Who Will Win? - 3
"Congratulations!! Ugh... but to miss out on first place..."
"Ahaha. It happens."
"...I wanted to win it for you."
Elizabeth looked at me with a slightly downcast expression. I could only shrug at her puppy-dog eyes, like a scolded pup. Honestly, I hadn't been confident about taking first either. Elizabeth and Jin Siyeon. And that Hyejin girl was a top-tier mage too. I'd figured they'd put up a hell of a fight.
"Missing that one lamia must've been a big hit."
She'd gone after two lamias? Impressive.
"Eh, what can you do about it now? Congrats anyway. And it's not a bad outcome."
Jin Siyeon said it coolly and turned away. Hyejin watched her go, then approached Yoo Choa.
"So how'd you pull it off?"
"Ahaha. Thanks to Yohan, mostly."
"Hm? Yohan? Whoa, even with low heal output, buffs must make a difference..."
"Yohan's not just great at healing."
"I heard he's been practicing archery lately. Got some real archer skills?"
"Nah, it's not that..."
"Hey! A-Group leader! Come here a sec!"
"Ah! Coming! I'll tell you later, Hyejin!"
Yoo Choa, the group leader, flashed a bright smile and dashed off. Max, watching her, tilted his head.
"Why's she the leader, though?"
"Beats me."
Who cared who was leader? What mattered was that I'd scored the skillbook.
"Choa's taking Light Source Cannon, and Ironclad Armor..."
"It's not really for me. Guess I'll sell it or trade."
Max grabbed the Ironclad Armor skillbook, leaving me with Thousand Li Gallop. And one equipment selection voucher. It seemed like compensation for the usually dud Thousand Li Gallop skillbook...
"You take this."
"You know I need Thousand Li Gallop."
"But that equipment voucher might as well go to whoever picks Thousand Li Gallop, right? Better you have it."
"What about Yoo Choa?"
"We'll talk if she says something."
In the end, the equipment voucher ended up in my hands. Whatever. Thousand Li Gallop! I could slap that on volunteer work or events later for extra points, right?
"Mm. Shall we head out too?! Siyeon! Since we're here, wanna grab dinner together?!"
Elizabeth, who'd been moping, perked up and shouted, but Jin Siyeon didn't even acknowledge it and just left.
"I've got more training. See ya."
"Ah! Me too then. Dinner later~!"
Max and Hyejin took off too, leaving just me and Elizabeth. Her pleading gaze...
"...Wanna eat together? Cadet cafeteria set menu sound good?"
"Sounds great!"
If she had a tail, it'd be wagging like crazy. With my last reward money, mission bonus, and Association payout, I was treating tonight. A set menu for just 15,000 won? I could spring for two.
Elizabeth resisted a few times but finally gave in to my persistence. Staring at her hamburger set, she went quiet for a moment before speaking.
"Your buffs must be something else."
"Huh?"
"Or maybe it's just you? I really thought we'd take first."
"Hahaha. The world's a big place. Gotta dial back the arrogance."
"That's just like something Mother would say!"
"You mention her a lot, huh."
"Of course! She's the one I admire most. But Yohan... you gonna make it on that?"
"Want some ramen?"
I scooped some ramen onto a plate and offered it. She smiled warmly, took it, and sliced off some of her hamburger for me.
"Yohan, you need to work on your diet first and foremost! Still drinking saltwater-sugar mix?"
"It's great for breakfast."
Couldn't beat it as a morning meal replacement.
"...Ugh. At least try Taylor family protein shakes?"
"Ooh, thanks, but those are pricey, right?"
"Can't say they're cheap."
"I'll grab some later."
"You could just expect it as a friend."
"Friends don't mooch like that."
Mooch off friends nonstop, and you're just a sucker-hunter. I shut it down flat. She chewed her hamburger daintily, then let out a small sigh.
"Expecting a little wouldn't hurt. Mother said to cherish friends."
"Sounds like a good mom."
"Hehe, right? Oh, and next week, we'll start real hunting. You're in, right?"
"Gotta be."
Buffers needed party hunts. And top-notch DPS and tanks were essential. Elizabeth was like an upgrade over Max—tanking and DPS.
No way I'd let a great party member slip.
"How do we recruit others?"
"Jin Siyeon and Yoo Choa would be perfect. Max of five, right?"
