Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Shin-woo's Glorious First Training
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Shin-woo's glorious first training session naturally didn't go smoothly from the start.
"Uh, first, get into position like this, and here you adjust the joint movement..."
He lacked confidence in what he was doing.
The Best Trainer trait recommended postures perfectly suited to his training partner and even displayed video footage visible only to Shin-woo—but since it was his first time, properly teaching it to others was tough.
"Oh, this actually makes my body feel more comfortable."
"I can even feel my muscles loosening up."
"...Really? You're not just hyping me up to boost your son's ego, are you?"
"I'm telling you, it's real! My back's been stiff lately, but doing the exercises like you said loosened the muscles right up, and now this cool sensation is spreading everywhere. It's great. I should do this at home sometimes too."
"...This actually works?"
But as always, the first step is the hardest.
It might take ten years to go from zero to one, but from one to ten takes less than a year.
After realizing through his nearly ordinary parents that his trait was the real deal, Shin-woo started flying high in earnest.
"Noona! Your waist is way too stiff! Relax your strength, take deep breaths, and release the tension or you'll get hurt!"
"Kyaah! I'm dying! I'm dying! Ahh, looks like I won't see the end of my pension after all... I'll collapse right here..."
"You won't die from this. Come on, I'll support you. One, two, three."
"Urghkyakyak!"
Starting with Hyo-rin, whose stiffness rivaled a wooden plank in exchange for her alchemy flexibility—
"Se-jin hyung. Your muscles are finely developed. But there's a lot of strain on your wrists and shoulders. Especially the difference between your hammering hand and the other one is huge, right? That can make daily life uncomfortable, so let's activate those unused muscles. Sound good?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with that."
"Great! Then try the posture I'm showing you—just 100 times lightly."
"...Ten times?"
"Pardon? One hundred. One, ten, hundred—the hundred."
"...Fine, you're from the same bloodline as Shin-hyeok. Got it, let's do it."
Bang Se-jin followed, his stamina and build solid from workshop work but his physical balance off-kilter.
During the process, Se-jin's gaze toward Shin-woo cooled sharply, but Shin-woo, lost in the thrill of using his new ability, didn't notice.
Having gotten a feel for the Best Trainer trait through these prior subjects, Shin-woo stood before his final one.
"Su-ah noona. Looking forward to working with you."
"What are you saying? I'm the one begging you. Trainer Choi Shin-woo?"
"Ugh, noona, you really sound like one of hyung's friends right now."
"...That was an insult, right?"
"Alright, let's start training right away. Member."
Han Su-ah.
Excluding Shin-hyeok, she was the top prospect player at present—and his final training subject.
Unlike the others, since Su-ah was actively playing as a player, her training differed.
Ziiiiiing!
"It's a mana force field. Gravity intensifies inside, so you have to handle even the same weight more delicately. Plus, the mana flowing within helps build your mana stat—two birds with one stone."
"Nice, let's go!"
Player-exclusive equipment appeared one after another—none seen before—and Su-ah swiftly adapted, using them correctly and assuming the right postures per Shin-woo's guidance.
By the time she'd cycled through five or six machines and fixed her form where needed...
"Whoa! My stats went up! Evenly across the board!"
"Really? Phew, good thing. I figured it wouldn't be much different since you're a player."
Su-ah had gained the stats she'd aimed for.
Not a single one missing—they'd all risen evenly—and she lit up with joy.
Shin-woo also sighed in relief at achieving his targeted results.
"Hoo! Training's done for today, so shall we head back and rest?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
"We've just laid the foundation. Can't quit now. Let's do a bit more. I feel like we can do even better."
"R-Really? Then... maybe a little more...?"
But Shin-woo wasn't satisfied there.
We can do better.
With that thought, he grabbed Su-ah as she tried to leave.
She still had some stamina left at that point, so she obliged his request—but—
"Shin-woo-ya, noona's really sorry, if I did something wrong I'll apologize, so please, can we stop for today and go home?"
As the session dragged on—one hour, two, three—without end, Su-ah finally lost it.
Shin-woo shook his head at her machine-gun plea, sprawled on the gym floor the instant a set ended.
"Just one more set. I really think we can do better this time!"
"Shin-woo!!! All my stats went up over 50 today! That's plenty! My stomach's bursting! Bursting, I tell you!"
Gold Tier average stats were 500.
And in just one day.
Not even playing Dimension Arena, every stat growing by 50 was massive progress for Su-ah.
But the cost was unprecedented stamina drain.
Of course—
"Your muscles know the answer, noona. One more set after this, and you'll truly be depleted—so let's do one more."
"Ah..."
It didn't faze Shin-woo, who could read a trainee player's physical state in detail thanks to Best Trainer.
In the end, sweat-drenched Su-ah pleaded with Shin-hyeok.
The others had fled to other floors, terrified by Shin-woo's manic training, leaving only him.
"Shin-hyeok! Save me!"
"Shin-woo, you're doing great. Work her to death."
"Hey!!! Choi Shin-hyeok!!!"
"Su-ah, don't you trust your friend? Learn well this time."
"You!!! Why aren't you doing it? You too!!!"
"Sorry. My stats rise just fine from Dimension Arena alone, so I don't need to."
