Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 93
Chapter 93
Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (7)
***
The stadium’s spectator seats were quite noisy.
The association, clans, and media personnel, who had been watching the match between the fresh-faced little kids, were now murmuring in surprised voices.
The result of the match between Joo Jiyeon and Jin Soyeon was quite unexpected.
No one had predicted that the precious gem of OhSung Group would lose.
After all, Joo Jiyeon was exceptionally strong for a trainee. Based solely on her supernatural ability, she was considered better than even active heroes.
But Joo Jiyeon lost? To an unheard-of trainee?
If she had lost to someone like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, Baek Yoorin, Yoo Seolhyun, Sunari, or Yuliya, that would have been one thing, but to lose to a girl no one had heard of before…
Who even was this girl named Jin Soyeon?
From what they’d heard, she was ranked outside the top 200.
“Oh dear, is our Jiyeon’s mental state okay?”
Jasekyung from RaonHills Clan, a subsidiary of OhSung Group, looked down at the arena with worried eyes.
Joo Jiyeon, who was looking blankly into the air before letting out a hollow laugh and lowering her head, seemed utterly pitiful.
Her shoulders trembled as she clenched her fists tightly, clearly feeling deeply frustrated.
Knowing how much effort Joo Jiyeon had put in for this day, Jasekyung could not help but feel sorry for her.
T hi s w a s c op i e d fr o m k i n g m tl . o rg
“To be honest, Joo Jiyeon fought poorly.”
“What did you say?!”
Jeong Haewon from SL Group muttered absentmindedly, and Jasekyung’s ears perked up, her anger flaring like a fire.
How could he say that our Jiyeon fought poorly? What utter nonsense!
That man, Jeong Haewon.
Was he saying that just because his side’s Lee Siwoon had won by decision against Kang Daehan?
“Mr. Jeong Haewon, I think your words are out of line. How can you say Jiyeon fought poorly?”
Jeong Haewon let out a sigh and slowly offered an apology to calm things down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just… a bit disappointing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Joo Jiyeon didn’t need to engage in close combat.”
T h i s w a s copie d f r o m k i n gm t l . org
It would have been better if she had kept her distance and fought.
“When she fought Sunari last time, I remember she kept a wide distance and didn’t allow her to get close.”
“That’s…”
“If she had responded like that, she wouldn’t have lost so easily. It’s just a shame.”
Joo Jiyeon’s supernatural ability was powerful at short, medium, and long range alike.
If she had fully utilized her high-speed movement and flight, keeping as much distance as possible while focusing on long-range attacks, the outcome could have been different.
“From what I saw, that Jin Soyeon girl seemed to have very poor long-range attack capabilities.”
When Jin Soyeon first threw her dagger, it was effortlessly blocked by Joo Jiyeon’s gravity field.
Furthermore, throughout the match, Soyeon continuously braved the gravity to get closer to Joo Jiyeon.
This indicated that Jin Soyeon was severely lacking when it came to long-range attacks.
If Joo Jiyeon had focused solely on avoiding and maintaining distance, like she did against Sunari, even if she couldn’t finish Soyeon, she might have won by decision.
But Joo Jiyeon wasn’t particularly wary of Soyeon closing the distance.
Th is w as c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm tl . o r g
She had been confident that she could win even in close combat.
Besides, it would have hurt her pride to retreat against an unknown girl like Jin Soyeon.
…But that complacency had ultimately led to her defeat.
“This Jin Soyeon girl, is she really ranked outside the top 200? Her movements were quite something. For her to weaken Joo Jiyeon’s gravity ability to that extent, she must have a pretty strong supernatural ability. So why haven’t we heard of her?”
Jeong Haewon quietly reflected on Jin Soyeon.
That girl seemed to have the power to weaken other people’s supernatural abilities.
T h i s wa s c op i ed f r om k i n gmt l .or g
From what little information he could gather, it seemed like her ability involved strengthening or weakening objects that touched her body.
The fact that she had so easily weakened Joo Jiyeon’s powerful gravity ability indicated that she had immense potential.
She should definitely be considered for recruitment by the Mirinae Clan.
This was why Union Academy was so interesting.
Every now and then, these unexpected kids would show startling talent and potential.
It wasn’t for nothing that the academy was called a cradle of future heroes.
“Hmph. It’s just a fluke, a fluke.”
Jasekyung, feeling annoyed by Jeong Haewon’s admiration of Jin Soyeon, grumbled under her breath.
Since our Jiyeon had lost to a nobody like Jin Soyeon, she was bound to face some unpleasant rumors.
Th i s was c o pi ed fro m k i n gmt l. org
That’s why she wasn’t happy about the situation.
But putting personal feelings aside, that girl Jin Soyeon seemed to be quite capable.
It wasn’t just because she had weakened Joo Jiyeon’s ability.
The way she effortlessly dismantled Joo Jiyeon’s high-speed sword attacks at the end, and how she immediately chased after her when she tried to escape using high-speed movement, showed that her movements were far from ordinary.
