episode_0027

The practical training was originally conducted as a duel between examiners or a battle between exam candidates, but this time it was decided that the candidates would battle each other.

The reason was that there were still many candidates left.

The battle was conducted with special armor.

It was said to be state-of-the-art armor that measured the damage received.

The simple rule was that if the accumulated damage on the armor exceeded a certain threshold or if the armor was destroyed, it would result in defeat.

Except for firearms, the equipment was free to choose.

The reason firearms were excluded was simple.

In Korea, even heroes were not allowed to use firearms.

The reason for excluding firearms was that using them in urban areas could involve many civilians in the battle.

However, according to online rumors, weapon manufacturers were lobbying behind the scenes to prevent this.

It was the opposite situation compared to foreign countries.

Therefore, many ability users related to firearms would escape abroad.

I took out the equipment I had prepared.

It was a three-section staff that police officers could use.

Due to the inability to participate in the hero test with weapons made by villains, the choice of equipment was limited.

Of course, weapons made by heroes could also be purchased, but they were unreasonably expensive.

Although I had the money, the desire to buy knuckles or gloves that could be bought for tens of thousands of won in the black market but were being sold at ten times the price made me hesitate.

So, I chose the three-section staff being sold as self-defense equipment.

Mostly made of iron, it was a weapon with considerable power, even though it was light.

If a baseball bat gave the feeling of breaking, this felt like tearing.

When I took out the three-section staff in the waiting room, I felt many eyes on me.

Due to coming in first in the previous test, many eyes were focused on me.

The weapon called the three-section staff seemed unexpected, and each person had a strange expression.

It wasn’t particularly threatening, but it was a weapon that couldn’t be ignored.

Looking around, I saw many people with quite convincing weapons.

It felt like a weapons museum.

Gloves, knuckles, swords, spears, staffs, bows, even a gasoline canister.

What kind of threat were the villains in this world facing to commit villainy?

I felt afraid.

Kang Seok didn’t bring a weapon.

Instead, he was talking to someone who looked like an official.

He seemed to be smiling as the conversation went well, nodding his head.

“Begin.”

“Uwaaah!”

“Die!”

The test began, and candidates started facing off one by one.

The candidates fighting shouted.

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like words that would come from a hero’s mouth.

In the waiting room, you could watch those scenes on a fairly large TV.

It seemed like watching a fight was so entertaining, I could understand the reason.

Although they were wearing armor, the sight of them thrusting weapons at each other with all their might had a creepy yet captivating quality.

However, it felt a bit weaker than I had expected.

I don’t know.

It didn’t feel like a fight between heroes.

They just clashed and swung their weapons, not using their abilities properly.

“Why is he taking those hits?”

“Did he use up his abilities too much in the second round?”

“…I guess.”

And then, I seemed to understand the reason.

Everyone seemed to be struggling to recover from the aftermath of the second round.

During the competition, they only used their abilities at crucial moments, and the result was what they were seeing.

Beep—

When a certain amount of damage was dealt, the whistle sounded, and the outcome was decided.

“Next, Seonghan and Doun, please follow me.”

My name was called, and I followed the man who seemed to be assisting with the proceedings.

Dooun, the examinee known as Dooun, walked alongside me, taking turns looking at me and my three-section staff.

“Tsk… This is no joke.”

He chuckled as he looked at my three-section staff.

Then, as if to listen, he muttered loudly to himself.

Despite the clear provocation, I didn’t react.

After all, I could soon beat him up.

***

The outcome was instantaneous.

Including Dooun, three examinees and I fought the test, and we could all win with just one or two strikes of the three-section staff.

Although it could have ended in one strike, I purposely struck those who ignored Dooun and some of the three-section staff twice.

The armor didn’t absorb all the impact.

The examinees who clashed with me could no longer ignore the three-section staff.

Whether it was a twist of fate or deliberately placed far apart to think about first and second place.

In the end, only Kangseok and I were left in the test.

From the waiting room where quite a few people had gathered, now that we were the only two left, a suffocating silence filled the air.

Occasionally, scouts who came to the waiting room to scout talents did not enter at this moment.

Perhaps because they knew the suffocating atmosphere.

If only two people were there and one of them was scouted, the atmosphere would really become chilly.

However, there were people who didn’t care about such an atmosphere.

Kiiik.

The sound of the door opening was heard, and two people entered.

It was Minji and Gaeun.

As soon as the two entered, the tense atmosphere in the waiting room relaxed in an instant.

