Ch 87-93 - Online Story Read Mode

Chapter 87 Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (1)

Baek Family's Swordsmanship Dojo.

"...."

In the vast sparring hall, a single girl stood silently. She resembled a sword herself.

Her sharp eyes, framed by dark lashes, stood out starkly. Her light gray pupils were as sharp as a blade, and her expression was as cold as winter. The girl, with her long, ﬂowing purple hair, held her sword tightly while staring blankly at the empty space above her.

"Ugh… Ah…" "Ha… Uh…" "Ah… Oh…"

At the girl's feet lay six grown men.

They were gasping for breath, their chests rising and falling intermittently.

These men were either instructors or assistant instructors, highly skilled in their own right, but they were no match for the young girl before them.

They couldn't land a single hit on her, nor could they even touch her. In fact, the girl wasn't even wearing proper protective gear.

Was the difference in skill that vast?

She was merely wearing a white martial arts uniform, yet she had toyed with the instructors without breaking a sweat.

She truly possessed natural talent.

It was no wonder she was the granddaughter of Baek Yeonghyun, the greatest swordsman in the peninsula.

Seeing her standing there was like witnessing a young Baek Yeonghyun in action, making it clear that she carried the strongest bloodline within the Baek family.

"...Excuse me." "...."

Suddenly, one of the assistant instructors entered the sparring hall.

He glanced at the men who had collapsed on the ﬂoor and carefully addressed the girl.

Baek Yoorin's usual expressionless face made it impossible to tell what she was thinking, which only made the instructor feel more uneasy.

"There's someone here to see you."

"...."

"They said they're a friend of yours." "...A friend?"

Baek Yoorin tilted her head slightly, her gaze indifferent. A friend?

That was strange.

Did Baek Yoorin even have anyone she could call a friend?

In her mind, there wasn't anyone she considered a friend. So, who could it be?

"...Who is it?"

"Uh, a woman named Seo Yeyoon."

"...."

"What should we do?" Seo Yeyoon.

That name sounded familiar.

It was the public alias of a certain woman, if she remembered correctly.

Why had she come so suddenly? "Where is she?"

"I told her to wait in the reception room for now."

"Alright."

Baek Yoorin nodded slowly and began walking toward the reception room.

She passed through the wooden corridors reminiscent of traditional hanok architecture and arrived at a room similar to a guest parlor.

As she opened the door, she saw a black-haired woman sitting inside, casually munching on traditional sweets and sipping tea.

…It was Yoo Dahee, disguised as a civilian. "Mmm, gulp. Oh, Baek Yoorin, long time no see."

Yoo Dahee shamelessly wiped her hands clean after devouring the remaining snacks in the bowl.

"…Sigh. Those were good." "...."

"Come on, don't give me that look. It's just a few snacks." "...What's your reason for being here?"

Baek Yoorin was naturally curious why someone like Yoo Dahee, who currently had a bounty on her head, would brazenly show up in broad daylight.

Of course, Yoo Dahee was in disguise, so unless someone was particularly sharp, it wasn't likely she'd be caught.

"Just thought I'd drop by."

Yoo Dahee nonchalantly ﬂicked her ﬁnger against the rim of her teacup while casually studying Baek Yoorin's face.

"It's been a while, and you don't keep in touch. How am I supposed to know if you're dead or alive?"

"...."

Yoo Dahee let out a playful laugh, then clapped her hands as if she'd suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. Guess what? We've recruited some new members."

"...."

"A kooky necrophiliac woman and a crazy animal lover guy. They seemed promising, so I brought them in."

"...."

"Probably because I got some media exposure during the Union incident, recruiting them was easier than I thought. Looks like I'm becoming a bit famous. Haha."

"...."

"…This feels kind of weird. Am I the only one talking here? Is it just my imagination?"

"...."

Baek Yoorin remained expressionless, merely staring at her.

She stayed completely silent, making it impossible to tell if she was even listening.

Baek Yoorin wasn't one for idle chatter, especially when it came to anything unrelated to swordsmanship.

Conversations like this likely didn't interest her.

Maybe it was time to shift the topic to something she'd actually care about?

"Ah well, never mind. I'm just wasting my breath here. I was going to tell you who the Vigilante is, but I guess you're not interested."

"...What?" Suddenly.

"...What did you just say?"

For the ﬁrst time, Baek Yoorin's expression changed.

It was as if a single drop of water had disturbed the surface of a perfectly still lake. It was a small shift, but for Baek Yoorin, it was a signiﬁcant one.

Yoo Dahee chuckled internally. So that got her attention.

"Huh? I thought you didn't care about what I had to say?" "...Yoo Dahee."

"Hey now, don't go using my real name so casually. What if someone overhears?"

"This place is soundproof." "You never know, just in case."

"...."

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you. No need to glare at me like that."

Baek Yoorin's face was as expressionless as ever, but there was a subtle tension in the air, as if she was getting irritated. Yoo Dahee let out a soft chuckle and decided to comply.

"I wasn't sure at ﬁrst whether I should tell you, but… I guess I'll give you the information."

"...So, who is the Vigilante?"

It was rare for Baek Yoorin to be so impatient.

Normally, she had a cold, indifferent attitude toward the world, but the name "Vigilante" was something she couldn't ignore.

After all, the Vigilante was the one who had ﬁrst made her taste the bitter emotion of defeat two years ago.

"Hmm. Who do you think it is?" "...."

Baek Yoorin's eyes began to darken.

A faint trace of killing intent seeped out, like a mirage, from her otherwise calm demeanor.

If Yoo Dahee kept teasing her, she might even draw her sword.

Sensing the shift, Yoo Dahee shrugged and decided not to push her luck.

"I think it's a guy named Lee Jinhyuk."

"...Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?"

As soon as the words left Yoo Dahee's mouth, a subtle but distinct wave of anger ﬂickered in Baek Yoorin's gray eyes. The name "Lee Jinhyuk" reverberated endlessly in her mind.

"...Lee Jinhyuk, Lee Jinhyuk." But only for a moment.

She soon stopped muttering his name and turned to Yoo Dahee.

"Lee Jinhyuk… Who is he?"

"Hah."

*Who is he?*

A vein popped on Yoo Dahee's forehead.

"I told you about him over the phone before, remember? I mentioned that one of the trainees surprised me by cutting my hand."

"...?"

Baek Yoorin blinked as if she was hearing this for the ﬁrst time, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

The movement was somewhat cute, but it only irritated Yoo Dahee further.

It was clear that Baek Yoorin had heard what she said, only to let it go in one ear and out the other.

"I even sent you the footage from the Union incident." "...."

Baek Yoorin averted her dull gaze, obviously avoiding eye contact.

She remained silent, twirling the ends of her hair absentmindedly.

"You didn't watch it, did you?" "...."

"It was all over the news! You really don't pay attention to anything, do you?"

Yoo Dahee could only sigh in frustration.

Did Baek Yoorin really only care about swords and nothing else?

"...Are you sure Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?" "Probably?"

So, it was speculation, not a certainty?

"Well, I looked into why Seong Yura got arrested, and that's when I found out."

"...How?"

"Some of the guys who were waiting in ambush near that abandoned building were Seong Yura's subordinates. They gave up Lee Jinhyuk's name when they were interrogated."

It wasn't just that.

Lee Jinhyuk might also have been directly responsible for bringing Seong Yura down.

"When Seong Yura was arrested, Lee Jinhyuk had left the academy early."

Of course, it wasn't just Lee Jinhyuk; Yoo Seolhyun, Lee Siwoon, and Roxanne had all left as well. It seemed like they had all played a role in attacking Seong Yura.

After all, Gaon Nuri Clan and SL Group had exerted signiﬁcant inﬂuence in the process of Seong Yura's arrest.

It was as if they were determined to bury her.

Gaon Nuri had even worked with law enforcement when they raided Seong Yura's mansion.

"That day, the Vigilante ordered Seong Yura's subordinates stationed at the abandoned building to return to the mansion. Doesn't that make things pretty clear?"

"...Why would Lee Jinhyuk have anything to do with Seong Yura?"

"She kidnapped one of his childhood friends."

"A childhood friend?"

"Yeah. A girl named Jin Soyeon. She's quite pretty. Apparently, Seong Yura kidnapped and threatened her."

"...."

It seemed like Lee Jinhyuk had gotten on Seong Yura's bad side.

Ironically, it was Seong Yura who ended up falling.

"Thinking about it now, it all makes sense. During the academy raid, Lee Jinhyuk was able to read my movements and cut my hand. At the time, I thought it might've been a ﬂuke, but if he's the Vigilante, it adds up."

Yoo Dahee smirked, half-amused, half-impressed.

"The Vigilante… He's quite famous among villains, isn't he? I heard he's supposedly at the top-tier level of strength for someone so young."

A top-tier talent.

In South Korea, that made him a complete monster.

It meant he was among the top 200 of over a hundred thousand superhumans, including heroes, villains, trainees, and hopefuls.

"I kind of wanted to ﬁght him." Yoo Dahee let out a light laugh.

If the rumors were true, the Vigilante might be as monstrous as she was.

Though Yoo Dahee was growing stronger by the day, and she felt like she'd soon reach the threshold of the high- rankers.

"Oh, right."

Suddenly, Yoo Dahee grinned.

"Didn't you mention you got beaten by the Vigilante before?"

"...."

Baek Yoorin ﬂinched, her body trembling slightly. She bit her lower lip, a bit harder than usual.

