All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 16

◈ 16. The Checkers – 2

-Whoosh!!

I spun the staff, gripping its end, sending two guys flying with the impact.

Simultaneously, I kicked away a female student charging from behind.

Rolling to evade the follow-up attack, I swung the staff, striking the sides of the students on either side.

After blocking the attacks of three students coming at me with the staff, I tossed it into the air and kicked it.

The three hit by it were pushed back. Ian, catching the staff as it bounced back, kicked off the wall and leaped high, bringing the staff down.

-Crack! Crunch!

The training ground floor cracked where the staff struck.

The students who had been trying to approach flinched and stepped back.

“What are you doing? Not coming at me?”

The staff techniques unfolded in an instant, sending several people flying.

The students were taken aback by the unexpected skill, breaking out in cold sweats.

Blanche, in particular, couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

“Th-that!”

In martial arts families that use spears, most learn the staff before learning the spear. It’s a foundational skill.

Each family has its secret staff techniques, and Ian’s staff skills were in no way inferior to the secret techniques used by the heads or successors of those families.

‘What the heck is he?!’

After seeing the swordsmanship that felled Isaac, he knew Ian wouldn’t be ordinary.

But to think that not only his swordsmanship but also his staff skills were at this level.

His previous assessment of Ian was not an overestimation but a gross underestimation.

‘At that level, any decent martial arts family would definitely want to recruit him.’

No.

Was it just martial arts families?

At that level, he might even be able to work as an instructor in the Forest of Warriors, a place where strong martial artists gather.

Ian’s staff skills were that close to perfection.

Every movement was connected and flowed naturally.

It was as if the staff had become an extension of his own body.

“Ah, jeez.”

“I should have gone out there.”

At that level, just facing him would be a learning experience.

The ones who were pushed out by Graegin’s persuasion looked at him with resentful eyes.

Ignoring their resentment, Graegin’s eyes sparkled.

‘I knew my eyes weren’t wrong.’

Ian is a treasure of immense value.

With him, he could find all the relics on the continent.

No, perhaps he could even break through the Forgotten City, something no one has ever succeeded in.

The spectators on the sidelines were lost in their thoughts, marveling.

But the students fighting him couldn’t hide their embarrassment.

No matter what attack they tried, he blocked it all, and getting hit even once was so damn painful it brought tears to their eyes.

Even though they were all using Aura [a manifestation of inner energy used to enhance physical abilities].

“Damn it!! Just pile on him and grab him!!”

Park Bare, who had been hit and sent flying, shouted, enduring the throbbing pain.

Facing what amounted to a reckless tackle, Ian slammed the staff into the ground.

Using the staff’s elasticity to jump, he struck Park Bare’s shoulder as he landed.

“Gah!”

Park Bare collapsed like a burst frog.

For the sturdy Park Bare to fall like that.

And Ian hadn’t even broken a sweat.

What did that mean?

It meant that this wasn’t his full power.

“Just… how strong is he?”

Everyone’s fighting spirit was lost.

They might have shown some fight if the difference in skill was just a bit.

But this was just overwhelmingly superior.

“I heard the upperclassmen were that strong.”

“…He must be top-tier among them. Is the Student Council President Rakid that strong?”

As everyone lost their will to fight and lowered their weapons, Ian spun the staff around.

“Want to keep going?”

The B-class students shook their heads.

Anyone could tell.

There was no point in continuing.

“Oh, I’m dying… Ugh… Ian. I even used Aura, how did you hit me?”

Park Bare asked with difficulty, touching the spot where he was hit, and Ian replied nonchalantly.

“I used it too.”

“Huh? You can use Aura too?”

“How else would I have caught Isaac? And your Aura usage is too inefficient.”

Ian put the staff aside and explained simply.

There’s no need to maintain Aura throughout the entire fight.

You can conserve Aura by using it only at the moment of attack, defense, and evasion.

“Easier said than done…”

“Do you think we didn’t do it because we didn’t know that?”

In the end, wasn’t he just saying to control Aura freely?

As the students grumbled, Ian put the practice staff back into the container.

“Did you come to the Academy to play?”

“Well, you’ve got a point.”

The Academy is, first and foremost, an educational institution.

It’s only natural to train and study here to improve your skills.

As everyone hesitated, Ian said with a nonchalant expression.

“Since I involved you in this, I can give you some simple guidance for the time being.”

“What?! Then me first!”

“No! Wait a minute! Me first!”

“Ian! I got hit more, okay?!”

“Hey! Get lost! I, Park Bare, got hit the hardest!”

The B-class students were delighted by Ian’s offer and wary of each other.

Haryun smiled bitterly as he watched them.

‘Ian Brandon… what are you, really?’

What was the reason for someone with that level of skill to hide it until now?

His curiosity only deepened.

* * *

Several days had passed since the sparring match.

In the meantime, the B-class students’ gaze towards Ian had changed.

At first, it was interest.

Then, it was surprise.

With a little seasoning added, it turned into almost unconditional goodwill.

“Hey, Ian! The weather’s nice today, how about a sparring match after class?”

