Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Clash with the Magical Girl
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After the time of shock and terror passed.
Seo Woo-jin began his second match.
‘A-rank. War Mage, was it?’
Her level was at least late twenties to early thirties.
He didn’t know for sure, but she was definitely one of the top contenders among the hundred heroes.
‘And her gear looks top-notch.’
She must have received some serious backing, because the robe and staff she wore didn’t look ordinary at all.
They were clearly high-quality masterpieces that couldn’t even compare to Seo Woo-jin’s black sword.
But...
‘I don’t think I’ll lose.’
Even regular Seo Woo-jin could have beaten her handily.
And now, his body and mana had grown to an astonishing degree.
So there was no way he could lose, even if he tried.
“Begin.”
With Rudein’s words, his opponent’s mouth opened.
“Dig!”
Boom—the ground suddenly vanished beneath his feet.
‘Damn!’
It was like a backhoe had scooped it out; a massive hole had opened in the floor.
It wasn’t that deep, so there wouldn’t be much impact, but the real problem was elsewhere.
With a ‘Blink,’ the War Mage appeared above his head.
She unleashed a barrage of spells, clearly intent on never letting go of the advantage she’d seized.
“Paralyze, Water Ball, Chain Lightning!”
Zzzzap—!
Bind the body, soak it with water, then grill it with lightning.
It was the spellcasting you’d expect from a War Mage, specialized for combat.
‘Impressive.’
He had to admit he was impressed.
The Demon Realm subjugation really seemed to have helped the heroes level up.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going down.’
Seo Woo-jin tensed his body.
The rigid paralysis broke, and he crushed the spells outright.
“W-what the hell?!”
His opponent, preparing her follow-up, bulged her eyes in shock.
Her sure-kill combo vanished with a single shake of his body.
No wonder she was stunned.
Ignoring her, Seo Woo-jin kicked off the moment his feet hit the ground.
Boom—!
His body rocketed upward.
The opponent, still overhead, tried to Blink away in a hurry, but it was too late.
Seo Woo-jin’s ascent was beyond imagination.
Thud—!
His fist slammed into her gut.
‘Whoa—yeah!’
No mana involved—just pure physical power—but the impact was beyond what any mage could endure.
Even a War Mage.
“Urk—blegh!”
She vomited up her breakfast and passed out on the spot.
“Phew—”
Seo Woo-jin dodged the puke and let out a sigh of relief.
“Victory to Seo Woo-jin.”
Barely a minute since the match began.
Seo Woo-jin claimed victory with ridiculous ease.
‘Next up...’
Was the Magical Girl.
* * *
“Mister! I won too!”
Returning to the waiting area, Seo Woo-jin nodded at Lee Ji-ah’s now-familiar fussing.
“Congrats.”
He offered a casual congratulations.
Lee Ji-ah pouted, apparently dissatisfied with his low-key reaction.
But she had more urgent news.
“Da-hye won too! Wow, Mister, you didn’t see it? Her opponent was this A-rank Sword something guy, and Da-hye beat him! Isn’t that amazing?”
This time, he was a bit surprised.
“Beat an A-rank?”
Sure, he was ‘Unmeasurable’ grade and had various reasons making it easy for him, unlike the other heroes.
But Kim Da-hye was different.
She’d trained with him and improved, but her rank was C.
To beat someone not one, but two ranks higher...
It was astonishing.
Seo Woo-jin looked at Kim Da-hye.
She nodded with her usual vacant gaze, unreadable as ever.
“I won.”
“Y-yeah. Congrats.”
He congratulated her too.
“How’d you do it?”
Seo Woo-jin quietly asked Lee Ji-ah.
Kim Da-hye didn’t seem up for explaining.
“How to put it? Uh... firepower battle?”
“Firepower battle?”
Seo Woo-jin tilted his head.
But her explanation made him chuckle in disbelief.
‘Blinded him with an RPG-7, then rained grenades like buckshot, and kept him at bay with the K-2 if he approached.’
The description was wordy, but that was the gist.
Power scaled with level, so it wouldn’t have done much to an A-rank hero.
But constant grenades and bullets with no chance to close in? That was no joke.
‘Unlike spells that burn mana each use, Kim Da-hye doesn’t need much after summoning.’
Plus, her firing rate blew magic out of the water.
Of course, in a real fight rather than a match, the outcome might’ve been different.
If it turned into a desperate trade of blows, she couldn’t have held.
‘Even so, she’s way stronger than any C-rank has a right to be.’
Glad to see the time they’d spent together paid off.
“But...”
Lee Ji-ah hesitated, calling out to him.
“What? Something wrong?”
“No, not that.”
After a pause, she sighed and spoke.
“You’ve got your next opponent, Mister.”
“Oh...”
He’d forgotten while thinking of Kim Da-hye.
“Goo Dong-hwan?”
“Yeah, that guy. Think you can beat him?”
Worry creased Lee Ji-ah’s face.
“No idea.”
He didn’t think he’d lose.
No, he’d win.
But he really didn’t want to face Goo Dong-hwan if he could help it.
