I sincerely hope Chameleon Troupe will heed my warning. The only uncertain variable to appear is Chae Joochul. Excepting the Immortal, everything else is going perfectly within expectations.
Or so I like to believe.
[Kim Hajin VS Shin Jonghak]. I glance at the advertisement on my web browser while I am surfing for cat videos, and here is what I find— the mysterious rising genius Kim Hajin versus the heroic fighter of justice Shin Jonghak.
I understand the mysterious rising genius with Kim Hajin, but what the fuck does the heroic fighter of justice have to do with Shin Jonghak? Then I recall. During the incident, it was Shin Jonghak who saved many cadets from the interrupted mock dungeon trial.
What the hell is Kim Hajin thinking? I mean, this is flashy, but won’t he end up destroying Jonghak’s self-esteem if he accidentally crushes him?
Don’t tell me the reason Hajin wants Cube AI’s help is to make this happen. I can imagine there to be many challengers against Jonghak. Perhaps, Hajin has forced his name through Cube AI to make the match-up possible. From what I hear in the hubbub of cadets, it seems that the challenger really is Hajin, and it is not Jonghak who is causing trouble.
Still.
There is no need for someone so high in the rankings to fight someone who is in the lower rankings. What is Jonghak thinking?
“Cube, you have a hand in this, right? Please tell me you did not leave any traces.”
[You have given permission Kim Hajin. And I have not left any traces.]
I sense a little pouting from her. I am sorry to doubt her abilities, but I feel bad. I know that the story is getting twisted, but for poor Jonghak, it is getting more and more difficult to achieve the best version of himself. I am not liking any of this. But what choice do I have?
Sometimes, the worst enemy a person can have is themselves.
I hope Jonghak can overcome his slowly accumulating inferiority complex.
***
It is only the second day of the Duel Rankings, and most of the cadets have already finished their nomination quota for whom to duel. I belong to that group, thus I have the leeway to participate in more extra-curricular activities— that involve watching the Duel Rankings.
I managed to grab a front-row seat near Shin Jonghak’s and Kim Hajin’s duel arena. The price of the seats is at a premium, but I am able to cheat a little. “Excuse me, excuse me…” I ask politely. To my surprise, I see a familiar face.
“Rachel-ssi. I thought you still have duels?”
“Huh? Ah~ Hyon Hyung-ssi.” Rachel smiles at me good-naturedly. “Thankfully, I have free time. Yeonha asked me to take a video of Shin Jonghak’s duel for prosperity.”
For prosperity? That sounds just too ridiculous. Yeonha can just watch it online, and record it. Moreover, I believe this duel will not be anything pretty. In fact, I believe this will be a beatdown.
No offense to the original Shin Jonghak of TNE, but our Jonghak right now is the weakest among the main cast. “Ok. If you need any help, just ask me.”
“Don’t worry, I got all this.” She raises her camera further up. Taking a second look at it, my [AI System] automatically appraises it as one of the technologies that [Under Cube] has.
The camera Rachel uses is compact, yet doesn’t lose in quality to the video it records in comparison to professional cameras that other broadcasting stations use.
The crowd goes haywire as the most anticipated match for today is about to commence. Kim Hajin and Shin Jonghak appear simultaneously. The host doesn’t even need to hype the audience, but he does it nonetheless.
“The most awaited fight! Kim Hajin, the enigmatic genius who produced DDT, and the famed gunner to take the world by storm. Is his low rank the true definition of his strength, or is he hiding more? Shin Jonghak! One who carries the noble blood of the Jinsung Clan and the grandson of Shin Myungchul, will he prevail against the famed challenger.”
Apparently, the host must be as hyped as the audience.
I watch Shin Jonghak and Kim Hajin stand in front of each other with not a word to be exchanged. Then the watch starts without further ado. Shin Jonghak explodes at Kim Hajin with ferocity.
***
‘I must win.’ This is Shin Jonghak’s thoughts as he rushes forward with a spear in hand. He swings the spear at an elusive angle, his spear slithering like a snake to Hajin’s throat.
However, what Shin Jonghak hits instead is nothing but air. Kim Hajin is impossibly fast. Jonghak grits his teeth, convincing himself some way somehow that his spear can reach him.
Despite knowing of the difference in their realms, Jonghak proceeds forward fearlessly. He has been shamed once already in front of Nayun that day in that forest. Today, he should at least preserve his honor, alas all his struggles are futile.
He is mercilessly being peppered with bullets. And they are no ordinary bullets. Jonghak can feel the bullets piercing his magic power like a hot knife through butter. ‘What kind of magic attribute is this?’
