Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 239

After the first round of judging, the overall scores were announced.

[3rd Place in the Competition - Average 72.3 Points]
[Participant No. 100 - Kim Hanna]
[Affiliation - Haenampa (Disciple)]
[Song - 65 Points]
[Dance - 52 Points]
[Combat - 100 Points]

[10th Place in the Competition - Average 70.6 Points]
[Participant No. 115 - Ye Ji-su]
[Affiliation - Haenampa (Disciple)]
[Song - 68 Points]
[Dance - 45 Points]
[Combat - 99 Points]

[12th Place in the Competition - Average 69.3 Points]
[Participant No. 213 - Cha Ji-yeon]
[Affiliation - Haenampa (Disciple)]
[Song - 60 Points]
[Dance - 51 Points]
[Combat - 97 Points]

The disciples, who had struggled heavily in the early stages of the competition, achieved dramatic success thanks to their high combat scores in the Silent Swordsman Catch-Up.
Their strong combat performance had raised their average scores significantly.
In contrast, the trainees from Teen Enter had suffered heavily in the combat section, causing a sharp drop in their rankings.

[25th Place in the Competition - Average 66 Points]
[Participant No. 256 - Jo Yu-jeong]
[Affiliation - Ilseong Enter (Celebrity Trainee)]
[Song - 77 Points]
[Dance - 88 Points]
[Combat - 33 Points]

[152nd Place in the Competition - Average 56.6 Points]
[Participant No. 175 - Kim Ye-ji]
[Affiliation - Taebaek Enter (Celebrity Trainee)]
[Song - 85 Points]
[Dance - 72 Points]
[Combat - 13 Points]

The top 10 candidates had a dramatic fall in their rankings!
Some were already awakened and had increased their levels, but they struggled with the brutal difficulty of the Silent Swordsman Catch-Up and suffered badly in the combat records.
It was no wonder Kim Hanna had surged from 50th place to 3rd place.
Despite this upheaval, the performance of Teen Enter’s top talent, who ranked second, was also intriguing.

[2nd Place in the Competition - Average 74.3 Points]
[Participant No. 401 - Yoon Woo-jeong]
[Affiliation - Asan Enter (Guild Member)]
[Song - 42 Points]
[Dance - 81 Points]
[Combat - 100 Points]

“Yoon Woo-jeong? She’s just someone we let participate to fill up the numbers!”

The Asan Enter manager's frustration was audible in Ha Eung Eung's ears.
Rather than listen to him, she would rather hear about Teen Enter’s situation, but her companion wouldn’t allow her that escape.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Did you see? The overwhelming difference in skill. The first guild to produce a Star Awakener will be our Black Warriors.”

The boss was certainly getting smug.

[1st Place in the Competition - Average 87 Points]
[Participant No. 222 - Voice Girl]
[Affiliation - Haenampa (Special Disciple), Black Warriors (Executive)]
[Song - 100 Points]
[Dance - 61 Points]
[Combat - 100 Points]

1st place Voice Girl, average 87 points.
2nd place Yoon Woo-jeong, average 74.3 points.
3rd place Kim Hanna, average 72.3 points.
...
10th place Ye Ji-su, average 70.6 points.
...
12th place Cha Ji-yeon, average 69.3 points.

The results of the first round were a huge surprise, with no one expecting such an upset.
From 4th to 9th place, participants from Black Warriors dominated.
Of the top 10, there were 7 from Black Warriors, 2 from Haenampa, and 1 from Teen Enter.

“Are you jealous?”
[No, I’m not.]
“Jealous, huh?”
[Not at all.]
“You’re jealous, I can tell.”

As Ha Eung Eung held her pen, it burst, and some of the ink splashed onto the boss.
With a casual gesture, the boss wiped the ink off with his hand and let out a small laugh.

“Are you mad because you lost? It pisses you off, doesn’t it? But what can you do? The difference in skill is overwhelming. Ha. Ha. Ha!”

Ha Eung Eung drew the scattered ink back into the air and wrote without moving her hand.

[Watch out on dark roads.]
“…Are you really threatening me with this? You won, so just enjoy it. Stop being so petty.”
“……”
“You’re really mad, huh?”

Of course, this was someone who would make anyone pay if they boasted too much after winning, so the people from Teen Enter thought.
They knew better than to get cocky after a mid-round win or a small victory—no one should think of bragging after one win, for fear of making a ‘mistake’ that could lead to something bad.
Better not even make eye contact with her.

After filtering out the underperforming participants in the first round of judging, a month-long training camp schedule was set.
Weekly assignments were given, and the participants were expected to raise their levels to a certain point and improve their singing and dancing skills during this period.
Since the Star Awakener required top-level skills both as a celebrity and an awakened, they couldn’t afford to be lacking in any area.

However, among the participants undergoing the training camp, factions began to form.
During the tough month-long training, they grouped together to avoid being crushed by the interference or power struggles of other factions.
The disciples from Haenampa gathered around Kim Hanna.
The Black Warriors participants gathered around Voice Girl.
The Teen Enter guild members gathered around Yoon Woo-jeong.

