Chapter 50:
“How can he sound like a third-rate villain with every word?”
Seo Jae-yi shook her head, neatly folded her cardigan, and handed it to Baek Joo-won.
“Think of it as a bouquet and hold it carefully. It’ll give you strength.”
He accepted it without hesitation. His right hand held the purple rose bouquet Seo Jae-yi had given him, and his left hand held her yellow cardigan.
Seo Jae-yi felt a surge of pride, seeing her gifts filling his hands.
“Just looking at you gives me strength. I’ll go and crush that bald head, ahem, I mean, spar with him, and be back soon!”
Seo Jae-yi and Park Hyung-woo faced each other.
Compared to Park Hyung-woo, who was over 190cm tall and had a massive build, Seo Jae-yi was tiny. It looked like a fight between a child and an adult.
But it was Park Hyung-woo who was clenching his fists, while Seo Jae-yi was still smiling brightly.
“As I said, if either of you uses your abilities, the match will end immediately, and it will be considered a loss. Only physical combat is allowed, and weapon usage is prohibited. Any other conditions?”
“If even one knee touches the ground, it’s a loss. Losing consciousness is also a loss.”
“Okay.”
Park Hyung-woo’s eyes gleamed as Seo Jae-yi added the conditions.
“Both parties have agreed, so I’ll add those conditions. Begin!”
The match began at Joo Seon-min’s announcement.
Park Hyung-woo was confident. He would finally make this arrogant brat kneel before him and admit defeat. There was no way he could lose to someone weakened by their dwindling lifespan.
‘No, I might even be able to kill her today.’
He wouldn’t fail this time. He would avenge his past humiliation.
Park Hyung-woo tightened his grip on his right arm, which was starting to ache, and charged. Contrary to expectations, his movements were swift, despite his massive build.
Bang! His fist, aimed at Seo Jae-yi without hesitation, missed its target and slammed into the floor. The sturdy training room floor caved in.
Park Hyung-woo glared at Seo Jae-yi, who had effortlessly dodged him. They were standing very close.
“Seo Jae-yi, what makes you so confident? Do you think you’re still the same as before?”
He sneered.
“You’re dying, you’ve lost your S-rank strength ages ago. Do you really think you can defeat me?”
Just as water leaks from a cracked vessel, an Esper’s power weakens when their body deteriorates.
Espers nearing their end, like Seo Jae-yi, could even drop a rank.
“You’re barely at A-rank now.”
Seo Jae-yi’s maximum output, without overloading, was A-rank. Park Hyung-woo, an S-rank Esper, could see it clearly.
“You’ll die before you even reach your expiration date if you keep acting recklessly!”
Park Hyung-woo roared and unleashed a barrage of punches at Seo Jae-yi. Even though they were pure physical attacks, without any infused abilities, the floor, made of sturdy magic stones, dented with every blow.
Seo Jae-yi at her peak could have dodged these attacks effortlessly.
But now she couldn’t completely avoid them. Her T-shirt ripped, and blood welled up on her exposed skin.
Park Hyung-woo felt a thrill of excitement with every injury.
Seo Jae-yi’s blood. He had finally seen it, the blood he had tried to spill countless times.
He finally managed to corner her against the wall and threw a punch at her heart with a crazed expression.
Crash! His fist was blocked by her crossed arms.
But Park Hyung-woo wasn’t disappointed.
It was enough to see Seo Jae-yi buried in the debris of the shattered wall.
“Give up. You can’t win. You’ll die if you don’t surrender now.”
“You look like you’ll kill me even if I surrender.”
He was right. Park Hyung-woo wanted her to stay and fight.
So he could kill her.
“Yes, Baldy. You’re not wrong. My power has dropped to A-rank, and I can’t even control it properly because my lifespan is dwindling. But the match isn’t over yet.”
Seo Jae-yi twisted her arms, pushing his fist away, and kicked his leg hard.
“Ugh!”
Park Hyung-woo stumbled, a cracking sound, as if bones were breaking, echoing through the room. Seo Jae-yi immediately grabbed his neck with one hand and slammed him to the floor.
“Cough!”
The floor cracked. Park Hyung-woo gasped, pain shooting through his spine.
“This is what happens when you rely solely on brute strength. I told you to practice hand-to-hand combat.”
Seo Jae-yi smirked, looking down at Park Hyung-woo, who was sprawled on the floor.
Just as Park Hyung-woo tried to kick her with his large foot, his face red with anger, Seo Jae-yi quickly jumped back. His boot-clad foot sliced through the air.
“Aw, look at you, Baldy, even your kicks are good!”
