Chương 12: PREPARATION

Jimin felt pissed for a moment; not because Dae-ho challenged him, but because it happened exactly as he feared. So that old man was expecting this …huh. Ryu Seong-ho hadn't reacted with surprise. He hadn't even blinked. Jimin clenched his jaw. That old man knew this would happen. That's why he proposed a fight. He was waiting for it. Jimin wasn't ready. Not mentally, not physically, and definitely not skill-wise. Seong-ho's voice rang out, completely neutral.

"We have a challenge here." The training hall erupted in cheers, whispers, and excitement. The energy shifted in an instant; every student wanted entertainment. Dae-ho's lips curled upward. In his mind, thoughts rose like venom. Got him, finally. Time to crush whatever pathetic confidence he gained from running his mouth earlier. I'll beat him until he remembers his place. Trash should stay trash. He didn't say it aloud; but bullies didn't need to say everything. Their malice filled the silence just fine.

Yuna grabbed Jimin's arm.

"Don't. Don't accept, Jimin. This is a terrible idea. He'll hurt you." Jimin agreed completely. He raised his hand.

"I refuse." The crowd booed instantly.

"Seriously?"

"What a coward."

"Expected from an E-1." Seong-ho lifted one hand. The entire hall went silent. The pressure of his presence alone forced the room into submission.

"You don't like it?" he said to the crowd.

"Then fight in his place." There was dead silence. Several students shifted uncomfortably. A few took half a step back. Even the loudest ones suddenly found the floor very interesting. Seong-ho's eyes moved to Jimin.

"And you," he said calmly.

"Fights will always come to you, especially when you expect them the least." Jimin felt the weight of every word. Seong-ho wasn't lecturing him only; he was lecturing everyone.

"I saw you two earlier. Well, now is the chance to fight him; and," Seong-ho continued.

"You also have the chance to walk away now. The world won't give you that choice. Not inside a Rift. And definitely not when a monster wants your throat. So tell me; are you all bark and no bite?" The question cut cleanly. Not mocking; but truthful and sharp.

"Don't punch above your weight unless you're prepared for the consequences," Seong-ho said.

"That applies in the real world far more than in school." Jimin swallowed slowly. The students held their breath. Even Dae-ho's smirk dimmed slightly. Jimin inhaled. He's not wrong… If I keep running, I'll never grow. This isn't just about a fight. It's about proving something; to everybody…. and myself. Seong-ho raised an eyebrow.

"We don't have all day. Make your choice." Jimin lifted his chin. Took a deep breath and announced, " I ACCEPT." A roar of excitement exploded around them. Seong-ho nodded once.

"Good choice, kid." He clapped his hands sharply.

"Prepare the duel arena." Dae-ho thought in his mind, What an idiot trash. He walked into my cage by himself, he continued, Today really is my lucky day! Even daddy didn't yell at me. Students dispersed, running to the edges of the hall as two assistant instructors began drawing a massive circle across the reinforced ground. It looked like it would take up almost a third of the training hall. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Meanwhile, Jimin stood still.

Trying to think. Okay. Strategy… Strategy… Come on, Jimin, think. He opened his Status Window. —-------------------------------------------------- 【STATUS WINDOW】 Name: Sam Jimin Age: 16 Rank: E Level: 1 HP: 250/250 STA: 120/120 MP: 100/100 PE: 150/150 STATS: STR: 5 AGI: 6 END: 5 INT: 8 WIS: 7 VIT: 5 CHA: 4 PSY: 11 LUK: 10 FREE STATPOINTS: 0 Unique Skill: Skillmaster Skills: • Telekinesis (Lv. 2) Meditation (Lv. 2) Growth (Lv. 1) —------------------------------------------------------------------ He scowled internally. Only one actual combat skill, damn it. Telekinesis is strong, but the output is low. I can't even push it too hard or I'll run out of PE. I should've created some combat skills first. Tch…. who knew that I would have to fight that asshole on the first day? He groaned quietly.

"I'm screwed."

"Jimin," Yuna's voice snapped him out of his spiral. She leaned closer, eyes nervous.

"You have to be careful. I…I might know something about Dae-ho's unique skill." Jimin blinked.

"What? How do you know that?" She flinched." I saw him in the morning. He was… showing off to his lackeys. He covered parts of his body with earth-like armor." Jimin stared. That was some serious lead.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked.

"I didn't think you two would get into a fight today!" she hissed.

"Fair enough." He exhaled sharply. Now he had at least something to work with.

"Thanks. Really." Yuna nodded, worry etched across her face. Jimin started analyzing. If what Yuna said was correct, he must have some kind of earth element, augmentation type skill. That means, he has higher durability and; fights close-range. But he could have a long range skill too. Even without all that, he is a level 3. His physical stats should be way higher than mine. What the hell do I do? His concentration broke when Seong-ho called everyone to gather. The students gathered in front of Seong-ho.

He said, "Now, I will explain the rules of this duel." He continued, "The rules are simple. You win if the opponent is no longer able to fight or if the opponent surrenders or if the opponent fully crosses the arena boundary." Students got excited.

"But refrain from any lethal attacks. That is a serious warning," said Seong-ho while releasing a heavy pressure. He also looked at Dae-ho for a brief second while doing so. Dae-ho had some visible drops of sweat on his face. He understood, it was meant for him. Seong-ho released the tension and moved on, "Jimin. Kang Dae-ho. It's time for weapon selection. Follow me." They followed him into the arsenal.

Rows of training weapons lined the walls; wooden swords, staves, padded gauntlets, blunted daggers, practice bows, spears, shields. Not actual Gears, but high-quality replicas for combat training.

"Take anything you want," Seong-ho said.

"You may choose multiple weapons." Then he walked off; giving them space. The moment the instructor disappeared, Dae-ho moved fast. He picked up a long training sword; lightweight, but perfectly balanced. Then he strapped a reinforced gauntlet onto his left hand. He glanced at Jimin. No words. Just a cold, vicious grin. As he walked past, he murmured quietly, "Don't worry. I'll make it quick. You'll be leaving the arena in a stretcher." Then he left. Jimin let out a shaky breath. His heart thudded.

He has really set out to crush me. He continued, I need something that gives me a fighting chance. He looked at all the weapons. A spear caught his eye. Lightweight; with a long reach. He picked it up. It felt natural in his grip. He thought, Maybe, I can pull off that move I practiced. Then, he noticed a pair of shard-like throwing blades. These… These could work. He picked them up. They were sharp and light. Easy to manipulate with Telekinesis. He used Telekinesis on them for a brief moment. Damn!

These feel way easier to control than those uneven scrap metals. He took them as well. His heartbeat slowed, his thoughts sharpening. He had a chance; if he used Telekinesis creatively. But it's not enough. Not yet. He continued to think, I need to keep my distance. I need space. Telekinesis alone won't cut it… but maybe if I combine it with weapons and… Suddenly an idea clicked inside him. He got lost in thought. It was like he was in a flow state. Suddenly, Yeah…. This is it.

If my assumptions are correct; this could work. It's gonna be a gamble. But it's better than nothing. Finally, he had a plan; he had hope. He opened the skill creation window. —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Create Skill] Name: Description: —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He filled it out fast in a decisive way. Then, he pressed Confirm. He looked at the output and whispered, Yeah… this is it.

And he proceeded with confidence.

"Create."