Chapter 109: The More a Guy Talks, the More Likely He’s an Extra
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109: The More a Guy Talks, the More Likely He’s an Extra
"Cadet Baek Tae-yang, a word."
"Sir? Yes, sir."
It was the day before the Gladire tournament.
Jang Du-cheol had suddenly summoned me to the counseling room.
"You must win."
"So suddenly?"
I thought he was going to offer some words of encouragement, but my expectations were completely subverted.
Usually, in situations like this, don't people say things like 'do your best,' 'don't be nervous,' or 'I know you can do it'?
To just blurt out 'win' out of nowhere...
I was planning to anyway, but still.
Even if the tournament was primarily for rookie Hunters, I never dreamed an instructor would mention it so bluntly.
"I'm not overestimating you or anything like that. This is a conclusion reached through a strictly objective evaluation."
"But I can't use my Main Skill."
"It doesn't matter."
On Earth, an Always-Active Main Skill holder was essentially the equivalent of a nuclear weapon.
No matter how much Gladire encouraged proactive desire through healthy competition between Hunters, there were lines that couldn't be crossed.
That was why, in Gladire, those with Always-Active Main Skills had their skills strictly sealed.
There was a reason Kim Min-su was cooped up in the training room all day, pushing his body through even more grueling discipline.
Jang Du-cheol’s expression showed he understood that perfectly well.
"I know what you're worried about. The difference between being able to use a Main Skill and not is indeed massive. However, we're saying this based on several pieces of evidence."
Perhaps sensing the motivation draining from my eyes, Jang Du-cheol went as far as writing 'Reasons for Victory' on the whiteboard and began listing points.
"First, this tournament focuses on rookie Hunters. Since it's a competition where rookies from all over the world—not just Korea—participate, there may be many skilled individuals, but frankly, most fall short compared to you."
"But they've graduated from their Academies, haven't they?"
"Graduating from an Academy doesn't make everyone top-tier. Even at Victory Academy, people think everyone becomes a 1st-Grade Hunter upon graduation, but the truth is different."
"Aha..."
It was a bit surprising to learn that the wall to becoming a 1st-Grade Hunter was that high.
It made me realize once again just how incredible a Hunter Yu Min-hyeok was.
And I banged the daughter of a Hunter like that.
A sense of conquest I hadn't felt before suddenly surged within me.
As soon as Jang Du-cheol noticed my interest, his black marker began moving rapidly.
"I've narrowed down a few candidates for the title. Would you like to check them out?"
"Hmm..."
"Your face is practically screaming that they aren't even worth checking."
"I'm sorry."
"Well, it doesn't matter. You just have to beat them all anyway."
To be honest, I wasn't even interested in the title contenders.
As long as Kim Min-su was participating in Gladire, most of them were bound to talk big and then exit the stage.
I didn't want to waste time on such trivial matters.
This might turn into Kim Min-su's second growth event.
The Hero who grows by overcoming adversity.
The protagonist who defeats the favorites even while his Main Skill is sealed.
Considering that Academy Pure Love Diary was a classic growth-focused story, it was a highly plausible guess.
And that was exactly why I had to be the one to win.
"But why do I have to be the one to win? Kim Min-su is here too."
"Ah, that..."
Before continuing, Jang Du-cheol checked outside the counseling room window to see if anyone was there.
Even though it was obvious no one was around, he wasn't satisfied and even opened the door to thoroughly check for eavesdroppers.
"Actually, this is where the real conversation begins. This must stay between you and me."
Click.
After locking the door, Jang Du-cheol sat in front of me with a grave expression.
It was a face I couldn't have imagined on the man who had been maintaining a relaxed atmosphere with a gentle smile until now.
"There may be Noble moles even within Victory Academy. And the possibility of them approaching Cadet Kim Min-su is very high."
"Don't tell me Kim Min-su is also...?"
Even as I asked, I knew there was no way.
There was no way that idiot could play an active role in a massive criminal organization like the Skill Hunters.
But I should play along for now.
Since the atmosphere was so serious, it was only right to give an appropriate reaction.
"It's not Cadet Kim Min-su. He's not that kind of student. However, the problem lies with the people around him."
"You mean they might approach Min-su and pull some kind of stunt?"
"Yes. They might form an alliance behind the scenes to help Min-su. Perhaps all the Innate Awakeners will form a single team."
"What do they stand to gain by going that far?"
This was a genuine question.
What on earth was the benefit of providing full support and taking sides for Kim Min-su, who wasn't even active in Noble?
Does it even make sense to divide them like that?
The purpose behind the differentiation seemed far too blurry.
What advantage could possibly come from splitting Innate and Acquired Awakeners and starting a faction war?
Jang Du-cheol noticed my confusion and spoke immediately.
"None."
"Pardon?"
