'Phew… that's a relief. It's much better than yesterday.'
[However, Cho Seo-hyun is watching from the side. You should probably stay on guard.]
Today's morning class for class 5 was sparring.
The cadets were sparring with each other, as assigned by Cho Seo-hyun.
Even though there were only 30 of them, the large training ground felt packed as everyone sparred without hesitation.
Among them, the most noticeable was the duel between a sword and a spear.
Song Ara, in particular, stood out.
She was sparring with a male cadet who wielded a spear, moving with dazzling agility.
'Damn… it looks like they could kill each other in one move.'
[Since you have the Hand Technique trait, if you learn swordsmanship or spearmanship with that ability, you might even surpass them.]
'Oh! Hand Technique is the best!'
I haven't held a sword or spear myself yet, so I can't be sure, but I estimated their levels to be between 20 and 40.
At that level, aside from someone like Song Ara, there shouldn't be any major issues.
As the cadets were sparring intensely, Cho Seo-hyun, who was standing next to me with her arms crossed, shouted at them.
"You there! Don't thrust the spear too deeply!"
"Too slow! In that situation, you should counter with a stab!"
"Your bowstring is shaking too much! Focus!"
Cho Seo-hyun's specialty was dagger combat.
I haven't seen her fight yet, so I can't judge, but just from her shouting, I could guess her level.
Even though it wasn't her specialty, she was clearly identifying and pointing out the cadets' weaknesses.
-[Dagger Combat Lv.39], [Swordsmanship Lv.27]…-
Even if my Hand Technique trait worked with weapons, it seemed unlikely that I could beat Cho Seo-hyun.
After some time passed, Cho Seo-hyun's loud voice echoed through the training ground.
"Stop! Take a 10-minute break!"
Everyone sat down where they were, still holding their weapons, catching their breath and chatting with their partners.
One male cadet's voice was particularly clear to me.
"Ah, Song Ara is really merciless…"
"That's why you should practice harder in your free time~"
"You should take a break sometimes…"
Even though I don't know much about combat, it was obvious that the male cadet had been thoroughly beaten by Song Ara.
Well, given who his opponent was, it couldn't be helped…
After watching Song Ara for a few days, one thought kept coming to mind.
'What a waste. If she had used a bow, which suits her talent, no one here except Cho Seo-hyun would be a match for her.'
[Talent isn't something you can know just by having it, so it can't be helped.]
'Well… if I hadn't seen my own talent through the Status Window, I wouldn't have known about mine either.'
That damn Hand Technique trait… If I hadn't seen my own talent, I would've lived my whole life without knowing.
Well, it's my life, so I'm the one living it.
Still, since she's a good kid, I felt like I wanted to help her in some way.
I'm the type who feels goodwill toward anyone who treats me even a little well, so I liked Song Ara.
From beside me, Cho Seo-hyun's voice rang out.
"Alright! Let's start sparring again!"
I cut off my thoughts about Song Ara and focused back on the cadets.
***
After finishing the morning sparring and class, Cho Seo-hyun took me to the faculty office.
Without any small talk, she got straight to the point.
"Next week, once the server stabilizes, we'll start VR virtual training. Have you done it before?"
"…No."
"Sigh…"
Cho Seo-hyun let out a deep sigh after hearing my answer.
I just answered her question…
'Now I get why everyone dislikes her…'
[Still, I think it's because you helped her on the first day that she's treating you like this.]
'Both Sung Suah and Cho Seo-hyun are really tough…'
Being ignored or looked down on wasn't a big deal.
Even if it's annoying, the moment that woman pants in front of me, all the built-up frustration will disappear.
Luna didn't make a great first impression either.
But in the end, I ended up falling for her, so who knows what will happen with Cho Seo-hyun.
Cho Seo-hyun ignored my state and continued speaking.
"Starting next week, the VR virtual training will begin at the Hero Academy. You'll use it to face monsters that are usually hard to encounter."
"Ah, I see…"
The VR virtual training Cho Seo-hyun mentioned was on a completely different level from the VR I had experienced in my world.
She explained that once you enter the capsule, you're transported to a virtual space where you can fully experience all five senses.
The reason Cho Seo-hyun asked if I had tried VR virtual training before was simple.
Most people like me wouldn't have had the chance to see such a capsule…
"Here, take this."
"A card…?"
What Cho Seo-hyun handed me was a yellow card.
"Yes, you can use this to enter the VR virtual training machine room. Try it out yourself. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the kids next week."
"…Yes, I understand."
Even when she speaks, she's really pretty…
After saying what she needed to, Cho Seo-hyun started typing on her desk.
"You can go now."
"Yes."
I gave a formal reply and left the faculty office.
Perhaps because it was lunchtime, the hallway was bustling with people.
'Cho Seo-hyun… what should I do…'
[It's only been three days. You can take your time to think about it.]
'If I can just tie a thread of conversation like I did with Sung Suah, that would be perfect…'
People tend to become more cautious in public settings once they've built a personal rapport.
Plus, Cho Seo-hyun seems to have a childlike quality, so she might be even more influenced by that…
But because she's so childlike, I can't get a read on her.
Should I recommend some manga that Viola likes?
While my mind was filled with thoughts about Cho Seo-hyun, I arrived at the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was as crowded as ever.
'Well, Cho Seo-hyun is Cho Seo-hyun. I'll just eat quickly and go back to the dorm to rest.'
A nap after lunch is the best.
Thinking that, I picked up a tray and got in line when I heard a voice from behind.
"Oh? What a coincidence."
"Huh?"
Holding the tray, I turned around to see Sung Suah smiling brightly at me.
