The Veteran Player Already Knows

Chapter 4 - Graduation Ceremony (3)

2 minutes.

That was Seo Ah-in's completion record for the mock battle.

Considering that achieving it within 10 minutes was generally considered first-class at the cadet level, it would be no exaggeration to call it a monstrous capability.

"Wow..."

That was the gasp of admiration Yoo Ho-jun let out after watching Seo Ah-in's mock battle.

His voice was so dumbfounded that a few muffled laughs briefly escaped from the surroundings.

"Although you used mana several times, it was an excellent skill."

Instructor Gang Sa-ja also seemed satisfied with Seo Ah-in's skill.

The only one who didn't seem satisfied was Seo Ah-in herself, the very person receiving such a shower of compliments.

"I could have shortened it further."

While I was mulling over that thought, Seo Ah-in bluntly replied to the instructor's words.

"That might have been so. But even with your current score, Cadet Seo Ah-in, you have a score corresponding to an S rank."

Gang Sa-ja declared as such while scribbling various things on the grading sheet.

Naturally, no cadet questioned that decision.

Yoo Ho-jun, who was next to me, muttered as if possessed.

"As expected of our class representative. She's so damn good..."

"Are you jealous?"

"Wouldn't you be? What does she not have? She's pretty, her family's rich, and she got an S rank on the graduation exam..."

Well, just as this guy said.

The guild scouters who had been observing from afar also had a peculiar light in their eyes.

It meant that the performance she had just shown was impressive enough to pique the interest of people who had seen all sorts of superhumans at a single glance.

"..."

Of course, that was that.

What I was concerned with was a slightly different matter.

"Isn't she not as good as I thought?"

"What?"

"I mean, it's true. Look."

I opened my mouth to explain what I was thinking to Yoo Ho-jun, who had the expression of someone looking at a crazy person.

That is, I would have done so if I hadn't realized that everyone around us was looking this way.

"..."

By the time I barely understood that I hadn't controlled my decibels when I spoke just now, I stealthily turned my head toward the most piercing gaze among those looking this way.

The person in question, Seo Ah-in, had just stepped out of the stage and was showering this area with a frosty gaze.

"...I don't know. You handle it."

The bastard who called himself a friend was already trying to cut ties.

Of course, it was also clear that Seo Ah-in's aura was so menacing right now that I had no intention of blaming him for it.

Although no emotion was visible on her face, her confident strides toward me looked as if every step was loaded with a thousand, ten thousand curses.

"You."

"Yes?“

"What did you just say?"

Hmm, well. So.

As you'd expect, she probably wasn't asking because she genuinely didn't hear.

"I asked what you said. I'm asking you right now, aren't I?"

The way she even crossed her arms and glared at me meant she must have been seriously pissed off.

"I'm sorry. It was a slip of the tongue."

"Then shouldn't you just shut up?"

Her retort was quite sharp.

As I stared at Seo Ah-in with narrowed eyes, she smirked and continued.

"You should look and judge whether I'm someone you can evaluate or not. From the looks of it, you seem like a bottom-dweller who can't even follow in my footsteps, don't you?"

"No, I just said you weren't good because you weren't."

Out of the corner of my eye, I vaguely saw Yoo Ho-jun's jaw drop.

It was no surprise, since I was openly picking a fight with someone who had just finished the exam with an S rank.

His face had even turned pale, an expression that screamed, where the hell did you get the guts to do this.

No, but what could I do when she was pissing me off.

I admitted it was a slip of the tongue, but there was no reason to hear something this harsh.

Even Seo Ah-in, who had been speaking, seemed not to have processed what I said for a moment.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me perfectly fine, so don't ask again. Are you deaf?"

As I retorted with a sneer, sparks flew from Seo Ah-in's eyes.

Her red eyes, which had been scanning me up and down, fixed on my name tag pinned to the chest of my uniform.

"...Then, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik."

