episode_0035

“So I was really shaking and thought I was going to die. But did Jihoon say something like, ‘I guess I have a lot of bad luck’? Oh my, I still get nervous when I think about that time…”

“That’s right…when I go out with him, my heart sinks more than once!”

Busy street in front of the academy. Shabu-shabu specialty restaurant.

In front of Jihoon, who is diligently putting meat and vegetables into the broth, are Sojung and Suyeong who are talking excitedly.

“Sooyoung has also become more talkative…”

“But there, a friend I saw before named Yujeong suddenly appeared-”

Can’t you hear Jihoon’s admiration?

Suyeong’s timid appearance was gone and she was excitedly telling Sojung stories.

“Han So-jeong…How did you come to this shabu-shabu restaurant? How on earth does he know and show up every time I eat…”

“What? Did an oil well or something appear again? Why does he keep acting like this? ”

Sojung hears Suyeong’s words and gets irritated.

“No one listens to me…”

Sojung and Sooyoung talk about Jihoon but don’t listen to what Jihoon is saying in front of them.

Warm sunlight comes through the window, and the appetizing smell comes from the meat and vegetables in the boiling broth.

It was literally a peaceful lunch.

“So the round of 32 and round of 16 will be tomorrow and the round of 8 the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right. Sojung, what about you? What is the schedule for your class?”

“Classes 1 to 3 are completed in two days because there are not that many people. And it’s not that intense. In most cases, the ranking does not change. I guess I’ll finish it up and go watch you guys’ semifinals and finals.”

A small statement that assumes that Jihoon and Suyeong will naturally advance to the finals.

Sooyoung, who had been with Jihoon for several days, no longer felt any discomfort at such small words.

“It would be great if Sojeong came and cheered us on! Jihoon, are you okay too?”

“What kind of support are you giving me? I’m doing something great”

Jihoon spoke calmly and took out the soaked meat and put it in his mouth.

“I heard that ranker Koo Seong-jun will also be attending the semifinals this time. I’m going to see the faces!“

“What?! Gu Seongjun? Are you talking about Hunter Seong-jun, ranked 17th?”

“…Who is that…”

While Sojung and Sooyoung are talking excitedly, Jihoon becomes upset when he hears a name he has never heard before.

“You don’t know Hunter Gu Seongjun? I heard he’s like this, really…”

“Ranking: 17th place!! The 17th strongest top ranker among all Korean hunters!”

“You are an academy graduate. Since the year before last, he has been attending the quarterly evaluations and providing brief guidance to the teams that advanced to the finals. Taking care of your juniors, isn’t it so cool?”

This time, Jihoon takes out the mushrooms and vegetables and puts them on the plate in front of him.

No matter how excited Sojung and Sooyoung were and made a fuss, it was just a story that Jihoon was not interested in.

***

Jihoon and the swimming team cruised through the round of 32, round of 16, and quarterfinals without any problems.

After being pointed out by the head coach a while ago, Jihoon came to the realization that he needed to be hit a little more realistically, and now he has diversified the parts that are hit here and there.

Left arm, right arm, back, thighs…

Ji-hoon’s acting skills have improved considerably as he tries to counter the pitiful attacks that are clearly visible to him.

The problem wasn’t just about allowing the attack.

If you decide to swing your sword or use your fists, you will be cut off or maimed like Chang-hoon.

Changhoon had a reason to suffer, but the other cadets were not particularly guilty…

Jihoon was hitting moderately and continuing to attack to a degree that did not cause much harm to the opponent, creating the image of victory after a fierce battle.

“ and those two are truly a work of art.”

“So…Kang Ji-hoon is excellent at tanking and swordsmanship, but Han Soo-young, the healer, also has skill timing, right?”

“Even though it’s a two-person team, I don’t feel any position gaps at all”

As Jihoon’s acting increased, Jihoon and the swimming team were emerging as a dark horse team boasting the strongest teamwork.

Friday is when the semifinals and finals finally take place.

Jihoon and the swimming team also met a team made up of Class 4 cadets.

From the quarterfinals onwards, except for Jihoon’s team, the remaining 7 teams were all made up of 4th class cadets.

Choi Seung-jun’s team, who was horribly hit by Ji-hoon with a Tanghulu skewer, also made it to the semifinals.

“Kang Ji-hoon, Han Su-young, fighting!!”

“11Show the power of class!”

“Han Sooyoung is pretty!!”

The cheering match has just begun

The Class 11 team was the only one to survive among teams made up of only Class 4 cadets.

The Jihoon-Sooyoung team, which only had two members, suddenly began to look like the hope of a lower class.

The lower class cadets, who had already lost and failed early on, were cheering loudly for Jihoon and Suyeong, who were no longer competitors.

