Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
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From the evening following the filming of the evaluation videos, the trainees were granted a period of complete rest, except for those called in for brief individual interviews.
Despite the opportunity for repose, their countenances appeared markedly more fatigued compared to the initial day of filming in the studio, preventing any genuine sense of relaxation.
The cafeteria, which was typically filled with boisterous noise during mealtimes, was strangely subdued today, making the clatter of utensils feel even more prominent.
The entire building seemed to have descended into a heavy silence in anticipation of the upcoming rankings announcement.
The server even inquired whether some significant incident had occurred to cause such a change in the atmosphere.
I explained that the mood was likely somber because tomorrow would mark the departure of several participants from the program.
The woman offered a sympathetic nod and a warm smile while adding an extra portion of stir-fried pork to my tray as a gesture of support.
I thanked her with a respectful bow and proceeded to the table where my roommates had secured a place for me.
Kim Jun-woo muttered a low complaint regarding the small portion sizes that had persisted until the very end of their stay.
Ban Yo-han responded that the food was more than sufficient and teased Jun-woo for his excessive appetite.
Yo-han, who had previously expressed disbelief at Jun-woo’s claim of consuming five meals a day, began to utilize his chopsticks with practiced ease.
Jun-woo questioned my own small intake and remarked that I required more sustenance to improve my lagging physical stamina.
I reflected silently on the fact that the lack of flavor was the primary reason for my limited appetite.
I mused inwardly that it would be ideal if my physical statistics increased with every meal I consumed.
Jun-woo inquired whether I was suffering from a gaming addiction after hearing my cryptic remark.
I expressed a simple and profound desire to engage in digital gaming once again.
I noted to myself that I was currently participating in a real-life game, a fact of which my companions remained entirely ignorant.
I resolved to search for the most popular mobile titles the moment my phone was returned to me on the following day.
The group continued to eat in silence until Jing Xiao remarked with a drained expression that everything would reach its conclusion tomorrow.
Ban Yo-han countered nonchalantly that tomorrow was merely the beginning of their journey.
Kim Jun-woo appeared visibly distressed by the remark and glared at Yo-han with a sense of resentment for bringing up the subject during dinner.
Jing Xiao and I shared a look of agreement while consuming our water in a state of quiet contemplation.
Nagase Ritsu, who was unable to comprehend the Korean dialogue, looked between us with a face full of confusion.
Jun-woo eventually offered a grand but unlikely promise to treat everyone to a substantial meal outside the facility in the future.
Jing Xiao responded with a sulky expression and noted that Koreans often made such promises without any intention of fulfilling them.
The accuracy of his cultural analysis caused the trainees at the neighboring table to erupt into a fit of laughter.
I reflected that Xiao had truly become an expert on Korean social nuances during his time in the country.
I lamented the absence of cameras to capture the moment, as it surely would have become a viral sensation among fans.
While the others continued to laugh, Jun-woo remained in a state of flustered indignation and insisted that his offer was sincere.
His persistence only invited further teasing from Jing Xiao and me as we began to demand a luxury beef dinner.
We suggested an all-you-can-eat establishment as a gesture of kindness toward his limited budget.
Ritsu expressed his excitement after hearing a translation of the plan while Jun-woo wailed in despair over his lack of funds.
I enjoyed my yogurt dessert while once again regretting the lack of a film crew to document our camaraderie.
The following morning, all one hundred trainees were gathered together in a vast auditorium for a special event.
Kim Jun-woo, who had been too anxious to eat his breakfast, stared at the banner on the stage with a dazed expression.
He read the title of the inter-class chicken fight tournament aloud in a voice filled with bewilderment.
The trainees began to murmur in confusion about the sudden change in the program’s focus.
Two female idols from a previous season of the show bounded onto the stage to greet the assembled participants.
The clear and booming voices of Yoo Hana and Kim Da-young through the speakers effectively silenced the room.
The trainees offered a thunderous cheer once they recognized the established stars on the stage.
Hana shared her own history with the competition and recalled how she had single-handedly eliminated ten opponents in the past.
Da-young praised her companion’s ferocious and eagle-like movements during the previous tournament.
Hana responded with a spirited shout that celebrated her past prowess on the battlefield.
The trainees found her bubbly personality to be quite charming as she proceeded to explain the rules of the contest.
The tournament involved groups of nine players from each class competing in a survival-style battle until only one team remained.
