The intense grappling with the second round has come to an end.
Honestly, it was tough.
My body is still sore all over. Cut, stabbed, beaten, blown up, ripped apart… It was a challenging time.
Especially halfway through, I was exhausted and my powers just shut down, making it even tougher.
With the powers of space gone, I found it hard to pull out my gear from the pocket dimension, and managing attraction and repulsion was also blocked.
Plus, since I couldn’t seal the inventory of the second round, they threw all sorts of weapons at me like it was a yard sale!
I carried a fair amount of gear myself, but the second round’s inventory had everything imaginable popping out.
We were swinging different lengths of curved blades around, having a grand old time slashing, and I was getting hammered left and right with something resembling a club.
Not to mention a claw knife… karambit, a bunch of daggers that looked like twigs, a mace…
I’ve wielded a lot of weapons through training with my master, but the sheer number that the second round handled was on another level.
Even if you raided a giant forge or a weapons museum, I doubt you’d find less than that.
After that, my observation abilities also shut down, which limited my information gathering.
From that point, it became a lot harder to respond to the movements of the second round.
I did rely on the training I had consistently practiced, but it wasn’t enough compared to actual observation, making it all a mess.
[Please pat me more…]
In other words, I was mentally drained.
That’s why I craved mental happiness. Following that simple logic, I was fully cuddling with my master in real-time.
“Man… Not a single day goes by without something happening.”
[Ehehe…]
“That’s not a compliment…”
My master mumbled in disbelief.
That was a bit unfair, though.
I wasn’t intentionally causing trouble; everyone just treated me like I was a nuisance.
I shook my head to express my grievances, and the soft sensation of my master’s hand came rubbing against me.
Thanks to my master’s thumping heartbeat, the tension I had built up started to dissipate.
After flailing around, I finally calmed down and slumped over.
“Uh…”
My master let out a wry smile, but then rubbed my head, unable to resist.
[Alright…]
With a silly grin, I clung onto my master more desperately.
At some point, I ended up inside my master’s house, lying side by side on the bed, resting.
I was a bit dazed when I first came out of the Tower of Growth, but I could vaguely hear the conversation going back and forth.
From what I gathered, today marks the fourth day of the entrance to the Tower. Everyone seemed flustered that I had popped out a day early.
In the midst of all that, worrying about my not-so-great condition, my master quickly took me back home.
I wanted to go see Seo-yul since I was out of the tower, but… here I was in this state.
I wanted to show Seo-yul that I was a reliable guardian.
…Although it felt a bit late for that.
I had already shown Seo-yul how pitiful I could be.
Despite being a guardian, I worried that my reputation had sunk like a stone.
Of course, sweet Seo-yul still followed me obediently…
…But regardless, that led to me now lying side by side with my master on the bed, recovering my mental strength.
– I’ll take care of Ha-yul, so you stay.
– Huh? Why me? I also want to…
– You’re in charge of the Ipchun Class, right? There are still plenty of students who haven’t come out, so what would the instructor do if they left in the middle of class?
– …Why do you have to be so serious at this moment?
My master is in charge of special admissions. The reason she was in charge among first-year professors was that I was, well, a first-year student.
So, when I popped out of the tower, my master had no obligation to stay there.
On the other hand, Professor Riana was indeed the instructor for the Ipchun Class. She couldn’t just abandon the remaining students just because of me.
Thus, Professor Riana stayed behind with a sour expression.
‘Have I been emergency evacuated…?’
The Tower of Growth has basic safety mechanisms in place.
One typical function is that if a student is deemed in danger, they’ll be expelled immediately.
Also, considering the mental health of the students, pain is kept to a minimum…
‘Damn it. That wasn’t the case for me.’
That sudden thought made me grimace.
The bewilderment I felt the first time my neck got sliced is still vivid in my mind.
Why was the second round there? Why was a character from a game alive before my eyes? Oh, my neck was cut. But why does it hurt? It hurts so damn much…
At that time, the situation was so desperate that I brushed it off, but now, reflecting calmly, it was absurd.
‘I’m going to demand an explanation.’
If the president is absent, I’m going to confront the vice president and ask what kind of nonsense this is.
More than anything, what’s this about?
The second round.
I had given him the nickname “Two-Demon.”
The system representative title was the grandiose “Asura of Battle.”
There’s no doubt that the one who fought with me was the second round. There’s no denying that.
The artifacts equipped, the techniques used, and above all, the second round’s extension ability of movements and coordination…
Every element points to the second round.
‘What the hell is going on?’
It’s not like I’m facing a character from a game; it’s my character that I crafted and played with that’s now slicing me right before my eyes.
It was confusing.
The movements and weapon techniques that were so artistic, and the combat skills that even my own powers of observation couldn’t keep up with.
An overwhelming clash between the body’s power activation and its release, along with the finesse of acceleration and deceleration.
The extravagant use of strong ki didn’t end merely by wrapping around the body and weapons.
It wasn’t just inputted techniques; it was rich with experience that was simply hard to fathom.
It was beyond imagination to think of it as just a character I set up and enjoyed…
And most importantly…
– Sorry for bothering you, tough work.
Just before coming out of the tower… that voice nestled next to my ear while I lay incapacitated.
It was a chilling voice, sounding like metal scraping against metal, but it was also filled with complex emotions that resonated vividly.
‘…….’
My head throbbed. The headache echoed inside my skull.
“What’s got you making that sour face now?”
While I was frowning deeply, my master pressed her finger against my forehead.
“Don’t ruin that pretty face. Stop frowning.”
[Eww…]
[That feels great.]
[Pleasure.]
[Massage.]
My brows involuntarily relaxed. My master chuckled and began kneading my face to loosen my muscles.
