Chapter 94: Joint Training (2) |
“The smell of alcohol is in the air.”
It must have been because the location was near Ulsan.
Lee Seo-ha shifted his gaze.
Towards the student council president.
Her hair was as black as the night sky, cascading down to her waist.
And her eyes shone like obsidian.
She wore the shoulder straps that only the student council president could wear, looking confidently at us, her posture seemingly slumped at first glance.
“Remarkable.”
I activated my Divine Sight and looked. The Black God Martial Arts strived for a perfect body. Thus, I was confident in my ability to judge physiques.
Lee Seo-ha’s body was already a work of art in itself. My physique, honed by Black God Martial Arts, had long since transformed into the heavenly body that every warrior dreams of.
The student council president’s body wasn’t slumped. It appeared so only because of its perfection.
“Equal or perhaps superior to me.”
It must have been because of her innate constitution.
The Elixir of Heaven (S+). And her talent, the Infinite Residue (S+).
“You’re staring too intensely, aren’t you?”
“…Am I?”
At Park Woon-hyuk’s words, Lee Seo-ha wore an awkward expression. How should I put it? It’s a novel sentiment.
Just as I was about to take one last look at her, our eyes met. The student council president’s. She glanced at me with a momentarily puzzled look.
“If everyone is gathered, line up in a row.”
Instructor Seo Woo-ju’s words had the kids starting to line up.
Ershil stood next to Lee Seo-ha, with Kim Ara and Seo Ga-yeon behind him.
But the atmosphere was strange. There was significant hostility, especially towards the student council president.
-As always, girls are hostile towards those they see as rivals.
-Well, it’s all thanks to our master’s popularity.
Eternal Heaven wagged its tail in agreement.
“From now on, we will start the joint lesson. Second-years, teach the first-years what you’ve learned over the past year, and first-years, use this time to understand what skills you can acquire in a year with a humble attitude.”
Instructor Seo Woo-ju sighed internally while speaking.
He had been managing first-years for generations, so he knew how exceptional the talents in the current first-year class were.
‘I haven’t seen such raw gems in my 10 years of teaching here.’
And according to those who had been here longer, this class was arguably the best in school history.
Some had already become untouchable even to instructors and professors.
‘Even without considering background or lineage.’
There were students who had surpassed the instructors and professors purely by skill. And at the forefront was Lee Seo-ha.
He was more than just overwhelming. When he first saw him, considering his system wasn’t ‘martial arts’, he had now become a being that even several instructors couldn’t guarantee victory against with just martial arts.
Therefore, Seo Woo-ju opposed this training. The first-year level was too high.
Too high for the current second-years to handle. What if the second-years were overwhelmingly defeated by the first-years? Their morale would hit rock bottom.
And once the rumors spread, many of the second-years’ futures would be obstructed.
‘I’ll allow it.’
However, Seo Woo-ju respected the instructors. The one called ‘The Emperor’ had allowed it. The professors immediately created the joint training.
The reason was still unknown. Perhaps they hoped the first-years would trample the second-years and sprout new buds.
Or maybe.
They didn’t mind sacrificing everything for a few brilliantly shining sprouts.
Despite the grandiose term ‘joint training’, it was nothing special.
“First-year Park Woon-hyuk! Second-year Woo Hyo-seong! Step forward!”
First-years and second-years sparred with each other, the latter presenting a formidable challenge to the former. The first-years, observing this challenge, were expected to learn humbly during this joint training year.
I shifted my gaze to the student council president. Although she watched the sparring ground with an expressionless face, I knew she was inwardly anxious.
“Worried because the level is higher than expected?”
The level of the first-year students was quite high. There was Kim Seo-hyun, who grew stronger the more he admired me, Hong Yu-hwa who developed her Usurper skill after being stimulated by me, Seo Ga-yeon who acquired the power of starlight magic from the very beginning, and Kim Ara who immediately unleashed her Origin Force.
