Worthless Trash
The wood energy I'd received from Cheonghwa,
the fire energy I'd absorbed from Yuyeon,
the metal energy I'd forcibly ripped from Seolhye's techniques,
and the water energy I'd just newly acquired.
All four forces that had entered my hands were powerful.
But simultaneously, all four were sealed.
Of course, that doesn't mean I couldn't use them at all.
But does that mean I could just go wild with them?
My aunt's warning came back to me.
That I'd pop like a balloon and die — her voice on that point had been dead serious.
In my mind, the image of the round balloon swelling in my skull replayed on its own: "Pop!" — flesh scattering everywhere in that horrific vision.
My aunt's expression, her voice, and that ominous premonition rushed toward me.
Ever since then, my body instinctively tensed every time I tried to move the energy.
Fortunately, the passive effects like recovery and growth enhancement were still fully alive.
Every time I breathed in, the wood energy seeped deep into my lungs along with the inhale,
the fire energy held a small, warm furnace-like heat around my heart,
the metal energy gave the sensation of wrapping my bones and muscles in one extra layer of hardness,
and the water energy circulated slowly with my blood, making my limbs calm and heavy.
The problem was offensive techniques.
Mindless firepower usage like Yuyeon's "Heehee, fire blast" was absolutely forbidden.
Whether it was fire, water, or any of the energies — if I detonated them all at once?
In that instant, my body would be crushed into splinters by the pressure of that force.
The image was so vivid that the impulse to use them just vanished on the spot.
"Hwanhyeon, what are you thinking so hard about?"
Yu Ryun nudged my side with her elbow.
That familiar mischievous expression caught my eye.
She'd slipped up beside me without my noticing, to the point where I couldn't even tell when she'd gotten that close.
"Nah, just… thinking that I can't just go around spewing fire like you do."
"Hm?"
Yu Ryun tilted her head.
She had no clue what I was talking about.
But I didn't need to explain it in detail.
Right now, the priority was to focus on what the instructor was saying up front.
The fact that my skills were restricted wasn't just a minor inconvenience — it could be a problem directly tied to today's training.
"Starting today, you'll be fighting virtual monsters. Based on what you learned in theory class, the goal is to kill the enemy quickly."
The instructor's deep voice bounced off the training hall walls.
Instantly, low murmurs erupted here and there.
When the word "virtual monsters" was thrown out, some eyes lit up while others couldn't hide their unease.
Virtual monsters — entities born from the fusion of magical engineering and sorcery, nearly perfectly recreating real monsters.
Their appearance, behavior patterns, and weaknesses are all faithfully reproduced.
You couldn't feel a major difference at a glance — they were the targets for training that truly felt like combat.
"We become victors of gate battles through training identical to real combat. That is the purpose of this training."
"Instructor, could we die doing this?"
One student raised their hand and asked.
Their voice was laced with tension and fear.
"You won't die. But if accumulated damage reaches the point of death, the program will automatically terminate. Of course, that will work against you when the next shift is configured."
"Whoa!"
Someone further up in the ranks let out a sharp breath.
Even if you survived, you'd end up with the label of "dropout."
"And I'm the magical engineering instructor, so I only record mid-course dropouts. The rest of you who finish normally will be scored separately by the combat instructor after video recording."
—Ugh… Wi Seoyeon…
The name of the shift's combat instructor automatically replayed in my head.
That day when everyone got beaten up — her face and her cold voice came back to me with crystal clarity.
"Hmph. What a shame, a person who wielded a fine sword. No wonder people say the younger generation has no desperation toward the martial arts."
Seolhye crossed her arms and spat it out.
The surrounding gazes immediately swiveled toward us.
"That, that kind of mean thing shouldn't be said, I think…"
Jinyul spoke up carefully.
"Jinyul, what are you talking about? Did I say anything wrong? Even if you get thrashed in a fight, as long as you learn something from the process, that's what matters."
—…
I recalled what Cheonghwa had told me earlier, about why everyone's expression went rigid whenever Wi Seoyeon came up.
The things she'd tossed off that day.
"You're trash."
"This level would barely get you through a D-rank gate."
"You're useless."
Seolhye and a few others were the exception — the rest had all received that kind of raw, unfiltered condemnation.
"Baek Seolhye, you're just a dimwit who only knows swords, so you'd be fine hearing that kind of talk. But the others aren't."
"...Yu Ryun, what did you just call me? A dimwit?"
"That's right. Empty-headed Baek Seolhye."
