I Don't Avoid Fights I Take On
"Anyway, you should try focusing on quick swordplay and those unexpected thrusts. That's what it looks like to me."
'This should be enough.'
He hadn't planned on giving even this much advice, but a whim struck him when he saw the guy slumping in defeat. It wouldn't change much since it aligned with his pre-regression playstyle anyway... but it might awaken his talent a bit sooner.
"Haa..."
He always felt it, but there was something special about a shower after a match or spar. It almost made him think that's why he couldn't quit this game.
"So, what do you think? Feeling up for it now?"
"Hmm... Not sure yet, but I'm starting to get a sense of it."
Lee Chang-hyun had personally guided the sparring session and was now heading out of the arena with him. Since the room had been broadcasting their ongoing match until just moments ago, quite a crowd had gathered outside—mostly players from the 2nd or 3rd leagues, along with some scouts.
Most of them stared like they were screaming, "I'm interested in you!" It was quite the sight.
'Well, who else would catch their eye?'
Even if his current stats and skills weren't impressive yet, the class of "most wins pre-regression" was eternal.
On the other hand, some couldn't hide their displeasure and muttered under their breath.
"Big deal, he just beat some low-tier close-range dealer from Seoul Academy... Tsk."
The guy saying that turned out to be the same fool who'd bragged about luckily finding a hidden piece earlier. With his personality, he couldn't just let that slide.
"Think that low-tier close-range dealer could beat someone like me~?"
"What? You done talking?"
The guy straightened up and shot back. Kids like him always got pissed when you mocked them the way they mocked others. It was an eternal truth.
"Yeah, I'm done. Got a problem?"
His face turned beet red, but he couldn't respond. Still, since he started it, Lee Chang-hyun had no intention of stopping.
"If it bugs you that much, step up. Scared?"
"W-what?"
"You scared or what? Man up or back off. Perfect—we can do a 1v1 right up ahead."
"You think I won't? Bring it."
As expected, the guy exploded in rage. Boys this age were always so hot-blooded. And crushing their egos flat was right up Lee Chang-hyun's alley.
"Gun? You won't need that crap. Promise. I'll beat you down like a dog in the dog days of summer, no weapons."
This was deliberately poking at the guy's pride. After all, pre-regression, he'd mastered every weapon imaginable—nothing he couldn't handle.
And so, an unexpected second spar began.
But... hmm. Stronger than expected.
'Isn't this the guy who got 5th place with me in the survival game?'
His Piercing Eye revealed the stats crystal clear.
'Damn... gotta revise my assessment.'
His physical stats and skills were surprisingly solid—top-tier among these rookies. Plus, he'd basically sealed away his gun since he'd promised not to use it.
'My stats haven't grown much yet, while he's already developed quite a bit. Pure strength contest? I'd lose for sure.'
He'd planned a light warm-up after Kim Do-jun, but this looked like it required full effort. Real risk of defeat.
'But backing down just because defeat's possible? No. Winning is growth, and dodging fights once or twice turns you into a coward who never challenges anything for life.'
Through teams and teammates, he'd learned hesitation about losing created impurities in action—and led straight to defeat. In the Hunters League, tiny edges decided victories.
So Lee Chang-hyun didn't hesitate.
"Come at me."
Kim Jin-seung had watched the full spar between Kim Do-jun and Lee Chang-hyun.
'I know his strengths, his style...'
He recalled what the guy had shown. Excluding the Ether gun he couldn't use without Ether, it was mostly close-range weapons like greatswords, spears, swords.
To counter, Kim Jin-seung planned mid-range—his specialty, hidden weapons. As a mid-range dealer with Telekinesis, he calculated unbeatable 1v1 odds.
He grinned slyly.
"Shall we start?"
With that, he widened the distance, betting Lee Chang-hyun would charge with close-range gear.
'Tch.'
Missed the timing for a sword-range lead; annoyingly, Kim Jin-seung kept retreating to pure mid-range dealer distance.
Clang!
Then, as expected, hidden weapons rained down. Pure one-sided assault.
He deflected with dynamic vision as best he could, but a sword had limits.
'Behind...'
At the moment he had to block front, one flew to force a back-turn. The crowd buzzed, thinking it was over.
Clang!
Something invisible blocked it.
'Phew... good thing Bloom gave me Ether. Without it...'
He'd have been done. But how to catch this guy endlessly kiting and harassing from range...?
Without an Ether gun, he lacked ranged options. Even transforming a bow via Magic Engineering Weapon Conversion, arrows were limited.
Few chances for ranged attacks.
From the sidelines—and Kim Jin-seung's view—it was baffling.
'Thought that hit clean... what blocked it? Some trump card?'
One precise blind-spot strike blocked hinted at a hidden ability, throwing off calculations.
'Shield skill? Nah, he'd have blocked everything then. What...?'
Couldn't even see it clearly, breeding fear of the unknown.
As he hesitated on continuing the pressure—
Lee Chang-hyun counterattacked. Transformed his sword into a hidden weapon and hurled it.
'Just one hidden weapon?'
Kim Jin-seung laughed. Probably limited by having only one sword.
Not worth dodging—with Telekinesis, easy block.
And it worked. The thrown dagger halted mid-air, pinned by something.
But...
'Knew you had Telekinesis.'
Piercing Eye had already revealed it—predictable.
So he'd hidden three of four transformed daggers. To bait with one "real" dagger.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three more flew from behind the frozen one.
One, two, three—impacting the telekinetically held dagger like rockets, propelling it.
'I've thrown all my weapons now... if I don't end it here, I lose.'
The held dagger barely shook on first hit, violently on second, broke free on third, rocketing forward.
Kim Jin-seung, focused on Telekinesis, frozen in place—couldn't dodge.
Beep—
Buzzer sounded. Lee Chang-hyun's victory.
"Ho... so this is your pick for championship contender this time?"
"What do you think?"
"Hmm... battle sense is sharp, especially hiding those three daggers at the end. Great instincts. And his stats don't look that high?"
"Sharp eyes as always."
One of the audition judges, Lee Min-seok. Beside him was Lee Ui-jun, a 1st league scout.
'Thought auditions with academy kids would be mediocre... but both exceeded expectations.'
And that wasn't all.
"Min-seok, you know something about that Lee Chang-hyun kid, right?"
"Like what?"
Lee Min-seok smiled, as if saying, Guess.
"Come on. Skills. Hiding those three daggers assumes predicting Telekinesis—impossible otherwise."
"...You didn't watch the broadcast?"
"I'm no scout. Why waste time on promising kids' shows?"
"Yet you're dying to know his skills..."
Lee Min-seok narrowed his eyes. Teasing by circling instead of spilling...
Finally, he got serious.
"I think... it's like your skill, or 1st-gen hunter Kim Seung-uk's 'Analysis Eye.'"
"Analysis Eye..."
Lee Ui-jun was stunned. Rare skill, revealed only twice, insanely versatile legend from 1st-gen hunters.
He had a version too, but it was clearly inferior to the real "Analysis Eye."
"Overrating just for piercing one superpower?"
"No. We're underestimating. You missed it, but in survival, he knew the hidden piece dungeon spot. Qualifiers, he targeted clone circuits relentlessly."
"..."
"Yeah, if he debuts in 1st league, folks'll say it: the revival of legendary 1st-gen hunter Kim Seung-uk."
Shocking. Huge gap between 1st-league Lee Ui-jun and academy rookies like Lee Chang-hyun.
But Kim Seung-uk's legend loomed that large over past gens.
"That's not all. Bet he has more skills."
Even 1st-league scout Lee Ui-jun's eyes widened.