The memory of that day resurfaced.

It was an unforgettable scar, a humiliation. One that had left her with a slight trauma.

…Unfortunately, Lee Jinhyuk had no idea.

He didn't know just how deeply Baek Yoorin despised the Vigilante.

In his mind, she just held a mild grudge after being defeated once. That was all he thought.

Not much information had been revealed about Baek Yoorin, after all.

She wasn't a playable character, and her lack of emotional expression made it diﬃcult to glean much about her. In the game, she was mostly just an obstacle for Jin Soyeon to gain experience.

On top of that, the Vigilante character hadn't even been in the original game, so it was impossible to know the full extent of their relationship.

"Heh. I guess it makes sense. Even someone as strong as you would struggle against someone with potential like mine."

"...Self-praise?"

"Oh, come on, I'm just saying it like it is."

No matter how strong Baek Yoorin was, she couldn't defeat a monster like Yoo Dahee.

In fact, she had already lost to Yoo Dahee several times. But losing to the Vigilante was different.

Baek Yoorin had been beaten by the sword. Her sword.

"Are you really sure… that Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?"

"I think so. If you're still unsure, you can check it out yourself."

"Looks like I'll have to review the video you sent me."

"Go ahead. And maybe show more interest in our organization while you're at it."

"Is that really okay with you?" "What is?"

Baek Yoorin raised her head slightly, her eyes meeting Yoo Dahee's.

"...You know what I want and how I operate. Why would you tell me Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?"

"Hmm?"

"...Wouldn't it have been better for you to keep that a secret? That way, you could use me more."

"Heh, what are you talking about?"

Yoo Dahee laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I told you from the beginning, right? You do your thing, I'll do mine. As long as we don't get in each other's way, it's ﬁne. Our organization's motto is freedom, remember?"

"...."

"Well, it's more of a gathering than an actual organization. But seriously, don't worry about it. Your activities alone are already a big help to me."

"...Is that so?" "Mhm."

Yoo Dahee drained the last of her tea. "So just do whatever you feel like."

In the end, you'll be on our side, not some hero.

Because Baek Yoorin, in your pursuit of what you want, you don't care about means or methods.

You're like a sword—unconcerned with heroism or villainy. In both a good way and a bad way.

***

"...You're Lee Jinhyuk, right?"

*Whoosh.*

A bored-sounding voice sliced through the wind and reached Lee Jinhyuk's ears.

For some reason, the mere sound of the voice gave him goosebumps, making the hair on his neck stand on end. He even felt a slight chill down his spine. Huh? What's happening here?

"*Urgh*?!"

"Ack, wh-what's happening?" "Ugh, I… can't… move…"

Around him, the hero trainees suddenly began trembling violently, groaning in pain.

Some of them started gasping for air, struggling to breathe, sweat pouring down their faces.

A few of them turned pale, half-collapsed on the ground. 'Wait, this reaction… Could it be?'

It reminded him of the suffocating killing intent he'd felt from both Hong Daye and Yoo Dahee in the past.

"...Interesting. So, you're not affected by this level of killing intent?"

"...?"

Lee Jinhyuk quickly turned his head.

And there, standing with her purple hair ﬂuttering in the wind, was a strikingly beautiful girl with a sharp, intense gaze.

"...Hello?"

It was Baek Yoorin.

Chapter 88 Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (2)

Dilemma.

I'm caught in a dilemma.

No matter what choice I make, it seems like various problems will arise.

'I don't know what to do about my relationship with Soyeon…'

Jin Soyeon, the female protagonist of *Romance Hero Academy*.

She's supposed to share sweet moments with the male leads, but for some reason, she ended up confessing to me instead.

I still can't forget the sight of her face ﬂushed red, hesitating as she confessed her feelings.

Even though I gently tried to let her down, she clung to me with a desperate look, claiming she wouldn't give up.

It was strange and awkward to see Soyeon like that.

In both my past and current life, I had never seen Soyeon act so attached to a guy.

It seems the shock of thinking that I had died was much bigger for her than I expected.

'Considering Siwoon and Daehan… it seems like it would be better to create some distance between us, but…'

Some people might say:

If you're worried about the jealousy of the male leads, wouldn't it be better to draw a clear line with Soyeon?

But in this situation, that's quite diﬃcult.

That's because maintaining a positive relationship with Soyeon is absolutely essential.

'…If I distance myself too much, it might cause problems when we're working together to conquer dungeons or ﬁght villains.'

If I were to suddenly say, "Hey Soyeon? I'm not interested in you, so please don't bother me," or "Let's just stay friends, okay?" how do you think Soyeon would react?

From the look of things, she wouldn't just nod her head and accept it quietly.

In fact, she might rebel even more ﬁercely, or she could become distant and cold.

That wouldn't be good.

To take on powerful villains… especially Yoo Dahee, I'll need Soyeon's help.

That's why maintaining the right amount of distance with Soyeon is important.

But Soyeon has already realized her feelings for me and expressed her affection, making everything more complicated.

'By now, everyone must have noticed who Soyeon likes, right? Sigh.'

The jealousy of the male leads in the game was no joke.

Of course, I know that reality and the game are different, but I still need to be cautious in case something happens.

After all, in the game, I didn't fare well when faced with the jealousy and resentment of the male leads.

While it's not like the male leads directly killed me, they certainly had an inﬂuence.

'If I hadn't awakened my past memories, would I have met the same bad end as in the game?'

Lee Jinhyuk, the childhood friend NPC.

If things had gone according to the original story, I would have been mentally torn apart by the jealousy and bullying of the male leads and their followers.

As I mentioned before, the harassment of the NPCs didn't directly cause my death.

But, to put it another way, you can't deny that their harassment indirectly contributed to it.

After all, after enduring prolonged bullying, I became mentally exhausted, and in the end, I chose to ﬁght villains

and die, seeking peace.

My death generally followed a few different routes.

The most oﬃcial route involved being killed directly by a member of Rebellion.

That implies that the canon ending is me ﬁghting villains out of despair and meeting a tragic end because I couldn't handle the bullying.

But whether it's good luck or bad, the current situation is very different from the original story.

Not only my relationship with Soyeon but also with the male lead, Lee Siwoon.

Like now.

"Lee Jinhyuk." "Hmm?"

"I've realized something through everything that's happened so far. I'm not good enough to stay by Soyeon's side."

Next to the bench.

Lee Siwoon, who had been holding a can of coffee tightly in his hand, quietly spoke up.

"When the villains attacked Union, and when Soyeon was kidnapped, I couldn't do anything."

He looked up at the sky, his voice tinged with self-mockery.

"But you… weren't like that."

Lee Siwoon's eyes met mine, and there was a hint of conﬂict in them.

"When I compare what you've achieved, I see I'm lacking."

"Siwoon."

"And Soyeon… seems to feel the same way… about you."

Siwoon trailed off, his voice bitter.

He then sighed, letting out a long breath.

"…I don't know why you're hiding your strength, but I acknowledge it, Jinhyuk. Right now, I'm not as good as you. And you're the one who's better suited for her."

After taking a sip of his coffee, he continued. "But I'm not going to give up."

"You."

Lee Siwoon got up and tossed the empty can into the trash. I watched him silently from the side.

In the game, Siwoon was portrayed as a burden, someone who clung to Soyeon—but not anymore.

Now, he was admitting that he wasn't good enough to be by

Soyeon's side, and at the same time, he seemed to see me as something of a rival(?).

By consistently showing competency, I had apparently changed his perception of me.

'…I didn't expect our relationship to improve like this.' To be honest, I don't mind our current relationship.

It's a bit ambiguous, but I'm being recognized, right?

Even if I spend time with Soyeon, it doesn't seem like he's going to do anything crazy out of jealousy, like in the original story.

That should make working with Soyeon a little easier.

'…The original story, huh. Sigh. Maybe I've been too ﬁxated on it?'

I chuckled wryly to myself.

Even though I know that this isn't the same as the game, I still let myself fall into the trap of assuming things would play out the same way.

Almost obsessively so.

But as you can see, depending on how I act, Soyeon and Siwoon are changing.

'Yeah, things have already deviated a lot from the original story. It would be stupid to keep worrying about the storyline at this point.'

After everything I've been through, talking with Siwoon and reﬂecting on my thoughts, I've come to a decision.

Now that Seong Yura, who was meant to fall later in the story, has already been arrested, there's no point in obsessing over following the original plot.

My initial plan was to follow the storyline and gradually pit the protagonists against villains, allowing them to gain experience slowly.

That was the safest and surest way. But now, there's no need for that.

With the help of people like Siwoon, Yoo Seolhyun, and Roxanne, I didn't need to act so cautiously anymore.

'Maybe it's time to take out the Phantom Thief, the Necrophiliac, and the Animal Lover while I have the chance?'

Unlike Seong Yura, those three are manageable.

The Phantom Thief was set to appear in one of the main events at the auction during the upcoming summer break, while the Necrophiliac would appear during the serial killer arc at the beginning of the second year, and the Animal Lover during the second-year ﬁeld trip.

Originally, they would have been tough opponents for me to handle at this point, but with the help of others, it's possible.

For example, with support from Roxanne's faction, it could work out.

Roxanne's faction was growing rapidly, and with the secret information I provided her, she was purging corrupt clergy members.

Her faction was bound to expand even more in a short time.

Knowing Roxanne's personality, if I informed her that members of Seong Yura's former organization were causing trouble, she'd likely take action.

She wouldn't tolerate any remnants of Seong Yura's group.

