I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 215 : Ascension (2)

While Su-hyeon continued to rise, receiving not only the honor of Special First Place but now also a commendation and reward money in the name of the Execution Force commander.

The academy, which had already entered early autumn, was daily growing hotter with the intensity of competition, enhanced by tension and combative spirit.

"Someone spar with me!"

"Anyone want to run simulations in the virtual practice room? I've got three people already!"

"I'll join too!"

"...Everyone is training hard voluntarily."

After school.

Instructor Oh Chang-seong remarked, watching the cadets gathering in groups and heading to the sparring room, virtual practice room, and other facilities.

"Hehe, that's true for us too, isn't it?"

Instructor Lim Yeong-jin, who had just finished sparring with him in the instructor-only training room, grinned.

"By the way, Instructor Oh, your skills are becoming sharper by the day."

"The same goes for you, Instructor Lim. Once caught, it's really difficult to escape."

"Hehe, do you know how many hits I took just to catch you once?"

"Well, they say the one who gets hit remembers, but the one who hits doesn't remember, right?"

"Kahaha!"

Oh Chang-seong, an expert in boxing and a were-tiger.

Lim Yeong-jin, who had deeply trained in sambo and was a were-bear.

The two were among the top in hand-to-hand combat at the academy, but alarmed by recent incidents, they were in the midst of renewed intense training.

"At this rate, I think the ominous rumors might become reality."

"Which rumors are you referring to?"

"......"

Oh Chang-seong lowered his voice.

"The rumors that we might transition from quasi-wartime to wartime."

"Huh."

Lim Yeong-jin's expression turned serious.

"If that happens, all instructors will be deployed, won't they?"

"That's not all. Even cadets would be issued reserve orders."

"Surely they wouldn't go that far? It's not like this is an all-out war between nations."

"I don't know. Maybe it's even more serious than that?"

Oh Chang-seong said.

"Anyway, I've heard the atmosphere in the field is that bad."

"Sigh."

Lim Yeong-jin sighed.

"Even if such a situation comes, the cadets are still too young. It would be better if it could end with us..."

"I hope for that too."

But.

"As you know, once things start happening, no one can predict where they'll go."

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Seo Jun-seong had been troubled lately.

'My attack power is lacking, after all.'

His characteristic, psychokinesis, was a versatile and powerful ability, but there was also the point that, with the same output, its efficiency in terms of attack power was somewhat lower.

'Techniques like giant arms or gravity fields are all powerful attack skills. But...'

That was, so to speak, strength as an area-of-effect skill.

'In one-on-one combat, they're somewhat less efficient against close combat specialists like Jeong Su-hyeon, Hae-na noona, and Lee Yu-jin.'

He felt this again because of what happened during a recent deployment.

While Su-hyeon was fighting against the powerful enemy called Night Goblin along with Ahn Byeong-jun, Jo Sujin, Kim Taesung, and Lee Yu-jin.

Seo Jun-seong was carrying out a joint operation with Min Hae-na's squad as part of the 2nd Unit.

'This side was also quite serious.'

It was a dangerous operation to eliminate a Ma-in group.

Seo Jun-seong, who was assisting from the rear after subduing members with psychokinesis, was ambushed by a Ma-in targeting him and nearly suffered a major injury.

'He was fast and really tough.'

In the end, while he was tied up for quite a long time, his comrades also had to face dangerous situations due to the lack of support.

'By the time I subdued the Ma-in, Hae-na-noona had already taken down three enemy executives.'

Of course, no one would express disappointment toward Seo Jun-seong, who had more than played his part.

But Seo Jun-seong could only feel his own inadequacy after witnessing Min Hae-na's further improved skills that day and hearing about Su-hyeon's achievements.

"......"

Seo Jun-seong, who had finished meditating, descended from the air onto his bed.

"I guess there's no helping it."

He couldn't come up with a good idea of how to enhance his attack power with his current capabilities.

'Eat elixirs to increase my mana? That's not a fundamental solution.'

He needed someone's advice.

And the face that came to mind was none other than Su-hyeon.

"You want to increase your attack power?"

Seo Jun-seong nodded at Su-hyeon's question.

"That's right."

"Hmm."

Su-hyeon rubbed his chin.

'...Is it time?'

Seo Jun-seong, who appeared to be an all-rounder with nothing lacking.

But even he had weaknesses that needed to be complemented.

'Just as I used to lack a long-range attack method.'

"Is there any way?"

"There is one thing I can think of."

"What is it?"

"Use dedicated weapons that are easy to control."

"...Are you telling me to use a sword? Me?"

"A sword is good, or an axe or spear would be good too."

"I don't think you're telling me to learn swordsmanship at this point."

"Right. With your level of psychokinesis, the output is sufficient. The problem is that it's difficult to apply particularly high levels of hardness, heat, or cold to psychokinesis. So I'm saying to complement that."

"Hmm."

Seo Jun-seong's expression turned serious, as if he hadn't thought of that.

"I think iron spheres would be good, as they're simple in form and can produce consistent power. About the size of a soccer ball or basketball would be appropriate."

"Iron spheres."

"Imagine controlling two, four, or eight of them for attack and defense. With the same output, wouldn't they produce much more powerful effects?"

"You're right. Of course, it would take practice to get used to controlling them."

Seo Jun-seong said.

"It might well be worth it."

"Right. If possible, get demonic beast carcass byproducts to make them sturdy."

"Definitely. If I do that, I could easily take down ordinary opponents even in close combat."

Seo Jun-seong's expression brightened as he found a clue.

"Thanks, Jeong Su-hyeon. I didn't expect to get such a good solution."

"Don't worry about it. It's not that impressive."

Su-hyeon smiled.

