Chapter 76: Exchange Match (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 76: Exchange Match (1)
Late dawn.
The faint scent of lavender drifted through the air.
The room was silent, not even the sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.
An hour when all were deep in slumber.
Yoon Chae-ha lay on her back, staring silently at the ceiling.
The sheets were a mess, her hair disheveled.
She slowly raised her right hand.
Her crimson eyes followed its slow ascent.
“……”
She recalled the moment Yu Hana's sword had cut her down the previous evening.
Those sword strikes, scattering like flower petals.
That sharp flash of the blade, piercing the very axis of her magic circle.
On the outside, she’d acted as if nothing was wrong, getting up to continue training.
But inside.
Inside, she was seething.
A sensation like boiling lava.
And yet, at the center of that roiling heat, there was something strangely solid and reassuring.
Deep in her heart, the Yang Energy Jung Hae-in had given her was breathing softly.
A hot, heavy sensation.
She didn't know how to properly wield it yet—she could only feel it—but its presence was undeniable.
If anything, that sensation spurred her on even more.
‘I lost.’
Not just lost. I was crushed. The gap between us was absurd.
She placed a hand on her forehead and let out a long sigh.
Even the dawn air felt warm, all because of whatever was simmering inside her.
Her fingers slowly curled into a fist.
“…I won’t lose next time.”
The words that escaped her lips were low and clear.
The room, and the night, remained quiet.
But her mind was still filled with a storm of scattering petals.
That night, she lost countless times…
And countless times, she got back up.
*
-Ting.
Just as I was getting ready to leave my room, my Watch chimed with a notification.
I turned on the screen. It was a message from the Association.
[Hero Jung Hae-in. Your reward has been prepared. Please visit the Association at your convenience.]
It said my reward was ready and that I should stop by whenever I had time.
“…I wonder what they prepared.”
I muttered quietly after reading the message.
I’m willing to accept it, as long as it’s something the others and I can use.
After all, even though I was the one who got it, letting us into Bulgaram's Workshop must have been a big decision for the Association.
I had to stop by at some point anyway.
I needed to visit the Association with Yoon Chae-ha about the Jewel of the Evil God.
This weekend… that should be the perfect time.
Saturday. I don’t have anything scheduled, so it seems like a good day for it.
I opened the message field on my Watch and typed a short reply.
[I will visit on Saturday morning.]
I hit send and turned off the screen.
“Oh, right.”
Suddenly, I remembered the Glory Group stock I’d invested in.
It seemed to be skyrocketing lately.
I opened my account balance for the first time in a while to check.
“…Whoa.”
A short gasp escaped my lips.
It had grown far more than I’d expected—no, it was beyond my imagination.
It was enough to make me want to quit being a hero and everything else right then and there.
Of course, I had no intention of actually doing that.
It was about time I sold some of it. Even cashing out a portion would give me a pretty hefty sum.
I slowly closed the screen.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to browse the Auction with the funds I get.
“Okay.”
There’s a lot to do. No need to rush.
I just need to tackle things one by one.
I stood up.
Time had flown by.
It was time to head to class.
*
“Ah, what the… seriously.”
Gaon Academy places a huge emphasis on physical fitness.
Something about a hero’s stamina being the nation’s strength.
That’s why they have a tradition of holding a mandatory, unannounced physical fitness test once a month.
For every grade level.
In the original story, this was a device to make sure no one slacked off on their physical training.
I was sure this month’s test had already happened while I was in the hospital.
I was so happy about it, too…
But I was wrong.
Today was the day.
Sweat was pouring down my face, and I still hadn’t fully caught my breath.
There are no classes on the day of the fitness test.
Not just classes—Gaon cancels all scheduled activities.
Which meant today’s mentor-mentee session was off.
The scoreboard displayed the real-time rankings for the day’s test.
[Jung Hae-in - 3rd Place]
Third place among all first-years.
Gaon wasn’t the only one who valued physical fitness.
The Old Man was thorough in that regard, so I’d never slacked on my own training.
Besides, I’d been running with Yu Hana every morning, so it wasn’t like I’d completely lost my edge.
One by one, students finished and made their way from the track up to the stands.
They all collapsed onto the ground or grumbled curses at Gaon.
Kang A-rin and Yu Hana had taken first and second place, respectively.
For some reason, they had both already disappeared.
They probably went to shower first. They must have been sweating a lot.
It seemed they’d headed straight for the dorms after finishing.
Just then, Sion, who had just finished, came panting up into the stands.
I walked over to him.
“Good work.”
“Yeah… but don’t get too close. I’m all sweaty…”
Sion grimaced, then gave a slight smile and backed away.
Then he disappeared in the direction of the dorms.
I looked around again.
By the way, there’s one person I don’t see…
“Where’s Cheon Yeo-wool?”
It was obvious.
She must have noticed what was happening and made a quick escape.
The nerve. I’ll have to punish her with a flick to the forehead when I see her…
Just then, I saw someone else slowly walking over from the far side of the track.
Staggering steps. Slumped shoulders. A gym uniform soaked in sweat.
It was Yoon Chae-ha.
Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and her uniform was completely drenched.
And yet, she walked to the very end.
I was momentarily surprised.
All the students from Carlos, except for Joo Seo-jun, had dropped out.