If I went after them myself, I'd risk drawing Rebellion's attention, but if I let Roxanne act, I could stay under the radar.

Of course, this could make her a target for the villains, but right now, Roxanne is protected by Cynthia Gwyn.

Cynthia Gwyn, a former high-ranker from the UK.

She used to serve as the Church's sword, but after learning

about the Seong Yura incident, she was so impressed with Roxanne's efforts that she became her personal escort.

With Cynthia by her side, there were few villains in Korea who would dare challenge Roxanne. At least for now.

'Rebellion's members are strong, but the Phantom Thief, the Necrophiliac, and the Animal Lover are manageable.'

I know their weaknesses all too well.

And unlike Seong Yura, they don't have large numbers of subordinates.

Though they'll grow stronger as individuals, eventually surpassing most heroes, for now, they're just powerful villains with signiﬁcant ﬂaws.

They are still in the process of growing.

Just like the main characters. "…You're Lee Jinhyuk, right?"

At that moment, I heard a cold voice in the distance. The voice wasn't unfamiliar.

I had heard it somewhere before.

"…Interesting. You're not reacting to this level of killing intent?"

Killing intent? I frowned and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a girl with purple hair staring at me intently.

Is she seriously releasing killing intent here in the middle of the academy?

Enough to make the trainees around us struggle to breathe? "…Hello?"

"Baek Yoorin, you."

Baek Yoorin, the granddaughter of the swordmaster Baek Yeonghyun.

Her calm expression and sharp gaze made her look like a ﬁnely-honed blade.

Since childhood, she'd been personally trained by the greatest swordsman, Baek Yeonghyun, so her swordsmanship was unmatched.

She had little interest in formal academics, often sleeping during class or half-heartedly participating in practical

exams, so her grades weren't great. But those in the know understood.

If you were asked to name the strongest student at Union Academy right now, it was undoubtedly Baek Yoorin.

Of course, she'd eventually be caught up to by people like Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, but for now, Baek Yoorin held the top spot.

…Excluding Soyeon, that is. "Long time no see… I guess?"

Baek Yoorin placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze still indifferent.

"Don't you agree?"

With a slightly crooked expression, Baek Yoorin unfastened the sword at her waist and threw it at me.

I instinctively caught it. It was heavy.

I checked it brieﬂy—it was a real sword. "It's a good sword. It should suit you well."

"Wait a second, Baek Yoorin. What are you doing?" "Draw it. Let's have a match."

"What?!"

She wasn't making any sense. Why was she suddenly doing this?

Doesn't she understand the consequences of recklessly swinging a sword in a place full of people?

"If you don't plan to draw it, I'll make you…."

*Whoosh!*

A streak of light blazed toward Baek Yoorin's body, but she quickly angled her sword and deﬂected the strike.

"Siwoon… What do you think you're doing?"

"I should be asking you that, Baek Yoorin."

Lee Siwoon had stepped in.

"I have no business with you, Siwoon."

"Releasing killing intent and trying to draw your sword in public…"

Lee Siwoon stared at Baek Yoorin with a calm gaze.

"If you're going to continue causing trouble, you'll have to go through me ﬁrst."

End of Chapter.

Chapter 89

Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (3)

*Whooosh!*

A ﬁerce wind roared through the air.

Under the blazing midday sun, the strong gusts whipped through Lee Siwoon and Baek Yoorin's hair, tangling it wildly.

Yet, neither of them blinked.

They just stared at each other, gripping the hilts of their swords tightly.

It seemed that at any moment, their swords would be drawn, and sword energy would ﬂy.

"...."

The heavy silence pressed down on them.

For a brief moment, an unknown quietness ﬁlled the air.

Only the murmurs of the nearby trainees echoed around them.

"Lee Siwoon."

Suddenly.

Baek Yoorin spoke ﬁrst.

Her voice, though quiet, was cold as it pierced the air. "…Move."

"I refuse."

"…This has nothing to do with you. Why are you interfering?"

"I already told you."

Lee Siwoon answered calmly, his gaze steady.

"If you're going to cause trouble, you'll have to go through me ﬁrst."

"Is that so…?"

Lee Siwoon, another disciple of the swordmaster.

Even Baek Yeonghyun, the greatest swordsman in the peninsula, acknowledged Siwoon's talent.

Recently, Baek Yeonghyun had even begun personally teaching him swordsmanship.

It wasn't common for Baek Yeonghyun to directly teach someone, so that alone was proof of how highly Siwoon's talent was regarded.

In fact, Siwoon had been the top student upon entering Union Academy, the cradle of geniuses.

A genius among geniuses.

Critics speculated that he had the potential to reach the level of a single-ranker someday.

But as far as I know, Siwoon has already been defeated. By none other than Baek Yoorin.

"Do you think… you can stop me?"

If Siwoon was a genius, then Baek Yoorin was a monster.

Her talent went beyond the boundaries of common sense. It was, without a doubt, a blessing and a curse from the heavens.

After all, Baek Yoorin was the swordmaster's top disciple. Among the many students, she was the most exceptional. That was Baek Yoorin.

"You… are weaker than me, aren't you?"

"That's all in the past."

Despite Baek Yoorin's taunt, Siwoon stood ﬁrm, brimming with conﬁdence as he took his stance.

"Do you really think I'll stay weaker than you forever?"

"…You deﬁnitely seem stronger than before."

Baek Yoorin carefully observed Siwoon, nodding to herself. Her keen eyes could gauge his growth just by his stance.

It seemed that his months of training with the swordmaster had paid off.

As expected of Siwoon.

To have grown enough for Baek Yoorin to acknowledge him in such a short time—he truly was a male protagonist.

"Hmm…"

Baek Yoorin's gaze shifted to me as if she were deep in thought, her expression conﬂicted.

She tilted her head slightly, as if debating whether to cause a scene.

Eventually, she glanced around.

It seemed the trainees watching from a distance were getting on her nerves.

Baek Yoorin let out a short sigh. "…Fine."

She sheathed her sharp blade. "…Today's not the day."

Though her expression showed a bit of disappointment, it seemed she was reserving the ﬁght for another time, given the number of onlookers.

"Isn't that right, Lee Jinhyuk?"

"Baek Yoorin, what the hell are you thinking?"

I couldn't understand why Baek Yoorin had attacked me.

No, rather than an attack, it felt more like she wanted to spar. But I couldn't ﬁgure out why she wanted a duel with me.

After all, Baek Yoorin was a member of Rebellion.

I had been careful to avoid getting involved with her unnecessarily.

"…Are you playing dumb?" Baek Yoorin tilted her head.

"…Don't you remember what happened at the dojo two years ago?"

Two years ago at the dojo?

Ah, now that she mentioned it, Baek Yoorin had said "long time no see" earlier.

So, was it possible she had mistaken me for someone else?

Of course, given her personality, I doubted she would easily accept that explanation.

"…I see. For someone like you, it might've been too trivial to remember."

"Baek Yoorin, sorry to say, but I think you've got the wrong person."

"…The wrong person? Are you sure?"

Her voice and expression were calm, but there was a deﬁnite conviction behind Baek Yoorin's words.

"…I saw the video. How you blocked that white-haired woman's attack and even wounded her."

Wait, what?

That was half by chance, though.

Why is she giving me this much credit? "…That white-haired woman is strong." "Yeah, she's strong."

"…No trainee could've wounded her, even by accident." "...."

Does she think I'm some kind of strong opponent because I managed to hurt Yoo Dahee?

But Baek Yoorin isn't the type to be this battle-hungry. "Lee Jinhyuk. I know who you really are."

"...?"

What nonsense is she talking about now? Who I really am?

"I've seen your sword… The one that Jin Soyeon has." "Ah."

If it's the sword Soyeon has, she must mean the Vigilante's Sword.

Wait a minute.

Could it be that Baek Yoorin…

Has mistaken me for the Vigilante? But why?

"It's no use denying it… The skill you showed when you injured the white-haired woman, the sword Jin Soyeon has, and how you weren't fazed by my killing intent…"

"Hey, that's…"

"Are you going to keep pretending?"

What the hell does she mean by pretending?

But I can't think of a good excuse.

After all, I did give Soyeon the sword.

It's highly unlikely that any verbal explanation would convince Baek Yoorin.

'This is becoming a nuisance. How do I explain this? And before that, will the other members of Rebellion also think I'm the Vigilante?'

In the game's setting, Baek Yoorin harbors resentment toward the Vigilante.

That's because, years ago, during a sparring match in front of Baek Yeonghyun, she was utterly defeated by the

Vigilante.

I knew Baek Yoorin disliked the Vigilante, but I hadn't expected her to want a rematch.

Does she want to settle things once and for all?

'Still, considering Baek Yoorin's personality, she probably won't try to kill me… right?'

Even though Baek Yoorin is a member of Rebellion, she's not like other villains who casually commit murder.

She spent time in the back alleys, gaining experience, and then caught Yoo Dahee's attention by chance, which led her to join.

"…We'll settle this during the Ranking Battle next week."

"The Ranking Battle?" "…I'll challenge you." The Ranking Battle.

As the name implies, it's a one-on-one combat test.

It's a dangerous event, given that it's a combat test for hero trainees. There are always numerous instructors and safety personnel on hand, ready for any emergency.

During the event, the media, clan members, and association heroes come to scout promising talent. It's an opportunity for the trainees to prove their worth.

Each trainee can challenge any opponent they wish in the Ranking Battle.

