Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Playground = Battlefield
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It had been a while since I'd heard from my instructor.
Han Ji-su had summoned me to the association's underground training ground.
And without any warning, she pointed at a barbell loaded with truck tire-sized plates and said,
"Try lifting this."
"You're calling me out of the blue just to lift a barbell? Senior, isn't this unreasonable?"
"It's training at 20,000 won per hour."
"You should've led with that."
Whoosh—
Just as Han Ji-su instructed, I grabbed the barbell with both hands and lifted it effortlessly.
Han Ji-su watched, then jotted something down on her tablet PC.
"500kg, easy success. Definitely different from other D-rank heroes. Your body's in great shape."
"My body's always been amazing."
"Then run back and forth to that cone over there 20 times."
"Piece of cake."
Pat-pat-pat—
I did the shuttle runs as instructed.
I had no idea why she was running these tests.
But since she was paying, I followed along without complaint.
"Your physical abilities are top-notch."
"What's next?"
"I need to check personally. Hang on a sec."
Squeeze-squeeze—
With that, Han Ji-su started touching my body.
She palpated my muscles in detail, testing their rigidity.
All the while, I stiffened up, thinking to myself,
'What the—? Why is she doing this? I-is this even allowed?'
Never thought I'd end up as the victim of workplace sexual harassment.
Not that it felt bad, so no plans to report it.
Just as an itchy sensation crept over me and weird feelings started bubbling up,
Han Ji-su stopped groping and said,
"You're definitely different. You've got a special body."
"Yeah, I knew that already..."
"But it's just tough all over."
She poked my body with her finger.
"Ow—!"
Pain I hadn't felt in ages.
Why'd she stab me like that?
She showed me the finger she'd poked with and said,
"No matter how tough your body is, it can't help being vulnerable to sharp weapons with a small surface area. You stopped that villain terrorist attack recently, right?"
"Yeah, I went full berserk mode. Not a single injury."
"I wanted to praise you for that."
But.
"How long do you plan on just using your fists?"
"Huh?"
"No thoughts on using other weapons?"
"Hmm..."
Other weapons, huh.
Of course I planned to.
Weapons would be more efficient than bare fists.
Handy against villains or monsters.
But.
"I don't know how to use any weapons besides my fists?"
How do you swing a sword?
How do you shoot a gun?
How do you thrust a spear?
"I've lived my whole life with just my fists."
"..."
Han Ji-su fell silent at that.
"...Now that you mention it, yeah. Most awakeners start training with weapons suited to their abilities from age 13. So I figured you'd have something you could handle."
She seemed thrown off by someone like me.
My instructor had her airheaded moments sometimes.
Han Ji-su looked at me like I was hopeless and said,
"...To pass the C-rank promotion exam, it'd be better if you had a weapon you could use."
"Fists won't cut it?"
"Tough. Higher injury risk."
She looked deep in thought.
But since she was bringing up the C-rank exam, it seemed I'd filled all the requirements for promotion.
All that door-opening paid off.
'...A weapon, huh.'
Hmm.
I'd have to think about it.
What weapon would suit my body best?
I'd mull it over at home with the dragon kids.
They might have the answer.
***
Back home.
I asked the dragon kids,
"Kids, what weapon should Daddy use?"
Hwa-ryeon shouted like it was obvious.
"Obviously fists! Fighting bare-handed is real fighting!"
"Why's that?"
"Weapons are for weaklings!"
Weak people use weapons to hide their weakness.
That's what Hwa-ryeon told me, urging me to fight bare-handed.
Tough answer, just like her.
"Besides, Daddy doesn't even know how to use weapons! Just fight bare-handed! You're tough!"
"...Yeah, when you put it like that."
In RPGs, sometimes you mess up your stat allocation and suffer.
If someone like me, who's all-in on vitality stats, suddenly starts pumping agility for a dagger?
Might as well be a trash hybrid build.
I stroked Hwa-ryeon's head for her surprisingly smart answer.
"Hwa-ryeon, you've gotten so smart."
"Hmph, I've always been smart! And don't touch my head!"
Roooar—!
Hwa-ryeon swatted my hand away and wailed.
Then she grabbed the hand she'd swatted and put it back on her head.
"Hmph."
"..."
She just does what she wants.
Shrugging it off, I turned to Su-ryeon, who was watching quietly.
"Su-ryeon, what do you think?"
"For once, unnie's right. Daddy's too late to learn weapons. Should've started as a kid. Adults learn slower, that's what they say."
