108

Chapter 108 — The First Match

The National A-Rank Evaluation began at nine in the morning.

The Association Arena had never been this crowded.

Thousands of spectators filled the public stands, while millions more watched through live broadcasts. The arena itself had been reinforced with multiple layers of mana-resistant material, and a transparent barrier surrounded the combat floor.

For the first time, Subin stood in front of an audience that had come specifically to watch him fight.

Not monsters.

Not dungeon creatures.

Humans.

He stood backstage with Simple Edge at his waist while the other participants prepared nearby.

Kang Min-seok was stretching his shoulders.

Choi Ara was checking the mana flow through her staff.

Han Yerin was quietly reviewing the match schedule.

Lee Jae-hyun stood alone near the opposite wall.

Seo Hyun-woo was the only one who seemed completely relaxed.

The enormous tank sat on a bench, eating a sandwich.

Min-seok stared at him.

“You're eating right before the evaluation?”

Hyun-woo nodded.

“I'm hungry.”

“You're about to fight.”

“I know.”

Min-seok shook his head.

“I don't understand defensive Awakeners.”

Hyun-woo smiled.

“That's why I'm still alive.”

Subin glanced toward him.

Hyun-woo noticed.

“You're Subin.”

“Yes.”

“I've watched your fights.”

“And?”

“You're fast.”

Subin waited.

Hyun-woo took another bite.

“But you're going to have trouble against me.”

Subin nodded.

“I expected that.”

Hyun-woo smiled.

“Good.”

The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.

“Welcome to the National A-Rank Awakener Evaluation!”

The crowd erupted.

The giant screen displayed the seven participants.

The announcer introduced each one.

When Subin's name appeared, the reaction was noticeably louder.

He didn't react.

Yerin glanced toward him.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“Excited?”

“A little.”

She smiled.

“That's better.”

The first-round matchups were announced.

Match One: Kang Min-seok vs Choi Ara

Match Two: Han Yerin vs Seo Hyun-woo

Match Three: Subin Vans vs Lee Jae-hyun

Match Four: Park Jae-hyun vs special reserve opponent

The final matchup immediately became the center of attention.

Subin versus Lee Jae-hyun.

The rivalry that had been developing for weeks would finally become public.

Min-seok looked at the screen.

“You got him first.”

Subin nodded.

Ara smiled.

“Interesting.”

Yerin's expression became serious.

“Don't underestimate him.”

“I won't.”

Jae-hyun walked past them.

“Save your advice.”

Yerin turned toward him.

“I wasn't talking to you.”

Jae-hyun stopped.

Their eyes met.

Then he continued walking.

Subin watched him disappear.

He could feel the difference between Jae-hyun and the opponents he had fought in dungeons.

There was no instinctive hostility.

No simple killing intent.

Jae-hyun was calculating.

He had studied Subin.

And Subin had studied him.

The arena doors opened.

“Kang Min-seok and Choi Ara, please enter the arena.”

The first match began.

Min-seok immediately charged.

Ara didn't retreat.

She raised her staff.

A wall of compressed mana appeared between them.

Min-seok's axe smashed through it.

Ara had already moved.

A lightning spell struck from the side.

Min-seok twisted his body and blocked it with his axe.

The audience roared.

The battle continued for several minutes.

Ara maintained distance while Min-seok constantly tried to close the gap.

Eventually, Min-seok caught her timing.

He used the recoil from his axe to propel himself forward and reached her before she could complete another spell.

His axe stopped just before her shoulder.

The barrier activated.

“Winner: Kang Min-seok!”

The crowd applauded.

Ara walked toward Min-seok.

“You got lucky.”

Min-seok grinned.

“I'll accept that.”

The next match began.

Han Yerin versus Seo Hyun-woo.

This battle was completely different.

Yerin attacked repeatedly.

Hyun-woo blocked every strike.

His shield barely moved.

The audience slowly realized why he was considered the country's strongest defensive Awakener.

Yerin changed angles.

She attacked his legs.

Then his shoulders.

Then his exposed side.

Nothing worked.

Hyun-woo didn't try to overpower her.

He simply refused to give her a clean opening.

After nearly seven minutes, Yerin changed tactics.

She stopped attacking.

Hyun-woo waited.

The arena became strangely quiet.

Yerin suddenly stepped forward.

Her spear thrust toward his chest.

Hyun-woo raised his shield.

At the final moment, Yerin redirected the spear toward the ground.

The spear struck the arena floor.

The impact shattered the stone beneath Hyun-woo's feet.

His balance shifted.

Yerin immediately followed with another thrust.

Hyun-woo barely recovered.

The spear stopped at his throat.

The barrier activated.

The crowd exploded.

“Winner: Han Yerin!”

Yerin lowered her spear.

Hyun-woo laughed.

“That was good.”

Yerin smiled.

“Your defense is incredible.”

“Your timing is worse.”

She laughed.

“Fair.”

Backstage, Subin watched the fight carefully.

He had learned something.

Yerin didn't defeat Hyun-woo through greater strength.

She had changed the conditions of the fight.

That mattered.

The announcer returned.

“And now, the match everyone has been waiting for!”

The giant screen displayed two names.

SUBIN VANS

VS

LEE JAE-HYUN

The crowd erupted.

Subin walked toward the arena entrance.

Jae-hyun approached from the opposite side.

They entered simultaneously.

The barrier activated.

The announcer's voice echoed.

“Both participants are A-rank Awakeners. Their weapons are unrestricted within safety regulations.”

Subin drew Simple Edge.

Jae-hyun drew a long black sword.

Subin looked at it.

