Insight (Part 2)
**CHAPTER TITLE: Awakening of a New Resolve? (Part 2)**
The Do-hyun party had returned to the dorm after the fierce battle against Galakro and immediately collapsed into rest.
Of course, Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan were even more exhausted than the rest, so they both rushed to shower and fell straight into bed. Do-hyun’s party was the kind that rarely went out on hunts like this and came back so quickly that a few of the other hunters were puzzled. But since most of them already feared the party, no one asked any questions.
Even someone like Do-hyun, who had beaten a mentor as a newcomer, was human enough to let loose with the two of them. The others saw only their cold, unyielding sides.
That was why the party was able to relax more easily in the dorm than expected, and a full day passed. On the third day they rested while studying, and on the fourth they had essentially lost an entire day to Galakro. So today, the fifth day, would Do-hyun finally unleash a real hunt?
That was what Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan had been thinking. Yet, as if mocking their expectations, Do-hyun said, “Sorry, let’s rest again today.”
“……Eh???”
“……What did you just say???”
The words came so unexpectedly that both of them blinked in confusion, and Do-hyun could only let out a wry chuckle. No matter how tough he was, such a reaction still stung a little… still, it was just too much, he thought.
Since the two looked bewildered, Do-hyun decided to explain.
“Hmm, after fighting yesterday I realized that just rushing through hunts and growing quickly isn’t the smartest way. We’ve been doing sparring too, and honestly we’re not using all the skills we have right now, are we?”
Do-hyun’s words let both Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan realize the same thing.
They had been so focused on the battle with Galakro that they had forgotten the real point of hunting was to grow, not just to survive.
“……That’s right.”
“……We weren’t using everything we have.”
When they only fought without thinking about their own abilities, their usage inevitably grew sloppy and hesitation appeared in the middle of battles. Both of them felt that exactly now, so they could understand Do-hyun’s point.
The more important the fight, the more they needed to know what they actually had and make quick decisions on how to use it right now, but all three of them had fallen short.
Actually, Do-hyun had used Analysis to do exactly that. Reverse Flow had also let him copy Hana Rin’s instant-decapitation skill, gain new insights on the spot, and stop Galakro just long enough to land a hit with her Frost Ray.
But Do-hyun still thought he was no different from the others in that regard.
He still hadn’t used Extinction, the one skill that felt too heavy to use in battle, and there were others he hadn’t mastered either.
Especially this one.
‘Using magic still feels unnatural to me.’
If Hana Rin or Ji Yu-chan heard that they would glare at him and ask what he meant, but Do-hyun’s words were true.
He had confirmed it with Analysis.
[Current combat mana utilization analyzed.]
[Although magic is being used, perfect mastery of it is still lacking.]
[Instantaneous placement is good, but when rushed it causes poor timing and gives the enemy extra time to prepare.]
Analysis’s words were exactly right.
Swinging a sword and casting magic at the same time still felt awkward. It was like they were fighting in separate turns: sword first, then magic, or magic first, then sword. That coordination was the part missing.
There had been moments when sword and magic flowed together naturally, but not in every situation. Only when it was perfect across every scenario could it truly be called full combat power, right?
That was why Do-hyun had decided to rest today.
Besides, the aesthetics of the sacrifices he had gained this time meant he needed to perfectly master his own skills.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan nodded vigorously at Do-hyun’s words.
F-rank and E-rank could only be entered after more than a week, while D-rank was cleared in just one day, allowing entry after six days.
And now Do-hyun’s party had already passed six days. One more day and they would be able to leave. So Do-hyun’s suggestion to train here instead of leaving right away made perfect sense.
“It’s not like only real battles make you strong.”
“You can train at the hunter association gym, but the efficiency isn’t as good as here.”
Ji Yu-chan was right; the gym was usable, but not efficient.
Mana density was the biggest problem. D-rank zones had far thicker mana than F-rank, but outside the Black Gate on Earth it was still only one-tenth of the lowest F-rank mana inside the gates. Efficiency suffered.
The real reason he had agreed to two days of training was simple.
Hana Rin’s point was right too: real battles weren’t the only way to grow.
With that decision made, Do-hyun stood up.
“I’ll go to the backyard and spar with Ji Yu-chan.”
Do-hyun stood and looked at Ji Yu-chan.
“How about you, Yu-chan? Tae-sik is tough, but it’s more like he’s just a target than actually sparring.”
“Rather the opposite.”
Hana Rin wanted to join too, but watching the two of them she spoke.
