Ch.211Chapter 8. Thorough Aftercare (2)

Teaching someone is an extremely difficult task.

Especially geniuses often don’t understand why ordinary people can’t understand what they’ve explained.

-I explained it simply, so why don’t they get it?

That’s because geniuses fail to understand the level of ordinary people.

There are other cases too.

When someone with a completely different way of thinking has to explain a completely different ability.

Or when the teacher lacks a deep understanding of the ability that the student needs.

Sejong Island is like that.

While Sejong Island claims to be an educational institution, it essentially focuses on confining ability users to an island to cultivate their mental discipline and social skills.

-Honestly, what do people born before 00 know about abilities to teach us?

Someone once said that. And it’s not entirely wrong – it’s absurd for pre-cataclysm humans who can’t even sense mana to teach the new humans who have awakened to abilities how to use those abilities.

So the old humans haven’t taught ability users how to use their abilities, but rather when and where to use them, restraining their usage.

Under the name of heroic conduct.

Then how should abilities be used?

Ability users must either develop them on their own or ask someone around them who is better at using abilities.

Or have an S-class directly teach them.

In other countries, S-class ability users teach several A-class ability users, who then teach several B-class ability users, creating a multi-level pyramid system for teaching ability usage.

The term “multi-level” sounds strange, but in martial arts terms, this could be called a “master-disciple relationship.”

The foundation of these relationships exists because abilities can be significantly strengthened through guidance and teaching.

Just as Baek Seol-hee and Ymir developed their own new abilities from my various explanations, Yoon Yi-seon can also develop and strengthen her ability.

She can surpass her current limits and rise to S-class.

Therefore.

I’m providing Yoon Yi-seon with an opportunity to aim higher.

Directly, more definitively than Sejong Island, with customized education specifically for her.

Through one-on-one combat.

By becoming Yoon Yi-seon’s “trainer.”

[Too slow.]

Pabang!

Fox fire flew toward me, but I quickly dodged it and launched a counterattack at Yoon Yi-seon.

Kkaang!

I swung my club to deflect the fox fire coming at me.

Like a baseball player hitting a home run, the fox fire flew toward Yoon Yi-seon, who was startled by her own fox fire and threw herself sideways.

Paang!

The fox fire exploded.

Yoon Yi-seon steadied herself with one hand on the ground and glared at me, while I rested my club on my shoulder and taunted her.

[Precise. I’ll give you that. But you put your magic power in too honestly. Someone like me can counter it like this.]

“Then how should I do it?”

[Like this.]

I raised my club high and created flames.

[What if you could make the flames burst only when they reach the opponent? What if you could prevent them from being intercepted midway?]

As a goblin is associated with goblin fire, I aimed black flames forward.

[Try to intercept it.]

The black flames centered around my club flew toward Yoon Yi-seon.

If Yoon Yi-seon’s fox fire was like an MLB pitcher’s fastball, the flames I threw were at the speed of a forkball you might see at a neighborhood friendly baseball game.

“Hap!”

Yoon Yi-seon precisely shot her fox fire toward my goblin fire.

Her flame took the form of a sharp arrow, and the flaming arrow flying toward my goblin fire pierced right through it.

Hwarak.

“Huh?!”

It only pierced through.

The goblin fire didn’t disappear.

As if only the pierced part scattered like mist, a hole formed, and then it slowly flew toward Yoon Yi-seon.

Hwarak.

“Kyaak?!”

Before Yoon Yi-seon could dodge, the goblin fire reached her and clung to her body.

“…Huh?”

[You don’t think I would throw an attack meant to hurt you, do you?]

Startled by the flames attached to her body, Yoon Yi-seon became confused by the fire clinging to her.

“W-what is this?”

[It’s like an illusion. A flame without substance. It’s visible to the eye, but it doesn’t cause explosions or actual burning. What you might call ‘phantom flame.’]

Hwareurek.

Black flames still burned on Yoon Yi-seon’s body.

Far from burning her clothes, they merely circled around her.

“So this is just an illusion?”

[An illusion? No. It’s like a time bomb.]

“……!!”

At my words, Yoon Yi-seon hastily jumped upward.

The black flames I had deliberately dropped emitted a white light and soon exploded with a small blast.

“Ungh…!”

Yoon Yi-seon, who had jumped high and retreated backward, caught her breath with a pale face.

