Chapter 125 : Chapter 125
Chapter 125: Growth is Surpassing the Past (1)
Three weeks had already passed since the vacation ceremony. It was a day in July, a time when early summer had transitioned into the sweltering peak of midsummer. However, I did not even have the chance to feel the sweltering heat.
Why? Well...
"Dammit! GYAAAH!!"
Because right now, I was engaged in a life-or-death struggle. Pushed back to the very edge of a steep cliff, I unleashed a strike with every ounce of my strength. Finally, along with that blow, a line of blood was drawn across the throat of the monster that had been cornering me.
—THUD!
Unable to stop the spray of blood erupting from its neck, the monster’s massive body finally collapsed. It twitched for a moment, but soon, the monster’s flesh ceased all movement. Simultaneously, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[Boss ‘Mountain Ruler Orc Lord’ has been defeated.]
[Calculating contribution.]
[Player Choi Yu-seong’s contribution is calculated at 41%.]
"…Whew."
Only 41%, despite fighting for my life. It was a figure that made it impossible for anything good to come out of my mouth. However, it was an unavoidable result.
'After all, this is a B-Rank gate.'
It was not a D-Rank gate that could be cleared easily. It was not even a C-Rank, which could become dangerous depending on the type. A B-Rank gate was a place where it would not be strange for me to die at any moment without even realizing it. Under normal circumstances, it was a gate with a difficulty level where I should have lost my life long ago. In such a place, a 41% contribution was by no means low.
"Though I am not exactly happy about it."
As I just said, I had fought for my life. Despite that, it was only 41%. When I considered that my life was worth only 41% contribution in a B-Rank gate, I did not feel particularly pleased.
"Besides, I did not catch it alone."
I had fought without even using the Embodiment of Admiration. How could I take down a B-Rank gate boss by myself? It was only possible because there was someone who beat the monster down to the exact point where I could barely manage to kill it before backing off.
Yes. That bastard who was exceptionally talented at making my blood boil. Just as I was trying to soothe my exhausted body with that thought...
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!!
The sound of loud applause echoed from a distance.
"My, my. I can feel from all the way here that you have grown once again, Brother. My sincere congratulations."
A melodious voice followed. The bastard with a talent for making my blood boil, Yu-hyeon, had finished spectating and revealed himself.
***
"Haha, your passion is truly impressive every time I see it."
"You are annoying, so just shut up."
"Oh dear, it is disappointing to hear you say that when I am working so hard for your sake, Brother. To be honest, you have improved a lot, haven't you?"
Hearing those words when he only showed up ten minutes after the battle ended... I felt my blood pressure rising and a sharp pain in the back of my neck.
'The problem is that I cannot refute him.'
Just as he said, to be honest, I had improved so much that it would be an insult to compare me to how I was three weeks ago. It made me wonder if it was even possible to develop this much in just three weeks.
'…No. Is it strange NOT to develop when I am being put through the wringer like this?'
In those three weeks, I had cleared thirteen B-Rank gates. It made me wonder where on earth he even found all these gates.
'Of course, I did not clear them alone, but...'
Still, I could swear that I had never held back my full strength during any of those thirteen times. I say this with total sincerity, without a single lie mixed in.
'It was enough to give me goosebumps.'
In truth, growth does not happen simply by being put through the wringer. If that were the case, anyone could reach the top.
'That guy is just a good teacher.'
After watching me fight ordinary monsters in a gate just once and grasping my level, his precision in beating down the boss to the point where I could barely win by exerting my absolute limits was chilling. Since he always showed a smirking face, I had lacked faith in him at first, but that feeling had long since vanished. How could I not trust him after he demonstrated such precise teaching?
However, separate from that, the fact that it was insanely exhausting could not be helped. Thus, I was mentally grumbling away when it happened.
"Then, shall we sit for a bit and take a rest?"
Yu-hyeon plopped down on the ground and handed me a drink. Did he know I was mentally praising him? Yu-hyeon shook the drink while offering a gentle smile. It felt wrong not to take it, and since I was thirsty, I accepted the drink he offered.
