I twisted my body and narrowly dodged the attack.
The sword’s trajectory just barely grazed my hair. It was clear that his movements were much faster than before—he hadn’t been going all out earlier.
That didn’t mean Lee Seo-jun had been holding back on me.
His current speed was simply the result of the typical “protagonist” moment—an awakening in the face of crisis.
[‘Headstrong Charge’ has activated!]
[All stats increased by 10%.]
Sensing Lee Seo-jun’s awakening, the passive effect of my Battle Maniac trait, Headstrong Charge, activated.
Headstrong Charge increases all stats when facing a stronger opponent.
Which meant—my Battle Maniac trait had recognized Lee Seo-jun as someone stronger than me.
Whooosh!
“Kh…!”
I continued twisting and dodging to survive.
Thanks to the 10% stat increase, I could just barely avoid his attacks—but they weren’t clean dodges.
With every swing of Lee Seo-jun’s sword, more and more cuts appeared on my body.
The pain was intense, but I had no time to acknowledge it.
“Hang in there, just a bit longer!”
Yoo Ara’s urgent voice rang out from afar.
My teammates wanted to help me, but the remaining four opponents were tenaciously blocking their way.
Gritting my teeth, I activated Heart of the Nature.
Thump!
My heart pounded, and the mana that had nearly run dry began rapidly replenishing.
Then, I used the mana to further enhance my physical body.
Lee Seo-jun seemed to notice something change about me and showed a brief expression of surprise. Then he snapped back to his usual expression and swung his sword even faster.
I focused all my mana into my legs and leapt back. Then I conjured a magical orb in my hand and fired it at him.
Boom!
A loud blast rang out. Black smoke rose, and soon Lee Seo-jun emerged, having perfectly defended himself with a protective aura.
Had it been anyone else, it would’ve been a fatal blow—but not for Lee Seo-jun.
He really was on a completely different level than the average student.
That’s when I noticed his gaze change.
His eyes were cold and sharp—it was a look I’d never seen from Lee Seo-jun before.
But before I could dwell on it, he was charging at me again.
I kept firing spells as I quickly retreated, but Lee Seo-jun’s speed now exceeded my full power, and he caught up in an instant.
And in the blink of an eye, he was in front of me again, swinging his sword.
[Skill effect: ‘Fighting Spirit’ activated.]
[All stats increased by 20% for 3 minutes.]
I immediately activated Fighting Spirit.
My stats were boosted once more. With the effects of Heart of the Nature and Fighting Spirit overlapping, a torrent of mana burst from my body.
My now-enhanced physique managed to narrowly dodge Lee Seo-jun’s sword once again.
Then I gathered mana in my foot and kicked him in the stomach with full force.
“…Kgh!”
Lee Seo-jun’s body was launched backward into the air.
He crashed down and let out a pained breath, driving his sword into the ground to stabilize himself.
He looked back at me—his eyes now tinged with a hint of frustration.
Was he upset about the kick? Just as I was thinking that, he called out to me with a voice that had gone cold.
“…Kim Sunwoo.”
Lee Seo-jun bit his lip for a moment, then spoke again.
“Don’t tell me you’re holding back.”
“…What?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears. Who was holding back on who?
“If you are, stop. Go all out.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Four times.”
“What?”
“There were four moments when your movements drastically changed.”
Then I realized what he meant by “four times.”
First, when I used Instant Acceleration.
Second, when Headstrong Charge activated.
Third, when I activated Heart of the Nature.
Fourth, when I activated Fighting Spirit.
My traits and skills had enhanced my stats multiple times, so from Lee Seo-jun’s perspective, it probably looked like I was gradually revealing more strength—as if I were holding back on purpose.
And then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out in the distance as a massive pillar of smoke rose into the air.
Turning my gaze, I saw three figures being obliterated after taking a direct hit from a fireball.
Only Shin Young-joon was left now.
Despite limping, he charged at them once more.
Lee Seo-jun watched that scene with a conflicted expression, then turned his gaze back to me. I looked back at him and said,
“I wasn’t holding back. Who would I even hold back on?”
“Then what was with those movements just now?”
“I told you—I wasn’t holding back.”
Lee Seo-jun didn’t respond. He simply charged at me again without a word.
