Chapter 23: Her Cold Expression.

However, it seemed my muttering didn’t reach Moon Cheol-woong’s ears.

Moon Cheol-woong held Lee Hyun-seung’s wallet, shaking it mockingly from side to side.

“Why? Why do you keep staring at me?”

Judging by Moon Cheol-woong’s reaction, he was fully aware that the wallet he was holding belonged to Lee Hyun-seung.

There could be various possibilities—Lee Hyun-seung might have dropped his wallet by accident, or perhaps Moon

Cheol-woong had taken it without him noticing, or maybe it was pure coincidence that he picked it up. Although

these possibilities existed, the real issue lay elsewhere. The real problem was that Moon Cheol-woong was

deliberately provoking Lee Hyun-seung.

The most likely reason, of course, was the incident where Lee Hyun-seung had humiliated him by sweeping him off his feet in class.

Lee Hyun-seung looked at Moon Cheol-woong’s ridiculous behavior, finding it absurd, and thought to himself.

‘What exactly is he relying on to act so boldly?’

If they were to go one-on-one, it was obvious that someone of Moon Cheol-woong’s level wouldn’t even stand a

chance against him. Most importantly, hadn’t Sung Hyun-wook, a member of Class A, also lost to him even while

using sword energy? It was absurd to think that someone like Moon Cheol-woong, struggling in Class F, could

possibly defeat him.

But that’s only from the perspective of someone who knows the whole story.

The battle between Lee Hyun-seung and Sung Hyun-wook had taken place in front of a few members from Class A, and word hadn’t spread yet.

And it was clear that it wouldn’t become a rumor in the future, either.

‘There’s no way he’d go around bragging about losing to a gunmage.’

Sung Hyun-wook was from Class A, while Lee Hyun-seung was now in Class F and even a gunmage. For a

swordsman to lose to someone like that would be a disgrace among disgraces. His pride was so strong that he

wouldn’t let it slip, even if he got beaten half to death, and there was no way his cronies who witnessed it would go

around talking about it either.

‘And with Han Bo-eun’s personality, it doesn’t seem like she’d be the type to spread it around…’

At that time, the only “outsider” present at the battle between Lee Hyun-seung and Sung Hyun-wook had been Han

Bo-eun from Class F. Her personality leaned more toward keeping to herself rather than spreading others’ business,

though she was a bit absent-minded.

‘Haa…’

After putting everything together, he could understand why small-timers like Moon Cheol-woong felt emboldened to act up in front of him.

It’s because they didn’t know.

This guy had no idea how strong Lee Hyun-seung was. Even though he had a rivalry with Yoo Hee-yeon in Class A,

he hadn’t actually shown his full power. Furthermore, there were rumors that Jeong Eun-seo and Nam Jin-seok were

somehow connected to him, but compared to Yoo Hee-yeon’s guild, Artemis, they weren’t a big deal.

To Moon Cheol-woong, Lee Hyun-seung seemed like easy prey. With Yoo Hee-yeon’s parents being part of the

Artemis guild, this could be his chance to show off his abilities. Currently, Lee Hyun-seung and Yoo Hee-yeon were

in a hostile situation, which basically put Lee Hyun-seung and the Artemis guild at odds.

Moon Cheol-woong probably thought he’d gain recognition or even a favorable evaluation if someone else, like him,

stepped up to handle Lee Hyun-seung without the guild having to get involved. That’s the type of opportunist Moon

Cheol-woong was.

‘He must’ve thought that’s why he tripped me as soon as he entered the class. Damn it… I didn’t even do anything.’

Although frustration rose within him, Lee Hyun-seung decided to hold back. There were too many watching eyes around.

Lee Hyun-seung responded calmly.

“That wallet is mine, so give it back.”

Moon Cheol-woong smirked as he spun the wallet around in his hands and replied.

“What makes you say this wallet is yours? Did you write your name on it? Or did you cover it with mana or something? There’s no proof it’s yours—no proof at all.”

Clench

Moon Cheol-woong had a point. He couldn’t confidently claim that the wallet was really his. While it looked similar on the outside, on the inside, there was the possibility it wasn’t his wallet but actually Moon Cheol-woong’s.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, it was likely my wallet, but there was still a one percent chance of an exception.

Even if it was my wallet, if I just punched this thief in the face, we’d both end up suspended; there’s no way they’d

consider it self-defense.

My patience began to wear thin.

It wasn’t because he had done something impressive. It was because Moon Cheol-woong’s expression was more

infuriating than I had imagined.

He was turning his head this way and that with a ridiculous expression, as if he were a monkey or a chimpanzee,

mocking me. Just standing there, he had a face that made me want to punch him, especially while waving someone

else’s wallet around; it felt strange to remain calm.

“This fucking bastard…”

Unable to hold back, Lee Hyun-seung cursed, and Moon Cheol-woong, as if he had been waiting for this moment, replied.

