Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: 1st Place VS 152nd Place (2)
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Just before the afternoon matches, in front of the arena entrance.
Amid the bustling crowd stood a beauty with bright yellow hair.
"Congratulations on your first-round victory, miss."
"Yeah."
When her secretary offered her a bouquet, Cornus accepted it. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the fragrant floral scent.
"It's fine. Thank you."
Handing the bouquet back to her secretary, she walked toward the arena entrance.
Cornus's striking appearance made many people stop in their tracks.
"Isn't that Cornus?"
"Whoa... she's insane."
Exclamations erupted from all around. Regardless of age or gender, countless people marveled at her exceptional beauty.
Despite all those gazes, Cornus seemed utterly unburdened, flaunting her alluring figure without a care.
It wasn't intentional—it was an unconscious habit.
A noble bearing drilled into her since childhood.
Her secretary, Ji-ho, watched her with pity, then bowed deeply to the man who appeared.
"Dad."
A man of massive build, with long, slanted eyes and a fierce face—an intimidating middle-aged figure.
Cornus greeted him with a hand over her chest, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Hello."
The head of the Cornerus Family, San Hyeok-won.
A conglomerate tycoon who sponsored countless guilds and had many powerhouses under his wing.
He gave Cornus a glance, then spoke lowly to her secretary.
"You won, right? Ji-ho."
"Yes. She emerged victorious."
"Of course. Whose daughter is she? Train harder."
Ji-ho bowed his head and continued. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cornus subtly avoiding her father's gaze.
'Normally, shouldn't he apologize for being late?'
A man who saw his own daughter—potentially the family's future heir—as nothing more than a tool.
Ji-ho ground his teeth in silent rage but quickly suppressed his resentment.
San Hyeok-won finally spoke.
"Who's her opponent this round?"
"Jeong Si-woo and Lee Si-heon."
"...Jeong Si-woo! Right."
Stroking his bushy beard, he walked past Cornus.
"Let's go watch the match."
Leading his guards and secretary toward the VIP room, Hyeok-won left. Cornus stared at his silhouette, then lowered her head to the ground.
Her face seemed emotionless, but a faint sense of defeat lingered.
Ji-ho's heart burned.
"Miss..."
"Yeah."
"We should head to the VIP room soon."
With nothing more to say, Ji-ho silently performed his duties.
As they took a few steps, he bitterly smiled at Cornus standing alone.
Then Cornus lifted her head.
"...Cheer."
The word slipped from her lips.
Cornus started walking somewhere—very hurriedly.
"Miss?"
"I haven't cheered for him yet."
Ji-ho rushed after her and looked around where she stopped.
The nameplate on the door read 'Athlete Waiting Room' in black letters.
'Why here...'
-Clunk.
Cornus tried to open the door, but the lock caught. It was firmly shut.
Ah... She let out a small sigh.
"They might not be here yet since there's still time. Who are you trying to meet?"
"Siheon."
"You can do it after the match."
From where Ji-ho stood, he couldn't see her face clearly, so he had no idea of her emotions.
He just assumed her sudden action meant she wanted to see a friend.
He understood she'd been deflated after seeing her father after so long, but...
Unfortunately, it was right before the match. Wherever he was, he wasn't here.
No helping it. Ji-ho put a bit more firmness in his voice to dissuade her.
He reached out and grabbed her elbow. Her resistance was light.
"Let's go, miss. It's right before the match—being a bother—"
"Huh?"
But before Ji-ho could finish, someone interrupted. For the first time, something flickered in Cornus's previously emotionless eyes.
"What's going on?"
Lee Si-heon.
Dressed tightly in his combat uniform, wearing a pure white mask, he stood behind Ji-ho.
Tall stature, an ominous aura emanating from him.
Perhaps due to the impending battle, his face was flushed with excitement.
"Siheon."
"Not Siheon—Si-heon... Hey, but."
Si-heon gave a deflated laugh at her words.
But sensing something off, he suddenly stared intently at her face.
"Did something happen to you?"
That single remark.
It pierced the expression no one else had noticed, making Cornus clamp her mouth shut and shake her head.
"...No."
"I can tell something bad happened. Talk about it over dinner later. I'm busy now, hey."
His casual words were things only someone carefully observing her would catch.
Her cheeks puffed out stubbornly, and Cornus retreated, placing a hand on her own cheek.
"Siheon's being weird again today."
"Weird how? And it's Si-heon."
Si-heon chuckled at her pouted lips.
Ji-ho stared dumbfounded at this side of Cornus he'd never seen.
His heart felt strangely light.
It wasn't jealousy.
Just a bit of the suspicion he'd harbored toward him easing from a corner of his chest.
Si-heon tapped Cornus's forehead and waved.
It was disrespectful to a noble, but for some reason, Ji-ho didn't want to stop it.
"Match is soon. I'm heading in?"
"Yeah... Do your best."
"Got it. Ah, secretary, you should go too."
Cheerfully.
Turning, Si-heon stretched and entered the waiting room.
