Chapter 105 – 1st Place vs. 152nd Place (5)

Such things happen in life.

Cases where you unintentionally receive someone’s kindness.

There are people who bestow unrequested favors without any apparent reason.

“…Ah.”

Sweat drips down the chin.
Jung Si-woo sits with his hand on his forehead, utterly dazed, staring at a specific spot on the blanket.

The color of the skin intensifies above the line of the intravenous drip on his arm.

His head feels dizzy. He lost count of how many times he retched.
Most importantly, his lower body did not move well.

‘Why did he do that?’

It was an uphill battle.
He sustained much more damage than his opponent. He should have been the one to be eliminated first.
He sensed it midway through the contest, which is why he fought more desperately.

But why, why did Lee Si-heon –

“…”

Jung Si-woo falls silent. His fists tremble.

It didn’t take long for him to realize how he had emerged victorious.

【 The ‘World Tree of Justice’ gazes upon you with magnanimity. 】

‘It’s nothing.’

It was a situation where one wrong move could cost a life. Jeong Si-woo had been so engrossed in the battle that he had forgotten that fact. Lee Si-heon must have been aware of it.

He had even promised not to hold a grudge.
Perhaps speaking up had been the issue.

“…Sigh.”

He closed his eyes, letting out a heated sigh. The face of his younger sibling, seen in his childhood, flickered before his eyes.

Up until now, Jeong Si-woo had only been in a position to bestow favors, never having received any.

That’s why this emotion he was experiencing felt so foreign.

It was an emotional night.
What had driven him to strive throughout his entire life?

“Just… I…”

Jeong Si-woo lowered his head. He buried his face in the duvet, remaining there for a while.

“All I want is to see them…”

The fact that they caught up to him after four months didn’t matter.
It was in Jung Si-woo’s nature not to have a sense of inferiority.

Grateful for having taken just one step closer, and to those who made it possible.
He could never forget that feeling.

* * * * * *

“Si, is Si-heon here?”

Peeking around the door, Byeol-yi poked her head in.

“Did you arrive?”
“Hehe, I came after finishing work… It’s not that I’m just being nosy. I wondered if you were badly hurt… Hehe.”
“My body is quite resilient, so I’m okay.”

Seeing her cute expression, Byeol-yi’s face lit up with a smile.

“It’s such a shame, really.”

She dashed over and sat down next to me.
The bed experienced a slight tremor. The vase on the table that Azalea had brought quivered.

Is she excited because it has been a while, or does she have an ulterior motive?

The star gazed up at me with a sly smile.

“… Siheon. Siheon.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to join our guild? I can really take good care of you. We can play games together too.”

Already eyeing me, it seems.

“I haven’t thought about joining a guild yet.”
“Fi… I knew you’d say that. If that’s the case, I shouldn’t have introduced you to White Peach.”

As I declined with a smile, the star playfully stuck out her tongue.

“Still, today was incredible, right? There were so many knights as well.”
“Oh, really? I suppose it’s possible.”
“Compared to the last time I saw you… You must have put in a tremendous amount of effort.”

Various events occurred. I had a lot on my mind. I experienced many changes.

Nonetheless, it feels refreshing now that the test is over.

… I did get scolded, though.

– Why did you push yourself so hard!
– Huh?
– Seriously, drink this. Quickly.

In a hurry, Azalea returned from somewhere and even crammed an expensive high-grade potion into my mouth.

I was taken aback when I heard the price, as it was a special item.

‘Thanks to it, my circuits improved…’

Personally, I want to take a break for a bit. I looked at the star sitting next to me. The blinking of her eyes was so endearing that I couldn’t help but embrace her and lie down together.

“Uh, uh? What?”

“Come here, let’s hug and lie down.”

We’ve already seen everything there is to see of each other. Besides, she had a pleasant, subtle scent and a small frame, making it comfortable to hold her close.

“…really?”

The star’s face turned bright red. When I pinched her cheek, she covered her face with her hand.

“You, do you really want to tease me? There are plenty of women…”

“I just want to rest a bit today.”

The only sanctuary granted by Lee Se-Young.

I thought it would be awkward meeting her after such a long time, but it turned out not to be.

