Sparring (4)
Sparring (4)
My heart pounded. It thundered as if someone had pressed a beating heart right up to my ear. When I absently placed a hand on my chest, the sound grew even louder.
Aiden stared vacantly between the now-bladeless hilt and the shattered blade. He seemed unable to grasp what had happened.
He didn't seem to understand why he'd lost. Understandable. From his perspective, it was a fight he couldn't possibly lose.
I thought so too. This was a fight I should have lost. In terms of stats, in terms of simple skill, it was a fight I naturally should have lost.
If Aiden had come at me with full power from the start... no, it wouldn't have even needed to go that far.
If he'd fought without Aura or Body Reinforcement Technique, relying solely on his base physical ability and skill, I would have been pushed onto the defensive and lost from that alone.
Aura and Body Reinforcement. I didn't have the mana reserves to use both properly. Even just briefly manifesting Aura in the spar had drained a considerable amount of mana.
Know Yourself and Your Enemy, Never Imperiled in a Hundred Battles.
Wasn't that one of the lines from The Art of War?
I remembered it meaning, 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'
In this spar, Aiden didn't know me.
He didn't know what kind of training I'd received from Professor Atra, how much I'd grown, how far my Spatial Perception could reach, how much I could move, whether I could use Aura or Body Reinforcement Technique.
Of course, I didn't know about him either.
I didn't know Aiden's physical level, whether he had a Unique Ability—and if so, what type, how powerful it was—how strong his Body Reinforcement and Aura were, though I assumed he'd mastered those.
But there was a difference.
I had knowledge from the original story, and in my own way, I could gauge Aiden's level.
I knew how Aiden looked at me. I knew he was underestimating me, and I predicted he wouldn't use his Unique Ability, Aura, or Body Reinforcement—and I was right.
So I hid my capabilities, and when he let his guard down, I revealed them all at once and overwhelmed him.
That's how I won. Aiden was careless and underestimated me, handing me a sure victory with a single lapse.
If we fought again, I'd lose without a doubt. As things stand, if we fought a hundred times, I'd probably lose a hundred times.
The gap in skill between Aiden and me was that wide.
But this time, I won.
Things went as I'd planned. My prediction hit the mark and I won. I would've been okay with losing, but still—I won.
Maybe that's why I felt just a tiny bit good. I'm human, after all; winning is better than losing.
I left behind Aiden, who still hadn't recovered from the shock, and expanded my Spatial Perception normally. I finally saw the cadets stationed around the sparring ground.
They wore expressions similar to Aiden's. How to put it—stupid expressions? Shocked expressions?
I also saw Baek A-rin, her eyes sparkling as if amazed. She... is a little overwhelming.
I saw Hong Yeon-hwa too. I almost burst out laughing.
Her beautiful red eyes were blinking. Her mouth was open wide enough that I worried a bug might fly in.
She looked that shocked.
It was quite a pleasant feeling.
I'd been annoyed because she kept hovering around me and wouldn't listen no matter how many times I said she didn't need to look after me, that my Unique Ability let me see in every direction. And yet, here she was with that face...
Moments ago, I'd calmed my emotions and felt a chill, but now my heart felt buoyant.
The corner of my mouth twitched. A grin tugged at my lips.
'Hehe.'
Maybe because I was in high spirits, I did something I normally wouldn't.
I raised one hand toward Hong Yeon-hwa. I spread my index and middle fingers wide and curled the rest.
'V.'
I can't speak, so I mouthed it. This sort of communication is difficult, but a superhuman of Hong Yeon-hwa's caliber would probably understand from my lip movements.
Hong Yeon-hwa's reaction changed.
Her mouth opened even wider. The corners of her lips quivered, then her cheeks flushed red.
...Why is she acting like that?
.
.
.
『Practical Swordsmanship Basics』 ended, and I had a light lunch.
Hong Yeon-hwa had something to do today, so I handled my meal alone with nutrition bars. They're simple and nutritious. If the quantity is lacking, I can eat more. If any nutrients are missing, I can take supplements.
