Chapter 55: The Monster’s Teacher

Mehden’s 1-on-1 class.

It took place in a corner of the colosseum.

…In other words, it meant that the students taking the class could also watch.

Amidst the students’ subtle gazes, Sion looked at Professor Mehden.

‘What kind of class is he going to teach?’

Both Sion and Professor Mehden were wearing robes and holding canes, unlike last week.

The only difference was that Sion was holding a wand, while Professor Mehden was holding a staff?

Surely he wasn’t planning to fight directly?

“Sion, what do you think is the most important thing in a magician’s battle?”

Mehden spoke to Sion from a distance of about 3 meters.

He briefly wondered why he was suddenly asking a question, but.

It wasn’t a very difficult question.

“Casting speed.”

“……That’s correct. Casting speed. Speed is fundamental in battle.”

“I see.”

“There are three ways to increase casting speed.”

Chuk!

Professor Mehden hid his right hand behind his back and extended his left hand towards Sion.

Three fingers visible from afar.

One of them was folded.

“The first is shortening incantations, or no incantation. Well, that’s obvious.”

If you shorten the incantation, the magic will naturally go out faster.

All magicians above the intermediate level try to shorten the incantation.

Of course, it’s not that simple. This is because the method of shortening is different for each person.

“The second is imagination. A magician’s magic is influenced by imagination. You know that too, right?”

“…Yes.”

Sion also knew the importance of imagination.

The more concrete the imagination, the faster and stronger the magic is manifested.

This is also why Sion’s casting speed, who had lived in modern society, was so fast.

“The last is equipment.”

He raised his staff.

It was different from the wooden staffs he had seen in magic tool shops.

A crystal that looked like a jewel was shining in the center of the staff.

…Come to think of it, Professor Mehden was said to be from one of the Empire’s three major magic families.

There was no reason to save money on the staff.

“From what I’ve seen, Sion, you seem to have all three. You’ve also matched your wand with an emphasis on casting speed.”

“…That’s right.”

“Then what I will teach you is the next step.”

“The next step? What’s that…?!”

Whoong—!!

Professor Mehden’s right hand, which had been hidden behind his back.

At the same time as it stretched forward, dust rose.

A cloud of dust that instantly blocked the view.

“A battle method when you cannot take advantage of the advantage of casting speed.”

“…!”

“Today, I will teach you that!”

Swish!!

A voice heard from within the dust cloud.

At the same time, dozens of ice spears flew.

Random ice spears flying from within the cloud.

Watching that, Sion pulled up his magic power.

‘If I don’t do it right, I’ll die!’

Shiver.

Even though his body trembled involuntarily from the rising sense of fear.

The corners of Sion’s mouth twisted upwards.

…Professor Mehden Demurniza’s class had just begun.

An elite from the Empire’s three major magic families, Mehden Demurniza.

He had ignored Sion’s potential as a commoner, but.

In the sparring with Estroza last week… he completely revised his assessment.

‘It’s a rough stone that hasn’t been processed yet.’

While pouring out magic without incantation, he thoroughly calculates the opponent’s movements.

He hides his own moves, but his ability to read the opponent’s moves is outstanding.

That is not an area that can be learned. It is purely an area of ​​innate talent.

Professor Mehden wanted to polish him.

It had already been more than ten years since he had been teaching students as the number one in magical combat.

He was more excited now than ever before.

The ‘rough stone’ he had been wanting so much was right in front of him, so who could resist?

‘Obscure the view with 3rd Circle elemental magic Dust Cloud.

And… launch 3rd Circle elemental magic Ice Lance.

It’s a combination that’s not easy to deal with when you’re first hit.’

After creating a cloud of dust, he throws dozens of ice spears to create confusion.

This is a combination often used by combat mages who mainly use elemental magic.

Ice spears flying from an unseen place evoke a fear of death in itself.

But Professor Mehden did not stop here.

‘Strength Up, Eagle Eye.’

Woowoong!

Part of the magic power permeated his body.

Magic power remaining in the staff even after using magic.

He used that for body strengthening.

He strengthens his entire body with Strength Up.

He can see objects even in the dust with Eagle Eye.

He smiled after confirming Sion’s bewildered face.

‘It’s not time to be bewildered, Sion.’

Because the ice spears were still flying.

Crack!

Sion immediately erected a wall of earth to block the ice spears.

2nd Circle magic ‘Earth Wall’.

It is perfect for blocking physical attacks such as ice spears.

