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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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“It’s almost 7 o’clock now.”
Yoon Seolha stared blankly at the clock.
Perhaps it was because there were only a few minutes left until the appointed time.
She naturally thought of An Ilhan.
“······Why did he say that?”
She didn’t know at the time, but realized it after some time had passed.
The fact that the conversation that night was a bit strange.
“A bet out of nowhere.”
He had deliberately mentioned the limitations of unimplemented characteristics while proposing the bet.
At the same time, he had said with unwavering eyes.
That he was different.
Because of this, her mind was confused.
“Have I been thinking wrong all this time? But······.”
As her thoughts deepened.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
An Ilhan appeared right on time with his teammates.
Starting with him, Lim Gangcheol and Cha Eunwol approached.
Among her friends, Cha Eunwol’s expression particularly stood out.
“Seolha······.”
A restless appearance.
The reason was quickly apparent.
She was feeling distressed about the fact that her friends were in opposition.
Feeling a sense of guilt, Yoon Seolha quickly opened her mouth.
“I’ll go first.”
She had chosen to attack first as if running away.
An Ilhan silently nodded at her proposal.
Yoon Seolha immediately entered the virtual training room.
While preparing for the duel, she was overwhelmed by emotions difficult to describe.
“A match is a match, so I need to win, but······.”
On the other hand, she had the contradictory thought that she wanted him to win.
After all, her defeat would be practically equivalent to proving what he had said.
Realizing her own feelings, Yoon Seolha shook her head vigorously.
“Focus on what’s in front of me.”
She gripped the handle of her sword tightly.
Then she advanced with strength.
Ta-dat-
The dummy data reacted to her movements.
It ran towards her at high speed and threw a punch.
Normally she would have dodged and looked for a counterattack.
But.
“······Heup!”
She lowered her posture as much as possible and swung her sword upward.
Because of this, the opponent’s strike merely grazed her shoulder.
Tseu-tseut-
Her sword slashed the opponent’s upper body diagonally.
Yoon Seolha continued the fierce exchange.
Skeuk-!
A combat style focusing on offense while minimizing evasion.
Rougher and sharper than usual.
It seemed to perfectly represent her state of mind.
Naturally, the number of hits she took increased, but her speed increased just as much.
Thanks to this, she was able to reduce the time more than usual.
Ku-woong-!
The wooden mannequin collapsed and disappeared from view.
She checked her score through her smart watch.
-C+ Rank
Just as she was checking her score and leaving the training room.
“Oh, as expected of Yoon Seolha!”
Lim Gangcheol welcomed her with admiration.
Cha Eunwol also had a gleam in her eyes.
But mixed in was also concern for An Ilhan.
Meanwhile, the person in question remained indifferent.
“Good job.”
He greeted her with a quiet voice, then immediately moved on.
Leaving behind just one sentence.
“Watch carefully.”
So he entered the virtual training room.
Naturally, her gaze turned to the hologram screen.
As soon as An Ilhan’s virtual training began.
“······!”
Yoon Seolha’s eyes widened.
The reason was that from the start, he showed unusual movements.
He narrowed the gap instantly.
Seu-reu-reuk-
He began to display a strangely mismatched gait.
“······Footwork? What kind of movement is that.”
As if he had penetrated all of the opponent’s movements.
No, as if he had blended into the opponent’s movements, he easily deflected all attacks.
That wasn’t the end.
“······.”
His lips moved slightly, as if muttering something small.
At that moment, his state changed completely.
Whether due to speed, or some unknown effect.
His entire body rippled to the point of causing an illusion.
Seu-eu-eu-
He assimilated into the opponent’s movement itself.
Like a shadow that always stays at the tip of a person’s feet.
He penetrated all of the opponent’s movements, and furthermore, skillfully connected counterattacks.
Deft and fatal.
She couldn’t help but think.
“······Like a ghost.”
While she was blankly letting out exclamations.
