I Became the Leader of Academy City

10 – Rule 6. The Head of Discipline Rejects the Caring Ones (3)

Ahn Woojin.

He was someone who, from his childhood, had honed efficient magic cultivation techniques based on his knowledge of games.

What is magic cultivation?

It’s a training method for purifying mana and firmly crafting the mana circuit.

In one’s younger years, the magic cultivation method deepens talent. Like aging wine to develop a richer, more robust flavor.

As the body grows, it only increases the density and operational strength of mana. Therefore, timing it right was crucial.

Among what Woojin had repeatedly practiced was the training method of the strongest in the academy city.

It was the inherent skill that ‘Goliath,’ the worst of the six sinners, instinctively realized and perfected.

With his gaming knowledge, Woojin poured in an incomparable effort to himself, tirelessly refining himself with precision, as if sculpting a gem into a beautiful shape.

Yet he still couldn’t become a monster like Goliath.

Like any genius, he had not even reached the Fifth Order.

That’s why Woojin considered himself ordinary.

However, the time Woojin had spent in rigorous training had steadily accumulated.

This was an evident fact.

Ultimately, Woojin’s talent, potential, and skills, all of them.

Reached a level beyond the grasp of an average talented swordmaster from Sindorim.

Woojin’s turquoise eyes were as cold as ice.

Tzzt. Intermittent currents flowed through the glowing eyes as he activated mana.

“Gggh…!”

He couldn’t just stay still.

Shinso picked up his sword, and with effort, rose to his feet again, adopting a battle stance. Whoosh! Once more, red flames followed his will, taking shape along the blade.

“aaah!”

With his body strengthened by mana, Shinso launched himself at Woojin again with a spirited cry.

Shinso’s form displayed swift movements. He accelerated his motion by shooting flames of mana behind him.

Whoosh! A sharp downward strike aimed at Woojin.

At that moment, Woo-Jin released the lightning power coursing through his staff. The effect was potent, purely an enhancement of his magical power.

A violent energy could erupt when flame and lightning collide, so he did this to prevent that scenario.

Clang!

Woo-Jin brandished his staff to block the sword strike. Swiftly, he let go of his staff. It fell naturally, like flowing water, right into his other hand.

Zzap! Once again, an aquamarine current surged through the staff.

Whoosh! Thump!

“Urgh!”

The staff bathed in electricity struck Shin-Soo. It was a swift and precise attack.

The magical enhancement of Woo-Jin’s staff significantly surpassed the enhancement within Shin-Soo’s body.

As a result, Woo-Jin’s moderate strike far exceeded Shin-Soo’s defense.

Once more.

Woo-Jin struck Shin-Soo again.

Boom!

His powerful blow sent Shin-Soo flying, causing a shockwave. It was a moment where his robust physique became meaningless.

Crackle! Leftover turquoise lightning spread like a chain, momentarily illuminating the empty air as if leaving an afterimage.

“Ah, ah…!”

The ear-splitting noise filled the arena, leading the spectators to imagine the immense pain Shin-Soo was experiencing.

“Wheeze, wheeze…!”

Shin-Soo groaned in agony while reaching for the ground.

At the start of their duel, Shin-Soo had been burning with a spirit of challenge.

Although he had put Woo-Jin in a tight spot, wasn’t it an opportunity he had earned in doing so?

He had vowed to turn his duel with Woo-Jin into a meaningful combat experience to aid his growth.

However.

After their second clash, the obscured giant wall finally came into sight.

The difference in skill was starkly evident.

Magic control abilities, battle sense – everything about Woo-Jin was excessive.

Shin-Soo had never fought against such a formidable human before.

Could he really be just a second-year student?

Before the duel, Shin-Soo had wondered. Perhaps that guy used connections or some trick to eliminate the competition and become the head of discipline.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing.

Having confronted it, I could fully perceive it.

That entity was already a monster, having joined the ranks of genius.

The being was clearly on a different level from me.

So, I became aware.

An Woo-jin, that man, was indisputably an adversary who couldn’t be matched with experience.

Simply having challenged him, I wasn’t sure whether I had been arrogant.

“Ah!”

With a crash, due to the impact of the blast, the goblin mask fell and shattered on the ground.

Finally, Shinsoo’s bare face was revealed.

“Huh? Shinsoo’s mask…?”

“Hey, that’s Park Sung-tae, isn’t it?”

“Park Sung-tae? The third-year student from Gukhwa-gwan?”

“Just as I thought! It’s Park Sung-tae! Isn’t I’m right?”

The murmuring audience.

The identity of the Sindorim Sword-master was revealed.

It was none other than Park Sung-tae.

A third-year student who has consistently earned high scores among the prodigies gathered at Asung High School.

There was no trace of the challenger’s unique vigor on his face.

He was filled with shock alone.

“Damn it…”

Park Sung-tae leaned on the ground.

His body didn’t move at will.

He had absorbed multiple shocks and electric shocks, any of which would’ve caused him to faint.

Yet, Sung-tae tried to pull himself together somehow.

He had another reason for challenging Woo-jin. It was not just gaining significant combat experience.

