I Became a Time-Stopper at the Academy

86 – Balbino (1)

The day after I saw the result of mass production at the magic potion factory.

I was on my way to the academy restaurant where Isabel was for lunch when Eliane came up to me and said.

“Seobang-nim, I have something to tell you privately.”

“Are you in a hurry?”

“It’s not very urgent, but it doesn’t take too long.”

I nodded and went to my dorm room for a while.

In a room with only me, Luisa, Lena, and Elianne, Elianne started talking to her.

“I figured out how to practice for the final exam.”

… Somehow, the déjà vu during the midterm exam.

Well, even during the midterm exam, her information helped me a lot.

There was nothing bad about it.

There is not a small possibility that we will go in a completely different way from the original game like the last midterm exam.

She put up with her words for a while.

“It’s a party-specific tournament.”

Pu-sup—, I heard a sudden death.

Luisa and Lena patted me on the back right away.

Eliane seemed to be perplexed.

She coughed a few times and told them.

“Oh, sorry. Because of saliva.”

Actually, it wasn’t because of the saliva.

It was because of the information Elianne brought.

Party-specific tournaments.

It was literally a self-organized party among first-year cadets competing against each other.

It is said that the focus is on how to respond rather than the victory or defeat itself, but in reality, the winning party in the tournament takes first place in the final exam practical skills ranking.

“Since the maximum number of people in the party is six, I think we can go out like this, Mr. West, Mr. Luisa, Mr. Caitlin, Mr. Benedetta, and Mr. Lando.”

Delia is not a cadet, but a healer’s apprentice, so she can’t participate anyway.

She’s probably waiting on one side to treat injured cadets like an uninhabited island during midterm exams.

The reason why I was interested in party-specific tournaments was because it was absurd.

The uninhabited island survival of the midterm practical test was originally the method adopted for the final exam in the second semester in .

… This party-specific tournament was a test held during the midterms of the second semester.

‘But with this, it’s clear.’

Balbino continues to stay at the academy.

Recently, I went to the back alley of the academy every day to check Balbino’s location.

I expected to work until the end of the first semester.

In , When Balbino attacked the academy in earnest, he used the midterms of the second semester.

In other words, aiming for a party-specific tournament.

‘Balbino will move during the final exams next week.’

It was fortunate though.

Because I’m not working in a direction I’m completely unaware of.

If you used a method different from the game story, there would be no way to deal with it in advance.

I went out of my room, had lunch, and met with the instructor before the lecture started.

With Elianne and Benedetta accompanying him.

“Instructor, there is something I would like to ask of you regarding this final exam tournament.”

“Oh no, how?”

The instructor in front of us is the one who is in charge of the general command of this party-specific tournament.

I just need to coax this person out.

“That’s not a big request.”

“More than that, how did you know about the tournament!”

You always have to be sincere when asking for something.

In particular, you need to prepare something that the other person will like.

I took out a bag of gold coins.

Then I just placed it on the instructor’s hand like a scale and kept holding it.

Feel the weight of the gold coins yourself.

“Will you do me a favor?”

The instructor cleared his throat, saying “Kheuheum.”

Then he nodded.

As soon as I let go of the bag of gold coins, he raised the corner of his mouth.

I came back soon, probably to maintain my dignity as an instructor.

“So what are you asking for?”

“What do you plan to do with the cadets who drop out of the tournament?”

“Since it takes place in the arena, you can decide whether you go to the audience seats or go to the dormitory….”

“I would like you to correct that part. I think there is a possibility that the dropouts will go out of their way and go wild.”

With only a week left, the instructor showed reluctance at the request to supplement the facility.

But when I brought out another bag of gold coins and told him that I would pay all the expenses, he finally said okay.

When I said that the instructor could keep the extra change, he even sent me a warm look, like a disciple who cherished me.

… In a way, the preparations were simple, but I began to question the professional ethics of the academy instructors.

*

The day after taking the written exam for the final exam.

All first year cadets gathered at the training ground.

Of course we too.

The instructor who received a thick bag of gold coins,

“From now on, I will proceed with the final practical exam for the first semester of the first year.”

Declared with a solemn expression.

Clap clap clap—.

All the cadets in the audience applauded.

It felt like my eardrums would explode as so many people clapped their hands all at once.

“Instructors who saw the parties received over the past week objectively analyzed them and drew up the tournament table. Keep in mind that surviving the tournament is not the only criterion for evaluation.”

The bracket has been revealed.

… Because of the large number of cadets, the paper with the match chart was also huge.

“Cadets except for Teams 1 through 12, please go to the waiting room.”

I, Louisa, Caitlin, Elianne, Benedetta, and Lando all moved to the waiting room following the instructor’s instructions.

A separate temporary building was built at the entrance of the training ground.

It was a place we made by giving money to the instructor.

It was a very simple building.

Give each group a waiting room.

Of course, the cadets after the tournament will wait here.

“Since we are group 24, we will go to the second match.”

Caitlyn said as she sat down on a chair in the waiting room.

Dalian is performed in groups of six at a time.

In other words, we are leaving in 10 minutes.

Dalian time is only 10 minutes.

If it takes more than that, only one party representative will fight and the winner will advance in the tournament.

The first sparring ended exactly 10 minutes later.

Both winners and losers returned to the waiting room.

