Why Are These Damn Kids So Weak? (3)
To state the obvious, Kim Joo-hyuk's current body wasn't in great shape.
He hadn't done any proper physical training in the past few days while digging for info, but even just using this body for a short time had let him quickly gauge its condition.
'Weak as shit, and scrawny too.'
Of course, it was better than a regular person's.
But being better than a regular person just meant, in other words, that a contractor—who was supposed to smash monsters—had a physique barely worth comparing to some random civilian's.
'Honestly, it's gonna be tough to do jack shit with this body.'
Kim Joo-hyuk calmly admitted the facts.
He couldn't output his old power with this body.
But.
'Me getting weaker doesn't mean these random scrubs got stronger.'
Oh Se-hyeok's physical abilities, as he charged in a frenzy, looked impressive even to Kim Joo-hyuk's eyes.
None of the other freshmen he'd faced so far had better specs than Oh Se-hyeok.
But combat wasn't something you could end with overwhelming physical prowess alone.
You needed martial arts to back it up, and above all, observation of your opponent.
But if those three elements weren't balanced?
-Two front teeth gone!
'This is what happens.'
Kim Joo-hyuk smirked as he watched Oh Se-hyeok flip back with eyes rolled white, two corn kernels sailing through the air.
Oh Se-hyeok's physical abilities were definitely solid, but that was it.
He didn't even try to read his opponent, and more importantly, he lacked any martial arts to properly utilize those specs.
'That's why one counter sends him straight to hell.'
Kim Joo-hyuk hadn't really done anything.
He'd just thrown a punch when Oh Se-hyeok rushed in swinging, landing a clean counter.
"Not a single one of these fuckers isn't a pushover."
Kim Joo-hyuk
Confirming his name on the upper hologram moments later, Kim Joo-hyuk left the now-silent arena for the waiting room.
Oh Cheol-shin, head of the Oseon family and guild master of Oseon Guild—better known to the world as the Fighting King—possessed a personality as cold and analytical as it was at odds with his epithet.
Rather than fighting on instinct, he calculated rationally.
He analyzed and re-analyzed his opponent's movements to maximize his odds of victory before committing.
That was Oh Cheol-shin's ironclad rule and combat style.
Of course, at a glance, his personality seemed contradictory to the "Fighting King" title.
But Oh Cheol-shin firmly believed he'd earned that moniker precisely because of his philosophy.
In short, he trusted his philosophy and his analytical skills.
From that perspective, he saw his son Oh Se-hyeok as exceptionally talented, arrogant or not.
Especially his physical growth, boundless where others plateaued—that transcended mere talent in Oh Cheol-shin's eyes.
Sure, that overwhelming gift had made the kid arrogant, but compared to his peers, he had every right to be.
No need for the hype or media packaging other families relied on; his son was just strong.
But.
"……."
Oh Cheol-shin stared at his son.
Front teeth gone, sprawled pathetically—a disgrace to the family.
Yet Oh Cheol-shin's emotions barely rippled.
Not because he wasn't angry.
Not because it wasn't humiliating.
It wasn't cold detachment or lack of love for his son.
"Ha……."
The reason was simple: his mind had no room for emotional turbulence over something like this.
"Heh, a single counter punch. I wondered if he'd been doing okay so far, but to shatter like this."
"Honestly, didn't expect Oh Se-hyeok to go down to one basic punch."
Oh Cheol-shin sneered at the muttering scouts in front of him.
'You idiots, calling that a basic counter punch?'
No, it wasn't.
It might look that way to others, but to the Fighting King, Kim Joo-hyuk's counter was no ordinary swing.
'That was an unavoidable fist……!'
Oh Se-hyeok wasn't dumb.
Even with minimal martial training due to his physical gifts, as Oseon heir, he had solid skills compared to peers.
His son couldn't dodge a basic counter?
Ridiculous.
Oh Se-hyeok hadn't failed to dodge.
Kim Joo-hyuk had thrown an impossible-to-dodge punch.
Oh Cheol-shin replayed the moment.
Oh Se-hyeok charging, the exquisitely timed fist extending, his face freezing in disbelief.
