Chapter 27
Chapter 27
27.Sparring
"Seo Seung-yeon is at the Mana Training Ground. I'll contact her, so please go to Training Ground 3 and prepare."
Following the staff's guidance, I arrived at the training ground, a place equipped with the latest Arcane Engineering Technology.
From inside, the environment of the training ground could be altered by controlling the devices.
With the press of a button, stone pillars would rise in the training ground, or buildings could be created as if in urban warfare.
In addition, various changes were possible, such as making the training ground's internal temperature hot or cold.
'It's just a sparring match, so I probably won't need to use them.'
After a light warm-up, I examined the Weaponry placed on one side.
We had agreed to only use blunt Weaponry during the sparring match.
Several types of swords were hanging there, and I chose one that was most similar to the Elegant Sword.
As I was using a technique that fused Imperial Basic Swordsmanship and Fighting Cock, the door to the training ground opened.
The sniper Seo Seung-yeon appeared. It was the first time seeing her in person, but she felt familiar. I had seen her so often on TV.
There was another person beside her. A man in his mid-30s. I recognized him immediately.
'Kang Suk-doo?'
He was also a member of the Dawnlight Guild. A B-grade Hunter, belonging to the Dawnlight Guild's B team.
His job was a warrior. He was especially famous as a tanker. I had heard he was being considered for the front line of the Dawnlight main team.
"You must be Han Hye? Nice to meet you."
The sniper Seo Seung-yeon approached me, smiling brightly and extending her hand.
"I'm Seo Seung-yeon. This is Kang Suk-doo, who will be observing."
"Nice to meet you."
Despite being vanguard Hunters, they greeted me quite politely. I was quite surprised by that fact.
It wasn't just because there were many Hunters who looked down on the weak.
It was because Seo Seung-yeon's image in the media was that of a very cold person.
Now, just based on her first impression, she seemed to smile a lot, making her feel like a different person despite being the same.
"I'm Han Hye."
"I didn't think you'd accept, so thank you for agreeing to the sparring match. Honestly, I didn't expect you to agree."
"Oh, isn't it a good opportunity? To learn and grow through sparring..."
Tilting her head, Seo Seung-yeon smiled softly.
"There are many people who don't want to do this, saying that losing a sparring match can lower their value."
I guess you could think that way. I was a little surprised. Was it because of the situation right before contract renewal?
"I guess so. I'm the type who thinks that learning through sparring is helpful to me."
Hearing my sincere words, Seo Seung-yeon laughed.
"Then shall we go all out instead of holding back?"
"Pardon?"
Does that mean she's going to shoot me?
That's a bit...
"The gun is a bit... I'd appreciate it if you could hold back a little."
I said seriously, but Seo Seung-yeon burst into laughter as if something was funny. It wasn't a sneer.
As I felt just now, she seemed to have a cheerful personality. It was unfamiliar.
When I saw her on TV, she was portrayed as a very cold and solitary sniper.
"Shall we warm up and start right away?"
"Sure."
"Give me five minutes."
* * *
Han Hye and Seo Seung-yeon faced each other in the training ground.
Han Hye held a sword, while Seo Seung-yeon held a short sword, slightly shorter than a normal sword.
However, Han Hye didn't let her guard down. It wasn't just because of the difference in levels.
Seo Seung-yeon's main Weaponry consisted of three items.
A rifle, a pistol, and a short sword, which she switched depending on the situation.
Normally, she would shoot with the rifle, and if an enemy got close, she would use the pistol and short sword.
'One of her main weapons. Her Swordsmanship Skill's grade and level might be higher than mine.'
While Han Hye was thinking, Kang Suk-doo was watching the two people facing off with an interested expression.
A rookie who had recently been the center of attention.
Even if it wasn't for the Guild's request to observe, he would have been curious anyway.
'At least it's not an empty wagon.'
He had only exchanged a few words while facing him, but he could be sure of that.
He didn't boast or have excessive confidence like Hunters who were all talk. Of course, he had to observe more.
"Since it's a sparring match, I'll adjust to Han Hye."
Han Hye nodded at Seo Seung-yeon's words. It wasn't because he was being ignored, but it was a natural consideration due to the difference in skill.
"Attack first. I'll take it as a start the moment you move."
Han Hye calmly took a breath.
He knew that he had a high chance of losing, but seeing the other person's calm expression subtly stimulated his competitive spirit.
