"Fucking bastard."

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

It was such a crude curse that the tension and excitement in the air vanished in an instant, as if everyone was shocked into silence.

Moreover, my target was none other than the famous son of the Alliance Leader.

Even Gu Jeol-yeop, who was standing behind me, and Gu Yeon-seo, who had been looking somewhat blank, both had stunned expressions on their faces.

They slowly edged backward.

'...These bastards...'

It was as if they were screaming to the world, "He’s not with us!" But did they forget they were wearing the same martial uniforms from the Gu family?

To betray so stupidly, and with such speed—well done.

Yeah, that’s how you should live.

'But I’ll deal with Gu Jeol-yeop later.'

He’s dead meat.

Flinch.

Gu Jeol-yeop, perhaps sensing the chill, started patting his shoulder nervously as I turned away from him.

Jang Seon-yeon, who had heard my harsh curse, stood there with a slightly dazed expression for a moment. Then, he smirked, lifting the corner of his mouth.

"…Still the same, I see."

No, that’s not a smile.

That’s not a smile—he’s wearing a mask. A much thicker one than before.

"You still don’t like me, do you?"

"You call this mutual. You don’t like me either, do you?"

"How could I? If I didn’t like you, would I have bothered coming to greet you?"

"You’ve got to be kidding me with this bullshit."

Snickering.

I suppressed a laugh and stepped closer to him.

"How about it?"

"…What are you talking about?"

"I said, how about it?"

I moved even closer. Staring into his eyes, I could see that annoyingly handsome face up close, which pissed me off even more.

But I could endure that much.

"Can you see?"

"…!"

At my question, his eyes momentarily wavered, clearly taken aback. For someone who was supposedly wearing a thick mask, it didn’t take much to shake him.

Pathetic.

"…What are you—"

"I’m standing here, controlling my temper. Can you see? No, right?"

It was obvious from the way his eyes darted. He was curious.

Curious about how much my power had grown.

It was the same thing he used to do in our past lives. He’d pretend to be friendly, approaching to observe me up close.

This time, his target had simply changed to me.

But that was exactly what I wanted.

Of course, that doesn’t mean—

"You can’t see it, can you? Because you’re a worthless piece of shit."

He wouldn’t be able to see what he so desperately wanted to.

Because I’m not small enough to fit into his pathetic little world.

"…"

Grit.

I heard a faint grinding of teeth. It was brief, but clear, because I was close enough to hear it.

"Haha."

For a moment, it seemed like he was shaken, but then he quickly donned his mask again.

At least he’s improved somewhat.

His fake persona had become even more refined.

Not bad.

'It’ll make it all the more satisfying to break it later.'

The thicker the mask, the more satisfying it is to break.

Whether I crush it, grind it, or burn it.

There was never an option to let him live.

If I had considered that, I would’ve bitten my tongue and died right after my regression.

The atmosphere around us was dead silent.

Everyone seemed to be watching intently, sensing that the situation wasn’t entirely normal.

I suppose you could call it a standoff.

From the perspective of the onlookers:

"Isn’t that guy a noble? Did he get into an argument?"

"Who’s the other guy? Why’s he acting like that? What a nasty temper."

"Look at his face. Does he look like a nice guy? The noble really got stuck with a weirdo."

"Wait, who’s he? I haven’t seen him before… Ah, there…!"

Sanseogu.

Noticing the family emblem on my martial uniform, their murmuring mouths clamped shut.

"…Geomryong."

At the quiet mention of my title, people nodded as if it suddenly all made sense.

Even my rotten temper could now be justified by the reputation of that man’s family.

'…What has he been doing?'

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of antics Gu Hui-bi had been up to. Just as I sighed deeply—

"Isn’t Jinryong one of them too?"

I overheard someone mention my name.

"…Jinryong? The Jinryong?"

Jinryong is Jinryong, what do they mean by the Jinryong?

"Are they saying that guy is Jinryong?"

"No, isn’t it the guy in the back? The good-looking one."

"…Ah, maybe. He is pretty handsome."

Why are they trying to identify Jinryong by looks?

The man shivering behind me, feeling the intense stares, was none other than Yeol-hyeop Geom.

"…Huh?"

He blinked in confusion, clearly startled by the sudden focus on him.

"Didn’t they say Jinryong isn’t a swordsman?"

"Maybe it’s just a hobby."

"Yeah, could be."

Yeah, my ass.

This growing attention was becoming more bothersome than I expected. I didn’t want to draw attention so soon.

I had planned to lay low for a while after joining the institution.

Feeling the weight of the gazes on me, I turned to Jang Seon-yeon.

"If you’re done here, why don’t you get lost?"

"…Done, huh."

Just as Jang Seon-yeon quietly muttered those words—

'Hm?'

Something felt off.

A sinister energy was creeping toward me.

Sigh.

Snap.

"…!"

I grabbed hold of the creeping force and crushed it in my grip.

Jang Seon-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected me to catch it.

"This bastard…."

Crack.

Unbelievable.

"I’ve been holding back, so why test my patience?"

Fueled by my rising emotions, my internal energy surged through my meridians, spreading throughout my body.

Woom.

My ki filled my dantian, and heat surged through my breath.

Crack.

As I clenched my fist, the sinister energy shattered and dissipated.

It was definitely blood energy.

He had sent blood energy at me.

Still relying on that cursed power, huh?

'Unbelievable.'

I extended my hand.

I intended to grab him by the throat.

But my attempt failed.

Clack!

Someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

The grip was firm, heavy. Even as I tried to push forward, the pressure was too strong.

'Who is it?'

I glanced at my opponent with a cold gaze.

A pair of equally heavy eyes were staring back at me.

