To briefly summarize the first match from Cha Hyeon-joo’s perspective.
She chased after me when I snatched the crystal, and after a brief melee battle, she was sent flying by Wind Force.
She then quickly returned and engaged in a second melee but was again sent flying by Wind Force.
She became furious and unleashed a barrage of arrows, but I dodged them all with ease. Much to her frustration.
Eventually, the crystal charging ended which also marked the end of the match.
It hardly felt like a proper battle, so her frustration was understandable.
That’s why she sought me out for a revenge match.
There are still two more matches left for this week’s quota.
For me, as long as I met the quota and cleared the side quest, it didn’t matter who the opponent was.
However, there’s also no reason for me to simply comply with Cha Hyeon-joo’s demands.
So my response was,
“I’d rather not?”
“What?”
I scratched the back of my head with an air of annoyance.
“Whether you’re convinced or not, what does that have to do with me? If you’re not convinced, should you keep challenging me until you are?”
“……!”
“Everyone acts as if they’ve left something in my care. People should have some shame.”
At that, Cha Hyeon-joo began to emit a subtly chilling aura.
“….. It would be better to fight a duel battle.”
Her words implied that if I didn’t accept a rematch, she would challenge me to a fight even if it meant breaking the rules.
Of course, I was not one to be intimidated by such threats.
No matter how we fought, I would win.
So, I responded firmly.
“Try me if you’re so confident. I won’t go easy on you next time.”
“……”
Cha Hyeon-joo continued to glare at me with a chilling demeanor, but inside, it seemed like she was rapidly weighing her options.
Our first encounter might not have been convincing for her, but the result was a perfect game.
I hadn’t allowed a single attack throughout the match.
Without a proper understanding of my abilities, it would be too much of a risk for her to recklessly start a fight.
Realizing this, Cha Hyeon-joo’s intensity softened slightly as she asked.
“Why not just have a match? Is that so difficult?”
“It’s not that it’s difficult, I just don’t feel like doing it. Coming to ask for favors with such a bad attitude doesn’t help.”
“My attitude has always been like this. You must have heard from Shin Byeong-cheol that I have a bad temper.
It seems she was well aware of that.
There was nothing to say when she admitted to her own bad temper.
Cha Hyeon-joo continued the conversation.
“What should I do then? Should I kneel?”
“I really don’t want to see that; if you’re so eager to challenge me,”
I extended one hand.
“Show some sincerity. A duel fee.”
Cha Hyeon-joo looked down at my hand blankly, then let out a disbelieving scoff.
“A duel fee? Who do you think you are to demand a fee?”
“Did I say something unreasonable? Listen to this.”
I explained everything in detail.
“First, I made yesterday’s match private. I could have sold the replay to earn points, but your mentor asked for privacy as a favor, and I granted it.”
“……”
“If I agree to a rematch, that will be kept private too. Then I can’t sell the replay, so I’ll lose out on points again.”
“……”
“Do I have any reason to avoid other matches and go out of my way to fight you at a loss? If there is, tell me.”
“…Fine, what do you want.”
Cha Hyeon-joo was finally overwhelmed by the barrage of facts and she threw up her hands in defeat.
I paused for a moment and then stated my demand.
“A Rank-Up E. Only an item of that caliber would make this worthwhile.”
“Rank-Up E? Are you joking?”
Cha Hyeon-joo’s face contorted in displeasure.
A [Rank-Up] was an item that raised the rank of a skill or trait immediately upon use, without any effort required.
Even at rank E, it held considerable value.
Her disbelief was evident when I asked for such a valuable item in exchange for a rematch.
However, I responded seriously.
“No. I’m completely serious. If you don’t like it, leave it.”
“……”
“Ah, standing still this long is starting to make me stiff. Maybe I should go find a duel soon.”
Crick-crack-crunch,
Cha Hyeon-joo gritted her teeth as if they would break.
Then she pulled out a rolled-up scroll from her inventory and threw it on the floor before me.
I casually caught it and checked.
[Rank-Up (E)]
She really gave it to me.
I was planning on making a big offer on purpose in order to receive a less valuable item, but then she promptly put forth a Rank-Up as if it was nothing.
As expected, the generosity of a promising student is truly exceptional.
On one hand, it made me question what exactly her pride was worth.
It was the same with Yang Ji-hong and Mok Jong-hwa.
These were not items to be given away for just one rematch.
It seemed that Cha Hyeon-joo regretted the loss of the Rank-Up already and glared with even more killing intent than before as she took the lead and started to walk ahead.
“Follow me.”
“Let’s do this.”
I owed her as much work as she had given.
The revenge match was set.
***
She deliberately chose a time when the arena was less crowded to schedule our match.
Our scores were nearly identical, which greatly increased the chances of a rematch.
As expected,
[Kim Ho 543 points] vs [Cha Hyeon-joo 508 points]
Our names appeared on the scoreboard.
I remembered that Cha Hyeon-joo’s score had been 510 points in the first match; she must have lost to me and then won her next match.
