Chapter 132 – Suspicion (３)

“Tomorrow, just like that?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

At Gijun’s question, Woo Jimin shook her head.

“No, not at all. It’s perfectly doable. I’m just a little surprised. I thought you’d need more time, that’s all.”

“I’m always ready. I’d fight this very moment if I could. Assuming it’s possible.”

“Alright. Then I’ll contact them right away.”

“Yes. Please do.”

Gijun’s decision lit a spark in Woo Jimin.

Woo Jimin didn’t know much about Gijun’s past.

She could have looked into it if she’d wanted to, but there was no reason to pry.

Still, she could tell without digging that Gijun’s past hadn’t been smooth sailing.

A half-baked Superhuman’s life is miserable more often than not.

You spend your entire life being trained to become a Superhuman, but if you can’t live as one, the things you can do are bound to be terribly limited.

Thank goodness.

So seeing Gijun like this — confident and full of strength — lifted Woo Jimin’s spirits too.

*

“…He says tomorrow.”

Kang Baeyeong spoke.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Woo Jimin just contacted me.”

“Huh…”

Kim Myeonghwan let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Letting the other side choose the time wasn’t just a courtesy — it was a kind of test.

He’d been curious how Gijun would react.

If he’d been nervous or lacked composure, he would’ve delayed as much as possible, or just canceled outright.

But that was only Kim Myeonghwan’s imagination.

Far from delaying, Gijun had actually pushed the date way forward, ahead of what Kim Myeonghwan had expected.

“…What’s going on?”

For a moment, Kim Myeonghwan felt uneasy.

When the other side comes at you this confidently, it’s hard not to overthink.

“You don’t think he actually has something?”

At Kim Myeonghwan’s words, Kang Baeyeong shook his head.

“That’s nonsense. Take a look at this.”

Kang Baeyeong handed something over to Kim Myeonghwan.

“What’s this?”

“Remember the Dungeon Break in Gangnam last time?”

“Yeah.”

“I got the data from there. Take a look.”

“…”

Kim Myeonghwan silently flipped through the documents.

What was written there was a record of Gijun’s exploits.

Data analyzing the estimated damage Gijun had dealt to the Magin, his combat style, and such.

“…As you can see, these numbers are nowhere near enough to perform in a 9th-Level Dungeon. He could maybe last-hit a few Monsters if he got carried.”

Kim Myeonghwan nodded.

Baek Gijun’s words were accurate.

It was hard to believe this was the same Baek Gijun he knew, but these numbers certainly weren’t enough to perform in a 9th-Level Dungeon.

“When you consider the time in between, it becomes even more certain.”

“You’re right.”

The time between the Gangnam Dungeon Break and Gijun’s 9th-Level Dungeon Raid wasn’t long.

If that period had been even a year, maybe it would be different—but growing strong enough to clear an entire gate of a Level 9 Dungeon in that short a time was, literally, violating the laws of nature.

No precedent for it existed anywhere in human history.

“Good. Thanks, hyung¹.”

“It’s nothing. I’d do this much a hundred times over. For you.”

“See? This is exactly why my father likes you so much.”

Kim Myeonghwan patted Kang Baeyeong on the shoulder, then straightened back up.

“Then go ahead and get the article out. Let’s set the date for tomorrow, just like you planned.”

“Okay.”

At Kim Myeonghwan’s words, Kang Baeyeong raised his smartphone and scrolled through his contacts.

It was a list of reporters from media outlets he kept in close touch with.

*

Park Jang

“Hoho, now that’s something.”

Around that same time, Park Jangho, the current principal of the Academy.

After confirming the news that had just reached him, he let out a strange laugh.

“Kim Myeonghwan… Baek Gijun….”

Both students had studied at the Academy during his tenure.

He hadn’t been the principal back then, but he remembered both of them.

In truth, not remembering would have been far stranger.

One was the noble young master who was always called a genius.

And the other—also called a genius—was the tragic figure who fell from grace in an instant.

He had always looked at Gijun with pitying eyes.

Because the talent he had witnessed in Gijun’s youth was among the best he had ever seen—worthy of being called the very peak.

That was why, as news of Gijun had trickled in recently, he’d been glad.

For a man who had dedicated his life to teaching, seeing a genius he’d thought was abandoned take flight again was the most heartening news of all.

“Well, now….”

But the news that had just arrived was rather awkward.

On the surface, it was a friendly sparring match between alumni.

That kind of thing happened occasionally.

Alumni who had made names for themselves would come back and hold exhibition matches under the banner of charity.

This was the same.

On the surface, that is.

But when you looked beneath it, it was anything but.

To anyone watching, this was clearly a trap Kim Myeonghwan had laid.

Still, the Academy was in no position to refuse Cheolgun’s proposal.

Because Kim Myeonghwan’s family still donated a massive sum to the Academy every year.

“It seems Cheolgun’s side has already calculated everything out cleanly….”

Kim Myeonghwan wasn’t just anyone.

He was a man who moved only on thorough calculations.

He wouldn’t even start a fight he couldn’t win.

The fact that he was picking this fight meant he had some kind of certainty.

“What a ruthless bastard.”

Kim Myeonghwan.

He still remembered that student—cold, devoid of blood or tears.

It had been that way during his Academy days, and it hadn’t changed since.

