Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Practical Training (1)
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"Are you perhaps close with us?"
Han Ain stood there with her arms crossed, glaring at me in clear displeasure. Just looking at her made my head spin.
"No, can't a guy just ask?"
"Yeah, Ain. I'm trying to figure out which club to join myself."
Seo Ji-ho looked flustered as he turned to Han Ain.
"Ha..."
She let out a sigh and walked off.
"Ah... um... Ain's just a bit on edge today. Let me apologize on her behalf."
"Seems like it."
"So, what were you gonna say?"
...
Thud!
I flopped onto my bed back at the dorm.
Seo Ji-ho and I had agreed to sign up for the Swordsmanship Club tomorrow.
[Major Character Relations!]
[Han Ain: Very Bad]
[Seo Ji-ho: Neutral]
[Yoo I-seol: Bad]
[Maintain Good Relations with Major Characters]
🎁 Reward: 1000 A Coins
"No, fuck."
I hadn't done anything wrong, yet 'Very Bad' was staring back at me.
I'd played it just like in the game, but the relationships were already trashed.
'Guess it can't be exactly like the game, huh?'
I checked my status window.
Most people were 'Neutral,' and only two had dropped to 'Bad.'
"Hm."
I had a rough idea how to handle Yoo I-seol, but Han Ain was tricky.
"This is gonna be a headache."
I'd think about Han Ain slowly.
"What is a hero? Someone who protects the world from gates? That's true enough, but I think of them by the name itself—heroes."
"When gates first appeared, they were called 'hunters.' S-rank hunters, A-rank hunters, and so on. Haha."
"As you all know, it's been over 60 years now, but Red Gates appeared across the world, including in Korea."
"Some countries were outright destroyed. The S-rank hunters banded together to conquer those Red Gates, and the world barely regained peace."
"That's when people started calling hunters 'heroes.'"
"And one of the first heroes, Hero Han Min-jun, founded the hero training academy 'Orbis Academy.'"
Seeing game lore as actual history in a textbook felt surreal.
It was like reading a game setting guide instead of studying.
Most of it I already knew.
Ding-dong-dang—
The bell rang, and history class ended.
'Next class is probably...'
...
Gates come in all varieties.
From ones spawning monsters to ones you have to enter.
The common thread? Monsters.
And for heroes, slaying monsters is key.
"Even if it's your first practical training, you should know what it entails."
Practical training.
Training in a simulated real-combat environment.
Like a practical exam, using artificial monsters.
"Now, form teams."
Teams of five.
Typically three warriors, one ranged dealer, one support.
[Team 1]
Lee Han-su / Arima Kanna / Shin Ji-o / Hwang Yung / Han Ain
'Holy shit...'
One look at the team, and a sigh escaped.
Really, just because of that last one.
"Hey?"
As I scanned for teammates, someone approached.
Obsidian-black eyes and hair, sword at her waist—a girl.
Arima Kanna.
"This Team 1?"
The others started gathering too.
"Huh, we're missing one?"
Arima Kanna tilted her head.
"The last one's..."
"..."
Someone approached silently from afar.
Staff on her back, sky-blue bob cut—a girl.
Han Ain.
"Hm, looks like we're all here."
...
The training ground was a cityscape.
[City 1], one of Orbis's training zones.
Spawned monster: 'Beholder.'
"Shall we plan?"
7th-grade monster 'Beholder.'
Huge body, massive central eye.
Floats in air; tentacles on head each have eyes.
Central eye is the weak point.
...
The plan was simple.
Two warriors draw aggro, mage binds it, I finish.
Someone objected to Arima Kanna's plan.
"Shouldn't three warriors tank and the mage finish? That's standard, right?"
Support Hwang Yung.
But enrollment rank 388 Hwang Yung couldn't keep challenging rank 16 Arima Kanna.
Kieeeek!!!
The Beholder's cry echoed.
Not ear-piercing, but unsettling.
Real Beholders carry a curse in their cries; this artificial one didn't, but replicating the unease was impressive.
Clang!