Between her words, the sound of teeth grinding, padeudeuk, could be heard.

"Why don't you show me your skills?"

Of course, it was a statement that clearly had the subtext that if I couldn't prove it, she would properly mess me up.

Instructor Gang Sa-ja, who had been watching from afar with amusement, responded to her words and called me over.

"Yes, Cadet Kim Gyu-sik. In this instructor's eyes, Cadet Seo Ah-in's skills were also excellent. To call that performance 'not good' must mean you have something to show."

The guy who should be stopping a fight is saying things like that.

But well, in the end, the world of climbers was basically like this.

A world where skill ultimately decides everything, whether you act atrociously or do whatever else.

When I glanced around, everyone was in bystander mode.

They were all antsy to take in the spectacle that was about to unfold.

To be more precise, they seemed to be expecting me to get crushed.

The performance Seo Ah-in had just shown was at a level where it was hard to expect anyone to do better.

"..."

Alright, fine.

Since I was already at it, I'll put on a little show for you all.

Receiving everyone's gazes, I walked to the front of the mock battle stage.

I already knew the process.

As I entered the blue barrier, a space where I could equip gear immediately appeared.

"You've already heard, but it's three. Choose your weapons and equipment."

"Ah, but I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Is this everything you have here?"

As I asked while looking around at the things before me, the instructor's eyes narrowed.

And for good reason, because what was in front of my eyes was an armory that was a compilation of everything generally used by climbers.

Starting from giant weapons that looked difficult for a person to even wield, to all sorts of heavy firearms, they were all there, but.

These were all made for superhumans.

There was nothing here that I could use.

I gave the instructor a grin and added another word.

"I'm planning to show you something interesting."

"...If you look to the side, there should be a control panel. Search for what you need there."

Aha. So that's the system.

When I operated the device the instructor mentioned, the shelves and lockers in front of me were enveloped in a blue light.

"Cadet Kim Gyu-sik. Are you serious right now?"

"Yes."

While listening to the instructor's dumbfounded voice, I picked up two items in front of me.

A dagger and a pistol.

Against an ordinary person with no abilities, they would still be effective weapons, but against a demonic beast, it was only a slight exaggeration to say they were no different from a toothpick and a water gun.

But, well.

Even if I picked up a weapon made for real combat, this trash body would have a hard time even carrying it properly.

In that case, it was better to have something that was easy to handle.

"What's he doing?"

"Leave him be. He's probably just doing that to get some attention."

I can hear you, you bastards.

Whistling, I searched for the last item I needed.

"Ah, including this, it's three items, right?"

"..."

The instructor looked at the item I held up with an expression that said he didn't even want to point anything out.

"I'm telling you this beforehand, but bringing in an item like a stopwatch won't give you any extra points in the evaluation."

"What an obvious thing to say."

Now even this guy was treating me like an attention-seeker.

Retorting in a loose tone, I turned my body towards the inside of the mock battle stage.

"Please begin."

The instructor, who seemed to have given up after almost pointing something else out, sighed at my words and opened the stage.

"The test will end when you take care of three F-rank demonic beasts. I will start recording now."

Along with the instructor's words, I started the stopwatch and put it in my pocket.

Simultaneously, with a blue light, three demonic beasts appeared around me.

They were creatures that looked somewhere between a dog and a wolf.

Pack.

Wild dogs affected by the tower's mana.

Of course, to just call them dogs, their exceptionally vicious-looking teeth and what looked like a considerably thick hide were impressive.

"Grrrr..."

A low growl echoed threateningly.

The three demonic beasts were slowly circling around me, closing the distance.

The most rational first thing to do would be to move so as not to get surrounded.

Seo Ah-in had done that too, luring these three into a narrow corridor where movement was restricted and calmly taking them out one by one.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

Even a single F-rank demonic beast was a pretty tough opponent to take down with a bare body and a single sword.

