Training Camp # 8
Training Camp # 8
The hellish four-melee party smashed through floor after floor, climbing upward without a single problem. Every monster inside was only F-rank. And since this wasn't open ground, four people could just roll forward like a tank.
"Yes! All that's left is the rooftop!"
We'd practically gotten a free pass straight to the rooftop.
The only thing left was to deal with the monsterkin controlling the tower from the rooftop. Before charging in, we put together a quick plan.
"First of all, most of the monsters on the rooftop are basically turrets specialized for long-range attack. In our current situation, you can practically treat them as nonexistent."
"Yeah. Right. Like Lee Si-hoo said, we don't need to worry about those. Realistically, we just have to handle the one monsterkin and the fast escorts protecting it."
Simple enough.
"Right. This time, we'll just form a front line with all four of us and charge again. Match speed with the people on either side. Just prepare for the monsterkin's ranged attacks, and it's basically over. So, shall we go?"
Leona said, her face full of confidence.
"Yes ma'am!"
The moment I answered, we lined up.
—Crash!
We threw open the door leading to the rooftop!
"Haaaap!"
"Raaaah!"
And just as planned, the four of us formed a front line and charged the monsterkin at the center!
"Krruk?!"
The octopus-headed monsterkin's eyes flashed as it raised both hands. Bipedal, praying-mantis-like monsters placed around the rooftop came running.
But by then, we were already a kind of tsunami.
—Bam!
—Bam!
A hellish four-melee party. Anything that took us head-on had no chance of staying in one piece.
"Krrrrk!"
The hologram monsters burst apart in a single blow. I also stabbed the monster charging straight at me and killed it. After all, F-rank monsters aren't a match for me anymore.
The moment we got close to the monsterkin—
—Bang!
The monsterkin fired off some kind of flash, but.
"Hap!"
All my friends except me had already formed shields. They casually chewed up the monsterkin's magic attack with those, and—
—Shunk!
Si-hoo's sword ran the monsterkin through.
And that was it!
"Yes! Mission complete! The monsterkin is dead! Si-hoo, you last-hitting bastard!"
—Fizzle.
When the hologram monsterkin vanished, all the turret-type monsters standing like walls around us also disappeared, as if someone had just cut their power.
It was really over!
"Pfft! A mage-type monsterkin like this can command well, but they can't do a thing once you close in! The outcome was decided the moment we were allowed to get close!"
"Heh-heh, seriously. Our teamwork was really on point. I feel like we'd do well at anything else, too."
Leona and Si-hoo spoke happily, and Yu-ri, beside them, grinned and nodded.
"Hey. Kim Geun-cheol. You. Check your hit status. You can't use a shield. You might've gotten hit by something at the end."
"Hit registration?"
"Yeah."
At Yu-ri's words, I immediately checked my equipment. The monsterkin had definitely done something at the end. But when I checked, it was nothing. I'd taken a hit, but it was just bruising.
"It ended with some bruising. No problem."
"Good job, then. Anyway, you'd better get stronger fast. Our teamwork is good, so it'll be convenient if we move together later."
"Heh heh heh, I'll do that. But for that, you'd have to train me real hard, y'know?"
"Well, I guess I'll have to. Keep up."
Then I'll do my best to keep up.
Anyway, as we were celebrating our victory on the rooftop—
—Ding.
A signal came from Instructor Lee So-ra.
"Congratulations. You've completed the training extremely well. Everyone, return."
"Yes ma'am!"
Let's head back!
* * *
"Alright, everyone applaud. The return of the heroes who rescued a civilian."
—Clap clap clap clap!
—Clap clap clap clap!
—Clap clap clap clap!
At Instructor Lee So-ra's words, our classmates cheered and clapped. We'd gone in first and finished it brilliantly. Of course they'd be impressed.
"Exceedingly well done. You all demonstrated appropriate judgment and physical ability. Originally, I intended to run this in a format where the inserted personnel would be miserably destroyed, return dejectedly, and then receive feedback... but unintentionally, this became a session where we explain things while watching an operation proceed in textbook fashion. Well done."
Instructor Lee So-ra said, sounding completely satisfied.
Si-hoo, Leona, and Yu-ri were all smiling and happy.
"Haha, isn't this much just the basics?"
"But Kim Geun-cheol basically just coasted along."
"Ah, seriously. I know that already."
"Did watching your friends make you feel something?"
"Of course. I followed behind and engraved it all in my head."
"Hah, that's enough. Make sure you thoroughly review today's experience."
"Yes ma'am!"
Of course I'll review it. Today's valuable experience will be something I'll use over and over in my future work as a hero.
"Then we'll conduct the final assessment and feedback. After that, we'll send in the next team. I hope you'll all analyze and watch as they go."
After that, I got some more compliments, plus explanations of how what we'd done here was so great, but also how it would've been even better if we'd done something a different way.
Hearing it, it all made sense.
Next, we spent time watching the other teams that had been inserted into the training in real-time via security camera, analyzing and discussing.
This was truly substantial training. It was combat training from a genuine expert, so I studied with absolute focus.
* * *
"Wow, I'm freaking dead tired!"
When everything was finally over, it was the middle of the night.
For real? Shockingly, "training camp" really meant you came here to train, so the schedule didn't end until 10 PM. There was no downtime. Like a Busan full-course tour, I got treated to a genuine full training course.
"What kinda class goes until 10 at night? I don't even have time to go to the snack shop. Si-hoo. I feel like I'm dying."