When the atmosphere was heating up…

“Uh… Hey… Isn’t that Hunter Seong-Jun Seong-Jun?”

“What?! Oh, it’s true. It’s the real Hunter Seong Seong-jun!”

“Wow!! You came again this year… It’s my first time seeing a top ranker… I’m touched”

Ranker Gu Seong-jun walks across the sparring hall.

All the cadets who see him start cheering, each saying a word.

It was like a celebrity coming to high school.

“Hahaha, you came again this year. A busy ranker needs this much love from his juniors…”

“Are only juniors coming to see you? I also came because I wanted to see the professor after a long time. How have you been? Professor, you really don’t age.”

“This guy is so lazy…hahaha”

Professor Joo Seong-ho welcomes Gu Seong-jun with a pleasant smile.

He was always grateful to Gu Seong-jun, who was the Academy’s best output and his favorite student.

Top rankers who are active in the field come to quarterly evaluations, which are important exams, and check on their juniors.

What a wonderful and beautiful thing this is.

He was the head professor who could feel the academic enthusiasm of all the cadets increasing every year after Seong-Jun Koo’s visit.

at that time

Bleep-

Horn sound signaling the start of the game

Seong-Jun Seong quickly moves around and takes a seat in the audience with Professor Joo.

“Let’s take a look at the skills of this year’s juniors?”

“Hahaha yeah. Let’s take a closer look, give some advice, and then leave. Ah… I guess… ”

Professor Joo Seong-ho, who had always smiled cheerfully, frowned slightly.

After all, the game that Gu Seong-jun watches as soon as he arrives is that guy Ji-hoon Kang’s game…

Professor Joo feels uneasy for some reason.

***

There was nothing particularly different about the semifinals.

Just like in the quarterfinals, Ji-hoon plays an even battle by giving moderate hits once in a while.

“Heal!!”

As Sooyoung’s healing skills take off, the wounds on Jihoon’s left arm and the back of his hand heal.

Huh

Squeak

Squeak

Jihoon swings his sword several times, creating cracks in the opposing team’s tanking skills.

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice him being careful not to wake up in one hit.

faba bag

Pak

A magic skill aimed at Suyeong behind him, not Jihoon.

Ji-hoon, who had already jumped right next to Su-yeong, continued to use magic skills.

“Heal!!”

Ji-hoon receives healing skills from Soo-young again and collides head-on with the opposing team’s Geom-su.

After several offense and defense switches, Jihoon eventually wins the game, inflicting light bruises on all the hunters on the opposing team.

‘Whoa…it’s really hard to keep alive.’

Jihoon suffered in a different way

“Wow, I won again!!”

“It’s the finals!!! The 11th class team goes to the finals!!!”

It was a time when I was about to leave the sparring hall amidst the cheers of the lower class cadets.

Huh

One person flies from the audience all the way down at once.

He was none other than Seong Seong-jun.

“Oh… I guess you want to give me some guidance before the finals”

“ I’m jealous… Hunter Seong-Jun Seong’s one-touch lecture… I’d like to go to the finals too”

“Our team was eliminated in the round of 64…how can we get to the finals…”

As Gu Seong-jun approached Ji-hoon and Soo-young after they finished the game, voices filled with envy continued from the audience.

“You are juniors in class 11? My name is Gu Seong-jun, a graduate of the 9th class of the academy”

“Gu Seongjun Hunter! It’s an honor to meet you!”

Sooyoung couldn’t hide her fandom when she saw Seong Seong-jun.

“Haha…what is the glory…the friends in class 11 are so amazing? After the quarterly evaluation is over, moving to a class is a given”

Seong Seong-jun took turns looking at Ji-hoon and Soo-young and complimenting them.

And then he immediately asks a question to Jihoon.

“Is your friend’s main weapon a sword?”

“…Yes, but?”

Ji-hoon somehow disapproves of Gu Seong-jun, who speaks easily when they first meet.

However, since he was a senior at the Academy and I thought he was someone who came down to say good things, it didn’t bother me too much. however…

“In a team that relies heavily on healers, it is basic to prioritize protecting the healer. You seem to have strong aggressive tendencies…”

After pausing for a moment, Gu Seong-jun hands the sword on his waist to Ji-hoon, takes the wooden sword Ji-hoon was holding, and continues talking again.

“In order to protect the healer and make the attack successful, the movement speed and attack speed should have been further increased using magic power. I will briefly show you how a swordsman should move while protecting a healer.”

What is this guy saying?

Ji-hoon looks at Seong Seong-jun’s sword in his right hand.

The blade looks very sharp, perhaps because it is a sword used by a top ranker.