A small crater had formed where the explosion occurred, with the gymnasium floor caved in.

An explosion just big enough for one person to fall into.

Even for Yoon Yi-seon, even with a mana shield, she wouldn’t have escaped unharmed.

[Yoon Yi-seon. Did you perhaps think that I was showing this technique to demonstrate the difference in our levels? That the goblin is showing off his superior flame skills?]

“!!”

Yoon Yi-seon’s eyes shook greatly.

Though she might pretend otherwise outwardly, she probably had such thoughts inside.

[It’s a natural thought. No need to be embarrassed. It’s normal to think that way.]

Any ability user would inevitably feel that way.

Because the other person is better at using the technique I use.

[But I’m showing you these techniques not to show off my abilities, but for you to learn from them by direct demonstration. Let me say it again, don’t misunderstand.]

However, the user’s intention is different.

Unlike typical ability users who use techniques to show off their abilities, I am currently using techniques to teach Yoon Yi-seon.

[Increasing the ways you utilize your ability doesn’t ‘automatically’ elevate you to a higher level. But it is also a way to rise to a higher stage. Mastering one technique is good, but learning techniques that are similar yet different also expands your thinking.]

I created flames again.

[Ability is like travel. Humans become stronger by seeing various things, hearing various things, and having various experiences.]

I have traveled numerous worlds.

As a reader, I’ve indirectly experienced countless imaginary worlds created by many authors and learned their abilities.

[What kind of ability do you think I just used?]

“…I’m not sure.”

Yoon Yi-seon answered with a disgruntled voice.

[Then let me ask. Should I tell you the answer, or would you rather figure it out yourself?]

“What’s the difference?”

[It’s like a math problem. If you know the answer before solving the problem, solving it becomes easier. But if you find the answer yourself, you can apply the same principle when faced with a different type of problem next time. Let me show you once more.]

I created goblin fire again.

Slower than before and in fewer numbers, I sent the goblin fire toward Yoon Yi-seon, and she narrowed her eyes and shot her fox fire at the goblin fire.

Hwarak!

The goblin fire touched by the arrow-like fox fire was pierced in the middle.

The goblin fire touched by the fox fire flying like a sonic boom blade was split in half.

The goblin fire touched by the larger fox fire seemed to be swallowed for a moment, but regained its form as soon as the fox fire passed.

“…Ah!”

Yoon Yi-seon jumped back to create distance, then created a new fox fire and shot it at me.

Though its speed was very slow, I approached directly as I had when I first hit her flame and swung my club widely.

Hwarak!

The club just passed through the flame, unable to deflect it.

The moment I swung my club, the ‘core’ part of the magic power contained in the flame avoided my club.

[Correct.]

“Ah!”

Kwaaang!

Yoon Yi-seon’s flame attached to my club exploded.

I was covered in Yoon Yi-seon’s fox fire, and she approached me in surprise.

“Ah, that!”

[It’s fine. I neutralized it.]

I took damage, but it wasn’t particularly painful.

Just as a kickboxing instructor wouldn’t collapse from a moderately strong straight punch from a student, I brushed off Yoon Yi-seon’s flame and approached her.

[Do you understand the principle?]

“…The visible flame is a decoy, and the actual magic bullet that causes the explosion is hidden inside the flame.”

[Yes. Though it’s not just that simple.]

I floated a goblin fire in front of Yoon Yi-seon.

[With experience, you can manipulate it from within like this.]

Inside the blazing black flame the size of a basketball, the white-burned magic power was bouncing like a ping-pong ball inside a basketball.

[Nothing deceives the enemy’s eyes better than flames. Humans inherently fear fire. Now, you can do this.]

“This…?”

[Instead of overlaying the magic bullet you send to the enemy, you overlay it on your own body.]

I dispelled the black flame and extended my hand to Yoon Yi-seon.

[Think of yourself as this white flame. And you create black flames on the outside.]

“…….”

[Gather magic power around you to create a form. What do you want to create?]

“……If possible.”

Yoon Yi-seon looked up at me intently and clenched her fist.

“Will you do something for me?”

[Hmm. Well. How about a date one night?]

At that moment.

Pink flames burst from Yoon Yi-seon’s body and enveloped her.

[…….]

Oh.

Why is she “awakening”-