123. Finals (2)
The USA vs. Japan match for 3rd and 4th place began.
Eternal destined rivals, yet also close friends!
It was a fight between Hikaru and Xenos.
To be honest, Baek Jinwoo had no interest in that match.
'Since both of them are below me anyway.'
Right now, there was only one thing on Baek Jinwoo's mind: Rachel.
How can I beat her? That alone kept circling in his head.
First of all, the two summon creatures Rachel could use were already decided.
Yellow Dragon (S-grade).
And White Tiger (S-grade).
'That's seriously such a scam.'
Just thinking about it already made his breath catch in his throat.
But, well......
It wasn't as if only the opponent was broken.
'I'm EX-grade too, after all.'
If S-grade was broken simply by existing, then EX-grade felt like a bug the developers had never even thought of.
And Baek Jinwoo had no less than seven EX-grades!
Wind Fairy (EX-grade).
Training Instructor (EX-grade).
Explosive Dragon Sorcerer (EX-grade).
Little Giant (EX-grade).
Dampir (EX-grade).
Gale Slayer (EX-grade).
Rune Dwarf (EX-grade).
'I really gathered a lot.'
Thinking about it, he really had been lucky.
To have collected this much in less than a year.
'First of all, I can't use Jaggeo, Dampir, or Rund.'
Rund was a non-combat summon creature, and he still hadn't raised Jaggeo or Dampir properly yet.
Then that leaves one slot open......
Step, step.
From the morning, the place his footsteps had headed toward was the market in the player zone.
The London market.
Since it was visited by the greatest number of world rankers, there were many high-quality and rare listings there.
There was only one listing Baek Jinwoo was looking for.
'An A-grade Tree Spirit?'
The Yellow Dragon's weakness had already been revealed by Hikaru.
Paralyzing the player!
However.
The Tree Spirit was far too weak.
A single precision-sniping summon creature like Combat Sheriff would finish it off before it could do anything.
'Still, I have to use it, I guess.'
It felt like both sides would each burn one slot.
Since Rachel was also taking the match seriously, she wouldn't be able to rule out the possibility of him using a Tree Spirit.
In the end, she'd have to use one cheap sniper.
One with a long attack range.
There could be mind games here, with one twist, then another twist, but Baek Jinwoo decided to adopt the Tree Spirit.
'This guy doesn't even need to be high-level anyway.'
It didn't even need runes equipped. It was literally just there as a threat.
And if there was no sniper?
Then poison would burst out the moment the game started, and she'd get to experience being paralyzed all over again.
The purchase wasn't difficult.
He wandered around for about 30 minutes. Then he met the right seller and bought it.
* * *
[South Korea's Baek Jinwoo purchases 'Tree Spirit' at the market! Is it in preparation for the finals?]
[Baek Jinwoo copies Hikaru! It may be mind games aimed at Rachel.]
The funny thing was, not even 10 minutes after buying it, a major breaking news alert popped up.
That was actually better for him.
Just like the article said, it really was mind games.
The more he showed some kind of motion, the more things Rachel would have to think about too.
And not long after that,
[Japan takes final 3rd place! Hikaru's control ultimately defeats Xenos!]
[Xenos swallows his tears, was it the aftereffects of Chimera?]
[Yoshida Hikaru: "I achieved a satisfying finish and am very pleased with my current result! I hope Britain and Korea also put on a good match!"]
The match ended.
Japan's victory.
'Looks like Sugoi is definitely good.'
Even with a much less favorable lineup, he must have overcome it and claimed victory.
"No, Jinwoo! Where did you go? You're only coming back now! You didn't even watch the match!"
As soon as he entered the hotel, Yoo Jia was the first to rush over.
"And if you were going to buy a Tree Spirit, you should've told me! I would've secretly gotten one for you! It's already all over the news. Did you see it?"
"I bought it openly on purpose."
"Ah, on purpose?"
Yoo Jia blinked.
