NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: Training Class [4]
After the warm-up session, Ah-reum gathered us all in the center of the training field to move on to practice:
"Well, dear apprentices, you've trained as you should. Now, we can move on to today's training."
As she was about to explain what we were going to do next, I could barely hear half of her words because I was completely drenched in sweat from head to toe, and my suit was sticking to me more than ever.
'Damn, I'm already dead, and the training hasn't even started yet…'
I looked to my right and saw Sae-jin completely unfazed, wiping the last few drops of sweat off his face. At the same time, I noticed a group of girls admiring him from afar instead of listening to Ah-reum's instructions.
Honestly, I couldn't blame them because Sae-jin really was someone incredibly handsome. In the original novel, he was described as someone very charming and attractive, and looking at him up close...
...He really was well-built.
Even though he was only a few centimeters taller than me, our physiques were completely different:
His lean, defined muscles added to his immense charm, and his square pecs gave him a military-like aura. Especially in this tight-fitting gear, his body was even more exposed…
No wonder he managed to captivate half the girls in the novel.
Damn, I need to stop describing him like this, or people are going to think I'm a fanboy… But honestly, I wasn't wrong—he really was good-looking.
And then there's me…
Let's not go into details…
"Alright, now pair up and train with your respective weapons. I'll come around to give you advice!"
Ah-reum said before walking a little further away.
'Huh? Our respective weapons?'
At first, I didn't understand what she meant by that, but then I remembered the time when Yeon-seo had tried to kill me with her spell and the beginning of the novel:
Every Hunter receives a weapon after awakening, either chosen at birth or after making contact with a Tower. This weapon stays with the Hunter even after being admitted to an academy, and their assigned profession is linked to the weapon they wield.
'But what's Sugil's weapon?'
"Hey, Sugil, would you like—"
"Kim Sae-jin!"
Someone suddenly shouted from afar. Sae-jin and I both turned toward the voice, and unsurprisingly, it was Park Ha-joon coming back for another round.
"Good, with this, the novel's events should go back to normal…"
Ha-joon walked right up to Sae-jin, staring him down with that same piercing gaze.
"It's time to find out who's the strongest in this class and finally put an end to these rumors, don't you think?"
He raised his chin slightly as if to assert his superiority.
"Well—"
"Hey, Ha-joon…"
Someone else cut off Sae-jin again, and everyone watching the scene turned toward the voice.
"I don't really know you, but I do know you come from a very wealthy family around here, right? Still, your insufferable attitude is already making me sick…"
'Finally, he makes his entrance… and at the right time—'
Lim Astread, Sae-jin's best friend and second rival.
He had messy red hair and deep green eyes, an elegant face with a few freckles on his cheeks. His body… well, it was the same as Sae-jin's.
Muscular and perfect—the dream physique. Thinking about it, almost every male character in the novel had some kind of charm… except me, of course—
"What do you want, redhead?"
Ha-joon said, his eyes full of anger, though he kept his composure and arrogant tone. Lim simply smiled.
"I want to fight Sae-jin."
After those words, a slight tension rose between Lim and Ha-joon.
Honestly, this wasn't an inconsistency either. If I remember correctly, Lim really did want to fight Sae-jin, and he had to make a choice.
In the end, they had a three-way fight thanks to Lee Ah-reum, but we never got to see the conclusion because Mr. Justice decided to skip over it with a transition.
When I looked at Sae-jin, he had an annoyed expression—understandable since the two of them were treating him like a mere training dummy to prove their strength.
"Well, I was planning to train with Sugil, so—"
'Absolutely not!'
I thought, glaring at him, annoyed by his response.
Lim and Ha-joon turned back to Sae-jin. Lim simply laughed, while Ha-joon averted his gaze in frustration.
"Alright then, we'll let you train with him!"
Lim said, laughing.
'No, don't! It's precisely with this fight that your relationship is supposed to improve!'
Then, we heard a clap of hands.
"Alright, let's do it this way!"
Lee Ah-reum said, approaching us.
"You'll have a four-way fight. Does that work for you?"
'Huh?'
.
.
.
'Huh?'
'How… How did I end up in this situation?'
A few meters in front of me stood Park Ha-joon, staring intensely at Kim Sae-jin, who was to my right. On my left, a few meters ahead of Kim Sae-jin, was Lim Astread, while nearly all the students were watching us and whispering among themselves.
'I'm dead. I'M DEAD!'
[Quest: Reach Level 5 during the entrance exam
Rewards: New card abilities of 1 or 2 stars, gain points in STR and END.
Failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in penalties for the next 10 days. Quest difficulty: RANK F.]