After the completion of the second round of exams, a new subject was added to the curriculum: "Magic Practical Training."

From this point forward, they were immersed in a plethora of practical subjects, and Baek Yu-Seol must admit that it was filled with all sorts of tedious tasks.

For someone like him, who found solace in dozing off at his desk, the increased workload was undoubtedly disheartening.

Standing at the heart of Stella Dome, Instructor Hanwol addressed the Class S students.

"Assemble here, those who have united under the sacred belief and duty to eradicate dark magic, for you have become true magic warriors. However, not all warriors have held steadfast to their beliefs. Some may choose to betray the magical realm and succumb to a life of crime, while others might find themselves in conflicts between territories and nations, leading to battles between mages."

He continued, "Regardless of the circumstances, if you live as magic warriors, there will come a time when you cannot avoid facing fellow warriors in combat. To prepare for such situations, you shall now undergo Mage Duel Training."

Suppressing a smirk, Baek Yu-Seol tried to maintain a composed demeanor.

As someone who typically loathed attending classes, this one, however, seemed rather appealing.

After all, magic duels, akin to PvP in gaming terms, were his forte during his gaming days.

He relished the thrill of hunting down dark mages and engaging in intense duels in the virtual world.

"In this training, Instructor Han will guide you on various strategies for magic battles and teach you how to wield magic effectively to secure victory."

Drawing a comparison to the game "Aether World," this phase felt akin to advancing through a main storyline quest, gradually leading them to the "Online Server Duel Arena."

It was like a tutorial, offering valuable tips for excelling in magical battles.

A few days ago, he might have felt a lack of confidence in breaking through a magic shield due to insufficient offensive power.

However, things had changed now.

With the acquisition of Tae-Ryung’s Technique and mastery over Mana Concentration, he could deliver powerful blows.

Yet, Baek Yu-Seol must admit.

He still couldn't employ Tae-Ruung's Magic efficiently during real battles.

It required him to stand still and focused for a few seconds to trigger the magic temporarily.

One misstep, and the skill would dissipate immediately.

Nevertheless, practice was practice.

As this training didn't pose any life-threatening risks, even if he ended up looking a bit inept while handling the skill, it wasn't a matter of life and death.

He had to use these safe opportunities to hone Tae-Ryung’s Magic to perfection, so he could wield it effortlessly during critical battles in the future.

"The most effective form of training involves facing each other's magic head-on. However, starting from scratch and battling Class S demons immediately would be inefficient."

Fortunately, it seemed that they wouldn't be pitted against formidable Class S demons right from the start.

Just like a game of Soul Chess, magical battles required not only the mastery of powerful spells but also the wisdom to choose the right magic at the right time and situation.

"Unleashing powerful magic recklessly is a surefire way to defeat yourself in a duel. If your opponent possesses a similar amount of mana, victory lies not in casting the strongest spells but in strategic thinking. Mastering the art of magic battles requires anticipating your opponent's moves, predicting their spell choices based on the situation, and countering effectively.”

“In these magical duels, it's crucial to control the distance between you and your adversary. Spells shot from a caster's body have impressive range, but they provide the opponent with more time to respond. On the other hand, 'target’ magic is quick to execute, making it challenging for opponents to react in time due to its specified coordinates. Though target spells might have a shorter range and be less destructive, they offer unique opportunities for consecutive attacks, even enabling the caster to unleash powerful magic during those openings.”

“For Class 2 mages, the effective range of target magic can be as short as 5 meters for earth-based spells and around 15 meters for wind-based spells. While wind-based magic may seem preferable based solely on the numbers, each elemental attribute has its distinct advantages and limitations in terms of range.”

“To gain an advantage in magical combat, you must consistently stay out of your opponent's effective range while positioning them within your own attack zone.”

“Furthermore, maintaining secrecy about your range is also essential in magical battles.”

Thanks to Baek Yu-Seol’s enhanced sense, he could almost accurately deduce the range of 'target' magic at play.

The wooden figurine in front of them was solely utilizing target magic and always facing forward.

As the opponent remained stationary, overcoming this challenge was easier than sipping a cup of coffee.

“Now, your task is to use the shield only twice. The objective is to penetrate the target's square-shaped magic and remain motionless for five seconds to ensure safety, or alternatively, withstand the attack within range for over 30 seconds during your practice.”

The students listened attentively to Hanwol's instructions, their expressions filled with determination.

Remember, target magic activated instantaneously, leaving no room for evasion.

Thus, using the shield twice meant inevitable defeat.

In essence, Hanwol advised using the first shield to gauge your opponent's attributes and anticipate their magic's range.

‘Use the first shield to grasp the opponent's attribute and predict the range of their magic, then use the second shield to hold your ground and move outside their effective range. Is that what he means...?’

