episode_0072

Late evening after everything was over.

I walked with my hands in my pockets, lost in thought.

The cold was fading away, spring was just around the corner.

“Sigh…”

It was truly a series of storms.

How should I put it?

The scale became too large.

“Suddenly, I was all over the guild leader, the , and .”

Well, it’s only natural, but.

Me and Meonyangi didn’t show any abnormalities or signs.

After confirming this fact firmly, I reported to the Association.

Now, no one will come to doubt or criticize us.

In addition, I heard briefly that Guild Leader Noh Kyung-wan was dismissed a few hours later.

“He even went to prison…”

It seems like there were many hidden misdeeds behind the scenes.

Everyone just turned a blind eye because of his status as the guild leader.

It was a natural course of action since the hyenas around couldn’t leave a fallen and powerless person alone.

When I came out after the inspection, Guild Leader Soo Ok-bin was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there was a message.

– This is my small token of appreciation for this incident. Of course, I won’t just settle for this…

Please look forward to it~♡

The true identity of the small token was money.

Exactly 1 billion was deposited into my account.

I decided not to take it and put 500 million into Meonyangi’s mouth.

“Anyway, is it all settled now?”

Now I could fully focus on my academy life.

It was only then that I thought this.

I am really…

“…powerless.”

“Oh? You’re here?”

I was looking at the night sky, lost in thought.

Juna Yong approached with a beer can in hand.

“It’s a bit warm, so I went out for a walk. What about the others?”

“Mahana is stumbling around drunk… and Moonbora… you saw her earlier.”

After everything was over, we were all gathered for a drinking party.

It’s a rule to drink after such an event.

Oh, unexpectedly, it was Moonbora who fell first.

– Moonbora, stop drinking.

– I’m sorry, Yuseha. I’m a fool. I’m an idiot… why did you doubt me… sniff… but still, I did my best. This time… I didn’t hesitate to give advice to you and Mahana as much as possible. Professor Pang Jin also did his best… sniff!

– It’s okay. Just stop drinking…

Next was our cute Meonyangi.

– Meow~

– Meonyangi? Are you okay?

– Meow, Meow, Meow~ Meow~ Meow~

– Yes, yes. You worked hard. Were you very worried? The situation suddenly turned serious.

– Meow!

– That’s right, that’s right. There’s no one left to bother us now. Just focus on our academy life.

– Meow~

“Hey, Yuseha. It was amazing… to me, it all sounds like ‘Meow~’, but you interpret it like a ghost. How come?”

“I guess the intensity of the time we spent together is different.”

“If someone saw us, they might think we’ve been together for years.”

Years…

Well, for me, it has been five years.

Anyway.

It was a good timing, even though it wasn’t intentional.

It was subtly difficult to be alone like this.

“Juna Yong.”

“Yeah? Why? Want a sip of beer…-”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head 90 degrees towards her.

She scratched her cheek in confusion.

“What’s up all of a sudden?”

“I couldn’t have wrapped up this incident so nicely on my own, even if I woke up dead.”

I meant it.

Could I have kept Meonyangi safe from the author’s grasp, even without any power or overwhelming force?

“…It’s impossible.”

Power and influence…

I am inexperienced in using the power that flows in the adult world.

I never had such experiences in the first place.

I would have probably just silently endured being pushed around, resisting a few times, or not resisting at all.

All of this was possible because of Junayong and everyone else who helped.

“If you, as a senior clan member, hadn’t told me about , we wouldn’t have been able to resolve this so well.”

“Hehe~ What’s between friends… huh? Oh, wait a moment, senior… clan member?”

I chuckled at Junayong’s question.

“Because I’m a senior clan member… I could tell the ‘clan master’, right?”

Junayong stared blankly at my question.

Then, he awkwardly nodded.

“Oh, right… I see. Yes, I’m part of .”

“As expected of . Not a regular disciple but a senior… impressive.”

“Hehe, yeah…”

I smiled at Junayong’s hearty laughter.

And quietly made a vow.

“…I need to get stronger.”

Not just in terms of power, but in various aspects, I needed to grow stronger.

Even if I have the boastful talent of being a 5★ [Eye of the Reverse Heaven], it’s just potential in the end.

To face organized forces, I needed to organize myself as well.

I still think I have a long way to go as a ‘leader’, so I slowly raised my arm.

Thud.

Then, I gently tapped Junayong’s forehead, who had done his best in this matter.

“…Hey, what was that for!?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s become a habit with Meonyangi…”

“I-It’s okay.”

