4. Beyond the Otherworld, the Road of Hardship (1)
A tall, pointed spire used as Tolji’s laboratory. At the very top floor of the spire was the Viscount’s private study. Berdo, who had guided Jeongjin there, pulled out a yellowed book from deep within the study.
“So, your… Earth? Speaking in terms of time, it was roughly five hundred years ago.”
New Era 458, August.
In other words, roughly 458 years ago, the people of planet Olloca had experienced the same thing that happened to Jeongjin. The book Berdo pulled out was a record of events from the past. He handed it to Jeongjin and said,
“It is said that our ancestors experienced it for roughly one year and two months. At the time, everyone hushed it up, so no detailed records remain.”
Jeongjin opened the thin book.
Judging by his shallow knowledge, the people of Olloca before the New Era displayed a society slightly more developed than the Middle Ages. If he had to find a point of difference from Earthlings, it was that they knew of mana’s existence and the upper class monopolized the methods of training in it?
That the nation’s top ten strongest warriors displayed combat abilities roughly at the level of one against a hundred?
The book’s records described, in an exceedingly dry and bureaucratic manner, the state of the Ollocan era before the New Era, what they experienced after it, what they discovered, and the chaotic societal conditions following the conclusion of the one-year-and-two-month education period. When someone had launched a rebellion. When someone had founded what organization. Who… did what… and so on….
Berdo shrugged.
“The world was literally turned upside down.”
The child of a slave was born with genius talent and, with the system’s aid, grew by leaps and bounds to become the ruler of a region.
A slave swordsman awakened to his talent and became the worst murderer in history, turning an entire city into a mountain of corpses.
An era where the class structure was overturned, the divine right of kings was denied, and the clergy’s authority was trampled into the dirt.
Berdo took another book, covered thickly in dust from a corner of the study, and handed it once more to Jeongjin.
“Well. Though there was much resentment and anger, the timing could not have been worse.”
In the much thinner book were drawn pictures of bizarre monsters similar to the invaders he had seen on parchment, tearing Ollocans apart and killing them.
*Gulp…!*
The pictures, drawn with extreme realism, depicted various but uniformly disgusting and revolting invaders, and various but uniformly wretched scenes of humanity dying miserably.
Though scholars and regions defined it differently, it was an era of madness lasting anywhere from a year and a half at minimum to three years at most. While humanity fought amongst themselves and wasted their strength, the invaders called Dimensionals hid and gradually grew in power.
Berdo approached, opened a section of the book, and showed it to Jeongjin.
“It was said that about twenty percent… survived. Frankly, looking at the records, it is nothing short of a miracle that even that many survived. The fact that not all second-generation children received the system’s benefits also contributed greatly to hastening those difficult times.”
Four hundred fifty-eight years ago, all of humanity were Blessed so long as they were alive, regardless of whether they were hypocrites or saints. But even their children had a low probability of becoming Blessed.
Though the records are not exact, the probability of the second generation after the New Era being born as Blessed was estimated to be roughly one in ten thousand.
“Nowadays, it is roughly one in two hundred. With each passing generation, it accelerates… and the Imperial Court predicts that in about ten generations, that probability will rise to twenty percent.”
Be that as it may.
Even in the face of humanity’s extinction crisis, the Ollocans did not surrender.
Those of will gathered their strength, formed factions, and prepared for the Dimensionals. Using the Gates where they appeared, they joined forces with other dimensional sentient races in the same predicament and grew their power.
“And around half a century ago, though there were minor international conflicts, most issues were resolved, and it is said that the Imperial Courts of the three empires issued orders to fulfill their duty as ‘Seniors’ to those who had experienced what our ancestors went through.”
In the decades since, the leaders of each nation did their best to secretly stabilize the world socially.
Though there were opinions to ignore them, the fact that a divine being had delivered the system to them also implied, in other words, that it could be taken away. So with what nerve would they mistreat Earthlings?
Moreover, the decisive factor was that educating the summoned ones like Jeongjin provided the Ollocans with rewards that could not be measured in coin.
Berdo walked up to Jeongjin and offered a handshake. Though he had a stout physique, the formidable muscles hidden beneath his loose clothes and his unwavering eyes shone clear and pure.
“Allow me to introduce myself once more. This is the Carbon Territory of the Heram Empire, one of the three empires, and I am Viscount Carbon Berdo, lord of Carbon Territory. Welcome. We… have been waiting for our juniors, our future allies.”