The points earned vary depending on the opponent's rank, the outcome, and the content of the battle.

If a high-ranked trainee defeats a lower-ranked one, they won't earn many points, and they might even be ridiculed for being a coward.

But Baek Yoorin didn't seem to care, as she said she would challenge me.

It seemed she was determined to settle things in front of a large audience during the Ranking Battle.

Great. Just great.

"It would be wise for you to accept. If you refuse…" She glanced at me, her eyes sharp.

"…I'll reveal your identity to everyone." "Hey, that's—"

I couldn't hide my shock at Baek Yoorin's words.

Reveal my identity as the Vigilante?

That would be a nightmare.

There are plenty of villains who hold a grudge against the Vigilante.

Whether true or not, being exposed to the villains would be problematic in many ways.

"Then… I'll see you at the Ranking Battle."

"Hey, Baek Yoorin!"

But Baek Yoorin just glanced at me one last time before she abruptly disappeared, vanishing in an instant without looking back.

I could only stand there, staring blankly at the spot where she had been.

'As if I wasn't busy enough already… Why did things have to get tangled up with Baek Yoorin?'

"My identity, huh…"

Lee Siwoon, who had been standing next to me, seemed deep in thought as he lowered his head, then glanced over at me.

It looked like he was curious about the "identity" Baek Yoorin had mentioned.

"Does Baek Yoorin really know your identity?"

"What identity? She's just mistaken. I have no idea how to clear up this misunderstanding."

"…If you say so, I'll believe you."

Siwoon didn't look like he believed me at all. 'Sigh. What am I going to do… Hmm?'

I looked down at the sword in my hand.

Come to think of it, Baek Yoorin didn't take her sword back.

'Maybe I should meet her again under the pretense of returning her sword.'

The next morning.

I went to visit Baek Yoorin's class during the morning assembly.

But Baek Yoorin hadn't shown up at Union Academy.

I thought maybe she was just late, but she remained absent for the entire day.

It seemed she was training hard in preparation for the Ranking Battle. I even went to her house, but I couldn't ﬁnd her there, either.

And so, some time later…

"…Oh, today's the day of the Ranking Battle. Jinhyuk, aren't you nervous?"

"Yeah."

Before I knew it, the day of the Ranking Battle had arrived. End of Chapter.

Chapter 90 Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (4)

The day of the Ranking Battle.

The vast arena was teeming with people.

Representatives from the association, clans, corporations, and the media were all bustling about. Many famous heroes were also present, some of whom I recognized from the game's character guide.

There was Lee Eunji, the deputy clan leader of Gaon Nuri.

Joo Hwa-yoon from the Hwadong faction of the HanYoung Clan.

Baek Nam-il, the swordmaster and high-ranker from the Baek family.

Jung Haewon, head of the ﬁrst personnel team of the Mirinae Clan under the SL Group.

Cynthia Gwyn, the third executioner of the Church of Noon's executive unit, and so on.

Wow, there's so many of them. And on top of that, there were even more people silently waiting for the battle in the stands.

With so many outsiders in attendance, security was extremely tight. Instructors, security personnel, and the Academy's guards were all on high alert, constantly vigilant.

It was likely because of the recent attack on Union. Prepared for any scenario, the Academy staff looked tense,

practically swallowing nervously as they kept their guard up.

Everyone was paying close attention as the heirs of major clans were about to engage in combat.

This year, especially, was considered a "golden generation" due to the abundance of talented individuals.

The media, online communities, and portals were buzzing with heated debates about who was the strongest.

People were comparing aﬃnities, weaknesses, talents, growth rates, and supernatural abilities, engaging in all sorts of hypothetical matchups.

However, there was one open secret.

The strongest student at Union Academy wasn't Lee Siwoon or Kang Daehan. It was a certain girl.

That girl's name was Baek Yoorin.

Having defeated even the almighty Lee Siwoon, she had earned the title of the swordmaster's top disciple. It

wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the strongest student.

Of course, the time when she defeated Siwoon was in the past.

Given Siwoon's rapid growth, it's possible he had already caught up to her.

Moreover, Baek Yoorin hadn't been particularly active in recent times. She had been quiet as of late.

On the other hand, Siwoon had outperformed her in both the entrance exam and midterms, leading some to mockingly suggest that Baek Yoorin might have been a "has-been" who only shined in the past.

That's why people were eagerly waiting.

To see what Baek Yoorin would show in this Ranking Battle. And, of course, to see who her opponent would be.

…Which, apparently, happened to be me, sparking quite the controversy.

'Seriously, there's no reasoning with Baek Yoorin.' Stubborn as a mule, that one.

Earlier in the waiting room, I had tried to explain to Baek Yoorin that I wasn't the Vigilante, but no matter how much I talked, she wouldn't listen.

She seemed utterly ﬁxated on the idea of ﬁghting me.

Even when I mentioned that the Vigilante had died, she just let it go in one ear and out the other.

It seemed like she was barely even pretending to listen to me.

'I guess if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't believe it either. Even if someone said the Vigilante died, I'd probably think it was nonsense.'

After all, the Vigilante was a top-tier powerhouse.

Hearing that a warrior of that caliber had suddenly died would naturally sound like nonsense to anyone.

'Fine, whatever. Baek Yoorin isn't the type to listen to words anyway.'

If she wants to ﬁght, then I'll ﬁght her. In fact, this is exactly what I wanted.

I've been wanting to spar with someone stronger than a hero for a while now.

Of course, in a real ﬁght, I would have been in too much danger and would have run for my life. But in the Ranking Battle, with so many instructors, safety personnel, and healers around, I'd be protected.

It meant I could spar relatively safely.

And once Baek Yoorin actually fought me, she would surely realize I wasn't the Vigilante.

Right now, she might be too excited by the possibility that I'm the Vigilante to hear what I'm saying, but after the ﬁght, I planned to sit down and talk it out with her.

Perhaps I could even smooth things over with her.

'If I remember correctly, the reason Baek Yoorin fell into villainy in the game was largely due to… impatience and inferiority.'

Baek Yoorin had earned her fame as a sword prodigy, defeating countless geniuses in her youth. But at some point, her growth stagnated.

You could say she hit a wall.

As she ﬂoundered, unable to ﬁnd a way past her limits, Lee Siwoon eventually caught up to her. And to make matters worse, she was utterly defeated by someone she had never heard of—Soyeon.

Having lived her entire life with her sword, only to be bested by Soyeon, who had recently awakened her talent, Baek Yoorin sank into despair as the gap between them widened with every ﬁght.

It was around that time that Yoo Dahee made her move.

Though it was an obvious ploy, Baek Yoorin, consumed by her inferiority, fell for it.

'…Maybe I can help Baek Yoorin break through her limits.'

After reﬂecting on the game's lore over the past week, I managed to recall a few more details about Baek Yoorin's situation.

One of those details included the problem she was currently facing and a potential solution.

While I couldn't completely solve Baek Yoorin's issue, I could at least offer a clue.

That's because in one of the game's IF side stories, Baek Yoorin, after bonding with Soyeon, received some advice, worked hard, and ultimately overcame her wall.

I vaguely recalled what advice Soyeon had given Baek Yoorin in that side story.

'Baek Yoorin took discussions about swordsmanship quite seriously in the side story.'

When it came to swordsmanship, Baek Yeonghyun was the best. But even he felt uneasy about Baek Yoorin wielding a sword.

Though he had accepted her as his top disciple due to her extraordinary talent, in the end, she had become overly obsessed with the sword.

Baek Yoorin was utterly captivated by the allure of the sword.

She felt no resistance against cutting things down, and her obsession and longing for the sword eventually led her down a path of villainy.

'…I wonder how long I'll be able to last against Baek Yoorin.'

Though Baek Yoorin's talent had once bloomed more explosively than anyone else's and had since withered somewhat, her strength was still the real deal.

While I couldn't be certain, based on her depiction in the oﬃcial game, novels, and comics, she was likely somewhere between mid-high-tier and high-tier.

Due to her lack of experience, her ability to handle situations and her tactical sense might not be great, but considering her age, she was an absurdly strong opponent.

Well, maybe she fell a bit short when compared to people like Soyeon, Yoo Dahee, or the Vigilante.

But that didn't mean Baek Yoorin's talent was lacking. '…Might as well give it my all now that it's come to this.' I chuckled bitterly to myself.

Since I was going to spar with Baek Yoorin anyway, I had decided to give it everything I had.

Through this ﬁght, I wanted to gauge, both objectively and subjectively, where I stood in terms of my current abilities.

I also wanted to test how well the tactics I'd come up with would work against someone stronger than a hero.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to win.

Baek Yoorin had long surpassed the level of an ordinary student.

Though one day she'd be surpassed by the main characters, for now, she was the strongest, excluding Soyeon.

I had barely managed to win by a hair against Lee Siwoon during the midterms by using a bunch of tricks, so the thought of beating Baek Yoorin was absurd.

What's more, this time, I wouldn't be able to rely on tricks.

This was a duel being observed by many people.

I couldn't pull any strange stunts under the watchful eyes of the cameras, referees, security personnel, and audience. I would have to ﬁght purely with my skills.

Well, I could probably still use Tears of the Moon, though. "Whew. I'm a bit nervous."

"...."

"Jinhyuk, you don't seem nervous at all. You've got nerves of steel."

"…Hmm."

Soyeon, who was standing next to me, had a somewhat awkward expression on her face.

It seemed that ﬁghting in front of so many people was making her uncomfortable.

