Chapter 23
Despite the sharp aura, his tone was gentle. The people around them gasped.
Sparring.
It sounded like a friendly match, but it was no different from saying he would crush her.
Clack!
Sehyun, who had been eating alone until then, put down her spoon at his words.
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and slowly raised her head, meeting Sungwon’s gaze.
“Sure, let’s do it.”
“…”
Sungwon’s head tilted slightly at her unexpected answer.
He looked as if he had misheard her.
But judging by the atmosphere, it was clear that he hadn’t.
Jieun, who was sitting next to Sehyun, hurriedly grabbed her arm, as if to stop her from doing something reckless.
Sungwon chuckled, realizing that he had heard correctly thanks to her reaction.
“…Haha.”
“I only spar in the Gaon sparring room. With the levels adjusted equally. I don’t want to get beaten to death. And only skills, no physical attacks. Two hours should be enough.”
“…”
“Those are my conditions.”
Sehyun finished speaking.
The F-grades at the same table stared at Sehyun with wide eyes, as if their eyes were about to pop out.
The people at the nearby tables, regardless of their grade, were the same.
Only Sehyun remained calm, staring at Sungwon. Or rather, she was pretending to be calm.
She knew better than anyone that she was being reckless.
Sungwon in front of her was an A-grade.
She didn’t know what skills he possessed, and he was obviously physically superior to her. If they sparred, she would be utterly defeated.
She might even be labeled as a foolish F-grade who challenged an A-grade without knowing her place.
But so what?
In a month, no, in just over twenty days, something far more terrifying than that label would happen.
Shin Jooho, full of venom, would go on a rampage, and in a few months, they would have to move. No, monsters could pop up anywhere, anytime.
The monsters that had devoured her parents and tried to swallow her aunt and Jungwoo.
She had been lucky to survive this time, but there was no guarantee that she would be lucky next time. Considering that she had experienced something that rarely happened to others twice… It seemed like misfortune would find her again.
She had to become stronger if she wanted to survive.
Not just physically strong or with good instincts, but with her own unique power.
Yes, she had to.
“Haha, hahahaha!”
Suddenly, a loud laughter echoed through the cafeteria.
“This is hilarious. This bitch is really crazy! Hahahaha! No wonder Shin Jooho got played! Haha!”
Sungwon clutched his stomach and laughed, as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. He was the only one laughing in the spacious cafeteria.
Who are you calling crazy, you crazy bastard?
This guy, that guy, they’re all…
Sehyun frowned and glared at Sungwon.
Sungwon finally wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Sehyun, nodding slightly.
“Alright.”
He finally agreed readily.
“Okay, then see you in a week.”
Sehyun got up from her seat.
“Why a week? I thought you’d want to do it tomorrow. Why? Do you think something will change in a week? Or are you backing out?”
Sungwon asked, still wiping away his tears, a smile lingering on his face.
“Get rid of the bruises before we spar. I don’t want people to think I did this to you.”
Sehyun showed him the bruise on her arm.
“What? Haha! Haha!”
Sehyun glanced at Sungwon, who was laughing so hard that he was doubled over.
“I don’t understand why all the A-grades I’ve met are crazy. Lunatics.”
Sehyun sighed and headed to the tray return area with her empty dishes.
The morning was for self-training, so people scattered in different directions. Some went to spar, some went for online training, and some took a break. But most headed to the individual training rooms.
Sehyun also headed to a training room.
She passed by the east training center, which was crowded with Guard trainees because it was close to the dormitories, and walked for a while before arriving at the west training center. The west training center was relatively old because the east and south training centers were closer and had better facilities, and there was also an outdoor training area nearby. There wasn’t a single person in sight.
That was why Sehyun had chosen this place.
She entered the innermost room of the west individual training center and scanned her card. The lights inside turned on. The brightly lit training room was surprisingly spacious.
It was the size of a school auditorium. It seemed like it would take a while to run from one end to the other. The ceiling was also high.
She wondered what kind of monsters appeared during training that they needed such a high ceiling.
After a brief moment of observation, Sehyun took a deep breath.
Another spar with an A-grade.
She had readily accepted the offer because it seemed like a good opportunity, but she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.
Choi Sungwon, that guy, seemed like a complete lunatic too.
“Well, I’ve already made a mess, so I have to clean it up somehow.”
To do that, she had to master the skills she currently possessed.
That was the only thing she could do.