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"Ask away."

"...Looking at this, it seems like you've been thinking about ways to utilize my abilities for a while?"

"I won't deny it."

Su-hyeon shrugged.

"Is that what you were curious about?"

"No."

Seo Jun-seong shook his head.

"What I'm curious about is this. Even though I asked first, why are you so readily sharing even this kind of information? Aren't you worried that I'll become a bigger threat to you if I get stronger?"

Maybe, Seo Jun-seong continued.

"Are you saying that our competition has already ended with your victory?"

"That's not exactly what I mean."

Su-hyeon answered.

Only...

'If the timeline continues to be distorted like this, I know that leisurely times like competing for first place within the academy between you and me will no longer come.'

Seo Jun-seong, interpreting Su-hyeon's expression a bit differently, apologized.

"No, I'm sorry. You gave me such valuable advice, and I was being too rude."

'What a diligent guy.'

Su-hyeon chuckled and said.

"Don't worry about it. If you get stronger, it's good for me too, right? After our three years at the academy, we'll be comrades facing the same enemy. Though that's already the case now."

"...Yeah. That's right."

Seo Jun-seong, who had been caught up in immediate competitiveness, couldn't help but be inwardly impressed by Su-hyeon's words, which always seemed to see further than himself.

"I'm glad you're in the same generation as me."

In the face of Su-hyeon's detachment.

Seo Jun-seong was also realizing what was important.

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If asked to name the cadet who showed the second-greatest growth among the first-year students after Su-hyeon, eight or nine out of ten would point to Kim A-yun.

Just during this week's intern dispatch, Kim A-yun received praise from her Squad Leader for subduing numerous Ma-in by riding an electric sparrow, striking with lightning, wielding electric whips, and even delivering powerful single-point shots with a railgun.

'Heheh.'

Compliments always felt good.

Having greatly improved her originally timid nature and insufficient utilization skills, which had been pointed out as her biggest weaknesses, she was now even receiving evaluations saying she was not inferior to Hwang Ji-su, Lee Yu-jin, and Hong In-hyeon.

But Kim A-yun still wasn't 100% satisfied with herself.

It was because of the overly outstanding competitors.

'I could never match In-hyeon's sense, even if I died and came back to life.'

Cases like Seo Jun-seong, Hwang Ji-su, and Lee Yu-jin were even more so.

Ability, talent, and accumulated fundamentals.

From any perspective, they were opponents she couldn't easily catch up to.

Nevertheless.

'I can do it too.'

Kim A-yun strengthened her resolve.

'My goal is Su-hyeon, after all.'

She was no longer the timid, insecure girl from when she first entered the academy.

Just look at her now.

"...Thank you for your help."

"No need to be so tense. It's just a light sparring match."

"O-okay."

Wasn't she now engaging in a sparring match at the request of none other than Hwang Ji-su?

'She's an opponent I can't underestimate. Her attack power is probably higher than mine.'

Hwang Ji-su narrowed her eyes.

"Don't be so tense. It's not like we're actually going to get hurt."

"...Okay."

Hoooo.

Kim A-yun took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve.

"I'll let you attack first."

Kim A-yun nodded at Hwang Ji-su's words.

"Then I'll start."

"Whenever you're ready."

Pajijijik!

The electric current that started from Kim A-yun's hand eventually became a lightning bolt and flew toward Hwang Ji-su.

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While Hwang Ji-su was sparring with Kim A-yun, and Seo Jun-seong was seeking advice from Su-hyeon.

Lee Yu-jin directly approached Min Hae-na and obtained her consent for a sparring match.

"I've been hearing a lot about you."

Boong-boong-boong!

Min Hae-na, who created chilling air-slicing sounds just by twirling her staff to warm up, smiled brightly.

"I hear you've been performing amazingly lately? I don't think I did as well as you when I was at your stage."

"You flatter me."

Lee Yu-jin, who had drawn her sword with unhurried movements, said.

"Sunbae, you already built your reputation before us."

"Oh my, what reputation."

Min Hae-na waved her hand dismissively, as if embarrassed.

"And I was lucky too. Back then, it wasn't a quasi-wartime like now."

Min Hae-na humbly stated that the Ma-in she faced then weren't as strong as [Night Goblin].

"By the way, how was Su-hyeon that day? You fought together, right?"

At Min Hae-na's question, who had been openly expressing her interest in Su-hyeon, Yu-jin slightly bit her lip.

"...Honestly, it's almost scary. I just confirmed that the gap is widening day by day."

Min Hae-na nodded, saying, "Heeh."

"Indeed, I was really surprised by the story of him defeating the Spear Devil."

Although Min Hae-na and Su-hyeon had been evenly matched during the challenge right.

She was not someone who couldn't feel that Su-hyeon's current strength had long since surpassed hers.

"He's an amazing kid. To use my grandfather's words, 'Troubled times create heroes.'"

Because the emotion that appeared on Min Hae-na's face as she recalled Su-hyeon was all too familiar.

"...Shall we begin now?"

Yu-jin's expression hardened.

"Shall we?"

Cheok.

The two pointed their weapons at each other.

'The reach difference is obvious.'

There was the difference in weapons, a staff and a sword.

With a height about 6cm taller than her own, plus long limbs, it was not easy to find an opening to break through.

Above all.

Her characteristic, 'Imperial Dominion,' was a cheat-like ability that had made even Su-hyeon struggle.

However.

For Yu-jin, who had gone through real battles against strong enemies not seen in the academy through intern practice, Min Hae-na no longer looked like an impregnable fortress.

'I'll show that I can overcome this.'

Kaang!

Min Hae-na's expression changed slightly as she blocked Yu-jin's flying strike.

"Today's juniors are scary."