Jeongjin looked at Berdo’s arm, hesitated, and took his hand.
“…My name is I Jeongjin. I came from the Republic of Korea on Earth. I am twenty-five years old. By the reckoning here, I am probably around… twenty-three.”
Though some slight trace of reluctance remained in his attitude, it was tame compared to the reactions of the summoned ones at the Imperial Court. Berdo shook their clasped hands vigorously up and down in satisfaction.
“Hm! Good! Anything you’re curious about?”
“Well….”
Jeongjin, trailing off, looked around the study and discovered a terrace leading outside. When Berdo silently nodded, he stepped out onto the terrace.
He looked out beyond the spire—or rather, at the massive city built in the heart of the jungle—and asked,
“How many Earthlings like me have come to the Heram Empire?”
“Many have come. I received word that nearly fourteen thousand or so have arrived. If you combine other empires and nations, probably five times that amount. The rest have gone to other dimensions.”
Berdo handed Jeongjin some herbal tea, a specialty of Carbon Territory, and continued his explanation. Of course, Jeongjin was hardly pleased to be drinking his fourth cup of herbal tea already, but from Berdo’s perspective, offering this expensive tea that aided mana training was a gesture of goodwill in its own right.
“I told you it is not all of humanity that experiences what you did. The vast majority are said to have gathered in groups of one to two thousand in wide… plains-like spaces, spending their time learning basic knowledge. You said there are seven billion Earthlings? A truly sickening number. Perhaps only seven to ten million will become summoneds like you, while the rest will move to those plains. As for the criteria, well, even we do not know for sure. We’ve researched it with other dimensional sentient races, but we think it might be… random.”
Jeongjin let Berdo’s words wash over him as he gazed at the sea of green. Berdo subtly probed him.
“Do you want to see them?”
“Can we go and see them right away?”
When the possibility of meeting his kin was raised, he turned his head with interest. Berdo chuckled and shook his head.
“Not right away. More than half of the Earthlings were summoned to the Imperial Court. It would take more than half a year to travel there and back. Well… I suppose Earthlings also… long for their homeland? If you wish, I can arrange a carriage to the Imperial Court.”
Emotionally, he naturally wanted to meet them. But Jeongjin could not easily voice those words and instead looked out at the jungle again. The silence lasted long, but Berdo waited patiently for Jeongjin to speak.
Finally, Jeongjin spoke.
“…No.”
“Hm?”
Berdo smiled oddly as he looked at Jeongjin.
“You said your ancestors experienced this education period for one year and two months, did you not?”
“Indeed. And together with other dimensional sentient races allied with us, we investigated the system. The conclusion then was that the average duration of the education period, based on that planet’s time, was one year. The longer that period grows, the fiercer the Dimensional invasion becomes, but even for Earthlings, it probably will not exceed one year by much.”
“Then… it is fine. I do not wish to waste half a year going to meet them.”
“Hahaha… that settles it, then. That is that.”
Berdo laughed and pinched Jeongjin’s cheek as if he doted on him. Though Jeongjin did not know it, Berdo had been evaluating him from their very first meeting. With the system’s benefits, his talent as an ordinary human was no longer of great importance.
What the Viscount and the leadership of Olloca valued was a sturdy ally who could stand against the Dimensionals, not a political relationship that wasted time beyond necessity.
Brushing his windblown hair back into place, Jeongjin turned his head.
“Then what must I do now?”
Berdo faced the refreshingly cool breeze as he thought of this junior summoned to this backwater.
Frankly, one year was barely enough to teach the basics. The silver lining was that Jeongjin was the only trainee summoned to Carbon Territory.
“First of all….”
Berdo trailed off as he looked at Jeongjin. To be precise, he looked at Jeongjin’s forearm, resembling a dead branch whitewashed with paint, and smiled benevolently. He gently took Jeongjin’s hand and said,
“Run, Junior Jeongjin.”
“…Huh?”
* * *
Planet Olloca.
Early September, Year 458 of the New Era Calendar.
First week since transfer to another world.
“Kuh… keuheok….”
Jeongjin was running inside the lord’s castle.
Having consumed expensive nutrients since six in the morning and now running for a whole hour, he no longer seemed to bear any trace of the neat outsider he had been until a week ago.
“Your speed is dropping! Two more laps ahead!”
Behind him was a single soldier running in step with Jeongjin.
“Breathe in deeply!”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
It is said that a nagging teacher is hated more than one who beats you; Jeongjin hated the soldier constantly pushing him from behind far more than Berdo, who had planned this insane training.
