Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 431 98.3 - Duels [4]

The brilliance of the light was blinding, an all-encompassing radiance that seemed to erase the very shadows. The audience shielded their eyes, unable to look directly at the scene unfolding before them. For a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped, the air filled with a sense of awe and wonder.

As the light began to fade, the arena slowly came back into focus. The dust settled, revealing Victor standing at the center, his sword still glowing with the residual white energy.

His body was tattered, clearly showing the signs of injuries. Blood was dripping from the blade he was holding in his hand.

Yet, just as he was standing there, his opponent stood before him as well. "What?"

"What happened?"

General Kyle was on one knee, his hammer planted in the ground for support, his expression one of astonishment and respect.

'What a sight…..'

He lamented inwardly. The expression on his face displayed the feelings of many experts facing the arena.

'It is so simple yet so beautiful.' Victor's final strike had been perfectly executed, a testament to his skill and determination. He had managed to withstand the might of General Kyle's hammer and counter with a precision that left everyone in awe.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, the sound echoing through the amphitheater. The duel had showcased not only the incredible power and skill of the two combatants but also their unwavering resolve and honor.

"What a way to end the fight," Irina commented, her voice filled with admiration.

Astron, standing beside her, nodded in agreement. "Victor showed incredible skill and precision. General Kyle's strength is formidable, but Victor's ability to adapt and counter was impressive."

Irina glanced at Astron, curious to hear more of his thoughts. "Did you expect Victor to be able to stand against General Kyle like that?"

Astron shook his head slightly. There was a weird expression on his face. An expression that was somehow serious and troubled.

"Not to this extent." The words that spilled from his mouth confirmed her thoughts. Yet he recovered instantly.

"General Kyle is a seasoned warrior with years of experience. Victor's performance was beyond what most would expect from an academy student. His control over his mana and his ability to read the battle were exceptional."

These words were nothing but an NPC repeating the same dialogue over and over again. She was sure she would hear this countless different times from other people.

"Don't give me the textbook answer," Irina mumbled. "I want to know what you truly think."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I see." After stopping for a second, "Victor is truly exceptional," he started explaining, his tone thoughtful.

"His basic parameters are way above others in his generation. From the very start of the fight, it was clear that no one else in the freshmen year could withstand the attacks General Kyle sent. Even with his strength limited, the techniques were so advanced that the fight wouldn't last more than 15 seconds for anyone else."

Irina listened intently, her curiosity piqued by Astron's analysis. "Including me, Seraphina, Lilia, or anyone else?"

Astron nodded. "Yes. Even you or Seraphina, despite your exceptional skills, wouldn't have lasted long against those attacks. General Kyle is a seasoned warrior, and his experience, combined with his raw power, is overwhelming. But Victor… he not only withstood those attacks but countered them with precision and skill."

He continued, his eyes narrowing slightly as he recalled the key moments of the duel. "For such a thing to be possible, even as a swordsman, he would need to have at least 7, or maybe eight on some of his parameters."

"What? 8? Are you kidding?"

Irina couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Having a parameter of 8 at the age of 15-16. This was basically impossible. No one on the surface of this world had achieved such a thing.

If they were to….They would have left their marks in this world such a long time ago.

Yet, as she turned to face him, she saw how serious his face was. And then she remembered. This guy was not someone who lied.

He may have the ability to have his way with words, but he was more of a sophisticate than a liar.

"You are serious."

"I am."

"Then….This is insane."

She knew Victor was talented and strong. But the gap was just too big.

"Right?" Astron also somehow looked flabbergasted. This was the first time she had seen him this surprised.

But then, she read the lines between.

'He said, for Victor to withstand those attacks, he would at least need to have 8 in stat parameters. But, he didn't say Victor didn't have anything else.'

And just as she thought about that, Astron continued.

"What you thought just now was right. For Victor to win, more than mere parameters were necessary. Especially, there was one simple thing that made the difference in that fight."

Astron stopped talking, his gaze shifting to the arena as if lost in thought. Irina waited eagerly for him to continue, but as the silence stretched on, she grew impatient.

"Astron…" she began, her voice tinged with frustration.

He glanced at her, a hint of a tease playing on his lips.

'If you want to know more, you'll have to ask,' his eyes seemed to say.

Irina's curiosity got the better of her. She couldn't stand not knowing. With a light punch to his chest, she said, "Come on, Astron, don't leave me hanging. What made the difference?"

"It was the unique energy he was using."

"Energy?"

"Yes. That white beam that was surrounding his sword. Do you think it was simple?"

Irina pondered for a second, replaying the duel in her mind. Initially, she had assumed it was just normal mana since she hadn't been able to sense anything unusual. But as she focused on the details, she began to realize something peculiar.

At the moment when Victor's blade met General Kyle's hammer, something strange happened. The mana psions surrounding the general's hammer seemed to lose their energy, almost as if they were being neutralized.

