novelraw Chapter 275 : Humanity's Fortress (4)
Chapter 275 : Humanity's Fortress (4)
After touring the fortress and completing his request to Old Man Jang, Su-hyeon returned to the academy.
'I can't neglect training even for a day.'
It was a time of growing stronger with diligence as a virtue.
"You're really something else."
Instructor Oh Chang-seong clicked his tongue and laughed as he watched Su-hyeon training with his sword alone.
"You think so?"
"Absolutely. Not everyone can train with such desperation like a beginner with a long way to go, even after becoming this strong."
"...That's because I feel that desperate."
"How should I put it, not just anyone could live like you."
"That, hmm. Maybe you're right."
Between the madness of grinding through a crappy game hundreds of times without recognition, devoting his entire life to it...
And now living out the one life given to him after falling into the game world, Su-hyeon's appearance from afar would surely seem not just admirable but astonishing.
"Just one year. Becoming this strong in just one year. It was only possible because of fate, talent, miracles, and your own intensity."
The image of Su-hyeon taking the entrance exam a year ago was vivid in his mind.
"Even then, you were different. Despite being so weak that you struggled against me with my power greatly limited by restraints, you cleverly utilized your teammates to secure victory against me."
"...I was quite rude in many ways."
"Rude my ass. I liked you from that moment. Though I never imagined you'd become like this."
"Neither did I."
Oh Chang-seong patted Su-hyeon's shoulder.
"Honestly, I feel frustrated too. Wondering what I've been doing while you've been shouldering so much."
"...Everyone is fighting intensely from their own position. I don't think you need to feel frustrated."
"It's cliché, but that's the right answer."
Oh Chang-seong laughed softly.
"Don't worry too much. I realized I'm not the center of the world even before my head got fully grown. That's how you become an adult."
Oh Chang-seong stretched wide and made an "egugu" groan.
"I should go hit the sandbag too."
"Go ahead."
"Hey, you should take it easy too."
"I'd like to, but."
Su-hyeon laughed softly.
"I need to go help the other guys with their training."
"At this rate, shouldn't you be getting paid?"
"Hmm."
Seeing Su-hyeon seriously contemplating, Oh Chang-seong shrugged.
"That kid is secretly quite money-minded."
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Kwagwagwagwang!
I marveled as I watched Seo Jun-seong's training scene through the screen, unleashing merciless destruction with his psychokinesis of earth-shattering power.
"Brutal."
Since the real sparring rooms and training grounds couldn't handle it, Jun-seong was complementing his training by honing his skills in virtual reality spaces like this, in addition to going out to eliminate demonic beasts.
'This guy's talent is really blooming quickly too.'
Seo Jun-seong was undoubtedly a special named character who could reach the S-rank domain in the late game.
But there had never been a playthrough where he gained A+ upper-level power at the age of 18.
'When I see things like this, I wonder just how far the butterfly effect has rolled.'
The current Jun-seong could potentially kill "Spear Devil" Lim Sejin without giving him his distance if they were to meet as enemies.
'Even with the same upper A+ rank power, Jun-seong's psychokinesis is truly a cheat skill.'
Without a definite countermeasure, it was truly a demonic ability in one-on-one combat.
The problem wasn't that it was only demonic in one-on-one combat.
'...The same goes for Min Hae-na.'
I watched Hae-na's fight on the opposite screen.
Characteristic, Imperial Dominion.
The power of a ruler who intimidates opponents and stands above them.
That special power and martial arts reaching a state of mastery, plus a body combining elasticity, flexibility, and momentum.
Hae-na was also walking up toward the top floor of the high tower that was the A+ rank.
'In a fight with the Spear Devil, considering compatibility, it would be fifty-fifty or slightly disadvantageous.'
It couldn't be helped.
There's the issue of compatibility, and estimated rank and actual fighting prowess are different.
'The Spear Devil was a strong Ma-in and a strong warrior.'
He was probably the strongest among Ma-in who hadn't reached S- rank.
