Chapter 23

EP.23 Jin (3)

The next day, I came to the training ground to persuade Park Jin-woo.

I had expected as much.

Sure enough, I was caught in a sparring match with the kid.

“Haaah…!!”

“Hah…!!”

Clang! Clang!

The harsh sound of swords clashing echoed through the training ground.

The synchronized shouts of encouragement were a bonus.

Once again, I parried Park Jin-woo's sharp thrust with the techniques of the 'Flowing Water Sword Technique'.

“That sword technique! It's really a cheat…!!”

“You too! Learn it, damn it!”

“I don’t need to!”

We managed to say our words, breaking them into syllables.

If someone saw us at the training ground,

they would say we were two people who had lost their minds.

The sparring was that intense, and neither of us showed any signs of stopping our banter.

‘How the hell did he get so strong?’

I was flabbergasted even as I clashed swords.

Park Jin-woo is really an unreasonable kid.

No matter how much talent and the 'Sweat of the Seeker' he was born with, his growth rate is truly at a monstrous level.

I learned the 'Crashing Wave Sword Technique' and the 'Flowing Water Sword Technique' directly from two professors of the warrior class and achieved growth in my stats and rune levels through practical experience in the underground dungeon.

On the other hand, Park Jin-woo didn't learn the 'Crashing Wave Sword Technique' like in the original story, and he continued to train alone without any practical experience.

Yet, he now shows equal skill to me.

It's hard to believe that this is the same kid who lost 15 consecutive matches just a few days ago.

“Pant… Pant…”

“It’s so tiring… Pant…”

Our fierce battle temporarily slowed down.

I panted heavily, looking at Park Jin-woo.

‘He’s really a lunatic…’

I thought I had been growing steadily without rest, but I can't even imagine how much training and practice this kid has done without a special teacher.

Skills were useless.

Park Jin-woo already had 'Combo', and other skills weren't suitable for one-on-one sparring.

Rune abilities were the same.

I could beat him using variable creation runes like 'Lizardman's Scale' or 'Poison', but since it wasn't a life-or-death battle, I didn't want to push it that far.

Just a real sword battle.

That was our fight.

“Pant… You… Strength, Pant… What is it?”

“Shut up, bastard… Pant… If you were me, Pant… would you tell?”

“Haha. That’s true.”

Honestly, I think my stats are better.

It’s only natural.

I obtained numerous runes as a 'Rune Hunter' and have improved my stats several times through their special effects.

However, the growth of the 'Sword' rune is either similar or higher for Park Jin-woo.

Just seeing how he now counters the 'Crashing Wave Sword Technique' and the 'Flowing Water Sword Technique', which he initially struggled with, gives me an idea.

“Here I come again, Do Jae-hyun…!!”

“Lunatic….”

We fought for another 10 minutes before the sparring ended.

It didn’t end because one of us was exhausted.

During the sparring, my sword broke.

I had a feeling it would happen when fighting the lizardmen, but after this insane sparring with Park Jin-woo, it finally broke.

It was difficult to continue the sparring.

We lay down on the training ground.

It was essentially a draw, but Park Jin-woo insisted it was his victory.

“So, are you in or out?”

“Dungeon raid?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Hey, man. It’s an undiscovered dungeon. The paradise of holders, the land of milk and honey. Don’t you know?”

“What’s that, you otaku?”

“Is this kid really a holder?”

I said this, but in fact, it was almost a yes.

We had become so close through our sparring sessions…

I was just trying not to agree too easily.

Park Jin-woo, obsessed with growth, wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

He’s a kid who only knows training and practice.

This is probably because, unlike the protagonists of other novels who come from unfortunate backgrounds, he comes from a wealthy family.

One of the main reasons people become rune holders is to earn a lot of money, but Park Jin-woo, being the son of a land and farm tycoon, doesn’t have such worries.

He genuinely enjoys being strong as a holder.

The nickname 'Hot-Blooded Holder' wasn’t given to him for nothing.

“Hey, but are you really going with just those five people?”

“What? The raid party?”

“Yeah, isn’t it too small?”

“What’s too small? For a dungeon of that size, a five-person party is standard.”

“I mean, there’s no holy class.”

He’s thorough in some areas and clueless in others.

The standard party for the Academy’s underground dungeon is a five-person team.

Two melee fighters at the front, two ranged attackers, and a holy class for support.

The party structure can vary slightly depending on the situation, but the standard composition is as described.

‘The last raid was a bit risky.’

The last raid, where I stood at the front with a three-person party.

It was a bit of a stretch.

Anyway, the holy class is an important part of a raid party.

They can heal party members voluntarily and use holy magic to deal with unexpected situations.

However, I didn’t plan to add a holy class holder to this raid.

There are a few promising candidates, but…

I don’t have the confidence to persuade them.

Also, there’s no guarantee that they will keep the secret.