Sehyun activated the System, wasting no time.
A white window descended from the ceiling.
Training program boot complete.
Greetings.
Please state the desired mode.
-Training: You can select the desired audio-visual materials.
-Sparring: You can spar with the desired opponent.
“Sparring.”
The window changed at Sehyun’s answer.
Please select the desired mode.
-1:1
-1:3
-1:5
-1:7
Sehyun hesitated for a moment and then spoke.
“1:1.”
1:1 mode selected.
Please state the desired difficulty level.
-A, B, C, D, F
“For now… F.”
The window slid up at Sehyun’s answer. Then, the floor in front of her started to glow, and something appeared as if it had been drawn in the air.
A creature with a height that reached her waist, pointy red ears, a large head, sharp fangs visible between its parted lips, and a club gripped in its three-fingered hand.
It was a monster she had never seen before.
Good luck.
As soon as the dry voice of encouragement finished, the monster growled.
Sehyun swallowed hard. Even though she knew it was a fake monster created by a program, her heart pounded uncontrollably.
Can I do this…?
Her fear was brief. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and looked ahead.
After losing her parents in an accident, Sehyun had run away from everything.
Back then, she had thought that running away just once would be enough. But running away had only led to more running away.
Running away from pain, running away from responsibility, the escape she had carefully built had eventually taken away her ability to live a decent life.
It had put her life in the hands of someone like Shin Jooho and forced her to live a life where human dignity was trampled upon.
One easy escape had led to all of this.
Sehyun steeled her resolve and checked her status window.
Slots
-Dodge
-Dazzling Dance
-Recoil
Whoosh.
The monster suddenly lunged at her.
It’s fast!
Sehyun twisted her body to dodge and swung her elbow at the monster’s exposed side.
Thud!
“Kyaak!”
The monster, hit squarely, crashed to the floor. The impact was greater than the force she had put into the attack.
It’s because of the recoil.
The monster’s speed and the force of her attack combined, doubling the effect of her weak attack.
“Screech!”
The monster quickly regained its footing, let out a low growl, and charged at her again.
The monster was truly fast. It was so agile that it could jump again as soon as it landed.
But…
“It has too many openings.”
Sehyun’s leg shot out. Her foot struck the monster’s face just as its head reached the right spot.
Thud!
“Kyaaa!”
The monster’s body flew through the air and crashed into the wall. Or so she thought.
The monster used the wall to push itself off and spun around, landing back in front of Sehyun. They exchanged a series of blows.
“Ugh!”
Sehyun groaned as the monster’s club struck her right arm. It was numb. Enough to tighten the grip of fear that had loosened for a moment.
‘Recoil’ deflected the opponent’s attack, but it didn’t negate the impact on her body.
They exchanged a few more blows. Then, the monster let out a low growl and swung its club at Sehyun with all its might. Sehyun’s eyes glinted as she saw the monster’s arms wide open and its upper body exposed. Instead of dodging like before, she moved closer.
“It’s time to…”
Sehyun’s fist, clenched tightly, drew an upward arc.
“End this!”
Wham!
Crash!
The monster’s head snapped back, and its body crashed to the floor. Then, its body melted away like ice on a hot pan, and an alarm sounded.
Record: You have defeated an F-grade monster.
“Ha…”
Would you like to end the spar? Or continue?
“Continue. 1:1, difficulty level…”
Sehyun hesitated for a moment.
Should I try something crazy?
“A.”
You have selected a difficulty level outside the available range. The maximum difficulty level you can select is C. Please reselect.
“…Why didn’t you tell me that from the start? Then D.”
Let’s take it one step at a time.
Good luck.
As soon as the guidance voice finished, something appeared as if it had been drawn in the air. Sehyun let out a long sigh and stared ahead. Two thick feet appeared, followed by thick legs.
The monster’s size surpassed Sehyun’s head and continued to grow. Sehyun’s head tilted back further and further as she followed its growth.
A mouth that looked like it had been ripped apart, and a black tongue visible beyond it.
Sehyun’s eyes widened as she recognized the monster. She knew what it looked like even though she hadn’t seen its whole body yet.
Slitted eyes with eyeballs that rolled around like an iguana’s.
How could she forget?
The first monster she had ever encountered.
Goosebumps erupted all over her body.
She felt paralyzed, as if someone had poured ice water over her head.
But amidst the fear, Sehyun was struck by an unexpected thought.
That’s… a D-grade? That thing?