A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy - Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Training (1)

After a satisfying lunch, we returned to the main building.

Unlike the morning theory lessons, the afternoon was set aside for practical training.

However, as Marlboro had mentioned, the practical training had been converted to autonomous training until the day of the duel.

While technically autonomous, in reality, they only had morning classes. That’s why some students didn’t come.

‘Do the wizards mostly use their training rooms?’

I followed Luna into an autonomous training area. Kara had briefly stepped away to change into her training uniform.

The autonomous training area I’d seen in real life was considerably large. It was much larger than an average gymnasium.

There were various exercise machines placed around for improving physical abilities, and a simple training field as well.

Moreover, even spaces for private training were arranged, making it an excellent facility.

“Um…what should we start with?”

While I was looking around the training area, Luna murmured these words with a trace of apprehension.

Normally, she would train alone. However, today I was with her.

She couldn’t leave me idle while she trained, but also, she didn’t know what exercises we could do together.

‘I need to concentrate more on my skills.’

My physical specs were already at their maximum. What I urgently required now were skills.

I didn’t even have the ‘basic’ related skills that the starter character is supposed to have. This was a serious issue.

How serious, you ask? I needed to put in extreme effort to acquire even the basics. It was hard to grasp even the most fundamental skills in general.

“I’m here.”
“Ah. You’ve come…”
T h i s w a s c o p ie d fr o m k i n g mt l .o r g

While I was contemplating how to train, a familiar voice caught my ear.

Luna turned her head towards the direction of the voice and stopped mid-sentence. She slowly turned around to look.

“Aren’t you changing? After all, the uniform can be uncomfortable, especially for Sivar.”

It was Kara. She stood confidently in her cool attire.

A fitting black bra top combined with short shorts. A comfortable outfit to match her refreshing mask.

Also, there were large and small scars on her abdomen, arms, and legs which gave her a strong impression.

It was proof of how many real battles she had fought.

“…I’m fine. I plan to focus mainly on swordsmanship training today. What about you, Kara?”
“I usually concentrate on physical strengthening…but I’ve won a few.”

She gave me a contemplative look after she said those words.

I had been observing Kara’s form all this while. She seemed even more remarkable outside of her uniform.

From her bronzed skin to a searing set of 11-pack abs, she was a true representation of a healthy beauty.

‘She’s from a desert country, so they’re more open about skin exposure?’
T h is w a s c o p ie d from kin g m tl. o r g

Since the weather in their country is hot, they don’t shy away from revealing clothing.

That’s why, whenever there are no classes or over the weekends, I see her dressed in such attire.

There are many charming characters in the Soul World, but Kara is one of the most distinctive.

“What’s he going to do? It’s too ambiguous to leave him alone.”

While I was momentarily distracted, Kara pointed at me and asked.

Even from Luna’s point of view, it seemed a bit awkward to deal with as she cautiously replied.

“To be honest, I also worry about that. I feel uneasy just leaving him be, but it’s tricky to decide on a suitable training.”
“Then, can I take him with me?”
“Pardon?”

Luna was taken aback by Kara’s proposal. Her face seemed to ask what Kara meant.

“Ah…just to be clear, this isn’t for competition or anything like that. I just have some curiosities.”
“What are you curious about…”
T h is w a s c o pie d fro m ki n g m t l . o r g
“Things like strength, or reaction speed. For now, I’m most curious about his spear-throwing. During the competition, his spear skills weren’t ordinary.”

During the competition with Elvin, I pressed hard on him with my spear. If I had thrown it a little more forcefully, Elvin’s head would have been skewered.

I did not use any magic, just pure strength. That’s what Kara was curious about.

“Aren’t you curious too?”
“I guess we don’t need to see his strength. He clearly broke the leg of a monkey with a stone axe.”
“That’s cool. But I’m curious, so let’s check it out. You should observe too.”
“Why should I?”
“I’m curious if he can exert power from such skinny arms.”
“…Are you starting a quarrel because of the competition?”

While they were engaging in their so-called discussion, I started looking elsewhere.

Then, I noticed the competition field. Some students were competing, and around them, other students were gathered.

Curiosity got the best of me and I slowly walked over. Luna and Kara were too busy with their disagreement to notice.

Thwack!

When I arrived at the competition field, I could see a scene where a female student holding a spear rapidly tried to stab her opponent.

The male student avoided the stab just by moving his head and slashing his sword from below to above.

