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Until now, having entered the tower and begun his duel with Samin, Doun still didn’t fully understand Samin’s heart in challenging him to a duel.
He had heard that the duel with Timer had been very impressive, and that he definitely wanted to compete at least once. However, a duel where he’d just beaten someone one-sidedly couldn’t have been that impressive, and he sensed some other ulterior motive.
‘It seems like there’s some other hidden reason… but I can’t figure out what it is.’
When looking at Samin, he often felt the impression that he lived simply and carelessly. But he knew that such a one-dimensional appearance wasn’t all there was to Samin.
He was someone who knew how to hide thoughtful consideration within soul-crushingly childish sweet talk, and who could ghost-like hide his playfulness when moments required seriousness.
‘I was the one who warned him to be serious about the duel, so what am I hesitating about?’
Even before entering this place, Doun had steeled his heart several times to treat Samin purely as a hunter who had thrown down a challenge to him. However, while thinking might be easy, putting it into action was difficult.
His duel opponent was none other than Kyung Samin. Wasn’t he now the existence he could see first when opening his eyes in the morning, and had become the person he relied on most in the world?
There was no way he could knife-like separate such a precious person with just a few mental preparations. Doun somehow endured with his bare body while pointlessly stalling. Moreover, if he carelessly used skills, it seemed like he might easily win the duel that Samin had been eagerly anticipating even in his sleep talk.
‘…I won. Why won’t you wear this…’
Doun, who had woken up from sleep due to continuous muttering beside him at dawn, had to listen to Samin’s sleep talk. The sight of him mumbling while even drooling slightly was cute, so he had passed it off as nothing serious, but thinking back, the content was quite strange.
‘Wait a minute. Could it be…’
The moment Doun drew in a breath, Samin’s frantic sleep talk flashed through his mind.
‘Hyung is a liar… doesn’t keep promises either, mmm…’
‘…If it was going to be like this, I wouldn’t have made the bet…’
Judging from what he had grumbled in his sleep, there could only be one answer. He was planning to use the bet where the winner of the duel would grant the loser’s wish as an excuse to ask him to wear something strange. Something that even dream-Doun would hate to wear.
‘If I win the duel, I’ll never have to know what he would ask me to wear for the rest of my life, right?’
A staff appeared in Doun’s hand, who had been hesitating and not moving actively. He was afraid because he couldn’t know what kind of state he’d have to endure from Samin if he lost the duel. However, more importantly, Doun’s sense of crisis that he might actually lose to Samin became clear.
It was because of Samin’s innate combat sense that more than offset the overwhelming mana difference.
‘If this drags on, I’ll lose.’
Assuming he maintained the handicap of not using magic skills, he, who was relatively lacking in stamina, would inevitably lose.
Even now, Samin would immediately target any small opening that appeared with his next attack while attacking. His attacks became increasingly precise, and his judgment showed no signs of dulling.
Even in the brief moments when their gazes crossed while moving, there was no hesitation in his actions of attacking him. As if he was someone who had been doing image training for a long time. At this point, he wanted to live up to his expectations.
Whoosh!
Doun drew up his mana all at once. The concentration of dense mana was enough to make his bangs flutter.
As he frantically began weaving and dismantling skills while thinking about what skills to use to effectively beat Samin, colors quite different from blue began mixing into his two eyes.
“…!”
Samin swallowed his saliva upon confirming the eyes where deep green and light green sporadically appeared. However, he didn’t have the leisure to worry deeply. Because even a moment’s hesitation had become a complete opening.
Whoooosh—!
The illusion that unfolded in an instant was dizzying. He only recognized it as an illusion because he could faintly feel Doun’s mana, but if he couldn’t even feel the mana, he would have had no choice but to firmly believe it was something actually happening.
“Huk…”
Samin staggered, unable to properly control his body. He hadn’t rushed into the duel to show himself giving up after being swayed by a mere illusion skill.
When he clenched his fist tightly, his nails dug into his palm, creating pain. No sooner had he steadied his swaying body than a chilling sensation ran down his spine. It was when Samin instinctively bent his body backward.
“Ah.”
From Doun’s mouth, which had been silent all along, a disappointed exclamation finally burst out. In that moment, pleasure surged. Because it seemed like he had broken through head-on the move Doun had been aiming for. It was only speculation, but he could soon understand it with his body.
Swish!
