Level 0 Master

Jenna's ultimate magic spell was suppressed by King Leoric's ultimate magic spell in strength.

Ereka was already being pressured in the contest of strength.

Sungjin was too busy running away to do anything.

But…

Will they simply lose like this?

To whoever was watching, they could not reach a conclusion as to whether Sungjin would lose or not because Sungjin's strategies had not been used yet.

If it was a situation where the 'strategy' was used and was recovering from the three king's power his defeat would have been foretold, but the mood seemed to say the time wasn't right.

What they did not understand, however, was what strategy could be possibly used in this situation.

It was a situation where they would lose if nothing was used.

This was the thought of everyone when Sungjin smirked.

Now, time to turn the tables.

It was all according to plan.

Here. First, Ereka, as a knight, will handle the wizard, King Leoric, and Jenna, as a wizard, will handle King Ilkandii. The opponent will think this as an obvious plan. After all, there's only a chance of victory if the opponent's level is too high by pitting opposite classes against each other.

One week before the battle, Rittier objected against his plan.

But the opponent will try to change that.

Right. They may think we are all the same, but it would be more reassuring to fight against a person just below their level.

No, there is no need. Pretend as if you are being defeated because you've missed the timing of repositioning yourselves.

Even so…would they let their guard down?

Rittier's worries were valid. Sungjin's strategies, until now, were to make the other player let their guard down and strike their weakest point as the opportunity presented. That was only possible because he was being looked down upon as an extra.

But as Sungjin was being recognized as something more than an extra, the opponents were being more careful.

Of course they wouldn't, Sungjin acknowledged coolly.

Then?

Until now I've only been using that strategy because it was the easiest. Now, I will show you something else.

He would not rely on the opponent's pride forever when aiming for the top.

I will push them to the point where they have no choice.

Humans ultimately decided for the best to the best of their abilities.

The control over information, the tweaking of understanding were fundamental to controlling the opponent.

Letting one's guard down or being too prideful were simply the side effects of it.

You may find my plans unsettling, but they would not let themselves be simply defeated by our hands. We will make them come to a decision without a choice. That's what we are aiming for.

The two existences that do not kneel to the might of power or its representative.

One who is both a genius and a military strategist, another who cleaves the heavens.

The moment where the winners are decided by the two powers at play.

Jenna suddenly stopped her magic and ran forth.

"Everyone attack!"

She closed their distance in a blink and burrowed herself into King Leoric's body.

"Wha, what!"

King Leoric was at a loss for words seeing Jenna who stopped her extreme magic midway and used a physical attack on him.

This was a face-to-face battle between wizards.

It was a binding contest as to whose magic was stronger. And a head-on contest between two extreme magics was very solemn.

But why does she attack physically in the midst of it?

Such magic!

It didn't matter. Wizard classes were next in line to knight classes in terms of their defenses against magic.

After receiving the attack, he could crush it with his Atlas Fist.

It was according to his thoughts.

The energy Jenna had expelled completely from her body was only a small attack to him, incapable of cutting off King Leoric's magic.

Such cheap tricks wouldn't work, he thought.

He was wrong.

The hammer hit him squarely in the middle of his abdomen.

"Khuk… khauuuck."

He collapsed while vomiting blood.

When the extremity and range of his magic spell were added together, there was no class that could go against a same-level wizard.

But because of that, they had a single weakness—they were easily distracted while creating the extreme magic.

Even so, they were level seven. They were usually not weakened at a surprise attack…

"Ha…hammer…what did you…"

The reason why Jenna's magic was centered around her hammer was also because she used it as a hereditary Vitium to the Shaman's position who served the god of war.

It was a well-known fact, so King Leoric did not regard it beyond Jenna herself.

Until he was beaten up, there was no point in asking.

"Hehe. It's a secret."

Jenna flapped her tailfin and threw down her hammer once again.

"Ugh."

This time the hammer hammered against his insides.

Smash. Smash.

Jenna kept beating King Leoric up without pause.

Before the attack, King Leoric could not do anything but watch his damage increase with a shivering body.

How could a wizard abandon their magic for a physical attack.

And how could the physical attacks be so powerful.

Even if the object looked like a hammer, it was impossible for it to have high damage, but the inexplicable level of attack continued in a barrage.

"St…Kuk, stop… Keuuck…what do you think…as a wizard…Khuck."

"Ehe. Winning is all. Goodbye."

Jenna kept pummelling King Leoric with a bright countenance.

Finally, his body shattered into a million pieces. The body-double God had given him to use in this battlefield was proclaimed dead and disappeared.

"I woooon!"

Jenna's tailfin shook vigorously.

Ehe. Oppa was correct.

There was no chance of a level six beating a level seven in a pure one-to-one magical duel.

But that's why he wouldn't be able to avoid a head-on fight. He wouldn't be able to break out of the fixture of a purely wizard's fight.

After all, he was the type to have pride and positivity towards the class of a wizard.

Oong, but it's the truth that I'm one level weaker than him.

Right. So just this once, don't raise your spell power.

Eh? Then?

Use all your crystals to raise the attack power of the hammer.

Who would have thought. For a wizard to raise not her spell power but her attack power.

It was an unusual order, beyond shocking.

I… I can do that?

That's our path to victory.

This order was only capable of being issued by Sungjin who used to win by using a surprise attack in the first half of the spell power casting wizard's contest after raising the attack power in a row.

And in exchange, I also want you to learn basic martial arts from me starting now.

Will I be able to do well with just that?

Of course if a knight or warrior class runs at you, you would not be able to escape with just the basics.

But as a wizard, King Leoric did not know any physical fighting. The sweating and disgraceful movements did not befit a 'wizard' after all.

