Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Do-won (2)
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The academy's training, through months of repetitive practice, had ingrained in my body how the classes flowed.
The basic format was cadets sparring against each other and providing feedback on the matches.
Or, under the guise of real combat, actually wielding weapons against one another.
"Lee Si-heon."
"Yes."
"Why aren't you taking a stance?"
Even at El Academy, hailed as the world's best, the intensity and style of training weren't all that different.
The only distinction in the classes we received was the individual training rooms and the skilled instructors assigned to each person.
It was simply about pairing the best mentors with promising students, providing the maximum care that the academy as an institution could offer.
"I heard you used martial arts in the tournament."
"...It was originally the sword. Now it's magic."
"Learning a broad range of fields might make dungeon raids easier. When forming expeditions, people like you with wide knowledge are essential."
The instructor, who clenched his fists tightly and assumed a simple stance, narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
"But right now, it's the Forest Keeper selection tournament. Individual combat prowess is what matters."
"......"
"I think you know that."
The man pointed out my half-hearted attitude while reminding me of the current situation.
His name was Jeon Yong-hyun... I didn't remember it.
With so many people in the world, how could I?
Still, he was clearly someone who'd made a name for himself online.
In fact, I could sense seasoned prowess from my opponent.
'A-rank. Similar to the ragtag S-ranks I faced in Do-won?'
As hunter rankings became stricter, the number of S-rank hunters had plummeted.
S-ranks were determined by how close one had come to the 'realms' spoken of by the Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Path, or other martial artists.
S-rank hunters had vastly different levels of freedom and authority, making them hard to recruit even for El Academy.
So instead, they assigned us people who fell short of S-rank but matched or exceeded them in experience, and who also had talent for teaching.
These connections could later help with job hunting or dungeon raids, they said.
'Come to think of it... My master, Baek Do, was S-rank.'
I'd been lucky.
I wasn't sure if my Luck stat of 10 helped in such trivial ways, but it felt almost fated.
Crucially, meeting Baek Do had given me power sharply different from that of the other academy cadets.
'Anyway.'
How should I handle this?
I reluctantly raised both hands and took a stance.
"I'm ready. Let's begin."
I drained my mana as much as possible and wrapped my body in magic that made it heavier instead.
My body creaked like it had sandbags strapped all over it.
I'd forcibly infiltrated magic that never would have worked otherwise, engraving it into my body as magic circles.
If I could strengthen my body with magic, the opposite was possible too.
Fighting with a weakened body might sharpen my senses in the end.
-[Combat-Type Physique (SS)]
Until now, I'd relied purely on my unique trait.
My body instinctively performed actions suited to combat without me even thinking.
'It was a huge help when I adapted the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to my own style.'
When an opponent's attack approached visibly, the paths to evade naturally came into view.
If there was an opening, my fist felt pulled toward it.
Sometimes time seemed to slow, or my body became eerily flexible—all thanks to this.
What if I ignored my body's signals...?
Wouldn't I gain even more experience?
The intense training from Do-won made all this feel bland now.
-Whoooosh!
The incoming fist.
My body reacted, turning my head while my mind prepared a counterattack like it'd been slammed into focus.
Just move fluidly and suppress him.
But I forcibly suppressed that movement.
Like buffering, my body froze like stone.
I consciously twisted the path of the fist and my movement in completely opposite directions.
With overlapping magic and no mana to use, my body was dulled.
With my nerves suppressed too, I took a hit to the cheek.
-Thwack!
A loud smack. My bones throbbed, my vision spun, and the corner of my mouth lifted.
Familiar pain, now a refreshing stimulus.
The pleasant sensation of skills growing, like an itch slowly awakening, just like in Do-won.
The thrill of leaping from slow, grunting steps to crane-like strides in an instant—a thrill others couldn't feel.
This would boost my skills even a tiny bit.
"Phew..."
I spat out blood-mixed breath and thought.
The wound in my mouth healed rapidly.
*****
"Guess who?"
I was walking through Seoul in a mask when dainty hands stretched from behind, covering my eyes.
"I've been seeing you around a lot lately."
"...You called me, Si-heon, and now you're like this?"
"Hehe."
"Still, I'm happy~ If Si-heon calls, I gotta come."
It was 4 a.m. now.
I had no classes or reason to stay in the dorms for a while, so I'd left Shiba with Azalea and headed out.
The reason I came to Seoul was for disguise gear.
The clothes in my dorm were just casual wear, with too much exposure on face and head for combat suits, so I'd come to Seoul's artifact market.
To hide my identity and prioritize functionality.
The outfit I had on was fine, but traipsing around torn up like in Do-won wasn't practical.
"Makes sense. Fighting Flower without any armor would be weird."
"That's why I called you."
"Hehe. When it comes to connections, nobody beats Star~! That's what they say!"
Thanks to her position as vice guild master, Star had contacts for various artisans.
I'd need to contact her often anyway, so I memorized the coordinates of her office.
"Got a lot of time? You said come when it's convenient, and you message right away."
