Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Finals (4)
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"Then, I hope you both fight fair and square, with no regrets."
The referee spoke with a stiff, hardened expression amid the cheers. Kim Ju-seong smirked as he heard it. His rugged muscles and long, stretched limbs stood out prominently. I positioned my shield forward and steadied my breathing. Kim Ju-seong said,
"We were seated next to each other at the entrance ceremony, right?"
"Yeah, we were."
Kim Ju-seong had been my neighbor at the entrance ceremony. Back then, he was the honest young man who asked a trembling me—terrified of when my name would be called—if I was okay. He was also the ordinary guy who averted his eyes from me as I descended the stage with a miserable look. Thinking back, it was quite the amusing coincidence. He continued,
"Just surrender. You'll get hurt."
Kim Ju-seong spoke as if he were the superior one. I didn't like his attitude one bit. I shook my head slowly and replied,
"You little shit. Did you grease your tongue or something? Spouting off like that."
"This bastard really..."
The referee raised his hand. Our conversation was drowned out by the roaring cheers, unheard by anyone. He glared at me with an utterly ruthless expression. Veins bulged on his solid forearms, and his clenched fist looked as hard as a marble statue. As he forcefully lowered his arm, bulging muscles rose like those in a Rodin sculpture. He crouched low, grinding his teeth, like a beast poised to pounce.
The scoreboard lit up with a countdown.
3
The crowd's voices grew even louder. Cheers calling my name mixed chaotically with those shouting Kim Ju-seong's.
2
Kim Ju-seong crouched lower, as if ready to spring at any moment. I held my shield out front and gripped my spear tightly.
1
Kim Ju-seong clamped his mouth shut and widened his eyes. I was facing a beast right now—a massive predator beyond human power to handle. For a split second, the referee's lip seemed to curl up. I thought I heard a chuckle from him. A blank shot exploded from his hand, and a piercing alarm like an emergency bell filled the arena.
As the announcer's voice rang out, Kim Ju-seong lunged at me ferociously. His speed was terrifying, like a rocket launching.
"The match... has begun!"
With every stomp of Kim Ju-seong's foot, craters formed in the ground. I instinctively stepped back but then advanced one step forward. Retreating here would mean a ring-out loss. I'd rather lose by taking the hits than by running away—my pride wouldn't allow that.
Kim Ju-seong advanced like a yeti tearing through a snowfield. Each relentless step crushed the floor, sending arena debris flying. He drew his arm back wide, harnessing his brute strength, then hurled his fist forward like a stone from a sling.
Boom!
Just one blow. The shield I raised with my left hand shattered into pieces. My left arm throbbed numbly, and my vision flickered for an instant like a bomb had detonated before my eyes. But this wasn't the time to fuss over the stinging pain. I braced my buckling legs, thrust my right arm forward as far as it would go, and stabbed with my spear. Part of the earlier impact had flowed into my right arm, now glowing brightly as it pierced toward Kim Ju-seong's side.
"Urk!"
A heavy sensation as if pressing deep into flesh. A bizarre impact, like hammering a pork cutlet, transmitted through my fingertips. Kim Ju-seong, who had swung his other arm to crush me, twisted his face and stepped back. But the strike hadn't landed properly.
My stance had crumbled from the shield's destruction, turning it into a sloppy thrust. If I'd been just a bit calmer, maybe it would have done real damage. Kim Ju-seong quickly regained his posture and prepared to charge again. The referee asked me,
"Will you continue?"
"Yes."
I nodded in response. My shield was already smashed, leaving no countermeasures, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. Kim Ju-seong pulled one arm back again and charged. All I had left was a pitiful shield handle not even worthy of the name and a blunt-tipped wooden spear. His fist looked enormous by comparison.
He swung his fist at me with ferocious momentum, aiming to smash my head. A battering ram cloaked in human flesh bore down on me. There was no time to hesitate. I swung my left arm—clutching the handle with all my strength—to block his fist.
Boom!
Another massive collision echoed. The fist gripping the shield handle flattened momentarily like it had been crushed in a press before snapping back. The small, thin metal piece serving as the handle shattered.
"Gaaahhh!"
I screamed in agony and had no choice but to pull my left hand back. Kim Ju-seong grinned and raised his hand again. But this was part of my plan.
In that moment, while my left hand absorbed the full shock, significant damage had built up in my right arm.
Using the recoil from my left arm's bounce, I thrust my spear with everything I had. Kim Ju-seong's solar plexus was wide open, both arms raised. The power in my glowing white right arm gathered at the spear tip. I gritted my teeth and let out a shout.