It will work. I promise.

Yes. I will try my best.

It really did work. Oppa truly is great.

---

The places where the spear of destruction went by was pitiable.

In the middle of the ruins, Ereka barely stood with her armor destroyed. Beyond, even the trees that made up the forest were being destroyed.

It was truly a might that was frightening.

And…

"Kuohhhhhh!"

At the very end of the remains was a ghost of black mist, howling, with Sungjin, who was beside it, waving his hand in greeting.

"A… Abyssal Specter?"

Seeing the ghost which ran towards him with an evil glare, King Ilkandii's expression paled.

"This is not possible! The specter should not be there!"

At his shout, Sungjin smiled.

"I know. You can calculate up to that point."

He should have received information that I used the movements of mid-grade monsters.

And he would have been warned.

But this was an area where there were no monsters. He was too sly to miss the opportunity that was given to him and was therefore using his best attacks comfortably.

"That's why I brought them."

After attacking them slightly at the opposite side of the forest, he had dragged the monsters here at the right timing.

Specters compared the two enemies between Sungjin, who had ran away after attacking it lightly, and King Ilkandii, who threw a strong projection but was slightly off course.

Specter immediately decided that the latter was an enemy that should be eliminated first.

King Ilkandii swung his spear around at the ghost covered in black fog that ran towards him.

"Disappear you damned thing!"

But at his continuous attacks, the ghost was only further enraged and went after the king with a higher concentration. Sungjin watched the scene leisurely.

Ha. Abyssal Specter may be weak due to its intangible form but is strong against materialistic attacks.

Ordinary materialistic attacks did not even work on it. Some attacks went through if there was a Heroic Power embedded in the weapon, but it took a while to pin the ghost down.

The Abyssal Specter even had an ability to slow the opponent down, critical to a martial arts practitioner.

Even if one was a level seven knight, to catch it would take a year.

There was no time to wait.

"Ereka, let's do a joint attack."

Ereka breathed until her body had recovered.

After that one attack, her heroic power had diminished greatly, but it had not dissipated.

"Yes, Sungjin."

With the Specter, Ereka, and Sungjin's attack, King Ilkandii's wounds increased significantly.

A human only had two arms and to block three attacks at the same time was a demanding task. But even as he was being attacked, King Ilkandii shouted at the question that remained unresolved.

He did not find it strange that the Specter was there.

He also understood what Sungjin meant by 'bringing' it here.

It was a timing that was too perfect to be believed, but he understood that such luck may follow.

What he did not understand was…

"This is impossible! You should have been captured by Seyzo II! You should not have the leisure to fight here!"

"I had none, so I made some."

With that reply, Sungjin attacked King Ilkandii's neck.

With that, the contestants came down to three to one.

Chapter 20

Watching the fight, Eustasia could only sigh.

"He really is amazing."

She could understand how Sungjin had come up with the plan after watching how it played out.

But when asked if she could do the same…

I cannot.

Sungjin's plan had a core strategy.

One was that Seyzo II would not realise that what he was chasing after was not Sungjin himself but an image.

Another being that he had to bring the Specter at the exact moment King Ilkandii used his ultimate skill.

I should be able to do the latter if I practice continuously.

After ordering Ereka to disperse her strengths and then communicating using a Wind Spirit Stone to control his speed of arrival then it would not have been impossible.

The scenario she could not copy was the first.

He comprehended Father's monsters' speed of movement when he saved me.

Afterwards, he had observed the speed of the monsters using a spy and later set up an illusion stone as he passed through the middle.

The fact that he had already set it up was the scary part.

Even if Father was blinded by his madness, if it was seen regularly he would have noticed.

There were those who were efficient in utilizing their powers.

Others were proficient in using stones and setting up strategies.

If one was good in at least one of the two areas, one would have been able to leave their name in history.

But to think he was a man who used both fields.

If he had the level, he would have been able to rule the era.

But, perhaps, this was only possible because he had no level.

He's strong…very strong. He is strong enough to aim for the unification of all the four kingdoms.

But the victor was to be decided from hereon. If he did not defeat her father, he would not be able to win this fight.

Others were sure of Sungjin's victory after a succession of them, but that in and of itself was letting one's guard down.

You can't think of this as a three to one.

She herself was defeated by her father without being able to use any of her powers. The victory was not guaranteed, even if the three attacked at the same time.

Frankly speaking…

Being defeated after reaching this point.

That was Eustasia's prediction after calculating their moves.

If there was to be a variable, it would be that there would be something that's out of her imagination.

But whether there is a way to do so.

Several devices could have been used if this was a defensive move, but will there be a way in this battlefield?

Show me once more.

That you're a man who exceeds my expectations.

Between the view from the outside and the events which occur inside, it was probable that the last showdown was already happening.

Will they be winning or losing?

Sungjin, Ereka, and Jenna went back to their basecamp to recover their weapons.

"Now there's only Seyzo II."

Ereka sent a gaze full of trust towards Sungjin.

"Oppa's amaaazing!"

Jenna jumped up and down, praising him.

"It's too early to be reassured. If you think about how Seyzo II oppressed Eustasia, you cannot say that his powers are beneath the powers of all three of us."

"You are right."

"Now, then how should we go about defeating him?"

At Sungjin's question, thrown like a quiz, Ereka's cheeks reddened.

"I was simply thinking of following your order."

"I thank you for your faith. But I would like to hear your thoughts before telling you mine."

Sungjin asked once more while emphasizing that one shouldn't throw away one's ability to think for themselves.

"A traditional method: three people would gather the crystals and items to win against him."

"Yes, good plan. We will not be able to use that plan this time but keep thinking."