131 – 131. Midwinter’s Rebellion (2)
I don’t remember exactly when. In the past, the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure mentioned this setting casually.
‘The smoking rate of superhumans is one-fifth lower than that of the general public.’
If it was natural, it was natural. The body of a superhuman is much stronger than that of an ordinary person. That means not only physical strength, but also the homeostasis of the body or tolerance to toxicity……. I don’t know the exact term, but anyway, the body of a superman is overall strong, and thanks to that strength, cigarettes have no significant effect on the body of a superman.
In a nutshell, superhumans are not addicted to cigarettes.
Tobacco is often used as a social medium along with alcohol and coffee. Even in this world, smoking is said to be one of the four major ties along with school ties, regional ties, and blood ties.
However, that is the story of the general public.
Superhuman is not addicted to cigarettes, and it is difficult to feel the effects of cigarettes in the first place. To a superman of B grade or higher, cigarettes have virtually no meaning beyond appearance.
Of course, there are separate cigarettes exclusively for high-ranking supermen, but there are very few cases where people go and smoke them individually. Not only is the price expensive, but Choin isn’t addicted to cigarettes in the first place.
Therefore, most of the smokers who are only one-fifth of the general population are low-level superhumans, and smokers are hardly found among the upper-level superhumans…… Was the background setting of this world, the era of superhumans.
But why are you talking about this out of nowhere…….
‘…… It doesn’t taste bad.’
It’s because I’ve become that ‘higher-class superman’. To be precise, what happened to his body while raising his durability this time, and the taste of cigarettes changed strangely.
I should say that the taste has softened, but it felt like I was drinking cigarette smoke that someone had spit out. There was a spicy feeling to that subject, so even if there was no taste, it wasn’t really dirty.
‘Should I quit right now?’
In the first place, I continued to smoke because of my habit of smoking in the world, so I could quit as much as I wanted to. Rubbing the half-burnt butt off, I sat down on the stairs of the mansion.
I looked at my watch. The time is 10:50 am.
There are about 10 minutes until the time Midwinter said. In the meantime, I thought I should have smoked and waited, but in a daze I ended up killing time. Ye-won said she was less sober and wanted to sleep more. Since it had been a long time since she returned home, she had no one to talk to.
‘Come to think of it, did the sky wake up soon?’
I took out my smartphone. In the call list displayed on the screen, there were 8 missed calls with the sky in front of the number. All calls were from this side.
-Tururu, Ruru.
A long continuous beep when you press the call button.
However, Haneul did not answer the phone until a minute had passed.
‘Even if I stretch it out, it looks like it stretched out very well.’
Haneul was weaker than me or Yewon. Thanks to the avatar ability, the drinking volume was actually doubled, but it was weak nonetheless.
Since I ran so much the day before on such a subject, it’s only natural that I haven’t woken up yet.
‘I heard that they are preparing for practical training with the other members, but I don’t know if it will be okay.’
I was concerned about that, so I called several times, but they didn’t answer, so there was nothing I could do. Frustrated, I inadvertently take out a cigarette, recall a memory from a while ago, and put it back in.
At that time.
– Boo Woo Woo Woo.
From the other side of the alley, a luxurious looking black sedan approached. When I get up from the stairs and go forward, a sedan stops right in front of me.
“Get on.”
Then, the rear seat window slid down, and Midwinter peeked out only his two eyes and said. It didn’t look like they would get out of the way for me, so I turned around to the other side and got into the car. Soon the sedan started smoothly.
“Long time no see. Midwinter student.”
“It hasn’t been that long. The last time we met was a week ago.”
“Isn’t that a long time?”
“We don’t even meet often, so what? Isn’t it?”
I laughed awkwardly at his colder attitude than usual.
‘Still, I thought we became quite close.’
Maybe I was the only one who misunderstood. As she looked at her with a sad expression, Midwinter glanced sideways at her. A look of disapproval appears on her face.
“…… It smells a bit like cigarettes.”
Then she sighed and said. Wanting to be sorry for that, I immediately apologized.
“I’m sorry about this. While waiting, I inadvertently smoked one…….”
“I don’t really hate the smell of cigarettes, but it’s a bit like the smell in the car. Please be careful next time.”
“I was thinking of quitting now. From now on, this will not happen.”
“Really? That’s great. However… ….”
Midgeoreum looked at the driver who was driving and asked, lowering her voice a little.
“…… Why did you think the reason I called you today was to pick out Ryu Tae-hyun’s present?”
“That… ….”
Because you were like that in the original work. Or because you are Ryu Tae-hyun’s heroine.
Swallowing the sincerity that rose to my throat, I answered appropriately.
“The two of you look pretty close. I thought they would take care of a birthday present for me. Isn’t it?”
“I’m not very close with Ryu Taehyun, right? He seems to think of me as a one-sided friend, but he is just a competitor to me that I have to overcome.”
“Big… ….”
At those words, I turned my head, barely suppressing the laughter that was about to burst out. It was a line that Midwinter had just said, a line that came out exactly in the original story.