I also retreated quickly to maintain distance.
Then, I tried compressing a spell.
Boom!
The compressed magical orb shot out, leaving a trail of white light.
Lee Seo-jun twisted his body and dodged the attack.
The spell grazed his forearm as it barely missed.
“Kh!”
That was when the duration of Heart of the Nature ended.
The rapid mana recovery stopped, and I had no choice but to reduce the level of my mana-based physical enhancement.
This was bad. Lee Seo-jun was still in his awakened state.
If he got close again, I wouldn’t be able to last long.
Just as I tensed—
A massive fireball came flying toward Lee Seo-jun.
He quickly dodged it by moving sideways.
Boom!
Lee Seo-jun glanced over at Yoo Ara, then gripped his sword tightly. He turned to face me again.
Judging by his reaction, it looked like Shin Young-joon had been defeated.
That meant we were now at the final stage of the battle. I glanced at the scoreboard.
1 vs 13.
Victory was within reach.
Test Ended.
The viewing room fell into silence. Everyone was so stunned that they couldn’t speak.
At first, it had just been a messy brawl without any clear strategy.
Considering the reputation of the Korean Mage Academy, the initial tactics were disappointing.
But that wasn’t the whole story.
As soon as the final phase of the battle began, everything changed.
The last 20 minutes showcased a level of combat that was almost unbelievable for students.
Several names were burned into everyone’s minds.
Yoo Ara, the MVP from Team 1, who scored the most kills in the winning team.
Shin Young-joon, who held off 14 opponents for an extended time to buy Lee Seo-jun a window of opportunity.
Kim Sunwoo, the captain of Team 1, who stood his ground and survived a nearly even duel with Lee Seo-jun.
…And of course, Lee Seo-jun—who, in a desperate 1 vs 13 situation, managed to take out eight people and left the entire room in awe.
It was, by all standards, a historic test.
Especially the brutal, solemn battle Lee Seo-jun fought at the end—it would be remembered forever in every future captain-versus-captain match.
“That was insane.”
“I’ve got chills. Seriously… Lee Seo-jun is just on another level.”
“He lost, but he’s all I can think about. How did he handle 13 people on his own?”
“I thought I was watching a zombie. He kept getting hit with magic and still didn’t go down.”
“Kim Sunwoo definitely proved he’s not just hype.”
“He’s the hidden MVP. He drew the attention of all the key enemies and survived to the end.”
“Yoo Ara did beat Lee Seo-jun in the end. That’s a win through strategy, right? She was the team captain, wasn’t she?”
━━
[Winning Team: Team 1]
[Most Kills MVP: Yoo Ara]
[Captain: Kim Sunwoo]
━━
The scoreboard displayed each individual’s scores. Some guild scouts, upon seeing them, started making calls in a rush.
“Kim Sunwoo—make sure you get all the info on that one.”
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“That guy’s ranked 20th?”
And—
Lilly, who had been staring at the board, was still trembling with excitement.
The match between Kim Sunwoo and Lee Seo-jun.
And Lee Seo-jun’s final stand, all alone.
It had been utterly breathtaking. So intense that she found herself wondering if she could’ve done anything close had she been in that place herself.
Though she used to see Kim Sunwoo and Lee Seo-jun as rivals, at this moment, all she felt for them was respect.
“Luke! Wasn’t that amazing?”
Lilly turned to Luke, wanting to share the thrill of it all.
But Luke didn’t respond. He just sat there with a stiff expression, seemingly lost in thought, then suddenly stood up.
“I’m heading out.”
“Huh? Already?”
“I’ve got class today. Busy.”
Lilly’s mouth fell open.
“Oh, right. I’ve got class too. Ugh, I don’t wanna go.”
Ignoring her, Luke walked out of the observation room.
Lilly followed after him, shouting loudly at his back.
“Hey! So, how do you think you did on the exam?!”
“Great job, everyone!”
“Whoa, so Kim Sunwoo was the captain?”
“I seriously thought you were done for at the end there, when Lee Seo-jun had you cornered.”
“Today’s MVP should’ve been Kim Sunwoo.”
The exam had ended.
In the waiting room, the victorious Team 1 gathered to talk about the test.
Everyone was visibly excited.