An eerie sound rang dully in his ears. Beyond his vision where the afterimage of the illusion that had just begun to disappear remained, he could see fluttering cut hair. It was obvious whose brown hair sparkling in the flashing light it was without looking.
“…!”
Samin realized the identity of the light beam still flickering before his eyes. It was a strand of light created by Magnetic’s signature, Flash.
‘Crazy.’
The moment he recognized it, the instinct that he needed to dodge surged up. At a glance, it only sparkled and was brilliant. However, how cruelly and thoroughly had that beautiful light carved up magical beasts?
When the sense of crisis that only someone who had watched from close by could feel rushed over him, Samin immediately kicked off from his position. It was to escape from Doun’s range.
Crack, the ground split. It was when stone fragments that had been gouged out bounced up in all directions.
“Aren’t you coming here?”
Doun’s voice rang out loudly. Leaving behind the voice that sounded upset because his confident strike had failed, Samin quickly increased the distance while stamping his feet on the ground.
Thud, when large stone debris that had cracked and fallen off bounced upward, he kicked the debris toward where Doun was without hesitation. At the same time, he didn’t forget to answer Doun, who was frowning at the stone fragments flying toward his face.
“If I go that way because hyung tells me to come! What more can I do than lose early?”
What a cunning bastard. Doun swallowed a sigh internally. It had been a quite carefully considered attack, but it scattered meaninglessly. It seemed he had underestimated Samin too much.
‘This isn’t enough?’
‘Illusion’ that showed the target a short vision, ‘Flash’ that materialized the caster’s mana into light to use as an attack means, and ‘Mana Domination’ used to perfectly control the light beam so Samin wouldn’t be seriously hurt. It was an attack where three magic skills were overlapped, any one of which would be burdensome for ordinary hunters.
However, Samin had dodged the attack with movements that even felt miraculous. It was no different from directly showing that the reason he had beaten several notable veteran hunters to claim 2nd place was definitely not luck.
If he had only confirmed it with his eyes, it would have already been too late, but it was movement that could only be explained by saying he moved trusting his instincts.
‘He is impressive.’
The experience Samin had accumulated during the time Doun didn’t know about was definitely not something to be taken lightly. Cool judgment and ability befitting his explosive rise, even his appearance and personality. There wasn’t a single area where he fell behind.
‘But I thought I could win with just that…!’
He was gradually getting competitive. Now secondary bets like wishes didn’t matter. Doun had long since become interested in the duel itself. Not a duel needed to settle stale relationships, but an act of truly purely competing in skills, physical abilities, and judgment between hunters was bound to be enjoyable.
“You won’t be able to dodge the next one!”
Finally, Doun’s competitive spirit was ignited. The mana surrounding Doun’s body rippled as if excited.
Although weakened by a series of events, as he began to regain his former self through time with pleasant and kind people, his original personality was also gradually emerging.
There was even vitality in his gaze as he glared with eyes sparkling in various colors and chased after Samin. Samin was surprised by Doun’s cheerful voice he was hearing for the first time, but was busy running away.
Swooooosh!
Samin’s pitch-black poison fog spread widely, and stone materials kicked randomly for visual disruption exploded like fireworks. Dazzlingly scattered light beams began rushing at Samin relentlessly.
“Is someone who suggested a duel supposed to run away?”
Doun grumbled in a brightly laughing voice, as if he had momentarily forgotten that voices would remain after the duel ended. While scattering eerie mana crystals to tear apart Samin’s armor and hunter clothes.
“No, this is strategic retreat! Not running away!”
As if. Doun clicked his tongue and stopped chasing. It felt like he would tire himself out first and drop out while playing endless tag.
Since he had decided to use skills anyway, there was no reason to move his body and bicker with Samin, but he had acted like a fool for a moment due to excitement.
Doun gauged the distance between himself and Samin, then muttered.
“You won’t be able to dodge this one, right?”
It was a declaration of war saying to try dodging if he could. Samin breathed shortly at Doun’s provocation. His heart pounded because it seemed like Doun was seriously trying to attack him.
Because it seemed like he had come to regard him not just as someone to be helped and protected by lending mana, but as an opponent he needed to do his best to beat.
He had accomplished half the purpose of the duel. So if he could just dodge that skill and then land an effective attack on Doun, he couldn’t ask for more. The problem was that he had no idea how on earth to dodge Doun’s mana traps spread all over the floor.
‘This is maddening.’
Even while twisting his handsome face into a mess, Samin could only laugh.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
