Episode 40: Attack me with all your might.
Episode 40: Attack me with all your might.
Today was Lee Hye-ri's tutoring day.
I visited her flashy house again today.
'It's grand.'
It was a house so large and spacious that I couldn't help but marvel at it every time I saw it.
If you lived in a house like this, you wouldn't have a single worry.
Right. If you're an S-Class Hunter, you should be making at least this much.
Ding-dong!
As I pressed the doorbell.
-You've arrived.
Lee Hye-ri's chilly voice came through the speaker.
"It's tutoring day. Open the door."
-Hmph.
Not long after hearing her annoyed voice, the door opened.
Lee Hye-ri was glaring at me with her arms crossed.
"You actually managed to show up. I thought you'd forgotten about me."
"What's wrong?"
Why was she so pissed off?
"Why didn't you check?"
"Check what?"
"My text! The text! You gave me homework and then didn't even check it."
"Ah, did I not check it?"
"Did you not check? Did you not cheeeck? How could you say that..."
Lee Hye-ri looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
As I've felt while meeting her a few times, she's surprisingly strong-willed.
Maybe she takes after Lee Gang-san.
Or maybe she's just spoiled and grew up with a sassy attitude.
"I trusted you to do well on your own. You're Lee Gang-san's sister, Lee Hye-ri. Since you're the sister of the best tanker, I knew you'd handle your business without me needing to check."
"Ugh, ughhh!"
As I praised her while hyping up Lee Gang-san, the glare she had been shooting at me lost its edge.
She's simple.
She was a woman surprisingly weak to praise.
She must be full of desire to be acknowledged.
Since she needed praise, that must be why she relied on Lee Gang-san.
"Or am I wrong? Did I misunderstand? Lee Hye-ri, you wouldn't lie to me, right? Am I right?"
"W-well, that's true, but."
She stuttered in a flustered voice.
She looked like she hadn't expected me to come at her like this.
"Let's check it now, then."
I looked at the texts Lee Hye-ri had sent.
-I failed. 20 sets.
-I failed again. 20 sets.
-I succeeded! Success! Teacher, you didn't think I'd succeed this quickly, did you?
-Why is there no reply? Are you not happy that I succeeded?
-I... succeeded.
-I failed. 20 sets.
-As expected, no reply.
-Isn't it too much not to even check?
-That's cheap...
-I failed.
-I succeeded.
A total of 4 failures and 2 successes.
"You succeeded twice."
"Yes. Even though someone didn't check, I did it diligently. I even succeeded properly, but there was no reply, and you just acted like I didn't exist and didn't check."
She pouted her lips.
She looked like she was suppressing her anger.
She had done it surprisingly diligently.
Even the success was achieved entirely by her own power, without any tricks.
"Good work."
I stroked the hair of the sulking Lee Hye-ri.
"I didn't think you'd succeed."
"......Ugh. S-stop it."
She swatted away my hand that was stroking her hair.
"Are you not used to being praised?"
"I-it's not like that!"
Lee Hye-ri bit her lip.
Her face was red, as if she was quite embarrassed by the praise.
She pretended otherwise, but she seemed to feel good about the praise.
"If it feels good, say it feels good. Sometimes it's better to express yourself honestly."
"......"
It's just the beginning.
It would take some time to make her rely on me instead of Lee Gang-san.
Ignoring her messages was an intentional act.
If you just indulge someone, they get used to it and stop feeling grateful.
So that she could truly be happy and grateful for my praise.
I intended to train her thoroughly.
As she discovers herself developing little by little, leaning on my praise.
'She'll become more deeply dependent on me.'
Perhaps even more than Lee Gang-san.
"Right. And did you drink the Merubasa's Bone Powder well?"
"Yes."
"Let me see your hand for a second."
I gently grabbed Lee Hye-ri's wrist.
"The scar has disappeared. Looks like you drank it properly."
"I couldn't even go anywhere because of this scar."
"Sorry. It was necessary to verify if you had drunk the Merubasa's Bone Powder properly."
