I Became the Academy’s Munchkin Sniper

‘This is my chance to crush him with words…!’

Taylor stared at the boy across from him.

Silver hair and blue eyes. Though he wore a distant, thoughtful expression, it gave him a rather cold impression. The spectators murmured at his intelligent look.

— “Kyle, is it? Who’s he? He’s good-looking, isn’t he?”

— “Doesn’t he seem different from what we expected? I mean, we haven’t really seen him around.”

— “They say he’s the last-ranked student in the Magic Department. But, judging by looks alone, wouldn’t you think it’s the guy on the other side?”

Since the mentee magic duel was a department festival, students from other departments were also able to watch. 

While Kyle was famous within the Magic Department, other students didn’t know much about him.

To them, Kyle appeared as a sharply defined, handsome young man. 

A month ago, he’d been scrawny, but regularly commuting to classes and engaging in training had built up his physique. 

The shirt gifted by Ivel highlighted his appearance, unlike the robes that all the other duelists were wearing.

As a result, people’s attention was drawn to Kyle, and Taylor, who was determined to make himself stand out, resorted to disparaging him.

‘Someone like you…!’

To Taylor, everything about Kyle looked like a despicable facade.

In his opinion, Kyle was an inferior student who’d entered the academy through shady means and ranked highly only because of a free pass; a fallen noble with nothing to his name. 

That’s how Lucas and his clique had framed Kyle, and Taylor saw him as no different.

He couldn’t even imagine the possibility of losing.

Although he wasn’t an honor student like Ciel, Elena, or Lien, Taylor was mid-ranked, having mastered dozens of basic spells. His confidence in thoroughly humiliating Kyle, the lowest in the Magic Department, wasn’t unfounded.

Voom!

Taylor summoned a magic circle in the air as he looked at his opponent.

‘I’ll crush him completely!’

His most reliable spell was the basic wind magic, Gust. While he had lost to Lumina in the entrance exams, he’d never been defeated otherwise.

Whoooooosh!

A sharp, boomerang-shaped gust of wind formed, waiting to be unleashed.

It was a spell sharp enough to tear through any shield.

Ding!

‘Shred him to pieces!’

As the duel began, ten whirlwinds spiraled out, raging through the arena. Their target was Kyle, and they all charged toward him.

Taylor smiled smugly. If things went as planned, Kyle would sustain significant injuries.

After all, he couldn’t possibly fend off Taylor’s basic magic.

“Go!”

With that, he stared at the spot where Kyle was standing, eager to see him fail miserably.

He wanted to see Kyle’s defeat, to freeze that shameful moment in everyone’s memory forever…

But as he looked, Kyle was no longer at the Gust’s target point.

“What the…!”

Any typical mage would have tried to counter with magic.

But Kyle had instead moved directly into the path of the wind, weaving through the tightening blades of wind with perfect agility as he charged forward.

“Th-that’s impossible!”

Taylor shouted in disbelief.

It was nearly impossible to track and dodge all those twisted wind currents. A single misstep could mean a critical injury due to the high speed of the attacks.

However, after passing through the wind barrage, Kyle didn’t have a single scratch on him.

Even if he succeeded, it was an absurd method. Anticipating that the magic would break through and already planning a counter for it?

He was already a step ahead of Taylor.

With calm, focused eyes, Kyle closed the distance to Taylor. Realizing the situation, Taylor snapped out of his shock and yelled.

“Y-you madman! Is that even magic?!”

Taylor summoned more magic power. After seeing Kyle’s movements, he felt he couldn’t allow him to get any closer.

“Stay back—!”

Whoooosh!

Taylor started firing gusts of wind rapidly under the urgency, but Kyle dodged them effortlessly.

Taylor hid hundreds of needles within the winds, sending them flying. 

Kyle anticipated the chaotic paths of all the needles and gusts, and cut through the barrier of projectiles like they were nothing.

“This doesn’t make sense! Just who are you? This is supposed to be a magic duel!”

Kyle replied calmly, “It’s simply something beyond your understanding.”

A fierce whirlwind swirled around Kyle, an application of the wind techniques he learned from Ivel. Though it was a basic spell, he’d amplified its effects several times over.

Not only did it increase his speed, but it also created an advanced technique to deflect the opponent’s attacks.

“And I’m using a significant amount of magic power even now.”

Kyle’s deep blue eyes gleamed with phosphorescent light. He was using a portion of his awakened ‘Clairvoyance’. He didn’t need to use it to win the duel, but he was curious to see if it would aid him in battle.

The answer was ‘yes.’

He could see every attack’s path. Combined with ‘Crisis Detection’, this information became color-coded, allowing him to anticipate everything even while talking.

“Enough of this nonsense.”

As Kyle snapped his fingers, a burst of water surged up from beneath Taylor. Startled, Taylor lost focus, causing the mid-level spell he’d been preparing to dissipate.

“Damn it—!”

Taylor spat out a curse. He had no more means to counter.

Although all the magic Kyle used was basic, its power and application overwhelmed Taylor’s beginner-level spells.

The humiliation was unbearable.

“Aaaah! I refuse to lose like this!!”

With his last remaining strength, Taylor gathered all his magical energy and fired another Gust.

Kyle dashed toward him once again, and just as he reached Taylor’s face, he whispered.

“I’m busy.”

At that moment, Taylor’s vision cut off, and he lost consciousness.

