26 – First-half Training (8)
“Thanks for yesterday, Heung!”
On the fourth day of training, during breakfast with combat rations, Arna expressed her gratitude.
“What is this? After all this time, they keep saying thank you to me. It was so sudden that the rice I was chewing on almost went up my nose and I choked.
Is that really Arna? It couldn’t possibly be a trick by a doppelganger in Arna’s disguise, right? Just to be sure, I decided to examine Arna’s face.
“Well, what is it…! Suddenly staring at someone’s face like that…! I haven’t even washed up yet…! Go away…!”
“Hmm….”
Fortunately, it wasn’t a doppelganger. The breast monster I was familiar with turned out to be the real deal.
By the way, what made them say such things to me? I was curious about the reason.
“What did I do yesterday?”
“What? You don’t remember? When I was fighting the monster yesterday, you sent reinforcements.”
Ah, that’s what they’re talking about. What am I saying again.
It was just something that needed to be done, nothing more.
“Isn’t it too late to say thank you? After a whole day has passed.”
“But…! There were so many people yesterday….”
“You can’t do it in front of other people?”
“Uh… I’m sorry….”
Arna shrunk her shoulders.
Well, maybe that’s possible. I don’t really care. It’s not like I did it just to hear thank you from the beginning.
“Finish your meal.”
“Yes, yes….”
Breakfast resumed. The combat rations we were eating now were beef bibimbap, with a lot of rice but only a few bits of beef.
Tasteless as well.
“Phew….”
From Noble mtl dot com
Arna briefly put down her spoon and looked into the distance. A faint smile accompanied her gaze.
“After today, this training will finally be over.”
It’s already the 4th day.
On the first day, I wondered how I would endure five days of this. But as I kept going, a day passed, then surpassed the minimum passing criteria of three days, and before I knew it, I reached the end.
After just one more night, this tiresome survival game would be completely over.
“If you were to get a vacation, what would you want to do first?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Nothing comes to mind. If there’s one thing I’d like to try….”
I pondered for a moment. What was there inside that luxurious cruise?
Ah, that happened.
“I want to go to the swimming pool first.”
“Hmm, aren’t you a little kid? What’s so special about the swimming pool?”
“Then Arna, what are you planning to do?”
“Huh? Me?”
Hmm. Arna thought for a moment with clenched fists.
Later, she said to me.
“I want to take a shower with hot water first. After that, I’ll read a lot of comic books that I’ve missed.”
“That’s a simple dream.”
By the way, is it okay to share such pleasant words when the situation is not over yet? Training is not finished yet.
Already imagining a vacation and drinking kimchi soup. Isn’t this the perfect death flag? What if we both get eliminated in the next 10 minutes?
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
At that moment, the smartwatch rang. And not just once, but several times. Wondering what was going on, I quickly checked the smartwatch.
[Survivors: 111/499]
Beep.
[Survivors: 93/499]
Beep.
[Survivors: 85/499]
The number of survivors was rapidly decreasing. The number was changing in seconds.
This is the first time for such a situation. There’s no special enemy like a boss that appeared. Even if a boss appeared, there shouldn’t be eliminations in such a short time.
This is suspicious.
“It seems they have no intention of letting us pass easily.”
Arna sensed the chilling air around her and quickly unsheathed her sword. She seemed ready to enter battle.
Beep.
[Survivors: 65/499]
In a blink of an eye, the number of survivors had dropped to the 60s. It had already decreased by almost half.
“They’re coming this way…!”
Arna raised her sword and adjusted her posture.
Salute─!
Someone appeared, swinging their arm towards Arna. A young woman with a short cut, wearing the uniform of Hanyul Officer Academy.
Glittering gauntlets on both arms, a combat instructor and drill sergeant.
Salute─!
Sergeant calmly moved her hand quickly with an unruffled expression. Arna swung her sword in sync with that speed.
“Arna Kristin Dotir, fight with all your might. No need to go easy on this instructor.”
“Ugh….”
Arna hesitated, probably because the opponent was not a demon. The sergeant noticed and demanded that Arna give it her all.
“Otherwise, you’ll lose the tag behind your back.”
Swish─!
The sergeant agilely turned her body, aiming for Arna’s back.
“Hmph…!”
But Arna wasn’t just taking hits. She quickly turned to defend her back. At the same time, she parried the approaching gauntlet with her sword.
“Aren’t you just going to stand there and watch? Do something quickly!”
