Ch.19You’re a Bronze. Forever – 2

Student Council Vice President, Yuhyun Jung. I know almost nothing about him.

Just that he’s steeped in Supremacist ideology, and that he’s from the Weaponry Class specializing in ambush attacks.

‘And since he’s part of the student council, he must be at least Gold rank.’

He might have even reached Platinum rank already.

By outside standards, he’d be at least B-rank, or possibly even A-rank.

He’s the kind of talent that mid-tier clans would be desperate to recruit if he left the Academy right now. Not just for his superpower, but his practical experience would be incomparable to someone like Junwoo Park.

Even the protagonist Hyunwoo Lee probably hasn’t reached Yuhyun Jung’s level yet.

According to rumors, there’s a saying at the Academy:

“A truckload of Bronze and Silver students isn’t worth trading for one Gold.”

That’s probably why he so openly flaunts his supremacist attitude.

“Arbiter.”

As I was stretching my stiff body, Yuhyun Jung addressed me.

“You said the condition is that if I lose, I’ll be demoted to Bronze, right?”

I nodded, and he grinned.

It was quite an unpleasant smile. The kind that made me want to smack him.

“Then, what happens if you lose, Arbiter?”

“Wouldn’t I just conduct the evaluation as you wish, student Yuhyun Jung?”

“No. I don’t think that’s enough.”

So what else does he want?

“You should apologize to all the students who’ve failed their promotions so far.”

“…Apologize?”

“Yes. If you truly claim to be an arbiter who cares about students, shouldn’t you be able to do at least that much?”

So he wants to crush lower-ranked people who don’t know their place.

Even if they’re outsiders rather than Academy students.

I really wonder how someone like him could become the vice president.

They say every story needs one of these characters as a rule, but this is a bit much.

“Fine. Let’s do that.”

“How refreshing. Your ability level may be lacking, but your personality is…”

It wasn’t worth listening to his nonsense anymore. I immediately pushed off the ground and swung my fist.

Thwack—

“Guh?!”

Yuhyun Jung, who had been running his mouth confidently, staggered backward while clutching his face.

He seemed unable to process what had just happened to him.

“Why are you just standing there, student Yuhyun Jung?”

That’s not it, Mr. High-and-Mighty Vice President.

First strike wins, right?

“Didn’t we already start the match?”

When there’s no referee, a match is considered to have begun when both participants enter the arena and agree to fight.

So my match with Yuhyun Jung had already started.

“…”

Drip—

Looks like I landed a solid hit. I didn’t expect him to get a nosebleed.

A double nosebleed, even. It’s quite amusing to see someone who was so arrogant just moments ago in this state.

“You… you bastard!”

He seems genuinely angry about the unexpected first strike.

The fact that someone who had been maintaining a minimum level of decorum is now charging at me with curses.

Swoosh—!

Something gleaming flies from both of Yuhyun Jung’s wrists.

I instinctively twisted my body, and something carrying a cold killing intent grazed past me.

If I had been a moment slower, two daggers would have been embedded in my torso.

“I was going to go easy on you because you’re just a pathetic third-rate ability user, but you’re beyond help.”

What are you saying? That’s the kind of childish line a third-rate villain would use.

Even modern villains don’t use such outdated phrases anymore.

He seems to have lost his mind after taking one solid hit from someone he’d been looking down on.

“Huff.”

I take a deep breath and watch as Yuhyun Jung pulls out another dagger.

My current opponent isn’t like Hyunwoo Lee, an existing Bronze rank student.

Nor is he like Junwoo Park, who has skill but was demoted by his own actions.

He’s already passed the rank evaluation and reached Gold rank, which is quite impressive.

And my assigned trait is the Gatekeeper—specifically, the “Silver” Gatekeeper.

Logically, I shouldn’t be able to use my power against Yuhyun Jung, who has already achieved Gold rank.

◎ Sole Arbiter

: Trait is currently active.

: This is an opponent who has not received promotion from Seojin Baek.

: Recognizing as evaluation subject.

If not for this trait.

‘Whether Yuhyun Jung is Gold rank or a B-rank ability user, it doesn’t matter. Right now, he’s just like Hyunwoo Lee or Junwoo Park. Just a Bronze rank evaluation subject trying to reach Silver.’

Once again, I easily avoided the daggers flying toward me.

He’s fast. Definitely fast, but not so fast that I can’t dodge.

It’s like dodging a soccer ball coming from a distance? Something like that.

“You’re annoyingly good at dodging.”

Seeming to realize that throwing daggers wasn’t working, Yuhyun Jung rummaged through his clothes.

What he pulled out were two glass vials containing sloshing black liquid.

Crash—

At first, I thought he was going to throw them at me.

But Yuhyun Jung dropped the vials at his own feet, not in my direction.

And immediately after, pitch-black smoke rapidly obscured my vision.

Whoosh—!

‘What is this?’

It’s like thick fog infused with black ink.

I can’t see anything. Not even an inch in front of me…

‘Behind.’

I quickly twisted my body. Almost simultaneously, a burning pain shot through my side.

When I touched my side, sticky red blood coated my fingers.

If I hadn’t turned at that split second, I might have suffered a serious injury.

I tried to look in the direction the dagger came from, but of course, I couldn’t see anything.

The black smoke, the thick dark fog, showed no signs of dissipating.

‘Is this an item made from monster byproducts?’

Considering Yuhyun Jung’s traits, he’s quite thorough in his preparations.

Block visibility, then aim for one fatal strike from behind.

This is how he fights when there are no allies to draw aggro.

