novelraw Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21. A Long-Awaited Daily Life (1)
Early morning.
Having returned to the dormitory from the hospital room, I put on my neatly pressed school uniform and got ready for school.
“Phew. I really thought I was going to suffocate to death yesterday.”
Suddenly, the conversation I had with Do Gang-ho yesterday came to mind.
“To think that diligently reading every single chapter without missing one would be of help then.”
In the novel, there was an episode that talked about Do Gang-ho's life before he entered Glory.
According to that episode, ever since Do Gang-ho acquired his talent, he consistently went to the gym and repeatedly trained every single day without fail.
Focusing on that detail, I told Do Gang-ho an ‘unavoidable’ lie.
I told him that the first time we met was at that gym in the past, and that I had come to admire him after seeing how hard he worked.
“It was a good thing that the person I was dealing with was Do Gang-ho.”
If it had been anyone else, they probably would not have believed that story so easily.
However, since Do Gang-ho disliked overthinking things, the trick had worked.
When he said, ‘Now that I think about it, I think we did cross paths,’ I felt that even though he is a hero I admire, he really is... No. I need to stop here.
“The time is already this late.”
Time had flown by while I was lost in my random thoughts.
Well, I have finished getting ready. Shall I head out now?
I set out to attend class, just as I had promised Im Seong-cheol.
***
In the classroom I arrived at, familiar faces welcomed me.
As expected, the first to rush over was Kim Su-hyeok.
With a face full of worry, he began to look over my body from top to bottom.
“Yu-seong! I heard you were really sick. Are you feeling okay?”
“I'm fine. By the way, I heard you visited my hospital room? Thanks for worrying about me.”
“Why are you thanking me for that? It's only natural between friends.”
Is that so? I feel like there are plenty of friends in the world who wouldn't do that.
Just as I was having those thoughts, Oh Jin-eon, who was a step behind Kim Su-hyeok, also spoke to me.
“Hmm, seeing you walk without any issues, it looks like there are no aftereffects. That's a relief.”
“Ah, thanks. I heard you came to visit me too?”
“Yeah. But seeing you look so perfectly fine makes my worrying feel pointless.”
“I would've been more grateful if you hadn't said that last part.”
I chuckled at Oh Jin-eon's words and tried to take my seat.
That was, until I felt the strange gazes from my surroundings.
Noticing that I felt something was off, Kim Su-hyeok kindly began to explain the situation.
“Yu-seong, you're a total celebrity right now.”
“A celebrity?”
“Yeah. Everything you did has spread completely. People around here are even calling you a supernova, you know? Hahaha!”
My face instantly flushed red at Kim Su-hyeok's words.
No, a supernova?
Why would they attach such an embarrassing title to me?
If my title turns out to be 'Supernova' when I become a Player later on, how am I going to work as one out of sheer embarrassment?
“Please, just don't call me that.”
“Why? I think it's cool. The Supernova, Choi Yu-seong!”
“Please.”
“Haha! All right.”
He is happily laughing because it is not his problem.
Fortunately, this embarrassing situation was soon brought to an end by Im Seong-cheol, who entered the classroom shortly after.
“Everyone, take your seats.”
At his single command, the noisy classroom instantly became quiet.
Amidst that silent atmosphere, Im Seong-cheol opened his mouth.
“First, I will talk about matters related to class. The originally scheduled classes have been postponed.”
The crowd murmured at those words, but it was only for a moment before silence quickly returned.
“That does not mean it is a self-study period or anything like that, so do not worry. Simple training and other activities will proceed as scheduled.”
The cadets were relieved at Im Seong-cheol's explanation about the classes.
Normal students would have been sad to hear that, but as expected of Glory, which boasted of being the best, the atmosphere here was completely different.
“Next item. Be aware that there will be no morning assemblies for the time being. Since the academy has become chaotic, I, as your instructor, have also become busy and likely will not have the time.”
Saying so, Im Seong-cheol took a few steps forward.
What he did next was enough to surprise all the cadets.
“It is originally the role of an instructor to prevent such incidents from happening, but I failed to fulfill that duty. I am truly sorry.”
Im Seong-cheol bowed his head in apology toward the cadets.
From that action, it was clear just how sincerely Im Seong-cheol cared about the cadets.
After all, the reason I came to like Im Seong-cheol in the first place was because of that very sincerity.
For a while, a quiet atmosphere filled the classroom.
DING-DONG-DING-DONG.
The bell signaling the end of the morning assembly rang out, breaking the silence.
At the sound of the bell, Im Seong-cheol slowly straightened his back and spoke to the cadets in his usual deep voice.
“Then, we will conclude today's morning assembly here. Everyone, make sure to listen well in today's classes too.”
With those final words, Im Seong-cheol leisurely left the classroom.
And then, I could see it.
The cadets, their eyes steadfast, burning with determination.
‘This is nice.’
The fact that every little action can become a source of strength for someone else.
Then I suppose I should work hard too.
Because protecting those very sights is my goal, after all.
Likewise fueled with determination by Im Seong-cheol's example, I took a step toward my next class.
***
“Now, you all must've heard it from your respective instructors, right? Since the originally scheduled classes were canceled, we'll be holding temporary alternative classes starting today!”
On the podium of the vast gymnasium.
A young teaching assistant shouted toward the cadets in a loud voice.
“Don't worry, even though we call it a class, it's not anything grandiose. It's just a time for you all to hone your specialties.”
After saying that, the young assistant rummaged around, pulled something out, and distributed it to the cadets before stepping back onto the podium.
“What I just handed out contains the locations of the instructors you need to go to. They are assigned based on the primary weapons each of you uses, so just move accordingly. Now, execute immediately!”
