Surpassing the Master?
Surpassing the Master?
The fierce brawl with the 2nd Iteration was over.
I really went through the wringer.
My whole body still tingles. Cut, stabbed, beaten, burst open, torn apart... it was a grueling time.
It got especially hard partway through, once my heart power depleted completely and my Authorities shut down.
With the Authority of Space gone, it was tough just retrieving armaments from subspace, and the use of attraction and repulsion was blocked.
On top of that, because I couldn't seal the 2nd Iteration's inventory, they proceeded to pull out an utterly ridiculous array of weapons and brutalize me.
I already carried a fair number of armaments myself, but the stuff that came flying out of the 2nd Iteration's inventory was on a whole different scale.
They toyed with me at range while slicing away with a curved blade of different length in each hand, and they pummeled me senseless from all directions with something like a sectional whip.
Beyond that, claw blades... a karambit and a serpent's tooth sword, a long spear with countless blades protruding from it like tree branches, a mace...
I've handled plenty of armaments while training with my master, but the sheer number the 2nd Iteration wielded was on an entirely different level.
You could loot a giant forge or an armament museum and still end up with fewer than that.
After that, my Observation shut down too, limiting my information gathering.
From that point on, keeping up with the 2nd Iteration's movements became vastly more overwhelming.
I did manage to respond using the echolocation I'd steadily trained for just such situations.
It wasn't as good as Observation, but I could still move well enough to keep fighting.
Of course, since it wasn't as good, I still ended up a complete wreck.
[Please keep petting me...]
In other words, I was mentally exhausted beyond belief.
And so I craved mental happiness. Following that simple logic, the result was me clinging to my master and acting utterly spoiled in real time.
"Really... not a single day passes quietly with you."
[Ehehe...]
"That wasn't a compliment..."
My master murmured in disbelief.
What an unfair thing to say.
It's not like I go out looking for trouble on purpose. It's just that everyone around me keeps giving me a hard time.
With all that pent-up sense of injustice, I shook my head from side to side. A soft, squishy sensation kept rubbing against my face.
Thanks to the thumping of my master's heartbeat, the tension that had been wound so tight slowly began to ease.
After thrashing around for a while, I settled down on my own and went limp.
"Huh..."
Even as she let out a wry smile, my master gave a resigned sigh and stroked my head.
[Feels good...]
Wearing a silly grin, I clung to my master even more desperately.
Before I knew it, I was back at my master's residence, lying side by side with her on the bed, resting.
I'd been completely out of it right after leaving the Tower of Growth, but I'd vaguely overheard the conversations.
Apparently, today was the fourth day of the tower entry. The general atmosphere was that everyone was flustered because I popped out a day early.
And seeing my poor condition, worried for me, my master had excused herself midway and brought me back to her home.
I wanted to go see Seo-yul immediately, now that I was out of the tower anyway, but... my state was exactly like this.
I'm supposed to be something of a guardian to Seo-yul. I wanted to show her only the reliable, dependable sides of me.
...Though I can't shake the feeling that ship has already sailed.
I've already shown Seo-yul plenty of my pitiful state.
I may not look it, but I'm her guardian. I was almost worried my standing had been completely dragged through the mud.
Of course, my good-natured Seo-yul still listens to me well, but...
...Anyway, that's what happened, and so now I'm lying side by side in bed with my master, recovering my mental strength.
- I'll look after Ha-yul, so you stay here.
- Huh? Why me? I'll go with you...
- You're in charge of the Ipchun Class, aren't you? There are still a ton of cadets who haven't come out. What would happen if their professor in charge left in the middle?
- ...Why is it only at times like this you argue so reasonably...
My master is in charge of special admission cadets. The reason she'd been with the first-year professors was because I'm a first-year.
In other words, the moment I came out of the tower, my master no longer had any reason to stay there.
In contrast, Professor Liana was strictly the professor in charge of the Ipchun Class. Just because one cadet—me—came out, she couldn't abandon the rest of the Ipchun Class still inside.
So Professor Liana had remained behind, looking put out.
'Did I just get emergency-evaced...?'
The Tower of Growth has basic safety measures in place.
The prime example is the function that unceremoniously spits a cadet out if it judges they're in danger.
Also, for the cadets' mental wellbeing, the pain is extremely minimal—
'Oh, bullshit. That didn't happen for me.'
A sudden thought made me scrunch up my face.
The sheer bafflement of the first moment my neck was sliced is still vivid.
Why was the 2nd Iteration there? Why was a game character moving on its own? Oh, my neck's been cut. Why does it hurt? It hurts like hell...
I let it go at the time because the situation was so dire, but now, thinking about it calmly, it was utterly ridiculous.
'I'm going to give them a piece of my mind.'
