The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 61

My current record is 2 wins, 0 losses. Even if I lose to Yeo Min-seo, I’ll have 2 wins and 1 loss. It would be great if I could win, but even if I lose, I should be able to achieve a mid-to-upper level grade.

To be honest, until Kim Jin-seo forfeited and left early, I had no intention of winning. More precisely, I had no intention of seriously engaging in the sparring match.

[I’m hungry. This is exploitation. How much are you going to work me with just one offering? I think we need to write a contract. This isn’t fair.]

This was because Bosu was gradually losing his mind.

The offering I had given to Bosu was just one ’Bull’s Horn.’ It was a common supply-type offering available everywhere, which would have been nowhere near enough to satisfy Bosu’s hunger after starving for half a year.

Knowing this, I had abused Bosu’s divine power. When I shot down the bird magical beasts with stone throwing, when I carried the unconscious Jeong In-ah to her front door, when I sparred with Gu Jun-hyeok earlier, and so on.

I had used Bosu’s divine power even when it wasn’t necessary. As Bosu said, I had essentially ’exploited’ his divine power.

[The way to respond to exploitation is a strike! I learned it from Legba. Bosu goes on strike when things get annoying. I will attempt to resist the evil cult leader.]

"Mm."

Legba taught him something quite bad.

Looking at his condition, there was a possibility that Bosu’s divine power might cut out during my sparring match with Yeo Min-seo.

As I always feel, the Loa are truly difficult beings. When there are no offerings, they whine about being hungry, and when you give them offerings, they cause a ruckus wanting to rampage.

Come to think of it, Mother was truly an amazing person. To be able to freely command such fickle and difficult Loa. Even Sobo and Baron Samedi couldn’t move freely in front of Mother.

It’s a belated thought, but I lacked so many things. As a cult leader, and as a prophet. I still have a long way to go to catch up to Father and Mother.

"Hey, Do Seon-woo."

While I was lost in thought, Yeo Min-seo, leaning against the cage, looked at me with a crooked gaze and asked.

Somehow that gaze felt quite annoying.

"What."

"Want to make a bet? How about it?"

"Why would I?"

It was the same cheap provocation she had used on Kim Jin-seo. I countered with a smiling face. Whether you have the cards or not, it’s better to show leisure when you can. It’s for gaining psychological advantage.

Yeo Min-seo let out a hollow laugh and stared at me quietly with her characteristically empty eyes.

"That would be more fun."

"It’s not fun though. Hey, you don’t think you’re funny, do you?"

"...What?"

The form of the blessing circle Yeo Min-seo had been drawing became slightly distorted.

She was either flustered or angry. Either way, it meant she was agitated. I didn’t miss that opportunity.

Bosu.

I immediately used his divine power. And I gripped tightly the weapon I had chosen before climbing into the ring.

The weapon I chose was a mace. A mace shaped like a club with a metal ball at the end.

There were two reasons I specifically chose a mace.

First, a mace performs well even when used without skill. You can achieve half the effect just by swinging it around. For someone like me who doesn’t know how to handle any weapons, a mace was perfect.

I didn’t use a weapon when sparring with Gu Jun-hyeok, but since I was determined to ’definitely’ win the match against Yeo Min-seo, I decided to use a weapon.

Second, clergy somehow suit maces. It’s a prejudice, but just... somehow maces suit them. That’s the feeling.

I shook off my distracting thoughts and charged toward Yeo Min-seo. Then I swung the mace in my hand directly at Yeo Min-seo’s face.

Thwack!

A crisp sound. But there was no impact. Yeo Min-seo had crossed both arms to block my attack.

Even I thought it was a crude attack with not even a speck of technique to be found, so in a way it was natural. If I had known this would happen, I should have learned proper weapon techniques.

"...You, blessing, no. What is this?"

Yeo Min-seo said. Her voice was trembling slightly.

I peered at her face hidden behind her crossed arms. On that face usually full of leisure and arrogance, there was a faint but clear sign of confusion.

The blessings Yeo Min-seo used were all intermediate to advanced level, high-tier blessings. It wasn’t for nothing that she had earned the Holy Name of Kindness, as Yeo Min-seo handled blessings quite well.

However, if you asked which was stronger between Bosu’s divine power and blessings, naturally Bosu’s divine power was stronger. To the extent that comparing them would be unfair to Bosu.

[Bosu is scheduled to start a strike soon. Resistance against exploitation!]

That said, I had no intention of being complacent. I had to quickly settle things before Bosu started his strike.

I swung the mace again at the confused Yeo Min-seo’s face. Yeo Min-seo barely managed to block the attack. I continued my assault.

Thunk! Crack!

The offensive and defensive exchange continued like that for a while. More precisely, I unilaterally attacked Yeo Min-seo while she only defended.