“I’ll organize my magic then. I know all the spells I’ve learned, but I need to figure out how to use them and in what situations.”
“Exactly.”
Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan both nodded.
Each of them needed to train so they could use their own skills better.
Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan went out to spar, and Hana Rin sat in the room, opened her notebook, and began classifying the spells she could use one by one.
Ji Yu-chan focused on wielding the Gold Sword style in sparring, while Do-hyun, who was being watched closely, deliberately refrained from using magic. Instead he thought about the perfect moment to cast, which magic to use, and the sparring became more valuable for everyone.
Of course, while the two were sparring, other Korean hunter association D-rank hunters began drifting over one by one. They watched the high-level sparring with wide eyes and swallowed hard.
“……What level is this……”
“They’re just newcomers though……”
“No way……”
“Woah.”
Everyone let out sighs of pure admiration, gripped with sweat, as they watched the match.
The ones who had arrived here full of despair the moment Do-hyun first came were no different.
Something warm stirred in everyone’s chests during the sparring. Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan’s forms gave the defeated hunters a spark of hope. Slowly, one by one, their eyes filled with determination.
“……I need to train too.”
“I feel restless just watching. Let’s do it together.”
“……We used to be that eager once.”
“It’s not just talent.”
Some felt admiration for the two’s talent, but among the ones swallowed by defeat, a few realized that even geniuses like these trained constantly and sometimes stopped to reflect. So why did they, who complained about talent, do nothing? Shouldn’t they be working harder than these two?
That thought gave the defeated hunters the strength to stand and train as well.
By afternoon, when Do-hyun’s party returned to the dorm, the instructors could only stare in shock.
“Woah.”
The atmosphere in the dorm had been the same for days since the party arrived. Then suddenly it changed dramatically.
Originally, the ones who came here were mostly pessimistic.
Those who had reached their limit, given up, and burned out any chance of further growth.
Do-hyun had called them losers, but the instructors thought of them as people who had made peace with reality. Yet Do-hyun was the one who had reignited their will.
Even now Do-hyun was training with Ji Yu-chan. Watching the two of them, the instructors felt their own chests warm.
Other hunters were probably feeling the same.
And then.
“……Ha-in, want to spar with us?”
“Can I join too?”
Even after a full hunt that left them exhausted, the instructors’ party still looked at the two of them and felt their blood boil. So they asked Do-hyun the same thing, and he could only smile softly.
He nodded in return.
“Sure. It’s been a while since I’ve sparred.”
With that, Do-hyun’s party had completely changed the mood of the entire D-rank dorm. But whether they knew or not, Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan kept bickering while shouting.
“What was that just now?! You’re so despicable!!!”
“Where’s despicable in sparring?”
“That’s a line you only use in real battles, isn’t it?”
“Ah, I guess so?”
Ji Yu-chan raised his voice in genuine frustration, but it didn’t last long. They went right back into sparring.
Sweaty and shining with golden light, Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan swung their swords left and right.
Do-hyun felt that Ji Yu-chan had changed a lot since the training center days, when he always looked so dignified and composed. He smiled wryly and swung his sword in reply.
“Ugh!”
Sparring with Do-hyun was no different from the training center.
* * *
Since they were deep inside the labyrinth, it was impossible to tell whether the sun had risen or set. But the clock told them evening was approaching. When Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan finally stepped out of the shower, clean from sweat, Hana Rin closed her notebook too.
They had all spent meaningful time today.
Do-hyun had learned exactly how to use his skills by sparring with Ji Yu-chan, someone better than most others. Ji Yu-chan had felt the same.
He could now use the Gold Sword forms accurately even if not perfectly. Do-hyun had also managed to release a portion of the power he had sealed inside Extinction.
The skill had always felt too slow and mana-heavy for real combat, so he had avoided it. But now it was different.
It wasn’t completely free, but he could pull it out when needed and use it efficiently.
Hana Rin felt her head clear as she organized her magic.
The three of them had enjoyed a truly satisfying day.
As they kept training without pause.
Gurgle gurgle—
Gurgle gurgle—
Gurgle gurgle—
All three stomachs growled loudly, as if they had been tossed about.
They had realized only now that after eating breakfast they had trained until their stomachs were empty. The hunger hit them hard.
Hana Rin’s ears turned red with embarrassment, but neither Do-hyun nor Ji Yu-chan seemed to mind. Since everything was already perfect, Do-hyun said, “Then let’s go eat.”
It was the start of a feast.