Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Magical Girl
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#71. Magical Girl.
Literally speaking, it meant a girl who used magic.
To be more precise, it was one of the genres that involved elements like magic wands or transformations.
So I couldn't make sense of it.
‘Magical girl?’
Where the hell did that come from?
A 190 cm hulking frame.
Muscles so bulging that Ronnie Coleman would back off.
A personality that screamed macho man.
There wasn't a speck of connection to ‘magical girl.’
“Uahaha! I figured you'd react like that.”
I must have been giving him a weird look without realizing it.
Seeing my expression, Goo Dong-hwan burst into laughter.
“As you can see, it doesn't quite suit me.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded at the sight of him muttering that he would have been perfect for ‘bodybuilder.’
“Still, I'm pretty satisfied with it. Level 30, and the skills are to my taste.”
No matter how I looked at him, I couldn't picture him waving a wand with a ‘pwing~’...
“You'll see the details once training starts in a bit.”
Then he shouted, ‘Look forward to it, it's about to begin!’
Honestly, Seo Woo-jin was a little excited.
Wondering just what kind of show he'd put on.
In all sorts of ways.
“Line up!”
Right on cue, the instructor entered and barked at the heroes.
‘Rudain?’
The instructor was Rudain.
He looked a bit worn out from all the hardship in the ruins.
But his sharp eyes were as fierce as ever.
As he scanned the heroes lining up, their eyes met.
‘Hey there.’
Seo Woo-jin gave him a nod.
Rudain recognized him and bowed his head slightly.
But it was only for a moment.
Rudain's face hardened as he spoke.
“You've probably heard already, but today's training is one-on-one spars.”
Excitement lit up the heroes' faces again at his words.
“But plain spars won't motivate you, so today's training will be in tournament format.”
“Tournament?”
“You mean matches?”
Murmurs rippled through the group.
“But just ranking you won't spark much drive, so rewards will be given based on performance.”
“What's that mean?”
One hero, unable to contain his curiosity, asked.
Rudain glanced to one side.
“Items bestowed by His Imperial Majesty.”
Exactly ten items were on display there.
Swords, bows, books, and more.
Said to be gifts from the emperor himself, each one radiated extraordinary power.
‘Impressive.’
Seo Woo-jin eyed one sword in particular.
It was a black metal sword, just like his own black blade.
But the similarities ended at the appearance.
‘The sword itself holds innate mana.’
In the past, he might not have noticed.
But his evolved senses could now detect an ant crawling 100 meters away.
Sensing faint leaking mana was child's play.
‘I want it.’
The sword from Ban Slaine wasn't bad.
He'd used it well so far.
But compared to the other heroes' weapons, it fell short.
Even Ban Slaine hadn't felt sorry about it.
Thinking ahead, securing a good sword made sense.
‘Should I?’
Honestly, placing in the top ranks wouldn't be hard.
In this group, only Baek Si-woo could match him.
But he hesitated a bit.
Was it okay to show his full strength?
Would it invite unwanted suspicion?
‘...It's kinda funny to worry about this now.’
Seo Woo-jin was already under a lot of scrutiny.
Showing a bit more power wouldn't change much.
‘Maybe I should stop holding back out of pointless fear?’
It was meaningless anyway.
With strength beyond imagination, maybe it was better to flaunt it.
At least then he'd avoid petty challenges.
‘Alright, let's do it.’
A little attention and a great sword? Pure profit.
Seo Woo-jin decided not to mind the stares.
“I'll announce the brackets.”
In the meantime, Rudain finished explaining the training and moved on.
“Group A, Match 1: Park Han-na versus Kim Hye-ryeong.”
“Group B, Match 1: Jang Pil-su versus Kang Jin-pyo.”
Rudain's announcements continued.
And soon after.
“Group D, Match 3: Lee Jin-ho versus Seo Woo-jin.”
Seo Woo-jin's name was called.
‘Lee Jin-ho?’
A familiar name.
Tilting his head, Seo Woo-jin looked around.
Then he spotted who it was.
A guy with a darkened face glaring his way.
The same punk from the academy's first day who'd picked a fight and got knocked out with one punch.
Seo Woo-jin grinned.
“What's a magical girl?”
From the waiting area on one side of the arena, Ailin suddenly asked.
She must have been curious about his chat with Goo Dong-hwan.
“Like a type of mage?”
“Well...”
Not wrong.
He did use magic, after all.
Though different from this world's magic.
‘But explaining it in detail would be awkward.’
Goo Dong-hwan transforming in a rainbow flash, swapping to a frilly dress, and swinging a fancy wand.
How the hell do you describe that?
“You'll, uh, see when you watch.”
Seo Woo-jin averted his eyes from her curious gaze.
“We'll begin Group 1 matches.”
At Rudain's words, the heroes surged forward.
Ten of them took positions on the five arenas, facing opponents and steeling themselves.
