Chapter 777: Week 12–13 PvP: Lowerclassmen’s Revolt (3)

Kwon Uram, who had been getting crushed flat, vanished at some point.

He had been rendered unable to fight by a single [Pulverize Zone].

I had set the destructive power with plenty of margin so he would not be able to endure it even if he had some hidden defensive trait or piece of equipment.

[Kim Ho Win]

vs

[Kwon Uram Lose]

I glanced over the match result and thought,

Got him. A third-year captain-level senior.

During last year’s Lowerclassmen’s Revolt PvP, even three of us together had been in the realm of maybe winning, maybe not. This time, I had taken one down one-on-one.

It was a moment that confirmed just how much my skills had grown.

Of course, that lineup back then had been especially stacked—Oh Sehun, Song Cheongi, Kim Gapdu, Zhuge Soso, and the rest—but right now I also had [Amplification], [Distortion], and the like sealed by the challenge quest.

If I fought them properly, I figured it would be about the same.

When I stepped out of the arena, Kwon Uram was already waiting, apparently having come to his senses in the meantime.

As though losing did not bother him in the slightest, he smiled broadly with his entire face.

“That was a fine match! Not only was your setup impressive, your combat power was tremendous as well.”

“Thank you for the match, senior.”

“The only disappointing part is that it ended too quickly. We were only given five minutes to begin with, after all.”

“I’m sure there will be another chance next time.”

They had said they would look at this week’s statistics before deciding whether to open another [Lowerclassmen’s Revolt] week, and I expected our year to put up a decent fight.

At that, Kwon Uram grew even more satisfied and nodded.

“Of course there will, won’t there? I look forward to meeting you again!”

He added that when the time came, he would show me his own trump card as well.

After Kwon Uram left, I immediately queued for my next match.

Then I looked up at the scoreboard and thought,

Can’t I get matched with a first-year for once?

Even with a heap of handicaps attached, they would still be easier to deal with than a third-year.

Sometimes, I wanted to win by coasting too.

But as if that was out of the question, a familiar yet unfamiliar name soon appeared on the scoreboard.

[Kim Ho vs Sagong Dam]

Sagong Uk’s older sibling, was it?

They had come out as Dang Gyu-young’s opponent during last year’s [Fixed Zone] tournament.

The result had been defeat after getting bonked and battered by the bat.

Still, they seemed a lot more human than their younger brother.

Even though they had practically been toyed with throughout the match, they had accepted defeat humbly.

Add in the fact that they were in the Discipline Committee, and their character earned a passing grade.

So as I stepped onto the teleportation magic circle, I thought,

This would be a good chance to have an honest conversation.

About that younger brother’s rotten attitude, I mean.

*****

Around the same time.

[Lowerclassmen’s Revolt] was in full swing in another [Circular Arena] as well.

RUMBLE, BOOM!

Song Cheonhye came crashing down with a bolt of lightning.

The destructive force must have been considerable, because the floor caved in and blackened.

But her opponent was already gone from that spot.

“…….”

Song Cheonhye immediately turned and scanned her surroundings.

Weapons made of earth and wood stood in place throughout the arena, and several wooden doors were visible as well.

CREAK—

Before long, one of them opened, and Gwak Seungjae walked out.

Then he lightly waved a hand, and the motionless weapons all activated at once, pouring attacks down on her.

TUDUDUDUDU!

WHISH-WHISH-WHISH-WHISH!

Earth bullets and wooden arrows rained down wildly, and huge wooden forearms swung clubs, axes, and more at her.

Song Cheonhye narrowly dodged them with acrobatic movements, all while keeping her gaze fixed on Gwak Seungjae.

Or more precisely, on the [Lightning Rod] standing near him.

PZZT!

Then, after crossing the long distance in one leap with [Thunder Jump], she yanked out the [Lightning Rod] and thrust it like a spear.

RUMBLE!

An earth wall suddenly surged up, but it seemed it had failed to defend him completely.

[Gwak Seungjae 88%]

[Gwak Seungjae 86%]

Even after taking a bit of damage, Gwak Seungjae’s expression remained utterly calm.

He closed another wooden door and disappeared, then opened a door on the opposite side of the arena and emerged from it.

Song Cheonhye hurled lightning in that direction as well.

RUMBLE!

PZZT!

The moment she created a [Lightning Rod], she chained it into [Thunder Jump].

Gwak Seungjae’s greatest strength was his unique magic: summoning wooden doors.

Since it boasted tremendous mobility, the best tactic for an opponent was to destroy the doors as soon as they appeared.

Song Cheonhye, on the other hand, did not need to do that.

Wherever he appeared, she only had to follow him with [Thunder Jump].

Its cooldown was overwhelmingly shorter than ★Blink★, so in some ways, she could move even faster than Gwak Seungjae opening and closing doors.

RUMBLE!

Gwak Seungjae defended against another piercing bolt of lightning by raising two layers of earth walls.

Then, when he pushed one hand forward, the wall transformed into a giant earthen palm and surged toward her like a wave.

RUMBLE—

While Song Cheonhye briefly retreated and looked for the timing of her next attack,

Gwak Seungjae looked at her and spoke.

“Excellent. Against the other committee members as well, you should have a fair chance of victory.”

“……Thank you.”

“Your skill has been improving especially quickly lately. Is it because you have been learning from Kim Ho?”

“……?!”

At the name that suddenly popped out, Song Cheonhye could not help flinching.

Gwak Seungjae, however, continued in an entirely ordinary tone.

“I believe there is no need to hide it, since it is already an open secret.”

“No…… there isn’t. No reason to hide it……. I’ve been learning a lot.”

“Do you like him?”

“……Pardon?”

“Do you have romantic feelings for him?”

Song Cheonhye’s mind went blank for an instant.

