Reader Mage 171-Give It Your Best Shot

Sunday was warm. The sun was overhead, and Prestige Academy was roaring with life just like on the day of the festival. Everyone was invited to witness the competition between Prestige Academy and Crown Academy for the academic rankings. Professor Jung made certain that security was far tighter this ti as a consequence of rlin’s revelations to her, even a few Mages from the Consortium Guild were present. However, rlin doubted that it would work. The man had escaped even his Perception, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. Soone of such a caliber would have no trouble blending in into a large crowd and escaping scrutiny. Which was only made more certain by the fact that he was supposedly a mber of the Blackguards, a villain group that has been eluding them for almost a decade now.

rlin decided that he wouldn’t let that bother him now, though. He had the competition to think of, and…

“Don’t look so sad,” Nora said from where she sat close to the window of her ward, her arm still wrapped in a cast. “It’s not like I’m dead. I just won’t be competing with the rest of you.”

“And that’s enough cause to worry,” rlin replied. “You’re the best we’ve got.”

Nora scoffed. “We have two S-Class Mages, nerd. I’m just an A-Class Mage.”

rlin tutted. “There’s no way you believe that nonsense. You’re literally first on the academic rankings.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nora waved his words away languidly. “I did my research on the guy replacing , Carlos. He seems very good.”

rlin nodded. “I know. His Hex is unique and it can help him with winning his duel. But that depends on how he uses it. Without a spark, petroleum is useless. It's basically just oil, but his opponent is a—”

“Jesus. Nerd alert.” Nora snorted, and rlin shut his mouth instantly. “I don’t need your lectures right now, please. Say sothing else, or be quiet.”

rlin frowned. “You brought up the conversation.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, I’ve put it to a close now.”

rlin clicked his tongue. It didn’t matter the situation she was in, she was always so aggravating.

But it was good that her inability to perform in the tournant wasn’t dealing a great deal of damage to her psyche. He knew how competitive Nora was, and the fact that she was out of such a big finale was definitely eating into her.

She had led them to it. She was the real MVP. And they all had to ensure they won—for her.

rlin’s smartwatch beeped at that mont. He glanced at it, noting that there was only about three hours left until the final began. It was ti he made his way to the waiting room.

“I guess that’s it,” rlin said as he stood up. “Aunt Zuzu said she would be spending the whole ti with you, watching the tournant from here. So prepare yourself for all her screaming and gasps.”

“Ugh.” Nora’s nose wrung up in disgust.

rlin turned around with a smile.

As he got to the door, he halted and glanced over his shoulder. For a mont he thought about using this mont to reveal all he had been involved in during these past few months, all from the mysterious lady and man, down to his ability to open dungeons, and, most importantly, his interaction with Sunny in regards to Professor Dmitri and Club Spiral. But he decided to hold off on it for now. After the tournant things would change for him, however slightly. He would tell her about everything then. Right now, all she needed was rest.

“Wish luck,” he said instead.

Nora smiled as she turned her attention back to the window. “You don’t need it.”

rlin pulled the door open and walked out. In the hallway was Kim Yiseo. She leaned on the wall, her arms folded and her eyes cold. That was until he walked out.

“You took awfully long,” she said with that stoic expression of hers.

rlin raised a brow. “She’s my sister.”

“And she’s my friend. Move out of the way.”

She pushed him away and walked in. The vibe in the room changed instantly, and rlin felt a little bit jealous.

“What is it with girls feeling so much more comfortable with girls at the expense of their own siblings?” he mumbled with a sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked out of the infirmary’s building. And then he ca across another figure leaning on the wall just outside. “Is this the new form of waiting? What? Benches and chairs are no longer in style?”

Marcus Reed smiled as he stood upright. No one needed to tell rlin that the boy was here for him.

“Can we talk?”

rlin eyed the boy for a mont. He was neatly presented, just like the first ti they had t, which had not been planned. His hair was relaxed, and his build was made pronounced in his white tracksuit. Again, he looked far too pompous for rlin’s taste, even though he hadn’t necessarily co across as one.

“No,” rlin replied simply.

Marcus inclined his head. “I didn’t expect you to be thickskinned,” he said. “You don’t want to know about the secret I have on Deficient Mages?”

“I want to,” said rlin. “But it’s the price I have to pay that’s the problem. Like you said, let us wait until after the tournant has ended. That is the wisest thing now, given the fact that we matched as opponents, don’t you think?”

Marcus was expressionless for a mont, then a grin spread his lips apart. He pointed at rlin and laughed.

“I really like you,” he said. “It’s been a while soone has ssed with my mind so much. I’m dying to know more about you.”

rlin suddenly felt creeped out.

Did this guy have no social awareness? That was not sothing you said to soone.

“How did you do all that? With your mana?” Marcus continued, oblivious to rlin’s thoughts even though his twisted expression was more than enough giveaway. “Burst of speed; what was that other thing? The one where you moved like a blur. That bit was different from just running. It felt like you were teleporting. And then there was the whole bit with your mana where it felt like you beca a spider.” He paused to catch his breath. “I knew there was sothing different about you. We all did. Right from when we saw your battle with the Ice Wyverns, Crown Academy as a whole realised that you were different from all the other useless Deficient Mages. It’s not only your ability to nullify magic. You are as sharp and fast as even a Silver Class Warrior. Dr. Eleanor said you were a pain in the butt for her, and that’s high praise, I tell you. Rarely does anyone give her so much trouble.”

rlin was tired. How could the bastard berate Deficient Mages before a Deficient Mage?

