Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Thunderclap Surrender
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"Team Seed... Seed, like a seedling! A perfect name for a team thrown together by first-year rookies—fresh and green from the get-go."
After classes ended.
Jae-hyeok met up with Hae-rin, Da-hee, and Do-jin, and they were heading to the archery range together.
Of course, at full sprint.
Thanks to Jae-hyeok's habit of turning everyday life into training, the rest of the team was dying.
"I'm impressed you formed a team before the first semester even wrapped up. But you seem clueless about harsh reality, which worries me. As seniors, it's only natural we'd teach our juniors the world's dangers."
After thirty minutes of sprinting at full speed across the absurdly vast grounds of Lion's Castle.
Hae-rin, starting to gasp for air and slowing down, regretted it.
"A duel! We've accepted your team's challenge... for a match! Huff! Huff, huff...!"
At some point, a group of second-years had caught up and started dogging them annoyingly.
Jae-hyeok answered on Hae-rin's behalf, boldly flashing the [Team Confrontation Permit] issued by the student council.
"Yeah, we forfeit."
"..."
Hae-rin, who was regretting slowing down for nothing,
"Huh?"
Da-hee, who had been leading to claim first place no matter what,
"What!?"
And Do-jin, eyes sparkling with excitement at the duel request.
All stared at Jae-hyeok in disbelief.
"Forfeit? Why!"
"Y-yeah! We went through proper channels via the student council to request this match! You have no right to refuse!"
The second-years were just as flustered.
They yelled in perfect unison, as if they were part of Do-jin's crew.
"When did I refuse? I'm forfeiting, aren't I? Take the points."
Jae-hyeok replied indifferently to the second-years.
Ignoring Do-jin, whose jaw hung slack in shock, he bolted ahead with all his might.
"Last place gets two special training sessions."
"Wh-what...!? No way in hell!!"
Special training.
Thunderclap evasion drills.
Two sessions in a single day?
'That's a death sentence!'
Do-jin, pale as a ghost, forgot to argue and desperately chased after Jae-hyeok.
Somehow, Hae-rin had taken the lead.
She'd looked like she was about to collapse just moments ago...!
"Damn it! When did Park Hae-rin take off again? This is cheating! You guys taking bribes to be in on some hidden camera prank!?"
Maybe because of his short legs.
Do-jin, growing anxious as the gap refused to close, grabbed the second-years by their collars.
The second-years, stunned by the unexpected forfeit and running alongside, shook off his hands in panic.
"Cheating? How dare you insult our legitimate duel request like this!"
"You call challenging first-years a 'legitimate request'? You're second-years like me, and it's embarrassing."
"A whole year scraping the bottom without a team, latching onto first-years, and now lecturing who!?"
Bickering ensued!
Do-jin and the second-years stopped running and started throwing punches.
Thanks to that, Da-hee and Hae-rin escaped last-place danger and adjusted their pace in relief.
"Hey there, cute little first-year babies~ Accept the Team Blackrose confrontation request."
But peace was short-lived.
A new pack of second-years blocked their path.
"Yeah, we forfeit."
Jae-hyeok refused the challenge again.
"What the hell!"
In the end, Da-hee stopped running.
"Did you form a team just to forfeit!? Is this the crap you recruited me for!?"
"Everyone but first place: two special training sessions."
"Eeeek!!"
Da-hee let out a shrill scream. Her face drained white; she'd forgotten all about the situation until then. She stopped arguing with Jae-hyeok and focused on running.
But Hae-rin was too far ahead.
She'd kept her pace even after witnessing Jae-hyeok's double forfeit.
"Is she a real cat or what!"
Escaping the chaos alone!
Seething with betrayal, Da-hee bellowed.
"We were fighting iljin sisters together just yesterday! We're basically blood brothers who shared drinks! We were this close to swearing brotherhood in Peach Garden!"
"Peach Garden oath...? No idea. I don't drink."
"You're no fun!"
'She's got such an old-man taste.'
Jae-hyeok eyed the pouting Da-hee with mild bewilderment.
Blood brothers sharing drinks? Peach Garden oath?
Da-hee's tastes diverged sharply from her peers.
Especially since she'd declared Duke Kang Dae-guk her greatest idol, which unsettled Jae-hyeok.
'Is that why normal kids steer clear of our dad? A matter of taste...?'
That posed a problem.
Taste was a human rights issue—untouchable even for Jae-hyeok.
Halt!
Just then, Hae-rin stopped.
Feeling sorry for Da-hee belatedly?
No.
A new group of second-years was blocking her path.
Eight in total. Two teams.
"It's a showdown!"
"We challenge you to a duel!"
A freshly debuted first-year team.
To low-ranking second-year squads, they were prime prey.
Everyone on Jae-hyeok's team had expected a string of confrontation requests.
Just not like this.
"Forfeit."
That Jae-hyeok would dodge every single one.
By now, even Hae-rin hesitated.
"Forfeits deduct 30 points each. We've done it four times already."
Their 1,000-point rating had plummeted to 880 in a flash.
The point of debuting early was gone.
Why had Jae-hyeok rushed to form the team?
To fight Team Confrontations, rack up wins, boost points, and snag rewards.
No reason to debut early if they were just plummeting to the bottom.
"Let's fight."
Hae-rin said with a resolute face.