In that fleeting moment, how capable would a student be of making such a judgment?

Would they truly be competent enough?

Other classes had the luxury of being given shields at least five times.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the students in Class S were being subjected to such intense training because of the presence of elite students among them.

Even if one understood the attributes thoroughly, the range of each magical ability varied drastically.

Let's take the wind attribute for example.

Some mages might have a target range of around 12 meters, which was shorter than the average, but compensated with a width exceeding 2 meters, making it remarkably long.

On the contrary, there could be mages whose target range extended to 18 meters or more, but with a width of merely 1 meter, turning them into pure long-range attackers.

If the simplest wind attribute displayed such range diversity, one could only imagine how other attributes, each uniquely transforming and manifesting in complex ways for individual mages, would behave.

"Let's commence the practical training."

Four wooden dolls stood before them, and four students promptly stepped forward.

Among them were Poong Harang, the wind mage of S-Class; Aidan, specializing in ice magic; Masuwool, the shield expert; and Millian, the master of curse spells.

Among these unique individuals, Poong Harang’s presence was especially striking.

Despite his short-cropped hair, his thick eyebrows and commanding facial features exuded an imposing aura which discouraged anyone from underestimating him.

"Use only the basic shield without adding attributes. The magic used by the wooden dolls is of Class 2, so remember to release the shield after defending against an attack."

In other words, exploiting a loophole to block two attacks with one shield was not allowed.

"Begin."

All four nodded in understanding, and the test began immediately.

Poong Harang was the first to charge towards the wooden doll.

...

Since knights could utilize Hyper Jumps, their mobility did not differ significantly from regular priests.

However, Poong Harang’s confidence in his sharp reflexes allowed him to swiftly anticipate the incoming magic.

Plop!

Water droplets formed around him and burst, but he adeptly raised his shield to block them.

Right after, calculations began.

Considering the cooldown and power of the magic fluctuation based on the maximum range, he could roughly estimate the range using that as a hint.

Yet, Poong Harang didn't need to calculate.

Plop! Plop!

By the time the second attack concluded, he instinctively grasped the range.

Plop!

Approximately 2.7 seconds later, the third water droplet was generated, but Poong Harang slid on the ground to skillfully evade it.

Then, he calmly stood up and counted to 5 seconds.

… Nothing happened.

"Poong Harang, well done. You succeeded."

Though the exact accuracy of his range determination remained uncertain, he successfully moved outside the attack range just in time.

"Oh..."

"Impressive move."

Some students nodded in awe. Poong Harang’s method of evasion might have been crude, but it was astonishing.

Next, all eyes turned to Millian, who specialized in curse spells.

With his slender physique and an air of uncertainty about whether he had slept well last night, he appeared to jump and move aimlessly before suddenly.

Whoosh!

Fire engulfed his body, causing him to panic and quickly deploy his shield.

Despite a slight delay in his reaction, he successfully managed to block the prolonged attack.

The target range of the fire-based spell formed a rainbow-like shape, granting him the advantage of covering a wide area at a distance while remaining out of striking range up close.

Moreover, the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of the rainbow pattern and its width made it quite challenging for the opponent to anticipate.

How would they respond?

Whoosh!

Disregarding the high expectations, he casually rolled on the ground, engulfed in flames.

"Argh..."

Even though he still had a second chance to activate his shield, he couldn't react in time.

"Sigh."

"I knew he would do that."

Millian's behavior might seem pitiful even among Class S, but Baek Yu-Seol know just how terrifying he could be.

His reaction speed might be slow, and he might lack the power to wield destructive magic, but... the ability to penetrate the opponent's shield with debilitating effects instilled great fear on the battlefield.

He might appear weak on their own, but in the presence of an exceptional mage, Millian's synergy shone brilliantly.

He skillfully employed dreadful and deadly magic, gradually and stealthily decimating his foes.

"Next."

Despite Millian's seemingly foolish demeanor, the training continued.

Most attempts ended in failure.

No matter how brilliant or theoretically adept someone was, coping with sudden adversity in real battles remained a challenge.

The scarce opportunities to escape targeted magic, such as the Poong Harang or Mayuseong, were truly remarkable successes.

"Baek Yu-Seol, Kalabin, Hajarang, Charles. Step forward."

After a while, Baek Yu-Seol’s name was called, and he stepped up.

As mentioned before, his senses allowed him to intuitively grasp the range of the target.

In the past, during gaming sessions, the range was visually represented, but now, in this reality, he could sense it through his instincts.

So far, he fought by instinctively evading beyond that range.

That way, he could avoid becoming a target for the enemy's targeted magic.

