RE: Player again

266

[Chapter 090] [An Unwanted Reunion (2)]

Kang Hyeon-cheol was obsessed with fighting.

In his previous life, he would pick fights with Players classified as Named whenever he got the chance.

Those targeted by him had no choice but to reluctantly take up their swords even if they didn't want to.

That's how much was known as "the crazy guy of this area" among Players.

"Hey! It's been a long time since we met, let's have a match after this is over!"

And Kang Hyeon-cheol's competitive spirit extended even to Noh Eun-ha who was starting to become known as .

Kang Hyeon-cheol would swing his sword at Eun-ha even if they happened to meet at the Blue House.

"What on earth are you doing..."

"I didn't know last time... but they say your sword is a masterpiece created by some great maestro?" "..."

"Shall we test just how good a sword it is?"

Evil for evil.

Hostility for hostility.

Even who indiscriminately killed everything he made eye contact with on the battlefield didn't touch .

However, he didn't just ignore it even if touched him first.

At that time, Eun-ha also manifested internal mana to pay him back as much as he was attacked.

But that only fueled Kang Hyeon-cheol's competitive spirit even more.

"─Good, come at me more! Surely this isn't all you've got!?"

"...Kuk...!"

However, although Eun-ha could counterattack while facing Kang Hyeon-cheol, he had never beaten him.

Kang Hyeon-cheol was one of the three people mentioned as South Korea's strongest after all.

Nevertheless, the reason Eun-ha could stand against Kang Hyeon-cheol was thanks to his gift that made him stronger the more he was pushed to extreme situations.

"─That's it! That's how you get fired up! Attack me like you're going to kill me, that's what I'm saying!"

A Player who burned more and more fiercely the more he fought.

The stronger his opponent was, the more Kang Hyeon-cheol swelled up using that as a medium.

Like a demon covered in flames.

Like a giant of fire blocking the way forward.

That's why he was called .

☆

"─Do you really not remember the choco pie!?"

"...Kuk...!"

Kang Hyeon-cheol swinging his sword while wrapped in flames.

Eun-ha who blocked his attack gripping Black Thorn with both hands had no leisure to answer the question.

Even in his previous life, Eun-ha had never beaten Kang Hyeon-cheol.

He would be pushed back unable to block the greatsword he wielded.

Let alone now.

It was impossible to face him with a body that hadn't yet become an adult.

Just once.

He rolled on the ground losing his center of balance unable to even receive one strike.

Why is this bastard suddenly appearing and causing trouble!?

Eun-ha gritted his teeth.

There was no time to lie on the ground.

He who hurriedly got up quickly used Cheonbo to leap a long distance.

As expected.

It was as he predicted.

Kang Hyeon-cheol's flames covered the spot where he had just been.

If he had been even a little late, he would have been unable to move trapped in the flames.

"Well, what does it matter? Isn't it enough that we've met again like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I think you've got the wrong person!"

"No, that can't be."

Eun-ha shouted at him who was closing the distance in one breath.

Then he counterattacked him who entered the range where he could swing Black Thorn.

"...Hooh."

"..."

Hooh my ass...

Eun-ha clicked his tongue.

Kang Hyeon-cheol who had received Black Thorn with his greatsword without using much strength was looking down with a curious gaze.

There was no way he wouldn't recognize that look.

He who had to battle Kang Hyeon-cheol whenever they met in his previous life knew what that look meant.

It was the look of a fighter trying to gauge his opponent's strength.

A look that meant becoming a sparring partner at the drop of a hat if he pleased him.

"Aren't you the younger brother of the girl Hye-rim accepted as ?"

"..."

"My luck is incredibly good today? I thought I might find some promising kids if I went to the training building...

But to think you, the choco pie kid, would be here... I was just trying to test if it was really you since you look no different from when you were young at a glance. As expected, it was you."

Kang Hyeon-cheol spoke while withdrawing his aura to show he had no hostility.

However, Eun-ha who had been suddenly attacked by him and had to spar with Kang Hyeon-cheol at the drop of a hat in his previous life glared with an annoyed face.

Why is this guy at the academy?

Eun-ha chewed on his thoughts.

Then he recalled that from the 2nd semester, the academy invites active Players from outside to conduct education for 3rd year high school academy students.