If the Headmaster is absent, then I'll go find the Vice Headmaster under him and demand an explanation for what the hell this was.
More than anything, though, what was that.
The 2nd Iteration.
The nickname I gave them was "Returning Demon."
Their system-representative title was that grand-sounding epithet, "Struggle-Seeking Asura."
The one I fought was definitely the 2nd Iteration. There's no room for doubt.
The artifacts they wore, the techniques they used, and more than anything, the 2nd Iteration's expansion ability—the Asura Path and its One Face Six Arms link...
Every element points to the 2nd Iteration.
'What the hell is going on.'
It wasn't just meeting a character from a game. The character I'd created and controlled was right in front of me, chopping me to pieces.
I was thrown into confusion.
The kind of movement and weapon techniques, the combat skills that looked like pure artistry, the tactical maneuvering that overwhelmed me even despite possessing the Authority of Observation.
The mastery in handling the split-second timing of the physical ability gap when Aura was manifested versus released, the momentary acceleration and deceleration.
The varied applications of Aura that went far beyond simply layering it over body and weapons.
It wasn't just mechanically inputted skills. There was a thick, deeply soaked layer of experience that felt impossible to even begin to fathom.
It was... hard to imagine from a character I'd merely given settings to and enjoyed playing.
More than anything...
- Sorry for bullying you. You did well.
Right before I left the tower... that voice that had been shoved right into my ear while I was sprawled out, incapacitated.
It was a chilling voice, like metal scraping against metal, but... the voice, thick with complicated emotion, is still vivid.
'.......'
My head hurt. A headache throbbed through my skull.
"Why are you scrunching up your face again over something so displeasing?"
As I sat there with my brow fiercely furrowed, my master's fingers pressed down, smoothing out the crease between my eyes.
"You'll ruin that pretty face. Don't go around scowling."
[Eeeeh...]
[It feels cool]
[Pleasurable]
[A massage]
My brow unfurrowed on its own. My master let out a small chuckle, then kneaded various parts of my face, loosening up the muscles.
As I squirmed from the soothing feeling, my necklace clicked, rattling out a listless sound.
'Did that sound change a bit...? Ah, forget it. It's working fine.'
I felt a vague sense of something off from that sound, but I filed it away along with my worries about the 2nd Iteration for now.
[I worked very, very hard]
[Compensation is required]
[Therefore, demanding petting]
"...You hardly need to tack on the reasons; I can pet you all you want. More than that, I want to hear how my disciple has been through such hardship. Can you tell me?"
A little time passed.
Deciding my condition had improved considerably, my master asked in a gentle voice.
'...What happened in the tower, huh...'
I fell into thought for a moment.
Naturally, I couldn't explain it.
How could I, when I don't understand this phenomenon myself... I don't know a damn thing.
No, now that I think about it, that might just be an excuse.
The truth is, I'm just afraid that if I recklessly ramble on, she might end up hating me. That's all it really is.
'Hmm...'
I quickly checked my condition.
My heart power had recovered quite a bit, too. Normally, I would have had to spend several days as a blind person (for real this time), but perhaps due to the Tower of Growth's influence, I could now operate Observation as well.
[I'll show you directly]
After some deliberation, I decided to show her the fruits of this tower entry.
* * *
Atra stared at Lee Ha-yul, who stood across from her, with complicated eyes.
'He said he'd show me directly... Just what did he obtain?'
When she had cautiously posed the question, worried he might collapse coughing up blood, he had suddenly declared he would show her directly and proposed they go to the training yard.
Of course, she had initially stopped him. How could she possibly be pleased to spar with a child who was staggering, unable to even hold himself upright, just moments ago?
But after Lee Ha-yul's earnest persuasion—his insistence that he was fine now—she had no choice but to arrive at the training yard.
Indeed, his body was not only free of wounds but perfectly fine, and his mind... had it recovered in that short span? Normally, he would have clung to her and fussed all day long.
Perhaps his mental recovery had also been accelerated thanks to the Tower of Growth.
Atra felt both relief and a strange wistfulness at that...
[Then I'll begin]
"Alright."
Soon, Lee Ha-yul sent the signal.
'Whatever it is, I need to confirm it.'
Casting aside her idle thoughts, Atra sharpened her focus.
She didn't take this lightly.
She knew Lee Ha-yul's ability well—the kind of skill improvement for which even the term "explosive growth" seemed inadequate, displayed every moment.
At this point, Lee Ha-yul could overwhelm even an upper-grade hero.
That was true even just using simple Aura manifestation and manipulation.
Add in magic, spirit arts, the absurd imitation of others' unique abilities... Lee Ha-yul's arsenal was infinite.