'I'm not going to lose easily.'
Chunbae was watching.
Chunbae said that Han Hye still lacked qualifications. He didn't know if it was a specific level and Stats, or attitude and talent.
He was going to do his best in the sparring match.
And on the other hand, he also had confidence. Not that he would win, but he believed that he could at least put up a good fight.
'They don't know my information.'
All people knew about him was his S+ grade Subspace ability. He hadn't revealed any other information.
The Association only knew that Han Hye could enter the Subspace.
But Han Hye had various weapons that others didn't know about. He wasn't talking about the Elegant Sword.
Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, Fighting Cock, defense using Subspace.
The opponent might be able to deal with the first two, but they definitely wouldn't know about defense using Subspace.
'And on top of that, the A-grade Skill Leap that I recently obtained.'
Could even a B-grade Hunter anticipate Leap?
That was also what Han Hye had been expecting when he accepted the sparring match. He was curious if Leap would work against a B-grade Hunter.
"Hoo."
Han Hye inhaled and kicked off the ground. The first clash was light. It was a tactic he had thought of since accepting the sparring match.
Imperial Basic Swordsmanship wasn't about attacking, but about taking advantage of the opponent's attack.
He swung her sword in a feint. There was no intention to attack. Seo Seung-yeon pulled her upper body back to avoid it.
And immediately, the stabbing short sword was sharp. But, this was what Han Hye wanted.
Clang-!
It was faster than he thought, but he was able to block it because he had attacked with a feint from the start. He continued the counterattack with Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.
Seo Seung-yeon also blocked it without difficulty. In that way, they exchanged blows for a while.
'Not bad.'
Seo Seung-yeon, receiving Han Hye's sword, evaluated plainly. That was all. It wasn't good.
She didn't think it was strange.
The opponent was a Spatialist, not a warrior.
Even if he had learned Swordsmanship, E or F grade would have been the limit. Rather, what surprised her was something else.
'This person's Stats... I knew it was + grade, but how much is it?'
She heard that he was a D-grade Hunter, but he didn't feel like a D-grade at all. Both strength and speed were beyond that.
It was then that Han Hye's attack changed. He began to apply Fighting Cock.
A sudden Fighting Cock kick.
Seo Seung-yeon quickly raised her left arm to block it. The sword that followed was quite fierce.
'Oh. What is this?'
A small exclamation escaped Seo Seung-yeon's lips, and her eyes sparkled. It was interesting. He had clearly learned a special martial art.
She had also learned martial arts, so she could clearly see the difference. It was like an attack from a beast.
"What is that?"
Seo Seung-yeon asked, swinging her short sword widely to create distance.
"It's a martial art, I was lucky enough to get it inside a Gate."
"Impressive? It seems to be around C grade."
As expected of a vanguard? Han Hye was surprised by Seo Seung-yeon's insight, who recognized the Skill grade with just one exchange.
Seo Seung-yeon lightly shook her shoulder. The opponent was fighting better than she thought. She could release the limit a little more.
"Let's do it a little more properly."
Before Han Hye could answer, Seo Seung-yeon smiled and kicked off the ground. It was a movement that was clearly different from before.
Clang-! Clang-!
The sparring match, which had been an exchange of blows, turned into Seo Seung-yeon's offensive. Han Hye was barely able to block the incoming continuous attacks.
Seeing Seo Seung-yeon smiling, Kang Suk-doo scratched the back of his head.
'She's excited again. She shouldn't get too excited.'
The opponent was fighting well, but he was a D-grade.
Seo Seung-yeon was someone who had worked hard to break the prejudice that snipers were weak in close combat.
If Seo Seung-yeon pushed too hard, it wouldn't be a proper sparring match. He was wondering if he should stop them.
Seo Seung-yeon's leg aimed for Han Hye's side.
'Is it too late?'
Han Hye didn't seem to react or defend. It was when Kang Suk-doo thought that the sparring match was about to end.
Wooong-.
Seo Seung-yeon's foot was blocked by a Subspace that suddenly appeared.
"Ugh-!"
Feeling like she had kicked a wall, Seo Seung-yeon groaned and stepped back.
A gap suddenly appeared.
Han Hye counterattacked as if she had been waiting for it. Clang-! Clang-! The sound of metal echoed in succession. The offensive was fierce.
'Damn, I went in too much. I guess I still lack experience?'