Mehden also nodded at the ‘Earth Wall’ choice.

At the same time, Sion reached out towards where the ice spears were coming from.

“Wind!!”

Swish—!!

Not a simple wind, but a sharp wind like a blade.

It stirred up the cloud of dust.

It is not a magic to block the ice spears.

It is a magic to attack Professor Mehden in the dust and restore the view to its original state.

But Mehden had already come out of the dust cloud.

Running with a body strengthened with Strength Up.

“Water Wall!”

“…!”

A Water Wall created in mid-air obscured the view.

A wall of water flying towards Sion as it was.

“Rock Cannon!”

Sion fired a Rock Cannon to break the Water Wall.

Even as it was being destroyed, the Water Wall steadily obscured the view.

Water is transparent, but it is opaque at the moment it scatters.

‘Ten steps forward.’

Mehden steadily narrowed the distance.

Why was he narrowing the distance in a battle with a magician?

It was because of the second teaching he would give Sion.

‘The goal of today’s class is two things. Dealing with surprise attacks and hand-to-hand combat.’

The most important thing in a magician’s 1-on-1 battle is casting speed.

But that only applies to cases where they start at the same time, like in sparring.

In real battles, they never wait for the opponent.

Therefore, the ability to cope is important when suddenly attacked and ambushed.

That is why Professor Mehden suddenly attacked Sion.

Coping requires quick judgment, agility, and understanding of magic….

‘Hand-to-hand combat is essential for dealing with surprise attacks.

But a wand….’

Sion chose the wand.

But Mehden chose a staff that was two or three times longer and heavier than that.

Mehden was honestly disappointed with his choice.

In the heat of battle, the difference in reach and destructive power between the staff and the wand cannot be filled.

Imagine a person with a 1m arm and a person with a 30cm arm boxing.

It was clear who would win.

‘It wouldn’t be bad to give him a nice staff as a gift after the match.’

Even while imagining what would happen after the sparring in his head, his staff shone.

This time, he cast ‘Wind’ to block Sion’s view.

The duration of Strength Up was still more than 5 minutes.

Five steps forward.

“Fire!”

Flames soared from Sion’s hand.

Not a simple Fire.

Radial flames he showed in the sparring with Estroza.

It is an excellent original magic that not only obscures the view but also prevents access.

If he only thought about ‘advancing’ on the ground.

Taat!!

“…!”

Professor Mehden leaped high at the same time as the running start.

His body strengthened with Strength Up could easily avoid the flamethrower and run towards Sion.

Sion quickly cut off the magic and reached out again, but.

“Too late.”

“…Kuh.”

Pak!

Professor Mehden slammed the staff into the ground.

He was aiming for Sion, not the ground, but Sion had already rolled to the side.

Sion realized that his magic manifestation was slow and avoided the staff attack.

Sion moved like a real battle, not caring that his uniform was covered in dirt.

His eyes were still shining like a beast.

The corners of Mehden’s mouth rose as if they were about to tear.

‘Yes, fight more fiercely. Grow more in the fight with me!’

Taat!

Mehden leaped again.

The target is Sion.

He doesn’t give him time to use magic.

‘It’s over.’

Mehden, holding the staff in a state of Strength Up.

Sion, holding the wand without support magic.

He is even still in an awkward posture after rolling to the side.

The moment he allowed the approach, the victory or defeat was already decided.

‘I need to teach him a lot about hand-to-hand combat.’

Mehden lightly aimed for Sion’s solar plexus and stabbed the staff.

It might hurt, but even that is experience.

Rather, avoiding areas such as the abdomen that could damage the organs was… Professor Mehden’s own kindness.

‘Ah… this elation. I haven’t felt it in a long time.’

Was it because of his extreme state of excitement?

Everything seemed to be in slow motion in Mehden’s vision.

Sion with a troubled face.

He desperately reaches out his wand to block Mehden’s staff, but…

It is much slower than the speed of the staff and cannot be blocked.

‘Is this the end?’

The image of Sion being hit in the solar plexus and falling down was drawn in his head.

Professor Mehden’s staff stretches out without obstruction.

Just before it touches Sion’s solar plexus.

Sion’s movements began to appear strangely cut off.

“…What?!”

Shuk!

Shusuk!

Shuk!

Sion avoided Mehden’s staff with bizarre movements.

He evaded the staff’s trajectory with nimble movements, as if he were watching a squirrel.

The moment Mehden forcibly tried to retrieve the staff.

