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Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 132

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Counterattack (3)

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It was about two months before the mid-term evaluation.

"Tsk, it's unavoidable since the only ways to raise our stats are dungeons, classes, and grind-training, but..."

Jin Yuha suddenly gathered his party members, crossed his arms, and tilted his head as if something displeased him.

"Is there something wrong with us?"

Shin Sehee asked Jin Yuha.

"You guys are too weak right now."

"...What?"

"Haa, the guys we'll have to face are only going to get stronger. If we keep going like this, we'll just be wiped out. And it's not a scale I can handle alone."

"Th-then what should we do?"

Shin Sehee, who tended to take Jin Yuha's words most literally, asked.

"Tsk, I'm still inexperienced, so I wasn't sure if this was right. But seeing you now, it's clear. We really should start as quickly as possible."

"Huh? Start what?"

"Yeah, training. From now on, you guys will have to undergo training supervised by me every night."

At the same time, Jin Yuha mumbled something inaudible.

"O-of course. It's not because I'm unfair to be the only one suffering, or anything like that, okay?"

The other party members, knowing it was true that their combat power was inferior to Jin Yuha's, closed their mouths and nodded.

But Kang Dohui couldn't help but frown.

'…Me, weak?'

Jin Yuha's single remark had grated on her nerves.

In Kang Dohui's case.

She had been continuously practicing whatever that grappling thing was with him in their combat classes.

Escaping from those strange joint locks was the condition for her rematch with Jin Yuha.

Of course, each time, some useless rumor would get added.

And other cadets openly drooling and peeking at their training was honestly a bit annoying, but.

"—M-me too... Can't I ask him to teach me that? I want to be pinned down by Jin Yuha too!"

"—Are you serious?"

"—Ah... Kang Dohui is seriously so lucky. Did she close an SSS-rank gate or something and regress? What kind of life does she live to...!"

"—Hey, look, her chest, it looks like it might show a little!?"

*Glare.*

"—H-eek!?"

Since no one dared to openly blabber in front of her, she just let it slide.

Anyway.

'Alright, I'll admit that grappling thing.'

Aside from the minor(?) issue of being intimately entangled in embarrassing poses,

training with Jin Yuha certainly gave her considerable inspiration and insight into how to use her body.

However, that training always started with Jin Yuha firmly gripping her.

If it were a real fight, she could probably deal with him before he even managed to wrap himself around her.

Therefore, it was natural that she couldn't take Jin Yuha's "weak" remark at face value.

"Mutt—"

"Kang Dohui."

But before Kang Dohui could speak, Jin Yuha cut her off, as if he'd expected it.

"Of course, you're stronger than I am right now."

"..."

"But I wonder, will that still be true a year from now?"

"What?"

"My growth rate, I mean. Don't you think I'm getting ridiculously strong, ridiculously fast?"

At that, Kang Dohui's body trembled slightly.

It was something she had always thought about since she realized Jin Yuha's true potential.

Jin Yuha's growth rate.

He was different from a week ago, and different a week later.

Different from three days ago, and different three days later.

Different from yesterday, and different today.

Why, how, and by what means could Jin Yuha get strong so quickly?

While others ran forward on two feet, Jin Yuha surged ahead as if he alone had wings.

Because of this, she felt uneasy.

He was growing stronger at a different pace than others, and it was clear he would eventually surpass even her.

She might end up as just a sidekick, watching him lead the way alone in the future.

She couldn't help but think such thoughts.

Since meeting Jin Yuha, Kang Dohui had even cut down on her sleep, increasing the amount of solo training she did.

Yet, the gap between her and Jin Yuha was steadily closing every day.

"..."

Kang Dohui glared intently at Jin Yuha without a word.

"I'm going to tell you that secret now. So, can you trust me and undergo the training?"

***

Ha.

A hollow laugh escaped Kang Dohui's lips as she briefly recalled old memories.

She still didn't know Jin Yuha's past.

She only knew the fragmented fact that he had lost his parents when he was young.

It wasn't her style to investigate him behind his back or pry into things he didn't want to talk about.

But after enduring that grueling training.

Only then did Kang Dohui feel as though she'd glimpsed the source of Jin Yuha's ridiculous growth.

In truth, Jin Yuha had merely benchmarked and adopted Baek Seol-hui's training methods.

