Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 35

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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35

“You’re lucky, being first.”

Leo chuckled and stepped forward.

The practical exam content for Knighthood was simple.

Win 5 matches through dueling.

The moment you achieved 5 victories, you passed the exam.

Of course, detailed scores were graded based on the opponent and duel content, so wins and losses weren’t the absolute scoring requirement.

But anyway, it was important to win and pass the exam quickly.

Naturally, Leo’s goal was a perfect victory.

“Lucky because I’m first? I guess I’m not even worth considering!”

Howl, Leo’s first opponent, said with a laugh.

Howl Snape.

He was from a Renowned Hero Family of the Tul Kingdom in the Southern Continent.

Compared to Jerdinger, his fame was relatively low, but he still held the title of a Renowned Hero Family.

In particular, he wielded the ever-changing spear technique called Snape Spear.

He was actually evaluated as the third strongest among Class 1 Knighthood students, after Selia and Duran.

Howl flicked his tongue and drew a spear from his subspace bracelet.

It was a long spear, 1.5 times longer than a typical spear.

Seeing this, Leo also drew his sword from his waist.

“As explained beforehand, whoever renders their opponent unable to fight wins. Approach this duel as if it were actual combat.”

After briefly finishing his explanation, Ain stepped back.

There were no out-of-bounds rulings.

Literally, the entire Training Ground was the dueling area.

Facing each other, Howl flicked his tongue.

“This should be interesting. I’ve been thinking I need to pay you back ever since we lost to your Class 5 in the Combat Studies class at the beginning of the semester.”

“You’re still holding onto that?”

When Leo asked with a chuckle, Howl smiled coldly.

“People of the Snape Family don’t forget humiliation.”

“Did you hate cleaning the bathroom that much!”

“Ugh! Do you know how much the other class guys made fun of me!”

Howl clenched his fist tightly.

“I’ll repay that humiliation! Leo Flobe!”

Swish-!

Howl gripped his spear properly and lowered his stance.

It was a ready position reminiscent of a snake’s attack posture.

Watching such Howl, Leo let his sword hang loose.

“Leo. I’ve heard about how amazing your performance was during the entrance exam.”

Howl curled up the corners of his mouth.

“But you’re definitely behind other students from the starting line! I heard you couldn’t even awaken aura during the entrance exam! Can someone like you really block this attack!”

Kwak-! Swish-!

Howl’s spear tip aimed for Leo’s chest.

Tremendous speed!

Normally, spear thrusts are in a straight line.

So no matter how fast, they’re easy to dodge if you can predict them.

‘But Snape Spear is just getting started from there!’

The Snape Family’s spear thrusting technique moves the spear tip like a living snake.

So if you carelessly try to dodge, you’ll easily meet disaster.

‘The moment you dodge, you’ll be cornered!’

Any ordinary student should normally be defeated by Howl without being able to do anything the moment they gave up the first exchange.

But Leo was a student who exceeded the ordinary category.

Thud-!

“…!”

Howl’s eyes widened.

Leo had grabbed the spear shaft just before it reached him.

“You said you heard about me from other kids, but didn’t you hear about me from Selia, who’s in the same class?”

Leo smiled coldly.

Whoosh-!

“Huh?”

Leo lifted Howl straight up toward the sky, spear and all.

Howl, who had been preparing for aura, widened his eyes seeing Leo lift him with pure physical strength.

“I’m really strong, you know!”

Whoosh-! Thud-!

Leo slammed Howl straight down to the ground.

Of course, just before hitting the ground, he minimized the damage using aura armor.

Howl, who had regained his posture, chuckled.

“Of course I heard. I was just a little surprised that your strength was stronger than expected.”

Whooom-!

The spear shaft glowed green.

“But just because your physical strength is strong doesn’t solve your fundamental weakness!”

Howl’s green eyes flashed.

Leo quickly let go of the spear.

Hiss-!

Small smoke rose from the ground where Howl stood.

‘Poison aura? That’s a unique characteristic.’

Leo made an interested expression.

It was an aura characteristic that was overwhelmingly advantageous in prolonged battles.

It made sense why he was so confident.

‘But you’re still far from ready.’

“You keep talking about my weaknesses.”

Leo chuckled.

Weaknesses exist to be overcome, don’t they?”

Whoosh-!

The flame aura rising from Leo’s body pushed back Howl’s poison aura.

Seeing this, Howl grinned.

‘Certainly, flame-attribute aura is a weakness for me! But unless it’s at Selia’s level, I can easily reverse the compatibility!’

Whoosh-!

Even more powerful toxicity burst from Howl’s body.

Accordingly, Leo also increased his firepower.

‘It’s useless! Unless it’s at Selia’s level!’

Whoooosh-!

Crackle!

As if competing, every time the poison grew stronger, the flame’s intensity became even more fierce.

As time passed, Howl’s face gradually hardened.

‘Unless it’s… at Selia’s… level?’

Before he knew it, Howl’s face had turned pale as his gaze met Leo’s red eyes.

‘This is impossible! Firepower at Selia’s level?!’

Leo had distinguished himself at the beginning of the semester.

Moreover, he had never properly shown his skills in duels that evaluated comprehensive combat ability.

So in this exam duel where the overall skill of first-years had rapidly improved, most had predicted Howl’s victory.

But as if mocking such expectations, Leo pressured Howl with powerful flame aura.

Selia, who had been watching the situation from outside with her arms crossed, showed a surprised expression.

‘When did he get that strong?’