The words Yu Ryun threw out with a smirk were a sharp counterattack born from the memory of collapsing immediately in the last training combined with Seolhye's "just get stronger."
"Stop fighting. For Master's safety, please don't embarrass yourselves."
Cheonghwa inserted herself between the two of them.
I watched the scene with my arms crossed.
There was no reason to get involved only to be pulled into a fight myself.
"So, the first one is… Il Lena Cartesia."
"From the start, it's me. I'll be quick, Sir West?"
Il Lena stepped forward.
A flash of confidence was embedded in her briefly glancing eyes.
Since I'd never actually seen her fight directly, I couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.
"You — do you have a preferred monster rank?"
"Alpha Frostreign individual, please."
—The training hall erupted into chaos the moment a B-rank monster's alpha individual was designated.
"You're going to fight that?"
"Yes. Is there no data on it?"
"There is, but… well, I hope you defeat it. If you can't, it's ultimately your loss."
—Click!
From Il Lena's position on the opposite side of the arena, a bluish-white light began to rise.
The light grew larger, taking shape, and soon a white wolf appeared.
Ice crystals were embedded in its fur, and the crystal embedded in its forehead glinted coldly.
=Krurururrr…
It was far larger and more imposing than the one I'd seen in the gate before. What I'd seen was a juvenile form, not this fully grown adult.
"I suppose she wanted to show Master the sight of catching that."
"Ah."
She must have been regretting that in the gate, we'd been separated into different caves and she'd missed the chance to fight in front of me.
"Everyone else, please watch carefully. Seolhye, I'd especially like you to see this."
"Why me specifically…"
"Watch."
—Wuuuung…
The clash began.
Frostreign lowered its shoulders and parted its lips to reveal fangs.
Il Lena held her breath and gathered energy at her fingertips.
—Wuuuuung…!
A thread of light unraveled from her fingertips and streaked straight forward.
The wolf instinctively fired ice, but the moment it made contact, everything melted away.
When the light thread touched its body, the wolf tried pawing and biting, but it was completely useless.
It only swung at empty air.
Before long, its limbs and torso were completely wrapped in light.
Its body was densely encased in light, leaving only its silhouette barely visible.
"Seventeen seconds… Not much faster than last time."
"Let's just blow it up."
"The trigger is… Ah, that works."
After muttering to herself and letting out a short laugh, Il Lena shouted.
"Ho-ah?"
—PERRRRRANG!!!
An explosion accompanied by a fierce gust swept across the training hall.
Ice shards and dust flew in every direction, and some shielded their faces with their arms and stepped back.
When the smoke and cold dissipated, the form of Frostreign encased in light remained.
"Huh? Nothing happened to it, did it?"
But as the light gradually faded, the people's faces were left with shock.
The monster that should have been inside was nowhere to be seen — only a large ice chunk remained where its head had been.
In the end, only the explosion crater and shattered ice remained.
"……Finished?"
"Is it over?"
Murmuring erupted again.
No one had expected a B-rank alpha individual to end so anticlimactically.
The instructor nodded and spoke.
"Twenty seconds. Alpha individual repelled — count accepted."
As the record appeared, some gasped while others let out bitter laughs.
Yu Ryun jabbed Seolhye's side and taunted, "You could do something like that too?"
Seolhye crossed her arms and muttered, "That's a bit…"
Il Lena turned her head and looked toward me.
A expression that said, 'How was it, Sir West?'
She flashed a sly smile and gave a short thumbs-up.
With a satisfied smile, she returned to sit beside me.
But why did it have to be an explosion.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind — what if she'd gone wild with her skills and ended up like that wolf.
"Did I do well?"
"Mm, mmhmm…"
"You caught it the same way in the last gate too. When Sir West was… making a baby, you know."
"Ah."
"It's fine! Anyway, Sir West would inevitably do it with Jinyul, and I have no right to say anything about that."
"Look, could you refrain from saying stuff like that in public?"
I waved my hand slightly, but she didn't stop.
"Come on, Sir West likes it too. Want me to touch your chest?"
"Il Lena. Stop it."
Cheonghwa cut in immediately. Her tone was gentle, but her expression was a bit stiff.
"Master, the gazes are gathering."
Only then did I look around and notice that several students were openly staring this way.
If I stayed like this, the topic would only get worse, so I turned my body sideways to avoid their eyes.
"Quiet down."
The instructor's voice rang through the entire training hall.
"Next, prepare."