When Hong Yeon-hwa takes me to the cafeteria to eat together, I do eat. It's unpleasant because I can't taste anything, but since I'm eating with someone else, I try my best to eat well.
I still haven't told her about my sense of taste. I have no idea how to handle this problem.
Honestly, do I even need to tell her? I find myself thinking, isn't this something I can just swallow like a white lie?
...No, honestly, it's just uncomfortable to bring up. I know Hong Yeon-hwa isn't that kind of person, but I'm afraid she'd be disappointed, asking if I've been deceiving her this whole time.
And, strictly speaking, this isn't a disability—it's a curse.
The Curse of Sensory Sealing. If I just lift it, the problem is solved. For a happy life, someday I'll break the Curse of Short Life and the Curse of Sensory Sealing.
I figured it'd be better to hide it from the start than to awkwardly tell her later that I can taste things now.
I finished my lunch and trudged toward the old-style training yard.
"......"
When I arrived at the training yard, still munching on a nutrition bar from the bundle, I found Professor Atra already there.
Her gaze shifted between my chewing mouth, the nutrition bar in my hand, and the wrapper sticking out of the bundle.
.
.
.
"Eat proper meals. Does it make any sense for a superhuman who uses their body to get by on food like that?"
[Yes]
And I got scolded.
Frowning, Professor Atra scolded and advised me. "If that's the kind of fuel you put in, how do you expect your body to build itself? When you eat, you need to eat proper food too."
After the scolding, I also received some fairly reasonable advice.
This was typical of Professor Atra's training.
Professor Atra's methods are rough and difficult. With her blunt attitude, she's the type who easily attracts dislike.
But I didn't particularly dislike Professor Atra.
Despite her manner, she never taught me half-heartedly. She might be rough, but she was sincerely devoted to my education.
There was some displeasure, but it wasn't significant, and it wasn't directed solely at me.
I'd suspected that she might be beating me up under the guise of 'Recovery Training' out of malice, but I actually feel my body's recovery rate improving.
- Scraaape...!
Today's weapon was a long sword. The sword I'd used before had a double-edged blade, but this one was single-edged and longer.
I swung the sword. Gripping the handle, I put strength into it and moved. The blade drew a long line. Before that line ended, it drew another.
Scraaape! The long sword carved a long slash across the ground and surged upward. My movement accelerated with faintly manifested Body Reinforcement Technique.
- Clang!
My hand was knocked away violently. The long sword spun through the air and stabbed deep into the ground. Before I knew it, a rough wooden long sword was aimed at my throat.
"Your offense is clumsy compared to your defense. That's something I've been pointing out. It's improving steadily, but keep paying attention to it."
I nodded at Professor Atra's indifferent words. As she retrieved the wooden long sword, I shook my head and collapsed with a *flop*.
Today, I got thoroughly beaten as usual. As my skill improved, the beatings lessened, but I still had to move more, so the fatigue remained.
"There was quite a commotion. They said the special admission cadet defeated a combat-major cadet with a sword."
As I lay catching my breath, Professor Atra glanced at me and spoke indifferently.
I pricked up my ears while lying down, and she continued.
"So? Do you have any thoughts?"
I felt her gaze fixed on me. It seemed she meant, 'Think and speak for yourself before I do.'
I thought for a moment.
'I've gotten a sense of my current level.'
I'm still lacking, but I've managed to catch up to a combat-major cadet.
That's amazing.
All-Rounder. A versatile-type Unique Ability.
I've never used All-Rounder myself, but in a previous iteration, I used a similar all-purpose Unique Ability.
So I'm well aware of the drawbacks of all-purpose types.
Advantage: proficiency boosts and growth across multiple fields.
Disadvantage: the ceiling in any one field is awkwardly low.
Even if you can wield a sword, spear, blade, axe, and blunt weapon, you'll still lose to someone who specialized in just one.
While the all-purpose type spreads proficiency across many areas, a single Technique-type Unique Ability establishes its own uniqueness and ultimately achieves an Expansion Ability, often breaking the usual rules.
