RE: Player again

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[Chapter 103] [To Subjugate the Soul (7)]

At first, they thought it was a mistake.

Everyone gathered here had no choice but to think so after seeing what happened in the blink of an eye.

No matter how they thought about it, it didn't make sense, but Hong Jinwoo must have accidentally let go of the sword.

In fact, Hong Jinwoo said:

"...My hands were sweaty."

However, Hong Jinwoo's explanation was revealed to be a ridiculous excuse shortly after.

"...Ah...!"

"Oh my, you should have looked at the floor carefully. There's water pooled on the floor here. Are you okay?"

"...I-I'm fine."

There was indeed water pooled on the floor around them dueling in front of the spa, which had flowed down from others playing in the spa earlier.

But Hong Jinwoo had rolled on the floor while rushing at him.

Eunha provided the excuse that it was because the floor was slippery.

Hong Jinwoo, who got up after hitting his chin on the floor, agreed with his words with a red face.

However, there was some doubt about nodding to the words of the two this time too.

"...Did you see that just now?"

"Did I see wrong?"

"Didn't he trip over his feet?"

Once could be called a mistake.

Twice couldn't be called a mistake.

Those watching the duel between the two carefully whispered among themselves about what just happened.

Hong Jinwoo didn't slip on the floor.

While Hong Jinwoo was about to swing his sword, Eunha subtly stepped forward and tripped him from an angle others couldn't easily see.

It happened in an instant, so few noticed.

But Hong Jinwoo himself must have noticed.

"You're not telling me to win, are you? Can you keep going?"

"...Don't underestimate me."

Nevertheless, Hong Jinwoo didn't rage.

Although he felt humiliated and his face turned bright red, he never tried to hurt his pride.

Because he knew he would be criticized if he voiced complaints here.

Even if everyone knew the true nature of this duel, it would look very pathetic for him to say it out loud.

Perhaps they might try to find fault with Eunha to defend him, but even then, they would inwardly think he was an eyesore.

That he couldn't even properly handle one subordinate.

"It was a mistake this time. I'll be careful next time."

Moreover, Eunha coaxed him.

Eunha, who whispered to Hong Jinwoo, promised he would definitely lose next time.

Of course, he couldn't blindly believe that promise would be true.

But Hong Jinwoo, who had already been tricked twice, had to believe those words to save his pride.

"Wow... That Noh Eunha..."

I told him to endure like that.

Eventually, the duel between the two started again.

Yoo Dojun, who had noticed Eunha had no intention of losing since Hong Jinwoo dropped the sword, clicked his tongue.

I knew he didn't care about others' eyes, but...

Yoo Dojun was beyond amazed, he was shocked.

He watched Noh Eunha's duel with a stiff face, still with his mouth raised.

Still, this is reckless.

Just how many enemies are you trying to make?

This wasn't the academy.

Although Hong Jinwoo was an academy student, most of the people gathered here were those who would have influence in the political and financial circles in the future.

The academy's meritocracy ideology didn't apply to them.

It was nothing but making enemies.

I know you're amazing.

But this is too...

Too reckless.

It was a reckless act.

Although Yoo Dojun could roughly guess how limitless Eunha's potential was, he still thought there was no need to deliberately make enemies.

"...Ugh...! This is really...!"

"Ouch, my arm."

Meanwhile, the duel between Noh Eunha and Hong Jinwoo was continuing endlessly.

Hong Jinwoo kept attacking, and Eunha was barely defending.

Those who didn't know anything would surely think so.

However, in reality, Eunha defending was consistently relaxed, while Hong Jinwoo swinging his sword repeatedly was becoming increasingly strained.

─That's dangerous.

We shouldn't draw Eunha in.

We'll lose more than we gain if we do.

Yoo Dojun thought.

Eunha is dangerous.

He seemed to not acknowledge their existence at all.

Eunha was trying to look down on them who took looking down on others for granted.

In other words, his existence was becoming a threat to their existence.

Even Yoo Dojun, who maintained a close relationship with him, felt such anxiety.

So what about the other direct descendants?

Yoo Dojun observed their reactions.

"What is he trying to do..."

Lee Yucheon, Luminous Group's direct descendant, had a dark face.

He seemed to be worrying about Eunha's well-being after this duel ends.

At the same time, he seemed disappointed in Eunha for not listening to advice.

"...Too rough."

The person who said this was Kim Geonwoong, KK Group's direct descendant.

He, who was standing with his arms folded among people, clicked his tongue and frowned.

He had been showing movements to recruit Eunha from before.

It seemed to be the same now.

Kim Geonwoong's eyes were shining. Although Eunha might be a difficult wild horse to handle, as if saying he would obtain him somehow.

Yet he also seemed to harbor slight hostility towards him.

"Wow, as expected of Eunha."

Those who noticed the situation was flowing differently from what they thought seeing the endless duel.

