Chapter 40: Duel Battle (2)


    A challenge for a duel battle that seemed to have been greatly influenced by Mok Jong-hwa.


    The picture was bing clear.


    It was likely a challenge to restore the honor of the Emerald Magic Tower.


    However, they had overlooked one thing.


    I dont want to.


    What?


    They hadnt considered that I had no reason to ept this duel.


    I leaned back in my chair with an attitude full of annoyance.


    Do I owe you anything? Should I just go if you say go,e if you saye, and fight if you say fight?


    A duel is a matter of honor.


    And yet, for someone who values honor so much, you two ganged up on me?


    Thats-!


    The incident where Kwak Ji-cheol and Jung Soo-ji joined forces against me and lost had be an irreversible stain on the reputation of the Emerald Magic Tower.


    The fact that they lost a two-on-one fight was a problem, as was the fact that the opponent was a known coward.


    Regardless of how my reputation might changeter, the important thing was that I was called a coward right now.


    To cover up this stain, they needed to defeat me in an official duel and preserve the victory as a rey for everyone to see.


    Therefore, they were desperate to draw me into the ring in some way.


    From my perspective, I had nothing to lose.


    Anyway, I have no intention of epting. Ive already won, so why waste time on something pointless?


    .


    If you really want, consider it a loss for me, and go brag about it.


    I implied that they could boast about a victory over a coward.


    I knew well that the Emerald club wouldnt be satisfied with such a resolution.


    However, Kwak Ji-cheol couldnt think of a solution to ovee this situation.


    He looked to Mok Jong-hwa for help with pleading eyes.


    Mok Jong-hwa red at Kwak Ji-cheol as if he were trash and then addressed me.


    So? Its truly cowardly to run away after only winning once. Are you afraid of losing?


    Yes, I am a coward. Im soo afraid.


    Mok Jong-hwa cast the gamblers provocative skill You scared?, but I didnt even blink.


    Having a reputation already at rock bottom proved convenient in such times.


    Realizing this tactic wouldnt work on me, Mok Jong-hwa changed his approach and threw a bait my way.


    I said I wouldnt waste time needlessly. Would you ept if theres a stake involved?


    If its worth it.


    Honestly, I wanted to ept the duel right away and beat Kwak Ji-cheol to a pulp.


    Yet the reason I kept brushing off their provocations and holding out was,


    <em>Its more beneficial this way.</em>


    The Emerald club had to take revenge by any means necessary.


    Their president would try to initiate a duel even if it meant using bait.


    And that bait would be too tempting for me to ignore.


    Of course, it remained to be seen whether I was the one taking the bait or if it was Mok Jong-hwa.


    Mok Jong-hwa took out a small ticket from his inventory and mmed it onto the table.


    I bet this.


    Park Na-ri and Ha Soo-yeon, who had been silently observing the situation, looked surprised.


    This move indicated the extent of Mok Jong-hwas bold strategy.


    [Crafting VIP Ticket]


    The craftsmen at Dragon yer Academy rarely epted crafting requests.


    Due to the excessive demandpared to supply, they only took on a very limited number of requests, and even then, there was a long waiting list.


    This VIP ticket allowed the holder to bypass the queue and get an item made with top priority.


    It was one of the several privileges offered by Dragon yer Academy, just like the special cultivation room season pass.


    <em>Thank you very much</em>


    I was already in need of better equipment and here was this valuable ticket being offered to me.


    However, this is only if you win.


    Are you sure you want to wager something like that?


    It doesnt matter. If I win, thats the end of it. Will you ept?


    Alright. Lets consider it agreed upon.


    As I epted the duel, Mok Jong-hwa crossed his arms, and Kwak Ji-cheol stepped forward again.


    Set a date.


    Two days from now would be good.


    Why two days from now?


    I casually showed the recently traded [nk Skill Book].


    I need to learn this.


    What?


    ?


    Everyone looked dumbfounded.


    Creating a skill with a nk Skill Book was challenging enough, but that wasnt the end of it.


    Rather, it was just the beginning.


    One had to be familiar with the skill they had crafted and even increase its rank to make it viable in actual battle.


    To aplish all this in just two days seemed utterly absurd.


    Kukuku


    Mok Jong-hwa let out a low chuckle and stroked his face.


    A fierce smile yed on his lips; perhaps this was a sign that he was quite irritated.


    He might have interpreted my statement as an underestimation of Kwak Ji-cheols abilities, thinking I could beat him even with a skill learned in just two days.


    How long its been since Emerald has been underestimated like this.


    I have confidence in my skills.


    Not that I had no intention of underestimating him.


    Kwak Ji-cheol.


    Yes, hyung.


    If you lose to this guy, youre out of the club.


    I will win, no matter what.


    Kwak Ji-cheol bowed his head with a stern face.


    Since his business was finished, there was no reason to continue sitting in the ufortable seat.


    One by one, people started to rise from their seats.


    Im quite looking forward to the day after tomorrow. Show us what youve got.


    You can expect a lot. Make sure to keep the ticket safe.


    .


    Until the moment he left, Mok Jong-hwa continued to give me fierce looks.


    I-Ill be going too. S-see youter!


    Meow.


    Park Na-ri stuttered a goodbye to me, and her cat Bum waved its front paws in the air a couple of times.


    <em>I should head to the training center now.</em>


    I have to go and quickly create a skill first.