“Isn’t it amazing?”
Lim Gangcheol, who had approached without her noticing, spoke up.
Soon he turned his head to the hologram screen and added.
“Was it last week? When I first saw it, I wondered what he was doing. His posture was a mess, and his body balance was off.”
“······So he brought it up to this level in less than a week?”
“Yes, from then on, day and night, without resting a single day, he was dedicated to that footwork! I thought, that’s Ilhan for you!”
It was truly like An Ilhan.
At the thought that unconsciously came to her mind, she bit her lip tightly.
“······That’s what makes it more painful. Watching from the side.”
Unable to shake off the thought, she unconsciously muttered.
“But, unimplemented characteristics ultimately have limits······.”
“Hmm? Are you talking about the growth limit? I think I’ve heard about it.”
“Then indeed!”
“But, I believe Ilhan will be different!”
“······.”
Yoon Seolha was momentarily speechless at the sudden exclamation.
Lim Gangcheol added in an unusually serious voice.
“What, were you really worried about that?”
“What do you mean by that!”
“From the beginning, the issue of unimplemented characteristics is something both you and I know about, so would Ilhan, who is the person concerned, not know?”
“······That’s true, but.”
“There must be a reason why he has to challenge it despite knowing, for Ilhan.”
“······!”
“It’s a matter of us watching over him with faith and moving forward together!”
A reason why he must challenge it.
Yoon Seolha flinched greatly at Lim Gangcheol’s words.
It was because she had never thought of it in that way at all.
“······A reason why he must.”
Suddenly, a fragment of memory came back to life.
Moreover, a memory from a distant childhood.
-Our Seolha seems to admire superhumans?
From the kind face responding to her bright expression.
-What? You want Dad to become a superhuman too? Haha, Dad has awakened, but, um······.
To the troubled look at her glum expression.
-Alright, Dad will try too! Then later, we’ll be a superhuman father and daughter pair, right?
To patting her head with a large palm along with a bright smile.
Buried in trauma, she had completely forgotten until now.
“······.”
Yoon Seolha bit her lip tightly.
The superhuman that he had aimed for just to be a father his daughter could be proud of.
But in the face of cruel reality, it had deteriorated and become buried.
In such a situation, being told to give up must have felt like a dagger.
“Was it because I couldn’t believe in him until the end back then······?”
Was that the decisive cause for the collapse of her relationship with her father?
“······.”
She suddenly felt emotion welling up in her chest and thought.
“Were you trying to show me that······?”
That regardless of the process and the outcome, as long as there is a clear goal, one can endure anything.
Wasn’t he trying to say that one should watch over with faith from the side?
Just as she was about to conclude her thoughts, his duel ended.
“Oh, looks like Ilhan is finished too!”
At Lim Gangcheol’s words, she immediately looked at the bottom of the screen.
There was a result proving his efforts.
-B Rank
The moment she saw it, she realized.
“You really are stronger than me.”
The heart that doesn’t succumb to the trial of unimplemented characteristics.
The capacity as an aspiring superhuman.
Everything was just as he had said.
“B rank! As expected of Ilhan, worthy of being my rival!”
Amidst Lim Gangcheol’s cheers, he slowly walked out.
She greeted him with bloodshot eyes.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, he spoke first.
“My efforts were rewarded.”
“Yes.”
“They will continue to be in the future.”
“······Yes.”
She nodded repeatedly.
···
···
···
At the same time.
“With that level of footwork, would it be C-grade?”
The young man who had been watching the duel from afar smacked his lips.
At the same time, he looked at the group of students who had just finished training and recalled.
“Since the valedictorian, Yoon Seolha, is there, it seems to be Class A.”
Having recalled that far, the young man immediately operated his smart watch.
On the display was a message he had sent.
Baek Yujin: Inwook, it seems there’s a student in Class A who uses an amazing footwork?
The reply came back quickly.
Shim Inwook: Hmm? Is it in the close combat weapon category?
