Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Eggshell Precision Training
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The next morning, I headed to the training room provided by the Association. A sharp medicinal smell tickled my nose.
"Jeong O-hun."
"You called? That's why I'm here!"
The guy shouted that and held out a cup to me.
"What's this?"
"It's my morning brew. Third year running for breakfast. They say starting your day with the same menu is good for your health."
I stared at the steaming black liquid inside, with an egg yolk floating in it, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
Han Sang-ah was one thing, but this new recruit didn't seem normal either. Still, no reason to turn down free food.
"So, what do you think my weaknesses are? I'm curious about the wisdom of the famous, top-tier hunter Yoo Chan-seok."
"Hmm, if we're talking medical terms, multiple organ failure."
Jeong O-hun let out an "Eh?" at my words, pulled out his smartphone, fiddled with it, then looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
"Hey, Chan-seok. That sounds to me like you have no healthy parts left."
Now it was Chan-seok instead of Yoo Chan-seok Hunter? The guy's pretty friendly. Can't just sit there when he's calling me like that.
"Jeong, that's the right interpretation. Finish your... meal—no, drink—and come in."
Inside the training room, Han Sang-ah was already practicing with her sword.
"Take off the coat."
The coat Han Sang-ah was wearing came from the fridge stock. Training with something that powerful wouldn't be real training.
At my words, Han Sang-ah obediently removed her coat.
"Wow, I thought the same yesterday, but you're incredibly beautiful."
That was Jeong O-hun's comment as he looked at Han Sang-ah. This punk was using casual speech with me but honorifics with her.
"I hear that sometimes."
That was Han Sang-ah's response, and Jeong O-hun let out an "Uh..." upon hearing it. Meanwhile, Han Sang-ah moved dozens of egg cartons placed in the training room.
"What's that for?"
"Doesn't Hunter Jeong O-hun need to do it too?"
I let out an "Ah" at that.
"Yeah, he does."
Han Sang-ah turned to Jeong O-hun and said,
"You'll have to work hard. But with enough time and effort, you can become a comrade we can trust with our backs."
"Looking forward to it."
Han Sang-ah tilted her head slightly and replied,
"It's better if we never have to watch each other's backs. That means our lives are in danger."
"It's not only in those situations that we can trust each other's backs."
Han Sang-ah gave him a pitiful look.
"I can tell without looking that Hunter Jeong O-hun is taller than me."
"…."
While the two took time to get to know each other—giving Jeong O-hun a chance to understand Han Sang-ah—I finished preparing to train him.
"Jeong, cut the smooth talk and get over here."
"Smooth talk?!"
It was smooth talk. Man, knowing she's from the Geumyang Group owner's family and still hitting on her that enthusiastically? Gotta give him credit for that.
"Smooth talk, cat talk, whatever—get over here quick."
Jeong O-hun came over obediently. I looked at the mountain of egg cartons and explained what he had to do from now on.
"You're joking, right?"
Instead of answering, I called Han Sang-ah over. She raised her hand and tapped thirty eggs in a carton with her index finger.
After cracking all thirty, perfectly mixed egg liquid flowed out—ready to make egg rolls right away.
"See? Not joking."
"You—you!"
To his words, I responded by slamming my palm down on another carton of eggs. That was it.
"Damn."
Jeong O-hun went quiet, but Han Sang-ah looked a bit offended. She cracked her eggs the same way, and well-mixed yolk spilled out steadily.
"…."
"Go on. We have plenty of eggs. Can get more if we run out."
And the egg mix we made was headed to the Association's cafeteria. Ever since seeing that gruesome scene in Europe, I'd gotten more serious about food.
"What about you two?"
"We have our own training. Until you reach Han Sang-ah's level, consider yourself married to those eggs."
I'd already taught him the tips and methods. The rest depended on his talent, time invested, and passion.
Han Sang-ah drew her sword. I faced her, spear in hand, and spoke.
"You've mastered two of the basics now."
Observation and control. Han Sang-ah could now move without unconscious habits and precisely control her body's output.
"One basic left."
Prediction. In other words, building and laying out the board.
"You need to go beyond just noticing the opponent's moves."
I had to intentionally lead the opponent's movements where I wanted. More precisely, force them into a position where they had no choice.
"As always."
I spun my spear once. Han Sang-ah's stance shifted immediately.
"Sparring will give you a vague sense of it."
