novelThe Sound of a Dragon Calling (4)
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Early Thursday morning, Kang Shin-hyuk woke up energetically, fed Onyx, and went straight to the training room. Today, he wasn't training his spiritual power or martial arts, but rather to learn the limits of his physical status, which had gone through rapid growth in the gate.
'Measurement room, then. I never thought I would need it. ' The space, commonly referred to as the status measurement room, was where people could indirectly prove their status without showing off their status window. It could also be used to directly identify the limitations of one's body, which was what Kang Shin-hyuk was interested in using it for.
'Not too many people around...' For that purpose, he got up and ran to the training center at dawn. He was getting more attention lately, so he didn't want to attract anymore. He immediately went into the measurement room, closed the door, and began operating the measuring instrument. It would find one's limit through all sorts of tests related to power, speed, and physical functioning, all the while gradually increasing in difficulty. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it started at C-rank but quickly moved all the way up to B.
"Whoo...!" The basic function of the measurement system was to maintain balance on a moving floor while detecting and hitting a moving target that would quickly fly in. The gradual increase in difficulty served to help acclimate the user to their own level, which was incredibly helpful to Kang Shin-hyuk.
"Hoowoo...hoowoo...!" Not long after he started, the measurement system had quickly reached the B+ rank, then A-rank. He could see his strength, agility, and stamina were marked as A-. Magic couldn't be used when measuring one's limits, and the system would shut down if you tried to. You could probably get away with using spiritual power to raise your limits artificially, but that wouldn't have helped his purpose.
'It's getting tough. ' The target kept flying through as the floor pushed him back. He wasn't aware of it, but the speed of the conveyor belt exceeded tens of kilometers per hour. In other words, he was running faster than a car, catching the position of a target flying past in all directions to intercept it. Even the target weight, which seemed light, was now well over 100 kilograms. It was designed to stop working just before hitting, but it was still a ridiculous measure.
'Kh...!' He had no room to think; he just let his instincts move his body. He hadn't used his spiritual power yet, but undoubtedly his regenerate power allowed him to exert his physical abilities for a sustained time.
'No, but now...' Kang Shin-hyuk began to lower the intensity. He had now barely learned the limits of his physical abilities, but it wasn't good to run wild. After getting used to his body, he would have to practice with it just like a weapon.
"Okay, stop." The targets and floor stopped. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and checked the monitor. All physical abilities had gone from A- to A on the monitor, showing that he was in the top 7% of the world's superhumans. It was an achievement he could barely believe.
"Even if I graduate right away, I could be selected by a large guild."
"Huh?!" Hearing a voice nearby, he looked back to see Baek In-ha standing in the open door. Kang Shin-hyuk was visibly embarrassed as Baek let out a sigh.
"I'll forget what I saw. You didn't set up security."
"Security...ah!" The measurement room could hide or reveal the measurement results. He closed the door but forgot to enable the security setting to stop the display on the monitor attached to the outside of the room.
"I wondered if you were just proud of your strength by the way you were gathering people together."
"Ahh...!" Kang Shin-hyuk was filled with loathing at his own forgetfulness. As he let out a silent scream, Baek entered the room with a smile.
"Let's distract you from what has already happened."
"Are you going to do it too?"
"After seeing you, I wanted to try it too." Well, if Baek did it, surely the other students would be distracted.
"Do your best."
"Look forward to it." Kang Shin-hyuk thanked him and left the room, to the gathering of students in front of the monitor.
"Was he originally that strong?"
"Without magic..."
"Can your status even grow like that without magic?" The students who couldn't talk to him but only behind him gossiped nearby. He let out a sigh and looked up at the monitor, which was reflecting the image of Baek. Baek, who started measuring at B rank, boasted a peculiarly fast speed that quickly reached S-rank.
"Wow, better than Kang Shin-hyuk. S-rank in the first grade? What the hell is he?"
"He's so extra."
"A monster, that's what he is: a monster."
"Isn't that the top level in our school?"
"Close enough." Thanks to Baek's performance, the interest in him was decreasing.
'That monster child. ' He was a person living in a world different than his own...but hadn't he begun to catch up? He still had a long way to go, but he firmly pledged to surpass him one day.
'I'm also nearing a new trait evolution. ' He felt inspired as the people to his sides parted. A huge, breathtakingly large man with bulging muscles was walking toward him. He had dark brown hair and gray eyes covered by stylish glasses.
"..."
"Ah, long time no see." Baek greeted him in a friendly manner as he left the measurement room, but the man passed him by and strode into the measurement room himself.
"What?"
"That's Douglas Payne, captain of the Wyvern Knights and Knight Crown."
"Ah, that's why." He was so huge, Shin-hyuk hadn't even noticed the cloak of the Wyvern Knights.
"Wow, he's great."
"I heard that Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha are measuring. Isn't that funny? Who cares about first graders."
"Are they normal first graders? One is Baek, after all...ah." Several more students stepped out of the way as more Wyvern Knights arrived to look at the monitor. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn't help but mentally compare them to gangsters.
"Not knights, but a gang."
"Hey, you two."
