Chapter 320

Words : 2336 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 320 “What exactly happened at the end there?” Finding themselves with a sudden thirty-minute break, the audience either just stayed in their seats or visited the restroom; it was too short to eat a proper meal. And naturally, those who stayed quickly began discussing the match between Jake and Erika. “Well... seeing that Erika was the one who walked out completely fine, doesn’t that mean she won?” The sight was telling—Erika had walked out unscathed, while Jake had been carried out unconscious. Their last exchange had been obscured, but the two’s drastically different conditions left little room for doubt. Yet some in the crowd still offered counterarguments. “That’s not necessarily true. Didn’t the announcer say Erika tampered with the control system? What if she messed with Jake’s barrier?” “Oh, now that you mention it, that could be it.” “Plus, I heard Erika was nearly out of mana, running on empty by the end.” “See? Wouldn’t she only resort to those methods because she was losing? That means Jake technically won.” Both sides had plausible points, creating a delicate balance. And of course, that sparked heated debates among the audience. Hmm... it’s definitely not clear-cut. Passing by, Se-Hoon caught snippets of their conversation and couldn’t help but wear a conflicted expression. Unlike everyone else, he had caught a glimpse of their last exchange. Yet, he still couldn’t decisively say who had won. Based on the outcome alone, Erika deserves the victory... but she did cheat a little. The audience’s suspicion that Erika had tampered with the control system was true, but she didn’t do it to sabotage Jake. At the critical moment of Jake’s attack, Erika had swiftly deactivated a portion of her own barrier, tricking the system into reading it as intact. Taking a direct hit just to protect her barrier and avoid disqualification... what a reckless move. Jake’s attack had struck her upper torso—a blow so lethal that even most A-rank heroes might not have survived. Yet Erika remained standing, and the reason was simple. I’m assuming it’s one of her traits as an artificial lifeform. Although Erika bled like a human and could also feel pain, those were simply illusions produced by magic. She was a magically crafted artificial lifeform, created by the Inoue family to wield their Mythical-tier equipment artifact, Heaven’s Well. Whenever she sustained a critical injury, she was a being who could simply use spells to replace the damaged area and live on as if nothing had happened. If people had seen what she looked like at the very end of the match... Se-Hoon recalled that moment. More than half of Erika’s upper body had been replaced by black mist, radiating a sinister energy. He replayed the scene over and over in his mind. Flap, flap- “Hm?” A black butterfly appeared and fluttered before him, beckoning him to follow. Seeing it, Se-Hoon hesitated before deciding to comply. He wasn’t worried about being recognized, as he was currently disguised using Metamorphosing Dreams, and it seemed like no one noticed the butterfly either. With the butterfly as his guide, Se-Hoon led to a window seat in a cafe within the Hall of Martial Arts. And there, a young man, Ren, awaited him. “Thanks for coming. Do you have a moment to talk?” Ren greeted Se-Hoon with a gentle smile, his rimless glasses reflecting a warm glow. But Se-Hoon just took the seat across from him without replying. “...” A silence lingered between them until, a briefly later, Ren, sipping his tea, broke it. “First, let me express our family’s gratitude. If you hadn’t spoken to the Chairman, we would’ve been in quite some trouble.” From his first words, Ren clearly believed Se-Hoon had intervened in the match between Erika and Jake. Though Se-Hoon neither confirmed nor denied, just listening quietly. “I warned her not to go all out at events like this... but I suppose she thought differently.” Se-Hoon’s mouth remained shut. “Oh, don’t get me wrong—I’m not blaming you. In the end, it was Erika who made the decision.” Ren smiled wryly, glancing at Se-Hoon’s impassive face. “But if this keeps happening, it’s only a matter of time before something serious occurs. If this weren’t within the Hall of Martial Art’s controlled environment, both of them could’ve been gravely injured.” Pausing there, Ren’s gaze lingered on Se-Hoon, as if awaiting a response. But Se-Hoon stayed quiet. “...It looks like you’re not interested in having a long conversation with me.” Ren sighed softly, as though disappointed, and took another sip of tea before cutting the small