Ch.103Episode 22. Comfort (1)

“I didn’t know there was a training arena nearby.”

Though smaller compared to the academy’s arena, it was still spacious enough for training or sparring without constraints.

However, the way voices echoed as if in a cave was slightly irritating.

“I deliberately chose a place near one. Training should never be neglected.”

“I like being near a training arena too. I need to complete the regimen Instructor Yujin gave me.”

“I didn’t mean for you to do it while on vacation. You must have travel plans.”

“My family doesn’t really plan our vacations. We just take it easy, go to the beach when we feel like it, and see whatever we want to see. That’s about it.”

Perfect freedom travel. I’m starting to feel envious.

For someone like me whose only travel experience was a school field trip, I’d like to try this kind of free-form vacation at least once.

“Still, I feel bad. I think I’ve put unnecessary pressure on you.”

If I’d known, I would have given it to her after she returned from vacation.

“It’s all for my benefit, so if I feel burdened, that would be wrong. I’m confident I can do everything Instructor Yujin tells me to.”

“Really? Anything?”

“Ah… y-yes… A-anything!”

After hesitating briefly, she clenched her fist and spoke with determination.

Why did she hesitate?

Was she worried I might say something inappropriate?

Despite all Jeong Iyeon’s talk about being my fan, this might be evidence that she still sees me as a man.

Still, compared to the other students, Iyeon presented fewer variables, so there seemed no need to get involved in her personal life or exploit romantic feelings.

It should be enough to maintain an appropriate instructor-student relationship and guide her properly without going astray.

“By the way, Yujin.”

“Yes?”

Just as I was organizing my thoughts about Jeong Iyeon, Kang Sujin addressed me.

“How did you create that training regimen? It seems perfectly tailored to what Iyeon needs to develop.”

Well… because she’s the protagonist, so I know everything?

There were two types of skills Jeong Iyeon needed to master.

One was a modified version of Flash Strike, and the other was a buff-type that converted accumulated damage into attack power.

The reason her sacred artifact consisted of a sword and shield wasn’t just to gain an advantage in offense and defense, but because the shield played a more significant role than expected.

The shield had an additional effect where its shock absorption capacity increased the more it was struck, raising defense power, and it even possessed the ability to convert impact into attack power.

She was supposed to discover this ability when her power-based stamina reached a certain level while fighting villains who had infiltrated the academy.

But because all the infiltrated villains had been captured, she missed the opportunity to realize this fact.

So I needed to provide that realization instead.

“These are things I learned while developing the students’ power-based stamina over the past few months. It’s the result of comprehensive analysis of when they use skills versus when they don’t, attack methods versus defense methods… something like that.”

Unable to say “That’s just how it was in the novel,” I elaborated with all sorts of unnecessary details.

“I see. Yujin, you seem to be the most capable instructor I know.”

Not at all. What’s so capable about me?

I had no confidence in providing direction to anyone outside the special class.

That’s why I deliberately requested “fundamentals”-focused subjects before assignments were distributed. That’s how I got Skills Basics and Understanding.

With fundamentals, I could build their power-based stamina and point out their weaknesses just enough for them to feel they’ve grown.

Honestly, if I taught others the way I taught the special class students, most would obviously drop out complaining it was too difficult…

“You flatter me. Anyway, let’s spar, but not too intensely.”

“Aren’t you going to use a weapon?”

“No. I prefer my fists.”

I answered while doing some stretches to loosen my joints. Meanwhile, Kang Sujin slowly increased the distance between us.

“By the way, Instructor Yujin, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Hmm?”

“Recently, the way other students and seniors look at you seems different… What do you think about that?”

Jeong Iyeon, who was standing nearby, asked an unexpected question.

“Not really? What should I think about it?”

After finishing my stretches including my lower body, I jumped in place a few times to complete my preparation.

“Hmm. Maybe I’m imagining it? Compared to the beginning of the semester, you’ve become much more… approachable? No, beyond approachable… how should I put it… you seem extremely close with them.”

She must have sensed the subtle atmosphere between me and the other students.

A woman’s intuition, perhaps? Quite perceptive.

“Really? But why does it matter if we’re close?”

“I was jealous. It felt like I was being left out somehow.”

“I think we’re plenty close, aren’t we?”

“That’s true.”

Jeong Iyeon answered as if it were obvious. I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“No one is closer to you than I am.”

I don’t know if she’s the closest, but our relationship is certainly the most comfortable. Unlike the other students, she doesn’t intrusively involve herself in my personal affairs, just maintaining appropriate boundaries while occasionally joking around.

“Yes, yes. I get it, now step back. We need to spar now.”

“Spar with me after you’re done.”

“Did you forget I’m here on business?”

“Then tomorrow!”

“…Fine.”

She smiled with satisfaction at my reluctant answer and stepped away from me. I sparked some electricity while looking at Kang Sujin standing at a distance.