Baek Yujin: From the feeling, it might be on the gauntlet side.
Shim Inwook: Hoho.
Baek Yujin: By any chance, is there anyone among this year’s new students related to the Earth’s Soul Guild?
Shim Inwook: No, not that I can remember.
At the quick reply, the young man, Baek Yujin, smacked his lips.
“Hmm, then is it the Ungsim Guild?”
The young man who calmly thought of the 4 major guilds.
Baek Yujin turned his steps to the dormitory with a smile.
*
A little later.
“······I have something to tell you guys.”
At Yoon Seolha’s words, I thought to myself.
“I did win for now.”
As the shadow guy said, I did defeat Yoon Seolha.
But I still didn’t understand how this would lead to resolving her trauma.
“Her complexion seems better, but let’s hear what she has to say first.”
Putting aside my doubts for a moment, I slowly opened my mouth.
“It’s not good to talk here. Um, let’s go to our room.”
“Oh, that’s fine. It might be a bit messy though!”
The other two nodded at my suggestion.
The four of us headed straight to the dormitory room.
After comfortably settling down.
“For the past few days, I’ve been a bit off, haven’t I······? Because of that, we couldn’t practice together. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Instead, I’ll explain the reason.”
Yoon Seolha slowly began to unfold her story.
Even while her shoulders trembled slightly, she steadily revealed the circumstances regarding her father.
“I had just managed to forget, but a few days ago, I heard they were going to have an observation class······.”
“Ah, I’ve already been contacted. So that’s what it was.”
“······Yes.”
Only then did I somewhat understand Yoon Seolha’s condition.
“The circumstances are deeper than I thought······?”
What exactly was he planning to do with a bet for such circumstances?
That shadow guy, truly unpredictable.
While I was secretly clicking my tongue.
“But now I’m a little better. Thank you, An Ilhan, it’s all thanks to you.”
Suddenly, Yoon Seolha expressed gratitude to me.
“······All thanks to me?”
My head tilted involuntarily.
Regardless of my reaction, she continued.
“You must have your reasons too, right? Just like my dad······?”
I certainly do have reasons.
“You wanted to tell me that believing in and watching over until the end is what a friend, and a child, should do, right?”
······Was that it?
By this point, I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me.
When I unconsciously looked around.
Jjing-geut-
For some reason, Lim Gangcheol winked at me.
“What’s with him now?”
As the situation became increasingly incomprehensible.
A decisive statement flowed from Yoon Seolha.
“Now that I know, I want to try to be brave. I’m planning to have a proper conversation with my dad during this observation class.”
Only then did I realize.
“······Has the trauma really been resolved?”
All I had done after the bet ended.
Was to mention effort and reward to match the shadow’s words.
Yet it was resolved.
“Did he design it this far? No way.”
I don’t know what process her state of mind went through to change.
Moreover, judging from Lim Gangcheol’s reaction, he too seemed to have had some influence.
The shadow designed even that far? It was hard to believe.
While I was lost in thought, Yoon Seolha added with a somewhat hesitant air.
“······I’ll grant you any wish I can fulfill.”
“Oh. Is it okay if I decide later?”
“Yes.”
“Then since it’s late today, let’s meet again tomorrow.”
I hurriedly ended the gathering.
When Yoon Seolha, Cha Eunwol, and finally Lim Gangcheol left saying they were going to the training room.
I immediately sat at my desk.
“I need to solve the issue of control anyway.”
It was for written communication with the shadow guy.
This time, I was determined to get an answer.
“If my thoughts are correct, he can’t just keep being stubborn.”
Along with the questions I had been harboring all along, plus the resolution of Yoon Seolha’s trauma.
It seemed like I could handle everything at once.
I opened my notebook, thinking of the questions.
“First thing I should write is······.”
Without hesitation, I wrote down one sentence.
-You must answer. If you ignore this again, there will be no more cooperation with your duty.
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