The cadets moved in perfect order at the assistant's command.
I also blended into the crowd and started to move quickly.
‘Let's see... I use a sword, so I am in the 1st Sparring Room.’
Since cadets who used swords were the most numerous, it seemed we were assigned to the 1st Sparring Room.
Upon finding the 1st Sparring Room.
There were familiar faces there as well.
“Over here, Yu-seong!”
It was Kim Su-hyeok, welcoming me with a bright smile just like always.
A little distance away from him, I could also see Ryu Jin-oh standing haughtily as usual.
Well, of course. There was no way those two, the top representatives when it came to swords, would be missing.
It was right when I was thinking that and trying to move toward Kim Su-hyeok.
“Are you Choi Yu-seong?”
Hearing my name called out, I stopped in my tracks and turned my head.
There, a man wearing an instructor's uniform was staring at me.
“Yes. I am Choi Yu-seong.”
“Hmm. I see.”
The instructor started to inspect me from head to toe.
He seemed to be the instructor in charge of swordsmanship, but why in the world was he acting like this?
Fortunately, that mystery was quickly solved.
“Senior Seong-cheol asked me to train you rather harshly.”
“...Excuse me?”
“He's not exactly the type of man to ask for favors, you see. So I was a bit curious and decided to take a look.”
Why in the world would he single me out?
Just as that instructor said, Im Seong-cheol was not that kind of person, right?
‘Is this perhaps some kind of petty revenge or something?’
It was right as I was pondering Im Seong-cheol's intentions internally.
“Ah, it's nothing like what you're thinking, so it's fine. He's not that narrow-minded of a guy.”
“Then why...”
“Does that matter? What's important for you right now is that you've caught the eye of an instructor, right?”
Saying so, the instructor flashed a wicked smile and beckoned to me with his finger.
“Then, let's start with Cadet Choi Yu-seong. Come up to the sparring arena.”
At that moment, I could feel it.
Ah, I have been caught by someone I definitely should not have been caught by.
After stepping up to the arena with those thoughts in mind, several tens of minutes passed.
“GASP! No more...”
Having finished a spar that felt like tens of hours rather than tens of minutes, I collapsed straight onto the floor the moment I stepped down from the arena.
“What is this? Are you already tired after just doing that? Tsk, tsk. This is why kids these days are no good.”
The instructor stared at me while spouting boomer-like remarks.
I wanted to retort, but I was so exhausted that I could not get the words out.
Still, perhaps he was not completely dissatisfied, because the instructor continued to give his remarks.
“However, it wasn't that bad. Did you say your talent related to the sword was D-Rank?”
“Yes.”
“And you were using your talent just now?”
“No.”
“Hmm, in that case...”
Hearing my answer, the instructor jotted something down here and there before giving me his feedback.
“First of all, your reaction speed and senses were on the better side. With that level, you should have no problem making a living with a sword, so we'll skip this part.”
The instructor was starting with a compliment.
But this pattern, I feel like I have seen it somewhere before?
It feels like it was just like this when I received feedback from Im Seong-cheol...
“However, you also know that your shortcomings were overflowing, right?”
As expected.
Resigned, I listened to the instructor's subsequent words.
“First of all, you severely lack Strength. Watching you spar, you were deflecting most of the attacks, but that's a bad habit. Quickly build it up through training.”
“Understood.”
“Next is your Vitality. How do you plan to enter a Gate later when you get exhausted by just that much? If dying in the line of duty inside a Gate is your wish, I won't stop you.”
He really is criticizing me harshly.
Asking if dying in a Gate is my wish, that is just too much.
“Lastly, this one is a bit ambiguous... Hmm.”
The instructor, who had been peeling away harsh criticisms like layers of an onion just a moment ago, fell into deep thought.
After pondering for a long while, the instructor soon shook his head and spoke.
“Never mind. It's too ambiguous to put into words, and I don't think it'll change much even if I tell you.”
“Saying it like that makes me curious.”
“Then erase your curiosity. The words of an instructor are the law.”
What kind of nonsense is this?
But I could not refute it.
Because just as he said, an instructor's words in Glory are virtually the law.
It is a sin to be a powerless and weak cadet. Truly a sin.
“With this, the evaluation of the cadet is finished. You'd better keep the problems I mentioned well in mind and make sure to fix them.”
“Understood.”
“All right, then the next guy come on up!”
Crumbling helplessly before the law, I trudged heavily toward where the other cadets were gathered.
Still, I did not let the instructor's words go in one ear and out the other.
‘Everything he is saying is correct.’
Lack of Strength, terrible Vitality.
Not a single thing he said was wrong.
I could tell just by looking at the Extra cadet who was continuing the next spar.
An unnamed Extra who could not even claim a single page's worth of screen time in the novel.
Even he seemed to be stronger and have better Vitality than me.
After that, the spars that were more than enough to plunge me into despair continued.
Especially when I watched Ryu Jin-oh and Kim Su-hyeok's spar, it was so incomparable that no words would even come out.
‘If I use my talent, I suppose I would be fine right now.’
But that is only temporary.
If I only relied on my talent, I could lose my life in a sudden accident during a situation where I was not using it.
That was also the reason why Players with a high dependency on their talents consistently trained their bodies.
In the end, I had no choice but to make a decision.
‘I am going to have to undertake hellish training.’
A Player's body is different from a normal person's anyway.
Since a Player is built to be able to endure an entirely different scale of training.
Therefore, I should start the hellish training immediately, starting today.
Since a good start is half the battle, there is no benefit in needlessly delaying it.
Deciding that I should at least take that first half step, I sent a message to Kim Su-hyeok suggesting we increase our training volume.