Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 96

A Slow Learner, Deis (4)

Unlike lower-year students below the third grade who entered without being able to use magic, upper-year transfer students in the fourth grade or higher occasionally faced a rather embarrassing reality like this.
Renches
“Oh, my. What kind of nonsense spell is that supposed to be?”

Professor Melanta, who taught White Magic Defensive Techniques, clicked her tongue as she pointed at the magic circle drawn by the student seated in front of her.

“Your spell is a mess, and the magic circle… well, it’s quite a disaster. This won’t do at all. From now on, forget everything you’ve learned about magic outside of this academy.”

Students from weaker families or commoner backgrounds often had to make do with magic that was inferior or inefficient compared to what Arniel Academy taught.

On the other hand, children from fairly prominent families possessed their own independent systems, which Arniel typically left alone. However, for students without such privilege, Arniel would actively correct their understanding of magic.

This was not discrimination but an appropriate form of education, and therefore, complaints were unwarranted. There were occasional cases where students resisted after having all the magic they learned at home completely rejected, but such instances only occurred once every few years and were rare.

“Hmm, is that so? I modified the shield spell to channel mana differently, and it was very effective in practical use!”

When the student protested, Professor Melanta smiled faintly and asked,

“Student, what is your name?”

“!”

“Ah, Renches. Your magic system is utterly chaotic. Abandon everything you’ve learned so far and focus on mastering Arniel’s system of magic.”

“What? But this spell is an incredible one that my father spent his entire life researching!”

“A spell your father researched, you say? All magic deserves respect. However, Arniel’s magical system is supported by centuries of history. Do you believe your father’s magic is more profound and enduring than Arniel’s history?”

When Professor Melanta shot back, Renches blinked his eyes rapidly.

“Well, no, not really… My father isn’t hundreds of years old, after all.”

Hahaha! His silly response caused the room to erupt in laughter.

Harang glanced at Renches.

The name sounded familiar.

‘Isn’t he the guy who made a fuss during the entrance exam, claiming he would demonstrate Reversal Magic?’

If anyone remembered the new students in this year’s eighth grade, Renches’ face would be among the most memorable.

With his ordinary brown ponytail and brown eyes, it was easy to assume he came from a mediocre family or was a commoner. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have been able to display any extraordinary magic. However, Renches had left a lasting impression during the entrance exam by being the only candidate who failed to manifest a spell.

‘I thought he’d been eliminated.’

Harang was sure that Renches had failed to cast a spell, so it was baffling to see him sitting confidently among the accepted students.

“Exactly. Renches, your father didn’t live longer than Arniel has existed. So, wouldn’t Arniel’s magic be more exceptional?”

It was sophistry, but since it was a professor from Arniel saying it, there was some logic to be found in the argument.

“Hmm, I see. Indeed, professor, your knowledge is deep and wisdom unmatched!”

Even though his father had just been insulted, Renches nodded with a beaming smile.

“Absolutely correct. The reversal magic my father studied his whole life is far beyond my current level to complete. Receiving assistance from the exceptional knowledge of Arniel is the right thing to do!”

“…Did you just say reversal magic?”

Professor Melanta blatantly sneered at Renches.

“Mark my words, Renches. Your magic is abysmal, garbage-tier at best. Yet, even so, Arniel has been gracious and merciful enough to give you the opportunity to learn. You were simply lucky. This year’s eighth-grade class had fewer applicants, which is the only reason this chance fell into your lap.”

“I’m fully aware! However, my father always said that luck is also a form of skill. I will prove myself confidently with my own abilities!”

“…….”

No matter how sharply Professor Melanta criticized him, Renches did not budge an inch.

It was truly a battle of spear and shield.

In the end, due to time constraints, it was Professor Melanta who backed down first.

“I’ll be watching, Renches. I doubt you’ll make it through the year.”

Leaving behind one last jab, Professor Melanta turned her attention to another student—none other than Deis.

She carefully examined the magic circle Deis had laid out before abruptly pointing out a flaw.

“Deis. Your shield is a complete mess. While it’s commendable that you have the talent to perform triple casting, it’s unfortunate that the magic system you learned outside is so crude. Who was your teacher?”

“…….”

If he responded recklessly here, it would only make Harang appear as some kind of troublemaker.