talk. “Anyway, the point is, we’d like to ask for your help. Could you keep Erika from acting out of line, like she did today?” ...What’s his angle? Ren’s proposal caught Se-Hoon off guard. He had expected the Inoues to tighten their control over Erika. But Ren was essentially granting Se-Hoon full authority over her actions instead? Suspicious, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at Ren, who chuckled awkwardly under his scrutiny. “Oh, don’t worry. We’re not asking you to do it for free. We will ensure you receive fair compensation for your efforts. If you’re skeptical about it, we can even formalize it with a contract.” “...” “It might seem a bit irresponsible on our part, but this is the best choice we can make right now. I hope you’ll understand.” Standing up, Ren looked at Se-Hoon, who hadn’t uttered a word until the end. “Well, I’ll be waiting for your answer.” With that, Ren left the cafe without turning back. Now alone, Se-Hoon stared at the now-empty seat. So he’s seen through me to some extent. Se-Hoon had remained silent throughout the conversation for two reasons. First, as Ren had surmised, he didn’t want a lengthy discussion. Second, he wanted to gauge how much Ren had seen through his disguise. I thought he might’ve deduced my identity from seeing me approach Jake, but his complete lack of suspicion suggests otherwise. If Ren had even the slightest doubt about Se-Hoon’s identity, he would’ve approached more cautiously or delayed the conversation. Just the fact that he had spoken so transparently meant he had seen through Se-Hoon’s Metamorphosing Dreams. It doesn’t seem like he used any spells.... Did he gain some kind of insight from the lessons with the Visionary? Although not as powerful as the powers of the Perfect Ones, Metamorphosing Dreams was still directly derived from the Dream Demon’s skills, making it exceptionally strong. Yet Ren had still seen it—perhaps not completely, but enough to notice something was off. I was disappointed by his lukewarm fight with Aria, but this makes up for it. Reevaluating Ren, Se-Hoon stepped out of the cafe, replaying the proposal in his mind. Giving me the leash instead of controlling her themselves.... Does this mean they can’t control her anymore? But if true, why couldn’t they? The simplest explanation would be that Erika had grown too strong. Though, it was difficult to imagine her overpowering the entire Inoue family even then. Pondering over a reason, Se-Hoon arrived at a plausible conclusion. It’s not that they can’t control her... they just don’t need to. As an artificial lifeform created solely to wield the Heaven’s Well, Erika was driven by an insatiable desire to improve herself. That meant that whatever choice Erika made, it would ultimately lead her toward “perfection.” From the Inoue family’s perspective, there was no reason to stop her. And since I’m covering up any situations where her artificial nature might be exposed to the public, they’re probably just pleased to let things slide on like this. Their interests had intertwined perfectly—Se-Hoon wanting to observe Erika and the Inoue family’s wish to refine her—resulting not in control but in neglectful oversight. It’s not a bad arrangement for me, but... it’s kind of annoying. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being used, and it didn’t help that the Inoue family’s connection to Succession made him uneasy. Annoyed, he was pondering ways to get back at them, when an announcement through the speakers interrupted his thoughts. —The tournament will resume in ten minutes. Dear audience, please return to your seats... Hearing that the tournament would soon resume, Se-Hoon mentally reviewed the upcoming matches. The rest of the matches will probably end in one-sided victories. There’s only one worth watching. He thought about the match between Amir and Aria. Although the final first round match in Group B had just concluded, it wouldn’t be long before the tournament moved on to the second round matches in Group A. With the match he was going to watch decided, Se-Hoon walked straight to Waiting Room 190. Knock, knock- “I’m coming in.” Though there was no answer, Se-Hoon opened the door and stepped inside without hesitation. Inside, standing motionless in the center of the room, Se-Hoon found a young man—Sung-Ha—his back facing the door. “The last match must’ve been exhausting. Mind if I sit?” “...” “Thanks.” Sung-Ha didn’t answer, but since he didn’t object, Se-Hoon took it as permission. Walking past him, Se-Hoon plopped down on the sofa, turned on the TV to the tournament broadcast, and glanced at Sung-Ha. Sung-Ha’s eyes were