NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Wait a second. This isn’t right! (2)
Jenny’s mind spun rapidly. It felt as if time paused, wanting to process what had just happened as slowly as possible.
The wooden sword broke. This was already the second time.
Radon Crawler, possessing such skill, why was he placed in Class C? Was there an issue during the placement exam?
Of course, the technique that guy just used was almost a feint. A tactic to feign vulnerability and throw the opponent off guard. I had never experienced such elusive swordsmanship before.
Thanks to that, I could attach an excuse. But the serious situation unfolding before me couldn’t be covered up.
‘Just like back then…’
The fact that my sword strike was merely shattered by a fishing rod felt strange no matter how I thought about it.
In fact, every time I faced that guy, I felt a bizarre sensation.
It was the same by the lakeside. It felt like I was facing a great sword disguised as a fishing rod.
‘What kind of swordsmanship is this?’
The fishing rod felt like a great sword. However, it was impossible for Radon Crawler, a mere student, to achieve this solely by skill.
Before enrolling, I had heard from my father. Different sword styles have different strengths depending on the weapon wielded, and one should never overlook just because of the opponent’s weapon.
‘I completely forgot.’
Blinded by rage, I had forgotten that lesson. It seemed like the questions began to unravel, but doubts still lingered.
If I could effectively utilize this peculiar swordsmanship, I could have risen to Class A.
‘Being this strong… why didn’t you show it back then… why didn’t you keep your promise!’
The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became.
Isn’t it absurd that he hid such a unique fighting style? Was there a reason he had to be in Class C?
Ultimately, he deceived his classmates and tricked them. Jenny herself lost something precious because she was deceived by him.
From start to finish, a despicable scammer betraying others. Such a guy could never…
Crack!—
‘I can’t forgive this…!’
I couldn’t just stand by and watch as that guy walked around nonchalantly while scamming others… feeling his sweet victory.
The broken wooden sword still gripped tightly; I didn’t let it go, holding it even harder.
Then, a chill and ominous energy began to swirl from the broken blade.
Chwaaaah!—
Suddenly, a blue aura flowed down the sword’s hilt. It looked like a mass of mana resembling an orb.
From within, an indescribable coldness radiated.
Having lost control of my rage, I unwittingly released my limit of power.
Zzzzztt!—
With that chilly and sinister strike… the Ice Age descended.
*
It was a moment that made my heart drop.
In front of everyone, my sword broke. And it was just against a Class C student.
There couldn’t be a greater humiliation in such a public space.
Moreover, the opponent was a scammer who made me lose my treasured item. I couldn’t lose to such a guy.
That shame became immense stress, causing the buried power inside me to explode.
Instinctively drawing my weapon as if in response to a sudden situation, it struck like lightning.
Zzzzztt!—
The surroundings froze. Everything in front of Jenny, centered around her, turned into an Ice Age landscape. The nearby banks and forest sparkled, completely frozen.
Of course, I too froze up. All parts of me became like a statue except for my face.
Fortunately, it posed no danger to my life, but I felt like I could die from the cold.
“Th… my mouth won’t move…”
Just before freezing completely… I could see her with her blue eyes glowing ominously.
Finally, the broken sword was enveloped in the blue mana. Thus, the Ice Age was born from the newly formed blade.
I knew all too well about that power, which seemed like both swordsmanship and magic…
‘Silver Age’
The mana born from Jenny, who received countless powers from the first Chain Silver House Head.
Once, that power was seized from a being called the Star Dragon by the first house head, and after the death of the first head, it was believed to have extinguished forever, but it manifested in his descendant Jenny.
With such an absurd talent, there was no way she wouldn’t be placed in Class A.
However, she wasn’t really satisfied. Jenny regarded ‘Silver Age’ as a curse.
When she awoke from sleep, the whole room would begin to freeze, and she once nearly killed her pet cat or put her only younger sister in danger by accident.
And…
Due to improperly using that power, her mother ended up dead.
Even though it was an inexperienced mistake, for young Jenny, it became an unforgettable trauma. Because of that incident, she must have sworn never to use it again, considering it a curse for life.
But now… that vow was shattered.
Amidst the trembling vista, Jenny’s figure appeared.
Her face was blank, and the ominous energy from earlier had completely vanished.
