Chapter: 111
A distance of 100 meters is not particularly far for superhumans equipped with abilities far superior to those of ordinary people.
For students with skills specialized in physical enhancement or acceleration, it’s a distance they can cover in the blink of an eye.
However, to the students, the circle with a radius of 100 meters drawn on the ground appeared overwhelmingly vast.
“Defense is good, but in actual combat, you might have to fight multiple enemies at once, and not all the attacks will be ones you can simply block. Try to avoid attacks as much as you can.”
“…Ugh.”
Natalia gently pointed out the areas for improvement.
At the same moment she spoke, a male student, who had been steadfastly advancing while shielding himself with a shield, fell after just crossing the 50-meter mark, unable to evade an incoming attack from behind. Thud!
Another male student was standing outside the circle, and soon after, another scream echoed.
“Argh…!”
A male student, who had jumped with his spear as if doing a pole vault to evade an attack, was intercepted mid-air and fell to the ground, spitting out blood. Spurt!
“The idea of utilizing space in three dimensions isn’t bad, but if you can’t move freely in the air, making such big movements is a bad play. Simplify your evasion movements and train to ensure your next move isn’t hindered. Next~”
“…You’re really ruthless, aren’t you?”
A glasses-wearing female student who had completed her preparations looked nervously at Natalia from outside the circle.
In response to the student’s words, Natalia gave a faint smile.
It was no wonder she was being ruthless.
Reality is far harsher than this kind of training.
“In reality, just one mistake can cost you your life. Hence, the only option is to whip yourself into shape to prevent such occurrences. If that’s too difficult, I’d recommend you give up on becoming a hero right now.”
“…Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”
Seemingly resolved, the female student nodded once, drew her sword, and charged forward.
Utilizing her abilities, she moved faster than the others while dodging the jets of water. However, upon seeing the increasingly fierce streams, she decided evasion was impossible, opting instead to defend.
But ultimately, it was a poor judgement.
Once she stopped to block an attack, she got stuck and her feet were caught by the oncoming barrage. Bam!
Not bad, but a bit disappointing, 60 meters, huh?
Muttering internally, Natalia eventually spoke to the fallen female student.
“That’s not a bad result, but I think you could have done a little better. You seem to have the ability to manipulate wind, so focusing on mobility over defense might suit you better. Consider how you can utilize your strengths and abilities effectively.”
With her advice delivered, and after the fallen student was ejected from the magical space, Natalia took a moment to observe the others and reflect.
She found the overall level to be much higher than she had expected.
Earlier, she had stated that the skill level fit for active heroes, but the true criterion was whether they could hold their own in actual battles against monsters on the front lines.
Thus, Natalia had not held high expectations for the students.
This training wasn’t something that could be easily completed like Marin, who had reached the proximity of the passage in one go.
Marin had been trained from a young age and was so exceptionally talented that it wouldn’t be odd to call her a genius, making her incomparable to ordinary kids.
In fact, for a first-year academy student, aiming for around 30 meters was about average for such training.
However, contrary to her expectations, most of the students surpassed the 30-meter mark and reached nearly 40 meters, with a few even displaying outstanding performances of over 50 meters just like that.
Perhaps the emergence of the witch had ignited a sense of crisis among the students, raising the average level significantly in terms of her standards.
Whatever the reasons, as both a senior and a hero, Natalia found no reason to be displeased, feeling joy at the plentiful harvest among this year’s first-year students.
And it didn’t take long for her evaluation to change.
It was because the first student had soon emerged.
The protagonist was a male student with messy blonde hair, Dwight Neinhart.
With tired, hollow eyes, he neutralized any incoming attacks the moment he sensed them, slowly walking past the finish line. Whoosh!
Indeed, he was a descendant of the grand mage Neinhart, who had established the barrier around the city.
As Natalia marveled at his magic skills, which exceeded those of Martina during her student days, she was astonished to find Sylvia Astra, famous as the successor of Astra, appear next.
The only contractor of the Celestial Spirit in this generation.
So, there was no one to teach her training methods or usage skills, but she skillfully utilized her abilities sometimes for movement and sometimes for defense, reaching the finish line.
Just as Natalia found herself captivated by their talent and effort, another student crossed the finish line.
It was a face familiar to Natalia.
The young lady of the Dolos family, Florene Dolos, who had been close friends with her daughter since childhood.
True to her lineage, known for strength and robust physique, she did not bother with any tricks.
Proclaiming that only the weak relied on their brains, she simply charged forward. Slash!
She took all attacks meant to crush and destroy as she crossed the finish line, whining in pain while her pink hair fluttered.
Watching this, Natalia thought.
It seemed time for her and her husband Lucas, as well as Martina and Leon, who had been her seniors, to pass on the legacy they had built as part of the so-called golden generation.
With children like them, including her daughter and Yoon Si-woo, she pondered if concerns about the future generation could be eased.
