AECS 42

Chapter 42

National Team Selection (4)

Inside the arena, in the waiting room.

“Ugh… uuuhhh!”

O Ji-myung, thrown out, clutched his stomach and began vomiting.

It hurts.

It really hurt.

He had been hit by a person, but why did it feel like he’d been hit by a truck?

“Are… are you alright?”

“Ranker!”

Staff from headquarters rushed over, but O Ji-myung raised his hand to stop them.

Damn it, how embarrassing.

If he had been hit by a summoned creature, he could have argued that it was “just a misbehaving player.”

But getting hit by a human? He couldn’t even protest.

And his pride made it worse.

“Ku… I’m fine, just leave me be.”

Wiping his mouth with the hem of his clothes, O Ji-myung recalled Baek Jin-woo.

A monster.

He had to admit it: Baek Jin-woo was a monster.

Both his summons and himself were no joke.

That composure wasn’t just for show.

He had been crushed so overwhelmingly that he couldn’t even comprehend the process—he just accepted the result.

And then…

“Ughhhhhh!”

Park Ho-seop, also thrown out only moments later, started vomiting as well.

You got hit too, huh.

This was insane.

Not only had he been eliminated in seconds, but Park Ho-seop had also been wiped out in under ten seconds?

The eyes of the two rankers met.

Senpai, that guy isn’t human. Haa… it’s hard to even breathe.

Yeah… we messed with the wrong person.

Suddenly, O Ji-myung remembered something.

“These days, you might get carried by media hype, but if your posture is that stiff, you may never get selected.”

The words he had said to that monster.

And now he felt them personally.

We’re screwed.

The players who would never get selected weren’t Baek Jin-woo—they were themselves.

Next year’s selection will have team battles again, and every time, Baek Jin-woo’s hammer would come crashing down.

There was only one way.

Either retire, or swallow their pride and apologize, no matter what.

O Ji-myung didn’t want to ruin his ranker career over a single mistake.

And then…

“Hey! You little bastards!”

A shout echoed from inside the waiting room.

It was Representative Lim Hee-soo, his face red and purple with anger.

“How much have I done for you? And now you’re eliminated in a team battle, and to make matters worse, it’s that guy who did it?!”

Of course it’s that guy who did it…

O Ji-myung ground his teeth.

What else could it be? He’d told them to take down that guy first, so of course they got hit.

“Honestly, I saw it coming the moment you relied on your ranking and slacked off on training. Sigh!”

Lim Hee-soo was furious.

He was insulted not only that his trusted rankers had been defeated but also that he had lost a bet with Park Chang-seok.

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

“What?”

“Isn’t this partly your fault, sir?”

“What the…?”

“Partly?”

O Ji-myung wiped the vomit from his lips and glared at Lim Hee-soo.

“Just because you’re a representative, you think we’ll crawl and bow down to you?”

“What… what?!”

Lim Hee-soo grabbed the back of his neck as his blood pressure seemed to spike.

O Ji-myung ignored it and continued.

“If we knew Baek Jin-woo was this strong, we wouldn’t have followed him in the first place. Right, Ho-seop?”

“Exactly, senpai. That guy just ruined our careers. What do we do next year? We’ll still have to watch him.”

Ordinary people always blame others first.

O Ji-myung and Park Ho-seop shifted all responsibility for this disaster onto Lim Hee-soo.

It wasn’t entirely wrong, but still… it’s “your fault, not mine.”

“Sir, we’re going to need some compensation for this.”

“You crazy bastards!”

“Whether we’re crazy or reasonable… you’ll find out soon enough. You’re smart enough to know what we’re saying. We’ll see each other again. Let’s go, Ho-seop.”

“Yes, senpai.”

O Ji-myung and Park Ho-seop walked out of the arena.

“W-wait a minute?”

Lim Hee-soo was flustered.

What did that mean? They mentioned compensation and meeting again soon?

Are they threatening me?

100% certain.

“Watch your back in the alleys,” that message implied.

Even if they were defeated by Baek Jin-woo, these rankers were among the most skilled in Korea.

If they acted like gangs and used force, there would be no answer.

Damn it.

Lim Hee-soo could feel the situation spiraling.

Baek Jin-woo didn’t bother moving after overwhelmingly defeating the two rankers.

Honestly, moving around wouldn’t suit the balance.

He didn’t want to eliminate innocent participants unnecessarily.

He just kept stacking Ramba.

In truth, there was nothing more to stack.

Current Hoon-gyo? Even if all remaining players ganged up, it wouldn’t matter.

One stomp from Hoon-gyo, and everyone would be wiped out.

