An Unbelievable Situation
The arena instantly erupted into chaos.
“Oh… just who was that student?”
The officials wearing virtual glasses had all turned their attention to Lee Hyunseung at once, stunned by his performance. In truth, he hadn’t been someone worth noticing at the start of the event. After all, he was a gunner—and more importantly, an F-class student. The only thing that drew even mild interest was the fact that Jeong Eunseo, the daughter of the Teore Guild Leader, was moving with him. Expectations for him had been close to zero.
But now, things were different.
A middle-aged man dressed in clothes that looked both rugged and somehow dirty—Tak Woohyun, the Unique-grade blacksmith—stared at Lee Hyunseung through his virtual glasses, unable to hide his admiration.
Impossible crafting speed…
He had been watching closely ever since he saw Lee Hyunseung producing multiple magazines and items in rapid succession. To an ordinary person, the speed might have been impossible to gauge, but Tak Woohyun, who had spent decades as a blacksmith, understood perfectly.
Could he be Unique-grade? No… maybe even Legendary?
He shook his head immediately after the thought crossed his mind.
There’s no way a Legendary-grade blacksmith exists in this country.
Even on the international stage, Legendary-grade blacksmiths were almost unheard of. Rumors spoke of two or three such individuals, but since no one had ever seen them in person, they might as well have been mythical creatures. The idea that someone of that absurd rank existed domestically—and was even a member of Broad Academy’s F-class—was simply too unbelievable.
But… his crafting speed is absurd. And that’s not even mentioning the two crafting slots.
Tak Woohyun himself was a Unique-grade blacksmith. Within the hierarchy of Normal, Rare, Epic, Unique, Legendary, and Mythic, Unique was considered extremely high—practically top-tier. Yet even he did not possess two crafting slots.
That was why the thought had occurred to him: perhaps Lee Hyunseung was a Legendary-grade blacksmith. If not, it meant he was using some kind of trick to increase his slots to two, but Tak Woohyun couldn’t imagine what that trick might be.
Whether he’s truly Legendary or using some loophole, this kid is the real deal. I have to recruit him no matter what.
As the president of the Blacksmith Association, Tak Woohyun had, for the first time in his life, found a talent worth coveting.
Inside the virtual stage, Kim Yuri stared at the fallen man and couldn’t hide her shock.
“Wow… guns really are incredibly powerful weapons.”
To think that an ordinary firearm could pierce a mana-infused barrier. From her perspective, it was practically a first.
In contrast, Jeong Eunseo nodded as if she had expected nothing less.
“As expected. He needs to deliver at least this much for my investment to feel worthwhile.”
Jeong Eunseo was currently taking an extremely low stance toward Lee Hyunseung. She granted every request he made and fulfilled whatever he wanted. The reason was simple: she understood his potential better than anyone.
The things he showed in the Labyrinth were already shocking, but seeing him now… he’s even more of a monster.
Even knowing only that he was a Legendary-grade gunner had been enough for her to consider him a valuable ally. The destructive power of his firearms was overwhelming, and the fact that he could navigate the Labyrinth—where most people needed a compass just to avoid getting lost—as if he had memorized every path made him highly desirable.
But now his value had skyrocketed even further. She had just learned he was also a Legendary-grade blacksmith.
Even if I searched the entire Teore Guild, I doubt I’d find anyone like him… No, even if I scoured the whole Artemis Guild, there’s no way they have a Legendary-grade dual awakener.
Jeong Eunseo looked at Lee Hyunseung. He was rummaging through the spot where his opponent had been erased, searching for usable loot. His eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. It was the calm, confident expression of someone who had simply done what was natural.
He feels no fear about hurting or killing others. And he has absolute confidence in his own abilities.
From the way he carried himself, it was clear he wouldn’t hesitate to harm someone. Even though this was only a virtual stage, most people still felt fear or hesitation about injuring others. But Lee Hyunseung showed none of those feelings. He didn’t even seem to fear failure.
Whether it was when he killed people in the Labyrinth or when he had just pierced that mana barrier moments ago, his expression had always said, Of course this is what I should be doing. It made it nearly impossible to guess the true limits of his power.
