episode_0039

Hospitalized, Cheolsoo stared blankly at the ceiling.

Is it because it’s not his first defeat?

Surprisingly, the shock wasn’t too deep.

What worried him was how that guy learned his master’s martial arts.

“I thought he was hostile to Heukcheon.”

Is my knowledge somehow flawed?

Or did he pull off some trick in Heukcheon?

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t figure it out.

In the end, Cheolsoo shook his head.

“That’s not important right now.”

His goal is to defeat Kim Yujin.

And to save Yeonghee.

Just thinking about that alone feels like time isn’t enough.

“Fortunately, there was progress.”

Of course, Yujin was overwhelmingly strong.

So much so that he couldn’t even fathom winning.

But he had also achieved tremendous growth.

Thanks to the captain’s help, his skills had improved by several levels.

“Moreover, although it was his first time, I managed to wound him.”

His original technique, ‘Blue Lightning.’

Even Kim Yujin couldn’t dodge this lightning strike made of pure magic.

Although he endured it and launched attacks multiple times.

In any case, he definitely inflicted a wound.

“If I have a weapon that works, all I need to do is enhance it.”

If there’s a way to utilize it, the possibilities are endless.

Increasing the amount of magic and starting with a lightning strike from the beginning.

Or perhaps surrounding a sword with lightning for an attack.

Of course, growth would be essential for that.

“I wish there were better equipment, at least.”

Unfortunately, there’s no place where money can be earned.

While conquering dungeons to earn money is an option.

The equipment used by heroes is mostly expensive.

It’s not fitting for Cheolsoo to use mediocre weapons at his level.

“No, I don’t think even mediocre equipment would work against Kim Yujin.”

At least B-grade or higher equipment would be necessary.

But is there a way to obtain that?

Balancing studies, training, and saving money.

Even if he saves money bit by bit, it takes too long.

As Cheolsoo pondered over these concerns,

“Excuse me.”

The door opened, and a woman in a suit entered.

She must be the association’s administrator.

“Are you Kim Cheolsoo, a student at the academy?”

“Oh, yes. That’s me.”

Cheolsoo looked at her with a puzzled expression.

There was no one who would come looking for him at this point.

“I heard you were severely injured. I hope you recover quickly.”

“…Yes, I have a good healer.”

It’s clearly Yeonghee’s skill.

Despite saying she didn’t like it, she reached out in the end.

She’s still a somewhat awkward girl.

“That’s good. You’ll be able to return to school soon.”

“Yes, I think I can go back to school in a few days.”

The academy is a good place for training.

He can’t ignore attendance scores either.

Cheolsoo tried not to miss classes if possible.

“Above all, there’s the captain there.”

A friend who helps him without fearing Kim Yujin’s tyranny.

Her abilities and advice have greatly aided Cheolsoo’s growth.

Even though he worked hard himself,

Could he have achieved this level of growth without the captain’s help?

And in such a short period?

He thinks at least half of it is due to the captain’s efforts.

“Haha, your determination is truly remarkable. You will become a great hero.”

“Thank you.”

It was a sincere compliment.

The woman looked at Cheolsoo with admiring eyes and brought up the main issue.

“In fact, there’s an anonymous sponsor who wants to give a scholarship to such a student as you.”

“A sponsor?”

This time, it was Cheolsoo’s turn to be wide-eyed.

No one had sponsored or supported him before.

To be precise, it was cut off by Kim Yujin.

Who would dare to support him in front of that fearsome Black Heaven?

“Is something wrong?”

“No! Kim Cheol-soo is certain. His identity is so well hidden that we can’t know for sure. Anyway, they say they’re supporting Kim Cheol-soo.”

“Yes….”

Cheol-soo felt his heart warming.

He had thought he was fighting alone all this time.

But someone was watching over him.

It was a bit comforting.

“Not only that, donations have come to the orphanage Cheol-soo attends. And it’s twice the original amount!”

“T-Twice?”

Cheol-soo was taken aback.

Currently, except for Black Heaven, all donations to the orphanage had been cut off by Yujin.

But even that must have been a substantial amount.

To double that at once?

“Could they be someone incredibly wealthy?”

Scholarships and donations.

