C20: Tournament (2)
Although the host’s comments were in full swing, Seo-joon and Jang Deok-cheol were listening to other people’s voices, not the host’s comments.
“Student Kim Seo-joon and student Jang Deok-cheol, the game will start soon. Are you ready?”
Seo-joon and Jang Deok-cheol nodded while the referee confirmed their appearance and opened his mouth again.
“I’ll let you know the rules again before the game starts. First, manna can be used, but you can’t use mana on your weapon. If you do that you’ll be disqualified so please be careful.”
undefinedThis didn’t apply to Seo-joon, since he can’t use mana yet. However, Jang Deok-cheol asked the referee a question
“Then can we strengthen our body using manna?”
“Mana can only be used for strengthening the body.”
Jang Deok-cheol nodded and the referee continued to speak.
“You are free to fight, but if one of the students forfeits, it’s prohibited to attack him from that moment. Please note that if you violate this rule, you will be disqualified.”
“In addition, if the referee judges that the student is no longer able to fight, he or she may be forced to stop.”
In a way, the rules ignored the opinions of individual students. However, considering that the referee was also a professional hunter, he would not act recklessly.
“You’re being picky.”
However, Jang Deok-cheol muttered as he didn’t like that very much. And in fact, Seo-joon also agreed to some extent with Jang Deok-cheol’s
“After the host’s comment, we will start with a brief introduction, so please prepare in advance.”
<The 63rd Academy Competition Second round!>
As soon as the referee’s words were over, the host’s comment rang out in the stadium as if he had been waiting.
<Unfortunately, many students forfeited, so many opportunities to see them in action disappeared.>
<But don’t be disappointed because the best players are left behind!>
<We can protect your precious eyes and time with a short and intense game!>
‘He is surprisingly good at wrapping things up.’
Listening to the host, Seo-joon suddenly thought.
<Now, let me introduce the students who will kick off the first round of the great competition! The record breaker of dungeon maze, Kim Seo-joon of Dream Academy.>
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Seo-joon’s appearance was enlarged on the electronic display with the shouts of the audience.
Seo-joon waved his hand once, followed by the host’s words.
<And his opponent who destroys skills with overwhelming power! The giant with the axe, Jang Deok-cheol of the Gochuri Academy!>
“I’ll destroy everything!”
With the introduction of the host, Jang Deok-cheol clenched his fists and roared.
“Wow!”
“Cool! Jang Deok-cheol!”
“Win! I bet everything on you!”
Then, unlike Seo-joon’s, Jang Deok-cheol’s name was heard from the cheering voices.
Jang Deok-cheol lowered his gaze and looked at Seo-joon with a conceited expression that said ‘this difference between you and me.’
<Now, the introduction is over. There’s no reason to waste time!>
Seo-joon rolled up the iron bar he grabbed while facing Jang Deok-cheol.
<The 63rd Academy Competition! Second tournament! Let’s start the first game.>
Jang Deok-cheol also took out a large axe behind his back.
The two people were facing each other.
<Begin!>
At the same time as the cheers of the crowd, Jang Deok-cheol rushed to Seo-joon first.
“Let me see your skills!”
In an instant, a huge axe was heard cutting through the air in a narrow distance.
‘Should I block it or avoid it?’
Natural thoughts and questions appeared in his head but Seo-joon didn’t answer anything. He just closed his mind and moved his body.
A dull sensation was felt by his fingertips
“You blocked it?”
Jang Deok-cheol was surprised.
“It wasn’t just luck!”
As Jang Deok-cheol quickly stepped back and swung his axe once again, a huge wind pressure poured down on Seo-joon.
Seo-joon did not take his eyes off Jang Deok-cheol’s attack and moved his body.
Sometimes he stopped the attacks while sometimes he avoided them. On the other hand, Jang Deok-cheol was annoyed.
‘You punk!’
Somehow his attacks didn’t work at all.
To be honest, Jang Deok-cheol did not care about Seo-joon. To be exact he ignored him.
‘What kind of student would use an iron bar in the Academy competition?’
Jang Deok-cheol defined Seo-joon as a lucky guy but Seo-joon who actually faced him, was not like that at all. He felt like he was facing a huge wall.
To be honest, he didn’t think this would be the case even if he fought with Lee Jun-hwan.
“You rat! How long are you going to run away?”
Jang Deok-cheol who was anxious after several exchanges and strengthened his body with mana. Then, Jang Deok-cheol’s movement began to be incomparably faster than before and his body showed tremendous vitality.
As the speed increases, so does the destructive power that follows it. However, only one thought came into Seo-joon’s head now.
‘It’s weak.’
He’s weaker than I am.
In fact, Seo-joon has not been able to judge his skills objectively on his own.
Of course, it is true that the Transcension Academy lectures had a tremendous effect, but it was a little over a month since Seo-joon started the lectures and the only person he fought with was Seo-yoon.