If he’s already like this after only recently awakening…
He already possessed such overwhelming strength, decisiveness, and confidence. If he continued to grow steadily, he would become an even more terrifying monster.
I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t stray onto the wrong path.
If someone with this much power joined a group like Hilleon or any other terrorist organization, it wouldn’t just be a national disaster—it would be a global catastrophe. On the other hand, if he became an ally, it would be like gaining a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses in one person.
Jeong Eunseo raised her evaluation of Lee Hyunseung’s value even higher.
After collecting every last item Heo Cheol-hoon had dropped before disappearing, Lee Hyunseung turned to Jeong Eunseo and Kim Yuri.
“Let’s move. I’ve picked up everything this guy dropped.”
Jeong Eunseo asked, “Were there any usable weapons or items?”
“No, nothing. The artifact vanished after being used. I don’t know what kind of device they put on it, but it was probably that bitch’s doing.”
The “bitch” he referred to was obviously Yoo Heeyeon. Jeong Eunseo had already guessed as much, so she didn’t bother asking again.
Lee Hyunseung brushed the dirt off his hands with an irritated expression and muttered, “To think she’d pull such dirty tricks even in a mere F-class representative selection match.”
He thought to himself, It won’t mean anything in the end. The more she does this, the higher the public’s evaluation of me will rise.
Lee Hyunseung was well aware that the officials were watching the inside of the virtual stage. He was deliberately showing off as much of his ability as possible. This was a legitimate representative selection match. If he displayed his capabilities here, it would be much easier to recruit talented people or pull them to his side later.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
“Wait a moment,” Jeong Eunseo said. “I’m detecting life signs nearby.”
She had been using detection magic for a while now to sense living creatures around them. Heo Cheol-hoon’s sudden appearance had made her even more cautious about their surroundings.
Lee Hyunseung quickly assessed the situation. “How many?”
“Five. They seem to be moving together, so they’re probably one group.”
“Anyone else?”
“No, that’s all. There are no other people within my detection range.”
Did they hear the gunshot?
Even as he considered it, Lee Hyunseung began making rapid calculations. The area was full of dense underbrush, tall trees, large boulders, and ambiguous swampy patches.
I can use this.
He didn’t know whether this group was friendly or hostile. But since this was the Class Representative Selection Match, encountering them would almost certainly lead to a fight. Preparing for the worst-case scenario, he moved.
“Jeong Eunseo, stay right here. When the other side arrives, talk to them. See if we can become friendly with them or if it’ll be difficult to make them allies.”
It would be good to gain even one more ally. There were still dozens of competitors inside the stage, most of whom hadn’t been eliminated yet. If their opinions aligned, there was a good chance they could form an alliance.
Well, if they’re one of that bitch’s planted dogs, it probably won’t work.
Judging from Heo Cheol-hoon, it seemed Yoo Heeyeon had bribed people with money or other incentives for this Class Annihilation Match. And he was certain Heo Cheol-hoon wasn’t the only one.
“Understood. I can respond flexibly if any sudden situations arise anyway.”
At Jeong Eunseo’s answer, Kim Yuri looked at Lee Hyunseung and asked, “What should I do?”
Lee Hyunseung wrapped an arm around her waist.
“You’re coming with me.”
“W-what are you—?”
He pulled out a small device that looked like a compact pistol from his waistband.
Bang—!
When he pulled the trigger, a long rope with a metal spike at the end shot out from the gun-like weapon like a spider’s thread.
Thud—!
The spike embedded itself in a tree. When Lee Hyunseung pulled the trigger again, he and Kim Yuri were instantly yanked toward it.
Before they knew it, they were perched on top of the tree.
“Y-you should at least warn me before doing something like that! You scared me!”
“Shh.”
Lee Hyunseung placed a finger to his lips. Not long after, five people came trudging into view from the opposite side.
Step. Step.
The group of five eventually stopped right in front of Jeong Eunseo.
Lee Hyunseung took a short breath, then fixed his gun’s muzzle on them.
The woman who appeared to be their leader spoke to Jeong Eunseo.
“What’s this? You alone? Where’s that guy who was with you?”
Lee Hyunseung’s gun barrel was now aimed directly at the woman’s head.