Sung-tae has considered himself a genius.

He was convinced that due to his exceptional talent, he had consistently earned top scores at Asung High School.

However, the ones always under the spotlight were always his juniors.

The indescribable genius, Oh Baek-seo and An Woo-jin, who defeated him to seize the position of the leader, especially so.

He admitted the difference in talent.

However, Seongtae had no intention of being treated like an outcast.

He had once pledged to use his genius to elevate other geniuses.

He had to.

‘I have to defeat this guy… to prove myself…’

He had always had faith in his talents.

He wanted to prove it to the audience here.

Seongtae successfully rose from his seat and picked up his sword again. Whooosh! The flame responded to his call.

“Something’s breaking …”

“Does he really have the skills to pull off such a stunt? I don’t think so.”

“Isn’t the leader amazing? Shinso can’t hold a candle to him.”

“I had no idea he was this good … how does he manage that much magic power?”

At some point, the audience began to praise An Woojin.

With Shinso’s identity revealed and the duel turning one-sided, interest in Shinso quickly faded.

Yet, Seongtae only had eyes for An Woojin.

He was standing in front of a massive wall. The murmuring of the audience was inaudible.

Click-clack.

Woojin started to walk toward him.

His steps were steady.

Shinso held his breath, without even realizing it.

“I should have paid you the proper respects as my senior.”

Woojin spoke in a moderate tone.

“I’ll stop tolerating you. Let’s end this soon.”

“….!”

Seongtae’s eyes bulged.

“Do you mean, you haven’t put any effort into this until now…?”

“Unfortunately, you’re not worth my time and effort, senior.”

“Urgh…!”

Park Seongtae clenched his teeth.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Whoosh! Seongtae charged toward Woojin.

Boom!

And then, the denouement everyone had anticipated unraveled.

Park Sung-Tae’s swordplay was mercilessly countered, and only the lightning-wrapped polearm was able to penetrate his body.

As a turquoise trajectory glittered spectacularly in midair, a dull impact sound rang out five times at high speed. Zapping! The lightning power intensified the attack.

‘What…?’

Sung-Tae couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

The spectators gaped in astonishment.

Boom!

Finally, as Woo-Jin swung his polearm hard, a blasting sound echoed, and Sung-Tae was sent flying out of the arena.

Whoosh! The wind pressure spread. Attempting to fly off, Woo-Jin’s hat was caught first and placed back on his head.

Crash! Sung-Tae collided with the wall and immediately lost consciousness due to the impact.

A silence flooded the arena for a moment. Meanwhile, Woo-Jin quietly stood just watching Sung-Tae.

“Match, match over…!”

Finally, the referee’s cry pierced the silence.

“The victory goes to the Prefect, Ahn Woo-Jin!”

Students who had briefly lost themselves started clapping one by one.

The healers cast a simple recovery spell on Sung-Tae for emergency treatment, then lifted him onto a stretcher and left.

Dragging the polearm, Woo-Jin wiped off the blood with a handkerchief, sheathed it, and secured it back on his waistband. Next, adjusting his hat, he reached out to the referee.

“Oh…? Do you wish to share your thoughts…?”

Woo-Jin just took the microphone from the referee without giving a response.

Then, he spoke to the camera that filmed the match.

“I declare that if anyone ever challenges the Prefects like this in the future, in accordance with the school rules, will be severely punished immediately. Everyone, please bear this in mind.”

His voice was solemn.

After this warning, Woo-Jin handed back the microphone to the referee and exited the arena.

Both the referee and spectators silently watched him leave with startled looks on their faces.

“My, he’s quite something.”

Among the spectators, Lee Se-A smiled pleasantly.

She had always known that Ahn Woo-Jin, the Prefect of Ahseong High and the individual who single-handedly quashed the subway incident, was strong…

But she never expected him to be this powerful.

While watching the match, she continuously felt the chills.

Considering the level of magic proficiency and combat instinct, Woojin had long surpassed the mere rank of 4th Tier.

Although he didn’t seem to have any unique abilities, hence not belonging to the 5th Tier, it was an affront to evaluate Woojin’s strength in the simplistic aspect of the ‘tier system’.

Se-ah’s desire to possess Woojin grew more intense.

If she could make him her ally, he would indubitably prove to be a formidable companion in the future.

“Heyesong, why aren’t you going to your boyfriend candidate?”

“I really hated the senior from the beginning. I was deceived by his mask. He’s no longer a candidate.”

Woojin left the battle stadium, ushering deputy chief Oh Baeksuh and executive Ha Heyesong.

At this very moment.

In this space, where the city’s most influential watched, Woojin secured his place as an ‘unknown powerhouse’.

…

A woman was watching a video of Woojin’s duel with Shinso, uploaded on J-Tube.

She had replayed the video more times than she could count.

She paused the video, zoomed in on Woojin’s cheek and stroked it gently with her finger, the screen moved accordingly.

However, all she could feel was the cold hardness of the LCD screen, not the softness of Woojin’s skin.

“You’ve become strong, Woojin. So much…”

She, Dalbi Kim, smiled proudly as she admired Woojin’s image.