With that, I glided across the training room floor and swung my spear at Han Sang-ah.
"…."
No need to go that fast. This wasn't a full spar, nor was the goal to suppress her with mana output. Using almost no mana, Han Sang-ah and I exchanged blows.
Clack, clack—the sounds of my spear clashing with her sword.
After about ten exchanges, my spear tip was at Han Sang-ah's throat.
"Say it."
"My options are narrowing."
"Good."
I nodded. If Han Sang-ah had been fighting instinctively or unconsciously, she wouldn't have said that.
It would've been something like, "I blinked and lost."
"Like chess, go, or shogi."
Layering attacks and defenses to gradually limit the opponent's choices.
"But that seems useful only in long fights. Will it help me?"
I nodded at Han Sang-ah's words.
"For one-strike kills, drive them into an unavoidable state and finish. Or at least make dodging hard and strike."
"Got it."
"Go beyond observing—predict their next move. Wrong is fine. It's not do-or-die yet."
Mistakes kill in real fights. So make them now. They stack up into assets.
"You'll get hit more than before at first."
With the warning, I resumed with Han Sang-ah. Five hours later, her body was covered in bruises.
"Jeong, stop spectating and focus on the eggs."
Meanwhile, Jeong O-hun had been blankly watching our spar.
"Ah, sorry. Wasn't intentional. My eyes are feasting..."
He refocused on the eggs after replying. I looked at the bruised Han Sang-ah and spoke.
"That's enough for today."
Of course, her top priority among basics was output control. For someone like Han Sang-ah, who lived by one-strike kills, mastering her power was key.
I glanced at Jeong O-hun, struggling with the needle and eggs. What Han Sang-ah and I were doing was actually his top priority training.
A long-range sniper's spot meant attacking unilaterally without getting hit.
A position easy to predict moves, suppress, and land hits.
Egg training didn't need Han Sang-ah-level mastery. Once at a certain point, it drops in priority.
But if I trained Jeong O-hun with Han Sang-ah, my standards for him would be way higher.
"What's that?"
Jeong O-hun reacted as I pulled out another box.
"Time for meds."
Elixirs from Geumyang Group. Jeong O-hun peered in, looking baffled.
"You eat stuff like this? More like tonics than elixirs. Hunters at your level wouldn't get much from them."
"That's for other hunters at my level."
They helped me plenty. I downed the liquid from a small vial. The faint mana in these elixirs didn't become mine anyway.
It just sped up the flow of mana rivers through my body. Jeong O-hun watched briefly, then grabbed more eggs and grunted.
"…."
Taking time to pass, talent-wise. Not untalented, but compared to Han Sang-ah, his aptitude was lower.
At least his expression was serious—small mercies.
Three hours later, Jeong O-hun stared motionless at the eggs. He'd wasted three hours like that.
"Hey."
"It's fine."
I stopped Han Sang-ah from speaking. He wasn't sleeping on his feet.
"Leave him."
For guys who train that way, it's best. His head was probably filled with hundreds of shattered eggs right now.
A few more hours passed, and finally, Jeong O-hun moved his hand.
"Failed, in my eyes."
"Yeah," I replied simply to Han Sang-ah. "Head got it, body didn't follow."
He'd visualized stabbing eggs hundreds of times mentally. His mind could fill a truck now, but actual attempts? Barely any.
Now, just get the body to match the mind.
"Jeong, eat and continue?"
"In a bit. I'll grab something."
I got up without argument. As I stepped out, someone dragged a large box toward me.
"Daebak Scrap Dealers here. Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, your previously used gear is repaired."
"Oh."
I pulled out the items and inspected. Repaired cleanly. Pretty smashed up before.
"Repair cost?"
He laughed awkwardly.
"As you know, the plate material in the gear is extraordinary."
I never expected cheap. It was made from Korea's secret weapon armor, plated.
"Totally smashed, so we melted and re-plated. Performance drops that way."
So they added materials to reinforce. I sighed softly at the receipt.
"Insanely expensive."
"S-sorry."
Cheap for lifesaving, though. Couldn't say Bratzkrieg without this armor's help.
I pulled out my phone. Gotta pay, money or not.
"Ah, and... don't worry too much."
"Huh?"
What now? Don't worry?
"Didn't you know? It's blowing up right now."
I stared at the video he showed. A platform like old YouTube.
And there...