Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: 1-on-1 Sparring
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C4 Field replicated the city's streets in perfect detail. The site was surprisingly expansive, like an entire university campus converted into a combat urban zone.
'Hero Island on the artificial isle itself must have been built for facilities like this—.'
It was the pinnacle of support facilities for hero candidates in Korea. A serious investment to cultivate top-tier heroes.
The cradle of hero births, funded by Korea's first-generation heroes and many others. That place was the Korean Hero Academy.
The urban field saw heavy use for one-on-one spars or other combat drills. Modeled after a real city, it was inevitably popular.
Street fighting would be the most relevant combat for heroes in every way, making battles in urban settings far more important than they seemed.
"Teacher Lim Sarang, you're a bit late."
"……."
The C Class homeroom teacher provoked her. It was perfectly timed, right before the class-versus-class one-on-one matchup. The A Class girls grimaced, feeling needless guilt, while the C Class girls lifted their chins with surging morale. A tense standoff ensued.
"Not by much, Teacher Lee Minji."
A Class and C Class squared off. They lined up neatly behind their homeroom teachers. The air crackled with the sense that something major was about to kick off. As a captain spectator nearby, I felt nothing special.
But the girls were different. Their fighting spirits ignited. Nothing motivated like a class matchup. Both sides would give 100 percent to secure grades and defend their pride.
Lim Sarang turned her head first. Time to start the one-on-one spars. No point dragging it out. That alone boosted the C Class girls' confidence, their morale boiling over fiercely.
"The one-on-one spars will proceed in a class-versus-class format."
Randomly draw one girl from each class. Once the matchup is set, teleport them inside via position converter. Use their superpowers to subdue the opponent—
The winning student and class earn bonus points.
Each girl received equipment. The interface bands and protect system crystals from last time. The crystal-shaped devices synced with the interface bands, analyzing the wearer's physical activity and storing a backup of their full vitality.
"Only if agreement is reached between the interface bands—."
Auxiliary gear for spars and combat practice. All made by Superpower Gamer (SSS). Thanks to that, she and her captain raked in absurd royalties. Just thinking about it made me envious.
"It provides systemic protection. Useless in real combat. You can't negotiate with monsters or villains like that, and they won't just stand there listening."
The girls equipped their gear. Interface bands on wrists, crystals synced. The crystals floated above their shoulders. Each one displayed their vitality as numbers.
Jeong Sua at 400, Heuk Seolhwa at 250, Yoo Gayoung at 500. She whined about her C-rank body enhancement, but the number was decent. I checked everyone else's too.
'Highest is 2000, lowest 100.'
Vitality varied by up to twentyfold. The same impact could kill one and leave another unscathed. Those in the thousands were mostly physical enhancement types.
After scanning them all, Yoo Gayoung's number looked low. Her anxiety made sense.
"Gear equipped? Stand by."
Lim Sarang handled the draw. The interface bands, linked to all the girls, projected the progress into the air. A massive hologram screen displayed it live.
Chrrrrrrlk—!
[A]Jeong Sua
[C]Lee Jihyun
The spinning roulette whirled. A Class and C Class wheels separate, calling one name each. Match order followed draw sequence. The selected girls would spar first.
"Argh!"
The moment the names appeared, an outburst of frustration erupted from C Class. A girl I'd never seen, but her name rang a bell.
"Ah, why me...! With her...! Damn it...!"
C Class's Lee Jihyun stomped in irritation the instant she drew Jeong Sua. She trembled with rage, limbs shaking.
Friends swarmed to console her. Relief washed over their faces—they knew why. Anyone but me, that was the vibe.
Jeong Sua just glanced at C Class dismissively.
Opponent didn't matter. She exuded total confidence in victory.
That lofty gaze, that arrogant expression—it was insanely sexy. She usually had this dopey, spaced-out look that clashed completely—
Now she radiated an untouchable aura.
My dick twitched again. What if I made Jeong Sua kneel right here in front of everyone? How would the stares change? Curiosity piqued.
'No.'
The one-on-one spars were about to start. I couldn't disrupt Jeong Sua's focus for my selfish lust. I had a conscience.
Plus, I'd already donated plenty to fulfill my duties.
