Chapter 20: Clash of Fire and Frost

Life in the 80-pyeong house was truly enjoyable.

The spacious living room and rooms, clean interior, Eunbyeol’s pink-pink room, and the wide kitchen.

We cooked delicious food there, played hide-and-seek, and rolled around on the long sofa, spending time happily.

In the midst of such happiness, a rather important day came for me.

Finally, today.

Because the spar with Deputy Team Leader Noh Youngjin was scheduled.

“Seo Juwon, rethink it even now.”

“Yeah. Sparring with the deputy team leader. This really isn’t right.”

“I think the same. We know you perform in gates, but still, you can’t beat the deputy team leader.”

“Right. Especially, the deputy team leader’s class, Warrior, is specialized in one-on-one. So just give up, Seo Juwon. That’s the wise choice.”

“Yes, Juwon-ssi. Think of your daughter and just yield. You know well that such things are common in social life…”

While riding down the elevator, the team members gave me various advice.

All telling me to give up and yield.

But I had no intention of doing so.

“No. It’s already decided, so the spar will proceed as planned.”

“Seo Juwon…”

“It’s fine, seniors. Rather than living persecuted, it’s better to get beaten in a spar. That seems more upright as a father.”

At my words, the team members closed their mouths with somber expressions.

They seemed to know my will couldn’t be broken.

The deputy team leader is strong. But I won’t lose. Absolutely.

We, including myself, look down on Noh Youngjin.

But that’s despising his personality; in skill, it’s different.

Noh Youngjin—he is truly outstanding in skill.

Especially his class, Warrior, which is strong against Necromancers.

Still, I planned to fight.

With EX-grade power, there must be hope for me too.

The cornerstone I, a Necromancer, believe in is none other than skill grade.

The EX mark attached to every skill as if promised.

It always delivered tremendous power, and I thought this time would be no different.

Ding!

Then, the elevator arrived at the destination.

The team members and I poured out and entered the appointed training ground.

A white training ground revealed beyond the corridor.

On it stood one man.

Noh Youngjin

That man’s name was Noh Youngjin.

Deputy team leader of our Gaon Team, and the man I would face today.

“You came, Seo Juwon? Surprisingly didn’t run away? Huh? Kekekeke.”

Noh Youngjin on the training ground threw mockery the moment he saw me.

I glared at him briefly, then bowed to Team Leader Ju Namgyu, who was acting as referee today.

Afterward, I equipped various gear and prepared for the spar.

Once all preparations were done, I stepped onto the white training ground.

“Kekekeke, Seo Juwon. Regretting it? Huh?”

Noh Youngjin standing on the opposite side continued.

“Punk, no words, huh? Starting to get scared? Why, now that you’re on the training ground, regretting it? Wondering why you did that?”

Noh Youngjin mocked me nonstop.

“Yo, Seo Juwon. I’ll generously give you a chance, so apologize now. Just kneel and say sorry. I was arrogant, I’ll live properly from now on—just apologize like that. Then I’ll pretend nothing happened.”

“…”

“Conflicted? Huh? Don’t think, just bow your head. Forget pride and everything, just bow first. Unless you really want your head to fly off.”

Noh Youngjin kept running his mouth, unsure if he came to spar or to argue.

Glaring at him, I muttered lowly.

“Enough, keep your promise.”

“Promise? What promise?”

“The one where you said you’d step down from deputy team leader if I win.”

“Wow, you still remember that? What, you really think you might win?”

“Whether you think so or not, keep the promise. In front of the team leader and members.”

“Hahaha, got it. I’ll keep it. So let’s start quickly. My body’s itching to fix your insolence.”

Noh Youngjin said that and aimed his sword at me.

Pink aura emanated from the sharp blade.

Switched to a Unique-grade item.

Originally, Noh Youngjin’s sword was Rare-grade.

But the current pink aura clearly revealed a Unique-grade item.

Switching to an item worth at least hundreds of millions for the spar.

Noh Youngjin was definitely serious about this spar.

Then, Ju Namgyu said.

“Deputy, ready?”

“Yes, Team Leader. Start quickly!”

Ju Namgyu now looked at me and asked.

“Seo Juwon, ready to start?”

“Yes. Fine. Please begin.”

“Good. I, Gaon Team Leader Ju Namgyu, will act as witness and start the spar.”

Ju Namgyu said that and blew the whistle. Piiiii—!

Simultaneously, I threw a monster bone from my pocket into the air.

The bone spun and rose high.

I shouted while watching it.

‘Skeleton Mage Summon.’

***

Deputy Team Leader Noh Youngjin.

The spar date he received from Seo Juwon was one week later.

One week.

Did Noh Youngjin spend that time idly?

No.

Noh Youngjin prepared with full power for the spar with Seo Juwon.

First, he trained like crazy for a week.

He put in effort to the point of wondering if he had ever been this serious as a hunter.

Items were the same.

He scraped together all his money and bought a 700-million-won sword.

The sword emitting pink aura.

Arriving at the training ground.

There, Noh Youngjin met Seo Juwon and asked.

No regrets?

If regretting, apologize now—he proposed.

Of course, even if apologized, he had no intention of forgiving.

He planned to accept the apology and still proceed with the spar to teach a lesson.

Still, the reason for proposing apology was simply to mock Seo Juwon.

Of course, Seo Juwon didn’t apologize to the end.

