Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Cute, Huh?
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Crack, crack—!
"...Hoo, I've got a ton I want to say, but first things first—I'm dying to know. How the hell did you do that?"
Ryu Jia brushed the debris and dust off her body as she stood up, then turned to me with the question.
Even after getting slammed with enough force to shatter a mana-reinforced building wall, she didn't have a single scratch. I knew she was strong, but seeing it firsthand left me speechless.
I raised the palm I'd used to deflect her, answering her question.
"Parried it with this. Someone at your level should've seen that much, right?"
"I saw what you did! I'm asking how you did it. You're just some scrawny guy. I put some real power into that punch, and even women who strut around with their necks tensed up can't even react to it. How'd you block it so perfectly?"
Not satisfied with my answer, Ryu Jia furrowed her brows and sharpened her question.
Honestly, just like those tense-necked women she mentioned, I wouldn't have been able to react to her movements either.
I knew exactly where it was coming from and what kind of attack it was, but I still couldn't see it.
What I'd done was just prediction based on countless playthroughs of Reverse Hero Saga. It wasn't anything impressive like she was imagining.
"Eh, I just... did it, and it worked."
But there was no need to spill all my secrets, so I shrugged and smoothly dodged her question.
It wasn't a lie—I really had done it because it worked—so my conscience was clear.
"...Hoo, fine. You did it because it worked, and it worked because you did it, so I won't pry on that. But what was that explosion?"
Ryu Jia pointed at my palm, now red and roasted from the blast's aftermath, and asked again.
If I gave another vague answer, her High-value-headed personality would probably make her snap, and it wouldn't do to keep hiding things from her when she'd be a big help down the line. So this time, I answered properly.
"It's one of my traits. My mana has incendiary properties. I used that trait to deflect your punch while triggering an explosion at the same time."
"Your mana itself is incendiary...? That's impressive."
As Ryu Jia said, the power was seriously no joke.
I thought I'd siphoned off just enough mana that I could handle it, but like last time, my body couldn't take it.
A throbbing pain kept radiating from my right hand—it felt like I'd at least cracked a bone.
Still, after two explosions, I was starting to get the hang of it. Felt like next time, I could pull it off without getting hurt.
I gathered mana in my right hand via mana fluidization to boost my natural healing as I continued my explanation.
"You're the second person who's learned about my trait, Captain."
"I'm second? So that means I'm right after your family head...? Hngh..."
At my words, which felt like sharing a secret, Ryu Jia reacted with what seemed like pleasure.
Actually, contrary to what she thought, our family head Yang Ga-jeong knew nothing about me, and the first person to learn about my Solar Body trait was our little kid.
"Right after your family head... We're not really anything special yet, but it kinda feels like I'm trusted. Not bad."
"Haha."
I didn't bother raining on her parade by correcting her.
"Eh, that's enough. No more questions. Even a guy can have one trick up his sleeve. Underestimating you was definitely my mistake. Though I'm still kinda underestimating you!"
Feeling good from sharing my secret, Ryu Jia crossed her arms, puffed out her chest, and declared.
Her breasts, perched atop her crossed arms, were violently eye-catching.
Underestimating me was a mistake, but still underestimating me? Total contradiction, but coming from Ryu Jia, it fit her perfectly.
The only reason I'd been able to deflect her attack was a cheap trick.
There was no way I could beat the red-haired big-tits queen in front of me right now.
In Dabcheon, where skill determined human worth, she was one of the few cadets who could live completely by her whims.
Vowing to avoid antagonizing Ryu Jia as much as possible, I said to her with a grin.
"So, I passed the entry test. You'll accept me, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Can't exactly say no after you passed so cleanly. Welcome to Blast Dragon, newbie."
Feeling chipper, Ryu Jia readily offered a handshake.
A handshake, huh? It reminded me of the day I first met the little kid.
She'd called it unseemly or whatever, but a handshake's no big deal.
A fond memory suddenly surfacing, I smiled brightly and took Ryu Jia's outstretched hand.
Her consideration in offering her left hand, knowing my right was injured, caught me off guard.
We clasped hands and shook lightly up and down, but then something seemed to flash in her mind—Ryu Jia stopped the handshake and averted her gaze.
"By the way, about that... earlier thing. Y'know. 'Day one starts today' or whatever? I get it means my first day as a Blast Dragon member. But you shouldn't say stuff like that so casually. Girls might get the wrong idea. I'm the captain, your senior, and older, so no misunderstandings for me, but other girls? Big trouble. Just advice from a fellow club member now. Got it?"
