Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Promotion Match (4)
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"Ah, okay..."
In the aftermath of a match result no one could have predicted, Fuyuno Tsubaki—the one who had shocked everyone—followed the guidance and climbed the stairs.
"Fuyuno... I heard rumors that there was someone from the Fuyuno family among our cohort, but I never thought it was true."
"I heard that cadet had no talent whatsoever and was abandoned by the Fuyuno family."
As she ascended the stairs, the voices of the Jincheon Class cadets seated in the stands brushed past Fuyuno Tsubaki's ears.
"I heard that rumor too... But is that what no talent looks like? She overwhelmingly beat Han Yu-jin without a single scratch."
"Yeah. Even for the Fuyuno family, they wouldn't discard a monster like that for lacking talent."
"Whether it's baseless gossip or something they spread on purpose... a storm's definitely brewing at Dabcheon. A monster like that just showed up out of nowhere."
"Heh, tell me about it. Guess my ranking's getting pushed down another spot."
These were words Fuyuno Tsubaki had never heard before, and as she listened, her perpetually slumped shoulders began to lift little by little.
Not a single thing the cadets said was accurate, but that didn't stop her from feeling good.
'What Yang Woo-bin said—that this would be the last time I act like a pathetic coward... it was true.'
The very fact that these Jincheon Class cadets were calling her a monster was proof that Yang Woo-bin had spoken the truth.
"Hehe..."
Just having someone believe in her more than she believed in herself was a tremendous source of strength, but seeing that belief become reality left Fuyuno Tsubaki overflowing with emotion, able only to smile.
'How is Yang Woo-bin so amazing? How did he know about this power I didn't even know I had?'
Once she started thinking about Yang Woo-bin, the surrounding murmurs from the audience faded away.
'I thought he was incredible from the first time I saw him, but he seems even more so as time goes on.'
Even as she climbed the stairs, Fuyuno Tsubaki thought only of Yang Woo-bin.
'He saved my life from that demon during our first meeting, rescued me from bullying the second time. And that wasn't enough—he made me that precious elixir and awakened a power I didn't even know I had.'
All the things he'd given her filled her heart with unbridled satisfaction.
'I want to see him again soon.'
Upon reaching the winner's special spectator seat, Fuyuno Tsubaki already missed Yang Woo-bin, whom she'd parted from less than ten minutes ago in the arena basement.
"Yang Woo-bin would end it in one shot and come up here."
With pure conviction in her heart, untainted by even a shred of worry, she hoped the next match would start soon—that Yang Woo-bin would finish quickly and join her here.
'I'll warm his seat for him.'
※
"Th-this fucking... shit..."
In the underground waiting room beneath the circular arena, Choi In-gyu—the 100th-ranked dead last of Jincheon Class—spat out a curse laced with frustration.
He'd just watched on the monitor as Han Yu-jin, a genius among geniuses he couldn't even dream of looking up to, lose without landing a single mark on her opponent.
"According to the intel, the guy I'm up against is weaker than that monster from the Fuyuno family who just popped up..."
Ranked 100th out of 100 in Jincheon Class, Choi In-gyu was the owner of middling talent straddling the line between genius and mediocrity.
Among all cadets in his year, he was in the top 10%, but in Jincheon Class, he was dead last—an ironic bind.
He was inevitably the one targeted for promotion challenges from General Class cadets, so he'd naturally developed the habit of tuning into rumors from there.
While getting swept up in Jincheon Class drama every day, he never missed a beat on General Class happenings, spreading his info network without fail.
A month into focusing on General Class whispers, a bizarre rumor started circulating.
A guy had suddenly appeared, beaten down the class bosses barehanded, and taken control in a single day.
Choi In-gyu had been pretty shocked at first.
In superhuman society, men were inherently weaker than women, and as a man himself, he felt that gap bone-deep.
So a man—not even a woman—taking over General Class piqued his interest.
Yeah, back then, it was just intriguing.
But the moment he heard that man had joined the fearsome Volcanic Dragon crew, interest turned to fear and wariness.
From that day, Choi In-gyu redirected his entire info network toward that man.
Not that it amounted to much—just leaning on three General Class cadets trying to network with Jincheon Class—but focusing on one person did make the intel more concrete.
And the more detailed reports that reached him left Choi In-gyu in despair.
"He turned down the principal Go Yeo-ryeong's special admission to Jincheon Class, saying he'd bring his own lackey and climb up through promotion matches fair and square... How the hell am I supposed to beat a guy who commands a monster like that as his lackey?!"
