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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 81
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81. Growing Pains
***
Click.
As Chun-sung closed the door and disappeared, Kali hesitated, her lips parting slightly.
—I want to hold onto Cadet Han Chun-sung.
For a moment, she was overwhelmed by that urge. But it remained confined to her heart, unexpressed.
"..."
Left alone, Kali absently ran a hand through her red hair.
'Why am I thinking such things….'
Her heart felt so strange. She was suddenly overwhelmed with confusion.
There was an inexplicable feeling of unease in her heart.
There was nothing wrong with her favoritism towards Cadet Han Chun-sung. She had decided to do so long ago. Perhaps it was because this was her first time serving as an instructor, but she felt an excessive amount of emotion.
The desire and yearning to guide Cadet Han Chun-sung as she saw fit, to pave the way for him, swelled within her.
She wished for every step Cadet Han Chun-sung took to be on the right path, the honest path, as she envisioned it. That's why she reacted so sensitively to the rumors circulating about him.
It had been true with the previous incident involving Cadet Luna, and it was true again today with the rumors about the female cadet named Karitte.
She was showing far too much interest, too strong a reaction.
And in their previous encounter, she had resolved to treat Cadet Han Chun-sung better.
That's why she had been able to restrain herself today.
Without showing Cadet Han Chun-sung any coldness or any other inappropriate expressions.
"It didn't show… did it?"
Then, she absently reflected on her behavior today.
Throughout the lecture, she had painstakingly tried not to show any coldness or act foolishly towards Cadet Han Chun-sung.
She thought she had done quite well. That she hadn't shown any such signs, but her feelings were still strange.
—I decided not to view romantic relationships between cadets negatively.
She had said as much to Cadet Han Chun-sung before they parted, pretending to be fine, but her heart felt anything but.
Even though she had uttered the words, her heart seemed to strongly reject them, as if in fierce rebellion.
That feeling was still unsettling her heart, even after Cadet Han Chun-sung had left.
"Haa…"
She sighed, feeling foolish for feeling this way.
Strangely, Cadet Han Chun-sung seemed to be involved in an unusual number of rumors with female cadets. Yet, she knew he wasn't a bad cadet.
She now knew him well enough to assert that he wasn't some philanderer, a man who chased after female cadets.
'Right, Cadet Han Chun-sung isn't that kind of cadet at all.'
...He just happened to get entangled with female cadets by chance, and even today, when he spoke of the female cadet Karitte, he showed a surprising innocence.
So much so that his words about worrying for the female cadet felt genuinely sincere.
But… why was she thinking such foolish thoughts?
The answer was incredibly simple.
"Because… I don't want Cadet Han Chun-sung to be in a relationship."
The right path she desired for Cadet Han Chun-sung. On that path, there was no romance. Romance shouldn't interfere.
Of course, there were cadets who developed while in relationships, but they were extremely rare. Perhaps one in a hundred. That's how hard they were to find.
She gently bit her lip, wondering why it was so difficult to accept just that one thing.
"I really am stubborn, aren't I?"
She kept trying to change her values, to accept it, but it was anything but easy.
If the cadet she had chosen to favor fell in love, she really wouldn't want to see it.
But to keep denying it… it felt like there would be constant friction between her and Cadet Han Chun-sung.
It was also ridiculous for her, as an instructor, to try and interfere with every single emotion of a cadet.
Suddenly, her fellow instructor, Asia, came to mind.
—Romantic feelings are too natural; you can't stop them even if you try.
Her words meant that there was no point in an instructor trying to suppress such feelings. She understood it rationally, but her heart was the problem.
If Cadet Han Chun-sung frequently associated with other female cadets, it was only natural for such feelings to arise.
"Can… I really accept that?"
If the cadet she cared for so much, the one she hoped would progress well, were to stray from the path… would she be able to tolerate it?
Whoosh.
She sighed and shook her head.
It was still too early. It all depended on Cadet Han Chun-sung from now on. In that case, all she could do was watch his growth.
She had already said it was fine, so for the time being, she had to observe.
***
The Training Ground.
Even though it was already evening, Chun-sung was still at the training ground.
Swish! Clang!
The spear blade, cutting through the air, struck the steel dummy with force.
And that sharp clang resonated regularly thereafter.
Han Chun-sung's gaze was fixed intently on his spear blade, and naturally, various cadets gathered to watch him at the training ground, then dispersed, repeating the cycle.
And as Han Chun-sung's training showed no signs of stopping, no matter how much time passed, the curious cadets who had been watching eventually all disappeared.
