Faster Than Anyone, Differently From Others (3)
People have different tendencies, but if I use a game analogy, there are two types when it comes to any given situation. In an RPG, before moving to the next area, how do you play?
1. Build your foundation. Gear up with the best equipment available in that area before proceeding.
2. Push forward first, think later. Clear the primary objective quickly, then fill in the side bits afterward.
Here in Chekhov's Arena, foundation-building means combat experience, and progress means five wins. Every step toward those five wins is fraught with difficulty and death lurking at every moment. Do you charge ahead anyway, or do you take the time to rack up combat experience and advance steadily?
If it were just me, I'd have straight-up nominated five opponents and bailed right away. But I've got someone tagging along, and I've got plans that extend to her and beyond. It wouldn't do for the stragglers behind to gossip, "That asshole racked up five wins in one day and ditched us."
Like it or not, the reserve heroes back there have a shot at becoming real heroes too, so unless I'm outright eliminating them...
Then what does foundation-building mean? Obviously, it's Shin Yu-hee's combat experience. I planned to let her rack up fights risking her life, find a weapon that suits her, and steel her will to survive by killing her foes.
The ideal scenario? I hit five wins, then she faces her next opponent right away and notches her own five to escape. Any guy would do that. If she died? "Oh well," and drop her.
But Shin Yu-hee doubles as my mana generator. Sure, you might think treating a person like an onahole or mana battery is too harsh, but that's the reality, so I have no intention of letting her get wrecked carelessly.
'Having Shin Yu-hee snag some Goddess Points isn't a bad idea either.'
A surefire way to get Goddess Points here: 1. After she hits four wins, casually leak the info to her. Tell her about Goddess Points and how I used mine to boost my abilities. If she gets some later, she can consult closely with her angel and pick what she needs most. Something like that should dodge any suspicion like, "You knew about Goddess Points for the first five-win clear?"
With the path set, all that's left is pacing her so she doesn't collapse from exhaustion. Just like right now, watching her train in the training ground.
"Hah...!"
Shin Yu-hee swings Dex's sword, unleashing a barrage. This time, the blood magic-summoned Tehalt—unlike before—can't even swing his club against her rapid assault and keeps getting pushed back.
Puk!
She slips through a brief opening, her sword piercing Tehalt's duplicate right in the heart. The blade hits dead center, and the duplicate scatters downward as red liquid.
"Hah, hah. How was that, sunbae?"
"Pass. Wanna spar with Dex too?"
"Can't it be Finn? The guy I killed."
"Confidence-building's good, but looks like you need some real skill to mock-battle in the training ground."
Shin Yu-hee wanted to face the more composed Finn, but unfortunately, Finn wasn't registered as a training opponent. He must not have caught the eye of management—especially Chekhov.
"Or should I spar with you?"
"......No. Not right now."
I lightly hefted the weapon at my waist with one hand, but Shin Yu-hee leveled both swords at me and backed away.
"Sunbae. Holding that makes you seem even scarier somehow."
"Me?"
"It's just a hand axe, but it feels like you'd lop my head off if I blinked..."
Her eyes were locked on the weapon in my grip—a hand axe. Sturdy wooden handle, solid iron blade. Nothing like the massive axes orcs or minotaurs wield; this was compact.
"Wrong."
"What is?"
"I could lop your head off even without blinking."
"...You're not joking?"
"Of course not."
Shin Yu-hee backed up further. Part fear, but she was also picking up on the subtle vibe I was giving off. Not quite full killing intent yet, but the strong will to kill someone leaking as mana—she sensed it faintly.
'Sensitive to mana too. Among heroes, she'd rank A-tier—no, S-tier?'
Detecting it without forming her own mana? 'This is on par with Alice's Phantom, Magic Bullet, or even the Briton Knight Commander. Did she die before her talents could bloom?'
I'd never heard the name Shin Yu-hee among heroes before regression. Which made her even more promising, worth investing in. How strong could this woman get?
"Sunbae. You really gonna spar with that? Right now?"