Thud!

Sion, who had avoided the staff, tripped Mehden.

Professor Mehden’s center of gravity was leaning forward in the process of stabbing.

His body began to float in the air.

‘…Judo technique? No way!’

Sion threw Mehden over his shoulder.

All of that process was as smooth as a judo master.

…He even mastered judo with that flimsy body?

‘This crazy!’

Mehden was thrown backwards as it was.

The stab performed with physical abilities enhanced by Strength Up, combined with top-notch judo techniques.

He ended up flying at least 10 meters.

Thud!

“Cough!”

Although he performed a break fall, his back was tingling because he bounced off the ground two or three times.

If it weren’t for the Strength Up effect, his spine might have been broken.

As Professor Mehden was groaning in pain and barely trying to get up.

Bang!!

The ground next to Professor Mehden was dented.

When he regained his senses and looked up, he saw Sion looking down at him.

Huge Rock Cannons were floating in the air next to Sion.

The crater that had just been created was the trace of the Rock Cannon he had fired.

“Did I win?”

“……Yes, I lost.”

Mehden propped himself up with his staff.

A defeat caused by his own carelessness in thinking that Sion was weak in hand-to-hand combat.

It was a humiliating defeat.

‘No, is it not humiliating?’

Mehden was thrilled by Sion’s abilities.

No incantation beyond shortening incantations, and he is so imaginative that he uses 1st Circle magic at the level of 2nd and 3rd Circles.

Not stopping here, even his hand-to-hand combat skills are top-notch….

‘What a monster.’

He thought it was a rough stone, but it wasn’t a rough stone.

The rough stone was cracking and something was trying to come out from within.

A monstrous guy who appears once in a thousand years, no, ten thousand years.

“Are you okay?”

“…I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. My magic power is okay too… Anyway, I’m sorry. I suddenly threw you….”

“It’s my fault.”

Mehden expressionlessly dusted off his clothes.

Sion was anxiously pacing around him with an uneasy face.

‘I was crazy too. Suddenly throwing the professor….’

A student threw a professor.

If it was his previous life, this sentence alone would have been news.

He was worried that Professor Mehden might have been injured because of him.

Professor Mehden patted his back with his fist and asked.

“Where did you learn judo… cough?”

“Ah, I learned it at the judo club.”

“…Isn’t the club still in the recruitment period?”

“Yes, I tried the judo experience at the recruitment event….”

“…….”

Professor Mehden silently looked into Sion’s eyes.

‘What is he thinking?’

If Serene always had a sleepy face.

Professor Mehden’s expression was always stiff and fierce, making it difficult to read his emotions.

He had no idea what he was thinking.

But he could say this much.

“…I learned a lot from the sparring.”

“You learned a lot?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Sion placed his hand on his left chest.

Thump thump thump thump.

He could still feel the fierce beating.

The sparring with Professor Mehden had a taste that made his heart beat after a long time.

It’s not just that his heart is pounding because he’s moving his body and using magic power.

‘This is the first time I’ve had such an exciting battle in this world….’

So far, there had been no opponent who could be Sion’s rival.

Goblin Dungeon, Slime Dungeon, sparring with Estroza, etc….

Sion had always won overwhelmingly, so he didn’t feel much fun in magic combat.

That is why the sparring with Professor Mehden felt different to Sion.

He created a cloud of dust, ambushed him with ice spears, and attacked him sincerely using the staff.

Sion was feeling a joy he had never felt before in the second-by-second mental battle and the real battle of magicians.

“Please teach me again next time!”

“…Hmm, y, I will.”

On the other hand, Professor Mehden was lukewarm.

“Are we going to spar like this every week from now on?”

“……Maybe.”

“Please teach me next week too! Or should we spar one more time since there’s still time left? Please teach me a little more!”

“…….”

“Yes? Professor!”

Professor Mehden looked at Sion’s shining eyes, and then averted his gaze.

Then he muttered as if to himself.

“………If you want.”

“Yes! Then let’s do it right away!”

“No, wait 5 minutes… ahem, that’s not it… shouldn’t we also look at the students who are sparring?”

“I see. I understand. I’ll wait!”

Sion headed to the training ground where the sparring was in full swing.

“…Monster.”

Mehden was casting ‘healing’ on himself from an angle where Sion couldn’t see.

He couldn’t show that he was in pain in front of Sion, so he was secretly casting healing magic.

…Professor Mehden was regretting teaching Sion a little, just a little.