novelraw Chapter 87 : Kim A-yun (2)
Chapter 87 : Kim A-yun (2)
Thinking about it, Kim A-yun tended to shape small animals like hamsters and rabbits with much higher completion than predators like tigers or lions.
'About 30% of Kim A-yun's popularity was due to that visual.'
Of course, that's also because she has her own story line.
Anyway.
"Let's try to make time about twice a week for the foreseeable future."
"Okay."
Kim A-yun nodded and smiled.
"Thank you, Su-hyeon."
"No need to thank me."
I'm just doing this to clear the game.
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Two weeks passed.
The excitement and surprise of the midterm exams had subsided, and the cadets were enjoying a brief respite.
Of course, even during this time, some cadets were busy working to improve their weaknesses.
"Good, that's enough for today."
"Huaaaa."
Kwon Seung-yeon, who had endured Su-hyeon's cruel and relentless PT, flopped down on the floor.
"Sit down to rest."
"I don't have any strength left in my core right now."
Hwoo.
Su-hyeon sighed, grabbed Kwon Seung-yeon's hand, and helped her up.
"Thank you."
"Drink some water."
Gulp gulp.
"Phew!"
After emptying her water bottle refreshingly, Kwon Seung-yeon asked Su-hyeon.
"Ah, I heard you're continuously training with A-yun these days?"
"That's right."
"Amazing. First me, then Yu-jin, then Ji-su, and now A-yun too?"
"Hmm. It just happened."
"No, I mean you're really capable."
Kwon Seung-yeon snickered.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Hehehe. Don't worry about it if you don't get it."
Kwon Seung-yeon hummed.
"Anyway, good work today too."
"Mm. I think we can start increasing the volume from tomorrow."
"Eck."
Kwon Seung-yeon was horrified.
"Just for you, right?"
"Of course not."
"Ugh, give me a break."
Kwon Seung-yeon pouted.
"Sigh."
Feeling a slight wave of fatigue, Su-hyeon pressed his temples and opened the door to the sparring room where Kim A-yun was waiting.
"You were here already."
"Yes."
Kim A-yun walked over with a welcoming face.
"Did you prepare well?"
"I tried my best, but..."
Kim A-yun answered timidly.
"You don't need to be perfect from the start. Don't worry."
"Okay."
"Good. Then let's enter the capsule."
The two had decided to spar in virtual reality today.
"I'm in your care."
Su-hyeon nodded, reading the motivation in Kim A-yun's eyes.
"Likewise."
The two chose a wide plain as their map.
Su-hyeon's armament consisted of a hwando at his waist and a chic rider jacket.
'My shoulders move quite well.'
Meanwhile, Kim A-yun was bare-handed and wearing the academy's designated gym clothes.
"Let's start right away."
Pazzzz!
A long lightning whip formed from Kim A-yun's right hand.
'It has quite a high level of completion.'
Su-hyeon thought.
Through several days of training, Kim A-yun had learned to handle a few offensive means, albeit clumsily.
The most useful among them was this electric whip.
'It's the most appropriate weapon to cover Kim A-yun's weaknesses in combat ability and close combat response.'
A whip that electrocutes just by hitting was a means that could relatively easily achieve two purposes—ranged attacks and distance control—compared to weapons like spears or swords.
'It's no wonder there are surprisingly many awakened ones who use whips.'
Especially since Kim A-yun's lightning whip causes at least an electric shock upon contact.
'An unskilled weapon user wouldn't even be able to approach before being defeated.'
Pajijik!
As Kim A-yun swung her electric whip, Su-hyeon retreated, avoiding the attack with a large movement.
'This is quite annoying.'
The speed and trajectory themselves weren't particularly threatening.
Nevertheless, it was true that tunneling through the gap of the lightning whip was burdensome.
Moreover.
Pajijik!
As if unwilling to let Su-hyeon just dodge the whip, the lightning hamster, lightning rabbit, and lightning squirrel that Kim A-yun created surrounded Su-hyeon from all sides and pounced on him.
'The visuals really break immersion.'
Su-hyeon grumbled inwardly, but even if he took a direct hit from just one of them, it could determine the outcome of the match.
'Moreover, being small and fast means they shouldn't be taken lightly.'
Su-hyeon used Mana Shields created in the air as footholds to evade the small animals' pursuit in various directions.
Pajik! Pajijijk!
The lightning bolts chasing Su-hyeon exploded like fireworks, inflicting intense attacks on each other like bumper cars.
But.
"Hup!"
As Su-hyeon was driven to where Kim A-yun intended while avoiding the lightning bolts, a lightning strike with tremendous output came crashing down on him.
