I reached one hand forward.
A compressed blast of wind swept through the area ahead.
Baaaang—!
“Guh…!”
The second-year senior took a direct hit from the destructive gale and staggered, unable to keep his balance, eventually dropping to his knees.
The scoreboard displayed the match result.
[Kim Ho Win]
Vs
[Jo Chan Lose]
How can someone’s name be Breakfast…?(TN: Jochan means breakfast.)
Anyway, with this, I had finished all my preliminary matches.
Naturally, my name was on the list of finalists.
Namgong-senior is on it too.
With skills like his, he must’ve won all his remaining matches.
He’s a very strong candidate for the championship.
On the other hand, Oh Se-hoon’s name wasn’t on the list. Not because he didn’t qualify, but more like he didn’t bother.
Since he was kind of similar to me in some ways, he probably just went easy partway through or forfeited like I did.
That leaves the question, “Was it really necessary for me to forfeit against Oh Se-hoon?” But I still think it was the right call.
Considering how much attention he’s paid to me, I’m sure he would’ve gone all out in that match.
Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in also made it to the finals.
As she finished her match and walked off the stage, she spotted me and walked over, lightly waving her hand.
I asked her,
“Did you take care of it?”
“It’s taken care of.”
“How were your opponents? I had kind of a rough time.”
“……?”
Seo Ye-in tilted her head slightly, seemingly replaying her matches in her mind.
Then she shook her head and answered,
“It was fine.”
“I see.”
So, when a bundle of good luck meets the teahouse owner’s bad luck, the good luck wins.
A new discovery.
Back in the spectator stands, Go Hyeon-woo and Shin Byeong-cheol welcomed us.
“Kim-hyung, Miss Seo. Welcome back. Congratulations on reaching the finals.”
“Aigoo~ Hyungnim, noonnim, here are your seats! I saved them!”
Shin Byeong-cheol looked almost like he was worshipping us. Probably because he’d hit the jackpot betting on us.
Since not many people had placed bets on us, the payout must’ve been huge.
He likely made back the 10,000 points he lost to the Group 1 dark horse and then some.
I slumped into an empty seat, putting on a bit of an act.
“It was tough. My matchups were awful. I almost got knocked out.”
Catching Seo Ye-in’s eye, I gave her a subtle look. She met my gaze and played along.
“…It was tough.”
Then, at the same time, we both turned to Shin Byeong-cheol.
“Do you feel our hardship?”
“Of course! You both worked so hard, hyungnim, noonim!”
“Do you feel grateful?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’ll treat us, then… right?”
Shin Byeong-cheol froze for a moment, then quickly composed himself and replied,
“Of course, a treat! With the points I earned thanks to you two…how could I not? Everyone’s free after this, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Same here.”
Even Go Hyeon-woo, unlike usual, didn’t seem eager to run straight back to the training center.
With the finals ahead, it made more sense to rest up and recover than to push himself too hard.
Once everyone confirmed their schedules, Shin Byeong-cheol spoke brightly.
“Then let’s have dinner together. In the downtown area.”
“All the way downtown? That’s unlike you.”
“If I’m treating, I should do it properly.”
“Spoken like a true man.”
“Should we just head out right now?”
Shin Byeong-cheol looked fired up, ready to leap out of his seat at any second.
Since none of us had other plans, heading straight downtown didn’t seem like a problem.
But something came to mind, so I spoke up.
“You guys go on ahead. I have somewhere to stop by first.”
“Suit yourself.”
After sending the three of them off, I made my way back toward the stage.
Faculty members were posted around it at regular intervals, and among them was Lee Soo-dok.
When he saw me approaching, his eyes sharpened.
“I heard you made it to the finals.”
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
“I plan to withdraw.”
“Why? You could easily go further.”
Lee Soo-dok frowned.
He knew my abilities well enough that feigned excuses wouldn’t work on him.
So I decided to be straightforward.
“I feel like I’ve revealed too much. I’d rather bow out here.”
“……”
I’d already maxed out the side quest’s achievement rating, so I had no real reason to continue into the finals.
Lee Soo-dok didn’t look too pleased with my decision.
He looked as if he wanted to ask why I kept hiding and holding back, but even a teacher couldn’t force a student to compete.
Persuasion through kind words might be possible, but this man was never the type for that.
Before long, he gave a slight nod.
“…I’ll process your withdrawal.”
“Thank you.”
“But how long do you think you can keep hiding it?”
“I’ll manage as best I can.”
With that reply, I bowed politely and stepped away.
Leaving the arena behind, I started walking toward the bus stop bound for the downtown area.
But before I’d gone far, a middle-aged man with a gentle face suddenly blocked my path.
Thinking he might be someone’s father, I stared at him. He gave me a faint smile and asked,
“You’re Kim Ho, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Good. I’ve found the right person.”
The man’s eyes glimmered with a violet light.
***
As he cast the Soul-Seizing Technique, the Illusion Demon thought to himself,
Everything is going smoothly.
The technique’s main drawback and limitation was that the difficulty of maintaining it rose exponentially with the number of targets.
