The Support Ate it All

Chapter 48: 3rd Week Duel Battles (3)

Baek Jun-seoks strategy was simple.

Whatever move his opponent made, he planned to block with his shield and counter with his one-handed sword.

Since he determined from the previous match that he had the upper hand in close combat, he believed this straightforward tactic would suffice.

Try and hit me if you can.

Baek Jun-seok was confident in his defense.

Although his overall combat abilities might have been somewhat inferior to those of the other students, when it came to holding his ground with a shield, he was second to none.

He was certain that Kim Hos attacks wouldnt even leave a scratch.

He assumed Kim Ho was aware of this fact and would therefore try to outmaneuver him in some way.

However, contrary to his expectations, Kim Ho charged directly with him.

Approaching rapidly without any sign of an attacking skill, it appeared to Baek Jun-seok as if Kim Ho was practically begging to be taken down.

Just as he was about to lift his one-handed sword for a strike, Kim Ho lightly placed his hand on the shield as if touching it.

Bang!

An enormous force was applied, and Baek Jun-seoks arm was thrown back along with his shield, leaving his upper body completely exposed.

Wha

Before he could even express his shock, Kim Ho stepped even closer and seized Baek Jun-seoks wrist with one hand while placing the other on his waist.

In the next instant, Baek Jun-seoks body was lifted off the ground and he started spinning in the air.

Before getting slammed back down.

Boom!!

The heavy weight of his armor added to the force of the throw, resulting in a tremendous impact that rendered Baek Jun-seok utterly incapacitated.

The mana shield protecting Hong Yeon-hwa also dissipated silently in that instant.

!

Suddenly left alone, Hong Yeon-hwa was too stunned to even consider casting her next spell as she was overwhelmed by the shocking turn of events before her eyes.

Her pupils darted in disbelief.

Wasnt he specializing in defense ?

She had made her strategy under the assumption that Kim Ho was merely a supporter skilled in defensive magic, but he defied that notion entirely by charging head-on and taking down Baek Jun-seok.

What skill or ability had he used to effortlessly lift and throw a person clad in full plate armor as if they were a mere stuffed doll?

Hong Yeon-hwas understanding of Kim Ho expanded with this scene.

He was the owner of an incredibly potent defensive magic that rendered him safe even under a barrage of fire spells and he didnt suffer even 1% damage.

Moreover, he was a martial arts master with the terrifying capability to send Baek Jun-seok flying with mere gestures.

And, and then. Could it be that he is hiding something else?

Previously, Hong Yeon-hwa had thought she might eventually catch up to him, but now the gap between their abilities felt insurmountably wide.

.

Ho!

As Kim Ho took a step forward, Hong Yeon-hwa hastily retreated two steps.

She wanted to put even more distance between them, but a prickling sensation at her back stopped her after just two steps.

It was likely from Seo Ye-in aiming her gun.

.

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Kim Ho did not advance further; instead, he fixed her with a gaze as cold as before.

Though he said nothing, his icy stare seemed to convey a chilling message as clear as if spoken aloud:

You know what you should do, dont you?

If you try anything unnecessary

Ill make you end up like him

Hong Yeon-hwas complexion turned deathly pale.

If she were to show even the slightest hint of attempting any action other than surrender, she would immediately be flung aside like Baek Jun-seok or have a magic bullet lodged in the back of her head.

She started trembling like an aspen tree and she struggled to open her mouth before she finally managed to respond.

I-I admit defeat

[Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in Win]

vs

[Baek Jun-seok and Hong Yeon-hwa Lose]

Even after the match had concluded, Hong Yeon-hwa stood there blankly for a long time

***

The poor kid is completely out of it.

I cast a sympathetic glance towards Hong Yeon-hwa.

I hadnt expected to face off in two consecutive matches either.

Considering her original high score, she must have lost a significant amount, and suffering two consecutive defeats would have further reduced it, not to mention the additional toll on her mental state.

But you get no mercy from me.

I too had a quest to complete.

[Side Quest: 3rd Week Duel Battles]

Objective: Complete 4 duel matches. (2/4 completed)

Deadline: ~ midnight on Sunday.

Reward: Varies based on the number of wins. (2/4 wins)

The reward for this weeks quest is likely to be an [Accessory Selection].

Aiming for a winning streak was important, as more victories would secure a higher-tier selection privilege. A single defeat was not an option.

I wonder if shell manage to dust herself off and get back up?

From what Ive seen in the two matches, Hong Yeon-hwas mental strength is pretty good.

The first match ended rather anticlimactically.

The terrain was notoriously windy, and despite my frequent interruptions with [Wind Force] spells, she seemed completely oblivious.

And she was likely cursing her own misfortune.

Such disappointment could have easily shaken her skills, yet in the second match, she exhibited an even stronger performance.

She flexibly adapted her combat style after discerning the unique characteristics of my skills and Seo Ye-ins

Had it not been for the unexpected challenge posed by Wind Force, Hong Yeon-hwas team might have emerged victorious.

