Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Sparring (1)
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The next day, I headed to work with a somewhat uneasy feeling, but fortunately, there was no particular talk about it.
Perhaps because we'd gone through such a major incident yesterday, Team 15 was assigned only simple, safe tasks.
By mid-morning, we'd confirmed that all the managed monsters under our care were in stable condition, effectively wrapping up the day's schedule.
In the past, I would've quietly browsed the Monster Gallery on the company computer.
But now that I'd grown closer to the team members, things were a bit different.
"...Alright, so for lunch..."
As Team Leader Park Cheolwoo stood up and started the conversation, Han Sora quickly blocked him.
"No country beef soup."
With that cold and firm declaration, the team leader sat back down.
As a guy myself, I didn't hate country beef soup, but Park Cheolwoo took it a bit too far.
"After all that hardship yesterday, country beef soup does feel off."
"...Country beef soup is the real deal right after hardship..."
Han Sora pulled out her phone and began fervently scrolling through a delivery app.
Whenever she ordered something after searching like that, it was always a hit, so Seo Ji-hyun and I sided with her, excluding the team leader.
That's when Seo Ji-hyun approached me.
"..."
"..."
I'd grown closer to the team members, but Seo Ji-hyun was still basically expressionless.
There were times like this when I couldn't read her thoughts.
Then, Seo Ji-hyun's lips parted.
"Um... Leo..."
"Ah, want to see?"
Seo Ji-hyun nodded at my words.
I proudly pulled out my phone and showed off my collection.
She took my smartphone as if entranced.
"This one is Leo from yesterday. I took it, but I'm not great at photos..."
I added excuses with every photo I swiped through.
I was scared Leo might get a bad review, so excuses were better than nothing.
"Doesn't he look a bit bigger?"
"...Does he?"
Her response was unexpected.
I hadn't noticed since I saw him every day, but comparing photos, he really did seem a little bigger.
"He's been eating his food well lately, so he's grown a bit."
I felt inexplicably proud.
From behind me, Han Sora's voice rang out.
"Alright, decided."
It seemed Han Sora had finally settled on a menu.
After finishing lunch.
The team members were spending the leisurely time sorting backlogged paperwork or tending to personal maintenance.
I seized the opportunity to cautiously approach Team Leader Park Cheolwoo.
"Team leader, since work wrapped up early today... mind if I head to the training grounds? For some personal training."
Park Cheolwoo nodded readily at my words.
"Ah, of course, Minjun. No other tasks anyway."
"Thank you, team leader."
"Eh, training there too?"
"...Be careful with your strength control there."
Han Sora looked surprised, and Seo Ji-hyun cautioned me.
I gave a quick bow and left the room.
The training grounds, even deeper underground, were enormous in scale.
They were originally built to test item performance or simulate various environments to prepare for battles against monsters.
I arrived at the fifth basement level, where the training grounds were located.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, the training area was right there, with showers and changing rooms on either side.
Pushing open the heavy soundproof door, a vast space came into view, filled with all sorts of training equipment.
And there, unexpectedly, were familiar faces.
"Huh?"
Four people sparring among themselves in one corner of the training grounds.
Group 8 from the labyrinth test that I'd supervised—now officially Exploration Team 16.
Hanbit, Bora, Shun, and Park Sunja. They spotted me too and paused, looking surprised in my direction.
What a coincidence.
I gave a light nod.
"Good work."
"...Ah, yes. You too, supervisor."
Hanbit answered awkwardly on their behalf.
All four were clearly wary of me.
Especially Park Soyoung, who averted her gaze hurriedly when our eyes met, even trembling slightly.
"...You don't have to call me supervisor."
"Ah..."
It seemed my monster act in the labyrinth had left quite an impression.
Hanbit was still calling me supervisor.
I exchanged light greetings with them and headed to a corner of the training grounds, picking up one of the wooden swords from the rack.
In front of me was something like a training mannequin.
"...Feels like I've seen this somewhere..."
It had an oddly familiar stance.
Like something that had once committed a major blunder...
I shook off the stray thoughts and focused.
'Strength control... strength control is key.'
I took a deep breath and slowly swung the sword.
At first, more strength went in than I intended.
