Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: No Other Beast Like Her
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"Hmm."
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Hopping lightly in place, a thin rope slicing through the air at speeds too fast for the eye to follow.
'This is way too boring.'
Jumping in place.
The basics of rope jumping, perfect for a full-body muscle workout and building stamina—they say it's the best position to reap all those benefits. But man, it's surprisingly mind-numbingly dull.
Try doing just this for over 20 or 30 minutes.
The motion itself is simple... too simple. It's driving me insane.
I've never gotten those claims like, "Jump rope 2,000 times in 30 minutes and watch the fat melt away while your muscles bulge! I wasted half my life on this!"
I mean, why 2,000 jumps over 30 whole minutes? Do they have nothing better to do, like total slackers?
Even most slackers wouldn't waste time like that.
'Why not just smash 2,000 in a brutal 10 minutes?'
And anyway, I'm not jumping rope for diet or muscles. Do I have to do it in such a boring way?
"Whoa, she's super fast..."
"Looks like she's doing double jumps."
Ah, the rookies. Yep, double jumps.
While the other kids awkwardly position the rope in front of their feet, hop over it, or bend their knees and leap ridiculously high just to barely clear one jump, I'm over here demoing advanced double jumps—or "freestyle," as the pros call it.
Mere stationary jumping can't satisfy the Peerless Warrior of Tonggumi, who's grown strong enough to earn the elders' respect and tame the cultivator and Burari.
You think a single rope can handle this Han Yuna, who's bent the knee to no one?!
"Yuna!! What if you get hurt doing that?!"
"I'm fine! I'm tougher than that!"
"That's not the point!!"
The teacher, unable to stop me because of the rope whipping sharply through the air, hovers nearby with a worried voice, trying to get me to quit.
Ugh, if it were those weak 8-year-olds, I'd show them the "difference in power." But it's the teacher... damn.
I was planning to go full sycophant Han Yuna mode starting today, so I can't ignore her. I hook the rope between my heel and the ground, stopping cleanly.
"Yuna, you're really good at jump rope too..."
"I'm confident in anything physical!"
I haven't really trained seriously at jump rope.
Just learned some musical jump rope routine back in middle school with friends. That's it.
I'm no pro obsessed with wire ropes, speed, or flashy performances.
"You know that, right, Teacher~? Still, I'm worried you'll get hurt. No more dangerous stuff like that, okay?"
"Ugh, yeees."
This is awkward.
Does that mean I have to slog through class like the others, stationary jumping only?
But I can't. If she's ordering me, I'd duel the homeroom teacher one-on-one to prove my strength, but instead, I slump powerlessly and nod.
"Ugh, y-yeah! How about dodgeball now? Kids! Let's stop jump rope and play dodgeball! Everyone cool with that?!"
'???'
Why's the teacher sneaking peeks at me?
We haven't even done 10 minutes of jump rope.
I overheard during lunch while moving supplies from the storage shed: 20 minutes jump rope practice, then dodgeball for the rest.
Tilting my head, I peer closely at the teacher's face... her eyelids are twitching, and she's forcing a smile, but I can tell.
Like tending to a golden egg-laying goose, treating her like royalty?
Uh oh, this is trouble.
I want to be the teacher's right-hand sycophant, not some uppity revolutionary climbing over her head.
No good. Time to revise the plan.
Originally: "Oh Teacher, you're always right~ Hehe. Leave all the annoying stuff to me." Full grovel mode.
Better to plant the idea: "Our Yuna excels at everything—super reliable, makes life a breeze having her around."
You know, the type who handles their role effortlessly and still has energy to help or rein in the surroundings.
In the army, they'd call it an ace. In school... uh, what's the term? No idea.
Time to show in dodgeball that I'm the teacher's ultra-elite ace student.
The kids' faces light up visibly at the teacher's dodgeball announcement.
Some girls glance around and try to sit on the bleachers to spectate, but I approach and casually ask, "Not playing?" They all jolt like I startled them and shuffle onto the court.
I just asked if they weren't playing—why do they look like I threatened them with a knife?
