Chapter 9

"What, what is this...?"

Sergei stared blankly at his hands.

This can't be happening.

Does this situation even make sense?

Clearly, his physical abilities were overwhelming. Like the difference between a middle schooler and an adult. He was confident that a single slash of his sword would sever an arm.

Of course, his sword skills were remarkable.

It felt like facing an impenetrable wall. But to completely overwhelm the physical gap to this extent, that's just impossible.

But how...?

"Did I win?"

"......"

He likes compliments and is a bit of a show-off, but when it comes to swordsmanship, he is as serious as anyone.

Serious enough to throw away his pride if it means his sword skills can grow.

"Experience. Mastery of swordsmanship comes from experience."

This was what Sergei said to Hanseong in a previous playthrough.

It stung a little, but the one who said it first, right?

"That applies to you too... right?"

The formal speech had already disappeared. Perhaps due to the translation, the boundary between informal and formal speech was blurred.

"Just because we're about the same age doesn't mean our experiences are the same."

"I won't back down in terms of experience either!"

He still couldn't fully accept it. He believed he lost due to skill, but there must have been something else.

Like some kind of special ability.

"Experience... just from hunts and duels?"

Sorry, but I've been playing games where swords are the main focus for over several decades.

The game is a game, but it's not just a simple game.

It's based on theories established over a decade by hundreds of experts in swords and martial arts, and then refined through time acceleration by the fifth version of AlphaGo, [Gaia], in dozens of 'martial worlds' at a 1:50,000 time ratio.

'The sword skills in this game are mostly derived from there.'

Various worlds were created based on these sword skills. For over 30 years, I've been rolling around in the battlefields of those worlds. A mere 10-year swordsman like Sergei couldn't possibly win against me.

Of course, Sergei has [talent] and [special abilities] that will surpass Hanseong in 2-3 years.

But not right now.

"Because I've lived on the battlefield... for quite a long time."

"......Then you...?"

Sergei's eyes trembled.

His expression was varied.

From 'What is this?' to 'No way?' and then to 'Astonishment.'

Right. The keyword 'battlefield' should be enough proof of experience.

"Let's spar sometimes."

Hanseong, who seemed about to collapse, quickly turned around.

The marble where he stood was covered with countless stab wounds, and Sergei's wooden sword was half-broken on the ground.

Hanseong checked Sergei's affection and entered the dormitory. His whole body ached as if it were about to break, so he desperately needed a recovery potion and sleep.

* * *

'What's going on here... Ah, it's the sword.'

Seong Si-yeon followed Hanseong's movements secretly. She trailed him using her shadow, so there was no way she would be detected. It was a unique ability that even active 'heroes' would find hard to notice.

'Training, it seems.'

Seong Si-yeon watched Hanseong from a dark corner of the training ground.

It was quite strange.

Seong Si-yeon was at the age where she was interested in boys, but not someone like him.

The fantasy of a 17-year-old is obvious.

Tall, handsome, rich, and skilled in killing. That's what makes a true prince, right?

'And it would be nice if he could play assassination games.'

But the one in front of her was ugly. Well, if you look at each feature individually, he's not really ugly. It's just that the harmony...

"Ah, it's all the same."

Seong Si-yeon decided to give up on his face...

"Ugh. What am I thinking?"

Seong Si-yeon clutched her face.

Not right now, but she was observing him to kill him.

But thinking about her ideal type?

"Huh, if you're going to watch, can you be a bit quieter?"

"What, what is it!"

Seong Si-yeon was startled by the voice from the side.

"You're so loud. Why did you come over here?"

"Hanbyeol?"

"Yeah, if you're going to watch, be quiet."

"Are you also watching Hanseong?"

"......Can you be quiet?"

Hanbyeol looked at Seong Si-yeon with sharp eyes, though she seemed lazy. Despite her arrogance, her expression was one of a request, so Seong Si-yeon hesitated and then closed her mouth.

"Okay."

Hanseong and Sergei's sparring match began.

It was a wooden sword fight, but it was far from ordinary.

The swords rarely clashed directly. Sergei attacked, while Hanseong deflected, spun, and pulled in an unusual sword technique.

Sergei's confident expression gradually turned pale. He couldn't deny it. His physical abilities were far superior to Hanseong's. But Hanseong was making up for the gap with his sword skills.

"......Impressive."

Hanbyeol muttered without thinking.

She knew Sergei was impressive.

But Hanseong's sword skills were beyond imagination. They exuded a deep blood scent, as if perfected through countless killings and massacres.

Hanbyeol had seen such a sword when she was young.

"Right? Hanseong is stronger than I thought."

Hanbyeol looked at Seong Si-yeon strangely and then turned her head. She didn't particularly want to talk to her.

The sparring match became more intense, and magic power began to follow the wooden swords.

With the addition of magic power, the speed and strength became absurdly powerful, and their swords created heavy shockwaves without even touching. They clashed in the air dozens, no, hundreds of times per second.

And then.

Sergei's sword broke.

Hanseong chose to break the sword rather than neutralize Sergei to cover his inferior physical abilities.

"There's quite a gap in skill, isn't there?"

"Yeah. Hanseong's physical training is quite low, but his sword skills are incredibly refined."

Hanbyeol regretted her muttering.

But she was also curious.

"Do you know Hanseong well?"

"No? I've probably seen him once."

"......But your tone, is it always like that?"

They weren't close. Before entering this place, they had only met a few times at the [Hero Specialization School].

"Me? What are you talking about!"

From what Hanbyeol knew, Seong Si-yeon's personality was terrible. No more, no less. She always swore and complained.

