Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 054
Chapter Title: Ranking Battle (2)
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Cafe State.
A coffee shop located within Green House, and the meeting spot Ahn Su-ho had used to see Han Gyeo-ul or Kang Ha-neul.
In one corner of it. Ahn Su-ho, sipping his coffee alone, rubbed his dry face with a troubled expression.
On the smartphone screen in front of him was an internet broadcast that had ended. Next to it, small clips listed showed a woman with sky-blue hair smiling brightly with a lively face.
Ahn Su-ho, who had been gazing intently at that cheerful smile, finally quelled his nausea and turned off the screen.
'There are deeper abysses within the abyss... or something.'
Ahn Su-ho let out a wry chuckle at the phrase that suddenly came to mind. It perfectly captured his current feelings after watching Kang Ha-neul's stream.
Kang Ha-neul's stream, under her persona 'NobleSky,' was objectively excellent.
Solid gaming skills paired with nonstop witty banter. A clear voice full of unique personality. Broadcast sense that perfectly read the viewers' needs. And on top of that, stunning looks that blended a girl's cuteness with a lady's maturity.
There wasn't a single flaw in Kang Ha-neul's stream. Gathering that many viewers in just half a month since starting wasn't luck. If anything, this was just the beginning. Even Ahn Su-ho, who didn't usually watch streams, thought she'd soon become a famous streamer everyone knew—her content was that entertaining.
Entertaining, that is.
From her stream, Ahn Su-ho felt not just amusement, but a tangle of complex emotions.
Looking back, it was a bit cringeworthy. Embarrassment that made his face flush naturally. Awkwardness, pity, and a whole mess of other indescribable, intricate feelings.
In short, it was too painful to watch.
Watching Kang Ha-neul act cute and coquettish in front of an indiscriminate audience triggered an instinctive aversion in Ahn Su-ho.
The content itself was definitely fun. But fun aside, her real self kept flickering in his mind throughout the stream, preventing him from focusing.
And it wasn't just her appearance. Her speech, gestures, expressions—all 180 degrees from her true personality... Those made Ahn Su-ho feel an inexplicable shame.
She's the one streaming, so why am I the one embarrassed?
Ahn Su-ho regretted seeking out Kang Ha-neul's stream. The mental damage was no joke.
But soon, a mischievous smile crept onto his face. What expression would she make if he told her he'd watched her stream next time he saw her? Imagining her reaction washed away the mental trauma from viewing it.
A moment later.
Ahn Su-ho arrived at Arena 7, where the ranking battles were held, right on time for the start.
The arena's overall shape resembled a basketball court. The fighting area where students battled was exactly basketball-court sized, and the surrounding spectator seats matched the familiar NBA broadcast setup.
The differences were that all the flooring and walls used shock-absorbing panels, and thick reinforced glass separated the seats from the arena.
Even in the early afternoon, plenty of spectators filled the seats. Most were same-year students there to analyze the combatants' strengths for today's ranking battles.
First-year ranking battles weren't usually that popular. Unless it was a big matchup like Han Gyeo-ul vs. Ryu Tae-hyun, the interest from reenrolled students, faculty, and select guild reps focused on the third- and fourth-years nearing graduation.
But a top-ranker's match among first-years was different.
All the freshmen admitted to Green House were elite, from first place to last.
To them, top rankers were rivals they'd compete against until graduation. Ambitious students analyzed their battles by attending first-year ranking events from the start.
"Huh?"
And now, in Ahn Su-ho's eyes—utterly unconcerned with such matters—appeared the most enthusiastic reenrolled first-year student.
"Student Han Gyeo-ul?"
"......"
Han Gyeo-ul, spotting Ahn Su-ho, clicked her tongue softly and whipped her head away. A gesture saying she didn't even want to acknowledge him.
'Well, look at this?'
Despite the blatant snub, Ahn Su-ho headed straight for the seat beside her. Both sides had three empty seats. Hardly any first-years watching the matches had the guts to sit next to Han Gyeo-ul.
"What a coincidence running into you here! Here for power analysis too, Student Han Gyeo-ul?"
"......"
