Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54: Education Project (1)
Dark horse.
Appearance of the underdog.
A flower bloomed in a place no one expected, and that flower took root deeper into people's hearts than thought.
"Jin-ho, fighting!"
"We're cheering for you!"
"So cool!"
Waves of support bursting from here and there in the spectator stands.
Just like miraculously tying the score in extra time in a soccer game where the winner seemed already decided, the gymnasium had heated up before anyone knew it.
A completely different atmosphere from when the main event first started.
And now the match was extra time of extra time.
It was rushing towards the climax everyone was waiting for.
"Quarterfinals (Round of 8) last match, Kang Tae-wook wins with overwhelming skill, and all semifinal match-ups are decided!"
The Master of ceremonies' clear shout rang through the gymnasium, and soon after, 4 faces appeared on the electronic display board.
Kang Tae-wook, Lee Gang-cheol, Cha Jin-hyeok.
And.
An unexpected event.
"Crazy......."
"Jin-ho went up to the semifinals!"
"This is an incident!"
"Does this make sense?"
Next to the 3 Special Management Students in Taewoon High.
Jin-ho's photo, which no one expected, was side by side.
It wasn't just the students who were surprised.
The VIP seats also stirred.
"Iya, admirable, our Jin-ho."
Among them, the one reacting the loudest was Lee Si-wang wearing sunglasses.
"You really seem like the Assistant Homeroom Teacher?"
"Let him be. But......."
As Secretary Kim chatted, Cho Sang-geun turned his head towards Yoo jin.
Yoo jin was riding on Jin-ho's back along with the students.
"It is amazing though. To raise a D-Rank up to here."
"I know, right."
Cho Sang-geun and Secretary Kim's gazes headed towards Yoo jin.
Yoo jin laughing like a young child.
One couldn't tell who was the teacher and who was the student.
Then.
Yoo jin shouted something even while looking at Kang Tae-wook who was far away, but Kang Tae-wook turned his head sharply.
Smiles formed on the faces of Cho Sang-geun and Secretary Kim watching that scene.
However.
One man watching the same scene but making a completely different expression.
Kang Yu was making a subtle expression.
Seemingly emotionless, yet with a chilly wind dwelling within.
"Don't worry."
Kang Si-wook, who was sitting right next to Vice President Kang Yu, spoke up.
"Even if he looks like that, he is the king among weaklings. There is no way Tae-wook will lose."
"Was that an expression to hear such words?"
"Well, if not, never mind."
Father and son not even making eye contact.
Kang Si-wook shrugged his shoulders, then looked at his younger brother.
"There's no way he'll lose. Well, if he seems like he'll lose...... he just has to use that."
Looking at Kang Tae-wook who couldn't mingle with other children alone.
Kang Si-wook showed a fishy smile.
Semifinals (Round of 4).
Match 1.
Kang Tae-wook vs Lee Gang-cheol
The names and photos of the championship candidates hung on the huge electronic display board.
"Waaaaaa!!"
From before the start of the match, the spectator stands were on the verge of explosion.
Shouts poured out at the appearance of Student Council President Lee Gang-cheol, and girl fans jumped up and down.
On the other hand, Kang Tae-wook stood silently in the middle of the stadium.
"......."
The buzzing of the spectators was eaten by tinnitus.
As if suffering from a cold and body aches, his mind was melting down.
Kang Tae-wook's vision was blurrier than usual.
Even amidst that.
He saw clearly.
'What is so happy?'
Even though he entered the stadium, that unlucky face still waving hands and doing fan service to fans and spectators.
Why are you laughing, you.
Why are you waving your hand, as if you are the protagonist.
'When you are weak.'
As if he had entered the middle of a typhoon, his ears were deaf, vision blocked, and mind distant.
Kang Tae-wook forgot that this was the special gymnasium of Taewoon High, and even that it was a stadium inside it.
Just.
'Don't stand in front of me.'
'When you are weak.'
He was only waiting to stab the opponent with only the rage gnawing at his reason.
The moment he tried to strike the opponent's neck with the cold sword in his head like that.
"......."
Over the dark figure in his blurry vision.
The face of smiling Jin-ho floated up.
For a moment, Kang Tae-wook's mind, which had been thrown into the typhoon, cleared.
And.
All of Kang Tae-wook's senses disappeared.
"Where are you looking?"
Just in time, Lee Gang-cheol opened his mouth.
It had to be so.
Because it was clearly visible in Lee Gang-cheol's eyes.
Kang Tae-wook's gaze, whose eyes were directed at him, but wasn't looking at him.
