RE: Player again

339

[Chapter 104] [A Monster with Worn-out Emotions (4)]

The third day of the cultural festival.

The preliminaries held over the first and second days had ended in all divisions, and now only the competitions to determine the top winners by grade and the inter-grade competitions remained.

The comprehensive division competitions would officially begin on the fourth and fifth days.

Although the comprehensive division competitions were the most visited by industry officials, there were also quite a lot of people who visited on the last day of the general division competitions.

"Phew..."

Dealer division competition, 2nd year finals.

Eunhyeok, who watched the 1st year competition end, took a deep breath near the entrance to the arena.

Outside was packed with people.

The thought of swinging a sword in front of them made him very nervous and excited.

Hadn't he dreamed of this since childhood?

To become a player who receives expectations from so many people, who saves people.

That's right.

Why am I getting nervous over this?

Eunhyeok slapped his face with both hands.

He would just show the audience what he had trained for until now.

Hadn't he been doing well until now?

I wonder if Minho is nervous too.

No, Minho probably wouldn't be.

Nevertheless, the reason he was nervous unlike the preliminaries was probably because his opponent in the finals was Mok Minho.

Honestly, he wasn't very interested in promising rookies from other grades.

Because he and Mok Minho were compared among students while being in the same class year and aiming to be dealers.

Eunhyeok couldn't help but feel competitive towards him.

This would probably be the same for him too.

"─Are you very nervous?"

"...Seona."

Eunhyeok was trying to meditate for the battle ahead.

At that moment, Seona who finished the telepath division competition came to find him and spoke.

Eunhyeok, who opened his eyes, soon relaxed his stiff face seeing the red eyes looking at him.

Seona was worrying about him.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to see you enter the finals... Did you do well?"

"Then you can see again in the afternoon. I was selected as the 2nd year representative."

"Really? Congratulations!"

Jin Seona wagging her fox tail.

Eunhyeok rejoiced at Seona's victory as if he had won himself.

Seona looked at him rejoicing like a child with pity but still smiled.

Then she approached him closely and said.

"So you win too, Eunhyeok. I want to keep seeing you fight too."

"...Okay."

Somehow feeling lighter.

Eunhyeok, who smiled like a puppy looking at her, turned his body.

As he came out, the sunlight shining down was so intense it dazzled his eyes.

At the same time, unlike the preliminaries, the spectator seats were packed with people, their cheers.

For a moment, Eunhyeok was overwhelmed by the numerous gazes.

But that was only for a moment─.

[─Good luck.]

He turned his head towards the direction the telepathy came from.

The dark passage unlike the arena.

The fox girl was still there.

She waved her hand.

He gently waved back at her, then walked towards Mok Minho who had already climbed up to the arena.

"Scared?"

"Who's scared?"

Minho spoke casually as always.

Eunhyeok retorted with a light smile, then soon drew the sword at his waist.

Mok Minho did the same.

"Choi Eunhyeok."

"What?"

"Do you remember that time?"

"...Of course."

That time Mok Minho was talking about.

Eunhyeok realized he was bringing up the story of when he was kidn*pped by Slayers last year.

At that time, the two were exchanging blows while looking for a chance to escape from them.

"We didn't settle things then, but it'll be different now. I hope you won't just get hit like last year."

"The situation is different from then, do you think I'll just let myself get hit?"

"Yeah... That's how it should be."

Mok Minho gripped his sword.

Eunhyeok also took his stance.

He knew.

That Mok Minho had become noticeably stronger recently.

So he couldn't let his guard down.

The Minho crossing swords and fighting this time would be a completely different person from the one he had known until now.

But─

─You're not the only one who's gotten stronger, you know?

It wasn't only Mok Minho who played an active role in last semester's final evaluation.

The same was true for himself.

Eunhyeok put strength in his hand as if saying he wouldn't lose.

Shortly after, the referee's command rang out and the finals began.

☆

Cha Eunwoo was selected as the 2nd year representative in the supporter division.

In a way, it was an obvious result.

There were no students with skills as outstanding as Eunwoo in the same grade.

Although she wasn't chosen by Park Hyerim's "Blessing" in this life, she still proved her talent.

Besides Eunwoo, it was natural for other kids to become representatives too.

Seona in the telepath division, Parang in the hunter division, and Subin in the caster division were also selected as 2nd year representatives.

The ranger division Minji participated in was scheduled to be held at lunch, and the dealer division was currently in progress selecting the 2nd year representative.

And the navigator division had just ended.

[─2nd year representative, Jung Hayang.]

This also didn't deviate from expectations.

Eunha, who stood up from his seat, went down the stairs to congratulate Hayang.

On the way, the corridor screen was showing the dealer division that had just started.

Mok Minho and Choi Eunhyeok were clashing swords almost evenly.

A breathtaking battle that was hard to believe was a duel between 2nd year middle school academy students.

Eunha clicked his tongue seeing the two rushing at each other as if to kill.

Not enough.

They're still not enough.