Evading and attacking at the same time. The female student was able to effortlessly block it with the back end of her spear as if she had foreseen this.

The male student did not flinch when blocked by the sword and went on to use his shoulder to charge.

With a spear, it is most efficient when using it from a distance, so he seemed to be trying to nullify that advantage.

Swish!

Yet his plan was neutralized when the female student smoothly twisted her body.

If things continued this way, the male student would be in danger, but he quickly swung his sword, preventing a follow-up attack.

All of this occurred in less than a second. Both students knew the strengths and weaknesses of their weapons.

“I think we’ll stop here.”
“You’ve worked hard.”

Although I wanted to see more, the session seemed to end.

The students responded to the impressive competition with applause.

I just stood there, wondering if I should also clap when a student in front of me turned around.

The student seemed surprised to see me behind him, looked up, and exclaimed.

“Eek?!”
“…”

That’s quite a unique shriek he has.

The male student let out a unique shout as soon as he saw me. At the same time, all eyes turned to me.

Everyone had the face of ‘Why is he here?’. Well, I did sneak here.

Moving without making a sound has become a habit of mine. It’s necessary to increase the success rate of the hunt as much as possible.

‘No wonder my stealth skill was marked as Ex.’

Anyway, the competition was over, and it seemed best to go back now.

There’s nothing I’m going to do being here, it’s a waste of time.

“What were you doing here?”
“Do you expect a response from him?”
“Be quiet.”

Luna, who happened to notice my ‘disappearance’, found me. Kara’s tackle happened to be a bonus.

I followed Luna as I looked around the disorganized competition field.

Not much further, I heard the sound of a competition starting.

Looking back again, other people were striking their weapons against each other in defense and attack.

“Sivar? Where are you looking at?”

As I stopped walking, Luna also looked at the competition field in wonder.

Then, as if thinking about something, she asked me in an uncertain voice.

“Do you want to compete?”
“What? Really?”

I don’t know about Luna, but why do you have that expectation?

Regardless of Kara’s sparkling eyes and question, I shook my head firmly.

I wanted to write words on Luna’s palm, but unfortunately, I didn’t know the word for ‘skill’.

“Shibal.”

So, I pointed to the students in the middle of the competition, striking their weapons against each other, and then mimicked a sword-holding posture.

Seeing my gesture, Luna blinked her eyes and opened her mouth in an ‘Ah’ exclamation.

“A sword? Do you want to learn how to use a sword? Like this?”

She showed me the swordsmanship with the training sword hung on her waist.

Th i s w as co p i e d f r om k i ngm t l . or g
From light slicing to stabbing and upper blocking, it was basic swordsmanship.

Despite being basic, it was all clean and without any flaws – enough to attract the interest of Kara.

“So you are talking about this?”
“Shibal.”

I nodded my head.

But what needs to be understood here is that any weapon turns into a disposable one the moment it fits into my hand.

I asked for it because I thought I should know a little more than knowing nothing at all.

Luna seemed puzzled at my answer and scratched her cheek.

“Well… I’m sorry. It’s going to be hard. I’m not capable enough to teach someone.”
“Shibal?”

Why? You’re the protagonist!

Despite my thoughts, what came out of my mouth was a denial.

Luna is the protagonist of the Soul World. She is a talent who absorbs various skills even in adversity.

Not sure if she understood my feelings, or felt the emotion in my voice, Luna spoke with a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry. As important as a teacher, in martial arts, the student is also important. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to understand my explanation.”
“Shibal.”

I can understand. I understand all the words.

As I answered with a frowning face as if frustrated, Luna opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Sivar. Are you getting angry?”
“It seems more like he’s frustrated. Just explain it straightforwardly. He’ll probably get it.”

Kara made a fresh judgment (?).

Luna looked doubtful, then gave me the training sword that was mounted on the weapon rack.

It was made of iron but the edge was not sharp. It’s a sword made specifically for training.

“Why do you suddenly want to learn how to use a sword?”
“He was staring at the competition a while ago, isn’t it because it looked cool? Like kids playing knights.”
“They said that Sivar’s intelligence is normal for his age.”
“There is a saying that a man remains a child regardless of his age.”

Luna chuckled at Kara’s compelling words. She didn’t deny it.

Honestly, the duel between the two students was pretty cool. They were assessing each other’s skills only using techniques.

In the upcoming duel events, much cooler and larger-scale skills would appear.