The sword technique Joo Jiyeon had used, *One Sword Rotation*, was something that even members of the RaonHills Clan admired for its unpredictability and speed.
It wasn’t the kind of attack that could be easily countered by anyone ranked outside the top 10.
But that kid, Jin Soyeon, had openly dismantled it.
The way she dodged by the slimmest of margins reminded her of a certain arrogant, purple-haired girl.
That cocky little girl named Baek Yoorin.
“By the way, it’s almost time, isn’t it?”
“Baek Yoorin’s match?”
Jeong Haewon nodded slowly.
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”
It was an open secret, known to those in the know.
Baek Yoorin was arguably the strongest hero trainee among the freshmen.
Honestly, even if you included the upperclassmen, Baek Yoorin might still be the best.
Baek Yoorin’s skill had clearly surpassed that of an ordinary student.
Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, too, had gone beyond the realm of a student, but thinking of the feats Baek Yoorin had displayed even before entering Union made one wonder how much of a monster she had become by now.
Jeong Haewon had been shocked the first time he saw Baek Yoorin.
Even though he had grown up being called a genius to the point of exhaustion, next to her, he had felt like a frog in a well.
“By the way, I heard Baek Yoorin personally requested a ranking match with a trainee named Lee Jinhyuk?”
“Yes. That surprised me as well.”
Jasekyung nodded in agreement with Jeong Haewon’s words.
Up until now, Baek Yoorin hadn’t shown much interest in things like academy rankings, often breezing through exams.
Entrance exams, practical evaluations, midterms, and so on.
But this ranking match was different.
Not only had she specifically requested Lee Jinhyuk as her opponent, but she had also been training non-stop without leaving the academy for a week.
Which meant this wasn’t just a thoughtless challenge.
Baek Yoorin was taking this match very seriously.
“But why would she request a ranking match with someone like Lee Jinhyuk…?”
Lee Jinhyuk was somewhat famous.
He had been awarded a commendation for defeating a monster during the practical evaluation, helped rescue heroes in a dungeon by supporting the Gaon Nuri Clan, and led his classmates against villains during the midterms. His achievements were considerable.
But if asked whether he was a match for Baek Yoorin, Jasekyung couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.
Because Lee Jinhyuk was incredibly weak.
There were even rumors that he had barely passed the Union entrance exam, ranking near the bottom.
And sure enough, if you looked at his practical scores since joining Union, they were consistently low.
“Given that Baek Yoorin, of all people, personally requested a ranking match, maybe Lee Jinhyuk is hiding something, like Jin Soyeon did?”
“I really hope so.”
Jasekyung shrugged as she recalled Baek Yoorin’s face.
“It would be nice to see that obnoxious little genius have to struggle, even just once.”
Though imagining that monstrous genius struggling against Lee Jinhyuk seemed almost impossible.
***
T h i s w as cop i e d f rom k ingm t l . o r g
In the student waiting room.
“Victory! Did you see? Did you see my glorious victory?”
As soon as the match was over, Soyeon came running over, grinning ear to ear as she showered everyone with self-praise.
The way she was acting was a bit over the top.
With her nose in the air and her hands on her hips, she was reminiscent of the confident Soyeon from the past.
Although things had been a bit awkward between us since the confession incident, Soyeon didn’t seem embarrassed or bothered by it anymore.
…Or maybe she was purposely acting like everything was fine.
She probably didn’t want things to be awkward.
“Oh, I fear my own talent! My immense stren—Kyaa?!”
“Jin Soyeon! I knew you could do it! You’re my hero! Haha, the underdog wins! I was right to bet on you!”
“Oh my gosh, Soyeon, what happened? How are you so strong all of a sudden?”
“Wow. You actually beat Joo Jiyeon? Jin Soyeon, you might be on par with me, or even better!”
The classmates who had been watching the match suddenly rushed over to Soyeon, hoisting her up and cheering.
Soyeon screamed in surprise, “Kyaa!” but they seemed even happier than she was.
Soyeon was definitely popular, that was for sure.
“Hyah?!”
*Thud!*
T h i s wa s co p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl .o r g
She hit her head on the ceiling.
They had thrown her too high.
As expected of hero trainees. They were seriously strong.
“You… you guys…”
“Oh, uh, sorry!”
“Hey, hey. I said throw her gently.”
“Oops, I’ll take my leave now.”
As soon as Soyeon landed on the ground and glared at them, the others let out awkward coughs and quickly scattered.
Soyeon sighed deeply and walked over to me.
“Ugh, my head…”
“You fought well, Soyeon.”
Although I had been a bit uncertain, the match had made one thing clear.
She had the potential I had suspected.
Of course, her skill level and raw power seemed a bit lacking, but with just what she’d shown today, she should be able to hold her own against villains.
“I knew you’d win.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah. There was a sports betting site, so I bet on you. The odds were insane.”
