Team Showdown (2)
Kwaaaang—!! A massive explosion rocked the forest once more. The shockwave shredded the surrounding leaves into tatters, but the billowing cloud of dust concealed the destruction. Yet Do-gyeol's twisted smirk amid the chaos stood out sharp and clear.
"I've already shown you back at the entrance exam that my output is higher than yours..."
He'd confirmed it.
'Definitely confirmed it, right?'
As the smoke cleared, Do-gyeol tilted his head at Kang Hak's utterly composed demeanor.
"That talisman—Seo Tae-yun made it for you?"
Kang Hak asked casually, brushing the dirt off his clothes. It was clearly a question about the talisman. But Do-gyeol's ears barely registered it.
'What the hell, how does a guy like that even exist?'
Sure, practice talismans had output limits, but he'd packed it right up to the max. And yet Kang Hak had casually nullified it with a single punch.
'The class difference is insane.'
Sweat prickled down his back.
*
"...That guy just now, blocking Kang Hak's attack head-on—is he really the one Pi-teacher was so stubborn about?"
In the control room, dozens of monitors displayed views from across the exam grounds. A dazed voice echoed there. After all, this was the guy who shouldn't even be in Je-ryeong Class, standing up to Kang Hak.
"And that was a mass-produced practice talisman, right? You put that kind of power into it?"
"Even if Seo Tae-yun made it... that boldness and reflexes are all his own."
"Looks like the guts he showed at the entrance exam weren't just empty bravado after all."
The murmurs grew thicker.
"Reading the split-second timing right before Kang Hak's strike landed and detonating an explosion? Lucky break?"
"How's that luck? And look at that shameless counterattack."
"Incredible dynamic vision and senses—you can barely believe it. Pi-teacher must've trained him hard."
As the teachers chattered, reevaluating Do-gyeol, Pi Yu-jun rolled his lollipop with a faint smile.
'I haven't taught him a damn thing.'
Truth be told, even Pi Yu-jun was a bit surprised. Do-gyeol hadn't just clashed brute force against brute force—he'd dispersed the opponent's power like riding a wave. As if he'd calculated the explosion's recoil and Kang Hak's movement.
'That kid... his ability to read spiritual power flows is getting freakishly sharp.'
The thought was fleeting. Pi Yu-jun's gaze swept to another monitor.
*
"Move."
Seo Tae-yun and Yun Ga-eun eyed the remaining two from Kang Hak's team: Seong Yun-a and Lee Seok-gyu.
"What if we don't wanna?"
Seo Tae-yun didn't bother replying to the taunt. No time to waste.
'Gotta link up with Do-gyeol fast. He can't hold out long against Kang Hak.'
Alone, he could've ignored these two and pushed on. But Yun Ga-eun was right there beside him. He couldn't abandon her to save Do-gyeol. Nor could he ditch the mission just to snatch points solo—that would be the worst outcome.
'Can't sacrifice teammates for the mission. Clear this quick.'
Paradoxically, he didn't look rushed at all. Calmly extending his hand, a school of blue tropical fish shot out like arrows.
Whiiiish—!
Seong Yun-a moved swiftly. Index and middle fingers extended, she traced a constellation in the air.
"Seongdo, Shield Constellation!"
Charrrk. Boom!
Starlight connected, materializing a massive shield. The tropical fish slammed into it, shattering into sparkling fragments.
'...A Seongdo sorcerer.'
Yun Ga-eun's eyes narrowed. Handling it that effortlessly meant subduing her wouldn't be easy. And if they left thinking she'd been neutralized, she could recover and rejoin the fight.
'Sure, I could stay and pin her down, but seeing Kang Hak today? Best if I join up too.'
Getting tangled here would just play into Kang Hak's team's pace.
"Everyone, hold up!"
Yun Ga-eun spread her arms wide and shouted.
"You two are 8th and 9th place, right? I'm 6th. And you know Tae-yun's rank? No point getting hurt—why not just let us through?"
Bluntly throwing out ranks was mostly a bluff. Her 6th place was real, but earned through info-gathering shortcuts. Pure combat prowess? These two probably edged her out.
'Still, official rankings carry weight—hard to ignore the pressure.'
But Seong Yun-a's expression was resolute.
"You dumb or something?"
"...Huh?"
"Kang Hak's a loose cannon, sure, but he's still our team leader. If he sets the direction, we follow through with everything we've got. That's what teammates do."
Determination burned in Seong Yun-a's eyes.
"Even if it means getting hurt."
Lee Seok-gyu beside her, though, reacted differently.
"Uh... I'm not really up for that level... but if I slack off, that guy's gonna kill me..."
"Shut up and focus, Lee Seok-gyu!"
Seong Yun-a barked, making him flinch as he gathered his spiritual power.
Then—
Puuuung—!
A massive blast echoed from deeper in the forest.
'Do-gyeol!'
Yun Ga-eun and Seo Tae-yun's gazes snapped toward the sound. In that brief opening, Seong Yun-a and Lee Seok-gyu exchanged glances.
'Now.'
