novelraw Chapter 75 : Chapter 75
Chapter 75 : Chapter 75
Chapter 75: Innocence Against Persistence
The pressure of high heat tightened around my body.
Every time I inhaled, the hot air seemed to claw at my lungs, and just sitting there felt like my stamina was being whittled away bit by bit.
In front of me, that guy appeared.
"The victory condition is enduring in here for a long time. You have been riding high lately; surely you won't run away?"
Sonic Park.
An ill-fated relationship continuing since the entrance exam.
He had proposed a match once again.
While completely naked with barely a single towel wrapped around him.
From not caring about the surrounding gazes, he is truly a psycho in a league of his own.
Facing his momentum approaching like pressure, I answered briefly.
"I won't."
There is no way I would accept that in the first place.
There is no particular benefit for me either.
Unless there is something to squeeze out of this guy.
Moreover, a mission to endure for a long time is not advantageous to me. No, it was thoroughly disadvantageous.
Because even now, I am barely holding on thanks to the Protector Bubble gum.
However, hearing my refusal, the guy started to make a strange expression.
Looking down as if he expected that, he smirked and spoke.
"Hmph, I knew you would say that. But you have no right to refuse."
"What?"
"Did you forget? That bet last time. You refused my proposal for a match back then."
I narrowed my eyes for a moment.
Suddenly, the memory grazed my mind.
During the Rank Test, Sonic Park forcibly placed a bet on me, and I refused it.
"......But when you were assigned A-Rank and I was assigned B-Rank. You took the penalty from me. Do you not remember?"
"......."
Certainly, that happened.
I refused the bet he placed, but eventually I won.
"I did. Since I got a steak meal out of you."
"And 10 servings at that! You pelican-like bastard! You even unloaded the share for those girls hanging around with you and made me buy it!"
Sonic Park's gaze headed upwards as if reminiscing, then soon his brow furrowed deeply.
"That is why I'm saying you have no right to refuse. You take the reward if you win anyway, even for a bet you refused, don't you?"
He pointed his finger at me and added again.
"Just like last time, this match is valid whether you refuse or not. If you have a minimum amount of pride, do not run away!"
It was a valid point.
Actually, after winning the bet I refused, I did squeeze the reward out of him.
'......I cannot refute that logically.'
Perhaps the guy had been aiming for this moment since then.
To make the next bet difficult to refuse, he left the words 'let's see next time' and truly promised the next time.
'As expected, he is a psycho. And a fucking persistent psycho at that.'
I thought anew that he was the psycho among psychos, but at the same time, the guy was making a legitimate claim.
The justification for the match is held by him.
As he said, I actually have a record of taking a reward from a bet I refused.
Probably using that as an excuse, he will continue to annoy me in the future.
He will devise ways to torment me whenever he gets a chance.
Above all, like now.......
[Sonic Park]
[Confidence, Full]
[Status: Cooling, Protection]
While preempting an advantageous position.
'Cooling' and 'Protection' displayed in the guy's special status column.
'......He came in fully prepared.'
The guy picked a fight in a state where he thoroughly laid down the 'conditions to win'.
For me without magic power, enduring with the Protector Bubble gum is the only countermeasure, and even that is essentially nothing more than a temporary measure.
The moment the gum's efficacy disappears, the high heat will sear my flesh and I won't be able to hold out.
Conversely, Sonic Park had layered 'Cooling' and 'Protection' statuses.
Therefore, looking only at the endurance match, that side was much more advantageous from the start.
It means he isn't running wild asking for a match just to engage in a battle of nerves.
"Don't dawdle and decide quickly! Decide clearly whether you will engage in the match or not!"
The guy pressured me once more.
Of course, escaping this situation isn't that difficult.
I just have to say this.
'I don't know about pride or whatever, anyway I won't do it. I said I won't.'
The guy has no coercive power.
Whatever I did in the past, a forced bet is just a forced bet.
Even if he curses me as a cowardly guy, he cannot hold me here.
However, the real problem is the persistence the guy possesses.
At the same time, the fact was that I couldn't avoid such persistent malice forever.
Even if I escape the situation by equivocating now, Sonic Park will definitely place a 'bet' on me again.
Next time, he will prepare more thoroughly and put up conditions I cannot refuse.
So some action was needed.
But how can I tame this psycho appropriately?