As I quickly removed my hand, Junayong seemed somewhat disappointed for some reason.

“Next week. You know the tournament starts, right?”

“…Yes.”

I pushed my fist towards Junayong.

“See you at the finish line.”

*

“See you at the finish line.”

Yuseha extends his fist with a bright smile.

Filled with gratitude and bitterness, he smiles brightly.

Watching him, Junayong once again felt a tingling sensation in his chest.

But this time, the tingling sensation was a bit stronger.

‘…Is it hurting?’

An emotion that felt slightly painful.

Junayong pondered for a moment and then realized.

‘This is what friendship is!’

He had read about it in books before.

That feeling that makes your heart burn.

It wasn’t clear when he read about it…

But experiencing it now, he could clearly understand.

‘Ah, I see.’

Junayong could now resolve all the doubts he had about Yuseha.

The unique tingling sensation, the bubbling feeling, and the unknown emotion that surged when he looked at him.

All combined, it made sense as friendship.

“…Yes! But just so you know… I won’t go easy on you, okay?”

“On the contrary, that’s what I’m hoping for.”

They looked at each other and smiled brightly.

They bumped their fists and promised to meet at the finish line.

* * *

On the first day of the third week.

For the tournament matches, all trainees were paired up in groups of three.

Teams of over 20 people competed against each other, determining the winners through duels.

The winning teams would face each other in the next round.

As the tournament progressed, winners and losers were clearly distinguished.

At this point, three days had passed.

Another match was unfolding today.

“What… what’s going on?!”

A woman from the team, Hong Juyeong, the leader who had achieved consecutive victories for three days, couldn’t hide her confusion.

On the arena.

Beyond the eyes, a breathtakingly beautiful man was sweeping through the stadium in a whirlwind.

His identity was none other than Yoo Seha.

Hong Jooyoung, a figure at the center of recent attention, was someone that Jooyoung had heard of before.

In truth, Jooyoung didn’t think it would be difficult to win when he revealed himself on the field.

No matter how great the rumors were, he was just a man.

There was an unavoidable gender difference in the total amount of magic power they possessed. They always thought they would win.

But what about the results now?

Two sturdy teammates were lying on the ground, unconscious.

If they had been defeated by “Seolbing,” they could at least salvage their pride.

However, both of them were defeated by Yoo Seha.

And that too, without resorting to any tricks, in a straightforward match where he was overwhelmingly dominant.

“…!”

Immediately after, as Yoo Seha bent down, Jooyoung quickly raised his guitar.

Her class was “Bard.”

And she had honed the most aggressive skill, [Rock Band], within that class.

“Send out a sonic attack before he gets close!”

However, Jooyoung’s thoughts were an age-old saying that had been passed down.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” In the end, it all crumbled before the inevitable.

Swish!

“Ah!”

Without even a chance to react, Jooyoung was sent flying out of the stadium by the roaring [Dragon Strike].

His guitar was sliced in half, and he fainted.

Watching this, Pang Jina blew a whistle.

“The match is over.”

The winner is Team Yoo Seha.

“Seha~”

As the match ended, Mahana ran towards Yoo Seha.

With a bright smile towards her, Yoo Seha spread her arms and hugged Mahana.

“I won, I won~”

“Yes, yes. You did well, our Meonyangi!”

“Hehe…”

Clap, clap.

At the sound of footsteps approaching, Yoo Seha instinctively held out her palm.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a high-five.”

“Do we really have to do it? It’s already confirmed that we won-”

“Well, then I don’t have any friends.”

“…”

Reluctantly, Moon Bora reached out her hand.

Clap! The sound echoed.

“Well, let’s go eat after a hard day’s work.”

“…Are we having soup with rice?”

“Yes, it’s soup with rice.”

“Sounds good.”

“I like soup with rice too!”

Yoo Seha smiled warmly at the two of them.

In a moment, she raised her gaze to the fiery magic beyond the stadium.

‘…I hope he’s doing well.’

Juna Yong thought.

Meanwhile, at the moment when Team Yoo Seha achieved a great victory.

Similarly, two teams were engaged in a fierce battle.

No, let’s cancel the term “fierce battle.”

In fact, it was a one-sided assault.

Whoosh!

Flames.

Flames of fire, like the flames of a dragon, rose like shadows.

Although they didn’t burn down the stadium, they each contained powerful firepower, causing the ground of the stadium to bubble and boil.

A pure red flame with a tinge of crimson.

At the center of it all was a woman with red hair fluttering.