Even without that, Players who came from outside could easily be found at the high school academy.

Surely Kang Hyeon-cheol must have entered the academy for that reason too.

Moreover, he was a Twelve Seats.

There was one event where a Twelve Seats gave a lecture at this time.

It seemed Kang Hyeon-cheol's visit had been decided this year.

A visit Eun-ha wanted to refuse.

"This works out well. I heard you entered the academy, so I was thinking of coming to see you when I had time but I kept forgetting until now."

You should have just kept forgetting.

Eun-ha decided not to deal with Kang Hyeon-cheol.

If he left him alone to talk by himself, he would lose interest and disappear.

Even if not, Eun-ha planned to leave in the meantime.

Kang Hyeon-cheol was someone to be avoided.

There was nothing good that could come from getting involved with him.

Even if he became a reliable strength for Ha Baek-ryeon in the distant future.

That was that, and this was this.

He'll do fine on his own even if left alone anyway.

Thinking that, he turned his body to quietly retreat.

But there was no way would let Eun-ha go quietly.

Flames suddenly rose from the ground where he was about to step.

"─Where are you going? This is a reunion after how many years, I'd be upset if you just left."

"I'm not upset at all though?"

"Hey, that's not for you to decide, it's for me to decide. Got it?"

He was truly a tyrant.

Eun-ha frowned looking back at him who hadn't withdrawn his internal mana.

It seemed impossible to avoid this situation like this.

Sure enough.

This crazy squid bastard...!

How long is he planning to keep raising his firepower?

He surrounded the entire space with flames.

The heat wave that rose centered on him instantly approached right in front of him.

Eun-ha who hadn't yet withdrawn his internal mana quickly deployed a barrier.

Eun-ha who somehow protected his body from the heat revealed hostility towards him carrying the greatsword on his back.

Kang Hyeon-cheol who made eye contact smirked.

"Oh, now you feel like fighting?"

"...Crazy bastard."

"...What? Crazy bastard? What did you just say? Calling someone older than you a crazy bastard, you crazy bastard?"

"Then what are you if not a crazy bastard?"

"Hah, really... I've never introduced myself to anyone until now, but alright, I'll do it once for you."

"...No, just being a crazy bastard is fine."

"...Look at this? Hey, choco pie kid. You might get a good beating from me if you keep that up."

Kang Hyeon-cheol also revealed hostility.

But Eun-ha wasn't scared.

He knew well that Kang Hyeon-cheol couldn't kill him anyway.

There was no way a Twelve Seats could touch an academy student who wasn't even a Player yet.

No matter how much of an irredeemable i***t he was, he should at least know this much.

In fact, he wasn't exerting his strength properly.

"Hey, choco pie kid. Your name was... Noh Eun-ha?" "..."

"...You're not saying anything? Well... alright. You'll end up chattering away once you fight me anyway."

"..."

"Ah, but don't worry too much? Even I won't use my full strength against a student...!"

Strike first for victory.

Since it had come to this, Eun-ha gave up and decided to face Kang Hyeon-cheol.

If he couldn't run away, there was nothing left but to fight.

It was all or nothing.

Mana Crasher

He didn't hold back from the start.

Eun-ha who took irregular steps using Cheonbo and Wild Dance swung Black Thorn at his side.

Kang Hyeon-cheol reacted belatedly. He moved the greatsword on his back diagonally to block the attack.

"...It's quite heavy unlike earlier?"

Of course.

He had only been blocking attacks until now. He had been busy responding too.

But the flow was taken by himself who moved first.

Although he didn't know how far he could go, Eun-ha intended to push Kang Hyeon-cheol like this.

Cheonbo

Rampant

Mana Crasher

Madness

He continued attacks without rest.

Kang Hyeon-cheol was only blocking attacks.

No, he wasn't doing anything.

His intention was clear.

Checking his skills.

Wild Dance

Revolver Shot

Cheonbo

Eun-ha was very displeased by that.

He didn't like the gaze of someone evaluating him.

But conversely, Eun-ha was using that to attack Kang Hyeon-cheol to his heart's content.

Although he was blocking with his greatsword or deploying protective magic, the sensation of hitting him still felt good.

Because he had always just been on the receiving end in his previous life.