“……”
After checking the scoreboard, Cha Hyeon-joo shot me one last murderous look before she disappeared into the arena first.
When I stepped onto the teleportation circle, my surroundings abruptly changed and the next moment I was standing in the middle of a forest with lush vegetation.
Here again.
They say it’s random terrain, but I keep getting stuck in the forest.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
[Kim Ho 100%] vs [Cha Hyeon-joo 100%]
[Crystal: 0%]
The crystal must be over there, or maybe around there.
Relying on the instincts and experience of a stagnant water, I began moving toward where I guessed the crystal would be.
The first match with Cha Hyeon-joo and the rematch now.
They seemed similar in that both were private duels, but there was a crucial difference between them.
The first had been made private after the match,
whereas this time, we had agreed to keep it private beforehand.
This meant that she could freely use strategies she had previously hidden without the worry of exposing her skills publicly.
By now, Cha Hyeon-joo would be somewhere in the forest, wielding not a dagger but a bow.
I don’t need to hold back either.
Crimson flames flickered from my clenched fist.
The blazing flames were absorbed into my body which granted me immense strength.
[Inferno Fist]
[Overheat]
Thanks to the [Random Rank-Up] I had acquired at the game center, my Inferno Fist had advanced to rank B.
Its power had greatly increased, and so had the boost in physical abilities I received when I absorbed it through Overheat.
In other words, my speed had also become faster than before.
Thump! Thump!
The surrounding landscape whipped past in a flash.
I quickly arrived at a spot where a crystal could possibly be, but,
It’s not here.
It seems luck wasn’t on my side this time.
Without hesitation, I kicked off the ground and moved on to the next location.
Again, the scenery sped by and at the second spot, a crystal stood atop a makeshift altar.
I thought as I approached the altar.
Right about here…
Sssss!
“…an arrow will fly.”
I swiftly grabbed the crystal and kicked off the ground.
The next moment, a thick beam shattered the altar as it passed through and even punched a large hole in the tree behind it.
100%. It was obviously a decoy.
While I made a fruitless detour after not finding the crystal, Cha Hyeon-joo would have had enough time to retrieve the crystal.
But the altar was still intact when I arrived late? It was highly likely a trap.
Seeing that Cha Hyeon-joo used the crystal as bait to snipe me, it seems she didn’t care about charging it at all.
Her intention was simply to bring me down by any means.
Ssss, ssss, sssss!
Beams continued to be fired one after another.
I dodged left and right and skillfully moved my body before briefly glancing towards the sanctuary.
I’ll charge the crystal later.
First, I needed to deal with that unruly archer.
Setting my course toward the source of the incoming arrows, I kicked off the ground.
Thump! Thump!
The distance between me and Cha Hyeon-joo who had been sniping from afar closed in an instant.
“….…!”
Cha Hyeon-joo appeared a bit startled to see me appear so close.
From our previous encounter, she must have guessed I would run straight to the sanctuary as soon as I grabbed the crystal.
But her surprise was fleeting; she quickly regained her composure and fired arrows with even greater intensity.
Sssss, sssss, sssssss!
Five beams flew one after another.
And they actually drew a curve that was not typical of arrows and targeted various parts of my body.
I pretended to twist my body around urgently and desperately.
Thump!
I kicked the ground forcefully again.
And the next moment, I appeared right behind Cha Hyeon-joo.
“…….!”
She immediately spun around before swinging the arrow in her hand like a dagger to counterattack.
Her reaction time is impressive.
But sadly, she was still only at a first-year level.
If you combine Inferno Fist with Overheat and Thief’s Steps, you get a speed that even the Black Death Squad leader or Dang Gyu-young can’t keep up with.
And there is no need to say anything now that the rank of Inferno Fist has risen by an additional level.
So Cha Hyeon-joo was quickly overpowered without even managing a few moves against me.
In that state, the wind gathered and compressed in my hand.
Seemingly anticipating what would happen next, Cha Hyeon-joo’s pupils shook from side to side.
“Now, better buckle up tight.”
“Do-Don’t do it, I’m warning you.”
“Off we go~”
Bang!
“You son of a—”
The compressed air exploded, and Cha Hyeon-joo’s body was swiftly carried off into the forest. Her voice echoed in the forest as she receded.
I watched her body shrink to a speck and slowly walked toward the sanctuary.
[Crystal: 1%]
[Crystal: 3%]
…….
I enjoyed the smooth and uninterrupted charging of the crystal.
For a long while, I aimlessly watched the charging level steadily climb on the scoreboard.
……
[Crystal: 68%]
It seems about time for her to arrive….
Whizz—
Sure enough, a bright streak of flame sliced through the sky with a sharp sonic boom.
The flame shot up rapidly toward the airspace above me,
Boom!
And exploded, showering the area with fireballs like a torrential downpour of embers.
I stood still, without moving, right in the midst of the flame bombardment and thought to myself.
Elemental damage.
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