That's probably why Seo Ah-in had drawn on her mana, even if it meant getting penalized.

"Cadet Kim Gyu-sik, if you don't move, your rear will be exposed."

The instructor, unable to watch me just stand there blankly, pointed that out.

"No."

I replied in a sly voice and glanced at the one closest to me.

"That would take too much time, wouldn't it?"

As the Packs approached, I opened the skill window and simultaneously invested the 3 skill points I had looked at beforehand.

I saw the one I was glancing at crouch down. It was a gesture no different from shouting that it was about to lunge forward.

Taking a deep breath, I readjusted my grip on the dagger in my hand.

Well. From here on out, it was the domain of trading blows.

It would be completely different from the feeling of just catching an enemy in a game, but.

I wasn't too worried.

I had grown up quite rough, you see.

"ㅡ!"

With a rough cry, one Pack rushed towards me.

It was fast, but as expected of an F-rank demonic beast, it was a speed that even my pathetic stats could somehow react to.

I raised the dagger and aimed for its head, striking down.

I heard a soft snort from somewhere.

I wasn't sure, but it seemed like Seo Ah-in.

Even she had only been able to catch it after striking it several times with a mana-infused sword. So I could understand her mocking sentiment.

It was preposterous to think I could inflict damage with just this measure.

That is, if things were normal.

[ Threatening Strike / Vanguard: Basic ]

[ Temporarily increases the power of the next attack. ]

[ Savage Strength / Vanguard: Basic ]

[ Temporarily slightly enhances strength. ]

Vanguard-class skills optimized for enhancing the user's specs and dealing powerful damage in an instant.

For now, both were basic skills that were hard to see great effects from on their own.

In the first place, they were skills that didn't even consume mana, so what more could you ask for.

However.

If you ‘combined’ the two.

Even with a trash body where all stats were set to 1, you could produce this kind of result.

-!

The dagger pierced straight through the Pack's head as if it were soft tofu.

And at its hardest part, the skull.

A scream mixed with astonishment was heard from behind.

"Wh-what is that?! Instructor! Isn't that mana usage! Quickly penalize...!"

"Cadet Seo Ah-in. I know you're surprised, but there is no sign of mana being used anywhere."

"Then what on earth is that...!"

What do you mean, what is it. It's the privilege of a bug character.

Alright. Took care of one.

"ㅡ!"

As I was pulling out the dagger, the one that had approached in the meantime immediately lunged from behind.

Well, but.

This was why these guys were F-rank demonic beasts.

Their behavior patterns were too obvious.

They told the enemy what they were going to do as if they had made a promise.

Always a cry before attacking. Always aiming for the nape of the neck.

If you just kept that in mind, it wasn't very difficult for even a guy like me to deal with it.

As I ducked and rolled to the side, the belly of the Pack, which was soaring through the air, came into view.

I immediately stabbed it with the dagger. Plunge.

The deep feeling in my hand made it clear that I had churned its insides. No need to confirm if it was dead.

"Whoops. Are you the only one left?"

After taking care of two in an instant, I turned my head towards the last Pack, which showed clear hesitation.

It seemed to be contemplating whether to attack me or not.

After standing awkwardly and hesitating, it finally turned around and started to run away.

"Well, I'll be damned?"

A hollow laugh escaped me. An augmented reality was able to implement something like this?

Of course, I couldn't just let it escape.

I raised the pistol and aimed at the creature.

Aiming was a bit difficult because my trash body was already tired from moving just that much.

But it was fine.

[ Hawkeye / Rearguard: Basic ]

[ Slightly increases the accuracy of shots. ]

As soon as I activated the skill, I felt my aim become much more stable.

On top of this, I mixed in the skill I activated earlier once more.

[ Threatening Strike / Vanguard: Basic ]

[ Temporarily increases the power of the next attack. ]

-Bang!

Normally, shooting with a pistol like this would only leave a scratch.