closed, his twin spears lowered as faint wisps of fire and darkness mana emanated from their blades. And between them, a faint hum was generated by the resonance, filling the room. So he’s practicing how to fine-tune different types of mana... Tuning different elemental mana so that they could resonate effortlessly during combat was an advanced technique. It reminded Se-Hoon of how, before his regression, the Mad Dog had done it habitually before fighting. Just like Sung-Ha was doing now. “When did you start practicing?” “...” “Got anything out of it yet?” “...” “Are you planning to just stand there?” Despite the incessant questions, Sung-Ha gave no response, not even a glance. It made Se-Hoon briefly wonder if Sung-Ha was faking concentration just to nap. “So, Amir versus Aria. Who do you think will win?” Finally, the hum between the spear blades ceased, and Sung-Ha slowly opened his eyes, his expression sour. “Did someone send you here to distract me?” “If someone did, do you think you’d still be standing there? Stop overthinking it and sit. Let’s watch the match together.” “...Tsk.” Seeing Se-Hoon’s gesture to the seat across from him, Sung-Ha retracted his spears and sat down with a click of his tongue. The guy’s already guaranteed a spot in the finals, and he still acts all serious... Se-Hoon chuckled. Though the first round of matches of Group B was still wrapping up, most of the audience had already formed their predictions for the finals. In Group A, Aria had dominated with overwhelming strength. And in Group B, the sole remaining candidate was Sung-Ha, after the elimination of frontrunners Manuel, Erika, and Jake. It’s basically guaranteed to play out that way. While there was a slim chance Amir or Luize could shake up Group A, Group B offered no such chance. Thus, from a logical standpoint, the best use of time would be to analyze Group A’s matches to prepare for the finals. Not that this guy would ever think about preparing that far ahead. The Mad Dog had always chosen the path he believed to be right in the moment, regardless of the future. And although that impulsive and twisted mindset often led to chaos, it occasionally caught demons off guard and proved surprisingly useful. I guess everyone has strengths and weaknesses. And now it’s my job, as a regressor, to manage that balance. As Se-Hoon mused, Sung-Ha broke the silence. “What do you think?” “Hm? What do you mean?” “The question you asked earlier.” Realizing Sung-Ha was referring to Amir and Aria’s match, Se-Hoon thought for a moment before answering, “Aria will win, of course.” “...You’re confident.” “Sounds like you disagree?” Se-Hoon asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aria has the advantage in skill compatibility-wise, but if Amir can exploit a gap, he has a chance. That’s what he’s skilled at, after all.” “Huh. Didn’t expect you to rate Amir so highly.” “It’s an objective assessment.” “Sure, sure. Don’t blush on me now.” “I said it’s objective.” Chuckling at how serious Sung-Ha’s tone was, Se-Hoon changed the topic. “By the way, isn’t your master coming today?” “...He’ll be here tomorrow. He said today’s match wasn’t worth watching.” “Really?” Se-Hoon was a bit surprised. He had assumed Sung-Ha’s master would come watch his disciple fight, given that his condition had improved. Guess he’s only interested in the finals. It felt a bit cold, but considering Sung-Ha’s personality, his master likely hadn’t been overly affectionate even before falling ill. He turned back to the screen. By now, Group B’s first match had ended, and Group A’s second match had just begun. On-screen, Luize stepped into the arena. 「Boom!」「The winner is Luize Valente!」 With just a single spell, Luize’s opponent was eliminated, his body obliterated by Incantation Magic. Now it was time for Amir and Aria. “...” Sung-Ha stared at the two with a serious expression. It’ll be tough for him to win, but... he won’t lose without a fight. Having faced Aria countless times, Sung-Ha could visualize her overwhelming S-rank strength. He began simulating the battle in his mind. 「Begin!」「Boom!」 However, Aria immediately shot forward like a bullet, shattering Sung-Ha’s mental projection in an instant. 「Crack!」 The distinct sound of something breaking echoed from the TV. The result of the match was already decided: Amir stood there, clutching shards of broken ice, while Aria’s blade rested against his neck. “What the...” Sung-Ha’s eyes shot wide open, shocked by the outcome. While in contrast, Se-Hoon remained unfazed, watching with calm detachment. “As expected.”

Chapter 320

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