"Why? Scared?"
"......A bit, yeah."
Her gaze dropped to my feet. One step forward, and she'd swing instantly. Good instincts. Recognizing an unbeatable foe and retreating is essential for a hero's long-term survival.
"Sunbae. If it's okay, can I watch you fight sometime?"
"Watch? Me?"
"Yeah. I wanna study how you do it."
"Sure. Gimme your sword. I'll show you how to fight with it. First—"
"Ah?!"
I took the sword from Shin Yu-hee to teach her practical swordsmanship when—
"Uh, ugh...?"
An unexpected face appeared.
"Choi Yu-jin?"
I knew her, even if she didn't recognize me. The woman who'd sucked my dick and scarfed ten exchange vouchers was standing at the training ground entrance.
Long black straight hair, tall stature. I hadn't noticed before, but she had decent curves—not quite Shin Yu-hee's level, but solid. The change from when she first dropped here? A leather chestplate over her prison garb for protection, and a spear with a sharpened tip in hand, staring right at us.
"......."
"......."
Awkward silence stretched. Shin Yu-hee sidled up beside me, sword lowered but ready to thrust at a moment's notice, eyeing Choi Yu-jin warily.
"Um, excuse me."
"What?"
"I heard you can train here for free... That right, oppa?"
"Yeah."
"Oppa?"
Shin Yu-hee shot me a look at the nickname.
"Sunbae. You know her?"
"Know of her. Korea University Business, Choi Yu-jin. You know too."
"Not like that. Personally?"
"Never said hi face-to-face."
Though she has sucked my dick.
"Put your hand here to search opponents. It'll show wins, rank, difficulty—like a status window. Check that."
"Th-thanks. ...Um. If it's not too rude... how many exchange vouchers you got right now?"
Blatant rudeness, but unlike others, she wasn't desperately trying to leech.
"Us? Just three left."
"Oh, I-I see."
She smiled in odd relief. If dropouts from groups were relieved at three vouchers while we rocked proper armor, they'd be idiots. But her smile wasn't that. For a split second, her eyes flicked to her own chest.
'Traded the vouchers from blowing me for gear?'
Spear and armor. Spears easier to pick up than swords—solid choices.
"You?"
"...Four. What's left after buying this."
"Huh."
Ask or not? Asking might drag me into busybody territory, and Shin Yu-hee might get uncomfortable.
"Sunbae. Something feels off."
"What? How she got the vouchers?"
"Nah, she got 'em somehow. What bugs me is... she's solo."
I thought she'd ignore Choi Yu-jin and suggest leaving, but Shin Yu-hee showed mild interest.
"Maybe we can get info on the groups. Like she split off, or whatever."
"Recruit her to the party?"
"Not exactly, but..."
"Share a room and let her see everything we do?"
"Ah, no! That's a no-go. ...Sunbae."
"Why."
"You don't just... do that with any girl, right?"
"Kinda. If I like 'em or it's beneficial."
I reached around her back, giving her ass a light squeeze.
"Hey, Choi Yu-jin. Info swap. Deal?"
"Sure. You first. I'll answer what I know."
"Why solo?"
"I left."
"Left?"
"Yeah. I traded vouchers I worked hard for—not physically hard, but anyway—for this spear and armor, and they wanted to make it 'shared property.'"
"......?"
Odd word for this place.
"Shared, what?"
"Party shared property. I bought it with my vouchers to use myself, but they said let's rotate 15 minutes each for combat training."
"So you bailed?"
"Yeah. Other reasons too..."
She trailed off deliberately.
"What?"
"......."
"Don't wanna say, fine, but we're not—"
"They said let's all pool money to live off, so I cussed them out and went solo."
.......?
"What?"
"So..."
"Borrowing vouchers? From who? Shemiri the chef?"
"No. She doesn't lend vouchers. Though she does weird orders... Wait, more importantly."
Choi Yu-jin stepped forward, spear held back.
"You ever heard the name Helma?"