Chapter 72

 

After a period of shock and fear.

 

Seo Woojin started the second match.

 

‘Class A. Was it called ‘War Mage’?

 

The level was at least in the late twenties to early thirties.

 

He didn’t know it well, but it was clear that he was among the top 100 heroes.

 

‘The equipment looks good as well.’

 

The robe and staff he was wearing didn’t look out of the ordinary, as he had received a lot of support.

 

It was undoubtedly a high-quality item that couldn’t be compared to Seo Woojin’s black sword.

 

However…

 

‘But I don’t think I’ll lose.’

 

Even the ordinary Seo Woojin could easily defeat such an opponent.

 

But now, his physique and magical power had grown to an astonishing extent.

 

Even if he wanted to lose, it seemed impossible.

 

“Begin.”

 

With Ludian’s words, the opponent’s mouth opened.

 

“Dig!”

 

With a sound of *kwung*, the ground under his feet suddenly became empty.

 

‘Oh no!’

 

As if dug up by a crane, a large hole appeared on the ground.

 

The hole was not that deep, so there would be no impact, but the problem was on the other side.

 

With ‘Blink,’ the ‘War Mage’ revealed himself above Seo Woojin’s head.

 

As if determined not to let go of the advantage he had gained, he began to cast spells.

 

“Stun, Water Ball, Chain Lightning!”

 

Pajijijik-!

 

Bind the body, soak it in water, and then roast it with lightning.

 

It was the typical magic operation of a battle-specialized mage, a ‘War Mage’.

 

‘Impressive.’

 

Frankly, he admired it.

 

The expedition from the Demon Realm definitely seemed to help the heroes.

 

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to take it.’

 

Seo Woojin exerted force on his body.

 

The stiff, paralyzed body relaxed and the magic was literally ‘crushed’.

 

“W-What is this!”

 

The opponent, who was preparing for a follow-up attack, opened his eyes wide.

 

After the counterattack, he completely disappeared.

 

Of course, he couldn’t help but be shocked.

 

Either way, Seo Woojin kicked his feet as soon as they touched the ground.

 

Kwang-!

 

His body shot up.

 

The opponent who was still above his head quickly tried to dodge with a ‘Blink’, but it was too late.

 

Seo Woojin’s rising speed was so fast that it was beyond imagination.

 

Peok-!

 

His fist struck his opponent’s abdomen.

 

‘Woah, Ryugen!’

 

Without using any magic, only relying on the pure strength of his body, Seo Woojin’s impact was the kind that a mage could not withstand.

 

No matter what you call it, even if it’s a ‘War Mage’.

 

“Uweeek!”

 

The opponent vomited whatever he had eaten that morning and lost consciousness.

 

“Hoo-“

 

Seo Woojin, who quickly avoided the vomit, breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“It’s Seo Woojin’s victory.”

 

Only about a minute had passed since the match began.

 

Seo Woojin easily claimed victory.

 

‘Now, the next match is…’

 

The match with the ‘Magic Girl’.

 

* * *

 

“‘Mister! I won too!”

 

Back in the waiting area, Seo Woojin nodded his head at Lee Jiah’s familiar excitement.

 

“Congratulations.”

 

He offered a calm congratulatory greeting.

 

Lee Ji-ah frowned as if she was unhappy with Seo Woojin’s reaction.

 

But instead of dwelling on it, she was more eager to share other news.

 

“Dahye won too! Oh, didn’t you see, Mister? Her opponent was a guy with a job like an A-rank swordsman or something, but Dahye won! Isn’t that amazing?”

 

This time, he was a bit surprised.

 

“Won against an A-rank?”

 

He could easily defeat other heroes because his class is Unmeasurable, but Kim Dahye was different.

 

While her skills had improved from training with him, her class was C.

 

Yet, she won against an opponent with a two-level difference…

 

It was truly surprising.

 

Seo Woojin looked at Kim Dahye.

 

She nodded her head with an expression that revealed nothing of what she was thinking.

 

“I won.”

 

“Yes, congratulations.”

 

He also congratulated Kim Dahye.

 

“How did she win?”

 

Seo Woojin asked Lee Ji-ah discreetly.