Shin Ji-o slammed his axe down hard.
A sharp metallic ring spread.
Kieeeek?!
The Beholder reacted, turning to Shin Ji-o.
Kieeeek!!!
It glared with its central eye and charged at Shin Ji-o.
All tentacles eyed him too.
Vrrr!
Faint light gathered in the tentacles.
Beholders attack via head tentacles.
"Not on my watch."
Shiiik!
Thud thud thud!
But Arima Kanna's blade severed three tentacles.
Incredible speed.
Unlike her brother Arima Kisho, she hadn't awakened beastification or golden eyes yet, but her physical prowess was Arima clan-worthy.
Kieeeek!!!!
Confirming the loss, the Beholder screeched in rage.
Then mage Han Ain channeled mana.
Vrrr!
Unlike attack spells, binding chants were short.
Mana-forged chains erupted, binding the Beholder.
"Now!!!"
Shin Ji-o yelled.
I stepped toward the Beholder, lowered my stance, hand on hilt.
Vrrr!
Mana surged inside me.
[Trait: One Sword Ends Heaven activated!]
One Sword Ends Heaven.
One sword ends the heavens.
A pretty cool trait name.
Hiss—
Mana flowed into the blade, steam rising from the sheath.
[Iaido Technique (Lv. 1) enhanced by Trait: One Sword Ends Heaven!]
[Stats temporarily enhanced!]
Vrrr—!
My body felt undeniably stronger.
Stat buffs were great.
But it didn't stop there—penalties kicked in.
[Curse of the Sword activated!]
[Shackle of the Sword activated!]
High risk, low return.
Dumb as hell, but even minor buffs feel huge early on.
That's why I ran the Iaido build.
Nothing hits like this early-game rush.
Draw the sword slightly.
A small barrier formed around me.
Invisible to others, visible only to me.
My personal domain.
With the inflated stats, it felt like I could cut anyone inside it.
Vrrr—
Draw more; the barrier expands.
Finally, it engulfed the Beholder.
"Hoo."
Draw.
Shwick!
And slash simultaneously.
---!!!
Shin Ji-o couldn't believe what he'd seen.
"What the!!! Fuck!!! What was that!!!"
Lee Han-su had swung his sword, but nothing happened.
He'd taken a stance, drawn and slashed in one second.
Not even at the Beholder—from a distance, no sword aura.
What a waste— that's what he thought as he yelled.
Shiiik—!
A wind-cutting sound.
Wondering what, he looked.
Kwaaaaaang!!!!!
"Huh?"
The ground split.
Not near him—from where Lee Han-su slashed, cracking straight ahead.
Not jagged, perfectly straight like ruled.
Following the split visually, his gaze reached the Beholder.
"..."
Sizzle!
Thud thud...
The Beholder was already bisected, spraying blood fountains.
Hiss!
Steam vented from the sword.
Click.
I sheathed it.
Hiss—
A bit from the sheath too, but it faded quick.
[Curse of the Sword activated!]
[Shackle of the Sword activated!]
The brief freedom felt shackled again.
Zzt—
Touching the sword just in case zapped me hard.
'Ah, fuck!'
Probably couldn't draw it for the rest of the day.
Everyone around stared, dumbfounded.
"It's done. Let's go."
Arima Kanna.
Member of the Arima family, one of Japan's five pillar clans that stood against the 'Red Gate' that once ravaged Japan.
The Arima family holds a not-so-secret secret.
All humanity possesses mana manipulation.
Most think mana just strengthens the body—but that's ordinary mana.
'Special mana' exists.
Similar yet different from mages' mana shaping.
They call it 'traits.'
And traits are hereditary.
Arima's traits: 'Beastification' and 'Golden Eyes.'
Her brother Arima Kisho had achieved both, but she hadn't even one.
It bred deep inferiority in Arima Kanna.
She'd trained bloody hard, while her brother awakened effortlessly.
'My eyes didn't lie.'
That wasn't mere mana control.
And a way to erase her inferiority complex flashed in her mind.