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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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“Im Gangcheol? Aren’t you An Ilhan?”
“Yes! I’m Im Gangcheol!”
Im Gangcheol answered vigorously while standing at attention.
At his response, Instructor Go Taesik narrowed his eyes.
“Then who is An Ilhan?”
“This friend next to me is An Ilhan!”
Only then did Instructor Go Taesik’s gaze turn toward me.
I opened my mouth with a bewildered feeling.
“I am An Ilhan…”
He suddenly began looking me up and down.
Then he muttered while deeply furrowing his brow.
“This scrawny youngster is An Ilhan?”
The moment I heard Instructor Go Taesik’s words, goosebumps spread all over my body.
And for good reason.
“…How could his reaction be exactly the same as Im Gangcheol’s?”
It was because his reaction matched exactly with what Im Gangcheol had shown me when we first met before enrollment.
I found it absurd as the Instructor Go Taesik before my eyes newly resembled a ‘middle-aged Im Gangcheol’.
As I couldn’t protest and just tilted my head silently.
“That’s not true!”
Im Gangcheol suddenly stepped forward and shouted.
“What do you mean that’s not true?”
“Of course, Ilhan might look scrawny on the outside! But!”
“But?”
“This guy has something incredible inside him!”
From passion burning like an active volcano to determination that nobody could stop, to bone-cutting effort.
Im Gangcheol poured golden praise on my face with truly eloquent speech.
I couldn’t bring myself to stop him because Instructor Go Taesik was watching right in front of us.
“…Stop, please stop.”
I just covered my face with my palms while repeating those words to myself.
Perhaps fortunately.
“Hmph, we’ll see.”
As if deciding it wasn’t worth listening to anymore, Instructor Go Taesik cut off Im Gangcheol’s words with a snort.
Then he turned around and walked away, adding one more thing.
That statement somehow stuck clearly in my ears.
-Of course, that’s only if you can endure until then.
The situation that had passed chaotically like a storm, and the meaningful words left at the end.
“…What on earth is going on.”
While I was thinking that.
“Wait a moment.”
Instructor Go Taesik entered the storage area inside the small training room and brought something out.
It was none other than punching bags.
The five punching bags he brought out felt familiar yet somewhat strange.
“The material of the surface feels different.”
It seemed they were specially manufactured like other equipment used in the academy.
Instructor Go Taesik only spoke after installing all five punching bags.
“There is one condition to take my class.”
Condition, it sounded ominous from the first word.
Sure enough.
“You must have 20 points in stamina stat. At minimum, you need to achieve that by next Monday.”
His words caused quite a stir.
“Youngsters who can’t even do that aren’t qualified to take my class.”
Next Monday, meaning achieving 20 points in stamina stat in just 5 days.
Half of the cadets stirred at this absurd condition.
I was included among them.
“20 points in stamina stat.”
My stats had grown quite well thanks to my dedication to stat circuit training.
Nevertheless, my stamina hadn’t reached 20 points.
Not just stamina.
-Strength stat 15
-Agility stat 14
-Stamina stat 12
-Mana stat 11
Even my highest stat, strength, was only 15 points.
With a total of 52 points, I had decent stats, but still fell short of the standard.
But perhaps due to Instructor Go Taesik’s presence and pressure?
No cadet openly rebelled.
They just unanimously showed their dissatisfaction through their expressions.
“It seems you’re not convinced. I’ll specially explain the reason.”
He clicked his tongue once briefly, then continued with a serious look.
“Stamina is practically a prerequisite for gauntlets, that is, martial arts!”
Then a detailed explanation followed.
First, the characteristic of unarmed combat requiring extremely close-quarters fighting.
Additionally, martial arts being a dynamic fighting style utilizing the entire body.
He explained quite logically that it consumed much more stamina than other weapons.
“In fact, considering power, evasion, and defense, there’s no stat that isn’t important. Still, the reason I set only stamina as a qualification condition is simple.”
Instructor Go Taesik added in a firm tone.
“Because stamina is the essential foundation for superhumans walking the path of martial arts, and I consider it the minimum will to keep up with the class!”
After listening carefully to each point, my impression was:
“It makes sense, but why does it sound like a disadvantage? Is it just my feeling?”
It all felt like insufficient aspects of martial arts, parts that one had to accept.
As if he had looked into such inner thoughts.
“Then there might be some morons who think, ‘Isn’t it inefficient compared to other weapons?'”
He stated firmly, almost growling.
“I declare, that’s wrong. I’ll show you why.”
Instructor Go Taesik suddenly looked around at the cadets.
His gaze stopped on one of them.
“Youngster, come forward.”
It was none other than Shim Inwook.
“…Yes!”
Despite the sudden call, he ran forward in one step.
Instructor Go Taesik abruptly pointed at the punching bag and said.
“Hit it with all your might.”
“…Does that mean I should use mana as well?”
“Yes.”
The moment he heard the answer.
Woo-woong-
A pale light swirled around Shim Inwook’s fist.
I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.
“Mana materialization, already at the final form of mana utilization.”
Of course, compared to Instructor Jin Taejin’s mana utilization I had seen yesterday, it was woefully insufficient.
But the very fact that he had already achieved mana materialization despite being a cadet like me was surprising.
“As expected of someone from one of the Four Great Guilds.”
Just as I was thinking that, Shim Inwook threw his fist toward the punching bag.
Pu-eok!
A clean motion without any excess.
It even felt somewhat domineering.
Instructor Go Taesik glanced at the heavily swaying punching bag and said briefly.
“This is the kind of punching bag it is. A youngster’s level of mana materialization won’t even leave a scratch.”
