How to Survive as a Mage Inside a Game-Chapter 60: Sky Sword Castle (5)

Peter scowled but held his tongue, silently stepping down from the arena.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he went.

All around, silence had fallen.

The faces of the young warriors who had previously lost began to brighten, and the senior members of Sky Sword Castle seated near Bashon breathed subtle sighs of relief.

They’d been quietly anxious that Akion might not show up at all.

On the other hand, the mages of Altius wore expressions of pure disbelief.

Especially Elder Hurst and Karl.

The red aura that had sliced through Remic’s binding spell—

They both understood just how utterly absurd that display had been.

‘She launched aura to strike from range? Hah...’

Less efficient than simply coating a weapon in aura, yes—but it wasn’t impossible for someone who had reached an incredibly high level of swordsmanship.

Still, even most high-ranked knights couldn’t do that. It usually required a level above them.

Unlike mana or incantations, aura is the most physically attuned force in this world—bound to the body more than anything else.

Releasing it outside the body to form sword energy alone takes significant mastery.

Those who reach that level are typically elite knights—noble retainers, family champions.

But to project it like a beam?

‘Is she trained in a release-type aura technique?’

Just like a mage’s Circle splits into countless branches, a martial artist’s aura cultivation does too.

Akion was likely trained in a path specialized for ranged aura techniques.

Or maybe—maybe her raw talent was so monstrous that she could perform techniques above her own level through sheer natural ability.

Whatever the case, Karl found himself more intrigued than ever.

Well, she was the future Sword Saint, after all. This was only to be expected.

"Uncle Yuric, how many of us are left?"

Akion asked the warrior acting as referee and duel coordinator.

He gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"Well, now that Peter’s down, I guess we’re all out."

Nodding, she turned to Remic with a grin.

"So I’m the only one left, huh? How many do you guys still have?"

"...Twelve."

Remic glared at her with a murderous aura.

"So that’s where you were hiding. You dare humiliate me and then run away?"

"Run away? What kind of bullshit—oh."

Her brows furrowed, then suddenly lifted as she burst into laughter.

She finally remembered his face.

"You’re that clown from two days ago! The idiot who flipped the ground like he was making a scene."

Unlike Remic, who’d spent the last two days burning with rage, she hadn’t even remembered him.

That realization made Remic’s face go beet red.

‘That bastard Karl, and now this damn woman too!’

He was the personal disciple of the Altius Combat Division Commander.

A genius who’d reached 4th Circle by the age of twenty.

He wasn’t someone who deserved to be treated like this.

He should be revered and respected—yet lately, he’d been nothing more than a punching bag.

Remic’s eyes drifted to the side.

There was Karl, standing among the Altius contingent with arms crossed, watching everything with amusement in his eyes.

But he wasn’t looking at him—he was watching Akion.

Crack!

Remic ground his teeth until they almost broke.

The duel hadn’t even begun, but it already felt like she’d beaten him halfway.

‘So I don’t even exist to you either?’

Thinking back to what happened in the branch office still filled him with shame—but even Remic had come to respect Karl’s strength.

Raphan, Captain of the 5th Combat Unit, had always helped Remic with training. Remic knew exactly how strong he was.

And yet Raphan hadn’t even been able to touch Karl. That loss had been hard to swallow—but it made sense.

Of course, Remic hadn’t given up just because of that.

If he had only talent and no effort, he never would’ve reached 4th Circle this early. His arrogance was matched only by his sheer obsessive determination.

Yes—one day, he would surpass that monster.

He’d crush this stupid duel and get back to the main branch, where his real training would begin.

"......"

Remic turned his gaze back to Akion, standing casually across from him.

It was obvious she wasn’t just any fighter.

Flinging aura to cut mana? That was something he’d never even heard of.

‘I’ll have you rolling on the floor before long.’

Of course, he had no idea just how insane that feat truly was.

Which was why he could still psyche himself up.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

He would win this duel—overwhelm her—and show Karl exactly who mattered.

That he wasn’t some idiot from the mountains—but a true elite.

