Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 60 - 1 v 3

Marcus studied the three figures before him, his eyes narrowing as he recognized their distinctive accents. "Xian Language?" he questioned, deliberately positioning himself between them and Xiao Yue. His voice carried a sharp edge as he continued, "What are the dogs from the empire doing here?"

Min-jae’s face darkened at the insult, switching smoothly to common tongue. "Who are you calling dogs, white boy?"

"Oh? You can actually speak common?" Marcus’s tone dripped with mock surprise. "Are you spies?"

Akira raised his hands in a placating gesture, words tumbling out hastily. "Spies? What? We’re merchants, what are you talking about?" His nervous energy betrayed his attempt at casualness.

Ruohan’s voice cut through the tension as she addressed her companions in Xian, 『What’s the point in explaining? No one knows what happens inside a dungeon, so we can just kill him and take the fox.』

『Ah! You’re right!』 Akira quickly backed away from his companions, his intelligence-type nature making him instinctively seek safer ground.

Marcus observed their exchange, unable to understand their words but reading their hostile intent clearly. Drawing from his memories of the future war, he recalled phrases commonly shouted by Xian soldiers. With deliberate pronunciation, he declared, 『You have eyes but can’t see Mount Tai.』

"Are you making fun of me?" Ruohan’s eyes flashed dangerously.

Marcus shook his head, a hint of amusement crossing his features. "Not that? How about this?" He launched into another remembered phrase, 『You dare not give this senior face? Destroy your cultivation and kowtow three times, and maybe I’ll leave your corpse intact.』

『Courting death!』 Ruohan’s scream echoed through the cavern as she yanked the ornate pin from her hair. The accessory transformed mid-motion into a gleaming wand, releasing a massive fireball that illuminated the dim cave with deadly light.

Marcus had anticipated this reaction. His blade moved with practiced precision, cleaving through the magical flames as he charged forward. Ruohan’s eyes widened in shock as she realized her vulnerability – her support-type abilities left her ill-equipped for close combat. Marcus closed the distance with frightening speed, his sword aimed for a killing blow.

Dammit! Ruohan’s mind raced as she recognized his strategy. He had deliberately provoked them, waiting for her to make the first move before launching his counterattack. "What a scheming bastard," she thought as death approached in the form of his sword tip.

At the last possible moment, Min-jae’s massive form blurred into motion. He yanked Ruohan aside like she weighed nothing, saving her from certain death. But Marcus didn’t break stride – she had never been his true target.

Years of battle experience had taught Marcus one crucial lesson: in group combat, always aim for the healer, but if there is an intelligence-type around, eliminate the intelligence-type first. Though physically weakest, they controlled the flow of battle through strategy and coordination. Their vulnerability meant they required constant protection from their tank, but what would happen if that tank was busy protecting their mage? This was a common flaw in the basic party of three.

Min-jae and Ruohan’s eyes widened in horrified realization. 『Akira!』 Their synchronized shout came too late as Marcus’s blade found its mark, piercing through Akira and pinning him to the cave wall with lethal precision.

Blood trickled down the steel as Akira stared at the sword piercing his abdomen, disbelief written across his features. 『え,え,えー』 The sound escaped his lips in a final, shocked whisper.

…

Marcus’s first successful strike instantly transformed the cavern into a scene of chaos. 『Akira! Noooo!』 The synchronized shouts of Ruohan and Min-jae echoed off the stone walls as they launched their desperate counterattack.

Having embedded his blade deep enough to pin Akira securely to the cave wall, Marcus found himself momentarily vulnerable as he struggled to withdraw his weapon. His combat instincts screamed warnings of incoming danger – Min-jae’s massive form charging from behind like an enraged bull, while magical attacks converged from both sides: a compressed fire sphere from one direction and a swirling water ball from the other.

With his sword temporarily unavailable and attacks coming from three directions, Marcus’s options seemed limited. But years of combat experience had taught him to turn disadvantages into opportunities. In a fluid motion, he used his trapped sword as a launching point, stepping onto its hilt with precise timing.

Min-jae, seeing Marcus use the sword still impaling his companion as a platform, instinctively slowed his charge. His hesitation to risk further injury to Akira created the opening Marcus needed. Launching himself directly at the larger warrior, Marcus wrapped him in a tactical grapple, using their combined momentum and gravity to drive Min-jae into the ground.

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The impact resonated through the cavern with a sickening thud. Even through his reinforced armor, Min-jae couldn’t completely suppress a cry of pain. Marcus immediately rolled away as another fireball scorched the space he’d occupied moments before.

Their coordination is impressive, Marcus noted as he analyzed their movements. Even with one member down, their teamwork showed the kind of synchronization that only came from extensive shared experience. They must be classmates or long-term party members.

Still, he could see the gaps in their abilities. Both Ruohan and Akira were D-rank, while Min-jae, though recently advanced to C-rank like Marcus himself, lacked the combat wisdom that came from living two lives.

Observing Ruohan attempting to replenish her depleted mana and Min-jae struggling to regain his feet, Marcus couldn’t help but think wryly, "I seem to be losing my sword often lately." Without hesitation, he launched into action.

Moving with practiced efficiency, he reached Min-jae first. Before the warrior could fully stand, Marcus grabbed his head and drove it into the ground with calculated force, rendering him unconscious. In the same fluid movement, he evaded another incoming fireball and closed the distance to Ruohan.

The mage’s eyes widened in shock as she found herself face-to-face with her opponent, her half-formed spell dying on her lips. Marcus seized her head and slammed it against the cave wall with precise force – enough to knock her out without causing lasting damage.

From her position of safety, Xiao Yue watched the brutal efficiency of Marcus’s takedowns with growing concern. "So brutal! Is he really the bearer of light?" she muttered, questioning her earlier judgment of his character.

Marcus methodically gathered his unconscious opponents, positioning them together before retrieving his sword and carefully extracting the still-living Akira. His earlier strike had deliberately avoided vital points – a calculated decision. Despite the tensions between the Kingdom and Empire, outright killing them could spark unnecessary diplomatic complications, especially given the presence of Empire exchange students at Crono Magic Academy.

Better to take them alive, he reasoned, already calculating the contribution points he could earn by delivering them to the academy.

A/N - We’ll likely see Ambrose in tomorrow’s chapter. Also, should Adelaide’s father get a role? He looks somewhat capable.