But the bullet fired with precise aim went straight through the Pack's leg.

With a pathetic yelp like kkaeng, the creature tumbled to the floor.

Now, if I just went up to it and finished it off, the test would be over.

"Hmm."

That was true, but that would be a little disappointing.

‘I'm sure in the original story...’

There was one special event related to Seo Ah-in.

An event that, if the conditions were met, would unconditionally get you entangled with Seo Ah-in for a long time to come.

Meeting the condition was simple.

In the graduation exam, I just had to humiliate her.

And very greatly at that.

“Hmm.”

So.

Let's mess with her a bit.

At this point, I took out the stopwatch I had put in my pocket. Checking the record, it had just passed the 1-minute mark.

Let's see. Seo Ah-in's record was 2 minutes, right?

"Hmm."

I looked around, examining the faces outside the stage one by one.

They all had speechless expressions.

Among them, I could see some who were so shocked that their mouths were just hanging open.

Even the scouters from the guilds had similar reactions.

"Hoooom."

And among them, I also found Seo Ah-in's face.

She was glaring at me with wide-open eyes.

Her clenched teeth seemed to represent her emotional state well.

I grinned at her.

"...!"

Crunch, the sound of something grinding in her mouth reached all the way here.

My, my. She's grinding them ferociously.

I leisurely walked over to the fallen Pack. I flopped down on its body and checked the stopwatch again.

1 minute and 20 seconds so far.

And in that state, I turned my head and looked at Seo Ah-in.

Still a ferocious expression, but now it was mixed with suspicion.

Well, yeah. It was all over, but I was suddenly dragging my feet, so wouldn't it be strange.

With the pistol aimed at the Pack's head, I kept making eye contact. My expression was a constant grin.

10 seconds passed, then 20 seconds, and the situation continued.

"..."

As time passed, Seo Ah-in's expression also gradually contorted.

Beyond the point of strangeness, she realized something, mulled over that fact again.

The process of it finally being replaced by explosive anger was being revealed on her face in real time.

In short.

It meant she had just now understood that I was making fun of her.

"You, youuuuuu! Do it properly! I'll kill you! I'm really going to kill you!"

A cry far more beast-like than the one the Pack had let out just a moment ago erupted from Seo Ah-in's throat.

Whatever. I still dragged my feet. I even started whistling, loud enough for her to hear.

I checked the stopwatch. Now 1 minute 40 seconds.

"I said, do it, properlyyyyㅡ!"

Still ignoring her. 1 minute 50 seconds.

"..."

It seemed she was at a loss for words now. In the silence, only the sound of my whistling echoed.

And 58 seconds. 59 seconds.

Precisely at the moment it became 1 minute and 59 seconds, I pulled the trigger on the Pack's head.

The same time would have been saved as my completion record on the instructor's sheet.

"..."

I came out of the stage and walked briskly towards the still-quiet Seo Ah-in.

She was so mortified that her body was trembling.

Towards that Seo Ah-in, I smiled brightly and said slyly.

"Phew, that was close. Right?"

"..."

"Wow, but really. If luck hadn't been on my side, I would have lost. It was a good match."

"..."

Seo Ah-in's body went from trembling to shaking.

"Ah, but if you had gone all out, under 2 minutes would be a piece of cake, right? I guess I still have a long way to go."

This kind of behavior was an imitation of someone Seo Ah-in was extremely conscious of.

The behavior of someone she hated so much that she would grind her teeth at the mere sight of their face.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Let's see each other again next time. So..."

In that state.

I leaned in slightly and whispered into the ear of Seo Ah-in, who had her head down and was biting her lip until it bled.

“...Loser.”

Now, she didn't just stop at trembling; a tear even welled up at the corner of her eye.

As I patted Seo Ah-in's shoulder and passed by, I heard someone mutter in a low voice from nearby.

"What a devil-like bastard..."

Ho-jun. How could you say that to your friend?