However, I could not bring myself to say thank you.
"…This again?"
"Do you know how delicious this is? Have you still not discovered its true flavor even after drinking it for three weeks?"
"Do not talk nonsense. Why on earth do you even spend money on this?"
It was a green-tinted mint chocolate drink that looked like it would ruin one’s appetite just by its color. This bastard had consistently fed me this drink for three weeks.
"If it is chocolate, it should be chocolate. If it is mint, it should be mint. Why on earth do you mix the two?"
"That is exactly the charm. Stop complaining and hurry up and drink."
"……."
I truly did not want to drink it. I would rather wander around this cliff searching for dewdrops. I do not know about anyone else, but at the very least, I did not want to eat toothpaste dissolved in water.
However...
GULP!
Despite that, I endured it and drank. Was it because I was afraid of Yu-hyeon? No, of course not.
'Annoying bastard. Mixing an elixir into mint chocolate and handing it over? Even a devil would cry at this.'
It was not an elixir as good as the one Yu-hyeon had given me before. Still, it was a high-quality elixir that could show significant effects if consumed consistently. But since this sly guy said he would give it to me for free only if I drank the mint chocolate, what choice did I have?
After barely forcing down the drink that felt like it would regurgitate with every swallow, I glared at Yu-hyeon and spoke.
"I finished it. Happy now?"
"Haha! I am truly glad to have found a mint-choco comrade."
"Comrade my foot, you forced me to drink it... So, where is next?"
"What do you mean 'next'?"
"Why are you playing dumb?"
He had always gone straight to the next gate immediately after clearing one. However, the words that followed were completely different from my expectations.
"Ah, if you are talking about gates, today is the end of that."
"Right... Wait, what?"
"You heard me. Why are you asking again?"
"No. You are just ending it like this, all of a sudden?"
"Three weeks have already passed. You have to go back in one week."
"Exactly. There is still one week left."
While it was true that it was hellishly difficult, my growth was also undeniable. Yet, he was going to just throw away a quarter of the time?
"A beginning is a beginning, but the conclusion is also important."
"What does that...?"
"Slashing monsters is not everything. I am sure a brilliant person like you, Brother, understands what I mean."
Yu-hyeon naturally passed the baton to me. I was not sure if I was brilliant, but I understood him for now.
"You mean I need to refine myself now?"
"Yes. That is correct. If you were only going to face monsters, it might not be necessary... but to be honest, that is not the case, is it?"
Separate from my desire to deny it, he was right. Monsters were monsters, but they were not the only ones causing problems in this world. Although I did not like the idea, it was certain that situations where I would have to cut down humans would frequently arise.
"You are silent. May I take your silence as an affirmation?"
"…Yeah. You are not wrong."
"Haha, good. Then, although we are still inside a gate, there are no dangerous elements left, so let's start by discussing a few simple problems."
Saying so, Yu-hyeon immediately began his evaluation of me.
"First, regarding your swordsmanship."
"Is there a problem?"
I felt a sudden wave of tension when Yu-hyeon brought up swordsmanship. To be honest, I had a certain level of confidence when it came to the sword.
"Hmm. If it is a problem, it is a problem; if not, it might not be."
"Speak clearly. That way I can fix it or whatever."
I was already in the position of a student. Regardless of my confidence, the man before me possessed skill reaching S-Rank. Furthermore, Yu-hyeon also used a sword. If there was a problem, I planned to accept it and fix it.
"First, do you possess a sword-related talent?"
"Yeah. Even though it is B- Rank."
"And have you been using that talent continuously?"
"Right. This is entirely my own talent."
After all, had Yu-hyeon not seen me handle the Black Spear and the Blue Flame before? That was why I revealed that my swordsmanship talent was entirely my own. Of course, I did not mention that I could only borrow the talents of the heroes I admired. Although we were in a friendly relationship, it was not one where I needed to reveal such specific, key details.
"I see. Then is that talent the type where your body moves on its own, independent of your will?"
"Is that a matter we need to discuss in such detail?"