The ignoring continued. At her ironclad attitude, Ahn Su-ho grinned mischievously.
"Huh? No glasses today. You were wearing them in the clubroom, right? Those round rimless ones."
At that moment, Han Gyeo-ul, who had been ignoring him steadfastly, whipped her head toward Ahn Su-ho. Flustered, she parted her lips to say something.
"Oh, do you have bad eyesight? Is that why you wear them to the mystery novel club—"
"Stop!"
With a sharp cry, Han Gyeo-ul clamped her hand over Ahn Su-ho's mouth. She quickly scanned the surroundings, then whispered lowly.
"How many ears are listening here, and you bring that up?! If you say one more word, I won't forgive you...!"
What'll you do if you don't? The thought flashed through his mind, but Ahn Su-ho nodded obediently. Han Gyeo-ul eyed him suspiciously before slowly releasing her hand.
"See? Shouldn't have ignored me. What'd I do wrong?"
"......You've been stalking and bothering me since last time."
"Stalking? Why would I have any reason to stalk you, Student Han Gyeo-ul?"
"Well, because I...!"
"What, you think I'm trailing you for scraps from the Haneul Group heir?"
At the blunt retort, Han Gyeo-ul bit her lip. Ahn Su-ho had no such intentions, but she couldn't help suspecting. They were crossing paths too often for pure coincidence.
"......Just keep getting on my nerves, that's all."
"You're an academy student, I'm an academy guard—doesn't it make sense we'd run into each other a few times? Making a fuss over that much..."
Ahn Su-ho trailed off, then suddenly remembered something and asked Han Gyeo-ul.
"So, what's with the glasses? Astigmatism? Or some kind of disguise?"
"None of your business. More importantly, what are you doing here?"
She shot the question irritably, and Ahn Su-ho shrugged.
"Why do you come to a ranking arena? To watch the ranking battle."
"What a laid-back answer. Don't guards have work to do?"
"On leave due to injury."
Ahn Su-ho slightly lifted his shirt hem, revealing the bandage wrapped around his abdomen.
"Heard from Ryu Tae-hyun. You got hurt saving that dropout, right?"
"Not anymore. She rescinded her withdrawal."
"Who knows. You said it yourself back then, didn't you? Dropouts are dropouts no matter what. Looks like she crawled back after the attack, but she'll probably drop out again soon."
"If you think that, why come watch Kang Ha-neul's ranking battle? If she's dropping out anyway, no need to analyze her—"
"Analyze her? Why would I?"
Han Gyeo-ul propped her chin on one hand and glared at Ahn Su-ho. Her gaze dripped with her signature arrogance.
"Think just 'cause we're both in Class 1-A, I'm on her level? I can crush her head-on without any analysis. I'm only here out of curiosity—what pathetic show that coward who ran scared will put on crawling back."
'......What a messed-up personality.'
Ahn Su-ho turned away with a stunned look. She was cocky around Ryu Tae-hyun too, but not this bad. Did my possession make Han Gyeo-ul even more villainous? he wondered.
In truth, the original Han Gyeo-ul showed some courtesy to Ryu Tae-hyun, but with no need for it around Ahn Su-ho, her true colors emerged. Of course, he had no way of knowing that.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Ding! ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [ 'Kang Ha-neul's Status Window ]
Name: Kang Ha-neul
Gender: Female
Height/Weight/Age: 161cm / 47.3kg / 20 years old
Occupation: Academy Student
Affiliation: Green House Hunter Department 1st Year Class 1-A
Possessed Superpower: Avatar (E)
[ Stats ]
⚡ Strength: E 💨 Agility: D 🛡️ Endurance: E ✨ Magic Power: E 🎯 Technique: B 💭 Will: E 🍀 Luck: D [ Possessed Skills ]
1. Slow Starter (Unique. S)
2. Cherry Blossoms of Deep Affection (Legendary. S)
But the next instant, Ahn Su-ho's eyes widened at the status window's contents floating before him.
'......What the hell is this?'
Miserable stats reminiscent of his own right after possession, contrasted with S-rank skills he'd never seen before.
His face twisted in shock at that bizarre combination.