Arna, struggling to fend off attacks, requested support from me.
“Ugh….”
What can I do in this situation? Something that can help Arna. I quickly thought about it.
Engaging brainpower.
And the conclusion I reached was….
Tadadak─!
“Hey, where are you going…!”
Throw Arna as bait and make a run for it.
Survival is the top priority for now. Arna can probably survive on her own. It’s time for me to take care of myself first.
─Ah, seriously…!
Ignoring Arna’s protests, I fled as far as possible.
Arna would probably respect my choice. What can I do when I’m so weak? Fighting against that human weapon with just a spoon would be suicidal.
Sometimes, you need to retreat strategically. No need for a shrimp to burst in a whale fight.
“Hoo….”
I’ve distanced myself somewhat. It should be safer here.
Beep.
[Survivors: 51/499]
Beep.
[Survivors: 46/499]
“What’s going on…?”
If it’s Suh Dan-ah, she would be in battle with Arna at this time. But even in this situation, the number of survivors continued to decrease.
Could it be that there are other instructors besides Suh Dan-ah who entered this island? Suh Dan-ah wasn’t the end?
Crack!
Then, there was the sound of aluminum colliding from somewhere.
Swoosh!
“…!”
Following that, something brushed past my ear.
It happened in an instant. It felt like something spherical passed by.
Thump. Thump.
It didn’t even give me time to guess what it was. Soon, a tall man with a baseball bat appeared in front of me.
“Hmm….”
Even the sky-blue Giants uniform, which usually looked ridiculous, seemed terrifying today. And the orange beard, swollen above his upper lip, gave off a grotesque feeling.
Ji Yeon-jun, a man who devoted everything to the Giants, declared to me with hot breath.
“The time for the Hell’s Bounce has come.”
***
Following Suh Dan-ah, Ji Yeon-jun also arrived on this island. Their purpose is one and only: to eliminate as many survivors as possible.
Did they despise seeing the students having fun on the luxury cruise ship that much? It was truly cruel until the end.
It must be the plan Kim Dong-hak came up with.
Just wait and appear in front of me after training is over. I’ll pull out every single white beard hair of yours.
“Are you all warmed up?”
Anyway, for now, surviving against Ji Yeon-jun is a priority.
Today’s Ji Yeon-jun seemed to have a strange atmosphere. The mischievous appearance I was familiar with was nowhere to be found.
“Well then, let’s begin.”
Hnnnnn–
Ji Yeon-jun clapped his palms together. A thin thread appeared on top of them, and soon, something spherical was created. It was a mana ball.
Kang-!
Kim Kye-jun swung the bat vigorously. He accurately hit the mana ball in the direction I was standing.
Shwoong-!
It was an incredibly fast hit. If I hadn’t reacted promptly, my head would’ve been smashed by now.
This isn’t a joke. It might be even more dangerous than training goblins.
“Isn’t it too much to go against a mere student? You might seriously get hurt if you’re not careful.”
“If you don’t want to get hurt, hand me the number tag attached to your back.”
Kang-!
Once again, the mana ball flew towards me. I rolled on the ground and barely avoided it.
“You’re still far from being there.”
Kang-!
Kang-!
Kang-!
Now he was even throwing the balls consecutively. It seems he has no intention of going easy on me at all.
“Did something bad happen? You don’t usually act like this, sir.”
“Something bad… Hmm….”
Kye-jun momentarily lowered his bat.
“We got swept.”
“Swept? Are you talking about the Giants?”
“Yeah. We completely got destroyed in the three-game series against the Daejeon Eagles this week.”
“I see.”
Of all the numerous baseball teams, to lose against the Daejeon Eagles. And it was a sweep, to top it all off. It makes the term “Spring Giants” seem worthless.
“But still, taking it out on a student just because of a little game?”
“A little game…?”
Kang-!
“Ack!”
It was an even harder hit than before. It was a ball that even baseball players couldn’t easily pitch.
“It’s not a little game! To me, baseball is like life! The Giants are my family!”
….
“I am a man who has loved the Giants all his life! Even now, and in the future!”
If someone were to say that there’s no hope for someone obsessed with baseball, one could tell just by looking at this gentleman. Who on earth could have created such a monster?
Ah, the one who created it was none other than me.
Thunk!
Thunk!
Darn it. I can’t just keep dodging like this forever. The balls kept flying endlessly. I started to think I might actually bite the dust at this rate.
