episode_0072

※The subtitle of the previous episode has been changed. There are no changes in the content, so you don’t have to watch it again.

*****

Let’s say here’s an ordinary family photo that looks very, very happy. Some people will smile equally when they see it and some will be jealous of their happiness.

Do you feel sympathy or ridicule for the poor? Do you feel awe or fear of the majesty of nature? Such feelings vary from person to person.

No, there is no need to bring in someone else in a big way. Just a slight change in the surrounding environment or your thoughts can change the color of the landscape.

The painter was keenly feeling the change in the person.

“Surround us!”

“Hey, don’t jump out first! Follow the plan!”

“What are you scared of? Brunhild is the problem, this guy is no big deal!”

“Let’s finish it quickly and go help over there!”

There are 4 people. Even before turning his eyes to look around, the painter was sure of that fact. It was a familiar yet very unfamiliar sensation.

Speaking of the strength of a painter, if you look at Cheonmyeonggo, counting from the bottom is the fastest level. As Potential itself is specialized in short-term one-on-one battles, many-to-one situations have been avoided as much as possible. In the past, I would have been busy hiding my disappointment in a situation like this.

However, there were no such negative emotions in the painter’s heart at the moment. At best, the only thing I could feel was a little bit of tension before starting the actual battle.

Is your opponent weak? no way. Even though we don’t know each other because our friendships aren’t that wide, we’ve all seen each other while going to school.

Although they are in different classes, they are all students at Cheonmyeong High School. If last semester’s grades were anything to go by, even if just one of them attacked, the Chinese would have had to do their best to deal with it.

But why do I feel so relaxed in my heart? The painter was confused by that unidentified sensation.

“I’ll take the points!”

A student who made part of his body into pieces of rock jumped in. On the surface, it was just a random assault without any connection to the surroundings.

However, the painter noticed that the rock that served as a shield could fall at any time. If it had been my previous self, I would have tried to split the opponent with my shield and got hit by the main body sticking out from under it.

There was no reason to fall victim to an attack that everyone knew about. The painter swung his flaming sword at the bottom of the opponent’s center of gravity. The other person, whose vision was blocked by a rock, saw it too late, avoided it, and ended up getting hit.

“Oh, it’s hot!”

“Puhaha! He confidently went in alone and looked good!”

“Good luck. If he was hit by a firework, wouldn’t it have been a one-shot?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’m weak. Hey, guess the timing. Let’s not waste time and catch it all at once.”

The second connection was roughly established. Magic pouring down from above as attacks come from different angles and heights. It would have been difficult for a previous painter with a narrow attack range to deal with it, but now he is able to block it.

The reason I didn’t do that was because I didn’t even feel the need to do so.

Attacks coming from below are blocked with the sword, and attacks coming from above are avoided and deflected using the shoulder. It was impossible to completely ignore it like Army, but it was possible for Painter to just force it away.

The opponent who was thrown upward tries to attack again, but at that moment, magic pours down from above.

“What is this! Hey, you’re not aiming straight!?”

“What nonsense are you talking about when you jump on top of it!”

“Move your body when you move your mouth──Quaaaak!”

The student who was attacking from below was cut by the painter and turned into light and disappeared. It was the result of me throwing myself with all my might because I didn’t expect a counterattack.

I could clearly see what people around me were doing and what they were trying to do. Hwa-in himself couldn’t quite figure out when he started to have this point of view.

It’s not that there were no signs. Even during the internship, Fine did not have the physical strength to respond, but he was able to understand the Hatter’s movements themselves.

However, I thought it was possible because Hatter was a civilian without professional training. At least until this moment.

“… Isn’t this kid strong?”

“What nonsense. How can I improve my skills when I don’t have a separate teacher to learn from?”

Genesis’ attacks so far are unknown to most students. If you look at the special training with Army from the side, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything special about it compared to other training. Therefore, they dismissed the painter’s movements as mere coincidence.

On the contrary, the painter was becoming more and more accustomed to the strange sensation. The more you move your body, the more the sensations from training come to mind and come back to life.

Compared to the Army back then, they lacked technique, were slow, soft, and had no spirit.

Compared to the steel balls of the time, the pressure was loose, sloppy, simple, and easy to predict.

Who would feel threatened by a practice that is easier than practicing hundreds of times?

“Damn you, you bastard! I won’t let down my guard this time… ?”

When the student, who had healed his burn wounds with a rock, woke up, he was the only one still standing.

“Wait a minute. How did this happen? You caught three people by yourself? No, this can’t be happening… . What have you done!?”

“Well. How about checking it out for yourself?”