“You damn brat!”
Despite his humiliation, his movements remained swift, as he was still an S-rank Esper. His attacks became even sharper, infused with murderous intent.
“Baldy! You can’t even catch a fly with those moves!”
Blood splattered from her newly torn skin, but Seo Jae-yi continued to taunt him relentlessly.
“Why are you struggling so much against me, someone with A-rank strength? See? You’ll never defeat Haeil! You’ll never defeat me!”
And the moment she added another taunt…
“Huh?”
Park Hyung-woo shifted his weight onto his right foot, and a loud bang echoed through the room. He had suddenly closed the distance between them.
His fist, capable of shattering rocks, slammed into her side. The impact was far greater than when he had punched the floor.
“…He’s actually trying to kill me here.”
Seo Jae-yi’s casual muttering broke the stunned silence.
Park Hyung-woo’s fist was buried deep in her side, and she coughed, struggling to breathe.
“Ugh.”
But she wasn’t the only one groaning. Park Hyung-woo’s face was also contorted in pain.
The moment he struck her side, Seo Jae-yi had driven her elbow and knee into his arm. The impact ripped his right sleeve.
“Ah, a familiar wound.”
Seo Jae-yi chuckled, coughing.
A prominent scar was visible on his exposed skin.
Four years ago, when Taesan Guild was still ranked number one…
Park Hyung-woo had tried to kill Seo Jae-yi, another S-rank Esper, after hearing she had joined Haeil Guild, which was quickly catching up to them.
But he had failed. Instead of killing her, he had received a permanent scar.
A burn inflicted by the hottest flames.
“You still remember this day, right? I do too.”
Park Hyung-woo’s face hardened. Seo Jae-yi continued to whisper, mocking him.
“You were defeated by a twenty-year-old kid. And you even used your Guild members as shields and ran away, didn’t you?”
Contrary to his expectations, thinking she would be easy to kill because she was younger than Kim Yoo-sung and didn’t have a paired Guide, Park Hyung-woo had almost died that day. And he had realized…
Seo Jae-yi was stronger than him.
This scar, which hadn’t faded, was proof.
Seo Jae-yi’s power had been so intense that even Espers’ rapid self-healing, potions, and Guiding couldn’t erase the scar.
It would remain forever unless he received Guiding from another S-rank Guide.
That was why he was so desperate to recruit Baek Joo-won, instead of Joo Seon-min or Kwon Yi-soo, who wouldn’t fulfill his request.
“Get off me!”
Park Hyung-woo pushed Seo Jae-yi away and tried to throw another punch. But even he couldn’t ignore the pain in his elbow and knee.
His movements slowed, and Seo Jae-yi seized the opportunity. She grabbed his shoulders, jumped up, and stomped on his slightly bent knees with both feet.
“Aaargh!”
Park Hyung-woo’s legs buckled, his knees hitting the ground with a painful scream.
Seo Jae-yi, still standing on his legs, grinned.
“His knees are on the ground, so it counts, right?”
“Right. Seo Jae-yi wins, Park Hyung-woo loses!”
Joo Seon-min’s announcement echoed through the partially destroyed training room.
Defeat.
Park Hyung-woo’s face hardened as the word he thought he would never hear again rang in his ears.
Defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat!
“Just because my power has dropped to A-rank doesn’t mean I’ve lost my experience, Baldy.”
Seo Jae-yi stepped off his legs, smirking.
He remained frozen, unable to move.
‘Ouch. I guess I am weaker now. I even got hit by him.’
Seo Jae-yi muttered to herself, rubbing her side.
There was probably already a dark bruise forming. If she hadn’t struck his arm with her elbow and knee, her internal organs might have been ruptured.
‘I really am weaker now.’
Seo Jae-yi sighed sadly.
“You too?”
But she quickly hid her emotions and turned to Grayson. He smiled gently.
“I forfeit.”
He was relieved that Park Hyung-woo had taken the beating for him. He didn’t want to be humiliated by Seo Jae-yi in front of so many people.
“Then Baek Joo-won’s afternoon belongs to me!”
“I appreciate Seo Jae-yi’s efforts in securing my time.”
Baek Joo-won glanced at her side, but Seo Jae-yi didn’t care. This injury was nothing compared to gaining his time.
“Let’s go!”
Seo Jae-yi urged them to leave, now that the training was over and there was no reason to stay.
Park Hyung-woo, who had been immobile, his legs still buried in the floor, suddenly moved.
“This can’t be. There’s no way I could lose to you without even using your ability!”
He approached them, unable to accept his defeat, his voice filled with rage.