Training Instruction? (2)
The first day at the Hunter Training Center was, as legend had it, brutally demanding. Even those who had become full-fledged hunters occasionally shuddered at the memory in their sleep.
Just yesterday, ordinary modern people who weren’t quite hunters or non-hunters had to run laps around the training grounds for two hours straight, study the Black Gates, and finish with sparring sessions.
The real horror wasn’t even the morning schedule. Most hunters would insist that the afternoon training was far more vicious.
At this very moment, the trainees were still peacefully enjoying lunch in the cafeteria without any idea of the nightmare waiting ahead.
Several instructors had already finished their own lunches and were preparing for the afternoon.
Unlike any other lesson, the instructors for the afternoon session were Shin Ji-yeon, Jeong Yu-jin, and Yoon Sang-woo—three in total.
Despite the extra manpower, they were all rushing around busily because they hadn’t prepped anything. Just then, a familiar face passed through the hallway right in front of them.
“Huh? Senior Ji-hoon.”
“Going for lunch?”
“Oh, how was sparring?”
The sparring instructor was none other than Kang Ji-hoon.
Seeing the trio, he made a face like he’d stepped in something bad and scratched his head with a look of pure irritation.
‘Of all people, why us?’
According to Ji-hoon’s reaction, it was quite the famous combination.
The trio known as the Search Team were the three musketeers of the Ilsung Guild, the Korean fourth-ranked A-class guild, and the ones chasing after Taebaek Guild’s next target.
They were skilled and experienced, no doubt.
But they had two major flaws.
“Right. How was sparring?”
“Is Do-hyeon trainee really that good?”
“I heard Yu-chan trainee lost. Is that true?”
“Really? The two of them fought and Yu-chan lost?”
“Whoa~ No way.”
One was the simple fact that they were noisy.
They were the same age and had lived together since childhood. And when they awakened together, their bond became even tighter. So whenever the three of them got together, conversations never stopped.
In the Ilsung Guild, a party like them would make your ears ring all day.
Scratching his head with an irritated look, Kang Ji-hoon was about to say something, then suddenly thought of Do-hyeon and clicked his tongue without realizing.
Just thinking about him was enough to make his head spin with unbelievable talent.
Thinking of Do-hyeon, the moment his own skill came to mind, it popped up again. With a voice mixed with annoyance, he told the trio.
“Tsk, you’ll see for yourself.”
“Senior reacting like this?”
“For real?”
“Oh, this is gonna be good.”
Since the trio knew Ji-hoon well, they didn’t press him further.
Clicking the tongue was already proof that his mood was bad. Poking him more would definitely make things worse.
With Kang Ji-hoon left behind, the trio started chatting among themselves with excited looks.
“This, this… I think we need to prepare way more.”
“Exactly. If it gets boring, the first day of the famous Hunter Training Center will turn ordinary.”
“We have to give them unforgettable nightmares.”
And the second flaw was right there.
All three had a mischievous streak. Or perhaps a playful, troublesome nature.
Either way, they possessed villainous personalities.
So the three of them were already smiling and hurrying off to prepare for the afternoon training.
To create memories these new trainees would never forget.
* * *
Day two after awakening.
Do-hyeon was eating lunch and thinking about all this.
‘More doable than I thought?’
Was it because of the Analysis skill? Or was it objectively easy?
Gently glancing at the other party members, he saw them trembling while eating lunch.
Then their words.
“Ugh, I’m dead.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“My whole body is shaking.”
“… More difficult than I thought.”
“……”
Seeing the party members’ reactions, Do-hyeon decided to keep his mouth shut.
It wasn’t objectively easy.
Thankfully he hadn’t opened his mouth to ask.
After all, compared to the other party members, Do-hyeon’s growth was so absurd it was impossible to talk about.
On the first day after awakening, he had learned basic magic with the Analysis skill. He only needed to copy and his stats would rise automatically. How could it not be easy? Still, he kept his mouth shut.
“Do-hyeon, how was it for you?”
“…… Huh?”
Ambush attempt?
Kim Yong-chan’s sudden question made Do-hyeon blink and look at him.
Until the sparring training, they had always shown respect. Now that Do-hyeon had said it was okay to speak freely, Kim Yong-chan was trying to assassinate him out of nowhere.
People can’t read minds! Do-hyeon thought with a dramatic internal show.
Just then, Jeong Min-woo, who had been sitting beside him, scratched his cheek and said.
“Honestly, it wasn’t that hard for Do-hyeon hyung.”
“Even I thought Do-hyeon oppa was making it look easy.”
“Yeah. He’s really amazing. How did you do it so easily?”
“How? Did you train normally?”
Do-hyeon was about to say something when he answered calmly.
“Well… just because I kept practicing, I guess.”
The line was terrible for himself.
But the party members were so impressed they just nodded with sparkling eyes.
“Talent is real, after all.”
“You were born with it.”
“If it weren’t Do-hyeon oppa, it would be so unbelievable, but since it’s him, it feels natural.”
Even though they said something blatantly talent-based, they nodded and praised him.
