Chapter 139: What Happened During the Date
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139: What Happened During the Date
Tap, tap.
"As you all know, joint training will begin shortly. It will last for about one to two months, and this time, it will be held with the Holy Kingdom of Rubenia."
"Whoa, seriously? Does that mean we'll get to see the Holy Knights and the Saintess?"
"Yes. To minimize damage from the recent surge in Gates and Dungeons, you will focus on learning and practicing combat styles and positioning when raiding with a healer."
"Ooooooh!"
"So, in today's class, I'll be teaching you the points to keep in mind during party raids and the pros and cons of healers."
Joint training is only for two months?
'What is this, a time attack?'
Did that mean I had to seduce the Saintess within two months?
Or perhaps there was a possibility that the Saintess would stay behind on her own.
'It’s probably right to assume that's how it'll go.'
The Hero and the Saintess.
It was a combination Kim Min-su had emphasized several times.
In the first place, the Saintess had such massive name value that she couldn't possibly be separated from the Hero.
In the past, there might not have been a reason for them to be together, but now a great opportunity called joint training had arisen.
I didn't think Chubby Ahn would create a development where the Saintess and Kim Min-su were separated.
Even if she returned to the Holy Kingdom, he would find a way to keep them together, perhaps by having Kim Min-su go there.
In short, even if the Saintess were to disappear right now, as long as she stayed by Min-su's side, I could meet her again anytime.
'Logically, there's no way Kim Min-su could seduce the Saintess in just two months... so it's safe to assume she'll be staying.'
And the Saintess was definitely hiding something.
From that strange scent of a kindred spirit I felt back then, to that sneer—whether it was my imagination or not.
I could feel it in my gut; she was no ordinary woman.
'I should focus on the lesson first...'
Instructor Kim Seok-gu's gaze was too sharp for me to keep daydreaming.
"Those of you who have played RPG games might have a vague idea, but generally, healers stay in the far rear while dealers protect them. Do you know why?"
"Because healers are fragile."
"Correct. In RPGs, healers have low health stats and low attack power; they are specialized purely for support. In short, they are designed to be unfit for the front lines. However, the story changes completely when the healer is an Awakened."
Instructor Kim Seok-gu continued his lecture while displaying various video clips and photos on the screen.
"Whether they are Innate Awakened or late bloomers, once someone becomes an Awakened, their physical abilities are in a different league compared to ordinary people. And this, naturally, applies to Awakened who possess healing skills as well. Between a Hunter whose main skill is attack and a Hunter whose main skill is healing, who do you think would be more advantageous to have on the front lines?"
"The healing skill Hunter...?"
"The answer is 'it's advantageous for both to stand together.' Unless they are a long-range main skill holder, in most cases, it is most important for everyone to stand on the front lines in all Gates and Dungeons. The faster you clear it, the higher the probability of minimizing casualties."
Oh, this is actually quite fresh.
Since healers are also Awakened, they don't have the penalty of being "fragile," so they can take charge of the front lines together.
"Of course, you might think this: What if the healer gets retired or dies? Wouldn't that be a huge loss of power? Isn't it safer for the healer to keep supporting from the back, even if it takes more time? That point certainly has merit. It depends on the situation, and I'm not saying my words are the absolute answer. However, I want you to realize that the moment you step into a Gate or Dungeon, you are no longer safe."
He played the paused video material.
On the screen, a Hunter team was moving to take down a boss using the party formation we commonly know.
The Hunter in heavy armor was at the very front; the one holding a massive greatsword, clearly the dealer, was in the middle; and finally, the healer and the Hunter with long-range skills were at the rear.
It was one of the combinations considered the most ideal Hunter team compositions.
In fact, the video showed just how ideal it was, as they were handling the boss quite easily.
But that only lasted a moment.
—The boss is berserking! Everyone, watch out!
—Damn it, I missed him!
—Aaaaaargh!
The boss's skin turned crimson, and it suddenly unleashed explosive speed, charging straight toward the Hunters in the rear.
Just a few seconds.
A mere three steps.
Because of that tiny difference, the tank and the dealer couldn't catch up to the boss, and the rear was completely wiped out.
The video stopped there, and Kim Seok-gu clapped once to draw everyone's attention before speaking.