While she was pleasantly satisfied with her musings, the last student appeared.
Natalia’s eyes sparkled.
The last student was the red-haired girl who Yoon Si-woo liked, the same girl Marin had hidden behind just moments ago.
She had been curious since hearing about her daughter’s rejection by this girl.
What sort of girl was capable of catching the attention of someone like Marin, who was unmatched in looks, ability, or background?
…At first glance, she thought it might be lacking compared to Marin.
Although she was cute, it felt like she fell slightly short of Marin.
At that moment, Natalia noticed the prosthetic arm attached to the girl’s left arm. Clink!
Come to think of it, she remembered hearing that a student had sacrificed their own arm to protect citizens from a monster that had appeared in the city.
Could that be the same girl?
Perhaps it was this aspect that attracted Yoon Si-woo.
“Thank you.”
“Yes, do your best.”
Having loosened up, Natalia smiled at the girl who was greeting her, thinking that she hoped her skills would match up.
At the very least, if she could achieve at least what her daughter did, that would save Natalia’s pride as a parent.
While she was waiting, she noticed the girl running into the circle.
One thing Natalia paid attention to was the fact that the girl wasn’t holding anything.
Barehanded combat.
A very rare form of combat that heroes facing monsters could hardly be found employing, but the girl, because she was weaponless, exhibited impressive physical abilities.
She ducked, bent, and twisted her body. Whoosh!
Without weapons, her limbs were free, making evasion easier; she deftly dodged the water jets.
However, it wasn’t so easy to avoid and move forward relying merely on physical prowess.
Before she knew it, a jet of water flew straight at her face. Swoosh!
Realizing evasion was impossible, flames burst forth from the girl’s hands. Fwoosh!
With a loud explosion, a massive amount of water evaporated, creating a thick mist. Hiss!
The flames were powerful enough to evaporate most of the water jets in an instant.
However, Natalia’s expression displayed slight disappointment.
Because of the steam and the explosion, the girl failed to respond properly to the subsequent attack and fell over. Thud!
Sixty meters, a record that was nearly the best among the rest.
Her physical potential appeared sufficient, and with some adjustments, she could aim for an even higher score…
Yet, having seen such remarkable talents and holding onto expectations that she would match her daughter’s performance, Natalia couldn’t hide her disappointment.
After all, one didn’t have to be exceptional to be liked.
Nevertheless, seeing the girl as a capable candidate, Natalia offered some words of encouragement.
“…As I mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to keep your senses open. There will be times when your vision or hearing is limited, so include all your senses, even your intuition. Your physical abilities look excellent, so if you focus on that, you might perform even better.”
Having given this advice, Natalia signaled to Eve to take a break.
Not because she was tired, but because it had gone around to the last turn, allowing her to wait for the students for a bit.
While it’s not a real-life experience, it was still a death experience for the students.
She, too, had experienced it several times in her student days, knowing that those experiences could deliver a significant mental shock.
The stress from both physical pain and the fear of facing death isn’t something one can recover from quickly.
It was common for her daughter to feel nauseous.
Students would probably faint or cry.
But they must overcome it to grow mentally.
After all, it is the profession of a hero to have to smile the day after witnessing a colleague’s death right before their eyes.
While lost in these thoughts, Natalia stepped out of the simulation and couldn’t help but feel somewhat surprised.
In contrast to most students, who were still in a daze, the last student, the red-haired girl, was sitting there expressing a slightly pained expression.
Was she an exceptionally strong-willed child?
Watching her curiously as she repeatedly thumped her head, seemingly trying to collect her thoughts, their eyes met.
Then the girl abruptly stood up, approached, and bowed her head, delivering words that left Natalia utterly astonished.
“Um… Excuse me, but can I please try just one more time? I feel like I can do better if I try again.”
“…If you can, feel free to challenge as many times as you like, but are you sure you can do it right now? It’s best not to overdo it.”
“This is nothing at all. Then, please let me.”
“…Impressive. It’s nice to see someone so willing to try.”
Truly, what a strong-minded child.
Natalia admired the girl more and raised her assessment of her.
She found it more admirable when someone was working hard than merely having talent.
“Thank you again.”
“Remember what I just said. Pay attention to your senses.”
So hoping the girl would do well, Natalia offered a final piece of advice.
And the girl proved she hadn’t taken the advice lightly.
Now more attuned, as if she had opened her senses, the girl reacted a little more sensitively to the attacks this time, collapsing at the 70-meter mark.
A remarkable increase of 10 meters over her previous record.
Though she stumbled a bit towards the end and failed to advance further, it was still a commendable result.
Despite the struggle, the girl sensed something lacking, and before her awareness faded, she immediately resumed training, which impressed Natalia, who applauded her efforts.
“Wonderful. It seemed that your feet got slightly tangled towards the end. While moving, always think about what’s next, and if you can minimize the gap between your thoughts and actions, it’d be even better.”
