Kim Seo-jun thrust the sword he was holding deep into the ground.
Then, as he lightly rubbed his own fists and leaned his upper body forward a bit.
In that instant,
Bang.
A shockwave powerful enough to crack the ground exploded, and before anyone realized it, Kim Seo-jun was already right in front of Kwon Hyuk-soo’s nose.
Startled, Kwon Hyuk-soo’s eyes instantly turned golden as he activated his mystery.
[Unmoving River]
It was Kwon Hyuk-soo’s mystery, Unmoving River.
Just by standing firm in a defensive stance, several layers of shields would form around his body, blocking any attack—an immensely powerful mystery.
Once Unmoving River was deployed, not only magic-infused spears and swords, but even bullets or RPG bombardments would struggle to inflict any harm upon him.
Kim Seo-jun’s fist crashed into the shield of Unmoving River.
Boom!
Despite Kim Seo-jun’s fierce blow, Kwon Hyuk-soo didn’t budge an inch.
With a slight curl of his lips, he sneered at Kim Seo-jun.
“That’s not even enough to tickle—”
But before he could finish his sentence,
Bang!
A second fist flew in, striking Kwon Hyuk-soo square in the chest.
This time, however, Kwon Hyuk-soo’s expression contorted.
The difference in power between the first and second blows was simply too great.
“What are you…!”
Crash!
The third punch.
Amazingly, this punch was even more powerful, and Kwon Hyuk-soo, without realizing it, staggered a half-step back.
His face twisted further.
‘What is this strength?’
It was a situation he hadn’t expected.
As far as he knew, Kim Seo-jun’s mystery was a technique that absorbed the opponent’s attack and then delivered a counterattack with even greater force.
Therefore, as long as he focused purely on defense, Kim Seo-jun’s mystery wouldn’t be able to fully display its power.
If he just withstood everything with Unmoving River, Kim Seo-jun would eventually tire himself out and collapse.
Yet from the very beginning, something felt off.
The first punch was laughable. He could take it without even the slightest shake.
But from the second punch onward, everything changed.
He felt a bit of shock with the second, and with the third, he couldn’t withstand it at all and was pushed back.
Now, Kim Seo-jun’s fourth punch was flying in.
Bam!
Once more, the punch slammed into his chest.
He tried to endure it, but his chest felt unbearably tight, and a wave of pain crashed through him.
“Ghk!”
Kwon Hyuk-soo groaned and staggered another step back.
There was barely 30 centimeters left before he reached the line he considered his defeat.
Kim Seo-jun, seeing Kwon Hyuk-soo drowning in anxiety, unleashed his fifth punch without hesitation.
Boom!
With an even louder explosion, Kwon Hyuk-soo was shoved back two more steps.
His face was completely twisted, rough breaths pouring from his lips.
He’d already been pushed much farther back than the agreed-upon one meter.
This was the first time since deploying Unmoving River that anything like this had happened, and Kwon Hyuk-soo’s face was full of shock.
When Kim Seo-jun wound up for his sixth punch, Kwon Hyuk-soo cried out in alarm.
“W-wait!”
But Kim Seo-jun ignored him.
Bang!
The punch landed squarely on Kwon Hyuk-soo’s face.
“Urk!”
Like a kite with its string cut, Kwon Hyuk-soo was sent flying over ten meters away.
Kim Seo-jun simply stood still and watched.
He muttered quietly to himself.
“Exactly thirty-five percent.”
Kim Seo-jun had only used thirty-five percent of his inner strength in that last strike.
He started at ten percent, then increased by five percent with each blow.
Even so, it seemed Unmoving River was quite strong, as it held out until thirty percent before being pushed back.
But with that last increase to thirty-five percent, even Unmoving River couldn’t do a thing.
Kwon Hyuk-soo didn’t even attempt to get up from where he’d crashed to the ground.
Beeeep—
[Round of 32, Match 14: End]
[Kim Seo-jun: Victory]
Once again, the match ended swiftly in Kim Seo-jun’s favor, as he left his opponent unconscious.
*****
Returning to the waiting room, Kim Seo-jun was filled with regret.
‘I went overboard again without realizing it.’
If only he hadn’t witnessed them rigging the match lineup before the bout.
If only Kwon Hyuk-soo hadn’t provoked him with those arrogant words, it would’ve been a normal match.
But in the end, he had done something incredibly conspicuous right in front of everyone.
Kim Seo-jun’s overwhelming display was still being replayed again and again on the giant screens.
The sight of him smashing through the mighty defense of Unmoving River with just his fists had instantly turned countless spectators into his fans.
“There’s someone pretty impressive in the Third Academy too!”
“Wow, damn! I’ve never seen Kwon Hyuk-soo’s Unmoving River broken through by sheer force before!”
