Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Rookie King Tournament (5)
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"Buffer manipulation? Why would anyone do that in the Rookie King Tournament?"
After hearing that Ichie had lost, Hunter Seong Ha-yeon showed up at the infirmary. The moment she arrived, she got an earful from the nurse about smelling like cigarettes. She clicked her tongue with an awkward expression and shook her head in disbelief at the opinion Yu-jeong sunbae and I had offered. Yu-jeong sunbae spoke up.
"But it was definitely weird. Ichie lost in a situation where she couldn't possibly lose."
"Still, I doubt it was manipulation. What would be the point? Back when the Rookie King Tournament first started, there were kids who inflated their abilities to participate, but that didn't last long. They'd stack buffs to make their power look like D-rank or higher, but when they got caught, they were done for—no mercy."
"Do the guilds impose sanctions on that level?"
Seong Ha-yeon nodded at my question.
"Exactly. Back then, there were no mentors, and guilds weren't as tied to the Academy as they are now. Manipulation had its perks—you could get into a famous guild. But nowadays, guilds link up with the Academy through mentors, and heck, that Kim Ju-seong kid's already got an inside track to Diamond Club. So why rig it?"
Seong Ha-yeon couldn't wrap her head around the idea of tampering in the Rookie King Tournament at all. Yu-jeong sunbae said,
"Maybe because the tournament itself counts as experience?"
Seong Ha-yeon shook her head in frustration at Yu-jeong sunbae's words.
"That's what I'm saying—that 'experience' is just a ticket to get into a guild. Why would someone who's already got a spot rig it? Especially with a mentor right there watching? Inflating your talent only hurts you. If you pad your resume with no real results, people will rip you apart."
Yu-jeong sunbae seemed to get it then. But I still didn't.
"Is there no way for the judges to detect those kinds of buffs?"
"There is. If something feels off, the judge can stop the match themselves, and they've got alert devices that notify them if the surrounding energy shifts."
So there were at least some safeguards in place. It also meant the judge hadn't detected any tampering from Kim Ju-seong.
"So the judge watched that match and didn't sense anything?"
"Looks like it. I didn't see the match myself, so I can't say for sure. More importantly, shouldn't you be getting ready for your own fight?"
Only then did I remember I had a match coming up. I nodded quickly, realizing my mistake.
"Oh, right."
"Go grab your gear. Why are you worrying about someone else's rigged match? You gotta make it to the finals to even face that guy."
She shooed me away like I was dragging my feet. Yu-jeong sunbae said,
"I'll stay with Ichie."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Come on. I need a smoke anyway."
The storage area was set up outside the arena. I headed that way with Seong Ha-yeon, toward the smoking zone. As we walked to the screened-off smoking area, I heard a car door slam followed by a booming farewell.
"Yes! Thanks for your hard work today!"
It was Diamond Club's mentor greeting someone. Through the car window, I saw a nod in response—the judge from today's match. Seong Ha-yeon paused while pulling out her cigarette and watched intently, squinting like something bothered her. She whispered to me,
"You know who's in that car?"
"The judge from today."
"That guy's an ex-Diamond Club member who went independent."
She didn't elaborate. She lit her cigarette, stared off thoughtfully with a serious look, then shook her head. I heard her click her tongue.
"Tch."
I stood beside her, watching the mentor. The salesy-looking guy spotted us and looked surprised for a second before casually walking over. Another black sedan pulled up in front of the arena. The Diamond Club mentor, mid-stride toward us, flinched and glanced back. Rough-looking men piled out and opened the rear door.
Ichie's uncle stepped out wearing sunglasses. The Diamond Club mentor grimaced slightly and muttered,
"What the...?"
Ichie's uncle scanned around anxiously, spotted me, and waved with a big grin. Running into someone you know in an unexpected place is always nice.
"Su-hyeon hyung!"
Seong Ha-yeon, cigarette dangling from her lips, scowled and asked,
"What the hell? Those gangsters your friends? You in the mob or something?"
"No, that's Ichie's uncle."
Seong Ha-yeon just shrugged. His name was Noboru, right? Ichie's uncle glanced around once more and asked me. The Diamond Club mentor slipped away quietly as people gathered, pocketing his smoke.
"Su-hyeon hyung, long time no see. I heard Ichie got hurt. Where is she?"
Seong Ha-yeon stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and said,
"You go get your gear. I'll bring him over."
"Oh, okay. Thanks. Follow this hunter, she'll take you. I have to grab my equipment right now. Ichie's fine, no serious injuries, so don't worry too much."
"Ah, thank you. And you, miss—what's your name?"
"Seong Ha-yeon. This way."
"Got it. Let's go, boys."
Broad shoulders in black suits swarmed behind the uncle. I picked up my shield and spear from the arena storage. A thick wooden shield and a hefty spear with a weight pouch. I stroked the weapons, steadying my nerves. Ichie's loss shouldn't affect my fight. I took a deep breath, gathered my gear, and headed back to my waiting room.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Right before my match, I was loosening up in the makeshift training area, practicing my shield and spear stance one more time. I'd wanted to check on Ichie, but Seong Ha-yeon had yelled at me to warm up instead since she was handling it.
