Chapter 135 – The World Martial Arts Tournament (2)

“Everything’s been balanced.”

When Hanul Team 3 came to test the virtual reality combat system, the dwarven engineer, Graham, also came to provide support.

Seeing new technology for the first time in a while, Graham looked ecstatic.

He was a tech nerd to the bone, after all.

“That’s right. I’ve also applied all the customizations you requested.”

“I like it. It’s good.”

Real combat training begins with creating a realistic environment and steeling one’s mindset.

For practical training, creating a believable environment is the most fundamental of basics.

“I hate this!”

Seeing Seo Hyun-ji struggling and protesting made me feel a little hurt.

To think she’d attack me like this, without recognizing my kind intentions.

“Are you some kind of pervert? Do you like cosplaying?”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Seo Hyun-ji this venomous.

It seems she’s reverted to her initial rebellious self. But she’ll understand soon enough.

“Do I look weird?”

“No, it suits you well!”

As expected, our In-ho has a good eye.

I’m using the customization of President Frieza from the show with the seven balls.

The thick tail and lizard-like appearance are a bit bothersome, but President Frieza is a leader among leaders, acknowledged by all.

He may have started as a villain, but he was someone who showed what true leadership is.

He strictly used formal speech, actively recruited capable enemies, thoroughly delegated tasks to his subordinates, and held values of confirmation and forgiveness. He never spared consideration for his talented personnel.

Above all, President Frieza offered the best working conditions and accurately remembered the faces and names of even his lowest-ranking employees.

“Stop wagging your tail. It’s creepy.”

Seo Hyun-ji spat out a harsh insult at me.

So prickly.

“Um, Team Leader…”

Kim In-ho glanced at me cautiously.

“What is it?”

“Everything’s fine, but… could I please change into a different outfit…?”

“What’s wrong, In-ho? I told you. Training like it’s real starts with the mindset that it *is* real. To immerse yourself in the situation, you have to dress the part.”

“That’s actually the problem…. Can’t you switch me to another character? This outfit feels a bit… ominous….”

Ominous?

Are you ashamed of being Yamcha?

He’s the third-strongest Earthling, you know.

“No. I’m not changing it. I have no intention of changing it. Get back in line.”

“…”

In-ho stared at me with a resentful expression, but I had no intention of changing it.

If I change his, I’ll have to change Seo Hyun-ji’s too.

And how amusing is it to see Seo Hyun-ji shaking her antennae with that frosty look on her face?

“Anyway, as I said earlier, this is a chance to see how much everyone’s PvP skills have improved, so take it seriously.”

At the mention of testing the strength they had built up, my team members’ eyes seemed to light up.

Present here were me, Katrinne, the two Kims, Seo Hyun-ji, and the three foreign brothers.

Eight people in total.

“Seo-yeon is a non-combatant, so she’s out for now.”

“Heheh.”

Katrinne was wagging a tail that looked like it was good at absorbing things while taking out some bread and munching on it.

Her unique spotted skin suits her well. Especially seeing the way she eats.

“Lee Ja-rang has been thinking. The hierarchy must be established. Today, I will become king.”

Lee Ja-rang said, lifting his chin provocatively as if to make sure Kim Tae-yang heard him.

Kim Tae-yang scoffed, accepting Lee Ja-rang’s challenge for a rematch.

Lee Ja-rang wouldn’t be a pushover this time. When they sparred before, he was in an unawakened state, but now he was awakened.

“If this is the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament, shouldn’t there be some kind of prize?”

At the words of Lee Jeon-guk, the eldest of the three foreign brothers, the team members’ eyes sparkled.

It was indeed the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament concept, so it seemed like there should be a prize for the winner.

“A prize… what would be good…”

It was a good idea, but I hadn’t prepared anything, so I pondered for a moment.

“Granting a wish.”

“A wish?”

What’s that? So childish.

We’re not elementary school students.

But the eyes of Seo Hyun-ji, who had suggested it, were sparkling intensely.