Jincheon Class cadets targeted for promotion matches drop one rank if they lose.
For others, it's just a demotion, but for dead-last Choi In-gyu, it was dire.
Jincheon Class had exactly 100 spots.
Losing meant 101st place and relegation to General Class—no way out.
"Fuck..."
But no amount of desperation conjured new power, so Choi In-gyu could only curse his own weakness and Yang Woo-bin's viciousness.
"Choi In-gyu cadet, time to enter the arena."
Just then, with the arena cleaned up from Han Yu-jin's 'needle eye' devastation, it was time to head up.
"Y-yes?"
Choi In-gyu had heard the staffer clearly but feigned otherwise to buy time.
"Time to go up. You were called out as the promotion match opponent, so you need to fight."
"Ah, right. Y-yeah."
But stalling like that only worked so long. At the staffer's repeat, he slumped his shoulders, hung his head, and trudged toward the elevator.
Each step felt agonizingly slow and hesitant, but the distance was short—he reached it quickly.
"Good luck."
Clank.
As a Jincheon Class cadet, the staffer's courtesy far exceeded what Fuyuno Tsubaki got, but it meant nothing to Choi In-gyu now.
Like a pig dragged to slaughter, he surrendered to the elevator's ascent.
"...Fuuuuck."
Rumble-rumble-rumble-clunk!
The ride from basement to arena took 30 seconds—not long, but to Choi In-gyu, it felt brutally short.
Clang!
Five seconds after arrival, the iron grate door he'd prayed would stay shut swung open.
The announcer's voice—one he desperately didn't want to hear—boomed across the arena.
"Haaa..."
Facing the inevitable horror, Choi In-gyu sighed and stepped out beyond the grate.
His view opened wide instantly, the gaze of countless spectators upon him, but his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Golden blond hair shining like the sun, bronzed skin over perfectly sculpted muscles—a prime specimen of a fighter.
Choi In-gyu's gaze locked on his opponent, the man he'd dreaded: Yang Woo-bin.
'He looks like a fucking beast at fighting... Look at that body. Muscles carved like art.'
Even from afar, the raw, aggressive aura screamed "fighter," and Choi In-gyu gripped his shield strap tight.
Then, Yang Woo-bin across the way chuckled, opening his mouth for the first time.
"Hey, you. Your face says you're scared shitless. Sorry, but cowering won't make me go easy."
Crude speech utterly unfit for a noble heir.
It matched his thug-like blond-and-tanned look perfectly, making Choi In-gyu's shield hand tremble.
A thug on the outside and inside—terrifying for someone about to get wrecked.
And no mercy? His fear ballooned instantly.
"Because this is a promotion match—and the perfect stage to make my name known!"
Shing—!
Declaring his intent to shine, Yang Woo-bin dramatically drew the two swords from his waist.
"D-dual swords...? That's not in the intel..."
According to Choi In-gyu's info, Yang Woo-bin had never used a weapon once.
Taking over the class, Volcanic Dragon initiation, training—all barehanded.
So he'd assumed the guy was a pure martial artist relying on his body.
"This psycho... He's been hiding his power all this time?!"
Seeing swords in both hands doubled his already massive despair.
An unwinnable foe now armed—Choi In-gyu could only cower behind his shield in terror.
"Ahh—I never thought I'd debut this here! Alright, everyone watching! Eyes on me—and keep it secret! The proud secret sword art passed down solely to heirs of the great Yang family! Solar Divine Martial Sword!!!"
Ignoring Choi In-gyu's hiding, Yang Woo-bin bellowed in his crass tone, explained his technique, then kicked off the ground and charged.
His form—dual swords aglow with red energy—was pure demon, forcing Choi In-gyu to focus solely on defense.
Kaaaaang—!!!
Thus, the terrifying slash from the charging demon struck his shield.
"...Hm?"
His shield didn't budge an inch, leaving Choi In-gyu with a question mark over his head.
"You bastard! Blocking the great Yang family's heirloom secret sword art, Solar Divine Martial Sword, so easily! You know how to play a bit!"
Yang Woo-bin's follow-up piled on another question mark.
'What the? Why's it so weak?'
Yang Woo-bin's ultimate Solar Divine Martial Sword was pathetically feeble—not even twitching the shield.
'Wait... Is the Yang family... total weaklings?'
Choi In-gyu's esteem for the Yang family plummeted on its own.