Chapter 77:The Scholar’s Honor and the Spider’s Fall

2.

So Kyungseok climbed the stairs, seething with frustration.

“What kind of insane martial arts tournament has judges climbing the arena with the contestants?”

“Heh, this one does.”

“Hey, stop laughing and give me a lift! Your spiderwebs are strong, aren’t they?”

“Nope. You’re too heavy. Not a chance.”

Woo Jiwoo, the spider-human, shot out spiderwebs and quickly scaled between branches growing along the cliff.

Watching him easily leap 10 to 20 meters in one go, So Kyungseok, who was trudging up the stairs on foot, was on the verge of exploding with anger.

Still, as a judge invited to the tournament, there was no way he could let himself be eliminated before the contestants.

Grinding his teeth, he ran with all his might.

[Ah Here we have two judges swept up by the field transformation, climbing the stairs.

Judge So Kyungseok looks utterly exhausted, struggling against the steep terrain!]

“…Ayoung, we need to talk after this.”

[What was that? I didn’t quite catch that. Oh dear, looks like there’s some interference in communication. Let’s move on to check on the other contestants!]

Despite the chaos, Joo Ahyoung, the master of Jumping Rabbit maps, hopped around the treacherous terrain, fulfilling her role as the host.

Her audacious energy as she jumped up and down like she owned the place only added to So Kyungseok’s irritation.

“Why is she so fast? She didn’t have powers like that before.”

“It’s the field effect.”

“Field effect?”

“How else would you tackle a Jumping Rabbit map?”

“Jump? Isn’t that what I’m already doing?”

“You’re running. Think like Jumping Rabbit.”

“…Wait, you mean bunny hops?”

At Woo Jiwoo’s comment, So Kyungseok squinted at the far-off objects.

There was Joo Ahyoung, bounding effortlessly between scattered platforms.

Squatting before her jumps, she executed absurdly unrealistic leaps,

soaring higher and farther than most awakened abilities could achieve.

So Kyungseok frowned, seriously considering his next move.

“Can I do that too?”

“Why not?”

“Then why aren’t you doing it?”

Woo Jiwoo nonchalantly spun a spiderweb around his finger.

Fueled by frustration, So Kyungseok crouched awkwardly, placing his hands on the ground.

With a determined grunt, he leapt toward the branch where Woo Jiwoo was perched.

“Wait—”

So Kyungseok’s jump propelled him far higher than he intended, soaring past his target branch.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Flailing helplessly in midair, he didn’t even have time to scream before plummeting straight into the gaping maw of the Earth Worm below.

[Kill Log]

[Judge So Kyungseok has been devoured by the Earth Worm.]

[Earth Worm – 8 Kills]

A judge is out.

Haha, no way you resist jumping in a Jumping Rabbit map!

“That idiot…”

Woo Jiwoo, staring dumbfoundedly at the spot where So Kyungseok had fallen, clicked his tongue.

Shaking his head, he resumed his climb, silently vowing, At least I won’t die as embarrassingly as that.

3.

Lee Sohae, nicknamed “Snake Eyes,” suddenly realized something important.

“Why the hell am I even climbing all of this?”

The preliminaries would end once there were only four contestants left.

“Dieeeee!!”

“Aaaahhh!”

Amid the chaotic atmosphere, resembling refugees in a disaster movie, she had been frantically climbing stairs and scaling sheer cliffs.

Then, coming to her senses, she attacked the awakened contestant chasing her from below.

“You devilish woman! How can you still call yourself human?”

“In disasters, people should help each other!”

“Help? Are you nuts? This is a martial arts tournament!”

“What kind of martial arts tournament even uses a Jumping Rabbit map?!”

Contestants vented their frustration, claiming that this was no martial arts tournament. Lee Sohae sneered down at them.

“It’s a martial arts tournament because I have the advantage. That’s the end of it.”

“You’re such a ”

The awakened contestant attempting to curse her was cut off when her whip lashed across his face, sending him plummeting.

[Awakened Ability   Haunted Whip]

“Ack, ack! Not there oh no! Ugh!”

“Stop making weird noises and just fall already!”

The middle layer of the cliff zone, where contestants inevitably gathered while climbing, became a battleground.

Lee Sohae’s whip lashed out mercilessly, striking at faces and hands, forcing the trailing contestants to scream and fall one by one.

“Gasp!”

Contestant No. 37, Kim Jecheol, from the Andong Sword Clan, who was dressed in traditional Korean attire,

watched in horror as another awakened contestant plummeted past him.

Looking up at Lee Sohae with wide eyes, he stammered in disbelief.

“Don’t worry! We’ve come this far helping each other. Why would I betray you now?”

Says the woman who just betrayed six people.

She’s terrifying.

It’s like meeting a serial killer on a rope bridge.

Viewers who had tuned in to the awakened contestant’s live stream to admire Lee Sohae’s beauty were now trembling in shock at her brutal betrayal.

Kim Jecheol, clearly unnerved, looked ready to bolt but had no choice but to keep climbing. The cliff only offered one path up.

‘This is so frustrating.’

As if getting rejected five times by the guy she liked wasn’t bad enough, now she was being treated like a serial killer.

Sure, she had killed several awakened contestants in quick succession, but still, the accusation stung.

