Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Acceleration (1)
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Lately, my days have been incredibly busy.
In the mornings, the 'Boiling Pure Blood' forced me to train my body.
After that, I'd attend my classes, and before I knew it, evening would arrive.
Then, I'd have to push through night training.
If I didn't, the beastkin blood would make my heart pound like crazy, and I wouldn't be able to sleep.
Not that I'm complaining, though.
I've always liked working out, and to achieve my goal of breaking into the top 10 rankings within six months, I couldn't afford to skip a single day of training.
The fact that my physical abilities had been growing noticeably faster since I got the pure blood was another reason I was pushing myself.
......Still, I'm just a measly F-rank.
Ah. Now I'm starting to feel depressed.
Seriously, isn't the status window too much of a cheat? Seeing how fast others grow, I can't help but think that.
Sigh.
I flopped onto my bed, spread-eagled.
Realistically, at my current growth rate, there was no way I'd make it into the top 10.
I needed to figure something out...
With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.
* * *
......Instructor?
The next morning.
I ran into Instructor Pi Jinho at the training hall.
Working hard bright and early, I see.
Ah, yes. Thank you.
Why was Instructor Pi Jinho here? Judging by the curious glances from those around us, it didn't seem like he was a regular at the training hall.
Why are you just standing there gawking? If you came to the training hall, then train.
Ah, yes, sir.
He had a point.
Instructor Pi Jinho must have had his reasons for being here. It was none of my business. I started my usual workout routine.
I warmed up with a light run.
Then, I began my usual strength training routine.
Hoo-ooh.
About ten minutes passed like that.
Your form is a mess.
Huh?
Suddenly, I heard Instructor Pi Jinho sigh.
Your posture, your reps, your routineit's all wrong.
......Is it?
I was just doing what I learned from working out at gyms in my original world. Was it really that bad?
It's like you're building muscles just for show.
Ah.
Muscles for show.
He was right.
In my original world, working out was for health and aesthetics.
Hmm. Come to think of it, I made a bit of a mistake last week.
The instructor said pointedly.
He must be talking about the Weapon's Master incident.
How about it? To make up for my mistake. I was thinking of teaching you how to train properly.
My eyes widened.
Whoa.
No way!
Instructor Pi Jinho is going to train him personally? Wow...
I could hear murmurs from the people around us.
Really, sir?
This instructor doesn't like to repeat himself. Are you in or out?
I'm in!
I cheered inwardly.
Instructor Pi Jinho's trait is 'Eyes of Mystery'.
It's an ability that allows him to perceive the human bodyspecifically, the movements of muscles and the skeletondown to the cellular level.
Wow. I'm so jealous.
He hit the jackpot. Seriously.
In other words, Instructor Pi Jinho is a specialist in physical training.
He might even be the best in the world.
To think someone like that would personally train me. It was more than I could ask for.
Good. Then let's start right now.
Yes, sir!
I answered energetically.
And then, the gates of hell opened.
* * *
Haa... haa...
The world was turning yellow.
That's it for today's training. Good work.
Yeees, sir...
I replied weakly.
The hour-long workout was, in a word, 'hell'.
I expected it to be tough, but it was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
Well then, be here at the same time tomorrow.
Under... stood, sirrr.
Instructor Pi Jinho was a demon.
A scientific and systematic demon at that.
Your muscles haven't been pushed to their limit yet.
Judging by your muscle movements, you can do four more reps.
If we set it to 82.92kg, you should be able to do exactly ten.
He wasn't some precision machine, yet he was adjusting the weights down to the hundredth of a kilogram.
But he was right; I could do exactly that many more. It was creepy.
......I think I'll just train by myself.
I must have looked so wrecked that the people who had been watching me with envy were now looking at me with pity.
Me too. I don't think I could do that.
You don't think you can do it?
Do you think I did it because I *could*?
You just do it.
Ah. Make sure you stretch before you shower. And get some protein within thirty minutes.
I didn't even have the energy to reply, so I just gave a small nod.
Hmm. On second thought, you probably don't know how to stretch properly either. I'll show you.