[Participants: 22/40]

Baek Jin-woo glanced at the player count in the top-right corner of his view.

Only two left.

Once two more players are eliminated, the team battle would end.

I wonder who survived.

He hummed a tune casually when…

Rustle.

A player emerged from the bushes.

A sharp-eyed female player.

Since I haven’t seen her before, she’s probably outside the top 10.

Her gaze was filled with venom; she had probably eliminated quite a few players.

“….”

“….”

They stared at each other in silence.

Why.

Baek Jin-woo simply sat there, not intending to attack first.

The choice was hers.

With only two players left before everyone passes, would she fight or cooperate?

If she suggested cooperation, he’d agree. But if she started a fight…

That’s her fate.

• Grrr…
• Grrk!

Wolves appeared behind her in hostile stances. Looks like she gave the attack command. Not a particularly smart woman.

She probably thinks I’m easy prey.

Fair enough.

All other summons were in storage; only Hoon-gyo and Ramba were out.

But…

That’s her problem.

Baek Jin-woo wasn’t the type to let someone attack him go unchecked.

Hoon-gyo, noticing Baek Jin-woo’s gaze, readied his sword just as…

“Regrettable, isn’t it.”

The woman spoke first.

Hmm. At least she had some manners.

“Rules are rules. I will eliminate you. You can try again next year. Don’t think of it as bad luck. Luck is also skill.”

Tap!

Her wolves charged.

But…

“No, nothing to regret.”

Baek Jin-woo smiled.

Ssskkk!

All five wolves’ necks were sliced at once.

Only later did he realize… the woman was ranked 5th.

Actually met her.

“I’m the one with regrets. If we had just brushed past each other, you might have passed. But why did you have to meet me?”

“W-what…!”

The woman’s expression was one of shock.

“But hey… luck is skill, isn’t it?”

True. Battle of Summoners was always a game of luck and misfortune.

“N-nonsense…”

“Good luck. Goodbye.”

The player disappeared.

[Participants: 20/40]
[Team battle concluded.]

Another player must have been eliminated elsewhere, leaving 20 participants.

The first match was over

Commentators and audience alike were silent.

The screen was focused on Oh Sun-young, ranked 5th in Korea.

• What just happened?
• I didn’t see… it just flashed, and… it’s over.
• Let’s check in slow motion.

Even the professional commentators were shaken.

The highlight was similar to before, only faster.

The sword strikes were invisible even at normal speed.

• That training instructor summon… just slashed Oran’s wolves in one strike!

Oran (Five Wolves).

Nickname for Oh Sun-young, ranked 5th and vice-guild master of Arirang’s big three.

She traveled with five wolf summons, hence the name.

• So after 9th and 10th ranks, 5th is also eliminated?
• By rules, yes.
• Baek Jin-woo is overwhelmingly powerful. Terrifying. Even Korea’s #1 might stand no chance. How did such a prodigy appear only now?
• Lucky for Korea! This gives hope for the world league!

The commentators praised him, and so did the entire country.

[Breaking News! Rankers eliminated one by one!]
[Baek Jin-woo confirmed as next year’s emerging ranker! Insane rookie!]

The news spread instantly. Online communities were filled with Baek Jin-woo discussions.

Clips of Hoon-gyo’s feats circulated rapidly.

• Crazy…
• Unbelievable. At this rate, even Kang Geon-ho wouldn’t survive ten seconds.
• Makes sense. Korean rankers are all similar level. This is world-class.
• True. He’s already swept domestic weekly dungeon records. Naturally #1 in Korea! Faster than current rankers!
• Damn. Can we root for him properly in the world league?
• Daijinwoo! God Jin-woo!
• Jin-woo oppa, I love you!
• But that training instructor summon looks handsome? E-rank, yet why didn’t it appear for us?

Particularly, the training instructor summon became a hot topic.

Baek Jin-woo’s family was equally shocked.

“Daughter.”

“Y-yes…”

Baek Ah-jin froze mid-bite of her chicken, staring at the screen.

“So… our Jin-woo… defeated all those top players in Korea?”

“Yes, mom… I think so. Our brother’s insane.”

“Watch your words with your brother.”

“Mom, it’s a compliment…”

Baek Ah-jin and Hwang Myung-hee were amazed.

Jin-woo… that guy…

Baek Jin-cheol stood up suddenly.

He’s really aiming to become a world-class player.

Clenching his fists, he muttered passionately.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

“Going to fry some chicken.”

“Huh? Chicken…?”

“It’s a celebration. I’ll share it with the neighbors. Golden bell, golden bell! Hahaha!”

At this moment…

The Baek family was happier than any other family.