Non-Combat Tournament – 6

Cheong-yeon, who had frozen my feet, slowly approached me, and I moved my feet back and forth as if wiping something off the bottom of my shoes, managing to detach my feet from the ground.

“Oh… you got out. Impressive.”

If Cheong-yeon hadn’t approached so slowly, the distance would have already closed, and I would have been vulnerable to an attack. I earned 1 Coin because she underestimated me.

“Have you thought about what I said last night?”

While creating distance as she approached, I was thinking about how to attack, and Cheong-yeon asked.

“You mean joining Bingryungong?”

“No, I mean not getting involved with Yomryun Skill.”

“I’m sorry, but I find learning Yomryun Skill fun.”

“Strange.”

“What is?”

“Everyone who learns Yomryun Skill is a bad person… but you’re kind.”

Cheong-yeon tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand the error in her theory.

“If you’re just going to keep chatting, could you just forfeit? I’m being a little serious here.”

This isn’t a stadium for friendly conversation.

Whether I win or lose, I wanted to see the result.

“That’s difficult. I need to win too.”

Cheong-yeon flicked her hand, and sky-blue particles poured down on me.

I didn’t know what they were, but I felt like I shouldn’t get hit, so I dodged to the side—

Thwack thwack thwack

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, the particles grew larger and exploded, hitting me several times in the back.

I rolled across the stadium floor.

“He dodges well.”

“Wow, how did he do that?”

“She used the betting to create ice crystals that explode after a certain amount of time. You have to consider the amount of cold and the explosion time.”

That’s why they’re called geniuses.

I spun the Coin at high speed, making my body lighter.

The difference in skill is like heaven and earth. The only chance to win is now, while she’s off guard.

She waved her arm again, creating ice particles.

She said they were ice crystals that explode after a certain amount of time, right?

She’s probably scattering them, considering the time it takes for me to dodge.

I ran straight forward.

As expected, the ice particles, not yet activated, passed by my side, and I raised my fist and swung it straight at Cheong-yeon.

“I’m surprised. It’s rare for someone to break through like that.”

But before I knew it, ice rose from the ground, reaching up to my thighs, and I was trapped.

-Inho!

I thought I heard Master’s voice from afar.

If I had the leeway, I would have turned my head, but sadly, there was no time to spare.

“Now, forfeit.”

Cheong-yeon said.

“There is no forfeit.”

Thud!

Cheong-yeon’s palm struck my shoulder.

It wasn’t a vital point, but the dull impact shook my body.

“Cough!”

The air that had filled my lungs was involuntarily expelled.

“Next is your stomach.”

She waved her palm in front of my eyes.

This woman seems dim-witted, but she has no mercy in her hands.

“Wouldn’t it be faster to just incapacitate me?”

Thud!

My stomach rang. Saliva, or maybe stomach acid, drooled from my mouth.

“Shibal… that fucking hurts.”

“Forfeit.”

Thud!

This time, the opposite shoulder.

I wondered if I would fly away, but the creeping ice had already grabbed my waist.

At this rate, I’m a human punching bag…

The sky was yellow, and my head was spinning.

If I spin the Coin to raise my body temperature, can I melt the ice?

…….

Ah!

“This is the last time. Forfeit. Or I’ll have to hit your face.”

Cheong-yeon’s face contorted as if she really didn’t want to.

I grinned, showing my teeth.

“Yomryun Skill has its pride, how can I forfeit? Just hit me.”

“……”

Ssaa- Cheong-yeon’s eyes sank.

The blank expression she had shown so far was gone, and her emotionless, blue eyes that seemed to freeze a person’s soul stared at me.

“I warned you.”

With her ominous voice, her palm headed towards my face.

-Thuk

No, it was about to.

I raised her hand with my left hand.

“Huh?”

And I stepped forward with my left foot, leaning my body forward.

Cheong-yeon looked surprised as I moved, breaking through the ice prison.

Well, she would be surprised.

My Master must be surprised too.

Feeling my body leaning forward, I powerfully swung my right hand back.

“It’s useless.”

Small ice barriers formed in layers in front of the trajectory of my right hand.

Normally, my hand would freeze the moment it touched that ice.

But I didn’t stop.

And the moment I touched the first ice barrier she created.

-Crash

I broke through the ice barrier.

“Huh?”

Her eyes were fixed on my right hand.

On my right hand, which had already ignited a clear flame.

-Crash crash crash

Breaking through the ice barriers that Cheong-yeon had hastily created, my right hand struck her face directly.

Her body was thrown back.

I wished she would fall over, but Cheong-yeon spun around backwards, creating distance between us.

“Ignition?”

Her gaze remained on my right hand.

“No. This is-“

I raised my faintly burning hand.

Having landed a clean hit for the first time, I took a deep breath.

The cold air that Cheong-yeon was emitting entered me.

It felt like breathing in winter air.

That refreshing feeling cleared my head.

I smiled bitterly, reigniting the fire in my fist.

It was to show that the previous hit wasn’t a fluke.

Cheong-yeon’s eyes narrowed.

I uttered the words I had saved for this moment.

I shouted the words I had wanted to say ever since I started learning Yomryun Skill, so that everyone could hear.

“Fire Punch.”