Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Still, Time Flows (2)

“Yu-seong! Please handle the left! Jin-eon, take the right!”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

Time had passed quickly since the incident with the Baek family, and it was now a day in late October.

I was participating in the gate real combat training conducted by the academy as part of Group 3, alongside Kim Su-hyeok and Oh Jin-eon.

Of course, there were no obstacles.

I had become much stronger even without using Embodiment of Admiration, Kim Su-hyeok was a given, and Oh Jin-eon had also grown significantly.

There was no way a problem would occur in a C-minus rank gate, which was scaled for the average first-year cadet.

About ten minutes passed after Kim Su-hyeok asked us to cover the flanks and boldly broke through the front.

“My side is finished!”

“Me too.”

“Same here.”

We each succeeded in clearing out all the monsters at the appropriate timing.

As soon as he heard us, Kim Su-hyeok ran toward Oh Jin-eon and me, who had regrouped first.

Then…

“Yu-seong, are you hurt anywhere?”

Kim Su-hyeok began to scan my body thoroughly.

I let out a sigh inwardly at the sight, but I could not do so outwardly.

After all, I was the one who had provided him with the reason to act this way.

‘Actually, if you think about it, I did not intend to provide it.’

When we stormed the Baek family estate previously, did I not intentionally carve a laceration into my own body using the Suppressing Blade?

I had not noticed it at the time, but Kim Su-hyeok, who had been watching from hiding, said he was quite shocked.

I had explained it was an action taken to utilize my abilities properly, but that was exactly the problem.

Because of that, he had been acting like this whenever there was training involving combat since that day, which was quite exasperating for me.

“There is no problem at all. I told you that was a very specific situation.”

“Even so, we cannot be too careful. You always end up coming back injured the moment I take my eyes off you, Yu-seong.”

“……”

I had nothing to say when he put it like that.

Looking back, it was true that I was always getting injured…

Fortunately, it seemed heaven had not abandoned me yet, as support arrived at the perfect time.

“I think that is far too overprotective.”

That was a blunt remark from Oh Jin-eon, who had been silently watching Kim Su-hyeok's behavior.

At those words, Kim Su-hyeok made an embarrassed expression and replied.

“That may be so, but it is true that I am worried…”

“In that case, you are a guardian protecting him, not a comrade fighting alongside him. I do not think that is a very good way to act.”

“Is that so…?”

“And Choi Yu-seong said so himself last time. He promised he would never make us worry in secret again. I believe you should at least trust the words of a friend, even setting aside being comrades.”

“That is true. I suppose I was being excessive.”

“Yes. So, there is no need to go that far. If he ever acts like that again…”

Oh Jin-eon trailed off for a moment, then turned his gaze toward me before continuing.

“We should make sure he pays the price for lying to the friends who trusted him.”

What a violent thing to say.

Jin-eon, when you say things like that with that expression and that tone, it is actually terrifying, you know?

However, since there was nothing wrong with what Oh Jin-eon said, I also added my agreement.

“Like Oh Jin-eon said, I will not do that anymore, so you do not have to worry so much.”

“See, Choi Yu-seong says so as well. There is no need to overreact.”

“Right. In that case, I will trust you.”

Ultimately, Kim Su-hyeok nodded at our words.

I wondered what I would do if he still did not believe me, but it was a relief that my credibility had not fallen that far.

‘If I ever act in secret and come back injured one more time, my credibility will not just hit rock bottom; it will drill straight through the floor.’

But I had no intention of doing that.

I had said it repeatedly—I also learned a lot after that day.

When I thought about how much my actions hurt others from their perspective, it was no longer easy to do such things.

Because more than anything, I want these guys to be happy.

It was while I was continuing various thoughts internally like that.

“Since we cleared the gate, I think it would be best to head out soon. What do you think?”

That was a comment from Oh Jin-eon, breaking the brief silence after our conversation topic ended.

Thanks to him, my itchy sentimental thoughts came to an end, but it did not matter.

Just as he said, staying here any longer would indeed be a waste of time.

Kim Su-hyeok also agreed with that opinion.

“I think that would be good too!”

“Mm, it is just about lunchtime, so the timing is perfect.”

“What is for lunch today?”

“They said it is Salisbury steak and egg drop soup.”

“Haha, it has been a while since we had that. That was the menu the first time we ate together.”

Come to think of it, he was right.

That was exactly the menu at the restaurant when we first encountered Do Gang-ho.

Since it was such an intense memory, I could even accurately remember the menu served back then.

‘Now that I think about it, the three of us were together then, too.’

However, time had passed since then, and there were clear differences.

That was…

“Then let us go eat with all the other kids! Their finishing times should be similar.”

“That is a good idea. As the saying goes, food tastes better when eaten with others.”

“Haha, that is right. Should we even invite the instructor?”

“I believe that is also a good idea.”

It was no longer just the three of us, but everyone getting along and being together.

It might be a bit belated to say this, but thinking that way brought a faint smile to my face.

***

Early November.

Before I knew it, the second-semester midterm exams had arrived, and unlike the first semester, the exams proceeded smoothly.

If there was one thing slightly different from the first semester, it was that there were changes to the practical portion.

Unlike the first semester, where we sparred with invited players or instructors, the second semester involved sparring between the cadets themselves.

‘It is a fairly well-designed system.’

Each cadet would fight a total of five other cadets.

Of course, the balance is maintained.

Based on precise analysis, the matches are structured so that sparring does not occur between opponents with an overwhelming difference in skill.