“Who is that guy? Is he the super rookie of the Third Academy or something?”
“Why would someone that insane go to the Third Academy instead of the First?”
The commotion was everywhere.
Thanks to that, it was Kim Seo-jun’s classmates who were the most excited.
“As expected of Kim Seo-jun!”
“Ah, that was exhilarating!”
“It’s like a year-old constipation gone in a single blow!”
“This is what you call refreshing, thrilling, and delightful!”
The students’ reactions were being broadcast on TV in real time.
The cameraman must’ve been working hard, because the angle zoomed right in on the crowd.
Watching it all on TV, Kim Seo-jun clutched at his own hair in the waiting room.
“Damn it… Damn it!”
As Kim Seo-jun was kicking himself like that, the round of 32 ended, and before he knew it, the draw for the round of 16 was up.
Once again, that same female police officer rigged the bracket.
Of the students advancing to the round of 16, aside from the four special participants, there were seven from the First Academy, three from the Second, and only Kim Seo-jun and Joo Gwang-sik from the Third.
But the bracket was arranged in a particularly sly way.
Of the seven First Academy students, six were paired up to fight among themselves, so three would definitely advance to the quarterfinals.
And the four special participants were all matched against students from the other academies.
Kim Seo-jun and Joo Gwang-sik were among those facing special participants.
The bracket was perfectly arranged for the First Academy students and special participants.
The intent was clear: eliminate all students who could pose a threat in the round of 16.
But Kim Seo-jun, unconcerned with all that, saw his next opponent and involuntarily drew a sharp breath.
‘Ak Woon-cheong?’
Whether it was a coincidence or not, his opponent for the round of 16 was set as Ak Woon-cheong.
Having made it to the round of 16, he was already guaranteed the 200 million won participation prize.
So if he surrendered here, he could at least settle things quietly and stop drawing attention to himself.
But for his third match to be against Ak Woon-cheong…
‘You expect me to surrender to that bastard?’
That was impossible.
No matter how much he tried, he simply couldn’t control his feelings toward Ak Woon-cheong.
Grit.
Kim Seo-jun ground his teeth.
Ak Woon-cheong wasn’t the same man who’d driven a spear through Yoo Ho-seong’s chest, but the emotions he felt toward him were impossible to suppress.
‘…Hah. I’ll just beat him up and then drop out.’
Kim Seo-jun had to change his plans again for the round of 16.
*****
At last, the round of 16 began.
This time, Kim Seo-jun was assigned to the second match.
From the round of 16 onward, matches were held in a single stadium for maximum focus, so the eyes of over thirty thousand spectators were fixed on one spot.
In the first match, Choi Dong-hyun easily defeated a fellow Academy student.
Kim Seo-jun watched Choi Dong-hyun’s match from the balcony.
[241/Special]
It was Choi Dong-hyun’s stats as seen through the Mind’s Eye.
Just looking at his magic power, it was clear how much of a genius the seventeen-year-old was.
‘And his mystery is just as amazing.’
Choi Dong-hyun’s martial arts were so unorthodox that Kim Seo-jun figured he’d be a real headache to face.
In the previous world, Choi Dong-hyun had used the strict “Dragon-Tiger Wind Thunder Blade” as his signature technique, but here he had awakened a fluid and unpredictable martial art instead.
‘Still, his personality seems unchanged, which is a relief.’
Choi Dong-hyun was notorious for his stubbornness and never compromising his opinions, but on the other hand, he was also known for his kindness and gentle demeanor.
With good looks and excellent manners, he was always extremely popular with the ladies.
Those traits were still clearly visible.
After Choi Dong-hyun became the first to secure a spot in the quarterfinals and left the arena, it was Kim Seo-jun’s turn.
At the entrance to the arena, Kim Seo-jun gripped a longsword, fixing his gaze on Ak Woon-cheong as he approached from the opposite side.
‘The way he acts here and there is exactly the same.’
That proud look, gazing down at people as if they were beneath him.
In his first two matches, he hadn’t even let that expression waver as he easily defeated his opponents.
Although he was Chinese, he must’ve learned Korean well, because he didn’t hesitate to insult his opponents in flawless Korean.
That much hadn’t changed.
“Hey, I’m a little bored right now, you know? So don’t bother testing the waters and go all out from the start. If your skills are half decent, I’ll give you the honor of witnessing my mystery.”
He completely trampled on Kim Seo-jun with his words.
He didn’t even bother to look at Kim Seo-jun.
Ak Woon-cheong waved to the crowd, putting on a show for the spectators.
Kim Seo-jun simply gazed quietly at Ak Woon-cheong.
“Let’s see a great match from both of you.”
Whether intentional or not, the referee winked one eye only at Kim Seo-jun as he left a parting word.