Amidst the sound of swords clashing.

Han Seoyeon, Sirius Group's direct descendant, was clapping and enjoying herself without minding others' silence.

She seemed to be very pleased with him exceeding expectations.

However, in Yoo Dojun's eyes, Han Seoyeon was clearly crazy.

That noona is just not normal.

It seemed her goodwill towards Eunha would greatly increase.

But Yoo Dojun realized.

That her goodwill towards Noh Eunha wasn't goodwill towards a person, but merely showing curiosity towards a toy.

Although Noh Eunha might be under Sirius' protection now, when he no longer meets her eyes someday.

She will discard him without hesitation.

And once discarded, he will be attacked by people who have been viewing him unfavorably until now.

Eunha must know this too.

Knowing this, he's committing such acts trusting in Sirius' protection for now.

Han Seoyeon is crazy, and Eunha is crazy too.

"He's too rude. Why did Seohyun bring such a kid around? Was she only looking at his skills? Even so, skills aren't everything..."

On the other hand, Choi Yejang harshly criticized Noh Eunha.

He subtly valued hierarchy while pretending not to.

He didn't forgive insubordination.

Even if Eunha had been called one of the most promising rookies at the academy while under Han Seohyun's protection until now.

If Kim Geonwoong still thought to somehow control him despite that, Choi Yejang seemed to have cut him off cleanly for deviating from his standards.

He was already upset earlier when Eunha was getting along with Lee Yucheon.

"I should tell Seohyun. That dogs shouldn't be left to bark..."

Choi Yejang continued to blabber after that.

By then, Hong Jinwoo was already rushing at him sweating.

Even someone who didn't know swords could feel his sword swinging speed had noticeably dropped.

"Eunha..."

Meanwhile, Hayang was watching Eunha along with Alice Group affiliates and direct descendants from groups friendly with her.

She couldn't hide her worried face with her hands clasped together.

She was even biting her lip, showing how worried she was about him.

She seemed to be the only one among those gathered here who didn't feel antipathy towards Eunha's actions.

Well, it can't be helped.

Yoo Dojun, recalling Hayang's background, soon looked for Choi Jeonghun lastly.

"..."

Choi Jeonghun, Galaxy Group's direct descendant.

He was watching Eunha's duel with an unreadable face.

Whether it was goodwill.

Or hostility.

Even for Yoo Dojun, who had been observing people's inner thoughts since childhood, it was unknowable.

"Ahaha...! Yes, this is how it should be! Rigged Go-Stop is originally not fun! Aish, I should have bet money..."

Additionally, Jung Geumjeon, Donghae Group's direct descendant, was cackling by himself.

He was an oddball.

☆

Hong Jinwoo's Gift was "Mana Resistance". It had the characteristic of resisting others' mana for its owner.

For example, having immunity to mental magic.

The same for debuffs.

Of course, "Mana Resistance" wasn't a rare Gift.

But his Gift was exceptionally effective among them.

To the extent of being able to resist all magic used against him.

So I have to step on him, what else can I do?

Hong Jinwoo deserved to die, but he still had use value.

And to use that use value, I had to subjugate him with Stygian Eye.

So when Eunha decided to become a player, he decided to step on Hong Jinwoo before killing him.

"Try a little harder. Like this, how can I lose naturally?"

"...Ugh...! You f*****g bastard..., you're dead later."

Hong Jinwoo's Gift "Mana Resistance" resists Stygian Eye.

But no matter how excellent his "Mana Resistance" is, it surely isn't invincible.

If "Mana Resistance" originates from the characteristic of mana from a firm sense of self.

Then we just need to shake his sense of self that's been treated like a prince since childhood.

Although it might be difficult, if we keep shaking it, someday he will unconsciously recognize a being in a higher position than himself and lower himself.

For example, showing that I'm not swayed by his sense of self while rebelling against Hong Jinwoo, like at the end-of-term party.

Is this enough?

For example, pressing down his arrogance on the stage he's confident in.

So Eunha was so happy when Hong Jinwoo created a stage to lose his pride.

He had been waiting for this moment.

Because the day he could kill Hong Jinwoo was slowly approaching now.

Eunha was inwardly impatient.

He had to weaken "Mana Resistance" as much as possible until then.

"I'll end it soon now, so match well."

At first, he pretended it was a mistake and made him drop the sword.

But when he realized it wasn't a mistake, he must have felt greatly insulted.

"You really... Just wait. Even if you beg for forgiveness later, it's over, bastard."

Next, he pretended it was an accident and made him slip and fall.

But when he realized it wasn't an accident, he must have felt insulted outwardly while being afraid inwardly.

Because he would have realized I won't lose easily.

Tsk, acting tough.

Hong Jinwoo was exhausted.

Even without that, the emotions showing on his face were now clearly visible.