"...I'm not that old yet."
"You are, Daddy."
Ouch.
Su-ryeon was underestimating adult learning speed.
Guess she thinks she'll never grow up.
'Just you wait till you do.'
I'll remember this.
I tucked it away quietly.
Then Cho-ryeon tugged carefully at my sleeve and asked,
"Daddy, we not going out today?"
"Oh, that?"
After our last outing.
I'd made a promise with the dragon kids.
30 minutes a day.
Unless something came up, we'd go out together during the perception interference magic's duration.
Meaning I had to take them out for 30 minutes daily.
"Not like walking a dog or anything."
"Daddy, did you just call me a dog?!"
"No, just a figure of speech."
"I'm not a dog! I'm a dragon!"
Thud—!
Hwa-ryeon tackled me as she said it.
Lately, she kept play-tackling me, like her body was itchy.
Probably cabin fever from being cooped up at her active age.
"Everyone, get ready to go. You didn't forget what I said, right?"
The kids chorused back like a frog choir.
"Don't talk to strangers!"
"If a stranger follows, run away."
"If a stranger tries to touch you, yell 'No! I don't want to! Stop it!'"
Safety education's important.
Confirming they got it, I headed to the playground with them.
They followed, humming happily, excited.
Felt like ducklings trailing their parent.
***
Red Dragon Hwa-ryeon.
She loved rides like slides or centrifuges that pumped her full of dopamine.
"Spin it like this! Ride it like this! Wheeee!!"
Whirrr—
The spinning centrifuge.
Hwa-ryeon raised her hands to the sky and yelled,
"Uahaha! This is fun!"
Hwa-ryeon always had a blast at the playground.
Her cramped room had no space to run, but here she could dash freely, and the sand was soft on her legs.
Plus, the fun rides gave her speedy thrills.
"A dragon approves! Human playgrounds are awesome!"
Hwa-ryeon gave a thumbs-up to the still-spinning centrifuge.
Then she turned to check on the others.
"Su-ryeon's on the super slow swing! Cho-ryeon's playing with Daddy again!"
Hmph.
Cho-ryeon ditching solo dragon time for Daddy.
Lame.
Like she can't play alone or something.
"Hmph, Cho-ryeon's a weakling! I'm strong, so I'll play by myself!"
Hwa-ryeon puffed her cheeks like a pufferfish and headed back to the centrifuge.
But the thing that should be spinning was stopped dead.
Hwa-ryeon sensed something off.
"I left it spinning with my power? Why'd it stop?"
Weird!
Thinking it might be broken, Hwa-ryeon inspected the ride closely.
Couldn't tell what was what, but she decided it was fine.
"Must've been my imagination!"
Time to ride again.
Hwa-ryeon climbed up.
That's when she sensed five kids standing quietly at the playground entrance.
Those brats had secretly stopped the centrifuge.
They were so weak, she barely noticed them.
"Look, footprints in the sand! Who're these punks in my playground!?"
Not cool.
Coming into my playground without permission?
Hwa-ryeon hopped off and marched toward the kids.
They flinched but didn't run, facing her down.
"What're you punks?! Who said you could be in my playground? Get out!"
"...Haven't seen you around. Which group's yours? I'm from Bong Kindergarten."
"Hah, asking my affiliation?"
Shrug—
Hwa-ryeon put her hands on her hips and declared proudly,
"You'll freak when you hear it! I'm a dragon! Dragons are my group!"
See? I'm superior, right?
Hwa-ryeon boasted about being a dragon.
But the kids' faces weren't impressed.
"Ah, that setting...?"
"Her hair's red. Maybe she hit her head and lost too much blood..."
"Hey! I am a dragon! Daddy too, and you guys—frickin' idiots!?"
Gah—
Hwa-ryeon exploded in rage and swung her fist at the leader, a short-haired boy with greasy spikes.
Thwack—!
"Aaack—!"
The boy crumpled, nose gushing blood.
Hwa-ryeon loomed over him and bellowed,
"Don't mock a dragon! This is my turf! Get out now!"
The leaderless kids panicked and yelled,
"Hey, Min-gu got hit!"
"Avenge the boss!"
"Why's it your turf?! Fight back!"
"It's war!"
Waaaah—!
The kids charged at Hwa-ryeon, howling.
She grinned, dopamine surging to her brain.
"Come at me, humans!"
Hwa-ryeon clenched her fists to meet them.
To her, fists were the best way to talk.
Just like that, the kids' playground turned into a battlefield.