The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 286

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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
Part 2, Episode 107

“Not bad at all.”
Kang Han nodded in satisfaction, speaking in a low voice.
I agreed with his assessment.
Cheongmun was an excellent first opponent for us.
At least we didn’t have to worry about them resorting to underhanded tactics.
“This should be a good match.”
I nodded back at Ryu Do Kyung and Ryu Ja Kyung, the siblings from a nearby table who bowed their heads lightly in greeting toward us.
They seemed to think we were a suitable first opponent as well, and despite their serious expressions—befitting Cheongmun—they didn’t appear displeased.
While I focused briefly on exchanging pleasantries with Cheongmun Guild, a familiar name echoed from the ongoing bracket draw.
“Group D, Number 1: Sama Guild!”
Only then did it hit me.
Right, Sama Guild was here too.
I craned my neck and glanced around, but there was no need.
Sama Guild was sitting at the table right beside us.
Of course, the venue was so spacious that even an adjacent table wasn’t particularly close, but I found it ridiculous that I’d overlooked them until now.
Especially with Sa Ma Young staring at me so intently.
“Group D, Number 2 is… yes, Bo Guk Guild! Sama Guild and Bo Guk Guild will face each other in the Round of 16!”
Even as Sa Ma Young’s opponent was being determined, his gaze never wavered from me.
It could have been a testament to his confidence that he could win against anyone, or it could have been his unwavering obsession with me.
Judging by the way he watched me without blinking in the dim space, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
But then something strange happened.
“…What?”
Sa Ma Young suddenly turned his head, withdrawing the gaze he’d been directing at me.
It was the first time this had ever occurred.
Sa Ma Young, who always stared at me so intensely it made my skin prickle.
As if he’d never been looking at me at all, his crimson eyes were now fixed solely on the stage ahead.

⟪ ♥ 66 : Desire ⟫

I checked his affinity level out of curiosity, and it remained unchanged.
In other words, his feelings toward me hadn’t changed, but his behavior had shifted for some other reason.