Whoosh! The wooden sword cleaved through the air.
If it had hit the mannequin, it would've sliced one clean in two.
'Damn, again...'
I stopped in surprise.
Maybe because of the all-stats boost from the casino reward, I needed to hold back even more than last time.
I readjusted my stance and this time focused on the sword's weight and flow, swinging slowly without force.
Swish!, whoosh—!
After a few more reps, I started feeling the control.
Still powerful, but no longer brute force alone.
Controlled movements, enough power to shatter just a monster's mask.
As I swung the sword for a while to get the feel...
"Um... Supervisor... I mean, Mi, Minjun?"
Turning at the soft voice, Bora—the exorcist and Team 16's leader—had approached me at some point.
She still seemed wary, but her eyes held genuine curiosity instead of the previous hostility.
She'd started with supervisor but switched to my name, so she must've learned it.
"If it's alright, would you spar with me?"
"...Pardon?"
I asked in confusion.
"I remember the movements you showed in the labyrinth. I want to learn from you."
"Learn from me..."
She was sincere.
But I couldn't readily accept her proposal.
What could I even teach her?
My movements all came from cheats.
Plus, my strength control wasn't perfect yet.
If I accidentally hurt her...
"..."
Bora's eyes were burning with determination.
With eyes like that, I couldn't refuse.
Besides, maybe through this spar, I could learn better control over my power.
And I wanted to see her abilities up close again.
'Amazing power. Wonder if I could learn it?'
It was a unique ability, different from my cheats or items.
Manipulating talismans to achieve all sorts of feats.
"...Sure. But my strength control is still clumsy. Let's both be careful not to get hurt."
"Y-Yeah. Careful, both of us..."
At my words, unease flickered in Bora's eyes for a moment.
She nodded and led me to the inner part of the training grounds.
A wide space for sparring was prepared there.
Hanbit, Shun, and Park Sunja took positions a bit away to watch us.
The massive training grounds felt like Team 16 had rented it out—no one else in sight.
Bora and I faced each other at opposite ends of the open space.
I lightly readjusted the wooden sword from practice. 'Absolutely no hurting her. This is just sparring.' I reminded myself repeatedly.
"Ready?"
Bora asked in a low voice.
I nodded.
"Begin."
Without anyone going first, we moved almost simultaneously, and the spar began.
The moment the fight started, Bora unhesitatingly pulled out several red talismans from her bosom and scattered them into the air.
The talismans circled her like living things before merging into a familiar shape.
"Soldier!"
With her shout, a paper soldier the size of an adult male appeared before me, holding a sharp paper spear—just like in the labyrinth.
But faster and more refined than in the labyrinth.
'Starting with that, huh.'
I eyed the paper soldier, reminding myself once more about strength control.
The paper soldier charged at me, swinging its sharp paper spear.
Its movements were much faster and more precise than in the labyrinth.
But still well within my predictive range.
I deflected its attack with minimal movement, and as it overextended and lost balance, I thrust the wooden sword into the paper soldier's neck.
Rustle—
The talismans unraveled in an instant, scattering to the floor.
'Good.'
Now, just close in on Bora, and it was over.
Catching my intent, Bora's expression hardened slightly. As I approached, she pulled out new talismans and hurled them at me.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The talismans flew like living creatures, sticking precisely to both my arms and legs.
And at that moment,
"...!"
Suddenly, my limbs felt weighed down like lead weights were attached.
My movements visibly slowed. Not simple physical restraint, but a bizarre talisman that amplified gravity.
'She can do that too. Impressive...'
I was purely impressed.
Bora's exorcist abilities exceeded my imagination.
Confirming my slowed movements, Bora's eyes sharpened.
She pulled out her last talisman—a blue one unlike the others—and shouted with a kiai.
"This ends it! Lightning Strike Talisman!"
The talisman she threw flashed above my head, emitting intense blue light.
With crackling sounds, dozens of sharp lightning bolts poured down like a net toward me.
Crackle!
The sheer power cracked the training floor, burning nearby talismans and filling the air with thick smoke.
"Got him?"
Hearing her chilling words—ones that shouldn't be said in a spar—I bided my time in the smoke, waiting for the right moment to emerge.