“Wow… so scary! Not only are you trying to drag me down, but now you’re cursing at me? That’s brave. Why don’t

you just hit me? Go on, give me a good smack to the face and get suspended again. Come on, try it!”

He poked his own face with his finger, taunting me.

‘Don’t hit him.’

In the academy, injuries or damages during one-on-one duels were not punishable. Duels were one of the essential

means of developing practical combat skills, primarily because they were mutual agreements to engage in combat. Of

course, if someone were to tear off an arm or cause a disability, that would lead to severe punishment. For as long as

it’s called a ‘duel,’ it had to fit within certain parameters.

This meant that as long as you stayed within appropriate boundaries, you could legally beat the crap out of someone.

‘Should I naturally provoke a duel and then beat him up?’

Lee Hyun-seung thought to himself but quickly shook his head.

‘There will be more guys like him acting tough in the future. If I have to duel each one of them, it would not only waste my stamina but also leak a lot of information about me.’

Currently, the only thing known about Lee Hyun-seung within the academy was that he was a gunmage.

However, losing control and fighting Sung Hyun-wook might have revealed that he possessed a gunmage job of epic grade or higher.

If one battle could reveal this much, there’s no telling what more fights could expose.

‘There’s still time before the annihilation battle.’

The class annihilation battle, where classes clash with each other, and the preliminary selection to choose

representatives from each class. In both these preliminary competitions, it was overwhelmingly advantageous to

remain relatively unknown.

Lee Hyun-seung had nearly all the information about his opponents. In contrast, the opponents knew almost

nothing about him. No, they were even complacent. They underestimated him, thinking he was just a weak and

foolish gunmage.

In battles between the weak and the strong, when the strong lose, arrogance or complacency usually plays a

significant role. Even Lee Hyun-seung’s job was of a higher grade—’legendary’ compared to others.

‘With the advantage of a legendary-grade job, I can further exploit the disparity in information to secure an overwhelming victory.’

The reason why it was crucial to win decisively in the class annihilation battle was simple.

To instill greater despair in Yoo Hee-yeon and to make other guilds aware of Lee Hyun-seung’s existence.

‘The class annihilation battle is one of the large-scale events that other guilds will observe.’

The class annihilation battle is one of the largest events within Broad Academy. It doesn’t just feature one or two

students; all students from every class participate in combat, providing high-ranking guilds with a great opportunity

to scout potential recruits at a glance.

Not only individual capabilities but also leadership, crisis management skills, and how they utilize their jobs can all

be assessed. Just by observing the class annihilation battle, high-ranking guilds can thoroughly gauge whether the

students align with their tendencies and what potential they possess.

‘My goal is to make my presence known to the centrist idiots who are not affiliated with the Artemis Guild.’

As Lee Hyun-seung participated in this class annihilation battle, he aimed not only to instill despair in Yoo Hee-yeon

but also to lure in the centrist forces that were not part of the Artemis Guild.

He wanted to showcase his immense potential, ensuring that he left a lasting impression on them.

It wasn’t about wanting to join their forces; it was merely a process to facilitate their smooth integration later when

Lee Hyun-seung started to form his own guild and build up his own power.

He was painting a grand picture.

‘Not just relying on Jeong Eun-seo and Nam Jin-seok anymore. I need to create my own forces. And I’ll expand that

power indiscriminately until I can smash Yoo Hee-yeon, the Artemis Guild, and even Hilleon to pieces.’

Crack!

As he thought this, Lee Hyun-seung lowered his head. He couldn’t keep acting like a child who just got picked on and

ended up fighting. If he lost the preliminary selection, so be it; getting exposed then was unavoidable.

Lee Hyun-seung spoke maturely as he lowered his head.

“If this is because I accidentally stepped on your foot earlier, I apologize. I have a lot in my wallet, so I’ll give you the

cash if you want; just return my ID and cards inside.”

As soon as he heard this, Moon Cheol-woong trembled with rage, his arms shaking as he shouted.

“Fuck! Do I look like a beggar? You’re offering cash and asking for the other stuff back? What kind of crazy bastard are you?!”

Lee Hyun-seung had tried to say it nicely, but to Moon Cheol-woong, it probably felt like he was being treated like a beggar.

Swish!

Unable to hold back, Moon Cheol-woong raised his arm to throw a punch at Lee Hyun-seung.

Seeing this, Lee Hyun-seung thought to himself,

‘Yeah, maybe it’s better if I take a hit, and this jerk gets suspended; I won’t have to deal with this monkey-like idiot again.’

Getting hit wouldn’t hurt that much, anyway.

With that thought, Lee Hyun-seung stared straight at Moon Cheol-woong’s approaching fist.

At that moment…

Whoosh!

A fierce aura of mana began to be felt from behind.

Thud!

Suddenly, a girl moved at incredible speed and grabbed Moon Cheol-woong’s arm.

The girl, Jeong Eun-seo, looked at Moon Cheol-woong with a cold expression.

“What are you doing?”

Jeong Eun-seo now looked at the man with the same icy eyes that Lee Hyun-seung had originally known her for.