Episode 216: Preliminary Battle
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the chaos created by the numerous explosions in the dark space.
Completely concealed with [Invisible Cloak], kill any signs of movement and strike one last time.
That was the end of it.
Beep -.
The whistle announcing victory is heard and the constructed stage is completely dismantled.
The dark zone formed by the mana protector, and the danger zone created by the airbeat and air bomber.
A battlefield standing alone and quiet.
Only then could I feel it for sure.
The fact that I have grown again.
At the same time, the fact that a clue was discovered.
‘With mana equipment… … reproducing the tactics of actual hunters… … .’
Before I returned, I had reached the top, but the world was still full of weapons I didn’t know about.
Oh no. Is this something I can’t stop doing?
***
“Unnie Minsol!”
As Lee Min-sol came out into the noisy waiting room, Jo Yeon-hwa went ahead to greet her.
I expected the shock of defeat to be great, as I was confident and confident that I would win.
‘Of course, personally, I wanted the masked guy to win.’
However, that doesn’t mean it was good to see Lee Min-sol suffering.
As expected, when Jo Yeon-hwa greeted Lee Min-sol, Lee Min-sol hugged Jo Yeon-hwa tightly.
“Ugh… … Ugh… … .”
His face turned pale. And, unable to contain his anger, he was biting his lip.
In the world of sports, being outstanding means you basically have a competitive spirit.
“Huh, huh, huh!”
Was it because she couldn’t control her anger? Lee Min-sol cried in Jo Yeon-hwa’s arms.
It must be because he knew that if he had won this time, it would have been a great opportunity.
“It’s okay. Sister… … .”
Jo Yeon-hwa patted him on the back and offered words of comfort, but she couldn’t bring herself to say, “It’s just one ranked match, so what?”
Because I knew what kind of mindset Lee Min-sol, who had relatively ambiguous results in team games, was putting his life on the line in ranked matches.
All I can do is protect and embrace the countless people who have shown interest in this battle.
After some time, Lee Min-sol seemed to have calmed down and stopped crying. Lee Min-sol, who was small in stature, was now looking up at Jo Yeon-hwa.
And then he said quietly.
“You did well… … But it’s not like there was no way to win… … .”
It would be a shame. Yes. If Lee Min-sol had noticed the enemy’s movements first and removed the air anchor on the mana protector with a bomb.
Or, rather than proceeding slowly to perfect the initial offensive, you could have overwhelmed your opponent with an explosive power that was unpredictable from the start.
If I had predicted in advance that the opponent would be able to exploit the weakness by taking advantage of the Mana Bomber’s characteristics…
… …
The countless assumptions that have been made, the paths to victory. These are the things that can only be seen after defeat.
But the game is already over and there is no turning back.
Everything is decided.
‘……still.’
Jo Yeon-hwa said, hugging Lee Min-sol even tighter.
“It’s okay. You figured it out this time. What should I do… … I’ll definitely do better next time.”
It wasn’t something he only said to Lee Min-sol. It was probably something Jo Yeon-hwa wanted to say to herself.
I gave up and thought it was impossible.
When you encounter a wall of things like that, whether it’s ability or the sum of your talents. What should you do?
Jo Yeon-hwa, who had already been frustrated once, found the way when she saw the masked man.
‘Okay… I’ll do better next time.’
A man who faced a huge wall without using his abilities or weapons. As if he overcame that wall in the match with the experience and wisdom he had accumulated.
***
“Hmm… … That guy and Lee Chang-hyun decided to have a showdown?”
“That’s what they said.”
“Why are you so sullen?”
Jin Soo-hyuk scolded Jo A-ra.
They were also in the waiting room to watch the ranked matches that have been shaking up the Hunters League recently.
“What don’t you like?”
“What do you not like? I just don’t like the way you cover your face and do things like that.”
Jin Soo-hyuk also agreed with that. Usually, even if you wear a mask like this and raise your score, once you reach this level of score, it’s almost impossible to win while hiding your ability. Usually, you reveal your identity.
“It looks like you’re trying to hide your identity until the very end… … Are you just going to leave it like that?”
Jo Ara asked Jin Su-hyeok in a casual manner. In Jo Ara’s case, she didn’t really put much weight on ranked matches, so it didn’t matter to her, but for Jin Su-hyeok, who was maintaining the top spot in ranked matches, it would be a very important issue.
Wearing a mask, hiding his true abilities, he is undefeated and raising the score with flying colors…
If that guy continues to rise in this state and matches up with Jin Su-hyeok, it will be a huge loss.
Jin Soo-hyuk would suffer a huge blow to his reputation if he loses, but that guy is an underdog so he can get away without any damage.
In short, this was the gist of Joara’s words.
‘Are you saying that we should either take off that guy’s mask, or drag him out to an off-field match and beat him up? … ?’
I definitely thought it was a good choice for Joara.
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but.
“It’s still too early to make that judgment. Maybe Lee Chang-hyun, who I’ve praised since I was a judge, will show something.”