“Tch! Children, you are so useless!”

“Isn’t that what you, who was the first to suffer, should say?”

I tried provoking him, but the opponent just turned and ran away. Three people attacked me and there was no injury, so it was a natural response.

The painter did not chase after him. I didn’t want to reveal the long-distance attack, and there was no need to do so.

“Cool, cool! Fine, you’re much better than I expected, right?”

Whoops, the sword struck from the air and cut the student in two. Among those who became light and disappeared was Seong Hye-ran, a hero who looked like an angel wearing armor.

“It’s still far from enough. I even finished it much later than you.”

By the time he defeated the two, Hyeran was already watching the fight from above. The number of people she dealt with was six, so it was nothing compared to the Chinese person herself.

But Hyeran shook her head resolutely after hearing his answer.

“Excessive humility is a disease. Even though I’m like this, I ranked 2nd in the practical exam last semester? In addition, I am also receiving instruction from Mr. Brain Emperor. Thinking about your grades in the first semester, it’s okay to boast that you achieved that level without any other teachers.”

Rather, Hye-ran asserted that you should brag as much as you want. People in higher positions are sometimes required to have a corresponding attitude. In Hye-ran’s opinion, the painters were already at a level where they could call themselves high-ranking people.

Hwa-in was slightly reluctant to hear Hye-ran speak from the perspective of ‘above’, as if it were obvious.

Still, I couldn’t help but honestly agree with what was being said. In any case, it was clear that it was a perspective he needed in the future.

In order to get even a little closer to Ami, Hwa-in was willing to make any effort.

“Hmm~, as expected, they don’t have the captain chip either. Didn’t you drop anything?”

“Points or anything. I don’t know what class it is, but did all the students in the class unite?”

“It doesn’t matter since I don’t plan on making these people my colleagues anyway, but it really bothers me.”

The monster raid is blocked by a system, but it is not a versus battle. In other words, in some cases, it was possible for multiple teams to unite to exclude a strong team.

Of course, if that happens, someone loses their score. So, it is unlikely that there will be a large-scale joint attack. As if mocking such expectations, Hwa-in and Hye-ran were attacked by a large group of 10 people.

“Hye-ran said you were aiming for first place. Isn’t it dangerous to play as a team like that?”

“What, until yesterday you said that being first place was impossible. Do you think you feel more confident after trying it out once? Huh?”

“Ugh… .”

It was truly the perfect answer. Fine himself denied it, but as Ami said, he was stronger than he thought. So, shouldn’t we be conscious of the fact that it’s worth aiming for first place?

Perhaps because it was a half-master-student relationship, Hwain sometimes felt that Ami treated him like a child. If you come in first here and give ARMY a blow, wouldn’t it be enough to make them look at themselves again?

Regardless of whether that feeling is a crush on a friend of the same age or something else.

“Well, I recognized Steel Ball from when I won the game in practice. Our rivals have also taken great measures.”

“That wasn’t even his best. You also thought about the solution.”

“Well, it may not have been 100 percent, but it wouldn’t have been viewed that way, right? anyway! I seriously plan to take first place, and I think I can do it with you.”

“… huh. Me too.”

match. The palms of the two people clashed. Although the Chinese clearly had no spirit.

Still, you might be able to do it. You can do it. The confidence to think like that had already settled within the painter.

“Good! So let’s quickly move on to the next action. First of all, I’ll fly and check out where the monster is, so you—Wow!?”

“Ugh!?”

thud! Hye-ran and Hwa-in, who were planning their next actions, were shaken. A sudden shaking of the ground reverberated in all directions along with a loud roar.

“What, is this an attack!? Or an earthquake!?”

“No, it’s the next area!”

Next to the startled Hye-ran, Hwa-in calmly revealed the epicenter. Even after the loud sound, the ground continued to shake.

It soon became clear to the two people what it was for.

The next area is blocked by a magical barrier. The information that it was an alpine zone reflexively popped out in the painter’s mind.

However, that area full of trees was now being forcibly developed by a monster, no, two humans and a monster.

“Aaaaagh—!”

“Haha! Bokdori, run, run!”

Booo!

Every time the giant wild boar ran, the trees disappeared and a path appeared. The sound of the monster turning into a point and falling was played like background music.

It was so high that you couldn’t see it, but if you heard the excited shouting, it was very obvious who was up there.

“… Because I plan to be first… .”

“As expected, it’s impossible… .”

In a trembling voice, Hye-ran expressed her condolences to Seo-yoon, who was being swayed by Hwa-in. The two people stared blankly at the wild boar walking away for a while.

