Chapter 35 : Swordsmanship Training #2 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

I paid close attention to the lecture. "The Void Princess possesses a truly terrifying ability: the creation of gates. She generates dozens, even hundreds of gates, through which she unleashes waves of beasts." Wow. "From where these beasts come is unknown... Anyway, this is her most notorious trait, but there's another fearsome aspect. In her second phase, she retreats to the farthest rear and unleashes devastating long-range magic. That's actually the scariest part." All the way from a distance? "The Void Princess, positioned at the very back, laughs maniacally as she destroys everything in sight. Most of her attacks have a large range. Even if you try to intercept her... she can freely use teleportation, making her extremely difficult to catch." "Hmm." I roughly gauge the situation. Basically, it's like a summoner releasing an overwhelming number of monsters, only to fall back and deliver massive sniping attacks from long range. To top it off, she freely uses teleportation to block any attempts at approach. Could it be that Miss Void has no conscience? "What a cheat." "That's why she's classified as an S-rank monster impersonator." Just how strong are these S-rank beings? "But really, how do you capture something like that? Once she appears, isn't it game over for cities and all?" "You might want to ask Cadet Ryu Cheon-hwi back there about that." "What?" "Cadet Ryu Cheon-hwi's father is the chairman of the Ryu Seong Group, right? He played a significant role alongside Commander Kim Ik-su during the defense against the Void Princess." Really? ㅡSwoosh. I immediately turned to look at Ryu Cheon-hwi. "Heh." The guy with his arms crossed gave a sly smile. This guy... even though he pretends otherwise, he really enjoys this sort of praise, especially when it’s about him. "Is it true, Ryu Cheon-hwi?" "To explain it so even someone as clueless as you can understand, it's true. The father you've been insulting... is nothing short of a hero who saved Korea. Understand now? You've been insulting such a father." "Shut up. You're the one who started it." "You insolent...!" No matter how prestigious the lineage, if you fail at parenting, you're open to criticism. "In any case, even such an S-rank monster has weaknesses." "Oh! What are they? Humanity must have found a solution!" As I listened, I became engrossed. Hopefully, they're not going for something like a nuclear option. Fighting to protect a city but using nukes? That's a complete failure. Defeats the purpose. "The Void Princess's weakness is... as formidable as her combat capability is, she quickly gets spent." "Spent?" "Once she exhausts all her energy, she retreats. And she doesn't appear again for a while." What does that mean? "Doesn't that just mean we get beaten until it's over?" "Not exactly." At that, Instructor Maikes smiled and explained. It seems that if S-rank Awakeners, who can move at high speeds or charge in, press her intensely, they can force her into using up her teleportation and magic, eventually causing her to exhaust her energy and disappear. "It sounds super easy, doesn't it?" "Easy is not quite the right word... if the S-rank Awakeners fall back, the overwhelming beasts that pour out become troublesome. In any case, merely her presence forces a strategic choice. That's the Void Princess for you." Turns out she's just an unpleasant woman. Cancel the fan club membership. "Anyway, she appeared sporadically and then suddenly stopped showing up. Ah. She was last observed 16 years ago in Seongnam. She caused a terrorist attack at a research lab there and vanished without a trace." "Interesting." Her last appearance was 16 years ago. But she attacked a research lab? What was there? "Many heroes, hunters, and civilians lost their lives... it was a truly tragic event. Now, let's watch the footage from back then." ㅡClick. The video started playing. ㅡBoom! ㅡBang! ㅡRoar! The atmosphere felt like a chaotic marketplace. Medium-sized beasts roared as they destroyed buildings, and something resembling airplanes flew around. The camera zoomed in to reveal the scene. It was the Void Princess, flying at high speed. The video shifted. ㅡHahahahaha! Do you think you can kill me with just that? If you don't move faster, you'll never catch me! It was from someone's action camera. Endless pursuit, yet Miss Void just laughed mockingly as she fled. A crazy game of tag. I watched the video with interest. Her presence was certainly impressive. An overwhelming sight to behold. Maybe I should become a fan again. Just kidding. This terrorist woman, indeed. ㅡClick. The playback ended. "So, then. We've now learned that the world of these monsters is exceptionally diverse." ㅡScratch, scratch. Instructor Maikes narrated while detailing the types and power structures of the monsters appearing in Korea, their technical prowess, threat level, history, known information, weaknesses, and countermeasures. These monsters are creatures that our heroes face in real battles, so ingraining this information in one's mind was absolutely crucial. It's knowledge to be applied directly on the front lines. But they do look quite alien. "What's up with them?" What were those monster-looking entities with ant heads wearing communist t-shirts and wielding AKs? I was so disturbed I had to jot it down to trap it within my notebook. "This will definitely come up in the midterms, so take proper