I wonder how the teacher is doing?

He said he would visit in a few days, so when we meet, we should let loose a bit.

“Hey, when are you going to let me go?”

“I want to play games with you after such a long time.”

“…Call me later. But you’ll probably meet another girl anyway.”
“Come on.”
“What do you mean, ‘come on’? Do you really want to get scolded?”

I received a smack on the forehead.
It was a hit, but not too hard as if worried about upsetting me, so it was delivered with ambiguous force.
It didn’t really hurt, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You don’t even think of me as your sister.”

It’s true. I feel more like a younger sibling rather than an older one.

“Let go, I have to leave now.”

A few minutes passed, and Byul got up from her seat, adjusted her clothes, and walked outside.
Stamping her feet with force as if to emphasize her anger, she soon peeked her face back in through the doorway and said,

“…A guy like the director of a botanical garden.”

Is that supposed to be an insult?

“Get some rest.”
“Yes.”

After a brief exchange, the door closed with a thud.

I lay there for a while, still in the position of holding Byul, then picked up the cup of water from the bedside table and headed out of the patient’s room.

The air outside was warm, likely due to the approach of summer. It also served as proof that time had passed since my arrival here.

– *Chororororororo*.

The sound of water being poured echoed throughout the corridor.

“Yaaawn.”

Stretching a long yawn, I scratched the back of my neck before casually taking a seat on the break room sofa and sipping some water.

For a moment, I found myself lost in thought, though not too deeply. Was the choice I made the correct one? Or did I act impulsively, based solely on my own judgment? Was the meticulous calculation I made actually just a rationalization?

Of course, such thoughts didn’t linger for long.

– *Tick*.

The light in the corridor ahead turned on. Sensing someone approaching, I glanced over to see Jung Si-woo, his leg dragging slightly, walking toward me.

He momentarily stopped, stiffening as he looked at me but said nothing for a while.

Slowly making his way over, Jung Si-woo offered no greeting before stopping beside the water dispenser and abruptly asking:

“Why did you do that?”
“Just because.”

Jung Si-woo brought the cup of water to his lips and took a sip. His thirst was quenched.

“How old is your brother?”

“…Perhaps seventeen.”

“A six-year age difference?”

Si-woo nodded.

“He’s worth finding. Make sure you find him.”

He placed the cup on the table before him and offered a wry smile. As he thought about it now, he too had once risked his life to find a friend.

“Pay me back later. If you need a favor, just say the word.”

He rose from his seat, took the cup of water, and returned to his room. From behind him, a heavy yet sincere voice reached his ears.

“Thank you… I’ll repay this debt one day.”

“What for? But can you even fight?”

Jung Si-woo grinned and clenched his fists tightly.

“It’ll be fine. If I rest as much as possible, I can do it. I learned from my master, you see. It can be done with malice and sheer force.”

He didn’t know who this master was, nor could he fathom how Si-woo would fight with his current body. But that was Si-woo’s burden to bear.

If he had faced numerous trials as a candidate for the spouse of the World Tree, he must have secured a way to obtain potions. He’s like a protagonist in his own right, so even if left alone, he’ll manage to overcome obstacles.

“Then give it your best shot. If the bean soup spills, it’ll be good for me.”

I waved my hand and entered the room.

And a few days later, astonishingly, Jung Si-woo’s victory became known worldwide. Articles titled “Triumph Achieved Through Battle Despite Injuries” were scattered everywhere.

* * * * * *

─??? : I believe Lim Jong-hyun has a good chance of winning.

Anyway, the winner is Jung Si-wooㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Comments: 15]
– Anonymous: You jerk. Shut up! I’m embarrassed too.
└Author: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Anonymous: Seriously though, the guy managed to triumph even with a damaged mana circuit that left him with only about a third of his mana capacity. How did he pull that off?
└ Anonymous: I know, right? The difference in mana capacity was huge, but seeing that he won, doesn’t it basically prove that Jung Si-woo’s skills are on par with those actively competing?
└ Anonymous: Yeah, honestly, it would have been a fair fight even without mana. But what the hell happened to Lee Si-heon?

