Sensible Training

I think I finally understand why Lucia tried to keep her distance from others. I smiled bitterly as I watched the blood drip down. This was why she was so terrified of forming relationships. She knew she was abnormal, self-harming at every opportunity. She must have been terrified of getting caught. Did she have normal emotions, just with... highly unconventional tastes? Then again, considering she was perfectly fine doing crazy things like walking around naked on a leash, maybe she wasn't all that normal after all.

But I'm different from the original Lucia. I'm a much more sensible person. This isn't self-harm; it's training. Pure training. I was simply engaging in self-discipline from the early hours of the morning. Yes, absolutely. I was just doing what any diligent Academy student should do.

And hey, I even got results! While poking and prodding at my wounds, I figured out how to control my ability. Super Regeneration is, after all, Lucia's innate power. Controlling the healing speed was entirely up to her will. I could intentionally delay the healing, or conversely, accelerate it. I used to be disappointed by how quickly the wounds closed up, but now I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Taking a lesson from yesterday's massive cleanup, I did my self-harm—no, my training—in the bathroom. Dried blood is a nightmare to clean, so I made sure not to make a mess. Thanks to that, tidying up was a breeze, and I quickly changed into my school uniform to finish getting ready.

Growl.

Ah, right. I forgot to eat. I starved all day yesterday, so I really should put something in my stomach, but... checking the time, if I don't leave this very second, I'm guaranteed to be late. Eu-he, nothing I can do about it. I'll just have to endure the hunger. Let's call it a diet.

Grumble.

My stomach pinches with a sharp, empty ache. He-he, this actually feels kind of nice...

"Well, I'm off!"

Even though there was no one else in the room, I called out to the empty space as I opened the dormitory door.

"Hey. No chattering. Focus."

Just like right now. A beautiful woman in a red tracksuit spoke sharply, pointing her bamboo training sword at the whispering students. This was Angelica, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, the class I belonged to. The day before I transmigrated had been the entrance ceremony, which ended after brief self-introductions. The day I actually arrived had been filled with purely theoretical lectures. But today was different. Finally, my Academy life was beginning in earnest.

"No need to tense up. Today is just a basic ability evaluation."

Angelica spoke, chewing on an unlit cigarette like gum. Since class was in session, she hadn't lit it. The reason she kept it in her mouth anyway was because she was a heavy smoker who couldn't focus without a cigarette between her lips. Angelica pressed the tip of her bamboo sword firmly against the ground. The fact that she was teaching at the Academy meant she, too, was a supernatural user. With that single, effortless motion, her ability manifested. Something surged up from the dirt. It was a massive wolf statue made of earth and stone. Angelica's supernatural ability was "Rock"—or more precisely, "Earth Manipulation." Creating a stone wolf, or rather, a wolf golem, was easier than breathing for her.

"What you need to do is simple. Destroy my golem. This is an evaluation of your basic combat capabilities, so if I catch anyone half-assing it, I'll split your head open. Though, heh, I doubt any of you have the luxury to slack off. Now, Number One, step forward."

Despite her harsh words, she was a teacher who deeply cared for her students, so there was no real reason to be afraid. But I was the only one here who knew that. The other students were visibly stiff with tension. Mmm, in this suffocating atmosphere, who's the lucky Number One?

"Number One, Yujin."

It was the protagonist. Yujin stepped forward with confident strides and stood before the wolf golem, a single sword held in his right hand.

"I'll say it again. There's no need to be nervous. I don't expect the world from you right now. Just show me what you're capable of. Understood?"

"Understood."

Angelica locked eyes with Yujin as she spoke. Yujin gave a low nod in response.

"Begin."

At her command, the golem—which had been standing as still as a statue (well, it was a statue)—sprang to life. Unleashing a silent howl toward the sky, the wolf golem lunged at Yujin. Its speed wasn't particularly fast. It would be threatening to an ordinary human, but that was it. Supernatural users, regardless of their specific abilities, possessed superhuman physical capabilities as a baseline. Furthermore, even though Yujin was still young, he was exceptionally talented compared to his peers; to him, the golem probably looked like it was standing still. Slash. He didn't even need to show off his abilities. Infusing his blade with a crimson glow, Yujin severed the wolf golem's neck in a single stroke.

"Fast."

A glint of admiration flashed in Angelica's eyes. The strike seemed to have genuinely impressed her. I couldn't even track it properly with my eyes. There was just a flash, and the next thing I knew, the wolf golem's head was rolling on the ground.

The evaluation didn't end with a single wolf golem. If Yujin had struggled, that would be one thing, but since he had dispatched it so effortlessly, the test continued.

The next creature to emerge had the head of a lion, the tail of a serpent, and wings sprouting from its back. Wait, is that a chimera? From a wolf straight to a chimera? Aren't you raising the difficulty level a bit too fast, Angelica-sensei? Did it happen like this in the original novel? I can't remember the minor details.

Angelica possessed an extraordinary eye for evaluating students' abilities. With just that single strike, she must have grasped the rough estimate of Yujin's skill and conjured an opponent suited to his level. However, Yujin's abilities seemed to exceed even Angelica's expectations. Without a moment's hesitation, Yujin lunged at the chimera as it spread its wings to take flight, severing them with a flash-like slash. Not stopping there, he ignited a burst of flame in midair to shift his trajectory and cleanly sliced the beast in half at the waist.

Having shattered the chimera golem in a mere two strikes, Yujin looked back at Angelica with a calm expression. Perhaps interpreting his gaze as a silent question of "What's next?", Angelica immediately conjured the next wave of golems.

Three chimeras.

Once those were defeated, five more golems appeared, including two gargoyles.

Gradually increasing the numbers, Yujin soon found himself facing thirteen golems at once. Yet, he showed no signs of being pushed back. With restrained, unflashy movements, he conjured flames. He channeled intense heat into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his blade to maximize its cutting power, and detonated small bursts of fire from his body to freely alter his direction in midair. Yujin's supernatural ability was Pyrokinesis. In terms of pure destructive power, his output ranked among the very top of the entire Academy. Combined with his high-level swordsmanship, the golems—which Angelica had intentionally weakened for the evaluation—stood absolutely no chance. Ultimately, the final golem crumbled into pieces and returned to dust.

"Alright. That's enough. Good work."

At Angelica's declaration, Yujin gave a polite bow and stepped back. He was sweating slightly, but he didn't look particularly exhausted.

I stared at the crimson-stained sword in Yujin's hand. A blade infused with fire. When swung, it didn't just cut; it forced intense heat into the wound, burning the target from the inside out. It wasn't an innate property of the sword itself, but a technique Yujin had developed through rigorous training.

If I got cut by that, it would hurt so much, wouldn't it?

How terrifying. What a brutal technique. Getting cut by a sword is painful enough, but to have heat invade the wound and burn you on top of that?

Burns... burns, huh...

Getting slashed by a sword already feels hot and stinging, almost like being on fire. But what does it actually feel like to burn? I remember hearing somewhere that burns are the most excruciating pain a human can experience. When the skin chars and the nerves are damaged, the agony is so intense that you can barely even speak. That means it hurts incredibly bad. Slicing my skin with a dagger wouldn't even begin to compare.

I stared at Yujin's sword as if possessed, watching until he gave it a quick flick and sheathed it.

It's highly unlikely, but I should be careful just in case. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I must make sure I don't get cut by Yujin's sword. Given his personality, there's no way he'd ever draw his blade against me, but you can never be too sure in this world...

Gulp.

Ah, starving since yesterday was definitely a bad idea. I really should have eaten breakfast. My mouth keeps watering.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from his scabbard until Yujin had fully returned to his spot.