Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Striving to Win the Bet with the Shady Teacher (3)
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“What are they doing? Using the sparring room right now?”
“Whoa, they must be pretty confident.”
A male student and a female student entered the sparring room. The eyes of the cadets on the training grounds followed them.
Unlike the technique practice rooms, the sparring room was structured so the inside was fully visible from outside. There was no hiding what weapons they used or their skill level—it was all out in the open for the other cadets to see.
Under normal circumstances, no one would have paid much mind. They were all cadets from the same academy, after all. What did it matter if their full strength was revealed?
If not for the Hero Tournament, the sparring rooms would have been just as packed as the practice rooms.
But with the timing being what it was, everyone was playing it safe. That was why the sparring rooms sat empty.
And now, cadets had walked right into one.
You couldn't help but look. It was unavoidable.
Gazes kept drifting toward the sparring room.
Whether info on those cadets would prove useful or not was anyone's guess…
But skipping it would lead to regrets later. Especially when pass or fail came down to a hair's breadth, and they'd be wiping away tears, muttering, “I should have tried just a little harder.”
Then came the sighs.
“Eh, they're first-years.”
The second-year cadets, spotting the first-year badges, shook their heads in disappointment.
How great it would have been if those two were second-years. They could have cut ahead of them and started their own session.
One cadet, overhearing the murmurs, spoke up.
“Even if they were second-years, would it make a difference? They're just cannon fodder anyway.”
“Huh?”
“Anyone borrowing a sparring room in this season isn't seriously gunning for the Hero Tournament. Right?”
“...Yeah, when you put it that way, you're spot on.”
The second-year cadets waiting for practice room slots quickly revised their thinking.
“They don't care if anyone sees them, that's why they can use the sparring room. From our perspective, aiming for the Hero Tournament, it's worthless intel.”
“You're smart.”
“Basic hero quality. Analytical skills.”
It didn't take much thought. Just flip the reason they themselves avoided the sparring rooms, and you'd understand why those underclassmen were using it.
“...Should we watch?”
It was useless. Watching first-year cadets spar wouldn't help second-years at all. First- and second-years competed separately anyway.
But curiosity tugged at them.
‘That guy's pretty cute.’
More than the spar itself, they turned to check out the first-year guy. Watching a handsome guy spar was always thrilling.
As the second-year cadets approached the spectacle with light hearts, the first-year cadets on the training grounds peered into the sparring room with serious intent.
No guarantee it'd pay off, but as cadets of Infinite Hero Cultivation Academy dreaming of the Hero Tournament, they planned to gather whatever scraps of info they could.
Of course, some first-years had reached the same truth as the second-years: no competitor worth worrying about would spar so brazenly right now.
“...Yeon-woo, you're really doing this? Everyone's watching.”
Park A-young trembled, hyper-aware of the stares. Her personality made the attention unwelcome.
“If you're entering the Hero Tournament, you'll get way more eyes on you. This is nothing...”
She put on a brave front, but Juyeon-woo seemed flustered too. The interest was hotter than expected.
Park A-young shrank back, shoulders hunching. It felt different from hanging with same-age friends. The seniors' presence was intimidating.
Seeing her awkward stance, Juyeon-woo chuckled.
“A-young, we're not doing anything wrong. No need to be so scared.”
“Still...”
Park A-young glanced around frantically. Cadets everywhere. It looked like every cadet on the training grounds had gathered in front of the sparring room.
And it was true.
Even those just using the machines were sneaking peeks. The situation was that rare.
Sparring openly before the Hero Tournament.
“Just go along with it decently. I'm not going all out either.”
Juyeon-woo swung his spear in loops. It was a training spear with a blunted tip. No mana meant no injuries.
“...‘Decently’? That's the hardest part...”
Watching him handle the spear so effortlessly drained her confidence. Her voice dragged low.
“Just block my moves.”
“Got it. I'll give it a shot.”
Holding back against someone stronger like Juyeon-woo wasn't easy. He might not realize, but for her, it was borderline even at full power.
Sparring room rental time ticked by. The two faced off, then swung their wooden weapons. Bokken and bokken spear clashed fiercely, then parted.
Ka-clang! Crack!
They exchanged moves. The watching cadets eyed each other, similar thoughts brewing.
‘...What is this? Are they even serious?’
Too relaxed. It was hard to call it full-power sparring—slow and leisurely, like a stroll.