***

As I said before, this space is a dungeon artificially created by humans. That’s why it has a structure divided into sections and functions such as being thrown outward when it receives a certain amount of damage.

Usually, in tests with this type of structure, monsters are often caught from outside. This is because it is difficult to produce each monster one by one in a dungeon using a decent amount of dungeon cores.

However, this dungeon produces its own monsters as a system. In this case, the monster has the tendency to be a monster that appears in general cracks rather than an artificial monster such as a chimera.

If so, wouldn’t I be able to control it somehow with my Dragon Fear?

“This is the result!”

“If I start with the explanation, will I add anything?”

Kang Seo-yoon screams while desperately clinging to the fur of the wild boar──Bokdori. But explaining it doesn’t really change anything. Even though I’m not weak, I can’t leave my teammates alone. In the end, it is confirmed that Kang Seo-yoon will participate here.

“Now, now. Isn’t it hard to hold on to the fur? Stand up. This scenery is better than I thought.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Like this in the first place! How can I shake! Are you standing fine!?”

“Are you good at it?”

All you have to do is catch the recoil and shaking with the sense of your toes and adapt to the movement. It’s so easy, right?

Kang Seo-yoon is screaming to go slowly, but that is impossible. To be precise, it’s not manipulation, it’s just scaring.

In short, it makes people believe that a dragon is chasing them. I may be able to control the direction somehow, but since Bokdori just runs away with all its might, I cannot control its speed.

Well, since it’s such a powerful charge, the monsters are dying just by running. The sound of the point coming in is very sweet.

“What is this again!?”

“Do you have the potential to tame a monster of this size in a short period of time?”

“What does it matter whether it’s potential or magic! Stop it first!”

The others must have realized that if left alone, the seeds of monsters in this area will dry up. Gradually, attacks began to come from students around them.

Even a mid-boss level monster has its limits. If the firepower is concentrated by so many students like this, you won’t be able to last long.

Actually, that’s right!

“Crazy, it doesn’t work at all!?”

“Hey, get out of the way! I’m crushed!”

“You idiots, do you think such a weak attack will work on our Bokdori! If you want to stop Bokdori, bring at least some dragon breath!”

Booo!

Despite numerous attacks, Bokdori did not flinch and continued to charge. There is another loophole in the system here.

Interference from other teams is not possible during battles with monsters. Our team was the first to face Bokdori, and even now in a game, we are dealing with a status effect like fear. Of course, the battle judgment continues.

The rules to prevent monsters from being caught with violent force were now serving as Bokdori’s best shield.

Boo, uh… .

Of course, there are limits to the bonus stage. He was running around with the momentum to turn the area into a bald mountain, but when his stamina ran out, he stumbled and fell sideways.

“Can’t he be the target of the buff?”

“It’s too big… , magical power… . Wow.”

Kang Seo-yoon’s face, which had poured all her magical power into her buff to cling to Bokdori and was also suffering from motion sickness, was beyond words. It’s probably comparable to the feeling you get the next morning after drinking too much.

Still, since he is an awakened person, if you leave him alone for a while, he will be fine on his own. I was slightly wary of my surroundings and struck the finishing blow to the exhausted Bokdori.

Tiriririririn. Truly a mid-boss. The number of point digits has changed by one.

“What are you going to do next?”

As I was praying for the soul of the deceased, Kang Seo-yoon, who felt much more at ease, asked me in the same cold manner as before the exam. Isn’t it worth appreciating the tenacity of crying and screaming like that and then acting as if nothing happened?

“I’ll just stay still. Of course, only until area restrictions are lifted.”

“… aha. It’s like that. Okay, I’ll get ready soon.”

After using that cheat key. It goes without saying that we are overwhelmingly superior now. In order to keep us in check, all the students come together and attack us. Things don’t work out the same way.

The biggest reason is that even if you catch the other team, you cannot steal their points. If there were such a rule, there would be guys who would only focus on hunting players without catching the monsters they were supposed to catch.

If you only think about points, attacking our team now would be a loss. The monster in the area has already been cut in half. If you waste time dealing with us, it may be difficult to recover your points.

In other words, the guys coming now are the ones who have to defeat a strong team even if it means risking a little time loss. In short, he is a top aspirant.

From our perspective, it was as if excellent team members were being lured away on their own.

Kang Seo-yoon’s thoughts must have reached that point as well. Regardless of the unusual idea, Kang Seo-yoon was clearly superior when it came to solid moves.

“But what do you mean by preparation?”

“Huh? It’s like this.”

Sigh. Something is quickly covering Kang Seo-yoon’s school uniform. The shape of the black and white outfit and the elongated boots, um… . Is this a riding clothes concept?

