Let's Keep Playing Janggi!
'That guy is a complete monster.'
The moment her sword collided with Im Bukjin's, Ju Ga-a lost every ounce of her confidence. The gap between them was as vast as the distance between the heavens and the earth.
'He's the same age as me... how can he be this strong?'
Ju Ga-a couldn't wrap her head around it. However, she knew one thing for certain: this battle was an absolute, crushing defeat for her side. Even with three of them coordinating an attack against him, not a single one could withstand even one of Bukjin's strikes. To be precise, five of them had launched a joint assault, yet they couldn't even handle two of his arrows and three of his sword swings. It was a total rout.
Soon, the sound of rapid movement echoed across the deck. Baek Geum-un, Ak Hong-hyang, Mi Yeo-yeon, and Han Bul-bu had arrived. They used the ropes Ju Ga-a had previously set up to easily board the Neungun-ji-ho. After seizing the flag, they returned to their own ship. The outcome was decided.
"Im Bukjin, I underestimated you far too much," Ju Ga-a said, lifting her head and speaking in a loud, clear voice.
"But from this day forward, I, Ju Ga-a, will remember your name! And one day, I will surely pay you back for today's humiliation!"
"Do whatever you want," Bukjin replied, sheathing his sword. "There are so many people who claim they'll 'remember me' that you'll have to get in line."
Ju Ga-a snorted at his remark before leading her teammates back to the Neungun-ji-ho. Only then did Mak Sin-mu and Jang Yeong manage to crawl out of the sea, coughing up mouthfuls of saltwater. Bukjin's arrows had rattled their internal organs so severely that they had completely lost their will to fight.
A moment later, as the Neungun-ji-ho sailed off into the distance, Mi Yeo-yeon and the others finally let out a cheer.
"We won!"
"Just like that?"
"Didn't we win a bit too easily?"
"We took the first flag without doing a single thing!"
Bukjin's four teammates felt as if they were dreaming. This battle had unfolded in a way that was completely different from the tense, difficult struggle they had imagined.
In the harbor fifty miles away, the crowd of ten thousand spectators was swept up in a massive wave of shock and commotion. Having witnessed Bukjin's overwhelming skill, the citizens were so stunned they could hardly find the words to speak.
In the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, a student ranked in the top ten was undoubtedly the "genius among geniuses" of Unmong City. It meant they were the best in every category: talent, potential, and practical combat ability. Ju Ga-a had already perfectly proven her worth during the previous stages of the exam. Yet, against Bukjin, she hadn't even lasted a single round.
Amidst the massive uproar, the spectators were busy analyzing the fight. This battle naturally affected the betting odds for the other ten ships, though not enough to completely flip the board. As time passed, the initial shock began to fade, and the audience started focusing on the other ongoing battles.
At the evaluation panel.
After watching the first battle on the Ryuchae Jewel Merchant Ship, Wang Yeo-ui had no choice but to admit that Bukjin's combat power far exceeded her imagination.
'That rascal... the potential he showed at the testing grounds is manifesting as several times that strength in actual combat. He's a perfect combat-type student. There's no doubt he has the skill to be accepted into the National Imperial Junior Academy.'
Wang Yeo-ui harbored various thoughts about Bukjin as she continued to observe. Meanwhile, the representatives from other prestigious academies sitting beside her were also exchanging opinions.
Even among the examiners, Bukjin's battle was causing quite a stir. They were all professionals from elite institutions, and they were analyzing the situation with much more depth than the general public.
The voices of the other prestigious academy officials reached Wang Yeo-ui's ears. Just then, another wave of surprised shouts erupted from the spectator stands.
The battle currently shocking the crowd was between the Baekun Team and the Mussang Team. Jo Pacheon'sBaekun Team had defeated the Mussang Team with incredible ease. In fact, Jo Pacheon hadn't even lifted a finger. Im Yeok and Dongbang Jeon alone had suppressed Zuoqiu Mussang and the rest of his teammates.
"They couldn't even withstand a single blow."
Jo Pacheon shook his head in disappointment as he held the Radiant Flame Triangle Flag he had so easily seized.
"To use the name 'Mussang' with such pathetic skills. Tsk!"
Dongbang Jeon tore down the sail embroidered with the Mussang Team name and trampled it underfoot. He then kicked the struggling Zuoqiu Mussang and sneered.
