Chapter 12

Living is akin to setting up a signpost in the face of an approaching storm.

It is to say that it’s meaningless.

Who can confidently claim that the storm will follow the direction of the signpost just because it is planted in the ground?

One merely holds onto the signpost they were born with, hoping their life flows in that direction.

This applies to everyone, rich or poor.

Nothing in this world goes as planned.

I just experienced that truth once again, deeply and vividly.

“You volunteered because you wanted to go up against me, right?”

When the first training began, the supervisor asked who would spar with Kang Han first, and Kang Han stepped forward, pointing at his opponent.

It was an unexpected move for everyone present.

“Come on, Jin Mugyeol. Let’s have a match.”

It’s troublesome when the main characters start clashing.

Even more so if it’s because of me.

For some reason, ever since I got entangled with Kang Han, it feels like the things I need to take responsibility for keep piling up.

“Being good-looking sure is exhausting…”

I should have been more moderate with the customization. I was serious.

As I sighed quietly, the supervisor’s voice echoed in the training hall.

“The sparring time is 5 minutes. The match will end immediately if one side becomes incapacitated or surrenders. Medical staff and treatment facilities are ready in the adjacent waiting room. However, if anyone uses deadly force during the match, I will personally intervene, so there’s no need to worry. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

The mention of the supervisor’s personal intervention raised a question.

Now that I think about it, the supervisor hadn’t disclosed their Hunter grade.

Being part of the Hunter Association ensures some level of competence, but to claim to prevent fatal situations during a sparring match seemed overly arrogant.

Even the instructor, who must have mediated hundreds or thousands of sparring matches between cadets at the academy, took a full three seconds to intervene in the match I had with Kang Han that day.

It was more than enough time for the berserker to tear me apart. Without the hospital’s treatment, I would have died for sure.

However, neither Kang Han nor Jin Mugyeol on the sparring stage paid much attention to the instructor’s words.

They were already focused, preparing their mindset for the imminent battle.

Watching this, the supervisor, Han Se-ah, spoke again.

“It seems you didn’t fully understand the meaning of my intervention. Let me clarify.”

Only then did Kang Han and Jin Mugyeol both look at the referee.

Normally, when mediating a sparring match, the mediator might feel tense, unsure of what kind of accident could occur.

But there wasn’t the slightest hint of tension or anxiety in the supervisor’s demeanor.

“In official sparring sessions under my mediation, you are allowed to approach the match with the intent to kill your opponent.”

She delivered this chilling statement in a monotone, emotionless voice.

“The instructor is not responsible for any issues arising from this training. I am. Don’t mistake me for someone outside the academy. From the moment I took charge of this training project, I became both your superior and your overseer. Let me remind you again.”

She glanced over at Kang Han, Jin Mugyeol, and the cadets gathered around the sparring area.

“During these next two months, approach your matches with the mindset of killing your opponent.”

“…!”

“Haha!”

Hearing this, Kang Han stiffened, while Jin Mugyeol burst into delayed laughter.

At this point, I’m starting to get curious about the supervisor’s true identity.

She’s definitely not an ordinary Hunter.

With such questions lingering, the sparring match began.

—Beep!

With the sharp sound of the buzzer, Jin Mugyeol’s spear drew an arc.

Its trajectory cut through the air, rushing sharply toward Kang Han.

The training weapons at the academy all have blunt edges, but their mass matches that of actual sharp weapons.

Even a glancing blow could cause bruises, and a direct hit or stab could seriously damage the body.

Although the hospital promises to revive us, it’s still undeniably frightening.

However, Jin Mugyeol didn’t care whether his opponent got hurt or not.

Considering his opponent, he seemed to think this level of intensity was necessary.

Whoosh.

And he was right.

Kang Han’s hand reached for Jin Mugyeol’s spear shaft, as if it had always been his to begin with.

Catching a flying bullet might have been easier.

Jin Mugyeol’s spear slithered through the air like a living snake, tracing unpredictable paths.

Yet, I didn’t think Kang Han would fail.

That’s what a Berserker is.

A being born as an incarnation of violence.

A combat machine.

No training is necessary.

Their bodies know how to fight from the moment they are born.

It’s not just about raw strength.

Berserkers instinctively achieve combat optimization.

Their eyes never miss the weaknesses of their opponent.

Their hands and feet follow the most efficient paths to deflect or suppress attacks.

They can even read their opponent’s psyche, wielding that fear like a blade.

Kang Han was no different.

“Huh?”

Jin Mugyeol attempted to pull his spear back quickly, but Kang Han’s hand had already secured its center.