“New sword?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I studied your weapon.”

Subin nodded.

“Good.”

The referee raised his hand.

“Begin!”

Neither moved.

The audience slowly became quiet.

Jae-hyun watched Subin's feet.

Subin watched Jae-hyun's shoulders.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Then Jae-hyun moved.

His sword flashed forward.

Subin blocked.

The impact pushed him back.

Jae-hyun attacked again.

And again.

His swordsmanship was fast and precise.

Unlike Min-seok, he didn't rely on overwhelming power.

Unlike Yerin, he didn't constantly change distance.

He created pressure.

Controlled pressure.

Every attack forced Subin toward a particular position.

Subin recognized the pattern.

Jae-hyun wasn't trying to hit him.

He was controlling where he could move.

Subin changed direction.

Jae-hyun immediately followed.

Another strike.

Subin blocked.

Another.

He stepped back.

Jae-hyun's expression remained calm.

“You understand now?”

Subin's eyes narrowed.

“Yes.”

“You're being pushed toward the left.”

“I know.”

Jae-hyun attacked.

Subin moved left.

Jae-hyun's sword immediately changed direction.

Subin avoided it by a narrow margin.

The crowd reacted.

Jae-hyun smiled.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you move there?”

“Because I wanted to.”

Jae-hyun's smile disappeared.

Subin suddenly stepped forward.

His sword cut diagonally.

Jae-hyun blocked.

The impact forced him backward.

For the first time, Jae-hyun's stance broke.

Subin followed.

A second strike.

Jae-hyun blocked.

Third.

Fourth.

Jae-hyun retreated.

The crowd erupted.

Subin's sword wasn't simply faster.

It was forcing Jae-hyun to make decisions.

Jae-hyun suddenly changed his rhythm.

He deliberately opened his right side.

Subin saw it.

A trap.

He didn't attack.

Jae-hyun's sword immediately came toward his neck.

Subin tilted his head.

The blade passed.

Simple Edge moved.

Jae-hyun barely blocked.

Their swords locked.

“You expected that,” Jae-hyun said.

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't you attack?”

“Because you expected me to.”

Jae-hyun's expression hardened.

The two separated.

For several seconds, neither attacked.

Subin realized something.

Jae-hyun had learned from him.

He wasn't simply predicting movements.

He was predicting what Subin expected him to predict.

The battle had become layered.

Not because of some hidden technique.

Because both swordsmen understood the fundamentals of decision-making.

Jae-hyun suddenly rushed forward.

His sword strikes became irregular.

Subin blocked one.

Dodged another.

Parried the third.

Then Jae-hyun intentionally allowed his shoulder to become exposed.

Subin didn't take it.

Instead, he watched his feet.

There.

A slight adjustment.

Jae-hyun's weight shifted before the next attack.

Subin moved.

Simple Edge struck his sword aside.

One step.

Two.

The blade stopped against Jae-hyun's chest.

The barrier activated.

Silence.

Then the arena exploded with applause.

“Winner—Subin Vans!”

Jae-hyun remained still.

Subin withdrew his sword.

“You improved.”

Jae-hyun looked at him.

“So did you.”

Subin extended his hand.

Jae-hyun looked at it for a moment.

Then shook it.

“This doesn't change anything.”

“I know.”

“I still intend to surpass you.”

“I know.”

Jae-hyun released his hand.

“Good.”

They left the arena separately.

Backstage, Yerin approached Subin.

“You won.”

“Yes.”

“I know.”

She smiled.

“I just wanted to say it.”

Subin looked at her.

“You fought well too.”

“So you watched?”

“Of course.”

Yerin's smile became slightly warmer.

“Then tell me what you learned.”

Subin thought.

“That your spear isn't as dangerous as your timing.”

She stared at him.

“That sounded like an insult.”

“It wasn't.”

“Then I'll accept it.”

Ara walked over.

“You two are strange.”

Min-seok joined them.

“You should've seen the audience when Subin won.”

Subin looked at him.

“I heard them.”

“People are already calling you the favorite.”

Subin frowned.

“I don't want that.”

Min-seok laughed.

“Too late.”

The rankings would be recalculated after the remaining matches.

But Subin already knew the evaluation had given him something more valuable than a position.

He had fought a human swordsman who understood his methods.

He had been forced to reconsider how he read intent.

And he had seen Yerin defeat the strongest defensive Awakener in the country through timing rather than power.

His path was still moving forward.

Not through another dungeon.

Not through another ancient technique.

Through people.

Their choices.

Their fighting styles.

Their personalities.

Their ambitions.

Subin looked toward the arena.

The evaluation wasn't over yet.

And neither was his learning.

At the far end of the corridor, Jae-hyun stood alone.

His guild members approached him.

“Guild Leader…”

Jae-hyun raised a hand.

“Don't.”

He looked at his sword.

“I lost.”

There was no anger in his voice.

Only determination.

“Then we train harder.”

He turned toward his guild.

“Starting tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Subin returned to the waiting area.

The system notification appeared quietly before him.

[A-Rank Awakener defeated.]

[Combat Adaptation confirmed.]

[Human Swordsmanship Analysis expanded.]

[Decision Transition: 42% → 44%]

[Decision Space: 48% → 51%]

[Adaptive Decision Loop: 50% → 53%]

[Sword Intent: 98.0% → 98.1%]

Subin dismissed the notification.

His eyes moved toward Yerin.

She was talking with Ara and Min-seok.

For once, he didn't immediately think about his next technique.

He simply walked toward them.

The next match could wait.

For the moment, he wanted to enjoy being around people he had begun to consider friends.