“Everything I say to you is reported to Sir Korn! Please keep that in mind!”
“Agh….”
“You have failed to complete the designated training for a week straight! Sir Korn expressed his disappointment to me about that! I am determined to finish all the prescribed education today, so prepare yourself!”
‘I’ll get you. Someday, I’ll get you for this.’
Jeongjin ran his final two laps at a speed better described as walking. For the past week, he had felt painfully aware that the exercise he had done for years was no different from morning calisthenics that merely warmed the muscles.
But there was another reason that angered him.
‘It pisses me off even more that just running like this actually works!’
On the first day, Jeongjin had run nonstop from afternoon to dawn and passed out. The next morning, seeing the color of his urine a vivid yellow rather than brown or blood-colored, he fell into despair. A conversation he’d had with Viscount Berdo, back when he was still a beggar-like wreck, flashed through his mind.
“But… is it really possible to achieve meaningful results in just one year?”
“It is difficult. No, not just difficult—it is an impossible level.”
“Then why….”
“Those summoned like you have a trait called ‘growth rate correction’ attached during the education period. That is what makes it possible.”
“‘Growth rate correction’?”
“Hmm. Since it was 460 years ago, our ancestors’ records are incomplete, but… it is said that those undergoing the education receive an additional trait of ‘10 percent growth rate correction.’ Therefore, if you train intensely, you can at least learn the basics of mana and combat.”
And Berdo, trusting in that growth rate correction, had driven Jeongjin ruthlessly for a week. Having become a Blessed as well, Jeongjin had personally confirmed that his physical abilities were undergoing drastic changes that belonged in a comic book.
‘Damn it all…!’
Morning running had ended, and he had finally earned a honey-sweet rest. While he wasted his break time reminiscing about the past week, the soldier in charge of training kept glancing at the clock in the center of the lord’s castle, as if even that displeased him.
And when exactly five minutes had passed,
“Break time is over! Pick up your spear and assume your stance!”
“Uuwaah! Please!”
“No!”
The soldier assigned to train Jeongjin found this situation no less repugnant. Had the knight—and even the Viscount—not come and given the order personally, he would never have accepted facing Jeongjin every day.
‘Look at him leaving his mouth wide open on purpose just to spite me….’
The soldier watched uncomfortably as Jeongjin spewed curses in some regional dialect he could not even identify.
“We will begin training immediately! Prepare yourself!”
“Fine! Here! I’ve got it, alright?! Satisfied?!”
“Then I shall check whether you have memorized the spear art we will be training! Answer me!”
Scrambling to grab his spear and stand straight, Jeongjin gritted his teeth internally and recited what he had memorized to the soldier standing before him.
“The Imperial Basic Spear Art is a defensive spear art based on thrusting. In the beginning, it uses heavy, deliberate footwork and solid defense; in the middle, it emphasizes swinging in close-quarters combat, positional shifts while keeping feet planted, and evasive maneuvers stressing upper-body flexibility; in the latter stage, broad leaps for defensive retreat when withdrawing, offensive strikes when pursuing, and jumping maneuvers with a wide field of view and diverse movements centered on proactive self-protection—spear aart—!”
“Excellent.”
“And if you unify the respective breathing and muscle movements precisely, it builds mana and serves as a basic training method allowing one to be able to enter the mana breathing technique—training methhod—!”
“Correct! Then explain why we must train in the Imperial Basic Spear Art, composed of difficult linked movements, first, rather than the basic stance that begins with thrusting!”
“It is because it is more important that, through a specific breathing method, continuous muscle movement, and mental focus, the trainee’s body naturally attunes to mana even without conscious awareness!”
Jeongjin’s shout was aimed at his nemesis who was surely breaking his teeth. He roared loud enough to tear the dawn silence of the lord’s castle apart.
“Senior Jun, you crazy bastard!!”
And in that moment.
Senior Jun, you crazy bastaaard—!
*Rumble!*
Along with a thunderous roar that shook the windows nearest them, Jeongjin’s curse echoed far into the distance.
Castle workers murmured as they looked toward where the two stood, wondering what was happening.
“Huh….”
And as Jeongjin swallowed hard, thinking ‘that is not it…,’ a notification from the Assistant rang in his ears.
[You have acquired a new skill. Skill: Roar]
[A new stat is being created. Stat: Mana]
“….”
Finally, Senior Jun covered his forehead with one hand and let out a groan.
