The Beauty of Efficient Movement
During practical combat training, while Kang Seok moved sluggishly and nearly got his forearm bitten by a goblin, Cheon Yu-ha was swiftly slicing through the goblins' necks.
I didn't need to designate which targets she should take. She naturally identified the goblins she needed to handle and moved on her own.
As expected from the elite of our party. It's exhausting when she refuses to listen, but when she does, there's no one more reliable.
Swish.
I kept glancing sideways to check on Kang Seok while carving through the goblin swarm. Since I'd claimed the smallest group from the start, dealing with them wasn't particularly difficult.
Bang!
Of course the goblin shaman hurled fireballs at me from time to time, but they weren't much of a threat. With the Eye of the Transcendent and decent senses, I could have dodged them with my eyes closed.
By the time I had grown used to wielding my sword in real combat, our party had eliminated every monster, including the goblin shaman.
The whole process took roughly three minutes. I could have finished faster, but I waited for Kang Seok to finish his group, which delayed things somewhat.
That said, it didn't hurt our ranking. We didn't show the same overwhelming gap as in the entrance exam, but we still took first place without fail.
If I'd thought we might lose the top spot, I would have swept Kang Seok's group in one go.
“Is that even possible?”
“Insane...”
The average clear time for this practical session was thirteen minutes. With quite a few parties exceeding twenty minutes, the other students' reactions were perfectly understandable.
“Huff... huff...”
Kang Seok, having barely finished the monsters, collapsed onto the floor and gasped for breath.
His skin was covered in countless minor cuts. He hadn't managed to dodge all seven goblins' attacks and had chosen to take some hits to minimize overall damage.
No matter that they were puppets, it was no easy feat for an ordinary student to face seven goblins strengthened by a shaman's power.
In that sense, the guy had truly given his all today. Though it would probably only be for today.
People naturally turn their attention elsewhere once things get comfortable. So if I kept him constantly busy, he'd be too preoccupied with survival to worry about anything else.
That's exactly why I'd assigned seven goblins to Kang Seok.
Who knew what that bastard might pull? If I kept grinding him, he'd probably behave himself.
His skills would improve along the way too, so it was killing two birds with one stone.
If anything, I could push him even harder.
What a guy I was, worrying about my classmate's growth. I wondered if that panting fool knew about my warm consideration.
It didn't matter if he didn't. I could always make him understand.
“Hmm...”
Aside from grinding Kang Seok, something still felt off. The fact that Cheon Yu-ha had consistently followed my instructions.
Given her personality in the game, she was obsessed with efficiency to an extreme. She wouldn't have let me funnel monsters toward Kang Seok.
Whether I deliberately gave him more to make him suffer or not, she would have focused solely on the record and cleared the goblins accordingly.
She probably judged that me handling the shaman was more efficient, but Kang Seok's assignment clearly wasn't efficient enough for others to overlook. I'd naturally expected her to step in.
Tap. Tap.
While I drank water and pondered her movements, she tapped my shoulder.
Her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on my face felt oddly burdensome. I set the water down and spoke.
“What?”
“It's fascinating.”
“What?”
Cheon Yu-ha's hand slid from my shoulder down my arm until she grasped my hand. She stared intently at it and said.
“With a body like this, how can you move that way?”
Cheon Yu-ha scanned Lee Sungjin's body. She wanted to assess his physical condition.
To get straight to the point, there was no difference from what showed on the surface. No, the inside was actually in worse shape.
Whether from internal injuries or not, his internals were twisted. It appeared to be recovering slowly, but the fact that it was damaged hadn't changed.
His body was frail. And not in an empty sense—truly so. It was to the point where it could be compared to an ordinary person rather than an awakener.
Cheon Yu-ha couldn't possibly overlook the movements Sungjin had displayed.
He left four goblins standing like scarecrows, his attention fixed on Kang Seok the entire time. Yet he effortlessly dodged the occasional fireballs launched by the shaman.
Extraordinarily keen senses and innate vision. It was a realm beyond her reach.
So she simply watched in a daze. The movements of a genius that seemed to toy with the world itself. Even her grandfather couldn't captivate people with a single display of such motion.
Without any fancy footwork, he utilized that fragile body with maximum efficiency.
That was why it was beautiful. That was why it was awe-inspiring.
Those movements alone seemed so lofty as to be untouchable. Cheon Yu-ha recalled something else.
The academy's second-ranked student. The single strike Sungjin had shown during their spar.
That sword strike, which fused not only swordsmanship but magic as well, had been enough to capture Cheon Yu-ha's eyes.
That's why she'd decided to listen to him. At first, it had been mere curiosity.
Someone capable of such a strike would surely move with unparalleled efficiency. With that thought, she hadn't acted independently.