With such formidable mental strength, she would surely recover on her own if left to her own devices.

Or not.

Whats more important now is.

.?

Noticing my silent gaze, Seo Ye-in tilted her head.

If Seo Ye-ins growth were to be charted on a hexagonal graph, the Destructive Power aspect would stand out prominently and resemble the point of a spike.

As was evident in the second match against the Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Jun-seok duo, the moment her position was exposed, she became incredibly vulnerable.

To prepare for such situations, it was wise to master a variety of skills and traits, including defense, evasion, and methods to become invisible again.

Among these, some were better learned from other gunners, so she should go for the mentoring application.

Its troublesome; Im sleepy

However, the person in question lacked the motivation for such a thing.

Also, with her current strategy of just wearing the invisible ghillie suit and firing away, resulting in easy knockouts, she probably didnt feel much need for mentoring.

I wish someone would give her a challenge for once.

Though it seemed contradictory for me to think this, she needs to lose to someone to get her competitive spirit fired up.

Wouldnt someone like Song Cheon-hye or that Beheader Goblin pop up from somewhere?

***

The term all-rounded applied to me as well.

[The rank of Wind Force has increased. (D->C)]

For most skills and traits, the C rank represented a stagnant phase.

It became significantly harder to advance in rank from this point on.

No matter how well I knew all the hidden pieces and shortcuts, I couldnt just skip over this stagnant phase.

Of course, as it got slower and more challenging to advance, with each step up from B to A to S, the power of the skills increased significantly, making it impossible to simply stop the progress.

I need to think long-term and be realistic.

Consistent practice over the long term was fundamental.

However, instead of pouring all resources into raising a single skill from C to B, it was more beneficial for enhancing overall strength to acquire a variety of skills, traits, and equipment.

Thats why my next goal was a weapon.

Go Hyeon-woo needs to do well.

He was part of the blueprint for creating that weapon.

How much I could expect from him would become clear after we fought together in the double duel battle tomorrow.

***

Kim-hyung, Ive done it.

Go Hyeon-woos face was bright as he greeted me in the morning.

The aura emanating from him was even sharper than the day before.

It was proof that he had achieved C-rank in his [Core].

Youve worked hard. Shall we head straight to the duel battles after this?

Thats exactly what I was hoping for. Im ready.

Go Hyeon-woo responded with confidence.

After class, I immediately made my way to the arena.

The arena was bustling with even more students than the day before.

There were so many people scanning their student IDs at the terminals that it was almost necessary to line up.

[Kim Ho 457 points]

[Go Hyeon-woo 687 points]

While we waited for the matchmaking to process, Go Hyeon-woo brought up Seo Ye-in.

I wonder who Miss Seo will be playing her remaining two matches with.

Did she have any friends besides us?

Not that I know of. Ive always seen her with Kim-hyung.

Over the past two weeks, Seo Ye-in had spent most of her time with me.

Her only other activities seemed to be holing up alone in her dorm room or practicing at the training center.

I guess she probably didnt have another partner to team up with besides us.

It didnt fit her personality to suddenly start looking for a team member.

Truth be told, Im in a similar situation with a limited social circle. Im worried about how to find team members.

Go Hyeon-woos situation wasnt much different from hers.

He was popular because of his good looks and his social skills werent bad either, so it seemed he had become acquainted with many people in passing.

However, because he had spent the entire beginning of the semester secluded in the special cultivation room, he hadnt formed any close bonds that would let him be able to form teams quickly.

I responded dismissively to the concern.

Just go for a random queue if you dont have a partner.

What is a random queue?

Its exactly what it sounds like. You get paired up randomly.

I see, such an option exists.

Go Hyeon-woo mused before asking another question.

However, wouldnt it be disadvantageous to work with a teammate assigned at random?

Having a pre-arranged partner allows one to enter 2-on-2 battles with a strategic advantage from the start, plan tactics in advance, and gain experience from playing multiple matches with the same teammate.

On the other hand, with a random queue, one might end up with an unfavorable combination, like two mages or two archers, right from the start.

This puts one at a disadvantage in terms of team composition.

Moreover, the lack of time to devise a strategy means that battles are almost approached on the fly.

As soon as a match ended, the two of you would break up, so your experience with that partner would be reset.

The academy was well aware of these issues.

Thats why the average score for the random queue is set higher.

In other words, instead of pre-arranged coordination, they compensate by pairing you with a more skilled partner.

Exactly. Its not entirely unfair.

I see.

Go Hyeon-woo nodded his head in understanding.

Just then, our match was set, and we simultaneously turned our heads.

Ah.

Uhmm!

We both let out a murmur as we checked the list of opponents.

[Kim Ho 457 points Go Hyeon-woo 687 points]

vs

[Ilgong 572 points Seo Ye-in 741 points]

Suddenly, a thought I had the previous day flashed through my mind.

She needs to lose to someone to get her competitive spirit fired up.

Wouldnt someone like Song Cheon-hye or that Beheader Goblin pop up from somewhere?

Turns out, I was the one who popped up?