The draw continued. I waited for Heuk Seolhwa and Yoo Gayoung. It didn't take long—Heuk Seolhwa twelfth, Yoo Gayoung thirteenth. Luckily, no matchup between them.
'Gayoung's opponent...'
Kang Minjeong. A Class number one, superpower Wind Gust (A). I pulled up her profile on my phone. Wind manifestation type. Manipulators were usually the dangerous ones. At least this wasn't manipulation.
I hoped Yoo Gayoung won. No real ties with Kang Minjeong despite same class, so I rooted for my 69 buddy.
The draw wrapped at twenty-fifth. Lee Minji activated the position converter at the field entrance. It hummed with intense blue light.
Woooong—.
"Jeong Sua, Lee Jihyun. Take your positions."
Wonder what Lee Jihyun's power was. Time to search: Accumulation (B). Betwixt enhancement and manifestation. Officially manifestation.
Enhancements often passive always-on, manifestations active bursts. Lee Jihyun's seemed active-leaning.
Lee Jihyun stood on the pad, face scrunched. Jeong Sua lightly gripped her wooden sword, ready to move.
The two took position—
"Spar starts the instant you enter the field. All actions evaluated—act with care."
The converter activated. Loud noise, air shuddered. Then they vanished. Jeong Sua and Lee Jihyun entered C4 Field's urban sprawl.
─ ......
─ Damn, really. Why do I have to fight that monster bitch?
Dropped in separate spots, their views appeared on screen.
"Watching your friends fight is a lesson in itself."
The one-on-one sparring kicked off for real.
Jeong Sua yawned wide with a bored face, strolling leisurely. Her nonchalance drew groans from C Class.
Personal record meant team score. First win crucial in competition—could shake morale and shift the board.
But their first fighter was top admit Jeong Sua? Rotten luck.
Jeong Sua wandered the empty city hunting Lee Jihyun. Lee Jihyun kicked random walls, muttering. Seemed like she was prepping something.
'Accumulation.'
Build up power. Release in one go. This brute-force power boasted devastating one-shot strength—a true finisher.
She was charging for that one strike. Lee Jihyun hadn't given up on the spar. Holding hope, crafting her chance.
Their distance shrank. While Lee Jihyun gathered power, Jeong Sua closed in. Somehow sensing her, dead on direction.
They met—one building between them.
Lee Jihyun held her breath inside. Detected Jeong Sua outside. She crept upstairs to the roof.
Jeong Sua sighed deeply and stepped inside. Empty quiet. Stillness prickling the skin. Stifling, suffocating.
Even I, just watching, was tense. How must they feel?
Lee Jihyun reached the roof—one entrance. Meant she'd ditched escape.
"Deduct points."
Lim Sarang docked for the judgment. Lee Minji seemed to agree.
"Real one-on-one is brutal. Villains know hero intel, heroes rarely know villains'. Factor variables. But cornering yourself? What's the head for?"
"Worst in real combat. But this is sparring. She thought best play. Desperate to win somehow... ."
"I wouldn't. No backup assumed, all-in? I'd collapse the building with accumulation—the moment Sua steps in."
Lim Sarang and Lee Minji bantered, evaluating Jeong Sua and Lee Jihyun. The girls swallowed hard, ears glued.
Felt like later fighters had the edge.
"...Why's she stopping?"
Ears on teachers, eyes on screen. Multitasking girls buzzed. Jeong Sua halted en route to the roof.
"A trap?"
Jeong Sua stared at the ceiling. Lim Sarang manipulated her interface band. Building cross-section hologram showed positions. Perfect alignment.
Jeong Sua directly below Lee Jihyun.
"Sword Fairy thinks a sword solves everything? Just a wooden one...?"
As Lim Sarang muttered, Jeong Sua swung. She cleaved the building itself. Bold call, but it landed.
─ Kyaaaaack!
Crack—!
Lee Jihyun, waiting on the roof, crumpled. She writhed, screaming from sudden agony. Her crystal, marked 800, hit zero and shattered.
800 → 0 HP
Crystal Shattered
Ruuuumble—.
The roof collapsed. Position converter reactivated, summoning both girls back. Lee Jihyun panted, drenched in sweat. Jeong Sua remained utterly serene.
The first win, naturally, went to A Class.