“Yo, Ian. Let’s spar after dinner. I’ll treat you to the restaurant’s special course.”

“Want to go to the village? Huh? Can’t you play around a bit and then teach me? I’ll pay.”

The reason why there are more people in the morning market and fewer in the evening market is simple.

It’s the difference between whether there’s something to gain or not.

Haryun approached Ian, who had shown them he was the morning market with the last sparring match.

“You’re popular.”

Myaene, who was sitting on the desk, bristled at him.

Haryun took out a small container from his pocket for Myaene.

“Myaam~.”

Myaene, who received the snack that cats love, stuck out his red tongue and licked it, and Haryun said.

“B-class hasn’t had anyone who could be called a representative until now.”

“Weren’t you the representative?”

“Officially, yes. But as you’ve seen, B-class isn’t the type to stick together, right?”

Everyone values their individual grades more than the class.

Everyone has strong personalities, and their skills are decent enough, so this kind of thing happened.

“For now, I’m the representative because I’m ranked first in B-class overall… but honestly, they don’t really listen to me.”

From the beginning, Haryun had no intention of leading others either.

He preferred supporting rather than stepping forward.

“But these past few days, they’ve been gathering around you. Those guys who live for their own egos.”

Of course, it’s to learn from Ian and improve their skills.

Haryun finished speaking and smiled.

“So, what do you want to say?”

“I told Instructor Aranse to transfer the representative position to you. And… it doesn’t seem like it’s your first time leading people.”

‘He’s sharp.’

A method of leading the opponent by showing strength and offering something to gain.

As Kirke said, Haryun had been watching Ian even after the sparring match.

That’s why he could see it accurately.

Ian was controlling the desires of the B-class students.

And he was making them follow him without them even realizing it.

This is something that only someone who has ruled over people from above for a long time can do, not some third son of a poor baronial family.

“Who are you, really?”

“That’s not what’s important right now.”

Ian got up from his seat.

It was almost time.

“Is everyone ready?!”

Aranse came in holding the B-class flag.

Ian, who received it, said to Haryun.

“Isn’t it important to win today’s cooperative battle against C-class?”

Haryun nodded slightly at his words.

As Graegin said, their opponent this time was C-class.

As Acewyn led the C-class students into the cooperative battle arena, Park Bare, who was at the front, sneered.

“Look at Acewyn. He’s even wearing his family’s armor. Why is he making such a fuss during training?”

“How can he be so petty?”

Of course, there was no rule against bringing extra gear.

If you have it, shouldn’t you use it?

Some in B-class also brought good equipment separately.

But for those who were looking for something to criticize, such things were not important.

“Let’s do as planned.”

Graegin, who was standing next to Ian, said a word, but everyone ignored him.

Graegin flared up at them.

“You guys, seriously!”

“I don’t listen to the orders of someone weaker than me.”

“Who are you to give orders?”

As they resisted, Ian tied the flag to the flagpole and said.

“Let’s do as planned.”

Only then did the B-class students nod.

Graegin gave a bitter smile as he watched.

The guys who ignored him even when he explained the plan rationally listened well to Ian’s words.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

They have strong personalities, but they still want to become stronger than they are now, and to do that, they have to listen to Ian.

“Well, we just want to move rationally.”

“Graegin, it’s a plan you made, but we’ll follow it.”

“I’ll trust you this time.”

Graegin was bitter as Haryun, Oerina, and Wildy listened to him.

“Yeah. I’m so grateful that at least you guys listen to me. I feel like crying. Damn it.”

“Don’t cry.”

“A man doesn’t shed tears easily.”

“By the way, will Ian be okay alone?”

They saw his skills during the last training session.

But will he really be okay?

“And they must have been preparing for this time too.”

“Look at Acewyn’s murderous eyes.”

As Blanche grabbed his spear, Wildy, the B-class mage, asked Ian.

“Are you really okay?”

“Don’t worry.”

But it seems like there’s still some anxiety left.

She held out the ring she was wearing on her finger.

Kirke quickly analyzed the ring Ian received.

As he stared at it, Wildy said nonchalantly.

“It’s an artifact that can cast a shield spell six times. It’s not as good as the artifacts from the Forgotten City, but it’s still useful.”

Brushing back her long, dark brown hair, she said confidently.

With Ian’s skills, this much would be a great advantage in the fight against Acewyn.

“I’m not giving it to you because I’m worried about you. I just really don’t want to lose to C-class.”

“Do you have a grudge?”

As Ian asked with a smile, Wildy nodded.

“Do you see the person behind Acewyn?”

A blue-haired boy in a priest’s robe is walking confidently.

“That person is from the Toloban County. They’re a rival family to my family.”

“We’ll have to work hard.”

“Even if I collapse from mana exhaustion, I’ll smash the protective barrier that person casts.”

As Wildy clenched her staff tightly and spoke venomously, Haryun also held out a necklace.

“What’s this?”

“It’s an artifact that can cast a Fire Wall twice. I made it myself, so it’ll be useful.”

“Thanks.”

‘I don’t know if I’ll ever need to use it, though.’