‘How did I get Roar?’
Jeongjin had yet to feel mana.
The Blessed—those who received the system’s benefits—came to feel mana as quickly as one day or as slowly as three months depending on individual talent. And what shortened that period further were the mana-training techniques from before the New Era.
Jeongjin felt even that amount of time was a waste, but from the perspective of the non-Blessed, three months was shockingly fast.
For instance, Senior Jun, who was training Jeongjin, had trained in the Imperial Basic Spear Art since nine years ago and succeeded in feeling mana after six years.
‘A… Assistant.’
[Speak.]
‘How was a Mana stat created for me?’
It was certainly cause for celebration that Jeongjin felt mana within a week. He could feel something wriggling inside his body, refreshing yet ticklish.
[The Roar skill is a skill that uses mana. Because you acquired the Roar skill, it became possible to feel mana in sequence.]
‘What is that Roar skill?’
[User request…….]
‘Skip that from now on and just explain quickly!’
Through the cracks between his fingers covering his face, Jeongjin was going mad with discomfort at Senior Jun glaring at him frighteningly.
[Roar (Lv 1, Active, Normal): Allows one to let out a powerful sound. Using mana, it is possible to freely control the strength of the sound. A skill that still shows room for further development.]
‘How did I get the Roar skill?’
[During the education period, growth speed is increased by 10 percent. Additionally, the influence of your Endurance skill was added. These assisted your intense desire and actions, giving birth to an incomplete skill.]
‘Aha… so it is like catching a rat thanks to an ox stepping backward?’
[That is not a precise example.]
‘Roughly speaking.’
[I do not deny it.]
In the midst of avoiding reality by conversing with the Assistant,
“…Congratulations. It seems you have succeeded in feeling mana.”
Senior Jun spoke to Jeongjin in a tightly suppressed voice. For the first time, he resented Sir Korn, who had assigned him such a weighty duty.
“It is said that the Blessed can raise their skills through special methods, but if one relies solely on that, one will hit a wall someday. Most of the Blessed who have made a name for themselves as mercenaries in our territory are like that, I am told.”
“Senior Jun? Surely you are not petty enough to be angry about that?”
Senior Jun ignored him.
“That is why even if you feel mana—no, especially if you feel mana—you must devote yourself to mana training. I will reduce the basic spear training time and focus only on the Imperial Basic Spear Art this morning.”
Senior Jun raised his polished wooden spear and aimed it at Jeongjin. Then, without giving him even time to take a stance, he swung decisively without hesitation.
* * *
It was a coincidence, but regardless, Jeongjin had become able to handle mana. However, it took about ten days before he could formally receive instruction in the mana breathing method. During that time, Berdo analyzed Jeongjin’s talent meticulously together with Korn and Tolji.
‘Just perfectly average….’
Berdo spread stacks of papers dozens of pages thick on the desk as he thought.
Unfortunately, Jeongjin’s talent for feeling and handling mana was not at a special level even when accounting for the 10 percent growth rate correction. That meant the support Jeongjin could receive would be reduced.
‘It cannot be helped, but since the reports have already been sent to the Imperial Court….’
As Berdo let out a sigh, someone knocked sharply on the door.
The other party did not wait for Berdo’s answer, opened the door, came in, and opened his mouth with a sulky expression.
“What is it?”
The man who entered, Jeongjin, looked at Berdo crookedly with dark bruises all over his face and body. He had probably been called in after being beaten senselessly while sparring seriously with Senior Jun.
‘That kid has grown quite the edge.’
Berdo was pleased to see the gentle demeanor from three weeks ago slowly disappearing. He pointed at the stacks of paper spread densely across the desk.
“Jeongjin, I called you because I believe it is time you began learning a proper mana breathing method.”
“Oh?! Really?”
“Indeed. I have picked out training methods suited for you here, so take your time thinking it over.”
Berdo unfolded the papers one by one and calmly explained the training methods he could learn. Each paper briefly listed the name of the mana breathing method, its training stages, and its pros and cons.
Jeongjin carefully scrutinized the contents page by page. Having crammed knowledge about mana over the last ten days, Jeongjin… fortunately, the papers contained intuitive explanations that even a beginner could understand. Jeongjin quickly focused on the mana manipulation techniques written on them.
Berdo watched him with satisfaction. Since Berdo still had work to attend to in the afternoon, he stood up from his seat.
“Think carefully. These are such excellent training methods that their leak to the outside would cause a great stir. Whichever one you learn, there will be no problem.”