Although he spat out harsh words, his eyes were shaking greatly. He couldn't even look into his eyes properly.

Hong Jinwoo had acknowledged.

That he could never win against someone called Noh Eunha.

"Watch your feet there. You might slip again."

"...Ugh...!"

Eunha secretly manifested his internal mana.

For him with excellent mana control sense, emitting a very small amount of mana was nothing.

Moreover, the manifested mana immediately gathered in his eyes.

"Come this way. If you do that there, what if your nose breaks?"

"Stop joking around!"

5th tier over-rank monster, Group Image Demon.

Eunha used magic based on its skill stone.

It was illusion magic.

Magic that shows the imagination one wants, or stimulates others' imagination to materialize illusions as reality.

It wasn't magic Hong Jinwoo, who had become wary of him, could resist with "Mana Resistance".

Moreover, there was a difference between Stygian Eye and the illusion magic used this time.

If Stygian Eye intervenes in the other's consciousness.

The latter has two methods. Either intervene in the other's consciousness like Stygian Eye, or connect one's consciousness to the other.

And 'connecting' was simply a phenomenon achieved through language.

Just as I am conscious of Hong Jinwoo, Hong Jinwoo is conscious of me.

A narrow world is born here.

In such a state, if I say something that 'doesn't exist' in this world 'exists'.

The other person believes something that doesn't exist exists because I'm saying it.

Of course, the other person soon realizes it was a lie through vision.

But illusion magic intervenes before that and ends up making something that doesn't exist in the narrow world 'seem to exist'.

So Hong Jinwoo's "Mana Resistance" couldn't exert influence on the world itself that he and I connected.

Moreover, the subject manifesting mana isn't Hong Jinwoo, but the world Hong Jinwoo is looking at.

"Huh? Why are they doing that?"

"What? Why are they going that way?"

"What? It looks like Jinwoo is winning. Seems like it's about to end soon."

And because it's a narrow world, the illusion of Eunha luring Hong Jinwoo wasn't visible to others.

To their eyes, it would have looked like Hong Jinwoo was suddenly driving him towards the spa.

In reality, Hong Jinwoo was trying to avoid obstacles that interfered based on Eunha's words.

Obstacles named illusions.

─Blade Sound

When they finally reached the top of the stairs going to the spa.

Hong Jinwoo, who had been caught up in Eunha's words until now, squeezed out his remaining strength and launched a sword strike.

To Hong Jinwoo's eyes, Eunha would have looked cornered against the wall.

That's why he recklessly rushed forward and drew out all his strength.

"─How stupid."

"...What?"

But it was already too late.

Hong Jinwoo's sword strike cut through the air.

Eunha had dodged the sword strike by a hair's breadth.

That would have surely looked like Hong Jinwoo failed to hit properly to others' eyes.

Splash

Meanwhile.

Eunha tripped him again as he was leaning forward.

Hong Jinwoo, whose whole body had lost strength, had no choice but to plunge headfirst into the hot water.

"Uh... ugh... cough...!"

""""Jinwoo!!""""

Hong Jinwoo splashing and struggling in the water.

When he came up with his hair wet, there was no sword in his hand.

He must have left it in there when he fell into the water.

"You..., youuu...!"

Hong Jinwoo sputtered water and growled at Eunha.

Eunha wasn't scared at all.

He never intended to lose to him from the start.

"This won't do. I can't lose to you when you don't even have a sword. Well, want to have another round?"

"..."

He became like a drowned rat.

So some people were running towards him.

Then Eunha, who had been whispering in his ear, soon opened his mouth in a noisy tone.

"Are you hurt anywhere? We can't duel like this. Are you okay?"

His voice as if worried.

With mockery in his eyes turned away from the approaching people.

"It's unavoidable that there was no conclusion... but hyung, you really are strong. I want to quickly enter high school academy and become strong too."

His voice

praised him.

Look down on him with your eyes.

The galaxy swore.

To change the worst future.

I will subdue your soul.

Very slowly, slowly.

So that you can kneel before me.

And then he said he would kill me himself.

"─Next time, don't stand there with your sword. If you do, you'll fall into the water again." "… Hah… !"

Eun-ha left Hong Jin-woo in the care of those who ran over holding towels.

As he came down the stairs, he felt several pairs of eyes watching him.

Yoo Do-jun was sighing.

Lee Yu-cheon felt relieved.

Kim Geon-woong's eyes were shining.

Choi Ye-jang was glaring at himself.

Han Seo-yeon was clapping.

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Jeong Ha-yang was worried.

Jeong Geum-jeon was throwing popcorn.

Lastly, Choi Jeong-hoon─.

Does that mean it's impossible?

─I was looking down at myself.

It must be even harder to subdue his soul than this.

But not necessarily.

I will make everyone gathered here, including Choi Jeong-hoon, bow their heads before Ha Baek-ryeon.

The galaxy promised.