Chapter 253
Chapter 253
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: 82. Who's Leading? (3)
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Like a single water droplet falling into a still lake.
That was Autumn's expression.
Summer looked even more shocked.
If the Lair was a slightly larger well, then the world was the ocean.
Right now, Yoo Ji-tae's car was heading out to sea.
"Uh, uh......"
"I can't believe it......"
They hadn't thought they'd stay in the Lair forever. But they'd grown so accustomed to that life that venturing into the wider world came as a considerable shock to both of them.
Up until now, Summer had only looked down at her feet as she ran. From here on, she'd be gazing up at the sky.
Autumn had always been protected as a ward. Now, she'd be the one protecting others.
"B-but, Ajusshi. I don't really need a ranking......"
"Good point. So what do you think you need?"
"Um, um...... Being loved and noticed by people?"
Yeah. That's what she thought.
Every version of Autumn across all the rounds had believed that.
Yoo Ji-tae himself had thought the same not long ago.
"Your thinking's about to change."
In the 4th round, Baby Yellow had slit her wrists and killed herself.
At the time, Yoo Ji-tae had figured Earth was a world infested with a monster called the "mass media" that spewed excessive attention. For a sensitive Gold Dragon hatchling trying to pursue her dreams, it was inevitably poisonous.
But walking through daily life with Autumn, caring for the chick, watching the bond deepen between the child and the bird—his perspective shifted.
"You already know what you need."
He'd taken a long detour, but now he was certain.
Autumn had already found the path suited to her.
It touched directly on the Gold Dragon's identity.
"What is it......?"
She couldn't become a singer or actress.
But she could become Yoo Gaeul.
"You don't know?"
"No!"
"Really don't know?"
"No! I don't know at all......!"
"Hmm......"
"You're not gonna tell me? I'm dying to know......!"
The regressor didn't reveal it to the end.
The day she'd realize it herself wasn't far off.
His gaze soon shifted via the rearview mirror to Summer.
This situation seemed an even bigger shock to her than to Autumn.
"......"
The moment of leaving the childhood playground behind and stepping into the world.
What was Summer thinking?
She was probably thinking of one superhuman right now.
The pinnacle of force in the South African Union (SAN).
Rank 8, "Javier Karma."
Up to that point, Summer had gone out for fun, fighting and destroying to her heart's content. She might have had an endgame prepared for her, but it was distant, and the immediate playtime had been enjoyable.
Javier Karma had shown that Summer a harsh "reality."
Sometimes reality is miserable, and Summer's had been.
When death, once so distant, loomed right before her eyes, Summer had stifled sobs amid defeat and helplessness.
"Hey."
Finally, Summer hesitantly spoke up.
"D-do we have to do it already?"
"Do what."
"Aren't we still kinda unprepared?"
Now they were entering the same world as Javier Karma. Assigned the same numbers, advancing together.
"Scared?"
"No. Why would I be scared? Who do you think I am?"
"Then what's the problem."
"Well, I'm only a third-year. Haven't graduated. Got tons I haven't learned yet...... You said the same, right? That there's still stuff to learn?"
"Yeah."
"So heading out like this when I'm not ready feels premature, you know? Bluntly, if I fought that African ranker now, I'd get smashed flat."
"You need to look at it longer-term."
"Huh?"
"Ultimately, what you need to prepare for is going home, right?"
"Sure."
"Then all this time right now is prep for that day."
"Hmm......"
"No need to stress too much. No need to do perfect. Don't overvalue the world expanding."
Summer fell silent.
But if she framed it as prep, the burden lightened a bit.
"I hate it. I'm gonna do great......"
So the only complaint that slipped out was nitpicking like this.
At Yoo Ji-tae's urging, Summer and Autumn donned sunglasses and stepped out of the car.
The Korean branch of the Federation was filled with superhumans and civilians. The moment they entered, all eyes turned to the pair. The striking hair colors. The cadet uniforms. And the rumors about Yoo Ji-tae that had spread.
"Mommy......"
Autumn ducked her head in shock as she walked, but Summer nudged her back.
"Walk tall. What'd you do wrong."
"I'm dying of embarrassment...! Everyone's staring at me...?"
