Leira was dressed in a gown chosen for facing the Operations Bureau staff.
“Yeo-Jin.” Slowly combing down her softer-looking blonde hair, she asked carefully, “Mr. Eun-Ho will be all right, won’t he?”
“Of course,” Min Yeo-Jin replied without hesitation. “He’ll be fine.”
Leira had decided to trust Eun-Ho to the end, not just because he had delivered the truth about her father’s final moments, but also because she genuinely believed in the path he had chosen. Still, anxiety kept bubbling up uninvited. After all, their opponent was extraordinary.
Leira murmured, “But he’s a bureau director.”
“Ah,” said Min Yeo-Jin thoughtfully, spinning her chair around lazily. “That man’s extremely conservative.”
Leira tilted her head, finding the answer unexpected. “Huh? Conservative?”
Yeo-Jin smiled slightly. “Well, he does lose his temper sometimes. Still, fundamentally, he only ever fights battles he knows he can win.”
“Only fights battles he can win?” Leira asked. “Is that even possible?”
In a company where almost nothing bent to personal will, the difference between a winning fight and a losing one was nearly meaningless. Leira knew that better than anyone, which was why she challenged the statement.
“Nope,” Yeo-Jin answered lightly. “That’s why he makes sure defeat is impossible before the fight even starts.”
Leira stiffened.
Yeo-Jin casually added, “If you’re nervous, just do what he tells you for now. After a few times, you'll get used to it.”
Her expression was calm, as if to say she had been through it all and came out the other side. She spun her chair back around and leaned toward her screen.
Glancing at the lecture timetable that Eun-Ho had prepared, Yeo-Jin let out a long sigh. “One hour left of class.”
“A way to make victory inevitable?” Leira murmured. She stared blankly at the back of Yeo-Jin’s head for a moment, then added, “I see.”
Leira’s shoulders relaxed as she exhaled, her gaze shifting to the list of trials Eun-Ho had assigned her.
“All right. Let’s do five more reports within the hour.”
“Sounds good,” Yeo-Jin replied. “I’ve just finished one with a hundred signatures.”
They were shaping public opinion, submitting reports, and stirring up as much noise as possible. Their goal was simple: create enough disturbance to catch the Personnel Bureau’s eye, prevent the enemy from concentrating on battle preparations, and secure an advantage.
“How many signatures are we at now?” Leira asked.
***
A fragile-looking woman parted her soft lips. Purple hair, caught in the underwater current, drifted like dissolving paint. Eun-Ho approached until he was just close enough to feel her presence.
This is far enough.
When he stopped, a fragrant scent brushed against his nose. Her whispering song should have slipped straight into his ears, but it never did. Cotton was firmly stuffed in both.
“I can’t hear you.”
The woman seemed flustered that he wasn’t coming any closer.
“Co...”
“Ov... he...”
She sang with such force that fragments of sound still leaked through the cotton. In response, Eun-Ho drew his sword.
Swoosh—!
The blade reflected the water’s light. As he swung, the crushing water pressure pushed back against the slash. When the strike cut through and reached the mermaid’s scales, she made no attempt to dodge. Instead, the rock she had been sitting on split apart vertically, opening wide like a whale’s mouth.
Crack—
What the hell?
The mermaid perched atop it was lifted upward, flipping helplessly along with the upper half of the rock.
A trap?
Inside lurked writhing tentacles.
No wonder she never stood up...
He had suspected something was amiss, but not a disguise so elaborate. Rather than a mermaid, it was a monster akin to a giant venus flytrap.
Well, that actually makes this fight easier.
Ignoring the limp decoy, he thrust his sword straight into the creature’s maw. Even underwater, cold killing intent flared from the blade. Its insides were shredded apart.
[You have defeated the Deep-Sea Prismatic Temptation, Diona!]
At that moment, a sharp, numbing sensation ran up Eun-Ho’s wrist.
Hmm?
His sword suddenly felt heavier. The aura seemed thinner, sagging like a deflated balloon.
[Spiritual energy consumption is critical.]
[Immediately cease energy output and rest!]
Ah.
He had felt drained after the earlier Sword Thread attack.
Did I push too hard?
To annihilate those massive monsters in one strike, he had spread his attack over an enormous area, pouring energy into every thread and maintaining it all at once. It wasn’t surprising that his vitality felt nearly hollowed out.
“Oh!”
“Please leave your back to us!”
However, his companions stepped in, pressing their backs against his as if to shield him.
[Course Objectives(Lee Eun-Ho)]
1. Defeat winged enemies(100/100)
2. Defeat clinging enemies(50/50)
3. Defeat singing enemies(1/10)
The goal was right in front of him, so there was no way he could stop now.
[Congratulations!]
[You are the first new employee to defeat enemies beyond the limits of a biological zone!]
[Check your loot!]
The cheerful system messages sent a strange surge of energy through him.
Nevertheless, he decided to finish this quickly. He moved in a smooth, sliding motion. “I’ll check the loot later.”
The monster’s deception was useless now that he had seen through it. There was no hesitation left. Too large to flee or hide, the flytrap-like monster unleashed the tentacles concealed within its jaws.
3. Defeat singing enemies(2/10)
Two swift slashes split it into four pieces.
“We’re joining in!”
“Hyaaaaa!”
The Skeleton Knights joined the assault, and in moments, ten traps were cut down.
3. Defeat singing enemies(3/10)
3. Defeat singing enemies(4/10)
...
3. Defeat singing enemies(10/10)
Haa...
A creeping heat rose from Eun-Ho’s chest to his head. The aura supporting his blade flickered unsteadily.
At last, the long-awaited message rang out.
