Chapter 134 – Suspicion (５)

‘I was a little surprised, though.’

Kim Myeonghwan’s magic had been upgraded several tiers beyond what Gijun knew.

The Water Field Kim Myeonghwan had just used was an existing spell.

It was also his patented move.

But compared to the Water Field Gijun knew, Kim Myeonghwan’s current Water Field was clearly several tiers more powerful.

‘The number of water pillars has almost doubled.’

Kim Myeonghwan was undeniably a genius.

With his family’s capital poured into him, he had been reforged into a mage of terrifying power.

But unfortunately for him, his opponent was the wrong one.

To Gijun, Myeonghwan’s magic was as transparent as if he were reading an open book.

No matter how fast the water jets moved, they held little threat for him.

Especially once he’d grasped the pattern—dodging became even easier.

And so, as he wove through Myeonghwan’s spells, it was Myeonghwan who tired first.

Now, the turn had come back to Gijun.

No need to drag this out.

Of course, that first attack had only been a probe.

Gijun knew from the start that laying all his cards on the table was out of the question.

The kid’s hand got played faster than I thought.

Initially, Gijun had expected this fight might stretch on quite a while.

After all, Kim Myeonghwan was Kim Myeonghwan.

But this Kim Myeonghwan was no longer the one he knew.

No—maybe Gijun had grown far stronger than even he himself realized.

‘If he’s already pulling out magic of this level, it means he’s rattled.’

Kim Myeonghwan’s strongest card—whatever it was—I didn’t know its name. But a Water Field? That was obviously one of his heaviest hitters.

The fact that it had come out this early meant Kim Myeonghwan was more than a little shaken.

‘Then it’s time I showed him my real weapon too.’

Gijun had simply decided to play his own hand now.

‘Truth is, it’s nothing special.’

There wasn’t much he could pull out here that he hadn’t already shown.

But that was fine.

Even without something new, he was confident he could overwhelm someone like Kim Myeonghwan.

‘Let’s go.’

Gijun moved.

Orca’s Footsteps drove his speed up, and by the time he was in motion, the Fireball in his hands had already taken the shape of a sword—a blade blazing fiercely in both palms.

‘Not in the same form as that Aura Blade last time, though.’

That power he’d used inside the Dungeon.

That power did not reveal itself again.

Not that Gijun had intended it in the first place.

A shame, but this should be enough.

CRACK!

Gijun surged forward and closed the distance to Kim Myeonghwan in an instant.

Startled, Kim Myeonghwan hastily cast a spell, but—

SSHHHIIIIIINK!

Kim Myeonghwan’s water barrier was cleaved apart by Gijun’s single blow.

“S-Son of a bitch…!”

Kim Myeonghwan’s curse, thick with panic, struck Gijun’s ears.

*

‘H-Hah… hah….’

Park Jangho.

The principal of the Academy, he was now utterly flustered.

He had naturally assumed Kim Myeonghwan would win against Baek Gijun.

‘I thought it wouldn’t be overwhelming….’

To be sure, Gijun’s data was astonishing.

All the data screamed that even Kim Myeonghwan in his current state could never dominate him.

Of course, he also couldn’t conceive of Kim Myeonghwan losing.

Kim Myeonghwan was a talented and experienced Superhuman.

‘But this is….’

But the situation unfolding before him was utterly different from what he had anticipated.

Gijun was overwhelming Myeonghwan.

Myeonghwan’s face was completely twisted, while Gijun was smiling.

There was even a sense of ease, as if he were toying with a child.

“What on earth happened?” he wondered.

He simply could not comprehend what had occurred to make Gijun change so drastically.

And yet, why?

At this moment, he felt a strange thrill.

Both were his disciples, and he knew he shouldn’t feel this way, yet he couldn’t help but feel a secret joy as Gijun’s victory drew nearer.

“…As expected…”

His gaze then turned to Woo Jimin.

As everyone knew, she was a legendary figure in the Superhuman industry.

She had founded a guild single-handedly and built it into the world’s greatest at astonishing speed.

Her keen eye had played a crucial role in that.

She never hesitated to invest in and support Superhumans she deemed exceptional.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was what made the Hwarang what it was today.

“Beautiful.”

And he sincerely admired Gijun’s combat display.

That was the ultimate and most ideal form a mage could achieve.

At the same time, it was a breathtaking accomplishment achievable by a single human being.

“Isn’t he someone who overcame his limits and turned them into his greatest weapon?”

Gijun’s greatest flaw.

Being unable to use spells above the 2nd Circle.

Even among 1st-Circle spells, Fireball was the only one Gijun could wield.

But Gijun had overcome that limitation.

He had pushed the number of Fireball casts to the extreme and honed his body to its utmost.

“What an unbelievable kid.”

From the depths of his chest, a fighting spirit long forgotten seemed to surge forth.

The senses of his younger days, dulled by routine he hadn’t even noticed, were awakening.

“Isn’t he truly a Superhuman worthy of being a role model for everyone?”

Never giving up.

Overcoming one’s own limits!

“I don’t know what method he used.”

He had no idea how Gijun had managed to overcome his limits.

It might even be a method no ordinary person could dare to emulate.

No, it surely was.

“But what does it matter?”

What the academy’s cadets ultimately needed was a goal.

Dreams, hope, and the driving force to grow.

Thinking that way, wasn’t Gijun, as a role model, someone who would serve as an excellent example for every child in this academy?