'The combat power of these two people is already similar to lower-ranking Captains or upper-ranking Deputy Captains.'
Including me, the academy cadets already possessed power exceeding one unit of the Execution Force.
'That's not the only amazing thing.'
Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su.
Both had already surpassed the entrance to A+.
'Indeed clever.'
As I shifted my gaze, I saw Yu-jin beautifully swinging her sword against a virtual opponent.
'She handles her realm and characteristics so well.'
Yu-jin refined her operation method of using her Penetrating Scene only when needed to create stiffness at will and flexibly stab the opponent's gaps to suppress or wear them down.
'Even the best technique can be adapted to if used every time.'
But just not knowing when and how the pain of a heart stab or the stiffness that stops the body will come can make the fight so advantageous.
Yu-jin was honing a flashy yet high-level fighting method using her Penetrating Scene as the axis of her tactics.
'The same goes for Hwang Ji-su.'
This meant there were already five cadets including myself with A+ level power or higher.
Considering that throughout the academy's history, not a single cadet had ever graduated at A+ level.
This was truly unprecedented.
'In peaceful times, they might have been allowed early graduation as a special case.'
But in this wartime situation facing the apocalypse, the cadets chose to remain at the academy.
'There are still things to learn.'
Even if some cadets surpassed the instructors in power.
When it came to the realm of combat, the instructors' experience still taught the cadets.
'Moreover, Hong In-hyeon, Kim A-yun, and Choi Min-a have also reached A rank. Kwon Seung-yeon has reached the upper ranks of A- and is aiming for the next level.'
Meanwhile.
During that time, I was also refining my state.
'My power at full strength is in the S+ realm.'
The skill I possessed was already among the strongest in all of humanity.
'Compared to a few months ago, the total amount of power hasn't changed much.'
But since I had rapidly stepped up through training with Ju Taeyang, just consolidating and absorbing those states was an incredible achievement.
'Divine Spear' Gong I-an, and "Dragon Spear" Ju Taeyang.
Except for those two, no human was stronger than me.
That's why.
Jo Sujin, the Senior Squad Leader of the 1st Unit who once had me as a member, Jin Hyein, who became the acting Captain of the 11th Unit.
Not just those two, but even Captains like 'Breaking Sword' Ahn Byeong-jun, 'Sky Knight' Ma Seungeon, and 'Fist King' Jin Seong-geun would come to me requesting sparring matches.
Of course, the result was always my victory.
Though the results weren't separately announced for the sake of the Captains' honor.
'Even I think I'm a monster.'
And that was thanks to Ju Taeyang.
'Come to think of it, there's never been a playthrough where I received this much help from Ju Taeyang.'
It was regrettable that I couldn't stop Hwang Won-jae even after receiving that training.
Without it, I wouldn't have been able to defeat the Sword Warrior, and the world of Ma-in would have been so chaotic that such a brief peace couldn't even be dreamed of.
'Of course, there are regrets.'
Couldn't I have done better?
Such regrets remained.
But who in the world lives without regrets?
'Everyone bears the consequences of their choices, while still struggling as best they can.'
Only I remembered the countless repeated apocalypses.
The apocalypse where life, desire, mission, and hatred all disappear equally.
Because I alone remembered those hundreds of playthroughs.
I couldn't be lazy or weak even for a moment.
"Here you are."
Hwang Ji-su's voice was heard from behind.
"What are you watching so entranced?"
Hwang Ji-su's eyes narrowed.
"Just, you know."
Somehow I ended up looking spellbound while watching Yu-jin's fight.
"Let's go. You promised to spar with me today."
"Right."
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Hwang Ji-su was handling her power almost perfectly.
She displayed excellent skills in close combat.
She refined both pinpoint freezing and large-area freezing attacks.
In addition, she mastered a tricky operation method of dispersing cold air to wear down enemies and immobilizing their limbs at critical moments to subdue them.
In particular, her new technique, which she named "Ice Hell," made even Jun-seong and Yu-jin express difficulty when facing it.