By breaking the oath she had taken, terrible nightmares from the past resurfaced, leaving her heart desolate.
After seeing the pitiful tears gather in her eyes… I was ousted from the Void Space.
*
“Thank you so… much… Ah-choo!”
“You managed to keep your composure after that hit, huh?”
I was summoned to the gymnasium after being ousted.
Having been swallowed by that cold wave, it was only natural that the badge lost its function.
In this summoned place, there were other ousted students resting besides me.
Injured students were being attended to by Professor Stella herself. I too was under her care.
“I didn’t know you could fight that well against Jenny. It seems what you said last time wasn’t a lie after all.”
“Thanks for the… compliment…”
“With that performance, getting into Class A should be a piece of cake, right?”
“No way.”
“Hoho.”
It was a highly sensitive remark, and my previously trembling mouth regained its original pronunciation. Stella herself had said it jokingly and laughed it off.
“But you made quite the impression today. Although you lost, you surely drew a lot of attention.”
“Is promotion really possible? Plus, moving up to Class A means I’ll have to face Jenny again.”
“Hm… probably there’ll be differing opinions among the professors.”
It seemed there would be a meeting surrounding me after the exam concluded.
There was a high possibility that I would be called there.
“Thank you. I’m no longer cold at all.”
[Decline of Erosion Rate: -1%]
[+100 Credits]
“Really? You still look like a trembling aspen to me.”
“Still, I’m not cold. It’s actually warm like I’m in a bathhouse.”
[Decline of Erosion Rate: -1%]
[+100 Credits]
“This guy is lying again…”
It couldn’t be helped. Who would understand my position, having to lie in spoonfuls every day?
The erosion rate I had finally reduced was slowly starting to rise again, so I had to keep lying in a way.
“Well, I’m off then. I’ve set it up, so you’ll be fine in no time.”
“Take care! The sturdy and macho Professor Stella!”
“…!!”
[Decline of Erosion Rate: -7%]
[+700 Credits]
Stella held her breath at the remark that piqued her mood.
It was a crazy remark to say that a lady who is graceful and gentle is sturdy and macho, even I thought so.
“I wonder if Travell is fighting now? That protagonist guy…”
I looked at the screen showing the situation in the Void Space. There, just as expected, Lyman was seen confronting someone.
*
On the ground, under the white-haired boy holding a wooden sword, numerous badges were scattered.
They were all from students who had devised a strategy to take Lyman out early, but it had resulted in a miserable outcome.
Only Travell Viole, the orchestrator of the plan, remained standing.
“Who is it? Of course, it was you, huh?”
“Damn bastard, you’re not all talk after all.”
With his spiky hair and broad shoulders, Travell looked at Lyman and gritted his teeth.
Even at 16, his robust physique screamed warrior. But his inner self did not match that size.
“How much did you pay those guys who charged at me just now? I can’t believe you put this much effort into taking me out alone.”
“I’ve been annoyed with you for a long time. You don’t look special, yet the professors treat you exceptionally. You, in the same Class A as me? And your background is unclear!”
Travell Viole’s pride was sky-high. He looked down on those beneath him but would get mad when they succeeded… with a haughty and hot-headed personality.
The thought that a noble like him shared a rank with some vagabond of unknown origin filled him with stress.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Even squeezing his fists until they bled didn’t do anything to relieve his anger.
“Looks like you got hurt during that fight with those guys. Lyman… your time is up.”
[Viole Style – Type 1 Tough Strike]
Travell’s wooden sword became as solid as rock. It was a technique that amplified the mass of the sword you held.
Currently, Lyman’s leg was wobbling, preventing him from moving effectively. For that reason, Travell sneered.
“Let the vagabond go back to being a vagabond in Class C!”
With those words, Travell stomped the ground. A trench formed in the spot he passed, as if a rock was rolling at high speed.
This would engrave the hierarchy between them before everyone’s eyes. If they saw him being utterly humiliated, the professors wouldn’t favor him anymore.
Boom!!—
The blow, resembling a colossal boulder, finally struck. He had expected that annoying guy to be crushed, but… something unbelievable happened.
“Uh…?”
The strike he released openly was merely blocked by a single sword.
Lyman tilted his head as if nothing happened and said.
“Soft cotton?”
Surviving as an Academy Scammer.