"There is none at all. You must have guessed it too. What's the point of dividing them? What's the advantage? You've probably tried to think about it from their perspective at least once."
But there was none. And that was why it was dangerous.
His low-muttered words carried a great deal of weight.
And among those many meanings, the clearest one was this:
They're a bunch of complete lunatics.
The goal was vague and the process was dangerous, yet there was no profit to be had.
Their only aim was discrimination—to clearly establish a status difference between Innate and Acquired Awakeners and make everyone recognize it.
Noble was engaging in a high-risk, low-return endeavor.
"Therefore, as the leading representative of the Acquired Awakeners, you must take the victory. Win proudly and create a Hunter society without discrimination. Even if the water at the top is rotten, that doesn't mean the water at the bottom has to be."
"But why me?"
"That's..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Because it's the fastest way, huh..."
I walked along, chewing over Jang Du-cheol's final words.
It's not like I'm some character made for a speedrun.
I wanted to ask for more details, but Jang Du-cheol's gaze had been so intense that I couldn't bring myself to speak further.
Anyway, what should I do now?
Since Gladire was an individual competition, he said there was no need to contact Kim Min-su separately.
In fact, if I stayed close to him, Noble might not approach, so we had to stay apart.
As I was wandering around wondering what to do, a broadcast luckily echoed through the stadium.
—The Gladire preliminary round will begin shortly. All participating Hunters, please gather at the center of the stadium immediately.
The center of the Gladire stadium.
When I moved there, what greeted the participants was a massive Gate entrance.
What?
There had been something strange from the start.
The stadium seemed too cramped considering the number of Hunters competing in individual matches.
Since Hunters were coming from all over the world, they would need an immense amount of space.
Gladire had prepared something that would blow those concerns away.
—Participants, please lower your guard and enter the Gate. This is an artificial Gate where monsters do not appear, created purely for the purpose of the Gladire tournament. Please enter the Gate with a relaxed mind. Repeating the announcement. Hunters participating in the Gladire tournament, please lower your guard and enter the Gate...
"What kind of test... is held inside a Gate? Unbelievable... This is ridiculous."
"I know, right? But we're a bit different. After all, we're experienced professionals. Hahaha!"
My reaction was more along the lines of 'Oh, taking a test inside a Gate is interesting and new,' but it seemed the people around me felt differently.
Just by eavesdropping on the chatter, I could tell the sentiment wasn't exactly positive.
Since the Hunters were all rookies, they lacked composure.
Some Hunters even shouted "It's a monster!" the moment they saw the Gate, only to be thoroughly embarrassed.
"O-Oh... it wasn't..."
Naturally, Min-su was among them.
But they really put a lot of effort into this.
Since Gladire required participants to bring everything from their outfits to their weapons, there was a lot to see.
In particular, those who were overly prepared had brought so much luggage it looked like they were moving houses.
As if refusing to be outdone by those eccentrics, Min-su was wearing a traditional Hanbok along with a black scholar's hat.
"Oh? You're Baek Tae-yang, right?"
"Yes?"
Just as I was about to grab my gear and head toward the Gate, someone called out to me.
"I'm Park Gyeong-cheol. You know me, right?"
"No, I don't."
"?"
"?"
We stared at each other blankly for a few seconds, question marks practically floating over our heads.
Who the hell is Park Gyeong-cheol?
Why is he wasting this precious time when I should be entering the Gate to assess the environment?
The man who introduced himself as Park Gyeong-cheol stared at me intensely before suddenly bursting into a boisterous laugh.
"Hahaha! You're as bold and cool as I heard! But listen, it seems there's been a slight misunderstanding that I need to clear up... I'm your senior. So, I think speaking casually to me is a bit strange, don't you? Of course, you might be doing it because you're nervous... so I'll let it slide with a light apology. The reason I approached you is..."
"No, I'm not nervous. I'm speaking casually on purpose."
This wasn't the Academy.
"...What?"
"I said I'm dropping the honorifics intentionally. Besides, since when were we 'senior' and 'junior'? And how did you even know it was me?"
"...Uh... no... well..."
Therefore, I didn't need to force myself to look good to anyone.
And if things followed novel clichés, this guy was definitely an extra.
The more a guy talks, the more likely he’s an extra.
It looked like he was trying to latch onto me to gain something.
Not a chance.
[Rocinante activated! Please drive safely!]
Neigh!
The thunderous neighing of a war horse stomping its hooves echoed loudly through the stadium.
Perhaps because it hadn't been out in a while, Rocinante was showing off its presence to its heart's content.
I shouldn't even deal with guys like that.
I didn't want to get tied down by an extra and waste time on useless conversation.
I immediately mounted Rocinante, left Park Gyeong-cheol behind, and entered the Gate.
It was the official start of the Gladire preliminaries.
"I mean... how could I not know when you're carrying a weapon case the size of a bed..."
I lightly ignored the voice fading behind me.