Chapter 18: Chapter 18
The previous Sevens' Park SuHyun had finished his preparations; he leisurely strode out of the waiting room, located in the back of the building, into the arena. freewebnoveℓ.com
He had the advantages of an arena filled with water and an armband-shaped portable shield that would block physical attacks.
'Hah, maybe I prepared too many things against an F-rank?'
Filled with confidence, Park SuHyun scanned the audience seats with a grin. The first things that caught his eyes were F Class and D Class, the ones he called garbage. Next were the A Class students, which included student ranking 2 Kim EunAh.
But one thing that was odd to him was their reactions.
'What are they looking at?'
All of the students in the audience either turned their heads away or stared at something with stupid expressions on their faces. That, of course, included the haughty Kim EunAh.
Park SuHyun slowly turned his head towards the entrance of the sparring arena, where everyone's gazes were pointed to.
There stood a muscular hunter who has brazenly crossing his arms—Fist King Yu WonHak.
Beside him stood a hunter with long, white hair like an ascetic who was laughing—Hunter Association president Kang YuChan.
Park SuHyun's brain crashed at the sight of those two legends looking down at him and Shin YuSung.
"T-this is crazy…"
For what reason did these hunters, called the greatest of South Korea, come to the Academy to watch what amounted to children fighting?
Park SuHyun just barely hid his shock and stepped on top of a buoy.
Wobble.
It was easy to lose your balance even to a small mistake in movements on the water's surface.
'It's an incredibly disadvantageous field to him… but it's most advantageous for me.'
Park SuHyun gritted his teeth and glared at Shin YuSung.
'So I must… Must…! Defeat him!'
The scale of the fight had grown way larger than what Park SuHyun had expected it to. If that news channel had come there to film the Fist King and the president, it was a given that the result of the spar would be aired as well.
There was no humiliation worse than losing to Shin YuSung, an F-rank.
"It's been a while since he's visited you, aren't you glad to see him? Don't worry too much; I'll make you say uncle before long.'
Park SuHyun snickered while glaring at his opponent, but Shin YuSung was not affected by his taunts.
Flap.
In lieu of a reply, Shin YuSung took off his jacket and threw it away. Sumire, who was situated below him, stammered "uh, uh, uh—" in an odd manner but caught the article of clothing rather smoothly.
Park SuHyun clicked his tongue and laughed condescendingly at his opponent.
A tension stretched between the two men as they sized each other up. As Shin YuSung and Park SuHyun finished their preparations…
Instructor Lin Xiao, who had been waiting for them, began to referee.
"Are y-you two ready?"
It seemed like even he was prone to getting nervous and stumbling over his words in the presence of the Fist King and the Association president.
"Yes, I'm ready."
Shin YuSung replied to him in a respectful manner. Park SuHyun, however, did not forget to ridicule Shin YuSung, even towards the end.
"Why should I need to get ready for fighting against an F-rank…"
Lin Xiao straightened his neck and began to hurriedly recite his speech, posture stiffer than usual.
"G-good! Then I will begin the countdown! The medical nanomachines that the Academy has are ready to do their work. Please fight with no reservations!"
– The match will begin shortly.
Shin YuSung lowered his stance and rebalanced his core as the announcement rang from the speaker.
"Kuhaha! YuSung-ah! Let's see how much your skills have improved!" The Fist King yelled in a simpleminded manner, which made Lin Xiao flinch for no reason. Park SuHyun fingered the armband on his wrist.
– Ready!
Shin YuSung coiled his body like a taut rubber band. Park SuHyun lifted both hands in preparation of using his Trait.
– Begin!
The two made their move at the same instant that the signal was given from the speaker.
"Watch this, F-rank! This is the power of an A-rank Trait!"
Park SuHyun swung his right hand at Shin YuSung. As he did so, the water in the pool suddenly flew towards him.
Roar! Bam!
Of course, the spray of water was moving much too slow to Shin YuSung, who had heightened his concentration.
Tap!
Only the innocent buoy was hit by the water, and it sank into the pool. Park SuHyun took the time that he had gained to use one of his 'Skills'—a blessing from his Trait.
[Swell of the Sea God]
The water in the pool crested and created a giant wave behind Park SuHyun. He possessed the power of an A-rank Trait that controlled water. A sparring arena filled to the brim with water like the Ocean Dome was nothing more than a playground for Park SuHyun.
"How's that? Despair! This is the power of an A-rank Trait! Now sink!"
Park SuHyun waved his hand. The yellow buoy that Shin YuSung was standing on top of looked feeble in the face of the gigantic wave of water rushing towards him.
'So it's a Trait related to water.'
Despite it all, there was not a single speck of fear in Shin YuSung's eyes. Instead, he clenched his fist and waited as if looking for something.
'Just a little more.'
As he started to focus on the situation, time rapidly slowed down. Of course, that hadn't actually happened, but Shin YuSung's heightened concentration had sped up his processing powers.
'A little more.'
Shin YuSung continued to wait while watching the slow wave of water about to engulf him.
He gathered mana in his right hand in preparation for the perfect timing.
To others, it was only a moment.
But Shin YuSung stretched his hand towards the wave over a long period of time.
'Now!'
Green Dragon's Heavenly Ascent
It was a technique that the Fist King had devised in order to attack with enough power to rival a Trait through training his body. Shin YuSung had not even taken a day to learn it.
This was due to his inborn physique and talent, of course, but his F-rank Trait that boosted his concentration had helped as well.
Splash! Boom!
Shin YuSung's mana met the giant swell. The wide range and power of the Green Dragon's Heavenly Ascent managed to change the direction of the wave.