Under the grip of his solid hand, Jin Mugyeol’s spear didn’t budge.

“It’s over.”

Kang Han yanked the spear out of Jin Mugyeol’s grasp.

For a moment, Jin Mugyeol stood speechless, watching his own weapon disappear from his hands.

“That’s mine,” Jin Mugyeol muttered blankly.

But Kang Han didn’t reply.

He just stared at the spear he had seized, his eyes faintly trembling, as though suppressing something.

“Well, I guess I lost,” Jin Mugyeol said, brushing his hands off and stepping back toward the edge of the training ground.

But Kang Han stood motionless, his gaze still fixed on Jin Mugyeol.

Was it really over?

At that moment, Kang Han’s hand shot up.

“Wait…!”

Before Jin Mugyeol could react, Kang Han hurled the spear straight at him.

The heavy, metal spear cut through the air with a sharp, tearing sound.

Jin Mugyeol instinctively twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding it.

The spear struck the floor of the training ground mere centimeters away from his side, embedding itself deeply.

Bang!

Everyone flinched and turned toward the source of the sound.

The spear’s tip was buried in the solid training ground, fragments of stone scattering everywhere.

The scene resembled a volcanic eruption.

“Haha…” Jin Mugyeol let out a flustered laugh.

“Hey, Kang Han, that was a joke, right? Right?”

Kang Han didn’t respond. His breathing was rough, and his eyes trembled.

“He’s not in good shape…”

Despite how brief the fight had been, Kang Han’s berserk state had already intensified to a dangerous level.

I didn’t know why the supervisor hadn’t stepped in, but if Jin Mugyeol hadn’t dodged with all his might, he might have been skewered by now.

I glanced at the supervisor, who remained motionless, observing the scene with a detached expression.

She showed no sign of intervening.

Meanwhile, Kang Han, struggling to control his berserk state, took a deep breath and spoke.

“Let’s go again, Jin Mugyeol.”

“Ha… stop embarrassing me. Haha!”

By now, Jin Mugyeol seemed to have lost his cool completely.

His usual cheerfulness was gone, replaced with a determined air to settle this for good.

He swung the spear through the air with a sharp hum and said in a low voice,

“I won’t hold back this time. And for the record, Kang Han, you’re the first to make me say that!”

“Wait.”

In the end, I couldn’t watch any longer and stood up.

I walked steadily to the center of the stage and grabbed Kang Han’s wrist as he stood there, looking like he might charge off uncontrollably.

“Hey, come with me.”

“Huh… Joo Yidam?”

Only then did Kang Han look back at me. The wild, half-crazed look in his eyes cleared up slightly.

“Stop talking and hurry. Let’s go take care of it.”

Before leaving the training ground, I spoke briefly to the supervisor, Han Se-ah.

“Trigger.”

“Go ahead.”

As the supervisor sent to oversee Berserker training, I was confident she had been briefed on various details about us by the monk.

As expected, she allowed our actions without any further questions.

I took Kang Han outside the training ground.

We had to execute the trigger.

Right now, Kang Han’s berserk state was too severe to manage with a fake trigger.

We needed the real thing.

But pulling out a bloodstained handkerchief in front of others wasn’t an option.

“Damn it…”

There was one problem.

The handkerchief, having dried out stiff over time, no longer carried enough of a scent to act as a trigger.

I sighed and glared at Kang Han.

“At this rate, it’d be faster for me to pass out from blood loss than for you to get your berserk state under control, huh?”

“Sorry… Please.”

Fortunately, this world offered plenty of ways to heal quickly, even with a bit of blood loss.

Deciding to stock up on potions more diligently in the future, I unzipped my jacket.

“Ugh… You’re covering the potion costs.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Since the training uniform was a one-piece suit, there wasn’t much choice.

A short while later, we returned. Kang Han’s expression was noticeably calmer.

As I sat back in my seat, Wi Seoyeon approached me.

She glanced around cautiously before whispering,

“What did you guys do?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing much. Just let him get some fresh air. Why, nothing happened here, right?”

“Nothing? Um… yeah.”

As we chatted, I felt a gaze from the stage.

Jin Mugyeol was looking in our direction with a complicated expression.

However, the moment he saw Kang Han had returned, he grabbed his spear again.

Yet, his posture lacked the intensity and enthusiasm from earlier.

He seemed deflated, even a bit sullen.

‘What’s with him?’

At that moment, Wi Seoyeon reached out toward me.

She tugged at different parts of my clothes and said,

“They’re wrinkled. I noticed your uniform was crumpled.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“Can I ask why it’s wrinkled?”

“It happens sometimes.”

“…I see.”