Quite the Braggart
After they finished their conversation, Ak Hong-hyang took the mask she was holding and placed it over her face. It fit perfectly, concealing the scar that marred the left side of her face. The beautiful silver patterns etched onto the surface covered her left eye and nose, curving down to leave only her mouth exposed. This type of mask was originally an exquisite craft worn as an accessory by noblewomen or daughters of wealthy families when they went out. On Ak Hong-hyang, it did more than just hide her wound; it accentuated her natural charm. Wearing the mask, she exuded an air of mystery and elegance—a refined, understated splendor.
Watching her, Bukjin wore a dazed expression. 'Her beauty has undergone a total level-up!'
Han Bul-bu was looking equally stunned.
Only three days remained until the finals of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition. Unmong City was swept up in a festive atmosphere. In addition to the City Hall, the Education Bureau, the Conscription Office, the Police Department, and the Administration Office, large public spaces like the city square and the various academies had all installed broadcasting screens powered by Mystic Arrays. The finals were to be transmitted to every citizen in the city.
This broadcasting method served a dual purpose: it showcased the strength and character of the younger generation to the populace, and it ensured the fairness and transparency of the competition, preventing any foul play. The Imperial family regarded the Academic & Martial Arts Competition as a vital event, and they had never neglected it since the founding of the Empire. Academy competitions, city competitions, territory competitions, provincial competitions, and finally, the national competition... every stage was institutionalized and managed by Imperial law, celebrated as the most important annual event.
As the season of the competition approached, the people of Unmong City discussed nothing else, and the excitement reached a fever pitch. Promotional banners fluttered on every street corner. Watching the scenery, Bukjin felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if he were back on Earth preparing for a major holiday. Various gambling dens based on the competition's results were also being prepared. Betting on the outcome was legally permitted by the state; in fact, the government offices even took the lead in organizing it. Consequently, the representative students from each academy had become local celebrities, basking in the cheers and expectations of the masses. Merchants even invited the participants to advertise their shops or products, and it was common for businesses to sponsor students with significant sums of money in exchange for printing advertisements on their uniforms.
Since the finals were broadcast city-wide, the advertising potential was immense. Bukjin was genuinely shocked when he learned about this. He hadn't expected the commercial environment of this world to be so developed. The emphasis on commerce here was arguably on par with Earth.
With only one day left until the opening ceremony, joyful news reached the 3rd Academy. Han Bul-bu and Baek Geum-un had both awakened their Innate Mystic Qi attributes.
Han Bul-bu had already been just a step away from the Master Realm, and after the growth he experienced during the battles on Bukhwang Mountain, it was only natural for him to break through the 10th Grade and reach the Master Realm. The attribute he awakened was Earth. While Earth-attribute energy wasn't considered the strongest in terms of raw offensive power, it possessed a stable and heavy force. As a result, it was known as one of the most solid and defensive attributes among all elements.
As for Baek Geum-un, she had always been the genius among geniuses at the 3rd Academy, possessing enough potential to receive an invitation from Jo Pacheon himself. She, too, had matured significantly through the events on Bukhwang Mountain, even playing a pivotal role in rescuing the unconscious Han Bul-bu. Her immense potential quickly translated into skill, and she finally reached the Master Realm, awakening the Ice attribute at the temple. Ice was a variant of the Water attribute, but its destructive and lethal power was several times greater than ordinary Water energy. It was considered one of the five most powerful attributes in terms of raw destruction. With this awakening, Baek Geum-un's strength had improved by leaps and bounds.
Now, among the four students representing the 3rd Academy in the finals, Ak Hong-hyang was the only one who had yet to awaken an attribute. However, she had also grown tremendously and was currently at the 9th Grade Warrior Rank. She was now only a single step away from the Master Realm.
On the surface, Bukjin's strength didn't seem to have changed much. However, Han Bul-bu, Baek Geum-un, and Ak Hong-hyang didn't harbor the slightest doubt that Bukjin was the strongest among them. Implicitly, the four of them viewed Bukjin as their leader.
And then, some good news arrived for Bukjin as well. A-kwang, the leader of the Ghost Rats who had gone missing, had returned. To be precise, he had been caught and dragged back. As Bukjin had suspected, A-kwang had returned to the canyon where the Ghost Rat swarm resided. He had been discovered by an adventurer party, captured alive, and brought before Bukjin. Bukjin had even spent his own money to secure the rat's return.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
Upon seeing Bukjin, A-kwang wore an expression that screamed, 'Master, I missed you so much!' as he clung to Bukjin's leg. He was even shedding crocodile tears. Watching this, the butler Wang Chung felt an immediate sense of crisis.