So, our class—me included, 34 kids total—clusters up to split into teams evenly. Then Jeongu raises his hand to the teacher.
"Teacher. The team with a monster like Yuna... they'll just win for sure, right?"
"......"
No. Jeongu, buddy. Damn. After all I've done for you, my partner?
I suppress the urge to charge and dropkick him, forcing a bitter smile.
Whew, hold it. If I actually dropkick him, my partner Jeongu becomes Jeong/U.
Think positive! His words just gave me the perfect excuse to show the teacher I'm elite!
Eh? How's a balance-breaker elite? She's just a problem child.
Hush. In games, it'd be a busted character, but in reality, problem children like that are elites.
"Teacher."
I approach the teacher, who can't quite deny Jeongu's words.
"I'll be my own team."
"......What? No, Yuna. Dodgeball's a team game."
"It's fine! I can handle it solo!"
Don't I need to crush these little cuties en masse so they stop saying stuff like that?
I'll enforce discipline for you, Teacher!
Not because Jeongu called a cute kid like me a monster. Nope.
Yeah. I'm not some degenerate whose brain regresses over an innocent 8-year-old's slip-up.
Just... gently showing these frail city kids the gap in strength. Very gently.
Jeongu was thrilled inside when Yuna said she'd team solo and the teacher reluctantly agreed.
Finally!!
Finally, a chance to put that terrifying partner in her place!
Alone, she's scary.
But 33 of us against solo Yuna?
Not scary at all now. I've got our classmates by my side!
"Take thiiiis!!"
I swing my arm with all my might, hurling the ball.
I've done taekwondo since 7—stronger than the other kids, I thought. This is my full-power throw!
Even a monster like Yuna can't dodge that!
She won't catch that speedster—she'll have to evade...
Thwack!!
......?
"That's it?"
Yuna stands stock-still, catches it effortlessly between her hands without budging an inch.
Sh-she caught it? I threw it super hard!
Harder than the time Master scolded me for nearly injuring kids in taekwondo...
The friends who trusted me and stood up to the monster start trembling and backing away.
Th-this is bad.
I'm the strongest in class besides Yuna—I had to take her out!
Watching her casually snag my all-out throw, I felt "fear" like in TV anime.
Helplessness beyond terror.
My hands shake, not from a racing heart, but like it's about to tear.
The monster's unshakeable gaze fixes on me, her lips curl up... and my pants feel a little damp.
"When you throw a ball,"
Whoosh!! Thwack!!
"Aaaah!!"
Her raised arm drops.
Twisted waist snaps back, spinning her whole body.
With a sinister whoosh, it slams a friend's chest beside me, knocking him down, then boomerangs back to Yuna.
...H-how does she generate that power?
"See? Throw with your whole body. Like this!!"
Whoosh!! Thwack!!
"Kyaa!!"
One by one, friends get flung away by Yuna's merciless strength.
Like toys, she crushes our hopes and courage with a playful smile.
Wh-what do we do?
Just lose like this?
Ca-can't... we ever beat Yuna?
Eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched and trembling...
"Jeongu!!"
Thwack!!
Our class rep dives into the incoming ball's path, directing it our way.
She hits the ground clutching her gut but smiles at me.
The ball rolls to a stop at my feet.
Looking around, only 2 friends left out of 33.
'Do it right. For real.'
Yuna's a girl, I'm a boy.
Dad said boys are stronger than girls.
So I can do what she does!
Lift the ball, raise my arm high.
Arch back, pivot feet, spin my body!!
"Take thiiiis!!!"
Thinking of friends who trusted me and the class rep giving me another shot, I throw with everything.
Speed incomparable to arm-only throws rockets forward.
Yuna can't catch this.
Victory's ours. Smiling at her...
She dives toward the ball?
'Why?'
Catches with right hand, spins midair, and hurls it back harder than ever—eliminating both remaining friends at once.
Her gray eyes survey the fallen kids as she flicks the thudding ball up to her waist with her toe.
"Got the gist. Your level."
Not her usual lively tone, but low, cold as winter wind, piercing our ears. Tears stream down our faces.
"Bored to death."
We... were utterly crushed before the monster Yuna.