Kwaaaang!
A lightning strike as intense and fast as a thunderbolt from the sky.
'One hit and it's over!'
Lightning containing such enormous voltage that it seemed uncertain whether even deploying a Mana Shield at maximum power would be enough to withstand it all.
But Su-hyeon, who had been constantly observing Kim A-yun's actions with superhuman vision, read the precursor of the attack immediately and kicked off the air as much as possible to avoid it.
Kwaaang!
Kim A-yun's lightning strike shattered the ground.
'A ferocious strike.'
However, after avoiding all the major attacks, the opportunity for a counter had returned to Su-hyeon.
"Eek!"
Su-hyeon read the trajectory of the electric whip all too easily and narrowed the distance by zigzagging three-dimensionally in the air.
'It's over. No, does she have another trick?'
Although Kim A-yun had virtually no defensive ability if attacked directly, Su-hyeon was wary of the existence of one final move.
Pajijijijijik!
Thanks to this, he was able to respond in time to the discharge attack that Kim A-yun unleashed in all directions.
'Indeed, she came prepared with a trump card.'
That was praiseworthy, but.
'It was an attack of a form that could be fully anticipated.'
Moreover, since it was random discharge energy, the output wasn't that tremendous.
Sreung.
Su-hyeon's hwando, coated with sword energy, received the lightning at an angle and deflected it.
"!!!"
Simultaneously with Kim A-yun's eyes widening in shock at the sight of her final move being easily nullified.
Su-hyeon quickly closed the distance and extended a left jab toward Kim A-yun's face.
"Heek!"
Bowoong!
The fist that stopped in front of her face made Kim A-yun's long hair flutter.
"...!"
Kim A-yun, who had closed her eyes tightly before opening them again, acknowledged her defeat.
"I lost, right?"
"Yes. Su-hyeon, you're really amazing."
"Not at all. You did well too."
Su-hyeon said, putting his sword back in its scabbard.
"In just a few days, your combat power has increased surprisingly, you know?"
"Really?"
"Of course."
Of course, Su-hyeon's role in teaching perfectly useful techniques was significant.
But it was Kim A-yun's skill that mastered them and utilized them appropriately to impress Su-hyeon.
"At this rate..."
Su-hyeon said.
"You might be able to beat Park Chang-jun."
"R-really?"
Though it's said he hasn't made much progress since enrollment, Park Chang-jun is currently evaluated as a gatekeeper around the top 10.
For the original Kim A-yun, he would be an overwhelmingly high mountain.
"Of course."
Su-hyeon spoke so matter-of-factly that Kim A-yun was rather bewildered.
"You don't believe me?"
"Hmm? It's not that, but..."
"Then would you like to face him?"
"Umm?"
Kim A-yun's head tilted obliquely.
That day.
Su-hyeon succeeded very easily in "persuading and convincing" Park Chang-jun and secretly arranged a sparring match between the two.
"Damn it! What is this?!"
Although grumbling, Park Chang-jun fought with all his wisdom and mana under the single-minded belief that 'I cannot lose to Kim A-yun.'
Pazzzz! Pajijik!
"Hamsters and rabbits? What is this now?!"
Though confused by the strange combination of electric whip, electric hamster, and electric rabbit, Park Chang-jun used his massive mana reserves to combine energy bullets and shields to break through Kim A-yun's attacks.
Kwarrrrrung!
"Waaa!"
Despite being shocked at the disaster of having 10 layers of shields all shattered by a single lightning strike, he somehow managed to improvise and close the distance.
"Damn it! Take this!"
He attempted a one-hit reversal using 'Energy Buster,' a powerful attack spell he had newly honed and refined for practical use.
But.
Pajijijijijik!
"Aaaargh!"
He ended up adding one more defeat to his record, falling to the trump card that had been threatening even to Su-hyeon—massive discharge in an ultra-close situation.
"This can't be..."
Park Chang-jun, emerging from the capsule, staggered toward Kim A-yun with a face that couldn't believe this reality.
"...I'm sorry, but could you keep this a secret..."
"Huh? S-sure."
Kim A-yun had to sweat for a while, trying to console Park Chang-jun, who was bowing pitifully with a miserable face.
"Stop tormenting him and go review your match."
Su-hyeon shooed Park Chang-jun away.
"No. What exactly did you guys do? How can she be the same person as during the midterm exams?"
"Hmm. I wonder."
Su-hyeon didn't bother to answer.
"Chang-jun, you can also become stronger if you enroll in Su-hyeon School..."