After saying so, he patted Jeongjin’s shoulder and left the room.
Jeongjin paid no mind to Berdo leaving and focused on the contents.
“This one is good too. This one is also to my liking… Bortuga?”
He pulled out the paper with the name “Bortuga” written in large letters and checked its contents.
“A training method personally refined two hundred years ago by the emperor of the Bordo Empire from the mana breathing method of a barbarian he had most graciously inspected in person. The Bordo Empire, with great resolve, offered this training method containing the emperor’s secret teachings for the sake of frail summoneds….”
At the word “frail,” a surge of anger rose in him, and he threw it aside without finishing. Then he picked up another paper.
“A training method learned by a humanoid sentient race from another planet that had made contact through the Gate. Because their physical characteristics differed slightly, it did not suit Ollocans, but it was a mana breathing method that could provide clues for growth to Blessed who learned spirit arts… There are training methods from other planets too?”
Jeongjin began reading the papers carefully from the beginning again.
About an hour later.
Berdo returned after finishing his general affairs.
“Jeongjin, have you decided what to learn…? Hmm.”
Berdo stopped speaking. The tidy office had transformed in an hour into a messy room with scraps of paper flying about. On top of that pile of papers, Jeongjin sat cross-legged, still absorbed in choosing a mana breathing method.
“Oh dear, if you make such a mess, I will get scolded by Ollie later.”
“Ah, Lord Viscount.”
Berdo stopped Jeongjin, who was trying to stand up while tidying the chaotic surroundings.
“I see you have much to consider. It does not have to be today, so think it over carefully….”
“I have decided.”
“…What?”
Jeongjin, cutting him off, handed him a sheet of paper.
As Berdo read it, his expression gradually darkened.
“Star Cluster… this is not something I would much like to recommend….”
The mana breathing method called “Star Cluster” that he handed over was not one created by the Ollocans. But that was not the only problem.
“Jeongjin, it is true that the ideal Star Cluster pursues is attractive, but it is beyond what a human can endure, let alone master….”
Jeongjin grinned, snatched the stack of papers Berdo had gathered, and shook them.
“But is it not on the list of mana breathing methods recommended to me precisely because its effects surpass that ideal?”
“That may be so, but….”
In truth, several mana breathing methods, including Star Cluster, had been added on the belief in the 10 percent growth rate correction that the summoned possessed.
These were mana breathing methods added from the idea of “Let us suggest something a bit excessive, trusting in the growth correction!” Compared to ordinary methods, they were troublesome training methods that operated on high risk, high return as a baseline.
‘No. From Jeongjin’s perspective, would that not be better?’
Berdo, who had been thinking of convincing Jeongjin somehow, paused for a moment.
Jeongjin, who had been judged to not have especially great talent for mana and thus could not obtain much support from the Imperial Court. If he wished to learn a standard advanced mana breathing method, neither Berdo nor Korn possessed the knowledge to properly educate him.
Rather, learning Star Cluster, which allowed him to build a foundation with Korn’s help, might be the better choice for him.
After deliberating, Berdo decided to respect Jeongjin’s choice.
“Very well! I shall have Korn teach you the basics of Star Cluster. Star Cluster has the advantage of being easy to switch to another mana breathing method midway.”
Jeongjin decided to learn Star Cluster.
And two months passed.
* * *
[Mental Strength has increased by 1.]
“Ah, again.”
A welcome notification sound reached Jeongjin’s ears as he was receiving instruction on the mana breathing method from Korn. Berdo, who had been watching to see if Jeongjin’s training was progressing well, asked,
“What is it?”
“A stat went up. It says Mental Strength increased by one.”
“Huh….”
Berdo let out a hollow laugh unthinkingly.
‘Growth rate correction of 10 percent during the education period? Hard to take lightly. His level rose monstrously as well—eight level-ups in merely three months.’
Berdo had received elite education from the moment he was confirmed as a Blessed, but he had only reached Level 10 after turning fourteen. He had heard reports to the Imperial Court every day about the unfathomable growth speed of the summoned, but feeling it directly like this was enough to make him feel uneasy.
“Your level rises this much just from training?”
Korn, who had been helping guide Jeongjin’s mana, held back a strange expression trying to form on his face at those words. What he could not get used to was when the summoned from Earth said such bizarre things while seeming to know about the system.
Because it was difficult to gauge how much Jeongjin properly knew and where his knowledge went wrong, all conversations the summoned had were being recorded and analyzed.
