After saying that, the man sped swiftly ahead.
Seung smirked and said, "That's too easy."
Of course, he had never learned how to drive. The situation wasn't different now as it was just like he was using his skill while the bike was only a 'catalytic' material.
He sped faster, slowing down by the criminal's side whose eyes widened in surprise immediately.
'How can he catch up with me?'
Nevertheless, the man sped faster.
"I should get this done quickly," Seung mumbled and accelerated beyond him.
Reaching the front at a distance from the man revving forward, Seung parked the bike and stood in the way. He knew this idea was crazy. But it's the only potential way he thought could stop the criminal.
The man thought the little guy was crazy. He stopped himself from taking him too seriously. After all, how could a mere teenager defeat him?
"I will crush you very hard since you are very adamant!" In no time, his bike got a few meters away from Seung.
And in that moment, Seung stretched his hand forward and hit the bike's headlamp loudly. His leg drifted backward slightly.
Poof!
"Yeeeh!!!" the man screamed as he tried to accelerate forward, but to no avail.
"Thanks for letting me find this out too; I wouldn't have known I can do this if you didn't commit a crime," Seung said to the man, and smirked.
His hand was pushing against the bike and it couldn't move from the spot, even though the man used all his strength.
Lee Seung then swiftly pushed it backward, causing it to fall to the ground along with the man.
He thought, while staring at the man, 'I wonder what kind of thing the screen I always see is. I got stronger after opening the iron box. Is it even possible that the screen is an artificial intelligence?'
In that moment, the siren of police cars caught his attention. A set of men came forward and handcuffed the criminal.
Then, the criminal said to Seung, "You punk! I will make sure I find you when I get bail! Just wait and see!"
Seung smiled slightly, replying, "I will."
The man fumed as he was taken into the car. One of the policemen went to Seung and asked his name.
His reply before flashing away with the bike was,
"I am just an F-ranker."
Lee Seung returned the bike he took earlier by the roadside and took a taxi to Hanyang hospital. Visiting his sister on Christmas days was a ritual for him, one he never failed to do.
Beep... beep...
The sound of the life-support machine louden in his ears as he sat on a stool beside the bed.
"Here I am to celebrate with you while you continue to ignore me," he said. He then placed the flower bouquet beside her pillow and said, "Merry Christmas sister. I will visit our parents' graves to congratulate them as well. Gosh.... it has been so lonely without you guys."
A few moments later, Lee Seung exited the ward. Upon getting to the hospital's lounge, he placed a call to Mr. Choi. As the man picked up the call, he said, "Good morning, Mr. Choi."
"Oh, good morning. How are you doing?"
"Good," Seung replied frankly. "Concerning the treasure I discussed with you about, where can I find it? Which class of dungeon is... it?"
Mr. Choi sighed loudly. He replied, "Of all the classes of dungeon, C-rank dungeons are the hardest to find. Few percent of A-rank Hunters have ever hunted this kind of dungeon, therefore..."
"... possibility of getting Jar of Life is very low," said Seung.
"You always finish my statement, Mr. Lee," said Mr. Choi. "In a nutshell, it's the resource harvested from C-rank monsters but only used to save lives."
Seung thanked him for the pieces of information. The man then asked who he wanted to save with Jar of Life, however, he told him not to worry about it.
As Lee Seung was about to go back home and resummon his clones, he remembered that Mr. Song asked him to visit his house today.
The man's house was beside FAST BITE. Seung arrived there and knocked on the door.
He said, "Mr. Song, I am here!"
In that moment, the door opened. Seung was expecting to see the old man, but it appeared to be a young lady wearing her hair in a bun.
'Oh, is she Mr. Song's granddaughter? If that's true, the entire family would be inside. I shouldn't have come,' Seung thought.
"Please come in," said the young lady, softly.
Lee Seung entered the living room. He sighed on getting inside, regretting why he had come.
'Oh God, I don't like it when a place is crowded.'
Before him were three people, including Mr. Song, sitting on the floor around a table containing foods and drinks.
"I thought you won't make it here. Come join us!" said Mr. Song.
He signaled to him to join them and Seung had no other choice but to do so. He sat opposite Mr. Song's son who was seated beside his wife.
