Chapter 277

The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (2)

The next day, Kang Shin-hyuk saw Claire and Vita off. Last night, after hearing her story, he began to understand her thoughts. He was delighted to know that she was taking it seriously. However, her actions were too violent and hasty. Maybe it was even more clumsy because this was their first love.

-Being clumsy?

'Don't think about it.'

Kang Shin-hyuk couldn't fully alleviate her fundamental anxiety, so they ended it by agreeing to think about the future. The problem proved to be Shin Eunah, however. The conflict with Claire had been neatly resolved, but since she left last night, they hadn't been able to contact her. Even though Kang Shin-hyuk messaged her several times, she ignored them. It was only natural that her pride had been hurt after Kang Shin-hyuk firmly refused her...

"I think it would be good for Eunah to organize things like this quickly..."

Kang Shin-hyuk continued to think as he glared at the messenger screen where no answer came. He wondered why he had to suffer from this problem, but his beloved granddaughter... No, she was his dear friend, so he couldn't pretend he didn't know.

"Why are you looking at that screen like you had a fight with your girlfriend?"

A voice popped up from the side. Turning his head, Karen's brightly smiling face filled his eyes.

"Ah."

Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head back to his phone, but Karen grabbed his shoulder.

"Ah? Ah? I heard everything from the captain; she said you secretly partied without me yesterday! That's right, and now you show me this kind of attitude!"

"After you shoot at an average of S-rank, you can join."

"Oh, you tell me really honestly..."

It couldn't be helped. Karen already knew their identity, and she could be trusted more than anyone as she followed Eleanor, but her abilities were still lacking to be active as a part of Masked Bacchus.

"But Oh Hye-na? And Baek?"

"They're stronger than you."

"Huh?!"

Kang Shin-hyuk stopped Karen from making an obscene hand gesture as he spoke the facts. Karen took a deep breath, her face dyed red either from the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk held her hand or the weight of the truth she encountered was too heavy.

"What a minute, I think you're right. Take a breath..."

"Why open Pandora's box?"

Karen's face grew redder as he patted her back with a sorrowful expression. She spoke desperately to hide her emotions.

"No, I knew she was strong, but that much?"

"Yeah. She grew even faster."

Not all of Oh Hye-na's status had reached above S-rank yet, but her magic and agility were already S-rank. Her growth was at a similar rate as Baek In-ha, which meant she would grow to a level where she was incomparable to the students at this school within a year. However, Karen, as well as her trait, were still between A and B ranks, even though her skill ranked in the top ten within the second years.

"Last year, you were similar to me... Are you leaving me alone and going away?"

"Please, that won't work... Hmm."

Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and tapped her shoulder. At that moment, a flow of gold from his hand quickly spread throughout her body.

"...Huh? What?"

At that moment, she could feel her body reaching the unknown beyond her limits. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his finger to his lips and blankly looked at Karen.

"A secret."

"Yes, secret!"

She didn't know much about his traits, but she noticed that he did something good for her. As her expression quickly brightened, Kang Shin-hyuk also smiled a little. It was good for him to develop this trust. Moreover, just a while ago, both his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter reached the SSS-rank, so it was easy to buff her too.

"Hey... Thanks. Shin-hyuk, you're very different too."

"I'm even better, right?"

"Yes, very..."

It was difficult for him to react to her affirmation. However, he couldn't respond with nonsense like 'don't fall in love with me,' so instead, he tried to get away, but Karen stuck by his side, unable to control her joy.

"Come with me!"

"That's too close."

"This is what a Tsundere is, right? I know everything. Otherwise, there's no way I can do this!"

"I did that for Baek."

Karen stuck to him after receiving his buff, but Kang Shin-hyuk, afraid of any more rumors, went into the classroom first. As Karen followed with a smirk, Do Woojin was waiting inside with an unsure expression.

"What, what happened to Do Woojin?"

"I don't know, don't ask."

"Why is he doing this again?"

Probably he saw the two outside, so Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he received Do Woojin's piercing gaze.

