Chapter 69
Korea-Japan Friendly Match (5)
Ryo had actually been in a bad mood for a while.
To be precise, it started when he came here.
He couldn’t understand the attitude of the opponents.
What?
They were giving 10 billion per match?
And if he didn’t like it, he could bet 100 billion instead?
Ryo couldn’t understand how Shusuke-hyung could just let such ridiculous talk slide.
Japan had already proven their strength to the world.
So why did it feel like they were being dragged around by these low-level players from some backwater country?
“Well, fine.”
He could let the betting slide.
But the previous match had only made him burn with more intensity.
“Beating Atsuto?”
The potential of Korea was far beyond what he had expected.
Kang Ji-ho, Hong Ah-ri.
The two players had given it their all, but no one expected them to hold their own against Atsuto, one of Japan’s top national players.
And his pride was slightly hurt.
Fine.
He could let that slide too. Japan not dominating wasn’t Korea’s fault.
But then…
- “Why can’t you win?”
- “…I will win no matter what.”
- “Good. That’s the spirit.”
Ryo overheard their conversation.
Their tone implied it was obvious that someone like Ryo could win easily, and it stuck in his mind.
“Arrogant bastards.”
He exploded.
“…Some unheard-of garbage dares to show off in front of me?”
Ryo looked at Ki Jae-hyuk with a grim expression and curled the corners of his mouth upward.
“Fine.”
He’d show them!
The difference in real power!
Why Japan was called a powerhouse!
Kugwagagaga!
With a gesture from Ryo, two adult-sized chickens charged at Ki Jae-hyuk.
But these weren’t ordinary chickens.
They were transcendent chickens (B-rank) that could even devour birds of prey.
Ki Jae-hyuk’s summons were centered around goblins.
If Oh Sun-young insisted on wolves, Ki Jae-hyuk insisted on goblins.
The reason for this would be explained later.
Two Hob Goblins (B-rank) and a Poison Goblin (B-rank) charged into battle!
Forest Goblins (C-rank) acted as healers, and a Goblin Priest (B-rank) provided buffs.
“Goblins? Are you serious with that trash summon?”
Kugwagagaga!
Ryo sneered.
Ki Jae-hyuk was young.
And Korea’s youthful vigor couldn’t ignore such taunts.
“Hmm. KFC.”
“…….”
“Much cooler than two chickens, right?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Ah, after this match, I need to eat some Baek’s chicken. Nom nom.”
“Damn…!”
Ryo grit his teeth at being out-talked.
Historically, Japanese were poor at trash talk.
There was even a rumor that in the past, they tended to kill rather than argue.
…Anyway.
It was not easy to beat a Korean high schooler, trained since elementary school in verbal assaults, with words alone.
“Die!”
The transcendent chicken’s beak struck the goblins’ bodies at lightning speed.
Perhaps because the player was furious, the summon’s movements became even wilder.
Swaeek!
The Hob Goblins instinctively swung their clubs, but…
Sssst!
The chicken easily dodged and pecked straight at their stomachs.
“Crazy.”
“What the hell is this chicken?”
“That’s no joke. Even our Phoenix fell to that.”
The watching disciples were astonished.
Truly, the strength of a summon varied wildly depending on the user.
Ki Jae-hyuk, unable to properly counter, kept retreating with his goblins.
“Yes!”
“Push forward!”
The Japanese ranking players finally relaxed.
This was reality: Korea’s national team couldn’t surpass Japan’s 9th-ranked player.
“Truly, a transcendent chicken!”
“Ryo! Just solo-kill them all!”
But among the Japanese, one’s expression didn’t change: Shusuke.
“If it were Korea in the past, this should have ended already.”
The transcendent chicken’s movements were explosive and fast.
The shorter the match, the more advantageous it was… but…
“Ki Jae-hyuk, huh?”
His control was insane.
Even though he seemed to be struggling, dodging like that wasn’t easy.
At this rate, the transcendent chicken would tire first.
Gritting his teeth, Shusuke’s words were correct.
“Damn it.”
Despite appearances, Ryo was burning inside.
“You pesky fly! How long do you plan to keep dodging?”
Frustratingly, the chicken seemed to get close but never hit.
The damage it did was quickly healed by the Forest Goblin.
And…
“No, calling it a fly is a bit harsh. Do you think it’s dodging because it wants to?”
Chattering away.
Ryo’s nerves were being constantly teased.
“If you don’t want to dodge, fight back!”
“Hey, you need to speak clearly. If you want to fight back, stop pecking like that.”
“This bastard won’t just shut up…”
“Cluck cluck.”
“Kraaaaah!”
In the end, Ryo’s choice was simple.
He pulled something from his pocket.
[Top-Rank Movement Speed Boost Scroll]
[Rank: A]
[Temporarily increases a summon’s movement speed by 10x.]
It was crafted from a blueprint from the Tower of Trials reward.
The materials were insane, so no one made it.
The effect was excellent, but the materials alone cost nearly 100 billion.