"You should change your name. You're not worthy of being called 'Peerless'."
Standing beside them, Mo U-chon and Jeong Seok burst into laughter. This scene was being broadcasted to all the spectators.
"Too strong!"
"Well, Dongbang Jeon and Im Yeok were already talents who wouldn't be out of place in the top ten, but Jeong Seok and Mo U-chon seem to have gotten even stronger since joining Jo Pacheon."
"Following Im Bukjin's battle, we have another perfect victory."
"They weren't even in the same league."
"If Im Bukjin's team and Jo Pacheon's team face off, who do you think will win?"
"Is that even a question? Obviously, Jo Pacheon's team! Im Bukjin just suppressed Ju Ga-a's team with his individual martial power! But Jo Pacheon didn't even have to move! The gap between their teammates is just too wide!"
"Im Bukjin has no chance of winning."
The spectators in the stands were constantly voicing their opinions. Among them was Mok Simwol. She sat there wearing a beautiful cotton robe and a veil to hide her face, watching the massive crystal screen while listening to the crowd's analysis.
The boy on the screen, who had completely dominated Ju Ga-a's team, was once like a loyal dog who would have given her everything. Back then, Mok Simwol had mistakenly believed she had it all and looked down on Bukjin. To her, he was nothing more than a wallet she could use and discard at will. She had been certain that she would eventually surpass everyone and rise high into the heavens.
But now, she was huddled among the common people, forced to watch through a screen as Bukjin became a giant whom everyone regarded as a hero. She had fallen to a position where she could only look up at him from afar, lost in a sea of ordinary faces.
Mok Simwol felt the harshness of fate. She had to do something to overcome and escape her current situation. Otherwise, let alone moving forward, she was in danger of losing everything she still possessed.
Many people entangled with Bukjin were sitting in the stands. For instance, Gwan Bi-do, Jo Mu-yang, Oh So-bang... They all watched Bukjin with a complex mix of emotions. The past was irreversible. No one could know if they might have been among the geniuses standing in the spotlight—like Ak Hong-hyang, Han Bul-bu, and Baek Geum-un—if they had only shared true friendship and goodwill with Bukjin in the past.
"I'm sorry. I sincerely apologize to everyone."
Standing on the Neungun-ji-ho, Ju Ga-a offered a heartfelt apology to her teammates.
"I was too careless and chose the wrong tactic."
Her attitude was very humble.
"Senior Ju, we were all careless."
"That's right. There's no need to apologize. We still have a chance! We just need to take a flag in the next battle and continue the challenge!"
Jang Yeong and the others comforted Ju Ga-a. She nodded.
"Yes! Now is the time to rest and recover our strength. We've already lost our flag, so we have nothing left to lose. In the next battle, we will surely counterattack and seize victory!"
Ju Ga-a's teammates quickly regained their composure and sat on the deck to begin their recovery. According to the rules of the team battle, losing a flag didn't mean elimination. They could meet an opponent in the next orbit, take their flag, and continue accumulating them. A team that lost its flag was given a total of three battle opportunities; as long as they didn't suffer three consecutive losses, they maintained the right to keep seizing flags.
On the Ryuchae Jewel Merchant Ship.
"Senior Im, that last battle was way too fast. How about you take a break next time and let us handle it?"
Baek Geum-un said grumpily as she fed a snack to the white bird perched on her shoulder. Han Bul-bu spoke up in agreement.
"As your teammates, we need to get used to the atmosphere of battle before we run into Jo Pacheon's team."
Mi Yeo-yeon and Ak Hong-hyang felt the same way. In the previous battle, the four of them had achieved victory in an instant without doing anything. They hadn't been able to show even a hint of their presence.
After a moment of thought, Bukjin said, "Fine! You guys take the lead from now on! I'll just stay still!"
Being lazy was the thing Bukjin was most confident in. The first battle had ended so anticlimactically that he hadn't even had a chance to use the Wi-Fi function.
"We have plenty of time! Let's just keep playing that game of Janggi from before!"
Mi Yeo-yeon was the first to challenge Bukjin. She seemed to still hold a grudge over him flipping the board earlier. While the four of them were talking, a warship slowly began to approach from the western waters.