NOVEL WEB Chapter 17
In the first semester, classes are typically theory-based, but there is definitely a practical aspect too.
If I had to break it down, the ratio is about theory 6 to practice 4.
Before diving into practical lessons, various tests are conducted to analyze each individual’s combat abilities in detail.
Limits of abilities, stamina, strength, weapon skills, shooting, and so on.
It’s too vast to list everything.
The analysis is conducted over several days, and based on that, suggestions for improvement and direction for progress are given.
The goal of practical lessons is to internalize that through real-world experience.
To cut to the chase, my shooting skills are catastrophic.
I’ve received HACCP certification because I can’t improve.
‘As expected, I’m top-tier. Long-range isn’t for me.’
On the other hand, Hyeji displayed overwhelming combat power.
In shooting, she hit the center of the target 9 out of 10 times.
The one shot that missed was because she secretly shot at my target and got caught by the professor.
The practical lessons that followed were a bit different.
During practicals, it’s always combined classes with other groups.
Generally, it comprises Iron & Silver grades / Bronze & Gold grades.
This academy cares nothing for equality.
‘These bastards, this is grade discrimination.’
They claim it’s to evaluate how far each individual has progressed.
But if you dig a little deeper, there’s another reason.
To make higher-grade students feel superior to lower-grade ones.
To instill deep feelings of inferiority in lower-grade students.
Occasionally, it’s to ignite the competitive spirit in some students with “This much should be worth a try.”
Truly a very Korean academy.
Moreover, the reason why they’re not grouped by adjacent grades is also obvious.
‘Adjacent grades tend to ignore each other.’
It’s based on a natural fact.
The big data compiled from numerous experiences backs this up.
Think of famous AOS games.
What do most people do when they see an adjacent higher grade?
Competitive spirit?
Nope.
It’s a battle of insecurities and petty emotional conflicts.
– This bastard’s trash, he’s worse than me?
– If it were me, I’d be on top immediately.
Some will deny it, saying ‘Not me!’
But in ranked games, everyone’s the same.
– What kind of pathetic Yasuo is stuck here?
– Bro, even after 1000 ranked games, you can’t escape this hell, you idiot.
– It’s just bad luck, my skills would easily put me in gold.
It’s not about competition; they’re just too busy tearing each other down.
Still don’t believe the adjacent grade theory?
Try playing ranked for yourself.
Whenever a higher-grade player on your team messes up, what happens?
All kinds of complaints and pinging will fly back and forth.
Though nowadays, with how reporting works, insults don’t fly as much.
‘Of course, my skill level is Platinum. Just got placed in Silver due to bad luck.’
Anyway.
It’s not delusional.
But hey, getting beaten by that crazy old man for three years did help a bit.
It was worth trying.
Not just against the iron grades but even against the bronze grades.
There was, however, one student who was particularly tough.
This bastard had the ability to stimulate the prostate with every attack.
I had to change pants twice thanks to this idiot.
‘This wasn’t even the case during Daitai, damn it.’
After several practical training sessions with the silver grades.
I got a rough estimate of their skills.
Ugh. I got the gist of your skills.
I felt like I could die from boredom.
‘Your ability’s effectiveness is way too low compared to your grade.’
For instance, fire, ice, or electric abilities like magic.
The power was genuinely strong.
But due to the credibility of that power, they acted too lazily.
They just blindly threw out their big techniques without thinking about cooldowns.
Standing still? Then get hit, you idiot.
This isn’t a slow-paced game; there’s no 3 seconds of courtesy here.
And there were also idiots who just mindlessly focused on physical enhancements.
Sure, physical enhancement is effective.
But too many students lost their balance and fell over.
Even if they were attempting to attack, most couldn’t react when countered.
In the end, my classmates didn’t stand a chance.
Even the bronze grades were all taken down easily.
So naturally, my designated opponent changed to a professor.
“Hey Kim, shut your mouth and come at me already.”
“Dude. Why’s a former pro dealing with these noobs?”
Professor Pilyong Kim.
The bald professor with hair that shines brightly in the dark.
I thought it wouldn’t be a problem since I had fought him before.
But there was a problem.
This old man was using his abilities without holding back.
Previously, the analyzer told me that Professor Pilyong’s ability was ice.
A simple ability that freezes anything it touches on his arms and legs.
‘Holy crap. What the hell is that?’
Professor Pilyong’s actions were simple.
Standing still in a horse stance, he executed a powerful jab.
The problem was after that.
The pressure created by the jab suddenly materialized in front of me as huge icebergs.
It seemed he recognized the air or water vapor as the object needed for his ability activation.
It’s great for him using it, but for me? It was a nightmare.
‘Akainu! Give me the power to cut off that bald guy’s legs!’