Even the first-years realized the spar held zero useful info. It didn't take long.
“Figures.”
“Anyone with a brain wouldn't show their hand here.”
“We were the idiots for getting our hopes up.”
The second-years giggled and headed back to their spots, turning away like there was nothing left to see.
But the first-years stayed put. They couldn't tear themselves away, fearing they might miss something.
With the crowd thinning, Park A-young felt lighter, easier to move.
She raised her bokken to parry Juyeon-woo's attack. Her kendo club days weren't for nothing.
“Use mana too.”
“...That could be dangerous.”
“We'll adjust it.”
Juyeon-woo suggested it casually. Let's spar with mana.
“What if someone gets hurt?”
“No one will. The sparring room has all the safety measures.”
“......”
Unwelcome, but Park A-young went along. This spar was ultimately to help Juyeon-woo.
The one with Hero Tournament potential should call the shots. Mana flowed into her bokken.
Until now, she'd only used it for body enhancement. Now she channeled it outward, manifesting sword aura. Blue energy rippled along the wooden blade.
One slip now, and injury was possible.
The CCTV light blinked red. She could feel the control room watching.
If things went south, an adult would rush in to handle the cadets.
‘...The barrier's active too. Should be fine.’
Park A-young resolved to relax. If anyone got hurt, it'd be her—not Juyeon-woo. She had an objective grasp of her own skill.
‘Well then...’
Her getting hurt? No big deal. Didn't matter. She could go all out now.
Park A-young settled into stance, regulating her breath. The air in the sparring room hummed.
“Oh, they're getting into it.”
“Yeah, now we're talking.”
First-year cadets' eyes widened. Hoping for an edge, they rolled their eyes, straining to spy every detail.
Crackle—.
“......!”
“A-Attribute?! Mana attribute? What the hell!”
Sparks flew from Juyeon-woo's spear.
The cadets outside gaped, eyes bulging like they might pop out.
The first-years' shouts drew the second-years at the machines to turn.
“What?”
“Wait, they're going for real now? That earlier stuff was a joke?”
“S-Sparks! From the guy's spear!”
“Sparks? From mana? For real?”
Sparks mentioned, and the second-years swarmed back, crowding the sparring room window.
“Whoa... for real?”
“Damn, jealous. Why not me...”
“How many in the academy now? Any first-year attribute awakenings before?”
“None. Attributes aren't common to begin with.”
“Second-years only have the Student Council President and Discipline Committee Head. Third-years have more, I think...”
Envy, jealousy—emotions swirled. Attributes were that rare.
“Lightning, thunderbolt... Anyone in Korea?”
“One mid-tier hero, Yoo Yeon-ho. Actually, he kinda looks like Yoo Jin-ho now that you mention it.”
“Nah, no way. Probably just seeing things.”
The inheritance hypothesis for attributes remained unproven. Nothing certain.
Second-years dismissed it as mistaken and refocused on the spar.
Juyeon-woo charged. His spear thrust at speeds invisible without mana-enhanced eyes, thunderbolts tracing lines.
“Ngh!”
Park A-young raised her bokken to deflect. Tried to.
Slash—!
Her bokken snapped clean in half, crumbling on contact with his mana.
No weapon meant no block.
Thud—!
“Yeon-woo...!”
The spear pierced deep. Beyond her skill to parry.
Blood sprayed.
‘The barrier...?’
The sparring room had a barrier. One that suppressed mana in emergencies to prevent accidents.
But it wasn't activating.
More precisely, Juyeon-woo's spear ignored it.
“What the—!”
Watching cadets erupted. Someone burst from the control room.
“A-A-young!”
Shocked, Juyeon-woo caught the collapsing Park A-young. His firm, boyish build cradled her.
It hurt. Her stabbed shoulder throbbed fiercely.
But it wasn't bad. She'd nearly died, yet this first-time embrace by a guy—in a perfectly legit situation—felt oddly welcome.
“What happened?!”
“No clue why the barrier didn't kick in.”
“Heal her first.”
Luckily, plenty of eyes around. Cadets and control room staff worked together to handle the mishap.
“Training hard is great, but...”
The control room staff scolded Juyeon-woo. Maybe because this was his second accident after the C Class one-on-one—Juyeon-woo looked thoroughly chastened.
‘Feels like they're looking at me.’
Even Juyeon-woo messed up. More than you'd think.
Park A-young felt a strange closeness to his sulky, pouty face.