"Hello, uncle Taehwan," Seung greeted, slightly bowing.
The man grinned. "Long time no see, Seung. You look very different from the little kid I know."
"Haha, yeah," Seung said with a slight smile.
It was at that moment the young lady joined them, sitting beside her father.
Taehwan said, "Seung, meet my daughter, Jiwon." He then faced Mr. Song, "Dad, didn't you say he goes to Star High school?"
"That's right. I think it's the same school Jiwon attends as well," Mr. Song said.
Lee Seung thought that if the lady was his schoolmate, she would definitely know who he was.
The first reason was that he was the top student when academics are concerned and secondly, he was always surrounded by bullies.
But he believed that she's wrong if she thought she could look down on him. Because being the weakest was his past personality. He has superhuman strength now.
"Seung???" Taehwan called him. "I am talking to you."
His voice interrupted Seung's thoughts, making him realize he was being talked to.
"Oh, yes, I am here. I... I am hearing you clearly."
"I asked if you have prepared well for your final examination. Well, I trust you have," said Taehwan, grinning.
* * *
Dun....dun...dun....
The next morning, Lee Seung's face brightened as he hopped into his school uniform. Today was the day he had been waiting for a long time ago.
Before awakening, his yearning was to get the highest mark in the final examination all over Korea.
'I stopped having that determination because the result would be useless since I couldn't sponsor my higher education. However, I earn a healthy income now; therefore, I will make sure I get the highest MARK!'
He packed his bag and sent a text message to Mr. Choi, asking him to come take his clones to the next dungeon.
Seung mumbled, "What's the countdown now?"
The screen then opened,
[00:00:00]
"That means resummoning is ready. Hoof, let's get to it," he mumbled and said the commanding word.
'Emerge.'
Swoosh!
His two clones appeared before him. They were in the clothes he had given them to wear before running out of energy last time. The three of them waited outside, and a few minutes later, Mr. Choi drove to their front.
"You are going to school today?" asked the man, upon seeing what Seung was wearing.
"Yes, I am doing my final examination today. You only need to drop my clones at the next dungeon; they can find their way back home," Lee Seung said. The clones sat at the backseat, and Mr. Choi closed the car door.
"Best of luck with the exam!" Mr. Choi said.
"Thanks," Lee Seung replied, grinning.
Later on, the car drove away, and he made his way towards the school as well. A taxi dropped Lee Seung at the side of the road, about eight meters away from the entrance gate of the school.
Some students were going into the school as well. Seung stayed behind them and walked forward, keeping a good distance.
'I will surely cause a scene if I walk faster than them.'
Just at the moment, he heard someone called his name from the back. He halted and glanced backward.
"Hey, Seung!" the person called him again. He's no one other than Kang Jinhu.
He had some male students walking together with him — not friends, but followers that treat him with respect.
Seung noticed that he was limping which made him realize the E-rank Hunters must have beaten him to a pulp back then.
"Anyways..." He mumbled with a sigh. Jinhu stopped a few meters away from him.
His lips twisted into a smirk. "Jerk, you look thrilled that I am injured, aren't you?"
"Don't -" Seung tried to speak, but the bully cut in.
"Tell him what you told me earlier, Johnny."
The guy referred to, who was beside Jinhu, then said that Seung was present at school last week, and left at exactly closing time.
'He's talking about my clone. The day I went solo in the dungeon.'
Just at the moment, Kang Jinhu said, "You see, I knew that the guy in the dungeon could never have been you."
With a swift blow, Jinhu's fist connected with Seung's face, sending him staggering backward.
"Argh!" Seung winced, regaining his balance.
"I was beaten to a pulp because your lookalike abandoned me there," he groaned. "You are going to pay for it."
He moved closer to Lee Seung and raised a punch in the air, delivering it to his face.
Bham!
Lee Seung's eyeballs glowed with fierce light as he gripped Jinhu's punch tightly. Although Jinhu flexed his muscles to get his hand away from his grasp, he couldn't.
"I didn't know you really wanted to fight," said Seung, boldly. "If you give me a go ahead, I will do the favor of breaking your arms."