The Welcoming Night Has Begun
Puff! Bububak!
Not fast, but certainly not slow either—just a perfectly timed rhythm of hands and feet moving nonstop.
“You aren’t using Hwigwang?”
“I figured I’d lightly loosen up my body first. Besides, it’s not time yet.”
I had no idea how much strength he was pouring in, but Teraden’s Cheneung had quietly, unnoticed by anyone, grown far stronger than it had ever been before.
It used to be this weak. Back then, whenever Teraden made even the slightest mistake, he’d unleash Hwigwang—the ability that was supposed to be ridiculous—and flatten his opponent with it. Compared to his Ineung, his Cheneung had always felt a little lacking. But that wasn’t to say he was weak. It just meant his physical ability was no match for his supernatural gift.
But right now, Teraden was different. Every exchange carried weight and solidity. Yet he wasn’t using his Ineung at all. Why open the gate then?
He wasn’t using Hwigwang, and even if he did, my body was immune. Maybe his Ineung was something else entirely?
“Hup!”
Teraden inhaled, then drove his fist back with all his might. I answered by thrusting my arm forward in kind.
Crack!
I snatched Teraden’s fist, folded my arm, and swung my elbow. Teraden mirrored the motion perfectly, raising his own elbow to block.
“Hooh. Looks like you’ve been training hard lately.”
“You said it.”
Our bodies twisted together in a fierce grapple, when a loud troublemaker suddenly burst in.
“Kiiyooot!”
Blanser roared like a beast and dropped straight down onto us.
“Tch.”
I had no choice but to release our tangled limbs and put some distance between us.
Boom!
Blanser smashed into the floor, snorted, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Big brothers! Let me join too!”
“You little brat. You’re seriously too early for the party. Your body’s all warmed up—better stop here.”
“Yeah, that sounds right.”
“Eh?”
Blanser ignored our conversation and called out again, summoning Teraden.
“Not you guys too? Let me in!”
“Before the welcoming night even starts, you’re already jumping two rounds? Think about it. What’s on your shoulders? A flowerpot for growing hair?”
“…This is too much, big brother. I’ll get in trouble with my master.”
The word “master” made Teraden freeze. He scratched the back of his head and, oddly enough, put on a humble pose.
“Heh heh.”
“Just kidding.”
Even with Teraden’s lowly attitude, Blanser slowly shook his head and rummaged through his bag.
“Too bad. You’re already in front of the master.”
A contact mirror popped out of Blanser’s bag. On the screen, his master, Crow’s Duck, appeared. Without a word, he pointed at his own wide-open eyes with index and middle fingers, then at Teraden.
It meant: Watch carefully and do well.
“Heeeik!”
Teraden was now at the level where just the sight of Crow’s Duck’s shadow made his body shake, just like Jubern had been before.
“So, big brother now…”
“Aaaack!”
Smash!
Teraden panicked and smashed Blanser’s contact mirror to pieces.
“Even so, smashing this thing?! Big brother!”
“Hoo, hah…! Whoa, you startled me! My heart’s going to explode.”
“Really? There are a few more left. You’re not even surprised yet.”
Blanser’s sharp reaction made his face turn beet red when he reached into his bag again.
“You crazy bastard…!”
…At this point, I had to intervene.
“Don’t hold back from the morning onward. Both of you, stop. Maru’s coming over there, so let’s go eat.”
* * *
“Huu.”
“Just cleaning up a few young punks from the academy? Why so fired up?”
I found the second-ranked individual from the right side in the training grounds.
“It seems the time has finally come.”
“Yes. All preparations are complete. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“I see.”
Hyeondo rose at the summons and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel around his neck.
“I should thank those who followed my stubborn decision.”
“It’s not anyone else’s opinion. You should naturally follow it.”
Crow’s Duck and Lan had each said those things to him before.
I don’t think they’ll lose. Since they blocked his strike, it’s fine.
But only someone who didn’t know Hyeondo could say that.
Hyeondo was a strong candidate to secure one spot in next year’s official Danju Selection. Heeding the academy’s top student had required them to take the risk of deliberately clashing heads or openly revealing their plans. It was possible only because of their absolute faith in Hyeondo, the strongest in the academy.
As long as Hyeondo was there, defeat was impossible. That belief filled the hearts of the first- and second-ranked individuals.
“Then let’s get started.”
Finally dressed, Hyeondo left the training grounds with the second-ranked individual.
There was still about half a jinseon until the welcoming night began.
* * *
Whooooshing—
From the second seat, Wolhyang, to the fourth, Natalie, and finally the seventh, Ran.
High above the distant academy, the three Seven Pillars had gathered, waiting eagerly for the welcoming night to begin.
