The hallway was silent except for the faint echo of Eun-ak's footsteps. His breathing was steady, but his heart pounded with adrenaline. His uniform was slightly dusted from the earlier fights, but he remained mostly unscathed.
Two more leaders were down. Yejun, the fast and precise boxer, and the twin brothers Bong and Dong, known for overwhelming their opponents with brute strength. He had crushed them — quickly, efficiently.
But there was no time to celebrate.
As he climbed the stairs to the second floor, the system notification pulsed in his mind.
[Side Quest – Defeat First-Year Leaders]
Defeated: 3 | Remaining: 5
The next target was Lee Joon-ho, the leader of Class 1-B. Unlike the others, Joon-ho wasn't just another school bully with a big reputation. He was a professional Muay Thai fighter — someone who had been training in combat since the age of nine. He was fast, precise, and most dangerously, tactical.
Eun-ak knew this wouldn't be easy.
He arrived in front of the 1-B classroom. The door creaked slightly as he pushed it open. But as he stepped inside, something felt… off.
The room was empty. No students. No desks. No Lee Joon-ho.
Eun-ak narrowed his eyes. His instincts screamed at him to move —
But it was too late.
A sudden, crushing force struck him from behind. The impact was so powerful that it launched him across the room, slamming him hard into the wall. Pain exploded through his body as cracks formed in the concrete behind him.
Eun-ak gasped, struggling to catch his breath. His vision blurred slightly, but he forced himself to focus.
Lee Joon-ho stood near the doorway, rolling his shoulders casually. His stance was relaxed but ready. His muscles rippled with years of training, his sharp eyes locked onto Eun-ak like a predator watching wounded prey.
"I'm not like the others," Joon-ho said calmly. "They fought with pride and recklessness. I fight to win."
Eun-ak groaned as he pulled himself up. He clenched his fists, his body still aching from the blow. He took a step forward — but the moment his foot touched the ground, he slipped.
His eyes widened. Oil. The floor was covered in it.
Joon-ho smirked. "I'm good at fighting… and planning."
Before Eun-ak could regain his footing, another powerful kick slammed into his ribs. He crashed back into the same wall, harder this time. His head whipped back violently. For a brief moment, everything went dark.
Silence.
Then…
Eun-ak's eyes opened. His breathing was heavy, his vision still blurred, but he was awake. He tasted blood in his mouth.
His body screamed in pain, but he ignored it. Slowly, he focused on the system interface.
[Bronze Card Activated – Sticky Foots]
[Effect: Allows movement on any surface]
The moment the card activated, the sensation of slipping disappeared. His feet clung firmly to the ground.
Without wasting a second, Eun-ak surged forward. His speed was relentless. The distance between him and Joon-ho closed in an instant.
Joon-ho widened his eyes. "Too fast—"
But just before Eun-ak could reach him, a heavy brick fell from above, crashing directly onto his head.
The impact sent him staggering to the floor. Blood ran down his face, dripping onto the ground. Joon-ho clicked his tongue in amusement.
"You really thought it would be that easy?" Joon-ho mocked. "You underestimated me."
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then… the temperature seemed to drop.
A chilling aura filled the air. Joon-ho's mocking smile faded as a shiver ran down his spine.
Eun-ak slowly pushed himself back to his feet. His head hung low, blood dripping steadily. But something had changed. His breathing was calm. His eyes… cold.
Without a word, he grabbed Joon-ho by the collar.
And then he slammed him into the wall.
Again.
And again.
The sound of Joon-ho's body crashing against concrete echoed violently through the room. His strength drained with each impact.
Finally, Eun-ak released him. Joon-ho gasped, barely able to stand. But before he could fall, he clenched his teeth and launched a final, desperate attack — a powerful Muay Thai elbow strike aimed at Eun-ak's temple.
The blow connected.
Both collapsed to the floor.
Silence.
Minutes passed. Then…
Eun-ak stirred.
Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself to his feet. His ribs burned with pain. Blood dripped from his head, staining the floor.
But he was standing.
One rib broken.
Body battered.
But still standing.
Without looking back at the unconscious Joon-ho, Eun-ak staggered toward the exit. He moved towards the gym Mummering —
"Four down… four left."
The gym was dimly lit, the echo of heavy weights clanking filling the air. In the center of the room stood Seo Do-hyun, the leader of Class 1-F. A towering figure with a body of pure muscle, he was training for his upcoming national wrestling match. His forearms bulged, his hands rough and powerful.
Eun-ak entered the gym, his footsteps heavy. His vision wavered slightly from the blood loss, but he kept moving.
Do-hyun glanced up from his training. "You again?"
Without a word, Eun-ak ran at him. Fast. Direct.
But it wasn't enough.
Seo Do-hyun's large palm caught Eun-ak mid-charge. With a grunt, he slammed him to the side, sending Eun-ak flying into the wall.
The impact rattled his entire body. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth. But again… he stood.
And again, he charged.
Do-hyun shook his head in disbelief. "Are you stupid? Why keep doing the same thing?"
Eun-ak didn't answer. He kept running.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, he was thrown back. Each time, he stood.
Do-hyun frowned. "What's the point? You can't win."
Eun-ak's eyes narrowed. This time, as Do-hyun reached to slam him again — he slipped through the open space in his guard.
Before Do-hyun could react, Eun-ak activated another card.
[Silver Card Activated – Rocket Kick]
[Effect: Delivers an explosive, high-impact kick]
With all his strength, Eun-ak drove his foot into Do-hyun's pancreas.
The force was devastating.
Do-hyun's massive body lifted off the ground, crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.
As Eun-ak stood over him, blood dripping from his mouth, Do-hyun murmured faintly, "Why… why the same trick…?"
But Eun-ak answered this time. "Because a bull can't understand a pattern of Human. "
He tried to take a step forward… but his legs finally gave out. He collapsed to the gym floor.
A system notification popped up.
[Side Quest – Defeat First-Year Leaders]
Defeated: 5 | Remaining: 3
The battle wasn't over. Eun-ak wasn't finished yet.