Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Winner: Team 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Winner: Team 8!!
-It's over. Pack up and assemble.
The instructor called for us to gather.
Cleanup had already begun everywhere except our area, with the class assistants bustling around.
-…That scared me. If that had hit, we'd all be dead, right?
"No way. With you in the mix, maybe two or three of us would've survived."
It looked overwhelming visually, but it wasn't an attack we couldn't handle.
Plus, it was aimed at a group, so I figured we could've weathered it somehow at least once.
"Barton. It's over."
-I know.
It must've shaken him pretty bad.
Barton, who'd been frozen in place, snapped out of it at my words and reined in his ability.
The chill that had been seeping through his armor suit vanished.
"We finally won for the first time today."
-I didn't think we'd lose, honestly.
"If you hadn't taken out my teammates at the end, we would've lost."
I checked the overall scores.
My team won because most of our members survived.
Survival numbers made a huge difference in points, so if Barton's team had just one or two more survivors, we would've been in trouble.
Class ended, and we took the shuttle back to the dorms.
On the way, we had time to review the mock battle.
My tactics naturally got rave reviews.
"Y-Yeah, I'd love to team up again next time."
"I figured Real Time Alien Tactics grades didn't mean much, but damn, you're the real deal."
We got off the shuttle.
Now out of our armor suits and showing our real faces, Ji-hye—who was shy again—and Robert, buzzing with excitement, approached.
"The situation just lined up perfectly. If you asked me to do it again, I couldn't. It only worked because you were on my side."
"Humble brag. Anyway, it was fun."
Robert said we'd team up again sometime and walked off.
That left Ji-hye.
Come to think of it, she'd always been around lately.
We'd shared most classes, she'd invited me to that Real Time Alien Tactics debate, and she consistently greeted me first whenever we passed.
Figured she had something to say, so I waited, but she just hemmed and hawed.
I broke the ice.
"We have most classes together, so we'll probably team up again. Anyway, I'm heading out. Skipping morning schedule has me rushed."
"…U-Um!"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe… grab a meal together…?"
Now that she mentioned it, it was mealtime.
I'd skipped breakfast, so I couldn't skip another.
I glanced at Barton standing nearby.
He nodded.
No big deal vibe.
"Sure. Let's go."
Ji-hye nodded eagerly.
She was pretty brave, actually.
Not many people had suggested eating with my group despite seeing us around.
With Ji-hye tagging along, our crew hurried to the cafeteria.
Roze was already stacking plates at our usual spot, and Merdi was finishing up her meal with some tea.
"Where's Sahim?"
"He went ahead for training. Who's the new face?"
"I-I'm Ji-hye Yun, first-year cadet like you guys. Nice to meet you."
"Hmm…?"
Merdi eyed Ji-hye with keen interest.
A few people had made it to meals with us before.
But sustained attention from Merdi—the academy's top "do not touch" list since early semester one—usually made them bail.
Her ability flaring up like that while staring was straight-up terrifying.
'It scared me pretty good too.'
I was used to it now, but it was intimidating at first.
Anyway, surprisingly, timid-looking Ji-hye held her ground and took a seat.
She was blatantly ignoring Merdi's increasingly obvious stare, but showed no sign of leaving.
"You made it to class after all that drinking yesterday?"
"Yeah. That much? Piece of cake!"
Casual chat flowed.
She still seemed in high spirits from last night's rare party.
Talk turned to morning classes and the mock battle.
"Did Armor Suit mobility training? It's so fun."
"Hate it."
"Aw, you crushed it though."
"Waste of movement."
Merdi said seriously.
For all her talk, her proficiency outdid most cadets.
Not many knew her martial arts were top-tier.
'While Roze, on the other hand…'
How many classes had it been? She'd already cleared Dash at max level.
Hard to believe they shared the same body type—she handled her armor suit like it was nothing.
I checked the footage; she looked totally free in it.
"All done? Let's go."
"Hang on, just this last one."
Roze shoveled food from her final plate.
I set down my utensils and stood.
Beside me, Ji-hye had somehow stacked several plates too.
'Eats better than I thought.'
She noticed my look and flinched.
Then stood and bowed.
"Good meal."
"No biggie."
"…Can I join for meals again?"
"If our schedules line up? Up to you."