‘Scary, in all sorts of ways.’
Goo Dong-hwan had shown only one skill in his first match.
Transformation.
Amid a dazzling burst of light, he appeared in a yellow, cute dress-like thing.
The sight made people want to gouge out their eyes.
Seo Woo-jin had felt the same...
‘But ‘Transformation’ isn’t just a wardrobe change.’
Physical enhancement was probably the real effect.
Otherwise, no amount of muscle could explain those moves.
‘And he’s got other skills too.’
Post-transformation, Goo Dong-hwan had just pummeled his foe with raw power.
As a ‘Magical Girl,’ he’d probably use magic.
‘Maybe even pull out a real magic wand.’
...
Bad mental image.
Seo Woo-jin felt his stomach churn and shook it off.
“I don’t think I could beat him.”
Lee Ji-ah sighed.
Seo Woo-jin chuckled.
“Anyway, you’d have to reach the finals to face him, right?”
They were on opposite sides of the bracket.
No finals, no matchup.
“I’m going to the finals, you know?”
Lee Ji-ah bristled.
“Yeah, go for it.”
Her skill was plenty for finals.
A-rank job, plus training with him—she outclassed the other heroes.
Still, Seo Woo-jin was certain she wouldn’t make it.
‘Baek Si-woo.’
He glanced at the bracket.
Her next opponent: Baek Si-woo.
No matter how strong she’d gotten, she couldn’t beat him.
“Please make it to the finals too, Mister. We gotta fight! And keep that pervert out!”
Lee Ji-ah pleaded desperately; she really didn’t want to face Goo Dong-hwan.
“Yeah, yeah. Got it. I’ll win through, so you win too.”
“Okay!”
She beamed and nodded.
“Now, let’s watch some matches.”
Seo Woo-jin watched the ongoing bouts from the waiting area with Ailin, Lee Ji-ah, and Kim Da-hye.
Some were fiercely contested, others ended anticlimactically.
But one thing was clear: the heroes’ overall level had skyrocketed beyond compare.
Standing out most were the elite friends.
They utterly crushed their foes.
Baek Si-woo went without saying, even the timid Im Tae-eun.
‘He got his dragon back.’
He’d struggled without it at the ruins...
As a ‘Dragon Tamer,’ reunited with his dragon, he showed S-rank prowess.
Still looked timid, though.
Time flew while watching.
“Guess it’s time to prep.”
“Mister, fighting!”
“Win and come back.”
“Fighting.”
Buoyed by the trio’s cheers, Seo Woo-jin stood.
“Hm?”
Goo Dong-hwan was rising from the other side.
Their eyes met; he smiled.
An innocent grin unfit for his bulk, but it made Seo Woo-jin shrink back.
‘Better end it quick.’
For his mental health.
“Goo Dong-hwan and Seo Woo-jin, please prepare.”
Finally, Seo Woo-jin’s match time.
At Rudein’s call, he slowly ascended the arena.
“Meeting you here again!”
Goo Dong-hwan laughed heartily, waving.
Seo Woo-jin swallowed dryly at the flexing biceps.
‘Beyond testosterone.’
Like testosterone forged into human form.
A transcendent gym rat.
“Let’s have a good match!”
“Sure.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded, and Rudein signaled the start.
“Begin.”
Boom—!
Seo Woo-jin kicked off.
‘End it before he transforms...!’
He aimed for a blitz.
But Goo Dong-hwan, as if anticipating, activated his skill without hesitation.
‘Transformation.’
Fwoosh—!
A brilliant rainbow light exploded.
“Tch!”
Seo Woo-jin clicked his tongue.
That light wasn’t just flash.
‘Can’t see.’
It blinded and dulled the senses.
From afar, he hadn’t realized—the light shielded during transformation.
‘Guess you don’t attack mid-transform by the rules.’
Seo Woo-jin looked disappointed.
He’d hoped to finish before seeing that, but too late.
The light faded, revealing the yellow-dressed pervert.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Posing with a side chest flex, Goo Dong-hwan was a shock to behold.
But no time to gawk.
Vision cleared; Seo Woo-jin activated his skill.
‘Acceleration.’
Whoosh—!
He shot forward like a beam, swinging his sword.
‘At this speed...’
He could end it before Goo Dong-hwan reacted.
But a transformed Magical Girl wasn’t that easy.
Clang—!
Blocked.
Despite sword power to cleave steel, Goo Dong-hwan parried with muscle alone.
‘Insane!’
How tough was that body?
“...Impressive.”
The attack failed, but Goo Dong-hwan looked surprised.
Drip.
His skin split, blood trickling.
“Didn’t expect you to actually wound me.”
The innocent smile vanished from Goo Dong-hwan’s face.
Replaced by a serious expression.
“Guess I’ll have to get serious.”
‘No need...’
Seo Woo-jin tensed slightly, creating distance.
And simultaneously.
“Come forth, Mjolnir!”
Pong—!
With a cute sound effect, a yellow-ribboned something floated in the air.
“...Mjolnir?”
“It’s my magic wand!”