Sparring and Teaching
“Huff…… huff……”
He started light with 50kg, then 70kg…… and after that…… It didn’t take long to gradually increase the weight until he reached his limit.
The interesting part was that even as he kept training, the maximum weight he could lift kept creeping up bit by bit.
“Wasn’t that your limit just now? You wanna add more weight from there?”
Kim Do-jun looked genuinely stunned by the sight. Lee Chang-hyun had shot him a look like Bet you can’t add any more weight now, huh? which had definitely lit a fire under him—not that he’d admit it.
Anyway, since he kept pushing the weight beyond his limits nonstop, the workout itself didn’t last long. Even so, the results were pretty satisfying.
Compared to the last test—including the added physical training—his stats had jumped anywhere from 0.1 to as much as 0.66.
Yeah, the growth numbers are on a whole other level compared to before my regression……
It seemed this was another effect of Bloom.
Bloom creates new ‘talents’ akin to superpowers as rewards for triggers and achievements, while explosively boosting stat growth. So it’s these two specific abilities in concrete terms.
Each one was an amazing ability on its own, but together? There wasn’t a more cheat-like skill out there. And considering the explosive growth surge when Bloom first unlocked, it felt like the ultimate skill.
Of course, his body was still growing, and it hadn’t been long since his awakening, so the growth was even more dramatic right now.
“So, what’s next after physical training? Got any recommendations for me?”
Kim Do-jun, who’d been quietly doing the same workout beside him, spoke up.
Kim Do-jun’s already built up his basics at the academy, so he doesn’t need to grind like I do……
“Something suited to you…… I don’t know you that well yet, though?”
“Ah…… right.”
Kim Do-jun realized his mistake and put on a thoughtful face. He was probably debating whether to split off now and explore more facilities or stick together.
Of course, I’ve analyzed him plenty with Piercing Eye—both his current self and pre-regression—but still……
Handing him an easy way to boost his abilities on a silver platter would kill the fun. It reminded him of the tank clone earlier, and it was a good chance to show the skill gap anyway. What popped into his head was, naturally, a spar.
“How about a 1v1 with me? One round.”
For a split second, Kim Do-jun’s eyes sharpened.
“You’re on.”
Hunter Union Training Facility.
With every kind of training setup imaginable, it naturally had sparring facilities too. From 7v7 arenas matching Hunters League rules to 1v1 setups for personal practice.
Lee Chang-hyun and Kim Do-jun headed straight for the 1v1 area.
“Whoa…… it’s packed.”
Kim Do-jun gaped in awe. Unlike the comprehensive gym, this place was buzzing with people.
“It’s not just for simple 1v1 spars here.”
“Then what?”
“Excluding practice, this is also the venue for 1v1 ranked matches.”
“Oh…… so this is where…… those ranked matches I’ve seen on NutTube get filmed. Now that you mention it, it looks just like them.”
Hunters League wasn’t just 7v7 team battles. There were mini-leagues like 3v3, “dungeon breakthroughs” mimicking the first-gen hunters’ Tower raids, and straight-up 1v1 “ranked matches” focused purely on martial prowess.
It offered all kinds of spectacles.
“Though that’s not the only reason it’s so crowded.”
By now, some of the crowd had noticed Lee Chang-hyun and Kim Do-jun.
“What then?”
“Scouting promising rookies who could join their teams. Or memorizing skills early if they turn into rivals later. Or just gawking at newbies for fun. This sparring hall draws the most hot-blooded rookies, after all.”
Sure enough, audition show participants were already sparring all over the place—not just standouts like Yoon Han-gyeol, Yoo Hye-ju, or Jin Han, but even the less flashy ones.
“What, intimidated by the crowd?”
Kim Do-jun grinned at that.
“You better watch out so you don’t embarrass yourself.”
Was he imagining some flashy solo performance earning him applause? That grin felt a little shady.
The sword.
A weapon once called the king of all arms in the age of cold steel. It surged back to prominence with the sudden appearance of the Tower and the need to conquer it.
Guns, the pinnacle of close-quarters combat before, struggled in Tower raids due to mana inefficiency and high weapon consumption.
Plus, in Hunters League, basic bullets couldn’t pierce mana-enhanced bodies, so firearms quickly faded from the hunter world.
That’s when Ethan Hawke, Europe’s unrivaled ranged dealer, burst onto the scene like a supernova.
With mana reserves no one could match, he never tired no matter how many mana bullets he fired. His innate mana output was monstrous too, making him look like a modern soldier dropped into medieval warfare.