Selia was one of the few people who had predicted Leo’s victory.

However, she hadn’t expected Leo to raise the firepower of his flame aura to this extent.

Duran, who was watching that scene, chuckled.

“Howl seems insufficient.”

“Howl hasn’t lost yet, so aren’t you jumping to conclusions?”

When a Knight Department student from Class 1 scolded him, Duran sneered.

“Are your eyes just decorations? He’s already at a disadvantage in terms of compatibility, and now he’s completely overwhelmed in a power struggle. Do you think Howl has any chance?”

“Even so, Howl still has Snake Spear left. Aura compatibility isn’t a factor that determines victory or defeat.”

“Hmph! Do you think Howl can overwhelm Leo Flobe with technique?”

“He’s number 4 in our class.”

“Whether Howl is the fourth strongest in our class or not doesn’t matter.”

Sparks crackled from Duran’s body.

“I’m the one who will beat him.”

“You? I don’t think so.”

Selia, who was nearby, sneered.

“Are you taking his side because you usually hang out together? Selia Jerdinger.”

“I’m not taking sides. I’m the one who will beat Leo. You can’t even beat me, can you?”

“Nonsense. I’ll show you right now who’s superior.”

“Fine. I’ll smash you to pieces.”

Crackle!

Whoosh!

Duran, who would try to break anyone above him, and Selia, who had strong pride in being the best, had an extremely bad relationship.

“Hey, hey, hey! What are we doing fighting among ourselves! We should be cheering for Howl?! Huh? Hey, hey! Don’t activate your aura!”

A Class 1 student was horrified and tried to stop them, but there was no sign of them calming down.

“You two. If you fight now, it won’t end with just a written apology, will it?”

Then Chen Xia smiled and dissuaded the two.

At those words, Duran snorted and went to the other side, while Selia elegantly swept her hair back.

“Class 1 is overflowing with fighting spirit.”

“It’s not really fighting spirit or anything like that. I just want to smash that annoying bastard’s face to pieces.”

“Isn’t that fighting spirit?”

Professor Sedjen had forbidden duels between students from the same class, so there was no way for Selia and Duran to settle their match.

“Says Xia. You also want to fight Leo, yet you say such things.”

“I certainly want to fight Young Master Leo. But Leo isn’t my only target.”

“Then?”

“I want to fight Miss Selia too, and I want to fight Duran as well. And my goal is to defeat all three of you.”

“In the end, you have the strongest fighting spirit.”

Selia sighed as she looked at Chen Xia, whose black eyes were sparkling.

The surrounding students, who had been watching the nerve war between the top Knight Department students with tense faces, breathed a sigh of relief seeing it pass without incident.

“Leo is quite popular.”

When Nella spoke in her characteristic languid voice, Iliana, who was next to her, shook her head.

“I’d pass on that kind of popularity.”

***

“Haah!”

Howl hastily performed an aura step against Leo’s swinging flame aura.

He had to create distance somehow.

But Leo wouldn’t allow Howl to create distance.

‘I have to stop him!’

He swung his spear infused with poison aura toward Leo approaching him.

Whoosh-!

But Leo’s aura burned away all of Howl’s poison.

Not only was he at a disadvantage in compatibility, but he was also overwhelmed in power.

It was a clear disadvantage.

“Kuk!”

The bewilderment from completely misjudging his opponent pressed down on Howl.

But he soon came to his senses and lowered his stance.

‘It’s unexpected, but I can’t just keep taking hits!’

Howl’s eyes changed like a snake eyeing its prey.

‘I’ve already prepared countermeasures!’

Howl, who had been called a genius since childhood, hadn’t achieved first place in the entrance exam.

But while he felt regret, he didn’t feel resentment.

‘Woreden Taiden! That monster was there!’

Among those from the southern region, there was no one who didn’t know about Woreden.

That thrilling power was enough to be called a monster beyond a genius.

But he thought he was the best among the Knight Department students.

In fact, he was one of the top skilled students among this year’s first-year Knight Department students.

But he couldn’t claim to be the strongest.

‘Selia Jerdinger! Chen Xia! Duran Moria!’

The three people called the best among the same class.

He could tell from the first moment he saw them that these three were a step above him.

For Howl, who had always been the best in martial arts, it was a tremendous shock.

Especially in Selia’s case, it was a despairing level.

Not only was his skill lacking, but he was also overwhelmed in compatibility.

‘I could at least strategize against Chen Xia or Duran! But against Selia, I only felt helplessness!’

At the beginning of the semester, she was an insurmountable wall.

But after months of blood-shedding effort, he had prepared countermeasures against Selia.

‘I was going to keep it hidden in preparation for sparring with Selia! But this worked out better!’

Howl’s eyes flashed.

‘A good opponent to test my new technique! And Leo Flobe! I can’t lose to you of all people!’

Whirrrr-!

He spun his spear magnificently.

‘Especially not to you who’s close to Selia!’

He had already erased the thought that his opponent was weaker than him from his mind.

He viewed him as equal to the person he was aiming for.

‘I thought he was just a gloomy guy, but he has pretty decent eyes, doesn’t he?’

Cautiously and surely, he was gathering power to defeat him.

‘You must have worked tremendously hard to overcome the unfavorable compatibility, right?’

Howl was clearly looking at him with his eyes, but he was also looking at something else visible behind him.

‘Selia, is it.’

Leo, who easily saw through this, grinned.

The boy before his eyes was burning with a spirit of challenge.

‘I’ll accept that challenge.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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