"If you wish to hide it, you do not have to say."
I pondered for a moment at those words. However, my hesitation did not last long.
'It is better to tell him.'
From Yu-hyeon's perspective, he could kill me whenever he wanted, even without knowing exactly what my talent was.
'Things might be different in the future, but the probability of us having a falling out is extremely low.'
Usually, when you clash with this type of person, it is because your goals have diverged. However, there was almost no chance of my goals and his goals becoming different. Protecting Ha Eun-ha and stopping the threat of the gates—these were unchanging objectives for me as well. Therefore, it was a better judgment to just reveal it and listen to his advice here.
"My swordsmanship talent is more like a support. It only increases my understanding and proficiency with the sword. The swinging itself is my own judgment."
"Hmm. I see."
"So, why did you ask?"
"It is nothing much, but your sword feels too formulaic."
I was inwardly surprised by those words.
'He can feel that?'
Too formulaic. I could not deny that statement. The foundation of the swordsmanship I used was what I had learned from Kendo. After all, would Kendo taught in 21st-century Korea have any practical application? However, that did not mean I only used what I had learned. Head, wrists, waist, stabs—it was impossible to survive in this harsh world with just simplistic swings. So, I had modified it to some extent to fit real combat, and yet he noticed.
"Actually, I am not saying that is bad. Being formulaic is another way of saying your basics are excellent, isn't it?"
"……."
"But at the same time, it is a major weakness. It might work against monsters, but formulaic swordsmanship against humans..."
It would soon mean death. Yu-hyeon did not finish the sentence himself, but I was not stupid enough to fail to anticipate the words that would follow.
'Well, he is right.'
Excluding irregular existences like Baek Ha-seong or this guy, who was the strongest opponent I had fought? Was it not those two B-Rank villains I faced with Ryu Jin-oh? Thinking back to the battle at that time...
'I did not win because I was good at combat itself.'
I created opportunities through the Blue Nightmare and used those as a foundation to agitate my opponents and seize victory. Why did I do that? Because I could not win with pure combat ability. Therefore, what Yu-hyeon just said was not wrong in the slightest. It was a tactic that was possible only because they were villains committing low-level acts like gate crimes; if they had been higher-ranked opponents...
'I probably would have lost for sure.'
Because there are no high-ranking villains stupid enough to fall for crude tricks intended to agitate them. But then, a question occurred to me.
"I understand that it can be a fatal weakness, just as you said. But even if I know that, can it be fixed?"
It was a question of whether correction was possible. As I mentioned, even though I had modified the style to my liking, the foundation still bled through. That meant my current swordsmanship was rooted so deeply within me that it was like an instinct. However, Yu-hyeon's answer was surprisingly simple.
"That is no problem. In fact, that can be done in just a few days."
"…That is possible?"
"Yes. It is not a big deal. The problem is something else."
Not a big deal? Correcting a habit that has already permeated the body is incredibly difficult. However, my mind was already prepared to let go of the concerns regarding swordsmanship. After all, what he just said was something that could not be easily ignored.
"What do you mean, something else is the problem?"
"It is the most fatal problem."
Yu-hyeon said this with a serious expression, hiding the smile he had shown until now. When someone who usually only smiles makes such a face, I could not help but become serious as well.
'What on earth is it?'
The man who said correcting my fundamental swordsmanship was no big deal called this problem fatal. It surely was not a light matter. Therefore, I quietly waited for Yu-hyeon's next words. The words that eventually came from Yu-hyeon's mouth were enough to shake my composure.
"To be honest, it is a problem you must be aware of to some extent, Brother."
"What on earth is it that you are stalling so much...?"
"Why are you swinging the sword with only one hand?"
Yu-hyeon asked, staring directly into my eyes. Feeling that was not enough, he added to his question in a solemn voice.
"I did not realize it when I caught a glimpse before, but seeing you for three weeks has made it clear."
"……."
"The swordsmanship you learned. It is a two-handed style, isn't it?"
He asked the kind of question that made it impossible to speak, a question that could not be answered easily.