As a cool feeling washed over me, my necklace chimed with a dull sound.
‘Didn’t that sound a bit different… Good. The functions are normal.’
I felt a strange sense of unease from that sound, but for now, I buried it along with my worries about the second round.
[I worked really hard on that!]
[I need a reward!]
[So I demand pets!]
“…I can pet you as much as you want without needing a reason. But more than that, I want to know how my student has struggled. Can you tell me?”
After a little while, I felt my condition had improved enough that my master asked gently.
‘…What happened in the tower…?’
I paused for a moment, deep in thought.
Of course, I couldn’t explain.
That’s because I didn’t have a clue about this phenomenon… I didn’t know a single thing.
Actually, thinking it over now, it might just be an excuse.
The truth is that I was scared of possibly being disliked after randomly chattering about a bunch of things.
‘Hmm…’
I did a quick check on my state.
My mental strength had recovered quite a bit. Normally, I would have been out of it for days, but thanks to the effects of the Tower of Growth, I could now even use my observation.
[Let me show you directly!]
After considering for a moment, I decided to show the results of this entrance to the Tower.
*
Atra looked at Lee Ha-yul on the other side with a complicated expression.
‘Let’s see what you got… what did you bring back?’
Cautiously asking so Atra wouldn’t puke blood and collapse, Lee Ha-yul suddenly suggested showing it directly as they headed to the training ground.
Naturally, Atra initially refused. There was no way she’d be thrilled about sparring with someone who had just moments earlier been staggering and couldn’t even hold themselves upright.
But due to Lee Ha-yul’s earnest persuasion… “I’m fine now,” she had no choice but to arrive at the training ground.
Actually, her body was in perfect shape, and as for her mind… maybe the recovery happened faster than expected? Normally, she would be clinging and whining all day.
Her mental state might have accelerated recovery thanks to the Tower of Growth.
Atra felt a mix of relief and strange disappointment…
[Then I’ll begin!]
“Alright.”
Lee Ha-yul soon sent a signal.
‘Whatever it is, I need to confirm it.’
Atra cast aside her distractions and sharpened her focus.
She most certainly didn’t take it lightly.
Up until now, she had witnessed the stunning improvement that Lee Ha-yul continuously displayed, and she was well aware of his prowess.
At this point, Lee Ha-yul could overwhelm even upper-tier heroes.
With just simple physical and ki maneuvering, he could manage that.
From magic to spirit arts, and even copying his outrageous unique abilities… Lee Ha-yul possessed an infinite array of skills.
To begin with, Lee Ha-yul had taken down a two-headed dragon that had been downgraded to roughly 4th-tier.
4th tier.
That was the rank usually only measurable against alpha entities in a second-tier dungeon.
Only the top-tier heroes could easily take them down solo, and even then, various variables could mean losing their lives.
Although there were factors that led to the downgrade of the two-headed dragon… Lee Ha-yul was the one who finished off a creature that was originally 3rd-tier.
Of course, now was just a casual sparring session. It was an inappropriate time to actively deploy various tricks.
Keeping that in mind, Atra readied her stance.
– Thud
In an instant, Lee Ha-yul appeared, his grip locking around Atra’s wrist.
‘……!?’
Atra’s eyes widened in horror.
Lee Ha-yul’s form blurred, enveloped in mist, and suddenly appeared beside Atra.
She braced herself.
Reacting on instinct, she pulled back and pushed forward with her hand, the body activation that emerged without conscious thought gave her strength.
But her extended hand was caught effortlessly.
Like being entangled in dark storm clouds, gestures that concealed their shapes came rushing in.
Thud! Breaking through from the clutches of the storm clouds, a hand grabbed Atra’s wrist.
‘This is…!?’
A movement that lightly disregarded the laws of physics.
Even just observing the movements transmitted a distinct mental sensation.
‘Extension ability…!’
The extended ability of technique series.
Not just clumsily executed, but handled with remarkable adeptness. In that split-second, even Atra’s senses were deceived by the level of proficiency.
The true essence of technique series is revealed in its extension capabilities.
Especially in person-on-person combat, the extended abilities of the technique series can be exceedingly troublesome.
Atra also activated her unique capabilities of the technique series. Her extensions were pretty well developed too.
‘Too late─’
However, it had become too late for her to act. There was hesitation. The extension ability hadn’t been coordinated in advance. She had no certainty in handling it.
During that hesitation, her body spun around. Her vision changed dramatically.
Bam! The next moment, the sky devoured by sunset appeared within her range of sight.
“……”
The dust briefly rose and slowly settled.
Accelerated thoughts gradually returned to normal cognitive speed. It felt like an eternity of shock and anguish, but it was merely a brief moment of time.
[How’s that?]
A clicking sound echoed.
Atra, blankly, moved her lips.
Inside her field of sight, not on the outer sides but rather facing her, was Lee Ha-yul’s face.
In an instant, Lee Ha-yul tossed Atra to the ground and climbed atop her.
A proud smile spread across his lips, and his cheeks were flushed with a sense of achievement.
Even the normally stoic voice from her necklace seemed to be brimming with pride.
It didn’t hurt. Atra’s body was too sturdy to feel the shock of this magnitude.
“…uh, uh…”
But her mind was in pain. More accurately, it was extremely confusing, and… shocking.
‘Just a moment ago… no, now.’
She had begun sparring with her student and ended up tossed on the ground due to being off guard.
That was all that had happened.
[You’ve really grown, haven’t you?]
“…uh, uh…?”
As the dazed Atra heard the voice from her necklace ring in her ears, her bewildered state snapped back to reality.
Atra blinked, suddenly realizing her condition.
Both her wrists were caught, raised above her head, and Lee Ha-yul was sitting on top of Atra, pinning her down.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
