Terraforming Team's Unexpected Harmony
Surprisingly, our team progressed without any major issues after the initial clash with Ri Shaolin in the early stages.
The most unexpected part was that Adachi Kenji didn't pull off any of his usual trolling. Considering the shocking cowardice he'd shown at the start, it was impossible not to stay wary of him.
"…"
- Kreeee!!
But what was reality like? Even with a goblin screeching right nearby, he silently kept up with the team training.
If anything, Ri Shaolin—who'd clashed with us right at the beginning—was the bigger problem child. That said, just because he followed along didn't mean he lacked strong opinions. He simply went along with anything the other four of us unanimously agreed on, regardless of his own will, doing his one person's share.
He looked just like a middle-aged everyman who'd given up rebelling against reality and settled into society. It was unfortunate for him, but from our perspective, this behavior was actually better.
We sure as hell didn't want to see what would happen if Adachi Kenji took the lead.
"Move faster! Who the hell stopped? You think I'm a pushover?"
Clang clang clang!
Lee Kangin and Blanc were handling Chris Bennett head-on. Among them, Lee Kangin—who could last the longest against her—took the main role, clashing swords with her directly, while Blanc supported him.
We didn't have time to watch them for long. The rest of us three, including me, had to target her from behind.
"Hup!"
Chris Bennett knew I'd achieved Mana Awakening. No reason not to use mana, then.
Would she hold back her strength in case she actually got cut? Four nameless trainees had nearly died after trying that stunt.
Mana surged into my arms and legs, strengthening them. My blade flew faster than anyone else aiming for her back.
- Clang!
"Predictable!"
But she blocked it. Entirely expected. I'd deliberately swung at her fastest possible path. No feints or tricks—just straightforward.
'A rookie trying something half-assed like that would just backfire. Right now…'
Whoosh!
"Tch…!"
Thud!
I had to use what I could. Like exploiting Lee Kangin, who was sharper at mind games than me thanks to his pre-regression combat experience.
As she blocked my fast-approaching blade, Chris Bennett's hand opened up on Lee Kangin. Naturally, he struck her gap without hesitation. Ri Shaolin and Adachi Kenji followed from the rear, forcing her to retreat.
Not bad linkage for a team that'd just formed.
Chris Bennett dodged our coordinated assault with effortless movements, her face showing genuine surprise. Made sense. Out of the ten teams, we were the only ones who'd made her step back.
'Well… it helped that two out of five had Mana Awakening, an absurd advantage… Even teams with all five awakened couldn't pressure her like this because their coordination sucked.'
"…Not bad."
She eyed us with a look of genuine surprise. Our coordination was leagues beyond day one. No joke—back then, we were worse than Lee Kangin soloing her.
Her thoughts were easy to read. With our five unique personalities, she'd figured it'd take ages to gel. Since me and Lee Kangin demanded two Mana Awakening users per team for balance, they'd deliberately mixed us like this.
It'd played out on day one. But she hadn't expected us to resolve team friction in just one day.
Amusingly, out of the ten teams, ours meshed the best—even ignoring raw power.
"…You again? Yeah, it's you, right."
"What'd I even do? I just gave it my all."
"Sigh… It's not that you did wrong… Ah… This is gonna be a headache…"
Chris Bennett pointed at me. She must've pegged me as the one who'd defused the team bomb. Spot on.
'How'd you fix it so fast?' She couldn't grill me on it, so her head hurt.
- Clang!
Sword clashes echoed from the side. We weren't the only ones training. The other trainees were doing the same.
Ganging up on one—what fighters called a beatdown—was the most common combat scenario. Essential basics to master.
Everyone was learning to pressure a lone target with numbers. Even against Kaya—the weakest of the three combatants here—the trainees struggled.
- Clang! Clang!
"Hup! Don't underestimate me—I'm from the Northern Training Camp! My basics are solid! Ah! You guys probably don't know, but Northern Camp grads get rated half a step higher than other camps…"
Kaya never shut up. She parried five blades aimed at her flesh with ease, mouth running nonstop. Loud enough to rival the bound goblin Gerard.
- Kreeee!!
- Blah blah blah…
"Whatever! Hey! This time, I'm coming at you. Hold out as long as you can."
Chris Bennett gave us 15 minutes to huddle. I was stunned by her call.
'Already advancing past stage one?'
Teams that forced a stationary instructor to retreat moved to the next: enduring her assault. Most took a week.
Even if we'd cleared stage one, jumping to stage two after just two days of training? I'd figured we'd repeat stage one for 3-4 days.