Baek Jinwoo grinned.
"Is there really any need to buy it secretly? Rachel knows I'll use a Tree Spirit, the experts know it too. The whole world is going to know anyway."
"Hmm, I guess that's true. Then did you see this? It came out literally 10 seconds before you got here."
"What is it?"
Yoo Jia held out her phone.
Oh.
Another article had already come out?
Seeing another major breaking news alert up there, he really did feel like he was at the center of the era.
[Rachel gladly accepts Baek Jinwoo's provocation!]
[As proposed, the nine British national team members promise to enter unarmed!]
"Huh?"
Huhhhhh?
Baek Jinwoo's eyes widened.
What, for real?
She actually accepted something he just threw out there as a test?
"This is insane. What kind of magic did you work yesterday for Rachel of all people...... to accept something like this? It was a ridiculous proposal."
"......I just said SKY would form an alliance with Red Rose, that's all."
"What?"
Yoo Jia's mouth fell open.
Was that supposed to make any sense?
What kind of guild was Red Rose?
It was the strongest guild in Britain, no, the strongest guild in the world, run by Rachel herself.
And in exchange for promising an alliance with that guild, you got her to accept a 1:1 proposal?
"....Seriously incredible."
This was proof that Five Emperors truly valued God Ji-nu highly.
Also, after this league, SKY would also be able to play on the world stage.
"I'm surprised too. I'm seeing Rachel in a new light."
"This is way beyond surprising! People in Britain are going crazy right now too. They're all saying, what the hell is this?"
"First, put out an article from our side too. Say we've confirmed it, and that everyone on the national team except me will enter unarmed. Say we'll write up a contract or whatever is needed."
"Ah, okay!"
Yoo Jia nodded and hurried off.
'This is huge.'
It was a mega-event that would leave a mark on South Korea's history, no, world history.
At the same time, something slowly began rising in his heart.
Really?
Are we really going to win it all?
‘I already feel like I could die happy just with things as they are now, so what would it feel like if we actually won too?’
There was no way Yoo Jia's pace wouldn't quicken.
* * *
"Hoo."
Using the permit he had been given, Baek Jinwoo had entered a nearby ordinary dungeon.
The British training grounds couldn't be trusted.
The safest place from surveillance.
That was the dungeon.
—My lord.
Baek Jinwoo immediately summoned his four summon creatures.
HunGyo, Lamba, Explosive Dragon, Gale Slayer.
After confirming that there was no one around, they drifted through the air with refreshed expressions.
—Jinwooooo! Hah, hah, I thought I was gonna die from not being able to talk! Where's the cream bread?
"Here, eat."
—As expeeeeected! Jinwoo!
Lamba in particular must have felt terribly pent-up all this time.
Since Battle Royale, she hadn't been able to say a single word.
—By the way, Jinwoo! That girl Rachel. Can you beat her? She seriously didn't look like a joke.
Munch munch!
Lamba asked while hurriedly eating the cream bread.
—That's right, my lord. Are you planning to fight with control again this time?
"Of course."
Baek Jinwoo walked around the area, searching for a wide open space.
Fwoosh!
The small monsters approaching them melted away in Explosive Dragon's flames.
"Still, this time I'll mainly be using Gale Slayer rather than you, HunGyo."
Gale Slayer.
A summon creature specialized for PVP. As long as the conditions are properly set up, even S-grade isn't that scary.
Rather, it boasted such bug-like power that it could cut down even S-grade opponents in an instant.
There had even been a record in Battle of Summoners where Gale Slayer cut down Rachel's elites, including the S-grade she had prepared, in just 5 seconds.
—But Gale Slayer's runes aren't at that level yet, are they?
"Even so, we have to try."
—Then . . Is that why we came here . .
"That's right. Training."
Baek Jinwoo beckoned to Gale Slayer.
—Krk . . . . . !
Gale Slayer flew through the air and stopped in front of him.
Shing!
The keen blue blade of his scythe pointed at HunGyo.