‘Inwardly, while wanting to get close. Dishonesty is the same as the original.’
On the outside, he treats him coldly as a competitor, but in fact, at this time of year, in the middle of winter, he was moaning because he wanted to get closer to Ryu Tae-hyun. It was Ryu Tae-hyun’s birthday present that I took out as an excuse.
And as the midwinter intended, in the original work, the relationship between the two develops greatly starting from the birthday episode. From simple rivals to close rivals. Of course, Ryu Tae-hyeon had treated mid-winter warmly before then.
“…… What? Did I say anything strange?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
“Hmm…… “
Midwinter glanced at me suspiciously. The lips that were opened to say something soon closed again.
“Well, that’s all right. Anyway, I wish you well today. I prepared a lot for the midterm settlement of this ranking match. I want to test them against you before running into Ryu Tae-hyeon.”
“I’m sure the mid-term settlement rankings were also included in the grades, right?”
“Right. In addition, unlike usual, Hunter Association staff come to evaluate ranking matches during the interim settlement period. Evaluation is the item that guild scouts refer to the most, so it can be said that it is more important than semester grades in a way.”
In other words, it was a story that the ranking match during the mid-term settlement period also had the character of self-PR targeting people outside the school. Because of that background, Midwyeol must have been frantic to somehow beat Ryu Tae-hyeon before the midterm evaluation.
“I heard you prepared a lot… …. This won’t be easy.”
From the beginning, Midwinter was never an easy opponent. Even though he was pushed back by Ryu Tae-hyeon, it was only natural that he was the second best student in his grade.
Besides, she’s already fought me once, and she said she prepared a lot, so it’s sure to be a tougher fight than the last time.
‘I don’t intend to lose easily though.’
The offer of sparring came in when the endurance ability was raised. At this point, I clenched my fists at the thought of testing my improved body endurance.
And.
“Heo Eok. Huh Eok. Heo-eok…… !”
As if realizing the promise in the car, I was personally feeling the effect of the improved endurance ability. In other words, it was said that he was beaten hard by the midwinter.
The psychic power of midwinter is the ability to ignite. Nevertheless, it was no mistake that she used the expression beaten. Even though the ‘new technologies’ she prepared were fireworks, the expression of beating them was a perfect fit.
“Whoop.”
Holding on to her throbbing sides, I looked at the midwinter that was holding up the flames in her hands.
“Ha ha. Ha. Ha.”
The middle of winter was also not in perfect condition. A look of hardship was evident in his frowning expression as he broke into a cold sweat.
However, it was because she couldn’t stand the consumption of her own abilities, not because she was attacked by me. In fact, after the sparring began, I could hardly give midwinter any significant hits.
-Titling!
—–
[ Activates ‘Morning Star Breath’ (3/3). Body movements are accelerated at twice the speed for 3 minutes. ]
[ You have exhausted all uses of ‘Morning Star’s Breath’. The use of the proc effect is restricted until after midnight today. ]
—–
The morning star’s breath emits a red light, and the slowed body accelerates twice again. Midwinter, recognizing the sign, swung her right hand forward with her triumphant laugh.
-Pang! Phut! Fain! Phut!
Then four small fireballs spewed from Midwinter’s right hand. The fireball, which was much faster than I had seen before, was so fast that if I had to give it a name, it would be more appropriate to be called ‘Firebullet’ than ‘Fireball’.
“Huh!”
Dodging its body, it makes a great circle around the middle of winter. Her flame follows my trajectory. The flames that are faster than before tighten my breath more firmly than before.
-Perong!
“Keuugh!”
In the end, a ball of fire hit me directly in the shoulder. Taking advantage of the fact that it stopped due to shock, it charged towards the midwinter with crossed arms and a solid defense.
-Flame!
Then Midwinter opened her opposite hand, her left hand. The moment the burning flames coalesced into one point, I also activated my supernatural power.
-Toohwaak!
Black smoke emitted from both arms rotates along the arms to form a shield. At the same time, dozens of small fireballs burst out of Midwinter’s hand.
-Per-bu-be-be-be-be-be-beop-beop!
A shower of fire took off the defenses on both arms. However, it was possible to buy the time needed to approach. Approaching midwinter, I tried to stretch out her fist as hard as I could.
-Pooooong!!
I had no choice but to back down with my defenses solidified by the explosion that occurred right at her feet. According to the experience of the past, the gaze is instinctively directed upward.
Midwinter was piercing her air with the recoil of the explosion from the soles of her feet. Her body is flipped 180 degrees, her head facing the floor, her hands interlocked, and she holds out only her index and middle fingers to form her pistol-like shape.
“Keuugh!”
At that gesture, I immediately raised the smoke with all my might. Talisman glows fiercely, and her smoke, compressed in an instant, turns into a black wave that opens her mouth to devour her.
– Hwareuk!
At the same time, a flash of white light burst from the fingertips of the midwinter.
-Spaang!!
Porosity that splits the air. A thin white stem pierced the smoke I shot out and stuck right into my shoulder. The heat penetrating the defense elements of the defensive court brings a burning pain.
