Nakedness Isn't Shameful (2)
About two hours. I beat the shit out of Shin Yu-hee.
...Correction. It wasn't violence or assault. If I had to call it something, it was "sparring," and Shin Yu-hee ended up collapsed face-down on the bed, her will properly broken.
"......."
Her glare at me was filled with venom and rage. For two straight hours, every time she lunged at me, I'd slam a fist into her, and if she tried to give up, I'd kick her until she got back up or force her to her feet.
You might wonder why go that far, but in terms of "hero training," it wasn't anything unusual.
It's learning in compressed form what you'll face later—against me.
It wasn't just because of Chekhov's Arena. This was real preparation for after becoming a true hero and getting summoned to the other world.
A hero who clears the tutorial is like a character that just hit max level in an MMORPG—except in a game packed with boss raids and endgame content.
In those kinds of games, they sell "pass tickets" for experience and gear to rush you to max level so you can enjoy the real content. And to win those raids or siege wars, the heroes already summoned to the other world train the newbies.
That place runs like a real army. Not some modern military where smartphones get you sent to the MPs for yelling—this is a barbaric era where violence and beatings are everyday culture.
All because lives are on the line.
I'm the same. Now that I'd decided to raise Shin Yu-hee, I needed to make her grow as fast as possible.
"Hey, Shin Yu-hee. Eat your sandwich before it goes bad."
"......."
"Want me to feed you?"
"...No."
The good news was that Shin Yu-hee was tougher than I'd expected. She only lasted two hours because her stamina bottomed out—if she'd had average hero specs, she wouldn't have quit sparring for over twelve hours.
"Think of it as good experience. Don't take it too personally. A few more practice rounds like that, and you'll snag at least one win in a real fight."
"...If I can't, I'll haunt you from the grave."
"What kinda bullshit is that?"
Shin Yu-hee froze mid-rise as she took the halved sandwich.
"If you die because you're weak, why drag me into it?"
"......."
"If you're not joking, burn this into your head. If you die in a place like this, it ain't my bad teaching. It's one of three things: you lacked the skill, you got careless, or you got screwed by bad luck."
None of it my fault.
"Hell, you should thank me even as you're dying. 'I would've croaked in three seconds, but thanks to Yoo Si-woo, I lasted ten minutes longer.'"
"That's dying after fighting more."
"Exactly. So to avoid that... there are two easy ways to rack up wins."
"What are they?"
Her eyes lit up—she wanted to hear this.
"One you already know. The method I told you."
"Using a proxy, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then what's the other?"
"Obviously, pick someone weaker than you in the arena, eat the weakling, and climb. Like I did."
"That feels kinda different from your case... Plus, who in this arena is weaker than me to begin with?"
"Why not?"
I wrote a number in the air with my finger.
"There are eighteen who got chased down and killed by goblins."
"...Sunbae."
Shin Yu-hee's face twisted as she swallowed her sandwich bite.
"Don't tell me you're calling those trash—"
"Why trash?"
"Huh?"
"Is that bad? Shin Yu-hee. Say you lose an arm fighting in the arena—what's stopping those guys from challenging you?"
"......!!"
Shin Yu-hee wasn't a total pushover, but deep down, she leaned toward the "good" side of the good-evil spectrum. She could stomach taking lives to climb, but sacrificing someone from the same world right now? That gave her pause.
"Just know that option exists for now. And if you end up in the arena later, remember one thing: survive."
"...You gonna do it too, sunbae?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. Eighteen total, and you're down to four now."
"Hm...."
Four reserve heroes—the ones who died in tutorial stage 1. Kill them to stack wins?
"If no one in the arena wants to face me, then no choice."
It's not about avoiding choices.
"For example, say someone offers me fifty exchange vouchers to kill the guy who offed me in stage 1, right before he hits five wins. What do you think I'd do?"
"...Do it."
"Or say there's a guy I know who drops five hundred vouchers from a golden goblin drop. If those five hundred come straight to me."
"Depends on the guy's vibe... but yeah, you'd probably do it."
"Right? That's me."
Right now, there's no value in choosing, so I don't.
"I won't tell you to become that way. Whatever you pick, I'll respect it. But...."
"If you're gonna die, don't blame me—just die?"