"...Urghk!"
True friends always delight in each other's suffering.
Shin-hyeok flatly refused her plea with a beaming smile.
He even smoothly dodged her "die together" water ghost tactic.
A perfect evasion befitting the hottest player lately.
Especially her follow-up auto-counter that downed Su-ah, who then got dragged to the next machine by Shin-woo grabbing her nape.
"I curse you! I definitely curse you!"
"Curse me lots. I learned Necromancy too, so I can do curse stuff."
"Uwaaaaa!!! Why did heaven birth me, but also Yi Hwang, the Three Sages, Five Kings, Choi Shin-hyeok, and all those Diamond and Platinum players!!!???"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
"I'll get strong later and get revenge! Just you wait!"
"Sure, sure, I'll wait. Fighting. My friend Han Su-ah. Good girl!"
"Ugh, you're really pissing me off. Shin-woo, let's go right now. I'm so annoyed, it'll make the workout great."
"Yep, noona."
With Shin-hyeok needling her from the side, Su-ah finally exploded, springing up from the floor using her waist's momentum and hopping onto the machine.
Anger was always prime fuel, so Shin-woo smiled at the fuming Su-ah settling in, then gave Shin-hyeok a thumbs-up.
Leaving Su-ah to burn her stamina and rage for that final set, Shin-hyeok exited All Mighty Gym.
"Shin-woo will do fine. I've set the stage well, and he's getting the hang of his ability. Now, time for me to handle my business."
Shin-woo had awakened faster than in his previous life and secured his position quicker too.
Plus, he'd build proficiency from the start by training various players.
Snowballs grow faster the quicker you roll them.
Shin-hyeok was excited to see how fast Shin-woo would grow, having seized his chance even earlier than before.
Of course, he wouldn't neglect his own tasks.
"The national team selection for the National Competition finals. Time to claim it."
The National Competition finals.
The selection for the national representatives headed there awaited him.
Unlike the opening matches, there were no tier restrictions.
Even Silvers or Golds could join if they beat the competition.
But since Dimension Arena appeared...
No non-Diamond player had ever made finals.
And today.
The impossible would happen.
Shin-hyeok boarded the limo waiting outside All Mighty Gym and headed to Taereung for the national team selection.
Taereung Athlete Village.
Once called a holy site for athletes before Dimension Arena, it had since been remade into a training camp for national competition representatives.
Loaded with equipment, staffed by pro trainers, stocked with supplements.
"All Mighty Gym is way better."
But it didn't impress Shin-hyeok.
All Mighty Gym.
Built with only the absolute best for Shin-woo, the future top trainer—its facilities outclassed Taereung.
A collaboration between Legend+ blacksmith Se-jin and Legend+ alchemist Hyo-rin.
And the finishing touch? Shin-woo, naturally.
Taereung's trainers were elite in the industry, but fireflies before the sun next to Shin-woo.
"Should register the national team folks here at All Mighty Gym later. Make 'em Shin-woo's guinea pigs and XP farm."
After touring Taereung while scheming that, Shin-hyeok smiled at the players gathering around him.
"Nice to meet you, seniors."
"...Whoa, it's Choi Shin-hyeok."
"He really came?"
"He's so handsome..."
"Ha, a god at twenty coming to Taereung. He's on another level."
The national team players marveled and chuckled dryly at Shin-hyeok's polite yet confident demeanor.
Soon, they teased him playfully.
"Gonna catch us Platinums like rats too?"
"Scary, scary."
"We won't go down easy. Gotta protect our rice bowls."
Knowing how he'd massacred the opening-match nationals, they laughed while sharpening their senses to probe him.
Feeling two dozen national-level auras scan him, Shin-hyeok chuckled.
Crude. This level just skims the surface. Time to show 'em the real thing.
Their probes were crude, low-rent, deficient.
He'd demonstrate true detection.
Mana Detection.
Shraaaaa!
Invisible mana swept the area, dissecting every soul inside—muscle density, height, weight, stats, energies—all in a blink.
Flinch!
Seeing the players stiffen and step back, Shin-hyeok laughed lightly.
"This is more like it, right?"
"...All our info stripped in an instant?"
"Yes, wasn't hard. You weren't guarded against detection, so it was easy."
"...Ha."
Just as vital as probing others was not getting probed yourself.
The nationals had focused on scanning him, neglecting defense—and paid for it.
Their info laid bare; they'd gleaned nothing solid on him.
Just superficial visuals anyone could see.
Meaningless.
Overwhelming gap.
Speechless, they watched Shin-hyeok loosen up and assume stance.
"Call this the prelim. Now let's spar for real. That's why I came."
"...Treating us like those opening-match kids?"
The nationals scowled at his rush to spar post-prelim.
Of course, Shin-hyeok didn't equate them to opening nationals.
"No way."
"Knew i—"
"So come at me one by one—or two or three at once, I don't mind."
"...What?"
But he wasn't rating them highly either.
Not all at once like opening nationals, but multiples still fine.
Stunned nationals faced Shin-hyeok, now fully geared, gazing down imperiously.
"One technique. Let me teach you."
"...!"
A junior miles below dared utter "teach"—not "learn."
No national stood still for that.
The spar between Shin-hyeok and every Diamond national began.