"By the way, Soyeon, wasn't your opponent Joo Jiyeon?"

"Ah, yeah."

In the Ranking Battle, students could challenge any opponent they wanted.

Normally, they'd challenge someone a little weaker or stronger than themselves, but Soyeon had directly challenged Joo Jiyeon, the 12th-ranked young lady of the OhSung Group, who had recently picked a ﬁght with her.

Joo Jiyeon accepted the challenge without hesitation, as if this was exactly what she had been hoping for.

It was a chance to publicly humiliate Soyeon, who had been getting attention from Kang Daehan, whom Jiyeon had a crush on.

She was probably planning to crush Soyeon thoroughly and humiliate her so she would never dare act out again.

Since Daehan had a thing for strong women, Jiyeon likely thought that if Soyeon got utterly trashed, Daehan would lose interest in her.

Challenging someone ranked so much lower than herself would have been awkward for Jiyeon, but since Soyeon made the ﬁrst move, there was no need for hesitation.

"Why did you challenge Joo Jiyeon?" "Hmm. I don't know."

Soyeon twirled a strand of her hair before curling her lips into a faint smile.

"Because it seemed doable?"

"Doable, huh…"

"What? Are you mocking me?"

"Of course not."

I was actually wondering if she was underestimating herself. You're much stronger than that now.

"As I said before, I think something changed after that incident… My supernatural ability and physical capabilities seem to have improved quite a bit."

I nodded lightly.

Through my investigation, observations, and Soyeon's own hints, I had a rough idea of her changes.

Even without all that, Soyeon's awakened talent and strength were well-documented in the game's lore.

She was made to ﬁght monstrous villains, so much so that her settings would make you go, "Wow, seriously?"

"Well, I can tell just from how you've been performing in training recently."

"Training scores, huh. It's a bit vague. That's why I wanted to ﬁght a strong opponent and see for myself." Soyeon smiled brightly.

"I want to know how much I've changed, and how well I can hold up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's hard to get a real sense from just regular training."

Soyeon glanced over at Yoo Seolhyun, who was standing off in the distance, chatting with Sunari.

"I even thought about challenging Yoo Seolhyun." What? Are you trying to destroy Seolhyun's psyche? "But I ﬁgured Joo Jiyeon would be a better match." "That's a relief."

"By the way, Jinhyuk, what happened with Baek Yoorin? I heard she threatened you recently."

"Oh, that was just a minor misunderstanding." Whether it was "minor" or not, I wasn't sure. "…You're not being bullied by Baek Yoorin, are you?"

"Why? Are you going to help me if I am?"

Wow, in the game, you didn't even notice I was being bullied.

"Just say the word." Soyeon nodded ﬁrmly.

"I won't let anyone mess with you."

Her eyes locked onto mine with an intense gaze. How should I put it?

I could feel her strong resolve and determination.

"I… I think I've gotten a lot stronger lately, more than you might realize."

-[Groups F1 through F10, please enter the arena.] "Oh, it's my turn."

"Alright, good luck."

"Should I expect you to be cheering me on?"

I watched Soyeon dash out of the waiting room and thought to myself.

Whether she liked it or not, today's battle would bring a lot of attention to Soyeon.

From heroes, and villains alike.

Until now, when people talked about geniuses, they'd only mention people like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, Yoo Seolhyun, or Baek Yoorin. But that would change soon enough.

While attracting too much attention this early might be a bit troublesome, it was about time.

Time to show everyone what a true genius is. End of Chapter.

Chapter 91 Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (5)

"Will she be okay?"

A concerned voice gently caressed Jinhyuk's ear.

As he turned his head slightly, he could see Yoo Seolhyun's face, her radiant hair gleaming like molten gold as she brushed it aside.

Seolhyun slowly shifted her gaze to Jinhyuk and moved her lips.

"I mean Soyeon."

She gestured lightly with her chin, pointing at Soyeon.

"I don't think Joo Jiyeon is a good choice for her ranking match opponent."

"Hmm?"

Hearing Seolhyun's words, Jinhyuk scratched his chin.

Strange? She should know that Soyeon had taken down several of Seong Yura's bodyguards. Why would she say something like this?

Ah, right. Seolhyun wasn't there at the time, was she? It seems she hasn't been properly informed.

"Yeah, yeah."

Sunari, who was standing nearby, nodded her head three or four times in agreement.

Her long hair, tied on both sides, swayed gently like a puppy's tail as she nodded.

"Joo Jiyeon… I don't like her, but her skills are the real deal."

Sunari muttered in a disinterested voice as she glanced at Joo Jiyeon in the arena, then turned her gaze towards Jinhyuk.

"Did you know that her supernatural ability is rated higher than that of an active hero?"

"Ah, well, that's true. Her output was quite impressive."

Joo Jiyeon's supernatural ability was quite powerful for a student.

Power, versatility, applicability, destructive force, defense, mobility, and so on.

It could be said to be an exceptionally good ability with no apparent weaknesses.

"I once fought against Joo Jiyeon in the past…" "Didn't you lose?"

"Ah, I didn't lose!"

Sunari shouted, her face ﬂushed red with anger.

Seeing her puﬃng and fuming, it seemed she was quite upset.

"I heard you lost by decision. Wasn't that the case?"

"T-that was because of the time limit, yeah, the time limit! If it had been an unlimited match, I could have just crushed her!"

Although Sunari was only ranked 17th among the new students, her close combat ability was among the top ten among the students.

For someone like Sunari to lose by decision was a testament to how strong Joo Jiyeon was.

"Anyway, what is Jin Soyeon thinking?" "She said she was conﬁdent."

"Ha."

Sunari snorted brieﬂy. "Her? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Her skills seem to have improved quite a bit lately based on her training, but that doesn't mean she's anywhere near Joo Jiyeon's level."

Sunari nodded to herself with her arms ﬁrmly crossed.

She wore an expression of disbelief, thinking that even if Soyeon, who was only ranked in the upper-middle tier among new students, had improved, how much could she have really improved?

Logically speaking, Sunari's words made sense.

It didn't make sense for Soyeon, who was merely an upper- middle tier student, to grow to a level where she could face off against the 12th-ranked individual in just a few months of effort.

But Sunari, do you know?

"Then, Sunari. Shall we make a bet?" "What kind of bet?"

"On who will win between Soyeon and Joo Jiyeon." "Hmph, obviously Joo Jiyeon."

"Really? Then I'll bet on Soyeon."

Soyeon was not someone who could be measured by common sense.

After all, Soyeon was the protagonist of this world and destined to become the strongest in this universe.

Soyeon's supernatural ability and potential were beyond imagination.

After observing her for several weeks, although she seemed to lack self-awareness, it was clear that her absurd abilities and talents were slowly beginning to stir.

"The loser of the bet will grant one small wish to the winner."

"Huh. Jinhyuk, I understand you want to support Jin Soyeon, but I don't think Joo Jiyeon will lose…"

"Seolhyun, what do you think? Want to join in?"

"Hey! Did you just cut me off?!"

"Hmm? Well…"

Ignoring Sunari's protests, Jinhyuk turned to Seolhyun. She looked over Jinhyuk's face carefully before ﬁnally smiling and answering.

"Then I'll also vote for Soyeon to win."

"Eh? Eh? S-Seolhyun, why you too?"

"Well~."

Seolhyun smiled playfully and pointed at Jinhyuk.

"Seeing how conﬁdent Jinhyuk is, I feel like there must be something to it?"

"Ah, no, even so… How could Jin Soyeon possibly…"

As Sunari blinked in confusion and carefully expressed her opinion, Seolhyun shrugged once.

"Well, we'll soon ﬁnd out who wins, won't we?"

No sooner had those words left her mouth than…

-All students to your positions. We will now begin the F group matches.

Soyeon and Joo Jiyeon's match was about to begin.

***

Inside the battleﬁeld in the arena. "..."

"..."

Jin Soyeon and Joo Jiyeon stood quietly facing each other from a slight distance.

The interior of the arena was divided into multiple battleﬁelds to allow multiple students to engage in 1-on-1 duels simultaneously.

Each battleﬁeld was protected by a transparent dome- shaped barrier, with referees, safety personnel, and others stationed inside.

In the distance, a large electronic scoreboard could be seen.

The faces of the students were clearly visible on several large screens.

Moreover, numerous cameras were constantly recording and broadcasting the duels, so all of Korea would be watching.

This match of Joo Jiyeon's!

"I don't know what you're thinking, Jin Soyeon. Why did you challenge me to a ranking match?"

"..."

Jin Soyeon simply gazed at Joo Jiyeon with calm eyes, not bothering to answer.

"Well, ﬁne. Whatever." "..."

"I'll make you regret your choice." "..."

Joo Jiyeon was thoroughly displeased with Jin Soyeon's apparent indifference, as if she was letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

"That's enough chatter. To your positions."

"Yes."

"Okay."

At the referee's words, the two lightly acknowledged and moved far apart from each other.

"The match will last 10 minutes. It ends with surrender, knockout, or being down for more than 10 seconds.

Understood?"

Joo Jiyeon fell into deep thought with a solemn expression. Many people were watching this match.

Not just her father, who opposed her becoming a dangerous hero, but also Yoo Seolhyun, who had humiliated Joo Jiyeon during the entrance exam, and Kang Daehan, her crush.

With everyone watching, simply winning wouldn't be enough.

She had to win overwhelmingly, absolutely dominating.