"It's all your fault; just know that."

"?"

During the class that day, Kang Shin-hyuk was challenged by Do Woojin after a long time, but apart from the fact he wasn't interested in Karen, he decided to beat him soundly. Do Woojin seemed sad, but his youth wasn't so fragile. It would probably be fine.

***

Notices about the athletic meet were made that afternoon. Of course, he couldn't participate in the rookie exhibition because he was a second year.

"The students participating in the Two Crown games are Kang Shin-hyuk, Baek In-ha, Do Woojin, and Karen Stringfield, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay, so only those who are participating in the battles will remain; everyone else, go home."

Their homeroom teacher was Ji Min-hye. She was a young woman in her thirties with a class A trait in the striking class, and she was one of the strongest teachers at Shinyoung. She was selected as an outstanding teacher to teach those with outstanding talents, but there was no way for her to help Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha. Ji Min-hye also seemed to quickly realize that fact through their practical skills training, and in her dueling classes, she used those two as assistants.

"Even if you don't win, you can't ignore the benefits of things like scholarships just by ranking. In addition, a student who wins either championship will live in the royal class. If the student in first already lives in the royal class, the second place will inherit those benefits."

She left Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek aside and explained the contest to Do Woojin and Karen. Perhaps it was up to the teachers to decide how many people in their class entered the royal class? It was a random hypothesis he suddenly thought of, but it sounded likely. As he wondered those things, Ji Min-hye suddenly looked at him.

"By the way, Shin-hyuk, are you sure you're not participating in the Knight Crown?"

"Yes, teacher."

"Just the one?"

"Baek In-ha, you're doing both?"

"Yeah. I'm going to be a Two Crown and the Knight Crown."

"Yeah, yes, that's what nonsense is. Oh, Shin-hyuk, you can go now."

Ji Min-hye's eyes twinkled as she sent him away. As he headed back first, a message from Baek immediately arrived.

[Baek In-ha: I resigned from the Two Crowns.]

[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.]

[Baek In-ha: Can I hit you? I'll hit you as many times as I can.]

[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.]

[Baek In-ha: At least fifty times.]

[Are you counting it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.]

Perhaps Ji Min-hye wanted both the Two Crowns and the Knight Crown to come from her class, and it seemed that Baek was forced to resign from one so he could focus on the other. Of course, no matter how much she recommended it, it would've been impossible had his will been strong. In the first place, Baek signed up for both because of his childish pride. That was why he pretended to concede to the teacher.

[But the Knight Crown won't be easy. Ji Min-hye doesn't seem to know our Eli's skills yet.]

[Baek In-ha: You don't know, but I will beat Eleanor noona.]

Between Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor, Baek had a better chance of beating Eleanor, but...

[Baek In-ha: So, special training.]

[Yeah, dude, I'll train you until you die. But not today.]

[Baek In-ha: Is it a woman? It's a woman! Abandoning your friend to see a girl at this critical point? Are you still human?]

[I'll see you tomorrow.]

Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh after he finished talking with Baek. How comfortable it would be if he were going on a date with Claire. However, there was a problem that needed to be solved somehow before that.

[I'm coming to see you now.]

[Go somewhere without people. I'm going to move through space.]

So, after sending those two lines, he prepared to trigger his space coordination. The reply came sooner than he thought.

[Senior Eunah: Wait, wait 30 minutes!]

[5 minutes.]

[Senior Eunah: I haven't washed!]

[Don't worry, you're pretty even if you don't.]

[Senior Eunah: 20 minutes!]

[Okay, 20 minutes.]

[Senior Eunah: I hate you!]

Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfied sigh. Then, he suddenly wondered if his personality had changed a little.

-That's because you learned the Dark Mastery. It was mild when you learned Light Mastery, but not a spicy taste was added to it.

"No, that's a lie."

-It is.

"I'd rather you'd just give an HP bonus as usual!"

-It's real.

...No, no way. Anyway, twenty minutes passed, and he immediately moved over to Eunah's side.

She was, of course, in a hotel.