"Damn. You got axe-throwing syndrome or something."
Yoo Ji-tae naturally completed superhuman registration as a cadet.
The two received "Sacred Superhuman" licenses.
Sacred Superhuman. A status for probationary superhumans.
"Here. Take them."
Yoo Ji-tae handed over the cards.
To the pair, this tiny card felt like a ticket to a new world.
After bringing the kids by car, Yoo Ji-tae began explaining the next steps.
"Listen up. The Sacred Superhuman competition starts now."
"Yes." "Okay."
"Targets like you—fresh off coursework or still tied to school—will compete for the first rankings."
The famous rivals had registered early.
They needed the fame as superhumans.
"Look at this. These two teams are the top favorites right now."
Yoo Ji-tae handed data to the kids.
+++
「Team White」
★White McDonald(971)
Allian Gray(5421)
Bang Won(7871)
Koo Jun-gun(8897)
+++
"Stars mean team leader, right? What's the numbers by the names?"
"Rankings."
"What? Aren't they Sacred Superhumans? How do they have rankings?"
"Three are Lair grads. Cheaters who delayed a semester to barely squeeze in twice during their Sacred period."
"That's allowed?"
Yoo Ji-tae nodded. Common loophole.
"Team White here is built for their leader, White. All rankers, but they prop up the overwhelming 971st."
In short, a one-man team.
"Fucking lame structure. Other members got no pride?"
"If the leader's skilled, it's efficient. Total control over the team."
"Tch."
Then Autumn asked worriedly.
"B-but...... Rank 971. Isn't that too much...?"
White McDonald.
A Sacred Superhuman with a three-digit ranking.
The gap between 900th and 2000th was huge.
Between 2000th and 5000th, even huger. Unbridgeable in a month or two.
The real "World Superhuman Rankings" were what every superhuman chased lifelong.
"Ah, he's not from Lair—a wizard from the Magic Tower. They raised him carefully. Long training, so he's older."
"Ranking's too high...... It's unfair......"
He placed a hand on the sulking child's head.
"This isn't sports, Autumn. How much fairness is there in the field? By that logic, isn't it unfair you dragons compete with humans?"
"R-right......"
"Don't worry. Rankings are personal. No holds barred. Prove your worth any way, and win."
Autumn nodded worriedly, eyes back on the data.
This time, familiar names.
+++
「Team Lair」
★Tir Blanc(4881)
Yong Tae-ha
Ling Ling
+++
"What the hell with these crazies? Why'd they team up?"
The three major academies—Yong family, Noblesse School, Erpan Guild—clashed in Lair's 10th class.
The top three formed a team.
Zhou Luxin was Erpan's ace, but Ling Ling's recent growth exploded, landing her on Team Lair.
"What. They got no eye for talent."
Summer scoffed.
"Didn't even contact me?"
"Obviously not."
"Huh? Why?"
"Team White's a one-man show. This is long-term peers who know each other well. Unless you grovel, they know your personality."
"Hmph... True, but shitty."
Thus, they scouted rival teams.
Next, time to form their own.
"Now you form your teams."
"Okay." "Yes."
"Sending data. Find recruits there, contact them, make a basic 4-man party. Show me after."
But Yoo Ji-tae's attitude was off.
Just tossed data via watch and done.
"Huh? Not prepped?"
"Why would I prep."
"You should! You always did..." "I-I'm new to this, don't know how......"
How to explain. Yoo Ji-tae rubbed his neck.
"Kids. I'm not your guardian anymore."
"Huh?" "What?!"
Summer and Autumn looked dumbfounded, like slapped upside the head.
"I'll be at the home you return to. I'll hear all your worries. But no more doing everything for you like in Lair."
"......" "Uh, uh......"
"Think straight. You're entering the field now. Thrown from warm home to battlefield. Do it yourselves."
No matter how precious the kids.
No guardian yells for a working adult child.
They were in the field now.
Soldiers.
Their sulking didn't last.
"Got it." "Yes......"
They accepted purely.
But in hindsight, maybe helping with team formation would've been fine.
The next day, Summer brought her "team" to Yoo Ji-tae: Team Mochi-something.
"Hello, Guardian!"
