Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: To Become Stronger (2)
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“Status Window.”
“Hm...”
Compared to the beginning, this was tremendous growth.
My Magic Power and Mana had surged thanks to training with Yoon Ji-yeon.
Attack Power and Defense had only grown modestly, but it wasn't bad.
At this level, I could probably solo a Level 4 dungeon.
But I still couldn't shatter a rock.
I recalled her teachings.
'Flashy! Cool! You think that's all magic is? You have to build a solid foundation first to pull that off.'
'Argh! You idiot! When casting magic, you can't let any stray thoughts in!'
'Mana's depleted again. You trying to die?'
...Our master-disciple relationship had been anything but close.
Still, nothing she said was wrong.
If I couldn't break a rock with Thunder, the most basic lightning spell, then learning higher-class magic would just be empty showmanship.
Growth is inherently boring, after all.
Lonely, solitary, and sad—that's what growth is.
For a moment, my past life flashed before my eyes.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
I struck the training dummy alone in the practice hall.
In my past life, that was all I knew how to do.
Gripping my wooden sword, I swung at the dummy hundreds, thousands of times.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
When the wooden sword broke, I'd get a new one.
In one corner of the training grounds, I silently battered the dummy.
My wooden sword didn't stop until dawn, long after everyone else had gone to bed.
No one helped me or taught me anything.
Every day, I'd keep hitting the dummy until closing time, and without fail, the duty officer would show up.
They'd glare at me with annoyed expressions.
“Hey, aren't you done? I need to go rest too.”
“Ah, sorry. Leave the key. I'll lock up.”
“...You know, why don't you just handle all the duty shifts yourself?”
“...I thought about that, but the instructor in charge said it wouldn't be fair...”
“Haa... Fine, whatever. Key's here. I'm out.”
They'd leave the key and go.
And I'd hear their muttering.
I sometimes cursed my sharp ears at times like these.
“Why's that guy like that? He's still dead last no matter what.”
“...Isn't he quirkless?”
“Argh! Why am I in C-Class? Should I transfer?”
“You think transfers are that easy? Let it go. It's already 2 a.m. Let's crash.”
I didn't waver at their whispers.
The harsher and more unjust it got, the more I pushed my body.
'Someday... someday, I'll reach S-Rank...!'
S-Rank was more than a dream—it was my absolution.
Even if I died fighting, I had to slaughter as many monsters as possible.
As long as a finger could twitch, I had to fight.
The extermination of all monsters.
That was my dream.
So no more victims like my little sister would ever appear.
Thwack!
Like that, I swung my sword thousands of times.
I breathed only to grow stronger.
I never skipped training, not even for a day.
I faced the rock again.
I placed my palm on its cold surface and channeled Mana.
Lightning erupted, striking the rock.
The difference from before was that cracks were finally starting to form on the rock.
“Good. Again.”
Summoning a new rock.
I replace the cracked rock with a fresh one.
The Hunter training hall used holograms identical to reality in every way, so I could swap rocks as many times as needed.
Lightning crackled fiercely!
I'd lost count of how many times I'd used the skill.
I counted up to 100 somehow, but what was the point? I gave up.
Mana was largely innate.
For example, the daughters of the Yoon Family had overwhelmingly more Mana and Magic Power than ordinary mages from the start.
In fact, Yoon Ah-young ranked in the top 10 at school purely on magic skill.
Her Thunder would pulverize this rock in one shot.
And she could wield spells freely too.
'I can't lose to her.'
Lightning crackled!
My hand trembled uncontrollably.
Casting with one hand only—no matter how trained it was—put unavoidable strain on it.
I switched from my right hand to my left.
Channeled Mana.
Lightning surged wildly!!!
The rock remained unchanged.
Even the Yoon daughters said it took at least two years to shatter this rock.
I took solace in that.
“Ah... um, Vice Class President??”
I caught my breath and looked toward the entrance.
Two male classmates stood there awkwardly.
“Ah, sorry if we're interrupting!”
“Nah, what's up?”
“Well... it's 2 a.m. now, so time to close the gym. I'm on duty today... haha.”
“Got it. Leave the key. I'll lock up.”
“R-Really? Okay, I'll leave it by the door. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you.”
I waved them off and placed my hand back on the rock.
I wasn't trying to listen, but their whispers carried over.
“...He's seriously impressive. No way I could do that.”
“It's respectable. I collapse after three hours of weight training...”
“They picked the right guy for Vice Class President. Thought he was a total psycho at first.”
“Yeah. He might actually become an S-Rank ranker like that.”
“Should we get his autograph? Pfft.”
People had always said I had sharp ears.
It was the one advantage that proved useful in dungeons.
I let out a wry smile.
In my past life, those who despised me had started to acknowledge me.
Should I be happy about this... or not?
It felt a bit hollow.
Clunk.
As I tried injecting Mana again, someone else entered.
It was Yoon Ah-young.
Having finished weights, she wore training clothes, a towel around her neck.
Her brown hair was neatly tied back.
She wiped her forehead with the towel as she approached.