Oh Se-hyeok struck first.
Had the overwhelming physical edge.
Even used mana that Kim Joo-hyuk hadn't.
Yet this freshman casually crushed all three unbeatable advantages.
With one punch.
The result.
'Monster……!'
That's how Oh Cheol-shin rated him.
He had no choice.
What if the kid trained his stamina and got decent physical specs?
What if he fully awakened his talent with more time?
"Haha……."
The thought sent chills down his spine; Oh Cheol-shin unwittingly smiled and scanned the arena.
He sensed a few here already recognized Kim Joo-hyuk's value, sighing inwardly.
'If only it were just idiots.'
But gems shine eventually, sooner or later.
'I'll bring him into our family no matter what.'
Oh Cheol-shin vowed, eyes on the waiting room Kim Joo-hyuk had entered.
"Huaaah~ Choi Ah-rin noona~"
"Noona! I love you, noona!"
"Fuck off, you psychos! Buncha army vets calling a 17-year-old 'noona' like that."
Hearing the voices from one side of the arena, Kim Joo-hyuk glanced up at the hologram, then at Choi Ah-rin facing him.
Final Match
Choi Ah-rin vs Kim Joo-hyuk
Choi Ah-rin stood motionless in her iaido stance, sword at the ready, not taking a single step.
Kim Joo-hyuk smirked at her.
'At least one kid who actually thinks.'
Today, he'd fought four opponents, including Oh Se-hyeok.
Two were slightly better than the average freshman: the first, Oh Se-hyeok, and then the Jangsan family heir.
Still, they were worse than Yoo So-yeon from day one.
But the girl before him now was the best freshman he'd seen so far.
'At least she reads the situation.'
Indeed, for the first 30 seconds of the match, Choi Ah-rin hadn't moved an inch.
Just waiting for him to come to her.
Not the absolute best choice, but not bad.
Kim Joo-hyuk hadn't moved much in prior matches, so his info was basically nil.
Her intent was clear: probe with max skill instead of rushing blindly.
Unfortunately, she'd overlooked one thing.
Kim Joo-hyuk's skill was way beyond her expectations.
Thud— thud—
He started walking.
No explosive leap, no frantic sprint.
Thud— thud—
Just walking.
No boxing rhythm or stance either.
Literal steps forward.
With each one, the distance closed; Choi Ah-rin tensed, readying her draw.
Yet Kim Joo-hyuk didn't pause, even smiling as he narrowed the gap.
Thud— thud—
Nine steps left now.
Choi Ah-rin hardened her expression and unleashed her mana.
Crackle, bzzzzt!
"Lightning!?"
"She already mastered the Choi family's attribute change at 17?"
"These five great families' heirs at the entrance ceremony are all monsters……!"
Gasps erupted around them.
But Choi Ah-rin focused solely on Kim Joo-hyuk approaching.
'Now!'
The instant he entered range, she drew with near-certain conviction.
Bzzzzt!
The blade flashed at speed invisible to most eyes, aiming for his throat.
The next moment.
"If your eyes telegraph every target like that, isn't it too easy to dodge?"
"Wh—!"
Crack!
Kim Joo-hyuk smashed her solar plexus, sending her flying; he watched her bounce back with an odd expression.
Not surprise at her skill.
She wasn't as feeble as the others, but still just another pushover freshman to him.
But the reason he stared.
'……That draw felt weirdly familiar somehow?'
Her final iaido stroke resembled something he knew.
'The stance was different, though.'
Kim Joo-hyuk
Shrugging at the hologram, Kim Joo-hyuk turned away.
No need to dwell on it.
And.
Kim Joo-hyuk shattered pre-entrance expectations from the five great families and scouts alike, entering Valhalla as #1—
"Kim Joo-hyuk! Let's talk!"
"Student Kim Joo-hyuk! Join Cheongmyeong—we'll spare no support!"
"Kim Joo-hyuk. As for us, we're a guild with 30 years of tradition in Korea—"
"All of you, fuck off!"
—and started generating flashy controversies even before the ceremony.