It was Juna Yong.

Strangely, Juna Yong’s back was showing a side that she had never shown to Yoo Seha before.

Both legs and arms.

Back and abdomen.

And scales covering her chin, giving her a red hue.

Like the scales of a real dragon, they were densely packed, showing off a formidable defense.

At that moment.

A stealthy movement spread, and someone took over behind Juna Yong.

It was a woman of the class, the main dealer of the opposing team.

The short sword in her hands spun around.

“I, Nayong, you’re in danger!”

In an instant, a woman with blue hair shouted.

She was a member of Juna Yong’s party, holding a shield and a sword with shamanistic symbols engraved on them.

A member of the party who took on the tank role, Ryu Darrae, the .

But Juna Yong didn’t even flinch.

Soon, the reason will be revealed.

Thud!

“Kuk?!”

A massive, club-like object strikes the side of the .

“T-Tail?!”

A thick dragon tail densely covered with red scales.

It grew around Juna-yong’s buttocks at some point, moving around gracefully.

Although it doesn’t contain any special skills, it has become a formidable weapon in itself.

Having swiftly defeated the , Juna-yong quickly ran forward, pulling his legs back.

“Juna-yong! It’s dangerous to go alone!”

“Nayong-a!”

Ignoring the voices of his two teammates, Juna-yong sets his sights on the leader, a woman wielding dual axes.

Without hesitation, he unleashes a series of punches towards his opponent.

A derivative skill of [Combat], [Combo].

High-level, the six separate afterimages rush towards the axe-wielding woman.

“K-Kuh! Y-You monster-like woman!”

The leader, the axe-wielding woman, was on the verge of losing it.

Within minutes of the match starting, the supporter had fallen, and now the main dealer had been eliminated.

And it was Juna-yong.

She had rushed in alone, causing all this chaos.

Now, only she remained.

It seemed like an obvious defeat, but she had no intention of backing down.

The axe-wielding woman, kicking Juna-yong away, raised her weapon.

“[Raging Axe Blade]!”

A finishing move using all her might.

A derivative skill of [Axe] unleashes its power like a slashing blade.

Clang!

“……?!”

However, Juna-yong grabs the axe blade with one hand, blocking the attack.

It’s not without injury.

The axe blade, halfway embedded, cuts into Juna-yong’s hand.

The axe-wielding woman’s face pales at his foolish action.

“T-This crazy man…”

“……”

Regardless, Juna-yong doesn’t miss this opportunity.

Concentrating mana into his arms, red flames start blazing fiercely.

With the Rare-grade skill [Burning Flames] on both arms, Juna-yong unleashes indiscriminate violence towards the axe-wielding woman.

Rumble!

“K-Keuk!”

In the end, the axe-wielding woman falls after barely lasting a minute, ending the match.

The judge, who had been watching, belatedly blows the whistle, his face drained of color.

“T-The match is over!”

“Phew…”

Ryudara rushes to Juna-yong’s side, wrapping bandages around his hand.

Beside him, Hwang Ki-ppum, the last member, is also present.

“Nayong-a! You’re too reckless!”

“Yeah, we could have taken it slow with a 3v3…”

“This is more efficient.”

Juna-yong turns his head to face forward.

There’s no one there, but his gaze reflects a man who had extended a fist towards him, saying, ‘See you in the finals.’

‘…I can’t lose.’

This is the respect he dedicates to Yusehwa.

As a rival competing for the position of the exclusive disciple.

He gives his all.

And he wins.

…Well, he also wanted to hear some praise from Yusehwa like, ‘Wow, you’re really something? Can’t beat .’

Juna-yong’s mind is filled with only this thought.

Unbeknownst to her, the burning flames in her heart are not just filled with pure competitive spirit.

There’s also an emotion called ‘greed’ hidden under the shadow of ‘impatience.’

“……”

“……”

Seeing Juna-yong in this state, Ryudara and Hwang Ki-ppum look at her with worried expressions.

Two days later.

Semifinal match.

“Muaah!”

“Ehe~”

“Muaah!”

“Ehe~”

Clang!

Similar in stature, both using shields as their main defense, they face each other in the tank role.

Mahana laughed lightly as she blocked the attacks, looking at her opponent with beads of sweat rolling down her face.

“Mm… Strong.”

This woman.

Purely in terms of tanking ability, she was several steps above herself.

Zing-!

Mahana put strength into the shields in her hands and shouted towards her opponent as if exhaling, “[Shield Push]!”