But that atmosphere didn’t last long.

“Hey, nervous?”

Minji approached me and kicked my calf.

“Not really.”

“…You’re just showing off.”

It didn’t hurt.

You could see Kangseok’s expression stiffening as he watched.

Clamping his lips shut, he was suppressing his anger.

Choi Gaeun, due to Minji and me being close, didn’t approach us readily but stood near us.

If Minji wasn’t there, she seemed like she would have come to talk.

I felt that Kangseok’s gaze on me had softened a lot.

Unable to bear that fact, Kangseok left the waiting room.

“…”

Choi Gaeun glanced at the waiting room door briefly but didn’t react further.

“Aren’t you two close?”

“…Really?”

I pointed to the door where Kangseok had left and asked Gaeun.

Upon hearing my words, Minji also looked at Choi Gaeun with a puzzled expression.

From Minji’s perspective, who didn’t know Choi Gaeun’s wall, it seemed like Choi Gaeun, who had been talking with Kangseok until recently, suddenly distanced herself.

“Oh? Uh… it’s nothing…”

Choi Gaeun didn’t react much.

She just blushed while looking at me.

With great power comes great responsibility, they said.

Choi Gaeun’s wall wasn’t normal either.

“I’ll prepare for the next match.”

“Win.”

“…Do well and come back.”

With Minji and Gaeun’s farewell, I headed to the arena.

For some reason, Minji lightly kicked my butt. Just in case, I checked the wall, but there was no additional wall related to hitting.

Is hitting me just an expression of affection?

…And why did Choi Gaeun start using honorifics?

On the arena, Kangseok, who had already finished preparing, was sending me a fierce look.

His face was scary as if he were a villain.

But if you really had to compare, Kim Jeongal’s expression was several times more terrifying.

Holding the three-section staff in my hand, I said to Kangseok.

“It’s better to use your ability in advance.”

“…What ability?”

In fact, Kangseok hadn’t shown his ability properly yet.

The situation where the opponents were reduced to nothing due to the second test didn’t allow for a proper use of abilities, and there was also a sense of restraint due to being cautious of me.

So I urged him.

There was no point in defeating Kangseok without him using his ability.

“You should make a weapon.”

“…”

As soon as he spoke, Kangseok’s hand began to flow with a black liquid, forming a long axe-like shape.

Kangseok’s ability was to create weapons and freely manipulate the weapons he created.

Apart from the creation aspect, it was a power similar to weapon mastery.

“I will defeat you and retrieve Minji.”

“But retrieving her was never your concern.”

To be honest, it was not a good relationship.

It was a villain and hero relationship.

And honestly…

“Even if I lose, Minji won’t go to you, right?”

Unless it was Cho Gaeun.

Minji didn’t have a strong barrier towards strong men.

There was a barrier towards rudeness and exposure, but…

Even that seemed to have changed recently, as my name was boldly written on the barrier.

“Damn it!”

Whether the provocation worked or not, he rushed towards me with the axe in hand.

I blocked with the truncheon, but the weight of the axe was much heavier than the truncheon, causing me to almost lose my grip for a moment.

It felt different being on the receiving end of weapon skills.

How could he swing that big axe so quickly?

I thought he was a lumberjack.

“Ahh!”

Filled with anger, Kangseok repeatedly struck me with the axe.

Each time, I blocked his axe with the truncheon, seizing the opportunity.

And when he raised the axe high for a big blow, I struck his wrist.

“Argh!”

Kangseok dropped the axe, and I picked it up.

“Hmph. Weapons are plentiful…”

Without hesitation, Kangseok created the axe again.

As expected.

Although I picked up the axe, Kangseok couldn’t get rid of the weapon he created, only making a new axe.

I threw the truncheon on the ground.

And I raised the axe with both hands.

“What are you doing…”

We were finally on equal ground.

Facing each other with the same weapon in hand.

“Huh.”

Kangseok laughed as if in disbelief.

Confident that he had won thanks to his skill in handling weapons.

On the contrary, I was also smiling.

I believed in the power of my level 3 weapon skill.

Without waiting for who would make the first move, we both charged at each other with axes in hand.

My axe gleamed once before cleanly shattering Kangseok’s axe.

There was an overwhelming difference in speed.

I aimed for the side of the axe precisely and the result was this.

“How…”

Sizzle…

A whistling sound was heard.

My axe didn’t stop and even broke through Kangseok’s armor.