But that was only possible because Ethan’s mana was freakishly abundant for a human.
After him, hardly any ranged dealers stuck with guns.
Lee Chang-hyun used them too, but only thanks to the hidden piece Ether. In a 1v1 like this, even if he pulled a gun, normal mana limits meant just a few shots max.
So Kim Do-jun stayed relaxed and opted for a probing exchange first.
And that prediction was half right.
Lee Chang-hyun didn’t draw a gun.
To his shock, he drew a sword.
If it’s a sword, I won’t get pushed around easy……
Confidence swelled in Kim Do-jun’s chest. No more worrying about unpredictable gunfire—facing another swordsman felt comfortable.
Then—
Clang!
Lee Chang-hyun struck first.
Solid, but nothing special. That’s what Kim Do-jun thought.
And it was true at first.
Clang! Clang!
“……”
But after one clash, two…… the more they exchanged, the clearer it became.
For all his confidence in swordsmanship, he couldn’t seize control.
“Did you train with a sword as a kid or something? You only awakened recently.”
“Who knows.”
Most people started weapon training after awakening and deciding to become hunters.
Yet here was a newbie matching him blow-for-blow, someone who’d clearly trained with swords for years……
Talent…… huh.
Kim Do-jun gritted his teeth.
No matter how much Lee Chang-hyun had shown in the prelims and survival game, he hated losing ground here.
As he steadied his breath to charge again, Lee Chang-hyun’s weapon changed.
A spear this time?
An unexpected shift. But only for a moment—Lee Chang-hyun pressed relentlessly, giving no room to breathe.
Spear mastery…… overwhelming.
Proof was in the impeccable distance control.
A spear’s edge over a sword: superior reach. He exploited it to the max for a one-sided assault.
Block a downward sword slash with the spear’s shaft, then spin for a counter.
No novice could pull that off—it screamed experience.
Distances I can’t reach, but he can…… damn it.
And in the next instant, the spear became a two-handed greatsword.
By now, it was beyond surprise—pure astonishment.
The 1v1 spar continued like that, Lee Chang-hyun switching weapons at will and toying with Kim Do-jun, who finally raised the white flag under the relentless pressure.
A total defeat……
As Kim Do-jun lay sprawled, Lee Chang-hyun approached and offered a hand.
“So, what do you think of the skills from the guy you called your rival in that interview?”
He’d rather die than answer, so silence.
But Lee Chang-hyun kept smirking, forcing it out eventually.
“Ugh…… fine. You’re a cut above.”
“Brat. ‘A cut above’? I went easy on you there.”
Went easy……?
Kim Do-jun could hardly believe it, but those eyes didn’t look like they were joking. Doubt flooded him—had he really been that outmatched? Was his talent lacking?
Reading it all, Lee Chang-hyun patted his shoulder.
“Know why you lost?”
“……”
He didn’t want to answer. Back when they first met at Seoul City Academy, he’d just thought, Cool, a new friend. But the overwhelming talent on display crushed him.
Lee Chang-hyun didn’t care.
“You’re wearing the wrong clothes.”
He reset the 1v1 arena and took up position again, transforming his weapon into the sword Kim Do-jun had used and mimicking his stance.
What he demonstrated was classic mid-weight swordplay.
A heavy blade. Slow to switch guards, but steady against attacks, excelling in counters.
“This is your style. But let’s look at your abilities. You’ve got burst acceleration, surprise from it, and sharp improvisation. Pair that with a mid-weight sword? Zero synergy.”
Kim Do-jun had never considered it.
He’d just absorbed sword training like a sponge—rote education’s blind spot.
His head spun.
“But what if you used a light, thrust-focused rapier?”
Before he knew it, Lee Chang-hyun’s sword had morphed via Magic Engineering Weapon Conversion into a fencing blade, sharp and piercing.
Then—one, two. Light steps, shwick! A casual swing.
“Your burst acceleration lets each strike stab like a dagger.”
Incredibly fast. But Kim Do-jun’s eyes lit up anyway.
The actions were the same as his own mid-sword moves from the spar—just with a different blade.
He’d pegged Lee Chang-hyun as a league successor.
But from the tank clone, survival game, and now this spar, Kim Do-jun realized.
The ability to dissect an opponent—habits and all—in a single bout.
And suggesting a style shift he’d never heard of……
No guarantee it’d fit perfectly, but……
Having felt the wall of true talent in the spar—no, having seen Lee Chang-hyun’s insight and moves—expectation welled up uncontrollably.
Could I really become like that?