Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: 30. To the Dragon (1)
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During vacation, the cadets who stayed in Lair fell into two main categories.
One was those who lacked money.
Portal Stations were incredibly expensive to operate. Some cadets simply couldn't afford the fare home, so they remained in Lair.
Like So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in, for instance.
"So Ji-ro. You okay?"
"Ugh...... Yeah! Ow, my head."
Kim Ji-in apologized for accidentally hitting So Ji-ro in the head with a practice arrow during sparring. So Ji-ro waved it off.
The other type was those who wanted to use Lair's facilities. Lair's training systems were the pinnacle of magitech engineering, renowned worldwide, so cadets dead-set on getting stronger stayed even during break to hone themselves.
"Hey. Look at those guys."
"Huh? Oh."
"Aren't they hardcore...?"
Wetting her throat with water, Kim Ji-in frowned.
Cadets from the Level 5 club were working out across the physical training room.
Lair's most promising stars. Upon graduation, they'd return home to become top-tier superhumans.
"The talented ones always push harder."
"D-don't compare! We can just work hard too!"
"...Yeah, true. Tch."
It was then.
"No! That's not how it's done, Summer Cadet!"
The combat techniques instructor, Barrak, bellowed.
Kim Ji-in and So Ji-ro's gazes turned.
"Do cadets only learn after getting seriously hurt?"
Bald head. A cross-shaped scar across it. Barrak's fierce face flushed red and purple in anger.
He was a bona fide world ranker. 5813th place, no less—a veteran soldier turned lead instructor.
Yeoreum looked up at Barrak with a slouchy posture.
"What."
"Shock adaptation training isn't done like that. You start at a level you can handle properly. Jab, jab, then hook. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"I know. But this works, so I did it."
"You little punk. You'll flip your guts inside out! Your organs will shatter!"
Yeoreum scratched her ear like it was a hassle.
What she was doing was 'Shock Adaptation Training'.
A striking machine fired alloy balls, which she took to the body. By enduring repeated impacts, she grew accustomed to shock and toughened her body via localized mana control.
Localized mana control meant, for example, pooling mana in her abdomen when a ball flew there to protect it.
"Ah. I'm fine, so buzz off."
"No. I've watched you for days now, and I can't stand by anymore. This combat techniques room is my responsibility during break. Instructor Kallen might've let it slide, but I won't! I can't watch someone get hurt on my watch!"
"......"
"So just do as you're told quietly. If you enjoy getting hurt, go do it outside after graduation. Monster claws out there are way tougher than this machine."
"No...... I mean, it doesn't hurt? I'm not hurt."
"Just do as I say—!"
Yeoreum sighed deeply, frowning at the shout.
"Fine, what then. Want me to show you? Huh?"
"What?"
"I'll strip and show you if my gut's bruised or not. That work?"
"No, that's......"
Yeoreum suddenly started peeling off her safety gear. Her short-sleeved tee and leggings came into view, and that wasn't enough—she brazenly lifted her shirt to bare her stomach.
"Hey!"
"See? My stomach. Look!"
A pristine white belly was revealed.
Tight abs without a speck of fat. No bruises, not even a scratch.
The next moment, Barrak flinched and averted his eyes.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Aigoo! What do we have here? It's bruised! Right? Black and blue all over. Must hurt. Our cute little Yeoreum's tummy~."
"Yoo Yeoreum...!"
Gazes from nearby cadets and guardians pinned him.
Barrak scowled, taking it as an insult.
"The gear covers the abdomen. Internal organ damage doesn't show as bruises. So stop! If you keep mocking me......"
"Oh, really?"
Yeoreum smirked.
"Then you wanna see my legs? They bruise easy."
"...What?"
"Ah, just wait! Don't go anywhere."
Yeoreum's hands went to her leggings waistband.
"H-hey!"
She looked ready to drop them entirely now.
"Uwaaah, Y-Yeoreum!"
"Hey! Calm down!"
Startled, Kim Ji-in and So Ji-ro rushed over and grabbed Yeoreum's arms to stop her.
"Why stop me? What're you doing?"
"J-just hold it!"
"Ah, I said no bruises on my legs?"
"We get it, just calm down...!"
They desperately held her back.
Barrak shook his head in disbelief but turned away, cowed by the inexplicable vibe.
"Where you going? I said I'd show my legs?"
Breakfast time.
Today's breakfast was simple udon. Bom had boiled the noodles herself and heated the included tempura. Being pre-packaged, it tasted fine even after her touch.
Come to think of it, Bom's cooking didn't seem so weird lately. Were humans creatures of adaptation? Or had part of his taste buds died from eating it?
He pondered briefly.
At the table.
Gaeul, having finally completed her puzzle, chattered proudly to Bom, Yeoreum, and Yoo Ji-tae. Bom congratulated her success. Winter seemed proud too, gazing nonstop at the framed picture in the living room.
Yeoreum said little. She seemed in a bad mood today, leg crossed, chin propped, swirling uneaten noodles with her chopsticks.
"......"
Winter carefully scooped noodles with her fork-spoon.
Very diligently. Eating well.
Not hot, but she still blew on them like her sisters.
She barely spilled now. Compared to the ramen from their sledding trip—half spilled back then—it was a huge improvement.
"......"
But today, something dissatisfied her.
Winter blankly stared at her fork-spoon, then at Yoo Ji-tae's chopsticks. She swept her gaze over Bom, Yeoreum, and Gaeul's chopsticks, then back to her own utensil.