As much as I dislike him, his combat sense is quite good.

He clearly shows why he deserves to be at Gold rank.

‘However…’

Thinking about it, I’m not at a complete disadvantage.

Ambush attacks work best when the target is completely unaware and off guard.

Isn’t the goal to deal enough damage that the opponent can’t even resist?

No matter how much he blocks my vision and continues to look for openings like now,

Since I already ‘know that an ambush is coming,’ a perfect ambush is impossible.

Swoosh—!

From behind again. Definitely a serious injury if it hits.

It’s an incredibly vicious attack. But this time, it didn’t even graze me.

‘He’s fast. Incomparably faster than Hyunwoo Lee or Junwoo Park. No wonder he’s in the student council. But…’

But compared to “The Elder” who beat me up recently, he’s at a turtle’s pace.

Even now, I can still see The Elder’s spear shaft flying at me, ready to crush my body.

I couldn’t tell where or how it was coming, but I remember perfectly the moment I was hit and sent flying.

Thanks to that, dodging Yuhyun Jung’s attacks now is much easier.

This black smoke can’t be maintained indefinitely.

Yuhyun Jung must have vaguely realized that dragging out the fight isn’t in his favor.

Being steeped in supremacist ideology, he’ll probably try to end this before then.

Otherwise, it would mean he couldn’t take me down despite attacking from the darkness.

For someone whose specialty is ambush, there could be no greater humiliation.

Swoosh—!

Shuk—!

‘Once from the back, twice from the side. Once at the thigh.’

Though the attacks seem random at first glance, there’s a pattern to them.

Yuhyun Jung probably thinks I’d never figure it out, but…

‘…Now.’

Another dagger aiming for my side.

He probably thought I would dodge this one too, but not this time.

Grab—

“Ugh?!”

I caught the wrist holding the dagger, and Yuhyun Jung’s body came with it.

He must have thought that he, a Gold rank, was toying with me, a Silver rank arbiter.

He must have believed he was playing with me. That’s the unwavering look in his eyes.

‘As if.’

I drove my fist into his face with all my might.

A little harder than when I broke Junwoo Park’s ribs.

Crunch—!

“Gahk!”

Yuhyun Jung rolls on the ground, clutching his nose.

The nosebleed that had just stopped starts flowing again.

Coincidentally, the black smoke he had deployed begins to dissipate.

“Ugh… you, you fucking…”

Yuhyun Jung gets up, clutching a dagger and spitting curses.

Other students would have admitted defeat and backed down by this point.

If they had done everything they could and still hadn’t seen any effect,

They would acknowledge their shortcomings and accept their promotion failure.

Ah, of course, I beat down Junwoo Park and some other punks before they could do that.

“Student Yuhyun Jung. Do you want to continue?”

I asked if he wanted to continue while looking at him bleeding from the nose.

As an arbiter, I think this is enough, but as a person, I want to continue.

I haven’t fully settled the score for his earlier insults.

“Of course! You, I will definitely…”

“No. Arbiter. Let’s stop here.”

Just as I was about to resume after Yuhyun Jung’s absolute refusal to back down,

A voice that followed stopped my fist.

“Yuhyun Jung. You stop too.”

“Who the hell… P-President?”

President? I looked toward the source of the voice at Yuhyun Jung’s mumbling.

A tall female student, and another slightly shorter female student.

I’m not sure how long they had been watching the match, but they didn’t seem to have just arrived.

“Hello, Arbiter Seojin Baek. Nice to meet you. I’m Hana Kang, the student council president.”

“Hello! I’m Dasom Yoo, the student council treasurer.”

After the vice president, now the student council president and treasurer appear.

While I was wondering what was going on, Yuhyun Jung shouted.

“President! What do you mean stop? I still…”

“That’s enough, Yuhyun Jung. You look really pathetic right now.”

“What…”

“You’re disgracing the name of the student council. Last warning. Shut your mouth.”

Student Council President Hana Kang instantly silenced Yuhyun Jung.

She glared at him with sharp eyes before turning her gaze to me.

“Arbiter Seojin Baek, I’d appreciate it if you stopped here as well.”

“But the person involved says he can still fight?”

“Really? Yuhyun Jung. Do you really want to continue fighting?”

At Hana Kang’s question, Yuhyun Jung bit his lip and backed down.

Where did all that confidence from earlier go? He’s suddenly so obedient.

True to his character—submissive to those stronger and better than himself.

“He says he’s done, Arbiter.”

“Then what about the condition we agreed on?”

“Condition?”

Hana Kang seems unaware of that part.

At my words, Yuhyun Jung shouts “Wait!”

Too late, you jerk. I need to settle all accounts before leaving.

“Student Yuhyun Jung said that if he lost to me, he would be demoted to Bronze rank.”

“…Demotion?”

“Yes. He said so himself.”

Hana Kang, who had been looking at me for a moment, turned to Yuhyun Jung.

“Is that true?”

“P-President. This is…”

“I asked if it’s true.”

Yuhyun Jung nods.

I was surprised—I thought he would absolutely deny it.

“Sigh.”

After letting out a deep sigh, Hana Kang spoke in a cold voice.

“Yuhyun Jung. You’re on probation for a while. Don’t come to the student council. Keep a low profile.”

“President!”

“And I’ll speak to the headmaster separately. I’ll ask to have your rank demoted to Bronze.”

“Hana!!”

“That’s it. Matter closed.”

Watching Hana Kang cut off Yuhyun Jung’s words so decisively, I thought:

Being student council president really isn’t for just anyone.