Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Main Round (2)
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📰 Breaking News Rookie King Tournament Organizers Respond to 'Ada Bomber' Controversy. The tournament side has issued a statement on participant 'Ada Bomber,' who has been at the center of recent controversy. Mr. A, an official from the organizing committee, stated, "I think it's wrong to strip someone of the chance to prove their combat ability just because their nickname is odd. Gates don't care about nicknames," confirming that the player will be permitted to compete. However, acknowledging the nickname's indecency, they announced measures like mosaicking it as 'xx Bomber' or similar when the player appears. "What's 'xx Bomber'?"
Yu-jeong sunbae was giggling at today's breaking news article. Ichie chimed in while peering at my phone alongside me.
"With two x's, it kinda feels cooler."
"Right? I think so too."
It was already spilled milk. I decided to own it boldly instead. We were in the waiting room. Unlike the pale, gloomy atmosphere of the preliminaries venue, this place buzzed with lively energy. I sat there gripping my shield and spear, radiating a solemn warrior's aura.
A helmet covered my face. It was gear provided by the organizers to protect my identity once my nickname and name were exposed. Since it only covered the face, it felt soft to the touch, and my ears were still visible.
"Feels like I've become a gladiator."
Yu-jeong sunbae grinned at my words. Ichie tapped my helmet and said,
"It suits you well."
I shrugged my shoulders, really feeling like a warrior now. As I puffed out my chest,
The circular arena was filling with spectators. We were set to clash right in the center. My opponent was 'Howling' Oh Min-young. A woman. The thought made me feel a bit odd. I imagined the headlines after my victory.
[Ada Bomber Jeong Su-hyeon Defeats Howling Oh Min-young]
[Howling Oh Min-young Falls to Ada Bomber Jeong Su-hyeon]
[Ada Bomber Jeong Su-hyeon Brings Howling Oh Min-young to Her Knees.]
"This makes me sound like total trash."
What was this? A villain who beds his opponent? No matter the headline, she came off looking pathetic.
I let out a hollow chuckle and refocused on my gear. The shield felt sturdier than ever, the spear its usual hefty weight. The damage to my opponent if I won was unavoidable. The world is merciful only to victors, after all.
Cheers echoed from beyond the waiting room. Yu-jeong sunbae and Ichie were cheering me on. She didn't seem hung up on not advancing herself. I said,
"Ichie, thanks for coming to cheer me on."
Ichie nodded at my words and replied,
"We're a team. So I'm cheering for you."
It was almost time to go out. The arena monitor already showed my opponent warming up. 'Howling' Oh Min-young held a large megaphone, her face set in grim determination. She looked utterly desperate, like she couldn't afford to lose.
For some reason, I felt like the bad guy. But there was no helping it. The world of competition is ruthless. I stood up and glanced at the two of them. Yu-jeong sunbae still wore that beaming smile. I told them,
"Well then, I'll be off."
"Good luck."
Ichie said. Yu-jeong sunbae waved. Clutching my shield and spear tight, I turned. Through the faint light ahead loomed the grand arena. Bright lights poured from the hazy gray tunnel. My opponent waved her megaphone vigorously. She glared at me fiercely, teeth gritted.
She looked like she had a lot to say. As I stepped forward with shield and spear at the ready, the arena announcer's voice boomed.
[And right on cue! Bomber! Jeong Su-hyeon has entered the arena!]
Bomber. Stripped of the prefix, it had a decent ring to it. The scoreboard displayed my name with the first two letters censored, showing just 'Bomber.' Cheers erupted. It was a massive roar, like being swept up in a rowdy fan section. Some boos mixed in too.
The noise overwhelmed me. My tense stomach churned, cold sweat beading. To shake off the nerves, I swung my spear and shield dramatically like a gladiator, playing to the crowd.