“Shall we begin right away?”

“Yes. Come at me.”

She adjusted her spear and took a stance ready to respond at any moment.

Though I don’t know much about spear techniques, I couldn’t see any openings. The way she watched me intently while maintaining her guard even gave off a sense of hostility.

“Here I come!”

I kicked off the ground and approached quickly. Even as I reached close quarters, Kang Sujin’s movements remained invisible as she continued to watch me.

Just as I was thinking I should grab her collar and throw her, her spear came for my neck the moment my foot entered her range.

Whoosh—!

I lowered my posture to avoid it.

As I felt during our previous sparring, her distance control was perfect. It was a sharp sense that wouldn’t tolerate even a few centimeters of error.

“Hup!”

A series of fierce attacks targeting vital points.

A good combination. She mixed skills between attacks, making them difficult to dodge.

Thanks to the white energy released with her power, my shoulder wasn’t deeply cut like last time, but it grazed my fluttering clothes.

I felt that relaxing would mean death.

The cold spear blade passed by my neck. I immediately kicked off the ground to close the distance. But before I could move, she pulled back first.

Has her reaction speed improved?

No, this was… ‘prediction.’

She quickly withdrew after seeing my brief preparatory movement.

She seemed to have realized from our previous sparring that she shouldn’t let me get close.

I found it challenging to deal with attacks that targeted vital points without being reckless.

I deflected another attack coming toward my side with my palm.

With a crackling sound of static electricity, she was pushed back. Just as I tried to approach to seize the opportunity.

An attack more intense than any before began to fall on my head.

White energy wrapping around the spear.

I instinctively understood that being hit would mean death.

“Mountain Dragon Strike.”

The moment the skill name echoed in my mind, I caught the spear blade with my palm and activated “Break.”

Boom!

A thunderous sound echoed throughout the arena, but no shockwave erupted. Having absorbed all the impact, I gripped the spear blade firmly and said:

“This technique doesn’t seem suitable for such a confined arena, does it?”

“H-how…! You completely nullified my power, didn’t you?”

“Trade secret.”

I pulled the spear toward me, then shattered the shaft with my elbow and knee.

“What…!”

“It’s over.”

She was shocked to see her spear break so easily, and hurriedly took a defensive stance after seeing my movement.

She barely managed to block my fist using the spear shaft, but there wasn’t enough leeway to offset the impact.

Crash—!

She painfully crashed into the arena wall and struggled to get up. She wiped away the blood that had leaked out with the back of her hand.

Cough, cough!

She coughed as if expelling the rising dust, then took a deep breath.

“Mom! Are you okay?!”

Seeing Jeong Iyeon rushing urgently toward Kang Sujin, I deactivated my lightning release.

I also approached her and offered a potion I had brought as a precaution. Kang Sujin gave a slight eye-smile and gulped down the potion.

“You’re still as sensible as ever. I’ll pay you back for the potion later.”

“No need.”

“…Phew, you held back at the end, didn’t you?”

She spoke in her usual tone, having recovered quickly.

“Yes. I thought this much was sufficient to subdue you.”

“The gap seems to have widened even more…?”

The gap was indeed significant. It just felt less so because I was holding back.

Having no intention of stating this fact outright, I simply approached her and handed over the potion.

“Do you have any advice for me?”

“Overall, you did well. If it weren’t me, that final strike would have caused serious injury. No… it would have been fatal.”

That’s how powerful her final attack was.

It seemed almost too much to block with just lightning release without Break. I don’t know how it would have felt to actually take the hit, though.

“You’re already at an excellent level, so it’s difficult for me to presume to give advice.”

“So I’m fine as I am?”

“Yes.”

In fact, her way of using her body was something I should learn from.

When I release my ability, no one can match my strength or speed, so I tend to swing rather carelessly.

But Kang Sujin makes the most effective attacks with efficient movements. From any perspective, I was the one who should be receiving instruction.

The irony of someone who needs to be taught being the teacher made me chuckle involuntarily.

“But you seem at a loss when someone gets too close.”

“That’s because you’re too fast!”

“I see.”

“Wow. That’s the most annoying ‘I see’ in the world!”

What am I supposed to say here?

I can’t exactly say, ‘Well, you should have been born stronger~’

…Come to think of it, this tone is really irritating, isn’t it?

“L-let’s go again.”

“Pardon?”

“I think I can do better next time. Did you think I’d be satisfied with such a lackluster match?”

She recreated her spear using the “Artifact” skill and said with a grin. She’s talking about sparring like putting another coin in an arcade game.

“Come on, get over here.”

Ah… this is becoming troublesome.

As I reluctantly moved away from Kang Sujin, I repeatedly considered, ‘Should I just knock her out?’ but remembering she was a parent, I had to endure tremendous internal conflict until the end of our sparring session.