Seeing her snail-like antennae swaying in that strangely annoying way made me want to burst out laughing, but I should hold it in, right?

“I’ll grant it, as long as it’s not something impossible. Like asking for all my wealth, or for me to die, that sort of thing?”

“Come on, Team Leader. Would we ever ask for a wish like that?”

Well, if you’ve got the guts, go ahead and try.

Because I’ll just interpret ‘Please die’ as ‘Please kill me’.

“Alright. I’ll grant any wish, except for the impossible ones. But in return, there must be a penalty for the losers, right?”

Hearing my words, my team members’ eyes began to tremble.

Why only want the sweet? You should have thought about the bitter, too.

“To those who are defeated, I promise a very special training session. It will be a truly unique experience, the likes of which you’ve never seen before.”

“Team Leader. Is there a loser’s bracket or something?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then it shouldn’t matter, right?”

Kim Tae-yang said, looking at Lee Ja-rang with an arrogant expression.

“I am concerned. The yellow-haired one is asking for his own punishment.”

“Fuck off.”

“I won’t.”

The war of nerves between Lee Ja-rang and Kim Tae-yang.

Everyone seemed to think they wouldn’t be the one to come in last.

“Alright!”

Seo Hyun-ji clenched her fists, fired up.

It’s really rare to see her act like that.

In any case, it’s a good thing that everyone is at least a little motivated.

The corners of Seo Hyun-ji’s mouth were twitching strangely. Just what did she want to wish for? Has she been holding a grudge against me all this time?

“Now, let’s begin the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.”

***

The members of Team 3 had grown incredibly strong.

Sparing with a monster like Lee Hyunbin every day, it would have been strange if they hadn’t.

They had worked hard and achieved considerable results.

When you become stronger, you naturally want to test your strength.

The bracket was set up as a showdown between the original Team 3 members and the new Team 3 members.

The first match was between Kim In-ho and Lee No-rae.

“Kim In-ho, don’t you dare go easy on him!”

“Lee No-rae, even a rabbit gives its all when hunting a lion.”

“You’ve got the lion and the rabbit mixed up, you idiot.”

“That’s discrimination. I’m reporting you.”

Kim Tae-yang and Lee Ja-rang were growling at each other, keeping one another in check.

Their combat styles were so similar, and their jagged personalities were perfectly suited for bickering.

Kim In-ho held his main weapon, a four-edged spear.

His opponent, Lee No-rae, also used a polearm, but his main weapon was a halberd.

“Looks like I get to fight a handsome man right from the start.”

Seeing Lee No-rae wink at him, Kim In-ho began to tremble like an aspen leaf.

Having been on the same team for a while, he was well aware that Lee No-rae was attracted to men.

Of course, he didn’t want to discriminate against him for that.

There are many ways to love someone, after all.

“The boss said to treat this like a real battle, so I’m going to be a little rough. Don’t take it personally.”

Lee No-rae smiled greasily, showing off his neat teeth.

At first, he’d thought they were just a bunch of nobodies, but Jeon-guk, No-rae, and Ja-rang—the three of them were incredibly strong.

In particular, since they both used polearms, Kim In-ho had a lot to learn from Lee No-rae.

In fact, he had even received tutelage from him on spearmanship.

Though, of course, Lee No-rae had repeatedly tried to tutor him in other kinds of ‘spearmanship’ as well.

‘He was constantly sexually harassing me.’

Recalling Lee No-rae clinging to him from behind while claiming to correct the angle of his spear thrust, Kim In-ho’s fighting spirit blazed for the first time in a long while.

“Now that’s a good look in your eyes. Come on, then!”

“Yes.”

Lee No-rae yielded the first move.

Kim In-ho quickly thrust his spear toward Lee No-rae, who had his halberd resting on his shoulder.

The halberd Lee No-rae wielded was a powerful weapon.

A tough weapon that could shatter a shielded enemy and even pierce through armor.

In contrast, the willow-leaf spear Kim In-ho used favored a speed-oriented combat style.

Kim In-ho’s legs, well-trained by the team leader, had become swift.