Nagging that would surely have made their faces turn pale if the two heard it.

Eunha still had high standards.

Although the eyes of those sitting in the spectator seats were filled with shock seeing the two's battle.

Eunha was looking for an even higher level.

As soon as the cultural festival ends, I'll make them work hard again.

Eunha, who resolved that, passed through the corridor and headed to the waiting room where people participating in the competition gathered.

Although it was a restricted area for non-related persons, the students guarding the surroundings didn't say anything seeing him.

Because he was under Sirius Group's protection, and had won the hunter division competition last year.

His name was well known.

No one found it strange that he was here.

What? Why isn't she here?

Eunha looked puzzled finding the waiting room with Hayang's name written on it.

When there was no answer after knocking on the door several times, he opened the waiting room door.

No one was there.

Maybe she hasn't come to the waiting room yet.

Thinking that might be the case, he walked down the passage leading to the arena.

He could find her before long.

"Jung Hayang student. I'm not a strange person. Here... my business card! I've been closely watching Jung Hayang student for a while, and the way you handle mana is just like..."

"Hayang student. Don't listen to what unknown no-name clans say and listen to what I say. Everything they say is a scam so don't be fooled..."

"I've wanted to meet you for a while and now we've met like this. Hello. We were founded when... We receive A-grade from the Mana Management Organization every year..."

"Hayang student. Don't listen to strange things. What use is the Mana Management Organization grade? The grade evaluated by the clan itself is most important. Do you think the grades evaluated by a B-grade clan and an A-grade clan for players would be the same? We're the real deal."

"Hah, guys active in the Yeongnam region are trying to scam in Seoul?"

"What? Hey! Are you done talking? Just what class are you?"

"Ahaha..."

Eunha frowned.

This was the reason Hayang couldn't return to the waiting room.

Industry people who somehow found the staff area were swarming around her.

Hayang was stuck unable to properly answer their chatter.

"Ah, Eunha."

""""...."""

At that moment, Hayang spotted him.

Her smiling happily.

At that moment, the people talking to her turned their heads and looked at Eunha standing at a distance.

The industry people's eyes sparkled.

Eunha sensed it.

"Noh Eunha student! It seems you didn't participate in the division competitions this year, did you perhaps receive recruitment offers from other clans?"

"That can't be! With such a bright future ahead, it's not good at all to make such a big decision at this age!"

"The academy should have taught... that you can't receive recruitment offers except for 3rd year high school academy students. The places that offered recruitment to Eunha student seem to be trash that don't even know business ethics."

"Hey! What are these people saying! It's news to me that Noh Eunha student joined a clan! Come on, don't do this... You remember me, right? I even ate the dumplings Noh Eunha student sold last year..."

As if there were only one or two people who ate dumplings.

Eunha sighed deeply seeing people who suddenly flocked to him.

On the other hand, there were now few people left around Hayang.

He felt his popularity while needing to come up with a solution to escape this situation.

Actually, it wasn't that difficult.

Stygian Eye

It was only for a very brief moment.

Eunha, who unfolded Stygian Eye, raised the corners of his mouth with a smirk.

The players flinched while resisting mana.

"─Isn't that person Ryu Yeonhwa?"

""""What!?""""

Eunha quickly changed the topic before they could say anything.

Then some people looked in the direction he pointed.

There was only darkness in the passage.

Phantom Eye

However, Eunha who momentarily shook their minds injected the keyword "Ryu Yeonhwa" into their heads in that interval.

The people who turned their heads recalled Ryu Yeonhwa's existence in the empty passage without knowing they were affected by Phantom Eye.

That's what illusions are.

Fiction established when an image is imprinted in the mind for a moment.

Above all, the scary thing about illusions is─

"─I-it's really Ryu Yeonhwa!"

"What? I can't see her, where!?"

"No! Look there!"

"Huh? It really is?"

People's group psychology can be easily changed by three people pointing fingers.

Moreover, when people affected by Phantom Eye said Ryu Yeonhwa was there, even those not under illusion magic couldn't help but be tempted.

And the illusion targets that gap to embrace those not yet infected by the illusion, and again creates people who follow the illusion.

The more people under the illusion increase.

The illusion exists more concretely and plunges more people into the illusion.

"...Eunha. What did you just do?"

The industry people couldn't escape from the illusion of Ryu Yeonhwa.

Eventually, they started running like lightning saying they would catch Ryu Yeonhwa, as if searching for a mirage in the middle of a desert.

Before they knew it, only Eunha and Jung Hayang remained in the passage.

"I just played a little light prank."

"...It didn't seem like light magic... You did it before too, what kind of magic is that?"

"I'll tell you later."

Perhaps because she had been analyzing magic throughout the navigator division competition.

Hayang expressed doubt about the magic he instantaneously manifested.

She probably couldn't analyze the magic formula just by seeing it briefly.

To begin with, it was magic that couldn't be implemented with human knowledge.

Both Stygian Eye and Phantom Eye.

Magic obtained from skill stones existed as providence that most couldn't interpret.