“Thank you.”

He silently thanked Gijun.

For appearing here again, and for proudly revealing his growth and the way he had overcome his limits in front of so many cadets.

And at that moment.

“Wooaaaaah!”

“This is insane!”

“He’s crazy!”

A roar of cheers erupted from the cadets, filling the entire Colosseum.

BOOM!

Because Gijun’s Fireball had just pierced through all of Myeonghwan’s defensive Skills and struck Myeonghwan’s body.

CRACK!

Park Jangho’s fist clenched without him even realizing it.

In that moment, his palm was already slick with sweat.

Across from him, the two others showed opposite reactions — one soaring, one sinking.

Woo Jimin and Kang Baeyeong.

The guild masters of Hwarang and Cheolgun.

Woo Jimin had both fists balled tight, as if she already tasted victory; Kang Baeyeong tried to keep his face neutral, but the crack in his composure was obvious.

*

‘Fuck… what the hell is this?’

Kim Myeonghwan had just taken a clean hit from Gijun.

And he was rattled — badly.

‘This bastard…’

Gijun was overwhelming him on every axis.

No matter what Kim Myeonghwan threw, it was useless against the man in front of him.

‘Block it — block it!’

Until this fight started, he had planned countless scenarios, run endless simulations.

He had believed this would be a battle he couldn’t lose even if he tried.

That’s how perfect his preparation was — he thought he had Gijun outclassed in every single category.

But he was wrong.

The moment the real fight began, the gap yawned wide and clear.

No matter how hard he tried to beat Gijun, he simply couldn’t.

‘How did it come to this? What went wrong — and where?’

He had never experienced anything like this in his entire life.

Not once had a plan of his gone off the rails.

‘If this one just works out…’

And this particular venture mattered — deeply.

Obviously.

On the surface it looked like a simple spar between Kim Myeonghwan and Baek Gijun, but this plan was a springboard — a critical leap toward surpassing Hwarang.

Some might think it was nothing.

Just a bruised ego — they might ask what real damage this could do to Hwarang.

But they’d be wrong.

He had schemes lined up — starting from this small hinge point — to drag down Hwarang’s reputation and eat into their share.

That’s how thorough his preparations were — a perfect, multi-front plan to put Hwarang under pressure from every direction!

‘But then, how in the world…’

It had all shattered.

Shattered before he could even launch his perfect plan.

‘Because of this bastard.’

It was Gijun — standing right in front of him.

A plan that was supposed to start with taking that kid down.

‘Am I about to lose?’

Right now, the word ‘defeat’ flickered before Kim Myeonghwan’s eyes.

Defeat.

A loss — handed to him by his own designated prey.

To a bastard who had always been beneath him, whom he had assumed would stay there forever!

‘Impossible.’

This was absurd. It should not be happening.

If he lost to Baek Gijun, everything would collapse.

The plan he had launched to attack Hwarang might backfire and swallow him whole.

Suddenly, the faces of the cadets watching this venue came into sharp focus.

Admiration. Longing. Excitement. Awe.

Countless gazes — all aimed at one point.

Not at Kim Myeonghwan. At Baek Gijun.

Those gazes that should have been his were aimed at someone else.

“Fuck…, fuuuuck!”

Kim Myeonghwan spat out a curse as he moved his hands again.

He pulled something from his inner pocket and swallowed it in one gulp.

That was when it happened.

Kwaaaah!

Mana erupted around his body like a storm.

At the same time, mana rippled from his hands and extended outward in every direction.

Kim Myeonghwan’s face contorted into an ugly grimace.

His face flushed red-hot, and a trickle of blood ran from his nose.

I’ll kill him. No matter what it takes, I’ll kill him…

His chest burned with fury.

His Circle ground with violent friction, and Kim Myeonghwan’s hands and feet began to tremble.

If he kept this up, he might suffer a serious injury.

But he couldn’t stop.

No—he must not stop.

To just halt now would be a blow to his pride he couldn’t bear.

In front of all these onlookers, losing so pathetically to a piece of prey named Baek Gijun might condemn him to a lifetime of shame.

Kwaaaaaah!

Then Kim Myeonghwan’s mana gathered, condensing around him.

Mana and elements combined, and something began to take shape.

It was a dragon.

8th-Circle magic.

The moment it appeared,

“That’s 8th Circle!”

“He’s lost his mind!”

“Kim Myeonghwan reached 8th Circle?!”

Gasps of shock erupted from those watching.

But no.

Kim Myeonghwan couldn’t use 8th-Circle magic.

He knew it only in theory.

Just moments ago, he’d forcibly amplified his mana with a drug, bolstering his deficient mana and Circle’s power.

He was forcibly casting an 8th-Circle spell he only knew in concept.

Cough!

Kim Myeonghwan spat out blood.

His body was screaming.

Warning him to stop this magic immediately.

But Kim Myeonghwan ignored it.

His only thought was to take down Baek Gijun by any means.

“You think I’ll lose?”

In that instant, the Water Dragon’s jaws opened.

And within them, a vast surge of mana began to roil.

But—

“…?!”

At that moment, Kim Myeonghwan’s eyes flew wide.

Flash!

Above Gijun’s head now hovered a spear as colossal as the Water Dragon.

A grand spear of raging crimson flame.

The moment he saw it, Kim Myeonghwan’s lips quivered uncontrollably.