[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-119":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531776,1990,"Chapter 119 : No Surrender (5)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-119",119,"\u003Cp>Chapter 119: No Surrender (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is the first time I’ve seen the Chairwoman participate in a sparring match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sneaking in among the murmuring crowd, I pretended to be nonchalant as I looked at the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely a minute had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To think she’d counter the Aura Blade like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick, who had noticed it in that short time, quietly approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What on earth did you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m talking about the Incurable Curse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… that thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the only ones who knew the full story were some members of the Special Task Force and the Mallet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I couldn’t exactly reveal the truth right away, I decided to make something up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I happened to get my hands on a secret elixir from the Imperial Court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elixir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. One that wipes away any curse completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does such an elixir even exist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t know either. I never thought something like that actually existed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll verify that later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know how you plan to do that, but… suit yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frederick stared at me suspiciously for a long while, then smirked and blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, let’s leave it at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who do you think will win this match?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who knows. Does it really matter who wins? It’s not like this spar is about victory or defeat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s what we think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia Magnus and Michel Bernhardt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no particular connection and no real reason to be hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for their own reasons, neither of them would ever want to lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Rubia, it would be because of what I said earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Michel, it would be because her pride and the situation itself wouldn’t allow her to lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever won, I needed to analyze their fight carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s rare to see these two face off.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Rubia, who appeared on the battlefield fairly often, Michel almost never engaged in direct combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her position was always the rearmost line, no matter what kind of formation was used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, in the upcoming war, I’d be at the front, facing enemies head-on from start to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’d be no time to check how those behind me were fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I had to pay attention now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future battle against the Bernhardt Family, her power would be indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a distance far greater than before, the two took a moment to ready themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about five minutes of warming up, Rubia spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be in your care, Chairwoman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of replying, Michel merely tilted her head slightly and drew her wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offense, defense, support, healing, and even holy magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A versatile mage proficient in almost every kind of magic except for a few rare types—Rubia Magnus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rear-line specialist mage with relatively low offensive power but exceptional defense and support—Michel Bernhardt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were a fight to the death, Rubia would hold a slight advantage, but no matter how seriously they fought, this was still a spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, victory would come down to the smallest difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence passed between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without anyone moving first, both began to cast magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Rubia struck first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While scattering spear-type spells in every direction, she was also calculating the timing to cast a binding spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel countered by deflecting every ice spear barrage with minimal barriers and then deployed a Frost Field toward Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly stepping out of the freezing range, Rubia retaliated with a Paralyze Field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing it immediately, Michel dodged lightly and connected it with another field spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side—offense plus debuffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other—defense plus debuffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect back-and-forth exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seamless flow of attacks and counters had the spectators’ heads turning rapidly back and forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the scene, I brushed my lips with my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is still just a probing phase.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wouldn’t go all-out with killing intent like she did against Francia, but Rubia wasn’t the type to hold back much either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, one of them would eventually bare her fangs first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the faces beside me, everyone seemed to be thinking the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around ten minutes later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they’d agreed beforehand, both suddenly lowered their wands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About twenty exchanges had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead, Rubia smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected of you, Chairwoman. That level of attack won’t cut it, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel loosened her shoulders slightly and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I suppose I’ll have to go all out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And shortly after—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than eight magic circles began to bloom at once, both in the air and on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mage from the Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One ranked just below a Seer—a special-grade proxy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did the spectators begin to realize what that title truly meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwoo-koo-koo-koo-kwang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four different types of spears rained down from above, while countless wood needles shot up from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From each magic circle, about 20 spears and 10 needles were fired every minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were basic spells, maintaining eight circles of that tempo and power simultaneously was no easy feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Michel skillfully blocked them all with graceful movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was only the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooooom―\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if the previous barrage had merely been a warm-up, the number of projectiles pouring from the circles doubled in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Tch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how efficiently she blocked them, before such sheer numbers, she would eventually be overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, defense wasn’t the right choice now—evasion was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within seconds, Michel made that judgment and immediately began retreating outside the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Paralyze Field!