Ways to Pass as a Man (5)
There had been the issue that my inner energy was colorless, lacking any distinct hue. But even so, the training sessions with Eunyoung noona proceeded smoothly after she began instructing me.
Of course, since it was colorless inner energy that didn't visibly manifest, she couldn't instantly gauge how much power I possessed. For that reason, we decided to progress by gradually increasing the difficulty starting from the most basic stances.
"You can't handle energy all that well yet, but I'll show you a simple demonstration."
Eunyoung noona, pulling out her greatsword for the first time in ages, assumed her stance and swung at a training log. With a thunk!, her blade sank halfway into the wood.
"That's just a plain swing." She positioned another log and swung again in the exact same stance. But this time, she clearly emanated a purple aura around her body.
Kwajajak! Even with the identical sword and posture, the difference in inner energy produced an entirely different level of power. Staring at the thick log neatly bisected into two halves, it was hard to believe this woman had been retired for nearly twenty years. With skills like that, she could probably jump right back in and handle D-rank monsters without issue.
"That's the difference between infusing energy or not. The same technique becomes a whole different beast when charged with energy."
"...I see."
"Your turn, Taekyung. Start without any energy... no, inner energy, for the first try."
Mimicking the swing she'd just shown, I gripped my greatsword and drove it straight into a training log. My blade buried itself three-quarters of the way through.
"...You really did that without using any inner energy?"
"Yeah, I did."
"...Well, your basic physical abilities are already better than most hunters, at least."
In this world, the strength gap between men and women often came down to awakening abilities. If trained equally, it was only natural for me, a man, to have superior baseline stats compared to female Awakeners. Of course, the moment awakening abilities or inner energy entered the equation, that physical disparity became irrelevant.
"Then try swinging with inner energy this time. Your swordsmanship awakening might be separate from the nature of the energy flowing through you—it could be closer to something other than standard energy."
"That happens?"
"Rarely, but it does exist. Most cases are multi-awakeners, though."
"Got it."
Following her advice, I visualized channeling my inner energy firmly into my greatsword. Then I brought it down with all my might on the training log before me.
Wa-jajajak! With a deafening crash, the log shattered completely, scattering chunks across the training ground.
"......"
Eunyoung noona fell silent, as if questioning what she'd just witnessed, stroking her chin once more.
"I still have no idea what kind of power you're wielding, kid... Auntie really can't figure it out."
She gave a troubled reply, her expression as perplexed as ever.
The private lesson with Eunyoung noona continued for several more hours after that. In terms of content alone, it wasn't all that different from what she'd taught me back in middle school when I was obsessed with greatswords. But now I understood that blending in the right amount of inner energy enabled far stronger and more varied attacks.
Her training, grounded in real combat experience, proved immensely helpful in multiple ways.
"Hmmm..."
Eunyoung noona, however, wore a puzzled look throughout, seemingly unable to grasp the nature of my inner energy even by the end.
"It doesn't feel refined enough to be pure energy, but it's too physically potent to be magic. The way it radiates almost seems mixed with holy power... The more I look, the more ambiguous it gets."
Even without telling her about my fire magic or healing spells, she'd already pieced together this much. An S-rank hunter's insight was nothing to dismiss. Someday I'd reveal the other aspects of my awakening, but for now, it wasn't the right time. Better to keep her focus solely on swordsmanship instruction rather than scattering her attention with extra info.
Since it involved training body control awakening abilities, there were plenty of opportunities for physical contact, which was a bonus.
"Taekyung, your stance is off. Bend your waist more."
"Like this?"
"No, not dropping your arms—your waist! Watch noona... er, Auntie, and follow along!"
"Ah, so like this?"
"No! I said watch my stance and mimic it, not wrap yourself around me from behind!!"
Whenever a chance for body contact with Eunyoung noona arose, I'd deliberately touch her or press our bodies together. By the time our physical-contact-heavy private lesson wrapped up, her projected points had risen to 30.
It was a bit disappointing that ten hours of training only netted a 10-point gain. But the fact that she was starting to feel desire for me, even a little, was progress in the right direction.
From the moment I'd decided to target Eunyoung noona—my childhood friend's mom—I'd known it wouldn't be easy. No point complaining now.
Of course, I approached the swordsmanship lessons seriously too, mastering the basics of energy use to a point where I could handle them all.
"I just... no matter how many times I watch, I can't make sense of it."
"That weird?"
"Each swing makes your inner energy look more like standard energy, but then it doesn't quite feel like it. Yet calling it something else doesn't fit either. It's so bizarre..."
After hearing her explain the differences between energy and magic, and swinging with more of an "energy-handling" mindset, she did note it resembled energy manipulation. But she clearly didn't sense it as identical to true energy.
I hadn't fully grasped the nature of the power in my own body yet, so it was no surprise Eunyoung noona—who could only judge by appearances—couldn't confirm it either.
Still, since I could perform all the feats possible with energy, no major issues arose.
"That's enough for today's lesson."
"Tomorrow too?"
"No, next one's in a week. Cramming too much at once won't let you internalize it all."
I'd hoped for back-to-back sessions tomorrow and the day after to build desire through skinship. Losing my best shot left me pretty bummed.
"Spend the week swinging in dungeons or wherever, getting a solid feel for energy-infused swordsmanship. I can lend you the training ground if needed, but I recommend real combat. That's the fastest way."
"Got it, noona."
"And drop that 'noona' already..."
Here's hoping I see that blushing face on the bed three days from now.
"Oh my, it's this late already."
After finishing the private lesson with Eunyoung noona and stepping out of the training ground, time had flown by, nearly past lunchtime. Whether from intense focus on training or sheer enjoyment of time with her, I couldn't say.
Either way, with mealtime overdue, it was a perfect excuse to extend our time together. The moment she mentioned the hour, the words slipped out of my mouth.
"If it's not too much trouble, could I stick around for lunch?"
"Oh, you want to?"
"Please."
"Hehe, then I get to eat with my son after so long."
Of course, I had no intention of just eating and leaving. Unlike most women, Eunyoung noona was a decent cook, and with my combined 20+ years of solo living from my past life and this one, I planned to flirt in the kitchen while prepping lunch together.
"Eunyoung noona, let me help with lunch."
"Nonsense, you're the guest—sit and relax."
"You just called me your son."
"You were the one who said you're not."
"......"
"Anyway, no kitchen for you~. Today's the day Mom feeds her son a home-cooked meal~."
Her nonchalant comeback suggested there'd be no room for me in the kitchen today. As I pondered just waiting obediently for the meal, my sweat-soaked shirt caught my eye.
And with that, a far better plan than kitchen flirting flashed through my mind.
"Alright, I'll rest then."
"Smart boy."
"So, mind if I borrow the bathroom while you prep?"
"...Why the bathroom all of a sudden?"
"Training made me sweat a ton. Figured I'd wash up during prep."
It was a crude, straightforward seduction tactic even by my standards. But nothing stimulated desire quite like this.