—My lord, this is . . . . . .
"Since you're the only one here who's close to S-grade, I guess you'll have to be my opponent for a bit."
—So you plan to polish your control over Gale Slayer.
"Yeah. It's my first time really unveiling him on the world stage, so if I'm going to use him, I need to use him properly."
—Very well.
HunGyo's eyes gleamed.
A guy whose purpose and joy in life was training someone.
Even at this very moment, he was happy that he could teach his lord something.
—Then, since we don't have much time, we'll proceed with special training.
* * *
How much time had passed?
Sweat had formed on Baek Jinwoo's forehead in beads.
An incredible level of concentration!
He wasn't even moving his own body directly, yet his clothes were already soaked with sweat.
That's how brutal HunGyo's training was.
'There!'
First, he had to catch HunGyo's movements with his eyes.
Normally, he would have known even with his eyes closed, but because Baek Jinwoo had forcibly cut off their connection, he could see nothing.
'Left!'
There had definitely been a slight flicker from that direction.
Srrrk!
The moment he recognized it, Gale Slayer rushed forward as if gliding.
At the same time.
Slaaash!
Gale Slayer swung the scythe around in a full arc!
Kaaang!
Apparently unable to dodge it in time, HunGyo appeared blocking it with his sword.
"Hoo!"
At last, having succeeded in landing an attack, Baek Jinwoo looked at HunGyo with a face that seemed to say, Is that enough now?
Srrk!
Lowering his sword, HunGyo shook his head.
—Not yet, my lord.
"Why? It definitely landed."
Baek Jinwoo muttered in frustration.
Quite a lot of time had passed.
But he still hadn't managed to move beyond <Finding Fast-Moving HunGyo>.
—Your eyesight is good, my lord. But only that. Gale Slayer's scythe is not sharp enough. If it were something like White Tiger's claws, this level of attack could be blocked easily enough.
"Damn it."
The opponent in question was S-grade White Tiger, so there really wasn't much he could say to that.
But, well.
It didn't matter.
If everything passed easily, could you even call that training?
Rather, he liked that HunGyo was approaching it seriously and harshly.
'Today.'
No matter what, I am going to make you say, <This is it! My lord!>
This time, Gale Slayer's scythe probably only caught at the very tip.
In that case, it had to be a little faster. And swung more decisively.
"Let's do it again."
—Understood, my lord. If I may add, I think it would be better if you paid a little more attention to Gale Slayer's center of gravity.
HunGyo nodded as he added that remark, but he too was lost in deep thought.
'It hurts.'
He had said it wasn't enough yet, but his arm was throbbing.
His lord had tracked the movements of someone like him, a martial artist who had reached a high realm, with human eyes, and had even landed a strike like this?
'My lord truly is an overwhelming genius.'
But he must not praise him here.
That's how geniuses are.
You had to provoke them more, pull more out of them.
If he became satisfied at this point, the wall blocking his progress would arrive just a little sooner.
To begin with, you must never define limits for people like that.
'This time, I'll go at 80% output.'
HunGyo was enjoying himself.
He was curious about the lord who followed his training better than anyone else, and he was also excited to see just how much that lord would grow.
If a lord who was already strong kept tempering himself like this?
'Maybe later on…….I really might be able to entrust all control to my lord.'
Ssshaaaaak!
Even though he had dashed forward at 80% output, Gale Slayer still caught him and came charging in. Seeing that, HunGyo smiled without realizing it.
As expected of my lord.
He didn't know what tomorrow's result would be.
But one thing was certain. An incredible match was going to unfold!
To be honest, he was curious too.
Would his lord win, or would Rachel win?
Realistically speaking, Rachel had the upper hand, but from what he had seen while staying by his lord's side…..
He really couldn't tell.
'My lord, you absolutely must win.'
Slaaash!
Facing the taste of judgment thrust at him like lightning, bang! HunGyo kicked off the ground once more.
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