But Kang Dohui couldn't have known that.

'Insane training.'

Jin Yuha unleashed dense killing intent towards his party members.

Killing intent so vivid it made them hallucinate their own necks being severed.

It was something no boy his age should possess.

'So, he's a guy who lived every single day amidst death...'

Even if he were a man, it would be strange if he *didn't* get stronger.

Perhaps, the cause was his parents' death.

It was the training of a madman who considered his own life "nothing" and focused solely on getting stronger.

No sane person could endure it.

Honestly, Kang Dohui had almost broken several times under that insane difficulty.

But she grit her teeth and completed every single one of those training sessions.

She wanted to be a rival standing right beside Jin Yuha.

She had no intention of being a mere sidekick, clapping from behind him.

*

"Ahahaha! You're cute, aren't you? What? You want an older sister to beat you up a little?"

Ling Wei wore a dumbfounded expression for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Pit Dog, right, Pit Dog... I've heard the name somewhere, but you're just a promising rookie, aren't you? Do people praising you make you think you're something special? If you fight me now, do you think you can even touch me?"

"You won't know until you try."

Kang Dohui took her stance in front of Ling Wei.

'So this is what a Demonkin is?'

Shin Sehee had told her the opponent was a Demonkin.

Demonkin (魔人).

Humans who had abandoned their human hearts.

Enemies with intelligence, unlike monsters.

Something extremely dangerous.

She had only heard of Demonkin; this was her first time actually fighting one.

Of course, not long after the entrance ceremony, when a senior had turned into a Demonkin.

She had participated in the battle at Jin Yuha's call, but at that time, she had only fought the monsters the Demonkin brought with them.

By the time she headed towards him to help Jin Yuha, the Demonkin had already self- destructed.

*Shing—*

The weapon Ling Wei pulled from her subspace tattoo was a throwing dagger.

Several throwing daggers.

'Looks like she primarily uses throwing techniques.'

That subspace must contain an endless supply of daggers.

Of all things, it had to be a long-range fighter.

It would be a bit tricky for her, who primarily used close-range attacks.

Moreover, her body was filled with fatigue from the fierce fight with Lee Yuri just moments ago.

'But what's that matter?'

Kang Dohui let out a small laugh as she gazed at the weasel-like woman.

This was an enemy she had to deal with here and now, no matter what.

And for all she knew, Jin Yuha was probably in a bloody battle with an even bigger foe somewhere else.

If she couldn't even handle a mere mob like this in such a situation, she'd have to roll over and beg in front of that Mutt.

"Today, you just need to get beaten by me."

Kang Dohui muttered lowly, then kicked off the ground, launching herself towards Ling Wei.

*Thwip—!*

At her much faster than expected approach speed, Ling Wei's expression hardened, and she whipped her arm out like lightning.

*Swoosh—!*

Five throwing daggers shot out from her fingertips.

The daggers flew, spreading out like wings, as if to encircle her.

The presence of each dagger was too heavy to ignore.

As the daggers flew with a chilling sound, Kang Dohui's eyes narrowed.

"—You were born with mana like a blazing fire, but that doesn't mean your head should get hot too."

"If you get excited just because you're exposed to killing intent, you'll just die on the spot."

Jin Yuha's voice echoed in her mind.

'That damn Mutt.'

I know that much without you telling me!

*Thwack—*

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

She coated her hand in mana and struck away one of the daggers.

The deflected dagger collided with two others, twisting their trajectories.

Two daggers remained.

Kang Dohui twisted her body, dodging them even while airborne.

Then, as Kang Dohui closed in.

"Eek!"

*Whoosh!*

A dagger shot out from Ling Wei's wrist.

'Truly, a rat-like trick.'

Kang Dohui didn't dodge the dagger that slashed towards her head.

She simply.

Extended her hand and gripped the blade of the dagger.

*Crunch!*

*Drip—*

*Drip—*

Red blood seeped from Kang Dohui's palm and dripped onto the floor.

"Hey, you know what?"

Kang Dohui stared intently at Ling Wei.

"This unnie here just learned the hell out of a technique called grappling in her combat classes."

"...!?"

The corner of Kang Dohui's mouth curled into a smirk.

"And guess what? You're caught."

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