Shin Jonghak endures the onslaught of bullets out-healing the damage being wrought in his body. Martial arts practitioner has better recovery abilities than others, but Jonghak takes a step further than that by tapping on his vitality as if it is a skill and not just an attribute.
Hajin continues to dart around while unleashing a hail of bullets.
Jonghak understands that Hajin is not even giving his all, but Jonghak is, which serves only to destroy whatever self-pride he has left.
“Die.” With an emotionless cry, he throws his spear with turbulent magic power at Hajin in a futile attempt to catch him off-guard. As expected, Hajin easily dodges them, while he persistently annoys Jonghak with more bullets.
Jonghak makes a follow-up by explosively dashing forward.
***
“Is it only me, or do I get the impression that Hajin is bullying Jonghak?” I ask wearily.
When Jonghak rushes forward at Hajin, Jonghak suddenly reminds me of Kim Horak who is able to sprint over a hundred and fifty meters within three seconds. Clearly, Jonghak is doing it so much better as he is able to cross that distance by a second.
Yet, Jonghak’s attacks cannot connect.
“Huh? I don’t know.” Rachel answers my question half-heartedly, maybe thinking to herself that Kim Hajin shouldn’t have any malicious intentions.
And like I always say, I know better. I have my fair share of experiencing Hajin’s bullets from the Little Blue Tower. Being targeted by Hajin is never a pleasant experience.
There is no saving Rachel. I think she is at that level where she's idol-worshipping Kim Hajin. I recall that happening in TNE during the Tower of Wish arc, this time, only earlier. Maybe this is destiny at work, and perhaps nothing really bad will come out from Jonghak after this.
I know it is wishful thinking, but it doesn’t stop me from hoping for the best. I am an optimist after all.
***
Jonghak grabs his spear once more as Hajin easily outmaneuvers him. This time, Jonghak senses Hajin becoming a notch more serious.
Curving bullets come at Jonghak from incredibly unpredictable angles. Intermingling with these bullets are ricochet shots that sharply turn on ninety degrees, completely outpacing Jonghak’s perception.
Bullets fly, curving to his exposed ligaments like daggers desiring to lacerate him. Bullets hit bullets, creating a chain reaction, a series of ricochets as if an invisible net is slowly covering him.
Jonghak tries his best to defend himself, but he is being suppressed. No matter how much Jonghak tries to block a bullet or cover himself with magic power, he is helpless. Bloody gash start accumulating on his skin.
The bullets are like swords trying to cut him down.
Jongahk stays rooted in place as he watches Hajin running around him. From the very beginning, he has been wary of Hajin’s special move which summons an incredulous amount of pure magic power.
However, it appears that Hajin doesn’t even need to resort to such a special move.
***
Kim Hajin recalls that day perfectly. He is confronting Shin Jonghak as a part of a ploy to recruit him. At that time, Hajin draws little magic power from his Stigma to perform the series of incredible things he did, including that one big move of using his Stigma by attaching it to a pebble and throwing it to Jonghak.
Shin Jonghak doesn’t know about the true nature of Hajin’s Stigma, thus making Jonghak too much on guard for any big moves coming from Hajin.
“Let’s end this.” Hajin declares. He has no plan of relying too much on his SP and Stigma, except the already prepared bullets of anti-magic which will be used to get Yi Byul’s attention.
“I hope I have performed enough.” Hajin decides to finish this fight with a flashy move. He loads his gun’s chamber with the final bullet he had prepared prior to the match with a swift motion. He recently has modified his [Dexterity Art] to [Dazzling Dexterity] making his movements more showy and illusory on top of being quick.
Hajin fires his final bullet to Jonghak who is suppressed in one place. With a single press from the gun, he releases the final bullet with ridiculous flashy effects. Hajin doesn't even use his [Bullet Time] to fully express his flashy eye-catching bullet.
[Final Bullet— A bullet created for the purpose of being flashy. It is aesthetically pleasing. A wolf’s head will form around the bullet and will consume every drop of the magic power of whoever is eaten by it. Useable only to single targets.]
The bullets streak through the air and transform into the phantom-like head of a wolf. It devours Shin Jonghak, with bluish and purplish flames. Jonghak tries to resist by releasing magic power more explosively, but that only worsens the situation as his own magic power is being eradicated so mercilessly.
In the end, Jonghak drops to his knees unconscious as the embers of the ghost wolf’s head vanish into thin air. The whole arena becomes eerily silent at the show of dominant power.
The doubters are no more.
“This is… really the second coming of the Great Sage…” No one knows whose words it is, but it oddly pervades the arena. The other matches become invisible as Kim Hajin’s fight takes everyone’s attention away. From henceforth, Kim Hajin has truly become an existence everyone will remember.
He truly is no longer an extra as people around him look at him with genuine interest.