"I don't know if you are the best talent or what. A guy who can't even see the opponent in front of his eyes......."
Behind Lee Gang-cheol's voice, the referee's hand went up.
Instantly, the metal all over the stadium fluctuated.
"Uwah!"
"W, what is happening?"
Screams rang out from here and there in the spectator stands at the vibration that felt like an earthquake occurred.
Rattle rattle―.
The source of the vibration was not the ground.
Steel floor, sculptures, even the spectator stand fences.
Everything made of metal was shaking as if possessing life.
And those metals were gathering to one place following Lee Gang-cheol's hand gesture.
"T, that, what is that!"
Behind the voice heard from the spectator stands.
Thousands of eyes headed to the air.
Colorful metals gathered in the sky above the stadium and created a form like a single living organism.
A metal fist of enormous size like a giant's fist.
Lee Gang-cheol smiled looking at his ability.
Then he continued the words he couldn't finish earlier.
"Cannot reach true strength. So...... You lose to me."
Lee Gang-cheol, who smiled a smile of victory, moved the finger he was holding in the air.
Swish!
Lowered it down.
"Torrent of Iron."
Giant's fist.
A flood of metal was swallowing Kang Tae-wook.
However, even if a shadow fell where he was standing, and a rain of metal poured over his head.
Kang Tae-wook showed no movement.
Like that, the moment it seemed the match would end one-sidedly.......
"Don't babble as you please."
The Student Council President's eyes shook.
"It wasn't that I didn't see, but because there was no need to see."
Kang Tae-wook's eyes shone blue.
Crack!
Boom!!
Everything in the stadium was covered in ice.
Naturally.
Together with the huge iron fist and Lee Gang-cheol making a surprised expression.
The air froze, and the iron froze.
Even the victory he thought he caught for a moment.
There was no expected brawl.
It was just, a perfect crushing.
Kang Tae-wook's Unique Skill brought down the Student Council President, who was called the strongest of Taewoon High, in one shot like that.
"What is this......."
"Is the Student Council President that weak?"
"He's not weak. Kang Tae-wook is too...... strong."
The spectator stands were engulfed in silence.
Not a single person could make a sound.
A match that ended too futilely in an instant.
The finals seen in advance.
The best match-up.
A fight of the strong that seemed like it would be full of tremendous brawls and spectacles.
However.
"The class is different......."
A difference visible even to the eyes of ordinary people.
It was Kang Tae-wook who was called the strongest A-Rank in talent.
Natural-type Unique Skill called the strongest, among them, a holder of a natural-type skill in the celestial rank.
But even so.
"Is he really A-Rank?"
"That, no matter who looks......."
The buzzing of the spectator stands moved to the VIP seats.
Cracks occurred even on the expressions of the VIPs including Cho Sang-geun.
And for the first time.
Kang Yu's eyes looking at his son shook very slightly.
Clap clap clap!
"Wow! What is it, Kang Tae-wook. This is a bit unexpected?"
Kang Si-wook standing up from his seat while even clapping.
Interest completely different from before was engraved on his face.
"This is completely......."
The expression of Kang Si-wook who was smiling cooled down coldly.
"Doesn't seem like A-Rank."
"Emergency team quickly!"
"Hurry!"
Sounds ringing in the stadium where Kang Tae-wook went down.
Personnel waiting in white gowns flocked around Lee Gang-cheol trapped in ice.
And a few personnel came in anew and were clearing up the iron pieces frozen in the air just as they were.
"I knew he was strong, but......."
"Still, it wasn't to this extent......."
Corner of the stadium.
Voices were heard from the place where Year 2 Class A was gathered.
Ye-na and Seong-hyeon.
They still couldn't close their mouths at the disaster unfolded before their eyes.
They just didn't say it, but other students were the same.
Everyone couldn't close their mouths, their gazes stolen by the ice that froze even the air.
Even Chan-sol and Min-jun, who prided themselves on being close to Kang Tae-wook, were dumbfounded and hardened like stone.
Because they also saw it for the first time.
Such power of Kang Tae-wook.
No, Kang Tae-wook who gave his all this much.
"......."
"......."
When all Year 2 Class A students had their gazes stolen by the stadium that returned to the Ice Age.
"Mm....... What is it? Why suddenly even that guy......."
Unlike the children.
Yoo jin, surprised by something else, was stroking his chin.
It had to be so.
Buzz buzz buzz―.
Around Kang Tae-wook's body.
Because the orange Demonic Energy flowing out thickly was clearly visible.
Why on earth?
