I had registered the ‘Polymorph’ skill on my profile to manifest as ‘Scale Armor,’ but during the actual match, I ended up using nothing but ‘Telekinesis.’
The reason being, there was no enemy difficult enough to warrant using ‘Polymorph,’ and since it produced scales from my skin, it simply wasn’t compatible with the sparring suit.
“Could I possibly compete without wearing the sparring suit?”
I politely asked the senior official who had approached me earlier.
“Well, I’m not too sure, but wouldn’t that be against the rules? Is it really necessary?”
The official looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I explained that I possess a skill which causes scales to emerge from my skin, providing me with very high defense when used.
“I see. Understood. I’ll convey this to the judges as well. The rules should allow for a bit of flexibility in this case.”
The official nodded confidently, assured me not to worry, and hurriedly left.
This only works so easily because we’re at home. If it were an away game, such a request would likely have been ignored since, according to the rules, the sparring suit must be worn.
I returned to the waiting room and stripped off my clothes.
“Polymorph.”
Red scales began to sprout from my body, gradually forming into the shape of armor.
Looking in the mirror, I saw a fully armored dragon knight standing before me.
“It’s just like one of those knights from a game.”
This certainly isn’t my style—it’s more to Laura’s liking.
“Is this the kind of knight you like, lady?”
I teased Laura with a slight smile.
[Wh-what? That’s impolite! I merely pursue beauty.]
As if struck at her weakest point, Laura jumped up. I decided not to provoke her any further.
“Anyway, during this match, if I signal, could you lend me a hand?”
[Hmm? Isn’t there a risk of our identities being exposed?]
“The assumption that it’s Dark Knight using ‘Dispel’ is just that—an assumption. How much could the Chinese team possibly know? If you just use Dispel for 0.5 seconds at a critical moment, no one would notice. They’d just think the skill was briefly interrupted.”
[Alright then.]
Even with a mere 0.5-second use of Dispel connecting me to Dark Knight might be a stretch, but even if, by some slim chance, my identity were revealed, this would still be worth it.
I checked the clock. About five minutes remained.
Wiping the smile from my face, I took a deep breath. It was nearly time to go.
“Status screen.”
————<Status Screen>————
◈ Name
n̶̡̡̛̟̠͈͎̟̍͜͝͡͠ṵ̢̭̲̋͒̓͊̀̒́͘͡l̴̳͙͓̞̻̝͇̥͆̋͂̉̕͡͠͠l̨̛̫̖̝͓̮̳͓͆̃̈̈́̈́͆̈̕
◈ Abilities
[Strength 200 A] (+1100)
[Agility 841 B] (+1100)
[Intelligence 291 C] (+1100)
[Luck 277 F] (+1100)
[Overall C]
◈ Skills
[Succession 921 A]
[Dragon Heart — A]
[Telekinesis 767 C]
[Engraving Magic — B]
[Polymorph — S]
———————————–
Strength S-rank, Agility A-rank. This gives me an advantage numerically, but if there’s a significant disparity in skill level, there’s still a small chance I could lose.
“Mr. Shinnoda, it’s almost time for your match.”
I heard someone call me from outside. After preparing, I left the waiting room.
“Huh.”
The referee stared at me in shock, then collapsed onto the floor. He was visibly trembling.
“Is that really Mr. Shinnoda?”
“Yes. Please get up.”
I helped the man up and replied. Only after that did the referee steady himself and guide me to the dueling arena.
“Hello, I’m Zhang Yichen.”
As soon as I stepped up, the opponent greeted me in hesitant Korean.
“Yes, hello. I’m Shinnoda.”
I awkwardly replied. Zhang Yichen was staring at me expectantly.
‘What’s he expecting?’
The countdown on the scoreboard began.
「10」
「9」
“This match features Mr. Shinnoda versus Mr. Zhang Yichen. Mr. Shinnoda’s look seems somewhat unfamiliar, right? That’s a skill. The red armor sprouts from his skin, hence he couldn’t wear the sparring suit.”
“Huh, despite the risks involved, it seems like his defense has improved.”
Zhang Yichen quietly stood there, nodding and listening to the commentators.
“I must say, the armor is splendid.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“I sense a great power from you.”
“…”
I shrugged in response.
‘What do you want me to say to that?’
There was really no answer to “I sense a great power from you.”