But the magical framework Harang used was something taught to him by Natalen. Harang could endure being insulted himself for the sake of his mission, but he absolutely could not tolerate disrespect directed at his teacher.

“…My mentor resides in quiet seclusion in the Eastern regions, so I cannot reveal their name. However, they are someone deserving of the utmost respect. Even if their magic system differs slightly from Arniel’s, I see no reason to alter it.”

At that, the professor’s expression twisted.

Was she angry?

No, she wasn’t.

It was an amused distortion.

The corners of her mouth curled upwards slightly, as if to say, ‘Oh, you’ve stepped into it now.’ Harang felt so dumbfounded by her expression that he nearly burst out laughing.

Do the people in this place not even bother trying to hide their emotions?

“Is that so? An Eastern hermit mage, you say… Certainly, without knowing their magic firsthand, it wouldn’t be right to dismiss them carelessly. Very well, then. I shall give you an opportunity to demonstrate the merits of the magic you use. Alowin? Step forward.”

“Yes, professor.”

At the professor’s call, a tall boy with a deep voice stood up confidently. He let out a faint smirk, as though he found this situation quite enjoyable.

Anyone would feel a sense of excitement if given the chance to duel the famous Deis.

After all, it was no different from an opportunity to defeat a well-known figure and claim victory.

‘A ninth-grader, huh? Isn’t that a bit too harsh for a matchup?’

Alowin was a third-rank ninth-grader, a senior who had been studying under Arniel’s system for three years.

It was a time when he should have completely internalized and grown accustomed to Arniel’s magic system.

Professor Melanta approached Alowin with a wide smile, leaning in to whisper quietly.

“It’s a request from above. Make sure to demonstrate your abilities thoroughly. The sponsorship funds might increase because of this.”

“……!”

At the mention of a “request from above,” Alowin’s gaze sharpened instantly. Watching this, Professor Melanta gave a satisfied smile and glanced briefly toward Zelka Ainglass, who was seated at the back.

‘What great luck.’

Among Ainglass’s followers, it was only natural that a few professors were included.

A few days earlier, a meeting had taken place among professors who supported Ainglass. They had mentioned, ‘The young master wishes to verify whether the commoner Deis is cheating when using magic.’

In other words, this was an opportunity.

By being the first professor to act on Zelka’s request, she could take a step closer to aligning herself with Ainglass’s faction.

Deis was already a student she’d intended to put in his place eventually. And checking whether he was cheating was, for her, an extremely simple task.

“Step onto the platform.”

At the center of the lecture hall was a circular platform.

Students would use this space to duel, testing their magical skills against one another.

“The rules are simple. Use shock-type magic of three stars or lower to exchange blows. The first person to fall off the platform loses.”

Even with a limit of three stars or lower, most eighth-graders could only use two-star magic on average. Only a few genius students like Zelka Ainglass or Ailka Willed could wield three-star magic at the young age of fourteen.

But right now, the students stepping onto the platform were special.

Alowin Kazent had entered the academy three years ago, achieving top scores despite not coming from a prestigious family. He had outperformed all the elites and had retained his position as the top student ever since.

On the other hand, there was Deis, one of this year’s most noteworthy new students. Though a commoner, he had made headlines for overpowering Mitiel.

Their duel was so anticipated that it was hard to predict what might happen without the restriction of three-star shock magic.

‘So if you fall off the platform, you lose.’

Harang looked behind him.

Just five steps backward would result in immediate disqualification. From what he recalled, shock-type magic wasn’t particularly harmful to the human body, but it was excellent for breaking shields. For this reason, it was primarily used in training and practice duels rather than real combat.

Ordinarily, once the shield is broken, defeat is inevitable.

With a shield, even shock magic can be endured easily. But without one, an ordinary human would be helplessly thrown aside.

“Now then, are you ready?”

Harang slowly drew out a standard-issue staff and pointed it at Alowin.

This was only the third magic duel for him, but Alowin, who attended Arniel, must have gained plenty of experience battling countless geniuses in duels.

“Duel, start!”

“Shock Wave!”

“……!”

The moment the duel began, Alowin immediately launched a shockwave.

At that moment, Professor Melanta instinctively knew the duel was over.