“Still going, huh?”
She walked right up and sat near me.
I ignored her and placed my hand back on the rock.
“...Pfft.”
Then she suddenly burst out laughing.
Unable to comprehend, I asked.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. It just reminds me of my middle school training.”
“Rock breaking?”
“Yeah. You probably haven't met her, but it's weird seeing a non-Yoon do this training.”
Come to think of it, Yoon Ah-young didn't know I'd met Yoon Ji-yeon.
I parted my lips slightly.
“I met her. Yoon Ji-yeon.”
“Wh-what? What did you say?”
“The founding matriarch. I met her.”
“...Huh? What??”?
Ah-young was genuinely shocked, covering her mouth.
From her perspective, it was earth-shattering news.
Meeting Yoon Ji-yeon after just one month with the Mana Manual meant I'd mastered the beginner level.
“...For real?”
“Yeah. She's a real oddball.”
Yoon Ah-young pondered deeply, then nodded in acceptance.
“Well... with you... I figured it might be possible. But still... hmm...”
Seeing her lost in thought made me chuckle despite myself.
She was going through her own struggles, in her own way.
'But it's already cracking this much... Guess he hasn't found the trick yet.'
Ah-young watched Tae-hyun.
He focused on breaking the rock, but something crucial was missing.
The founding matriarch was infamous for being a terrible teacher.
What he lacked was one key thing.
Mana hyper-condensation.
The technique to maximize Mana density.
It wasn't a skill you picked up overnight.
Nor was it something everyone could learn.
It required effort and talent.
Only when both aligned could you leap to the next level.
'His effort goes without saying, and he has the talent too...'
Tae-hyun's skill roared, currents splashing across the rock.
Cracks spread slowly.
Hot heat enveloped the air.
“...Haa.”
Exhausted, Tae-hyun slumped his head.
His state was pitiful.
His clothes were soaked, cold sweat dripping.
Just looking at his outfit showed how hard he'd pushed today.
Ah-young placed her hand over his on the rock.
Tae-hyun looked at her in surprise.
“...Watch closely.”
Massive sparks erupted, engulfing the rock.
The rock shattered into pieces.
Usually it split into two, but this was total pulverization.
Tae-hyun indirectly felt Ah-young's Magic Power.
She was leagues ahead in that regard.
He couldn't hide his astonishment.
“Mana hyper-condensation is about focus and patience. When concentrating Mana in your hand instantly, don't let your focus scatter.”
Ah-young pulled a ballpoint pen from her pocket.
She drew a dot on his palm.
“Don't spread power across your whole palm—focus only on this dot. It'll go much better.”
“Uh... uh-huh. Thanks.”
Beyond mere focus: hyper-focus.
Even her famously talented eldest sister took a month to master it in the Yoon Family.
Whether he surpassed her depended on his will.
'...Though I passed her long ago.'
It felt like facing a towering mountain.
Reliable? Enviable?
Honestly, she wasn't sure yet.
“...I'm heading out. See you tomorrow, Vice Class President.”
“Y-Yeah. Thanks.”
Ah-young stood and headed for the door.
May had already passed.
The CDT in July held special meaning for her.
The prestigious Yoon Family drew attention worldwide, beyond just Korea.
But she felt she fell far short.
...The first time she saw her sisters at the orphanage, Ah-young's life truly began.
It was a war orphans' home.
Kids who lost parents to Hunters gathered there.
Situated on vast plains, its residents were called the 'Children of the Plains.'
The Children of the Plains had no emotions.
No laughter, no tears, no anger.
They just sat still or slept.
All emotions erased.
Most had watched their parents and siblings die before their eyes.
Then, five visitors arrived.
To the empty Ah-young, they were light.
Five women surrounded her on the bed.
“You really wanna go with this one?”
“Hey, you shopping for a pet?”
“No, she looks too dumb. I'm against it anyway.”
“Argh, dummy. Why oppose big sis?”
The fourth and fifth sisters bickering.
“Exactly. Big sis decided, so we follow.”
“Oh my, look at her. So cute.”
The second and third sisters reaching out.
And the eldest watched silently from behind.
The first sister adopted Ah-young as the sixth Yoon daughter, saving her from lost parents.
To six-year-old Ah-young, she looked like an angel.
The six-year-old Ah-young took her sisters' hands.
Warm and cozy.
Ah-young clutched the Yoon Family necklace emblem tightly.
'I won't disappoint you, ever.'
The eldest had pulled her from a dark pit of despair.
No matter what, she didn't want to let her down.
'...And I won't lose.'
Ah-young gripped the gym door handle.
Then a massive boom echoed through the gym.
'No way...!'
Ah-young turned.
Through the dust cloud, a faint shadow appeared.
'No... impossible.'
She couldn't believe her eyes.
From her standpoint, it was incomprehensible.
The rock lay in shards scattered across the floor.
Tae-hyun stood there panting, beaming with a bright smile.
He waved at her.
“Whoa, hey! This is insane???”
He grinned innocently.
(Continued next chapter)