"You’re full of vigor, which is good to see, but…"

The voice was somewhat lighthearted, yet his face was utterly expressionless.

"With so many eyes watching, I suggest you tone it down a bit."

It was Pajeon Biju.

No, to be precise, it was Biju from the Biga family.

"…"

As soon as I recognized him, I swallowed a sigh internally.

Why is he here?

Is he really planning to join the competition?

An old man intruding on a playground meant for kids—what a nuisance.

'And to think.'

He had approached so closely without me noticing. Even if I had lost focus for a moment out of anger, I hadn’t sensed him at all.

I guess that’s what sets a true master apart.

But more importantly, I needed to figure out why Pajeon had intervened. He didn’t seem like the type to involve himself in something like this.

'What’s his motive?'

I couldn’t read his intentions.

His gaze, however, suggested he expected something from me.

But what exactly?

Still holding onto my wrist, Biju turned to look at Jang Seon-yeon.

Flinch.

Jang Seon-yeon visibly trembled under Biju’s cold, emotionless stare. It was understandable—those eyes, devoid of any warmth, were hard to meet.

"You’d best avoid unnecessary actions as well."

"…Turyong."

Jang Seon-yeon muttered quietly, seemingly recognizing Biju.

"If you cause trouble before the exam, you may not even get the chance to participate."

At Biju’s words, things finally started to make sense.

'Damn, you idiot.'

That curse was directed at myself.

As much as I hated Jang Seon-yeon, he wasn’t stupid enough to do something so blatant.

I had been too blinded by rage to see things clearly.

His plan had been to provoke me into causing a scene, preventing me from even taking the exam.

As much as I wanted to dismiss it as a cheap trick, I couldn’t.

But before I could process my thoughts, Jang Seon-yeon turned to Biju and asked,

"How are you involved in this?"

"As you can see, I’m not involved. I just have a habit of sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong."

Hearing that, I immediately thought to myself.

There’s no way. This man has nothing to do with sticking his nose into other people’s business.

It was absurd.

As I stared at Biju in disbelief,

"It seems like there’s nothing to gain from this confrontation. Why don’t we stop here?"

Biju smiled as he spoke to Jang Seon-yeon. Then, he added,

"Unless you want me to get even more involved."

The moment those words left his mouth—

"…!"

A shiver ran down my spine.

Before I knew it, I instinctively took a step back.

It wasn’t that Biju had released his ki or exuded killing intent.

It was just the way he spoke that made every hair on my body stand on end.

'As expected.'

I glanced at Pajeon with newfound respect.

Even though he had undergone a reversal of aging, he was still one of the three strongest warriors in the martial world before the appearance of the Heavenly Demon.

The weight of his years as a master was clear.

He could make someone feel this way with his presence alone.

Jang Seon-yeon seemed to feel it too, his stance faltering slightly.

He glanced at me.

"…Hah."

He let out a sigh.

Why the hell is he sighing at me? It’s pissing me off.

"…It seems like you always have people by your side, Gu So-hyeop."

"What are you talking about?"

His words were disgusting.

There was something repulsive about the tone, laced with a slimy emotion that made me want to punch him.

"…"

I tried to move, but Biju still held my wrist firmly.

Of course, I could use my internal energy or force to break free, but—

'That would probably make things worse.'

Something told me that freeing my hand would only escalate the situation.

Meanwhile, the gazes from around us had grown increasingly curious.

Jang Seon-yeon’s mention of "Turyong" had apparently made everyone realize that Biju was one of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

And now, with Biju holding my wrist—

What was this going to look like?

Is this weird?

I don’t even like this guy.

I wanted to deny it completely, but I couldn’t say a word under Biju’s subtle gaze.

After a brief glance at me, Jang Seon-yeon forced a smile, as if the momentary change in his expression had never happened.

"I just came to say a quick hello today."

"Quite the intense greeting. Is that your style?"

"…I hope we meet again soon."

Ignoring my sarcasm, Jang Seon-yeon turned his back and left without another word.

Only then did Biju finally release my wrist.

Setting Jang Seon-yeon aside, I had to ask him.

"Why did you stop me?"

Why had he gone out of his way to intervene?

I couldn’t understand why someone like him, who avoided drawing attention, had done this.

"As I said, it was just me being nosy."

"You don’t strike me as the nosy type."

"Oh?"

At my words, Biju smiled faintly.

"You speak as if you know me well."

"Just a hunch."

"You’re not entirely wrong."

As he spoke, Biju’s gaze swept over me.

"I simply don’t want you to go back."

"…What do you mean?"

"I meant exactly what I said."

If I caused trouble here, there was a high chance I’d be sent back home. So, he had stepped in to prevent that.

Because if he hadn’t, he knew what I would’ve done to Jang Seon-yeon.

Smirk.

Biju’s smile was clearly fake, but unlike Jang Seon-yeon’s mask, it was genuine in its own way.

At the very least, his true expression was the one I’d seen during battle.

"I’m somewhat interested in you, Gu So-hyeop."

"…Excuse me?"

I instinctively took a step back. His words reminded me of something I’d once heard from that crazy bastard from the Paeng family.

Biju chuckled softly at my reaction.

"It’s been a while since someone made that face in front of me. I thought I’d never see it again."

"…Wait, don’t tell me—"

"I like women."

"Oh, is that so?"

Only then did I stop retreating.

Thank god. At least he wasn’t like that Paeng bastard with his creepy insinuations.

"Or maybe I don’t."

"…"

What the hell?

This guy was seriously unsettling.

'Am I just popular with men?'

Between Yeong-poong, that bastard from my past life, and now this... It seemed like men kept flocking to me for some reason.