196. Hell Training (6)
196. Hell Training (6)
"......What? Master is personally testing them?"
It was around the evening of the first day of training that I heard Master had started the trial to evaluate the Utopia Party members.
Probably because they were right in front of me, our sparring got a little rougher than usual, and I ended up bedridden.
So right after hearing the news, I tried to head straight for the training ground where the trial was taking place, but.
"No."
Shin Se-hee pressed down firmly on my shoulder.
When I looked at her like what the hell are you doing, Shin Se-hee opened her mouth.
"A message from Instructor Baek Seol-hee. 'Jin Yu-ha is not to approach the training ground while the trial is in progress.'"
"......Why?"
"You being there will be a hindrance."
"......."
Since Master said so, there was nothing I could do about it.
All I could do was wait anxiously.
Fortunately, it wasn't long.
Ichika came with news that she had passed.
"Passed. I was first."
I couldn't help but be pretty shocked that Ichika was the first one to pass.
Because she managed to beat out all the other formidable Utopia Party members and take first place in Master's trial.
'As expected, is Ichika a 5-Star character?'
She's a hidden character no one obtained in-game, so it wouldn't be strange if she had insane performance.
"I, did good?"
Ichika tilted her head and asked, her face expressionless.
"Yes, you really did. Good work. Master's trial must not have been easy."
"Right, I almost died. So, reward."
"Huh? Reward?"
"Yeah, because I'm first. Two."
"......Tell me."
"Use casual speech with me too."
A reward requested by the hard-to-read Ichika—I was nervous about what it might be,
but it was, unexpectedly, an easy request to grant.
'Well, it is weird to use casual speech with all the other party members and only polite speech with Ichika.'
I nodded readily.
"Alright, I will. No, okay, I got it. Let's do that."
"Yay. And the next reward. Here."
Then, suddenly, Ichika bowed her head toward me.
"......?"
"What are you doing. Stroke my head."
Ichika said that, her head bowed toward me.
"......Your head?"
"Yeah, this is my second reward."
I couldn't help but make a bewildered expression as I stroked her head.
'This person really is unpredictable. But her hair's incredibly soft!'
Swish, swish—
For nearly an hour. Only after receiving head pats for that long did she nod, her hair disheveled, as if satisfied.
"It's a little lacking, but I can last a week with this for now."
Then. That night.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound of someone suddenly pounding on the door like they were about to break it down.
I'd been lying in bed and shot up, startled.
"Yellow Dog......."
The person who opened the door and came in was Kang Do-hee.
"Poppy! You passed!?"
"Yeah, but that's not why I came here."
Jab.
She suddenly pointed a finger at me.
"You."
"......Huh?"
"Promise me."
"Wh-what?"
"That if there's this kind of training again, you will absolutely never leave me out and do it alone."
"S-sure. Okay......."
Kang Do-hee spat that out in a somewhat sulky tone, then turned her back and left.
Bang!
"Poppy! Good work—!"
Day 4.
Sofia came to find me.
"Jin Yu-haaa—!! I passed—!!!"
She looked exhausted, but she was wearing a bright smile all over her face.
"So, so, I shot the Healing Arrow way up into the air—! And then, you know what that instructor did? Hmm, 'shallow tactics, but there's no reason not to let you pass.'"
She grabbed onto me and chattered away about how she was able to pass.
And Day 6.
"Waaaaah—! Hoobae—!!!"
Im Ga-eul came to me with teardrops at the corners of her narrow eyes, as if the shock of the trial had been considerable.
"I-I-I wa-was so, so scaaared— Hicc—!"
I let her whine to me, but I couldn't help having slightly dead eyes inside.
'Just where did this noona's original image go.......'
Like that, the Utopia Party members brought news of passing one after another.
And now, today is the long-awaited Day 7.
Only one person remains.
'Hmm....... Is Gukbap still at it......?'
Master had said in a stern voice that if they couldn't pass her trial, they lacked the qualifications to be my comrade.
But I wasn't actually that worried.
Because the ones I'd actually been most worried about, Sofia and Im Ga-eul, had passed.
And.
'There's no way Master wouldn't approve of our Gukbap.'
If you asked me to pick just one person from among the Utopia Party members to show Master, it would undoubtedly be Lee Yu-ri.
But the two hadn't really gotten the timing right until now and had only gotten to know each other by face.
Gukbap is fundamentally hardworking,
strict with herself,
has a sense of responsibility,
and her mental fortitude is extraordinary.
And on top of that, the 'conviction' that is so utterly unshakeable.
