Seo Woojin wore a sullen expression.
He wasn't very happy with today's training.
How to fight strong monsters.
It was similar to the tests conducted under Ludian's command before.
The only difference was that the opponents were much stronger monsters than trolls, and there were more of them.
'Well, it's just an improved version of what I did yesterday.'
The monsters prepared by the Academy were formidable.
But compared to the ones Seo Woojin hunted yesterday…
'Is it about the same difference between a wyvern and a sparrow?'
He didn't know if it was much use to other heroes, but the training wasn't of much use to Seo Woojin.
He took comfort in the fact that he could at least gain some experience points.
"I thank the Imperial White Knights for the effort they put into this training."
The first order of knights of the empire.
With the exception of the five guardians, it was the strongest order of knights in the Empire, led by the highest-ranking knight, Ronain, and consisting of individuals of high rank or higher, making it the most powerful order of knights.
Knowing that they had personally fought the monsters, it was clear how much the Empire had invested in the Academy.
"Today's training will focus on one-on-many combat."
The instructor explaining the training was not Ludian, but another knight.
With a neatly trimmed moustache, his name was Gainus.
He was a high ranking knight of the Empire.
Gainus stroked his moustache as he spoke.
"One hero against ten monsters. That's the basic premise, and the number will be adjusted depending on the danger level of the monsters."
There was tension in the faces of the heroes.
They had gained a lot of practical experience in Demonic Realm Helldane over the past week.
But it was a team battle..
They had never fought multiple monsters on their own before.
Besides, the opponents were visibly stronger than before, even at first glance…
It would be strange if they weren't nervous.
'Hwaa-'
Of course, Seo Woojin was an exception.
It was nothing compared to what he had experienced.
Of course, there were others who wore expressions that seemed unfazed.
'Those guys…'
The ones who trained with him and the elite friends.
Rather than being nervous, their faces looked like they were looking forward to it.
"Huh?"
Seo Woojin tilted his head.
Suddenly, his eyes met Baek Siwoo's, but his expression seemed slightly different.
'What's going on?'
He didn't know what had changed.
The aura of confidence seemed unchanged and the face was as kind as ever.
Yet, for some reason, he felt a sense of discomfort.
Did he notice Seo Woojin's gaze?
Baek Siwoo nodded slightly.
'Was it an illusion?'
He still looked like a well-mannered model student.
Seo Woojin nodded politely and turned away with a grin.
So he couldn't see it.
Baek Siwoo's gloomy eyes full of malice.
***
"Tempest Blow!"
Just like the name of the skill, Lee Ji-ahh's fist surged like a storm.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
Her opponents were the five Argons.
They were bestial monsters encased in armour-like shells, impervious to most blows, but Lee Ji-ahh's fist ignored their defences.
Snap! Snap!
Cracks appeared in their armour, which soon began to shatter.
Creak! Creak!
Startled, they ignored the fists and shifted their stance defensively.
Instinctively, they realised that relying on their armour alone could lead to disaster.
But it was a futile gesture.
"Blast effect!"
This time, it wasn't a series of blows, but a single powerful blow.
Boom!
The charging Argons turned into minced meat in an instant.
The power of the fist far exceeded their defences.
A bright light erupted.
Although it was an easy match, Argon was a fairly dangerous monster, so it gave a lot of experience points.
"Oh yeah! Level up! I'm finally level 37!"
Lee Ji-ah cheered, raising her bloodied fist.
'She's kind of scary.'
A young girl swinging a fist dripping with blood.
Seo Woojin inexplicably felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Mister! Did I do well?"
He nodded as he smiled at Lee Ji-ah who was approaching with a smile.
Though terrifying, it was true that she fought well.
While some heroes had been trained before, none had achieved such an overwhelming victory as Lee Ji-ah.
Some had even been taken away due to injuries…
Lee Ji-ah, who had suddenly arrived at the next seat, didn't stop telling her stories.
"Is Kim Dahhye next?"
As if answering Seo Woojin's question, Gainus mentioned Kim Dahye's name.
"I'll be back."
Kim Dahye spoke briefly to Lee Ji-ah before picking up her sketchbook and heading to the training ground.
"The monster you will face is Magoroth."
Hearing Gainus' words, Seo Woojin remembered the monster encyclopedia.
'It was a small monster about 1 meter long, right?'
Perhaps because of its small size, its defense was poor, but its teeth were incredibly sharp.
This was a monster that invested all of its stats into its attack power.
'How would she fight?'
Depending on how Kim Dahye used her skills, the possibilities were endless.
Although her potential was limited due to her low rank, no hero would be as effective as her when dealing with monsters below a certain level.
The number of Magoroth revealed was 20.
This was four times the number of Argons Lee Ji-ah had faced.
The creatures, which resembled rats directly exposed to radiation, were disgusting to look at.
But as usual, Kim Dahye just held up her sketchbook with a blank stare.
"Begin!"
