Main Quest, This Bullshit # 8
Main Quest, This Bullshit # 8
"Everyone is doing reasonably well. The key to the meditation method is to practice it every single day. Over time, your sense for manipulating mana will grow. That will, in turn, increase both the quality and quantity of your mana."
Instructor Lee So-ra's explanation sinks right in.
"Once you become a bit more skilled, you'll be able to meditate even during physical training or combat drills. Wouldn't it be efficient to combine meditation with weight training? All of you, strive toward that level."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Understood!"
"Yes!"
Anyway, with that, I've picked up the mana meditation method. Just like Instructor Lee So-ra said, destroying the gym while doing mana meditation would be crazy efficient.
And who knows, I might be able to do it during class too.
Then I'll get strong in no time!
"Heh heh heh."
I closed my eyes right there and started meditating. Feeling the mana move around like this is genuinely fun as hell. Ahh. How can studying be this entertaining?
Is this what all those kids who ranked first in school felt while studying?
Honestly, it makes me think they were dirty cheats. But now that 'cheating' belongs to me. Funny how being a cheat feels so reassuring.
"Heh heh heh, man, I seriously love this."
"Geun-cheol. You like it that much?"
"Of course I do. I've already become this 'powerful' of a superhuman, haven't I?"
"How can a person overflow with so much confidence, Geun-cheol."
"Try it yourself and you'll know. Anyway, I need to meditate, so don't disturb me."
The moment I was about to resume my meditation.
"Ha."
A totally obnoxious voice came from behind me.
"Watching you get so full of yourself over such a meager level. How utterly predictable for a Taliban brat."
"This bastard? You blind to my greatness?"
"A pathetic perspective befitting a pathetic creature. You are nothing impressive at all. How do you not know that?"
Ryu Cheon-hwi was looking at me with an expression of complete disdain.
"It baffles me how such a preposterous fool ever thought he could mess with me. Perhaps the gap in our skill is so vast you can't even sense it... I'm at a loss for words."
"No, hey. How good are you, then?"
"Ha! A question not even worth answering! My level is in a completely different dimension from yours!"
Get a load of how this rich young master talks!
This guy definitely trained in that stuff from childhood within his clan. That's how he can look down on a friend like this.
"Hey. Ryu Cheon-hwi. You might have learned this at home, but I'm just starting out now. Don't you understand the difference?"
"Even when I first learned to harness mana, my level was different from yours."
"Then why don't you show me! Your skills!"
"Try not to be too shocked!"
In an instant.
—Whoooosh!
A powerful aura began to emanate from Ryu Cheon-hwi!
"Wha...?!"
No way, an aura so strong I can actually feel it?! Why is this bastard so strong?! Wait! Does that mean Si-hoo also has abilities around this level!
"Hmph."
As I stared in admiration, the guy smirked.
"Seems even an idiot can feel it. This is the difference between you and me. You Taliban bastard."
"Tch... It galls me, but I have to admit it."
You have to admit what's true.
"Hmph."
Seemingly quite pleased that the gap between us had been confirmed, the guy wore a shit-eating grin and didn't bother hiding his good mood. I can't just let this slide! The urge to knock this bastard's nose down a peg is blazing up inside me!
"But for all that, you still can't even handle one lousy cola."
"Wha...! Shut your mouth, you bottom-tier trash!"
Yelling that, Ryu Cheon-hwi spun around and headed for the very back seat.
Repelled successfully.
"Mana Master Geun-cheol. Seems like you've gotten pretty friendly with Cheon-hwi too?"
"Right? That guy's not so bad, honestly. He's fun to mess with."
"Heh heh. Still, being able to treat someone from the Ryuseong Group so casually... you're probably the only one who can, Geun-cheol."
I just don't care about it. All that family clan this-and-that stuff. People say they're a big deal, but it doesn't really register... You just treat them like you'd treat anyone else.
"For someone who says that, you stood in the way earlier saying friends shouldn't fight."
"Because that was the right thing to do. You shouldn't compromise on what's right."
As expected, Si-hoo has a strict but righteous personality.
"Yeah. That's exactly it. When you think about it, isn't treating someone normally without caring about their background the right thing to do?"
"Ah."
At my words, Si-hoo paused for a moment.
"Yeah. Right. That's how it is."
He smiled and nodded.
"Definitely. Between friends, you shouldn't care about things like someone's background. And um, things like gender too..."
"Well, that goes without saying. Anyway, let's just meditate. Si-hoo."
"Yeah."
So I kept up the mana meditation and sharpened my internal senses.
Get stronger, stats.
* * *
For lunch, we just hit the snack bar.
I did get that wad of meal tickets from Ryu Cheon-hwi, but if I waste them, they'll run out fast. So from now on, I decided to use just one or two a week.
"Heh heh heh, you really didn't have to follow me to the snack bar. I feel bad, you know."
"The food here's actually good once you try it?"
"Cut the bullshit. Don't lie, man. How is snack bar food better than a buffet?"
"Not lying."
I feel bad that Si-hoo skipped that awesome buffet to follow me and eat snack bar bread together. Such a nice guy.
We killed time that way and then headed back to the classroom.
"But hey, Leona might come inspecting again."
"Kim Geun-cheol! Skipping meals again, what have you been up to!"
"Gah! Hey! Class is starting! Class is starting! Go to your seat and sit down!"
"I'll be watching you!"
Anyway.
Just as I was feeling that distinctive post-lunch drowsiness, class started. Theory class with Instructor Maikes. A comfortable subject where you just sit there, take notes, and memorize.