She nodded happily and scurried off.
"So, what's her deal?"
Merdi asked.
She didn't look thrilled.
But she looked pissed nine days out of ten, so I brushed it off.
"Wants to hang with you guys, I guess."
"She fight okay?"
"Better than me."
"Ooh…!"
Roze nodded eagerly, looking thrilled.
She'd probably challenge her to a spar next time.
We left the cafeteria.
Barton and Merdi split for afternoon class, leaving me and Roze for the training room.
Daily practice time.
After an hour of guided sparring to work up a sweat, we caught our breath, and I asked.
"Does Roze-ryu not have weapon techniques?"
The Roze I created didn't specialize in weapons.
She'd use them if needed, but mostly relied on her body.
Especially after getting her Core Weapon—weapons weren't essential anymore.
Roze answered matter-of-factly.
"Of course it does."
"But you won't teach me?"
"You're not ready for weapons yet, Lemon. And… handling your body is challenge enough."
Ouch, right in the bones.
She wasn't wrong.
My talent was genius-level compared to normals, but from Roze's view, I had a long way.
What set me apart was my ability.
Her words: my limits were way higher than average.
Fighting techniques could be drilled in, but body couldn't.
That's why she saw potential for ultimate physique in me.
Reason she took me as disciple.
"Master your body first. You'll have a tough one soon enough—no need for half-baked weapon tech."
"Then what's all this 'avoid spear users, don't fight blades' talk?"
I'm a martial artist.
One who knows how to fight.
Eventually, I'll have to.
But her advice boiled down to "don't fight."
"You're yellow belt, right?"
"Yeah."
Sudden belt talk.
I'd escaped white, but yellow was embarrassing too.
Other martial schools? I'd be green or red by now.
"Hmm… Check this out."
Roze pondered, then stood and assumed stance.
Atmosphere went dead silent.
Eyes closed in focus, breathing deep.
Then, something odd.
Heat haze rose over her body.
Like a faint layer wrapping her flesh.
She explained in that state.
"I told you before. Ability users and us? Fundamentally the same."
Extension of Hetero-ki theory.
Even as creator, I figured I grokked the theory.
"…So the energy abilities use exists in our bodies in a set form. Train to control it, and you can manifest it visibly like this."
"That's Outer Technique?"
"Yeah. Forced it out to show you. Wasteful usually. Body handles it fine on its own."
First time seeing it for real.
Original text popped up naturally.
*'A genius trains 50 years to master body as instructor. That instructor trains another 50 to perfect body, qi strengthens to grandmaster. Grandmaster trains 50 more to master flow, freely wield inner/outer qi.'*
Wrote it back then to sound cool and describe setting.
What Roze showed? Genius hitting 150-year peak.
"Not expecting that from you, Lemon. Red belt. …Training body naturally builds robust qi at some point. Then fists smash hard stuff freely."
Martial artists—
Superhumans—have strong Outer Qi.
It flows body, reacts to will based on training.
Nothing like wuxia.
Can't control like inner power.
Ability users are more like wuxia.
Anyway, this auto Outer Qi enables superhuman feats.
Reach level, it strengthens, reacts fiercely to attacks.
Boosts resistance to beams, energy, abilities, even physical blows massively.
'Red belt qualification, huh.'
Plenty I didn't know.
'Cause protagonist's an ability user?'
Setting him? Flashy and convenient won.
Most top supers were ability users.
Pure martial like Roze reaching peak? Rare.
Red belt martial could match post-Core Weapon baseline.
Just, martial peaked higher than abilities.
"Got it? Till red belt, one slip means death. Play safe."
Half from original knowledge, forced it, but I nodded knowingly.
Roze looked pleased, thinking she explained well.
'People can't have it all.'
Roze's world differed from normals.
Training path, growth—everything.
Her explanations? Verbose, roundabout. Without original grasp, I'd be lost.
Still, she tried, so props.
"Thanks. Got it. I'll be careful till Master says okay."
"Ahem, good! Break's… over, but more rest?"
"No dessert yet today. Got some packed—want?"
"Really?!"
She trailed after for snacks.
Today's: yokan.
Knew it divided tastes, might hate—but devoured without picky.
One pack of ten gone quick; eyed me wistfully.