Upon hearing his words, Shim Inwook’s expression crumpled.
Regardless.
“Go back.”
“…Yes.”
Instructor Go Taesik continued what he had to say.
“Gauntlets, martial arts, the reason they don’t fall behind other weapons and their strength. I’ll show you now.”
He leisurely approached the punching bag that Shim Inwook had just struck.
“Because martial arts make these things possible.”
The moment he finished speaking, he lightly clenched his fist.
There wasn’t even mana, let alone a gauntlet, on his hand.
When he swung it.
Kwang-!!!
A tremendous roar echoed.
At the same time, the punching bag literally exploded.
“…!”
While everyone, including me, was gaping.
Instructor Go Taesik nonchalantly added.
“This is a punch.”
Then he continued.
“This is a kick.”
He swung his foot and kicked the second punching bag.
Jjeong-!
The result was the same.
The punching bag was utterly shattered, its fragments scattering messily.
“Next is the knee.”
Kwang-!
“Palm.”
Pa-ang!
“Finally, fingers.”
Puk-!
Instructor Go Taesik calmly concluded.
With his index finger piercing through the center of the last punching bag.
It was truly destructive power.
He slowly withdrew his arm and smiled fiercely.
“Being able to use your entire body as a weapon, this is the strength of martial arts.”
When his words combined with the devastating power just demonstrated.
“…This is the gauntlet.”
A thrill ran through my entire body.
While most showed similar reactions.
“Ah, let me mention one more strength.”
Instructor Go Taesik added nonchalantly.
“Among villains and monsters, there are those who continue to function normally even if parts of their body are severed or crushed.”
Then he twisted his mouth fiercely.
“It’s quite effective against such creatures. Martial arts don’t do soft things like restraint. It’s about completely pulverizing the enemy, shattering them without leaving a single piece of flesh.”
That’s exactly what gauntlets and martial arts were.
The moment I heard it, any doubts I had harbored completely disappeared.
The thought that filled the empty space instead was:
“This is the path I should pursue.”
The destructive power that leaves not a single piece of the enemy’s flesh.
That part especially appealed to me.
“20 points in stamina stat by next Monday.”
I made a strong commitment to definitely achieve it.
*
That evening.
While sharing our first impressions of the advanced weapon training class with friends over dinner.
Upon hearing my and Im Gangcheol’s story, Yoon Seolha asked with wide eyes:
“What? You have to reach 20 stamina stat points within 5 days?!”
She was shocked at the unreasonable condition set by Instructor Go Taesik.
In fact, the problem wasn’t just the stamina stat.
“Will you be alright? Even so, if you don’t achieve it, he’ll exclude you from class…”
Cha Eunwol asked me with a worried expression.
As she said, Instructor Go Taesik had added one vicious addendum at the end.
-Those who don’t reach 20 stamina stat points by Monday will be given two options.
-Either switch to a different weapon, or be excluded from the advanced weapon training class the entire time. Choose as you like!
Either leave voluntarily, or be forced to leave.
He had imposed truly unreasonable options.
“Well, I’ve been focusing on the ‘strength-stamina’ track, so I’ll reach 20 stat points in a day or two. But will you really be okay, Ilhan?”
Im Gangcheol already had 18 points in stamina, probably because he had been concentrating on strength and stamina.
So the problem was me, who needed to increase stamina by 8 points.
“8 stat points in 5 days.”
Originally, with my terrible aptitude, it would have been nearly impossible.
But now it was different.
I felt that it was quite doable.
“Because I have the Growth skill.”
The Growth (D) skill, which doubled the efficiency of all types of training.
It was finally time to experience the effect of the Growth skill that I had postponed.
“If it’s doubled, it should make up for some deficiencies.”
However, I didn’t intend to rely solely on the Growth skill.
It might not be enough by itself.
So I was planning to add one more method, one that only I could do.
For this, the first thing to do was:
“First, after dinner, I’ll find the instructor and get permission.”
After organizing my thoughts that far.
“I think it’ll be possible, though just barely.”
I gave my answer to my friends.
Then I focused on eating again.
*
Shortly after.
After finishing dinner, I immediately went to the administrative office to find Instructor Jin Taejin.
My purpose was none other than:
“You want permission to carry a stamina training vest?”
I needed permission to use the equipment from the stat training room.
“Training during personal maintenance time alone might not be enough.”
I was planning to wear it constantly, whether during class or training.
I was determined to reach 20 stamina stat points within the deadline.
After listening to my situation, Instructor Jin Taejin thought for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
“In principle, equipment cannot be carried personally. However, I’ll permit it as long as it’s not taken outside. I think I understand the reason well enough.”
“…!”
“But, cadet, there’s one thing you must keep in mind.”
I swallowed dryly at his serious demeanor.
“Don’t overdo it to the point of harming your body.”
Fortunately, his words were concerned advice.
“Yes.”
I bowed politely and then left the administrative office.
“Now the rest is…”
I just needed to steel myself.
…
…
…
That night.
-Confirming the subject’s unconscious state.
-The subject’s initiative passes to [????’s shadow]!
-Confirming synchronization rate with the subject.
-Current synchronization rate…… [18%]
Without fail, the shadow opened its eyes.
As it immediately rose.
Flutter-
A Post-it note attached to its upper clothes fluttered and fell.
“…?”
The shadow tilted its head.
Soon, as it bent down to pick it up, its body felt strangely heavy.
So it looked down at its torso.
Only then did it notice it was wearing a strange vest.
“…”
With a sense of foreboding, it checked the Post-it note.
-Whatever you do, wear this while doing it.
The shadow’s expression crumpled mercilessly.
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