"What?!" One of the members yelled and turned around as Baek and Shin-hyuk were sharing the same sentiment. It was Yoo Minjoon, the second-year senior who had shouted at Kang Shin-hyuk last time.
"..."
"Senior Yoo Minjoon, it's been a while."
"..."
"Did you see my game last time? I tried hard to check if you were there, but I don't know if you saw my performance." Yoo Minjoon turned away silently, his shoulders shaking. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to grab his attention once more, but Baek tapped on his shoulder and pointed at the monitor.
[Measurement result: Strength S-, Agility B-, Stamina S-]
"Wow..."
"He's a tank."
"Don't call him that out loud, or he'll break you." It wasn't only Kang Shin-hyuk who was surprised to see the results. People were scrambling about the results. Sure, they were marked by a negative, but he had two physical stats that were S rank. Although his agility was a bit low, he was still an elite among elites even compared to superhuman society as it was now. If he could find an artifact that supported his agility, he would be on par with the superhumans representing the country.
"Are there only monsters like this in Shinyoung?"
"This year is particularly strange, including us."
"Aren't you ashamed of saying that yourself?"
"Are you embarrassed by your friend?"
"You're really too much." As the pair joked together, Douglas Payne walked out.
"Huh..." It was hard to tell if he was satisfied with the results or not, then left.
"I have a sense of how you beat him now."
"His reactions were too dull. Honestly, I was bored." Only Baek could say he was bored against a monster with S-rank strength and stamina.
'What could I do to beat him...?'
***
"Welcome to Blackwood Training Center Hall 2!"
"Wow!"
"Everyone clap, clap!"
"Ahahaha..." As promised, Kang Shin-hyuk visited Hall 2 of the Wyvern Knights training center after class that day. It turns out that a simple magical barrier was installed to prevent anyone who wasn't wearing the cloak of a knight from entering. Fortunately, it was as simple as holding another person's hand to enter without one.
"It's like a subspace."
"Maybe similar to that? Can you hear it now?"
"Hear what...Ah?" He could hear the faint cry of a dragon mixed in with the applause. That guy was nearby!
"No, why is it nearby?"
"Actually, caring for the wyvern is the role of those in the second building. So, from generation to generation, Hall 2 is a bit more difficult and annoying than Hall 1. It is common for those without power to be sent here."
"So why is the vice-captain here?"
"Hey, Karen!" Some of the second-years interrupted Karen, who was telling Kang Shin-hyuk about their internal affairs, but she didn't hesitate.
"It will be easier later if we tell him these things now."
"Is that so? Operation: Sympathy?"
"I suppose so." There were seven members that made up Hall 2. Excluding the vice-captain, Karen, and Do Woojin, that would make four others. Three of which were women, but the other male member didn't even show up today. Noticing the composition was mostly women, it was easy to notice Douglas Payne's thought process.
"You've been in a harem until now."
"Shut up." Do Woojin ground his teeth quietly in the corner. Apparently, he was embarrassed to be around this many women. Somehow, Kang Shin-hyuk had expected as much.
"So, where is the other one?"
"That senior isn't very cooperative. It was one of the reasons he was relegated here."
"I see." Since all humans could be reborn as superhumans, it was hard to find differences in the abilities between men and women. However, in terms of pure physical status, men tended to be a bit stronger than women in many cases.
"But the story is different when traits and magic are involved... wasn't the Wyvern Knights originally a structure in which focused on skills first and foremost?"
"Yeah, well, that's not always the case." The female members here would be able to overwhelm most of the other knights in terms of skill. Douglas Payne knew that, yet...
"How many are in Hall 1?"
"Thirteen people; all men. The Wyvern Knights total twenty people."
"Almost twice as many...then a civil war to retake Hall 1 would be impossible."
"Shin-hyuk, we don't plan on filming a war movie here..."
"That's right and taking care of Meloy is quite fun." One of the seniors interrupted their conversation. Meloy was probably the name of the wyvern.
"Then, I would like to check the artifact and see this Meloy guy."
"Before that." Algiers blocked Shin-hyuk's vision, full of motivation. Well, she was too short to block his sight, but the passion emanating from her was magnificent.
"Fight first, please."
"It's been a while since I've seen the vice-captain do that."
"This kid Shin-hyuk must be really great. It's a pity I couldn't watch his match."
"Wow, vice-captain, get him!" The members were excited about the chance to see them fight. The vice-captain ignored them and dragged Shin-hyuk into the outer courtyard of the building. There was a furnace built out there. Not a furnace sued for metallurgy, but one for barbecues and such.
"...What is this?" Algiers was the first to speak.
"Let's have a barbecue!"
"I thought Sunday was the barbecue party!"
"Since Shin-hyuk was coming, I rushed to make it today!" Karen winked refreshingly as she carried a plate of meat with her. Do Woojin was carrying vegetables, fruit, and seafood with him. He seemed to listen to Karen well.
"..." Algiers looked at it with an upset expression for a moment before grabbing Shin-hyuk's collar.
"Let's fight first."
"Yes, that's what I agreed with...thank you."
Eventually, Algiers and Kang Shin-hyuk found a place far away to fight while the others prepared for a barbecue. Karen's operation to disrupt them had failed.
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