I had to somehow bat the ball. I wielded an oversized spoon.
Swung!
Another ball flew my way. I continued my swing in perfect timing.
Thwack!
I sent the ball flying far away. Maybe because of the wide surface of the spoon, I managed to bat even the swift balls fairly well.
“Wow, great form. Did you play baseball when you were younger?”
“Yes, although it’s embarrassing, there was a time when being a baseball player was my dream.”
This guy. He was from the Yulho Elementary School Little League team. His tenure? Just a short 4 months.
The reason for quitting baseball after 4 months? Caught playing Tekken at the stationery store instead of practicing, got caught by mom, then dad got wind of it.
Dad boldly suggested quitting if he was going to act like that. So, he boldly quit. Instead, he turned to the piano.
Piano lessons. Just lasted for 3 months before quitting again. Reasons? Similar to the previous one.
Now, he’s forgotten even the basics of playing Chopin.
“Phew… a man who put his life into baseball was here again.”
“No, didn’t I just say it was in the past? I’m not playing now, am I?”
“If that’s the case, then I’ll play with all my heart too.”
“It’d drive me crazy.”
Thunk. Geumgye Jun boldly threw the bat.
Now, it was his turn to step up to pitch.
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“Come on, give it all you’ve got! My fastball infused with my soul!”
“Ugh, but I said I quit baseball.”
Swung!
Another mana ball flew, but its trajectory changed midway. It was a curveball dropping right in front of me.
“Wait, didn’t you say it was a fastball just now?”
“hahahahaha! Did you really believe what this instructor said?”
Geumgye Jun threw the ball again, sporting an innocent smile like a child.
“Am I here for educational training?
Why am I doing batting training in a place like this?
I don’t even know anymore.
This school is too strange.
“Whooaaa…!”
Swoosh─!
Another change-up this time. But it wasn’t as simple a curve as before. It showed a more severe trajectory, aiming directly sideways towards my back.
Swoosh─!
There was no time to catch my breath. Geumgye Jun kept throwing the ball.
The ball traced curves rather than a straight line. It flew towards the back of my head, and at times, aimed towards my side.
The speed was so rapid that predicting its path was impossible. By the time I turned, it was almost too late.
Nothing else to do. I have to use the blind-side skill here.
Since it’s the last day of training anyway, there’s no need to hold back anymore. It’s time to pour out everything I have.
Swoosh─!
There it is. The exact sight of the ball flying towards my back. I swung the spoon in line with its trajectory.
Thunk─!
“Oh, what a completely different reaction time compared to before!”
I lightly sent the ball flying back. With a clear view all around, there was no need to turn my head. Just a swing of the arm in place and I could deflect the ball.
Thunk─!
Thunk─!
Thunk─!
“This reflex… truly astonishing… How is such a hit possible?”
From Geumgye Jun’s perspective, it must be surprising. Simply moving the spoon while standing still to counter the ball.
“Is there an eye on his back or something?”
Indeed, Geumgye Jun also possessed the instincts of an awakened. Despite his brutish stature, his perception was remarkably swift.
“Then how about this?”
Ssss──
I created a ball. This time, it was a bit different. I created multiple balls at once.
“Will you be able to handle all of these? Let me observe for a moment!”
Swoosh─!
Over ten balls were launched at once. Their trajectories varied, floating around like flies, peeking into every gap.
It’s not even a game of rock-paper-scissors. Do we really have to go this far? It’s seriously overkill.
“Now, show the power of the spoon!”
Pop─!
The balls that were hovering in the air suddenly stopped and flew towards me all at once.
Even if you could see in all directions, it was nearly impossible to block that many balls. After all, I only had one spoon.
At this rate, elimination was almost certain.
“….”
The moment I resigned to everything and put down the spoon.
Crack─!
The incoming balls neatly split in half.
Subsequently, the other balls began to tear apart one by one.
Crack─!
Until the last ball was removed, and soon, a woman appeared in front of me.
“Phew… luckily not too late.”
“Arna. How did you get here?”
Arna came to rescue me.
Wasn’t she in the midst of a fierce battle in the west? Has it already concluded?
Even so, she didn’t necessarily need to push herself to come all the way where I was.
There could have been an option to just give up on me. But Arna came to find me like this.
Why?
“You said that on the first day of training.”
“….”
“Let’s survive together until the end.”
Arna smiled with a grin.
“I’m a hero, so I came to keep that promise.”