That's why they trashed All-Rounder as a half-baked Unique Ability. The only reason I chose it was because I have two more Unique Abilities: Spatial Perception and Mana Affinity.
If I could only take one, I would absolutely never have chosen All-Rounder.
After the spar, I heard about Aiden's Unique Ability.
Swordsmanship Arts... in short, a skill, a sword-technique-type Unique Ability.
It's strange. Defeating a sword backed by a sword-technique Unique Ability with a sword learned through All-Rounder is definitely odd.
Even his proficiency is overwhelmingly higher. The time he's spent holding a sword, too.
There was some luck. But even so, it was odd. The fact that I'd already caught up to Aiden.
'Synergy.'
Spatial Perception, Mana Affinity, All-Rounder.
The positive effects the three Unique Abilities have on each other when they coexist.
There's no other explanation. Luck was a big factor, but if I hadn't grown to reach his heels thanks to synergy, that luck would have been meaningless.
[I was lucky to win, but fundamentally our foundations were different. If we fight again, I'm sure I'll lose.]
"I heard. That you exploited the opponent's carelessness repeatedly to win. The strategy was excellent. Exploiting the opponent's openings was also good."
Surprisingly, praise came back. She seemed pleased that I won, even if it was by luck.
I used Spatial Perception to glance at Professor Atra's expression.
It was her usual indifferent expression—the image that now comes to mind when I think of Professor Atra. But just a moment earlier, emotion had flickered beneath that expression.
The part about 'carelessness.'
"But today's result was ultimately due to carelessness. If the opponent hadn't been careless, the same outcome would have been impossible."
It hasn't been long since I met Professor Atra, but when you spend a good chunk of the day constantly clashing, moments of conversation inevitably arise.
But Professor Atra maintained a thoroughly instructive attitude, so topics were far from affectionate—mainly about superhumans, combat, and such.
Professor Atra loathed carelessness. If I ever lost a spar because of my own carelessness later, she might personally beat me to death.
Professor Atra's face had faintly crumpled at the word 'carelessness.' From her, I received feedback on the spar from a few hours earlier.
I described the flow of the spar with Aiden and heard her evaluation. She also gave her assessment and criticism of the spar I'd just had with her.
Before I knew it, time had flown by. It was already time for the major lecture to end.
"Time's up. That's all for today."
She checked the time and declared the lecture over. Then, after placing a water bottle by my head, she looked at me in silence.
That was Professor Atra's own version of consideration: if you have something to say before we truly finish, say it.
I started to shake my head, meaning I had nothing to say, but then on a whim I tapped my smartwatch.
[Next Monday and Tuesday, I have a Dungeon Raid practical. So I won't be able to come those days.]
"...I see."
It was a subtle difference, but Professor Atra's expression changed.
Professor Atra really disliked the topic of dungeons. She never showed it directly, but my Spatial Perception picked up on it.
I brought it up just in case. She doesn't have a scheduled class, but she is a professor. She probably knows the schedule.
After conveying that, I lay back down. I planned to rest a bit more, then head to the library.
"......"
I was absentmindedly harmonizing my mana in silence. But strangely, Professor Atra, who should have left already, was still standing there.
Wondering what was up, I looked with Spatial Perception—Professor Atra was clearly deep in thought, her troubled expression plain to see.
[Professor?]
"...It's nothing."
When I asked, puzzled, she glanced at me briefly and shook her head. Then she turned and walked out of my Spatial Perception's range.
Why'd she act like that? I tried to puzzle it out for a moment, but there was no way to know. I shook my head and stood up. Time to indulge in magic books at the library.
.
.
.
The next day. Major lecture time.
"Take this."
Professor Atra handed me a stack of books that easily numbered in the dozens. All of them were about dungeons.
In another bundle, all sorts of magic tools were packed. Looking closely, most were magic tools used in dungeons.
"Today and tomorrow, I will conduct a lecture on dungeons."
...???