Nano Machine Chapter 9: The First Qualifying Stage is a Complete Freebie (B)

Cheon Yeo Woon was on high alert mode at Yi Hwa Myeong's word that the first round would test the contestants' inner power.

But thanks to Nano the nano machine's quick threat detection and automatic defense mechanism against the sound waves, he was able to safely pass through the crisis.

Just because he was all the way in the back of main training field near the entrance didn't mean that the sound waves didn't reach him.

-Did you block the sound out of my ears?-

[I detected very high and very low frequencies in the sound waves coming from the harp that are harmful to my lord.

[I temporarily disabled the sensory organ in your body that picks up any sound]

-So how am I hearing your voice then?-

[I am transferring information directly into your brain.]

-Right…. Why are you so hard to understand again?-

Whatever language Nano used, it was all too hard for Cheon Yeo Woon to make sense of. Already, more than half of all the young boys and girls in the arena were plopped on the floor. Most of them had foam coming out of their mouths and, from the blood that was dripping down the cheeks of many, it was apparent that some were even inflicted with injury to their internal organs.

*-Jji-lit, jji-lit!-*

Besides our five senses, human beings also have an inherent sixth sense that is highly instinctual. Although some of his body's sensory organs were temporarily disabled, that didn't mean he couldn't feel the piercing glare that was being shot at him from afar.

*-Twaaaanggg! Twangg! Twang!-*

The beautiful yet potentially lethal melody coming from Elder Oh Hang So Yoo's harp was picking up rhythm as her fingers moved at a much faster speed than before. The power in the sound waves were getting to a level where even West Grand Lord Yi Hwa Myeong's countenance began to turn sour.

Yi Hwa Myeong was fully aware of why Elder Oh was playing her harp so off the chart.

I thought the kid's inner power was negligible, if not non-existent.

Yi Hwa Myeong himself found this situation to be quite the intrigue.

Owing to the pledge made to keep Cheon Yeo Woon from all forms of training until the academy, and therefore, restricting him from gaining any inner power, Cheon Yeo Woon should have had no defense against the powerful sound waves being produced by Elder Oh's harp. However, he was surprisingly resilient.

Unlike Cheon Yeo Woon, almost all of his fellow-contestants were all flailing around on the ground for survival.

"Aaagghhh!"

"Ugh! Hey man, you're bleeding from the ear!"

"Dude, same with you!"

Those still barely holding on were on the verge of dying. Although Hang So Yoo hadn't planned to do so, her hurt pride caused her to play music from her harp that was way beyond the level of anything someone with only twenty years of training their inner power could withstand. Accordingly, almost everyone there was feeling the sting.

"How is it that the Grand Soloist of Eum Ma clan is playing her harp so intensely?"

At that point, the six Grand Prince candidates who had the inner power equivalent of at least thirty years of training were all standing on their feet. But, they too began to wonder what must've ruffled Elder Oh's feathers that was leading her to act so uncharacteristically out of line, and that with such a mean, scrunched-up face.

Although he knew that he shouldn't foolishly turn his back on West Grand Lord and Elder Oh who were watching everything from the stage in front of him, and not to mention he was also in the middle of desperately bearing up against the powerful sound waves himself, Cheon Moo Geum couldn't resist his curiosity and turned around.

-"What?!"-

In a complete knee-jerk reaction, he almost shouted it aloud.

-How the hell is he still standing?-

Not only was Cheon Yeo Woon standing on his two feet, he looked completely unfazed.

Cheom Moo Geum himself, who had gained thirty years' worth of inner power by taking all kinds of medicinal herbs, was feeling the ill effects of the sound waves in his ears, yet there was Cheon Yeo Woon looking like he was completely deaf to all the noise that filled the arena.

-That…that…that bastard. He must've trained his inner power!-

He had so much rage and unspeakable vanity filling up in his heart that he just felt fortunate that it didn't slip out. Cheon Yeo Woon had made the pledge in the presence of his mother, Lady Hwa, to never train his inner strength before this very day. But, here he was withstanding the sound waves being sent by Eum Ma clan's Hang So Yoo. There was no doubt he had broken that pledge and underwent some secret training.

-What the…?-

-What's going on?-

After seeing Cheon Moo Geum's face, which had turned bright red and filled with anger, Dok Ma clan's Cheon Jong Seom, fourth in line to the Grand Master, and Cheon Won Ryeo, who was sixth in line, found the situation odd and looked back with curiosity at what was going on.

"How, how is this possible?"

"How is he just standing there looking so impervious to the sound waves when we all know he has zero inner power?"

The faces of these two curious candidates became just as scrunched-up and enraged as Cheon Moo Geum's.

They were at a loss for words at the sight of Cheon Yeo Woon, who should've been on the floor nearly dead by now. In fact, he was even in better shape than all of them!

-Nano, am I seeing wrong or does it really look like those guys up in front, and even Elder Oh, kind of seem mad at me?-

[Analyzing movement of facial muscle structure.

[The muscle structure on their faces are showing such emotions as bewilderment, shock, annoyance, and anger.]

Nano's in-depth analysis wasn't really necessary, because it was very plain to Cheon Yeo Woon that there was definitely hostility in their eyes towards him. He only felt the need to double-check, because everything felt surreal in the moment owing to his momentary deafness.

Although Cheon Yeo Woon had not intended to do so, he was able to sense that he had done something to trigger their anger.

-They probably didn't expect me to last this long since they know I have no inner power. And, I think I hurt their pride as a result.-

If he were to continue like this, it was going to be a problem for him in the long run.

He remembered that he had made a pledge before the masters who were sent from the six pillar clans that he would never train his inner power before the day.

-Nano, are you able to inflict internal damage on me?-

[By internal damage, do you mean injury to your internal organs?]

-Yes. Can you do it? Or not?-

[It is possible to inflict damage on your internal organs through the nano machines embedded on those organs. But, I don't recommend self-inflicted pain as such.]

-Okay, it's possible. Then right about the time the music stops, inflict an internal wound on me so I'll shoot blood out through my mouth.-

[Are you talking about blood that is caused by hematoma of the organ tissues?]

-Yes, yes, that!-

Not only was Cheon Yeo Woon attracting their suspicion, he was making them quite furious. If he didn't at least show signs of internal injury and spit out some blood, he was sure to be hated by them with a vengeance.

He couldn't afford to bring on such threats to himself even before benefiting from the training at the academy.

[Initiating and standing by to inflict damage on your internal organs as you have commanded, my lord.]

With that, Nano went into hyper-vigilance mode as she began to wait until the very moment the music came to a halt.

Meanwhile, Eum Ma clan's Grand Soloist Elder Oh Hang So Yoo's pride reached its limit as she fumed at the preposterous situation. Forget Cheon Yeo Woon's deception and his breach on the pledge, but for that worm to just be standing there like her music was just a negligible nursery song? it was nothing short of an act of insult towards her pride.

*-Twaaangg!!!-*

The tone of her plucking sounded very different (and quite ominous) this time.