"What’re you standing there for like an idiot? Stop stalling and let’s get this started."

"...Draw your weapon. You really plan to fight like that?"

Remic scowled again, seeing that Akion hadn’t even drawn her sword, just lazily moving her fingers.

She smirked.

"With you? Even barehanded feels like overkill. Why don’t you make me want to draw?"

"..."

"Oh, and don’t go easy just because it’s a duel. Fight like it’s real—try to kill me. Not that it matters. It’s not like you’ll land a hit anyway. Right, Uncle?"

The referee sighed and shook his head.

He knew her strength well enough to let her do as she pleased.

And with that, Remic’s patience finally snapped.

Rrrumble!

As soon as the duel started, he began casting.

Pillars of stone erupted from the ground and surged toward Akion.

"This again?"

She looked bored, weaving through the gaps between the rocks.

But then she felt something else—a subtle, creeping magical current flowing along the stones.

So faint most wouldn’t even notice—but her absurd perception picked it up instantly.

Still, she didn’t dodge. She was curious what trick he was trying this time.

BOOM!!

The stones surrounding her suddenly burst into flames.

A violent eruption of fire and stone, sending deadly shards flying in every direction.

Even the Altius mages flinched.

‘That’s way over the top for a duel...’

Meanwhile, the Sky Sword warriors still looked calm and unbothered.

‘Got her.’

Remic stared through the dust, preparing his next spell.

The trap had landed—but he knew it wouldn’t be enough to finish her.

Still, she had to have taken some damage—

Step.

Akion walked calmly out of the smoke, uninjured. Not even a scorch mark on her clothes.

"Well, better than last time, I’ll give you that."

"......"

"But not nearly good enough for me to draw my sword."

Remic bit his lip and cast again.

A dark, writhing fluid emerged from the new magic circle, creeping forward like it was alive.

This time, Akion didn’t dodge.

"What the hell is this gross stuff?"

She just raised her fist and punched.

Splat!

But the black fluid didn’t break apart—it wrapped around her arm, then her body in seconds.

The same binding spell Remic had used on Peter.

A forbidden-type restraint spell, nearly impossible to shake off through brute force.

"Hmm..."

Akion stared at the black mass crawling over her with mild interest.

Remic smirked.

"You're just gonna let a spell you don’t understand hit you? That dumb confidence is why you’re going to lose. This ends—"

BOOM!!

He never finished the sentence.

A shockwave exploded from her body, annihilating the spell entirely.

Even while bound, she’d forced it off with a burst of raw aura.

"Guess that might work on weaker opponents. Not that you’d land a hit anyway, with attacks this slow."

"......"

"So, got anything else? Hit me with your best before I get bored and finish this."

The gap in level.

Remic had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) only cast two spells, but he could already tell—

There was no way he could win.

To her, this wasn’t a duel. It was just a game—amusement.

"You—"

His eyes flared, and a massive spell circle began to form before him.

If she was going to let him hit her anyway, no need to factor in dodging.

Remic unleashed the most powerful spell he could.

Zzzzzkkk!!

A fusion of two elements—ice and lightning.

They roared forward like a hurricane, tearing through anything in their path.

Akion moved at the same time.

Her form blurred for a moment.

Then a single red streak shot forward, cutting through the storm like a beam of light.

BOOM!!

The sound hit a moment late, ripping through the air.

The spell vanished without a trace—as if the whole middle part of the process had been skipped.

Only the result was left.

Akion, glowing with crimson aura like a suit of armor, stood in front of Remic—her hand around his throat.

"...Fucking monster..."

Remic muttered helplessly as she lifted him into the air.

What she’d done was simple.

She charged straight through his spell and shattered it with raw aura.

His signature fusion spell—on par with 5th Circle attacks—was utterly useless.

"Doesn’t look like you’ve got anything else."

Akion’s expression had gone cold with boredom.

Whump!

She tossed Remic out of the arena like trash.

Then, scanning the shell-shocked Altius mages with a haughty glare, she said:

"Eleven left, right? Hurry up and send in the next one. Or hey—just send all of you at once. I don’t mind."