 

It seemed difficult for Kim Dahye to explain, so he looked for an answer from Lee Ji-ah.

 

“What should I say? Uh… firepower battle?”

 

“Firepower battle?”

 

Seo Woojin raised an eyebrow.

 

But he burst out laughing at Lee Ji-ah’s explanation that followed.

 

‘Blocked the view with RPG-7, then threw a bunch of grenades like throwing pebbles, and approached the enemy while holding him back with K-2.’

 

The explanation was wordy, but to sum it up, it was like this:

 

Although its power is proportional to its level, it wouldn’t have dealt a significant blow to an A-ranked hero.

 

However, being unable to get close and facing a relentless barrage of grenades and bullets was no laughing matter.

 

Unlike magic, which consumes mana every time it’s used, Kim Da-hye doesn’t require much mana after being summoned.

 

Moreover, the rate of fire was unparalleled compared to magic.

 

Of course, if it had been a real battle instead of a game, the result would probably have been different.

 

If it had been a fight of giving and receiving blows, Kim Da-hye probably wouldn’t have lasted.

 

‘Still, she’s incredibly strong for a C-class person.’

 

It seemed like the time spent with her wasn’t in vain.

 

“But…”

 

Lee Ji-ah hesitated and called Seo Woojin.

 

“Why? What’s wrong?”

 

“Well, it’s nothing.”

 

After hesitating for a moment, she sighed and spoke.

 

“Mister, you have your next opponent.”

 

“Ah…”

 

He had momentarily forgotten because he was thinking about Kim Da-hye.

 

“Mr. Gu Dong-hwan?”

 

“Yes, yes. That sir. Do you think you can beat him?”

 

Worry clouded Lee Ji-ah’s face.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

It seemed unlikely that he would lose.

 

No, he would win.

 

But he didn’t want to face Gu Dong-hwan if he could avoid it.

 

‘Because he’s scary in many ways.’

 

In the first match, Gu Dong-hwan only showed one skill.

 

That was ‘Transformation’.

 

He appeared wearing something yellow and cute, resembling a dazzling dress with a bright light.

 

People thought about giving up when they saw him.

 

Seo Woojin felt the same way, but…

 

‘Transformation’ isn’t just changing clothes.

 

It was likely that an increase in physical abilities would be the true effect.

 

Otherwise, even if he was a bodybuilder, he wouldn’t have been able to perform such moves.

 

There might be other abilities as well.

 

After the ‘transformation’, Gu Dong-hwan simply overpowered the opponent with his physical strength.

 

Since he was a ‘Magical Girl’, he would probably use magic.

 

‘Maybe he’ll even use a real magic wand.’

 

He thought too much.

 

Feeling his stomach churn, Seo Woojin quickly pushed the image out of his mind.

 

“I don’t think I can win.”

 

Lee Ji-ah sighed.

 

Seeing her like that, Seo Woojin smiled.

 

“Anyway, you have to reach the finals to meet Mr. Gu Dong-hwan, right?”

 

Lee Jiah’s position on the tournament bracket was the opposite of his.

 

So unless it was the final, they wouldn’t meet.

 

“Do you think I’ll make it to the finals?”

 

Lee Ji-ah’s face tightened.

 

“All right, do your best.”

 

In reality, Lee Ji-ah’s skills were more than enough to make it to the finals. 

 

She was an A-class hero to begin with, and thanks to her training with Seo Woojin, her strength was on a different level than other heroes.

 

However, Seo Woojin was convinced that she wouldn’t make it to the finals.

 

‘Baek Siwoo.’

 

He looked at the tournament bracket.

 

Lee Ji-ah’s next opponent was none other than Baek Siwoo.

 

Even if she flew high now, he was someone she could never defeat.

 

“Mister, make sure you reach the finals too. You have to face me! So please don’t let that pervert Mister make it to the top.”

 

Lee Ji-ah pleaded with a serious expression, obviously not wanting to fight Gu Dong-hwan.

 

“All right, all right. I get it. Since I will definitely win and move up, you win too.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Lee Ji-ah nodded brightly with a smile.

 

“Now let’s watch the games.”

 

Seo Woojin watched the ongoing matches from the bleachers with Irene, Lee Ji-ah, and Kim Dahye.