She drew her sword, aiming it at the two second-year teams as if volunteering to lead.
"Of course we fight! Kang Jae-hyeok, you piece of shit, something's wrong with you—go take a dump or whatever."
Gasping, Do-jin and Da-hee caught up and flanked Hae-rin.
They decided to treat the deranged Jae-hyeok as nonexistent for now. The three pooled their strength, vowing to defend what points they could.
'I have no more time to waste.'
Baek Do-jin.
He bore the duty of avenging his parents.
He was determined to sever Loren's head—even if he'd fled to Lion's Castle after that atrocity—and offer it at his parents' skulls.
To do that, he needed strength, fast.
His plan: debut late in Team Confrontations compared to classmates, then surge ahead with points and rewards to close the gap.
'Players forfeiting without fighting? Makes no sense.'
Chae Da-hee.
Her dream was to become a true noble like Duke Kang Dae-guk.
She refused to let her convictions waver.
She knew she had to prove herself every moment to earn a title.
'I need to reassure Dad.'
Park Hae-rin.
Her father, who led high-rank Gate assaults, had finally fallen ill.
If he learned his daughter defied him and abandoned her shield, his condition could worsen dramatically.
Then everything would start creaking.
Sub-master Jung Jae-wook, already influential, could seize most of her father's authority and swallow Guardian Guild whole.
Hae-rin had to convince her father.
She believed proving why she ditched the shield would let him relax and steel himself.
"Heh, look at these cocky punks."
The four second-year teams naturally encircled Jae-hyeok's group, chuckling derisively.
"Forcing a fight after forfeits? Now that you know four teams have challenged you?"
"Your confidence is annoying as hell. Act like that, and it feels like we're being dissed."
"Yeah. Can't back down now."
Hiding their glee behind feigned seriousness, they exchanged greedy glances.
A signal: decide who goes first.
Snagging points via forfeit?
Sweet deal.
But only 15 points.
Forfeiters lost 30, winners gained just 15.
Anti-abuse measure.
The second-year teams wanted direct wins over Kang Jae-hyeok's squad for bigger scores.
'In this setup, they're safe money.'
Four against one.
Wheel them in rotations; Jae-hyeok's team would tire fast, second-years win clean.
First team takes the brunt, though.
"Rock-paper-scissors for order."
"Fairest way."
The second-year teams openly coordinated to decide sequence.
"Grrr!"
Do-jin growled like a dog, pissed, but they ignored him.
To them, buzzing over free points, Do-jin was a minor nuisance. No need to watch him.
"Haste makes waste."
Jae-hyeok, who had watched silently, finally spoke.
"My dad learned that the hard way."
"..."
Stunned that Jae-hyeok suddenly brought up his father, the team turned to him.
Baek Do-jin, Park Hae-rin, Chae Da-hee.
Jae-hyeok met each one's eyes squarely.
"Rely on strength alone, and regret is inevitable. House Kang learned it—I saw it myself."
"W-wait a sec."
Father. House Kang.
No team member was clueless about how vital those were to Jae-hyeok.
Da-hee knew best.
She admired Yaksha; she knew Jae-hyeok revered him even more.
Yet here he was, critiquing Yaksha's failure.
In front of all these people.
Why?
Jae-hyeok smiled gently at his uneasy team and continued.
"Sometimes, you pause. Now's that time."
He was wary of Gu Sukjeong's crew from yesterday.
Racking up wins in Team Confrontations now?
Would paint a target for Gu Sukjeong's gang.
Endless challenges incoming.
Plus, Gu Sukjeong was Guardian Guild elder's grandson.
Jung Ru-han's malice lurked behind him.
Who knew what dirty tricks awaited.
"Ah..."
The team finally caught Jae-hyeok's drift.
They understood his concerns.
"?"
Do-jin excepted.
"Pause what? Who decides?"
"House Kang... filthy traitors' den, right? Toppling you punks counts as punishing them."
The second-year teams had no intention of letting Jae-hyeok's group go easy.
"Filthy traitors' den?"
Grin.
Jae-hyeok smiled wide, temple twitching.
"Who's spouting bullshit?"
KABOOOOOM!!
Thunderclap struck.
Infuriated, Jae-hyeok unleashed Quick Draw, chaining into [Two Sickles to Halt the Cart], triggering [Remnants of the Thunderclap].
"Huh...?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Hae-rin and Da-hee blinked their wide eyes.
They couldn't process half of the sixteen second-years charred black and collapsing.
Do-jin cackled.
"That's it! That's Kang Jae-hyeok! The one I know doesn't back down! Fuck yeah, all at once!"
"Wait—"
Jae-hyeok tried to rein it in, suddenly rational, but too late.
The fight was on; Do-jin rampaged.
Sneaking glances at Jae-hyeok warily, Da-hee and Hae-rin distanced themselves and joined Do-jin.
"Eek! Y-you psychos, stop! People are dying!"
Thunderstruck and chaotic, the second-year teams devolved into a mob.
They couldn't stop Hae-rin's buffed vice-top first-year and the mad dog rampaging.
[Team ‘Seed’ wins.]
[Team ‘Seed’ wins.]
[Team ‘Seed’...]
"Ah."
Points shooting up nicely, huh.
Jae-hyeok scratched his head sheepishly.