However, after dealing with Jang Deok-cheol now, Seo-joon was able to realize his skills properly.
‘Let’s see if I can avoid this!’
At that moment, a tremendous amount of momentum weighed on Seo-joon. It was an attack with terrifying power that Seo-joon could have avoided but he didn’t.
Seo-joon grabbed the iron bar and looked at the incoming attack with his eyes raised straight.
He took a step and crooked his waist but his movements connected naturally like water flowing then he swung his iron bar.
“Ha! You’re going to fight me with strength?”
Jang Deok-cheol snorted at Seo-joon, since his trademark was power.
Jang Deok-cheol, who had overwhelming power compared to the other students, was confident that he was even better than Lee Jun-hwan when it came to pure strength.
‘You’re going to fight with me?’
Jang Deok-cheol put all his energy into the attack but the result was that his axe was flung away.
“What?”
Jang Deok-cheol couldn’t understand the situation since his hand was broken and his axe was stuck in the ground in the distance.
< The winner is Kim Seo-joon of Dream Academy!>
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
It was only after the cheers of the audience and the host’s words were heard that he realized he was defeated.
I… I lost? In a strength competition?
Jang Deok-cheol looked at the person who defeated him with a shocked expression.
Seo-joon held an iron bar with a calm expression but for some reason his expression didn’t look very good.
‘It didn’t go up as much as I thought…’
After the winner was announced Seo-yoon was deafened for a moment by the shouts of the crowd. It was a fight that they never thought they’d see in the fourth division so it was worth seeing and the shouting that made her head ring continued.
On the contrary, however, the place, where the scouts were gathered, was almost like a library production.
“…”
“…”
“What? What was that just now?”
It was none other than someone’s dumb question that broke the silence.
“Huh? Didn’t you see it?”
“Huh? Uh, uh.”
“Give me your professional hunter license right away. I’ll tear it up.”
“I was spacing out for a second!”
Because of the quiet surroundings, the conversation between the two could be heard by everyone.
Of course, they were buried by the cheers of the crowd, but all the people gathered here were professional hunters. The shouts of the audience didn’t shield them.
Therefore, those who talked were also professional hunters, and no matter how much they spaced out, it was incomprehensible that a professional hunter missed the moment but no one blamed him.
“I’m going to tear up my license.” The man joked and said while looking at the electronic display.
“Student Kim Seo-joon is…amazing.”
“Really? It’s amazing that he beat Jang Deok-cheol, but it’s not enough for you to make that evaluation, is it?”
“If it was simply beating Jang Deok-cheol, it wouldn’t be.”
“Simply?”
The man answered with a nod.
“Usually, I don’t recommend long weapons to students at first because at their level, they can’t use it properly but what he did…”
“Are you saying he knew?”
“That’s right. Students don’t know the advantages of their weapon but it’s mostly because they don’t know how to use their strength, since it’s not easy to cover up that shortcoming as a student.”
People around him focused on the man’s words since it was a more detailed evaluation than expected.
“But Kim Seo-joon clearly recognized the advantages of the rod and used it properly. He even seemed to know exactly how long the rod range was.”
“That’s why his hit was perfect.”
The man nodded and continued.
“Of course, the destructive power was insufficient because he couldn’t use mana but it was probably crazy for Jang Deok-cheol, who was dealing with him since his attacks were easily avoided and when he stopped to catch his breath, student Kim Seo-joon would attack him.
The man turned to the electronic display again and said,
“At the end it was definitely a strength contest. I don’t know why Kim Seo-joon suddenly made that choice. To be honest, I thought Kim Seo-joon would use a long-term battle of attrition to make Jang Deok-cheol lose his strength.”
The majority of people listening to the man nodded softly.
“However, Kim Seo-joon suddenly fought head on with Jang Deok-cheol and I thought, “As expected, a student is still a student.” Although he’s talented he lacks experience but he showed an overwhelming power against Jang Deok-cheol.”
“That’s…”
“It would be possible if I used my power but Kim Seo-joon didn’t use any mana.”
“…Does that make sense?”
“Isn’t everyone making that face because it’s not making sense?”
The woman, who was still listening to the man, slowly looked around and everywhere people were surprised and embarrassed.
The woman turned again and said to the man.
“Anyway, does it mean that what he showed in the first round of competition is not just luck? Do you think Kim Seo-joon will win?”
“Probably? But if you ask me if I think he’ll beat Lee Jun-hwan, my answer is…No.”
“What? What do you mean by that? Oh, the score.”
“If Lee Jun-hwan had come in second during the first competition, it would have been quite fun.”
The two then changed the subject and talked about something else.
Seo-yoon also lost interest in the two and looked at the electronic display.
‘Did you get hurt?’
She didn’t know why but Seo-joon’s expression did not look very good.