He closed the distance with his opponent in an instant, creating an attack range.

There is a tempo to an attack.

The eyes move, the muscles move to act, and the breath moves.

At the level of a master, one can perceive all of that in a single moment and react.

‘!’

Lee No-rae saw Kim In-ho’s spear thrust coming with almost no preparatory motion.

It was a clean, flawless attack, as if drawn from a picture.

‘As expected of the boss.’

Kim In-ho had talent and had trained hard. But there couldn’t be many people who could turn an ordinary person into such a monster in just half a year.

Lee No-rae had seen more than once how Lee Hyunbin’s eye for talent and his spartan-style training created skilled individuals.

No-rae chose to evade instead of counterattacking.

At first, he had intended to parry the attack with force, but he instinctively sensed danger.

As he took half a step to the side to dodge, he felt something catch his foot.

“…!”

What appeared to be plant vines were holding his ankle.

Kim In-ho was an all-around type.

He used a spear as his main weapon, but he could also utilize simple magic skills.

Lee No-rae gritted his teeth and bent backward at the waist, dodging the attack.

He felt the sensation of the spearhead grazing past him.

Although it was a virtual reality system with the pain sensors blocked, he could still feel the sensation of his chest being torn open.

It was a feeling similar to having a dentist poke around in your mouth while under anesthesia.

Using only his core strength, Lee No-rae swung the halberd horizontally.

A startled Kim In-ho hurriedly withdrew his spear to block Lee No-rae’s attack.

*Clang!*

But he was pushed back by the brute force, and Kim In-ho went tumbling to the ground.

Even though he had blocked it properly, the impact remained. That was the attack style of fighters who used halberds as their main weapon.

“Hmph, does this make us one to one?”

Lee No-rae said.

Kim In-ho mentally chided himself for his carelessness and got to his feet.

“You’re bleeding a lot.”

“Huh?”

Blood was pouring from Lee No-rae’s chest.

Wiping at it roughly with his hand didn’t stop it.

It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

Lee No-rae fought with power and technique, while Kim In-ho fought with speed and sense.

Because the bleeding wouldn’t stop, Lee No-rae’s HP kept draining, and his body naturally grew sluggish.

On the other hand, Kim In-ho even used a healing skill on himself while continuing to pressure his opponent.

“You’re not fighting me head-on. Unlike your usual self, you fight quite dirty.”

“You have to do everything you can.”

Kim In-ho said, as if unashamed.

“I guess I can’t win today. That first hit was too much.”

“That’s what I was aiming for.”

Seeing his HP drop to 0, Lee No-rae admitted defeat.

Lee Hyunbin smiled as he watched Kim In-ho win.

Lee No-rae was not an easy opponent.

After all, among Katrinne’s knights, he was a man chosen for his exceptional attack power.

“I apologize, my lady.”

“I’m fine with it, but…”

Katrinne said, glancing over at Hyunbin.

“I think you’re going to get killed by Mister, though?”

“…”

Lee No-rae shivered upon seeing Hyunbin’s smiling face.

The person who came in last in the tournament would have to undergo a very special training session with Hyunbin.

Just thinking about it gave him goosebumps.

Hyunbin, on the other hand, was thinking about something else.

‘Did I make a mistake having him cosplay as Number 17?’

Seeing Katrinne in her unique spotted cosplay and Lee No-rae cosplaying as Number 17, I felt a strange sense of incongruity.

I was lazy, so I set the three foreign brothers as Numbers 16, 17, and 18 respectively, but looking at it now, it seems like I did it on purpose.

*KABOOOM!*

Just then, an earth-shattering explosion rang out.

“Uh…”

Hyunbin blinked in bewilderment.

The next match was between Seo Hyun-ji and Lee Jeon-guk, but Lee Jeon-guk was taken out in one second.

Lee Jeon-guk was considered the leader among Katrinne’s royal guards.

In other words, he wasn’t the type of person who would just go around getting beaten up.

“Next.”

Seo Hyun-ji was thoroughly fired up.