Chapter 130: Complete Defeat and Admission
by Afuhfuihgs-TAAANG-!
Lee Hyunseung fired the gun.
The bullet narrowly missed Choi Yujin’s face and struck the ground.
“Wh-What…”
There was no doubt it had missed on purpose.
As Choi Yujin stared at Lee Hyunseung with a bewildered expression—
-Thunk!-
Lee Hyunseung kicked her hard.
“Keugh—!”
She coughed up blood.
Choi Yujin tried to use magic, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t draw up any mana.
That was because she had used up every last bit of mana in her body to cast the charging spell earlier.
Lee Hyunseung looked down at her collapsed figure and spoke.
“In combat, you always have to assume the worst and fight accordingly. If I were your real enemy, that bullet would’ve ended up in your forehead instead of the ground. It’s true that you have an exceptional ability called charging magic, but overconfidence isn’t a good look. There are no second chances in real combat. Even if you have plenty of time next time, it might be wise to keep some spare mana in reserve.”
-Slide-
Lee Hyunseung reached out his hand toward her as she lay on the ground.
“Let’s get you up.”
“A-Are we stopping now?”
Choi Yujin flinched and bowed her head as she spoke.
“It was just a friendly sparring match, wasn’t it? Or… was this a duel where only one of us was supposed to walk away alive?”
“N-No. I… I’ve learned my lesson.”
Choi Yujin naturally began to speak to him with formal language.
If Lee Hyunseung hadn’t shown her mercy and had fired the bullet directly at her forehead, she would have either been critically injured or killed.
And even if she had died, Lee Hyunseung would not have been punished in the slightest.
The reason was simple.
Choi Yujin had been the one who tried to kill him first.
The charging magic she cast with all her might was powerful enough to kill a person. Even a trained Epic-rank swordsman or mage could have been fatally wounded by it.
Lee Hyunseung was fully aware of that.
And yet, he had chosen to spare her for one reason.
‘She might be useful.’
The charging magic she used—its power was overwhelming, even at a glance.
To be honest, if it weren’t for the [Magic Nullification Bullet], he wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
That’s why Lee Hyunseung placed high value on her abilities.
‘Killing her or venting my anger… that would’ve been momentary satisfaction at best.’
If he had killed Choi Yujin here, it would’ve been the worst move.
Imagine joining the Artemis Guild as a new team leader, only to kill a fellow member right away?
It would’ve been equivalent to announcing that he had no intention of working with anyone else.
And if he had severely beaten her down instead, that too would’ve been a poor choice.
Because someone like Choi Yujin, humiliated in front of so many people, would surely close off her heart afterward.
The power of charging magic scales exponentially with mastery.
She wasn’t someone to discard so easily.
That’s why Lee Hyunseung ended things with a warning shot and a swift kick to the face.
He had made it clear through his actions that he could have killed her—and had the guts and strength to do so.
[“It was just a friendly sparring match, wasn’t it? Or… was this a duel where only one of us was supposed to walk away alive?”]
That final remark was meant to subtly imply that what he’d shown so far wasn’t even worth boasting about—and that if she wished, he could easily finish her off for real next time.
He hadn’t caused major harm, but he had unmistakably asserted their difference in standing—and forced her to submit.
It was a flawless victory.
‘Now then, let’s see how everyone reacts.’
Lee Hyunseung glanced toward the auditorium.
From there, the murmuring of Artemis Guild members echoed in the air.
– What the f*ck… What was that just now? She charged her magic for over a minute and still got blocked by a bullet? How is that even possible?
– Hey… could you block that?
– How the hell would I block something like that… I mean, sure, letting her charge that long is dumb, but ignoring that—if I had to stop that spell once it was already fired? No f*cking way…
– Is that guy really a Gunslinger? No… How can a Gunslinger do something like that? Or maybe it’s some kind of new derived class or something? Is that even real?
The reason Lee Hyunseung hadn’t overly humiliated Choi Yujin—
[He blocked a charging spell with a single bullet.]
That fact alone was more than enough for everyone to recognize the overwhelming difference between them.
It’s like this: imagine a martial artist in real life who can break bricks barehanded. If that person got into a dispute and offered an apology first, would anyone ever see them as weak? Mercy from the strong doesn’t look like weakness—it inspires fear and awe.
– Unreal… Among the team leaders, isn’t he probably one of the strongest? Judging by his movements right before that kick, he’s pretty solid in close combat too…
He had firmly earned their recognition without planting seeds of hostility. And on top of that, he’d even gained Choi Yujin—someone who could be useful later.
It was nothing short of a perfect debut.
As the corners of his lips tried to curl up, Lee Hyunseung maintained a blank expression.