I sincerely hope Chameleon Troupe will heed my warning. The only uncertain variable to appear is Chae Joochul. Excepting the Immortal, everything else is going perfectly within expectations.
Or so I like to believe.
[Kim Hajin VS Shin Jonghak]. I glance at the advertisement on my web browser while I am surfing for cat videos, and here is what I find— the mysterious rising genius Kim Hajin versus the heroic fighter of justice Shin Jonghak.
I understand the mysterious rising genius with Kim Hajin, but what the fuck does the heroic fighter of justice have to do with Shin Jonghak? Then I recall. During the incident, it was Shin Jonghak who saved many cadets from the interrupted mock dungeon trial.
What the hell is Kim Hajin thinking? I mean, this is flashy, but won’t he end up destroying Jonghak’s self-esteem if he accidentally crushes him?
Don’t tell me the reason Hajin wants Cube AI’s help is to make this happen. I can imagine there to be many challengers against Jonghak. Perhaps, Hajin has forced his name through Cube AI to make the match-up possible. From what I hear in the hubbub of cadets, it seems that the challenger really is Hajin, and it is not Jonghak who is causing trouble.
Still.
There is no need for someone so high in the rankings to fight someone who is in the lower rankings. What is Jonghak thinking?
“Cube, you have a hand in this, right? Please tell me you did not leave any traces.”
[You have given permission Kim Hajin. And I have not left any traces.]
I sense a little pouting from her. I am sorry to doubt her abilities, but I feel bad. I know that the story is getting twisted, but for poor Jonghak, it is getting more and more difficult to achieve the best version of himself. I am not liking any of this. But what choice do I have?
Sometimes, the worst enemy a person can have is themselves.
I hope Jonghak can overcome his slowly accumulating inferiority complex.
***
It is only the second day of the Duel Rankings, and most of the cadets have already finished their nomination quota for whom to duel. I belong to that group, thus I have the leeway to participate in more extra-curricular activities— that involve watching the Duel Rankings.
I managed to grab a front-row seat near Shin Jonghak’s and Kim Hajin’s duel arena. The price of the seats is at a premium, but I am able to cheat a little. “Excuse me, excuse me…” I ask politely. To my surprise, I see a familiar face.
“Rachel-ssi. I thought you still have duels?”
“Huh? Ah~ Hyon Hyung-ssi.” Rachel smiles at me good-naturedly. “Thankfully, I have free time. Yeonha asked me to take a video of Shin Jonghak’s duel for prosperity.”
For prosperity? That sounds just too ridiculous. Yeonha can just watch it online, and record it. Moreover, I believe this duel will not be anything pretty. In fact, I believe this will be a beatdown.
No offense to the original Shin Jonghak of TNE, but our Jonghak right now is the weakest among the main cast. “Ok. If you need any help, just ask me.”
“Don’t worry, I got all this.” She raises her camera further up. Taking a second look at it, my [AI System] automatically appraises it as one of the technologies that [Under Cube] has.
The camera Rachel uses is compact, yet doesn’t lose in quality to the video it records in comparison to professional cameras that other broadcasting stations use.
The crowd goes haywire as the most anticipated match for today is about to commence. Kim Hajin and Shin Jonghak appear simultaneously. The host doesn’t even need to hype the audience, but he does it nonetheless.
“The most awaited fight! Kim Hajin, the enigmatic genius who produced DDT, and the famed gunner to take the world by storm. Is his low rank the true definition of his strength, or is he hiding more? Shin Jonghak! One who carries the noble blood of the Jinsung Clan and the grandson of Shin Myungchul, will he prevail against the famed challenger.”
Apparently, the host must be as hyped as the audience.
I watch Shin Jonghak and Kim Hajin stand in front of each other with not a word to be exchanged. Then the watch starts without further ado. Shin Jonghak explodes at Kim Hajin with ferocity.
***
‘I must win.’ This is Shin Jonghak’s thoughts as he rushes forward with a spear in hand. He swings the spear at an elusive angle, his spear slithering like a snake to Hajin’s throat.
However, what Shin Jonghak hits instead is nothing but air. Kim Hajin is impossibly fast. Jonghak grits his teeth, convincing himself some way somehow that his spear can reach him.
Despite knowing of the difference in their realms, Jonghak proceeds forward fearlessly. He has been shamed once already in front of Nayun that day in that forest. Today, he should at least preserve his honor, alas all his struggles are futile.
He is mercilessly being peppered with bullets. And they are no ordinary bullets. Jonghak can feel the bullets piercing his magic power like a hot knife through butter. ‘What kind of magic attribute is this?’