"Su-hyeon, it's about time to get ready."
The door opened, and Yu-jeong sunbae called me. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and nodded. Taking a swig of water, I asked her,
"How's Ichie?"
"She's okay. She just came to, and the physical exam showed no major issues. Her uncle had to sternly stop her from coming out to cheer for you."
I could picture it and chuckled despite myself.
"I'll check on her after my match."
"Yeah, let's go together."
My opponent this time was an accelerator. The type who boosted his speed in bursts for close-range brawls. From his prelims footage, opponents who couldn't keep up just got pummeled until they surrendered.
The outcome of this fight hinged on how I handled his superior speed and close-quarters ignoring my spear's reach. I gripped my spear tight and inhaled deeply. I'd barely sat down in the waiting room when my name flashed on the monitor. As I stood, Yu-jeong sunbae hugged me from behind.
"Sunbae, I'm sweaty."
"Still hugging you for good luck."
Her chest pressed firmly against my back, feeling nice. I gently stroked her fingers for a moment and said,
"I'll take first place for sure."
"Pervert."
Yu-jeong sunbae said that. I chuckled as I headed down the corridor. Nothing loosens tension like banter. The brightly lit arena welcomed me. I adjusted my spear and shield and stepped in.
Across from me stood a guy shuffling in weird steps. His name: 'ABCDE' Seo Hyun-ho. A super simple nickname—he said he couldn't think of anything and just went with it. Now he regretted it and vowed to change it to something cool like 'X-Nick' or 'Bolt' once he hit B-rank.
The moment he saw me, he swung punches at the air, mocking my bulky shield and spear.
"You think you can catch me with that? Last opponent shot water blasts, couldn't touch me, got beat down, and surrendered."
I didn't respond. It was obvious provocation. No point getting dragged into his pace—it'd just piss me off. Silently, I raised my shield forward and stood my spear straight. Hyun-ho smirked at me, and the judge signaled the start with a blank shot.
"'ABCDE' Seo Hyun-ho versus 'Ada Bomber' Jeong Su-hyeon!"
As the shot rang out, Hyun-ho's form blurred. Like mist, he closed in fast, pressed my spear down, and smashed a fist into my face.
"Ugh!"
I swung my spear wildly in reflex, but he'd already retreated, shuffling steps again. Waving his hands, he taunted,
"Hey, told you you can't catch me. Just give up."
He urged me to surrender. Ignoring him, I reset my stance. I'd panicked last time and missed the timing, but now I could gauge it. He circled me gradually, then vanished again. At the blur of his afterimage, I slammed my left shield forward with full force.
Thud!
The heavy impact hit my shield and traveled to my right arm. My ability wasn't just for blocking—if I struck incoming force hard enough with my left, it built up in my right arm too. Hyun-ho clutched his nose, stumbling back, staring at me in shock.
"Can't change direction mid-run, right?"
He only attacked head-on, so clearly he couldn't pivot freely yet. My question hit home; he clamped his mouth shut, eyes darting, then retreated swiftly.
And blurred again.
But once I had his timing, and knowing he couldn't turn or vary speed consistently, blocking was easy.
Thud!
This time, his fist slammed the shield. Bare-handed, no gear.
"Fuck!"
Hyun-ho shook his trembling hand, backing away. Faintly, but surely, the force accumulated in my right arm. I wiggled my spear lightly and said,
"Idiot."
"You fucking...!"
Hyun-ho's face hardened as he crouched. Another blurry afterimage. I instinctively raised my shield, but no impact came. As I lifted my head, a fist flew at me. The crunch on my nasal bridge felt gross.
"Urk!"
Back across, Hyun-ho grinned.
"Idiot."
I glared at him as I straightened up. He bounced on his toes, watching me, then vanished again. Midway, he paused briefly, staggering with wide eyes, gritted his teeth, and blurred once more.
No hit this time. He appeared right in front of me, grabbing for my shield.
"Nngh...!"
"Sh-it...!"
I yanked the shield back. He pulled with all his might, like stealing it would win him the match. Like kids fighting over a toy, we tugged at the shield in the arena's center. Each pull from him fed a tiny bit of power into my right arm.
I tried stabbing with the spear, but no opening. Any shift to my right, and he'd snatch it. No shield, no win—he'd just deflect my spear and pound me.
So,
I changed my mind.
I'd lose the shield anyway.
Might as well give it to him.
I dropped the spear. I saw his foot tense—he'd accelerate to rip it away. Gripping the shield two-handed, I charged forward full tilt. At the worst timing, he accelerated backward.
"Huh? Wha—?"
With Hyun-ho's panicked voice, the world blurred. My running feet lifted off the ground. No sound, but fierce wind battered me. We shot forward like bullets. I faced his shocked expression.
Bam!
The wall-crushing sound hit as we slammed into it. Hyun-ho, crushed between wall and shield, twitched like a roach. The judge's voice rang out.
"ABCDE Seo Hyun-ho! Out of bounds!"
I finally exhaled in relief.