“It wouldn’t be bad to cultivate patience this time. Keep holding onto it.”
“Shibal?”
“My teacher said, the sword must feel familiar to your hand first.”

Luna answered as if she understood perfectly. I also know about her teacher.

So I had to follow it quietly grumbling.

“You’re holding it with your right hand now. Weren’t you left-handed?”
“He should be ambidextrous. He wielded the spear with his right hand during the duel didn’t he?”

That’s because I was bitten by a wolf on my left arm as soon as I fell into the forest.

Around the time my left arm was healed, I could use my right hand as smoothly as my main one.

So now, I’m using them alternately. I’m just more familiar with my left hand.

“Even if you’re ambidextrous, you have a hand you use often, just figure that out for yourself. It would be better if he’s left-handed.”
“That would be great. Ah, are you going to teach him hand-to-hand combat?”
“…Hand-to-hand combat?”

Luna blinked at the question about combat. She had a truly innocent response, just like a naive country maiden.

Kara squinted one eye and asked Luna in a doubtful tone.

“Do you by any chance not know how to do hand-to-hand combat? Not even the basic grappling?”
“Yes.”
“Goodness.”

Upon Luna’s innocent answer, Kara covered her face with her hand. Luna just tilted her head.

Then, Kara, covering her face with her hand, glanced back and forth between Luna and me and let out a deep, sigh.

She seemed completely frustrated.

“It’s hopeless. Let’s learn hand-to-hand combat instead of anything else. Before that, do you know what grappling is?”
“I heard it’s an essential skill that boxers and fighters learn.”
“Not only fighters but everyone in martial arts. There’s nothing better than grappling when it comes to improving movement and physical skills.”

Kara is right.

One of the necessary skills to acquire in the Soul World is martial arts.

“There’s no need to delve too deeply, but at least the basics must be mastered.

Otherwise, it’s essentially over when you get mounted.

Especially if a fighter gets you on the ground, it’s game over.
T h i s w as c o p i e d fr o m k i n g m t l .o r g

Even with an all-out struggle, taking fists to the face reduces stamina drastically.

There are two ways out. Either with overwhelming physical strength or with skill.

“Do I need to learn hand-to-hand combat when I primarily use a sword?”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t have any real combat experience?”
“Yes.”
“For that reason, you must learn hand-to-hand combat basics. Otherwise, it’s over whenever anyone approaches or when you fall. You can also prevent falls by working on your balance.”

This advice is in line with what Marlboro mentioned during the morning lesson.

Even for the sole purpose of preventing falls, get a good pair of shoes.

Essentially, this means that there is always a chance of falling at least once when facing someone of similar skill.

‘In Soul World, a blow to a fallen opponent always resulted in a critical hit.’

It’s an annoyingly realistic simulation.

Nevertheless, the benefits of learning hand-to-hand combat far outweigh the drawbacks.

The biggest advantage is that it greatly increases flexibility, making it easier to avoid falls.

That alone makes a significant difference, making it an essential skill in Soul World.

“I don’t fall…”
“Don’t say things like ‘as long as I don’t fall’. Whenever fights happen between fighters of comparable skill, it always ends up chaotic. So, are you going to learn?”
“····· No.”

Is it pride? Or stubbornness?

Luna politely declined Kara’s offer with a slightly displeased expression.

“I don’t have the time to learn anything new, I already struggle with swordsmanship. I’m sorry.”
“Well, if that’s your choice. When you beg me to teach you later, I won’t do it.”
“That won’t happen.”

Sure it won’t.

Soon, you’ll regret it when you get beaten up in sparring.

T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m kin gm tl . org
While I thought about this, Kara shook her shoulders.

Then, as she casually looked at me, she persuaded me in a bright and refreshing tone.

“Why don’t you learn hand-to-hand combat before swordplay? Honestly, it’ll be more beneficial.”
“Hold on. Sivar decided to learn swordplay first. And he was the one who wanted to learn it first.”
“Why don’t you learn how to move before anything else? I will teach you on his behalf.”

The quarrel between the two started again. I wonder when they’ll ever get along.

At least the argument ended quickly. The realization that their fight was going nowhere helped.

“Then let’s ask Sivar. Isn’t that better?”
Thi s w as co p i ed f r o m k i ngm t l . o r g
“That sounds like a good idea. What do you want to learn first?”

The decision fell to me. I glanced back and forth between Luna and Kara.

Viewing them side by side, I noticed that there was a significant difference in their body sizes.

Luna isn’t short, but Kara is taller than the average man.