After conveying this, once the girl disappeared, Natalia stepped out from the vision.
And took a breath.
The girl, who had just slightly fumbled her expression, thumped her head and stood back up.
The girl approached again and bowed her head.
“Um… I’m really sorry, but can I please try just one more time?”
“…You want to try again without resting? Even if you’re not physically drained, what about mentally…?”
It seems unlikely that even having strong mental fortitude, she could recover this quickly.
As she observed the girl’s expression, she was met with a face that suggested nothing was the matter, and she murmured.
“I’m fine…”
That made Natalia glance at how the other students were reacting.
Everyone wore expressions as if they didn’t understand what they were witnessing.
Perhaps she herself had a similar expression.
“…If no other student wishes to try now.”
She asked, but nobody raised their hands, so naturally, the girl’s training began anew.
The girl greeted once again and ran towards the center of the circle.
The result was,
“75 meters… Your movements have certainly improved. But there are still a few unnecessary movements here and there, so focusing on that could enhance your performance. It’s quite rare to improve this quickly; you have talent. Spend a little more time, and you’ll grow rapidly.”
Truly amazed, Natalia shook her head.
She could see that she had talent based on her quick corrections, but the girl had an even greater talent elsewhere.
She persevered through difficulties without stopping.
People named that effort, and knowing how difficult it was, they could only admire her.
But,
“Um… excuse me, can I try just once more…?”
Seeing the girl who had already stood and was now waiting for her, Natalia couldn’t help but be astonished beyond admiration.
“Thank you again.”
The girl bowed and ran once more.
Eighty meters.
“…If you take some risks and barely avoid, that should give you more time.”
Stepping out, the girl bowed her head.
“Please, just one more time…”
Natalia snorted in bemusement.
“Thank you again.”
Something seemed off, and her record dropped.
Seventy-two meters.
But that didn’t matter to the girl.
“Once more, please.”
As if retreating meant she would advance again, the girl bowed her head.
Everyone could only gaze at the girl in bewilderment.
To them, she felt like an incomprehensible existence.
Then Natalia began to grasp a bit of understanding about the girl.
Ah, this child would not stop.
“Thank you again.”
Seventy-eight meters.
She moved out.
“Just one more time, please.”
She entered again.
“Thank you again.”
Eighty-one meters.
At some point, Natalia didn’t need to step out of the illusion.
Simply waiting was enough, as the girl would soon return.
Her movements were now being reduced to a mere bow once.
“Thank you again.”
Eighty-one meters, eighty-two meters, seventy-nine meters, eighty-four meters, eighty-six meters.
In the series of continuous attempts, at a certain moment, advice ceased.
The girl seemed to discover the answers herself through numerous attempts.
Because the realization gained through one’s own efforts was worth far more than any advice.
“Thank you again.”
Eighty-five, eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-eight, eighty-six, eighty-nine, ninety meters.
In a world where only the girl’s greetings echoed like a refrain, she was gradually closing the distance.
The nearer the girl got to the finish line, the more Natalia could peer into her eyes closely.
There was something absent in the girl’s gaze.
Or perhaps she had grown numb from familiarity.
The girl accepted death as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
This made her seem precarious,
It also made her appear futile,
Yet, it made it impossible to look away.
“Thank you again.”
Ninety, ninety-one, ninety-one, ninety-one, ninety-one, ninety-one, ninety-one.
She was stagnating, hovering around that similar point.
But she was not idle.
Little by little, she was moving forward.
“Thank you again.”
Ninety-three.
Natalia could no longer count how many times she’d heard that phrase.
But with each ringing of that sound, the girl came closer, and Natalia felt the warmth of the flame emanating from her.
Natalia observed the flame giving off that heat.
“Thank you again.”
Ninety-five.
Even if her arm flew away, even if her leg broke, even if she fell, spitting blood,
The girl, who kept her gaze forward,
Natalia saw the flame in her.
“Thank you again.”
Ninety-seven.
If asked why she pushed herself so far, she’d likely respond with an indifferent expression,
“Just because, there’s still some burning left,” as if it were nothing,
Continuing to burn without stopping.
“Thank you again.”
Ninety-nine.
Natalia contemplated.
A flame that flickers precariously, knowing it could be extinguished at any moment,
Aware that it would eventually die out made it seem futile.
Yet, it was exactly why it shined so radiantly,
And therefore, it was dazzlingly beautiful.
“Thank you again.”
The endlessly echoing sound resounded,
One hundred.
And at last, it came to a stop.
The girl, placing her hand on Natalia’s arm, stared blankly at her own hand.
Then she gave a slight smile.
Though she had arrived with great effort, she could have jumped for joy,
Instead, she maintained a serene smile and simply said,
“Thank you very much.”
With that, she bowed to Natalia.
Seeing this, Natalia let out a wry chuckle and muttered.
“My dear, that was a worthy effort.”
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