….
It was only when night had deepened that Han Chun-sung finally retrieved his spear.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, and he looked utterly exhausted.
"Haa…"
He panted, feeling dazed.
Continuously striking the steel dummy put a heavy strain on both his arms, leaving them numb.
Having arrived late at the training ground, how many hours had he been immersed in training?
He absently checked the time and saw that the cadet cafeteria was already about to close.
Thud.
He sank to the ground, his whole body heavy like waterlogged cotton.
He knew he had to leave the training ground now, but his feet felt rooted to the spot, filled with deep regret.
'I need to get stronger.'
I need to become even a little bit stronger.
The truth he learned from his conversation with Kali today was a huge shock. It made him realize he had to protect Karitte no matter what. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was still too weak.
The enemies he would have to face were monsters classified as top-tier threats, like the Apostles.
The possibility of ominous beasts cooperating with such Apostles, and the fact that Karitte would meet a mysterious death and be used as a sacrifice as early as next week.
All of it seemed to weigh heavily on his heart.
He couldn't even tell anyone about the future he knew.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no evidence to convince anyone who would listen. In the end, he felt like he had to do it himself.
He had to protect Karitte and prevent a major incident from happening.
Therefore.
"I… have to get stronger."
He forced himself to compose his thoughts and gripped the spear.
The path he had to take was now clearly laid out.
Compared to how much he had just thought yesterday, now the path ahead seemed clear.
—I must get stronger.
'Just because I'm worried about Karitte doesn't mean I can neglect my training.'
On the contrary, he had to dedicate himself to training even more than before.
He needed to possess far greater power than he had now to be able to cope even a little with what was to come.
Thump. Scrape.
He used the spear shaft as a support to push himself up, a faint breath escaping his lips.
The deadline was next Wednesday, less than a week away. He didn't have time to be like this.
Tap.
Then, Instructor Ludmina approached him.
"Cadet Han Chun-sung?"
"Ah, I'm about to leave now."
"Alright. And overdoing it isn't good for your body, so go back and get some good rest today."
He gave an awkward smile and nodded at the training instructor's voice.
Stomp.
As he left the training ground, he saw a world completely steeped in deep darkness.
Grrr. And his empty stomach, too.
"..."
He let out a shallow breath and continued walking.
…
Swish. Swish. Along with the light rustling sound of bushes. Bright moonlight softly illuminated the park.
He had arrived at a park, not the cafeteria or the dormitory.
"Just a little more… training."
He knew that in this world, a person's will became power. So, now that he had reached his limit, he needed to push even further.
Stomp.
Arriving at a relatively secluded spot within the large park, he slowly unslung the spear from his back.
As he gripped the spear in his hand once more, the characteristic chill of the iron spear felt even more pronounced today.
"..."
He slowly regulated his breathing, taking in the empty space before him.
Staring into the darkness where even moonlight rarely reached, he raised the tip of his spear.
Swish!
He lightly relaxed his grip on the thrusting spear, retrieved it, and simultaneously stepped forward to thrust again.
The time spent continuously swinging the incredibly heavy spear resumed.
As if forming a large current, when the spear cut through the air, producing a sharp sound, he swung it so that its force wouldn't halt mid-air.
And in less than ten minutes, his body creaked, protesting with pain.
Moreover, due to his hunger, even putting strength into the hand gripping the spear felt twice as difficult as usual.
Aware of it all, he didn't stop.
'Be stronger-willed.'
He forced himself to swing the spear, pushing himself as if whipping his own body.
He knew that impatience and urgency were present in his heart.
And that trying to accomplish something so quickly wouldn't yield proper results.
But. He felt like he had to do it this way, even if it was like this.
If he returned to the dormitory, fell asleep, and woke up the next day, he felt he would deeply regret it later.
He would regret not trying harder. He would chastise himself, asking if he had truly tried to become stronger.
Swish!
At the sharp sound of the spear cutting through the air, he lightly retrieved it, as if releasing the power in the hand gripping the shaft.
As he watched the spear cut through the air again, a sudden thought struck him.
"...If I could acquire a skill."
If he could awaken a skill by next week, wouldn't he be able to achieve greater growth than anything else?
Since using that concept in his last spar with Gerard, he had deliberately held back.
[Thrust and Twist a Single Point]
If only he could acquire a special concept as a proper skill…
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, he slowly retrieved his spear.
"..."
He very slowly regulated his breathing.
To compose his extremely exhausted body, even if just a little, and it was worth the risk.