Well, I have to make a choice anyway, so I shifted my gaze between them before making my decision.

I had made up my mind quite some time ago.

“Si, Sivar? Why·····”

Luna looked at me as if she couldn’t believe my decision.

“Kyah! Seems like I’m more appealing than you, aren’t I?”

With a triumphant expression, Kara patted my shoulder.

And as you can see, I chose Kara, not Luna.

I was certainly drawn to swordsmanship, but grappling, or ‘fighting’, is a must.

‘The fact that I can’t get a weapon that can withstand my magic right now is a significant factor.’

Like I said earlier, all the weapons I can currently get are one-time use for me.

Is there any meaning to learning swordsmanship or spearmanship when they all end up broken?

It would make more sense to swing an easily available ax.

‘I’m sorry for changing my mind. I’m not a reed.’

It could hurt Luna’s feelings, but there’s no way around it. I urgently need to learn hand-to-hand combat.

Like my previous encounter with Porori, when fighting someone of the same skill level, the battle became barehanded.

Of course, it’s not entirely barehanded, as magic is included, but it’s not important.

“Okay, My cute buddy? If you want to learn from me, toss your sword far away. Okay?”

As Kara gained confidence, she tapped my arm, which was wielding the sword, and spoke.
T h i s w a s c op i e d f ro m k i n g m tl. o rg

I listened to her and glanced around. It’s a training ground, so there’s definitely a ‘that’ somewhere.

On the other hand, Luna, who was a little upset, seemed to sense something strange and asked Kara.

“…Wait a moment, Kara.”
“Why? Are you now wanting to learn···”
“No. It’s just that you said ‘toss it far away’…”
“Yes. What about it…”

Kara paused mid-sentence, then looked at me with an expression that said ‘You wouldn’t’. However, I had already pulled my sword-wielding arm back a while ago. Then, Kara hurriedly tried to stop me.

Pang!

Before that, the sword left my hand first. I threw the sword fiercely.

I had just lightly thrown it, but it was strong enough to blow Kara’s red hair.

Then, the training sword, which was going at an insane speed, precisely hit the clock that was hanging on the faraway wall.

“··· ···”
“··· ···”

The noisy training ground became quiet instantly.

It seems everyone was unintentionally paying attention to this side.

“I’ll go and fetch it.”
“Oh, uh, from now on, Let’s choose our words carefully.”
“It’s… it’s not your fault, Kara. It’s just…”

After trying to go towards the clock where the training sword was stuck, Luna looked at me; she stared at me with a complicated expression for a while, and then she said, laughing.

“…Let’s just say that it happened.”

I felt slightly sorry.

******

Luna walked helplessly towards the clock with the training sword stuck in it.

Although she could hear the whispering from the surroundings, she did not pay any attention to them.

The burst of Sivar’s eccentricity was shocking. Still, the choice he made before that weighed on her mind.

‘Why didn’t he choose me?’

This was Luna’s biggest question. Why did Sivar choose Kara instead of her?

She was the one who first met him with Ellie, and she was the one who got familiar with him by acting as his protector.

She was willing to teach him wholeheartedly when he wanted to learn swordsmanship. But Sivar chose Kara.

‘Why on earth?’

She never expected Sivar to know about hand-to-hand combat. He would not have known what it even was.

What was lacking? Luna had this question in mind while she glanced back.

Kara was talking to Sivar about something. Sivar was just standing there, blankly listening.

Kara was quite large, not less than any adult man, but Sivar was even bigger. He was tall enough to be called a giant.

‘ ……Hold on.’

Then she noticed something. It was Kara’s ample chest.

Though not as voluptuous as Ellie, Kara was certainly on the larger side.

On the other hand, Luna was not small but there was a distinct difference when compared to them.

‘Could it be that he’s especially obedient to Ellie too?’

In terms of looks, she didn’t fall short at all. If there was any difference, it would only be their figures.

With this oddly persuasive hypothesis, Luna frowned. It was a feeling of her female pride being crumpled.

‘Yes, now I understand.’

That’s what her master said.

Men, especially when they’re big, have genetic boyish features that can trigger strong instincts.

So, it’s entirely normal for a man to be attracted to a woman with a superior figure.

Especially for Sivar, who was raised in the wild, he would be more faithful to ‘instinct’. That may be why he chose Kara.

‘What’s so great about that lump of fat.’

As everything felt like a puzzle fitting perfectly, Luna pursed her lips.