[Class complete!]
[Course objectives have been achieved.]
It’s done.
The system’s private lesson had ended faster and more cleanly than expected.
[You have proven your qualification to rapidly advance along the path of swordsmanship.]
[Intermediate Swordsmanship(Lv. 3) has been upgraded to Intermediate Swordsmanship(Lv. 4).]
[Your title Seasoned Swordsman has evolved into Outstanding Swordsman!]
[Attack power with bladed weapons has increased by fifty percent, and swordsmanship-type skills are learned fifty percent faster.]
Then came the final set of announcements.
[New record achieved!]
[You have cleared the Customized Advanced Swordsmanship class in the shortest time.]
[Additional rewards will be granted.]
This was the final piece he sought.
This might actually be doable.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a warning alarm drilled straight through his skull.
Beeeep—!
[Caution!]
[Excessive mental energy has been consumed in a short period of time!]
“C-Captain!”
“W-what’s wrong?!”
He was about to ask what was wrong when realization struck first. His legs buckled. He wasn’t just staggering, but outright collapsing.
[You’ve developed the status effect Overexertion.]
Damn it.
He had likely pushed himself too hard without rest. And here he thought finishing the class was all that mattered.
The worried skull faces of the Skeletons filled his vision.
“Captain?!”
“Are there more enemies—?!”
“No. I-I just... need to rest a bit...”
His eyes slipped shut just like fragments of memory breaking apart, tangling and dissolving just before sleep.
[Customized Advanced Swordsmanship classroom effects have been applied.]
[Stamina recovery procedure has been initiated.]
Dry sand rushed into his mouth.
Sand?
His mind floated in a hazy space between dream and reality. Searing heat engulfed him, as if he were standing far too close to the sun. He couldn’t tell if he opened or shut his eyes.
“I’ll show you. What it really means to be alive.”
“Then promise me.”
Images surfaced of the brown-haired boy with messy curls and the woman in a white coat sprawled on the floor. There was also the large-built man.
***
“... ptain?”
“... ke.”
The sound of waves crashed against his ears.
Hmm...
The salty scent in the wind told him he was still near the sea. The uneven ground pressing against his back felt like a shoreline, probably a beach.
“Captain!”
“Are you all right?!”
When he carefully opened his eyes, he saw a whole row of Skeletons. “Where are we?”
“On land... by the sea!” one Skeleton answered.
Ah. So they must have carried me out of the water.
Eun-Ho whispered, “That wouldn’t have been easy. Thanks for the trouble.”
Skeletons One through Ten all tried to speak at once, their jawbones clattering noisily.
“Not at all! We were shocked when you suddenly collapsed, Captain!”
“Next time, we will—!”
It was oddly amusing. He knew how terrifyingly sharp they were with swords in hand, which made their flustered state all the more endearing.
As Eun-Ho smiled faintly at them, the assistant instructor walked out from farther down the beach. “You’re awake.”
“Good timing,” Eun-Ho said. “I have something to say to you.”
The assistant instructor tilted his head and sarcastically remarked, “What an honor. What is it?”
However, Eun-Ho first urgently asked, “How long was I out for?”
“Approximately twenty-four hours, by this world’s time.”
In disbelief, he echoed, “Twenty-four hours?!”
A full day was gone just like that!
I heard the new record announcement, so the class must’ve ended fine...
Whatever the case, he felt lighter, as if sweat and fatigue had been wrung out of him.
Ding!
As he pushed himself upright, a notification chimed.
[The parameters required for skill activation are being calculated.]
“Huh?”
[Calculation speed has been increased due to customized classroom effects.]
[... 98%, 99%.]
Why is that being measured now? All I did was collapse and sleep.
Without thinking, he muttered, “What skill am I about to unlock?”
The assistant instructor wore a knowing expression. “Didn’t I tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Adequate rest.”
Adequate rest? Ah right.
“Right away?”
“Every minute counts.”
“Proper rest is part of training, too.”
He had thought it was just generic advice anyone could give, but apparently it wasn’t. “So resting inside the classroom actually gives benefits?”
“It gives one.” The assistant instructor smirked and added, “And it’s quite useful.”
Moments later, his words were proven true.
[The collection of parameters required for skill activation has been completed.]
The long-awaited announcement rang out, and a strange warmth spread through Eun-Ho’s core.
[Congratulations!]
[Based on memories of pushing yourself beyond your limits, mental strength that governs the flow of Qi, and the support of a prepared environment, a new skill has been created.]
[Qi Circulation Breathing has been unlocked.]
“Qi Circulation Breathing?”
[Qi Circulation Breathing(Lv. 1)]
- By regulating breath through internal energy control, it recovers one mental energy per second.
- Refines the body to better receive and circulate ambient Qi.
“Wow.”
Intermediate Swordsmanship hadn't just been boosted straight to level nine in one go; Outstanding Sword User, its evolved title, dramatically increased his attack power as well.
On top of that, record-breaking clears had unlocked second-stage abilities in the sword skill tree. Add to that the massive stat and critical bonuses from the Lava Yeti’s Essence, the unclaimed loot from the flytrap monster masquerading as a mermaid, and now even a regeneration ability.
I didn’t even account for this.
That changed a lot.
“Will you proceed to the next course immediately?” the assistant instructor asked.
“No,” he replied.
Eun-Ho had planned to divide the remaining week down to the hour, calculating and recalculating every move.
There are too many variables now—variables that exceed my expectations, in a good way.
“All right. Then rest a bit more—”
“Not that.” Eun-Ho shook his head and added, “This is where the class should end.”
“What? Why?”
Clearly, Eun-Ho had thought of something better.
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