That was why most practitioners relied on catalysts such as drugs or formations.
According to his research, Kim Ho usually hung around with two or three friends. Even if they were only first-years, attempting to capture them all at once carried a real risk of failure.
He had been considering whether to prepare a formation.
But, conveniently, Kim Ho had broken away from his group to take care of something alone.
Thanks to that, the Illusion Demon found an opportunity much easier than expected. And so he appeared before him now.
At this rate, securing the Blood Wind Sword won’t take long.
One shouldn’t expect too much from the very first step, but for some reason, he had a good feeling.
A feeling that Kim Ho was connected to the Blood Wind Sword in some way.
And then, a problem arose.
“Yes, what brings you here?”
Kim Ho, whose eyes should already have gone dull, was instead staring back at him perfectly clear-eyed.
The Illusion Demon felt a chill. Still, it wasn’t completely unheard of.
A strong-willed one, perhaps.
Even in the Cult, there were occasionally those who resisted instinctively.
Of course, the solution was simple.
Apply the Soul-Seizing Technique with more force, and they always succumbed in the end.
Maintaining his friendly expression, the Illusion Demon spoke again while his eyes flared an even fiercer violet.
“I was sent here by someone, and I have a few questions.”
“Please, go ahead.”
However, not the slightest change appeared on Kim Ho’s face.
In fact, he was even starting to show faint signs of annoyance.
Even this didn’t work? His mental strength is unusually resilient.
This was a first in his entire life.
The Illusion Demon hesitated for a moment.
Should he retreat for now and wait for another chance?
But it was unclear when an opportunity like this would come again.
And by then, Kim Ho would surely be more on guard.
At the same time, a sense of defiance began to rise within him.
It felt as though the Soul-Seizing Technique he had spent his life perfecting was being denied.
Very well, then.
He would break this man using the greatest technique he possessed!
At last, he summoned his mental power to its peak, focusing it all into his eyes.
Then, dropping any pretense, he spoke in his usual tone.
“Look into my eyes!”
What he was now unleashing was the pinnacle of the Soul-Seizing Technique.
It delved deep into the target’s inner self, drawing out what it sought….until finally, the very soul collapsed.
By the time it ended, all that would remain was an idiot devoid of reason, so there was no longer any need to conceal it.
“……”
For a moment, Kim Ho’s eyes flickered with a strange light, yet he did as instructed and looked directly at him.
With eyes that somehow seemed bored.
Even more provoked, the Illusion Demon sharpened his focus only to suddenly feel as though his entire body was being pulled into something.
Fwoosh!
The next instant, he found himself standing in a vast space.
Everything was shrouded in darkness, but through the vague outlines, he could discern that the place was an enormous temple.
Just then, a faint moonlight streamed in from outside, briefly illuminating the temple’s interior.
Only then did the Illusion Demon realize he was not alone.
Countless figures were standing throughout the temple.
There must have been at least several hundred of them.
One of the closer figures slowly turned its head to look at him.
Flash!
The moment their eyes met, the Illusion Demon began to tremble like a leaf in the wind.
He simply couldn’t withstand the crushing pressure that felt as if it would burst his entire body.
It wasn’t the first time he’d experienced this kind of pressure.
This is just like… the Supreme One…!
It was the same overwhelming presence he had felt when he once stood before the Supreme One…the Blood Cult Leader.
Which meant the figure before him held a stature equal to that of the Supreme One.
Then, one by one, the other figures slowly began turning their heads to look at him as well.
None of them seemed any lesser in power, and the pressure pressing down on him swelled beyond measure.
Eventually, his energy channels twisted, and he vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Gwaaagh—!”
But at that moment, all the gazes that had been fixed on him were suddenly withdrawn.
Every figure in the temple simultaneously turned toward one direction, then knelt down with utmost reverence.
Thud!
That alone sent another massive force crashing down on him, and the Illusion Demon staggered before collapsing to his knees and prostrating himself on the ground.
With great effort, he lifted his eyes….and at the far end, there stood a grand jade throne.
And seated atop it was Kim Ho who was looking down at him.
With those same strangely bored eyes as just before, right before the technique had been cast.
“……”
In this utterly surreal moment, the Illusion Demon shook uncontrollably, trying desperately to rationalize the situation.
Yes… this is an illusion!
He had pushed his mental power too far and used a technique he rarely employed. He must’ve fallen into deviation.
As a master of the Soul-Seizing Technique, he also had considerable experience in controlling the mind.
To break free from this illusion—
I’ll have to shatter it head-on!
From all over his body, streams of purple energy burst forth.
And in that state, he charged straight toward Kim Ho.
“Blood Dominates the World—! The Blood Demon Rises—!”
***
At that same moment—
The Shadow Lord was observing the situation from a short distance away.
With the Illusion Demon stepping in, he figured it wouldn’t be long before they got the information they needed and returned.
But suddenly, the trusted Illusion Demon began trembling like a madman before vomiting a whole mouthful of blood.
Then he collapsed and started shaking on the ground…only to suddenly unleash demonic energy and charge at Kim Ho out of nowhere?
The Shadow Lord let out a low curse.