He had heard enough.

“What exactly are you getting at here?” he asked.

“Let’s change our deal,” Marcus replied. “Explain one thing about your skillset to , right now, and I’ll explain two about mine.”

rlin froze. His eyebrows twitched as he imdiately considered Marcus’s proposal. It was rather tempting. One for two, was as sweet a deal as he could get. But, again, that depended on what he was told. Marcus was sly. Even him, a Deficient Mage, had so skills that were more dispensable than so. Those would most likely be what Marcus would offer him.

“No,” rlin rejected the offer. “I watched your videos too. You’re a Sound Mage; that’s good enough for .”

Marcus raised a brow, his excited expression vanishing instantaneously.

“You do realize there are barely any Sound Mages,” he said.

“I did my research, so I know,” rlin replied.

“And that ans you have zero clue as to how to defeat .”

rlin smiled. “That’s the beauty of being a Mage, isn’t it? We don’t go into battle with all the information. We use what we have, modify it, and think fast on our feet. That’s what I’ve been taught.”

Marcus was silent.

rlin took a deep breath and sighed. “If that is all, then I’ll be taking my leave. I have to ntally prepare.”

“You’ll lose,” Marcus announced as rlin turned around and walked away.

“Maybe,” rlin replied. “Maybe not.”

Marcus exhaled. “Whatever the case, you deserve to be at an academy at the top of the rankings. Co to Crown Academy. You’ll be cherished there.”

rlin halted and glanced over his shoulder. “I am cherished here,” he said. “And soon enough, this academy will be number one. Just you wait and see.”

###

“Oh, rlin Tyrrell. How nice of the son of Poseidon to grace us with his presence,” Instructor Park Minjee greeted in a sarcastically cheery manner as rlin walked into the waiting room designated to Prestige Academy’s contestants.

It was a professional space with wooden lockers lining the walls, and comfortable black leather chairs in a circle around a pool table directly beneath elevated tv screens. Despite how spacious the room was, however, everyone was huddled close to themselves, so rlin was able to set his eyes on everyone at once in shock, hoping for so sort of response.

They all shrugged instead.

Well, he hadn’t been expecting a professor to pay them a visit, so he had thought he had all the ti in the world to make his entrance; but now that he thought about it, maybe he should have been expecting soone to co by.

And besides, Kim Yiseo wasn’t even here yet.

The door opened behind him at that mont and… Speak of the devil.

“Ah. Ms. Kim Yiseo, welco,” Instructor Park Minjee greeted her sarcastically as well. “Very nice of you to arrive right on ti.”

Yiseo blinked, then glanced at rlin who she was standing beside. He gave her the sa response he was given. A shrug.

“I didn’t realize anyone would be paying us a visit,” Yiseo explained.

“Eh, don’t sweat it,” Instructor Park Minjee said. “You don’t need to apologize.”

Yiseo blinked. “I wasn’t exactly apologizing.”

“Just go and have your seat. It’s not like I was saying anything much anyways.”

rlin nodded and did as he was told. So did Kim Yiseo.

rlin sat down on a chair in between Chima and Hakyun, and imdiately they leaned closer to him.

“How’s she?” Chima asked.

“Good,” rlin replied. “I hope.”

“She’ll be fine,” Hakyun comnted. “Beautiful girls are strong.”

rlin’s forehead creased. “Please don’t.”

Hakyun raised his hands in retreat.

“Ahem…” Instructor Park Minjee cleared her throat. “Now, I’ll go ahead to explain how the finals will proceed.”

She tapped on her smartwatch and the tv screens turned on, displaying what rlin was certain was once the Open field. It was no longer a forest of trees and the like, it had a large arena surrounded by rising seats made out of what rlin classified as ‘exquisite concrete’, seeing as they had plush cushions despite their base being made out of concrete, and no one seed uncomfortable.

The first thing rlin could think about was when anyone had had the chance to place a cushion on such an abundance of seats in such a short amount of ti. Until he recalled he was at Prestige Academy and they had the resources to hire hundreds of workers. And there was magic too.

“Obviously you’ll all be fighting in the arena,” Instructor Minjee began with a scoff. Perhaps expecting a laugh from the contestants and not receiving one, she cleared her throat. “To win, all you have to do is make your opponent give up, or exhaust them. Rember, this is simply a tournant held in good faith. I know you teenagers are always knee-deep in rivalry and raring to go, but please be cautious of the sort of spells you cast, as grave injuries will not be tolerated. Of course, defend yourself if you feel your life is being threatened. But I assure you that the professors on standby will not let it co to that.”

She took a pause.

“Each battle will be tid for fifteen minutes; if there has been no winner in that ti, then the battle will end in a draw. The team with the highest number of wins at the end will beco ranked as the best mage academy in the world. And that is what is at stake. A detailed explanation on what that ans is: being ranked number one ans better funding for the academy, academic opportunities for you students, such as exchange studies, and, of course, better internships and work opportunities. Honestly, you’ll have the best of all these. And Prestige Academy wants that for you all, which is why we would love to be ranked as number one.”

Instructor Park Minjee let her words settle briefly in the air as she glanced over everyone present.

Then she smiled and said, “Give it your best shot.”

Everyone clapped.