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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐𝟐
After solving the secret of Solitary Shade hall, the days passed without any particular incident.
The day before leaving the Hwang family’s territory, the family’s businessman, Hwang Jin-chul, called me again.
He said he wanted to ask me a few things about the boundary stone.
“I’ll leave the distribution route entirely to elder’s discretion.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. To be honest, I’m an outsider in that field, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
After finishing my business and leaving Hwang Jin-chul’s mansion, I encountered someone with an unusual aura.
And looking at the other person’s strangely distorted expression, I could guess who he was.
It was possible that this person was Hwang Se-jin, who had previously had a conflict with Han Kang-yoon.
As if my guess was correct, the man immediately spat out words full of contempt.
“Why are you here?”
“. . . I was invited.”
“Is it that Hwang Ji-hak again? He really has low standards. This is not a place for an inferior being like you to come. Get out of here right now.”
Taken aback by his sudden outburst, I pondered with a troubled expression.
In the Three Great Houses, there are occasionally people like this.
They can’t stand the talented exorcists or exorcists from sorcery families, who look down on the family’s dullards or those born with talent, because they can’t control their own arrogance.
Even at a glance, Hwang Se-jin seemed to be quite strong, but for me, who had already experienced the intimidating presence of the elder-level exorcist Cheong So-ha, he felt like nothing more than a tantrum.
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow. We probably won’t see each other again.”
I left only those words and began to leave. There was no point in talking to him any further.
However, it seemed that Hwang Se-jin didn’t like my attitude.
“Stop right there.”
“. . . What is it?”
“I’m sure I told you before. If you dare to walk around with your head held high in front of me again, I’ll make you realize your lowly status.”
Whooong.
Cuckoo-coo-coo.
A faint spiritual power began to emit from Hwang Se-jin’s body as he finished speaking.
I immediately used my emotion ability to check his information.
Ta-ring!
【Hwang Se-jin】
▶Level 48
▶Ability Scores
【Stamina: A-】
【Spiritual power: A】
【Spellcraft: B-】
【Mental Strength: C+】
▶Traits (5/10)
【Critical Hit (A)】
【Growth Acceleration (B)】
【Dictator (B-)】
【Strong Bones (C+)】
【Intimidation (C+)】
He definitely has the status of someone who could be called the next elder. Even at a glance, he has considerable talent.
However.
「𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨.」
Judging from his detailed ability scores, Hwang Ji-hak, who is 5 years younger, has shown more outstanding growth.
It was clear that he had been unable to maintain the intensity of training required by a prestigious family because he was intoxicated by his own talent.
“. . . I came here as a guest. Is there any reason to be so angry?”
“Shut up! You really talk back until the end. I’ll make sure to fix that arrogant attitude of yours today.”
Seeing him get angry for no reason, it seemed that something had definitely happened with Han Kang-yoon before.
Since a peaceful resolution seemed difficult, I also raised my spiritual power and prepared for battle.
Then, Hwang Se-jin, who had flinched for a moment, snorted.
“Huh. So you’re not as incompetent as before. In that case, take this.”
As Hwang Se-jin said this, a spell quickly began to form at his fingertips.
It was a four-sided shape, but there were many spell imprints gathered in the north.
This was definitely a spell that I remembered.
「𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙕𝙚𝙧𝙤?」
An intermediate binding spell that converts one’s own spiritual power and applies pressure to opponents within a certain range.
He’s using a fairly difficult spell for his ability.
「𝘽𝙪𝙩. . . . . . .」
Unfortunately for Hwang Se-jin, if it’s Falling Zero, I can block it with Breaking.
I carefully waited for the timing while unfolding the basic defense spell, Perfect Mending.
「𝙈𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮.」
That was the scary thing about Breaking.
In most cases, a spell of a lower level than the opponent’s is used, so even if the opponent attacks first, it’s possible to draw out a faster reaction.
I tensed my whole body and waited for Hwang Se-jin’s spell to unfold. The moment I saw the spiritual power stem wrap around the last spell imprint, I activated the spell as if I had been waiting for it.
“Falling Zero. . . . . . .”
“Perfect Mending.”
Kwa-ga-gak!
Zzzeeeeng─!
Perfect Mending, which unfolded diagonally and precisely cut off the connecting link in the opponent’s spell imprints, completely destroyed Falling Zero’s entire structure just before it was completed.
Hwang Se-jin’s eyes widened as he realized the spiritual power fragments scattering away.
His expression clearly showed the emotion of disbelief at what had just happened.
“P-Perfect Mending? Don’t make me laugh.”
“. . . . . . .”
“There’s no way you could block Falling Zero with just a spell like that. What kind of trick did you use?”
Hwang Se-jin was flustered, but on the other hand, he seemed to be getting really heated.
Well, since he had allowed me, whom he had been ignoring the whole time, to land a blow, it must have hurt his high pride.
“. . . Since you lack talent, you must have resorted to witchcraft.”
“It’s not witchcraft. The spell just now was definitely the basic spell, Perfect Mending.”
“That excuse won’t work in front of me. It was definitely some other method. It felt like the spell collapsed in an unnatural way.”
No, if you realized that much, shouldn’t you be able to guess the principle?
Hwang Se-jin was definitely talented, but there was definitely something sloppy about him. He was different from Cheong Ji-yeon, who had noticed the strangeness of Breaking at a glance.
“It’s not sorcery, it’s a technique.”