At least, luckily, icebergs didn’t pop up all at once.
As the second iceberg arose, I rushed through the gap.
I aimed my crossed blades straight for Professor Pilyong.
Targeting the heart.
But the number above the professor’s head had already gone up by one.
– Clang!
Ice suddenly emerged in the path of my sword, blocking my strike.
The twisted sword barely grazed Professor Pilyong’s left thigh instead of his heart.
‘Does he have no conscience for every hair up there?’
Moreover, ice began to spread around the sword blade.
As if to say, “No more advancements shall be allowed.”
However, the ice was still at the level of thin sheets.
That should be breakable.
Letting go of the sword, I immediately smashed the pommel with my elbow.
The sword infused with outside force broke through the ice and sank deep into Professor Pilyong’s thigh.
– Thunk!!!
“Ugh!”
At that moment, the red number above Professor Pilyong’s head increased by one.
Did I see a future where I might pull away?
At least this attack must be something unfamiliar to him.
I had no intention of stopping here.
I gripped the sword handle again and swung it.
– Swoosh!
I cleanly severed Professor Pilyong’s left leg.
At that moment, the sparring ground system shut down.
Professor Pilyong scratched his head and spoke to me.
“Impressive indeed. For an ability user, this is quite remarkable.”
“No, why are you so serious against a bronze rank?”
“Bronze users are unpredictable.”
“I suppose I agree. I can never predict Iron rank Yumi’s Q.”
Then, suddenly, Professor Pilyong changed the topic.
He didn’t bother hiding the lowly desire in his eyes.
“In that sense, how about having a coffee at my office after class?”
“No thanks, I’m not interested in research students.”
“Damn it.”
He clicked his tongue and walked away to help other students.
In a world where even grad students are treated like people legally, a research student?
Uh oh, the research student is ruined.
It has been used for too long.
Even so, this is just property damage.
‘What a bastard trying to pull a fast one.’
Just in time, I spotted Jeong Ahyeon who was training in the distance.
She was steadily pressuring her opponent with five summoned beasts.
In the past, she blindly summoned in bulk and pushed her way through, but this time she was methodically controlling and pressuring her opponent.
‘Can I win against her without magical power?’
It’s tough.
If I make a sound, my location will be revealed.
What if Jeong Ahyeon utilizes many summoned beasts to attack randomly while moving?
Then I’d inevitably end up making noise blocking, dodging, or countering.
‘This sucks.’
Thinking I had no chance of defeating Jeong Ahyeon alone put me in a gloomy mood.
At that moment, I noticed a Silver grade male student trying to approach a Steel grade female student.
The anxious male’s number went up by one.
Then, like he had made up his mind, he walked boldly toward the female student.
The female student, noticing him, began to blush severely.
However, the atmosphere suggested she didn’t hate it.
I felt irritated.
I couldn’t watch that kind of scene any longer.
I took the male student, dragging him away before he could make any moves, and forced him to train with me.
‘This idiot’s just already acting slippery.’
The male student wore a desperate expression.
It was no surprise that the red number above his head went up.
‘Who does he think he is, trying to enjoy sweet school life? He’s dead.’
By the end of the training, the male student received three broken maces.
In other words, he got pounded until three maces broke.
*
Classes that alternated between theory and practicality had now surpassed a week.
That following Monday evening.
Suddenly, a package was delivered to me.
The unexpected package made me raise an eyebrow.
What is this?
I don’t have any videos or USBs to be sent from Gold Teyang.
Did this come from some party’s baggage handler?
Could it possibly be Yuni?
Anyway, thinking it has nothing to do with me, I opened the package.
If it’s an NTR video, I could just watch it and take care of myself.
I didn’t have anyone to steal from after all.
When I unwrapped the package, it turned out to be something unexpected.
A shabby coat wrapped in bubble wrap.
And a letter.
The letter seemed hastily written, with pressed characters all over.
[Brother, thank you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t realize your greatness. Brother, really thank you a ton.]
[From now on, I’ll bow deeply toward the academy once a day.]
[This is an old coat I used to wear, but I showered it with deodorizer, so it smells fine. Just wear it and toss it when you’re done.]
[This is trivial, but I hope it helps with your future endeavors.]
[Once again, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.]
[p.s: Next time, please include cat ears and a tail. Brother.]
I had a feeling I knew who it was.
It was obvious.
‘…..Damn it, it was Kang-hyuk!’
The length of the coat matched my height perfectly.
I felt a bit weird wearing something an old man gave me, but it fit well, so I decided to keep wearing it.
Remembering this, I immediately texted Yerim.
Me: [Sis, is maternity leave possible this time?]
Aunt: [Fail. I’m feeling down.]