After all, Jin Soyeon was just an upper-middle tier nobody, right?

Rather than just barely defeating her by one or two points, she needed to show an overwhelming performance throughout the match to shock all the spectators.

Being ranked 12th was now a thing of the past.

Having grown even further since entering Union, she was now surely worthy of being in the top 10.

-All students to your positions. We will now begin the F group matches.

Finally, with the broadcast announcing the start of the match.

"Well then… 3, 2, 1, begin!"

"Alright, Jin Soyeon, let's see your skills… Huh?" Whoosh!

Jin Soyeon immediately threw a dagger.

The knife, imbued with a faint magical power, rushed forward quickly.

The pointed dagger ﬂew like an arrow, approaching very close to Joo Jiyeon.

But.

"A sneak attack the moment we start… Isn't that a bit underhanded, Jin Soyeon?"

Suddenly, the dagger slowed down and then fell to the ground.

As if blocked by an invisible wall, the dagger failed to reach Joo Jiyeon.

"As expected, it doesn't work."

"Did you think something like this would work? Against me?"

Joo Jiyeon smiled lightly. She ﬂicked her ﬁnger once.

Let's intimidate her a little, shall we?

Surely Jin Soyeon won't cower from just this much? "You'd better dodge."

Jin Soyeon quickly moved her feet.

The ground where she had just been standing was suddenly crushed with a thud.

The solid ﬂoor cracked in a net-like pattern.

It looked as if it had been compressed by an invisible press. "Good dodge?"

"..."

Gravity manipulation ability.

This was Joo Jiyeon's supernatural power.

She could apply a powerful gravitational ﬁeld within a certain range.

She could even change the direction of gravity, allowing her to push away or pull in opponents, essentially manipulating attractive and repulsive forces.

Using gravity, she could accelerate or decelerate objects, shift her own center of gravity, ﬂy, compress objects, or repel them. It was truly a versatile ability with a wide range of applications.

Moreover, it was invisible.

From an opponent's perspective, there could hardly be a more troublesome ability to face.

Ordinary hero trainees would likely have their morale crushed the moment they directly experienced her power, falling helplessly without putting up much resistance.

But Jin Soyeon was different.

Instead, she nodded to herself as if impressed.

"…The output seems stronger than I heard. Maybe the rumors are true, and your ability really is above that of an active hero."

"Are you regretting your choice now?"

"No, I think this worked out well."

Jin Soyeon curled up the corners of her mouth slightly as she tightly gripped her shield and iron sword.

"This level should make for quite a good sparring partner."

With those words, Jin Soyeon quickly stepped forward. She dashed rapidly towards Joo Jiyeon. Seeing this, Joo Jiyeon smirked.

How stupid. It's just a simple sprint without any footwork or technique. If she was using footwork like Yoo Seolhyun, darting around in all directions to confuse my vision, that would be one thing. But running straight at me like this, I can easily hit her.

'Let's start by lightly stopping her movement.'

Joo Jiyeon ﬂicked her ﬁnger, intending to pin down Jin Soyeon's body with a gravitational ﬁeld.

An intense gravitational force then pressed down on Jin Soyeon's body.

'Huh? What's this?'

However, for some reason, Jin Soyeon's body didn't stop.

The moment she made contact with the high gravity, Jin Soyeon's shoulders trembled slightly and her pace slowed for a moment, but then she suddenly started moving quickly again.

She suddenly broke free from the gravitational ﬁeld and once again dashed towards Joo Jiyeon.

An ordinary person would have been crushed by gravity so strong they could barely breathe, yet she escaped from the gravitational ﬁeld so easily.

Given the narrowed range, the force should have been quite strong.

Of course, she had lowered the output to avoid serious injury, but it should have been enough to stop someone like Jin Soyeon.

Was she a physical enhancement ability user like Sunari? No, that's not it.

As far as she remembered, Jin Soyeon was a buff-type ability user who could strengthen and weaken objects.

Didn't she lack the supernatural ability and physical capability to resist this level of gravity?

End of Chapter

Chapter 92

Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (6) 'My gravity ability isn't working?'

Joo Jiyeon's brow furrowed as she watched Jin Soyeon running straight at her.

The gravity ﬁeld she was using would have been enough to immobilize an ordinary hero trainee.

But it seemed insuﬃcient to stop Jin Soyeon's movements.

Even after ﬁring a few more gravity ﬁelds, they seemed almost useless against Soyeon.

Though her movements slowed slightly upon contact with the gravity, Jin Soyeon somehow endured it and kept pressing forward.

'Did she neutralize… no, weaken my gravity ability?' Joo Jiyeon was brieﬂy impressed.

After all, the ability to weaken or nullify another's supernatural powers was quite rare.

'I knew she could strengthen or weaken objects that touched her body.'

But to weaken even a supernatural ability?

'I was wondering why she challenged me to a ranking match, but it seems she had something up her sleeve.'

There was no way she had hidden such a useful ability all this time.

'Has her ability expanded and evolved?' It happens sometimes.

As people develop their abilities, they can evolve or expand.

In Jin Soyeon's case, her power to manipulate objects must have evolved to the point where she could now affect abilities that touched her body, not just physical objects.

'Weakening my gravity… interesting. But so what?'

While Joo Jiyeon was momentarily taken aback, that was all.

The power to weaken abilities was intriguing, but at the end of the day, it was just weakening.

It wasn't complete nulliﬁcation.

The way Soyeon's movements slowed the moment she touched the gravity ﬁeld was proof enough.

It took her a moment to weaken the incoming force. 'Did she think I rely solely on my supernatural ability?'

Depending completely on one's supernatural ability would only make you half a warrior.

And Joo Jiyeon wasn't the type to neglect everything else just because she had a strong ability.

The fact that she had entered Union Academy ranked 12th, above countless geniuses in Korea—no, the world—was not something that could be achieved by talent alone.

Joo Jiyeon was a genius, but she was also a hard worker.

She had become much stronger than she was during the entrance exam.

No, not just stronger—much, much stronger. 'Alright, I'll ﬁght you properly, then.'

She gathered an overwhelming amount of supernatural energy, enough to make the ground tremble, and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

A technique she had invented by combining her gravity manipulation with her swordsmanship—super high-gravity sword draw.

Instead of unleashing sharp sword energy like Sword Qi, it was a type of wide-area attack that used gravity and magic.

"Come at me."

Joo Jiyeon took her stance to draw her sword.

In an instant, Jin Soyeon had reached striking distance.

With all her strength, Joo Jiyeon unsheathed her sword, swinging it at Soyeon, a mix of gravity and magic following the slash.

*Paaaaaang!*

An invisible force tore through the battleﬁeld's ground.

The ground cracked, and chunks of earth shot up in all directions.

The fan-shaped gravity wave swept everything in front of it.

She had ramped up the power quite a bit, so it could be

dangerous, but given what Jin Soyeon had shown thus far, she should be able to endure it.

"Hup!"

Jin Soyeon grimaced as she covered her body with her shield, pushing forward through the magic-infused gravity wave.

It was as expected.

As Soyeon's movements slowed for a moment, Joo Jiyeon immediately shifted the direction of gravity and moved.

Using gravity for high-speed movement.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared right in front of Jin Soyeon, swinging her sword down at her.

"Block this." "!"

*One Sword Rotation.*

By changing the direction of gravity, she could keep her momentum and inertia, allowing her to perform a series of rapid, sweeping slashes.

During the entrance exam, even the almighty Yoo Seolhyun couldn't read the path of her sword and had been forced onto the defensive. It was a dazzling sword technique.

Thanks to the freedom of changing her center of gravity, she could swing her sword with full force from any position.

…However.

"You're fast, I'll give you that. Even at three times the speed, it's hard to follow."

"Huh?"

Jin Soyeon dodged the blade effortlessly.

Her calm gaze tracked the sword's path as she dodged, deﬂected, and blocked every attack with just a hair's breadth of margin.

It was as if she existed in a different time, so composed was her evasion, leaving Joo Jiyeon utterly dumbfounded.

No way.

Did she dodge by reading the sword's trajectory?

Not even someone like Lee Siwoon or Kang Daehan could do that easily.

Could Jin Soyeon really have sensory perception and reﬂexes of that level?

*Soyeon?* "This?!"

Joo Jiyeon spread her ability in all directions. Powerful gravity pressed down on the surroundings.

Under the intense gravity, Jin Soyeon's movements slowed.

Seeing her chance, Joo Jiyeon swung her sword again, reinforced by gravity. Soyeon, whose movement had been brieﬂy halted, raised her sword to block the attack.

*Clang!*

The sound of clashing metal echoed as sparks ﬂew.

The gravity- and magic-enhanced blade clashed with Soyeon's sword.

'I have to end it now.'

She had to ﬁnish this before Jin Soyeon could neutralize her gravity again.

She would slice Soyeon in half. "Blocking won't help you—what?"

*Crack!*

Joo Jiyeon's sword broke. It shattered like glass.

It was as if the sword couldn't bear the gravity it was under. She had used only as much gravity as the sword could handle, so why…?

"What, what the?!"

Then, Jin Soyeon's blade slashed diagonally across Joo Jiyeon's shoulder.

*Splat!*

Though the training swords had safety measures and Jiyeon was wearing protective gear, the protective suit tore like paper, and her collarbone was split open, spraying blood.

"You… you dare?!"

"Sorry. I'm still not very good at controlling it."

Joo Jiyeon bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood as she quickly retreated.