Berdo explained in place of Korn, who was frowning.
“Level is the surest indicator that the soul and flesh are gradually breaking free of the limits of being human. Not only combat, but every daily action that helps you grow becomes nourishment that raises your level.”
“Hmm~”
Among these, what Korn disliked most was exactly that attitude.
‘Are the humans of Earth so careless about everything…? The moment they have some free time, they make a fuss about being bored and having nothing to do….’
Even though the Viscount had come out personally to check on the training’s progress! Korn coughed loudly and continued the explanation from where Berdo left off.
“Hmm! Still, what you say is somewhat correct. Once you advance classes and reach a high level, it becomes virtually impossible to raise your level outside of combat, so one could think that way. The act of killing someone is an easy path that allows you to absorb the potential of another living being without much effort, as the system plunders the opponent’s information and delivers it to the Blessed… but!”
Feeling the displeasure mixed in with the false cough, I Jeong-jin straightened his posture and listened carefully to his words. One of the facts I Jeong-jin had realized while sensing mana and receiving instruction from Korn for two and a half months was that he was a terribly rigid person.
“But even if you kill others and plunder their information, if you lack the knowledge to process it, there are limits to how much you can digest it. That is why, if possible, it is recommended that you raise your level through training alone until level 10, when you undergo your first class advancement. Only then can the mass of information that is I Jeong-jin absorb the heterogeneous information flowing in from outside more easily, and in greater quantities.”
Korn beckoned to Senior Soldier Jun, who was waiting in the distance.
I Jeong-jin watched Senior Soldier Jun’s approach with displeasure. Then, furrowing his brow, he picked up the blunted iron spear he had carelessly placed on the ground—Korn was also displeased by that attitude of treating a weapon carelessly—and took his stance.
The reason Korn had called for Senior Soldier Jun was clear. I Jeong-jin still needed to be thoroughly whipped into shape, so the plan was to half-kill him again in sparring the moment he regained the stamina to speak.
I Jeong-jin walked right up to Senior Soldier Jun, holding the iron spear.
While the two prepared to spar, Korn and Berdo stood far back, observing I Jeong-jin in detail.
“My teeth still haven’t come in, you know?”
“Then who told you to act suspicious?”
I Jeong-jin bent his knees and held the spear in one hand like an axe, glaring at Jun. The spear held in his right hand was a preparatory stance for attack only, ignoring defense, like the fangs of a beast that bites its opponent.
Opposite him, Jun gripped the spear firmly with both hands, stably lowering his center of gravity, bracing for Jeong-jin’s fierce onslaught.
“What suspicion? Isn’t it because you’re a coward that it turned out like this!”
Craack— I Jeong-jin swung his spear wildly and pressed his attack on Jun. His posture was so clean and dynamic that if a stranger saw it, they wouldn’t believe he was only three months into learning proper spear arts.
“But it’s not cowardice! Management of castle gate entry and exit must originally be conducted strictly!”
However, Jun was definitely not being pushed back. He was intentionally maintaining only a defensive posture so that I Jeong-jin could apply the mana-guiding movements of the Imperial Basic Spear Arts into natural offense and defense.
He deflected and swept aside I Jeong-jin’s crude iron spear with his spearhead, struck his shoulder to break his posture, and kicked his legs to lightly create openings. Jun possessed the skill to turn I Jeong-jin into a cooling lump of meat within three seconds if he used mana.
“And you call yourself a man who uses mana? Shivering in fear of a mage!”
“Ha! Ha! To think you speak such words not even knowing what a mage is, having lived in some backwater village. Well, it is Lord I Jeong-jin, who didn’t even know about the Blessed! You certainly live a carefree life!”
“What?! You slave bastard!”
“I’m not a bastard. I’m a senior soldier!”
“You were a slave when you were young! I heard everything!”
“Y-you bastard I Jeong-jin! I’m a soldier now!”
Eventually, Senior Soldier Jun exploded and switched to a full offensive. It was a shout containing the sorrow of a poor subordinate who couldn’t curse openly because Viscount Berdo was watching from afar.
Jun lightly rotated his spear and thrust it at I Jeong-jin.
‘Heuk!’
A spear rotating lightly and slowly! But the mana contained within it was incomparably heavy. I Jeong-jin leaped to the side with all his might. Jun’s attack had calculated even his evasion, smoothly correcting the spear’s trajectory.
Kudang!