Lee Kangin looked shocked too.
"Hey. We gonna meet or what?"
"Ah. Yeah. Let's."
Ri Shaolin grumbled curtly at me. Not hostile—just her style. No point picking a fight. Even after reconciling, neither of us was the friendly type with ex-rivals. Her showing goodwill would've felt off. This distance suited us.
"Hmm… For enduring, Chanyoung you and Lee Kangin should focus…"
"Chris Bennett's no idiot. She'll target you, Ri Shaolin, Adachi Kenji, or Blanc."
"R-right… Ugh… So I'm the mark…"
Blanc swallowed hard, face paling. If she went all-out, we couldn't stop her. Excluding Lee Kangin, no one was reliable enough for your back.
'Thousand Fist One Strike might block her, but…'
I was stronger dropping the sword than wielding it. My skills made me that way. Pummeling Baek Hamin had confirmed their power. Thousand Fist One Strike rivaled iron weapons.
But no need to show it here. Just practice—not worth the suspicious stares.
'Not hiding it forever, obviously.'
After 15 minutes, we formed a simple line abreast: me and Lee Kangin at the left and right ends.
If she targeted the middle like Blanc, she'd get flanked and pincered. At least countered hit-and-run picking off the weak.
"Heh heh… I can read your whole plan. Cute. Ready?"
"…"
Whoosh!
She charged on signal. Her first target…
Fuck, me.
- Clang!
My defensive swing was easily parried. As she burrowed into my guard, I tried shoving her with my shoulder…
Grab!
"Kuh!"
Clatter!
Like a trick, she dropped low, lifted her lower body, and kicked up—nailing my wrist. The shock made me drop my sword. It skittered far away. No retrieving that.
But my center of gravity was already pitched toward her. Wrist impact twisted it, but proximity made it fine. She'd bounce off my shoulder.
"Gravity-dependent, no-variable attacks are perfect to exploit."
Thud crash!
"Gahk!!"
"Like this."
She'd thrown me. To hit my wrist, she'd lifted her lower body—meaning her hands braced the ground. So how'd she throw me?
I realized after flying meters and slamming down. She'd leg-thrown me.
'What the fuck? That possible?'
Even after eating it, I couldn't believe it. Using a hand technique that's hard even barehanded on someone heavier—wrapping legs around? Insane.
"Mi…d… cough!"
My flight left our right flank exposed. Lee Kangin and the others tried surrounding her… but she dropped three before positions set.
"Kuhk!…"
Smack!
"Aak!"
"Hiiik!"
Adachi Kenji last. By the time I rejoined, only Lee Kangin stood. I'd landed opposite my sword—unarmed.
…She'd aimed me there on purpose.
"Aren't you going all-out?"
"If I did, you'd all be dead."
How to counter someone this fast and strong without mana? My head throbbed thinking of endless future sessions as I braced.
"Why not stay down? Haha! Got guts!"
She targeted unarmed me first. Damn…
*Crunch crunch!*
"Ugh… So damn astringent… This really good for you?"
"Urk… The sap's so sticky… Texture's gross…"
"…"
Crunch!
We munched Green Yam. The root herb aiding recovery. It looked like fruit but tasted like bitter persimmon—crunchy, with sticky white sap.
Even Ri Shaolin grimaced and complained. Blanc agreed. Only Lee Kangin ate without fuss. Used to it?
"This'll really heal our bruises by morning?"
"Heard bruises fade overnight."
"Then let's crash. Tough day tomorrow."
All agreed, doused the fire, and bedded down. Exhausted from repeated Chris Bennett sessions. She'd tormented us mercilessly. Seemed extra hard on Ri Shaolin, for some reason.
'…Sleep time.'
I lay down but couldn't sleep thanks to the weirdo next to me.
- Mumble mumble mumble…
Ri Shaolin knelt on her bed, hands clasped, muttering like praying to a god.
"…I regress to day two when I wake… I regress when I wake… Back to the past…"
Regression talk. Regression? No connection to her in the original.
I glanced at Blanc. "<…What's she doing?"
"Oh. She prays sometimes. To God."
"God?"
"Yeah. Figured if he sent us through dimensions, he could rewind time too. Wants day two back."
Day two? Why that? Earth would've made sense.
Blanc explained at my look. "Day two's the day. When she should've stabbed Chris Bennett's throat with a dagger…"
"Ah…"
"Please… please… day two… regression… one more chance… I can stab her this time. For real…"