The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 43



Only Noblemtl

The magic of amnesia (chair shot).

The sound of the skull and the metal folding chair colliding resonated loudly throughout the surrounding area.

When the other participants heard the loud magical sound, they looked at me with dumbfounded expressions.

“How dare you…!”

When they saw Adonic lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back, his companions were the first to grit their teeth and lift their respective saddles.

But Enoch had already taken something out of his bosom and thrown it in front of their eyes.

-Thud, slap!

White smoke began to pour out rapidly, accompanied by the sound of something being sprayed from the small object Enoch had thrown.

smoke screen.

In the midst of the smoke that was sprayed so much that it filled the entire field of vision, everyone backed away little by little, looking bewildered.

“Cough! What is this…?”

But unlike the others, Enoch slowly backed away with a small smile on his face, dissolving into the white smoke.

Last time we raided the vendetta branch’s vault.

An artifact that was just gathering dust there.

–

“The Wizard’s Fog Pocket”

When you pull the string that ties the entrance, the processed magic stone inside reacts with the air, releasing a thick white fog.

Due to its simplicity in operation and the sustainability of its smoke, it is still in constant demand.

Duration: 10 minutes

–

It’s like a smoke bomb.

There was a reason I brought all this.

Of course, its power is not as great as that of the full-fledged artifacts used by wizards for magic…

Even for a rare non-magician, this was an artifact that could be useful depending on the situation.

Just like right now.

Cheeeeeeek-

Thick white smoke spread out, coloring all directions.

Smoke quickly filled the entire testing room.

A pure white smoke engulfed all the surrounding wizards. Enoch looked around inside it.

Before I knew it, an ear-piercing roar and debris were exploding from all over the place.

-Kwaaaaang!

A fierce magical battle was already unfolding between several wizards who were quick to grasp the situation, even before their vision was obscured by smoke bombs.

As expected of a clash between powerful magicians, the indoor battle instantly descended into chaos.

Quagmire! Quagmire!

In a hazy smoke screen.

Sharp rock fragments flew and arrows of glowing mana tore through the air.

A dangerous battlefield where you could easily get caught up.

But Enoch walked calmly through it all.

The reason why it was possible to premiere like this was simple.

‘Because I can see everything.’

Enoch stopped for a moment as he watched the line of mana being drawn before his eyes.

Immediately afterwards, in the direction I was walking, Mana’s bullet whizzed past my nose.

-Wedge!

This kind of chaos, with smoke screens everywhere, was the perfect environment for blind magic. And this was also the case for most of the participants.

Except Enoch.

“The sense of mana” learned from the last swordsman of the empire.

His vision was able to detect the mana used by surrounding wizards without any problem.

‘Even if your vision is blocked, if you focus on the flow of mana, you can roughly figure out the location of the casters.’

Even if you are a level 10 or higher who is sensitive to mana, it is impossible to see the opponent’s mana this clearly if you have not activated the related unique magic.

Only wizards who are skilled in detection magic would be able to roughly determine the opponent’s location.

Therefore, it was very difficult for other wizards to see the situation clearly like Enoch inside the smokescreen.

“For God’s sake, clear the fog!”

“No. The room is sealed so I can’t clean it up…!”

At that moment, several wizards who were using Anemo magic to clear away the fog nearby were heard grumbling in frustration.

In fact, it was a natural course of events.

‘Before the screening test begins, the testing site will be completely sealed.’

So, the environment has changed to one where it is impossible to completely clear the smoke screen even with magic.

In addition, the amount of smoke emitted by the artifact is large and the duration is quite long, so it is difficult to secure vision even with most wind-type magic.

Enoch walked through the chaos as if he was taking a stroll.

‘Things are going well.’

Setting off smoke grenades like this is one of the tricks I personally tested out when playing the original game.

If there was a way to secure a field of vision, this would have been a method that was guaranteed to succeed.

Now all you have to do is spend the rest of your time doing what you have to do.

And that thing to do is…

‘I absolutely can’t stand farming!’

Enoch picked up the scepter that Adonic was holding.

“I will write well.”

A sleek metal staff-shaped saddle.

This caught his eye from the very beginning. Enoch waved it lightly in the air.

It was a very well-maintained and shiny stable, as if the guy had been taking good care of it.

