My heart raced. It felt like it was pounding right next to my ear. When I absentmindedly placed my hand on my chest, the sound grew louder.
Aiden stared blankly at the broken sword hilt and the scattered blade, his expression still not processing reality.
He couldn’t understand why he had lost. What a tragic misunderstanding for him! From his perspective, there was no way he could lose.
I thought the same. If things had gone as they should have, I should have lost. By all rights and specs, losing would have been the expected outcome.
If Aiden had thrown his full strength into the fight from the get-go… No, we didn’t have to go that far.
If he hadn’t used strong energy or physical enhancement, and had just relied on his raw ability and skills, I would have been forced into a corner until I finally lost.
Strong energy and physical enhancement. I didn’t have enough magical energy to properly control both. Even in our recent spar, just manifesting strong energy briefly drained a considerable amount of magic power.
Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself, you can fight a hundred battles without danger.
Was that one of Sun Tzu’s sayings?
I remembered it meant that if you know both yourself and your opponent, you won’t be in danger, no matter how many times you fight.
In this duel, Aiden didn’t know me.
He didn’t know what kind of training I had received from Professor Atra, how much I had grown, where my spatial perception could reach, how far I could move, or if I used strong energy or physical enhancement.
Of course, I didn’t know his side either.
I didn’t know about Aiden’s physical level. Whether he had any unique abilities, and if so, what kind and how powerful they were. While he might have mastered physical enhancement and strong energy, I had no idea how strong that was.
But there was a difference.
I had knowledge of the original story and could gauge Aiden’s level.
I understood how he looked at me. I knew he was being careless and predicted he wouldn’t use his unique abilities, physical enhancement, or strong energy. And I was right.
So, I hid myself and, at the moment he was careless, I struck with all my might.
As a result, I won. Aiden was careless and handed me victory through a momentary mistake he didn’t even consider.
If we fought again, I would certainly lose. If we had a hundred matches in this state, I would probably lose all of them.
That’s how great the skill gap was between Aiden and me.
But this time, I won.
It went exactly as I had designed it. What I had predicted hit the mark, resulting in victory. Losing would have been okay, but I won.
Maybe that’s why I felt pretty good. After all, even I’m human, so winning must feel better than losing.
Leaving Aiden behind, still in shock, I expanded my spatial perception normally, finally noticing the cadets surrounding the sparring arena.
They all had expressions similar to Aiden’s. What can I say, they looked like fools? Shocked expressions, maybe?
I also spotted Baek Ahrin, her eyes sparkling in surprise. That person… felt a bit overwhelming.
And I saw Hong Yeon-hwa too. I nearly burst out laughing.
Her beautiful red eyes blinked rapidly. Her mouth was agape like she was worried a dragonfly would fly in.
She seemed completely shocked.
I was in a rather joyous mood.
I had been annoyed that they didn’t listen to me when I kept saying I didn’t need to worry about them, thanks to my unique ability to see in all directions. But seeing their expressions like that…
Just moments ago, I had suppressed my emotions to stay calm, but now it felt like my heart was floating.
The corners of my mouth curled up. A grin appeared on my face.
“Hehe.”
Feeling lifted, I did something unusual.
I raised one hand towards Hong Yeon-hwa. I spread my index and middle fingers wide and folded the rest into a fist.
“V.”
I couldn’t speak, so I conveyed the message with my mouth. Communicating like this was tough, but someone as superhuman as Hong Yeon-hwa would probably understand my lip movements.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s reaction changed.
Her mouth widened even more. The corners of her lips trembled and her cheeks flushed a bright red.
…What’s with that?
.
.
.
After the “Introduction to Practical Swordsmanship” class ended, I had a quick lunch.
Today, since Hong Yeon-hwa had work, I resolved my meal with a nutrition bar alone.
It was convenient and sufficiently nutritious. If the amount was lacking, I could just grab more. If I needed more nutrients, I could take other supplements.
If Hong Yeon-hwa had invited me to lunch, I would have eaten it. Regardless, eating together with others made me try hard to enjoy it, even if I didn’t taste a thing.
I still hadn’t told anyone about my taste issues. I honestly don’t know how to resolve that problem.
Sometimes I wonder if I even need to mention it. Isn’t it a problem that resolves itself if I just gulp it down like a white lie?
…No, the truth is, I just found it uncomfortable to talk about. I knew Hong Yeon-hwa wasn’t that kind of person, but I was afraid she would be disappointed if I told her I had been lying all this time.
Plus, this isn’t simply a handicap; it’s a curse.
A curse of sensory sealing. Once that’s lifted, the problem would be solved. For my own happiness, I will eventually lift the curse of a short life and sensory sealing.
I thought it would be better to hide it from the start rather than awkwardly saying I can taste things now.
I walked to the old training ground, munching on my nutrition bars.
“……”
I arrived at the training ground, where Professor Atra was already there, facing me.
Her gaze flicked between my mouth full of nutrition bar and the wrappers protruding from my duffel bag.
.
.
.
“Make sure to eat properly. What kind of superhuman eats like that?”
[Yes.]
Then I received a scolding.
I was told off by her scowling face. She questioned how my body would develop if I treated my meals so poorly and advised me to watch my diet.
Along with her scolding, she also gave some practical advice.
Professor Atra’s training was mostly like this.
Her teaching method was harsh and tough. Coupled with her blunt attitude, it was easy for her to become unlikable.
However, I didn’t really dislike her.
Despite her attitude, she didn’t teach me carelessly. It was rough, but she was diligent about my education.
There were some feelings of discontent, but they weren’t too strong and didn’t only pertain to me.
While I suspected she pounded me under the guise of recovery training out of malice, I was genuinely feeling an increase in my body’s recovery ability.
– Clang…!
