Midterms Are Solo (2)
Lately, the atmosphere at Valhalla had grown tense, with every student on edge.
And the reason? It went without saying. The academy's midterms were right around the corner.
Valhalla's midterms.
Just hearing the term might make one think it was nothing more than a standard test for high schoolers. But in truth, these exams carried immense weight.
After all, Valhalla Academy used midterm and final exam results to weed out students each semester.
High scorers stayed on. Low scorers got expelled—either transferred to other schools or demoted to the academy's affiliated lower academy.
So at this time of year, every student was hyper-vigilant, prepping for midterms whose subjects hadn't even been announced yet. But as with everything, there were exceptions. Kim Joo-hyuk couldn't have cared less.
Not that he had any intention of acing the exams anyway. Plus, he'd sat through every boring class with Barche out of sheer boredom.
And even if he bombed the midterms, he could always make it up on the finals to qualify for the Great Forest Eye.
...Though if there are more Valhalla-specific requirements there, it'll be a pain.
He'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, Kim Joo-hyuk focused solely on physical training.
"...You want me to teach you how to use the sword?"
Nod.
After finishing their conditioning session, Kim Joo-hyuk caught Choi Ah-rin's anxious expression and thought,
Sword techniques, huh...
His body was finally getting back on track. To reclaim his old instincts from here, it was about time to start swinging a weapon again.
Pure physical training had its limits, after all.
"Fine, whatever."
So he nodded, agreeing to her request.
He had to do it anyway.
But then.
"?"
"?"
"?"
"...Why the hell are you looking at me like that?"
Choi Ah-rin stared at him with an unexpectedly blank expression after his quick agreement. When he asked, she tilted her head in that habitual way of hers and replied,
"Didn't expect you'd say yes right away?"
Kim Joo-hyuk just shrugged at her puzzled look.
"Gotta do it myself anyway."
Truth be told, he had no plans to drill her properly yet. Real instruction would mean ripping apart everything she knew and starting from scratch—which would take forever and do her more harm than good.
All he'd offer for now was sword technique corrections.
And pointers on body mechanics.
That alone should make her way stronger than she is now.
He'd seen her fight before.
Someone who barely used her physical abilities, just pumping out mana mechanically with rote sword forms.
So he figured a few tweaks from him would multiply her strength several times over. Lighthearted, he headed to the training grounds with her.
And then.
"Uh...?"
"Told you. Conditioning is essential."
Choi Ah-rin felt the changes in her body.
***
Ever since meeting Kim Joo-hyuk at Valhalla, Choi Ah-rin hadn't swung her sword once.
Not out of laziness, of course.
The reason was simple: no time.
After starting physical training with him, she hadn't had a single free day.
Mornings: train with Kim Joo-hyuk.
School: attend classes.
After school: train with Kim Joo-hyuk again.
On paper, it sounded like there might be some downtime. Unfortunately, his sessions devoured hours.
Morning workouts wrapped in about two hours for class. After school? He poured everything except dinner and sleep into training.
And Choi Ah-rin followed his hellish regimen to the death, experiencing firsthand just how insane(?) he was.
Even with his scrawny frame, he tackled grueling workouts daily that left her exhausted and immobile.
So she trailed him, collapsed in fatigue every time, and crashed immediately after—per his mantra that "training must be consistent."
Eventually, he started wrapping up faster than usual, but the intensity ramped up to compensate. No difference.
Honestly, she'd been worried.
She'd asked him to teach her after seeing his swordplay, but since her mother's death, she'd never let go of her blade. Now she had—for over a month.
But the moment she gripped it in the training grounds and sparred with him, those worries evaporated in an instant.
"Don't waste mana. Focus it in your soles and explode upward in one burst."
And that was because.
"Twist your body more as you swing—like you're rotating into the cut. Swords slice, not stab."
Choi Ah-rin.
"Not bad. That rising slash from below."
Was stronger than she'd ever imagined—
"Don't overinfuse mana on the draw. It's pointless."
—by leaps and bounds.
Krunch! Boom!
She lunged in a flash, blade whipping toward Kim Joo-hyuk.
A clean slash.
He dodged with effortless ease, but she felt no disappointment.
She could feel how much stronger her body had become.
Sure, she hadn't swung her sword recently.
Yet she was leagues ahead of a month ago—visibly sharper.
Her swings flowed smoother.
Draw speed had noticeably quickened.
Mana efficiency was incomparable.
Reaction time and senses had evolved, if exaggerated a bit.
And every tweak from his words sparked countless improvements. Awe filled her—and with it,
Just how strong... is Joo-hyuk?
Shivers ran down her spine as she faced him, blades clashing.
She was definitely stronger than a month ago.
Guys like Oh Se-hyeok or Yoo So-yeon, whom she'd seen as uncertain wins back then? She could take them now, no doubt.
Maybe even challenge Choi Jin-geon in the next selection exam.
But Kim Joo-hyuk?
Can I even touch him?
Despite her massive gains, victory felt impossible.
Truly, a heaven beyond heaven.
So she cherished this time clashing blades with him, swinging desperately to steal every lesson she could.
Meanwhile, Kim Joo-hyuk parried her assaults, thinking,
She's picking it up faster than I expected.
For his own sake in old age, he'd trained disciples before. He recognized her rapid progress.
If this were three hundred years ago, maybe I'd have taken her as one.
Point out one flaw, she'd fix two or three at once.
Even without explicit guidance on her untrained body, she wielded it awkwardly but authentically.
Above all, conditioning had sharpened her mana control dramatically.
Explosive growth.
Of course, years of neglect meant a month's training unleashed her potential. Still, she learned so quick it made teaching fun.
Better to nurture a flower that blooms beautifully in a month than a weed that just grows long no matter how hard you try.
In that sense, Choi Ah-rin satisfied him fully.
Plus, blocking her frantic strikes was reviving his instincts bit by bit. Not a bad spar for him either.
And as his senses slowly returned,
Hm?
Kim Joo-hyuk sensed something off in her swordplay.
A familiar unease from their first clash.
Back then, he'd smashed her before she could swing properly and shrugged it off. Now, trading blows up close, it hit him: her style felt recognizable.
...What is it?
Oddly, it rang familiar yet differed bizarrely from any sword arts he knew.
Fucking weird.
He observed and parried for a while, then lost interest.
There are countless sword styles in the world.
Three hundred years had passed. Similarities were bound to crop up.
...Though it looks way cruder and less efficient than mine.
Not worth proper instruction, so after an hour of solid sparring, he called it.
"Spar tomorrow too?"
Drenched in sweat, she fixed him with those clear eyes. He smirked.
"Nah."
He actually planned to.
Not for long, but honing his senses mattered, and sparring her achieved that.
His refusal? Pure teasing.
But.
"Okay!"
"...?"
No crestfallen puppy—just her same smile. He blinked, expression odd, and probed.
"Not disappointed?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"You're right."
"...What?"
"Your judgment over mine. I'll follow. Unconditionally."
Her eyes held zero doubt—pure conviction.
Staring at her,
"...Yeah, okay."
Kim Joo-hyuk felt an inexplicable unease, mumbling awkwardly.
And two weeks later.
"I'll now explain the content of the upcoming midterms."
Valhalla's midterms had begun.