Shin Jonghak endures the onslaught of bullets out-healing the damage being wrought in his body. Martial arts practitioner has better recovery abilities than others, but Jonghak takes a step further than that by tapping on his vitality as if it is a skill and not just an attribute.
Hajin continues to dart around while unleashing a hail of bullets.
Jonghak understands that Hajin is not even giving his all, but Jonghak is, which serves only to destroy whatever self-pride he has left.
“Die.” With an emotionless cry, he throws his spear with turbulent magic power at Hajin in a futile attempt to catch him off-guard. As expected, Hajin easily dodges them, while he persistently annoys Jonghak with more bullets.
Jonghak makes a follow-up by explosively dashing forward.
***
“Is it only me, or do I get the impression that Hajin is bullying Jonghak?” I ask wearily.
When Jonghak rushes forward at Hajin, Jonghak suddenly reminds me of Kim Horak who is able to sprint over a hundred and fifty meters within three seconds. Clearly, Jonghak is doing it so much better as he is able to cross that distance by a second.
Yet, Jonghak’s attacks cannot connect.
“Huh? I don’t know.” Rachel answers my question half-heartedly, maybe thinking to herself that Kim Hajin shouldn’t have any malicious intentions.
And like I always say, I know better. I have my fair share of experiencing Hajin’s bullets from the Little Blue Tower. Being targeted by Hajin is never a pleasant experience.
There is no saving Rachel. I think she is at that level where she's idol-worshipping Kim Hajin. I recall that happening in TNE during the Tower of Wish arc, this time, only earlier. Maybe this is destiny at work, and perhaps nothing really bad will come out from Jonghak after this.
I know it is wishful thinking, but it doesn’t stop me from hoping for the best. I am an optimist after all.
***
Jonghak grabs his spear once more as Hajin easily outmaneuvers him. This time, Jonghak senses Hajin becoming a notch more serious.
Curving bullets come at Jonghak from incredibly unpredictable angles. Intermingling with these bullets are ricochet shots that sharply turn on ninety degrees, completely outpacing Jonghak’s perception.
Bullets fly, curving to his exposed ligaments like daggers desiring to lacerate him. Bullets hit bullets, creating a chain reaction, a series of ricochets as if an invisible net is slowly covering him.
Jonghak tries his best to defend himself, but he is being suppressed. No matter how much Jonghak tries to block a bullet or cover himself with magic power, he is helpless. Bloody gash start accumulating on his skin.
The bullets are like swords trying to cut him down.
Jongahk stays rooted in place as he watches Hajin running around him. From the very beginning, he has been wary of Hajin’s special move which summons an incredulous amount of pure magic power.
However, it appears that Hajin doesn’t even need to resort to such a special move.
***
Kim Hajin recalls that day perfectly. He is confronting Shin Jonghak as a part of a ploy to recruit him. At that time, Hajin draws little magic power from his Stigma to perform the series of incredible things he did, including that one big move of using his Stigma by attaching it to a pebble and throwing it to Jonghak.
Shin Jonghak doesn’t know about the true nature of Hajin’s Stigma, thus making Jonghak too much on guard for any big moves coming from Hajin.
“Let’s end this.” Hajin declares. He has no plan of relying too much on his SP and Stigma, except the already prepared bullets of anti-magic which will be used to get Yi Byul’s attention.
“I hope I have performed enough.” Hajin decides to finish this fight with a flashy move. He loads his gun’s chamber with the final bullet he had prepared prior to the match with a swift motion. He recently has modified his [Dexterity Art] to [Dazzling Dexterity] making his movements more showy and illusory on top of being quick.
Hajin fires his final bullet to Jonghak who is suppressed in one place. With a single press from the gun, he releases the final bullet with ridiculous flashy effects. Hajin doesn't even use his [Bullet Time] to fully express his flashy eye-catching bullet.
[Final Bullet— A bullet created for the purpose of being flashy. It is aesthetically pleasing. A wolf’s head will form around the bullet and will consume every drop of the magic power of whoever is eaten by it. Useable only to single targets.]
The bullets streak through the air and transform into the phantom-like head of a wolf. It devours Shin Jonghak, with bluish and purplish flames. Jonghak tries to resist by releasing magic power more explosively, but that only worsens the situation as his own magic power is being eradicated so mercilessly.
In the end, Jonghak drops to his knees unconscious as the embers of the ghost wolf’s head vanish into thin air. The whole arena becomes eerily silent at the show of dominant power.
The doubters are no more.
“This is… really the second coming of the Great Sage…” No one knows whose words it is, but it oddly pervades the arena. The other matches become invisible as Kim Hajin’s fight takes everyone’s attention away. From henceforth, Kim Hajin has truly become an existence everyone will remember.
He truly is no longer an extra as people around him look at him with genuine interest.
