Battle Tournament – 5

“Give up.”

That was the first thing I heard after being summoned to Grand Master and Master’s room on the night the main bracket was announced.

“Does Grand Master think the same?”

I asked the Grand Master, who was watching me with a strangely detached expression. He fanned himself with a flourish, hiding his mouth behind it.

“Well, I don’t mind… but Soyou is being overprotective.”

I was sure he was chuckling behind that fan.

I pouted and sat down.

“Cheong-yeon Sojeo….”

“Tsk!”

I was about to speak, but Master warned me.

I pondered for a moment what I had done wrong, then carefully chose my words and spoke again.

“I know Bingryungong’s Cheong-yeon is strong. But I still have to try.”

“It’s like throwing an egg at a rock.”

“Even so, I have to throw the egg.”

Our differing opinions ran parallel, with no point of convergence.

As we argued back and forth, each raising our voices, the Grand Master, who had grown tired of watching, stepped in.

“Soyou, concede this time.”

“But, Master.”

“I don’t know what’s bothering you. Are you worried In-ho will lose to Cheong-yeon? That’s only natural. It pains me to say this to his face, but there’s no way In-ho can win against Cheong-yeon right now.”

I nodded vigorously in support of the Grand Master’s statement.

“But if we lose to Bingryungong….”

Master trailed off. It was probably a matter of pride.

“If we lose to Bingryungong?”

The Grand Master picked up the thread.

“Doesn’t that mean Yomryun Skill is inferior to Bingryungong?”

Master winced as if she didn’t even want to think about it.

“I don’t know why you think that way. And officially, In-ho isn’t even affiliated with Yomryun Skill.”

That’s right. I belong to Nobel Dojo.

“…But still.”

Master swallowed her words, having run out of valid reasons to argue.

The Grand Master snapped his fan shut and stood up.

“Let’s not discuss this matter any further. In-ho, prepare well for tomorrow’s main match. Even if you can’t win, it would be good if you could at least land one good hit.”

“I’ll try my best, Grand Master.”

“Good, then I’ll go for a short walk.”

The Grand Master left, and an awkward silence filled the room.

Logically, I understood, but emotionally, it was still too much for her. Master remained seated, her back turned to me.

“Master.”

I called out as I approached her from behind, and her shoulders twitched slightly.

“Master, you’re worried I’ll lose pathetically… that’s why you’re worried, right?”

“……”

“Don’t worry. Even a worm squirms when you step on it. Even if I lose, I’ll be sure to land one good hit, just like Grand Master said.”

“That’s not it.”

Master said with difficulty.

“That’s not it?”

“…That’s not why I’m stopping you.”

“Then what’s the reason?”

“I don’t want to say.”

She had already turned her body away, but this time she whipped her head around as well.

“Geez… well, I’m going to go wash up and go straight to bed. What about you, Master?”

“……”

I really don’t understand women’s hearts at that age.

Master’s first match was decided too easily.

Sichuan Tang Clan, something anyone who has read a martial arts novel would know.

As soon as the match started, Master punched her opponent in the stomach with her fist and then raised her chin, knocking him unconscious.

In that series of actions, Master didn’t ignite her flames even once.

As a disciple, I wasn’t officially allowed to sit in the VIP seats with the Grand Master.

I watched Master’s match from the general seating area, and as she came down after winning, our eyes met.

I didn’t tell her I was in the general seating area, so I was a little surprised how she could make eye contact with me.

Anyway, the tournament proceeded, and by the third match, the organizers called my name to prepare for the fifth match.

I closed my eyes and meditated in the small waiting room that had been prepared.

I had told the Grand Master and Master that it was a ‘match I couldn’t win,’ but I had no intention of having that mindset when I entered the match.

“I’m going to win no matter what.”

You have to set your goals high if you want to achieve anything.

The third match ends, and the fourth match begins.

I block out the noisy sounds of the audience from outside and focus my mind.

Cheong-yeon and Bingryungong.

I only have the simple knowledge that they fight by imbuing their weapons with cold energy, so it’s difficult to formulate a strategy.

However, I combine the martial arts novels I’ve read so far and the fragmentary information that Master has given me.

If I discard the trivial parts, the most important thing to be aware of when facing Bingryungong is the ‘cold energy’ that Bingryungong creates.

Just as Yomryun Skill ignites flames, Bingryungong seems to be a martial art that creates cold energy to affect the opponent.

Like an aura that would appear in a fantasy, a martial art that inflicts debuffs just by standing still.

Or, they could materialize the cold energy itself and shoot it. But let’s exclude this for now.

If I think about all the possibilities, I won’t be able to make a plan.

If Bingryungong is a debuff-type aura, then its range would be fixed.

The first thing to do when the match starts is to figure out that range.

If the range is narrow, I’ll try to exploit openings by keeping my distance and poking at them. If there are any openings, that is.

Conversely, if the range is wide, I’ll stick close to Cheong-yeon and immediately throw a high kick before the cold energy accumulates. If it hits, great, if not, I lose.

I hear the sound of cheering again.

The fourth match seems to be over.

“Next participant. Prepare yourself.”

A man with a goat beard comes to inform me that it’s my turn.

I open my eyes and get up.

I felt less nervous than during the preliminaries.

-Hoo.

I take a deep breath.

I draw up the Inner Force in my dantian and circulate it around my body once.

I could feel my body warming up a little with the power of Inner Force.

“The opposing participant! Kang In-ho of Nobel Dojo!”

After Cheong-yeon’s introduction, my name is called.

Clap! Clap!

I slap my cheeks a couple of times with my palms to clear my head.

Heat rises from my tingling cheeks.

Finally, it’s my turn.

I climb the stairs and stand in the arena.

Cheong-yeon’s blue hair sways in the wind.

She stares blankly at me.

“In-ho. Hello.”

“Nice to meet you, Cheong-yeon Sojeo.”

“I saw you yesterday. You did well.”

I smiled at Cheong-yeon’s compliment.

“Thank you. I feel like this is the first time I’ve been praised since coming here.”

“Really? Soyou doesn’t praise you?”

“It’s not that she doesn’t at all, but Master….”

I stopped myself mid-sentence and covered my mouth with my hand.

“I know Soyou is your Master.”

Cheong-yeon shook her head and said, seeing my surprised expression.

“How did you know?”

I stared at Cheong-yeon with wide eyes.

Soyou doesn’t have the luxury to care about anyone.”

“So I thought… if someone Soyou cares about appeared… it must be her disciple, right?”

“Just for that reason?”

“Just for that reason.”

The referee’s flag separates me and Cheong-yeon.

The time to fight is approaching.

I take a step back with my right foot and raise my hand like a knife.

It’s not the modern martial arts stance I showed yesterday, but the Yomryun Skill’s combat preparation stance.

“I don’t want to hurt In-ho.”

I hear Cheong-yeon’s voice from beyond the flag.

“I don’t want to hurt Cheong-yeon Sojeo either.”

I return Cheong-yeon’s provocation, which has a basis.

“Now! Get ready!”

The referee’s voice rang out.

I draw up the very small amount of Inner Force accumulated in my dantian.

“Start!”

With the referee’s shout, I immediately try to create distance.

Or rather, I wanted to create distance.

“What the heck is this?”

My left foot wouldn’t come off the ground, as if I had stepped on something sticky.

My foot was stuck to the arena floor and wouldn’t budge.

“I froze it.”

Cheong-yeon said leisurely.

“Wow, Bingryungong is so OP.”

I didn’t care about etiquette or anything, I just had to praise it.