Just then, as my head felt heavy and sinking in the stifling high heat.
I suddenly looked at the seat next to me.
And an idea flashed in an instant.
The one next to me right now is none other than Lee Junhyeok.
With his arms crossed, the guy was watching the situation quite interestingly.
He seemed to be sitting quietly waiting for me to speak, as if watching a drama.
'This is it.'
Selecting words in my head, I opened my mouth.
"You have a point."
I continued speaking without avoiding Sonic Park's gaze.
"Like you said, it seems I don't have the right to refuse this time. Let's do it, the bet."
At my answer, a fishy smile spread on Sonic Park's lips.
A smile already convinced of victory.
I admit it. Since I am not particularly confident of winning either.
"Hmph, so you do admit it? Then without delay, start immediately......."
"Before that, wait a moment."
I cut off the guy's words and pointed to the seat next to me with my thumb.
"It's no fun if just the two of us do it. Let's do it together."
"What?"
Sonic Park asked back, narrowing his brow.
At the same time, Lee Junhyeok who was next to me had his eyes sparkle.
This will do. Because.
[Lee Junhyeok]
[Interest, Expectation, Competitive Spirit]
Because Lee Junhyeok is a guy who can't resist a fair match and duel.
"How about it? The last place buys drinks for the first place."
I naturally decided the penalty of the bet.
To a level where it is not unreasonable for Lee Junhyeok to participate naturally.
I slowly waited for Lee Junhyeok's reaction.
"Sounds good! I will participate too."
Lee Junhyeok bit— instantly.
"W-Wait! Who decided to put up something like 'drinks' as a penalty on their own?"
"Then? What did you intend to do as a penalty."
When I asked back, Sonic Park started shouting while spitting.
"Shouldn't we at least bet a finger! Such a boring condition is......."
"Then, shall we cut off the fingers of everyone except the first place?"
"Right...... Huh?"
We should bet at least a finger.
Sonic Park, who was speaking confidently, paused for a moment.
The one the guy judged he could beat is none other than me.
But if Lee Junhyeok joins in and becomes that opponent?
Even if he surpasses me, can he take first place?
Doubts are bound to spread.
In the guy's head, an estimation must be starting by now along with the question 'Can I beat Lee Junhyeok?'.
[Sonic Park]
[Bewilderment, Anxiety]
The conclusion seemed to be reached quickly.
He cannot beat Lee Junhyeok; the guy concluded on his own.
What this implies is simple.
The board has started to flip.
"Don't dawdle and decide quickly. Decide whether to bet drinks or bet fingers. Since I don't care what we bet."
"Y-You bastard......."
I did not refuse the bet.
I didn't run away 'cowardly' borrowing the guy's expression either.
And I am not in a position to hesitate now either.
The one who started hesitating at this moment was rather the guy who picked a fight valiantly.
While Sonic Park was agonizing with his mouth twitching like that.
"I think a finger is too heavy for a confrontation between cadets."
Lee Junhyeok broke the silence with a concerned expression.
"In the first place, the essence of a match does not lie in reward and punishment."
Lee Junhyeok shook his head and continued speaking.
By the way, this guy must not be hot. His condition is too fine.
Even though he didn't come with Cooling and Protection status buffs like Sonic Park.
"Towards a common goal, walking together through the process of becoming a better self. That is sufficient for the purpose of competition."
"......."
Sonic Park's mouth shut.
Lee Junhyeok's unique old-man-like way of speaking had become a powerful weapon right now rather than annoying.
Because Lee Junhyeok was naturally taking the initiative of the situation.
And this is the picture I painted.
Sonic Park wouldn't have accepted whatever I said.
He would have tried to go only the opposite way of me as his rebellious temperament activated somehow.
Therefore, I put forward Lee Junhyeok.
I use Lee Junhyeok to overturn the board the guy set up.
And the result appeared quickly.
Before we knew it, the three of us were sitting side by side on the wooden seats of the sauna.
In the middle of that, Lee Junhyeok spoke heartily.
"Now, let's summarize then. The person who leaves first buys drinks for the person who endured the longest! It's been a while since I had such a fun bet."
Lee Junhyeok smiling as if enjoying himself.
Of course it would be a while. Who would make a bet with Lee Junhyeok?
With this guy who is making a name for himself as a top-tier prospect.
