C18: Academy Competition (4)
People could watch the Academy competition too. In the early days, it was a private league, but now it was a culture like a sport.
Competition in the first division, where prestigious academies participate, is broadcast live not only domestically but also abroad. Because of that, the stands were crowded with people, so Seo-yoon had a hard time finding a quiet place.
‘Fortunately, there’s a suitable seat.’
Seo-yoon, who found a seat in a corner, settled down.
undefinedShe was careful not to stand out because of her striking appearance, but fortunately, no one recognized her because she was wearing a hat.
Seo-yoon sat down and looked up at the various electronic boards floating in the sky that showed the students competing in a complex maze.
‘I wonder if he’s doing well…’
Seo-yoon looked for Seo-joon but no matter what she couldn’t find him.
‘It can’t be…’
Seo-yoon shook her head slightly and lowered her gaze. They could not show all the students because the number of electronic boards was limited and the screens on the electronic displays were occupied by the popular students. There was no room for Dream Academy and Seo-joon.
Seo-yoon smiled slightly at the bitter reality and when she was about to look at the electronic display again.
“Hey, who’s that giant with the axe?”
When Seo-yoon turned her head slightly, two men in suits were talking.
Seo-yoon could easily guess that the two were government officials or guild scouts.
“Do you mean Jang Deok-cheol?”
One of the two men, who looked younger, pointed to one of the electronic displays in the sky and the other man nodded while Seo-yoon’s eyes naturally turned to the electronic display.
Then, on one side of the electronic display, a rugged man with an axe was seen sweeping monsters.
The voices of the two were heard again.
“As you can see, he’s a student who prefers to fight using physical power. It’s a waste of talent for such a skilled student to participate in this competition.”
“But why did he participate in the competition here?”
“He could enter a prestigious academy, but he refused. I don’t know why, but I think they recruited him on the condition of scholarship. Well, thanks to Jang Deok-cheol, they can easily reach the third division this year so it was a lucrative business for the academy.”
“I see.”
The two then talked about Jang Deok-cheol.
At a glance, they seemed more like government officials than a guild scouts so Seo-yoon closed her ears and stopped paying attention.
“There’s the one with the two daggers. Don’t you think it’ll be okay if he joins our team?”
But this time, a voice was heard from another place.
“Well, his combat sense is good but he’s still a student, so we’ll have to wait and see. Did you say his name is Lee Chul-min?”
“We need close combat personnel…”
The style of conversation was like a Hunter team or guild members so Seo-yoon took a look. Then she noticed not only them but also most people talking about the contestants while looking at the electronic displays.
‘There are more scouts than I thought.’
Seo-yoon could not hide her curiosity since this was just the fourth division and usually there wouldn’t be so many scouts.
“Wow, look at that. Who saw that and thought it was a student’s movement?”
“It’s just a different level.”
The murmurs came back.
“I don’t think there’s a problem if he works as a professional hunter right away.”
“The level of professional hunters these days is much higher than in the past, but you have a point.”
However, they were not evaluating the students, but purely admiring them.
‘Who are they talking about?’
Seo-yoon followed their gaze and turned to the electronic display.
Then she saw a sharp-looking man using a sword on an electronic display, and he was a person Seo-yoon knew.
“Lee Jun-hwan…?”
Seo-yoon couldn’t hide her surprise.
‘Why is that person here?’
Seo-yoon knew Lee Jun-hwan’s skills were among the best. Simply put, Lee Jun-hwan was not supposed to be in the fourth division competition
“I guess the rumor that Hunter Mill tried to bring him with various benefits is not just a lie.”
“I heard he came here because it’s an academy run by a relative…”
“This kind of thing is still prevalent in Korea. I’m sure he’ll win this competition.”
In the evaluation of the people that followed, Seo Yoon could see why Lee Jun-hwan was here, and at the same time, why so many scouts were present.
‘At a time like this…’
Seo Yoon breathed a light sigh without realizing it as Lee Jun-hwan swept away monsters in the maze.
Apparently, Lee Jun-hwan being the first to leave the dungeon seemed certain. In fact, a hint of escape was given when a monster was defeated.
To be exact, the map fragments of the maze came out, and the map of the maze was completed by collecting them and combining them into one.
The real purpose of breaking through the dungeon maze is to evaluate the dungeon raid ability, which is the most important quality for hunters.
In addition, it was also an evaluation factor for students to quickly grasp such facts and establish a plan accordingly.
At this rate, Lee Jun-hwan would be the first to break through the maze but just at that moment a fanfare broke out from somewhere and
the screen on the electronic display changed.
<The first person to exit dungeon maze has appeared!>
<Time: 27 minutes and 12 seconds.>
<The shortest breakthrough time ever: 1 hour 4 minutes 34 seconds.>
<It’s a new record!>
“What? There’s already a breakthrough? Only 27 minutes?”
“No way. Who is it? Is it Lee Jun-hwan?”
“Lee Jun-hwan is in a battle right now.”
“What? Is it an error?”
People were puzzled by the sudden situation
‘Is it really an error?’
Seo-yoon looked up at the electronic display. Then all the electronic boards turned into one screen at the same time, and there was a man who was too handsome on the screen but he was a familiar face.
Then names began to appear on the electronic display.
<First place: Kim Seo-joon>
<2nd place: Lee Min-ki>
Seo-yoon rubbed his eyes.
“Kim Seo-joon? Who is he?”
“What’s that crude iron bar in his hand?”
And the moment when Seo-yoon opens his eyes again.
<What?!?!?!?!?>
“Seo, Seo-joon??!?!?”
At the venue of the competition, a startled sound rang out.