"Did you see? This is exactly why the healer should be on the front lines. You could call it a results-oriented argument, but from the moment you enter a Gate or Dungeon, every variable turns from a variable into a constant. You can die at any time, and the difficulty can change abruptly. What if the healer had been on the front lines in that case? They would have been under the protection of the tank and dealer, and the probability of saving the long-range Hunter would have been much higher."
As far as I knew, there were no cadets in Class A who had a support skill as their main.
Kim Seok-gu checked the time and wrapped up the class.
"There's still a lot to explain, but I'll stop here for now. Next time, we'll do some actual training, and I'll teach you a few things to watch out for when teaming up with a healer before the joint training begins. That's all for today."
""Thank you!""
Well then, shall I get moving?
It was time to perfectly reel in the hooks I had left for Ryu Hye-mi during our date.
"Tae-yang, where are you going? I'm sad because you've been so busy lately."
Cling.
Just as I was about to head to Ryu Hye-mi, Yu-min stuck to me, sliding my arm right between her breasts.
Come to think of it, in terms of possessiveness, she was just as formidable as Su-jin.
In the past, I would have been anxious, trying to deal with Yu-min quickly so I could get to Hye-mi, but not anymore.
"Yu-min."
"Yeah?"
Grab.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her into my embrace, and kissed her deeply.
An act that would end the rumors circulating in secret that we were dating, right in front of the whole class during break time.
One of the best ways to let everyone know that this woman was mine.
'Public display of affection.'
And not just holding hands or a few light pecks, but a deep kiss where everyone could see our tongues intertwining.
There was only one reason for doing this.
To give the women certainty.
Thinking about it carefully, if I was going to build a harem anyway, I realized it was more effective to leave a clear mark rather than just trying to coax them gently.
Just like right now.
Mwah.
I gave Yu-min one last light peck before pulling away. She couldn't handle the sudden situation and her face turned bright red.
"Th-that... uh... ah... Tae-yang...?"
"It's because I've been busy lately. You'll understand, right?"
"...Y-yes... of course..."
[Message from Seong Chun-hyang :: My Lord, I simply cannot understand... If you were to give me a training-pressure-humiliation-estrus-bitch-breeding press in such a youthful place... instead of just a deep... kiss... I believe I would perfectly understand all your future actions and live in eternal happiness.]
'You don't need to understand.'
Leaving behind Yu-min, who was sitting in my chair with a flushed face, I walked out of the classroom with confidence.
'I should keep doing this from now on.'
Thinking too complicatedly was the problem.
From now on, I'll just go for it boldly.
'For the sake of harem sex.'
And for the sake of Kim Min-su's despair.
+++++++++++++++++++++
(Baek Tae-yang)
Can I come to the lab now?
< Yes.
As soon as Ryu Hye-mi saw Baek Tae-yang's text, she rushed to the mirror.
She had heard that the "no-makeup makeup" look was popular with men these days, so she had applied it lightly in the morning.
The only thing left was her hair, which was the most ambiguous part.
'Should I tie it up or leave it down?'
He had said she looked pretty with it tied up, but also pretty with it down.
She recalled yesterday's date once again.
'...I wish every day could be like yesterday.'
It had been a happy day.
The weather that day had been so clear that it could truly be called perfect.
Ryu Hye-mi had struggled with what to wear, eventually choosing a "sophisticated, mature look" because she wanted to show him she was a grown woman.
She felt a twinge of guilt about whether it was right to seduce a cadet with the maturity of an older woman.
But as soon as she saw Baek Tae-yang, those thoughts vanished.
Perhaps it was because of his tall stature and solid build.
He looked good in anything, but when he dressed up properly, his presence was truly no joke.
After seeing him in a school uniform every day, seeing him in a casual suit made her eyes turn into hearts automatically.
"Instructor, have you been waiting long?"
"Uh? No... and, well... you must have worked hard to get here."
"I should do at least this much."
The day before the date, Baek Tae-yang had asked for her home address.
When she asked why, he messaged back saying he would come to pick her up.
She had been curious about how he would pick her up.
He showed up driving a car that looked expensive even at a glance.
It wasn't a meeting between a cadet and an instructor, but a meeting between two adults.
The start of that intense date had begun inside that car.