The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Yeo Joo Saves the World – Episode 22

Thunk!

[ 7 Points ]

Lee Yu Chan lowered his head.
There was disappointment at scoring only 7 points on that final shot, but the real reason ran deeper.
My right hand, which had been perfectly fine moments before, was trembling uncontrollably.
It wasn’t from nervousness.
It was that peculiar sensation that had begun the moment the system informed me the skill restriction had weakened.
What started as a tingling sensation had transformed into a sharp ache by the ninth arrow, its intensity escalating with each shot.
By the final arrow, the pain was so acute that tears streamed down my face involuntarily.
As a result, that shamefully low score of 7 points appeared on the screen.
And Lee Yeon Gu’s final arrow was.

[ 8 Points ]

Moments later, the final results of the match filled the entire display.

[ Lee Yu Chan 77 Points | Lee Yeon Gu 78 Points ]

Lee Yeon Gu’s victory by a single point.

* * *

“Damn, just one point!”
“What a waste.”
“Why did he throw away that last shot like that?”
The spectators around me clutched their heads as if the loss were their own.
“That’s not like Lee Yu Chan—he rarely makes mistakes like that.”
Lee Yu Eul, who’d watched the match beside me, felt the same way.
But I found myself oddly satisfied.
“Not a bad result, all things considered.”
Losing by a single point was certainly frustrating, but there had been a change in Lee Yu Chan’s status window.

Lee Yu Chan C
1. Accuracy ( A ) – Activatable
2. Unshakeable Mind ( B ) – Deactivated
3. Concealment ( C )
4. [Empty]
Abnormal Status – Fragile Mental State
Engraving Recovery – None
Equipped Item – Bow ( B )

The first Accuracy skill, which had remained deactivated all this time, had shifted to an activatable state.
I could now understand why there had been a mistake in the final shot.
‘His body simply couldn’t withstand it.’
Lee Yu Chan is C-rank.
Naturally, he possessed a C-rank body.
Yet the Accuracy skill now showing as reawakenable was A-rank.
His body was bound to experience severe overload.
‘I need to execute a complete reawakening soon.’
Throughout the Sejong Era, there weren’t many who underwent complete reawakening.
The most notable example was Sa Ma Young, who reawakened from A-rank to S-rank.
Of course, Lee Yu Chan and Lee Yu Eul were included in that count.
‘There’s always a way.’
The only regret was that various preparations were necessary, making it impossible to execute immediately.
If Lee Yu Chan could simply steady that fragile mental state before reawakening, his growth would be absolutely extraordinary.
“Lee Yu Chan!”
Sure enough, Lee Yu Chan staggered as he walked out of the Competition Arena, nearly collapsing.
Had Lee Yu Eul not rushed over to catch him, he would have fallen flat on his face.
Under normal circumstances, his pathetic state would have drawn mocking laughter.
But no one was laughing.
Instead, most eyes were fixed on Lee Yu Chan with fascination, admiration, and encouragement—he had lost by merely one point against Lee Yeon Gu, a B-rank, despite giving his absolute all.
“Don’t waste time on pointless things. Let’s proceed with the next match.”
Kim Do Ran, the Titan Guild Master, approached with a menacing expression and urged me forward.
“Fine by me.”
If he was so eager to see me humiliated, so be it.
I shifted my position, watching Lee Yu Eul support Lee Yu Chan with resentment burning in my chest.

* * *

The combat match was set to take place on a hexagonal boxing ring.
It was a training and sparring ground for combat-type Awakeners who didn’t typically use weapons.
The structure was roughly similar to a standard boxing ring, but unlike the usual open design, it was surrounded by a semi-transparent protective barrier.
Before the match ended, outside interference was impossible, and escape from within was equally forbidden.
“A death match, basically.”
I found it unsettling to push the still-young Lee Yu Eul into such a place, but as a Hunter, she couldn’t receive the unconditional protection afforded to minors like ordinary civilians.
When Hunters had to face monsters capable of killing in a single strike, a match against another person was hardly a concern worth mentioning.
Just then, the Titan Guild Master approached and made his announcement.
“Park Dae Gang will be our representative.”
Lee Yu Eul would be facing Park Dae Gang, a B-rank physical enhancement-type Awakener.
At least the Guild Master had enough sense not to directly pit himself against an eighteen-year-old.
“No skill usage.”
If she used skills without protective gear, this would truly become a death match.
Each Hunter was a precious resource to the Guild.
“…Understood.”
I waved my hand dismissively—a signal that we were done talking—and surveyed the surroundings.
“More people have gathered.”
The audience had grown larger than during the archery match earlier.
Yet I still didn’t see Jang Su Ho or Kang Han among them.
“That bald bastard from the Awakeners Association is being persistently annoying.”
I really needed to take care of him soon.
While I was muttering to myself, my gaze fell upon the twins.
Unlike her usual self, Lee Yu Eul sat quietly in a chair, gently stroking the hair of the exhausted-looking Lee Yu Chan.
The face that always wore a smile now looked dark.
I could roughly guess what was on her mind.
“Lee Yu Eul, you need to prepare to go up.”
“…Yes.”
Lee Yu Eul cast one last worried glance at her brother before trudging toward me.
Since this wasn’t a boxing match, she wouldn’t be wearing gloves.
Instead, minimal protective measures for her joints were necessary.
I called out to Lee Yu Eul, who was skillfully taping her fingers and knuckles with slumped shoulders.
“Lee Yu Eul.”
“Yes, unnie.”
“If you lose, you die.”
“…Mm.”
Her response was far from satisfactory.
“Don’t entertain pointless thoughts.”
Those cat-like eyes that had been fixed on her brother finally turned toward me.
“Losing deliberately isn’t helping Lee Yu Chan—it’s nothing at all.”
I deliberately made my tone even more resolute.
“Remember, your brother gave his all until he was completely exhausted.”
Lee Yu Eul must have been thinking.
Lee Yu Chan lost, so wouldn’t he feel hurt if I won?
Wouldn’t he be wounded?
The two of them were twins who had been together since the womb.
There was no way Lee Yu Eul didn’t understand the subtle inferiority complex Lee Yu Chan harbored toward her.
Though she seemed to act without thinking, Lee Yu Eul was constantly reading Lee Yu Chan’s mood in her daily life.
Even in situations she could handle alone, she called for his help, and in moments she could take the lead, she stepped back.
It was obvious enough that even I, who had only recently joined the Justice Guild, could see it.
But not today.
“You understand, right? Fight thinking Lee Yu Chan is behind your back. You just need to avoid being incapacitated first.”
Inside the Sejong Barrier, Lee Yu Eul had succeeded in re-awakening her skill in a similar situation.
So she deliberately provoked the Titan Guild further to create an opportunity.
She’d created a gamble, betting the Justice Guild’s reputation as the stakes.
Lee Yu Eul’s eyes changed.
And after seeing Lee Yu Chan drinking water handed to him by the red-haired woman one last time, she climbed onto the ring with determination.
“Yeah, that’s how Lee Yu Eul should be.”
Moments later, the protective barrier activated and the combat match began.

