14 Volume I - Chapter 13: The Bet
"Professor, what was that attack? Do you underestimate me?"
My cold words caused everyone's already open mouths to drop even more. The professor's expression of confusion suddenly gave way to a broad smile as he heard what I just said.
Things are going to get difficult now...
"Ahahah..."
The professor laughed and straightened his posture, more relaxed as if we weren't dueling, but I knew it was because he was taking me more seriously.
"You... Did you hide your power?"
Well, no... I just triggered a secret event that I knew everything about.
"No professor, all my experience and statistics are what the report says."
The professor frowned, but unfortunately, I was telling the truth.
Well, it hurts me too, but there is nothing I can do about my statistics 'for now'.
After my last words neither of us spoke. A silence fell over the arena, all eyes were focused on the two of us, eagerly waiting for what was about to happen next.
The professor closed his eyes and relaxed all his muscles. Normally someone would have taken this opportunity to pounce on him, but I wasn't stupid enough to do it, especially against 'him'.
"Why doesn't he attack?"
I started to receive criticism for still standing still, but I ignored them again because if I remember correctly, the professor was going to move exactly three seconds after that sentence was uttered.
One second before his attack, I slowly stepped to the side and then the professor disappeared and appeared next to me.
Of course, this time he was not surprised by what I had done and turned around and attacked me again, but nevertheless, I ducked quickly and then swung my sword at him in an extremely simple way.
There was nothing special about my swing. It wasn't very fast, it wasn't very strong, and I didn't seem to have activated any skills. But I swung my sword at such a moment that there was a huge opening in the center of the professor's abdomen that I could have used.
Of course, even if my timing was perfect, he was no simple man. Even if he limited himself for us, he was still a professor and a powerful one at that. That's why he was able to dodge my attack by retreating.
"You always move a second before I move."
Oh? So you noticed, that's a pity... I guess I won't be able to keep this up for as long as I intended.
"You've watched all the duels, haven't you? You dodge all my attacks by guessing every inch of my stance."
It is true that I have watched the duels and your movements, but you are so fast that it is impossible for me to analyze you at my current level.
I have played this game for six thousand hundred and thirty-two hours and I am the only person in the world who has finished the game with one hundred percent achievements. I have done every mission in the game, including all the secret missions and events that no one will ever hear of unless thirty-three or so different conditions are met at the same time.
When fighting a boss in The Lands of The Lunerra, you can analyze its movements to determine its attack pattern. Of course, this attack pattern is randomized each time, so it's not enough to just memorize it.
You also need to watch every graphic pixel of the boss and know how its body moves before each attack. I, having fought this professor in this way almost eighty times because of a secret event with very good rewards, know literally 'everything' about him.
I mean, I know him well enough to know his little habits before each attack, how his mindset works, and what move he will make in which situation.
For example, when he is going to make a vertical attack, he throws his left foot back slightly and moves his sword to the left by two to three centimeters. When he is going to make a horizontal or diagonal attack, he squints his eyes and tries to find the best angle, and positions his body in that direction, even if it is a split-second movement.
"Ahahah! There really are monsters in the academy this year. It's a shame that your stats are so low..."
The professor squinted at me slightly.
Ah... No, why are you looking at me like you pity me? I didn't ask for my statistics to be like this, okay?
"All power has a price, professor."
At my words, the professor paused. His eyes widened and he looked pensive. The reason for this was quite simple. Because in the first place, he was someone who had gained power at a cost.
"I liked your attitude, young man."
He murmured, then took a deep breath and looked coldly into my eyes.
"Let's see if you can analyze this too. If you can survive my next attacks unscathed, I will personally take you as my personal pupil."
There! I had been waiting for this from the very beginning.
"You better not go back on your word."
I spoke confidently and answered his cold eyes with my calm.
The professor threw his right foot back. He crossed his sword with both hands, positioned it facing the sky, and then took a deep breath.
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, the professor's image became strangely blurred, and then the whole world went black.
The moment my world went black, the first thing I did was a quick roll to the left. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as a gust of wind blew past me, but I knew he wouldn't stop there.
As soon as I rolled over, the world lit up again and I saw blood oozing from my shoulder, and I knew what had happened.
I can remember every attack the professor will do from the event in the game, but my body can't work at the same speed as my mind, which has memorized these moves. In short, I know how to dodge the attack, but the professor is so fast that I can't keep up with him.
Of course, while I was thinking this, time continued to pass and I found the professor standing right next to me. Then a sword was aimed directly at my chest.
A slight step to the right...
The sword left a deep scratch on my left arm.
A little bit back...
If I had been a millisecond late, the sword would have cut a deep gash in my chest, but I got away with a scratch.
A kick from the ground followed by a horizontal attack...
The soles of my shoes opened from the sudden attack, and when I landed again I couldn't help feeling awkward because of the slight height difference.
My muscles ached and blood oozed down my body from the countless scratches I had received. On top of that, I was sweating profusely and a sharp pain, which I could feel especially in my feet, spread throughout my body. Yet, I was still able to dodge the attacks by the skin of my teeth.
All my focus was on the duel, I didn't care about anything around me. Every scene I saw in the game, every moment I fought this person, spun in my mind. I had stopped thinking, thinking would slow me down, so I let my instincts and reflexes take over.
Just as I expected, the order of the professor's attack was exactly the same as I remembered. So I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore the pain.
In this way, I avoided about thirteen attacks without sustaining any serious injuries, even though I received countless scratches. Then we finally came to the end of the show.
After dodging the attack that left a diagonal scratch on my chest almost fifteen centimeters long, I gritted my teeth again and just let my sword float in the air so that the professor's eyes suddenly focused on my sword floating in the air.
Taking advantage of this opening, even if it was only a split second, I grasped the sword pointed at me with my hands.
The sharp edge of the sword burned my palms as I gripped it tightly. I was trying hard not to collapse and faint from the pain, but if I gave up here, all the pain I had endured so far would be for nothing.
I didn't want to take my first steps in this world and fall flat on my face, so I tried my best, even though I was scared. Even though I hated the pain, I held on.
I quickly used the Mana Boost skill I had learned last time. The mana in my body was absorbed by my muscles and I was suddenly filled with power.
The sword I grasped in my hands was pressed downward with instantaneous force, and the tip of the professor's sword, whose fingers had been loosened by his earlier attack, made contact with the ground. I quickly put my foot on the sword and put all my weight on it.
The professor looked at me in shock, then in one swift movement, he tried to punch me and succeeded. The punch landed so hard on my face that I felt my teeth chattering, and my vision blurred, but I held on. The professor tried to throw another punch, but this time I was prepared. After dodging it by pulling my head a little to the side, I grabbed him by the collar, and with all my strength I smashed my head against his.
The instructors watching jumped to their feet in surprise. The disdainful glances of the crowd surrounding us were replaced by shock.
Of course, even with my F grade stats and Mana Boost, all I managed to do was make the professor take a slight step back, but even that was too much.
I let go of the professor's collar and stepped back, the pain of all the wounds I'd received increasing exponentially as the adrenaline and the effect of the skill I'd just used slowly began to wear off. Despite this, I had a dirty grin on my face.
It was fun. Being the main target of the stares of the people around me, seeing their shocked expressions... even feeling them.
What happened? I thought you were betting on how many seconds it would take me to lose.
Are you all speechless now?
"I assume I won the bet... Professor?"
The professor continued to look at me as if he hadn't heard what I said.
Well... I didn't expect him to be so shocked, what should I do?
"Y- yes... You won..."
I guess I hurt him mentally, even if what just happened didn't have a physical effect on him...
Well, I'm sorry...?