“Ha, so you’re saying that I’m inferior to you in skill? You don’t even know your place, and you’re spouting such nonsense.”
“. . . . . . .”
I gradually came to understand what kind of person Hwang Se-jin was.
He was the type of person who was lost in his own world, as people often say. Hwang Se-jin was definitely one of those people.
Whooong.
“Fine. I didn’t want to go this far, but if that’s how you’re going to be, I have no choice but to respond seriously.”
A strong release of spiritual power. He’s probably going to use an advanced spell.
At that attitude, which seemed to be trying to finish me off, I was about to tense up when someone who had approached at some point let out a roar.
“Stop it. What’s going on in broad daylight?”
It was Hwang Jin-chul, who had been with me until just now.
Since his mansion was nearby, it seemed that he had sensed the energy of the battle and come outside.
“Hwang Jin-chul, are you going to protect this insignificant person too?”
“Protect or not, Kang-yoon is an official guest of the Hwang family who was invited. Don’t you think it’s funny that you’re causing a commotion here, in this territory of Hyung-nim Jeong-uk?”
“Huh, this place is the territory of the 3rd Elder, but it’s also the jurisdiction of my father, the 9th Elder. I feel that Hwang Ji-hak’s attitude of continuing to let someone I’ve rejected in is disrespectful.”
Even so, as expected of the next elder of the Hwang family, Hwang Se-jin made a fairly logical argument and refuted Hwang Jin-chul’s words.
Hwang Jin-chul couldn’t say anything more and remained silent.
In the silence, Hwang Jin-chul, who seemed to have remembered something, made a quiet suggestion.
“Then, instead of doing this in a crowded place, how about we have a proper fight?”
“A fight?”
“The loser of the bet will follow the winner’s words without complaint. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have any complaints.”
In fact, I didn’t mind leaving a day early, so I was about to refuse, but Hwang Jin-chul immediately offered a new reward.
“What’s the point of just watching? I’ll give one of my Yellow Dragon Jade Pill to the winner of the bet.”
“. . . That’s not a bad offer,”
The Yellow Dragon Jade Pill is a high-grade elixir of the Hwang family, which is definitely comparable to the Green Cloud Pill of the Cheong family.
Since the elixir of the family’s secret recipe wasn’t something that could be easily obtained with money, it was a reward that I could be tempted by as well.
“What about you? Will you take the bet?”
“. . . Yes. I’ll do that.”
In terms of specs, Hwang Se-jin is definitely stronger than me, but the difference wasn’t overwhelming.
If I can win the bet and get my hands on the elixir, it’s a good deal.
Hwang Jin-chul, who was looking at the two of us who had decided to compete, informed us of the exact date.
“Come to the entrance of Dohag Mountain at 2 pm today. I’ll tell you the exact details of the bet there.”
Thus, a sudden match was established with the next elder of the family, Hwang Se-jin.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
“Are you alright? Why did you get yourself involved with that jerk’s bet?”
Hwang Hye-yeon, a girl with light brown hair tied up with a hairpin, looked at me with a worried expression.
It was because I told her about my bet with Hwang Se-jin.
“You don’t have to agree to it. He was the one who started it, so I’ll talk him out of it.”
Hwang Ji-hak stood up, looking slightly upset, but I stopped him on purpose.
Actually, even if I pretended not to, I was quite interested in the reward for the bet: the Yellow Dragon Jade Pill.
「𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙤-𝙮𝙤𝙤𝙡’𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚.」
Moreover, to fully absorb the energy of the Nine Dragons Pill, I needed to keep moving my body. Either way, it was a win-win situation for me.
“Ah, but no matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem right. . . . . . . Hwang Se-jin might seriously hurt you.”
Hwang Hye-yeon continued to fidget anxiously. She was probably thinking about the previous Han Kang-yoon’s strength, which was not an exaggeration to call it pathetic.
“Just let it be. Huh? If you’re doing this because of what Hwang Se-jin said to me, you don’t have to. I don’t care about it anymore.”
That was the first time I had heard of it. It must have been related to the previous Han Kang-yoon’s friction with Hwang Se-jin.
“It’s okay. If I happen to visit later, the same thing might happen again. I’ll take care of it now.”
“B-But why? You lost to the middle school kids of the family before, Kang-yoon. . . . . . .”
It wasn’t something I did, but it was a truly embarrassing past. Hwang Ji-hak looked at me, who deliberately avoided his gaze, and opened his mouth.
“Sister, now that I think about it, I haven’t told you yet.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“The current Han Kang-yoon is an opponent that even I can’t guarantee a victory against.”
“. . .What are you talking about?”
“Even if it’s Hwang Se-jin, he won’t be able to suppress him easily. No, he might even have the upper hand.”
“He got that strong in just a year? I don’t believe it. . . . . . .”
However, when Hwang Ji-hak said that, Hwang Hye-yeon didn’t seem to want to dissuade me anymore.
She realized that it was something that needed to be settled someday, just like I said.
“Are you confident that you’ll win?”
“To some extent.”
“Then that’s enough.”
I smirked at Hwang Ji-hak, who nodded his head.
To be precise, I don’t think I’ll lose this bet.
「𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨.」
I don’t know why he’s so desperate to get me, but I’ll just settle the bet and take the elixir.
I took my time resting and headed to the entrance of Dohag Mountain that Hwang Jin-chul told me about, according to the promised time.
In my head, I was coming up with dozens of strategies to deal with Hwang Se-jin.