From the filming content, it seemed like a three-way rivalry was underway.

“Aren’t you going to the site?”
[No, I don’t want to see the boss gloating.]

Ha Eung Eung, who had been frustrated after losing in the rankings, didn’t want to hear the boss's smug remarks.

‘I wish I didn’t have to hold this notebook, I’d look like a goddess if I weren’t so stiff and childish like this.’

U Ji-woo closed his mouth with a smile.
If he said anything out of turn, he might be marked and returned to his original face.
Being stuck in a position where his appearance was practically held hostage, he couldn’t afford to speak out against Ha Eung Eung.
Even the “prickly human” had been unable to receive reverse healing for over half a year after getting on Ha Eung Eung’s bad side.
If his mood soured, it wouldn’t be a big deal for her to undo the healing.

“Hey? Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be with the others filming?”
[Today, I just want to stay here.]

A smile bloomed on Ju A-young’s face.

“Hehe. As expected, I’m the best, right?”
[Of course. A-young is my best disciple.]

Despite answering, Ha Eung Eung hesitated.
It was fine that she lost to the Black Warriors, but it was frustrating that Voice Girl had taken 1st place.
It was hard to compare the high-ranking executives with the disciples.
But what about A-young?
Her best disciple, who had already awakened her internal energy and learned martial arts better than anyone?

[So today, let’s do a special training to counter sound techniques.]
“Okay. But why sound techniques? Almost no one uses them in real life.”
[Once you learn it, you’ll need it someday.]

Ju A-young was pleased.
After the first round of judging, her sister had been visiting her much more often.
Normally, she would just check if she was training according to the schedule she set, and occasionally give her a lesson if she got stuck.
But recently, her sister had been coming to the training hall every day, closely watching every one of her movements.
The weight of her gaze from her sister, tracing from her fingertips to the curve of her arm, along her back, made her focus all her energy to keep from shaking.

[You’re holding too much tension in your body. Try to eliminate unnecessary strength. If unnecessary tension is amplified by your internal energy, the strain on your body increases.]
“Sorry. I got nervous because it’s been a while since I trained with you.”

Even when she relaxed, her body stiffened due to the embarrassment, but Ju A-young did her best to control the abnormal reactions in her body.
If Ha Eung Eung ever found out that she was being a hindrance during the training, she might stop coming to the training hall starting tomorrow.
She didn’t want to be a burden to her sister, but she didn’t want to grow distant from her either.
That desperation, that purity, brought her focus back, bringing progress to her training.
Ha Eung Eung was very satisfied with the result.

[A-young should have participated in the competition program.]
“Heh? Me? Why all of a sudden?”
[You have the skill, you’re not lacking in looks, and since you’ve learned martial arts, you could easily pick up dance. Your singing ability is still unknown, though.]
“Hey, don’t underestimate me. I can sing well! You’ll be surprised if you hear it.”
[Then I’ll listen to one song and evaluate it.]

With the sudden offer, Ju A-young hesitated.
The depth in her sister’s eyes was unbearable, waiting for her to sing.
It felt like singing in front of a siren, a creature that lures people in with its voice.

‘With that beautiful face, if my sister just sings, her voice will be much better than mine.’

But if her sister asked her to sing, she would do it willingly.
She started this difficult training for her sister, so singing didn’t matter at all.

“This moonlight’s fading away
Please make one promise.”

She had spent countless nights thinking of her sister, enduring tough days.
Her song, filled with her heartfelt emotions, resonated deeply.

[That was a beautiful song.]

Ha Eung Eung didn’t praise her just because she was her disciple.
Objectively, Ju A-young’s singing ability was truly outstanding.

[Can you sing one more time?]
“That’s a little... embarrassing.”
[It’s okay. It’s not a big deal, I’ll just record it.]
“That’s even more embarrassing!!”

Her usual sharpness came out, but Ha Eung Eung’s charm was that she could make unreasonable requests, and Ju A-young couldn’t refuse.

“Hey? Who sang that song?”
[It’s okay, right? Even Woo-seong can listen to it.]
“Yes, if possible, we want to invite you as a daily instructor for our Haenampa Idols.”

I see.
She was planning to invite her as a daily instructor.

[No.]
“Ah, have you already tried it?”
[A-young is my secret weapon.]

Was that the song Ju A-young sang?
Min Woo-seong’s surprise only grew.
Seeing his expression, Ha Eung Eung hid her left arm, which had the phone screen, behind her back.
Min Woo-seong’s eyes grew even wider at the sight.

“Guild Leader.”
[No. A-young can never be taken.]
“That’s not it... It’s her clothes.”

Feeling embarrassed, Min Woo-seong noticed another instructor entering the hallway and quickly approached Ha Eung Eung to shield her.
Ha Eung Eung looked down at herself, puzzled.
Her clothes, slightly disheveled from the sparring with A-young, showed a bra made from Silk Lotus fabric instead of bandages between the opening of her training uniform.

‘So... you protected me?’

It was a strange feeling.
Being cared for and protected.
By someone weaker than her.
By her.
It was truly a strange experience, no matter how many times she thought about it.