Lee Seung heard high-pitched sounds, like sticks hitting each other, as he and his clones walked through a narrow corridor.
The corridor's end led to a wide training ground filled with people.
The smell of methylated spirit was strong, with some men treating their wounds, while others stopped sparring upon seeing the three of them.
"Welcome to our midst, young men," said a tall man, who was half-naked. Lee Seung swallowed hard, completely stunned by the man's physique. Even from a distance, his rock-hard abs and muscular arms were clearly visible.
'Whatever,' Lee Seung thought, walking deeper into the room. He knew if he showed too much astonishment, he might become an easy target.
"Good morning, sir. I am Lee Seung," he said, shaking the man's hand. He knew this man was undoubtedly the leader.
"Nice to meet you," the man said with a smile. He momentarily raised his eyes to the two other guys, then said to Lee Seung, "I see you came with friends. Do you prefer freestyle sparring or one with restrictions?"
"I'm not here to fight but came to examine their fighting skills. They will fight without restrictions. Meanwhile, everyone here is invited for a challenge," Seung announced.
His words drew almost everyone's attention. Some smirked at his naivety, while others caressed their wooden swords, glaring at him.
"A general challenge?" the leader chuckled. He walked to the other side of the room and took his seat. "Those interested in the tournament should raise their hands..."
At first, only two people raised their hands. Others murmured among themselves. But in the end, all hands were raised.
After massaging his shoulders with a handkerchief, the man walked back to Lee Seung.
"Since everyone is interested, let me spell out some rules. First, all contestants are allowed to use whatever skills they have. Second, the winner will be the last one standing. That's all."
In an office at Eclipse Hunters Guild,
Kim Eunji sat on a swivel chair with a beautiful view of the city behind her. The office was silent except for the ticking of a wall clock. She closed a file and called someone on her phone.
"Good morning, Director Seijin. We've found a Hunter who is a potential suspect," she said, her cold countenance unyielding despite her polite tone.
"He's Mr. Choi Minho's employee, named Lee Seung. According to records from the Awakening Company, he became Awakened a few weeks ago and is now an E-rank metahuman."
Meanwhile, two adult men surrounded the clones, each clutching a wooden sword loosely. Hints of sarcasm and underestimation were evident on their faces; it wasn't possible for frail-looking teenagers to beat them.
Lee Seung continued to trim his thumbnails, keeping a close watch on his clones.
'They aren't in any serious stance. Is this what's called not being frank before the real business starts?'
As the referee blew the whistle, the clones assumed a knight's stance, their wooden weapons held horizontally at eye level.
Seconds passed, and neither the adults nor the teenagers moved. Both parties waited for the other to make the first move.
Lee Seung whispered to himself, "Now, I understand. The first to move might let the other deliver a clear blow, potentially tripping them up. That's unwise in this kind of tournament since the last man standing wins."
Getting impatient, one of the adult men exploded, "Screw this!" and ruthlessly drove his dagger towards one of the teenagers.
Instinctively, the clone somersaulted over the man and landed a few meters behind him with a loud bang.
"Wow, your friend has nice stamina!" the leader acknowledged, grinning at Seung. Lee Seung gave him a brief smile, still watching his clones closely.
The adult man whose attack was bypassed was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Nevertheless, he spun his weapon and descended towards the masked clone.
Simultaneously, the second adult engaged the other clone, their wooden weapons clashing.
WHACK!
A deep, resonant voice cried out, "Aagh!"
One of the clones spun his wooden sword and struck the man's head. The man cried out in pain and crashed to the floor.
"What?! How could that guy defeat Mister Yu?!"
"Who are these guys?!"
"I can't trust my eyes anymore!"
The onlookers were astonished, the room becoming noisy once again. Lee Seung's eyes shifted to the second clone, still engaged with the other man.
Just then, the clone flashed to the man's side, wrapped his hand around his waist, and flung him away like a piece of paper.
Bang!
The man landed beside the first one, sprawling on the ground.
'Daebak! These guys are far more awesome than I expected!' Lee Seung thought, grinning.
Soon after, the men were assisted to a part of the room where a first aid kit was placed. The leader, standing beside Seung, was consumed by greater interest in testing the clones' skills.
He then announced loudly, "This is a clear stroke of luck which may not be repeated in the next fight."
He signaled to some people in a distant direction.
In no time, six men surrounded the clones, their eyes burning with determination.
Lee Seung smirked, seeing his clones still calm and nonchalant.
"Let's see if it's really luck."
{Info}
"Daebak" is a Korean slang expression that can be used to express astonishment, excitement, or admiration. It can roughly be translated to "awesome," "amazing," or "incredible" in English. It's often used to show admiration for something unexpected or impressive.