‘After all, the magic field is basically like life to a magician.’

Above all, in the Magic Empire, the ‘Magic Field’ has always had a unique value regardless of the field of magic.

Someone’s magician’s talisman can become the magician’s symbol or nickname.

It was common for numerous elements, such as the magic stone that formed the core of the magic field and various mana circuits, to be items that were delicately adjusted to fit each individual magician.

Of course, the values ​​for judging equipment here are a little different from those of wizards.

“Swoop.”

Enoch took a deep breath, and then swung the staff he was holding onto the ground.

I felt a dull thud on my fingertips along with a dull, impacting sound.

But Enoch didn’t stop there and kept slamming it to the floor.

Thud, thud!

In the Magic Empire, striking the magic field, which is as precious as one’s life, into the ground is an action that would make countless magicians foam at the mouth and collapse.

However, as a non-magician, he only had to consider one thing about the horse’s specs.

“Oh, it’s sturdy?”

Enoch nodded with a satisfied expression as he looked at the staff that was now covered in blood.

Anyway, I think you’ll be able to use the sword pretty much throughout this exam.

For a direct descendant of Elseid, who is a household name, to be a swordsman is not only a matter of gossip, but also…

‘Because power must always be hidden as much as possible until the most important moment.’

So, it just so happened that we needed this kind of staff.

If you hold one of these magical tools, you’ll look like a wizard at first glance.

I can’t really use magic though.

Anyway, after testing it roughly, it seemed like it would be good enough for temporary use on exams.

‘I think I might get a chance to try it sometime.’

But unless it was a sword, he needed a real opponent to get used to the unfamiliar weight and balance.

At that moment, someone suddenly appeared from behind the smokescreen nearby, wielding a wand.

“Finally found it! Here it is, Enoch!”

Come to think of it, wasn’t that one of the other Dionil’s followers who was next to Adonic earlier?

Judging from the fact that we managed to meet each other in the midst of chaos, it seems like they must have been looking for us quite persistently.

“This kid is dead…!”

Instead of answering, Enoch immediately swung his staff at the bastard’s head.

Blood spurted out with a dull, thumping sound.

‘Adaptation complete.’

Of course, it was a bit frustrating in many ways, including the inability to project mana unless it was a sword.

But this is something worth taking.

It’s much better than advertising your swordsmanship in a testing ground like this.

Above all…

Enoch glanced somewhere beyond the smokescreen.

‘Beyond this fog, Theano and the other Nemesis test subjects will be looking this way.’

The selection test may seem like a complete mess on the surface, but it is ultimately part of the ‘entrance exam’.

Even at this very moment, the examiners in charge of the exam will be watching this test from an unseen location.

-Wow

The next moment, as if to prove Enoch’s guess.

Underneath the body of the Dionil follower wizard who had collapsed while biting the foam, a magic circle of mana-based spatial transfer was suddenly formed.

Swish!

Soon, with a small magical sound, the form of the fallen man disappeared in an instant.

Moreover, even in the midst of the melee, magic circles of transfer were being drawn one after another below the wizards who were incapacitated from fighting.

Those magic circles quickly transported the wounded and those who dropped out during the battle to the outside of the arena.

‘… As expected, this is exactly the same as the original.’

Just now, I said something to make it sound like we should kill each other, but if you think about it calmly, you’ll realize how ridiculous that is.

The Magic Empire is a place that values ​​talented magicians more than anything else.

There was no way they would give up the lives of talented individuals who would apply to the Nemesis Knights for something as simple as a selection test.

Because it would be like throwing the most important human resources of the empire into the trash can.

That’s why those who are judged to be incapable of fighting are sent to a place where healers are waiting.

By the way, it was even more surprising when I saw it in person.

‘In this chaos, it’s possible to catch all of those people and send them away without fail.’

Actually, I didn’t really think much of it in-game, but in front of my eyes, with the smoke screen set up, the eliminated player was transported accurately through space teleportation.

Nemesis’ test tube Teleos.

It was definitely something that could only be said to be the ability of a 10th-grade wizard.

***

“Time is up. The screening test ends here.”

Before I knew it, the exam period was almost over.

Teleos stood up from the platform he was sitting on, signaling the end of time.