She tried to ﬂick Soyeon away by twisting the gravity to send her ﬂying, but it was no use.

Instead, she used gravity on herself to widen the distance. Argh, my shoulder… my shoulder…

It hurts, but not enough to stop me from ﬁghting.

With her left collarbone damaged, she couldn't use her left hand, but it didn't matter. If she stayed far enough away, she could use the objects around her to attack.

Ugh, this is such a humiliation. So many people… are watching.

"Should we stop here, Joo Jiyeon?"

"?!"

From behind.

Jin Soyeon had somehow closed the distance and was right behind her.

When did she get so close?

Joo Jiyeon tried to respond immediately, but it was too late. Jin Soyeon's ﬁst slammed into her jaw.

Dazed from the sudden concussion, Joo Jiyeon staggered. Then, she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Ugh, you… Jin Soyeon…"

"You were stronger than I expected. Really."

Jin Soyeon lightly rested her sword on Joo Jiyeon.

Dazed from the concussion, Joo Jiyeon struggled to get up, but her body wouldn't cooperate.

She had to get up within 10 seconds… but… "That's enough."

The referee suddenly intervened.

It was clear that she had been fully subdued, and more than 10 seconds had passed since she fell.

Thus, the result of the duel was… "F Group Match 6, over."

The referee checked the time and calmly declared. "Victory goes to Jin Soyeon."

Jin Soyeon's victory.

"W-wait, I lost? N-no, this can't be…"

Joo Jiyeon muttered in disbelief.

No way. No way had she lost to someone like Jin Soyeon.

Looking back, it had been a near one-sided defeat, leaving her with a deep sense of futility.

'I… I won. I beat Joo Jiyeon, ranked 12th.' Jin Soyeon blinked, feeling a bit dazed.

She had thought she could win, but now that she had actually defeated Jiyeon so easily, it didn't feel quite real.

It wasn't even like she had given it her all.

In the past, she would have been completely trapped in the ﬁrst gravity ﬁeld and lost without being able to do anything.

But the current Jin Soyeon was different.

After the kidnapping incident, Jin Soyeon's awakened potential had made her arguably the top student at the Academy in terms of raw ability.

Jin Soyeon glanced at the audience. People were buzzing in their seats.

Then she looked over at the student waiting area. They must have been watching the match.

Lee Jinhyuk, Yoo Seolhyun, Baek Yoorin, Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, and, of course, the person Lee Jinhyuk liked.

"...."

Jin Soyeon knew all too well.

That Lee Jinhyuk didn't see her as a romantic interest.

After all, their long, fake relationship had only left scars, so expecting him to hold any positive feelings toward her would be strange.

That's why Jin Soyeon needed her own conﬁdence.

Conﬁdence in her ability to stand on par with the women Jinhyuk might actually like—women like Yoo Seolhyun or Roxanne.

And she needed to conﬁrm something through this ﬁght. Could she protect Jinhyuk if the worst were to happen?

'…With this level of strength, I should be able to handle most villains.'

Kidnapping. Yes, kidnapping.

Jin Soyeon had been kidnapped once.

There was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.

When she had been kidnapped, she had been utterly powerless, forced to watch as Jinhyuk seemed to die.

The fact that it had been a fake video was the only saving grace. If it had been real?

She would have lost Jinhyuk. Forever.

As a hero, it was inevitable that something like this could happen again.

That's why Jin Soyeon needed strength.

The strength to protect herself and Jinhyuk from any threats.

She never wanted to ﬁnd herself in such a helpless situation again.

Never.

…The memory of that day had become a sort of trauma.

Even though some time had passed, she still saw it in her dreams.

She hadn't mentioned it because she didn't want anyone to worry, but sometimes, she would wake up in a panic, fearing she'd be kidnapped again, or that Jinhyuk would die.

And unknowingly, this had started to manifest in her as an obsession and thirst for power.

Little by little.

Bit by bit.

"...Hmm."

In the student waiting room.

Baek Yoorin quietly looked up at the monitor.

The match between Jin Soyeon and Joo Jiyeon had been quite impressive.

To be honest, Baek Yoorin wasn't very interested in the other students' matches and had been yawning the whole time, but Jin Soyeon had piqued her interest a little.

After all, Jin Soyeon also used a sword and was quite strong.

Though she hadn't shown much in the way of swordsmanship, a swordsman was still a swordsman, wasn't she?

Honestly, Joo Jiyeon had been foolish enough to engage in close-quarters combat, which let Soyeon win so easily. But that didn't mean Yoorin underestimated her.

Jin Soyeon, she didn't even seem to use her full power. Just how strong would she be if she went all out?

'…It's interesting, but now's not the time for this.'

Baek Yoorin shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her match was about to start soon.

A match against the one who had shattered her pride two years ago, defeating her mercilessly.

'…It won't be like last time.' She would show him.

How much she had changed.

'He keeps saying he's not the one… but well, it doesn't matter.'

He'll realize the truth once we face each other.

…It was unfortunate for Lee Jinhyuk, but Baek Yoorin much preferred communicating with her sword rather than with words.

Chapter 93 Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (7)

The stadium's spectator seats were quite noisy.

The association, clans, and media personnel, who had been watching the match between the fresh-faced little kids, were now murmuring in surprised voices.

The result of the match between Joo Jiyeon and Jin Soyeon was quite unexpected.

No one had predicted that the precious gem of OhSung Group would lose.

After all, Joo Jiyeon was exceptionally strong for a trainee. Based solely on her supernatural ability, she was considered better than even active heroes.

But Joo Jiyeon lost? To an unheard-of trainee?

If she had lost to someone like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, Baek Yoorin, Yoo Seolhyun, Sunari, or Yuliya, that would have been one thing, but to lose to a girl no one had heard of before…

Who even was this girl named Jin Soyeon?

From what they'd heard, she was ranked outside the top 200.

"Oh dear, is our Jiyeon's mental state okay?"

Jasekyung from RaonHills Clan, a subsidiary of OhSung Group, looked down at the arena with worried eyes.

Joo Jiyeon, who was looking blankly into the air before letting out a hollow laugh and lowering her head, seemed utterly pitiful.

Her shoulders trembled as she clenched her ﬁsts tightly, clearly feeling deeply frustrated.

Knowing how much effort Joo Jiyeon had put in for this day, Jasekyung could not help but feel sorry for her.

"To be honest, Joo Jiyeon fought poorly."

"What did you say?!"

Jeong Haewon from SL Group muttered absentmindedly, and Jasekyung's ears perked up, her anger ﬂaring like a ﬁre.

How could he say that our Jiyeon fought poorly? What utter nonsense!

That man, Jeong Haewon.

Was he saying that just because his side's Lee Siwoon had won by decision against Kang Daehan?

"Mr. Jeong Haewon, I think your words are out of line. How can you say Jiyeon fought poorly?"

Jeong Haewon let out a sigh and slowly offered an apology to calm things down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just… a bit disappointing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Joo Jiyeon didn't need to engage in close combat."

It would have been better if she had kept her distance and

fought.

"When she fought Sunari last time, I remember she kept a wide distance and didn't allow her to get close."

"That's…"

"If she had responded like that, she wouldn't have lost so easily. It's just a shame."

Joo Jiyeon's supernatural ability was powerful at short, medium, and long range alike.

If she had fully utilized her high-speed movement and ﬂight, keeping as much distance as possible while focusing on long-range attacks, the outcome could have been different.

"From what I saw, that Jin Soyeon girl seemed to have very poor long-range attack capabilities."

When Jin Soyeon ﬁrst threw her dagger, it was effortlessly blocked by Joo Jiyeon's gravity ﬁeld.

Furthermore, throughout the match, Soyeon continuously braved the gravity to get closer to Joo Jiyeon.

This indicated that Jin Soyeon was severely lacking when it came to long-range attacks.

If Joo Jiyeon had focused solely on avoiding and maintaining distance, like she did against Sunari, even if she couldn't ﬁnish Soyeon, she might have won by decision.

But Joo Jiyeon wasn't particularly wary of Soyeon closing the distance.

She had been conﬁdent that she could win even in close combat.

Besides, it would have hurt her pride to retreat against an unknown girl like Jin Soyeon.

…But that complacency had ultimately led to her defeat.

"This Jin Soyeon girl, is she really ranked outside the top 200? Her movements were quite something. For her to weaken Joo Jiyeon's gravity ability to that extent, she must have a pretty strong supernatural ability. So why haven't we heard of her?"

Jeong Haewon quietly reﬂected on Jin Soyeon.

That girl seemed to have the power to weaken other people's supernatural abilities.

From what little information he could gather, it seemed like her ability involved strengthening or weakening objects that touched her body.

The fact that she had so easily weakened Joo Jiyeon's powerful gravity ability indicated that she had immense

potential.

She should deﬁnitely be considered for recruitment by the Mirinae Clan.

This was why Union Academy was so interesting.

Every now and then, these unexpected kids would show startling talent and potential.

It wasn't for nothing that the academy was called a cradle of future heroes.

"Hmph. It's just a ﬂuke, a ﬂuke."

Jasekyung, feeling annoyed by Jeong Haewon's admiration of Jin Soyeon, grumbled under her breath.

Since our Jiyeon had lost to a nobody like Jin Soyeon, she was bound to face some unpleasant rumors.

That's why she wasn't happy about the situation.

But putting personal feelings aside, that girl Jin Soyeon seemed to be quite capable.

It wasn't just because she had weakened Joo Jiyeon's ability.