"Yes. But Siyeon might be tough."
"Oh? Why?"
"She said she doesn't wanna hang with me here. Had no choice this time..."
Whoa! She could stand fighting Elizabeth! Made sense if she saw her as a rival.
"What about Max?"
"That'd work. He's solid."
After that, nothing major. Daily routines, next classes, outside news. The blue bird heralding doom from last time hadn't stirred—Taylor family intel was the juiciest bit.
She'd gotten a free meal, so I let her buy the coffee—pricier than dinner. We chatted awhile. The wind was picking up. Time to head in.
"Test's officially till tomorrow, but tomorrow's losers' bracket, so we're free, right?! So, um..."
She fidgeted, sneaking glances like a pup eyeing treats. Couldn't help laughing.
"Sure. Afternoon training together."
"Yay!"
She pumped her fist in joy and left, glancing back and waving till she vanished. Only then did I return to the dorm and open the skillbook.
"Hm..."
Ancient war history this time? Greco-Persian Wars. About Pheidippides, the herald who ran to Sparta for aid when Greece was losing to Persia. Decent read. Easy to focus on.
Skill: Thousand Li Gallop
Increases the designated target's stamina for the duration, based on mental power.
I read it twice, and the acquisition message popped up. Alright, test time. I cast Thousand Li Gallop on myself. Instantly, vitality surged through my test-weary body.
Pretty useful? Duration was solid compared to other skills. Cooldown was long, though—not great for multi-target.
"Need a cooldown reduction skill..."
Cooldown cuts or gear with those options were rarer than buffs. No way for me to get one now...
Damn! If only I had Azazel! But whining about what I didn't have was pointless. Higher skill mastery shortened cooldowns anyway—good enough for now.
More importantly, group buffs. Story progression meant fighting with crowds; couldn't stick to singles forever. Weaker than singles, sure, but still helpful. Good thing the group buff opportunity wasn't far off.
Time to train.
...
Next morning. Finished archery training, boiling ramen for lunch.
-Ring ring!
Elizabeth. Saw the name on my terminal and picked up. Her voice was frantic.
"Yohan?! It's me!"
"Yeah. Grabbing lunch, then heading to the field."
"Ah, no! Something came up today... Hngh!!"
Clash of metal through the terminal. Monster roars too.
"Where are you?"
"Right now... Chuncheon!"
Chuncheon out of nowhere. Right—Elizabeth's personal story was kicking off. Character arcs triggered at certain affinity levels. We'd gotten friendly, but I hadn't expected it with me.
"On my way."
"No! It's fine... Haaah!! I'll handle it quick and come back!! This is Taylor family business!"
"C'mon, friends help. Send coords."
Taylor family embodied noblesse oblige. Monsters anywhere—even abroad—they jumped in. This was Elizabeth Taylor's personal story start. Helping or not branched the plot.
So.
"Gotta go."
I slurped the ramen fast and bolted for the gate. No coords yet. Hoped my past-life memory held. Told the gatekeeper Chuncheon-bound, stepped through.
And ran into someone unexpected.
"Jin Siyeon?"
"Hm? What're you doing here?"
"Uh, Elizabeth called earlier."
"Yeah?"
"What about you?"
"Jin's lab nearby. Jin family business is ours."
She muttered, waved off people trying to stop me.
"Guessing you're here for Elizabeth. Going?"
"Obviously."
She nodded, led me to the car. Off-road Jeep handled rough terrain fine. Passed monster packs aplenty.
"Not just Elizabeth out there."
"Taylor heroes with her. But... that girl pushes too hard for no reason. She was better before."
Her low mutter carried deep bitterness. She clammed up after; I didn't pry.
Arrival: battle already raging.
"Haaah!!"
A golden-haired beauty fought a massive crab alongside three pro heroes, holding her own effortlessly. Sword swings without hesitation, charging danger head-on. As a sharp leg stabbed down at Elizabeth, I raised my hand.
"This?!"
Felt the Diamond Protection defense boost? Her eyes widened.
"Miss!! Danger—"
"Haaah!!"
She kicked the leg away, followed with Blessing of the Holy Spirit-enhanced strike. One blow severed the cracked leg. The Taylor hero watching tilted his head.
"...Is the miss that strong?"