"...When you ask, I make time. With your magic too. It's not hard."
I followed Star, who led the way into a dingy back alley.
No utility poles around, pitch black. It was deep night— wasn't she sleepy?
I didn't sleep much anyway, but she probably did.
Glancing with night vision, I saw dark circles under her eyes.
"Why?"
Star smiled playfully at me.
Her soft cheeks jiggled—not as much as Cornus's, but still.
"Gasp!"
When I just stared without speaking, she covered her mouth with both hands.
"Am I too pretty or something?"
"Oh, come on..."
I lightly flicked her forehead, and she retreated happily, giggling.
Then she sidled right up and hooked her arm in mine.
"So, why?"
"No, just wondering why you're not sleeping at this hour."
"......Forgot who I am already?"
"Vice guild master?"
"No, Gamer Girl."
Ah.
Staying up all night was her specialty.
The dark circles weren't from work, then.
"Anyway, stick close so you don't get lost. I'll explain roughly as we go."
Star leaned her head on my shoulder and navigated the maze-like alleys, starting her explanation.
Dong-Seoul, in Gwangjin— the artisans' district.
One of Korea's underworld spots where business cards only circulated among top hunters and the wealthy.
"Some artifact craftsmen have unique stubbornness or beliefs ingrained in them. Not that they're weird—it's common for awakenings to add traits like that."
"Traits... Yeah, traits can make or break you. Damn hard to overcome."
"Pffft. So they're picky... and full of weird trees... But they're human too, so they work to eat."
We delved deeper.
Dark alleys, but strangely clean around here.
The kind of place you'd expect rats scavenging trash with bugs crawling in filth.
Beyond clean, a faint chemical scent wafted—like from a bathroom or sterilization room.
A sharp yet addictive aroma.
"Here."
Deeper in. The innermost building.
Shabby roof, door, broken stairs on the outside—but touching them revealed premium materials inside.
"...Ooh."
Solid, and the magic circles engraved throughout screamed stubbornness.
Not practical, but top performance.
"Heard magitech majors are all perverts."
"Agreed."
I muttered something I'd seen online, and Star nodded vigorously.
"......Only these freaks get excited staring at magitech gun barrels."
"Who gets turned on by that?"
"Ever seen someone fuck a gun?"
She made a circle with her fingers and poked one through, cracking a lowbrow joke.
Having surfed the net a lot, she tossed out risqué humor casually.
"Safety off... Masturbating with a gun and getting hauled to the hospital? What do you think?"
Safety off on a gun?
Doing that and ending up in the hospital?
"......Insane."
"The person we're meeting today is like that."
"?"
Not your average crazy bitch.
With that thought, I clamped my mouth shut.
Be careful with lunatics. The scariest things aren't the strong— they're the mentally unhinged.
"Let's go up. She knows me a bit, so getting one outfit should be easy. Oh, and watch your step. It might give way."
-Creak.
The stairs groaned uneasily the moment I stepped.
Steel bending, on the verge of snapping—dizzying.
-Clack, clack.
Each added weight made them sink.
But they never bent beyond a precise angle.
Ingenious design.
Engraving magic circles into broken stairs was dozens of times harder than on normal ones.
Up the shaking stairs, past plywood-nailed windows, to the door.
The house door was a single log, with thick branches growing wildly over it.
"Lespedeza?"
"You know it?"
Star seemed knowledgeable and added an explanation.
Lespedeza had endless uses. Fruits edible, wood for baskets or fences.
"Flower language is... contemplation. Matches her personality. I've only met her for business, but unlike me, her work and personal sides are the same."
She shrugged with our arms linked, then reached for the door.
It opened, releasing a thick floral scent.
Seductive yet mood-lifting, habit-forming.
"Ugh, sweat smell."
Not to Star, apparently—she pinched her nose and flung the door wide.
Old armor racks with clothes and weapons.
Expensive gemstones for crafting, no security whatsoever.
Inside sat a disheveled woman with purple hair, holding a thin needle.
"Who're you?"
Various guns lay beside her.
'...Guns aren't common.'
Ammo costs skyrocketed for power, and barrel maintenance was a hassle.
Stubbornness, maybe.
Her hands danced nimbly, inking permanent letters on gun grips.
"Hello. I'm Star, from last time."
"...Ah, the cute one?"
"Yep, that adorable kid."
"Oh my. Must be her. Let me see... What brings you?"
She set down her monocle and smiled at Star.
A shop open only at dawn. No connections, no entry.
I deeply inhaled what seemed like sweat scent and looked around.
'Not bad.'
Other artifact spots had stuff I could've faked decently, but not here.
Even underwear tossed on the floor had meticulously engraved magic circles.
Trustworthy places have their reasons.
The lespedeza woman, witch-like with her purple hair and dreamy smile, chatted with Star.
"Who's that? Boyfriend?"
"Hehe, looks like it?"
Star grinned dopily.
Unlike their business meetings, she was surprisingly honest with her feelings.