At first glance it looked like I was driving Yeo Min-seo back, but the one who was actually anxious was me. Yeo Min-seo’s guard was solid, and I had no skill to break through it with my crude swinging.

If time passed like this and Bosu started his strike, I would helplessly lose to Yeo Min-seo.

However, Yeo Min-seo must be just as anxious. Moreover, Yeo Min-seo didn’t know that I was feeling anxious.

I would use that psychological advantage. I would induce her to take ’some action.’

If things flowed according to plan, I could win.

No, I will definitely win.

* * *

"1 minute elapsed. 2 minutes remaining."

Cold sweat that had flowed from my forehead gathered at the tip of my chin. My mouth was completely dry.

Yeo Min-seo was currently looking at Do Seon-woo, who was launching fierce attacks at her, with confusion.

No, beyond confusion, she was even feeling a kind of fear.

’When did he use blessings? Is he even using blessings?’

Do Seon-woo’s strength was powerful. So powerful that the word ’powerful’ was insufficient, Do Seon-woo possessed overwhelming monstrous strength. Moreover, there was no light of blessing flowing through his body.

It wasn’t ’temporary strength’ gained through blessings, but ’innate strength’ from pure physical ability at this level.

She had expected this since he shot down the bird magical beasts with stone throwing, but even so, this was too much.

Unfair.

Yeo Min-seo recalled that word she had avoided her entire life.

Thunk, crack!

The offensive and defensive exchange continued.

Only the sticky and hard sounds of impacts continuously echoed in the ring. There were no voices at all. Even the spectators watching the sparring had all closed their mouths.

Yeo Min-seo glared at Do Seon-woo while keeping her guard up. There was no sign of strain on Do Seon-woo’s face. Rather, he looked leisurely.

Yet Do Seon-woo never stopped his fierce attacks for even a moment.

’My arms...’

Do Seon-woo’s attacks were childishly monotonous compared to Kim Jin-seo’s.

Therefore, Yeo Min-seo was able to block all his attacks without much difficulty.

After all, the weapon he chose was a mace. Wasn’t it a weapon only used by inferior clerics with no talent for weapon techniques?

But there was a limit to blocking. Her arms were losing strength.

While a mace was a weapon used by clerics with no talent for weapon techniques, when wielded by someone with strength like Do Seon-woo, the story was different.

Actually, with Do Seon-woo’s level of monstrous strength, any weapon he used would be threatening. Even though it seemed like he was just swinging randomly, the pressure was considerable.

Step step!

Yeo Min-seo quickly took side steps to escape from the corner. Do Seon-woo’s fierce attacks stopped momentarily.

When Do Seon-woo approached, Yeo Min-seo took steps again to create distance.

The standoff continued like that for a while.

"Ha."

Yeo Min-seo let out a hollow laugh while catching her breath.

When she took one step back, Do Seon-woo came two steps forward.

Usually when someone is strong they’re slow, but Do Seon-woo was not only strong but also very fast. Overwhelmingly superior physical abilities to an absurd degree. Cold sweat flowed naturally.

"2 minutes elapsed."

During this time, time had passed. Time remaining: 1 minute. She had to settle things within 1 minute, no, within 30 seconds.

If she couldn’t decide the match within that time, she would run out of stamina and ultimately lose. Yeo Min-seo absolutely did not want to lose.

"...It’s a gamble though."

Yeo Min-seo laughed emptily and muttered to herself.

Immediately after, the divine power she emitted became two blessing circles in the air. Then she forcibly fused those blessing circles. She intended to cause an explosion through collision.

If she made a mistake, she might get caught in the explosion herself.

But if she just kept blocking Do Seon-woo’s attacks like this, she would ’definitely’ lose. Now was the time to gamble.

Even if it meant getting caught in the explosion and ending in a draw or defeat. Now was the time to make a decisive move.

The two blessing circles Yeo Min-seo drew tangled and fused with each other, then began to distort.

A precursor to collision. In that brief moment, Yeo Min-seo calculated the explosion.

’Explosion in 1 second. Damage to me... won’t come.’

Looking at the form of the distorted blessing circles, the explosion would occur on Do Seon-woo’s side. No damage would come to her.

Yeo Min-seo was confident of victory. The gamble was a success.

Fortune was on her side. Even heaven was helping her. Yeo Min-seo smiled at Do Seon-woo. It was a smile of victory.

"...Huh?"

However, that smile soon became distorted.

The explosion didn’t occur.

Between the two blessing circles she had drawn, one more blessing circle had been drawn. Because of it, the blessing circles that shouldn’t have fused ended up fusing. Naturally, no collision phenomenon occurred.

The explosion was blocked?

Yeo Min-seo widened her eyes at the sight.

Do Seon-woo, whom she glanced at, was smiling. It was a smile of victory.

The same smile she had shown, Do Seon-woo was returning to her exactly.