Even if he usually spoke directly, she had never expected him to ask so openly.

While she floundered, unable to figure out how to answer, Gwak Seungjae added,

“I have no intention of meddling in someone else’s love life, but it seemed like a subject that needed to be addressed at least once.”

“Ah……. Yes.”

Song Cheonhye found herself accepting that without thinking.

True, the captain is not the type to take interest in gossip.

Apparently, he had asked because it was deeply connected to the conversation that would follow.

That did not mean she could honestly say, I tried kissing him, and it felt really good.

So Song Cheonhye spent a moment choosing her words before opening her mouth.

“I’ve been seeing…… a lot more of his positive sides than before.”

“Do you intend to stay with him going forward?”

“I haven’t decided for certain yet. Still, I think the possibility is…… high.”

“It was clear your heart had already left. Your withdrawal from the committee must be practically decided as well.”

Apparently, he had even noticed that she planned to leave the Discipline Committee.

At this point, Song Cheonhye decided she might as well tell him everything.

Starting with an apology.

“……I’m sorry, captain.”

“What is there to apologize for? It is the path you chose. I can only respect it. However……”

“……?”

“By now, you should have submitted your withdrawal request and then some. The fact that you have not means there must be a reason.”

“!!”

“It is obviously Kim Ho. You are hoping to arrest him one last time, aren’t you?”

“H-how did you know?”

Song Cheonhye’s eyes went round with surprise.

Gwak Seungjae, however, acted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Since the start of this year, you have been unusually obsessed with patrolling the underground floors. Only Floor D, at that. As though you were waiting for someone to arrive.”

That narrowed the target down to a student who had Floor D access while also attempting unauthorized raids.

And when Song Cheonhye’s narrow human relationships were taken into account, there was only one answer.

He knew everything.

She felt her face grow hot and cleared her throat.

“I wanted to beat him at least once……. Beat him as a Discipline Committee member, if possible.”

“As the Discipline Committee rather than anything else, yes.”

“……Yes.”

“I can understand the motive, but at this rate, you will not manage it within this year. No, I even doubt whether it will be possible before graduation.”

Song Cheonhye bristled for an instant, then forced herself to hold back.

Because she knew he was not saying it to tease her, but as an analysis reached after weighing various factors.

“May I ask why?”

“It seems you built up your tracking ability over winter break.”

“That’s right.”

“It is natural that you would gain confidence, but it is still not enough to catch him. He has an extremely capable guide attached to him.”

Gwak Seungjae added, “Where did someone like that even come from?”

In truth, Song Cheonhye had also realized it in a corner of her heart.

The first semester had already passed its halfway point, and Kim Ho’s group had gone in and out of the underground floors and the deep layers countless times.

Yet she still had not even caught a sign of them.

Once or twice could be dismissed as bad luck, but at this point, it was clearly because her own ability was lacking.

I couldn’t catch him last week either.

According to the rumors, when the Witch of Decay rampaged in the deep layers, Kim Ho had been there too.

It seemed he had secretly raided a dungeon and come back out again.

In reality, he had gone down with the teachers on the principal’s orders, but Song Cheonhye had no way of knowing that.

In any case, just as Gwak Seungjae had said, arresting him would remain a distant goal at this rate.

Song Cheonhye let out a low sigh and asked,

“What should I do?”

“I will lend you a hand.”

“……!”

Gwak Seungjae had already arrested Kim Ho’s group several times before.

If she received his help, her chances of success would rise drastically.

But soon, Song Cheonhye felt puzzled.

“Captain……. Don’t you want me to stay?”

He clearly knew she would submit her withdrawal request after succeeding, so why was he trying to help her?

If he pretended not to know and made her run in circles, he could at least keep her tied to the Discipline Committee until the end of the year.

Gwak Seungjae answered in his usual tone.

“Of course I want you to stay. I had also considered you a promising candidate to take over as captain next year.”

“…….”

“But has your heart not already left? Trying to hold you by force would be meaningless.”

His conclusion was that it would be better to let things end cleanly.

As Song Cheonhye remained silent with complicated feelings, Gwak Seungjae continued.

“It is not simply a loss for me either. Even if you withdraw, cooperation will remain entirely possible.”

“That is…… true.”

The Discipline Committee’s strength would decrease, but in the broader picture, things would remain almost the same.

She already maintained a close relationship with Kim Ho’s group, and Song Cheonhye would merely be moving over to that side.

In some ways, Gwak Seungjae stood to gain more.

If his help allowed her to leave the Discipline Committee, Song Cheonhye would owe him a debt.

From Kim Ho’s perspective as well, having one of his companions fully join him would be welcome, so their relationship afterward could be strengthened even further.

Gwak Seungjae asked as if confirming.

“Will you accept my proposal?”

“Yes. Please help me.”

“Good. We will discuss the details during the next raid week.”

With the conversation settled for the moment, it was time to finish the PvP match.

The two checked the scoreboard at the same time.

[Gwak Seungjae 86%]

vs

[Song Cheonhye 92%]

[Remaining Time 1:48]

The gap in health was not large, but if things continued according to the earlier pattern, it seemed likely to end in Song Cheonhye’s victory by decision.

Gwak Seungjae appeared to have reached a similar conclusion.

“It is an honor to yield my place to an outstanding junior. However, I cannot do so just yet.”

Right now, he had to preserve his dignity as Discipline Committee captain.

It seemed he would have to reveal a hidden card.

As it happened, he had a hidden piece he had obtained recently.

One his younger brother had acquired while out on an external request.

CREAK—

A wooden door opened by itself.

Even though Gwak Seungjae had not moved a finger.

Song Cheonhye felt puzzled and checked beyond the door.

“……!”

Tension immediately filled her face.