It wasn't felt at all before.......
"......."
Whether it is resonance.
Or he originally had it, I don't know but.
"This...... is big trouble......."
Yoo jin, looking at Kang Tae-wook, scratched his head.
After the maintenance of the stadium ended quickly.
The remaining semifinal match followed.
Cha Jin-hyeok vs Jin-ho.
Jin-ho caught his breath and stepped forward.
The one who welcomed him was Taewoon High Year 3, one of the Special Management Students, a combat-specialized defense-type ability holder, Cha Jin-hyeok.
"Will be fun."
Cha Jin-hyeok looked down at Jin-ho and rotated his neck.
Bones cracked.
A simple ability introduction popped up on the electronic display board.
[Cha Jin-hyeok]
Rank: A
Unique Skill: Reflect Field (Reflects some damage)
"You will also get hit as much as you hit, will you be okay?"
At Jin-hyeok's words, Jin-ho answered.
"Yes, Senior. I will be careful not to get hit!"
Grin.
Cha Jin-hyeok smiled at the bold junior's appearance.
English visible largely on the electronic display board.
[Jin-ho]
Rank: D
Unique Skill: Blue Flame
D-Rank.
D-Rank.......
"Start!"
At that moment, the start signal rang.
Dash!
Jin-ho moved.
Fast and low movement.
On the other hand, Jin-hyeok only fixed his posture and did not leave that spot.
He was an ability holder whose defense was soon offense.
Jin-ho's toe grazed the floor creating elasticity.
The angle was low.
Body movement aiming for the flank, not a frontal breakthrough.
At that moment.
Thud!
Jin-ho's kick hit Jin-hyeok's side.
"Keuk......!"
But the next moment, a transparent wave popped out.
Reflect Field.
Jin-ho's body bounced back just like that.
"Uh......."
Jin-ho rolled on the floor and corrected his posture.
Jin-hyeok sniffled and laughed.
"This is why people avoid me."
At the same time, Jin-hyeok's whole body shone faintly.
A button-type talisman attached to his chest shone as if bursting, and his muscles expanded abnormally.
Jin-ho inhaled breath.
He didn't ignore the difference in power.
But that was only the standard of this world.
'Recall, the training done inside the gourd.'
He ran again.
Curve, not straight line.
Jin-hyeok threw a punch.
Weight that seemed to break a wall.
But Jin-ho twisted his waist and dug under it.
Woosh―.
Closer, even closer.
Woosh―.
Jin-hyeok's huge fist grazed right in front of Jin-ho's nose.
And the moment Jin-ho, whose physique was small, took a step between Cha Jin-hyeok's legs.
Flames rose on Jin-ho's body.
"Uh......."
Before Jin-hyeok could even frown, Jin-ho's right hand lodged into his abdomen.
Flare!
Sparks flew.
And.
This time, the Reflect Field could not react.
"Phew....... Fortunately, it can't reflect this."
Jin-hyeok knelt.
"What D-Rank......."
Only whites filled Cha Jin-hyeok's eyes whose corners of the mouth were lifted.
"I won!"
"Waaaaaa!!"
Cheers burst out from the spectator stands.
"It's the finals!"
"A D-Rank beat an A-Rank and went up to the finals!"
"Jin-ho! Jin-ho!"
The reporters were also surprised.
"Zoom!"
"Hey! Did you shoot it well?!"
"Wow, it was good I came instead of Senior!"
"It's a scoop! A D-Rank beat an A-Rank!"
Reporters who were now giving more interest to Jin-ho, not Kang Tae-wook.
Rebellion of the underdog.
A dark horse went up all the way to the finals.
That too, a D-Rank defeated an A-Rank, no, the Special Management Student who is the pride of the prestigious Taewoon High.
"What on earth is that child's identity?!"
"What is important about identity, now. It's already a scoop!"
The eyes of directors holding cameras and reporters shone with madness.
This was no longer a talent show of talented kids.
It was a big scoop that would shake the Republic of Korea, no, the Awakened world.
Well, the protagonist Jin-ho was distracted by another place.
"Finally......."
Clench.
It took long.
Too long.
Jin-ho's gaze headed to Kang Tae-wook.
Whether he was already looking, Kang Tae-wook's gaze was heading towards him.
Even so.
He didn't avoid it.
Rather.
Grin.
He laughed.
The one who always saved him.
The one he always wanted to follow.
'Teacher.'
Making the same expression as Yoo jin who pulled him out of hell.
"I barely reached you, Tae-wook."
Really, like Yoo jin's words, a movie-like final match board was laid out.