SWNOVELXO Chapter 50
Chapter 50
‘What is he talking about now?’
The shooting club members were in disbelief. They couldn’t comprehend why Jaehyuk had challenged Junyeob to a duel.
Was it because Jaehyuk had come to challenge them in revenge for his brother, Baek Dojin?
They were somewhat able to accept that if they were generous enough.
However, the duel challenge was an entirely different matter.
“Hey, clueless freshman. Do you even understand what it means to formally duel the club president before you start blabbing?”
Unable to hold back, Noh Junyeob let out a small laugh and clarified the situation.
“For me, it’s merely putting my position as club president on the line, but for you, it’s your whole life. This is no exaggeration. You mess this up, and it’s the end of your life.”
To conquer a single club, one must risk their life?
An incomprehensible utterance to anyone attending a regular school.
However, in the Lion’s Castle, the concept of a club was more akin to a guild.
A guild operated by students themselves.
It’s a kind of experiential learning.
Since they were granted the right to undertake their own requests, various revenues were generated, and the scale of revenue major clubs gathered exceeded that of considerable businesses.
An outsider who took a stab at these massive interests had to pay a fitting price upon failure.
For example, they might become the slave of the club for three years, dedicating themselves entirely.
“What?”
Why on earth was he making such a big deal over mere team member revenge?
Noh Junyeob, bewildered and tilting his head, clapped his hands in realization.
“Kang Jaehyuk! You’re Yaksha’s son, aren’t you? Right, a guy with nothing to lose.”
Having finally solved all his questions, Noh Junyeob put on a refreshed expression.
“Ha, a poor kid risking everything on a gamble to somehow salvage his no-good life. It’s pathetic.”
He had no interest in the fallen Kang family.
However, there was one thing he knew for sure.
That they raised swordsmen for generations.
Yeah, that guy was a swordsman.
The weapon hanging at his waist was a sword, and probably the pommel of that sword had struck the back of his head.
Initially wary, wondering if there was something more, his mind was now at ease.
‘Just a clueless crazy nut. That’s fitting to hang around with Baek Dojin.’
He had heard the rumors.
How Jaehyuk had extravagantly blossomed a bloodline skill during a reevaluation scene broadcasted nationwide.
Having his life transformed overnight, it wasn’t strange for someone young to feel like they owned the world.
The young lad didn’t realize how vast the world was.
“Do you plan to use the activity and commission fees from becoming the club president to help your family’s finances? Fine. I accept your duel because your intentions are honorable. Even if you end up serving the shooting club for three years, don’t hold a grudge. Compared to living in that wretched house, even slave life should be bearable.”
Sniggering, he stepped onto the firing line, leisurely drawing out a violet revolver.
At that moment, Jaehyuk opened his mouth.
“The one becoming the shooting club president isn’t me, but Baek Dojin.”
“…?”
“What I want is to colonize the shooting club, and there’s no one more suitable than Dojin to handle that. He’ll manage you well.”
The organizational activity Jaehyuk desired was strictly at the team level.
He had to continue getting stronger without halt. Honestly, he wanted to invest most of his time in himself.
This was why he kept using the term colonize.
He wanted enjoyment without responsibility.
Instead of becoming a part of the shooting club, participating directly in its management and getting entangled in all sorts of incidents, Jaehyuk intended to let the club run on its own and reap the benefits.
‘Had Dojin not provided the reasoning, I might not even have come up with this idea.’
For an ordinary student to challenge a club’s supremacy was exceedingly rare in the entire history of the Lion’s Castle.
Almost no successful cases existed either.
Since it wasn’t mainstream culture, it wasn’t even a topic of discussion among students.
As a freshman, Jaehyuk didn’t know that such a rule allowed the position of a club’s president to be contested.
The shooting club members, who were found collapsed and bloodied outside the shooting range, lamented that a foreigner was trying to take over the shooting club, revealing the existence of the rule, which he then decided to exploit.
It was, in short, a spontaneous act without thorough planning.
Learning that sometimes in life, it’s wise to let things flow naturally.
“What a crazy bastard!”
Reading sincerity in Jaehyuk’s tone, Noh Junyeob’s face twisted as if he’d seen a ghost.
How dare a mere freshman.
A fallen noble’s descendant daring to show off with just a bloodline skill.
“You’re looking down on me?”
Being a club president was no small feat.
Noh Junyeob was a rare black-grade player within the Lion’s Castle.
Possessing the basic potential to become an S-rank player, he had specialized in shooting skills, earning the trust of the third-year seniors who entrusted him with the shooting club.
“Why talk so much?”
A tall beauty interjected.
“If challenged, just shut up and start the match.”
“You, Jang Yeonju… Tsk, fine.”
Surprisingly, Noh Junyeob was unable to oppose the woman named Jang Yeonju.
Not ordinary since the first meeting; was she perhaps stronger?
If so, why was Noh Junyeob the president and not her?
Showing curiosity towards Jaehyuk, Jang Yeonju winked at him.
“Freshman Kang Jaehyuk? The shooting club will formally accept your challenge. Winning is simple. You just need to outscore that bastard Noh Junyeob with either a bow or gun. We’ll follow the rules of Ragnarok.”
Ragnarok.
Easier to understand when referred to as the Players’ Olympics.
A competition held in a world gate event occurring every three years.
The minimum participation requirement is a staggering level 150.
Even among S-rank players, seasoned veterans were merely the lowest rank in Ragnarok.
“No, this is impossible!”
Dahui shrieked in disbelief.
Having been a devoted Ragnarok fan since childhood, she knew the rules of the shooting competition well.
In a 500-meter range, randomly emerging targets of varied sizes, colors, and shapes were present, but only hitting the “yellow target” earned points.
The yellow target’s diameter was a mere 0.5 centimeters.