-Clunk.
"......Yes."
The door closed, and Ji-ho responded belatedly.
"Miss, let's go."
Slightly stammering, he led Cornus toward the VIP room.
All the way, Ji-ho recalled Si-heon just before the door shut.
For some reason, that broad back kept nagging at him.
The brief shift in atmosphere after sending Cornus off felt like...
Watching an athlete at peak condition right before a match, uncontrollably raring to go.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Opening ceremony. And waiting time.
I can't even say how long I'd waited for this moment.
I glanced at the sky, then swept my eyes around.
Heated breaths, the audience's murmurs. Sweaty palms.
-Waaaaah!
The arena filled with clamor, but it wasn't mostly for me.
Everyone here was focused on Jeong Si-woo, not me.
In his pure white combat uniform, he stood more serious than anyone.
Top rank. Number one.
The academy's undisputed strongest first-year student.
The gazes directed at me, facing such a man, were laced with mockery—from those who loved putting others down.
-What a joke. Against Jeong Si-woo?
Everything was just hilarious.
The growing thrum of my heart felt like when I first ran for class rep.
The feeling when I boldly shouted in front of the students. The massive satisfaction when I received the expectations just as anticipated.
-Swish.
I caressed my gauntlet and buckled my combat uniform belt.
The VIPs—guild executives who'd come to scout academy matches—were all eyeing Jeong Si-woo, smacking their lips.
...Though I couldn't hear it here.
They're probably complaining that the opponent is too weak, the match will end too quick, regrettable, etc.
Don't worry about trivial things. I won't go down easy.
"Ready!!!!"
The referee's booming voice echoed through the mic.
Jeong Si-woo and I faced each other briefly.
The bitter aftertaste of that drink from last time still lingered in my mouth.
The damned secret shared at that drinking session.
For two guys with shit lives, what we had riding on this match was far too heavy.
How much mental agony would the loser endure?
And knowing that...
I smiled.
Jeong Si-woo did too.
"Begin!!!"
I remembered the first time I blocked his sword.
Back when I couldn't even track the attack with my eyes, barely dodging with my bulky body.
I was utterly overwhelmed by Jeong Si-woo, not even feeling inferior.
-Hummm!
Mana swelled through my body, expanding massively.
The pure mana I'd nurtured relentlessly since then, by any means.
Mana twice my body size enveloped me like it was devouring me.
-Rumble rumble.
The air vibrated.
Jeong Si-woo's sword shimmered with white light. I instinctively sensed the power within.
'......'
This guy had been hiding a lot of power too.
I don't know why he didn't use it in that cult incident last time.
Maybe like me, he'd chained lucky breaks and grown in that short gap.
......Whatever.
Doesn't matter. Distractions have no place in battle.
-Flash!
Jeong Si-woo's figure vanished from sight.
The sword tip appeared before me, aiming straight for my brow.
-Boom!
Right there—
A massive explosion erupted.
A crater formed on the ground, swallowing part of the arena.
A single clash. Mutual strike.
-Tweet! Tweet! Tweeeet!
The referee's panicked whistle echoed through the arena.
Temporary halt due to excessive impact.
For player safety, it triggered, cooling the arena's atmosphere sharply.
The thick dust cloud slowly cleared, revealing us both standing unscathed, facing each other.
"......Impressive."
I smiled at his genuine praise.
My left gauntlet, wrapped in mana, was surprisingly shattered.
-Clatter clatter.
Shards split off below my left forearm and fell.
I tossed the sword in my right hand skyward.
-Whoosh.
Jeong Si-woo's broken sword.
It pierced the dust cloud, spinning rapidly upward.
Then it stabbed into the ground.
The already chilled atmosphere froze even colder.
"How're you gonna fight now?"
I'd yielded one side, taken the other.
That brief exchange proved I could match Jeong Si-woo's speed.
The referee rushed over, checked our states, and looked baffled.
"H-how are you both?"
"“We're fine.”"
Our near-simultaneous replies slowly amplified the surrounding murmurs.
Commotion. The vibe shifted gradually.
Guild execs pressed fingers to lips, scouts frantically phoned.
I forcibly twisted the gazes that had been on me.
Even without looking around, I felt it all over my skin.
Goosebumps rose. A thick grin spread on my lips.
An outcome no one foresaw. Who could've predicted it?
The change came not from victory or defeat, but one single clash.
Just two humans staking something and countering.
We took a few steps apart and reset our stances.
Jeong Si-woo, well-prepared, drew a spare sword and gripped it.
─────!!!!!!!
Cheers or not-cheers from the audience.
A mix of gasps, sighs, joy, thrill—I soaked it all in with my body.
-Tweeeet!
The resumption whistle pierced the sky.
Having gauged each other in one clash, little remained to do.
Just unleash full power.
I boldly set my stance, wrapped mana around both arms, and rampaged through every inch of my body.
"Ebony."
Black Peach Tree.
At the arena's center.
Black petals began swirling.