When he stepped back and the green light signaling the start of the match came on—
“By the way, your country’s women are supposed to be something, right? As a grand warrior from a great nation visiting a small one, I should treat them kindly as a favor. After all, they’re only fun to play with if they’re pretty. Especially that girl over there, she’s quite to my taste.”
Ak Woon-cheong’s gaze was fixed on Kim Yoo-ra’s waiting room.
She was resting her chin on the balcony rail, gazing up at the open sky in the center of Hunter Dome, seemingly uninterested in the match.
Ak Woon-cheong’s eyes were filled with lechery as he looked at her.
There was no way Kim Seo-jun would just let that pass.
“So, what, a great martial artist from a great country came all the way here just to learn Korean? Just to hit on Korean girls? But what do you expect? The moment you get near them, the reek of ‘zhangke’ is so strong every Korean girl would run for her life.”
Kim Seo-jun replied in flawless Chinese.
He’d picked it up naturally in his previous life, having made countless Chinese warriors his enemies.
Naturally, Ak Woon-cheong’s face changed instantly.
“How dare a Korean brat like you!”
“You’re the one acting arrogant, not me.”
At Kim Seo-jun’s sharp retort, Ak Woon-cheong’s face twisted menacingly. He raised one finger, smirking coldly.
“I’ll finish you in one minute. I don’t even need to show you my mystery.”
As Ak Woon-cheong gripped the tournament spear and took his stance, Kim Seo-jun once again drove his sword deep into the ground.
Then, with a little wave of his hand, he curled his lips.
“Come at me.”
Provoked by Kim Seo-jun abandoning even his weapon, Ak Woon-cheong couldn’t take it anymore and erupted.
“Tahat!”
He dashed toward Kim Seo-jun with footwork reminiscent of martial arts.
He spun his spear above his head, and as soon as Kim Seo-jun was within range, gripped the shaft tight and brought it down with a powerful strike.
Thud.
The spot where the spear struck exploded.
But Kim Seo-jun wasn’t there.
He quickly circled to Ak Woon-cheong’s side, trying to grab his wrist.
“Not so fast!”
Ak Woon-cheong swatted Kim Seo-jun’s hand away with his spear and unleashed a dazzling spear technique.
Whish, whish.
Whipping, slashing, thrusting, sweeping side to side—a dazzling series of movements that looked strong and brilliant.
But to Kim Seo-jun, it was all crude and shallow.
Ak Woon-cheong’s spear technique was all flash and no substance.
It was just a hollow shell, showy but empty.
His magic power of over 200 lent genuine force to each blow, but the attacks themselves were simple and obvious—easy to dodge for anyone with even basic martial arts training.
‘Pathetic.’
Kim Seo-jun couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of disappointment that someone like this represented the famous Beijing Academy.
There was no reason to drag this out.
He had already analyzed every movement of Ak Woon-cheong’s spear and flow of magic, and immediately slipped into the opening.
Just as Ak Woon-cheong spun his spear for a thunderous downward strike, Kim Seo-jun came right at him.
Thinking this was his chance, Ak Woon-cheong put all his strength into one big swing—but then,
Whoosh!
He swung with all his might, but felt nothing—it was like slicing empty air.
When he looked down, even his spear was gone.
“…?”
Before he could grasp what had happened, a sharp blow landed on his lower back.
Thud.
“Ugh!”
Kim Seo-jun had snatched his spear and smacked him from behind.
And the blows didn’t stop there.
From his back to his side, shoulder, thigh, and forearm, the spear struck again and again.
A beating.
Without the slightest hint of showmanship, Kim Seo-jun battered Ak Woon-cheong all over with short, crisp movements.
After a while, Kim Seo-jun jammed the spear into the ground and stepped back.
It was as if he was inviting Ak Woon-cheong to pick it up and try again.
Gritting his teeth, Ak Woon-cheong grabbed the spear once more.
Kim Seo-jun silently watched him.
‘So he really does have a hidden card?’
Even as he was being pummeled, Ak Woon-cheong didn’t seem to be giving up.
He looked as if he were waiting for something, his eyes blazing.
So Kim Seo-jun decided to see for himself what he was planning.
Sure enough, as soon as Ak Woon-cheong grabbed the spear, his eyes turned golden.
‘Ha. Is it just his mystery after all?’
But using his mystery in this situation would only trip him up.
As Kim Seo-jun looked on with a disappointed expression, Ak Woon-cheong spun his spear twice above his head, then slammed down with a bright, glowing thrust.
A burst of blue light exploded from the spearhead, and a giant Azure Dragon leapt out with its jaws wide open.
Kraaaaaah!
The dragon slid its massive body forward, aiming to swallow Kim Seo-jun whole.