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, too, was part of Rubia’s winning pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pattern itself wasn’t much different from before, but the scale this time couldn’t even be compared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A magic circle with a diameter of more than twenty meters welcomed Michel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing she couldn’t avoid it in time by jumping, Michel kicked up a blast of wind pressure and barely escaped the boundary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, spread wide across the ground, was already a Frozen Field magic circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Checkmate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the range was so wide that its effect was halved, in a situation this tense, even that could be fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the countless spears raining down on her, Michel muttered briefly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Immune Aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaaaang!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cacophony and a storm of dust erupted as all the magic converged into one spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From among the spectators came a mixture of sighs and admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s just overwhelming her with sheer numbers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much mana does she even have in her body…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not just the quantity—it’s the efficiency. The process of casting magic is incomparably shorter than ours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can even basic spells like Spear Magic be compressed like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How should I know? That must be one of the Magic Tower’s secrets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia wore a satisfied smile, Michel was buried under the cloud of dust, and the crowd murmured in excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like the match had been decided in a single blow—but one person firmly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That won’t be enough, Rubia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Eugene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Rubia turned her head at the faint sense of someone’s gaze from afar—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gale swept through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the dust cleared, standing tall and unscathed was Michel Bernhardt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single attack that had been aimed at her had vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Rubia hastily regained her stance, Michel added softly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slid her wand back into her robes with a calm smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This should be sufficient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’ve still got something hidden. That must’ve been your ultimate move, and you were quite confident in it, weren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s no need to use such a trump card here, is there? Not when so many are watching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words carried a subtle weight to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether her caution was directed toward Rubia or the onlookers was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel gave the bewildered Rubia a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve done well, Professor Magnus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus ended the second duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her expression was a bit sour, Rubia quietly stepped down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching that, I scratched my chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A shame, but… it can’t be helped.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether I intervened or not wouldn’t affect Rubia’s awakening anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as Michel had said, there might still be an undiscovered spy among us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many factors at play to focus on her alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the duels continued one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the special combat units displayed remarkable prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t quite match Francia or Rubia’s level, but many of them showed potential for valuable tactical use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they couldn’t fulfill their roles just yet, they’d eventually prove useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world headed toward the Apocalypse, one could never have too many capable people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once all the assessments were completed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>we began the official Dellowell-specialized training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started the briefing with the most crucial point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First thing to remember—do not think of them as humans like us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had to draw a comparison…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, you can think of them as Beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, one of the squad leaders in front raised his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beasts… sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Beasts moved as one through a shared mental network, then fanatics moved as one under their absolute faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They disregarded wounds or injuries and did not hesitate to treat themselves as expendable parts in the name of achieving their goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on top of that, they had powerful command entities leading them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some sense, they were an even more monstrous force than the Beasts themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why we’ll fight them the same way we fight Beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key to a Great Beast battle was formation maintenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy always exploited humanity’s weaknesses with obsessive precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity had survived the Beast outbreaks not just because the creatures hadn’t gone all out yet, but because we’d managed to maintain our lines effectively until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that applied to humanity as a whole. When it came to the Mallet–Karbenna Alliance, things were entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our greatest weakness right now was the absence of a spiritual pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dellowell fanatics had the Ribenian Orthodox Faith as their foundation and three Executors as their moral anchors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, for the Mallet, Duel was merely a superior organization—nothing they could truly rally behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither the Magic Tower Master Gustav nor Chairwoman Michel held the same influence as those figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why I was needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name Eugene Carter, the legendary war hero who spearheaded the reform upon his return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s start by drilling the basics of formation reorganization.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snapped my fingers sharply and pointed at my old colleague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Belfor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“H-huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brought the manuals, right? Take out every single one.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1768,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","60bd38f3d0fbedb394901cfcbec9626ec749dfdbc007089c045d31e72bda352b","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-120","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-118",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]