Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Battle Survival (2)

Eventually, some time passed.

“…Phew. That was exhausting.”

I wiped the sweat trickling down my temple and cautiously surveyed my surroundings.

There, I saw a group of kids lying on the dirt ground, looking like a ragged mess. Each of them seemed to have ended up in a miserable state, their situations clearly not good.

One had stepped on a mine and exploded(?), another was hanging unconscious from a snare, and then there was…

“Ugh, ugh… J-Jinhyuk, you… you…”

Kim Yuseong.

Not far away, Kim Yuseong was breathing heavily, glaring at me with hostile eyes like a trapped beast.

But it seemed he couldn’t move. His body wasn’t responding to his commands. He looked like he desperately wanted to stand up, but he couldn’t budge an inch.

It was only natural. A greenish, sticky substance was clinging to his entire body, restraining his movements.

‘Well, that’s what happens when you’re hot-headed. A few taunts and he charges at me like a wild boar.’

An enraged Kim Yuseong tried to bulldoze through the minefield recklessly.

Sure, with his tough body and special abilities, he might have managed to withstand it somehow.

But Yuseong, you shouldn’t have assumed that all the mines were just explosive. I even laid down binding mines specifically for someone like you.

T hi s w a s c o pi e d from k i n g m t l . o r g
“Wasn’t that a bit too reckless? You’re no Sunari. Charging in blindly was kind of stupid.”

“Ugh, J-Jinhyuk, you—”

Th i s w a s c o pi ed f r o m kin g m t l . or g
“And that’s why you ended up getting bound and treated like a target.”

Taking down the now immobile Kim Yuseong wasn’t difficult.

All I had to do was shoot arrows at his vital spots from a distance.

No matter how tough Kim Yuseong was, it was impossible for him to endure magic arrows for long.

Besides, he had already stepped on several explosive mines, accumulating damage.

If it were someone like Sunari with an extreme body enhancement ability, it might have been different, but at Kim Yuseong’s level, he wouldn’t be able to last for long.

“Well then, sleep tight, Yuseong.”

“W-Wait! Wait a sec, Jinhyuk—kwek?!”

“Ah, whatever.”

I raised my practice sword high and slammed the flat of the blade against Kim Yuseong’s head with all my might.

With a satisfying clang, Kim Yuseong let out a short death throe, his head wobbling for a moment before his eyes rolled back, and he slumped forward.

It seemed like he had passed out.

‘Kim Yuseong and two others… Well, I managed to take them down somehow.’

If it had been a fair fight, I would never have won.

But by using various traps and items, I was able to defeat them. If they were active heroes, these tricks wouldn’t have worked, but the students were still just hero trainees.

‘Good, now let’s take their points.’

I approached the unconscious kids and manipulated their smart watches to steal the points they had.

I managed to obtain a total of 300 points.

Since all the trainees start with 100 points each, I now had 400 points.

‘Should I press the elimination button to completely retire them, or should I hold off?’

I pondered for a moment but soon shook my head.

Security officers or instructors might come here and question the traces of the activated traps.

I had no choice but to hold off on eliminating them for now.

Well, that’s good for you, Yuseong. Since it’s the first day, if you try hard enough afterward, you might avoid failing.

I mused to myself with some pointless thoughts, then stretched my back with a wry smile.

Hmm… I’ve caused too much of a commotion in one place for too long.

The forest had echoed with loud explosions repeatedly. Some of the other kids might have heard it. They could already be on their way.

‘I should get out of here before I’m discovered by other kids.’

Now that my business here was done, I decided to make a quick exit.

Most of the traps I had set up around here had been used up, so if I ran into other students, it would be very dangerous.
T h i s w a s c op ie d f r o m kin g m t l . or g

Although I was confident I could escape to the next trap-laden area.

‘I hope I can run into Soyeon quickly.’

Although the forest was vast, the initial positions assigned after teleportation were determined by the order of entry.

In other words, if I knew the entry order of the key characters, I could roughly guess where they were positioned.

Based on what I knew about the entry order, there was a high possibility that Jin Soyeon, Lee Siwoon, Roxanne, and other key figures were in the vicinity of Area B-1.

By considering their movement speed and range of action over time, I could make a more accurate guess about their locations.

If I used the illegally smuggled satellite map and portable radar from my Space Ring, it would be even easier to pinpoint their positions.

‘If I meet Soyeon, I could ask her to cooperate.’

Soyeon would be an excellent ally.

She had good abilities and wasn’t the type to betray others.

And if I allied with Soyeon, there might be a chance to recruit Lee Siwoon if we ran into him.

Lately, things had been a bit awkward between Soyeon and Siwoon, but no matter what, it’s unlikely that Siwoon would recklessly attack her.

If Soyeon persuaded him well, we could probably form an alliance with Siwoon.