'She must have learned a lot from the fight with Vampire Queen Song Yeonhui.'
Su-hyeon thought.
'But she can't overcome the difference in power.'
Pasasasak!
Su-hyeon, who shattered all of Ji-su's attacks with just his sword and fist, pointed his sword at her neck.
"That's it for today."
The sweat on Su-hyeon's forehead froze and sparkled.
"As expected, nothing works against you."
Hwang Ji-su said, removing the ice piece from his forehead.
"Thanks."
Su-hyeon smiled faintly at her small kindness, and...
"Don't smile like that."
Hwang Ji-su avoided his gaze.
"Why?"
"Just don't smile. No, it might be okay if you only smile at me."
"...Ahem."
"Whew, what's this atmosphere?"
Song Yu-ha's voice broke the mood between the two.
"That's enough, let's eat! It's already dinner time!"
"It's already that time?"
Another day was ending like this.
"Mmm, delicious today too."
Yu-jin pushed a side dish of meat toward Yu-ha, who was happily inhaling cream pasta with pollack roe.
"You shouldn't just eat carbs."
"Yes, mom!"
"Sigh."
Yu-jin let out a deep sigh.
"Our academy really has the best food."
"I agree with that."
Kwon Seung-yeon agreed.
"At the lab, they always gave me tasteless food and I hated it."
"Keum!"
Hwang Ji-su, who got water caught in her throat, coughed.
"There you go again."
"Hehe. Ji-su's reactions are funny."
When Song Yu-ha laughed good-naturedly, Hwang Ji-su also sighed.
"I get startled every time you do that."
"Hmph, I'll keep doing it until you stop being surprised."
"Alright. I'll try."
'Everyone's become comfortable enough to talk about old stories without hesitation.'
Su-hyeon thought.
"By the way, I wonder how Taehoon is doing."
"...Who knows."
Su-hyeon shrugged at Yu-ha's words.
"That guy is so slick by nature. He's probably living well somewhere."
Even Su-hyeon didn't know the exact whereabouts of Nam Tae-hoon.
"That bastard. I'll give him a punch when I see him."
Hong In-hyeon cracked his knuckles.
"I got caught because my head was complicated then, but not anymore."
"Really? From what I saw, he was hiding his strength."
At Kim Ho-su's words, Hong In-hyeon rolled his eyes.
"So what? Are you saying I'd lose if we fought now?"
"Well, you know~"
Kim Ho-su was smirking when his mouth was blocked by a baguette.
"Kek kek!"
"Close your mouth and eat your bread."
Clatter.
Watching her friends, Choi Min-a quietly muttered.
"Next time I see him, I'll put handcuffs on him."
"Oh, Min-a has that kind of taste?"
"...? ...!"
Provoked by Yu-ha's teasing, Min-a glared at her.
"How should I put it."
Yu-jin sighed.
"Yu-ha seems to have gotten more mischievous lately."
"That's true."
Su-hyeon agreed.
Having finished her meal, Min-a drank warm cocoa while gazing at the darkened campus.
'Jeong Su-hyeon is like the sun.'
That's why Yu-jin, Ji-su, and even Kim A-yun and Kwon Seung-yeon orbited around that light.
'He's charming. Both his exterior and interior, and the path he's walked.'
But.
In the shadows of the night where only moonlight faintly shines, there are people who hold in their hearts a boy like a firefly floating in empty space.
'It was a short time.'
Moreover, it hadn't been long since she felt that he harbored some special emotion for her and had difficulty expressing it.
But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
The unilateral goodwill of Nam Tae-hoon, and the unfamiliar sensation felt in her attitude toward that goodwill.
'I know.'
It was an emotion too faint to be called love.
'But an emotion closer to mystery than logic.'
"Nam Tae-hoon."
Min-a murmured.
'I think I miss you a little.'
While resisting the approaching apocalypse moment by moment, and overcoming with friends the fear that this resistance might be meaningless.
The girl often thought of the face of the secretive and unkind boy.