Episode 85: Exchange Battle (8)
It had been quite some time since the start of the team battle.
By now, the eighth wave had already ended.
In the heart of Gaon, inside the top-level VIP room.
A space reserved only for guilds and groups responsible for the front lines.
Surprisingly, not many people had shown up.
That was expected, though—
Team battles weren’t really where one’s individual skills could shine.
Unless there was a promising candidate they were scouting or someone of particular interest, there was little reason to watch a team match.
“Haha, coming straight here to watch your daughter right after finishing your training?”
The escort warrior from Cheongpungdae spoke with a laugh.
Beside him, a middle-aged man in a neat traditional robe narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at the battlefield.
Yu Mujin, head of the Yu family.
He didn’t reply.
He simply kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield shown on the big screen.
Where Yu Hana’s group was engaged in a fierce fight.
He had to watch.
He had to confirm it with his own eyes—
The face of the thief who had stolen his daughter’s heart.
‘Hana… what on earth were you talking about…?’
Husband.
That word his daughter had spoken wouldn’t leave his mind.
He had even forgotten to call her “daughter” in that moment, urgently asking her again…
But Yu Hana had nodded without any hesitation.
Eyes firm. Voice unwavering.
A calm expression that only those who had already made up their minds could wear.
Yu Mujin knew this very well.
His daughter, Yu Hana, had always been the kind of person who never looked back once she had made a decision.
‘Just like her mother…’
Stubborn. Quick to decide. Unyielding.
‘Just who the hell is he…?!’
That guy who stole away his precious daughter’s heart before he could even do anything about it.
Who was this man who had taken hold of her heart in his absence?
Yu Mujin tried to analyze the boy named Jung Haein as objectively and coldly as possible.
However—
“……”
As someone whose life had been a continuous journey of honing martial arts…
The more he watched, the more he had no choice but to acknowledge Jung Haein.
The guy fully understood his role.
A team—or a raid group—wasn’t something that could function just because one person was exceptional.
Especially in situations like this one, which required organic, team-based coordination.
Sure, a particularly outstanding individual might try to brute-force their way through.
But this test wasn’t designed to reward that sort of thing.
And in that sense, Jung Haein was, quite surprisingly—
‘Flawless.’
Neither excessive nor lacking.
He held his position meticulously, moving with precision.
He acted in ways that made it easier for his teammates to move and function efficiently.
Without using any unnecessary force, he maintained proper positioning to influence the battle flow.
Such movement could easily become a detriment if not careful, but—
‘Not at all.’
At such a young age, he already understood the essence of martial arts.
It was clear that he wasn’t even using 30% of his true strength.
There was that slightly headstrong, orange-haired mage—
Whenever Yoon Chae-ha lost focus and disrupted the flow with her bursts of temper,
He gently supported her from the side, creating an environment where she could shine the brightest.
And the mage, clearly aware that he was watching her,
Instantly boosted her performance, casting her spells more brilliantly and boldly.
Like a child seeking praise.
He never stepped forward, yet if he hadn’t played the central role behind the scenes,
The other five teammates would’ve had a hard time even keeping up with the two women at the front.
“…Hah.”
And that synergy with his daughter, Yu Hana, was no exception.
When Jung Haein was focused on the mage, his daughter would sneak out of his sight.
And then she would deliberately step into the most dangerous part of the battlefield.
And that guy, as if he had a sixth sense, would instantly notice and assist her at the perfect timing.
In response, Yu Hana would smile flirtatiously and perform an elegant sword dance, clearly pleased.
Yu Mujin rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes.
He wished he hadn’t seen any of it.
‘Hana…’
To think the one throwing flirtatious glances wasn’t the guy…
In fact, the guy was overly sincere.
He was fully dedicated to his role and coordinated the team perfectly.
The only issue, if there was one, was that he kept walking straight into the traps casually tossed by the two girls.
Without the slightest suspicion. So innocently.
From Yu Mujin’s perspective—
The battlefield had gradually turned into a stage where the two girls tried to draw Jung Haein’s attention.
***
Beeeeeeep!
“Niiice!!!”
As the buzzer signaled the end of the wave, everyone collapsed to the ground at once.
Their breathing was rough, and their bodies drenched in sweat.
“Let’s just keep going like this…”
From the rear, Yoon Sang-hyuk let out a hollow laugh as he spoke.
Team Yu Hana had now successfully cleared the 9th wave.
On the scoreboard—1st place.
Second place was, as expected, the team with Joo Seo-jun and Yohan.
There wasn’t a huge gap in points, but what mattered was that they were in the lead.
More importantly, I hadn’t even stepped onto the frontline.