 

There were intense matches and some that ended more disappointing than expected.

 

But one thing was for sure, the overall level of the heroes had risen to an unprecedented level compared to before.

 

Among them, the Elite Friends stood out.

 

They were overwhelming their opponents.

 

Baek Siwoo was no exception, and even the seemingly shy Lim Taeun was no exception.

 

‘She got her dragon back.’

 

Even though she had suffered a lot from being separated from the dragon at the relic site…

 

As befitting the job of a ‘dragon tamer’, when she was with the dragon, she showed a level worthy of an S-class.

 

Of course, she still seemed shy, but still.

 

After watching for a while, time passed unnoticed.

 

“I should start preparing now.”

 

“Mister, fight!”

 

“Win and come back.”

 

“Fight!”

 

With the cheers of the three people, Seo Woojin stood up from his seat.

 

“Huh?”

 

Coincidentally, Gu Dong-hwan also stood up on the other side.

 

He smiled as his eyes met Seo Woojin’s.

 

It was a naive smile that didn’t match his size, but Seo Woojin shrank back.

 

‘I should finish this as soon as possible.’

 

It seemed to be good for his mental health.

 

“Gu Dong-hwan and Seo Woojin, please get ready.”

 

Finally, Seo Woojin’s match time came.

 

With Ludian’s announcement, Seo Woojin slowly walked onto the stage.

 

“It’s good to see you here again!”

 

Gu Dong-hwan laughed heartily and shook Seo Woojin’s hand.

 

Each time, Seo Woojin swallowed dry saliva while looking at the flexing biceps.

 

‘It feels even better than Testerone.’

 

The body is better than Testerone, which is bundled like a lump of male hormones.

 

He transcended the realm of the fitness fanatic.

 

“Then let’s have a good fight!”

 

“Let’s do it like this.”

 

When Seo Woojin nodded, Ludian signaled for the match to begin.

 

“Begin.”

 

Bang!

 

Seo Woojin hit the ground.

 

‘I have to finish this before the transformation…!’

 

He aimed for a quick resolution.

 

However, as if anticipating Seo Woojin’s movements, Gu Donghwan did not hesitate and activated his skill.

 

‘Transformation.’

 

Hwaah-!

 

A brilliant and dazzling multicolored light burst forth.

 

“Tsk!”

 

Seo Woojin clicked his tongue.

 

The light wasn’t just for showy effects.

 

‘I can’t see it.’

 

It obscured the vision and deceived the senses.

 

From a distance, it wasn’t apparent, but the light served as a kind of defense during the ‘transformation,’ preventing attacks.

 

‘It’s a rule not to attack during transformation.’

 

Seo Woojin wore a regretful expression.

 

He had wanted to finish it before witnessing that form, but it was already too late.

 

As the light subsided, the pervert in the yellow dress revealed himself, laughing with a side chest pose.

 

“Euhahaha!”

 

Gu Donghwan’s appearance, laughing while striking a side chest pose, was truly shocking.

 

However, he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

 

As his vision recovered, Seo Woojin activated his skill.

 

“Acceleration.”

 

Swish-!

 

Moving almost at the speed of light, he swung his sword.

 

‘If it’s this speed…’

 

It seemed like he could finish it before Gu Dong-hwan could react.

 

However, the transformed “magical girl” was not an easy opponent.

 

Zoom-!

 

It was blocked.

 

Despite the sword strike possessing the power to cut through steel, Gu Dong-hwan blocked it with just his muscles.

 

‘Crazy!’

 

Just how sturdy was his body?

 

“…Impressive.”

 

Although the attack failed, Gu Dong-hwan had a surprised expression.

 

Drip-.

 

His skin split, and blood flowed.

 

“I didn’t think you’d be able to hurt me this much.”

 

The innocent smile disappeared from Gu Dong-hwan’s face.

 

Instead, he opened his mouth with a cautious expression.

 

“I guess I need to be a little more serious.”

 

‘That’s okay… … .’

 

Seo Woojin slightly tensed and distanced himself.

 

At the same time,

 

“Come out, Mjolnir!”

 

Ping-!

 

With a cute sound effect, something with a yellow ribbon floated in the air.

 

“…hammer?”

 

“It’s a magic wand!”