Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Basic Combat Training
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"It's perfect timing—month-end is just around the corner.
"We'll start the Awakener Basic Combat Training at the end of the month. You'll need to complete about two weeks of theoretical education first.
"After that, there's a written exam. Fail it, and you're stuck waiting until next month no matter what. Pass, and you move on to the practical exam. For reference, the practical is done alongside instructors in simulated real-world scenarios, and that also lasts two weeks. Fail there, and it's back to square one. Any other questions?"
A full month-long course.
Not a short time by any means.
That's because so many Awakeners rush headlong at monsters without knowing the first thing about their powers and end up dead. Hence the written and practical training for everyone.
Pretty systematic, all things considered.
Just this alone could drastically cut Awakener mortality rates.
The moment he heard the date, Su-hyeok did some quick math in his head.
'It's the 26th now, so five days left.'
Then another full month of training starting five days from now. A lot more delay than he'd expected.
Not what he'd anticipated, but what could he do?
Su-hyeok nodded.
"Ah... Got it."
No point pushing—it wouldn't change a thing.
If there was any prep to do, it was making sure he didn't flunk the first exam and waste another month earning money.
"Alright then, you're good to go. I'll send a muster text the day before, just in case."
Su-hyeok gave a light bow and left the Awakener Association building.
Still plenty of time before his family got off work.
Unlike the frantic subway rush earlier when money was burning a hole in his pocket, he had some breathing room now.
"Maybe run home from here?"
He had to train nonstop for the next five days anyway. Not a bad idea.
So Su-hyeok ran.
All the way from Yeouido to Eungam.
It took a good while, but the vibrant health surging through his upgraded body felt amazing.
Those five days flew by in a flash.
Su-hyeok trained relentlessly the whole time.
Running, horse stance drills, honing his martial techniques.
The new addition compared to before was horse stance training.
Otherwise known as the riding stance—bracing like you're astride a horse. Basic physical conditioning for any martial artist. Most power comes from the core and lower body, and this stance targeted those areas hard.
The Force System even acknowledged it once with a strength increase notification.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Strength has increased. Running boosted his stamina by 1, too.
Proof you could raise stats without even leveling up.
He'd grown on the internal energy front, as well.
By standard reckoning, he now had about three years' worth.
For reference, that "years" metric assumes four hours of daily meditation morning and night with a third-rate cultivation method. Su-hyeok's growth rate was blazing fast by comparison. Probably thanks to the Portal Impact thickening Earth's qi density.
Breaking through limits with the Nature Primordial Art and opening his Ren and Du meridians meant he could wield this energy with total ease—real-world effects several times stronger.
Put it this way: with those meridians open, he was strong for a second-rate martial artist but not quite first-rate. Plenty of gaps there.
Right in the middle.
A typical second-rater could toy with ten burly men, hunt wolves easily—maybe struggle with tigers or bears.
Su-hyeok was a cut above. With tactics and a bit of luck, he could take a tiger.
Incredible progress for someone back on Earth less than a month.
And finally, August 31st.
Su-hyeok rose early for the 9 a.m. muster text and ran to Yeouido.
Worth all the hard work?
As he neared Yeouido, some welcome news hit.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding-! Stamina has increased by 1. Training made you stronger—that was a given. But seeing concrete proof of his growth hit different. Felt great.
He arrived at the Association entrance refreshed.
Phone check: 8:50 a.m. Ten minutes early.
Surprising part? A solid fifty people already gathered.
'Around fifty, huh?'
Rumor had it one in ten thousand normals Awakened.
Korea's fifty million population meant about five thousand Awakeners possible.
Of course, theory and reality rarely matched.
'If everything went by the numbers, mathematicians would rule the world.'
Some here might be retakers from last month or earlier.
Rare, but no-shows were probably a thing, too.
No hard stats, but Korea's Awakener count had to exceed the five thousand baseline.
'Still, not over ten thousand.'
Less than ten thousand out of fifty million.
0.02% odds. From defending against invasions to raiding otherworlds for resources—Awakeners were indispensable, no question.
Even felt like there weren't enough bodies.
Portals—gateways to otherworlds linked to Earth—numbered in the dozens, he'd heard.
Some friendly, plenty hostile.
New ones popped up daily, Hunters closed others.
No need to zoom out to Earth or the world—Korea's cramped peninsula was in dire straits.
Case in point: Pyongyang fell undefended when a portal ripped open.
North Korea's regime crumbled with it.
Now otherworld species dominated most of that land. Korea still held only half the peninsula, threats looming north. Civilians and media stayed away—too risky. Enemy scale unknown, but definitely not small.
Under ten thousand Awakeners, and not all chose Guardian. Not every Guardian camped the front lines year-round, either.
Most did a month out of every twelve, personally.
Impossible to hold the old North—now death's land—with them alone against otherworld hordes.
National borders held thanks to allied nations and other-dimensional reinforcements.
Funny thing: the whole world backed Korea here. China and Russia especially hard. If the peninsula fell, those hordes' fangs, claws, spears, swords, and magitech would turn their way next.
'And other dimensions...
Not just different countries.
Different worlds entirely.
Lifestyles, ideologies, goals—all alien. And yet...
Some formed alliances with Earth and humanity. Portals linking dimensions willy-nilly forced tech and power-sharing.
Su-hyeok had never met an otherworlder.
Even friendly ones shunned media exposure. All he'd seen were rare photos and clips.
Through screens, they looked surreal: pointy-eared elves mingling with humans, beast-faced, furred bipeds. Ironic, standing among Earthlings.
A ticklish breeze brushed Su-hyeok's ear.
Then a loud voice rang out.
"Looks like about 48 in total."
The speaker was far off.
Yet it rang crystal-clear in his ear.
Not telepathy, obviously.
Basic telepathy lacked vocal timbre—drone-like machine speech. Supreme arts like Six Harmonies Telepathy were another story.
This voice was low, feminine, richly toned.
Like someone carrying the words right to him.
Su-hyeok glanced over.
There: a beauty over 170 cm, snow-white skin, arms crossed.
Distinctive pointed ears.
He realized he'd just met a legendary elf.
Couldn't help but marvel.
'Wow, a real elf.'
Su-hyeok had seen beauties aplenty on the Huanhua Continent, but none matched this. Porcelain skin, pert nose, sea-blue eyes, cascading platinum hair—ethereal aura and all.
Like she stepped from a painting.
Outshone any celeb or elf he'd glimpsed online.
As eyes widened in awe around her, a smile curved the elf woman's lips.
"Pleased to meet you, Earthling candidates.
"I am Shar Cal Eluriate, dispatched from Elvenheim to Earth as chief instructor for this batch of trainees. Feel free to call me Instructor Shar."
The candidates' stunned silence was expected, but icy.
'Why's the nickname so cute outta nowhere? She's no puppy.'
Maybe others thought the same. Undeterred, Shar pressed on.
"First time an elf's training Earthlings, so you've got questions, I'm sure.
"Time's short—I'll take exactly three."
A hand shot up instantly.
'A student?'
A girl in uniform, for some reason.
"Name...?"
Shar's gaze flicked to her name tag.
"Baek Yi-yeon. Nineteen."
Baek Yi-yeon beamed, volunteering her age unasked.
'High schooler? Looks younger.'
Su-hyeok, who'd pegged her for middle school, tilted his head.
"Cadet Baek Yi-yeon, good to meet you. Ask away."