The way she effortlessly dismantled Joo Jiyeon's high-speed sword attacks at the end, and how she immediately chased after her when she tried to escape using high-speed movement, showed that her movements were far from ordinary.

The sword technique Joo Jiyeon had used, *One Sword Rotation*, was something that even members of the RaonHills Clan admired for its unpredictability and speed.

It wasn't the kind of attack that could be easily countered by anyone ranked outside the top 10.

But that kid, Jin Soyeon, had openly dismantled it.

The way she dodged by the slimmest of margins reminded her of a certain arrogant, purple-haired girl.

That cocky little girl named Baek Yoorin. "By the way, it's almost time, isn't it?"

"Baek Yoorin's match?"

Jeong Haewon nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it."

It was an open secret, known to those in the know.

Baek Yoorin was arguably the strongest hero trainee among the freshmen.

Honestly, even if you included the upperclassmen, Baek Yoorin might still be the best.

Baek Yoorin's skill had clearly surpassed that of an ordinary student.

Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, too, had gone beyond the realm of a student, but thinking of the feats Baek Yoorin had displayed even before entering Union made one wonder how much of a monster she had become by now.

Jeong Haewon had been shocked the ﬁrst time he saw Baek Yoorin.

Even though he had grown up being called a genius to the point of exhaustion, next to her, he had felt like a frog in a well.

"By the way, I heard Baek Yoorin personally requested a ranking match with a trainee named Lee Jinhyuk?"

"Yes. That surprised me as well."

Jasekyung nodded in agreement with Jeong Haewon's words.

Up until now, Baek Yoorin hadn't shown much interest in things like academy rankings, often breezing through exams.

Entrance exams, practical evaluations, midterms, and so on. But this ranking match was different.

Not only had she speciﬁcally requested Lee Jinhyuk as her opponent, but she had also been training non-stop without leaving the academy for a week.

Which meant this wasn't just a thoughtless challenge. Baek Yoorin was taking this match very seriously.

"But why would she request a ranking match with someone like Lee Jinhyuk…?"

Lee Jinhyuk was somewhat famous.

He had been awarded a commendation for defeating a monster during the practical evaluation, helped rescue heroes in a dungeon by supporting the Gaon Nuri Clan, and led his classmates against villains during the midterms. His achievements were considerable.

But if asked whether he was a match for Baek Yoorin, Jasekyung couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion.

Because Lee Jinhyuk was incredibly weak.

There were even rumors that he had barely passed the Union entrance exam, ranking near the bottom.

And sure enough, if you looked at his practical scores since joining Union, they were consistently low.

"Given that Baek Yoorin, of all people, personally requested a ranking match, maybe Lee Jinhyuk is hiding something, like Jin Soyeon did?"

"I really hope so."

Jasekyung shrugged as she recalled Baek Yoorin's face.

"It would be nice to see that obnoxious little genius have to struggle, even just once."

Though imagining that monstrous genius struggling against Lee Jinhyuk seemed almost impossible.

In the student waiting room.

"Victory! Did you see? Did you see my glorious victory?"

As soon as the match was over, Soyeon came running over, grinning ear to ear as she showered everyone with self- praise.

The way she was acting was a bit over the top.

With her nose in the air and her hands on her hips, she was reminiscent of the conﬁdent Soyeon from the past.

Although things had been a bit awkward between us since the confession incident, Soyeon didn't seem embarrassed or bothered by it anymore.

…Or maybe she was purposely acting like everything was ﬁne.

She probably didn't want things to be awkward.

"Oh, I fear my own talent! My immense stren—Kyaa?!"

"Jin Soyeon! I knew you could do it! You're my hero! Haha, the underdog wins! I was right to bet on you!"

"Oh my gosh, Soyeon, what happened? How are you so strong all of a sudden?"

"Wow. You actually beat Joo Jiyeon? Jin Soyeon, you might be on par with me, or even better!"

The classmates who had been watching the match suddenly rushed over to Soyeon, hoisting her up and cheering.

Soyeon screamed in surprise, "Kyaa!" but they seemed even happier than she was.

Soyeon was deﬁnitely popular, that was for sure. "Hyah?!"

*Thud!* She hit her head on the ceiling.

They had thrown her too high.

As expected of hero trainees. They were seriously strong. "You… you guys…"

"Oh, uh, sorry!"

"Hey, hey. I said throw her gently." "Oops, I'll take my leave now."

As soon as Soyeon landed on the ground and glared at them, the others let out awkward coughs and quickly scattered.

Soyeon sighed deeply and walked over to me. "Ugh, my head…"

"You fought well, Soyeon."

Although I had been a bit uncertain, the match had made one thing clear.

She had the potential I had suspected.

Of course, her skill level and raw power seemed a bit lacking, but with just what she'd shown today, she should be able to hold her own against villains.

"I knew you'd win."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah. There was a sports betting site, so I bet on you. The odds were insane."

"…It wasn't illegal, was it?"

"Nope, it's legal. Approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. You know, like horse racing or Kangwon Land… There's a lot of controversy about how they're using student matches for proﬁt, though."

The downside was that since it was a legal betting platform, my winnings were a bit disappointing.

"Oh, wow! Jin Soyeon! How did you…?!" At that moment, Sunari interrupted.

She was pointing at Soyeon with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe the outcome.

"Sunari? Were you cheering for me?" "No? He bet on your opponent." "What?! Sunari! I'm hurt!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

As Soyeon and Sunari bickered like usual.

Contestants from G Group, matches 11 through 20, please enter the arena.

"Ah. Is it my turn already?" My match was coming up. A duel against Baek Yoorin.

Honestly, I was feeling pretty nervous.

"What are you going to do, Jinhyuk?" "What do you mean?"

Yoo Seolhyun, who had been quiet until now, suddenly approached and asked me softly. What did she mean by that?

I looked at her, confused, but Seolhyun just stared back at me with an unreadable expression.

I shrugged and answered.

"I'm going to try my best… but, well, I won't lose." "Hmm? Is that so?"

Seolhyun gave me a somewhat meaningful look, then smiled.

"So, you plan to lose?" No?

I said I would try my best.

In the end, I'd probably lose, though. Honestly, how could I beat Baek Yoorin?

I wasn't even sure if I could last a minute against her.

But there was something strange about the nuance in Seolhyun's words.

It was as if she thought I was planning to lose on purpose. Was it just my imagination?

"Jinhyuk." "Ah."

Lee Siwoon approached me.

He had won his ranking match against Kang Daehan by decision.

Siwoon had gone to the inﬁrmary for treatment due to his injuries, but it seemed he had ﬁnally returned after receiving basic care.

"Baek Yoorin is strong." "Yeah, I know."

Siwoon said that one sentence and then went quiet. As if that alone was enough.

Contestants from G Group, matches 11 through 20, please hurry to the arena.

"Looks like it's time for you to go, Jinhyuk." "Yeah. You're right."

No more time to delay.

I listened to Soyeon's words and hurried toward the battleﬁeld.

"Jinhyuk, good luck! If it looks like you're going to get hurt, don't be stubborn! Just surrender right away!"

I smiled wryly at her not-quite-encouraging words as I entered the battleﬁeld.

In the distance, I saw a girl with purple hair walking toward me.

Wearing two swords at her waist, it was Baek Yoorin. "…Lee Jinhyuk."

Baek Yoorin gazed at me with calm eyes. "…This time, it won't end as easily as before."

"I told you, I wasn't the one. You've got the wrong person." "…Maybe, maybe not. But."

Baek Yoorin slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her expression cold as she spoke in a low voice.

"…We'll know once our swords meet. Swords don't lie." "You really don't listen to people, do you?"

"Talking with swords… is enough, isn't it?" "You've got a seriously annoying personality." I sighed inwardly.

To be fair, I was also somewhat looking forward to this duel, so I didn't really mind.

But it didn't change the fact that Baek Yoorin's stubborn, one-track mind was frustrating to deal with.

"Both of you, to your positions."

Baek Yoorin and I followed the referee's instructions and took our places.

We stood about 60-70 meters apart.

Soon, we both assumed our ﬁghting stances, staring each other down.

–All contestants, please take your places. The G Group matches are about to begin.

"Alright then… 3, 2, 1."

As the referee counted down, I thought to myself.

Over the past week, I had managed to get ahold of some of Baek Yoorin's past match videos and analyzed them thoroughly.

I studied her movement patterns, habits, techniques, weaknesses, and ﬂaws.

I had spent sleepless nights going over various data and memories from my past life.

As a result, I had come up with a few countermeasures.

Of course, since the videos were a bit old, there might be some differences compared to her current skill level, but still, I had the experience of ﬁghting Lee Siwoon.

If I focused solely on defense, I should be able to hold out for a little while.

"…Begin!"

As soon as the referee gave the signal, I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly.

'Alright, for now, I'll observe Baek Yoorin's opening moves and focus on dodging and defending…'

"You didn't even blink an eye…?" In an instant.

"Huh?"

I realized that a blade was already in front of me.

"…Did you sense that I wasn't planning to stab you?"

Too shocked to even blink, I stood frozen.

I cautiously shifted my gaze and realized Baek Yoorin had already closed the distance, crouching slightly as she held her sword right in front of my eyes.

Wait, what the hell? "Or…"

Baek Yoorin suddenly lowered her sword and leaped back, a look of confusion on her face.

"…Is it because you knew stabbing you would be pointless?"

Chapter 14 - Ch 87-93