Even after a full decade.

“I hope he doesn’t get too hurt.”

His concern was for Gijun.

All he could do was hope the young hawk, just now spreading its wings and beginning to soar, wouldn’t take a wound.

*

Dawn broke.

The world had been ablaze the night before.

All because of the rumors about Gijun’s exhibition match against Kim Myeonghwan.

News spread like wildfire.

It was only natural.

Hwarang versus Cheolgun.

Two colossal guilds had thrown their weight behind promoting this match.

The funny part? Both sides were already guaranteeing their own victory.

Whether victory would truly belong to one team or the other was something only the fight itself could decide. But Hwarang, in their own way, and Cheolgun, in theirs, were dead certain their Superhuman couldn’t possibly lose.

So both guilds had no choice but to want as many people as possible paying attention to this match.

[What’s going on with these guys?]

[Who threw the first punch?]

[This is gonna be a blast.]

Interest in the match ran high because of it.

And where there’s that kind of heat, the betting sites follow.

[How are the odds looking?]

[Myeonghwan’s the favorite.]

[On the world’s #1 betting site, Myeonghwan’s at 0.7.]

[Ah, those underdog odds are tempting lol.]

Maybe that was to be expected.

The majority of people were siding with Kim Myeonghwan, not Gijun.

After all, Myeonghwan had a track record that dwarfed Gijun’s by miles.

And if you looked closer, it meant plenty of people didn’t buy Gijun’s claim about clearing a Level 9 Dungeon raid.

No matter how massive the gap in achievements, breaking through even a single gate of a Level 9 Dungeon was a feat no one could deny.

[Please, let the underdog win. I’ll drink up every penny of it.]

[Better play it safe and go with the favorite lol.]

[Can’t someone just wipe out these gambling addicts already?]

The internet was already a furnace of blazing heat.

And it wasn’t just the internet.

Right now, a massive crowd had gathered at the Academy too.

The Academy grounds were already packed with personnel from both guilds and a horde of journalists.

‘…The Colosseum.’

Gijun slowly scanned his surroundings.

The Colosseum, one of the Academy’s proudest landmarks.

As the name suggested, it was a place built for duels.

And only a select few ever got to stand on this ground.

Only the top students in each year were allowed to spar in the Colosseum.

This was the stage to flaunt real skill.

Of course, Gijun had never once set foot on it.

And there, ahead of him, he spotted Kim Myeonghwan.

Unlike Gijun, the Colosseum was a familiar place to Myeonghwan.

“It’s a pleasure. I’m Woo Jimin.”

“Kang Baeyeong.”

Woo Jimin and Kang Baeyeong.

The leaders of two massive guilds faced each other and shook hands.

Gijun and Kim Myeonghwan stood at their sides.

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

The flashes from the surrounding journalists went off without pause.

And just then, a man appeared.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Park Jangho. I currently serve as the Academy’s principal.”

Park Jangho.

He was the principal of the Academy.

Park Jangho exchanged greetings with the guild masters first, then turned his gaze to Gijun and Kim Myeonghwan.

“You’ve both grown into fine adults.”

In his memory, the two were still teenagers—young adolescents.

But now, they were proper members of society.

No, more than that—they had risen into giants commanding attention in the Superhuman industry.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him.

And at the same time, a shadow settled in one corner of his heart.

“It’s been a while, Principal.”

Kim Myeonghwan bowed his head first in greeting.

Then it was Gijun’s turn.

“Long time no see.”

Park Jangho nodded, clapping both of them on the shoulder.

“Yes. I hope this makes for a good sparring match. Many students are looking forward to it, so I’d like you to show them a bout worth emulating.”

At those words, the two men’s gazes shifted.

The Colosseum, one of the Academy’s facilities.

Every Superhuman in the Academy was gathered in its stands.

Their faces brimmed with anticipation.

Students were already shouting the names of the Superhumans they wanted to see win.

“Now, then. Please take your positions, you two.”

The principal said.

Before turning around, Kim Myeonghwan shot a glance at Gijun.

Gijun didn’t avoid the look.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, then Kim Myeonghwan turned away with a strange smile.

Gijun did the same, turning and moving.

And so they took their places.

At opposite ends of the Colosseum.

“Hoo.”

Gijun exhaled.

Now that he was actually standing here, he felt a distinct pressure building.

A strange tangle of emotions.

The burden of having to beat Kim Myeonghwan.

The weight of knowing Hwarang’s honor might rest on his shoulders.

A peculiar thrill from the countless eyes fixed on him.

But the strongest feeling among them was…

‘Good.’

Joy.

Maybe this was the moment Gijun had been longing for all along.

‘Now the past is gone.’

This was his chance to finally wash away the regrets and inferiority that had lingered in him, unbeknownst even to himself.

‘You’re going to be my offering.’

Gijun looked at Kim Myeonghwan.

Unlike before, he was no longer afraid to meet his gaze.

Kim Myeonghwan didn’t seem tall or imposing anymore.

If anything, he looked almost pitiful.

‘Because you’re going to lose to me.’

He could already picture vividly the scale of the despair Kim Myeonghwan would feel after this fight.

And how badly Cheolgun would be humiliated.

1. Hyung — a term a younger man uses for an older man or brother; literally “older brother.”