The shield magic that Dais used was rather unique compared to conventional shields. Typically, shields were composed of seven translucent blue hexagons that spread out to constantly defend a wide area. In contrast, his shield layered those seven hexagons into a single dense formation.

Not only was the range narrower, but he also didn’t keep the shield activated at all times. Instead, he kept it partially folded so that it could be deployed instantly when magic approached.

According to his reasoning: “No matter where magic comes from, I can respond instantly. By layering the shields, the defense is one step stronger than a conventional shield.”

But… was that so easy to execute?

If he failed to react in time to fast-approaching magic, he could suffer a critical blow. Moreover, the narrow coverage made him vulnerable to wide-area magic!

Crash—!!

“……Huh?”

Yet, as if to dismiss such predictions effortlessly, Dais skillfully moved the shield and shattered the shockwave with ease.

Not only Professor Melanta, but even Alowin looked flustered.

Harang’s shield had initially been deployed near his chest, and the shockwave had been aimed at his head. Yet, in that brief moment, the shield had moved to intercept and block the attack.

‘Oh no!’

Realizing his moment of surprise, Alowin quickly deployed his own shield, but his opponent remained silent.

Dais stood still without counterattacking or using any additional shockwaves.

‘What is this…?’

Feeling ignored, Alowin’s expression twisted in frustration as he fired shockwaves one after another. But every time, the shield moved fluidly, blocking the attacks effortlessly.

Not even the tiniest crack appeared—truly perfect defense!

Alowin was starting to grow anxious.

If Dais had at least counterattacked, there might have been a chance. But instead, he simply maintained his defensive stance without making a move.

It was as if he were perfectly refuting Professor Melanta’s earlier criticism of his shield being “sloppy.”

Sweat trickled down Alowin’s back.

This couldn’t happen.

That insolent commoner magician could not be allowed to disprove the professor’s words—absolutely not!

“…I’ll get serious now,” Alowin declared, his voice tense.

The students watching murmured in surprise. Until now, Dais had only been defending, making Alowin’s proclamation seem even more dramatic in comparison.

However, Harang felt an unfair pang of frustration.

‘I’ve never even learned shock magic.’

He was the kind of person who didn’t know the meaning of holding back.

During his pro-gamer days, he had mercilessly crushed opponents—whether they were beginners or experts—on countless live streams, earning a reputation as someone utterly cold and ruthless. For someone like Harang, who never went easy on anyone, this situation felt particularly grating.

‘Damn it, that arrogant commoner brat thinks I’m mocking him!’

Being accused of showing leniency was an unbearable insult to him.

‘…Wait. I do know one kind of shockwave.’

Suddenly, Harang remembered a 1-star magic spell. But before casting it, he wondered if it would be enough to break the shield.

The problem with a 1-star shockwave was that its wide range diluted its power, making it unlikely to deal significant damage to a shield.

Then, an idea came to him.

‘Do I even need to break the shield?’

After all, wouldn’t he win if Alowin was simply pushed out of the arena’s circle?

Though shields absorbed all impact energy and were difficult to push directly, he figured he might be able to exploit weaker spots and force his opponent to stagger backward.

It wasn’t a novel idea—many had considered using shockwaves this way. However, the minimal force of the impact usually made it ineffective, which was why no one bothered.

But Harang had no other choice.

‘Shields are designed to primarily protect the torso and face.’

It was only natural to focus on vital areas, leaving the lower body somewhat less fortified.

With that in mind, Harang gathered mana into his staff and aimed it at Alowin.

BANG—!!

“W-what…?!”

Alowin, unable to withstand the sudden shockwave directed at his legs, stumbled backward.

‘No, no!’

He hastily lowered his shield to block the impact on his legs.

BANG—!!

Predicting this move, Harang immediately launched a second shockwave, this time aimed at Alowin’s chest.

“Urgh!”

THUD!

In the end, Alowin fell unceremoniously off the platform, landing on his rear with an audible thump.

“…Oh.”

It was an anticlimactic conclusion that no one had anticipated.

As the spectators struggled to process what had just happened, Harang calmly planted his staff upright, gave the magician’s salute, and returned to his seat.

Alowin, unable to lift his head, sat slumped with his shoulders drooping in utter defeat.

It was an overwhelming victory.