Chapter 25: Training
The day training began in earnest.
Before Yoo Soha stood Eclipse, the members of Hwanryeong Team 2, and Shin Sungmin, all waiting attentively.
“First, here’s the training plan for the next week.”
Yoo Soha began scribbling objectives on a blackboard she had brought out.
Written in her round, cute handwriting were the following:
Training for the North Korea Expedition.
Below that were listed items like physical conditioning, basic weapon technique training, data analysis and weakness identification of magical beasts in North Korea, and tactical coordination.
Honestly, it was an overwhelming schedule for just one week.
Basic weapon technique training alone would eat up a ton of time.
Considering the time Yoo Soha had spent learning from Eclipse, a week was an incredibly short period.
The other team members seemed to realize this too, as they glanced at Cha Hyunsung.
Cha Hyunsung let out a sigh and raised his hand while Yoo Soha was eagerly explaining the plan.
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi. Got a question?”
“Uh, Team Leader? Isn’t this plan a bit much to cover in a week…? Just physical conditioning and basic technique training alone seem impossible to complete in that time.”
“…Pardon?”
“We’re just establishing the framework for training right now. We’ll face plenty of real combat in North Korea, so having a foundation will make it easier to apply in practice. The same goes for basic weapon techniques. Take a spear, for example. Thrusting is usually a fundamental technique, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, during this training, we’ll solidify the concept of thrusting and apply it directly in real combat.”
“Then all the things listed there…”
“Yes. They’re things we’ll continue doing even in North Korea.”
“…Understood.”
It wasn’t about cramming everything into a short period. Instead, they’d learn the basics and apply them in real combat.
That was the gist of Yoo Soha’s explanation.
Hearing this, the team members’ faces stiffened, but they nodded nonetheless.
No one knew how many months the North Korea expedition would take.
“Anyway, that’s how we’ll proceed. Since there’s little recorded data on North Korean magical beasts, we’ll train based on the data Shin Sungmin-ssi acquired, so keep that in mind.”
“Yes!”
“Oh, and mages and gunners are exempt from weapon technique training. You’ll need to focus on researching mana usage effective against magical beasts during the data analysis phase later.”
“Yes!”
The mages and gunners couldn’t hide their delighted expressions at Yoo Soha’s words.
“Uh, um, Team Leader. Then who’s handling the weapon technique training…?”
“You already know, don’t you? Everyone, including me, will be trained in the basics directly by Eclipse.”
Yoo Soha answered Cha Hyunsung’s question as if it were obvious.
“But doesn’t Eclipse-nim use swordsmanship?”
“Eclipse, what do you think?”
“I’ve mastered the basics of all weapons that are held and swung. That includes hand-to-hand combat. No need to worry.”
“Got that?”
“Ah, understood.”
“So, we’ll proceed with the training as planned.”
“Yes!”
As soon as Yoo Soha finished speaking, the intense week-long training began.
Day 1.
As per the training schedule, the team members began physical conditioning and basic technique training under Eclipse’s guidance.
Thinking it would be moderate physical conditioning, the team members soon started groaning under Eclipse’s hellish regimen.
“Ugh…!”
“I-I’m gonna die…”
“You can’t be exhausted by just this. You won’t even be able to handle the basics properly if you’re like this.”
The only exceptions, perhaps, were Shin Sungmin and Yoo Soha.
Neither seemed particularly strained by the grueling physical conditioning.
It made sense for Shin Sungmin, an S-rank awakener, but the team members were speechless seeing Yoo Soha keep up as well.
The reason Yoo Soha wasn’t fazed by the physical conditioning was simple.
For the month leading up to the Hwanryeong Grand Tournament, she had trained under Eclipse’s relentless guidance.
So, this level of physical conditioning couldn’t tire her out.
Yoo Soha looked at the team members, who were staring at her like she was a monster, with a pitying expression and spoke.
“Come on, everyone, snap out of it. Get up and keep going. How long are you going to stay sprawled out? When we’re on the North Korea expedition, you’ll face situations tougher than this. Are you going to collapse every time?”
Her scolding, dripping with disdain, forced the team members to grit their teeth and pull themselves up.
That tone of hers—it was the one she used when dealing with useless people.
The team members knew well how harsh Yoo Soha could be with those she deemed useless.
After all, plenty of people had been kicked out of Hwanryeong Team 2 for being deemed useless.
Knowing this, they forced themselves to stand.
Watching the scene, Yoo Soha gave Eclipse an order.
“Eclipse, increase the intensity of the physical conditioning.”
“Understood.”