Sa Ma Young S
.
.
.
Abnormal Status – …Dark Addiction 23%

Given the low addiction rate, there was nothing physically wrong with him either.
In the past, I would have spent a long time wondering why he was like that, but I simply shrugged and withdrew my gaze from Sa Ma Young.
‘How could I possibly understand what lies within him.’
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.
I decided not to try understanding Sa Ma Young.
Besides, Sa Ma Young’s favorability was already sufficiently high.
Recently, there had been no obstacles to the Justice Guild’s path forward, and the numbers were sufficient for the efficiency of my Dark Purification skill.
For now, there was no need to pay special attention to Sa Ma Young.
Just then, Gong Gil Yeon’s guild, Psychedelic, was placed in the final slot of Group D, position 4, and all the drawings were complete.
“With this, the bracket is now complete!”
With the announcer’s cry, the massive bracket filled the screen.
And moments later, sighs mixed with hollow laughter echoed from various corners.
“No matter how you arrange the groups….”
“They mixed it so evenly.”
Fantasia in Group A, Dongbaek and Utopia in Group B, Cheongmun in Group C, and Sa Ma in Group D.
The championship favorites competing for the top positions were evenly distributed across each group.
“Group B is the group of death.”
Someone’s murmur was right on the mark.
At this rate, Dongbaek and Utopia would inevitably meet in the quarterfinals.
As one of them would inevitably be eliminated early, I sympathized with those disappointed, yet I couldn’t help feeling a subtle heat rising in me.
The atmosphere suggested that it was obvious Cheongmun would survive from Group C, which included the Justice Guild.
No one was paying attention to the Justice Guild.
After all, the Justice Guild had failed to place in the top 14 guild rankings and was participating in the Guild Cup as a wildcard through Association Director Ji Jung Hwi.
So this reaction was something I had anticipated, but confirming it directly left me feeling rather deflated.
Well, there’s nothing to be done about it.
Using the Guild Cup as an opportunity….
“We should work hard to properly demonstrate the Justice Guild’s full capabilities.”
Those were my words.
I was startled and looked at Kang Han.
“How is it that you’re thinking exactly the same thing as me?”
“I suspect it’s not just me.”
Following Kang Han’s gaze, I turned to observe the faces of the Justice Guild members.
They varied—some sat quietly smiling, others gazed seriously at the stage—but they all shared one thing in common.
‘Their eyes were absolutely burning with fierce determination.’
It was clear that the reactions of people predicting the Justice Guild would lose to Cheongmun and be eliminated in the Round of 16 had touched something deep within the guild members’ hearts.
Unlike the other tables that buzzed with chatter about the bracket, our table remained silent.
But that silence sounded to me like the roar of a wildfire crackling and spreading.
A fire that starts quietly is the kind that burns down mountains.
I leaned back in my chair and savored this moment in comfort.
Once the Round of 16 match against Cheongmun began, everyone would have no choice but to pay attention to the Justice Guild.
“Now, we’ll reveal the regions assigned to each group!”
As the host gestured, the question marks remaining at the bottom of the bracket flipped like cards, transforming into letters.
Group A was assigned Seoul, Group B—which included Dongbaek and Utopia—was assigned the Yeongnam Region, Group C, which we belonged to, was assigned the Honam Region, and finally, Group D, which included the Sama Guild, was assigned the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Gangwon Region.
And at the same time, the dungeons for each match were also revealed.
“We and Cheongmun are going to the Jeonju A-Rank Glacier Dungeon.”
Whether to call it good luck or bad luck, I wasn’t sure.
It was a dungeon type favorable to both Cheongmun, who were experienced with underwater dungeons, and the Justice Guild, which had an S-Rank Ice Attribute user.
“Both guilds will be able to give it their all.”
At Kang Han’s words, everyone in the Justice Guild nodded with noticeably brightened expressions.
Then, glancing at the Gate assignment results for Group D, my jaw dropped.
“Wow, so there really is someone else who got lucky.”
The dungeon that the Sama Guild and Bo Guk Guild, which belonged to the Jung Dong Alliance, would enter was none other than the Tree Dungeon.
It was a place where monsters would burn like dry kindling the moment Sa Ma Young, a flame attribute user, lifted a finger.
The Bo Guk Guild sitting at the table in the back right corner hung their heads in a way that was truly pitiful to watch.
The competition was about who could eliminate more monsters and finish off the boss.
But of all things, they had to draw a Tree Dungeon.
There was no one who would disagree with the opinion that Bo Guk Guild’s run in this Guild Cup would end at the Round of 16.
“Well, the drawing ceremony is now rushing toward its conclusion. Finally, we plan to reveal the championship prize to all of you.”
The atmosphere inside the venue, which had loosened because of the bracket, suddenly tightened.
It was the championship prize that had been the subject of much speculation since the Guild Cup was announced.
As the finest guilds gathered for a spectacle that commanded the world’s attention, something worthy of that would surely emerge.
I was watching with a mixture of belief and doubt.
“The championship prize for the first Association Director Cup Guild Tournament is… an item set from the Master of the Maestro Guild!”
What ascended the stage in a glass case worthy of a museum display was an earring, a necklace, and shoes.
The design was simple enough that anyone could use it regardless of their main weapon, attack type, or gender, but the value of the three items was immense.
“Whoa!”
“Insane!”
“The Master made these?!”
The hunters, who had been maintaining their composure until now, erupted in chaos simultaneously.
And for good reason—the Master was someone who had fallen into a slump and stopped crafting for five years.
Though he had recently resumed his work, the rarity value of his creations was still immeasurable, with countless people waiting to purchase his items.
Of course, since these were items created by an S-Rank Crafting attribute user, their effectiveness was guaranteed.
With the championship prize revealed, the prestige of the Guild Cup shot through the ceiling.
The reactions of those watching the live broadcast were probably the same.
Perhaps the chat window had even exploded.
I suddenly checked on Shin Se Hee from the Muwoon Guild.
As expected, her eyes were absolutely blazing with intensity.
After coveting the Master’s item like that.
If we defeated Cheongmun and advanced to the quarterfinals, we’d face the Muwoon Guild, and the way Shin Se Hee was burning with fighting spirit didn’t seem ordinary.
With an ominous premonition that a headache was coming, I swallowed a sigh in silence, but the Awakener Association’s carefully orchestrated barrage of spectacle wasn’t finished yet.
“Do you see the gift boxes prepared at each table? Let’s open them!”
True to the host’s words, five modest boxes were placed on each table, one for each person.
I untied the ribbon that sparkled under the venue’s lights and opened the weighty box to reveal.
“A wristwatch?”
Yang Hwa Yeon’s voice carried a note of bewilderment at the unexpected gift.
I silently pressed the button to activate the wristwatch’s display.
‘As I thought.’
The black wristwatch that Hunters entering Dungeons favored.
It was the Darkness Addiction Scanner that Jung Je Hwa had created.

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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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