Chapter 30

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 30

Chapter Title: Showcase (2)

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I slowly opened my mouth to Yun Yeon.

"...It wasn't because there was something wrong with Myth Clan that I turned it down."

"Hm... Then what was the reason?"

"It's... an incredibly simple one. I just wanted to join a clan together with my party members."

"......"

She looked shocked, clearly not expecting such a straightforward reason.

"Hm... I see. In my case... my tutorial group didn't get along that well, so I never even considered that might be the reason."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I get it. Your party seems really close-knit. Honestly... I'm a little jealous. That you guys can be on such good terms."

"...You might think it's flattery, but if it had just been me, I would've accepted Instructor Yeon's offer."

Maybe she took my words as bootlicking from the weak to the strong, because she replied playfully.

"Hmm... Trying to score points with me?"

Normally, I'd brush it off as a joke, but for some reason, right then, I didn't want her taking my words lightly.

"I'm serious. It might be rude, but just as you roughly figured out what kind of person I am from our last talk, I've gotten a sense of who Yun Yeon is from this conversation."

"....."

"Setting aside that you're the Myth Clan Master, I just find the person Yun Yeon herself worthy of respect."

She clearly wasn't expecting such direct praise, because Yun Yeon's face started turning tomato red.

"...Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't reject it because Myth Clan seemed problematic. So you don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need to worry about that. It's a clan plenty of us wanted to join."

".....Got it. Hm... It's getting pretty late anyway... Trainee Lee Yun-seong, you should head back to the dorms, right? G-Go on ahead."

The moment she finished speaking, I was unceremoniously booted from her bedroom. She must've used her strength to shove me out, because I found myself in the hallway without a clue what happened.

"...Did I upset her?"

From Yun Yeon's perspective, she had every reason to feel offended. Just like I'd been annoyed last time, she might've felt the same.

"...I should've chosen my words more carefully... Did I say something unnecessary?"

Showcase day. Everyone had gathered in the auditorium we'd gone to when we first arrived at the training facility. The difference this time was that the audience consisted of instructors and reps from various clans.

A male trainee was sparring with an instructor on the stage. The instructor was going easy on him, while the trainee attacked with everything he had.

If the instructor went all out, the trainee wouldn't stand a chance, so that's how it was playing out.

The trainee's status window was average, and out of curiosity about the instructor's stats, I pulled it up.

The instructor's stats were solid. Not weak, not top-tier—just enough to pull his weight in this world.

After a bit, the instructor knocked the trainee's sword away in a flash, making him drop it.

"Trainee Lee Kyung-hun's showcase is over."

The guy slumped down in despair, realizing he hadn't shown anything worthwhile.

Looked like he'd classed up using an artifact. His stats were ridiculously low.

The man trudged back to his seat, and next up was our party—Seo Yu-ju.

"Next is Trainee Seo Yu-ju's showcase."

Seo Yu-ju slowly walked onto the stage.

The clan reps in the audience looked eager. They'd felt her value over the past three months, but the showcase had them hyped even more.

The instructor facing her stiffened, straightening his posture. Total opposite from how he'd handled the last trainee.

"Let the showcase begin."

The moment it started, Seo Yu-ju charged the instructor and thrust her spear.

"Th-this... insane!"

The instructor blurted out a curse, clearly thrown off by her level.

As blows were exchanged, murmurs rippled through the onlookers.

"...A real monster. And she's only three months in?"

"...Unbelievable. Whoever snags that kid hit the jackpot."

"Word is she's joining Incarnation Clan..."

Hearing the praise for Seo Yu-ju lifted my mood too. Following her really was the right call.

After over three minutes of back-and-forth, she blocked a kick and got sent flying back. End of match.

"Trainee Seo Yu-ju's showcase is over."

Despite taking the full brunt of the kick and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flying far, she walked off casually, brushing her clothes. She hadn't even dropped her spear.

Everyone—instructors and trainees alike—stared at her in stunned silence.

Someone muttered it.

"......Monster."