He only arrogantly said to keep the promise.

Arrogant punk to the end.

Noh Youngjin gritted his teeth, and shortly after, Ju Namgyu confirmed combat intent from both sides.

The moment both sides finished preparing.

Piiiiii—!

Ju Namgyu blew the whistle to signal the start of the spar.

Noh Youngjin stood in place and aimed his Unique-grade sword at Seo Juwon.

Since the opponent had the unusual class Necromancer, he planned to observe first.

That was when it happened.

Seo Juwon took out a bone fragment from his pocket and threw it into the sky.

Spin!

The bone fragment spinning in the air.

The moment Seo Juwon looked at it, it began to grow and transform rapidly.

Thus, what appeared in an instant was—

Clack! Clack!

A Skeleton.

Actually, up to that point, it was within expectations.

But the moment he saw the Skeleton, Noh Youngjin narrowed his brows.

It was a Skeleton, but something was off.

Flame? Frost?

A skull with the same appearance as the Skeletons Seo Juwon usually used.

But elemental magic was condensed in both hands.

Flame in the left hand.

Frost in the right hand.

Skeleton Mage.

Seeing that, Noh Youngjin immediately realized.

Necromancer Seo Juwon.

That he had learned the new skill Skeleton Mage Summon.

“Oho, not bad. Already learned Skeleton Mage. But why only one? I heard Skeleton Mage can summon up to three right after learning.”

“One is enough for the deputy team leader.”

“What? This punk joking now. You not doing it properly? Don’t joke, do it properly, you punk.”

“I have no intention of joking with the deputy team leader.”

Seo Juwon said that and gestured with his chin.

At that moment, the Skeleton in front of Seo Juwon extended its left hand and fired a fireball.

Fwoosh!

A fireball larger than a normal Skeleton Mage’s Fireball.

But it was clearly visible to Noh Youngjin.

How dare.

Noh Youngjin saw the incoming fireball and dodged sharply to the side.

Boom! An explosion occurred, but Noh Youngjin took no damage.

“Kekekeke, too slo—”

Before he could finish, another fireball flew.

Noh Youngjin moved his feet even before finishing his words and dodged the fireball.

Booom!

An explosion in the training ground, and again, Noh Youngjin took no damage.

But the Fireballs kept coming.

Boom! Boom! Boooom!

Explosions occurring all over the training ground.

Noh Youngjin was diligently dodging, but inside, he was greatly flustered.

What, why is the casting speed so fast?

Normal Skeleton Mages have a delay in magic.

But Seo Juwon’s was different.

Seo Juwon’s Skeleton Mage fired Fireballs as if there was no delay.

Like firing a machine gun.

Booom! Boom! Bang! Boooom!

Explosions occurring everywhere in the training ground.

Like mines exploding all over, explosions and smoke covered the training ground.

What the hell is this!

Noh Youngjin was greatly flustered.

What?

Why is the firing rate so fast?

No chance to counterattack?

Boom! Boom! Bang! Booom!

Unable to counter, Noh Youngjin, busy just dodging, sweated coldly.

Because the situation was turning strange.

That was when it happened.

Fwoooosh!

This time, light burst from the Skeleton Mage’s right hand.

The hand with frost magic.

The blue light emitted soon became Ice Bolts and flew.

Shhhhwiiiiiik!

If until now it was fireballs, this time ice chunks.

Noh Youngjin watched to the end and dodged the ice chunk.

Crrrrrack!

The training ground floor where Noh Youngjin was froze.

This too was stronger than a normal Skeleton Mage’s frost attack.

A wider area froze as well.

What the hell is that damn Skeleton Mage…!!

In front of the insanely powerful Skeleton Mage, Noh Youngjin gritted his teeth.

Even during that, the Skeleton Mage extended its right hand and fired Ice Bolts wildly.

Shwiik! Shwiik! Shhhhwiiiiiik!

Ice Bolts flying madly like the fireballs.

Noh Youngjin was busy dodging frantically again.

Crrrrack! Crrrck! Crrck! Crrrck!

The training ground floor freezing here and there.

The scorched floor now freezing solid, Noh Youngjin felt a chill.

Because the space to dodge was gradually disappearing.

Counter…!

Noh Youngjin tried to create an opening for counterattack somehow.

But no gap appeared.

Whenever he tried to advance, the Skeleton Mage fired magic to force retreat.

Is Seo Juwon controlling it? 

Or is the Skeleton Mage doing it on its own?

Noh Youngjin’s mind grew complicated.

Seo Juwon controlling every detail didn’t make sense, but the Skeleton Mage operating the fight with such sensibility also didn’t make sense.

Shwiik! Shwiik! Shhhwiik! Shwiik!

Ice Bolts kept flying.

Noh Youngjin, unable to use the Unique-grade sword he bought even once, just dodged frantically.

Then.

Slip!

Suddenly, his foot slipped.

He fell because of the frozen training ground floor.

“Ugh!”

Noh Youngjin tumbled like encountering an icy road in winter.

At that moment.

Fwoosh! F Cwoosh! Fwoooosh! Fwoosh!

The Skeleton Mage didn’t miss the opening and fired Fireballs wildly.

Fireballs blazing like hellfire.

They covered Noh Youngjin who couldn’t get up yet.

BOOOOOOM!

An enormous explosion erupted over his body.