'Now?'
As they moved to deploy their spells—
Shhrrk!
Thin threads shot from Yun Ga-eun's fingertips, wrapping tightly around Seong Yun-a and Lee Seok-gyu's hands and feet.
"W-what the hell?!"
"It won't break!"
They struggled, but the spiritual power threads were tougher than steel.
"Your ability needs a perfect Seongdo drawn to activate, right?"
Yun Ga-eun yanked the threads taut.
"Sorry, but I'm not letting you draw any lines."
"Hey, you used it so blatantly we already figured it out!"
"Shut it, Lee Seok-gyu! Your yapping just advertised it for me!"
No, she was the one who'd slipped up. Lee Seok-gyu muttered dejectedly, unable to voice his real thoughts.
"...You're starting to sound like Kang Hak. Picking up bad habits like that..."
"Quiet! This isn't the time!"
As they bickered, Yun Ga-eun turned her head.
"Tae-yun, go on ahead! I'll tie these two down properly and catch up quick."
"...Got it."
Seo Tae-yun didn't drag it out, launching himself toward the explosion site.
*
"Done playing around?"
Kang Hak emerged from the dust cloud. His eyes had sunk into a deadly seriousness unlike before.
"Wait, wait! Time-out!"
Do-gyeol backpedaled, waving both hands.
"Think about it logically. Catching Seo Tae-yun saves face way more than me. Nabbing the dead last like me won't do shit for your ego."
Kang Hak's lip curled in a grotesque sneer.
"This fucker's trying to manipulate me with cheap bullshit? That pisses me off way more than anything."
Do-gyeol swallowed a sigh while glancing at the chat.
'Shit, this is getting really dangerous now...'
During team competition practice, Yun Ga-eun had told him:
'Read the opponent's spiritual power flow, and you can predict their next move to some extent.'
Though it got trickier against higher classes. Still, with his sharp perception, he'd handle it better than most.
'Thanks to that, I've dodged so far...'
But that was only because Kang Hak had been slacking off. Underestimating Do-gyeol, half-assing it.
'Now he's pissed for real.'
No reading flows or predicting trajectories—he'd get smashed before he could think. Plus, talismans were running low. Just the ones on his soles left.
'Still...'
Instead of fleeing, Do-gyeol pierced Kang Hak's spiritual wavelength with his gaze.
The sensation of tweaking that wavelength in class for days. He'd grown familiar with it.
'If I can dodge...'
Do-gyeol glanced at his empty palm.
"Where you looking?!"
Kang Hak roared and charged. His plasma-flickering fist swelled rapidly.
'Right side.'
Do-gyeol whipped his head aside, detonating a sole talisman subtly.
Bang!
The recoil let his body slip past by a paper's width. Scorching heat grazed his cheek.
And seizing the gap—
"I was gonna run, but you chased me down and clung on yourself?"
Thwack!
Do-gyeol's palm slapped onto Kang Hak's abdomen.
Suuuuck.
Kang Hak's spiritual power poured into Do-gyeol's palm like a waterfall. That wavelength he'd toyed with endlessly—synch calc done in a flash, absorption unobstructed.
'Got it...!'
Do-gyeol's dantian warmed. The chat exploded.
Holy shit lmaoooo this madlad!!!
Amazing Korean!
Fuck yeah!! That's how it's done!!
Do-gyeol's quick af ㄷㄷ
Dodged and absorbed? Absorbed?! ABSORBED?!
But the joy was short-lived.
"You little shit, right now...!"
Kang Hak jerked back, clutching his abdomen in a mix of shock and rage. The bizarre sensation of a chunk of power ripped away.
"You really wanna die?"
Do-gyeol shivered at Kang Hak's glare.
'Even that wasn't full power?'
The atmosphere shifted completely. Thanks to Pi Yu-jun's warning, Kang Hak had been holding back against the dead last—couldn't afford to kill him.
'Real monster.'
Do-gyeol trembled. The haze from Kang Hak's arm thickened insanely, warping the air with sizzling crackles.
'Can't dodge this for real.'
Instinct screamed. Trajectory readable, but speed and range beyond his body's limit.
'Was fun while it lasted...'
As Do-gyeol braced for the end, eyes open—
Shwooo!
A swarm of blue tropical fish flew in, blocking him with a massive water barrier.
Puuung!
Kang Hak's explosive fist collided, spraying water everywhere.
"Do-gyeol!"
Seo Tae-yun—you're here. But the fish were too few, or Kang Hak's seriousness too much.
Shwoo—Kwoom!!
The shockwave pierced the barrier, hurling Do-gyeol into a tree trunk.
"Kuhuk!"
Blood gushed from Do-gyeol's mouth. Not fatal, but his organs twisted in agony.
"Ptoo."
He wiped his bloody lips and spat indifferently.
"Even with all those layers blocking, it still hurts like hell."
Then, spotting something, his lip curled into a grin.
"You're late?"
With those words—
Shrrk!
Silver spiritual threads from the forest depths bound Kang Hak's arms and legs in an instant.