"......"
Her eyes: displeased.
Winter tugged Yoo Ji-tae's sleeve where he sat beside her.
"What."
"...Me too, chopsticks."
Yoo Ji-tae silently pulled chopsticks from the holder and handed them to her.
She started clumsily wielding them with her tiny hands.
First target: a single noodle strand, apparently.
She focused, but the chopsticks kept missing each other, and the noodle slipped away in midair.
Winter unwittingly stuck out her tongue in concentration but kept at it. Unsurprisingly, chopsticks weren't easy for a first-timer. After much struggle, she scowled and looked to Yoo Ji-tae.
"......"
This look meant: help.
"Just eat with the fork."
...Shake, shake.
"Why."
Winter just shook her head.
Usually, when she got this stubbornly inscrutable, it was easier to give in.
"...Hold it."
Yoo Ji-tae taught her chopsticks throughout breakfast.
By meal's end,
Winter gingerly lifted a plump noodle strand and successfully got it to her mouth before it snapped.
"......!"
Slurp. She slowly sucked it in, then beamed at Yoo Ji-tae.
"Good job."
Feeling great, her 'nod nod' was perkier than usual.
"Hey."
But then. Yeoreum, who lingered at the table post-meal, called him.
"Fun? Teaching that kid chopsticks?"
Her sharp-edged tone made the regressor turn.
Winter's eyes widened as she looked at Yeoreum too.
"Why."
"Just. Is it fun or what."
Fun? He wasn't sure.
He'd just taught because she asked. Seeing her succeed and rejoice felt pretty nice, though.
As Yoo Ji-tae opened his mouth, Yeoreum stood.
"Whatever. Fun or not......"
Then she went to her room.
So Yoo Ji-tae asked Winter.
"What's with her."
"......!"
Not knowing, Winter just grinned and waved her chopsticks.
Then Bom's voice came from behind.
"Ajusshi, didn't you plan to do something with Yeoreum starting vacation?"
"Yeah."
Teach her martial arts.
In simple terms, make her stronger.
It had been delayed a few days due to Gaeul's video issue.
Was she sulking over that?
"Hm......"
Even Bom, who always knew about dragons, seemed clueless this time.
He'd have to figure this out himself.
Leggings, tee, padding jacket, and cap. Yeoreum always dressed like this for solo training.
"......"
She shot Yoo Ji-tae a side-eye, then walked off wordlessly. No conversation between them.
Then Yeoreum grumbled in passing.
"Starting super early, huh."
"Sorry I'm late."
"...You can say that?"
"Learned."
"Doesn't suit you."
Silence returned.
They walked like that for a while, saying nothing.
Eventually, the 'Lair Central Training Hall' came into view. A massive domed building packed with all sorts of training gear.
Yeoreum stopped.
"Hey. I don't think I need to learn from you specifically."
"What?"
What was this now?
No trace of joking on Yeoreum's face.
"Just...... Not that you're late or anything. I thought it over carefully, and that's how it is. I'm a dragon anyway—what do I even need to learn? I can do it alone."
"......"
"So go back."
With that, she entered the training hall. Her loosely tied red ponytail bobbed behind her cap.
An unexpected turn.
Still, he couldn't just leave it. Yoo Ji-tae followed her in.
Yeoreum used machines solo or did bodyweight exercises. Yoo Ji-tae watched silently.
Even when their eyes met occasionally, she'd just frown slightly. No words.
So he asked.
"Something wrong?"
"Nope?"
Even on the way back post-training. Yeoreum said nothing unusual.
"......"
Utterly baffling.
"I said go home? Whatever, follow if you want."
Should he leave?
It didn't matter if he didn't train her.
She was a dragon, after all. She'd grow stronger on her own. His goal was just protecting her from harm—no need to force training.
Just curious.
Why the sudden attitude shift?
The inarticulate regressor decided to simply tag along.
The next day too, Yeoreum rotated training rooms every two hours.
A few cadets nodded acquaintance, but she stayed solo. Nothing odd otherwise.
So the regressor shadowed her for three days straight, observing.
But on the third day shadowing her.
In the combat techniques room, someone called Yoo Ji-tae.
A short woman. Her blue nameplate read 'Combat Techniques Adjunct Professor Ha Yoon'.
A familiar name.
"Are you Yoo Yeoreum's guardian?"
"Yes. Yoo Ji-tae."
"Nice to meet you. I have something to say."
Like ex-military types, Professor Ha Yoon cut straight to it.
"You need to manage Summer Cadet."
"...Pardon?"
"I've watched since last month, and her training methods are seriously flawed. She's stubborn, ignores professors and instructors."
"......"
"Overstraining joints and muscles. Mana hasn't fully integrated yet—keep that up long-term, and she'll develop chronic issues. You know that, right?"
Yoo Ji-tae slowly rubbed his lower lip.
"...And?"
"Frankly, it feels like you're neglecting her. Overstepping here, but please manage her properly from now on. For her healthy growth."
The professor turned and left after that.
"......"
Left alone, Yoo Ji-tae scanned the combat techniques room. Complex machines everywhere. Cadets buried in them. Not one trained solo.
Yeoreum, training alone, ignored all safety protocols.
Passing blue-badged staff clicked their tongues at her. All resigned attitudes.
Then it clicked for Yoo Ji-tae.
Why Yeoreum suddenly said she didn't need his lessons.
And what changed her attitude.