And thanks to Lee Junhyeok, who was excited about a bet after a long time, stepping up actively, the situation was settled as I wanted.
"Thanks."
"Hm?"
"For summarizing it neatly."
"Sure! Then let's compete properly."
Excited Lee Junhyeok, and Sonic Park sitting next to him with a dazed expression.
"......."
The guy couldn't continue his words anymore with his head bowed deeply.
***
How much time passed since then?
I didn't know the exact time, but since the 5-minute hourglass placed on one side had turned 10 times, at least 50 minutes had passed.
The pain caused by the high heat was also converted to stats intermittently, but it scattered quickly like a mirage in a desert.
It just became slightly comfortable then stopped; fundamentally, it wasn't much help.
Sometimes I converted Pain into 'biting cold pain' to deceive my senses.
The coldness as if being stabbed hundreds of times with needles made me forget the heat momentarily.
However, that too didn't last long.
Everything was a temporary measure.
It was nothing more than a struggle to endure somehow.
"There was a saying among my father's words. 'The spirit of the sword comes from patience.' Being here, the meaning of those words seems to be engraved again. The extremely simple activity called sauna is simultaneously training to endure an extreme environment. Isn't it fascinating anew? That daily life transforms into high-dimensional training."
In the meantime, Lee Junhyeok's mouth isn't resting.
Did this kid originally talk this much?
I stared blankly into the empty air with a feeling of half-dying.
'When is it coming out. Passive you son of a bitch.'
The bet and whatnot had long become irrelevant.
Just quickly, the thought of obtaining the acquired passive related to heat resistance and escaping this place filled my head.
Inside the sauna, there were only the three of us.
Other customers who were there when we entered had all left a long time ago.
A few people came in after that, but they only stayed for a moment and left.
Moreover, from some point, no other people came in either.
"Whew, why is it so hot today."
A man who came in briefly and left leaving these words was the last person excluding us.
[Lee Junhyeok]
[Enjoyment, Excitement]
Lee Junhyeok who is fine to a bizarre degree.
[Sonic Park]
[Resignation, Despair, Painful]
And Sonic Park who is on the brink of death.
Sonic Park was enduring purely with his own magic power as the Cooling and Protection buffs had ended some time ago.
The guy holding on tenaciously with a dying gaze and a dry mouth. It must be the will to leave later than me at least.
On the other hand, it's the same for me feeling like I'm dying.
If it were up to my mind, I feel like running out right now and jumping straight into the cold bath.
Are you asking if I'll get a heart attack then? Who cares. My heart looks like it's going to melt right now.
Furthermore, for some reason, it feels like the surroundings are heating up more and more.
Did the effect of the Protector Bubble disappear?
Amidst the drying mouth and blurring vision like that.
'......Ah.'
In an instant, my breathing deepened.
As if another organ filtering the hot air had formed inside my body.
At the same time, the sensation searing my skin also approached anew gradually.
It still felt like the wick was burning due to the accumulated heat and my mouth was parched, but the heat tightening my breath began to alleviate to the level of basking in the hot scorching sun.
Ding-!
[You have acquired 'Enlightenment: Camel'.]
-Camel: You have endured extreme high heat. The body's heat circulation ability is strengthened, increasing heat resistance.
Following that, the message I waited for so long floated up as if explaining the change.
"The moment you overcome pain, the body is tempered like cast iron and the spirit becomes clearer. Humans grow by overcoming the environment like that."
Leaving behind Lee Junhyeok who was spouting TMI energetically alone, I staggered and raised my body.
"I'm leaving now. Pick what you want to drink."
I'll buy you drinks or whatever.
I'm escaping first.
'......Come to think of it, we didn't decide how many drinks. Well, since 1st place will be Lee Junhyeok anyway, he won't make unreasonable demands.'
The rule where the last place buys drinks for the 1st place.
If 1st place was Sonic Park, he might have insisted I buy drinks for life.
Well, anyway, as long as there is the insurance called Lee Junhyeok, there was no problem.
Like that, I approached the entrance and pulled the door.
......I pulled.
I definitely pulled.
'Ah, is it a push?'
I pushed.
I pushed, and.
I pushed, but.
"......."
The halted door didn't budge an inch.
The door, it won't open.
Inside the super-high heat kiln.
The sweat flowing down my spine conveyed a chilling sensation in an instant.
We are trapped in here.