Ch.110Episode 23. Comic World (1)

“Black Rain.”

Tututututu—!

Thin black flames pouring from the sky obstruct my vision. Each small but powerful burst of flame is strong enough to tear up the training ground floor. Even I would be injured if I didn’t dodge them.

Crack!

I deflect a spark that nearly touches my body with an electric shock and create some distance.

I did teach her this, but such wide-area techniques are incredibly tricky. Especially for close-combat ability users, it’s impossible to avoid difficult situations.

But naturally, these wide-area techniques demand a lot of stamina. In other words, they have poor cost-effectiveness. They’re weaker than other skills but drain stamina much faster.

That’s why I’ve been training Gu Yeonhwa to focus more on stamina than others, so she can unleash these techniques without burden. So she won’t get tired even after using skills for a long time.

“Black Flame Spear! Fireball!”

The moment she chants the skills, numerous spheres and black spears containing fire appear behind her back.

“Hahaha! You won’t be able to defeat me while staying so far away!”

It really felt like facing a mage straight out of fantasy. The villain-like dialogue was just a bonus.

Anyway, long-range attacks after creating distance…

She seemed to be planning to restrict my movements with Black Rain and then pour out her firepower all at once.

Seeing how she doesn’t appear tired despite using so many skills at once, focusing on stamina was definitely the right answer for Gu Yeonhwa.

Since she usually watches otaku-like works, I didn’t need to advise her on imagination. I believe she’ll naturally become S-class if we just build up her stamina.

Still, I’ll need to help her develop her combat sense through continued sparring. For example, how to respond when an opponent gets close.

“Here I come!”

I raise the corner of my mouth as I watch numerous black flames pouring toward me at her gesture.

“Still far from enough.”

I kick off the ground and dodge between the pouring flames.

Even with my electric field deployed, I can’t avoid all of her attacks.

So I break through the Black Rain, which deals the least damage.

Black Rain is indiscriminately pouring flames, making it impossible to dodge everything even with my electric field deployed.

But since the flames are small, their power isn’t very strong, so I won’t die even if I’m hit.

I charge straight through the center and stand before her.

Gu Yeonhwa’s eyes shake violently as she sees me suddenly in front of her.

“Eh? Huh?”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I casually clench my fist while hearing numerous explosions behind my back.

“Next time, make your Black Rain stronger.”

I give just one piece of advice. It was to give her at least enough time to defend herself. But despite my intentionally giving her time, she just stared at me blankly.

I swallowed a sigh inwardly.

There was only one gift for a stupid disciple who was spacing out.

She tries to grow her flames to block my fist, but it’s already too late. I bonk her head with my fist.

“Ugh!”

She clutches her head and makes a tearful face. A few tears even come out.

I didn’t hit her hard enough to cause a concussion. I had completely released my electric field.

…Still, would this damage her brain?

Where should I hit her next time? Maybe her butt would be better?

But hitting her butt felt wrong.

Lee Bangsil wouldn’t gossip about it, and he had his own issues, but it wasn’t something I should do to kids.

I’ll have to think about this later. For now, time for a lecture.

“You should at least defend yourself while I’m talking. What were you doing?”

In terms of both stamina and skills, Gu Yeonhwa was currently the most excellent. However, she was extremely vulnerable to opponents who got close.

Even though I always try to teach her how to deal with this, she doesn’t know what to do, so she doesn’t show much progress in sparring with the other students.

“B-but! I didn’t know you’d break through those flames! Your clothes are burned! What should we do!”

My white shirt was burned around the shoulder area due to the Black Rain sparks.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s a normal method.

But in life-or-death battles, you need to be certain about gains and losses.

Otherwise, you’ll die.

I judged that launching a counter-attack was better than standing still and taking all the hits. As a result, Gu Yeonhwa had no choice but to give me the initiative.

Looking at this, I could tell that Gu Yeonhwa’s ability to read and judge sparring situations was significantly lower than the other students. To put it simply, her combat sense was terrible.

“Are you okay? Did you get burned?”

Concern shows in her eyes as she looks at my body, not daring to touch me in case it might hurt.

“I’m fine.”

Her concern is appreciated, but I had already recovered long ago.

To weaken Yujin’s super-recovery, you would need special skills like the power to cut through the space of Yeonhwaryong itself.

With Gu Yeonhwa’s still incomplete power, she could only burn clothes.