Amid the cheers, boos trickled in like reeds in a gale—supporters of Oh Min-young, no doubt. I didn't have the luxury to react to each one. I'd hoped the flair would loosen me up, but it didn't help much. Oh Min-young glared at me with a bratty expression, megaphone in hand. Not as stunning as Yu-jeong sunbae or Ichie, but she had a cute charm. She yelled at me,
"You filthy bastard! Do you know how much shit I've taken online because of you...!"
Her voice itself was her awakened ability, echoing across the entire arena. The cheering crowd fell silent at once. As the noise cleared, I found some calm. She ground her teeth. She glared again, about to say more, but the referee raised a hand.
"Hey, we're on broadcast, so keep the swearing to a minimum. Let's have a clean, sportsmanlike match."
"Ah, sorry."
She bowed politely to the referee as if she hadn't just cursed, then shot me another fierce glare. The referee held us back, then crooked his fingers and said,
"Both sides, bow."
We faced each other and bowed curtly. Even then, her eyes blazed with venom. Inside my helmet, I rolled my eyes and steeled myself.
The referee raised his hand, and the arena scoreboard lit up. A giant '3' appeared, and he announced,
"Match starts when the count ends and the signal sounds. Get into position."
Oh Min-young brought the megaphone to her mouth. I'd watched her previous matches and knew her style. The instant the match began, she'd blast sonic waves through the megaphone to ring her opponent out.
Her first foe had no intel and flew out without showing their ability. The second used earplugs but crumbled under the pressure anyway.
Could I endure it? She waited eagerly for the start. I lowered my stance, shield forward. Ready to plant my spear in the ground.
Count down to 2. I took deep breaths to steady my nerves. Oh Min-young breathed heavily, glaring. The roaring crowd held their breath, eyes on us.
Count 1. She inhaled deeply. I reversed my spear grip. Blunt tip, but the soft ground would hold it.
Count 0. The starting buzzer blared like an alarm, and Oh Min-young exhaled with a shriek.
"Kyaeeeeeeeek!"
I slammed the spear into the ground with all my might. Tilted my shield and crouched low. A ferocious wind gale hit a beat after her scream, battering my shield like a massive chariot ramming it. I clung on desperately to avoid being flung.
The storm passed quickly. But another brewed as she caught her breath. No time to hesitate. I yanked the glowing white right arm on the spear—but it was planted too deep and wouldn't budge.
"Uh?"
As I faltered in surprise, she aimed the megaphone at me again. I barely raised my shield in time.
"Kyaeeeeeeeek!"
"Shit!"
A crushing impact like a hand slamming down engulfed the shield again.
The shield began to crack bit by bit. When hit by beams before, localized shocks had chipped it away. But this felt like a giant hammer pressing the whole thing down. Gripping the fracturing shield tight, I lifted my head again.
One more at best. Miss once, and it'd shatter, leaving me bare to the noise.
She must have seen it cracking too. She grinned wide as she panted. I gripped the spear again. Too deep to pull out.
So what now?
She watched my moves intently while breathing deep. I raised the shield high to block once more.
I couldn't see her expression. Hiding behind it, I kicked the planted spear shaft until it snapped. A short rod floated free. But she didn't know I'd broken it.
I dropped the shield and hurled the rod with every ounce of my right arm's power. The white glow concentrated into it, like firing a white energy bolt. Oh Min-young froze mid-breath. I charged with shield up.
The rod struck her megaphone dead-on and exploded. Sparks flew, belching thick black smoke.
"Kyaaak!"
Oh Min-young screamed, coughing. I saw smoke engulf her. Before she recovered, I leaned my weight into the shield's edge and swung with full force.
Wind whistled. Coughs mixed with the crowd's murmurs. Cheers pushed at my back. She squinted at me through tears. The lion emblem hurtled toward her head.
"You...!"
Thung!
A satisfying drum-like thud, and she slammed into the ground. Panting, I looked down. She clutched her head, struggling to rise, but soon rolled her eyes back and collapsed.