Honestly, this mission—I could’ve handled it alone if I wanted. I already had enough achievements under my belt.
So I felt there was no real need for me to step in directly.
But for the others, it was different. It’s not every day you get to face these kinds of unpredictable monsters.
So my goal was to give them as much experience as possible.
And the conclusion I came to after these 9 waves:
“They’re good.”
They really were.
I muttered it to myself.
Yu Hana was excellent—as expected. Her movements were textbook. Occasionally she would deliberately take risky positions, but I figured that was just her intuition at work.
Looking at the bigger picture, her role in the team was necessary, so there was no need to interfere.
On the other hand, Yoon Chae-ha…
She felt like she was enjoying my attention.
Her firepower was impressive. Her command of magic was outstanding. Her positioning was almost instinctual.
But that wasn’t the issue.
She kept casting large-scale spells.
Of course, mages are supposed to do that when facing large groups, so usually someone like Dae-hyun, a shield-bearer, would cover her.
But—
“Laーーー!”
“Damn it!”
She’d just keep spamming control spells and fireballs, and then—only when I was nearby—she’d suddenly whip out a flaming spear.
“You were saying I did well?”
Apparently, Yoon Chae-ha had heard my muttering.
Still seated on the ground, she turned her head and looked at me.
“No. Not you.”
I answered shortly, but she didn’t seem fazed at all.
“Oh, really?”
And with her slender fingers, she brushed back her sweat-soaked bangs with a cool smile.
“I’ll just do better next time.”
She looked straight at me with a grin. That confident attitude nearly made me smile without realizing it.
“Haein.”
But just then, Yu Hana approached me, sweating. Her breath was somewhat heavy, and sweat was running down her forehead.
“Can you wipe my sweat?”
“Your… sweat?”
She was the one who had fought the most at the frontlines. Her clothes and hair bore all the marks of battle.
‘The time is…’
There was still a bit left. After each wave, a short break was given. There was a small window before the final wave. Wiping off some sweat wouldn’t take long.
“Just for a bit. Help me out. It’s a spot I can’t reach…”
Yu Hana quietly looked around, then lightly grabbed my sleeve. And carefully led me toward the edge of the ruins, into the forest.
Then—
“Leader?”
It was Yoon Chae-ha’s voice. A short and quiet word.
And then—
Fwoosh.
A small flame bloomed at her fingertips. The fire softly flowed toward Yu Hana, stirring the warmth and mana in the air.
“…!”
The flame expanded with Yoon Chae-ha’s energy. Refined heat wind, guided by her will, gently enveloped Yu Hana’s body.
A soft, warm breeze swept over her entire body.
The sweat that had been running down evaporated, and her disheveled hair was smoothed out as if it had been blow-dried. Even her skin now looked fresh and dry.
“I’ll dry you off.”
Without missing a beat, Yoon Chae-ha spread the same heated breeze to the other team members.
“Whoa. Thanks.” “Thank you~”
Words of gratitude came from all around. After running non-stop, this was a rare and precious moment.
Yu Hana opened her eyes slightly as she brushed her now-dry hair with one hand. Her expression was calm, but her gaze quietly turned to Yoon Chae-ha.
As if something didn’t sit well with her—she glanced over.
But Yoon Chae-ha calmly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket.
Swish.
She approached me and, without a word, held up the handkerchief.
“You don’t sweat much… so the hot breeze wouldn’t suit you. I’ll wipe you off.”
With that, her hand touched my forehead. A gentle lavender scent tickled my nose.
Yoon Chae-ha quietly pressed her lips together, carefully wiping my forehead.
But on her own forehead, sweat still clung—left from using the heat magic earlier.
As I looked at her, I quietly reached out.
Swipe, swipe.
With the sleeve of my shirt, I gently wiped her forehead. The moment my fingers touched her, she looked at me without flinching.
As I wiped Yoon Chae-ha’s forehead, and she wiped mine—we stood there, arms crossed, wiping each other’s sweat.
“…Thanks.”
Yoon Chae-ha, who had been wiping my forehead, suddenly bowed her head. Uncharacteristically, the corners of her lips trembled slightly.
Wipe, wipe, wipe.
Since she couldn’t see properly, she ended up wiping all over—my eyes, nose, and mouth.
“Hey—mmph… Watch where you’re wiping.”
I grimaced and spoke. After wiping each other down, we returned to our spots.
“Hoo…”
Beside me, Yu Hana closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, starting to meditate.
Her hand was trembling.
[Time until Wave 10 begins: 00:15]
The final wave was about to begin.
Off, the 10th wave is going to be obliterated~
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