"The mana psions… They somehow lost their energy," she whispered, her eyes widening in realization.

"Yes."

"But how?"

That was the question this time. How come such a thing could happen? What made it possible? She pondered about it for a while, yet she couldn't find the answer at all.

She turned to look at him, only to see that he also wore the same look on his face. It was evident that he didn't know the answer at all. Though knowing him, there was the possibility of him perfectly controlling his expression to lead her to think this; she knew if that were to be the case, it was better for her not to know about it at all.

Since she was sure, after the moment they shared yesterday, he wouldn't hide the things that weren't meant to be.

And somehow, as she remembered the yesterday night, her face got a bit hot.

'Sigh….How long will this go for…..'

In the end, she could only sigh to herself…..

*******

General Kyle rose to his feet, his eyes locking onto Victor. "You've surpassed my expectations, young Blackthorn. You definitely deserve the title that you have been called with. The Strongest of the Golden Generation."

Victor nodded, lowering his sword as he took a deep breath. "Thank you, General. It was an honor to face you."

The crowd's applause grew louder, celebrating Victor's hard-earned victory. He had shown the academy, and everyone present that he was a force to be reckoned with, a true warrior worthy of respect.

As the applause continued, Victor and General Kyle shared a nod of mutual respect. The duel had been a test of their abilities, and both had proven their worth in the eyes of all who had witnessed it.

Yet, there were many people that were scheming from behind.

*******

As Irina returned to her room, I found myself alone in the dimly lit space. She had somehow requested to leave, with her face slightly red.

Her heart was beating faster as well, and my senses picked up a slightly fishy smell that I didn't want to explain right now.

The events of the day played over in my mind, the duel between Victor and General Kyle standing out prominently.

'That fight…..Victor is just like Ethan….'

I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled within me. Victor's prowess had been nothing short of extraordinary, far surpassing the abilities I had seen in the game.

I had already expected it, seeing Ethan's prowess. But even then, this was just too much.

Settling into my chair, I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The room was quiet, and the only sound was the faint hum of the building's ventilation system.

I closed my eyes, replaying the duel in my mind. Each strike, each counter, the energy radiating from Victor's blade—it all painted a picture of a fighter who had grown immensely powerful.

I recalled the precision of his movements, the way his blade had neutralized General Kyle's attacks.

It wasn't just raw power; it was a mastery of technique and an understanding of combat that went beyond mere training.

His stats and parameters were impressive, but it was the unique energy he wielded that set him apart.

'The white energy…'

Victor was the epitome of the overpowered in the game. He was filled with countless cheats. His basic parameters were always just too strong, and the player would never be able to overpower him in terms of raw stats.

He also had many skills, equipment, runes, and body imprints on him, making him a versatile, annoying boss.

But, if there was one thing that was most important, it would be the energy he was using.

Even now, after the game had been released for more than five years, nobody was able to understand what that energy was.

And, witnessing it firsthand, I could understand it.

It was because it was something that didn't make sense.

Irina said the mana psions lost their energy. That was not wrong, but it was not completely right either.

What is the energy? When one asks this question, the answer is clear.

It is the ability to do work. Energy, by definition, is the ability to do work. It's what fuels our actions, drives our spells, and powers our abilities. But what if that fundamental ability to do work was somehow removed or nullified?

'Order,' I realized. 'That's what Victor's energy is about. It's not just neutralizing the psions; it's putting them in a state of perfect order, rendering them unable to do any work.'

Entropy is the natural tendency of the universe to move towards disorder, to increase chaos. It's a fundamental principle that governs everything.

But Victor's energy was the antithesis of that. It imposed order on the psions, stripping them of their chaotic potential and rendering them inert.

I could almost see it now, the way his blade cut through General Kyle's attacks, not just deflecting or absorbing them but fundamentally altering their nature.

The psions, stripped of their ability to do work, became harmless, unable to sustain the force or effect they were meant to carry.

'The ability to go against the first rule of the universe,' I thought. It was a chilling realization. Victor's power wasn't just about strength or skill; it was about altering the very fabric of reality, imposing an unnatural order on everything he touched.

Yet, at that moment, another scene came to my mind.

The memory of Lilia's performance lingered in my mind, the brilliance of her technique offering a glimmer of insight into my own predicament.

Victor's ability was undeniably powerful, and his prowess was far beyond what I had anticipated. The white energy he wielded disrupted the natural order, creating a formidable challenge.

'But even with such an ability, everything must have a counter.'

As I sat in the quiet of my room, I began to piece together the puzzle.

Lilia's technique, the way she manipulated mana to 'reflect' the spells to ignore them, sparked a concept in my mind.

If I could harness her principle and combine it with Victor's way…..

'Null Magic.'

The idea formed clearly in my mind a potential path to achieving complete "Nullification."

That is right.

At that moment, I found the way of Anti-Mana.

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