Chapter 108

<Episode 110> Even if you’re gonna fight, make sure to check things properly.

“Man, this guy’s not someone to underestimate.”

Soo-hyun thought as she looked at Yu-jin.

Though she’d thought he’d become more dangerous recently, it wasn’t a mistake.

The calmness in his eyes that didn’t even blink at the possibility of some catastrophic event happening…

That confidence like he believed such an outcome wouldn’t even occur.

Rather, the way he coldly calculated his own gains and losses sent shivers down her spine.

“If I’m deemed unnecessary, I’d probably be discarded without mercy too, huh?”

Their current alliance only lasted because Yu-jin judged her useful. If he so desired, burying her would be nothing to him.

She reaffirmed she needed to be careful and continued speaking cautiously.

“I’m not doubting your strength, but Payhu is a formidable opponent. Not even the protagonist could handle her alone.”

“Payhu?”

“Yeah, you know the Payhu we’re talking about. She’s representing China for magic in this academy.”

Yu-jin slowly nodded.

‘He’s not surprised at all…? This information is known by very few people at this point. Could it be he already knew this?’

Payhu, the previous U-Academy martial arts tournament champion.

!…

Even Bai Suiyi, the current head of Bai Lian and rival to Heukcheon, lost to her.

Payhu’s skills among current academy students are unmatched.

However, this new info that she, who won once in martial arts, is now participating as a magician?

This is top-tier intel that’s hard to price at this moment.

Could he have even been aware of this?

‘Seriously, this guy can’t be taken lightly.’

If she had been hiding info on Payhu from him?

Then Yu-jin would’ve stopped trusting her entirely.

Soo-hyun felt chills run down her spine as she continued.

“Of course, since you’re in the martial arts division and Payhu’s in magic, chances are you won’t clash much.”

“Hmm…”

“But, you never know with human affairs, right? Whether personal or official, there’s a high chance of conflict. Payhu has a lot of pride in her abilities.”

In the original story, there’s an event where the player fights Payhu.

Payhu, the previous U-Academy martial arts champ, is already strong. And now she’s also representing China with outstanding magical abilities.

She’s basically a nightmare difficulty, called the “Wall of Tears” by many players.

“If you defeat someone like her, your name will definitely rise greatly.”

After saying that, Soo-hyun gave a light cough.

“Of course, you’re confident in your abilities, but having more weapons is always better, right?”

Felling a legendary monster like Payhu will bring fame not just to Yu-jin, but to Heukcheon worldwide.

By then, Yu-jin had silently listened to everything.

Finally, he slowly opened his mouth.

“So what’s this artifact you mentioned?”

* * *

Time quickly passed, and the day of the martial arts competition arrived.

Even though attendance wasn’t mandatory, the field was packed with students.

Naturally, the strongest contenders were Yu-jin and Chul-soo.

But in these kinds of tournaments, unexpected variables can always arise.

Many students showed up hoping for a miracle.

“Just avoiding fights early on should get me through to the middle rounds.”

“This tournament will eventually turn into a war of endurance. Kim Yu-jin or Chul-soo won’t be able to maintain 100% condition forever.”

“Let’s all gang up on Chul-soo! Of course, I’ll stay back!”

Among the two talked-about figures,

Chul-soo was busy searching something on his phone.

“China…”

He was trying every possible way to solve the ‘problem’ he’d developed.

Then he found out about a Chinese ritual that could treat his issue.

“The location for this year’s U-Academy happens to be China. If I win this tournament, I can go to China legally and naturally.”

Chul-soo wanted to keep this whole thing secret.

Of course, right?

How could he tell anyone about *that*?

So he wanted to resolve this without drawing attention, and coincidentally, this U-Academy provided the opportunity.

“Initially, I didn’t plan to win, but now it’s different.”

A reason to aim for victory emerged.

Sorry to Yu-jin and the class president, but this time, he needs to be the representative.

“What’re you doing with that scary look?”

“Huh!”

Hastily hiding his phone and turning around, Young-hee was there.

Thanks to Yu-jin teaming up with the class president, Chul-soo and Young-hee ended up on the same team for this tournament.