“You must be preparing something dark behind the scenes, so why are you hiding it?”
Jin Soo-hyuk just smiled and didn’t answer.
In the distance, the fight between Lee Min-sol and the masked man ended and a crowd began to gather.
‘If possible, I hope the guy wearing the mask wins against Lee Chang-hyun too… … I’ll decorate the finale.’
That would be my duty as the most-selected member of the Korean Hunters League national team and the number one ranked champion.
***
“… … This way, you can use mana equipment more smoothly in conjunction.”
“Was there a method like this…? I’ll take note.”
As usual, PER’s home is preparing for the game. We exchange feedback as usual, but the feeling is a little different.
“Don’t you think the fortress is emphasizing mana equipment a lot these days?”
“That’s certainly true… … Hey. Kim Do-jun. Don’t you have any idea?”
The first person to be pointed out in the instructions that felt a little different from usual was Kim Do-jun.
That would be the case, whether it’s a shining sword or a weapon that makes a ripping sound like fingernails scraping a blackboard. Those things were all written by Kim Do-jun.
It was a question that reflected the idea that Kim Do-jun might be a little more familiar with mana equipment.
To that question,
“Hmm… … Hmm. Well. What would I know~.”
The guy who would normally have said he knew the answer cleared his throat and pretended not to know, which made me even more suspicious.
There definitely seems to be something there, but I don’t know why.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that learning in that direction was bad.
Rather, I learned how to use mana equipment in ways I had never thought of before, and my thinking has become much broader than before.
Because everyone thought that it had become more flexible.
“Rather than asking Kim Do-jun. Isn’t that it? That.”
“that?”
“It’s obvious. Before, Chang-Hyeon and that guy wearing the mask decided to break up.
“Didn’t you see him fight with Lee Min-sol?”
Han Ji-soo, who is somewhat of an information expert, brought up the story. It was a vivid description, as if watching a video.
“… … So, you created a dark, sealed room, and then you used Airbit and Mana Bomber to create an opening and win.”
“Oh… … This is a much more advanced battle than I thought. Did Chang-Hyeon get stimulated?”
“I guess he’s studying the countermeasures while fighting soon. He even said that in the interview.”
Han Ji-soo said with interest. Of course, not everyone reacted in the same way to that.
“What if Changhyun… … loses?”
Since the masked man said he was doing well, Lee Yeon-ju seemed anxious. He had been on a roll until recently, so if he stumbled even once, it would be a big blow.
“Sure. I saw them fight before. This guy… …is evolving more and more. Based on the footage I just saw, I can’t guarantee it would fight me.”
When Yoon Han-gyeol, a specialist in 1v1 ranked matches at PER, joined in and said this, the atmosphere became even more strange.
Except one person.
“Dojun. What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
A guy who is anxious. A guy who is trying to figure out who will win, a guy who is measuring Lee Chang-hyun’s appearance at PER Home and the masked man’s power in the ranked match. And a guy who is sure that Lee Chang-hyun will win…
Everyone was showing various reactions, but Kim Do-jun was showing a slightly different reaction than the other guys.
He laughs alone, gets nervous, and then seems like he wants to say something.
Because it was an attitude that was very nerve-wracking.
But after all that thinking, the words that came out in the end were just empty words.
“Well, you’ll find out soon enough.”
With those words, Kim Do-jun left the practice room.
“What’s that guy?”
“I guess you found some unique equipment by yourself again.”
The reason why Kim Do-jun did that remains a mystery.
***
While I was focusing on ranked matches and continuing to manage my personal skills, the regular season of the Hunter’s League continued.
‘The outcome is roughly as expected… … .’
Week 2, 3 wins out of 3 games. They were still tied for 1st place. LTD, who they considered their rival team, was also naturally in 1st place.
Sports news was talking about the underdog’s rebellion every day, but it seemed that PER’s recognition had already become quite established in the hunter world.
First of all, up until this week, no team had succeeded in directly attacking [Dimension Gate Strategy].
But it was natural that we still had to remain vigilant.
‘I’m not aiming for mediocre results… … I’m aiming for first place.’
In addition, the fact that most of the teams that have fought so far are not top-tier teams also played a part.
However, the next match was completely different from the previous one.
The opponent is not LTD, but another famous Korean hunter. The team that Jin Su-hyeok is in is the opponent. The moment they let their guard down, they will be the perfect opponent to win.
“But I don’t think there’s a need to be that cautious. Even with Jin Su-hyeok, last season, the ending wasn’t any different from other teams.”
Lee Jong-gyu responded.
“That is… … As we approach the end of the season, if you look at the data, you can see that Jin Su-hyeok hardly played in any games.”
… … It was most likely that he was resting due to mental fatigue.
Because the Hunter’s mental stress that accumulates due to pain is no joke.
“This match is likely to be on a different level from the previous matches we’ve had in the first division. So… … .”
I was thinking about trying out the new Mana Equipment connection that I felt while playing ranked matches.
No, the preparations had already been completed.
“Shall we try something a little different than usual?”
fantasy,