“Begin.”
Kwaaang-!
The battles erupted with the signal.
“Whew...”
Seo Woo-jin whistled.
Their movements were so sharp, it was hard to believe these were the same people who'd frozen before trolls.
“Looks like the Demon Realm subjugation paid off.”
Over the past week, the heroes had endured brutal combat.
Protected by knights, they hadn't died, but they'd gained plenty of real battle experience.
No hesitation in their actions now.
“Fire Rain!”
Flames poured down like rain.
“Light Wave Slash!”
An axe swung like a rabid wolf.
“They've grown a lot. Right?”
Ailin nodded at Seo Woo-jin's question.
“The heroes' growth rate truly defies imagination.”
Just a year.
In that time, they'd become strong enough to roast average knights.
But her tone held no prior jealousy.
Just resolve to work harder.
“Match 1 over!”
Winners and losers were decided in moments.
Victors cheered, losers sighed.
Intense fights, yet no injuries.
“The Sky Tower mages cast shock-absorption spells.”
Magic that absorbed excessive impacts to prevent wounds.
Of course, there was a limit to absorption.
But these weren't deathmatches, so heroes wouldn't go all out.
“Magic like that rarely breaks in spars.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded at Ailin's explanation.
The academy—no, the empire—was investing heavily in hero safety.
“Beginning Match 2.”
“Oh, it's starting.”
Seo Woo-jin pointed to one side.
There, Goo Dong-hwan, the most standout figure, stepped onto the arena.
‘What'll he show?’
Seo Woo-jin looked a tad worried.
He wasn't really going to transform, was he?
Please no—that was his hope—when Rudain's voice rang out.
“Begin.”
The matches kicked off with flashy combat once more.
Everywhere except Goo Dong-hwan's arena.
“Huh?”
Wondering what was up, he focused there.
‘That guy's scared?’
Goo Dong-hwan's opponent was a sturdy sword-wielding man.
But he looked intimidated.
Probably spooked by Goo Dong-hwan's size.
‘Yeah, I'd be too.’
Goo Dong-hwan's physique was overwhelming.
“Uahaha! Let's give it our all and fight fair!”
Goo Dong-hwan let out his signature hearty laugh.
Then he raised his hand high.
“N-No way?”
Seo Woo-jin made a face like, nah, no chance.
But ‘no way’ struck again.
“Trans—form!”
A dazzling burst of colorful light exploded.
Shara lala~.
It even felt like sound effects played.
‘...’
He'd hoped not, but Goo Dong-hwan transformed after all.
Into a ‘magical girl.’
As the light faded, screams erupted from the waiting area.
“W-What's that?!”
“Argh, my eyes!”
Goo Dong-hwan appeared.
Bronze muscles rippled beneath a cute yellow outfit.
“…What is that?”
Ailin's eyes bulged.
“That's the ‘magical girl.’”
Well, technically not a girl—more like ‘magical muscle freak’ fit better.
Seo Woo-jin felt secondhand embarrassment.
“Uahahaha! Come at me!”
Goo Dong-hwan, utterly shameless, beckoned with a finger.
But his opponent looked even more terrified.
“Oops.”
Realizing the guy was frozen stiff, Goo Dong-hwan smacked his lips.
“Wanted a hot fight, but oh well.”
No real battle with that fear.
“Guess I'll go first then.”
Goo Dong-hwan clenched a pot-lid-sized fist into a boxing stance.
‘This guy's nuts.’
Seo Woo-jin let out a dry laugh.
What magical girl steps and throws hooks and straights?
Goo Dong-hwan's fists ravaged his opponent.
Puk-puk-puk-puk-!
Each blow heavy enough to separate bone from flesh.
“Guh, guhuk!”
A perfect liver blow, and the opponent crumpled, gasping for air.
“Uahahaha!”
Goo Dong-hwan raised both arms, celebrating victory, leaving Seo Woo-jin stunned.
‘Didn't use magic. Not a girl either.’
Where the hell was the ‘magical girl’ in that?
Seo Woo-jin glanced at Ailin.
Sure enough, she stared blankly, visibly shocked.
“Woo-jin.”
Ailin suddenly turned to him.
“Yeah? What's up? Feeling sick?”
Worried, he asked, but she shook her head.
“Not great, but that's not what I want to say.”
“Not great?”
He looked puzzled, so Ailin continued with a worried face.
“If you win your match, your next opponent...”
Seo Woo-jin quickly checked the brackets.
‘Ah.’
Trouble.
He might end up against that ‘magical pervert muscle girl freak.’
“You can win, right?”
Honestly, he didn't want to fight.
Not about strength—it'd be too mentally scarring.
“Heh, have to try.”
Seo Woo-jin swallowed dryly, eyeing the yellow-dressed Goo Dong-hwan grinning in the arena.
Coincidence or not, their eyes just met.