Of course, she'd been disappointed when he assigned seven goblins to that Kang Seok fellow. If they'd left him with one and handled the rest between herself and Sungjin, they would've cleared it much sooner.
Why make that guy take on as many as seven?
Curious about the reason, she decided to observe. And she soon understood why.
“Uwaaaaah!”
When Kang Seok was facing around four goblins, he looked considerably strained. He wasn't staggering as if about to collapse, but given that this was training, he was undoubtedly pushing himself too hard.
His hands gripping the hammer trembled, and his gaze wasn't fully locked on the goblins. Yu-ha prepared to intervene between him and the monsters at a moment's notice.
If only he hadn't gritted his teeth and swung that hammer.
He was clearly lacking in power. Three goblins remained, but Kang Seok seemed to have no strength left. Of course, that wasn't a bad thing.
He had initially claimed he could handle about five. In reality, he'd taken seven and finished off four.
It was clear proof that he had an objective understanding of his own abilities.
So he could withdraw. No one would blame him if he did.
But Kang Seok charged forward. With a hammer that looked like it might slip from his grasp at any moment and eyes that were shaking. Toward a group of goblins he couldn't possibly handle.
Watching him, Yu-ha realized.
That Sungjin wasn't simply trying to grow stronger by himself.
He could secure the top ranks anyway, with time to spare. In that case, he should use that time more efficiently.
But there was no way fighting mere goblins would elevate his level any further.
So he was raising the students around him. By accurately gauging what they could handle.
Having realized all this, Cheon Yu-ha reflected on her own judgment.
So efficient behavior wasn't solved simply by moving quickly. One had to fully utilize all remaining time and still act with speed.
Having reached this conclusion, Cheon Yu-ha frowned as she watched Sungjin swing his arms about.
Of course.
If Sungjin—who had assigned seven goblins purely to torment Kang Seok—or Kang Seok—who had swung his warhammer out of fear that Sungjin would foam at the mouth and charge if he failed the task assigned to him—heard this, they would probably throw a fit, calling it utter nonsense.
Anyway, the practical training ended without any major incidents.
It wasn't yet time for any big events to occur. In game terms, this was the moment when new players first entered Final Academy and got a taste of it.
In other words, it was the most peaceful period within the game.
“Excluding today's introductory practical training, I plan to conduct these sessions periodically, about once a week.”
At Syrene's words, soft groans rose from among the students, but she continued speaking as if completely blocking out the noise.
“From what I observed today, most of you seem to have selected your main weapons. Course registration will be closing soon, so any students who haven't chosen yet should do so before the deadline.”
If any students were still unsure what to take, she could provide personal counseling.
Syrene said this with an expression that made it clear she had zero intention of actually doing so.
After delivering all her messages, she seemed to have forgotten something, frowning in thought, before her eyes suddenly widened as if it had come back to her.
“Ah, we'll also be accepting club applications soon. If there's a club that interests you, submit an application form. That is all.”
“And Lee Sungjin. You, come with me for a moment.”
I walked after her, doing my best to ignore the way Syrene was glaring at me like she wanted to kill me.
She didn't say a word the entire way, but the moment we entered her private office, she immediately spoke up.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Cursing right off the bat is a bit much...”
“No, what kind of person negotiates with the dean to score an overnight pass? And a first-year freshman, no less? There's a limit to how bold one can be.”
“If you're going to praise me like that, it's kind of embarrassing.”
“It's not praise, so shut your mouth.”
“Yes ma'am.”
When I actually clamped my mouth shut, Syrene gave me a look of utter disdain before sitting down at her desk.
She rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a document. After staring at it for a moment and letting out a deep sigh, she tossed it toward me.
Holder: Lee Sungjin
Approved by: The Dean
Approved by: Syrene
Reason: Personal Business
The document bore the title Exit Permit along with the seals of both the dean and Syrene.
“I never imagined I'd end up receiving a request like this from the dean. Seriously.”
“It must've been quite the novel experience. No need to thank me.”
“Getting punched by me would be a novel experience too. Want to give it a try?”
“No, I'll pass on that.”
If I get hit by that, I'm going straight to the afterlife.
Syrene looked up at me for a moment before slowly speaking again.
“Why are you so desperate to go outside? Is there something you need?”
“There is something I need, yes.”
“What is it?”
I paused to look at Syrene. The reason I was heading out at this particular time was to prevent the upcoming turmoil as safely as possible.
Considering the experience I'd gained from sparring and the stats I'd obtained from medicinal elixirs, I believed I could clear one of the dungeons available outside. That's why I'd decided to use the overnight permission this time.
Besides, an incident involving Tana would be happening soon, so it was best to head out now.
Of course, I couldn't tell her that directly....
“There's this high-performance Viagra that I won't be able to buy if I don't go now...”
“Get out. Get out of here right now!”
That's harsh.