Ch.229224 – Weightlifting Club

At some point, more and more philosophy majors began joining Korea University’s weightlifting club.

And these weren’t beginners to exercise, but experienced veterans who seemed to have years of training under their belts.

While there were many factors behind this phenomenon, there was one pivotal incident that started it all.

[32341 Regular admission student gets into Korea University Philosophy Department ^^]

Someone with just a 2.6 GPA average had somehow been accepted through the regular admission process, which was 50% standardized testing and 50% practical interview.

A post that caused a storm on an online community seven years ago eventually made it to broadcast news, attracting attention from many parents and private education professionals.

The physique of student Kim from an ordinary high school was truly shocking.

Height: 1.96 meters. Weight: 115kg.

With muscles bulging everywhere, he looked more suited for physical education than philosophy, and this image was firmly imprinted in people’s minds.

-The philosophy department’s interview approach has changed.

-It reflects the latest philosophical trends.

In Western academia, Nietzsche’s theories emphasizing physical development had been reevaluated and become mainstream. Scholars who trained their bodies weren’t uncommon either.

As the incident grew out of control, the student finally offered an explanation.

He claimed the admissions officers had highly valued his efforts in rescuing people during the Banghwa Bridge bombing incident during his high school years.

Kim, who had been featured in the news several times, was already famous for shattering stereotypes about aura users being physically weak.

His admission was a calculated move—gaining government favor while emphasizing philosophy as practical action.

He had written that community post just to get attention.

But his explanation didn’t spread widely.

Even the Korea University philosophy professors saw no need to change this newly established trend.

After all, students needed to build their bodies properly for graduation exams by senior year, so having students who were already physically developed was perfect.

The predictions of entrance exam experts eventually became reality, contributing significantly to the creation of today’s wild philosophy department.

“No wonder there are so many guys here—everyone’s from the weightlifting club.”

“Not everyone, just most of them.”

After symbolic logic class ended, I asked while side-eyeing the line of men following us.

Symbolic Logic is a major course only offered in the second semester.

When Ban So-wol mentioned wanting to take it early during summer session, the male weightlifting club members from the philosophy department all submitted course opening requests to help her.

The Goddess of Philosophy, the Hope of the Weightlifting Club.

Ban So-wol’s popularity from both groups was beyond imagination.

“Name, is this sister really strong? Have you heard of the big three lifts?”

“Weight training, right?”

“Oh, you know! Squat, bench press, and deadlift—those three together are called the big three.”

Despite its name, Korea University’s weightlifting club is actually a bodybuilding and fitness club.

Still working on my phone number mission, I moved with them to the weightlifting club’s private gym.

“Our So-wol can do a 360kg total on the big three without using aura. That’s incredible—almost unmatched for someone her weight!”

A male student excitedly explained So-wol’s achievements as if they were his own.

“Name is still young, she probably doesn’t care about that stuff.”

“Early education is important!”

“Name, let’s ignore that guy.”

We came to steep stairs going uphill.

I held So-wol’s hand tightly to prevent her from missing a step since she couldn’t see well.

But my concern was unnecessary.

She was already using her aura field to properly check her footing.

“You handle aura quite naturally.”

“Hmm? Oh, I just picked it up naturally over time.”

“The fatigue must be no joke though.”

Some people mistakenly think that if you can handle aura well, blind people can see.

This is a misunderstanding because deploying aura comes with huge penalties.

It’s like trying to recite pi’s decimal places while holding your breath underwater.

Forcibly allocating aura to sensory organs limits your thinking, and extended use puts great strain on your aura heart.

“By the way, can I ask what that arm wrestling challenge was about earlier?”

Just before entering the gym, she paused.

Ban So-wol’s head turned stiffly toward me. Her gentle face subtly contorted.

“It was heavy.”

She said in a sunken voice.

“…?”

“Do you truly believe a human can lift a mountain?”

* * *

Clang-!

The 140kg deadlift barbell hit the floor with a crisp sound.

“Wow, 345!”

“Huff… not doing so well today.”

“Don’t push yourself or you might get hurt. Let’s stop here for today.”

“So-wol is already famous, what if she gets even more famous!”

Name captured Ban So-wol in the Korea University promotional video she was filming.

While the members were organizing the weight plates, So-wol plopped down next to Name and wiped her sweat.

“Good job, sis. Here’s a towel.”

“Hmm. Thanks, I’ll use it well.”

Name was busy checking if the video recorded properly, pressing the camera buttons with her small hands.

“Name, have you tried any of the equipment here?”

“I couldn’t even lift an empty 10kg bar.”

“Hehe, that’s normal. At your age, you should actually avoid excessive muscle training.”