The duration of the smoke screen that Enoch had set off was soon over, and vision was slowly recovering.

The interior of the screening test site was already scorched earth.

chuck.

As the test was declared over, Sagrada could see the contestants taking a step back, each one packing up their stalls, through the smoke.

Teleos, who was looking at them, opened his mouth with satisfaction under the shadow of his black hat.

“… Surprisingly, many people survived.”

The survivors looked up at him, each with their own colored eyes.

Teleos on the platform continued talking as if he was having fun looking down at the passersby.

“I heard that the quality of the participants in this exam was quite high. It wasn’t an empty rumor.”

Of course, it is difficult to say that only participants worthy of the reputation of Nemesis remain.

This is only a screening test.

However, the fact that so many people survived among the selected personnel was quite exceptional even since the Nemesis induction test.

“Anyway, congratulations on passing.”

Teleos’ voice rang out.

“From now on, I will explain the first test you will take. I will only explain it once, so listen carefully.”

The participants held their breath.

Now the real test begins.

Teleos declared in a low voice.

“The content of the first test is… .”

Demon.

The atmosphere in the room became even more tense at those words.

Because if you are a citizen of the great Atlas Magic Empire, you are someone that everyone must know.

Masurans are ferocious monsters that often appear in some sparsely populated areas of the empire.

Due to their endless aggression and power, the places they appear are officially designated as by the Empire and are avoided.

Therefore, even the people of the empire, most of whom are magicians, do not even want to approach such a ferocious beast.

Hunting down such dangerous guys is the main focus of this first test.

“Now then, I will tell you the most important part of the first test.”

The attention of the examination room was again focused on the examiner.

Teleos also looked at each of the audience members, and then he stopped looking at someone.

“The most basic quality that the Knights of Nemesis must possess is ‘cooperation.’”

As he continued his guidance, he looked closely at a boy he had discovered.

– A black-haired boy mixed in among the participants.

Teleos’ eyes quickly scanned Enoch.

With his handsome appearance and pitch-black hair alone, he was the most talked-about contestant in this exam. You could tell at a glance that he was Enoch.

The screening test seems to have survived for now.

“Cooperation between wizards is the most powerful weapon, more so than any powerful magic.”

Teleos continued.

“Our Nemesis also does not act alone in most cases of major missions. He always carries out operations together based on strong trust with his fellow knights. This test selects exactly such talents.”

The participants’ expressions were filled with tension.

On the other hand, Enoch was calmly wiping the bloodstains on the horse he had picked up earlier with the hem of the robe of the wizard who was preoccupied with the examination instructions in front of him.

Teleos’ eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Enoch’s calm actions.

“…Therefore, you must temporarily form a team in the first test and prove your ability to cooperate.”

After Enoch wiped the horse clean, he casually turned over the hem of the wizard’s robe that he had used as a towel as if nothing had happened.

‘The theme of the first test just so happens to be proof of cooperation.’

In many ways, there was no better stage for the family.

It was a suitable stage for Enoch to participate in the ‘United Mission’ that would take place in the village of the Suin Tribe, to prove that he had the minimum ability to command, even if only nominally.

Plus, the cooperation of Nemesis, an official neutral organization that conducts tests that are verified by everyone.

Where could you find better testing conditions than these?

“Then, from now on, we will begin forming the teams that will take the first test together.”

‘It’s finally starting.’

Enoch waited for Teleos to speak further.

Team members are very important in this exam.

The capabilities of the team members who will be taking the test together are a major factor that can even determine whether you pass or fail the test.

There was no time to waste in deciding on team members.

Enoch took a look around.

‘Now is the time to form teams autonomously.’

It was time to slowly choose a team and recruit members.

Most of the participants have little information about this exam, so it is natural that they do not know which wizard to team up with to get an advantage in the exam.

However, Enoch knew the content of the first test and how to clear it.

In that case, it wouldn’t be a problem to choose team members who would be advantageous to the test.

But the next moment.

A word that Enoch had never expected came out of Teleos’ mouth.

“The team formation for this test will be done by ‘drawing’!”

Towering.

Enoch paused for a moment without realizing it. Then he quickly turned to look in the direction where Teleos was.

wait for a sec.

What did I hear wrong just now?

‘… … A lottery?’