Kim A-yun muttered with half pride and half shyness.
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The next day.
I had a private meeting with the principal.
Knock knock.
"It's Jeong Su-hyeon. I heard you called for me."
"Ah, come in."
The door to the principal's office opened by itself.
"Jeong Su-hyeon reporting."
"Yes, sorry to take your time. I'll make it quick, so don't worry too much."
"Understood."
I slightly bowed my head to Principal Min Jeong-gap, who was smiling generously.
'I didn't expect to have a principal's meeting this quickly.'
Unless a cadet had shown significant prominence and was recognized for future potential, they couldn't have a principal's meeting at such an early stage.
'Min Jeong-gap. A true hero.'
He was a figure who had directly confronted the chaos of the Gate Era and worked to restore a systematic social system.
Thanks to the efforts of him and many others, a stable system was established to respond to threats like demonic beasts and Ma-ins with the dual force of Hunters and the Execution Force.
After the world found some stability, he retired from active duty and was contributing as the 2nd principal of the academy to nurture future generations.
'In hundreds of playthroughs, not once has he shown cowardly or disappointing aspects.'
That's why he was a figure that Su-hyeon personally liked.
"There was quite a buzz about Cadet Su-hyeon taking first place in the midterm exams."
"Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? It's because Cadet Su-hyeon worked that hard."
Principal Min Jeong-gap showed a kind smile.
"Moreover, I hear you're actively helping other cadets too?"
"If I can be of help, however lacking, I see no reason to refuse."
"Hmm. It's truly good to see. In an academy that emphasizes unlimited competition, I know how much effort you all are putting in to be one step ahead of others. It's a harsh thing for teenagers."
He said.
"But precisely because of that, in the midst of it all, the value of true leaders who take the hands of those who fall behind and push their backs shines even more."
"!"
"Haha, Cadet Su-hyeon. You look much better when you smile."
"Do I?"
Had a smile formed on my lips?
I touched the corner of my mouth at his hearty laugh.
'That's strange.'
Because Jeong Su-hyeon's body rarely smiles broadly.
The benevolence that makes the person sitting in front of him comfortable despite his authority as principal.
There was a reason why he successfully led the academy.
"It might sound a bit like doting, but my granddaughter also has a similar personality to Cadet Su-hyeon. But in her case, it was largely influenced by the virtues I diligently taught her from a young age."
Whereas you are different, he said.
"Many people are interested in the secret of how Cadet Su-hyeon could become so strong. Of course, I don't know the details of the process either."
I asked in response to his words.
"Aren't you curious?"
"None of my old comrades were without their stories."
Min Jeong-gap smiled faintly.
"What happened during the intense and rough life given to you as you lived it to the fullest? How could that be simply explained? There might have been times when one had to close their eyes and cover their ears."
How many figures in this academy could speak like this?
"And what about the current Cadet Su-hyeon that was created as a result? Achievements and skills that exceed everyone's expectations. And the daily routines spent so intensely that everyone nods in understanding. The trust in you that was built during that time. I simply value those points."
"You mentioned trust."
"The instructors, teaching assistants, cadets who've met you. And Team Leader Song Young-hwan, Chairman Hwang Yong-jae, even Captain Son Ji-gwang, the vice principal's longtime comrade—they all evaluated you highly."
The continued praise was becoming embarrassing.
"That uprightness. The firmness that doesn't get consumed by the flame of revenge despite harboring it. That's why I regard Cadet Su-hyeon with admiration."
"Thank you."
"But, looking at you, I sometimes feel this kind of fear."
"What kind of fear are you referring to?"
"Perhaps, given that so much talent is gathered in one batch, could it be that a terrifying crisis is approaching in the future?"
"...!"
His insight inwardly surprised me.
"...Why do you see it that way?"
"Well, it's just an old man's common worry."
Principal Min Jeong-gap chuckled and stroked his beard.
"But how fortunate would it be if, by preparing for ten things and worrying, we could successfully prevent even just one?"
"That's right."
"Day by day, Ma-ins are gathering strength, becoming more precise, and more meticulous. I believe it's excessive complacency to think that the world of yesterday will naturally continue today and tomorrow."
"......"
I'm not sure how he interpreted my silence, but Min Jeong-gap gave a hearty laugh.
"Haha, was I too long-winded? Well, the conclusion is one. Keep working hard as you are. Jun-seong, Ji-su, Yu-jin. And many other shining talents so they can polish themselves by looking at you as a mirror."
He saw through who would become the actual leader in this batch.
'As expected.'
A grandfather one shouldn't let their guard down around.
"I'll keep that in mind."