Considering Lee Seo-jun had been undefeated in the main tests so far, it was only natural—they hadn’t imagined they’d actually beat him.
“Good work.”
I was resting on the bench when Yoo Ara sat down next to me. She held something out in front of my face.
A canned apple soda.
“You too. Great job.”
I took the can with a nod. Yoo Ara gave me a faint smile.
“You really pulled your weight. If you hadn’t held on like you did, we definitely would’ve lost. I’m glad I picked you as captain.”
I shrugged at the compliment.
“Nah, I only made it through because you showed up just in time. Oh, right—looks like we finally beat Lee Seo-jun.”
Yoo Ara’s performance today had been outstanding.
And as the MVP, she’d probably take first place in the midterms ranking—knocking Lee Seo-jun out of that spot.
“We won… yeah, I guess we did.”
Yoo Ara murmured quietly. Even though she’d finally beaten Lee Seo-jun, like she’d wanted all this time, her voice didn’t sound satisfied.
Well, I wasn’t surprised. That last fight of Lee Seo-jun’s had been shocking, even for me, who’d already seen the story all the way through.
That moment of awakening in crisis. Then breaking through his limits—again.
That’s what it means to be a protagonist who grows stronger mid-battle, I guess.
“Whatever. The important thing is, you won, and Lee Seo-jun lost. Just focus on the result.”
Yoo Ara nodded, then looked at me with a curious glint in her eyes.
“But you…”
She trailed off.
“What?”
She parted her lips, then spoke again.
“During the exam… I overheard what Lee Seo-jun said to you. Did you really go easy on him?”
I frowned.
“No. I didn’t go easy on anyone. Who do you think I am?”
My firm tone made her pause. Then she nodded slowly.
“Alright. Never mind then. Just… Lee Seo-jun seemed kinda pissed earlier, is all.”
With that, Yoo Ara stood up.
“Anyway, good work today. I’m heading out.”
“Yeah, sure.”
She disappeared somewhere after saying that.
I sipped the apple soda, then stood up as well.
Looking around, I spotted Lee Seo-jun a distance away, surrounded by dozens of students trying to comfort him.
The way he’d fought alone until the very end had clearly left an impression on many people.
That indomitable will to never give up, even in overwhelming odds.
But in the end, his loss—unable to overcome the sheer difference in numbers—had likely stirred a strong sense of sympathy.
Just then, Lee Seo-jun seemed to notice my gaze and looked my way. I met his eyes. We locked eyes for about three seconds.
There was no irritation or anger like before.
Instead, Lee Seo-jun gave a faint smile. As if to say congratulations.
The kind of smile a runner-up gives when sincerely congratulating the champion.
It held a trace of loneliness and regret, but above all—it was genuine.
With everything wrapped up, I returned to the dorm. I dragged myself inside, worn out.
More than physical fatigue, the mental exhaustion hit hard.
After the exam, I’d been swarmed by reporters. And the test itself had been no walk in the park.
“Bwaaah.”
Gretel came up to me with a sausage in her mouth. I patted her stiff, prickly back, and she beamed up at me.
I flopped down on the couch.
After a moment of indecision, I activated the outsider’s privilege.
[You have achieved the ‘Victory in Captain Match’ accomplishment.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[You have achieved the ‘Victory as Captain in Captain Match’ accomplishment.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[Countless people have taken a deep interest in you.]
[You have received 8,000 points as a reward.]
[Character ‘Lee Seo-jun’’s interest in you has increased.]
[Lee Seo-jun’s interest level in you: Lv. 3]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[Characters you haven’t met yet are also intrigued by you.]
[You have received 500 points as a reward.]
……
I’d earned a ton of achievements and fame points. On top of that, Lee Seo-jun’s interest level had gone up. Honestly, there were so many messages that it was hard to read them all.
From a rough tally, I’d gained about 18,000 points.
After closing out all the notifications, I leaned back in thought.
Then let out a long breath of relief and closed my eyes.
I won in the end.
Even with Lee Seo-jun on the opposing team, I still came out victorious.
If I’d lost, it might’ve become a major roadblock to entering the Sacred Martial Festival. Good thing I didn’t.
TL : Do you think Sunwoo could defeat Seo-jun in a real-world fight, using all his artifacts and relics?
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