If it weren’t for the cave painting, she wouldn’t have claimed to be his protector.

But she still planned to continue the role of protector, considering he might get into trouble later.

It was strictly to prevent Sivar from getting into accidents, and not for any other mixed reasons.

“Hmph.”

Luna turned her head and walked towards the clock, with a snort.

As she reached the wall where Sivar had struck the sword, she realized that the clock hung quite high.

‘It’s about 5 meters.’

Luna activated her magic within and jumped high. In an instant, she was at eye level with the clock.

Surprisingly, even the hilt of the sword was deeply embedded. It had great power and precision for something simply thrown.

Swoosh!

She drew out the sword and simultaneously grabbed the clock with one hand. It would be problematic if it fell and broke.

Luna gently landed back down on the ground and checked the clock. It was stuck firmly due to the sword.

‘This design is unusual?’

The design of the clock was rather unique. At a glance, one could mistake it for a magic circle.

Overall, there was no color and it was drawn only in black and white.

Luna looked around and then focused on the clock for a closer inspection.

If it was a magic circle, she wanted to understand its structure.

[Colorless Magic Circle: ???]

[This magic circle was created without any color]

[This magic circle was created for a special purpose. Only one faction does not use color.]

[Special Effect: ???]

“?!”

Luna’s face turned with shock as she read the message.

Her mouth gaped open and her eyes widened. She was so surprised that she nearly dropped the clock.

There are various colors in the world, and it’s not a day’s work to express the beauty of life through these colors.

However, there is one existence that lost all colors, the ‘devil’ as stated in Godin’s lecture.

‘Colorless, not black and white…’

The devils lost all colors due to being defeated in the war with God.

As a compromise, they somehow managed to maintain their form, albeit only in ‘black and white.’

But even this black and white is a color, and thus, devils are largely heterogeneous.

The magic circle may seem drawn in black and white, but upon close inspection, it becomes blurry.

‘So it was true that the devil invaded the academy.’

With a hardened expression, Luna removed her gaze from the clock and glanced around.

Kara was drawing something on Sivar’s hand. It seemed like she was teaching him words.

‘Could it be? No, it’s a coincidence… right?’

Did Sivar know that this was a magic circle created by a devil and threw the sword? Or did he throw it because he did not have a proper target?

Going further, was he the one who drew the mural? If true, did he know ‘the future’?

Nothing was clear, but one thing was certain.

The devils were targeting the academy.

“……”

Luna looked at Sivar with a complicated look.

The deeper she delved, the more doubtful about his identity she became.

She was able to communicate with him, so it might be time to ask about the identity of the mural.

“Your muscles are really firm? There’s no need for stamina training, you can just learn techniques.”

“……”

Apart from that, this is a little irritating. Luna’s eyes twitched at the sight before her.

Kara was evaluating Sivar’s body, touching him all over with her hands.

She started with his firm thighs and moved upwards, to his abs, chest, shoulders, etc.

Despite such bold physical contact, Sivar remained still.

T hi s w a s co p i ed fro m k i n g m t l . org
All he did was idly gaze around with his face devoid of any expression.

‘Why is he standing still?’

Could they have already become that close to each other? Just from the conversation that seemed like no conversation during class.

Sivar, who lived in the wild, is extremely sensitive to sudden physical contact.

Yet the fact that he is standing still shows that he considers Kara to be safe.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d fr om k in g m t l. o r g
‘I’ll have to talk about the wall painting when we’re alone.’

To do that, she has to separate him from Kara.

Again, it’s to ask about the wall painting, not because of any personal feelings.

There’s no way she would have feelings for a guy she met less than a month ago.

Even though he does have a handsome face, it’s not enough yet.

‘I should… throw away the clock for now.’

Luna threw the clock with the magic circle drawn on it into the trash can.

If she threw it into the incinerator immediately, she might be suspected by the possible devils.

It is necessary to show that all of this is purely ‘coincidental’. Otherwise, it could be dangerous.

“I’m here.”
“Ah, you’re here? What about the clock?”
“It wasn’t usable. So I threw it away.”
“Shouldn’t you have asked before doing that?”
“··· Ah.”

Damage to school property is completely the student’s responsibility. And Sivar is still in the adjustment period.

In other words, full admission could be a problem.

If the Principal hears about this, he might grab the back of his neck and chuckle.

“··· Sivar.”
“?”
“You… Nevermind.”

It feels like the future is getting darker.