This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 603

In a situation where there was nothing particularly at stake, I thought there was no reason to sit quietly and endure being openly provoked like that.

Sure, if I stayed still, there wouldn’t be any fights, but it would be obvious that I’d be seen as someone who couldn’t even grab their share of the spoils.

No one knew how long the expedition would last at this point, but I honestly felt the need to avoid being marked like that.

So, it was because of the woman standing over there, who wore a victorious expression as if she’d already won, that I complied and stepped up to the training ground.

And to clarify my thoughts once more…

Yoonseo couldn’t understand their behavior at all.

I mean, if being part of the expedition team was such an honor, shouldn’t they focus on achieving their goals as quickly as possible? What was the point of trying to sap their energy even before anything started?

That’s how Yoonseo felt, but the issue was more about differing perspectives.

To Yoonseo, being on the expedition team was merely a means to an end, while to everyone else, it was something else entirely.

That’s why, from their point of view, it made sense to feel negatively about Yoonseo, who had the gall to be part of the expedition team even when she wasn’t at their level.

The situation that arose was exactly what we were in now, but thanks to that, Yoonseo was determined to do her best regardless of the inconvenience.

Although it wasn’t the intended situation, now that it had come to this, showing off her skills once or twice wouldn’t be a bad idea.

‘So…’

What would be the best way to deal with the opponent?

To be honest, I didn’t think I would lose to that woman.

The very fact that she had that overconfident look on her face before the real game even started was a demerit, and I had already gauged her abilities to some extent, but it seemed she hadn’t done the same for me.

Looking at her past actions, that much was clear.

‘Of course, that could also be an act…’

But I decided not to consider that possibility.

Even if this was a sparring match, it was still fundamentally about testing each other’s skills, wasn’t it?

So, I thought there was no need to complicate things in my head before the fight began.

Of course, if that utterly lazy demeanor was actually an elaborate ruse to catch me off guard, I might end up in quite a bit of trouble in the upcoming spar.

Yet, even if that were the case, I didn’t care.

Honestly, there was no way I could lose here, because even if I were to lose in this spar, I had nothing to lose.

After all, I was just a newly recognized contender, while they were already a Hero representing the Arab Federation.

That meant, for them, winning would just bring them back to square one.

Still, the reason they were provoking me so overtly… it must be because they were confident they’d win.

In that sense, I was starting to get a bit curious.

I wanted to know how that triumphant expression of theirs would shatter the moment they realized their mental picture was completely skewed.

‘Was Baeksulhwa feeling like this too…?’

Thinking that perhaps she really did feel this way, my face suddenly felt a bit warm.

It felt like… I was looking through an imagination diary I wrote when I was a clueless little kid, but now that I’m grown up.

The reason I kept raising my hands and splashing water on my face was actually because of this…

Perhaps my reaction wasn’t to their liking.

The opponent, who had been perfectly relaxed the entire time, suddenly had a slight twitch in their expression.

Seeing them furrow their brows as if to say, ‘I don’t like you!’ made me want to burst out laughing for some reason.

I mean, of course, I acknowledged their strength as a Hero representing the Arab Federation, but still, if they ended up losing miserably, what on earth were they planning to do about it while acting all haughty like that?

I was seriously curious, but I decided to hold back my question.

Given that the opponent’s reaction seemed off, asking such a question might really provoke them into a rage.

After all, we would be working together for some time, so it would be best to avoid anything that could strain our feelings.

As I pondered this internally, someone who had been sweating like crazy in front of the machine to set up the training ground finally announced that the setup was complete.

Perhaps it was because those waiting were all significant figures, which made it seem like he was on the verge of collapse, but no one paid that fact any mind.

Instead, they simply stared at Yoonseo and the Princess of the Arab Federation, who were standing in the center of the training ground.

“Well then… it seems preparations are finished, so…”

Among the silence, it was the very one who proposed this gathering who broke the stillness.

“Shall we start?”

Thus began the self-introduction and self-appeal time initiated by Miss Almighty.

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SSSSSSS—

The sound echoed like a snake slithering across the ground.

Directly after, a hand made of sand and a wall formed of water burst forth from the previously empty floor.

“…Tsk.”

I had thought there was no need to prolong the battle, so I intended to smash it right from the start, but perhaps it was because things didn’t go as planned that I felt unsatisfied.

With a light click of my tongue, the hand made of sand disappeared without a trace, but I didn’t let my guard down.

Just like in Baeksulhwa’s case, controlling elements that were subtle enough to be nearly invisible is usually far scarier when they don’t show their results than when they do.

To shield against the opponent’s first move, I altered the wall I had used, surrounding myself with water.

It wouldn’t guarantee that I could block all their attempts perfectly, but if they tried to break through, the nature of the spar would inevitably evolve into a contest of our control over the situation.

‘If it’s a battle of control, I will absolutely win.’

That was the one thing I was sure of.

After all, not only Dogun, but even the amazing Chae-rim had acknowledged my control.

No matter how strong that woman was, in the end, she was still under Chae-rim’s shadow, so if the battle became a struggle for control, there was no way she could match me.

That was why I had intentionally led the situation in that direction.

“Hmph.”

She seemed to be cautious in actual combat, unlike the relaxed demeanor she had shown before the spar.

Perhaps she calculated that there was no need to play into my hands and dismissed me with a casual scoff as she resumed her attack.

With a light wave of her hand in the air.

Suddenly, a storm of sand erupted.

In the next moment, the rising sandstorm surrounded me.

What perplexed me was that, after creating such a storm, she didn’t aim any attacks directly at me; she merely surrounded me, neither more nor less.

At first?

I couldn’t comprehend her intentions at all.

I merely wondered, ‘Why waste effort like this?’

Then I finally began to understand my opponent’s intent—

‘But why does it feel so… hot?’

Suddenly feeling the heat and then…

‘…Could it be!’

Are they attempting to drag me into a war of attrition like this?

Honestly, I was a bit taken aback.

Considering my opponent’s personality, I thought they would do everything they could to display an overwhelming presence instead of choosing to dehydrate me like this.

Moreover, the method they had employed was something I had never encountered before, which allowed me to quickly reach a conclusion.

If I just hunkered down in defense, I would inevitably be the one drying out.

So there was only one answer.

It was time to attack.

With my resolve cemented, Yoonseo’s eyes gleamed sharply.