“So-wol, do you know someone named Shin Yeon-ho?”

“Shin Yeon-ho…? Who’s that?”

“Oh, you don’t know?”

Name’s face stiffened.

She had assumed they at least knew each other, but So-wol couldn’t even remember him.

“You met him as an opponent in the national martial arts tournament quarterfinals.”

“Quarterfinals… quarterfinals… Ah! I think I remember. Name, could you play the video on VTube?”

“Yes. What?”

Ban So-wol has severe visual impairment.

How could she ask to play a VTube video when she can barely see?

“I can remember the scenes just by hearing the sound.”

“Oh. Okay, sure.”

Name, almost caught by prejudice, quickly played the fourth match of the 2049 National Martial Arts Tournament quarterfinals.

[Who could have predicted this! Two dark horses from the second year of high school meet on this narrow bridge! Shin Yeon-ho from Seoul Altair Academy! And Ban So-wol from Busan Aspen Academy! Whichever side wins, this match will be remembered as legendary!]

“The commentator was really hyped even back then. Must have been tough for him since we were the last match.”

The tense seventeen-year-olds stood facing each other on the arena under bright moonlight.

“The previous matches ran late so we didn’t even have time for introductions. We probably started right away.”

Ban So-wol was the one who instantly frustrated Shin Yeon-ho, hailed as the greatest genius at Altair Academy.

Despite carrying the huge penalty of visual impairment, she dominated the quarterfinals and semifinals, setting a record as the first second-year high school student to reach the finals in eight years.

Needless to say, she was the first visually impaired person to do so since the country’s founding.

Therefore, all her achievements were always accompanied by the word “first.”

“Thinking about it now, he was actually tougher than my semifinal opponent. He had great stamina and didn’t falter even in long battles.”

Ban So-wol uses aura imbued with the principle of “weight.”

This stems from the fact that she has acquired visual impairment.

During middle school, one day after washing her face, she suddenly couldn’t see out of her right eye.

At first, she thought someone had poisoned the tap water.

But the hospital diagnosed it as a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation, and gave a terminal prognosis for her other eye as well.

It was a cruel punishment for a teenage girl to accept.

Even with modern science helping her function well at home, outside she would frequently bump into people and fall.

A storm had arrived in her previously calm life.

Realizing that crying wouldn’t change anything, Ban So-wol decided to change herself.

A tree with deep roots doesn’t sway in a typhoon.

A heavy rock maintains its position for thousands of years.

If she could firmly establish herself, the world would make way for her.

Ban So-wol continued endless contemplations that were difficult for a middle schooler to formulate.

‘Don’t demand that things happen as you wish, but rather wish for things to happen as they actually happen.’

Immovable mind.

The philosophies of Mencius and Zeno became her foundation.

Aura is like a three-year-old child, endlessly asking “why?”

-Why do you think a heavy rock is eternal? What if it rains or snows and erosion occurs? Do you still prefer heaviness?

-How do you compare things without weight? Is love heavier or is hatred?

When you’re prepared to answer all questions definitively, aura exhibits superhuman power.

[Ban So-wol! Ban So-wol! After a fierce battle, she pushed Shin Yeon-ho away! It looks like a second-circle self-injury magic! Is this her first spell? As I’m speaking, she disappeared from the screen! Above Shin Yeon-ho! Right above him!]

Heavy doesn’t simply mean slow and dull.

Don’t the moon and earth orbit at unimaginably fast speeds?

“Weight” is “inertia.”

Therefore, if properly directed by “principle” and “righteousness,” the mystery of “weight” is maximized.

Ban So-wol directly refuted participants’ assumption that she couldn’t deploy her aura sense without touching the ground.

She jumped much higher than the floating Shin Yeon-ho and rotated her body halfway.

Despite the heavy aura environment, she could move faster than anyone.

The aura concentrated at the point of her heel properly struck Shin Yeon-ho’s back.

In the blink of an eye, a large depression formed in the arena floor, raising a cloud of dust.

With the barrier dropping below 1%, Shin Yeon-ho fainted as it couldn’t fully absorb the impact.

[Ban So-wol! Ban So-wol! Ban So-woooool! Ban So-wol did it! She actually did it! Aspen Academy’s last ember is still burning bright!]

The commentary was slightly biased toward Ban So-wol, but Name nodded in agreement.

Until then, everyone in the audience had wholeheartedly cheered to see how far she could go.

“You must have been disappointed to lose in the finals.”

“It’s okay. Honestly, I could have been eliminated at any point from the preliminaries.”

A single judgment can overturn the outcome in a duel.

Throughout the competition, Ban So-wol had fought her best with her own philosophy.

Despite losing in the finals, her philosophy of heaviness remained intact.