"Keuk!"
Park SuHyun used his control over water to move his buoy backward, but still got swept by the aftermath.
"…An F-rank like him managed to deflect my technique?" he muttered in surprise.
* * *
* * *
A sound emitted from Shin YuSung's fist.
Cccrack!
It was the chilling clack of bones clattering against each other. Park SuHyun nervously gulped as he watched his opponent.
F-rank Traits were known as the weakest.
Even so, Shin YuSung had shown strength that had matched—no—surpassed him.
"How is this possible…"
Terror filled the shocked Park SuHyun's eyes. Shin YuSung did not miss the opportunity.
Tup! Flit!
A spray of water flew in the air. At the same instant, Shin YuSung appeared right in front of Park SuHyun.
"Wh-when did he!"
Shocked, the boy tried to use his Trait, but his opponent did not give him the opportunity to retaliate.
Battle God Style First Form – Falling Moon Kick
Drawing a curve with his leg, Shin YuSung's kick flew towards Park SuHyun's face.
Voom!
Right when everyone in the arena was certain of Shin YuSung's victory.
Crack!
Shin YuSung's foot was blocked in midair. A sound like the cracking of glass emanated from it.
Vween!
Park SuHyun had activated the shield in his armband."Hahaha! Y-you d-didn't! Know about this, huh?!"
Tup!
Park SuHyun used the opportunity to widen the distance between him and his opponent. Sweat beaded on his spooked face, in contrast to his usual aloof expression.
"This is the actual end!"
[Dance of the Water Dragon]
As it was his last chance to retaliate, Park SuHyun used all of the mana in his body to fuel this Skill. The water in the pool reacted to his mana and shaped itself into the form of a dragon.
And as the Skill was completed—
Pshhhh!
—The water dragon faced Shin YuSung and roared.
"H-how's that? Surrender! You fought well for the likes of an F-rank, but… I have a shield with me…"
Lin Xiao, who had been watching the spar, started yelling at Park SuHyun.
"Park SuHyun! How dare you bring hunting gear into a fair match!"
The boy glanced at Lin Xiao and adjusted his glasses with his middle finger. It seemed to be a habit of his.
"…What's the problem, Instructor? Look at the rules. There's nothing prohibiting the use of hunting gear in a sparring arena."
Park Suhyun continued his reply in a casual manner.
"I'm just doing whatever I need to do in order to give my all… Is that not what's happening?"
"T-that's!"
Speechless, Lin Xiao scrunched up his expression.
"It doesn't matter," said Shin YuSung to the other boy.
"…What?"
Twitch.
Park SuHyun petted the water dragon hovering around him while showing his opponent his other wrist.
A shield.
It was a piece of hunting gear that could block physical hits as long as it was charged. Park SuHyun began explaining as if he was thinking that YuSung didn't know about it.
"So you aren't aware of the situation. This armband has a shield that c…"
"I said it doesn't matter."
Shin YuSung cut his opponent off with a grave expression, then took his stance.
'…W-why isn't this guy getting worked up?'
Park SuHyun, who had been backing up until then, lifted both of his hands as if making up his mind.
'But it's not like my advantage has changed!'
Splaaaash!
The water dragon roared once more then flew towards Shin YuSung. Fuelled by mana, the whirlpools created on the dragon's surface could easily shred through trees.
But when the dragon was a hair's breadth away from Shin YuSung, his body dissipated like a shadow getting hit by a ray of light.
Shadowed Moon Steps
It was one of the techniques that the Fist King had taught him.
Park SuHyun belatedly realized what had happened, but by then, Shin YuSung had already closed the distance between them.
"I-I have a shield…!" he yelled, as if facing off against the grim reaper.
Instead of a reply, Shin YuSung stretched out his palm towards the other boy.
Battle God Style – Savage Dragon's Boulder Crushing Palm
Bababaabam! Crack!
A huge whirlwind of mana arose. The shield that Park SuHyun had bragged about so much had crumbled into nothing in an instant.
Boom!
Park SuHyun was shredded by the continuously whirling mana and flew outside of the sparring arena in a bloody mess.
Lin Xiao, in a state of shock, took a second to perform his job as the referee.
"W-winner! Shin YuSung! The match is over!"
The cries of the F Class students swept over the arena.
"He won! YuSung won!"
Lee SiWoo high-fived his classmates while shouting Shin YuSung's name; even the students that had never talked to him before were chanting the boy's name.
Someone with an F-rank Trait beating someone with an A-rank Trait had given the F Class students the courage to believe that they could also do so.
"He won against an A Class student all by himself!"
"So even someone with an F-rank Trait can do it!"
Their opponents for the intramural competition, D Class, were shaking in fear of Shin YuSung.
"So he really did decimate Ju HaJin…"
"That's insane. You can't win against him."
"You said we should come here to gauge his strength! Shit, this just lowered our morale instead!"
The arena fell into chaos in an instant.
The Fist King laughed boisterously as if showing his satisfaction towards Shin YuSung's match.
"Kuhaha! How dare he make his precious master wait like this!"
"Master!"
Shin YuSung was wholly delighted with the reunion. President Kang YuChan gave a content smile while watching the two.
"Yu WonHak. I'll consider taking a look at YuSung at your request."
Shin YuSung's exploit was properly etched into the Association president's eyes. It was a fortuitous opportunity for any hunter.
"Hm."
Kim WunAh rose from her seat and watched Park SuHyun get carried away in a stretcher. With a pale hand, she tossed her hair.
"How amusing."
This was her brief impression.
Kim EunAh confidently strode away, marking that as the end of her words. The A Class students followed her unthinkingly.
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