The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 7

After my father passed away,

I managed to finish my late attendance at school.

“I apologize for being late.”

“I heard from Instructor Go Chang-soo. Your father had come.”

Instantly, the murmuring grew louder.

My relationship with the Mado Shin family was a matter of interest for the entire Obelisk Academy, so the murmuring was natural.

“Yes.”

“I’m not so heartless as to scold a student with unavoidable circumstances. Take your seat.”

The instructor’s joke brought a small burst of laughter in the classroom.

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head and returned to my seat.

“Then, let’s resume the lesson. We were discussing how to algorithmize magic and register it in artificial intelligence, weren’t we?”

“Yes. You explained up to data conversion and imprinting it on an AI chip.”

“Hmm. Then, we can move on to the topic of open-source magic registered in the ‘Library’ right away.”

I sat in my seat, half-listening to the instructor’s lesson while lost in thought.

‘Okay. I’ve made a good start.’

My father readily accepted my proposal.

‘Of course, it’s not because he trusts me, but because he judged that there would be no loss in accepting the proposal.’

That was the proposal I was aiming for in the first place.

‘Anyway, I’ve crossed the first hurdle.’

Now, all that’s left is to get good grades in the midterm comprehensive evaluation.

‘Within the top 10. It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible either.’

If it were me before receiving Bytenner-style magic, maybe, but it’s not an impossible goal for me now.

‘Alright, let’s see. What do I need to prepare for in the next 8 days…’

I had a feeling that it would be a quite rewarding 8 days.

* * *

Two days passed in a flash, and today is Friday, April 24th.

Despite all classes being over, no students were leaving the classroom.

“Hoo. I’m nervous. What kind of test will it be?”

“Last year was a monster extermination battle, so maybe this year it’ll be a one-on-one battle?”

Today was the day the test format for the midterm comprehensive evaluation would be revealed, so everyone was waiting.

“Personally, I prefer a battle against giant monsters.”

“I definitely prefer one-on-one battles. I don’t have a talent for multitasking or area-of-effect magic.”

Everyone was fervently hoping for a test that suited their strengths.

“Everyone, please take your seats.”

Just in time, Instructor Go Chang-soo entered the classroom to announce the test format.

The students quickly took their seats.

“Without further ado, I will announce the test format for this midterm comprehensive evaluation.”

With Instructor Go Chang-soo’s words, silence descended upon the entire classroom.

Everyone was desperately hoping for the test they desired.

“The test format for this midterm comprehensive evaluation is a one-on-one tournament.”

With that, two reactions erupted simultaneously.

“Oh yeah! One-on-one battle!”

“And if it’s one-on-one, that’s my specialty!”

Half of them cheered.

“Ah, why does it have to be a one-on-one battle?”

“I’m not confident.”

“And if it’s one-on-one…”

The other half despaired.

If I had to choose, I was on the cheering side.

I personally prefer one-on-one battles as well.

“The test will be held for three days, from April 30th to Saturday, May 2nd.”

Due to the nature of a tournament, it was impossible to finish all the matches in one day.

Naturally, the test period was extended to three days.

“The Saturday matches, where the round of 16 will be held, will be attended by representatives from external companies and magic towers as spectators, so do your best.”

The mention of representatives from companies and magic towers caused an even greater commotion.

“If I just make it to the round of 16, I’ll make a good impression.”

“The round of 8 is tough, but the round of 16 is doable…”

“It’s my dream to enter the Blue Magic Tower.”

Everyone seemed to be filled with determination.

They were hoping that if they were lucky enough to make a good impression, they could enter a ‘Color’ magic tower [a prestigious magic tower known for its specific color affiliation].

“Then, I will reveal the most important match-up chart.”

The instructor fiddled with a small machine terminal.

At the same time, the classroom darkened, and a hologram screen lit up.

The match-up chart slowly began to appear on the screen.

“We divided the students into 16 groups fairly based on their grades, and then randomly created the match-up chart within each group.”

In short, they distributed the students so that the top-ranked students wouldn’t be concentrated in one group.

“There will also be individual score evaluations based on the content of the matches, in addition to the tournament rankings, so there’s no need to be disappointed if your opponent isn’t good.”

Even if you were unlucky enough to face a top-ranked student from the start, you could still get a good score if you showed a good performance.

That’s what they meant.

“Of course, if you show a very poor performance in this process, that student will be deemed ‘below standard’ and will be expelled, so be careful.”

With those words, all eyes turned to me. In the history of Obelisk Academy, only a handful of students have ever been deemed ‘below standard’.

I was one of those rare students.

‘Was it four including me?’