As they became stronger, others began to be stimulated by them.
This chain reaction led to a slight upward equalization beyond their original levels.
“Haat!”
Woo Hyo-seong swung his great sword, but Park Woon-hyuk calmly blocked it.
After several rapid exchanges, Park Woon-hyuk pointed his spear at Woo Hyo-seong’s neck.
“Park Woon-hyuk wins!”
Park Woon-hyuk simply bowed his head and stepped down, showing respect for the defeated. The shame of losing to a first-year was greater than expected.
Starting with Park Woon-hyuk, the first-years began to win continuously. There were students who lost to second-years, but that was unavoidable, I suppose.
“Seo Ga-yeon wins!”
“Kim Ara wins!”
With each announcement from the referee, the student council president’s expression darkened.
Seo Ga-yeon and Kim Ara were overwhelmingly dominant in their victories. They aptly trampled their opponents.
“Did something happen to hold a grudge against the second-years?”
I found myself thinking.
There wasn’t any, but perhaps it happened due to the butterfly effect since I arrived in this world.
I looked at the student council president.
The level of the second-years was mediocre at best. However, the student council president was a bit different.
“It’s a matter of compatibility.”
She was strong in her own right, but the talents she possessed were powers that wouldn’t be strange to call compatible with mine.
“Ershil wins!”
Ershil gracefully greeted her opponent.
I was still pondering. I was the top first-year. The student council president was the top second-year. I wouldn’t lose to her. I had a variety of means.
“But it seems problematic that I might not be able to win.”
My power negated all supernatural abilities, different from the mysterious power that interfered with the system.
The problem was, the student council president also possessed a similar mystery.
To be more honest, I also didn’t want to fight her.
“Lee Seo-ha! Step forward!”
My name was called. I sighed inwardly and stepped up.
“Second-year top student. Student council president, Seong Han-byul.”
“Yes.”
She walked up onto the training ground, in front of me, confidently smiling but wary of me with her eyes.
“Maybe it’s imprinted in the memory in a different way.”
Thinking that way wasn’t too bad.
Ding.
Event Quest: Defeat the mermaids that fled to the coast to escape the nagas.
Nagas caused chaos, disrupting the nearby ecosystem. The merfolk suffered and have come this far.
However, their primary food is humans. Eliminate them.
◈ Reward: 20,000P. Additional rewards depending on the content.
“…Lucky.”
An event had been triggered. It was about time for something like this.
Most of these events indirectly affect all students and cause casualties, but they are also events that allow those with outstanding talents to grow even more.
I shifted my gaze. Through Divine Sight, I saw a distorted background.
“…Could it be luck?”
The distortion in the magical flux meant a powerful entity had arrived.
“Then, let’s start the duel…”
“It might be better not to.”
“What do you mean?”
The student council president, Seong Han-byul, asked me with a curious look.
Then her expression turned complex as she observed me.
“…You have good instincts.”
“I was born with it. But it seems we need to deal with those things first.”
“Alright. You do know that the students’ safety is the top priority, right?”
“Yes. That’s why I’ll take on the strongest one and buy some time.”
I stepped forward, holding Black Heaven.
“No, I mean you’re important too.”
“…Yes.”
That’s when I recalled why I had liked the student council president. She appeared strong on the outside but was tenderhearted. She remembered those who had died, striving to avenge them or fulfill their wishes.
Well, her appearance played a part too.
“Don’t worry. I’m confident I can handle myself.”
“But don’t push yourself too hard. You’re still a student, after all.”
I understood her underlying meaning. She meant that I should value my life more as I was still learning.
The instructors and professors were already preparing to intercept the merfolk.
Even if I stepped in, it would only slightly reduce the casualties.
“That won’t do.”
I stepped forward. There were several reasons. The student council president, Seong Han-byul, had a tendency to think it’s okay to overexert herself if it means saving students.
And there were points involved.
I needed to earn points.