And even Joo Seo-jun was outside the top ten.
It couldn’t be helped. That was only natural.
Mages had low stamina, and Carlos was a school that specialized in magic.
But she hadn’t given up.
Slowly but surely, she had finished the race and was now walking up into the stands.
Through the strands of hair stuck to her forehead, I could see her eyes.
Our eyes met.
Her breathing was still ragged and her lips were parched, but a fierce spirit burned in her eyes.
I could feel their blazing intensity.
It seemed yesterday’s defeat had really lit a fire under her.
Knowing her personality, she probably hadn’t slept well either.
Perfect timing.
I now had a good excuse to take her to the Association this weekend.
“You really pushed through.”
I walked up to her.
Yoon Chae-ha, still gasping for breath, just gave a slight nod.
Then she threw herself against the stands, leaning back.
Heat radiated from her body in visible waves.
Her wet hair clung to her forehead as beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks.
I chuckled and sat down next to her.
“Get some rest.”
Right now, that was all she needed to hear.
Because from now on, she was going to work even harder.
Even if I did nothing, she would push herself, digging in more ferociously than ever.
Because of the fitness test, all classes and the Exchange Match team meeting were canceled.
Today was basically a day off. There was nothing else scheduled.
Just then, Yoon Chae-ha, who had been silently cooling down, suddenly opened her eyes a sliver.
“Tonight… could you… mentor me…?”
And before she could even finish her sentence, her eyes closed again.
“Ha.”
It seemed the fire within Yoon Chae-ha had been well and truly lit.
*
Late evening. The training ground was quiet.
Gaon’s surprise fitness test had sent all the students into a state of rest.
Cheon Yeo-wool walked across the empty training ground.
From a private room at the far end, a series of explosions echoed out.
A familiar sensation stirred a memory.
A certain memory surfaced in her mind.
The same training ground, the same teacher—only the student was different.
“…Seong Si-woo.”
Jung Hae-in opened his mouth, looking at the man.
“At this rate… you can’t beat anyone.”
His firm voice cut across the training ground.
He was cornered. Desperate.
He had lost the Vanquisher to the Apostles and had come to realize their terrifying strength firsthand.
That was why he had no choice but to push Seong Si-woo, his only hope, even more relentlessly in his training.
But Seong Si-woo just scoffed at his warning.
“What’s the big deal?”
He looked up at Jung Hae-in.
“I’m strong enough.”
And in truth, he hadn’t been pushed back in his recent spar with Yohan.
Seong Si-woo believed he had grown stronger, and he was drunk on that belief.
Jung Hae-in was the only one burning with anxiety.
But Seong Si-woo had no way of knowing his urgency.
“I appreciate you teaching me this and that… but don’t cross the line.”
He raised his sword and pointed it at Jung Hae-in.
“To be honest, I think I’ll be able to beat you soon, too.”
Jung Hae-in stared at him with dead eyes.
As always, he was probably retracing his own mistakes first.
‘Was I too impatient?’
‘Was I forcing him?’
‘Was my method wrong?’
And just like before, he would have blamed himself again.
“…Ungrateful bastard.”
Cheon Yeo-wool gritted her teeth.
Her fists were clenched so tightly that blood was about to seep out.
He always sacrificed himself.
Therefore, this scene, repeating itself now beyond the training room wall, grated on her nerves.
If she showed even the slightest sign of being like him…
If I decide she’s of no use…
I will cut her off without mercy.
Just like I did with him.
Hae-in was too kind, too compassionate.
This was her job—Cheon Yeo-wool’s job.
She quietly used her Clairvoyance to see through the training room wall.
It was a skill she had reacquired after the decisive battle with the Apostle.
And she saw.
Shattered walls, a floor deeply scarred with the marks of training, and a girl on her knees in the center of the room.
Yoon Chae-ha.
She was gasping for breath, her hands on her knees.
Jung Hae-in raised his Watch to check the time, then spoke.
-You worked hard today. You must be exhausted from the fitness test, so let’s call it a day.
His tone was neither firm nor soft.
It was his usual way of respecting the other person.
Yoon Chae-ha collapsed right where she was.
Then, after catching her breath for a moment, she spoke.
-If it’s okay with you… I want to keep going….
Cheon Yeo-wool’s brow twitched.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes had been blazing crimson for a while now.
She quickly checked Jung Hae-in’s reaction.
He lowered his head slightly, stroking his chin.
‘Ah…’
Cheon Yeo-wool knew.
That was a habit of his, something he did when he was pleased.
Moreover.
From an angle Yoon Chae-ha couldn’t see, he was smiling.
‘He’s happy.’
He was. Jung Hae-in was happy.
“…Hmph.”
Cheon Yeo-wool let out a long breath.
The blue light shimmering in her eyes subsided.
There seemed to be no need to watch any longer.
“Well…”
Sion’s words came to mind.
‘Don’t you think she might be a little different?’
He was right.
At first, I was suspicious. I refused to believe it until I saw it for myself.
But that scene just now was clearly different.
Even just from that one glimpse, I could tell.
‘I’ll admit it.’
Yoon Chae-ha was different from Seong Si-woo.
Cheon Yeo-wool quietly lowered her head.
And slowly, she turned and walked away from the training ground.