Today’s weapon was the long sword.
The sword I’d previously used had blades on both sides, but this one had a single edge and was relatively long.
I swung the sword. Holding the hilt, I forced it into motion. The blade left a long mark. Before that line ended, I drew another.
Clang! The long sword left a lasting mark on the ground. My movements accelerated by weakly manifesting strong physical enhancement.
– Bam!
My hand was violently rebuffed. The long sword twirled and plummeted into the ground. Before I knew it, a rough wooden sword was aimed at my neck.
“Your attack is clumsy compared to your defenses. That’s something I’ve pointed out repeatedly. You’re improving, but keep it in mind.”
I nodded at Professor Atra’s indifferent words. Watching her retrieve the wooden sword, I shook my head and fell over.
Today, I got wrecked again. My skill may have improved, but the need to move my body more led to persistent fatigue.
“It was quite the commotion, huh? The special admission student defeated a combat major student with a sword.”
As I blankly caught my breath, Professor Atra casually stated this while glancing my way.
I perked up my ears and she continued.
“So? Did you realize anything?”
I felt her stare intently probing me. It seemed like she wanted me to think and speak before I answered.
I pondered for a moment.
‘I’ve got a grasp of my current level.’
Though I was still lacking, I had caught up to the combat major’s toes.
It’s remarkable.
Jack of all trades. A unique ability of the all-rounder type.
While I hadn’t personally experienced being a jack of all trades, I had wielded similar all-rounder abilities before.
That’s why I was well aware of the downsides of all-rounder abilities.
While there are benefits in terms of mastering various fields and growth,
The downside is the awkward limit in each field.
Even if I can handle various weapons like swords, spears, and axes, I would ultimately lose to someone who invests in just one.
While the all-rounders distribute proficiency among many fields, specialized abilities establish uniqueness, eventually achieving an expanded capacity, breaking free from typical laws.
So I labeled the jack of all trades as a lukewarm unique ability. I chose it because it came with additional unique abilities: spatial perception and magic affinity.
Had I only been allowed to pick one, I would never have chosen jack of all trades.
After our spar, I heard about Aiden’s unique ability.
Swordsmanship technique… In short, a unique ability belonging to swordsmanship.
It’s a strange thing! It’s definitely odd that I, trained as a jack of all trades, managed to win against someone with a swordsmanship unique ability.
Moreover, his proficiency was overwhelmingly higher. Just the amount of time he’d been training with that sword alone must have surpassed mine.
It was a stroke of luck. But even considering that, it still felt bizarre. It meant I had already caught up to Aiden’s level.
‘Synergy.’
Spatial perception, magic affinity, and jack of all trades.
The three unique abilities existed together, providing each other positive influences.
That must be it. Even if luck played a significant role, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up if it weren’t for synergy.
[Though I was lucky to win, the basics were fundamentally different. If we fought again, I would definitely lose.]
“I heard. You continuously exploited your opponent’s carelessness to secure your victory. Your strategy was excellent. Taking advantage of your opponent’s openings was commendable.”
For once, I received praise. Although it was luck, it seemed she was genuinely pleased with my victory.
I glanced at her to assess her expression through spatial perception.
She had her usual indifferent face, a typical image of Professor Atra. Yet, just for a fleeting moment, I noticed emotions stir beneath that expression.
About the part where she mentioned carelessness.
“But today’s results ultimately stemmed from carelessness. Had your opponent not been careless, such an outcome would have been impossible.”
It hadn’t been long since I met Professor Atra, but after spending a considerable amount of time together every day, there was inevitably a moment for conversation.
Still, Professor Atra maintained a thoroughly teaching attitude, steering discussions toward topics related to superhumans and combat, far removed from warmth.
She utterly detested carelessness. If I lost a duel later on due to carelessness, she might very well kill me herself.
While I received feedback on my duel with Aiden, I articulated the developments of our fight and got her evaluation. I also discussed her criticism and insights regarding my duel with her just earlier.
Before I knew it, time flew, and the major lecture’s end was approaching.
“It’s time. That’s all for today.”
After checking the time, Professor Atra declared the end of the lecture. She placed her water bottle beside her head and silently gazed at me.
It was her way of saying she was allowing me to speak if I had anything to add before leaving.
I was about to shake my head to indicate I had nothing to say when I suddenly thought to tap on my smartwatch.
[Next Monday and Tuesday, there’s dungeon exploration practice. So I can’t make it those days.]
“…Okay.”
There was a slight change in Professor Atra’s expression.
Though she didn’t show it outright, I intuitively sensed it through spatial perception.
She truly disliked the topic of dungeons. To be precise, while she didn’t show it to me, my spatial perception foolishly picked it up.
I wanted to confirm, just in case. Although she had no lectures scheduled, she was a professor. She would certainly be aware of it to some degree.
After relaying that information, I settled back in my seat, planning to take a brief rest before heading to the library.
“…?”
I quietly adjusted my magical energy, merely lingering in thought. Yet strangely, Professor Atra, who should have left by now, remained standing at her spot.
Curious about that, I checked with my spatial perception and found her visibly deep in thought.
[Professor?]
“…It’s nothing.”
When I asked in puzzlement, she briefly glanced over and shook her head. Then, she turned her back and vanished from the range of my spatial perception.
Why was she acting that way all of a sudden?
I pondered for a moment but had no idea what was going on. I shook my head and stood up. It was time for me to immerse myself in magical literature at the library.
.
.
.
The next day, during the major lecture.
“Take this.”
Professor Atra handed me a pile of books, likely dozens, all related to dungeons.
In another part of my duffel bag, various magical tools were crammed inside. Most of them were tools used specifically for dungeons.
“Today and tomorrow, I’m going to give lectures on dungeons.”
…???
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