“…It wasn’t illegal, was it?”
T h is w a s cop ied fro m k in g m t l . o r g
“Nope, it’s legal. Approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. You know, like horse racing or Kangwon Land… There’s a lot of controversy about how they’re using student matches for profit, though.”
The downside was that since it was a legal betting platform, my winnings were a bit disappointing.
“Oh, wow! Jin Soyeon! How did you…?!”
At that moment, Sunari interrupted.
She was pointing at Soyeon with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t believe the outcome.
“Sunari? Were you cheering for me?”
“No? He bet on your opponent.”
“What?! Sunari! I’m hurt!”
“I told you not to call me that!”
As Soyeon and Sunari bickered like usual.
– Contestants from G Group, matches 11 through 20, please enter the arena.
“Ah. Is it my turn already?”
My match was coming up.
A duel against Baek Yoorin.
Honestly, I was feeling pretty nervous.
“What are you going to do, Jinhyuk?”
“What do you mean?”
Yoo Seolhyun, who had been quiet until now, suddenly approached and asked me softly. What did she mean by that?
I looked at her, confused, but Seolhyun just stared back at me with an unreadable expression.
I shrugged and answered.
“I’m going to try my best… but, well, I won’t lose.”
“Hmm? Is that so?”
Seolhyun gave me a somewhat meaningful look, then smiled.
“So, you plan to lose?”
No?
I said I would try my best.
In the end, I’d probably lose, though.
Honestly, how could I beat Baek Yoorin?
I wasn’t even sure if I could last a minute against her.
But there was something strange about the nuance in Seolhyun’s words.
It was as if she thought I was planning to lose on purpose.
Was it just my imagination?
“Jinhyuk.”
“Ah.”
Lee Siwoon approached me.
He had won his ranking match against Kang Daehan by decision.
Siwoon had gone to the infirmary for treatment due to his injuries, but it seemed he had finally returned after receiving basic care.
“Baek Yoorin is strong.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Siwoon said that one sentence and then went quiet.
As if that alone was enough.
– Contestants from G Group, matches 11 through 20, please hurry to the arena.
“Looks like it’s time for you to go, Jinhyuk.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
No more time to delay.
I listened to Soyeon’s words and hurried toward the battlefield.
“Jinhyuk, good luck! If it looks like you’re going to get hurt, don’t be stubborn! Just surrender right away!”
I smiled wryly at her not-quite-encouraging words as I entered the battlefield.
In the distance, I saw a girl with purple hair walking toward me.
Wearing two swords at her waist, it was Baek Yoorin.
“…Lee Jinhyuk.”
Baek Yoorin gazed at me with calm eyes.
“…This time, it won’t end as easily as before.”
“I told you, I wasn’t the one. You’ve got the wrong person.”
“…Maybe, maybe not. But.”
Baek Yoorin slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her expression cold as she spoke in a low voice.
“…We’ll know once our swords meet. Swords don’t lie.”
“You really don’t listen to people, do you?”
“Talking with swords… is enough, isn’t it?”
“You’ve got a seriously annoying personality.”
I sighed inwardly.
To be fair, I was also somewhat looking forward to this duel, so I didn’t really mind.
But it didn’t change the fact that Baek Yoorin’s stubborn, one-track mind was frustrating to deal with.
“Both of you, to your positions.”
Baek Yoorin and I followed the referee’s instructions and took our places.
We stood about 60-70 meters apart.
Soon, we both assumed our fighting stances, staring each other down.
– All contestants, please take your places. The G Group matches are about to begin.
“Alright then… 3, 2, 1.”
As the referee counted down, I thought to myself.
Over the past week, I had managed to get ahold of some of Baek Yoorin’s past match videos and analyzed them thoroughly.
I studied her movement patterns, habits, techniques, weaknesses, and flaws.
I had spent sleepless nights going over various data and memories from my past life.
As a result, I had come up with a few countermeasures.
Of course, since the videos were a bit old, there might be some differences compared to her current skill level, but still, I had the experience of fighting Lee Siwoon.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gmt l . o rg
If I focused solely on defense, I should be able to hold out for a little while.
“…Begin!”
As soon as the referee gave the signal, I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly.
‘Alright, for now, I’ll observe Baek Yoorin’s opening moves and focus on dodging and defending…’
“You didn’t even blink an eye…?”
In an instant.
“Huh?”
I realized that a blade was already in front of me.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r om ki ngm t l .or g
“…Did you sense that I wasn’t planning to stab you?”
Too shocked to even blink, I stood frozen.
I cautiously shifted my gaze and realized Baek Yoorin had already closed the distance, crouching slightly as she held her sword right in front of my eyes.
Wait, what the hell?
“Or…”
Baek Yoorin suddenly lowered her sword and leaped back, a look of confusion on her face.
“…Is it because you knew stabbing you would be pointless?”
End of Chapter.
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