I couldn't even imagine Master casting Lee Yu-ri aside, when she possesses every quality Master likes.
'Hmm, but I didn't think Gukbap would take this long. Is she giving her personal instruction or something?'
I pondered the dynamic between the two for a moment before a passing thought whispered in my mind.
'......Should I go watch?'
Master had threatened me and told me not to come to the training ground under any circumstances,
but I wanted to see.
How those two would evaluate each other.
And what kind of chemistry they'd show.
The scene of them nodding seriously while training together!
Honestly, how could I resist this?
Slip—
Once I made up my mind, I concealed my presence and headed for the training ground.
It was still broad daylight, the sun up.
Instructor Baek Seol-hee, standing stiff as a blade with a cold expression.
And Lee Yu-ri, covered in wounds all over her body in front of her.
Yeah, up to that point, it was understandable.
But the scene that continued was completely different from what I'd expected.
Bam!
"Gahk!"
Thud!
"Aack—!"
Crash!
"Ngh—!!"
Lee Yu-ri, wounded, rushed at Master again and again.
In front of her, Instructor, mechanically swinging her sword without the slightest change in expression.
It was a one-on-one situation from the start,
so even the Taunt Lee Yu-ri was so proud of had no effect.
Just how long had that scene repeated?
The sun slowly set, even until it became night.
'......What is this.'
Lee Yu-ri tumbled over and over, dozens of times, hundreds of times, but bit her lip and charged in again.
Desperately, urgently.
Like someone challenging the impossible, even knowing they can't.
Watching that, I really wanted to stop her.
That she didn't have to go this far.
That she was our proud Tank without ever having to do that.
I wanted to say that to her.
But there was no way I could.
That would be throwing Lee Yu-ri's will into the gutter.
So there was nothing I could do but watch her desperate struggle to the very end.
It was now not long until midnight.
Lee Yu-ri, her head buried against the ground in despair, was trembling at the shoulders.
Gukbap was crying.
'......Yeah, let's stop. You don't have to go that far. I'll never abandon you.'
Now, it was almost time for the trial to end.
It was the moment I was about to go to her.
Abruptly, Lee Yu-ri lifted her head.
She took up her shield again.
"I am—!!!"
Then, a fierce blue glare erupted from her tear-soaked eyes.
"Jin Yu-ha's Shield!!!!!!!!"
She yelled and charged.
"......!?"
And I was able to see it clearly.
The radiant halo of light above her head.
That halo of light soon wrapped around Lee Yu-ri's body and settled into her.
'......Shit.'
I was holding my breath in a corner of the training ground and nearly screamed, I was so startled in that instant.
Because I knew very well what this sight was.
Not only had I experienced it with my own body once, it was also a scene I'd seen countless times in the game.
Star Promotion.
In other words, it was a Star Promotion Event.
Brilliant light wrapped her body.
And Lee Yu-ri, blocking Master's sword and raising her shield.
'......How?'
I could only stare at the scene with my mouth agape.
Lee Yu-ri, whose innate birth is 3-Star.
She had become 4-Star.
Without even killing a Demon like I did.
'Something you're supposed to pull off by getting a late-story opportunity or grinding up materials, she did it on her own......?'
I was just opening my eyes wide like that when it happened.
"Disciple. Are you just going to keep standing there watching?"
Suddenly, Master turned her head toward me.
"......!"
"You disobeyed your Master's word."
"Ah, w-well, that is......."
"Enough. I'll punish you for it in a later lesson. Hurry and help this one inside."
"Ah, ah, yes, a-alright, understood!!"
As I hurriedly ran out like that and supported the ragged Lee Yu-ri, I spotted the shattered shield beside her.
'This thing's busted? Hmm, anyway, she just went through the Star Promotion Event too. Yeah, it's about time to get her a new shield. Ah, come to think of it, we need to get Ichika's Subspace Tattoo done too, huh?'
Just as I was thinking of the most famous Brat in the academy and about to turn back,
"Disciple."
Master called out to me and stopped me again.
"......Yes?"
"You have a fine comrade."
There's no way I wouldn't know that was directed at Lee Yu-ri.
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips.
"Yes, that's right. Gukbap is my pride and joy."
"......."
But, perhaps because that answer somehow didn't sit well with her.
Master frowned and glared at me.
"......She went this far, and my Stats remain unchanged....... Did I just end up doing someone else a favor for nothing."
She muttered something, but her voice didn't reach my ears.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Forget it. Get lost, quickly."
"Wh-why are you......."
"I said get lost."
"Y-yes......!!"