Ch.313308 – Industry Award

“Ugh, I’ve never exercised in my life…”

Lee Bo-reum whispered into my ear with a timid voice.

The breath tickling my ear made me shake my head vigorously.

Seo Jong-chan, the athlete who had been guiding us, turned around and smiled brightly.

“Everyone has a first time, right? Don’t overthink it.”

“Oh! You heard that?”

“Everyone who comes here has different goals. Some aim to become professional athletes, others just want to lose weight. The destinations may differ, but when we train together with enthusiasm, you’ll find motivation you never knew you had!”

“Perfect for a shut-in like Bo-reum unnie.”

“Exactly! Exercise improves your social skills too!”

We crossed through the free weight area filled with typical gym equipment.

In the main training space, covered with blue mats like a vast ocean, about a dozen men sat in proper posture, welcoming us.

“Welcome to Baekho Gym! Wooooo!”

“NoName is so cute!”

“Name, become our new master!”

The enthusiastic response from the people made the livestream viewers flood the chat with laughter.

-Get lost, Seo Jong-chan! Welcome NoName!

-Korean UFC legend vs. 8-year-old genius girl is no contest lol

-Seo Jong-chan is world-class now. Even meeting NoName.

-Wow, check out how clean this gym is.

While Seo Jong-chan was giving a tour of the gym with the camera, I plopped down on the mat and waited for him to return.

The sandbag hanging from the ceiling swayed rhythmically.

I passed the time by moving my head left and right in sync with it.

“Sorry for the wait! We don’t have boxing gloves that fit Name, so would open-finger gloves be okay?”

I actually prefer having my fingers exposed.

I took the gloves he handed me and tried them on.

They’re a bit loose, but tightening the velcro makes them fit well enough.

“Name, have you done any exercise before?”

“I just do flexibility stretches from time to time.”

“As viewers can see… our Name is very thin overall. Look at how thin this wrist is. If I squeezed it hard with two fingers, I feel like her bones would break!”

-Hey you! Are you not afraid of the wrath of ten million Name fans!!!

-She can break watermelons with her fingers, let alone a child’s wrist lol

-How did she even win the Academy Competition? (genuinely curious)

Noticing some standout comments, I added my own thoughts.

“That’s different from the competition. There, we have protective barriers and most importantly, we use our aura. Just like weight classes in sports, using aura is like being in a weight class. As an experienced user, I’d be in the heavyweight division, if we’re making comparisons.”

-Heavyweight Name wow

-lol heavyweight (19kg)

-But she’s right. No one without aura could beat someone using it.

-Life ← Upvote if you think it’s a game with terrible balance patches

-I can’t even figure out how to handle my Aura Heart, don’t know why I even have one.

└ You’ve got a third leg you’ll never use either, but it’s still attached.

└ (Comment deleted)

└ (Comment deleted)

“Hey, hey, Name! There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you!”

Seo Jong-chan suddenly waved his hands, blocking the chat.

“Yes, what is it?”

“In the previous competition, and also when was it? When you sparred at Korea University. Your roundhouse kick form was really clean.”

“Oh, Cai… Capoeira?”

“I knew it was capoeira! But when did you learn that?”

“Self-taught. In sparring, there are many situations where I need to use my legs.”

That’s a thousand times more believable than saying “I learned it in my past life.”

The small talk didn’t last long.

“Usually we warm up with push-ups, planks, or squats, but that’s too intense for Name, so let’s just do regular stretches!”

“I’ll help our streamer! Hehe.”

Lee Bo-reum, who had been looking for a chance to escape from the corner, quietly approached behind me.

“What do you mean help with stretches? I can do that much by myself.”

While my strength and stamina might be terrible without using aura, my motor skills are actually quite good.

I loosened my neck and shoulders, then rotated my wrists and ankles.

Following what I learned during Academy PE class, I interlocked my fingers and bent forward at the waist with straight knees.

Thanks to daily practice, my palms easily touched the floor.

Children’s bodies are indeed flexible.

“Next, stretch upward!”

“Upward, heave!”

Bo-reum grabbed my arms from behind and pulled them straight up.

For a moment, my body floated in the air as I flailed around before finally finding my footing.

“W-what are you doing?”

“They say this helps you grow taller faster! Name, what are you waiting for? Count with the instructor! Two, two, three, four.”

“Five, six, seven… are you sure about this?”

I’ve heard theories that exercises like pull-ups can help straighten the spine and stimulate growth plates, aiding height growth…

But somehow everything this manager says seems suspicious.

“Aww, so cute! Next, stretch to the left! Kyaa, Name, I can see your belly button!”

“Don’t pull so suddenly! My clothes are riding up!”

“Next, stretch all the way to the right! Oh, Name is growing taller by the second! 113! 114! 115 breaking through the stratosphere!”

My patience wasn’t enough to endure this tyranny any longer.

I swept her legs and pushed her torso forward, knocking her down.

I hugged her arm against my body and firmly secured her shoulder joint with my leg.

Then I lifted my hips slightly and pressed down.

“Kyaaaaa! My arm! My arm hurts!”

A perfect armbar.

“Don’t ever make fun of my height again.”

* * *

The broadcast proceeded with Seo Jong-chan demonstrating jiu-jitsu submission techniques first, then Name following along.

“Name, want to try demonstrating the twister?”

“Step 1, grab the opponent’s back and pull them toward you.”

“Eek!”

*Poof*

The soft, fluffy skin pressing against Bo-reum’s back from behind.

The lavender shampoo scent from Name’s hair seemed to permeate her entire body.

Bo-reum smiled ecstatically, willingly surrendering her body to Name’s guidance.

“Step 2, secure the leg that’s touching the floor.”

“Haah!”

Name’s legs wrapping around from the outside.