One couldn’t even imagine how much money that would involve.

“Why would someone go to such lengths anonymously….”

“They must sincerely have high hopes for Kim Cheol-soo’s future. They even provided hero equipment.”

The staff member handed over a box with a smile.

Cheol-soo, who opened it, was amazed.

“Wow….”

Inside were a sword and protective gear.

While everything else was top-notch, the sword particularly caught his eye.

The sharp, shining blade and the palpable aura of magic.

This was at least A-grade equipment.

If converted into cash, it would undoubtedly hold immense value.

“How could they support like this….”

Honestly, Cheol-soo couldn’t believe the situation.

Even top guilds wouldn’t provide such support. And if they did, they would definitely try to recoup their investment by having him work for the guild later on.

But to just give this anonymously?

“Who could it be…?”

With such a massive scale, surprisingly, the possibilities narrowed down easily.

Someone who could closely observe his skills.

Someone who cared about him.

And at the same time, someone with such wealth.

Suddenly, one person crossed Cheol-soo’s mind.

“Could it be the class president?!”

As far as he knew, the class president’s parents were high-ranking heroes.

If they were high-ranking heroes, they would have the funds and connections to acquire such weapons.

Above all, if there was someone who would watch over him, understand his situation, and help him, it would only be the class president.

Moreover, wasn’t the class president the only student not afraid of Kim Yujin?

“I haven’t even thanked them for helping me train….”

Tears welled up suddenly.

He had thought he was fighting alone.

He had lost his parents, his backing, his friends, and even the one he loved.

Now, even the mentor of his heart had been taken away.

He hadn’t shown it, but he felt extreme loneliness.

“I wasn’t alone….”

But now, he had a friend who was helping him.

That alone was a great comfort.

He felt his heart growing stronger.

Mistakenly attributing the support from Yujin to the class president,

Cheol-soo shed tears of gratitude.

*****

Yujin met the class president again today.

The purpose, of course, was for training.

For several days, Yujin and the class president had regular meetings.

But today, something was different about the class president’s demeanor.

“Changed your outfit?”

The class president usually wore a neat school uniform.

But today, he was wearing a white tee that exposed his midriff and black dolphin shorts that revealed his thighs.

Of course, he had the right to dress as he pleased, but…

“Isn’t that a bit too revealing when there are both men and women present?”

Subtly emphasizing his large chest and smooth thighs.

Thinking this, Yujin glanced at him.

Blushing slightly, the class president turned his face away.

“W-What! I just changed because I was sweaty and lazy to do laundry every day! Doing laundry is a hassle, you know?”

“Oh, I see.”

The captain was always drenched in sweat after helping with training.

Not just a casual sweat, but enough to show underwear through the white uniform.

Honestly, it was incredibly embarrassing once training was over.

If there was a way to prevent that, it might actually be better.

“By the way, I’m sorry.”

It seems like the captain’s abilities come with significant risks.

After finishing training, they always gasped for breath heavily.

It was so exhausting that their legs would tremble.

But to think they were even washing their uniforms every day because of the sweat, that hadn’t crossed my mind.

“I… thank you.”

Yujin said quietly.

Even if it had only been a few days, they had already seen each other’s faces.

This level of communication was possible.

Above all, they were genuinely grateful.

“Huh….”

It was quite unexpected as the captain’s eyes widened.

After a moment of daze, blushing, they quickly turned their head.

“It’s fine, really! I’m just doing it because of the homeroom teacher’s request.”

“That’s true.”

I heard that the captain receives scholarships instead of money for helping students grow with their abilities.

Wasn’t their previous counterpart supposed to be Cheolsu?

They were just a substitute until Cheolsu arrived.

“So when Cheolsu comes, this will all end, right?”

“Huh?”

“Then I’ll have to help Cheolsu with their training again.”

“…That’s right.”

For a moment, the captain was taken aback.

It was because a hint of regret was unintentionally evident in their voice.

As if denying that emotion, she raised her head high.

“It’s fine, let’s hurry up and finish your back. I want to finish quickly.”

“Okay.”

As usual, Yujin extended their back.

Squelch.

Placing their hand on the back, the captain unconsciously swallowed saliva with a squelch.