Just as countless continental citizens were watching from afar, these three Pillars were also deeply interested in this night.
They had only seen Dongye’s exploits in reports. This was the perfect chance to witness the martial prowess of the Arirang clan in this generation with their own eyes.
“Fourth Seat, you must have come for the young master’s sake.”
“Hoho. I’m just an helpless mother, after all. I didn’t expect Wolhyang to come either?”
“I have my eye on another talented child.”
“Oh my! You managed to catch Wolhyang’s interest. He must be truly exceptional!”
They exchanged light gossip several times, and finally, with their transcendent vision, they spotted the movements of the first- and second-ranked individuals.
The thick darkness didn’t hinder their ability to distinguish objects at all.
The troop split into three branches, so the battlefield was expected to expand into three main areas.
The women’s dormitory, and the back and front gates of the men’s dormitory.
Examining the women’s side first, nothing seemed particularly troublesome.
The strongest looking fighter heading there was probably Maru, then Baek Chung-se, and the rest’s abilities were all similar. Even at dawn, the outcome wouldn’t be decided easily.
Next was the back gate that Blanser had taken charge of. Well… with Blanser there, there was no need to worry at all.
Who was Blanser? Crow’s Duck’s disciple, no less. Luckily, under his mother’s and Haru’s daily influence, his temper had calmed a bit, but his strength and boldness still closely mirrored the old Crow’s Duck.
‘This side is actually more worrisome for the opponent. I hope Blanser doesn’t cause any major accidents.’
By now, some of the fighters watching that side who had clashed with Crow’s Duck before probably would have clutched their necks in terror upon confirming Blanser.
The battle at the back gate was expected to finish first among the three.
But Ran narrowed his eyes as he checked the final troop heading toward the front gate.
‘This… a disaster.’
Hyeondo’s presence outside the norm carved a deep crease between Ran’s brows. Natalie felt the same.
“Hmm… the level of that one child is too high…”
‘Fourth Seat was right. To deal with him, we must definitely coordinate an attack. The others won’t let it slide easily, and considering Haru-nim’s personality, he probably won’t approve of cooperation either. After quickly suppressing the rest of the upper ranks, we can switch to a rolling battle and hold on until the end. That should be the best option.’
Whoosh—!
Yet as if mocking Ran and Natalie’s worries, time passed, the opening drew nearer, and soon Hyeondo fired a purple flame signaling the start of the battle at Haru and Teraden.
Whether Haru’s group could truly showcase the qualities of Arirang Peltix, the pinnacle of the continent, remained to be seen. The welcoming night, which everyone’s attention was fixed on, had begun.
* * *
The capital city, the grandest city on the continent, had been famous since ancient times as a place where lights and laughter never ceased.
But unlike the distant, flickering lights of the capital, the dormitory and its surroundings where we stood now were completely silent and dark.
Truly an eerie sight.
Large contact mirrors installed on the building walls or in every corner reflected the moonlight, probably so everyone could watch the battle in real time.
Some people seemed uneasy about the mirrors’ presence and stood rigid or swallowed nervously.
They’d have a hard time exerting full power like that…
“The field is turning out bigger than I thought.”
“As if you just realized that now. Scared?”
“Not scared so much as a little worried whether we can all pull it off. This isn’t something that can be won by you and me alone. We felt that bone-deep in Dongye too… wait, they’re coming.”
Weongweong.
Without any tension, the noisy sound of a crowd filled the street as the first-year academy students appeared at the end.
The way they advanced toward us was overwhelmingly imposing.
Teraden suddenly grabbed his own hair in despair and unleashed his frustration.
“Damn, I’m gonna lose it! Damn it! Is this a fashion show? What models are those guys? Are they walking the runway right now? Why are they strutting around so arrogantly?”
He usually cried when he got angry, and right now his mood was exactly that.
“Wait.”
Teraden was about to bolt, so I urgently grabbed his sleeve.
“That means you have confidence in us. It also means we’re being underestimated. Just hold on a little longer…”
Pwoong!
Just as I was trying to stop Teraden, the leader suddenly fired a purple flame straight at us.
Although it had come from quite far, the power wasn’t overwhelming, and we easily dispersed it.
“For a first meeting, that was intense. But that blue flame Ineung—wait, could it be…?”
“Yeah, that guy is probably Hyeondo, the so-called strongest in the academy.”
“It might change starting today, though. I can’t hold back anymore! Are you ready?”
“Sigh, yeah.”
We grinned at each other, then leaped down from the rooftop at the same time.
“Great. Let’s show them what we can do! The welcoming night has begun!”
““Uwaaaaa!””
Teraden and I leaped out together as the signal, and a thunderous cheer shook the ground as the two sides mixed into one.
A short yet long night—the welcoming night had begun.