-Spang! Phut! Phut! Spaang!
However, the attack did not end there. While falling, the fingertips were pointed in this direction, and the white flashes were fired over and over again.
The acceleration of the breath of the morning star and the black smoke emitted through the talisman. In addition, he uses the power of the Frost Spirit to somehow avoid, spill, and block the series.
– Blame.
However, in the meantime, midwinter again distanced myself from me. The distance is about the same as when the charge was made a moment ago.
‘…… It’s like this again.’
As he said, I have already experienced this situation several times in Dalian.
My psychic ability, ‘black smoke’, was one or two orders of magnitude lower than the midwinter’s ignition ability in terms of long-distance firepower. Either normal firepower or maximum firepower.
Therefore, in order to catch her victory, I had to approach her somehow and engage her in melee. In fact, the last Dalian also went like that all the way, and even in the last minute, he won a victory by feeding a surprise melee attack.
However, the approach itself was difficult in Dalian today.
In addition to the fact that the fire projection speed is faster than before, the check has become more severe, and when you start approaching, a firestorm like a shotgun is fired. Even if it succeeds in approaching, it will block the pursuit with a powerful penetrating attack while expanding the distance with rocket-like flame eruptions.
Her tactic of quickly and accurately inserting an attack while excluding useless waste of firepower almost perfectly compensated for her weakness that she showed in her last sparring. It’s unbelievable that it’s progressed in just one week.
What’s even more surprising is…….
‘A bird shot that shoots bullet-shaped fireworks. Penetrating flames are AP (Armor Piercing) shots. Both are techniques that were only developed in the second semester in the original work. But to be able to use them already…….’
From the point of view of mid-winter, the only thing that has changed from the original is one sparring with me. However, that single couple accelerated her progress by almost six months. It was a welcome change for me, who was promoting her rapid growth, but I couldn’t just like it because I was directly hit with those skills in Dalian.
‘It looks like it was developed in a hurry unlike the original, but the skill level of the technology is still very low. But it’s true that it’s annoying. It’s going to be pretty hard to get close to Midwinter, at least as it is now.’
If I had used up the morning star’s breathing stock all at once like last time, I would have been able to get close to it, but this time I couldn’t because I had been procrastinating to test the change in my endurance ability. If you activate talisman at 100% and shoot black smoke with maximum firepower, there might be a gap, but while this side compresses the smoke, it’s obvious that she will prepare a big technique, and even that gap is guaranteed, so I’ll open that gap There was no guarantee that the stab would be successful.
‘Above all, there’s no reason to go that far.’
Unlike the previous one, which had the purpose of helping people realize their weaknesses in midwinter, this sparring was just practice. It was not necessary to defeat her at the risk of her injury.
‘In the middle of winter, if necessary, he’ll try to beat me.’
If she’s obsessed with winning or losing, she sure is. But I wasn’t Confronting midwinter in a tense atmosphere, I soon loosened up and raised her hands.
“I lost. Surrender.”
“…… Yes?”
Midwinter frowned at my declaration.
“Surrender. It’s practice, but it’s definitely sparring in preparation for the real battle. Be serious until the end.”
“I feel like I can’t win even if I’m serious. You’ve sharpened your knives in a week. To be honest, I took both of her hands and feet. It’s a midwinter student’s victory.”
“My victory…… ?”
Midwinter asked with a bewildered expression. When I nodded her head obediently, the frown between her brows gradually loosened, and at the same time, the corners of her mouth began to rise little by little.
“…… !!”
Soon she clenched her fists, silently expressing her joy. She wasn’t just cheering. Seeing her smiling and waving her fists made her look very happy.
“…… Are you so happy that you won against me?”
When I asked with a smile on my face, the midwinter passed and she regained consciousness and slightly blushed her cheeks. However, she soon returned to her usual overbearing expression as if she had always been like that, and she replied calmly.
“Of course I am happy. It’s because I beat you by overcoming the weaknesses you told me about in the last match. You can’t be happy, can you?”
Contrary to his calm attitude, the content of his words was quite modest. I thought that if it was midwinter, they wouldn’t admit the results of the last fight, wrapping it up as a mistake.
‘Just as the other characters have changed little by little, does that mean that Midwinter has also changed from the original?’
I don’t know if the change was due to me or the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure, but it was a positive change anyway. Midwinter’s greatest weakness was the arrogance of not being able to look back at one’s shortcomings.
“Anyway! This is 1 win 1 loss. Well, you straighten up! You won’t be able to beat me! There will never be a fluke like the last Dalian! Never! Never again!”
…… It didn’t look like he had completely shaken off that arrogance yet, but that’s about it, I thought that was the nature of the original midwinter. Rather, I thought that it should be like midwinter.
“Okay. Isn’t that something you don’t know?”
So I deliberately answered as if provoking her. Despite her provocations, Midwinter showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, she replied with a confident smile.
“Huh. Re-challenges are always welcome! That’s the winner’s duty!”
It seemed like he was really happy to win.