"That was close."

Do Seon-woo muttered something incomprehensible and charged at Yeo Min-seo. There was no chance to resist.

Crack!

"Gah...!"

Do Seon-woo’s mace struck Yeo Min-seo’s side hard. Yeo Min-seo let out a strange scream and tumbled to the ground.

Along with a sharp pain as if her ribs were breaking, Yeo Min-seo felt her consciousness become distant.

* * *

The strategy I devised to defeat Yeo Min-seo had two parts.

First. Never use blessings, and drive Yeo Min-seo back using only Bosu’s divine power.

This made Yeo Min-seo feel psychological pressure.

The reason I specifically chose a weapon, particularly a mace, was also for this. A mace would create more pressure than fists.

Second. Corner Yeo Min-seo and create a situation where she had no choice but to ’gamble.’

I induced the anxious Yeo Min-seo to gamble by forcibly fusing blessing circles to cause collision phenomena.

I knew how to prevent collision phenomena from occurring. Though I hate to admit it, it was an idea I got from Seong Ha-yeon’s presentation earlier.

Drawing one more blessing circle between blessing circles to act as a ’bridge.’ This greatly reduces the probability of collision phenomena occurring.

Through this, I would nullify Yeo Min-seo’s gamble itself and win. That was my plan. However, there was a variable I hadn’t calculated.

"...Hey, it’s not, over yet."

At the chilling voice from behind my head, I turned around. Yeo Min-seo was forcibly holding onto her nearly severed consciousness and barely getting up from her position. Her eyes were unfocused and hazy.

"Impact detection device. No sound, came out."

The final variable.

I hadn’t considered at all the possibility that even my finishing blow wouldn’t make Yeo Min-seo’s impact detection device sound.

I had been confident that I would definitely win if I just landed an effective hit.

In other words, I had been arrogant.

[Bosu is going on strike from now! Rising up against the evil cult leader! Give me offerings!]

To make matters worse, Bosu started his strike. My heated blood turned cold.

Bosu’s monstrous strength disappeared, and all that remained in my body was an endlessly deep sense of helplessness.

Like becoming a deflated balloon, my body went limp. I had no strength at all.

I stumbled backward, creating distance from Yeo Min-seo. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Now there was no way to win.

Bosu’s monstrous strength was gone. And I couldn’t use blessings either.

Using blessings in front of Yeo Min-seo was impossible in the first place.

Until I reached the ’level of mastery’ that Legba mentioned and realized how to use blessings without emitting divine power.

I raised my hand toward So Do-jin. So Do-jin raised his eyebrows as if puzzled.

"Why."

I had used all the cards I could play. There were no more cards left to use.

If I fought more, I would definitely lose. Not just lose, but experience an even more miserable fate than Kim Jin-seo and lose pathetically.

Rather than struggling to win and becoming Yeo Min-seo’s plaything, I thought it would be better to forfeit quickly.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to win. I just had no way to win.

"..."

But my mouth wouldn’t open. Saying those words "I forfeit" was so difficult. It was because of a thought that suddenly crossed my mind.

Right now, without being able to use Bosu’s divine power, I had no chance of winning against Yeo Min-seo. It was clearly an ’unwinnable fight.’

Then, in the countless ’unwinnable fights’ that would come in the future, would I have to give up as well?

Just how far would I end up giving up, and what would I give up on?

Reuniting with Mother, Father’s revenge, a peaceful life. Would I have to give up all of that, concluding it as an ’unwinnable fight’?

"What, are you doing? It’s not, over yet, right?"

Yeo Min-seo approached me with a face contorted in pain, walking unsteadily and making threats.

Sometimes you have to fight unwinnable fights.

For me, who had the Romanica religion as an enemy, every moment that came would be an unwinnable fight.

If I gave up every time I faced an unwinnable fight, I would have to give up too many things.

But holding onto unwinnable fights with mere stubbornness was foolish. Stubbornness alone couldn’t change anything.

"May I forfeit?"

I asked So Do-jin. So Do-jin frowned as if confused and displeased.

An unwinnable fight.

However, I would turn it into a winnable fight.

If there was no chance of victory, I would create one, even if it meant doing whatever it took to win.

There were unwinnable fights and winnable fights, and regardless of that, there were also fights that had to be won.

"...What are you doing? You bastard?"

Yeo Min-seo glared at me. Her voice had no breaks in it.

Either the pain had completely healed thanks to Saint Judas’s blessing circle, or she had forgotten the pain in her passion. Either way, it didn’t matter.

Though her speech was rough, in Yeo Min-seo’s eyes, who had never truly been angry before, clear anger appeared.

Beyond that anger, I glimpsed her hidden psychology, albeit vaguely.

I had thrown bait, and Yeo Min-seo had taken it beautifully.

I had created a chance of victory.