“Your close-range response ability is too poor. That’s why you keep losing to the others in sparring.”

While A-class students might be one thing, defeating special class students with S-class potential wasn’t just about unleashing skills.

Especially Yu Ari had a terrible matchup against her.

With “Shadow Movement,” she could instantly grab her from behind.

“Haven’t you thought that you’re abnormally fast, Instructor?”

“I was moving at a speed similar to Jeong Iyeon’s Flash Slash.”

“Ugh… I should build a fortress of fire next time.”

“If you have the stamina to maintain it.”

“…”

She seems to lack confidence in that.

Looking at her up close, she appeared visibly tired. She wasn’t gasping for breath like Yeon Muhui, but her workout clothes were soaked with sweat.

It seemed unavoidable even with the air conditioning on full blast after such intense sparring.

“It was in the menu, right? To research close-range response methods. Think about it. How should you handle it?”

I know, but I won’t tell her. She needed to figure it out herself to truly grow.

“Rest for now. You’re forbidden from drinking potions.”

“Ah… but I’m tired…”

“If you can walk on two legs, you’re not tired. Rest.”

“Okay…”

I called Yu Ari, who had been quietly watching our sparring from the corner. She began to move.

She drew a dagger and stopped at a certain distance. Yu Ari took a deep breath, and killing intent began to seep from her eyes.

“Yu Ari. What did I tell you about attacking someone?”

“You told me to empty my emotions.”

Hostility or killing intent leaking from emotions would only reveal her position.

“Now then… come at me freely.”

The moment her black eyes appeared again after she closed them and controlled her breathing, darkness began to spread from the ground where Yu Ari stood, engulfing the entire scene.

“Pitch-Black Stage.”

Yu Ari’s stealth technique that darkens the space itself.

By the time the space formed, Yu Ari had already disappeared.

For Yu Ari, who could become one with shadows, darkness was her true stage.

She never reveals herself when exhibiting her true value in darkness. In the novel, anyone who saw her form would certainly die.

But currently, she wasn’t accustomed to releasing her power, so the area was small and she couldn’t maintain it for long.

Still, thanks to my instructions to keep practicing power release, the area had expanded considerably in just two weeks.

“Hmm…”

There’s no presence or energy to pinpoint her location.

Since this is Yu Ari’s “domain,” I could feel her energy no matter where I looked.

But there is a way to know. I just need to release my power as well.

Crackle—!

Sparks rising from my feet scatter powerfully in all directions.

“Ugh…!”

A small, short breath heard from close by.

I threw a punch, pinpointing the location by sound.

Clang—!

The Pitch-Black Stage disappears with a metallic sound.

“Kuh!”

She blocked my fist with her dagger, but the strong impact made her lose her grip on the knife. The dagger floated in the air as Yu Ari was knocked back.

“Yu Ari. No matter what your opponent does, you must never waver. Even if you’re attacked, you need to maintain the space to lead the fight advantageously.”

“When I’m attacked, my con-concentration breaks, making it hard to maintain.”

I know it’s difficult. But it must be done.

Compared to the others, Yu Ari’s skills aren’t that powerful. She can inflict fatal wounds, but her conditions are more demanding and difficult than the others.

Therefore, her choice should be to change the environment. To her advantage.

The power to change any environment to your advantage is not common. If she can freely control this power, there would be very few who could defeat her in one-on-one combat.

“If you can’t do it, make it happen. Get up.”

I extended my hand to her. Yu Ari cleared her throat with a short “Ahem” and shyly took my hand.

It was ironic to see someone who casually talks about sex being shy about light skinship.

“We continue. Deploy it again.”

“…Yes.”

After fidgeting with my hand before letting go, she picked up her fallen dagger while licking her lips.

“H-here I come.”

* * *

“The overall assessment is that you’re doing well. Still far from enough, though.”

They seemed to have no strength to respond to my words, collapsed as if unconscious. After one more sparring session to squeeze out their maximum power, they ended up like this.

We still have a long way to go.

Having gained control over Akcheon, I’ve bought some time, but it’s impossible to know how they might threaten us. At the very least, they should be able to protect themselves.

“Instructor…”

“What?”

Gu Yeonhwa, who couldn’t control her body’s trembling due to excessive skill use, painfully raised her head and called out to me.

“You… you haven’t forgotten, right?”

“Forgotten what?”

“C-Comic World. Going to Comic World.”

…I had forgotten.