In fact, I was the only student among the current second-year students who had been deemed below standard.

In other words, I was the only one at risk of expulsion.

‘Well, that’s irrelevant now.’

I casually brushed off the gazes directed at me.

‘More importantly, the match-up chart…’

What was more important was the match-up chart.

“Wow. That’s amazing.”

“Hey, look at the second match in Group H.”

It seemed that some students had also discovered the same thing as me on the match-up chart and were making a fuss.

At the same time, the gazes towards me intensified.

“Wow. Are those two going up against each other?”

[Group H, Match 2]

[Baek Sa-hyuk VS Shin Ha-yul]

Baek Sa-hyuk.

Among the 22 third-circle users in the second year, he was one of the top-ranked students.

And.

“Baek Sa-hyuk really hates Shin Ha-yul, doesn’t he?”

“He’s always singing about how he’ll kill him if he gets the chance.”

“He’s finally getting his chance.”

A thug-like guy who has held a grudge against me ever since his crushing defeat in the youth magic tournament five years ago, and who picks fights with me whenever he gets the chance.

“Shin Ha-yul is really unlucky. Is he going to be like this until the end?”

“At this point, isn’t he just abandoned by the heavens?”

Everyone was looking at me with pity. They all seemed to be lamenting my misfortune.

‘Baek Sa-hyuk, huh.’

But my thoughts were a little different.

Misfortune?

Not at all.

‘This is how I get an opportunity.’

There’s no one more suitable as my first opponent than Baek Sa-hyuk.

In terms of skill, personality, and buzz.

* * *

The matter of my match against Baek Sa-hyuk quickly spread throughout the entire second year as a hot topic.

“Did you hear? Baek Sa-hyuk said he’s going to kill Shin Ha-yul.”

“They say he’s going to make him so messed up that he won’t even be able to compete in the loser’s bracket?”

Rumors about me always spread quickly, whether big or small. But this time, the speed and intensity of the rumors were on a different level.

“Isn’t Shin Ha-yul the one who gave Baek Sa-hyuk the nickname ‘loser’ in the youth magic tournament five years ago?”

“They say it caused problems in the succession competition of his family.”

“That’s why Baek Sa-hyuk gets so worked up whenever Shin Ha-yul is mentioned.”

The bad blood between me and Baek Sa-hyuk runs quite deep.

From the start, the Mado Shin family and the Baek family didn’t have a good relationship, and the incident five years ago was the final blow.

It was unreasonable to ask people not to be interested in the fact that these two were going up against each other.

“But honestly, Shin Ha-yul didn’t do anything, did he? He just won against Baek Sa-hyuk.”

“Right. It’s his own fault for crying after losing.”

“If even the Baek family’s media control couldn’t stop it, how much of a disgrace did he show?”

That’s exactly the kind of relationship we have.

I just won the match fair and square, but Baek Sa-hyuk held a grudge about it and was desperate to kill me.

“Honestly, Shin Ha-yul probably wants to kill Baek Sa-hyuk too, right? Considering what Baek Sa-hyuk did in the first year…”

“I felt so sorry for him.”

To Baek Sa-hyuk, who had become a misfit, I was a good prey.

Thanks to that, he bothered me throughout the first year.

He was like a white snake, as his name suggests, and he was always trying to ensnare me like a snake, which was incredibly annoying.

‘The worst thing was when he burned all my old books.’

I ignored everything else, thinking that it was better to avoid the filth, but I couldn’t ignore that incident.

‘How did I collect all of those?’

Thinking about that incident made my head feel hot again.

“Hey, shush! Baek Sa-hyuk is coming.”

As if he couldn’t be a gentleman, Baek Sa-hyuk was seen approaching from afar.

A fierce expression like a demon just risen from hell.

A muscular physique and tall height that matched his fierce expression.

Short hair adorned with scratches that seemed to proclaim, “I have a temper.”

“Long time no see? Defective product?”

Baek Sa-hyuk.

He looked down at me with his hands in his pockets.

The murmuring of the surrounding students grew louder. Everyone was looking at me with interest.

“Our defective product. You’re so unlucky. You’ve been hiding in your room to avoid me. And now you’re matched up against me here?”

He tapped my shoulder and sneered.

His eyes gleamed with base jealousy and raw hatred.

“This test is your last, right? I heard you were abandoned by your family too. Hahaha!”

He was talking about the ‘expulsion for failing to meet standards’ rule that my father had recently enacted.

“Our poor defective product. What are you going to do? It must be sad to be expelled. And you’re going to get your ass kicked by me in the end~?”

It was a sinister laugh, like a snake laughing.