The wood energy that I'd received from Cheonghwa,
The fire energy that I'd taken from Yuyeon,
The metal energy that I'd forcibly ripped from Seolhye's techniques,
And the water energy that I'd newly acquired this time.
All four forces that had entered my hands were powerful.
But simultaneously, all four were sealed.
Of course, that doesn't mean I couldn't use them at all.
But does that mean I could just go wild with them?
My aunt's warning came back to me.
That I'd pop like a balloon and die — her voice on that point had been dead serious.
In my mind, the image of the round balloon swelling in my skull replayed on its own: "Pop!" — flesh scattering everywhere in that horrific vision.
My aunt's expression, her voice, and that ominous premonition rushed toward me.
Ever since then, my body instinctively tensed every time I tried to move the energy.
Fortunately, the passive effects like recovery and growth enhancement were still fully alive.
Every time I breathed in, the wood energy seeped deep into my lungs along with the inhale,
the fire energy held a small, furnace-like heat around my heart,
the metal energy gave the sensation of wrapping my bones and muscles in one extra layer of hardness,
and the water energy circulated slowly with my blood, making my limbs calm and heavy.
The problem was offensive techniques.
Mindless firepower usage like Yuyeon's "Heehee, fire blast" was absolutely forbidden.
Whether it was fire, water, or any of the energies — if I detonated them all at once?
In that instant, my body would be crushed into splinters by the pressure of that force.
The image was so vivid that the impulse to use them just vanished on the spot.
"Hwanhyeon, what are you thinking so hard about?"
Yu Ryun nudged my side with her elbow.
That familiar mischievous expression caught my eye.
She'd slipped up beside me without my noticing, to the point where I couldn't even tell when she'd gotten that close.
"Nah, just… thinking that I can't just go around spewing fire like you do."
"Hm?"
Yu Ryun tilted her head.
She had no clue what I was talking about.
But I didn't need to explain it in detail.
Right now, the priority was to focus on what the instructor was saying up front.
The fact that my skills were restricted wasn't just a minor inconvenience — it could be a problem directly tied to today's training.
"Starting today, you'll be fighting virtual monsters. Based on what you learned in theory class, the goal is to kill the enemy quickly."
The instructor's deep voice bounced off the training hall walls.
Instantly, low murmurs erupted here and there.
When the word "virtual monsters" was thrown out, some eyes lit up while others couldn't hide their unease.
Virtual monsters — entities born from the fusion of magical engineering and sorcery, nearly perfectly recreating real monsters.
Their appearance, behavior patterns, and weaknesses are all faithfully reproduced.
You couldn't feel a major difference at a glance — they were the targets for training that truly felt like combat.
"We become victors of gate battles through training identical to real combat. That is the purpose of this training."
"Instructor, could we die doing this?"
One student raised their hand and asked.
Their voice was laced with tension and fear.
"You won't die. But if accumulated damage reaches the point of death, the program will automatically terminate. Of course, that will work against you when the next shift is configured."
"Whoa!"
Someone further up in the ranks let out a sharp breath.
Even if you survived, you'd end up with the label of "dropout."
"And I'm the magical engineering instructor, so I only record mid-course dropouts. The rest of you who finish normally will be scored separately by the combat instructor after video recording."
—Ugh… Wi Seoyeon…
The name of the shift's combat instructor automatically replayed in my head.
That day when everyone got beaten up — her face and her cold voice came back to me with crystal clarity.
"Hmph. What a shame, a person who wielded a fine sword. No wonder people say the younger generation has no desperation toward the martial arts."
Seolhye crossed her arms and spat it out.
The surrounding gazes immediately swiveled toward us.
"That, that kind of mean thing shouldn't be said, I think…"
Jinyul spoke up carefully.
"Jinyul, what are you talking about? Did I say anything wrong? Even if you get thrashed in a fight, as long as you learn something from the process, that's what matters."
—…
I recalled what Cheonghwa had told me earlier, about why everyone's expression went rigid whenever Wi Seoyeon came up.
The things she'd tossed off that day.
"You're trash."
"This level would barely get you through a D-rank gate."
"You're useless."
Seolhye and a few others were the exception — the rest had all received that kind of raw, unfiltered condemnation.
"Baek Seolhye, you're just a dimwit who only knows swords, so you'd be fine hearing that kind of talk. But the others aren't."
"...Yu Ryun, what did you just call me? A dimwit?"
"That's right. Empty-headed Baek Seolhye."