I thought this was the usual reaction—eh, that’s not enough~, he’s joking~, there must be a secret~. But Do-hyeon was stunned by their reactions. Then Jeong Min-woo’s last line sealed it.
“Honestly, Do-hyeon hyung was born to be a hunter.”
“Totally!”
“If Do-hyeon oppa wasn’t a hunter, who would be?”
“Born to be a hunter.”
“…… I, that’s a bit…”
Even though Do-hyeon tried to deny it, no one believed him.
After the praise wave continued for a while, Jeong Min-woo suddenly spoke up.
“But what about Kim Yu-chan hyung? He looks fine on the surface, right?”
At those words, several party members glanced at the second table where two of the party were eating.
They had lost to Do-hyeon, but after receiving treatment from Choi Pil and joining the training, Yu-chan’s pride didn’t seem broken.
Instead, he looked more relaxed than before.
“Hmm? Did you get beaten by Do-hyeon earlier?”
“No, I applied for sparring first but got humiliated. I’d feel too embarrassed to show my face if it were me, but it’s fine because the injuries are all healed by Instructor Choi.”
Kim Yong-chan’s words made sense, so Do-hyeon glanced at Yu-chan too.
On the surface he looked fine, but something had changed.
Do-hyeon used Analysis out of habit, and Yu-chan’s status window appeared.
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‘Whoa, his stats rose that much in such a short time.’
Of course, the other trainees had gained stats too.
But none of them reached Yu-chan’s level. Even their mana hadn’t risen this dramatically.
S-class traits must be different.
Do-hyeon was secretly impressed and analyzed his own status window.
Then.
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‘If Yu-chan is amazing, what do I even say about myself?’
Remembering Kang Ji-hoon’s “crazy monster,” Do-hyeon quickly closed his status window.
‘Hmph, I should stay quiet.’
If the System existed and someone looked at his stats, it wouldn’t just cause stomach pain.
Anyway, Do-hyeon looked at Yu-chan’s direction, decided not to care about his expression or the improved stats, and continued eating.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, he glanced back at Yu-chan and thought.
Wait a minute.
Strength and agility increased because of physical training, that’s normal.
‘But why did mana rise?’
He hadn’t learned mana circulation yet. How did mana increase?
Do-hyeon looked at it with curiosity, but since he had risen too, he shrugged it off.
If he had looked a little longer, Analysis would have told him, but since it wasn’t important, he finished lunch and went back to the dorm for rest before afternoon training.
Then suddenly.
The goal he had noted came to mind.
‘Oh right. I need to check Instructor Hwang Ha-na’s status window too…… Do I need to gather AP?’
He still had a thousand AP left, plenty.
* * *
The lunch after additional physical training during sparring was so delicious it was indescribable.
But the second party’s expressions weren’t great.
None of them had beaten the first party in the morning session and training.
Was this the feeling of defeat?
Everyone was silently eating when only Yu-chan looked noticeably happier.
He hadn’t lost his mind from losing to Do-hyeon.
‘…… It’s more comfortable than I thought.’
He had boldly challenged Do-hyeon and lost miserably. It was an incredibly humiliating situation, yet strangely, Yu-chan felt more at ease than ever.
Yu-chan, who always had to prove himself to others and show perfection, felt strangely relieved after being broken by the endless wall that was Do-hyeon.
That must be why.
‘Something is flowing inside my body.’
He could feel something strange he hadn’t felt before meeting Do-hyeon.
And he could feel it slowly seeping into his body and growing.
Yu-chan didn’t know exactly what it was, but with his tremendous intuition he vaguely felt it was mana.
He didn’t know that being hit by Do-hyeon’s sudden attack skill had opened his mana channels.
Of course, no matter what skill, even if he received a direct hit with mana, it wouldn’t open the channels.
It was just his unbelievable talent.
That was why.
With his heart at ease, Yu-chan thought to himself.
‘I’ll train more and win.’
For now, he cleanly acknowledged he was behind.
But later he would work harder to win. While eating, the second party’s Park Dong-wook, frowning in displeasure, said through gritted teeth.
“Ugh, damn it, what kind of situation is this.”
“Huh?”
“O, oppa, why?”
“Why? Why are you like that?”
“……?”
The sudden outburst left the party members stunned.
Even Yu-chan looked at him strangely. Park Dong-wook continued.
“No, damn it, the more I think about it the more ridiculous it is. Let’s all do it properly next time. Yu-chan brother, okay?”
Seeing Park Dong-wook suddenly like this, Yu-chan frowned.
Of course, not just Yu-chan.
The other second party members’ expressions were bad too.
Because of the overly heated competition, the atmosphere was tense, but no one objected.
Except Yu-chan, everyone else shared the same thought as Park Dong-wook.
Yu-chan was the only one feeling this bad flow.
Therefore, as afternoon training approached, the three instructors standing in front of them said with mischievous smiles.
“Afternoon training is live combat training!”
“Your mission is to kill all the goblins and pass through the maze!”
“Obviously, the team that exits first wins!”
The second party’s mood was terrible with joint live training. Yu-chan frowned.