I was impressed by Hana’s past performance and resolved to search for recordings of her skills at a later time.
I stared intently at the stage in the hope that a system-guided quest would manifest for this particular event.
<Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee>
▶ Quest Description: Pick Your Heart's traditional inter-class chicken fight tournament has begun. Seize a legitimate victory by any means necessary!
▶ Confirmed Reward: Choose one from Stamina, Strength, Agility +5
[Y/N]
The expected quest appeared before me with a reward that offered a significant boost to my physical attributes.
I noted the system’s unusual emphasis on a legitimate victory and wondered if it was becoming increasingly righteous.
I accepted the challenge immediately as there was no mention of a penalty for failure.
The classes were given ten minutes to select their representatives for the upcoming battle.
Most of the groups became quite boisterous as they debated who among them possessed the greatest physical prowess.
I surprised my own class by raising my hand to volunteer for the competition with an unexpected level of enthusiasm.
However, my offer was met with a cold and dismissive response from my teammates.
They noted that my lack of balance would likely prevent me from even standing on one leg for a significant duration.
I acknowledged the painful truth of their assessment while silently blaming the mentor whose style I had previously imitated.
My teammates advised me to remain seated and rest while promising to secure a victory on my behalf.
I recognized that their words were intended to spare me from embarrassment and I decided to withdraw my offer.
I informed them that I would impose a severe points penalty if they failed to emerge victorious in the tournament.
I understood that my current physical statistics were far too low to be effective in such a contest.
Ban Yo-han beckoned Jing Xiao to his side and began to whisper a secret strategy in his ear.
Xiao reacted with a look of visible disgust and inquired if Yo-han truly desired a victory to such an extreme degree.
Yo-han responded that no one in the competition harbored a desire for defeat.
Xiao shared the plan with the other selected players while I watched with a sense of growing curiosity.
Yo-han eventually called me over to join the discussion and share in the secret strategy.
I reacted with the same disbelief as Jing Xiao after hearing the details of his unorthodox plan.
I inquired whether he was truly willing to go to such lengths to win the tournament.
He noted my own desire for success and I found myself unable to offer a rebuttal.
I realized that a victory was essential to increase my stamina statistics beyond the current limitations.
The announcement called for the players to enter the designated area as the non-participants lined up to watch.
The hosts conducted brief interviews with the representatives to gauge their resolve before the start of the battle.
The whistle eventually blew to signal the beginning of the survival competition.
A series of strange and aggressive shouts immediately erupted from our class’s players.
They began to bellow declarations of their superior status in multiple foreign languages simultaneously.
The other teams were visibly flustered by the sudden and chaotic auditory assault.
The hosts expressed their shock at the aggressive tactics employed by the members of Team Muk.
One of them questioned whether the trainees were utilizing profanities in their native tongues.
The other host reassured the audience that the trainees were simply asserting their dominance as the top performers.
Our international players continued to charge their rivals while shouting with the intensity of rabid animals.
Many of the opponents panicked and were eliminated after fleeing out of bounds or collapsing from laughter.
I observed the mass hysteria with a sense of detachment while reflecting on Ban Yo-han’s specific advice to me.
He had suggested that I should utilize my natural charm to distract our rivals during the final stages of the match.
I felt a brief moment of irritation at how accurately he had identified my unique and pitiful appeal.
I wondered if my special trait would activate correctly or if I would merely embarrass myself in front of the crowd.
I noticed that our players were beginning to tire from their early overexertion and realized it was time for me to intervene.
I steeled my resolve with the thought of the upcoming stamina reward.
I questioned whether the system possessed an inherent understanding of the demands of variety television.
Seo Moon-gyeol was momentarily distracted by my activated trait, allowing one of our players to strike him from the side.
He struggled to maintain his balance but was ultimately eliminated by the unexpected combination of tactics.
Seo Chan-bin noticed my involvement and loudly accused me of employing unfair interference.
I adopted a look of feigned innocence and claimed that I had not taken any direct action in the match.
He insisted that my display of charm from the sidelines was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the competition.
I responded by asking if he truly found me to be endearing, noting that my appeal was natural rather than performative.
Chan-bin was left entirely speechless and flabbergasted by my brazen and thick-skinned assertion.
I reflected on the fact that I was willing to utilize any available means to secure a victory in this new reality.