“…H-Hiiik…”
Some of the weaker mages and gunners let out terrified whimpers.
“You can’t collapse from just this level of conditioning. I’m handling it just fine, so shouldn’t you all keep up? Especially those in the vanguard—you’ll have to move a lot more. I’m not pleased with you collapsing like this. Every time you collapse, Eclipse will increase the intensity. Got it?”
“Yes, yes!”
Faced with Yoo Soha’s warning that collapsing would lead to even tougher training, the team members had no choice but to push through with grim determination.
Normally, she wouldn’t have been able to push the team this hard, but what could they do?
They had brought this upon themselves by taking the bait of Soul Armaments.
After physical conditioning ended, most of the awakeners collapsed on the spot.
Even Cha Hyunsung, who usually stood at the forefront protecting the team, was utterly exhausted, so the others were no exception.
Yoo Soha looked at them disapprovingly. Their stamina fell short of her standards.
“Haa.”
A sigh escaped Yoo Soha’s lips, and the team members could only glance at each other nervously.
“We’ll have to improve stamina gradually. I’m disappointed in you all. I told you repeatedly not to neglect your personal training, but you can’t even handle this level of conditioning. If you’d been consistent with your stamina training, you wouldn’t be in this state now.”
“…We’re sorry.”
Yoo Soha’s sharp rebuke rained down on the team.
Shin Sungmin found the situation a bit puzzling.
To him, their stamina didn’t seem that bad. It was appropriate for their awakener ranks.
If anything, Yoo Soha’s stamina was abnormally high.
Even a typical A-rank awakener would be wiped out by Eclipse’s physical conditioning.
He didn’t think Yoo Soha was unaware of that fact.
But after some thought, Shin Sungmin quickly realized why she was acting this way.
‘By normal standards, sure. But we’re heading to North Korea. A place most awakeners wouldn’t dare set foot in… She has no choice but to set a high standard.’
Exactly.
They were heading to North Korea, the so-called Demon Realm. How many had tried and failed to conquer it?
Sure enough, Yoo Soha began addressing that very point.
“Some of you might be thinking, ‘Isn’t this level of stamina good enough?’ And you’re right. Your stamina isn’t below average. It’s about what you’d expect from consistent training. But you’re going to North Korea. Not some ordinary gate.”
Yoo Soha took a sip of water and continued her tirade.
“It’s not a place you can just waltz into with Soul Armaments and conquer easily. And what’s the most important thing in gate conquest? You all know it—stamina.”
“…You’re right.”
As Yoo Soha said, stamina was more critical than ability. Awakeners who ran out of stamina and dragged down their team could put everyone in danger.
The team members, aware of this, could only hang their heads like sinners.
Seeing their dejected state, Yoo Soha sighed. At this rate, the North Korea expedition would be impossible.
“This won’t do. We’ll postpone the expedition. One month. I’m giving you one month to prepare to your fullest. I’ll provide ample support.”
“…Yes.”
Even the promise of support didn’t brighten the awakeners’ faces. They could sense the disappointment in Yoo Soha’s words.
Extending the timeline from a week to a month was likely a direct jab at their stamina issues. Stamina wasn’t something that could be built in a short time.
“I’ll revise the schedule as well, and I’ll notify you later about the details. For now, focus on stamina and basic techniques.”
“Understood!”
“Alright. Since you’ve rested a bit, shall we continue with physical conditioning?”
“…Yes.”
Unlike earlier, a fierce determination began to flicker in the team members’ eyes.
They were, after all, Hwanryeong awakeners—people with strong pride in their abilities.
But Yoo Soha had thoroughly shattered that pride, so it wasn’t surprising they were now fueled by resolve.
As Eclipse resumed guiding the physical conditioning, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
Unlike earlier, when they dragged themselves through training like they were headed to a slaughterhouse, their attitude had noticeably changed.
‘Soha definitely has an eye for people.’
No matter how enticing the promise of Soul Armaments was, their burning motivation was clearly rooted in their pride.
When such people’s pride is wounded, they’ll do whatever it takes to restore it.
Yoo Soha had precisely targeted that.
And it was proof of the significant trust she had in them.
Trust that, when their pride was challenged, they’d strive to reclaim it.
Belief that they weren’t the type to give up and collapse.
And the team members, as if to repay her trust, began training with even greater intensity.
Even the weaker mages and gunners were no exception.
In fact, realizing their stamina lagged behind the vanguard awakeners, they started pushing themselves even harder.
Watching this, Eclipse felt a surge of motivation for the first time in a while.