* * *

“Ah, even if I win this, I break even.”
Park Dae Gang let out a laugh mixed with a sigh.
“Can’t even brag about beating some scrawny girl.”
“It was you, sir.”
“What?”
“You splashed water on my brother.”
“Oh, what are you— Why, does it bother you?”
“No.”
Lee Yu Eul raised her clenched fists and took a combat stance as she spoke.
“I want to kill you.”
“You damn little—!”
Lee Yu Eul’s fist shot toward Park Dae Gang’s mouth as he spewed vulgar curses, moving at blinding speed.
The punch was so powerful that a shockwave followed in its wake.
“Whoa!”
Caught off guard, Park Dae Gang jerked his upper body back and barely dodged the attack.
And he felt it instinctively.
If he underestimated her, he would lose.
Since he couldn’t use skills, he had to end this quickly if he wanted to save face.
Park Dae Gang gritted his teeth and swung his right arm wide, launching his fist forward.
However, Lee Yu Eul didn’t dodge.
Crack!
I raised my left arm and blocked the heavy punch.
Despite the considerable pain from the strength difference born of physique and rank, I didn’t even furrow my brow.
Instead, I drove a deep hook into the opening Park Dae Gang had exposed.
“Gasp!”
The first solid hit landed.
My fist struck true, embedding itself precisely into his abdomen and ribs.
But Park Dae Gang, who had accumulated experience fighting monsters and other hunters, wasn’t easily shaken.
He grabbed my left arm that had blocked his right hand and drove his knee upward without hesitation.
“Ugh!”
With no time to pull my body back, the knee strike came in. I tensed my abdominal muscles to minimize the impact, but a searing pain followed as if my insides were being turned inside out.
Stumbling slightly, I retreated half a step, and Park Dae Gang immediately launched his next attack.
He lowered his center of gravity and aimed a kick at my knees.
If I took that hit, my knees and shins would be shattered.
I chose to evade rather than meet the attack head-on.
I quickly rolled across the floor and repositioned myself behind Park Dae Gang in an instant.
Even after our positions reversed, the breathtaking exchange continued, each second subdivided into fractions.
Thud! Crack! Smack!
It was an intense, evenly matched bout that set the spectators’ blood ablaze.
Just as the deadlocked match seemed to continue, Park Dae Gang made his move first.
“Hrraaah!”
He closed the distance in an instant and extended both massive hands toward me.
His plan was to seize me by the collar and slam me to the ground.
“Don’t you dare grab me!”
But Park Dae Gang’s attempt didn’t translate into a proper attack.
I countered his tremendous grip with equally strong grip strength and pulled my body back with a jumping motion.
My shirt was torn halfway in the process, but that was a small price compared to defeat.
And as I calculated my next move, my gaze flickered toward Lee Yu Chan for a moment.
I needed to check on my brother’s condition.
But before I could see properly, a massive body blocked my view.
It was Park Dae Gang’s attempt to shake my mental state by any means necessary.
But no one could have predicted what consequence this would create.
My fresh eyes narrowed even further, their corners rising sharply.
‘He’s blocking my path?’
The moment I realized my view was obstructed, fury surged up from deep within.
I wanted to eliminate this existence before me.
I wanted to throw him over.
And I wanted to move forward.
At the same time, letters materialized before my eyes.

[ You have ‘recognized’ the ‘obstacle blocking your path’. ]
[ Agility increases by 80 for the next 3 hours. ]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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