notes." "Got it." * * * "Lunch break! It's lunchtime! Si-hu, let's go to the buffet today!" "Ugh... a buffet today?" ㅡThud, thud. Stretching to get up, Si-hu pat his shoulders while yawning with sleepy eyes. "You've got to go on Mondays. If you don't recharge on a Monday, you won't make it through the week." "Shall we check out the buffet then? Oh, but Geun Chul." "Hmm?" "You couldn't seem to tear your eyes away from the picture of the Void Princess earlier?" "Oh, that." I thought about it again. "They were quite big." "Huh?" "Her chest." "No way?! Geun Chul?! What are you even talking about!" Why the sensitive reaction? "What. Why?" "Geun Chul." Suddenly, Si-hu narrowed his eyes and spoke to me in a low voice. "Is that your kind of thing?" "What are you even saying?" What kind of preference is that? All men like big chests. "Preference or not, who wouldn’t be impressed by such a large chest?" "Huh?" "Isn’t it the same for you, Si-hu? Everyone likes that. Males appreciate it when it's larger." When I said that, Si-hu snickered and replied, "Right. Everyone does. Yeah, that’s true." His demeanor shifted again. Look at him. He's definitely thinking about ample bosoms in his mind, that's why he's smiling. "Yeah, I like it too." Si-hu even gave a confident smile. "See? You get it. Bigger is better." "Bigger is better... Oh. But Geun Chul, the Void Princess is a monster impersonator." "She's definitely a monster. It's just a preference thing, not actual admiration." Though it's a fact she's attractive. "And that incident from 16 years ago... by chance." "Hmm?" "Oh, nothing. Geun Chul. Let's go eat." "Let's go eat!" Thinking about heading to the buffet already filled me with anticipation. What should I eat today? Last time, I went with a Chinese theme, so maybe this time I should try a Japanese theme? As I was getting ready to leave... ㅡClick, click. "Kim Geun Chul. Heading to lunch now?" Leona approached with a nonchalant face, arms crossed, and called out to me. "Oh. Leona. Yeah, about to eat. Wanna join us?" "I have company already. Well... that, that event, right?" "What is?" "The Void Princess terror incident... sob! It's nothing! Go enjoy your meal...!" Suddenly, Leona shouted tearfully and sprinted away. What on earth is this? Why does Leona seem to pity me and almost cry whenever she sees me? "Si-hu, what's that about?" "I don’t know... nothing really. But Geun Chul, did something happen with Leona over the weekend?" "Well, about that. I called to brag about my sword skills over the weekend..." I explained to Si-hu about the fiery exchange that occurred. He complained about not being invited, but I was pretty sure I had knocked and called his name. "Dude, I knocked and called your name but got no response. What do you mean I didn’t invite you?" "Huh?" "What were you doing then? Were you asleep?" "Oh, right! I must have been asleep at the time!" "See, I told you." Blaming others when you were the one asleep. "Anyway, let's hit the buffet!" We stepped into the inviting interior of the buffet. ㅡWaft. An overwhelming aroma greeted us simultaneously. Like the protagonist and absolute horror entity Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from that infamous crime novel 'Perfume', all he perceived was scent. For someone with an extreme sense of smell like him, the entire world was fragrance. He could interpret everything through the sense of smell. That's exactly what I'm doing now. "Smell." The aroma. The fragrance of food seeped into my nostrils and was absorbed by me. Inside me, these scents began to take clear shapes, materializing into something tangible...! "Si-hu! It's all Japanese cuisine today!" "Geun Chul, I want tonkatsu!" "Tonkatsu?! What are you, a kid about to undergo a circumcision? Let's stick with Japanese!" "Why do we have to stick to one menu!" I grabbed Si-hu by the wrist and dragged him over to the Japanese food section! But as soon as we arrived, I was flabbergasted! "What the hell!" The chef handed me a treasure chest! "They’ve got eel bento! Are you serious?! And tempura next to it! It's a feast, a real feast! Si-hu, it's a feast!" "Geun Chul, please keep it down...!" "Do you expect me to keep quiet about this? Are you disrespecting the people who prepared this incredible food?" "Please!" "Alright, alright. Let’s quickly grab our food. Look, they have tonkatsu here too." "Ah, they have tonkatsu in Japanese cuisine too." With joy overflowing, I selected my favorite dishes with gusto and headed to a seat. "Wow. I really do come to school for the meals." "Heh, heh. Geun Chul, you really have fun, don't you?" "Of course! Do you think I wouldn't enjoy eating Japanese food with just the two of us, the toughest duo in school?" "Guess not." Si-hu seemed satisfied too. "Hey, Si-hu. What's our next class?" "I think it's some sort of sparring session." "Sparring?" "Yeah. That's what I heard. Apparently, we put on protective gear and spar with each other to assess our skills." "Sparring... but do heroes who slay monsters really need to spar with humans?" "Geun Chul, some monsters possess limbs like humans. Likewise, villains are just super-powered criminals. Sparring is important." Oh. Right, that makes sense. "Sigh... Si-hu, I'm really worried." "Worried about what?" "That I'm too strong, and I might accidentally hurt my sparring partner." "Pfft! P-Please! Please, Geun Chul! Stop trying to make me laugh while I'm eating!" But I'm serious. That's how substantial my 'talent' is.