Hmm.

If I could team up with Soyeon and Siwoon, this exam would be a breeze.

T h i s w a s c op ie d fr om k i n gm t l .o rg
‘Well, things probably won’t go that smoothly… but you never know, right?’

I took a sip of kimchi soup in my imagination and slowly started walking.

And just then.

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

From afar, a man’s voice calling my name echoed through the rustling bushes, as if gripping my ankles.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g

Ah, who’s here already?

I clicked my tongue inwardly and slowly turned toward the source of the voice. I didn’t know who it was, but it didn’t matter. I had an escape item, so I was confident I could flee to the next trap-laden area.

…As long as it wasn’t a monster like Lee Siwoon.

Lee Siwoon.

T h is w as co p ie d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
There was a high probability he was nearby.

But seriously, what are the chances I’d run into him?

Right?

“Did you do all this?”

From a distance.

A man stepped lightly through the underbrush, his gaze questioning.

“Kim Yuseong… shouldn’t have been someone you could defeat.”

With sharp eyes reminiscent of the cold Northern winds and blue hair, the handsome man slowly parted his lips as he looked at me.

“Not just Kim Yuseong, but the other kids too…”

The male student glanced at the fallen kids and then spoke to me in a low voice.

“…It looks like you used traps or something. I’d better not let my guard down.”

Lee Siwoon, holding a practice sword, was staring at me with calm eyes and a cold expression.

No way, it’s really Lee Siwoon?

Why does it have to be him?

I just realized that I was completely screwed.

And for good reason—there were only a couple of traps left in this area, and I had no chance of winning if I fought that guy directly.

Escaping would also be difficult.

Someone as skilled as Lee Siwoon would definitely send a Sword Qi Wounder flying at me the moment I turned my back.

***

Lee Siwoon.

The male protagonist who represents the Romance Hero Academy.

He was one of the undisputed top geniuses and a so-called growth-type character who became stronger the more danger he faced.

A good background, outstanding appearance, exceptional talent, powerful special abilities…

He had every advantage and was destined to face countless trials and tribulations alongside Jin Soyeon as her ally.

Lee Siwoon was the other protagonist of Romance Hero Academy.

Unlike me.

‘Of all times, I had to run into Lee Siwoon when most of my traps were used up. This is bad…’

In terms of talent, ability, appearance, and background, I couldn’t compare to Lee Siwoon in any way.

At best, I was just a character created to be bullied by NPCs and then quietly exit the stage as a sacrificial lamb.

I didn’t even have anything to lean on.

“I’ve actually been curious about your skills since the practical assessment.”

Lee Siwoon tilted his practice sword at a slight angle toward me.

“After your arrow hit the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey, its movements noticeably slowed.”

If Lee Siwoon swung that sword, it would turn as sharp as any blade.

“The other kids seemed to overlook it, but Yoo Seolhyun was watching you closely.”

“…She was?”

“Yoo Seolhyun once said that underestimating you could lead to trouble.”

T h i s wa s co p i e d fr o m ki n g mt l. o r g
“Yoo Seolhyun said that?”

T his was c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mt l . o r g
Seriously, what has Yoo Seolhyun been saying?
T h is w a s c op ie d f r o m k in g m t l . or g

“I found it strange when she insisted on taking you to the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon. No matter how good you are at strategy and tactics, you’re still just a trainee.”

Well, that’s true.

“Your strategic abilities alone don’t explain everything.”

He was right.

Even if I were in Lee Siwoon’s shoes, I’d find it odd.

Taking a mere trainee to a dungeon where even pro heroes had failed.

“I figured you were hiding something. And Yoo Seolhyun must have noticed, which is why she took you along.”

No, it’s just that Yoo Seolhyun mistakenly thought I had a future vision ability, so she took me along…

“The Yoo Seolhyun I know dislikes incompetent people. But seeing how close she is to you, I have some ideas.”

“No, that’s…”

“The tactical prowess you’ve shown in this exam was certainly impressive, but that alone doesn’t explain how you dealt a critical blow to the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey.”

Even if I said it was because I knew the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey’s weak spot, he wouldn’t believe me, right? And even if he did, he’d probably ask how I knew about its weak spot, and I wouldn’t have an answer.

Moreover, if I told him that its weak spot was something like an allergy to apples, he’d probably think, ‘Is this guy making fun of me?’…

“So I was curious if you were hiding something else.”

T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m ki n gmtl.o rg
“Lee Siwoon.”

His resolve seemed to be firmed up as he looked at me with eyes full of hostility.

“And whether you’re someone worthy of being by Soyeon’s side.”

“Hey? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Well, it’s just my personal opinion, Lee Jinhyuk. So…”

With a lofty voice, he declared.

“…Take up your bow, Lee Jinhyuk. Let’s have a match.”

End of Chapter.