Report
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Griffin Scans
Translator – Hero of death
Proofreader – Sleepyhead
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Chapter 7 - I'm gonna win
The instructor's indifferent words struck a chord deep in my heart.
The atmosphere in the training ground grew tense, thick with the cadets' focus.
"You must choose a team leader and submit your selection."
"Yes, Sir!!"
The response was filled with determination. Everyone was burning with the desire to grow stronger.
Given the state of heightened emotions, it was no surprise that everyone began to express their ambitions to be the team leader.
Our group was no different. Though we were the weakest team in the class, each member had the potential to be called a genius in any other setting. Naturally, everyone was eager to lead.
Well, everyone except for Lee Junghoon. He treated me as though we were complete strangers, and for some reason, he wasn’t trying to take on the role of leader.
"Let's do it this way," Lee Jeong-hoon suggested, taking the role of mediator.
"We'll each explain why we should be the leader, and then vote."
His suggestion was rational, and everyone agreed.
Our team consisted of: Lee Jung-hoon (ranked 466th), myself (ranked 500th), Ha Tae-san (ranked 451st), Lim Yu-ah (ranked 479th), and Lee Mi-jin (ranked 484th).
The most likely candidate for the role of leader was Ha Tae-san. He had the highest rank among us and was a cadet who had been held back a year.
He explained his reasoning confidently.
"I've been held back once. It's not something I'm proud of, but because of that, I am more desperate than you guys.. Unlike you guys, I also have experience in the academy, and I have the highest rank here. That's why I think I should be the leader."
His reasoning made sense, and everyone nodded in agreement. It was a reasonable argument.
After Ha Tae-san shared his thoughts, the voting began.
"Wait, I haven't spoken yet."
I was the last one to speak, and by then, everyone seemed to have forgotten about me.
To them, I was practically invisible. But I had to become the team leader.
In a situation where I might be held back, I had to take control of the team’s fate.
I knew I could perform the role of team leader better than anyone here because I had smachil with me.
“In terms of strength, I'm considered the weakest, but when it comes to the entrance exams, I ranked in the top 1%. I may not have great physical strength, but I have theoretical knowledge, and that's always helpful in survival situations."
My knowledge could prove essential, and I also had one undeniable advantage.
In fact, we were the five most malicious students in our class. The fact that we were known for our competitiveness only made us more likely to be pushed to succeed.
“And above all, I Don't fear Kim Woo-tae. That attitude is exactly what qualifies me to be the leader.”
When I finished speaking, I noticed the look in everyone's eyes—it was as if they finally saw me.
The voting went quickly, and with four votes, I was chosen as the team leader.
“...”
Now that the leader had been decided, we quickly began adjusting our strengths in a simple practice. It felt less like training and more like a status check, but the real training would likely begin next session.
Just as the session was about to end, I spoke up again.
"Instructor, I have something to ask."
Instructor Kim was preparing to wrap up the training, but he paused to give me a silent nod, allowing me to speak.
I explained my request clearly.
"I want to have a sparring match with Park Jong-pal today. Would you be able to observe?"
In the academy, cadets could request a supervisor to observe a duel. This was mainly to prevent any accidents from escalating, but I wasn't worried about that.
I wanted to ensure the results of the match were official.
"Is 7 PM fine?"
I continued, addressing the instructor.
"No problem," he responded.
Everyone turned towards Park Jong-pal, who nodded without hesitation.
"I’m fine with that," he said.
"Alright then, see you then. Class rep, the closing greeting."
At the Instructor’s words, everyone’s eyes turned to the class representative, Son Yoo-jin.
Her short bob cut and unchanging expression made her seem cold, like a block of ice. She had been our class representative from the first day of class.
I hadn’t realized until now that Son Yoo-jin had been chosen because of her academic standing—she was ranked 8th in the class.
She was the strongest in our group.
"Attention! Salute!"
At Son Yoo-jin’s command, we bowed to the instructor in unison.
"Thank you for your hard work."
With that, today's class was officially over, but we would soon gather again.
The duel between Park Jong-pal and I was the talk of the class.
However, I quickly realized how wrong I had been in my assumptions.
[What just happened?]
Samchil was just as flustered.
I thought the sparring match would attract only a small crowd, mainly lower-ranking cadets. But to my surprise, many cadets had gathered to watch, far more than I expected.
There’s a saying that the best entertainment in a cadet's life is watching a fight, and it seemed that this was no exception.
The crowd buzzed with excitement. Watching a cadet of my rank face off against Park Jong-pal, who was ranked much higher, would be fascinating.
It was a rare opportunity to see such a disparity in skill levels, one that could only be bridged through some kind of miracle.
Because it was extremely difficult to make this duel happen.
When someone holds high status, there's usually no need to fight—hierarchies establish themselves naturally.
A murmur spread through the crowd at my appearance. Everyone was scrambling to get a look at my face.
Of course they were curious about the guy ranked dead last who challenged the 250th place.
“Whoa!! He’s here!”
“That’s Yu Ji-hoon?”
“Knowing Park Jong-pal, this won’t even last five minutes.”
“Shit. The last place kid’s got guts.”
“What’s he thinking? Just some attention seeker?”
The voices brushing past my ears were all mocking. No one even considered the possibility of my victory.
All their attention was focused on how badly I would lose.
“You got your will ready?”
As I stepped into the dueling ground, Park Jong-pal greeted me with a leisurely smirk.
We couldn’t start the duel just yet—Instructor Kim Hoon hadn’t arrived.
I responded in silence, stretching to loosen up.
“What? Getting nervous now?”
Even while warming up, he taunted me with a smug smile.
He showed not even a hint of tension.
He looked at me the way a chef might ponder how best to cook a dish he already know. To him, I was a mouse already in the trap.
“Talking to you would just lower my IQ.”