Magoroth stormed in at Gainus' signal.
"Summon."
At the same time, Kim Dahye's voice sounded and the weapon sketched in the sketchbook materialised.
"A mini-gun?"
"Wow, crazy! What is that?"
"Is that even possible?"
The heroes, especially the men, began to go wild.
"Hehe-"
Seo Woojin also let out a hollow laugh.
Despite various discussions, he had never thought that she would summon a weapon like that.
Weeeeeee!
The barrel rotated.
Thanks to the fact that it was only powered by magic, there was no need for external power or hydraulics.
It simply meant that as long as magic power was inputted, it could rotate an infinite number of fire magic bullets.
Tatattattatta-!
Up to 4,000 projectiles a minute.
The astonishing speed and power of the blast literally tore the Magoroth apart like paper targets.
Click-click!
Without so much as a scream, all 20 of them melted away.
Whooooong-
As the enemies vanished, Kim Dahye released her grip.
The barrels, unable to digest the rotational force, spun aimlessly, emitting intense heat.
"I-impressive, my friend. Isn't it?"
Even the usually talkative Lee Ji-ah couldn't help but keep her mouth shut.
Seo Woojin nodded.
The firepower Kim Dahye displayed was certainly something to pierce the heart.
'I want to try it too.'
Hadn't every South Korean imagined firing a minigun at least once?
Even if they were worried about the cartridges and the risk of the weapon malfunctioning.
Seo Woojin thought he should ask later if he could try it, and greeted Kim Dahye as she returned to her seat.
After that, the training continued.
There were heroes who easily defeated their opponents and those who struggled to fend them off.
However, one thing was for sure: the skills of the heroes had clearly improved from before.
There were no longer those who trembled at the sight of a single troll.
"Are we the only ones on our side now?"
The entire group completed the training easily.
The results of training with Seo Woojin were clearly visible.
Of course, Gu Donghwan and Gye Suji joined later, but they were excellent right from the start.
"Now it's my turn, right?"
There weren't many heroes left.
"Oh? It's Baek Siwoo."
"It's finally the turn of the 'Sword God'. What will he show us?"
The heroes looked at Baek Siwoo as he walked out onto the training ground with anticipation in his eyes.
Although he had lost to Seo Woojin in the sparring match, he still held his position as the strongest hero.
One defeat did not undermine the reputation he had built up.
Baek Siwoo was still the object of admiration for the heroes.
"The monster you will face this time is Gairodus."
'Huh?'
The name sounded familiar.
A humanoid monster with red skin and red eyes appeared on the training ground.
'They even brought such a creature to fight.'
It wasn't just any monster.
Even if you combined all the monsters that appeared today, they couldn't compare to this one.
It was so powerful and terrifying.
It was amazing that they had managed to capture a monster of Burtail's calibre.
How they had managed to capture a creature that even the best knight, Ludian, could not hunt down was baffling…
"Could it be the knight called Ronain?"
Excluding the guardians who reached the ultimate level, he was said to be the strongest knight in the empire, so it might be possible.
'The empire definitely cares about that guy.'
Even during this time, the intention to ensure Baek Siwoo's experience was evident.
Srrrung-
Baek Siwoo's sword was drawn.
It had a sharp aura that made your skin tingle.
He was curious to see how Baek Si-woo would fight.
Will he end it with a single blow, as he did when he killed Rosie Ruby?
Or will he fight by withholding his abilities as much as possible in order to sharpen his true fighting senses?
In any case, Seo Woojin was looking forward to the sword skill that Baek Siwoo would show.
"Begin."
Splat!
In an instant, Baek Siwoo's sword was back in its sheath.
Most of the heroes didn't even notice what had happened.
Only a few, including Seo Woojin, kept their composure.
'He got faster.'
Despite the tough skin of the Gairodus, a wound appeared, and his head rolled off.
There was no blood flowing.
It was as if the body itself didn't yet know of its own death…
"Truly remarkable."
Gye Suji exclaimed.
In the last sparring session, they fought for three rounds, but now it seemed impossible to last that long.
That's how amazing Baek Siwoo's sword skill was.
"Killing a monster of that size without using any skills. Heh, I really want to fight him once."
Gu Dong-hwan showed his competitive spirit with a stiff face.
"If anyone is going to fight him, it's me."
Gye Suji was the same.
After a short exchange with her, Gu Dong-hwan scratched his head and asked Seo Woojin,
"Do you think it will be different from last time?"
He asked Seo Woojin.
But Seo Woojin did not answer.
He just looked at Baek Siwoo who came back with a more rigid expression than Gu Dong-hwan's.
'That guy…'
The identity of the uneasiness he had felt earlier became a little clearer.
It's still not certain yet.
But the senses continued to ring alarm bells.
The familiar energy was emitted at the same time as Baek Siwoo's sword was drawn.
Seo Woojin didn't miss that cozy feeling.
'… It was Magi, wasn't it?'