“By the way, Mr. Zhang Yichen ranked first in the Chinese Academy tournament. He’s called ‘Heatless Angel.’”
“Each province-level administrative district in China has its own academy, amounting to more than twenty. Yet Mr. Zhang Yichen wasn’t merely number one in one academy—he was number one in all of China.”
The commentators explained about Zhang Yichen. Only then did the audience realize how strong he truly was and began to applaud.
As the countdown continued—still ticking—
「3」
「2」
「1」
I took a deep breath. This match had to be won at all costs.
*
1 minute into the game.
The two fighters were engaged in intense exchanges. They both recognized the other’s expertise in martial arts.
Shinnoda refrained from thrusts, employing sweeping motions with his spear instead. Thrusts left him open to counterattacks, and if his spear shaft were grabbed, it could be catastrophic.
“Haaat!”
Zhang Yichen defended against the incoming spear with his dual swords crossed. Then he struck the spear shaft with one sword, rushing toward Shinnoda and slashing across his chest.
Shinnoda had no prior experience dealing with dual swords, whereas Zhang Yichen had frequently faced spears. That was the gap between them.
“Shinnoda contestant! He’s taking the hits! Is the armor really okay?!”
As Zhang Yichen retreated, Shinnoda’s condition became visible. His armor was unblemished.
“He’s fine! This is the reason he chose not to wear the sparring suit!”
“This way, Mr. Zhang Yichen is at a disadvantage. How does he plan to breach this armor?!”
The commentators were in a frenzy. Normally, Zhang Yichen would’ve been sensitive to such chatter, but now it didn’t bother him at all.
‘This smell…’
As he had just closed the distance with Shinnoda, Zhang Yichen noticed a familiar scent emanating from him. It was the unique pheromone that only the Neo-Humans possessed.
“Could you be Neo-Human?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I can smell it.”
Shinnoda was startled inwardly. He thought it was possible that having lived with an Alpha and Omega, their pheromones had somehow transferred onto him.
“Focus on the fight.”
Shinnoda evaded the topic, but Zhang Yichen shook his head with a smile.
“Your armor is quite sturdy. I see no need to hold back. If you feel like you’re about to die, forfeit.”
Wings sprouted from Zhang Yichen’s back. They resembled an angel’s wings but were intangible, giving off an illusion-like presence.
Employing all his strength, the A-rank Awakened One jumped high where Shinnoda’s spear couldn’t reach, hovering in midair.
‘The beginning of a hellish pattern?’
Though Zhang Yichen couldn’t truly fly, he could hover indefinitely. His right-hand blade transformed into a long crimson laser whip, bending and whipping like a snake.
“Ah! He’s floating in the air. It’s not actual flight, but it still poses a crisis for Mr. Shinnoda!”
“What’s that laser whip?! Already, two skills have been showcased! This tournament is really high-level!”
The commentators themselves were astonished. The drop rate for skill books was very low; one wouldn’t easily find them without special dungeons. Thus, it was rare for individuals to possess more than their innate activation skills. However, in this tournament, there were many participants using multiple skills.
With his fantastical wings, Zhang Yichen hovered in the sky, whipping the laser around, showcasing why he was called the Heatless Angel.
Shinnoda rolled across the ground to evade the whip. He couldn’t completely dodge the whip traveling at supersonic speed, and his extremities were occasionally struck.
Shinnoda checked his armor for damage.
‘Fortunately.’
Though it was dented and flapping, it hadn’t been cut in half like paper. The laser whip looked like it could cut through anything, but apparently, the armor held up.
“Your armor is no longer of any use.”
Zhang Yichen smirked, observing the damaged state of Shinnoda’s scale armor. The audience thought Shinnoda was in a fatal situation. Both the official who had given him the oracle and weapon master Lee Chan-hyuk were anxiously watching the match.
“If he persists with this approach, there’s no way for Shinnoda to defend himself!”
“A sky-dwelling skill… As a Hero, I don’t know, but it’s a great ability for a duel!”
The vibrant crimson laser whip decorated the arena. Each time the whip struck the ground, deep marks appeared. It narrowly missed Shinnoda repeatedly.
‘If you come like that, I also have a trick.’
Despite the relentless assault raining down from the sky, Shinnoda maintained his calm, thinking of a countermeasure with an expressionless face.