Vengeful Spirit

"...Kuk...! You can even use high-level control techniques?"

Kang Hyeon-cheol frowned as his internal mana was grabbed by the fluid spirit body.

But Eun-ha discovered fighting spirit in the pupils visible between his red-dyed hair.

...This is dangerous.

Kang Hyeon-cheol was burning up.

The wick had been lit.

It was clear he would soon be blazing uncontrollably.

Before that, he had to pour out all his strength and collapse exhausted to the point Kang Hyeon-cheol would acknowledge.

Eun-ha increased the speed of deploying magic to match that gap.

To the point his gift wouldn't activate. I have to stop there.

It was dangerous if his gift activated from excessively consuming internal mana.

Kang Hyeon-cheol's curiosity could burn even more fiercely than this.

That's why he prepared his finishing act while trying to fire Revolver Shot at Kang Hyeon-cheol.

At that moment─

"─Kuk...!"

The sound of fingers snapping was heard, and flames burst in front of his eyes.

Just from Kang Hyeon-cheol snapping his fingers, hot flames blocked his vision.

The layers of protective magic he had wrapped began melting in the fire.

This crazy squid, he should know how to hold back properly...

The firepower was excessive.

If he had been an ordinary academy student, the protective magic would have shattered and been devoured by the flames.

It was fortunate it was him.

I can't go forward.

Kang Hyeon-cheol would be waiting ahead.

Eun-ha who deployed detection nets turned his back from the front without hesitation.

There was no time to wrap protective magic.

He had to endure with the remaining magic.

Fortunately, the academy uniform had some resistance to flames.

Eun-ha believed in that and threw his body beyond the flames using Cheonbo.

...!

He rolled his body as soon as he hit the ground. He checked with heightened senses in case any lingering flames had caught.

There were no wounds that would be a problem.

He was just singed.

Though it seemed he would need to buy a new uniform.

I'll definitely get compensation for the uniform cost.

Eun-ha who ground his teeth checked Kang Hyeon-cheol's position with detection nets.

Kang Hyeon-cheol who grasped the situation that he hadn't come to where he was waiting was running over.

"You're quite something! Finding the safest exit without panicking...! Even among my clan members, there are plenty of guys who just recklessly rush forward in urgent situations...!"

The greatsword was a fake.

The sound of fingers snapping rang out.

The sound of snapping fingers containing mana echoed through the space.

Of course, Eun-ha didn't panic.

He roughly remembered Kang Hyeon-cheol's fighting style.

─As expected.

Eun-ha jumped to the right just before flames exploded from the left.

He had predicted the direction the flames would burst.

"...Huh? What?"

Kang Hyeon-cheol was visibly flustered.

Naturally, he changed direction.

At first he thought it was a coincidence.

So he snapped his fingers to resolve his doubt.

"...You dodged mine?"

Kang Hyeon-cheol muttered as if in disbelief.

Eun-ha didn't answer his doubt and just ran recklessly.

Eun-ha who had used Invisible Tracker in advance could attack Kang Hyeon-cheol without having to look back.

Invisible Tracker

Revolver Shot

The thorns clinging to Black Thorn all flew towards the point marked by Invisible Tracker.

Kang Hyeon-cheol who stopped running took a defensive posture, and the sound of thorns exploding struck his ears.

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

Kang Hyeon-cheol snapped his fingers from within the smoke.

Eun-ha didn't take any measures even though he heard the sound of mana striking the space.

He won't hit me anyway.

Kang Hyeon-cheol would have temporarily lost his sense of direction due to the explosion just now.

In his previous life, he rolled his eyes to designate where to bombard in advance before snapping his fingers to create flames.

It was information Eun-ha who had to spar with him at the drop of a hat had figured out.

But what about now?

Could Kang Hyeon-cheol whose vision was shaking and sense of direction was lost aim properly?

"...Kuk...!"

Kang Hyeon-cheol clicked his tongue.

He was that kind of person.

A person who got angry like fire.

Players who act emotionally tend to reveal openings the moment they show emotional fluctuations.

Eun-ha was waiting for this moment.

Stygian Eye

He didn't know how effective it would be.

Even a moment was fine.

If he could steal his concentration.

Invisible Tracker

Revolver Shot

Three thorns once again robbed Kang Hyeon-cheol's hearing.