Choi Yujin slowly approached and spoke.
“I apologize for what I said earlier.”
She bowed deeply in front of him.
In response, Lee Hyunseung smiled.
“It’s your first time. I’ll let it slide.”
–Gulp
Choi Yujin swallowed dryly, watching his face carefully.
His tone seemed gentle, but the words carried a sharp edge.
He hadn’t said, It’s okay, or I understand.
He said, I’ll let it slide this time.
Which meant there would be no second chances.
Watching the exchange, Yoo Han-beom couldn’t help but smirk.
‘What a ridiculous bastard.’
Not only had he blocked a charging spell without breaking a sweat, he had just now carved his power into everyone’s memory—and sent a warning to the thousands of guild members watching.
‘I like him. A sly bastard like a snake.’
Without a doubt, no one in the Artemis Guild would dare mock Lee Hyunseung from now on as a mere token team leader or lowly Gunslinger.
They had all seen it with their own eyes.
Yoo Han-beom raised his voice toward the hall.
“The winner of the duel is Lee Hyunseung. If anyone still has doubts about his ability, speak up now—I don’t care who it is.”
The hall immediately fell silent.
Everyone’s minds were consumed with just one question.
[Could I have blocked that attack…?]
Seeing the speechless guild members, Yoo Han-beom shouted with satisfaction.
“Then with this, the inauguration of Artemis Guild’s team leader Lee Hyunseung is officially complete!”
– Damn… this new team leader is no joke.
– I thought he was just some political appointee, but turns out a monster came in.
– He doesn’t seem like a bad guy either, right?
– Did you not see that shot earlier? That bullet blocked a charging spell. If it had missed by even 1 cm, Choi Yujin’s skull would’ve been crushed. He’s got a temper, so don’t f*ck around and end up catching a beating.
– Eh, what’s there to worry about? He didn’t crush her, did he? I’m gonna go introduce myself later. He seems like a fun guy.
Listening to the conversations around her, Yoo Hee-yeon’s expression darkened.
‘Why… Why are you always…’
Lee Hyunseung had always been the center of attention—from the written exams to the representative selection match, from the class annihilation battles to the terrorist attack at the Academy. No matter the situation, he had a way of drawing the eyes of others and seizing their interest. And now, he was doing the exact same thing in the Artemis Guild.
–Clench
Blood trickled from Yoo Hee-yeon’s tightly clenched fist.
She could feel the burning sting of inferiority crawling through her.
‘All the things I could never earn, no matter how hard I tried…’
Far in the distance, she could see the gentle smile on her father’s face.
It was the rare, satisfied expression Yoo Han-beom only ever showed when he was truly pleased.
The murmurs of the Artemis guild members filled the air, overflowing with admiration and astonishment at Lee Hyunseung’s display just moments ago.
‘Why is it always me…’
Unlike Yoo Hee-yeon—who had been handed her position as successor through family ties, who was never truly acknowledged by her guildmates and had to rely on her father’s authority to crush their resistance—Lee Hyunseung had earned respect from the majority of the guild from his very first day.
He had effortlessly gained the sincere recognition and admiration that she had longed for all her life.
‘…’
Her mind went blank. Her breathing turned ragged.
Her inferiority complex peaked and spiraled into self-hatred, before eventually tipping into numb surrender.
At first, she had dismissed Lee Hyunseung’s accomplishments as eccentric luck. A man who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
But now… she had no choice but to acknowledge his ability.
Compared to her—foolish, emotionally driven, and ultimately incompetent—Lee Hyunseung truly deserved to be above her.
–Ssssh
Yoo Hee-yeon slowly turned her head and looked at her mother standing beside her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Kim Hee-ra, grinding her teeth furiously, whispered with an angry, panicked expression.
“Yoo Hee-yeon, are you insane? What’s wrong with you? That bastard’s already showing off and pissing me off, and now you’re acting like this too? Pull yourself together—what the hell do you think you’re doing, crying in front of everyone like this?”
It was familiar.
Her mother’s rebukes no longer hurt the way they once had.
Yoo Hee-yeon stared vacantly and said to Kim Hee-ra,
“Mother… maybe someone like Lee Hyunseung is more suited to be the successor than me. From the beginning… I never deserved that position…”
She choked out her words as tears streamed down.
–SLAP!
The sound of Kim Hee-ra slapping Yoo Hee-yeon rang out across the hall.
“Yoo Hee-yeon, you ungrateful brat…!”
Just then, from across the room, Lee Hyunseung’s voice cut in.
“Guild Leader Yoo Han-beom is speaking right now. What do you think you’re doing, Madam Kim Hee-ra?”
–Grit
For a brief moment, Yoo Han-beom’s face twisted in silent fury.
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