Han Hye swung his sword greatly from right to left and charged. It was an attack that disregarded defense.
However, the offensive was too sharp.
Kang Suk-doo could see Han Hye's gap instead. It was the moment when Seo Seung-yeon was about to aim for that gap.
In an instant, Han Hye disappeared from his sight.
And at the same time, he appeared behind Seo Seung-yeon. Han Hye's sword aimed for Seo Seung-yeon's neck right in front of her.
'What...!'
It wasn't just Kang Suk-doo who was shocked. Seo Seung-yeon desperately twisted her body.
If it wasn't for the B-grade Skill 'Target Tracking', she wouldn't have even known that he had appeared from behind.
"..."
The two people's swords stopped. Han Hye's sword was touching Seo Seung-yeon's neck. However, Seo Seung-yeon's short sword was also pressing against Han Hye's solar plexus.
She had only managed to insert the short sword by bending her arm after recognizing the location through the Target Tracking Skill.
"I, is this a draw?"
Kang Suk-doo, who spoke a beat late, stuttered. It was because he was too surprised.
He thought he was a diamond in the rough, but he never thought that he would draw with Seo Seung-yeon.
"It's a draw."
Seo Seung-yeon, who belatedly came to her senses, sighed as she moved away from Han Hye. It was a calm acknowledgment.
"Wow, amazing? A draw with Seung-yeon."
At Kang Suk-doo's words, Han Hye humbly replied.
"It's because you held back."
"No. Was that teleportation at the end?"
"Yes."
"And that Subspace is immune to physical attacks?"
"That's right."
"Wow, Spatialist is a scam."
Seo Seung-yeon, who inadvertently spoke her true feelings, caught herself and continued.
"It wasn't just Subspace."
"Haha..."
"Amazing? Really."
Seo Seung-yeon spoke sincerely. Honestly, she was impressed.
'I heard that this person hasn't even been Awakened for two months...'
His growth rate was terrifying. No, it wasn't just terrifying, it was absurd. And he fought so well that it was excessive.
People usually misunderstand, but Hunters aren't just about learning Skills. What's more important is 'how' they use the Skills.
Whether it's Swordsmanship or martial arts, the ability to use the information engraved in one's head in any situation is an individual's capability.
In that respect, Han Hye was a born fighter.
'And the use of Subspace.'
She wouldn't have easily thought of blocking something with Subspace.
Of course, Han Hye realized that while facing the Dragon.
"Seung-yeon, you need to be nervous?"
Seo Seung-yeon frowned.
"Oppa would have lost. No joke. Even with my Skill, I wouldn't have known he appeared from behind."
"I guess so. He disappeared right in front of me."
Kang Suk-doo also calmly acknowledged.
Of course, it was a sparring match that considered the opponent, but if he didn't know about that teleportation, he would have definitely been hit.
'Awakened for two months... If he has a few more months, he'll be really scary? Won't she lose without holding back then?'
Seo Seung-yeon and Kang Suk-doo were silent for a moment. They were both thinking the same thing.
It was Kang Suk-doo who came to his senses first. He looked at Han Hye with a neat smile.
"I'm looking forward to the future?"
"Pardon?"
"As you know, I didn't just apply for a sparring match with Han Hye."
Han Hye had also been guessing. He had contacted Dawnlight last time, so he thought they would contact him.
"I guessed."
"You're almost level 20 in less than two months... If you have about three more months, will you be working with us?"
"No way. It's just fast because I'm still a low level."
"I'm just kidding."
Kang Suk-doo smiled.
"Still, you might really be working with us in a year."
"I'll try to grow quickly."
Han Hye replied with a smile because they said they saw him in a good light. At that time, Seo Seung-yeon grabbed Han Hye's arm and whispered quietly.
"Hey, Han Hye."
"Yes?"
"Do you happen to have a Magic Manual?"
"A Manual? Out of the blue?"
Han Hye tilted his head. He wondered why a vanguard Hunter was looking for a Magic Manual from him.
"There's a place where I really need it. You've been going to difficult Gates, so I was wondering if you got one."
Saying that, Seo Seung-yeon pleaded with earnest eyes.
"You don't have one?"
"Hmm."
I happen to have one...
Han Hye scratched the back of her head. Seeing that, Seo Seung-yeon's eyes lit up.
"If you have one, I'd like to buy it even if I have to pay a premium. I'll really give you a good price."