The ankle of I Jeong-jin, who had leaped sideways, was struck by the spearhead. As he collapsed, Senior Soldier Jun tauntingly stabbed his spear into the ground.
“Try dodging this!”
Without even the leisure to reply, I Jeong-jin rolled and tumbled to avoid Jun stabbing at him repeatedly with his spear.
“Keuhak—! You bastard!”
I Jeong-jin used mana to give elasticity to his entire body, rotating as he rose and reassuming his stance. But the flow had already shifted to Jun long ago. Confused about whether to breathe through his nose or mouth, I Jeong-jin frantically batted away the spear Jun was thrusting at him.
“Heuheup!”
Retreating several dozen steps, I Jeong-jin timed his tackle to match Jun’s thrusting motion. His left hand grabbed Jun’s spearhead while his right hand gripped his own spear in a reverse grip, firmly fixing it against his body in a counterattacking posture to pierce the opponent’s torso.
“You’ll lose your hand doing that!”
Jun quickly released his spear and spun, striking Jeong-jin’s temple with a knee drop.
“Keo…….”
I Jeong-jin groaned and fainted after being struck in a vital point. With the puff of dust rising as a signal, the brief ten-minute spar ended, and Berdo and Korn, who had been observing from afar, approached the two.
‘Since the Growth Rate Correction affects even his skills, he has already grown enough to spar with Senior Soldier Jun.’
Berdo was seriously analyzing I Jeong-jin’s appearance. He was not at all disappointed by the fact that he hadn’t lasted ten minutes in sparring with Jun. From the start, there was not even a sliver of possibility that I Jeong-jin could win against Jun.
Because Jun was rigidly strict with his own training, he was one of the most skilled among the soldiers. Even miscellaneous Blessed Ones had often been thoroughly beaten by Jun.
‘Besides, they say Earth was a place where the human race was overwhelmingly superior compared to other lifeforms.’
Jun was a soldier who had honed his spear arts fighting monsters for ten years.
That a twenty-five-year-old youth who had never experienced real combat or struggle had grown enough to ‘spar’ with Jun within three months was already a matter so astonishing one would jump in surprise.
And most of the Summoned were showing such astonishing achievements. Thanks to that, the Imperial Family was currently thrown into great chaos.
Korn pointed out the frivolous attitude Senior Soldier Jun had displayed during the spar, and Berdo fell into thought as a brief moment passed. I Jeong-jin soon opened his eyes and spoke the moment he came to his senses.
“Uh… I leveled up.”
‘Already level 10……. Our ancestors experienced this much growth and yet wasted their strength fighting among themselves. Truly a deplorable affair.’
Looking at I Jeong-jin, Berdo felt melancholy, and to shake it off, he asked while exaggeratingly jiggling his belly fat.
“Then since you’ve reached level 10, your class advancement must be complete. Unless it’s an extremely special case, it should finish immediately without a selection screen. Which class came out?”
“Uh… Spearman……? It said.”
“Puhuk!”
Jun, who was listening to I Jeong-jin’s answer, forgot that the Viscount was beside him and burst into laughter.
“S-soldier…… Keuheuk!”
Jun, a slave who had suffered on another continent and drifted to the Carbon territory. Senior Soldier Jun, who had lived by the motto of diligence and sincerity for ten years.
To him, I Jeong-jin was an existence that shook his life philosophy. That was why, although he didn’t know what it was, he could hardly hold back his laughter at the fact that after finally advancing his class, he had become a soldier just like him.
“If you advanced to soldier, doesn’t that mean until now you were below me? Lord I Jeong-jin? No, I Jeong-jin Hui…….”
Korn and Berdo looked at Senior Soldier Jun, who was thoroughly making fun of I Jeong-jin, with strange gazes. Realizing the meaning contained in their eyes, Senior Soldier Jun snapped to attention and shut his mouth tight.
Carbon’s first class had been Swordsman, and Berdo’s was Warrior. Soldier or whatever, it was all the same difference.
‘Serves him right.’
Putting behind him Senior Soldier Jun, who ignored the authority figure trembling as he stared at him, I Jeong-jin checked the status window he looked at every morning, no, several times a day.
[Name: I Jeong-jin (Indestructible)
Age: 25
Level: 10
Gender: Male
Class: Spearman
Race: Human
Stats ▼
Stamina: 14
Strength: 15
Mana: 8
Intelligence: 12
Agility 10
Mental Strength: 17
Affinity: 7
Luck: 8
Remaining Status: 14
Skills ▼
Pain Resistance (Lv 3), Endurance (Lv 2)
Growth Rate Correction (—): Adds 10% additional growth speed in all areas affected by the system during the education period for the Summoned.]