"Exactly."
"...Guess I can't die then."
Shin Yu-hee finished the rest of her sandwich and hauled herself up.
"Let's go. We'll move together—"
"Nah, you stay here today."
"Huh?"
I pressed her shoulder with one hand as she rose full of vim, and she plopped right back ass-first onto the bed.
"Can't even stand with your stamina tapped out—what're you thinking?"
"But to earn exchange vouchers—"
"Training to survive with that stamina's worth more than you grinding vouchers."
"Then how do we get vouchers?"
"I'll get 'em. Yours included, plus food and spare clothes."
"...You will?"
"Yeah."
Shin Yu-hee eyed me suspiciously.
"For free?"
"We're a party."
"...Coming from you, that doesn't inspire much trust."
"What?"
"I figured you'd demand something. Like a favor later, or... something else."
For a split second, her gaze dropped to my crotch. Naturally, I had no intention of wearing clothes in this room, so no need to spell out what she saw.
"Something else, what?"
"......."
"Look at this girl. You think after I fetch one meal, I'd say 'spread 'em'?"
"No, I mean—that's not...! ...You wouldn't?"
"Two slices of bread and a bowl of soup for Shin Yu-hee's pussy? That's a steal for me."
"......."
She probably never expected me to be this blunt. Shin Yu-hee froze, head down, face stiff.
"But... nah. That'd be a losing deal for me."
"What?"
"Thinking about fucking my dick? I'd be the one who should charge vouchers."
It was the most obvious thing, but Shin Yu-hee gaped like she'd never heard such nonsense.
"Sunbae, does living in this arena twist your brain? Or are you talking like that to blend in with the locals?"
"Dead serious."
"...Fine, fine. I'll earn a ton of vouchers later and buy your dick. ...For now, let's do this."
Shin Yu-hee checked the last page of her survival log. She glanced at me suspiciously, then pulled the single remaining exchange voucher from the back and handed it over.
"Advance payment and investment."
"One voucher?"
"My last one—and my trust in you."
"Heavy stuff."
I took the exchange voucher from her.
"I'll be back before time's up, so rest up. Don't freak out without me."
"......."
"If time runs out and I don't show, assume I'm dead—curse me out and survive on your own."
"I'd really curse you then."
"Good. I broke the promise."
"...Promise."
Shin Yu-hee held out her pinky to me.
"Come back alive. Somehow."
* * *
After promising Shin Yu-hee and leaving her alone in the room.
Finally alone.
I threw on my prisoner uniform—still stained with a bit of blood—and headed out.
Time's around 8 p.m.
Evening. Probably when the reserve heroes were heading back to their rooms. Didn't matter if they were crying or if some other fight broke out and killed someone—just didn't want to bump into them. Questions like where I'd been, what I was doing, if I knew something. If even something like what Shemiri was about to say came up—
"Hey, Yoo Si-woo. Your underclassmen were looking for you? Word is you already got one win in the arena."
...that'd be a hassle in every way.
"Not underclassmen."
"Same academy, they said?"
"If sharing an affiliation means spilling everything, then you and Shemiri must be buddies with that pig beast chowing down on Tehalt's corpse over there."
"As if. Heh heh heh."
It was a bit provocative, but Shemiri just laughed and waved it off.
"More importantly, you're alone? Split up on purpose?"
"Resting in the room."
"Resting? Hm... taking food to go too? We can pack it, no problem...."
"Not getting played by a girl into playing the sucker, so no worries there."
"Ah, figured. Thought you were acting like someone, chasing points with a pretty girl."
Someone.
Given Shemiri's words and vibe, it was obvious who.
"That guy was super wary of you? Watch out. Once he racks up wins and meets you in the arena, he might come for your head."
"......."
Already did.
No point telling Shemiri that, so I just nodded and pulled out an exchange voucher.
"Got it. Anyway, wanna do some business?"
"Sure. What to pack?"
"Not buying stuff with vouchers. Looking for someone."
"Someone? Hm... who?"
"By any chance."
I quietly pointed down at my crotch with my eyes.
"Any succubi you know in this arena?"
"...S-succubus? Why?"
"Why do you think?"
I stated it boldly to the flustered Shemiri.
"Gonna sell my dick."