Since they’d practiced together often, they were one of the teams with the highest chances of winning.

Honestly, they were wary if Kim Yu-jin might do something crazy.

But lately, he seemed distracted by something else.

“Just thinking I need to work harder.”

“Huh? What’s with you? Weren’t you planning to slack off this time?”

“It’s rude to relax when everyone else is giving their best.”

“Hmm~ Something seems off.”

Young-hee shot him a suspicious glance.

Chul-soo just wiped away cold sweat, pretending like nothing was wrong.

No matter what, he couldn’t let Young-hee find out about this ‘problem.’

What if the day she completely left him for Kim Yu-jin came because of this?

“Damn, that can’t happen.”

Renewing his determination to win inside.

“Alright. I’m aiming for the championship this time too.”

“Why?”

“Umm, actually-”

Young-hee suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Turning her head, the class president stood there.

They immediately glared at each other like they were ready to rip each other apart.

Intense gazes clashed in the air.

Like they were ready to grab each other’s hair and brawl right then.

“Hmph!”

At the same time, they both turned their heads sharply.

“Because of you, I’ve got tons of motivation now.”

Young-hee said, still radiating hostility.

There was a sharp edge in her voice.

“That, that’s good to hear…”

Happy that they’re motivated, but this wasn’t exactly what he hoped for.

‘Did they fight or something?’

It was rare for Young-hee and the class president to argue, so Chul-soo tilted his head in confusion.

Come to think of it, they suddenly dueled last time too.

‘Hmm, the class president is quite a tough opponent.’

Last time, Young-hee won, but there’s no guarantee she’ll win again this time.

And her partner is none other than Kim Yu-jin.

Frankly, they’re an opponent it’s hard to confidently say you can beat.

While Chul-soo was pondering all this,

A clear voice rang across the field.

Everyone’s eyes automatically turned toward the stage.

A woman stood there.

Long silver hair reaching her waist, a stern expression.

Her school uniform perfectly tailored, not a wrinkle in sight.

An aura of grace and maturity that made her stand out even among students.

The envy of all female students and the admiration of all male students.

The current Student Council President, Bai Suiyi, spoke with a solemn tone.

“I am Bai Suiyi, and I’ll be handling the opening ceremony and explanations for this martial arts tournament.”

Bai Suiyi participated as a representative last year’s U-Academy,

where she achieved an unfortunate second place after losing to China’s representative, Payhu.

Having participated in the tournament before most of the freshmen here, she was the perfect choice to explain.

“As you all know, the winner of this martial arts tournament will become the academy representative.”

Her clear yet deep voice resonated through the students.

There was a magnetic quality to her words.

Or rather, her presence itself exuded charisma.

“I too participated as a representative last year. Through that experience, I realized my own strength, and simultaneously, my own inadequacies.”

The students swallowed hard.

The Student Council President Bai Suiyi’s skills were already well-known nationwide.

Bai Lian, rivals to Heukcheon, were an officially recognized organization.

They’d defeated countless monsters and earned countless medals for saving lives.

To have someone so young leading them, Bai Suiyi…

Even she considered herself inadequate after that tournament.

The scale of that event finally sank in.

“Opportunities are given to everyone, but not everyone can seize them. Only two people will remain from this tournament. Honestly, you should consider your chances of being chosen as almost zero.”

Bai Suiyi slowly scanned the students as she continued.

“But the fact remains that everyone has a chance. This tournament is essentially a survival game. The weak may be chosen, the unexpected may be chosen, or… someone completely undeserving might be chosen.”

Her gaze paused somewhere.

Looking over, Kim Yu-jin stood there.

“Prove yourself in this tournament. Show that you are worthy to represent our academy.”

With Bai Suiyi’s final words, the students erupted in cheers.

The start of the long-awaited martial arts tournament.

Even before the results, there was something that stirred the hearts of the students.

“Now, I’ll explain the rules via your watches.”

The students’ watches beeped simultaneously.

Chul-soo raised his watch to check the contents.

His eyes widened instantly.

“What the hell is this?”

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