    As I was about to down the half-remaining iced coffee in one shot, Ha Soo-yeon spoke to me.


    Could we talk alone for a moment?


    Sure.


    I sat back down in the chair.


    As I chewed on the end of the stic straw, Ha Soo-yeon sighed and began to speak.


    I have something to apologize for. I saw Mok Jong-hwa sending Ji-cheol and Soo-ji to you, and I pretended not to know.


    Did you test me?


    To be honest, yes. I wanted to see how you would handle both of them.


    <em>So that was it.</em>


    The first person I promoted the cube to was definitely Park Na-ri, but instead of the Mother Nature club taking action, it was the pair of Kwak Ji-cheol and Jung Soo-ji who came to me.


    Considering the close rtionship between Mother Nature and Emerald, I was certain that Ha Soo-yeon was also involved in this matter.


    However, I didnt expect her to be so honest about it like this.


    Nevertheless, I responded with equal honesty.


    I understand. As the president of a club, you had to be cautious. Still, it does feel a bit upsetting.


    Im sorry. I dont know if this will make up for it, but I hope youll ept it.


    Ha Soo-yeon handed me a piece of parchment as a sign of apology.


    [Rank Up (F)].


    It was the same item I had received as a reward for three consecutive victories in the duel battlesst week.


    Getting another one for free was definitely a bonus for me.


    <em>Shes really generous.</em>


    Although I felt slighted that she had tested me,


    Unlike Emerald, she hadnt caused any direct friction with me, and I had even gained a useful item, so it was something I could overlook generously.


    Ill ept it gratefully. But doesnt this put the Mother Nature club at a loss?


    It is a loss. Originally, I nned to add this to the cube trade, but the timing got messed up when Na-ri interfered. Still, its alright.


    Ha Soo-yeon smiled softly.


    There was not the slightest hint of regret about the loss she had incurred.


    It seemed she had noticed something from our conversation during the cube trade and about the duel.


    If I had really been the coward as the rumors suggested, I couldnt have interacted so casually with Mok Jong-hwa, who was not only my senior but also the head of the club.


    In that case, she probably thought it a good idea to establish a friendly rtionship with me in advance to prepare for an unexpected future. And she must have reckoned that an F-rank [Rank Up] was a small price for that.


    It was a good choice.


    After all, there were still plenty of items to trade with the four major powers besides the [Cube of Life].


    Are you confident about the duel?


    One hundred percent.


    Ha Soo-yeon looked surprised when I answered without a moments hesitation.


    . I didnt realize you were that confident. But Ill warn you in advance. Mok Jong-hwa and Kwak Ji-cheol have analyzed all of your reys and prepared countermeasures.


    Isnt that just basic strategy?


    No. This time, Kwak Ji-cheol will receive support at the club level.


    <em>I thought as much.</em>


    Kwak Ji-cheols overly confident demeanor when he challenged me to a duel gave me the impression he had something to rely on.


    The club would prepare items to exploit my weaknesses.


    It was highly likely that Kwak Ji-cheols equipment, too, would be reced by the equipment of second and third-year students.


    Considering that I wouldnt receive much support since I was unaffiliated, the duel was bound to be unfair.


    It doesnt seem right to me. If you want, I can lend you an artifact from the Mother Nature club.


    Thank you for the offer, but Im fine.


    I showed her the nk skill book.


    This will be enough.


    ..!


    My im that I would create and master a new skill in just two days was indeed serious.


    However, Ha Soo-yeon seemed to be doubting me.


    Are you really nning to win with a newly created skill?


    I didnt exin at length; I just smiled.


    Youll be surprised when you see it.


    ***


    Training Center.


    I sat alone in the middle of arge training room.


    The wooden dummy in front of me would attack me onmand, but for now, it remained still and motionless.


    A blue light emanated from the [nk Skill Book] in my hand.


    When you infuse it with mana while thinking of the words or sentences you want, they will automatically be input into the book.


    While creating a new skill usually involved meticulous thought and careful attention to each character, my skill book was filling up at an unrestrained speed, as if a stenographer were typing away.


    <em>Its not something Ive done just once or twice.</em>


    How many times have I used the nk skill book before?


    The count was so high that I had long since given up on keeping track.


    Of course, even if I had forgotten how many times I used it, the data umted from countless trials and errors remained vividly in my mind.


    The optimal skill that could be implemented using the nk skill book was being created.


    <em> What kind of support is the most useful?</em>


    There is no definitive answer to this question.


    Usefulness varies depending on the situation.


    In some cases, healing is more valuable; in others, it might be defense and sometimes buffs or debuffs can be more advantageous.


    However,


    <em> What is the most troublesome and annoying support to deal with?</em>


    <em> What is the No.1 support that makes yers naturally curse, That bastard is cheating?</em>


    There was a definitive answer to this question.


    <em>Forced Movement Support.</em>


    [Learned Skillbook  Wind Force]


    [Acquired Wind Force (F)]


    [Wind Force]


    Imbues physical force into the wind.


    I stood upright while facing the wooden dummy.


    A gust of wind blew through the enclosed space, yfully tousling my hair as it passed by.


    Suddenly, the wooden dummy creaked and lunged at me with a one-two punch.


    In sync, I leaned right, then left, and lightly ced my hand on the dummys chest.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    The wooden dummy flew across the training room and crashed at the far end.