I lay down, looking at the sky, and said,

“It doesn’t matter. It’s replaceable.”

“Replaceable? With what?”

“Potions.”

“Potions? The ones made by alchemists?”

“Yeah. What else?”

“Lunatic. Do you have a lot of money? They’re pretty expensive.”

“There’s a way to buy them cheaply, man.”

Not just potions, but also my broken weapon.

There was a way to buy high-quality products at a lower price.

Choi Yumin and Choi Arin.

While they are inferior to Lee Hyun-ho, the specialist in the blacksmithing class, they are holders who consistently develop their talents and grow into special class holders that can rival him in the future.

Especially Choi Yumin, who later develops the 'Iron-Blooded Blacksmith', one of the top three epic runes in the blacksmithing class.

But she is currently going through a tough time due to her family’s financial situation.

I recalled this yesterday.

I snapped my fingers, exclaiming, “Eureka!”

At this point, where we are planning to raid the middle of the unknown dungeon.

They are exactly the people I need.

* * *

If you can reach the middle, it’s a money-making profession.

Rune holder.

It’s considered a dream job by ordinary people, but…

This only applies to combat class holders.

Special class holders, who cover non-combat or production roles, usually live a poor or ordinary life even after graduating from the Academy.

Special class holders need talent and appropriate investment.

If either is lacking,

it’s a distant dream to succeed as a special class holder.

“Especially as a student, how much more difficult it must be….”

To develop talent, you need materials, and to get materials, you need money.

Choi Yumin is working part-time as a holder to earn money today.

Today’s job is moving large flower pots.

It’s a strength-related job that ordinary people find difficult, as it involves moving them in a five-story building without an elevator.

Originally, it was a job for two people, but due to a lack of applicants, Choi Yumin had to do it alone.

When she arrived at the building,

the client, with a gentle appearance, was waiting.

“Oh! Holder, you’re here!”

“Hello.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to make you start working right away. Thank you for your hard work today. It’s a relief to have another holder working with you today.”

“Another holder…?”

“You didn’t know? Ah! There he is.”

The client pointed.

At the end of the finger, a well-built man was walking over.

His solid build and muscles clearly marked him as a holder.

But Choi Yumin felt that his face was somehow familiar.

‘Who is he…?’

She was sure she had seen him somewhere, but couldn’t remember who he was.

The man walked over briskly and

immediately started lifting the flower pots without a word.

“Ah…”

Choi Yumin also started working right away.

Who he was didn’t matter.

To move all these flower pots today,

it would take all morning and still be insufficient.

‘This is unbelievable…’

Choi Yumin was amazed as she alternated between looking at the man and the flower pots.

His strength was incredible.

He moved all the flower pots in less than an hour.

His speed was almost double hers.

It was curious why someone with such strength would do this job.

He was probably doing it as a side job out of boredom or was a student holder lacking practical experience.

So, after the job was done,

Choi Yumin cautiously asked him,

“Excuse me… Are you a student?”

But the answer she received was unexpected.

The man panted heavily and then asked,

“Huh? Don’t you know me? We have the same classes.”

Same classes?

So he’s a student at the Seoul Holder Academy…

Before she could think about it, the man smiled and extended his hand.

“Basics of Mana Control. Don’t you remember? Nice to meet you, I’m Do Jae-hyun from the intermediate class.”

“Do Jae-hyun…?”

Another name she had heard somewhere.

But this time, she didn’t take long to remember.

“Ah! That practical sparring match…”

Choi Yumin clapped her hands.

She finally remembered.

His solid build and good looks.

A familiar appearance.

During the new student entrance exam.

He was the protagonist of the much-discussed practical sparring match.

Her classmate, Do Jae-hyun.

‘But why is Do Jae-hyun here…’

Choi Yumin knew quite a bit about him.

He had instantly moved from the lower class to the intermediate class with a single practical sparring match and had fought the monster that appeared at the Academy a month ago.

Moreover, he had shown steady growth and was rumored to be at a level beyond D-class, making him unmatched even in the intermediate class.

He was expected to achieve the highest grades in the semester-end evaluation,

which would almost certainly lead to his promotion to the advanced class.

Like Lee Hyun-ho,

he was someone who lived in a different world from her.

“Choi Yumin from the intermediate class, right? A special class holder.”

“…Do you know me?”

“Of course. I came here to see you.”

Choi Yumin looked at him with a dazed expression.

Someone who lived in a different world from her.

And he knew her, and even came to meet her.

Doing a job that didn’t match his level.

It was a story that was hard to understand logically.

But Do Jae-hyun smiled and looked at her.

His expression suggested that her understanding didn’t matter much.

Then, he took out a bankbook, some documents, and mana stones from his pocket and extended them to her.

“Let’s work on something together.”

It was as if

he was trying to give her an impossible job and exploit her,

like a malicious client.