The words Yu Ryun threw out with a smirk were a sharp counterattack born from the memory of collapsing immediately in the last training combined with Seolhye's "just get stronger."
"Stop fighting. For Master's safety, please don't embarrass yourselves."
Cheonghwa inserted herself between the two of them.
I watched the scene with my arms crossed.
There was no reason to get involved only to be pulled into a fight myself.
"So, the first one is… Il Lena Cartesia."
"From the start, it's me. I'll be quick, Sir West?"
Il Lena stepped forward.
A flash of confidence was embedded in her briefly glancing eyes.
Since I'd never actually seen her fight directly, I couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.
"You — do you have a preferred monster rank?"
"Alpha Frostreign individual, please."
—The training hall erupted into chaos the moment a B-rank monster's alpha individual was designated.
"You're going to fight that?"
"Yes. Is there no data on it?"
"There is, but… well, I hope you defeat it. If you can't, it's ultimately your loss."
—Click!
From Il Lena's position on the opposite side of the arena, a bluish-white light began to rise.
The light grew larger, taking shape, and soon a white wolf appeared.
Ice crystals were embedded in its fur, and the crystal embedded in its forehead glinted coldly.
=Krurururrr…
It was far larger and more imposing than the one I'd seen in the gate before. What I'd seen was a juvenile form, not this fully grown adult.
"I suppose she wanted to show Master the sight of catching that."
"Ah."
She must have been regretting that in the gate, we'd been separated into different caves and she'd missed the chance to fight in front of me.
"Everyone else, please watch carefully. Seolhye, I'd especially like you to see this."
"Why me specifically…"
"Watch."
—Wuuuung…
The clash began.
Frostreign lowered its shoulders and parted its lips to reveal fangs.
Il Lena held her breath and gathered energy at her fingertips.
—Wuuuuung…!
A thread of light unraveled from her fingertips and streaked straight forward.
The wolf instinctively fired ice, but the moment it made contact, everything melted away.
When the light thread touched its body, the wolf tried pawing and biting, but it was completely useless.
It only swung at empty air.
Before long, its limbs and torso were completely wrapped in light.
Its body was densely encased in light, leaving only its silhouette barely visible.
"Seventeen seconds… Not much faster than last time."
"Let's just blow it up."
"The trigger is… Ah, that works."
After muttering to herself and letting out a short laugh, Il Lena shouted.
"Ho-ah?"
—PERRRRRANG!!!
An explosion accompanied by a fierce gust swept across the training hall.
Ice shards and dust flew in every direction, and some shielded their faces with their arms and stepped back.
When the smoke and cold dissipated, the form of Frostreign encased in light remained.
"Huh? Nothing happened to it, did it?"
But as the light gradually faded, the people's faces were left with shock.
The monster that should have been inside was nowhere to be seen — only a large ice chunk remained where its head had been.
In the end, only the explosion crater and shattered ice remained.
"……Finished?"
"Is it over?"
Murmuring erupted again.
No one had expected a B-rank alpha individual to end so anticlimactically.
The instructor nodded and spoke.
"Twenty seconds. Alpha individual repelled — count accepted."
As the record appeared, some gasped while others let out bitter laughs.
Yu Ryun jabbed Seolhye's side and taunted, "You could do something like that too?"
Seolhye crossed her arms and muttered, "That's a bit…"
Il Lena turned her head and looked toward me.
A expression that said, 'How was it, Sir West?'
She flashed a sly smile and gave a short thumbs-up.
With a satisfied smile, she returned to sit beside me.
But why did it have to be an explosion.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind — what if she'd gone wild with her skills and ended up like that wolf.
"Did I do well?"
"Mm, mmhmm…"
"You caught it the same way in the last gate too. When Sir West was… making a baby, you know."
"Ah."
"It's fine! Anyway, Sir West would inevitably do it with Jinyul, and I have no right to say anything about that."
"Look, could you refrain from saying stuff like that in public?"
I waved my hand slightly, but she didn't stop.
"Come on, Sir West likes it too. Want me to touch your chest?"
"Il Lena. Stop it."
Cheonghwa cut in immediately. Her tone was gentle, but her expression was a bit stiff.
"Master, the gazes are gathering."
Only then did I look around and notice that several students were openly staring this way.
If I stayed like this, the topic would only get worse, so I turned my body sideways to avoid their eyes.
"Quiet down."
The instructor's voice rang through the entire training hall.
"Next, prepare."