To begin with, Lee Ha-yul was the hero who had subjugated the Twin-headed Poison Dragon, even after it had been downgraded to barely 4th Rank.
4th Rank.
That was a grade measured only on Alpha individuals even in Grade 2 Dungeons.
Only a top-grade hero could feasibly solo-subjugate one, and even then, they could lose their life to numerous variables.
Although the Twin-headed Poison Dragon had various circumstances that downgraded it... he was the child who finished off a 4th Rank—and what's more, a Twin-headed Poison Dragon that was originally 3rd Rank.
Of course, right now, it was a light sparring match. A situation where it was difficult to actively mobilize all the varied options available.
Keeping that in mind, Atra took her stance, and—
- Smack
Her wrist was seized by Lee Ha-yul, who had appeared like a ghost.
'......!?'
Atra's eyes flew open in shock.
Lee Ha-yul's form had blurred as if shrouded in mist, and then, suddenly, he was right beside her.
She responded.
Reflexively, she pulled her body back and reached out with force. Aura, manifested without conscious thought, lightly activated her body.
Her outstretched hand was caught, helplessly.
A flurry of hand movements surged in, their forms concealed as if wrapped in thick, dark storm clouds.
Smack! A hand snaked out from those dark clouds like lightning and twisted Atra's wrist into a lock.
'This is...!?'
Unconventional movements that lightly disregarded the laws of physics.
Motions that conveyed a distinct mental image just by observing the movements themselves.
'An expansion ability...!'
A technique-category expansion ability.
And not wielded clumsily, but handled with immense proficiency. It was a level of mastery that could even deceive Atra's senses, if only for an instant.
The true worth of the technique category emerges from its expansion ability.
Especially in anti-personnel combat, technique-category expansion abilities are a real pain in the neck.
Atra had also manifested a technique-category unique ability. She had achieved quite a bit with her expansion ability as well.
'I'm too late—'
But it was too late to use it now. There was hesitation, too. It was an expansion ability not Harmonized beforehand. She lacked confidence in her control, gauging it by hand.
In that moment of hesitation, her body spun. Her vision flipped violently.
Boom! The next instant, she saw the sky being consumed by the sunset glow through the periphery of her vision.
"......"
The briefly stirred-up dust slowly settled.
Her accelerated cognition gradually returned to a normal perception speed. It felt like she had been shocked and agonizing for a very long time, but only a mere instant had passed.
[How was that?]
A clattering sound rang out.
Atra's lips twitched blankly.
Not the periphery, but the center of her vision... Lee Ha-yul's face was filling Atra's entire field of view.
It was Lee Ha-yul, who had instantly tossed Atra to the ground and climbed on top of her.
A satisfied smile hung on the corners of his lips, and his cheeks were flushed with a sense of achievement.
Even the blunt voice of the necklace seemed to carry a hint of smugness.
She wasn't hurt. Atra's body was far too durable to take damage from an impact of this degree.
"...Uh, uuh..."
But her mind was pained. More precisely, she was deeply confused and... shocked.
'Just now... no, right now.'
She started a spar with her disciple, let her guard down, and was thrown to the ground.
That was all.
[I improved a ton, right?]
"...Uh, uh...?"
The necklace's voice echoed in the ears of a dazed Atra.
Her fading consciousness snapped back in an instant.
Atra blinked, then abruptly took stock of her situation.
Both her hands were pinned above her head, wrists caught, and Lee Ha-yul, straddling her stomach, was pressing down on her completely.
[How about that, huh!]
[Even if you let your guard down, I won!]
Lee Ha-yul beamed brightly. Then, as if unable to contain his sense of achievement, his body began rocking slightly back and forth.
"Hik...!"
Suddenly, at the sensation of something rubbing against her chest, Atra's body jolted violently.
In order to pin her hands, Lee Ha-yul was seated quite high up. As a result, his... his pubic bone was pressing firmly against a very inappropriate spot.
The position was unbearably embarrassing in more ways than one.
At the unfamiliar, strange sensation she had never experienced before, a bizarre sound escaped her lips.
Upon hearing a noise she couldn't believe she herself had made, Atra's eyes went wide, and she tried to cover her mouth—
- Squeeze...
She couldn't cover it. Atra's hands were still pinned by Lee Ha-yul.
"Uh, uuh... no, I, that, hold on..."
Even amidst the sunset glow, Atra's face was tinged with a vivid crimson.
Her pupils trembled as if caught in an earthquake.
* * *
[Player Correction System: Measurement]
▶ Mental State
｢Sense of Achievement｣ : Pleased to have accomplished a difficult task
｢Expectation｣ : Expecting praise
｢Excitement｣ : Emotions are surging
...
｢?Dent｣ : Countless^ @?nature