"Raaahhh!"
Boom!
The white streak stabbed straight into his solar plexus. The spear plunged deep into Kim Ju-seong's chest, cracking under its own force as he hurriedly tried to defend. I gritted my teeth and glared at him. Kim Ju-seong's mouth gaped open in unbearable pain. I stepped forward on trembling legs, trying to drive the spear deeper.
"Uwaaaah!"
A beastly roar erupted—not human, but primal. Kim Ju-seong, who had thrown his head back on the verge of passing out, suddenly bellowed and swung his fist at me. I had no way to block. His massive fist flew toward my head.
"Die!"
A deep, bell-like toll shook my skull. The world spun. I felt my body go limp. My vision faded, and my mind went white.
Is this the end?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The world was painted white. I lay on the ground. Blinding light shone down when I opened my eyes. A hospital room? I jolted up in surprise, but nothing surrounded me. A short distance away, the Omnipotent Being watched me. She sipped tea leisurely—the same coffee from the shop I sometimes ordered in my room.
"You lost."
A pure white world. A private audience with the Omnipotent Being. I lifted my head and asked,
"Am I dead by any chance?"
"You didn't suffer fatal injuries. You've simply lost consciousness briefly and entered the mental world. You've never trained to clash with such a strong opponent, have you?"
"No, I haven't. What's happening to me out there right now?"
"You're still standing. The referee is watching you, and that Kim Ju-seong guy is convinced you'll collapse."
"I'll fall soon enough."
"Not while you're here. This moment is but an instant out there."
"So, can I go back?"
The Omnipotent Being nodded. But she asked me,
"However, how do you plan to win upon returning? I clearly felt it just now—that guy's receiving help from another Awakener. You don't intend to beat him with your own strength alone, do you?"
"I have to try somehow."
The Omnipotent Being furrowed her brow slightly at my words, stood beside me, and said,
"'In that case, please help me, Omnipotent Being,' is what you should say. Your opponent is using sorcery without hesitation, isn't he? I wouldn't help against a merely strong foe, but he's employing foul means. I'll assist you and draw out your full power."
I looked at the Omnipotent Being. She nodded reassuringly. Going back out just to get pummeled meaninglessly pissed me off a bit. I'd trained honestly and fairly with my legit doping, yet this bastard had buffed himself somehow.
Even in defeat, I had to land one solid hit on his face. I needed to unleash everything I had and go down swinging. The Omnipotent Being extended her hand. I took it and closed my eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Silence fell over the vibrating arena. Jeong Su-hyeon's body, head thrown back in a daze, began tilting slowly backward. Only then did Kim Ju-seong nod, fully convinced of his victory. A smile gradually spread across his face.
Jeong Su-hyeon's body tilted to 80 degrees. The referee blinked once, then curled his lip slightly. He was just an apprentice Hunter at best, a fame-chasing hack at worst. No way he could beat Kim Ju-seong, the next-gen star with buffs on top.
The referee's hand slowly rose. Hope still lingered on the spectators' faces. They wouldn't believe their cheered hero's downfall until he fully collapsed. Even after, they'd fill the arena with screams and sighs. And those sighs would be buried under triumphant roars heralding a new star's birth.
Kim Ju-seong started stepping back to his corner, turning his broad back and rolling his shoulders. His solar plexus stung a bit, bruised. The referee looked up to declare the match over.
"Urgh...!"
The falling Jeong Su-hyeon suddenly stood firm. Startled by the faint groan behind him, Kim Ju-seong whipped around. Jeong Su-hyeon had stopped mid-fall. He braced his legs, yanked his body upright, and ground his teeth.
Kim Ju-seong had no intention of giving him time to recover. He erased his surprise and swiftly raised his fist toward Jeong Su-hyeon's face.
But Jeong Su-hyeon didn't just stand there and take it. He twisted his body to dodge the fist, then thrust his spear into Kim Ju-seong's abdomen with both hands.
"Guh!"
Immense pain beyond expectation surged through Kim Ju-seong's body. He stumbled back several steps in shock. At the same time, the spear—having fulfilled its role—shattered into pieces. The referee, about to call the end, had no choice but to halt.
Jeong Su-hyeon glared at Kim Ju-seong, slightly hunched over. Shards of wood scattered like snowflakes. Breathing heavily amid the debris, he clenched his fists and shouted,
"Come at me, you bastard!"
In that instant, Kim Ju-seong felt a twinge of anxiety—he might actually lose. He was facing a beast right now.