And after eating dinner and coming back, it's 11 PM... I have to wake up early tomorrow too. There's no time to do anything. If I don't sleep now, I'm clearly not waking up tomorrow.
"Heh-heh, Geun-cheol. Have you been waiting for that all day?"
"I seriously lived just thinking about that, let me tell you. I survived purely on thoughts of hitting the snack shop... But aren't you tired?"
"Not really today? This much is fine."
"You damn superhuman. Ugh."
"He says he's a scrub."
Si-hoo said teasingly as he came over.
"Stop with the fact violence!"
No kidding, today was a day I could really heavily feel just how much of a scrub I am compared to my friends. These guys really are strong as hell.
I did grow today too, but I've got a long way to go to catch up.
So, let's train hard again tomorrow.
"Anyway, wash up quick and get some good rest, Geun-cheol. We have to train all day again tomorrow."
"Ugh... yeah, gotta do that. Hey. Si-hoo. We showering together today?"
"Wh-what? Why?"
"It's late. Wouldn't showering together just be better for time efficiency?"
"No! I'm fine! You go first!"
"Yeah? Alright then."
Well, I better go wash up.
I went straight in to shower.
I was brushing my teeth while looking at my phone when a message came from Leona.
-You worked hard today.
"Heh-heh, this Archangel Leona."
She's looking out for me right to the end, sending a message to say I worked hard. I answered with a happy heart, saying thanks. And I also shared my future aspirations.
But.
—Ding.
"What."
I got a message from Kitty?
-Geun-cheol. What are you doing?
It's 11 PM and this little kid isn't sleeping but looking at her phone? Is this a real country? Kids these days, I tell you, it's really a problem. If you don't sleep when you're in your prime growing years, you'll never become a giant.
-Brushing my teeth. But hey, it's 11 PM. Why isn't this little kid asleep?
-Going to sleep late is fine.
-Go to sleep fast. If you don't sleep now, you won't grow taller.
-What a weird thing to worry about.
Doesn't she know that worrying about a kid's height is the biggest worry in the world?
-Geun-cheol. How's school? Isn't it hard because of the gate?
-Yeah. That's why I'm at training camp.
-Training camp?
-We can't have class at school for a while, apparently. So they pulled the training camp schedule forward early.
-Really?
The messages paused briefly.
During that gap, I brushed my teeth diligently. As I was doing that, another message came.
-So you're busy right now?
-It's time to sleep. I'm tired to death. Seriously.
-Sorry to bother you. Then I'll text you next time.
-Why. Did you have something to say?
-Just because. I want to meet you in person sometime soon.
What!
Kitty, you— no way!
"She's fallen for me...!"
This Kim Geun-cheol, bewitching a girl younger than himself! Just what kind of a man with intense charm am I!
"How can I refuse this without hurting Kitty's feelings...!"
I'm in agony over this!
* * *
The next day was, again, training and more training. We continued the same training as yesterday and got feedback again. Basically, repetitive practice for mastery. But it wasn't boring, because the monster placements and objectives were different.
After using up the whole morning like that, we ate lunch, then as a whole group we physically ran around the site with Instructor Lee So-ra, getting explanations in real-time.
Learning like this, I definitely felt like I was becoming an expert in urban warfare. If I ever faced a real situation like this, I'd handle it well. The combat training at this school is seriously well-designed.
The day after that, we split into teams and did different training. The stronger cadets did urban-combat training, while the weaker ones trained to overcome terrain and obstacles. Naturally, I was in the latter group.
But this was surprisingly pretty effective.
Over mats laid on the floor, I endlessly practiced wall-climbing and High Jump. Doing it continuously, my skill went up, my stamina went up, and my mana went up.
I spent the whole day on that, and the next day.
"Alright, today we'll be conducting 3-on-3 Cadet Battles. Annihilating the opposing side wins the match. For balance, I'll put the teams together."
Looks like I won't be slipping into a cheat party this time.
"Team 1. Ryu Cheon-hwi. Brian. And Kim Geun-cheol."
"Why am I on the same team as you!"
Ryu Cheon-hwi immediately roared like a tiger!
"Mr. Ryu. Ask the instructor over there."
"Kgh!"
"Oh! Big Cheol! Let's fight together today-yo!"
"Yeah, Brian. Let's see what you've got today."
—Slap.
Right when I shook hands with Brian, Ryu Cheon-hwi spat out the words.
"Just don't be dead weight, you useless fools!"
"This guy, that's way too harsh. Right?"
"It really is too harsh! I heard you snoring yesterday-yo!"
"Enough with that 'yo-yo' crap!!!"
Seems like rooming with Brian is causing him pain. This bizarre American-affiliated, Japanese-origin classmate of ours really did have a strange side.
"Team 2. Lee Si-hoo. Jo Ye-eun. Mun Min. Team 1 and Team 2 will face off."
Ha! Si-hoo's the enemy!
Can't lose this!
"Hmph!"
Ryu was already burning with fighting spirit.
That's so reassuring...! I believe only in you!
But Jo Ye-eun and Mun Min. Those two are just classmates. I know their faces, but I'd never really talked to them. I think Jo Ye-eun was just a quiet girl. Probably a mage type. Mun Min seemed like a regular guy.
So, as a greeting, I looked their way and tried to speak.
"..."
"What?"
That bastard Mun Min was glaring at me like he was disgusted.
What's with this asshole?