......Sir?
Instructor Pi Jinho put his hands on my body and twisted me into a strange pose, like a piece of modern art.
Uh, um, Instructor?
This is how you stretch.
And then.
Aaaaargh!
Season two of hell had just begun.
* * *
After my hellish training with Pi Jinho ended.
I went to class, where I was now sprawled out on my desk.
Thanks to my beastkin trait, my recovery should be exceptional, but I wasn't showing any signs of recovering.
Just how hard had he pushed me?
Seoyul. Are you okay?
Jia asked from the seat next to me.
......Yeah. Of course.
Of course I wasn't okay.
I turned my head to look up at Jia while still lying on the desk.
Jia took out her phone and tapped it with her finger.
She must have been telling me to check my phone.
......What a pain.
I sluggishly pulled my phone out of my pocket.
[It must be tough acting so exhausted.]
......Right.
Jia thought I was hiding my true strength.
[Tell me about it.]
I didn't even have the energy to type, so I sent a short reply.
[By the way, Seonjonim. Did you see the announcement posted this morning?]
An announcement?
Of course I hadn't seen it.
[What is it?]
[It's about the practical training that starts next week. The team assignments are out.]
Ah.
That.
[Unfortunately, you and I are on different teams, Seonjonim.]
[Since we're both archers.]
[(Crying bunny emoji)]
I glanced over at Jia. Her lips were pouted, which looked quite cute.
[More importantly, your team, Team 3, is a bit of a problem.]
[Why?]
Just then.
Seoyul. You went through a lot this morning.
Ha Siyeon spoke to me.
Huh? Oh.
How is it? Do you feel your muscles bulging with power?
I could feel a strange heat in Ha Siyeon's eyes. Right, she was a serious training addict.
On the contrary, I feel like every muscle in my body is dead...
Ha Siyeon's eyes sparkled.
Wow. Really? I'm so jealous...
......Good grief.
Jealous?
Maybe I should ask him next time. I've been worried lately because I don't get sore no matter how hard I train.
This woman.
She was serious.
Creepy.
Oh, right. I'll be in your care next week.
Next week?
You haven't checked yet? Seoyul. You're on the same practical training team as us.
Ah. So that's what she meant.
Us?
Yep. Me, you, and Cheoljin. And lastly...
I had a bad feeling about this.
The last person couldn't be that jerk, could he?
Jihoon.
Ah.
Why are my bad feelings never wrong?
* * *
That night.
A package arrived from Yuhwa.
It was a stylish black box with the logo [MIC] on it.
The equipment from Made In China had arrived.
I added a dagger to the items from the catalog you gave me. It seemed like you already have a bow.
Yuhwa said over the speaker.
Hmm. Well, since you went to the trouble, I won't refuse it.
As they say, when it comes to items, the more the merrier.
Then I'll be in touch again.
Okay. Take care.
After ending the call, I tossed my phone onto the bed and opened the box.
Ooh.
As expected of Chinese products.
The quality was no joke.
A C-rank necklace.
C-rank shoes.
A B-rank ring.
And finally, a B-rank coat.
The bow and armor Jia had given me were sufficient, so I had mainly requested support items.
The necklace provides a bonus to stamina.
The ring, to strength.
The shoes have a bonus to agility.
The coat is woven with silver thread, offering excellent defense and temperature regulation, making it a masterpiece that can be worn year-round.
Hooray for Chinese products.
I really liked them.
Finally, I decided to check the dagger Yuhwa had sent as a bonus.
The logo is... BS?
Is that right? It was written in such a messy cursive that I couldn't be sure.
What logo was this?
Well, I'd know when I saw it.
Humming a tune, I opened the box marked with 'BS'.
And I was stunned.
......Holy shit. Black Smith?
Is this a Black Smith item?
With trembling hands, I unfolded the certificate of authenticity.
[This certifies that this product is a custom-made item from Black Smith.]
Oh my god.
Black Smith.
This was the name of another workshop in China.
If Made In China competes with quantity, Black Smith competes with quality.
Any equipment engraved with the Black Smith name is at least A-rank.