“…This little punk.”
A vein visibly popped on his forehead.
“Go ahead, act tough while you still can. Soon, you’ll be begging me for mercy.”
[This bastard—still just as punchable as he was 20 years ago.]
From the moment our duel was set on the first day, I had just two days to prepare.
No matter what I did, it wasn’t enough time to close the gap between us.
Even knowing the future wouldn’t change that.
Jumping that many ranks in one leap is nearly impossible without some kind of miracle.
So for those two days, Samchil and I didn’t even try to catch up.
If I fought him under normal circumstances, I’d lose nine times out of ten.
That’s why we focused only on this moment.
Not on beating him through skill.
But on winning just this one duel.
That much, at least, wasn't impossible.
Right now, I had three factors on my side:
First, he completely underestimated me.
Second, Samchil knew Park Jong-pal inside out.
Third and most important—we prepared for this duel. He never even considered the chance of losing.
So we would use these factors to break through that slim 10% chance.
“He’s here!!”
Following the voices of the cadets, I turned my head.
Instructor Kim Hoon was walking in, holding a folding chair and a book.
A clear sign that he had no intention of interfering with anything that was about to happen.
“Heh heh… you’re dead now.”
Park Jong-pal grinned in satisfaction at the sight.
“Each of you, move to your end and draw your weapons.”
At his words, we separated, each moving to opposite ends of the dueling ground, which spanned nearly 20 meters.
“Summon.”
I pulled a sword from my inventory, and Park Jong-pal equipped gauntlets on both hands.
Those were his main weapons.
[Be careful. One clean hit, and it’s over.]
Samchil warned me.
His fists looked even harder than a steel golem’s.
Clang! Clang!
He slammed his fists together at chest level, producing a threatening noise.
“Let’s see just how sharp the last-place kid’s sword is.”
Even in the noisy hall, his sneer cut straight into my ears.
“Attention!”
Once we were ready, the instructor shouted.
Instructor Kim Hoon woon’s voice, laced with mana, rang clearly through every corner of the arena. Silence fell instantly.
“The rules of the duel are simple!”
Everyone focused on his words.
“One! You must stay within the dueling grounds!”
It was the first test at the academy.
And I wanted to start it off right.
“Two! No attack skills allowed!”
And along with that—
Came the burning desire to defeat that bastard.
“Three! You can do anything without breaking the first 2 rules!”
My heart began to pound violently.
“Then—begin!!”
Boom!
At the very moment the duel began, we charged at each other head-on.
The face of that bastard, wearing his usual smug grin, quickly zoomed into view, filling my sight.
Whooosh.
A dark fist tore through the air, hurtling toward me.
[It’s a feint. Watch for the follow-up attack.]
Crash!
I deflected the punch. I had never felt such weight behind a strike before.
Even gripping my sword tightly, the sheer force of his blow made my hands tremble.
That was just a feint?
I clenched my teeth.
His right hand followed—its blurred motion with the gauntlet left a black arc in the air.
Clang-clang-clang!
I slashed at an angle, redirecting the attack.
“Oh? So you’ve got a little skill after all?!”
Park Jong-pal chuckled with interest. But his expression still held confidence.
Boom!
Once again, his fist clashed with my sword, echoing a deep, thunderous sound. The shock made my blade shudder.
His combo flowed seamlessly—smooth yet brutal.
Unnatural agility for someone his size.
[The arena’s wide—use the space.]
I twisted my body, using the momentum of his push to reposition, and let my rotating blade intercept his steps.
But it only bought me a moment.
As expected of a martial artist skilled in close combat, his movement was quick and precise.
[Watch your lower right.]
A leg as thick as a tree trunk swept toward my lower body.
If not for Samchil’s warning, I would’ve gone down in the most pathetic way.
Just because he wore gauntlets didn’t mean his attack pattern was limited to punches.
He came at me again, relentless.
“Not bad.”
His wild assault started to overwhelm my hands and feet.
I didn’t want to admit it, but… the guy was strong. Really strong.
Boom!
Even with my sword braced, his punch lifted me off my feet and sent me skidding backward through the air.
That’s how much brute force his gauntlets packed.
[Focus! He’s coming again!]
I grit my teeth and kept blocking his blows.
Crash!
Even the ones I deflected made every bone in my body tremble.
[Left! Look left!]
Without questioning, I jerked my head in the direction of Samchil’s urgent voice.
At the same time, a heavy impact struck my right cheek.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
I spun like a stone flung through the air and crashed to the ground.
Even though I turned my head just in time to avoid the worst of it, my mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.
Spit.
I pushed myself up and spat blood onto the ground.
Park Jong-pal didn’t pursue me—he just smirked cruelly and beckoned with a finger.
“It’s just starting, bastard.”
Luckily, he didn’t plan to finish me off quickly—he wanted to toy with me.
As expected.
“Big words for someone with cotton fists.”
I scoffed at him, putting on a brave front.
The hit didn’t land cleanly, but thanks to the skill I acquired yesterday, I could—no, I barely managed to endure it.
The skill <Iron Will> fortified my mind and helped me physically endure blows through sheer mental fortitude.
That was why I had been able to survive the iron golem’s trampling.
To beat Park Jong-pal, I needed willpower strong enough to stay focused even at my limit.
It wasn’t a problem a mere E-rank skill could solve, but even the smallest help made a difference.
And right now, even that small help was a huge strength for me.
“Cotton fists, huh? You cocky little—then try taking another hit!”
Park Jong-pal scoffed and lunged like a bolt of lightning.
As he rapidly closed the distance, it felt like staring down a runaway locomotive.
He was undeniably stronger than me.
That much was fact—I couldn't beat him with strength alone.
But—
I’m the one who’s going to win this duel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter End~~~~~~~~~~~~~