The smoke generated from the thorns bursting disrupted his vision.

Invisible Tracker

One Point Breakthrough

Just before the smoke cleared.

Eun-ha became one with Black Thorn, becoming a huge drill.

There was no need to control the direction.

Invisible Tracker was giving precise coordinates.

With this─

It was the result of carelessness.

He probably never imagined he would be caught by an academy student while trying to hold back his strength.

"─Don't look down on me."

But the one who was careless was Eun-ha himself.

He who jumped into the smoke was suddenly engulfed by successively exploding flames.

It was too late.

To block the flames, he needed to cancel the magic and deploy protective magic.

But the flames would incinerate him in the gap of canceling the magic.

...Damn it.

☆

He lost.

Eun-ha couldn't help but feel

Eun-ha couldn't help but feel the difference in skill level.

He still had a long way to go to reach Kang Hyeon-cheol.

His body that hadn't yet become an adult.

His internal mana.

His magic.

There were so many things lacking.

"...It was a bit tough at the end, but it was a really fun match, Choco Pie! Where did you learn magic like that?"

"I told you I'm not Choco Pie."

"Forget it. If you had answered when I first asked your name, I would have called you by it, but I got upset. Got it, Choco Pie?"

"Hah..."

Eun-ha sighed at Kang Hyeon-cheol's response, unable to tell who the child was.

Ignoring him was the answer.

Regardless, Kang Hyeon-cheol suddenly brought up the reason he came to the academy.

He said he came to talk with the academy instructors before giving a lecture at the cultural festival.

It was none of Eun-ha's business.

What was important to him now was the vague sensation remaining in his hand.

...I might be able to do it.

Just before, right before losing to Kang Hyeon-cheol.

Eun-ha who gave up on canceling the magic used Vengeful Spirit magic in a last-ditch effort.

A high-level control technique that interferes with and controls others' mana.

At that time, the spirit body that rose from his body deflected some of the oncoming flames.

That was the natural effect of Vengeful Spirit.

...What image did I use to deploy that magic?

But Vengeful Spirit not only deflected the flames then, but also returned the deflected flames to Kang Hyeon-cheol.

It was a counter.

Although it didn't return the countered magic several times over like Pride's Counterattack.

It definitely returned even a very subtle amount of damage.

How on earth did I do that?

It was an urgent situation.

At that time, he didn't know with what mindset he had used magic equivalent to a counter.

Only the sensation he felt when deflecting the flames remained in his hand.

He mulled over this sensation.

Thinking he might find a clue somewhere if he kept thinking about it.

But─

"─Hey, Choco Pie. Are you listening to me right now?"

"..."

Kang Hyeon-cheol interrupted his concentration.

Eun-ha who had been repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hand frowned and whipped his head around.

Kang Hyeon-cheol spoke cheerfully as if not caring about his expression.

"What do you think?" "About what?"

"About becoming my . I'm telling you this hyung can make you an amazing Player."

It was a question not worth considering.

Eun-ha boldly retorted to Kang Hyeon-cheol who didn't even consider rejection as a possibility.

"Look elsewhere."

Eun-ha had no intention of becoming 's even if he died.

"Hey! Don't be like that! If you become my , the benefits are..."

"I'm going now."

"...Then at least exchange numbers with me! I'll buy you a delicious meal!"

"I don't have a smartphone."

"T-Then! Can't you be my assistant and help when I give the lecture at the cultural festival!?"

"I'll be busy during the cultural festival." "What could you be busy with on a day for playing around!"

Kang Hyeon-cheol clung on like a child.

Eun-ha sharply brushed off Kang Hyeon-cheol's hand trying to grab his pant leg.

His pants almost got dirty.

Ah, I need to claim compensation for the uniform too...

He glanced at Kang Hyeon-cheol.

Eun-ha soon shook his head.

He didn't know what would happen if he got any more involved.

He decided to quietly claim the uniform cost from Blaze Clan.

There was no need to claim it directly from Kang Hyeon-cheol.

"─I'll be grilling gun-mandu."

Unfortunately, he would be busy at the cultural festival.

Because he needed to rest.

But since he couldn't say that, Eun-ha casually lied to Kang Hyeon-cheol who was trying to follow him.

Little did he know that lie would become reality─