"Hi."
Sophia, Kim Ji-in, So Ji-ro. Yoo Yeoreum. Familiar combo.
Yoo Ji-tae went silent.
"......"
Do they have grades to sign up for elective classes?
Checked: barely scraped by.
"Hey. Yoo Yeoreum. Come here."
"Huh? Huh? Why?"
He grabbed her arm, dragged her to an empty alley, asked.
"You really planning to team with them?"
"Yeah."
"Why."
"Why? You said that's how to control the team freely? Like Team White."
"......"
He had said that.
Pros and cons of one-man teams.
"You bitched it was bad."
"Ah, when I do it, it's romance."
Summer giggled.
"You. Think carefully."
"Why?"
"They might not mesh with you."
"What're you saying?"
"Aren't you friends? Big level gaps don't last. Sacred comp's one year, that's why."
"Ah. Don't worry. Didn't bring idiots blindly. Not pity either."
"Then."
"We sync pretty well. They're all desperate too."
Seeing Yoo Ji-tae still hesitant, Summer frowned.
"That Sophia bitch failed Transcendent cadet. Dropped from Team Lair too. See the bruise? Beat by her guardian after trying to off herself with a knife in rage."
"Kim Ji-in and So Ji-ro go without saying. Total losers. But they boosted grades hard. Were 4000s as first-years, now both 300s."
"And honestly, hate to admit...... Even as a dragon, I'm kinda a loser? We match. Losers got their own desperation."
Even persuading like this, Yoo Ji-tae stayed quiet. Mulling if the party would work.
Misreading the silence, Summer stomped.
"Aww, whyyy~. No?"
"......"
"Don't play with them? For real?"
"......"
"If not, why tell me to handle it? Already told them. They ditched electives for this...... How do I fix this......"
In his life, sardines and sharks rarely mixed.
Different worlds, abilities.
Thoughts diverge, beliefs split.
That worried him slightly.
But he acknowledged their synergy. And their desperation stuck in memory.
"Fine. Go ahead."
"Huh? Really?"
He wasn't thrilled, but let it be.
Thus, "Team Mochi" registered as a new Sacred Superhuman battle team at the Superhuman Association.
Next, Autumn.
Phone call: team formed. Yoo Ji-tae headed to Lair Academy District. Entered waiting room where Autumn was.
He saw something astonishing.
"Huh?"
"Oh...!"
A few young cadets jumped up, bowed to Yoo Ji-tae.
"Hello! Honored to meet you."
The neat black-haired boy beaming at Yoo Ji-tae: Yong family’s Yong Tae-ha. Kept saying "I admire you."
Yoo Ji-tae flattening disciplinary chief Silard Leo was no secret now.
"H-hello...... See you again......"
The tiny redhead approaching startled: Erpan Guild's Ling Ling.
She eyed Yoo Ji-tae fearfully. He'd smashed her guardian Lun's face to pulp.
"Pleased to meet you. Heard much. I'm Team Lair's leader, Tir Blanc."
Finally, the somewhat gloomy male cadet greeted politely.
Spat his world rank 1 father.
Yoo Ji-tae silently accepted the greetings. Meanwhile, turned to Autumn in disbelief.
Autumn had joined Team Lair.
"Autumn."
"Yes."
"Come out a sec."
He took her to the hall, asked about it.
"What. You trying to join them?"
"Yes."
"Why."
"Um... They're strong...? Learn something next to powerhouses?"
"Your call? They didn't invite you?"
"Yes. Hehe...... Can I...?"
No reason not to.
Actually, pretty great.
Rankings personal. Good team eases good results, good ranks.
One worry: Summer and Autumn's setup too picture-perfect.
One side: desperate no-talents.
Other: geniuses.
Summer would notice her position more, willy-nilly.
"Fine. Can you work hard?"
"Yes!"
"Alright...... Got it."
"Um, hey......"
"Yeah."
"Did I do good...?"
Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
Autumn made the best choice.
"Good job."
Autumn finally relaxed.
Thus, Team Lair updated roster, registered with Federation. As Yoo Ji-tae foresaw, it rippled through the Sacred Superhuman scene.
The next day.
Articles about Summer and Autumn flooded out.