Baek Yu-Seol’s approach involved not even giving the opponent a chance to use targeted spells. However, all of a sudden, he felt the urge to test something.

After obtaining Tae-Ryung Breathing Technique and significantly increasing the mana circulation rate in his blood, his senses became extraordinarily sharp.

So, he wondered... perhaps, even if he was within the target range, could he react to the magic and evade it using his instincts?

On average, the activation speed of Class 1 target magic was about 0.2 seconds.

Magic users with high [Sense] attributes were capable of perceiving and reacting to it, and even if their minds didn’t react, they could still deploy a shield through mana response unless it was an intense attack.

However, starting from Class 2, it entered a realm of 0.1 seconds, making it challenging to react without anticipation.

Moreover, the 'reaction' referred to the act of simply raising a shield to defend against an incoming attack.

The deployment of a skilled mage's shield was completed in a fleeting moment without the need for any additional movements.

However, Baek Yu-Seol was different.

He had to move his sword directly to parry or evade attacks, which demanded a significantly higher sense of perception and quick movements compared to other mages.

'Evade while observing the target.'

Even if the opponent's magic was only at Class 1, it was impossible.

However, he was unable to use magic at all.

To be able to achieve what mages considered impossible, he must reach a position equal to theirs.

An attempt that he couldn't even imagine during his days of playing games.

'Now, I might be able to do it.'

If he failed, it would be a bit regrettable and embarrassing, but it was inevitable.

'Phew...'

Standing in front of a wooden doll, he concentrated as much as possible in an immobile stance.

The energy of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements permeated his body and then dissipated.

He concentrated all that energy on his senses.

Very rarely, true 'geniuses' were said to be able to hear the songs of mana from nature since their childhood.

While he might not be a genius, he could vaguely grasp the meaning of that.

He could hear it, and feel it.

The movement of mana.

How those waves fluctuated.

All of those things were whispering to him.

“... Begin.”

Finally, as Hanwol’s command resonated, he shivered!

Sensing a cool feeling around his neck, he quickly moved his body to the side and took a step to evade.

Swish-Boom!

As he did, a semi-transparent sphere appeared in the air and then scattered.

'Crazy, what a surprise...'

It wasn't ordinary elemental magic. It was magic that twisted and distorted space itself, manipulating it unlike the natural world.

The identity of the wooden doll he was facing was none other than a spatial type.

'Wait, is this even appropriate for a wooden doll theme?'

It was ironic that a spatial attribute, which was even rarer than the light attribute, was used by a mere wooden doll.

The activation of the magic was extremely fast, and due to its wide range, dealing with spatial magic was quite challenging.

But there was no time for distractions.

Swish~!

Once again, he felt a cool sensation on his shoulder, so he had to quickly twist his body.

Boom!

The space briefly twisted and then returned to normal, and he calmed his pounding heart.

Since it was just a Class 2 magic, even if it hits, it wouldn’t be painful enough to make him clutch his wrist too tightly.

Lower-level spatial magic was known for its lack of destructive power.

Besides, there was the compensation from Stella Dome, so there was no risk of getting hurt.

That was why he decided to take a bolder challenge.

Even if he stayed within the range, lasting for more than 30 seconds was a success condition.

No one had endured more than 30 seconds in his jurisdiction.

Swish~!

Once again, Baek Yu-Seol felt the cool sensation at his waist and took a step to the side.

Boom!

This time, he had a bit more leeway.

'Is this distance requires a 2-second cooldown?'

If he narrowed the distance, the cooldown would be even shorter. He boldly took a step forward.

Swish - Bang! Swish-!

The distortion of space passed sequentially through his shoulder, knee, right arm, neck, and waist. He simply sidestepped each attack by taking steps to the left and right.

The reason he was walking was not for leisure.

Baek Yu-Seol started running while trying to maintain the Tae-Ryung’s Breathing Technique.

But, the intervals of the magic were getting faster, and his tension was gradually increasing.

Just as the limits of simply dodging were about to be reached, he thought, 'Yeah, at this rate...!'

He was hoping that he could use the Tae-Ryung’s Breathing Technique while running, so he tried to focus even more.

"Baek Yu-Seol, success."

“......"

The light of the wooden doll went out, and the practice session came to an end.

Hanwol was looking at Baek Yu-Seol with an incredulous expression.

"Out of all, I've never seen someone like you before."

For some reason, it got quiet.

When he turned his head to look behind, the other students from Class S were staring at him as if he were insane.

‘Well, I can understand why they would look like that…’

Just when things were starting to get interesting, it was over.

Baek Yu-Seol was disappointed.

"Can't we do a bit more of this?"

"No. Go back."

Hanwol’s tone was firm.

Damn it.

He wanted to suggest installing it at the Class S training grounds.