In other words, terrible cost-effectiveness.
“No choice.”
Ryo, already enraged, wasn’t thinking clearly.
“Hey, wait!”
Shusuke realized what Ryo was about to do and panicked.
“That crazy bastard.”
Using a scroll during a match was internationally banned.
Technically, the system allowed it, but Rachel had ruled not to waste resources in a league.
“But if he uses that, even if he wins 100 billion, it’s meaningless!”
Too late.
Shiiik!
Ryo had already torn the scroll.
“You’re dead.”
Immediately, the transcendent chicken’s movements changed dimensionally.
Pugwagagagak!
It dashed like a beam of light, striking the Hob Goblins’ weak points.
“Idiot. This is the gap between me and you.”
Ki Jae-hyuk’s goblins were instantly crushed.
“Hooh?”
Arms crossed, Baek Jin-woo’s eyes sparkled.
‘So Japan actually had that blueprint.’
For reference, this scroll’s blueprint was unique.
There was only one in the world!
Baek Jin-woo knew because he had it during Battle of Summoners.
“But the materials… to use it here?”
He couldn’t understand.
Such a precious scroll should be saved for the upper floors of the Tower of Trials.
‘Anyway.’
Now that it had been used, no matter how good Ki Jae-hyuk’s control was, he couldn’t handle it.
“Th-this…”
Ki Jae-hyuk looked at his goblins in dismay.
They were already down, unable to fight, while the chickens thoroughly ravaged them.
“Mutant chicken… too strong.”
And Ryo didn’t stop there.
He began humiliating the goblins, keeping them barely under control without recalling them.
- Kiyurk?
If a goblin tried to stand, he pecked its legs to trip it.
If one swung a club while lying down, the chicken dodged and pecked its armpits and arms.
“What is it doing?”
“Isn’t that too cruel?”
The watching disciples fumed.
Matches should be clean, not torturing like this.
Players naturally had affection for their summons.
They spent so much time together that they inevitably saw them as sentient beings.
Ryo smirked at the angry watchers.
“What, was that clause in the contract?”
“Manners!”
“Manners my foot.”
Ryo’s lips trembled.
“The bastard broke manners first!”
He had already been teased by the Japanese public for his summon: KFC, Mos Burger, Toribani…
Ki Jae-hyuk had skillfully hit Ryo’s nerves by referring to his summon like a Japanese chicken brand.
“Sorry… I was just joking. Didn’t know you’d get so mad.”
Ki Jae-hyuk scratched his head apologetically, which only fueled Ryo’s anger.
“You son of a—!”
Crack!
The transcendent chicken pierced the goblins’ hearts, recalled them, and then charged at Ki Jae-hyuk, whose protective barrier had disappeared.
“Ryo, stop!”
Shusuke shouted in panic.
- Cluck cluck!
The excited chicken was already charging at Ki Jae-hyuk!
“Uh… uh?”
Ki Jae-hyuk was baffled.
The match was over, yet Ryo was acting like this. Wasn’t it a crime?
Clearly a violation of international law and attempted murder.
“Tch.”
Baek Jin-woo clicked his tongue while watching.
He raised his hand.
Sweeeek, sweeeek!
The waiting Doldoli sliced the necks of the two transcendent chickens from invisibility as if chopping vegetables.
“Wh-what…”
Ryo’s jaw dropped.
Out of nowhere, something unknown annihilated the buffed transcendent chickens in an instant and disappeared.
A Grim Reaper?
A scythe?
No, whatever it was.
Was that even possible?
The buffed transcendent chickens would have been competitive even against Shusuke.
And that wasn’t all.
Sugeugeok!
The necks of three supporting summons were simultaneously cut.
Then…
Thud, thud.
Baek Jin-woo strode toward Ryo, whose shield had vanished.
His presence was like that of a relentless summon.
“W-wait…”
Wham!
Baek Jin-woo drove his fist into Ryo’s abdomen with full rotational force.
It was so fast and sudden that Ryo couldn’t even summon another creature.
“Gwaaaah!”
The power and elasticity of Baek Jin-woo, honed by daily training under Hoon-gyo, were already superhuman.
Ryo collapsed, vomiting everything he had eaten.
“Ghh…! Wh-what the hell…”
Trembling, he looked at Baek Jin-woo with a wronged expression.
“Was that clause in the contract?”
This bastard.
How dare he touch my disciple?
With a summon, no less.
Baek Jin-woo could not tolerate it.
Shusuke or not.
Ryo threatened his disciple’s life.
Even begging him to stop after two strikes would have been more than enough, yet…
Ignored?
These bastards… unacceptable.
“Hoon-gyo.”
Swoosh!
At Baek Jin-woo’s call, Hoon-gyo appeared.
“That guy, one minute.”
He muttered to Ryo and…
Pa-ah!
A Ki wave shot from Hoon-gyo’s fingers.
“Guaaaaaaaah!”
Ryo’s horrified screams echoed throughout the training field.