She said it in a staccato stutter.
The confident, commanding aura she'd shown so far was gone.
Emphasizing she was senior, older, captain—basically the adult here—but blushing and fumbling like that made it fall flat.
Ryu Jia showing this side? Kinda funny.
The proper response for a club newbie here would be 'Yes, I'll be careful next time,' but I had no intention of being proper.
The life I aimed for had no superiors or inferiors—a total thug.
"Pfft. That got under your skin that much, Captain? All brawn and still a baby. Reacting like that to a light joke."
"W-what?"
At my relaxed words, Ryu Jia bristled and snapped her head up to meet my eyes.
Her red eyes blazed like they might explode any second, but now was my time to take control.
I locked eyes with her fierce gaze and subtly tightened my grip on her left hand.
Not enough for a grip strength contest—just a firm, squeezing hold.
"Eek?!"
I was a guy, she was a girl—my hand dwarfed hers, completely enveloping her small one.
In that position, true to my blond-tanned thug style, I smirked with one corner of my mouth and said,
"Cute, huh."
"?!?"
"Kuhuhuhu..."
Ryu Jia's face turned flame-red, steam practically cartoonishly puffing from her head.
Her agitated mana reacting to her emotions.
Who knew Ryu Jia had zero immunity to guys like this? In the game, she only appeared as a hidden boss, so I'd never seen this side.
Feeling the joy of a veteran uncovering new lore, I released her small hand.
"Hah?! Y-you punk, teasing your sky-high captain? Wanna get punished? What kinda insolent bastard is this?!"
Finally snapping out of her stun, Ryu Jia fumed with her face still flushed.
But now, with her face that red, it just came off as bluster.
"Kuhuhu, too late—you can't take it back. A proud woman doesn't go back on her word, right? Let's head to the clubroom, Captain. Gotta officially welcome the newbie."
So I smirked again, brushed past Ryu Jia, and headed for the Blast Dragon clubroom.
"Hey? Wait, go together!"
As I moved first, the flustered Ryu Jia scrambling after me showed not a shred of senior poise.
"..."
"Ugh, gross. What kinda dark spawn is the captain?"
"She's from the Ryu family."
"Then act like a Ryu family spawn! Clean up or something—what is this mess?! No place to even step in the clubroom! Sure, the sofa's clean, but everywhere else is a trash heap!"
"Kuh..."
Ryu Jia, wearing a mask from who-knows-where, clenched her fists and trembled as she watched Yang Woo-bin clean the clubroom.
This was clearly their first meeting today, but he seemed to know all about her, knew what Blast Dragon was like, and showed zero tension.
Normally, just hearing "Ryu Jia" would make people freak out and bolt, leaving her clueless on how to handle this.
'What the— no matter how much I nitpick, something keeps coming up. And why's his cleaning so damn good? No flaws to grab onto? Not a speck of dust left behind—impossible!'
Her pride stung from losing complete control, but even trying to pick a fight, Yang Woo-bin's cleaning skills far surpassed hers, leaving Ryu Jia speechless like a mute with honey in her mouth.
"Starting with these curtains. These don't fit Blast Dragon at all!"
Crack, crack—!
"Argh! Nooo! My blackout curtains! Essential for naps!"
"Wear a blindfold instead! These are dust magnets—gotta go now!"
"Damn... newbie punk..."
Five minutes in, and Ryu Jia lost her favorite item in the clubroom—the blackout curtains. If she stayed passive, this newbie might strip her bare.
Case in point: one handshake, and her senior dignity crumbled, exposing her guy immunity and earning a "cute."
So Ryu Jia prayed for Yang Woo-bin to slip just once, focusing on his every move.
"...No way."
But his broomwork and mopping were flawless, every motion beyond her comprehension.
'Is this how my empire falls? Swallowed by some guy I met today...'
Faced with his impeccable form, Ryu Jia nearly gave up everything, thinking she should hand over captaincy.
Overwhelmed by his cleaning prowess, just as she opened her mouth to say, 'Fine, Yang Woo-bin, you're number one...',
"Hey, Captain. Can I have this flower?"
"Huh?"
Yang Woo-bin held up a potted flower blooming red like Ryu Jia's hair and asked her.
She almost said, 'Yeah, take it,' but swallowed it and spat something else.
"Not for free. Gotta give to get, right? Satisfy me first. Then it's yours."
The start of Operation: 'Never Satisfied' to preserve her captain dignity.
"Stomach's rumbling anyway. Whip up some food!"