Every day at El Academy, as well as in magazines, articles, and online communities related to the academy, there was a topic that everyone was focused on for a week – it was practically a given.

Jung Si-woo, who won the championship with a damaged mana circuit, and Lee Si-heon, who caused Jung Si-woo’s condition. In particular, the community was buzzing with activity, as dozens of posts about Lee Si-heon were being written daily.

– Si-woo Jung’s still got it.
[Battle Video]
This was the battle that took place back then. What’s the deal with Lee Si-heon? I heard he was ranked 152nd.

[Comment 51]

– Anonymous: What the hell is this? Can someone realistically grow that strong in just 4 months?
└ Anonymous: Did they have some kind of special encounter? Our martial arts master says it’s a stance that can only be achieved after at least a decade of training.
└ Anonymous: Is their teacher White Peach? It seems like they just lost their rank by not attending the entrance exam or something. I think they’re just reclaiming their original rank.
– Anonymous: But seriously, isn’t that last move White Peach’s technique?
└ Anonymous: ? It’s similar.
└ Anonymous: Huh?
└ Anonymous: No way…

Cadets and community users raised several suspicions about Lee Si-heon.

Why didn’t everyone know about his incredible strength?
Speculation spread about whether he had some special encounter or was always that strong. Eventually, people started digging into why he wore a mask.

─ Hey, that guy wears a mask all the time.
Don’t you think there must be a reason? He’s not insane, and he wouldn’t just wear a mask all day for no reason.

And is he handsome? There’s no logical reason to wear a mask.

Could he be someone who caused trouble in the past, or is he hiding his identity for a similar reason?

[Comments: 21]
-Anonymous: Evidence?
└Writer: Look at the context. A kid no one knows almost made Jung Si-woo a bloody mess.
└Anonymous: Lee Si-heon also got bloodied. He lost in the end, but it’s still surprising. It’s not like it’s rare for someone to suddenly rise to prominence.
└Anonymous: The first comment is absurd. Jung Si-woo is a once-in-a-century talent, but you dismiss someone on par with him as being common.
– Anonymous: But considering the comments, Lee Si-heon must be really impressive.
└Anonymous: Is it Lee Si-heon? Take off your mask.
└Anonymous: Hey, do you want to eat with me? I’m pretty, so I won’t mind haha. Welcome, junior.
└Anonymous: Can you buy me a meal too, please?
└Anonymous: Hehe.

Although interest diverged due to Jung Si-woo’s victory, the fascination surrounding Lee Si-heon, a prodigy who had seemingly emerged from nowhere, grew immensely.

Of course, in remote areas, there were instances where he was treated as someone who had lost in the first round. However, the reaction was different among certain groups who recognized his true potential.

“Lee Si-heon has no contracted guild? Bring him in by any means necessary. Offer the best possible conditions.”
“Yes, yes, but many places have already—”
“I’m not asking you how to do that right now!”
“No… The association has put forth conditions that most guilds wouldn’t even dare consider. How can we surpass that?”

Guilds, entrepreneurs, and politicians alike took notice. Lee Si-heon had previously been the subject of an article recounting an impressive story, and now the rumors surrounding him accelerated once more.

Of course, the event in question was merely a competition held at an academy that functioned as a university.

It wasn’t even the globally renowned Forest Keeper Selection, a contest that captured the attention of people worldwide.

It wasn’t even in a world-class competition where elite hunters vied for supremacy.

Ultimately, Lee Si-heon couldn’t reach the same level as Jung Si-woo. After all, Jung Si-woo was married to the World Count. Of course, the discourse among experts was different.

…

At that moment, in Lee Si-heon’s dormitory.

“So this is the guy who beat you?”

“Yes.”

White Peach grinned as she looked at the phone screen.

“The one who defeated you, who was so confident… this guy?”

“Yes, yes. But to say that he outclassed me—ugh!”

White Peach’s hips shifted, causing Lee Si-heon’s body to tremble. She looked down at her thighs and chuckled.

“But, my apprentice, are you a bit lacking?”

Lee Si-heon kept his mouth shut for a while before finally speaking.

“…Master.”

White Peach’s foot smacked down onto the back of Lee Si-heon’s hand.