'How can that little beast be so shameless? How dare he hug my Young Master's leg! Do you think I'll just step aside for a common rat like you?!' Wang Chung glared at A-kwang with eyes full of hostility.
On the other hand, the maids Cheong-cheong and Cheon-cheon found the round, fluffy A-kwang adorable. Unable to resist, they stepped forward and stroked the rat's head. Bukjin ordered the two maids to give A-kwang a bath. Since he had decided to keep the creature by his side, he insisted on maintaining strict hygiene. There was no telling what kind of bacteria or viruses a wild animal might carry, so a thorough cleaning and disinfection process was mandatory.
'I wonder if there are things like vaccines or veterinarians in this world,' Bukjin thought as he looked at A-kwang.
That afternoon, Bukjin skipped class to go see Cho Heun. When he arrived at the Temple of the Sword Lord, he couldn't find Cho Heun, but he did run into the young priestess, Ya Mi-ang. She approached him with a very friendly attitude.
"Student Im! I'm also participating in the finals of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition! If we end up facing each other, please go easy on me!"
Bukjin was quite surprised by this. However, after listening to her explanation, he understood how she had made it to the finals. 'Dammit! That's a total shortcut! She's a complete case of nepotism! Everyone else has to go through hell just to pass the preliminaries, but the temple representative gets a special appointment straight to the finals?!'
Still, the Sword Lord was the primary deity worshipped in the North Sea Empire. Considering the relationship between the temple and the Imperial family, such privileges weren't entirely incomprehensible.
"If we're lucky enough to have a team event like Capture the Flag, you must choose me as your teammate, Student Im!" Ya Mi-ang said with a cute smile. Her proactive attitude was almost more than Bukjin could handle.
"Capture the Flag?" Bukjin asked. "What's that?"
Ya Mi-ang looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Don't tell me you don't know the match formats or the rules for the finals, Student Im?"
"Well..." Bukjin looked up at the distant sky. Cho Heun, Ban Oe-min, and Im Tae-heo had never explained anything to him. Even Baek Geum-un and Han Bul-bu hadn't mentioned it. Thinking about it, they probably assumed that such common knowledge was something Bukjin already knew. However, Bukjin still hadn't fully integrated the memories of the boy who originally owned this body.
"It's true... I don't know much about those things," Bukjin said, adopting a look of detached transcendence. "To be honest, those details don't really matter to me. In the end, won't I be the one left standing anyway?"
"Hoho, you certainly have a sense of humor, Student Im!" Ya Mi-ang let out a bright, flower-like laugh. When she smiled, her large eyes curved into crescent moons, a sight beautiful enough to shake anyone's heart.
"..." Bukjin felt like he had just been hit with a counter-punch.
Ya Mi-ang continued with a smile. "The finals are divided into two parts: the Written Exam and the Practical Exam."
'There's a written exam too?' Bukjin put on an arrogant smirk and said boldly, "I'm not just saying this, but as far as the written exam is concerned... Hahaha! First place is already in the bag!"
To Bukjin, a written exam simply meant using his smartphone to look up the answers and copy them down. Hearing this, Ya Mi-ang laughed brightly.
"I'm aware that you shocked everyone by getting a perfect score in every subject during the 3rd Academy's mid-term exams!"
'Hmm... As expected of a priestess, her level of conversation is quite high!' Bukjin thought. He intentionally adopted a more humble expression and said, "It was just a bit of good luck."
Then, Ya Mi-ang added, "Actually, I tried solving the problems from the 3rd Academy's mid-term exam myself. The content was quite simple. If it were me, I would have secured a perfect score before a single stick of incense could finish burning."
Bukjin shot the beautiful priestess a strange look. 'Wait... She seemed like an innocent and cute girl, but she's actually quite the braggart! Her conversational depth is lacking. What a shame.'
As if reading his expression, Ya Mi-ang added a few more words. "But for you to get a perfect score in every subject, Student Im, that really is impressive."
"..."
'How on earth did this girl become a priestess? Is she a bit slow? Hmm... She's definitely got some issues...'