“Is winning that important to you? Climbing with that terrified face?”

“Yes! I want to win!”

“Why?”

The number of contestants had dwindled to single digits.

Lee Sohae, who hadn’t even joined the competition with victory in mind but to follow Kim Jecheol, had thought of giving up the win to him if he really wanted it.

“If I win, I can make the Silent Swordsman wear a mulgyeop jeogori in spring,

a kkakki jeogori in summer, a baki jeogori in autumn, and a quilted jeogori in winter. I’ll win this tournament and ensure he wears a new hanbok every season!”

A vein popped on Lee Sohae’s forehead.

“And you think winning will make that happen? The Silent Swordsman only posted a recruitment ad.”

“Shut up! What do you know about him? ”

“He’s been mocked for only wearing dull durumagi coats, and finally, someone who understands him has shown up!”

His heartfelt cry echoed across the mountain field.

OMG

An awakened contestant dead serious about hanboks.

Who can resist hanbok couple looks?

Wait, isn’t Lee Sohae also wearing a hanbok?

How can anyone fall for a sadistic, whip-wielding serial killer who just took out half a dozen teammates with a smile?

The audience’s comments didn’t faze Lee Sohae. However, Kim Jecheol’s outburst wounded her deeply.

Seething with anger, she forgot she was even in a tournament and shouted back.

4.

“I’m wearing a hanbok too! I’ve bought everything from saekdong jeogori to formal mourning robes,

wedding attire, ritual garb, imperial ceremonial robes, and even fusion hanboks. ”

“So why am I not good enough?!”

The heated argument between the two awakened contestants, who could easily pass as a handsome man and a beautiful woman,

unfolded like a melodramatic lovers’ quarrel.

As the 1,300 viewers watched intently, captivated by the drama, a rustling sound accompanied the appearance of Woo Jiwoo.

He had landed on a nearby cliff, shooting webs from his hands.

“Ah, don’t attack me. I’m a judge. I just need a quick break. Pretend I’m not here and carry on.”

Clearly exhausted from overusing his webs, Woo Jiwoo sat down to catch his breath, panting heavily.

Meanwhile, Lee Sohae turned back to Kim Jecheol with an ultimatum.

“Go on a date with me! Otherwise, I’ll knock you out right here!”

Her sweet yet terrifying proposal made even the viewers’ hearts race.

Is it normal for my chest to feel tingly right now?
It’s a seizure. Please seek immediate medical attention.
How is it that even hanbok fanatics get romantic confessions?
He’s handsome, and you’re not.
Wow, brutal truth bombs here.
It’s fine. Just get rich, and you can marry.
Shut the f*** up.
??
I said, shut up!

The chat devolved into chaos, filled with cursing and laughter.

Even the viewers who usually grew bitter at the sight of couples admitted that, given Lee Sohae’s determination,

she probably deserved at least one date.

Kim Jecheol, however, had other plans.

“Oh, chrysanthemum, how do you endure the spring winds, only to bloom alone in the cold days of falling leaves?”

” Perhaps your unwavering integrity is unmatched!”

Reciting a solemn poem with a determined expression, he removed his hands from the cliff and let himself fall.

[Contestant No. 37, Kim Jecheol, has been eaten by Earth Worm and eliminated.]
[Earth Worm – 9 kills.]
[Remaining contestants – 7.]

Lee Sohae stared blankly at the cliff below, stunned by the shocking development, while the chat exploded with comments.

Is this what they call a scholar’s honor?
Poetry before death? LMAO.
Even the most cultured nobleman can’t handle love like this.
Wow, getting rejected so hard he jumped off a cliff.
With this level of integrity, even the Silent Swordsman would be moved.
Moved? Nah, he’d probably run away in horror.

“Don’t feel too bad,” Woo Jiwoo tried to console her.

“Sniff… hic… sniff…”

“Hey, don’t cry. You’re making this awkward.”

“Am I… really that bad…?”

“Anyone can see that guy was just crazy. Don’t cry. There are plenty of insane people in the world.”

Woo Jiwoo tried his best to comfort the heartbroken contestant.

However, as his reassurances stirred her emotions even more, Lee Sohae burst into louder sobs.

“Wait a second, isn’t the judge a male-faced spider?”

“He’s totally angling for an NTR storyline!”

“Kill the spider! Death to the spider-faced judge!”

The viewers bombarded the chat with jeers as Woo Jiwoo felt a tiny bit pleased with himself for being the one to console the pretty contestant.

Meanwhile, Lee Sohae sobbed uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them.

“Huh?”

“Wha… sniff…?”

The gleam of sharp teeth, an enormous mouth wide open above them before they could even register what was happening, a deafening chomp echoed.

[Rampage!]
[Earth Worm advances 10 spaces (100m) forward.]
[Judge Woo Jiwoo has been eaten by Earth Worm and eliminated.]
[Contestant No. 84, Lee Sohae, has been eaten by Earth Worm and eliminated.]
[Earth Worm – 11 kills.]
[Remaining contestants – 6.]

Woo Jiwoo, who had promised not to meet a pathetic end like a rock climber losing their grip, found his words tragically ironic.

His sudden death turned into an internet meme that would haunt him online for at least three years.