———

The schedule for the mentee magic duel was fixed; only the people who advanced in the bracket mattered.

Since I already knew that Ciel and Luin would win their matches with overwhelming spec, all I had to do was summon Ciel at that specific time.

I stopped by the Loren Trading Company along the way and bought a letter and gift box with premium wrapping. 

The premium shop might have been pricier, but the rest of Loren’s stores were reasonably priced for regular students.

I sat in the Artena Academy park. There were no people around.

The mentee magic duel of the Magic Department was a major interest for students from other departments who weren’t involved in combat. After all, the Magic Department had the highest admission requirements at Artena Academy.

“Secret shop… it’d be nice if it worked on the first try.”

I opened the secret shop window.

───[Special Weapon Draw Event]───  

[Guaranteed special weapon or higher item with 10 draws!]  

[One draw: 1 shop point]  

[Current attribute rate up! Ice. Lightning]

It cost 1 point per draw.

The expenditure was high, considering points were only earned through achievements or karma, which were both limited in supply.

Originally, I’d planned to wait before getting Ciel’s gift and save up points for the higher-tier items with ‘guaranteed’ draws.

For example, there were items like guaranteed draws for specific job traits or tools—products that allowed you to draw items related to a specific job traits.

Could I get new traits or tools for a sniper? I had been saving shop points precisely to buy these draws. 

Job-specific guaranteed draws cost more than regular ones, starting at 20 points and going up from there.

“Well, I guess I should focus on getting Ciel’s exclusive weapon first.”

Currently, the pickup was for ice and lightning attributes. I couldn’t predict when these would come around again, so it was time to go for it, especially since the weapon suited Ciel perfectly.

[You have selected the Special Weapon Draw Event!]  

[Would you like to spend 1 point for a draw?]

“Yes.”

I pressed the button, and trash appeared.

[Old Iron Spear]  

Grade: Common  

The blade is worn. Might be suitable as a blunt weapon.

“Oh, come on.”

I was starting to feel a bit heated. Was this the thrill of gacha?

I kept pressing until I drew an exclusive weapon—meaning I hit the pity limit. The resources dwindled rapidly.

Finally, I managed to get an exclusive weapon.

[Lightning Legacy]  

Grade: Unique  

A wand made from remnants of a thousand-year-old sacred tree which was struck by lightning. When the ancient wood, which had withstood a millennium, shattered upon receiving the fury of the heavens, the essence of lightning fused with its spirit.  

— Increases lightning attribute magic power by 70%.  

— Accelerates casting speed by 30%.  

— Increases the chance of stunning and applies an electrifying effect.

An ultimate weapon for lightning attribute magic…

Even though I had to hit the pity limit twice to get it, the thought that the original pity threshold was only 20 points made it feel worth it.

Plus, the next draw was guaranteed to be an ice weapon, meaning I’d get two weapons with just one pity threshold!

“Yay—!”

Or not…

So I hit the pity limit once more and finally got Ciel’s weapon.

“Oh, finally…!”

[Frozen Eternity]  

Grade: Unique  

A crystal wand imbued with ancient snow. It contains the mystery of an eternal winter. This wand freezes time itself, stopping even the breath of those who gaze upon it and halts the flow of life.  

— Increases ice attribute magic power by 70%.  

— Accelerates casting speed by 30%.  

— Slows hit targets by 99% and applies a freezing effect.

“Unbelievable…”

My jaw dropped.

The performance was insane. It was worthy to be called an ultimate weapon.

Although the sniper class naturally had hundreds of percent increases in damage boosts, such ‘increase’ buffs were rare in the game itself. The best buff magic couldn’t even reach a 100% damage increase.

With 70% magic power boost and 30% casting speed acceleration, this weapon could easily push final damage up by 10-20% alone.

As tempting as it was, the weapon would be wasted on me; it was better suited for the protagonist of ‘Artena Academy’. This unique item was one of a kind, after all.

I carefully placed the lightning wand in the wooden box, planning to give it to another character who used lightning magic. I wrapped Ciel’s weapon neatly and tucked it into the bag.

“Whew.”

I wonder if she’d like it?

Ciel’s reaction would be interesting.

——-

Ciel was studying the tournament bracket, waiting for her next duel.

“My opponent… Often uses earth elemental magic. It’s best to take them down before they can set up a barrier.”

She was different from her past self.

The arrogance and complacency about her own magical abilities were gone. Her approach now was to analyze her opponent and minimize variables. A mindset that had evolved significantly.

Her magic had also become more precise and refined. In the past, she would use magic at full power, pushing her abilities to the limit. Now, she focused on inflicting critical damage efficiently.

Of course, by Ciel’s standards, her magic had grown so much that, even when restrained, it still appeared formidable to the average person.

After finishing her analysis, Ciel closed her eyes.

As always, she thought of the Master.

“A person I’m grateful to…”

All of this growth came from reflecting on her past mistakes and the insights given by the Master.

Yes, part of her effort was driven by the desire for a gift, but he was undeniably a benefactor who had led her to new heights.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He was also someone who, for reasons she couldn’t quite understand, stirred her heart.

Taking a deep breath, Ciel calmed her heartbeat and opened her eyes. She had been practicing this form of meditation for some time now, one of the methods she’d learned in the Dunhart family to control tension…

“…?”

At that moment, something caught her eye.

[Ciel]  

Sender – Master

Beside her seat was a letter… With the word ‘Master’ beside the sender.