I didn't know if she could've beaten the instructor. The stat gap said no, but even if she could, she wouldn't have.

A three-month newbie beating an instructor? Everyone would think it was fishy.

No way she hadn't thought of that.

"Next is Trainee Lee Yu-hyeon's showcase."

The moment Yu-hyeon got on stage, he demonstrated by cutting his hand and healing it.

Basic heal—any priest could do that. The audience was mildly impressed but not blown away.

For his experience, it was solid.

Then came the real showstopper: activating the shield.

"Guardian Shield."

The barrier that had proven itself in the dungeon lit up, and the clan reps' eyes went wide.

"Wh-what? A shield? Not just heals?"

"Crazy! A priest who can use shields?!"

Everyone except Ha Yu-ri was seeing it for the first time and freaking out.

'Makes sense.'

Ha Yu-ri had told me shields were a big deal here.

Heals fix injuries, but shields prevent them altogether.

In a world that values life, shields outrank heals by miles.

To those unaware of Seo Yu-ju's regressor status, Yu-hyeon might even seem more valuable.

Her true worth was her first-round knowledge, but to others, she was just a freakishly talented spearman. Replaceable, kinda.

Yu-hyeon? Shield-casting priest who could still heal. Irreplaceable.

Kang Sung-jun looked shocked too, like he'd just learned about it.

Ha Yu-ri must've kept quiet about Yu-hyeon for three months to recruit him herself.

'But after throwing her tantrum at me, she's out of luck.'

Her giggling at Yu-hyeon's "I'll think about it" was pathetic, oblivious as she was.

'Fucking idiot.'

Our party's showcases wrapped up one by one, all drawing rave reactions. Except An Tae-woo's—everyone eyed us hungrily anyway.

Then it was my turn.

"Next is Trainee Lee Yun-seong's showcase."

'Shit...'

I swallowed the curse and trudged onstage. My mood was in the gutter.

'...Because I've got nothing to show.'

I'd tried growing in every way these three months, but no dice.

While others mastered one or two elements, I'd just picked up another spell of the same type.

Ha Yu-ri's bug-eyed stares in class had me too ashamed to look up.

Up on stage, the stares suffocated me. I had to prove my worth here, and I couldn't.

I started with the most basic spell from the tutorial.

"Ignite, flame."

Basic fire orb—or fireball. Mine was black from dark magic.

I hurled it at the practice dummy, and it burned brighter than in the tutorial.

"....."

Next, Flame Wall. Also called Fire Wall.

"Wall of flame."

Whoosh—

Mana drained fast as a wall of fire my height rose before me.

'Damn... mana...'

Less than a minute in, my mana ran dry, and the wall vanished.

No way the big shots missed that.

"Trainee Lee Yun-seong's showcase is over."

Clap clap clap.

They knew I was key to our party, so polite applause—but their eyes treated me like gutter trash.

I forced a calm face and stepped down.

As I descended, my eyes met Seo Yu-ju's for a split second.

"......."

Felt like shit.

Because she was looking at me with pity.

Suddenly wondered: what if this was first round me up there?

'...What do you think? Everything would've sucked.'

Now, thanks to her, we're in Incarnation Clan—one of the Big Three. First round? No chance.

I'd guessed first-round me might've joined Yun Yeon's, but that was just a guess.

No guarantee she'd have offered.

Probably everyone looked at me like garbage. If not even Yun Yeon scouted me, I'd be nowhere.

Bottom line: on my own, no welcome mat anywhere.

'Fucking sucks... Earth or here...'

Their stares dredged up dumb thoughts. I shoved the feelings down.

'Used to it anyway.'

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠greeted the waiting party.

"Good work, everyone. You all were amazing, haha."

"...You too, Yun-seong."

"Nah, you guys had it tougher. Me? Nothing much to show, so it was easy."

"...Oppa."

Yu-rim called me, so I turned.

"Yeah?"

"...Never mind."

"...What, lame."

No reason to stick around the auditorium, so I spoke up.

"Alright, let's head back. Showcase's done—everyone rest up. Great job."