***
By chance, Sung Suah and I ended up eating lunch together in the cafeteria.
I asked her about the VR virtual training I had heard about from Cho Seo-hyun earlier.
"Ah, VR virtual training?"
"Yes, have you done it a lot, Instructor Sung Suah?"
"No. In the Magic Department, there's hardly any use for it."
According to Sung Suah, the devices used for VR virtual training can't detect mana, so heroes in the magic field rarely use them.
"There were many places trying to develop devices that could detect mana, but there's been no news lately."
"It must be tough for mages. If there were something like that, training would be much easier."
"…That's true."
Sung Suah looked at me with a meaningful smile.
I wasn't sure what that expression meant, but I didn't pay much attention to it.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and spoke up.
"Ah! I printed out the records for Cadet Seo Ji-eun that I mentioned yesterday. I'll give them to you later."
"Ah… you didn't have to go through the trouble for me…"
"It's fine. Just let me know whenever you need something."
I muttered through the communication device.
'…Annoying.'
[….]
I had brought it up just to make conversation, but now that she was being so helpful, it felt bothersome.
But regardless of my annoyance, it ended up being a helpful situation.
Sung Suah smiled brightly and said.
"After class, I'll take you to the VR virtual training machine room. I've been wanting to try it out myself."
***
Beep!
I entered the VR virtual training machine room using the card key Cho Seo-hyun had given me.
'I don't know who this Seo Ji-eun kid is, but I'm really grateful…'
[Seeing how she's approaching you like this, it seems she has a very positive impression of you.]
Thanks to Seo Ji-eun, Sung Suah seemed to have judged me as a decent person.
She even offered to show me how to use the VR machine.
I, of course, accepted, and after class, Sung Suah told me to go ahead to the VR virtual training machine room.
She said she would bring Seo Ji-eun's records from the faculty office and join me later.
Inside the machine room, there were VR machines lined up, each large enough for one person.
It reminded me of the excitement I felt when I first visited a PC cafe.
'Wow, this is awesome!'
The capsules were all shiny and new, like brand-new cars.
As I was admiring them, Sung Suah returned.
She handed me the records with a smile.
"Here you go."
"You didn't have to… Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Just let me know whenever you need anything."
She tapped the glowing capsule with her finger and said to me.
"Alright, shall we give it a try?"
"Yes."
Sung Suah explained everything from the basics, step by step.
From how to open the VR machine to how to position yourself inside, she explained it all in detail.
She also told me about the different types of VR machines.
There were high-end capsule types like these, as well as headgear types that could be used at home.
However, the headgear types had lower precision and weren't used for combat training at the Hero Academy.
They were mostly used for gaming.
"I have a headgear type in my dorm."
"Ah, I wouldn't have expected Instructor Sung Suah to play games. That's surprising."
"Haha… I don't play games. I had a use for it, but I ended up not needing it…"
Her tone suggested there was a story behind it.
But what I found more regrettable was that she didn't play games.
'Aww… If she liked games, I would've tried to get one.'
[It's a very expensive item. It's worth around 500 million won.]
Armonia seemed to have misunderstood. I was talking about the headgear, not the capsule.
'No, not the capsule. I'm talking about the headgear type.'
[That headgear type is 500 million won.]
'…Damn.'
That's ridiculously expensive. Are they crazy?
Spending 500 million won just to play games?
Well, it's a virtual reality game, so it's not like a computer that costs a few hundred thousand.
Sung Suah opened the capsule and gestured for me to enter, trying to lighten the mood.
"Go in first. I'll explain how to connect, and then I'll join you."
"Okay."
As soon as I entered the capsule and closed the door, I followed Sung Suah's instructions and operated the control panels inside.
As I did, my vision suddenly went dark, and everything went black.
***
"Wow…"
The blackout only lasted 2-3 seconds, and when I opened my eyes, I was alone in a pitch-black space.
In front of me was a hologram window that said.
I ignored the hologram and stretched out my hands, looking around at my body.
"This is amazing… But why am I dressed like this?"
The clothes I was wearing weren't the instructor uniform from before, but a plain outfit.
It was just an ordinary T-shirt and jeans, nothing fancy or flashy.
A voice echoed in the dark space.
"That's the default outfit. You can change into your instructor uniform later."
"Ah, Instructor Sung Suah, right?"
Hearing that beautiful, melodic voice, I immediately knew it was Sung Suah.
"Yes, that's right. This space is in offline mode. First, press the 'Register' button on the window in front of you. That will register your body, instructor Suho."
"Huh? Didn't you say the server was down?"
"Yes. But I heard that basic registration, connection, and login are still possible."
"Okay, then…"
I pressed the 'Register' button on the hologram, and a circular progress bar appeared, starting to register my body.
After about 30 seconds, a completion message appeared along with my name.
"…Nothing's happening?"
"Hehe, most of the functions are locked right now."
"Ah, I see… Well, there's nothing to do anyway."
"I'll connect too. It's been since I was a cadet, but it should still work."
"Okay."
While Sung Suah was entering her capsule, I called out to Armonia.
'Armonia, can you hear me?'
[Yes, I can hear you.]
'Phew, that's a relief. It's different from a dream; we can communicate here.'
It's not like anything major would happen in virtual reality, but having Armonia with me eased my anxiety.
As I stood there blankly, a voice came from behind.
"It's been since I was a cadet that I've entered like this."
"Haha, it's been a while since I've been in..."
I turned around, about to ask her how it felt to be back after so long.
But I couldn't get the next words out.
Because there stood Sung Suah, seemingly in her cadet days, completely naked, smiling brightly at me…
***
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