[Imperial Basic Spear Arts (Lv 6, —, Common): A basic spear art containing methods for training mana, created by a knight born as a non-Blessed in the Bordo Empire in Year 92 of the New Era who reached the realm of a master, for the sake of other non-Blessed. However, many changes occurred over generations, and it became a spear art different from the original. The knight’s enlightenment was lost and is hard to find, but depending on effort, it is a basic spear art that hints at new possibilities for development.]
[Star Cluster (Lv 2, —, Rare): A mana breathing method that gathers the energy of the sun, the energy of the moon, and the energy of the stars as one, storing them in the body to achieve spiritual evolution. Depending on the user’s disposition, infinite development is possible. However, it is so abstruse that it is difficult even for non-Blessed to learn, and it is virtually impossible for humans—even the Blessed—with poor sensitivity to mana to achieve. It is not a mana breathing method originating from the continent of Olloka.]
[Inventory is activated.]
[The status window function is partially unlocked.]
[You can check the levels of others.]
[You acquire 5 additional stats due to your first class advancement.]
‘The levels of others!’
Hearing the assistant’s explanation, I Jeong-jin immediately checked Korn and Berdo’s levels.
[Korn (Lv 69)]
[Berdo (Lv 121)]
And he immediately resolved to hide the faint rebellious heart he had been secretly nurturing for three months even deeper inside.
‘Let’s stay quiet until the education period ends…….’
At level 9, he had caught flying arrows with his bare hands and could pierce a waist-thick tree with a blunted iron spear without even using mana; he couldn’t imagine how strong level 100 would be.
Hiding his inner thoughts, I Jeong-jin asked Berdo about a different topic.
“Then should I invest all the stats I’ve saved up until now into physical abilities or mana?”
He gained one stat each time his level rose. And he had obtained five from his class advancement. A total of fourteen extra stats. I Jeong-jin had not invested any stats and had kept them exactly as they were.
‘I had heard that it is better to distribute stats after advancing classes first, so I held out until now.’
I Jeong-jin itched to distribute his stats immediately.
‘I thought as much…’ Berdo smiled subtly, realizing what I Jeong-jin had done during that brief moment. With a generous heart, Berdo decided to overlook his cute rebellion.
“Normally, yes… but I recommend delaying it until the education period ends. By deliberately not investing stats, you can artificially create a more difficult training environment. In any case, you’ve worked hard. I happened to catch a good show at just the right time.”
Berdo patted I Jeong-jin’s shoulder and left the training grounds.
Behind the deeply disappointed I Jeong-jin, a voice rang out that surpassed the level of strictness.
“Your level has risen and you’ve advanced to Spearman, so handling the spear will be easier than before. The Growth Rate Correction has a time limit, so rather than wasting time distributing your stats, you must devote yourself even more to training!”
It was Korn, who had been watching with arms crossed. He could not tolerate I Jeong-jin sitting down to see the Viscount off when he was leaving.
“From now on, reduce your sleeping time by one hour! And cut your rest time after meals in half as well, filling all of it with physical conditioning, mana breathing methods, and sparring with Senior Soldier Jun!”
I Jeong-jin stared blankly up at the sky. Korn guessed he was in the middle of a conversation with his assistant. Having come to his senses and heard Korn’s words, I Jeong-jin gradually began to distort his face, as if envisioning his own future.
“Senior Soldier Jun! Let us begin sparring again! This time, you are permitted to use a blunted iron spear as well! However, the use of mana is forbidden!”
“Yes, sir!”
Jun answered Korn’s order with the brightest face he had shown yet.
“What?! Starting right now?”
“Three months have already passed! No one knows how long you will be able to train here with peace of mind!”
It was clear that Korn had no intention of going easy on him at all.
“From now on, all morning hours will be filled with sparring! Begin!”
With an expression so stern it seemed no blood would come out even if stabbed with a spear, Korn barked the order, then turned his back on the two and left the training grounds.
“Hehehe.”
Jun approached I Jeong-jin, who was blankly watching Korn’s retreating figure, with a sinister smile, holding his iron spear.
Rather than resisting the unfamiliar emotion surging from within, Jun yielded to it. And faithfully following the whispers of his inner voice, he swung his spear toward the side of I Jeong-jin, who was showing an opening.