"Did everyone enjoy their lunch? A full stomach makes you sleepy, yes? Nevertheless, you must endure and study to become excellent heroes. Everyone, open your books, please."
"Yes."
I opened the book immediately.
"Today's class... yes. It's about monsters. Before we begin, shall we check the classification ranks of monsters?"
Monster ranks?
I watched with interest as Instructor Maikes wrote on the board. I've glimpsed some of this stuff on the wiki, but the instructor's lesson will definitely be more accurate.
"First, monsters below F-rank. They effectively have no rank. They're so safe, no one even bothered assigning them one. How safe, you ask? There are cases where enthusiasts secretly capture and raise them illegally."
Total nutjobs.
"And some have been domesticated with government approval. They pose no danger at all, so heroes or hunters need not concern themselves... F-rank. This is the rank constituting the largest population of monsters. Slightly dangerous, but even a civilian with a club can handle them."
—Scritch, scratch.
Instructor Maikes wrote continuously on the board as he explained.
___________________________
F-rank: Suppressible by a civilian.
E-rank: Suppressible with rifle rounds.
___________________________
"Honestly, heroes or hunters have no need to step in for F-rank or E-rank monsters. The local Defense Force can subdue them in no time just by deploying. A single platoon from the Defense Force can melt them with concentrated firepower."
So I've heard.
These low-rank monsters, which make up the vast majority, are naturally suppressible with modern weaponry. You just spray 'em with rifles and they drop.
"However, things change starting with D-rank monsters. These creatures are shrouded in a kind of dimensional barrier called a dimensional shield. They start to develop strong resistance to modern weapons."
Resistance.
"To subdue a D-rank monster, you need a tank cannon or an anti-tank weapon. Therefore, they are very troublesome to suppress compared to their size. That's why heroes and hunters are needed. The dimensional shield is highly vulnerable to mana."
Starting from D-rank, it's recommended that heroes and hunters handle the kills. For example, imagine a D-rank monster appears in an apartment complex.
If you start blasting tank cannons or anti-tank weapons to catch it, the citizens' precious real estate will be obliterated. In Korea, that is absolutely catastrophic.
Hence the need for heroes who can swiftly leap over apartment walls and maneuver quickly. They'll track the monster without much trouble and butcher it with a blade.
Naturally, zero property damage.
___________________________
D-rank: Requires firepower equivalent to a tank cannon or anti-tank weapon.
___________________________
"Next, C-rank monsters. To eliminate these... you need missiles. But a highly skilled hero can do it with just a single sword. Of course, C-rank monsters are correspondingly powerful. To face one alone, you must be exceptionally skilled. In most cases, you can only defeat them through coordinated attacks. Usually, when a C-rank monster appears, a general summons is issued to local heroes and hunters."
Even a C-rank monster requires missiles.
I can only imagine how strong the S-rank, A-rank, and B-rank monsters above that must be.
"Hmm."
Listening properly to the explanation, I looked at the textbook. It was full of monster characteristics and weaknesses. Their habits, unique wavelengths, and global frequency of appearance too.
I took notes on them while listening to the instructor.
* * *
After school.
"Ah! School's finally out! Si-hoo! You hitting the gym today?"
I asked him casually.
"Heh."
Si-hoo smiled and answered.
"I'll go today."
"Wait what? For real? Wow. What's gotten into this guy? You're actually going to the gym?"
"Well, if Geun-cheol is going to work hard, I can't really skip out every day, can I? I'll go with you today. I should check on Geun-cheol's gym power."
"Then after this, shall we go to the bathhouse?"
"Please, stop being so obsessed with my naked body, for god's sake! People might suspect something weird!"
"No! You crazy bastard! That's not what I meant! I'm just saying friends should go to the bathhouse together! What's with all this 'naked body' nonsense!"
"I dunno, Geun-cheol. Anyway, let's just work out. You bath monsterkin Geun-cheol."
Si-hoo turned his head and walked ahead.
Leona's totally rubbed off on him.
But seriously, does Si-hoo have some kind of bathhouse phobia?
Why on earth?
"..."
A thought suddenly flickered through my mind. Maybe... Si-hoo is pretty androgynous, and in some ways, he does have a look that could be mistaken for a girl.
Maybe that's become a complex, and he doesn't want to show his body to other people.
If that's really the case, it's probably best not to poke at the subject, but honestly, as a friend, I don't give a shit about any of that and just want to go together.
Why would friends care about that stuff?
"Geun-cheol? Let's go in."
"Oh. Yeah."
Lost in thought, I reached the locker room without noticing. I grabbed my gym clothes and went in, stopping in front of my locker.
—Swish.
Si-hoo came up beside me and took off his clothes.
But in that instant.
A profoundly astonishing sight met my eyes.
"Uh, uhh? Hey! Lee Si-hoo, you...!"
"Hm? What?"
Shockingly!
"You bastard, you were wearing your gym clothes under your uniform?!"
This guy Lee Si-hoo had come wearing his gym clothes under his school uniform!
"About that... Wearing the shared clothes feels a bit iffy, you know? So I wore my own and came early. Hahaha."
Si-hoo scratched the back of his head as he spoke.
"Let's go, then, Geun-cheol! We start with some running, right?"
"Uh... yeah. Light jog first."
There it is.
Now I really get that he doesn't like showing his body.
"...A complex, huh."
At this point, my resolve hardens even more.
I'm going to obliterate this bastard Si-hoo's complex. What's the problem with looking a bit like a girl? Friends don't need to care about shit like that.
I will definitely drag him to the bathhouse.
We're going out to hang tomorrow anyway, so I'll try persuading him then.