About the size of a fire ant.
Immense in standing so that observation was tough, the targets appeared and disappeared randomly at distances up to 500 meters.
They sometimes overlapped with other targets or were concealed behind cover as well.
With only 20 allowed shots, missing a yellow target resulted in point deductions, making it nearly impossible for an average person to score more than 2 points under Ragnarok shooting rules.
With a small lollipop in her mouth, Jang Yeonju tilted her head.
Perhaps because of her flamboyant impression, the lollipop resembled a cigarette.
“Impossible? Just don’t challenge if you don’t like it.”
Survival of the fittest.
The Lion’s Castle abided by the law of strength.
Even the absurd rule allowing outsiders to conquer clubs followed the doctrine of power.
The Lion’s Castle encouraged student competition actively.
And due to such a school stance, the second-year student Jang Yeonju had seen many students ruin their lives.
She sincerely wished that the kid named Kang Jaehyuk would cease his challenge.
If he were to lose and become the slave of the shooting club, he’d sacrifice his time and talent for three years, swiftly falling behind.
“This sounds fun.”
Attempting to dissuade Jaehyuk, Dahui clamped her mouth shut.
For there was Jaehyuk, standing on the firing line, smiling.
Seeing that expression, absurdly, expectation bubbled up inside.
When he slew the Leech King, before the reevaluation, even when he overcame Ha Kyung-soo with his spear technique.
He always smiled like that.
“Shall I start first?”
Jaehyuk decided to use the suspiciously chosen bow.
The design which allowed the handle’s direction to be easily turned by hanging coins on his waist was purely due to the bow. It was designed to be worn with both a sword and a bow.
Korea had been a nation of archers since long ago, and the Kang family warriors excelled in archery.
Though not frequently used in real combat, training with it to maintain the ethnic spirit and focus was a family tradition.
Moreover, Jaehyuk was an all-master.
On top of his already proficient archery skills, he gained skill boosts.
Honestly, he had no thought of losing.
‘In a duel format, it might have been different.’
The rules established by the shooting club for defense were ironically aiding Jaehyuk.
“To watch a worm’s archery till the end would be an eyesore, so I’ll begin first.”
Unaware of the details, Noh Junyeob operated the control button on the line.
『Starting Ragnarok Mode』
“……”
The match commenced immediately with the mechanical sound.
Targets emerged and vanished repeatedly in the greatly expanded range.
Noh Junyeob, however, remained silent for a while.
His favorite practice mode used the same map as Ragnarok Mode.
Only, just yellow targets appeared.
Neither targets of various types nor cover emerged.
Even for the arrogant shooting club president, frequently playing the taxing Ragnarok mode wasn’t possible.
Bang!
About 20 seconds passed.
Noh Junyeob, having maximized his vision with the 〈Hawk Eye〉 skill, pulled the trigger, aiming at a target emerging 60 meters away.
Most of the shooting club members couldn’t even spot the target.
A diameter of 0.5 centimeters was far smaller than imagined.
『Hit.』
‘Whoa, that’s incredible.’
Swallowing dryly, Dahui confirmed the score displayed on the scoreboard.
Estimating the agility and insight stats necessary to recognize the yellow target required at least 100.
‘Or perhaps much higher than that…’
In the expansive shooting range, not only yellow targets appeared.
A multitude of multicolored targets even surpassed hundreds in number, constantly disturbing the view.
Bang, bang, bang!
Noh Junyeob attempted three more shots, with only one yellow target hit among the three fired bullets.
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue, Noh Junyeob took a deep breath to regain composure.
Nearby targets were repeatedly protected by other targets or cover.
Performing the trick of bending a bullet’s trajectory carried enormous risk.
‘Go for targets beyond 400 meters.’
Ragnarok allowed only 3 minutes for shooting.
Yet, over a minute had passed, and Noh Junyeob had consumed only four opportunities.
Wasting the remaining 16 attempts wasn’t an option, meaning urgency wasn’t necessary.
Keing!
Noh Junyeob’s revolver emitted a clear humming cry, expelling mana.
Deploying the first skill that enhanced a bullet’s power and speed.
‘Go!’
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!
Pulling the trigger once, the muzzle flared five times.
The five bullets consecutively shot without a time gap and sequentially hit and destroyed the rocks on their path.
Bang!
Finally, the sixth bullet, shot by Noh Junyeob, hit the yellow target hidden behind the rock.
‘Got it.’
Despite using six shots for a single target, Noh Junyeob’s expression turned optimistic.
This brought his total score to 3 points.
A score difficult even for ordinary shooting club members to obtain.
A novice couldn’t hope to score 3 points even with luck.
Regaining his leisure, Noh Junyeob aimed for the next target.
And when the 3-minute limit was reached.
『6 points.』
Noh Junyeob’s scoreboard showcased an impressive score.
A challenging record even for seasoned players.
“What a pity.”
“If not for the red target manifesting at the end and intervening, an 8-point record could have stood as a new record.”
The shooting club members lamented but offered applause.
Noh Junyeob’s expression wasn’t bad either.
Although the final bullet had hit a red target, causing deduction, a score of 6 fell within his usual high performance when feeling good.
His chance of losing was absolutely…
“… Huh?”
With widened eyes, Noh Junyeob trembled as he arrogantly got off the firing line and lifted his chin.
Other members of the shooting club were struck speechless as well.
『Hit.』
『Hit.』
『Hit.』
Within mere seconds upon stepping onto the line, Jaehyuk had already loosed three arrows, all hitting their marks. Flawless angled shots pierced yellow targets hidden behind cover smoothly.
“……”
Everyone present momentarily saw an illusion.
Envisioning the wrecked third shooting range,owing to Lauren, transformed into a Ragnarök competition venue.