"I would have drunk it even without something like this."
"Right. You were more diligent than I thought."
"Ugh......"
I looked at Lee Hye-ri for a moment.
"I won't punish you for your homework today."
"R-really?"
"Yes. It was my fault for not checking your texts, after all. And since you succeeded through the process of practice and patience, I should give you a reward for that."
"Is the reward just getting rid of the punishment..."
"Why, do you hate it?"
"No. It's fine. It's enough. That much is enough."
Her lips curled up slightly at the fact that there was no punishment.
It must have been quite a burden.
It's a good sign.
The more physically taxing it is, the stronger the fear she feels towards me, the one inflicting the punishment.
As a recoil, the small reward given after the punishment will make Lee Hye-ri even happier.
I had to approach her in a different way than Yoo A-ra, whose Conquest Rate went up just by hitting her.
A skilled expert, justified punishment, and rewards after punishment.
I will use these to train her perfectly.
I should show her the side of an expert this time.
"Then let's start the lesson. Let's start with theory."
"Theory?"
"Yes."
"It's not necessary. I already know everything about tankers and positions."
"Is that so? Then what is a tanker in your opinion?"
"Blocking enemy attacks from the front."
Confidence filled Lee Hye-ri's face.
"Protecting party members from the attacks of monsters and villains. Standing at the very front and holding out so that allies can easily attack the enemy is the role of a tanker."
"You know it well. What you said is exactly the attitude a traditional tanker should have."
I could see Lee Hye-ri's shoulders rise.
"But you missed the most important core point."
"What is it?"
"Drawing the enemy's attention. The core of a tanker is drawing the enemy's attention."
"......"
"That's why evasion tankers are also classified as tankers. Even if you don't necessarily parry the enemy's attacks directly, as long as you draw their attention, you can perform the role of a tanker."
"I see you still want me to become an evasion tanker."
"That's the path for you to become a tanker."
"If the tanker dodges, the dealer behind gets hit."
"You just need to fight in a completely different row. Then even if you dodge, there's no chance of the back line taking damage."
Lee Hye-ri shut her mouth.
It was because she knew what I meant.
A tanker who cannot stand in front of the party members, in other words, a half-baked tanker.
"That is the reason why an evasion tanker cannot become a main tanker."
It was the fatal flaw of an evasion tanker.
The reason why they can get results against villains and small-fry monsters, but are never used in boss-level raids.
Because they couldn't protect the dealer line from area-of-effect attacks.
"You said it yourself, Teacher. An evasion tanker cannot be a main tanker. I don't want to be a half-baked tanker..."
As expected, her face was full of dissatisfaction.
Right.
She wants to be a reliable tanker like Lee Gang-san.
But forget it.
You can't be that kind of tanker.
Physically.
Capability-wise.
However, I will make you one.
So that even an evasion tanker can become a main tanker.
"But let me ask you this. If there were a way for an evasion tanker to become a main tanker, would you learn it?"
"Is there such a way?"
"Yes. There is. The one and only method that only I know."
"......"
"It won't be easy. It's not a path everyone takes. The academy won't teach it either. In fact, the teachings you received there might even get in the way. You might have to learn it in a completely new direction."
This was why I intentionally got the Thousand Flow Sword Technique from the Sword Saint.
"How about it? Are you willing to do it?"
"Is it really possible?"
"Yes. And I never lie to my students."
"If it's really possible... I can do it. No, I will do it. I have no choice but to do it!"
"Even if it's extremely difficult?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then I'll show you a taste of it today."
I stood up from my seat.
"Get up. The introductory theory is over."
I could feel a strong resolve in Lee Hye-ri's eyes as she looked at me.
"The protection magic is fully applied, right?"
"Yes."
Lee Hye-ri nodded at Kim Si-woo's words as he tapped the walls and ceiling of the house.
"It should be able to withstand attacks up to an A-Class Hunter."
"Sturdy, that's good. Then it's fine to train here."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I'll show you. How an evasion tanker can become a main tanker."