I heard that in the past, it was done in a way where a cadet would nominate another cadet, but that method was abolished because there was a high possibility of sparring sessions fueled by personal emotions.

‘By the way, the person responsible for getting that method abolished was Shin Yu-hwan.’

It was such a legendary incident that it remained a part of Glory Academy lore, and I was able to hear the details.

When I asked someone who knew well, they said that Shin Yu-hwan had a senior he followed closely. When five people disrespected that senior, he nominated all of them and beat them until they were near death. Even the instructors at the time found it difficult to stop him.

If anyone else had done it, it would have been hard to believe, but because it was Shin Yu-hwan, I could believe it instantly.

‘Well, putting that aside…’

Anyway, what I want to say is that this matching system is quite well-designed.

But in my opinion, that only applied to everyone except me.

That was because…

[Confirming sparring opponents.]

Kim Su-hyeok (1st)

Ryu Jin-oh (2nd)

Hwang Ji-ho (17th)

Hong I-na (Rank TBD)

Oh Jin-eon (46th)

The sparring opponents visible before my eyes were at a level where they could never be called well-matched.

“Is this really not a bug?”

I knew that my ranking had risen significantly after the first semester.

Since I rose from 899th to 333rd, I had expected to be matched with high-ranking opponents.

But even so, 1st, 2nd, 17th, and 46th?

If this is not called a bug, then what is?

“Damn it… Complaining was useless, too.”

I tried venting to Im Seong-cheol, but all I got back was that it seemed like an appropriate match, and no other action was taken.

I appreciate that you hold me in high regard, but honestly, I am not at the level to fight these guys with my natural skills yet.

“Phew, what is the point of being like this by myself?”

In the end, the sparring opponents would not change, and I was fated to spar with the people on this list.

“And it is not entirely a bad thing.”

Regardless, the structure is not one where your grades are automatically cut just because you lose a sparring match.

It was a system that graded you comprehensively by scoring various aspects, such as how well you utilized your weapons and how efficient your movements were.

In short, as long as I showed a good performance even while losing the spar, there would be no problem in receiving a good grade.

“Considering that, this is a good opportunity.”

This would be a chance to look back and observe myself once again.

Basically, setting aside my talent, it would be a time to see how far I could go without the artifacts that carried penalties.

“So, I should prepare hard.”

The other guys who had confirmed their sparring opponents would also be preparing thoroughly.

Therefore, it was only right for me to prepare diligently as well, both to not disappoint them and to not be disappointed in myself.

With that thought, I changed my clothes and left the dormitory to head for the training room.

***

Mid-November.

The long midterm exams finally ended, and the academy returned to its peaceful daily routine once again.

Well, saying it like that, you must be quite curious about how the midterm exams went.

To state the results first, I achieved a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.

I lost against Kim Su-hyeok and Ryu Jin-oh, and won against Hwang Ji-ho and Hong I-na.

And I achieved a draw against Oh Jin-eon.

“Actually, the wins were mostly due to luck.”

Since we had never moved together as a group, we were in a state where we did not know each other’s combat styles.

Thanks to that, I, who am quick to adapt in battle, was able to seize victory.

On the other hand, in the case of Kim Su-hyeok and Ryu Jin-oh, they had completely figured out my style and attacked based on that knowledge, so I had no choice but to suffer defeat.

“As for Oh Jin-eon, it became a draw due to a time-out.”

In my opinion, if we had gone until the end, I probably would have lost.

Think about me, who uses my talent to a minimum and does not use artifacts.

Considering that point, my stamina would inevitably fall far behind compared to Oh Jin-eon’s.

And that meant a defeat for me if it went to the very end.

The reason it even reached a time-out was that I had been looking for an opportunity while minimizing my movements to save strength, and before I knew it, the match was over.

“But there was something strange about Oh Jin-eon.”

Of course, it is a bit funny for me to say this.

It was quite laughable for someone of my caliber to evaluate anyone else.

However, if I were to add a bit of my personal opinion… yes, it felt like he was hesitating somewhere.

It was as if he was slightly faltering every time an opportunity arose.

“Well, it is most likely just my imagination.”

As I said just now, it makes no sense for someone of my caliber to be evaluating anyone.

So, it is better to reflect on myself instead of evaluating others.

It was while I was sitting on a park bench and quietly reviewing the practical portion of the midterm exams with that thought in mind.

“Ah! You were here!!”

The voice of someone calling out to me loudly.

Of course, since there was no subject, it might not have been me, but I was the only one in this park right now.

Therefore, when I looked toward where the voice came from, a familiar face was looking at me.

“Teaching Assistant?”

“Ahaha, hello. It has been a while since we last saw each other.”

“Indeed. It seems our connection is deeper than I thought.”

“Is it not the nature of a Teaching Assistant to be everywhere!”

Well, he was not exactly wrong.

Originally, Teaching Assistants were the type to appear out of nowhere whenever a professor called.

“But it seems you came looking for me this time. What is the matter?”

“Ah! I almost forgot my important purpose because it has been so long.”

The Teaching Assistant gave an embarrassed laugh at my words and stated his purpose.

“Instructor Im Seong-cheol is looking for you, so I came to fetch you.”

“The instructor? For what reason?”

“Well, I am not quite sure myself, but Player Shin Yu-hwan is also there with him.”

“Excuse me??”

Hearing that, I was even more confused about why they had called me.

However, I could not just stay still until I learned the reason.

Ultimately, it was a matter I would only understand once I met them, so I followed the Teaching Assistant’s words, brushed aside my thoughts, and began to walk.