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see who gets their ass kicked, won’t we?”

I brushed off Baek Sa-hyuk’s hand and returned his sneer.

“Heh heh. Even in this situation, our defective product. Your pride is still intact.”

Baek Sa-hyuk laughed heartily.

Then, he lowered his upper body and stared directly into my eyes while I was sitting down.

“Get a grip, you moron. How long are you going to be stuck in the glory of the past and act like you don’t know your place?”

I could feel a vile murderous intent, like a white snake flicking its tongue.

“You’re a useless moron now. If you’re a moron, you should crawl on the ground and beg the strong for mercy. Huh?”

The vile eyes that I had seen every day since entering Obelisk Academy were staring directly at me.

I met those eyes and smiled.

“You’re really… still the same.”

“…What?”

“The way you just spout nonsense. You’re the same as you were five years ago. You haven’t grown at all.”

Baek Sa-hyuk’s expression twisted.

“…You. You little…”

Indeed, Baek Sa-hyuk’s patience was shorter than a finger, and his anger quickly exploded.

“Did you hate being compared to me that much? You dullard Baek Sa-hyuk?”

“You little… !”

I was just as angry at Baek Sa-hyuk.

My anger had been building up over the past year, and now that I had gained confidence with Bytenner-style magic, it was time to unleash it.

But getting angry here would be foolish. True anger can only be revealed after it has been coldly honed and swallowed.

I’m not a fool who loses his reason to anger.

“If it’s that much of a grudge, should I call you that now? Genius Baek Sa-hyuk, how about it?”

I continued the conversation rationally.

The reason I was bringing up the keyword ‘genius’ was not just to anger Baek Sa-hyuk.

I was doing it because it was necessary.

“A fallen defective product…”

“I don’t want to hear that from a dullard who has never fallen.”

The goal was to imprint the word ‘genius’ in Baek Sa-hyuk’s mind.

To make him recall this conversation even subconsciously.

“You know what? Once a genius, always a genius.”

Hoping that he would remember this last line when he recalled my words after this conversation.

“I’ll show you why that saying was born on April 30th.”

Hoping that he would act according to my intentions, I desperately twisted the corners of my mouth.

“Look forward to it, dullard.”

* * *

“Aaaargh!”

Baek Sa-hyuk, who had returned to his room, couldn’t contain his anger and went on a rampage.

“That defective product!”

When he recalled Shin Ha-yul’s face, who had been calmly talking back without showing any signs of anger, he couldn’t help but feel enraged.

‘That composed expression!’

He wanted to tear apart that expression that reminded him of the youth magic tournament finals five years ago.

He wanted to revel in the sight of that expression twisting in despair.

He wanted to see Shin Ha-yul, who had become a corpse-like figure, despairing at everything in the world.

He had been tormenting Shin Ha-yul for the past year for that very reason, but Shin Ha-yul’s composed expression remained unchanged.

“A defective product like him…”

Despite having the fatal penalty of being a misfit, he was bothered by the fact that he was working hard without giving up.

He was even more displeased because he was being compared to himself, who had stagnated after despairing from his defeat in the youth magic tournament.

“A defective product should just be locked away in a warehouse…”

Above all, he didn’t like the fact that Shin Ha-yul, who was just a defective product, had been making him feel unpleasant all this time.

“I was going to be satisfied with just humiliating him and kicking him out…”

Baek Sa-hyuk’s eyes shone like a white snake.

He took out his phone from his pocket and made a call to someone.

“It’s me. Please release the article.”

The Baek family had many connections with the entertainment industry. Naturally, they were skilled in this kind of media manipulation.

In terms of media control, they were considered to be superior to the Mado Shin family.

“The content of the article is…”

Shin Ha-yul’s last words flashed through Baek Sa-hyuk’s mind.

‘You know what? Once a genius, always a genius.’

‘Look forward to it, dullard.’

Shin Ha-yul’s face, who had been chanting ‘genius, genius,’ was the epitome of annoyance.

‘He said he’d show me why that saying was born on April 30th?’

A defective product who can’t forget the glory of the past is trying to get cocky.

‘If you like the title of genius that much, then fine. Go ahead and listen to it to your heart’s content.’

Baek Sa-hyuk said with a sneer.

“Shin Ha-yul. He will show the world his glorious return as a genius on April 30th. Declare that the world should look forward to it. This should be enough, right?”

Baek Sa-hyuk’s mind was filled with the thought of humiliating Shin Ha-yul.

‘April 30th. You’ll be humiliated in front of the entire nation, just like I was five years ago.’

Baek Sa-hyuk’s laughter echoed vilely.