And since it's custom-made, it's a unique piece of equipment, the only one of its kind in the world.
If my memory serves me right, the production cost for one started at a minimum of 4 billion.
How is this a bonus?
Is this what you call class?
All hail Lady Yuhwa.
With a reverent heart, I took out the dagger.
......This is insane.
The grip fit perfectly in my hand.
Its sleek, black appearance.
Even the elegant patterns engraved on it.
It was a dagger with a simple beauty.
To think this was my weapon. I was moved.
I gave the dagger a light swing through the air. A thrill ran through me at the light yet substantial feeling.
Kuh.
I didn't even need to read the item description to know.
This was a masterpiece of the highest order.
I immediately called Yuhwa. I had to thank her for this!
......What is it? Was something missing?
Yuhwa answered bluntly.
Ms. Yuhwa! This dagger is amazing!
I was excited.
I only gave it a light swing, but the grip, the sharpness, the design... I love everything about it! Thank you so much.
Well, of course. It was worth at least 4 billion.
Who wouldn't be excited to randomly receive an item like this?
......Hmph. So you gave it a light swing. And even felt the grip, you say?
Yuhwa's tone was meaningful as she trailed off.
That means you've equipped it, doesn't it?
......Huh?
In that moment, I realized something was wrong.
That dagger. It has a minimum B-rank requirement to equip. And you felt the grip~
Oh my god.
Mr. Seoyul. You're sloppy in the strangest ways. The fact that you swung the dagger means it's not some kind of carrier trait, either.
......
This proves that your stats are at least B-rank, Mr. Seoyul.
......I've been had.
* * *
Fortunately, Yuhwa hadn't done it just to mess with me.
I had the BS mark removed from the dagger itself, so no one will know it's from Black Smith. I also had the appearance made as plain as possible.
It was actually a considerate gesture.
Since it's custom-made, you won't have to worry about your stats being revealed by equipping it. You can just use it freely.
Yuhwa seemed convinced that I was hiding my strength.
That I had a reason to hide it.
That's why she had prepared this dagger for me.
She said that with custom-made items, as long as you turn off status window viewing, you won't trigger the equipment restrictions, so I could use it as I pleased.
......I appreciate the consideration, but.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd been played.
Still, I got an A-rank dagger for free, so I decided to let it go.
It was good timing, too, since we were allowed to use our own equipment in addition to the training gear for the practical training.
Next, Team 3. Move out.
Yes.
Today was Monday.
The day of the practical training.
It was a simple training exercise: hunt monsters in a safe field near Gangwon Province.
Seoyul. What's that dagger?
While we were moving, Ha Siyeon pointed to the black dagger at my waist. 'Horn of the Hidden Dragon'.
Hmm. I just got it recently. It's for F-ranks.
I see.
Hmph. No logo. Must be a cheap piece of junk you had made at some local workshop.
Choi Jihoon sneered.
Something like that.
I was actually grateful for his sneer.
I hoped he'd keep thinking that.
But Seoyul, you can ignore equipment restrictions, can't you? Do you really need something like that?
Ha Siyeon tilted her head.
It's not a constantly active trait.
Oh, I see. So you can only ignore the restrictions for a certain amount of time.
Something like that.
Lately, it felt like a lie came out every time I opened my mouth. I knew it couldn't be helped, but it still pricked my conscience.
Everyone, get ready.
Kim Cheoljin said from the front in a heavy voice.
We're about to enter the zone.
Everyone drew their weapons.
I, too, took out the bow Jia had given me.
The 'Elysium Bow'.
Well, this Gangwon field was one Ha Siyeon could clear on her own, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Horned boar spotted up ahead.
Confirmed. Seoyul. Can you draw its attention with your bow first?
Okay.
I drew the bowstring.
Come to think of it, there was a demon sealed in this Gangwon field.
That's why the monsters that appeared here were so weak.
Most of the magic in the area was being used to maintain the demon's seal.
Firing?
Go ahead.
Well, it didn't show up until much later, so there was no need to worry.
Shwaaaack!
I fired the arrow.