Me: [If you wear a cat costume with a tail, then that’s good.]
Aunt: [Shinwoo is a god! Thanks!]
Me: [You also need to hang a bell around your neck.]
Aunt: [Got it!]
And shortly after, I messaged Kang-hyuk.
Me: [Bloody Cat Cut!]
Idiot: [Bro, you know I really respect you, right?]
Me: [That means I don’t have to pay a gift later, right?]
Idiot: [I’ll give you money, damn it.]
As I kept wearing it, I grew to like it a lot.
It was the ultimate men’s item, a coat.
So the next day, I wore that coat to class.
Since the dress code was lenient, I could go without a problem and swaggered in confidently.
As soon as I entered the classroom, Hyeji, sitting next to me, caught my eye.
Ever since the fight with Jeong Ahyeon last time, she’s been rocking the twin tails.
After she changed her hairstyle, it seemed her ability evolved and she was able to make some cash on the side.
‘Damn it, can I awaken my power if I get twin tails too?’
Hyeji waved and greeted me as she spotted me.
But then, noticing my coat, her eyes widened, and she began to panic.
“Whoa? Whoa? Whoa? Shinwoo! Where did you get that?!”
“This coat? An old acquaintance gave it to me. He said wear it and toss it later?”
“Are you out of your mind? Can I touch it? Can I touch it, Papa?”
“…..Don’t call me Papa, damn. I might get caught.”
As soon as I handed her the coat, Hyeji went wild, flipping it around and examining it.
“Is this really real? I seriously lost half my life until now.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s just told to toss it away, right?”
“Toss it?! YOU CRAZY? Are you kidding me? If you toss it, then I’ll be tossed too?”
“Why would I toss you? Why does our conversation get heavier?”
It’s supposed to be a light novel, but our conversation keeps getting deep.
Feeling scared, I quickly shifted the topic back to the coat.
“What’s so special about it?”
“You know my ability is the summoning of weapons and combat tools, right?”
“I know. You tricked me a lot with that, Hyeji Stark.”
Then out of nowhere, Hyeji mentions something unexpected.
Yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off the coat.
“However, one of the combat tools I cannot summon is the coat you’re wearing.”
“How useless can you be?”
“Damn you.”
Hyeji looked like she was about to pierce the coat with her gaze.
She remained focused on the coat, avoiding eye contact with me.
“It’s an item with no structural, decomposable, or constituent information—limited edition with no plans for future production.”
“Is it like a limited Gucci edition?”
“Gucci at least gets sold secondhand! This will go straight to auction once it’s available!!!”
After a significant shift in her emotions, Hyeji finally looked at me again.
Then she glanced at the coat with a disappointed expression before returning it to me.
“Do you know what a Defensive Coat is?”
“That’s a defensive gear that hunters wear in coat form, as I learned in theory last time, right?”
“The Defensive Coats currently available on the market are all low-quality versions. Fakes.”
“Whether it’s fake or not, as long as it blocks as well as the real deal, who cares? Do you dare underestimate brother Kaiki Deshu?”
“You madman! Why is that even relevant here?!”
Hyeji’s anger flared once more at me.
But hey…
Koi Monogatari is the greatest novel, you know.
With a slight sigh, Hyeji resumed her explanation.
“Defensive Coats are a type of consumable. If you exceed a certain number of attacks or strength, they lose their effectiveness.”
“So they must cost a lot to buy.”
“That’s the coat you just received.”
“Great, saved on initial investment.”
Hyeji had been nervously fidgeting with the corner of my coat as if she wanted something.
“Though the Defensive Coat you’re wearing will lose its effectiveness under the same conditions.”
“In the end, it’s just a first edition difference, right? Why was there such a fuss?”
“Listen to everything first. Yours is the original. Unlike the fakes, it regains effectiveness after a certain time, even if it loses it.”
“……Huh?”
“If you had to specify, it’s a first edition premium and semi-permanent Defensive Coat. Who on earth gave this to you?”
“Damn?”
This priceless item was just casually handed out by some naked old man middleman?
Does that dude have a brain made of a phallus?
He’s a psychopath.
As I donned the coat, Hyeji spoke to me in a serious tone.
“Don’t wear it too often. I can recognize it at my level, but you never know.”
“Why do I need to hide it when I received it fair and square?”
“There are sick bastards who’d want to ruin something they can’t have.”
“Oh, good point. There really are a ton of morons out there.”
In this world, there are more crazy people trying to drag down someone doing well rather than helping everyone rise together.
There are bastards out there messing up someone else’s relationship too.
‘Why do they get sick over someone else’s ability to love?’
Of course, that’s not me.
I’ve never interfered with someone’s relationship.
I merely prevented any foolishness from disrupting class.
Anyway, that’s how it went.