The timing that Balbino is aiming for is probably when all the matches are over and the tournament winning party comes out.

It was like that in , And it would be like that even if I was in Balbino’s position.

Suddenly, the instructor opened the door to the waiting room and shouted.

“Team 24, to the arena!”

“”Yes!””

I picked up my weapon, a magic potion direct supply type horse gun.

It was the Mark 2 that came out by improving the improvements I pointed out before.

The cable has been changed to a detachable type so that you can switch to a different type of horse gun when you want.

Of course, I still only had a normal horse gun and a shotgun.

I have a tank full of magic potions on my back.

The distance won’t be too far, so I chose the shotgun.

The horse guns are also made to be inserted and removed from the fan groove on the side of the tank.

“Let’s go.”

“”Yes.”” “Yes!”

23 Sets of opponents in the first round.

It was a party of four.

… I didn’t even use [Time Stop], But I just fired four shotguns and the sparring was over in 10 seconds.

In the second round, there was a party of five, all of which were physics-based.

I, Benedetta, and Elianne continuously sent magic deals for 30 seconds and got the victory.

“Something I am not doing.”

Lando said in a slightly sullen tone.

This is Caitlyn,

“It’s okay, Mr. Landau. I haven’t done anything until now.”

He handed over consolation, not consolation.

… I didn’t know what to say, so I just went into the third round.

This time, my opponent was a magic type opposite to my second round opponent.

Lando finally played an active role and ended the sparring in 20 seconds.

“I am not alone!!”

Caitlyn pursed her lips.

Actually, evasive tanks are a bit weak in interpersonal battles.

Unlike monsters, humans just beat tanks and attack supporters and healers first.

Still, I went up through the tournament without much difficulty.

In the end, as soon as we met our party, there were opponents who almost let go of their hands, saying they lost.

“Two 24 wins!”

Finally, our party won the tournament.

In this test, it was like winning first place in practical skills.

Originally, they would have been genuinely happy, but there was tension surrounding Balbino’s plan that would begin from now on.

I took out a magic tool similar to the pager that Delia gave me before from my pocket.

She then pressed her button.

About two minutes later.

“You bastards!!”

“How the f*ck did I wait for this day!!”

Screams began to be heard from the building in the waiting room.

The rebellion of the defeated had begun.

Balbino has been working hard over the past few months to drug academy cadets at bargain prices.

Disguised as a slightly dangerous enhancement potion.

If you actually take it, your strength will increase rapidly.

‘It’s the effect of mixing a bit of the fruit of Paradise Lost.’

Balbino added one more thing to the drug.

Trace magic.

The drugged cadets and Balbino were connected with magic.

In a way, it was a simple principle to infuse the magical power unique to the demon tribe into the connected road and make it run out of control at once.

Now, except for our party, all the tournament participants have suffered defeat.

In other words, a condition in which negative emotions cannot be avoided.

Just like pouring gasoline on an ember, it burns uncontrollably.

“Open the door, beggars!”

“Why are you locking me up!!”

No matter how many first-year cadets there are, the number is far greater than the total number of instructors.

Moreover, due to Balbino’s magical power, the individual powers were further amplified.

Once it starts rampaging, it cannot be stopped.

So I made a waiting room and imprisoned all the first year students there.

Don’t run amok.

‘I never thought mass-producing magic potions would be so helpful.’

When a signal is sent through the magic tool, the magic circle spread throughout the building in the waiting room is activated.

It was a magic circle that applied strengthening magic to the entire building so that it could not be physically destroyed as much as possible.

For the magic needed for the magic circle, 20 [Large-capacity magic potions] That were successfully mass-produced were buried in the ground.

A total of 4,000L.

In terms of mana, 1.2 Million.

Except for someone like Clava, it was set to a strength that even quite a few instructors couldn’t break.

Mathematically calculated, it would take four days for all 1.2 Million mana to be consumed, so there would be no getting caught by the crazed students.

“Joel!”

As we went outside the arena, Delia ran towards us.

She told her beforehand.

Let’s meet here when the tournament is over.

She was taken as a healer, but more importantly, Delia was Balvino’s second daughter.

Even demons have emotions.

No, it can also be interpreted as saying that as the tendency to move instinctively increases, it is easier to be swayed by emotions.

“What about Ms. Clava?”

“As I said before, you are monitoring the waiting room here.”

“Good.”

Our destination has been decided.

Northwest of Lauris.

This is an inn used by common people.

I prepared a wagon in front of the academy in advance.

It was the fastest wagon with 20 horses.

It was to get there as quickly as possible since they might notice us approaching and run away in the meantime.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Let’s leave right away.”

“Yes!”

Hee-ying—, the coachman brandished his horsewhip.

The twenty horses accelerated rapidly.

People walking on the road were in a hurry to avoid the fast speed of the wagon.

Fortunately, no one bumped into anyone.

I arrived in front of an inn and ran right in.

The man at the counter, who seemed to be the owner, opened his eyes wide in surprise.

But we didn’t care about him.

I immediately went up to the second floor.

“How did this happen!”

“Balvino, isn’t the story different!”

Two men and women were standing in the hallway.

Of course, they were not ordinary men and women.

The coolness of the magical power inherent in demons touching the skin made her hair stand on end.

We all immediately drew our weapons.