In the end, it was because she was lacking in all aspects.

But when Name entered the classroom, and when Ban So-wol’s aura sense accidentally touched her.

For the first time, she felt her philosophy waver.

‘Infinitely light, yet infinitely heavy.’

These two concepts cannot coexist.

There can be moderation, but not confusion.

It was difficult to explain in words, but this was the most natural way she could express it.

“Shall we try that arm wrestling I mentioned earlier? Using aura too.”

Name was the one who suggested it first.

Ban So-wol’s face brightened.

She wanted to check more closely.

The identity of that aura.

“If I win, will you give me your number?”

“I can give you my number right now if you want. Would that be okay?”

“It’s not for me, I want to give it to Shin Yeon-ho.”

“Why him?”

Name skipped answering and lay down on the floor.

Not doing it on a desk meant she intended to go all out.

Ban So-wol smiled.

She also tied her long hair into a ponytail.

“Alright. Let’s see what Name can do.”

Ban So-wol’s long arms showed pumped muscles from her recent big three workout.

‘I’ll just gauge her ability and then let her win appropriately.’

The soft small hand met the rough calloused one.

Using aura in arm wrestling, Ban So-wol had even defeated the weightlifting club captain.

Her aura shows the highest efficiency when exerting unidirectional force.

Soon, a dull gray energy rose up. Through its gaps, Name’s golden aura sparkled.

“Wow! You can already handle aura this well?”

Isn’t this pure genius?

It feels so clear that it even seems warm.

Ban So-wol revealed her surprise, her lightless gray eyes wide open.

Whoosh-!

Both girls’ arms trembled.

The shock wave created by the meeting of two strong-willed auras made their hair flutter slightly.

Ban So-wol was amazed by Name’s strength, which was far greater than expected.

‘This strength isn’t just talent… Could she already be at the stage of building her worldview?’

They say children with excellent mana sensitivity also have high mental ages.

But that should only be a year or two difference—this was beyond common sense.

She could see Name trying her hardest to push her arm down.

Such a being was actually right in front of her.

Thud-!

Ban So-wol’s hand hit the floor first.

“I lost…! You’re really amazing, how did you get such aura—”

“Let’s do it again.”

Just as she was about to shower Name with praise, Name cut her off with a fierce voice.

“I was going easy on you…”

“That’s—”

“This time with the left hand. Don’t hold back at all.”

“Alright. I’ll accept your request.”

What a competitive child.

It was both admirable and cute that Name wouldn’t accept her victory.

Swoosh-

The gray aura swirled like a rising dragon and wrapped around Ban So-wol’s entire left arm.

“Grab it.”

Normally, untrained humans can’t even penetrate barriers made of aura.

This was why Ban So-wol didn’t use her full power against opponents.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to grab her hand, let alone start arm wrestling.

Thud-

‘But what’s this?’

She felt the soft skin again.

“What… how…?”

The same size, the same feeling, the sensation that started at the wrist expanded to the entire palm.

“You’ll be in big trouble if you go easy on me, sis. This time you might get hurt.”

“You.”

“Do it properly.”

Name’s aura was definitely golden before.

You can tell the color of aura just by feeling it.

What Ban So-wol felt now was that Name’s aura was blood-red.

Crackle-!

“Force energy?”

The auras created a repulsive force trying to push each other away.

Forcibly maintaining this caused small sparks to fly around their hands.

“Three seconds. I’ll start after three seconds.”

Ban So-wol counted to three internally.

3.

The hand clasped with Name felt heavier.

That vague heaviness she felt when they first met.

2.

Now Ban So-wol’s hand was about to be pushed back.

Against Ban So-wol’s dragon-shaped aura, Name’s aura began taking form.

The surface of the blood-red force energy bubbled up and dozens of large and small mouths emerged.

1.

The sharply changed aura shape seemed to represent teeth inside a mouth.

The hideous teeth clashed and tore the gray dragon to shreds.

Even as Ban So-wol kept injecting aura to maintain its shape, it was being absorbed much faster.

And suddenly, oddly enough, Ban So-wol felt a strong sense of hunger.

“What on earth!”

Swoosh-!

Pale steam billowed out like fog.

Instantly, a mountain-like force pressed down on her arm.

The veins on Ban So-wol’s wrist stood out prominently as she resisted.

It felt less like arm wrestling and more like pushing against a concrete wall.

She followed her maximally swollen muscles and carefully extended her aura sense to examine Name’s face in detail.

“…!”

[Hunger: Erysichthon]

And there,

A girl who had never smiled before was watching with an expression of ecstasy,

Transparent drool dripping from the corners of her mouth, looking at Ban So-wol adoringly.

“You’ll get eaten that way.”