Min-ki couldn’t understand what was going on now. No, he knew what happened.
Shortly after the competition began, he met Seo-joon and from how he looked in the waiting room, Seo-joon was among the weakest participants like him so he wanted to team up with him but was refused.
Nevertheless, he followed him and escaped the maze without much thought.
It was a very clear and simple situation.
“What, what, what, what?!”
The problem was that he couldn’t understand the simple situation at all.
“Well, this is a little embarrassing for me, too.”
However, the person concerned only made a puzzled expression. He didn’t even seem to know what he had done.
“What is this?”
Is it luck?
Min-ki looked up at the electronic display in the sky.
<Breaking time: 27 minutes and 12 seconds.>
<The shortest breakthrough time ever: 1 hour 4 minutes 34 seconds.>
<It’s a new record!>
The breakthrough time was 27 minutes. Less than half time compared to the shortest breakthrough time ever, 1 hour and 4 minutes.
Considering the size of the maze, it could only be explained that he knew where the exit was from the beginning.
“Hey, you two go to the waiting room first.”
The official was also very cautious about what he said, as if he was quite embarrassed.
‘Is he the relative of a high-ranking person? Did he come here with information about the competition in advance?’
That’s all Min-ki could think of.
Min-ki looked at Seo-joon once again with such doubts, and immediately shook them off.
‘Look at him!’
He didn’t have any equipment on, was wearing a shabby outfit, and carried around a rod…
Min-ki shook his head. How could Seo-joon be the relative of a high rank person?
Above all, such a person would not participate in the fourth division competition.
“That’s too bad. I was wondering if the progress of the lecture would increase even if I fought with augmented reality monsters…”
Min-ki headed to the waiting room listening to Seo-joon murmur something that he couldn’t understand.
They arrived in the waiting room. Naturally, there was no one in the waiting room except them.
Min-ki sat down in the waiting room and thought about Seo-joon.
‘What the hell is he doing?’
Min-ki decided to watch Seo-joon since Seo-joon’s behavior in the waiting room was very strange. No, to be exact, Seo-joon was just staring blankly at his smartphone.
‘What is he doing? Is he meditating?’
However, Seo-joon rarely thought about taking his eyes off his smartphone.
“Bba-bba-bba-bba-bba-bba!”
Until he heard the next fanfare that someone broke through the maze!
<Breaking time: 1 hour and 7 minutes.>
<3rd place: Lee Jun-hwan>
When the notification notice came, Seo-joon turned his eyes from his smartphone for a moment and someone came into the waiting room shortly after. It was none other than Lee Jun-hwan. However, Lee Jun-hwan’s expression was unusual.
‘Oh, my!’
Min-ki lowered his gaze hurriedly so that he wouldn’t make eye contact.
Lee Jun-hwan’s eyes passed by Min-ki and turned to Seo-joon.
Seo-joon also looked at Lee Jun-hwan, and soon the two stared at each other in silence.
Lee Jun-hwan glanced up and down at Seo-joon. Seo-joon was wearing a shabby outfit and held a crude iron bar.
Lee Jun-hwan smirked and burst into laughter.
Seo-joon also took a look at Lee Jun-hwan.
With a sharp impression and atmosphere, he was definitely different from the other students.
‘How much experience will I get if we fight…?’
Seo-joon thought that if he fought Lee Jun-hwan, his experience points…No, the progress rate of the lecture would increase a lot.
‘Soon we will be able to fight but for now I have to focus on listening to the lecture.’
Seo Jun turned his gaze away from Lee Jun-hwan without much thought and looked back at his smartphone but he thought of Seo-joon’s behavior in a different way and mumbled with a fishy smile.
“Tut. You were lucky for some reason.”
It was a muttering, but in fact, the sound was almost loud as if to be heard.
Lee Jun-hwan looked at Seo-joon a few times and turned around. S Seo-joon also didn’t care about Lee Jun-hwan.
[The advantage of spears is that they are long. Therefore, it can be said that spearmanship is a way of using length as an advantage.]
No, he was just listening to a lecture.
About 30 minutes after Lee Jun-hwan arrived, Lee Chul-min and Jang Deok-cheol passed the dungeon almost at the same time.
Since then, there have been 32 successful participants in three to four hours. Therefore, the second competition, the tournament, also naturally started from the round of 32.
The first round of competition ended and the results were.
<1st place: Kim Seo-joon (27 minutes and 12 seconds)>
<2nd place: Lee Min-ki (27 minutes and 16 seconds)>
<3rd place: Lee Jun-hwan (1 hour 7 minutes)>
<4th place: Lee Chul-min (1 hour 38 minutes)>
<5th place: Jang Deok-cheol (1 hour 39 minutes)>
.
.
.
“Let’s see, if I’m going to win…”
Seo-joon calculated the scenario to win the championship.
His reason for participating in the competition was because of the progress of the lecture, but the prize money of 100 million was also important.
Thankfully, Seo-joon won first place in the first round.
‘If you reach the finals in the second tournament, I’ll be the winner.’
His score was so high that he didn’t have to win the tournament.
To be exact, this was the case except for Seo-joon and Min-ki, who are first and second in the first competition, going to the finals.
But if Lee Min-ki, Lee Jun-hwan, Lee Chul-min, or Jang Deok-cheol win the competition, Seo-joon wouldn’t win.
‘How will it come out?’
Just then.
“The next competition tournament table is here! Please check out all the students who are participating!”
The official’s cry came as if he had been waiting.
Seo-joon checked the list of matches displayed on the electronic display.
[Second Competition Tournament Match List]
“What?”
The match list was quite strange.