And whether one could interpret that or not was the quality that distinguished outstanding navigators.

"...It looked a bit... no, quite dangerous magic. The way people moved as if enchanted by something... No, before that, didn't you use other magic too, Eunha?"

"......"

Eunha raised the corners of his mouth.

While other friends still didn't fully meet his standards.

Hayang was building up the skills he wanted at a frightening pace even when left alone.

Not only did she grasp information with mana, but she also inferred information just from the reactions and situations of surrounding people.

With this level of skill, she might be more outstanding than Yun Ibyeol.

Perhaps even surpassing Yun Seongjin of the Twelve Seats.

"─I'm really glad I met you."

"...Huh?"

Eunha spoke sincerely.

He's really glad he met her.

However, Jung Hayang would never be able to grasp his heart.

Eunha, who muttered with satisfaction, soon changed the topic smoothly.

"You'll be entering the inter-grade competition later too, wouldn't it be better to rest for a while rather than returning to the booth?"

"But the kids will be working hard... We'd feel sorry to them if we do that."

"I saw earlier that Bae Subin was selected as the caster division representative too, so let's ask her."

"...I don't know anything about this."

Hayang relaxed her face that had been anxious until just now.

Eunha, who shrugged his shoulders, decided to contact Bae Subin.

The upright Bae Subin would do the work for them without realizing she was being taken advantage of.

She might get angry later, but honestly, he wasn't scared of her at all.

Still, the kid is nice and does well as told.

To add more honesty.

It was so fun seeing Bae Subin follow orders with a humiliated expression.

This emotion hadn't changed at all and remained vivid whether before or after the regression.

The only emotion a monster with worn-out emotions feels vividly.

He who accepted that emotion as fun was surely not normal.

☆

"...Hah..."

Eunhyeok, who returned to the waiting room, flopped down on the long bench.

His appearance was a mess.

But he didn't feel like fixing his appearance.

He just wanted to stay like this.

...I lost.

I lost.

Eunhyeok, who lost to Mok Minho, looked at the ceiling and recalled the duel that just happened.

It was even at first.

But as they crossed swords more and more, a gap slowly formed.

It felt like facing a monster.

The aspect of the duel changed from when Mok Minho suddenly changed his tactics.

Until then, his tactics could be said to use orthodox swordsmanship while adding applications within orthodoxy.

However, Mok Minho fought using terrain like Parang's tactics, and sometimes attacked looking for openings like Daejang.

At some point, swordsmanship for Mok Minho had changed from expressing his will to a means of realizing his will.

Only his momentum to simply cut down the enemy was sharply honed.

Honestly, Eunhyeok glimpsed the appearance of a monster in Minho while facing him.

That's how boldly he deviated from the path he had walked and swung his sword only to win.

How can I win?

Honestly, Eunhyeok didn't think he could win even if he fought Minho again.

Unless he could freely use "Sword Saint", he didn't think he could win against him with pure swordsmanship alone.

That was so frustrating.

Eunhyeok realized he had no talent unlike him only after losing to him.

"─What are you thinking about?"

At that moment.

Seona's face entered his field of vision.

He who was lying on the bench suddenly sat up.

"Sorry. I lost."

"You can win next

"Oh? You're right."

"Oh my... Stay still there. I'll disinfect it for you."

As if she had expected this.

Seona holding a first aid kit in her hand.

She bent her knees and rubbed disinfectant on his body.

Eunhyeok felt a sting as the disinfectant passed over the areas with blood.

He flinched at the sensation that vibrated his nerves when he was off guard.

"You child, such a crybaby... Just bear with it a little."

"Hey, be gentler."

"The kids living in our church don't even feel pain from this, you know?"

"Ugh..."

Seona speaking with a prim look in her eyes.

For a moment, Eunhyeok's pride was hurt and he ended up gritting his teeth to endure the pain.

Before long, the disinfection was ending, and Seona caressed his wound areas with ointment.

"Seona."

"What?"

"If I try harder than now, I can overcome things like talent, right?"

"Why are you saying such weak things today?"

Was he shocked seeing Mok Minho's growth?

Eunhyeok was surprised at himself for saying words he normally wouldn't say even in his own opinion.

But it was already spilled water.

He hurriedly avoided Seona's eyes glancing at him.

"Sigh..."

Soon she sighed softly and replied while putting strength in her red eyes.

"Trying hard is also a talent. Of course, you can do anything if you try."

"......"

"Wasn't it you who taught me that? If you say such things, then what does that make me?"

"...You're right. I'm sorry. And thank you."

Trying hard is also a talent.

Eunhyeok was shocked for the second time today.

He never expected to hear such words.

On the other hand, he felt grateful to her for finding a talent in him that even he didn't know.

"Hey, Seona."

"What, what again?"

So if trying hard is a talent, he would surely be able to do well.

So─

"There's the telepath division inter-grade competition in the afternoon, right? After that's over, want to look around our booth?"

─It's about not giving up and continuing to try. If you do that, someday a day to move forward will come.