The aristocratic feel definitely suits Kang Seo-yoon well. It was easy to picture him giving orders while swinging the whip in his hand.

This is a really proper hero suit.

“Why are you making such a confused face? I knew you were there too because I saw it on the news, right? Take it out and wear it quickly.”

“No, I shouldn’t take mine out and wear them… .”

“What? Are you still that damn coward even now?”

Seeing my hesitation, Kang Seo-yoon’s expression suddenly frowned. I thought that teamwork had been built, even if only half-forced, but it felt like it had collapsed again.

“It’s not like I’m being pretentious, it’s just a bit like that, right? Something so airy… .”

“Wearing that and even appearing on the news.”

“That’s because it wasn’t my intention.”

“Ha, really.”

The only function of my suit is the shame-inducing transformation pose. It was helpful when I was not used to using the potential right after reawakening, but there is little need to use it now.

Other than that, I probably only used it when trying to attract the attention of those around me and lead an evacuation.

Looking at Kang Seo-yoon’s attitude, even a fool could tell that she didn’t believe me. But I felt like it would get longer if I pointed that out, so I skipped it for now.

It seems like the guys who took the bait have already appeared.

Damn, Kang Seo-yoon’s whip swung in all directions. The gaze, which felt like a surveillance spell had been broken, diminished all at once.

At the same time, I felt signs running towards me from a little distance away.

“Why didn’t you use something so good during Bokdol?”

“I thought it would attract aggro because the suit has a high magic conductivity. Although it has become completely useless because of someone.”

“That’s not me, it’s Bokdori──”

“Noisy! Rather, two at 4 o’clock and four at 7 o’clock. I don’t think it’s a team.”

“It would be nice if there was someone among them that could be useful.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“Yes, yes. We will take care of it.”

A approaching presence, a felt gaze, amplified magical power, and a buff surrounding it.

Mindful of all that, I kicked the ground to attack first.

A sure win for the player!

***

“Wow, that’s a pretty interesting method. That kid.”

“No, I, I… .”

An empty classroom in a corner of Cheonmyeong High School. In what is now the test site’s preliminary control room, Emperor Park Jun-seok watched the monitor with an expression full of interest.

Inside the screen, a huge wild boar was running wild. Of course, there was no way the things below would be safe, so the Gosan area was now facing unplanned chaos.

“This is not the time to admire. We need to stop that foul right now!”

“It’s a foul. Isn’t this a strategy that takes a good look at the loopholes in the rules we set?”

“Teacher Park Jun-seok. I know you favor that student, but the test is not fair in that case.”

“Are you talking too much?”

He looks like an untidy neighborhood guy. Nevertheless, the female teacher wearing glasses was startled and even hiccuped just by Jun-seok frowning.

If you’re going to be scared just because of a frown on your face, why don’t you oppose it in the first place? Junseok held back what he wanted to say and came up with a rational reason.

“I’m not the only one who thinks that way. Look, there are many other teachers who agree with this opinion.”

Naturally, as there were so many people, there were many other teachers supervising the exam. There were many opinions about Army’s behavior on the communication app, but they were generally favorable.

The commonality of people with strong opposing opinions appeared in Jun-seok’s mind for a moment and then disappeared. It wasn’t difficult to guess the background, but if I mentioned it that much, I had nothing to say even if it was really called favoritism.

What’s wrong with favoritizing excellent talent? Jun-seok did not like getting caught up in troublesome matters.

“In the first place, this training model was developed by TG’s research lab. Telling them about this kind of loophole would be of great help to them.”

“Ah, ahaha… . Yes, that’s right… .”

When I even brought up the name of the large company that provided the subspace for training, the female teacher was completely silent. Junseok sighed inwardly and looked at the screen again.

Contrary to the uncomfortable situation in the control room, the test was proceeding satisfactorily—at least for Junseok.

One of the complaints Junseok heard most from the north was that there were no useful heroes coming in. The current decline in hero levels was even affecting the power of the northern front.

Since it’s already become this way, let’s bring out some useful people. Junseok smiled slightly as he remembered the adjutant who came to visit a few days ago and was half in tears.

‘Taemin, look forward to it. ‘I’ll pick you some cool guys.’

Then, you will be able to say goodbye to the nagging feeling that tells you to do some work for a while. It was truly an attractive achievement if we only looked at the fact that we did not know when we would be able to return there.

Of course, it goes without saying that Ami Kim is included in the list of students checked.

In fact, he was turning the students who had come at him with joy into stars in the sky without even realizing that they had found another hidden piece.

*****