"......Is it really possible?"
"Yes. Attack me with everything you've got."
"Attack? Me, against you, Teacher?"
"Yes."
Kim Si-woo's eyes didn't seem to be lying.
"I feel like you're looking down on me because I was in Class D as a tanker. But even so, I don't just lose when I fight an A-Class Hunter."
"I know. That's why I'm telling you to come at me."
"......"
Lee Hye-ri didn't think her tutor was that strong of a person.
That was understandable, as she couldn't feel any strong mana from him, and he wasn't a famous hunter either.
Just an exceptional tutor who raised Yoo A-ra well.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The reason she followed this man's words was because of his tutoring skills.
"Don't blame me if you get hurt."
"You talk too much. Come on, hurry up."
Kim Si-woo beckoned with his hand.
Attacking someone without a weapon pricked her conscience, but whatever.
He was the one who told her to do it, so he'd have to take responsibility.
"Fine. I'm coming at you with everything."
"Yes."
Hooo.
Lee Hye-ri steadied her breathing and focused.
Although she had switched to being a tanker, she was a top-tier dealer.
Her attack movements were on par with active-duty hunters.
In the past, she had followed Lee Gang-san to explore B-Class dungeons several times.
She was confident in her skills, at least.
Having finished focusing, Lee Hye-ri thrust her spear.
An attack that would pierce a monster's heart in one go.
It was a strike where she had even considered changing the trajectory mid-way if the teacher couldn't block it.
As she thrust the spear, Lee Hye-ri saw.
Kim Si-woo, who was curling up the corners of his mouth while looking at her.
Kim Si-woo's hand struck the side of her spear, and at that moment, the trajectory of her spear changed.
"Huh?"
Kwaang!
Her spear soared into the sky.
It collided with the protection magic on the ceiling, making a loud, crashing sound.
Lee Hye-ri's spear betrayed her will and changed its trajectory toward the sky.
With just a single gesture from Kim Si-woo.
Is this possible?
"How was that?"
Kim Si-woo grinned at her.
"A-again."
"It'll be the same, won't it?"
"I was just off guard this time."
"Alright. Come at me again."
Having retrieved her spear, she swung it once more.
This time, it wasn't a simple thrust, but a horizontal slash.
But this was a trap.
An attack that would immediately change stance and switch to a thrust if he responded to the horizontal slash.
It was an application of a spear technique created by Charles, the French Grand Duke known as a master of spearmanship, for fighting villains and monsters.
'He won't be able to block this.'
She attacked with all her sincerity.
A strike to restore her crumpled pride.
However.
Kwaang!
Her spear was driven into the floor helplessly.
Even this time, with just a few hand gestures.
"Imbue it with mana."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
Lee Hye-ri gritted her teeth.
Imbuing it with mana.
That meant it could potentially kill a hunter if things went wrong.
"I-if something goes wrong, don't blame me."
"Don't worry. I can block it as long as it's not an active skill."
"Ugh......"
Lee Hye-ri swung the spear again.
This time, imbuing it with plenty of mana.
Kwaaang!
Her attack ended in failure this time as well.
"......"
Everything slipped off his hands.
As if riding a massive wind, her attack was cut off helplessly.
"This is how an evasion tanker becomes a main tanker. If dodging puts the back line at risk, you just need to change the flow of the enemy's attack, right?"
It's true.
The saying that if you can't dodge an attack, you should change its flow.
But if that were possible, evasion tankers wouldn't have become such a niche class.
Anyone can think of it.
Putting it into practice was an absurd thing.
"H-how did you do that?"
Lee Hye-ri's eyes sparkled.
She looked at her teacher who had shown her a miracle with wide, bright eyes.
"It's the Thousand Flow Sword Technique. I applied that."
"Thousand Flow Sword Technique... The Sword Saint's sword technique?"
"Yes."
For the first time, Kim Si-woo looked cool to her.
He wasn't just a perverted bastard, he was a real teacher.