She was almost a 'mad dog.' If she didn't like someone, she would suddenly brandish a dagger and threaten to kill them.

'Well, she should change now that she's in the academy.'

Hanbyeol remembered the team leader's report.

'Candidate Hanseong. No information found. Even with Hanbyeol's security clearance, it only says [Access Denied].'

In Korea, there are few places that exceed Hanbyeol's security clearance. Only her father, the head of [Jeongyeon], or a few top-level figures equivalent to him.

'What is his true identity?'

At that moment, she heard Hanseong and Sergei's conversation.

'Just hunts and duels?'

'I've lived on the battlefield... for quite a long time.'

Just hunts and duels?

Hanbyeol frowned.

"What, the battlefield? Were you in a war zone or something?"

Seong Si-yeon said it without much thought.

But Hanbyeol thought differently.

'If that's the case, it's not hard to understand.'

There are two categories for identities that can't be accessed even with Jeongyeon's security clearance.

First, if the security clearance is higher or equal to Hanbyeol's.

This is practically impossible. It would mean someone dispatched by the World Hero Association, a high-ranking official in the World Government, or someone related to a few 'superhumans.'

The second is.

'War orphans...'

Humans and monsters have been at war for a long time.

In Africa and the Amazon, tens of thousands of lives are born and become orphans every year. 99% don't survive past a year, but a few are lucky enough to survive.

Born and raised on the battlefield.

"Children of the Black Field."

If that's the case, it makes sense.

They have no identity. But when they return to their homeland, an identity is created, and that identity is classified as a state secret, so no one can access it.

"......What?"

Seong Si-yeon was startled by Hanbyeol's muttering.

But Hanbyeol quietly melted into the darkness without a word, indicating she didn't want to talk anymore.

"What."

Children of the Black Field.

Born in Africa, which has been at war for a hundred years, and raised as a warrior there.

'The hell of this world.'

Seong Si-yeon started training at the age of four.

She killed a person at five, adapted to various tortures at six, and participated in hunts at seven. Not hunts of monsters, but of humans.

When she was 15, she wanted to go to Africa.

It was called the 'land of hell,' and for the second daughter of the Heukyeon family, it was just another challenge.

But her parents said no.

The parents who had tortured their 6-year-old daughter.

But they said Africa was off-limits.

She asked why.

'If you go there... you'll really die.'

It was the first time she saw such an expression on her parents' faces.

The intense training. The training she thought could really kill her, but her parents were always indifferent and cold.

But they showed a genuinely worried expression.

That's what Africa is like.

Seong Si-yeon's face turned red.

'It's cool... right?'

If this is the case, she's not unqualified...

"Aah! What am I thinking again!"

* * *

When he woke up, it felt like he had collapsed into sleep.

- A main character is paying attention to you.

- A main character is wary of you.

- A main character is showing affection towards you.

- Your recognition points have increased by 140.

"Oh, what's this?"

Is it because of the sparring with Sergei? But it's an absurdly large amount.

"Did I raise a lot of affection?"

Hanseong made coffee and ate a few pieces of bread.

The academy dormitory was a spacious 57-pyeong apartment. It felt like a high-rise complex with marble floors and convenience facilities on the lower floors.

- Good morning, Hanseong.

"Good morning."

Hanseong plopped down on the sofa.

There were no classes this morning.

"First, the recognition points..."

His recognition points were now 201, with 61 remaining and 140 added. Enough to buy a low-level random box or two specific category boxes.

But he didn't want to use them today.

"I should edit some videos."

He planned to create videos when he had free time.

If he left this place,

Aiming for at least 10 years, and 2 years in the real world.

He would need many videos to catch up with the lost time.

'Just in case, someone might see them.'

Hanseong shook his head.

He had tried live streaming and uploading, but the views were still at zero, and the internet world was frozen.

A lost hope.

"Still..."

Hanseong straightened his back and entered editing mode.

The user interface, invisible to others, appeared. He started recording after adapting to this place, from the [Stat Dice] grinding to 'The Luck Explosion' and yesterday's duel, all captured.

Hanseong began editing with his hands.

About five highlight videos. A few slightly trimmed full-length videos.

Ding dong.

- It seems a package has arrived.

"Oh, it's already here?"

Hanseong stretched his aching back and picked up the package at the door.

He had bought three small drone cameras to naturally record in the game. It would look suspicious if he gestured in the air or talked to himself.

"Can these cameras sync?"

- Yes, it's definitely possible.

To synchronize the system camera and the in-game drone cameras and adjust them with hand gestures.

"Hmm... I should probably set up a channel."

In this world, there's a video platform called 'Tube' similar to the real world.

It's the best way to increase recognition points. Plus, it's better to have proof of uploads from the camera.

It's a job he's been doing all his life.

He was confident he could do it better than anyone.

The academy encourages personal broadcasting as long as it doesn't tarnish the image of hero candidates. There's a setting that says, 'The popularity of candidates is...,' but the truth is similar to PPL agreements with the real 'Tube.'

"Upload the system UI to the system, and the drone camera footage to this side."

- Understood.

"Make sure to get it reviewed before uploading in the early stages."

Helen is a growth-type AI, and since he's only been using it for a short time, a lot of supervision is needed initially.

Hanseong finished editing.

He uploaded the usual videos to the real Tube.

The game system videos, where the UI is invisible, were uploaded to the Tube in the 'End of the World' universe under the name 'WIRO.'

The first video starting here was 'The Luck Explosion (Casino Jackpot).' He added an effect of his hair blowing with CG.

'Nicely done.'

As the afternoon class approached, Hanseong quickly had lunch and headed out.

The End

ⓒ [Dongju]

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