The feeling of their thighs touching sent electric tingles through her body.

“Step 3, raise your body and insert your arm into the opponent’s opposite armpit. Hmm… I wonder if I can reach that far.”

“Whoa!”

Name’s arm overlapped Bo-reum’s left arm, passing through her armpit.

“Step 4, wrap both hands around the neck and pull.”

Fingers climbing up the back of her neck like a snake.

Just as Bo-reum was pushed to a forbidden realm she shouldn’t have glimpsed, Name stopped with a troubled expression.

“I can’t reach that far…”

“Your form is perfect, but… this is difficult.”

The ‘Twister,’ a ground version of the Cobra Twist, is a brutal technique that separates the neck from the spine.

But NoName just looked like a child hugging a precious stuffed animal.

“Ahaha, Name, I’m ticklish now! Stop, stop!”

“Why are you so ticklish, unnie?”

“That’s just how I am, what can I do!”

After successive technique failures, Name’s expression gradually crumpled.

In jiu-jitsu, many techniques require somewhat equal physiques to execute properly.

In the end, it was a height issue again.

Every time Name became aware of her small stature and short limbs, her mood deteriorated.

“How did it look to you, unnie?”

Still, Name occasionally asked for confirmation on whether her techniques were executed well.

“It was totally an industry reward! Name, I absolutely don’t regret being dragged here today! Exercise is the best!”

“What are you saying?”

The clueless Bo-reum beamed with an enlightened smile.

Among the fans watching in real-time, there was an outcry of protests.

-In our industry, that’s a reward lol. She’s saying it right to her face!

-Why only the manager! Why do you get all the good stuff!

-I’ll curse you forever, ILikeCateMatesBest!

-I want Name to choke me too!

-Chat is so messed up lol

-NoName’s sincere hugging..!! The effect was amazing!!

-She’s actually talented though? She follows everything perfectly after seeing it once.

-The result was weird but… as long as it was soft, everything’s okay, right?

“I’ll practice what you taught me today in virtual reality and show you later.”

-Gasp, so we have a chance too…?

-Just press those elf princess thighs together lol

-I volunteer as the next sandbag!

-What chance? Are there only masochists in this chat?

-I want to experience Name’s twister just once before I die…

-If you actually experienced it properly, you’d become a vegetable.

-An industry reward in exchange for your life lol

Name did have some successes.

Techniques like the calf slicer that crushes calves or the Kimura lock that twists arms were worth trying depending on the circumstances.

But due to physical limitations, there were more failures than successes.

Since NoName usually shows such perfection, today was especially delightful for teasing her.

Frustrated, Name tightened her gloves and quietly moved to the corner of the training area.

* * *

*Thud*

I punched the black sandbag hanging in the corner. It’s definitely heavy.

The feeling of mana being drained whenever I touch it suggests it’s a magic-resistant product.

-Knock knock, is anyone in there?

-Princess Name is here!

-Name seems a bit upset because we teased her too much lol

-Auntie is sorry!

-Being this cute no matter what you do is cheating.

I took my stance to select a striking point and threw a one-two jab at the precise spot.

*Thud thud*

The sandbag still showed no signs of moving backward.

-So cute lol

-Characteristics when first hitting a sandbag: You think it’s a roly-poly toy but it’s actually just a super hard rock.

-Name is a baby… Name throws baby punches…

-Good form! Your UFC hobby wasn’t just talk!

-There’s no reason to lie about that even as a joke lol

This time, I channeled aura into my right fist and delivered a rear straight.

*Thunk!*

“Oh.”

-Wow!

-It’s moving now lol

-Name-chan is amazing!

-Name, you can actually hit?

-But the sandbag is too high for her!

-What are you planning?

This is about the power that amateur adult beginners in combat sports would exert.

If it’s a magic-resistant product, using aura should be fine, right?

I infused golden aura into both my legs.

At the L-shaped corridor, I made eye contact with Seo Jong-chan.

“Just checking, is it okay if I jump around here? Any concerns about noise for neighbors below?”

“Doesn’t matter, right? We’re in the basement.”

“Oh right, we are. Thanks.”

My Aura Heart emitted a pure golden light, enveloping my body.

“Hoo…”

A deep breath of firm resolve.

With each step, aura burned throughout my legs.

The mat’s brilliant ocean color created an illusion of walking on water.

With golden aura armoring my legs, I pushed off strongly and dashed forward, then forward again.

*Thump thump thump thump!*

Incredible acceleration, firmly planting my feet on the high-friction mat.

*Screech*

The soles of my feet are burning hot. I even have the absurd thought that my skin might be burning off.

Then, an aerial jump.

My body feels incredibly light, as if I’ve traveled to the moon.

Savoring this sense of omnipotence,

The aura traveled through my foot, shin, knee, thigh, waist, and back to thigh and knee, completing half a circuit before finally manifesting brilliantly.

I spin my body in a full circle.

The energy from my running start continues downward, concentrating entirely on the top of my foot.

[Kaizen Imperial Martial Art: Crescent Moon Kick]

A technique originating from a myth where the first Emperor of Kaizen performed a roundhouse kick toward the sky, causing the full moon to shrink into a crescent.

*BOOM!*

The impact echoed throughout the gym with an explosive sound.

‘Nothing beats a sandbag for stress relief…’

*Crumble*

“Huh?”

Plaster dust falls at my feet.

This is definitely indoors, right?

I soon realized what the debris was.

[‘MintChocoMalaXiangGuo’ donated 10,000 won!]

-She… split the ceiling…

[‘NamesDadIsAFarmer’ donated 25,000 won!]

-Even in our industry, this isn’t considered a reward…

Not only had the sandbag burst, it had flown up and punctured the plasterboard ceiling.