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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Interpersonal Combat Class (1)
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Currently, among the first-year students enrolled at Velvet Academy,
the name Jin Yuha, a male quota student, was more widely known for his looks than his skill.
Of course, Jin Yuha hadn't exactly hidden his strength; he had proven himself repeatedly.
There were the group spars and the final match during basic training,
the "re-education" of the male students who followed Shin Sehee,
and most recently, the demon subjugation incident.
However, his opponents in the group spars rationalized their losses by claiming Jin Yuha had been careless,
and nearly two-thirds of the students had been absent from the final match.
As for the male students who received "re-education," most were healers and supporters, so no matter how much they talked, it hardly became a hot topic.
The incident where Choi Aram, a demon, was dealt with, was the only one that truly showcased his skills.
Sadly, it had happened the day before, and the situation hadn't even been fully resolved yet,
so the rumor was only spreading by word of mouth among second-year students, and there wasn't enough time for it to reach the first-years.
Besides that, the presence of two famous individuals also contributed to Jin Yuha's lukewarm reputation.
"Thousand Flowers," Shin Sehee.
"War Dog," Kang Dohee.
With a man of extraordinary looks caught between these two celebrities,
people's attention was drawn more to his appearance than his abilities!
In other words, Jin Yuha's reputation among the current first-year freshmen was...
"The homme fatale beauty that incites love triangles"
"A face that inspires fervent admiration"
"The man who claimed the top-tier healer spot based solely on looks"
"A flower on a cliff"
And so on...
Public opinion largely revolved around his appearance.
Therefore, the students who visited the training ground for the interpersonal combat practical class couldn't hide their bewilderment.
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Grade A: Kang Dohee, Jin Yuha
Grade B: Lee Minyoung, Yoon Saerom, Kim Dayoung...
Grade C: Kim Hyesoo, Choi Yurim, Goo Yoona...
.
.
.
.
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Murmurs━
The grade list was prominently displayed at the entrance of the training ground.
A commotion arose among the students who saw it.
"Is this for real?"
"Jin Yuha, that's him, right? The face genius."
"Yeah. I think so...?"
"No, this makes no sense, does it? He's the same A-grade as Kang Dohee?"
"Maybe if they hang out together, they're considered similar in rank..."
"What we saw in the final match was impressive, but still, not *this* impressive."
Just then.
Thud─!
A massive hammer slammed onto the floor, silencing the students' murmuring.
It was a woman with a bear-like build and a large physique.
"Greetings, students! I'm Hong Jina, the instructor in charge of the interpersonal combat practical!"
She spoke in a booming voice.
The students' gazes instantly converged on her.
"The grade list you just saw at the entrance was assigned based on each instructor's evaluation during basic training, categorizing students by skill level!"
At that moment, a girl with orange hair raised her hand.
"Hmm? Student?"
"Ah, yes. I'm student Lee Minyoung."
"Student Lee Minyoung?"
Hong Jina briefly glanced at the grade list to confirm the name.
"You're a B-grade student."
"Yes, that's right."
"Alright, Student Lee Minyoung. Is there a problem? Are you perhaps dissatisfied with your grade?"
Lee Minyoung calmly shook her head.
"No, I have no particular dissatisfaction with my grade. I don't believe I'm on the same level as Student Kang Dohee."
"Hmm, then?"
"However, I have doubts about another student's skill."
"Another student?"
"Yes, among the students listed in A-grade, I acknowledge Student Kang Dohee. But Student Jin Yuha is a bit difficult to accept."
With that, she turned her head and cast her gaze towards Jin Yuha.
* * *
'Hmm, I expected this kind of reaction the moment it was plastered so prominently on the main gate…'
I turned my head and met the gaze of the orange-haired female student who had just questioned my grade.
'Playable character, Lee Minyoung.'
She was a 3-star character.
A balanced-type dealer who used both a mace and a small shield.
However, unlike characters who went all-in on one ability, like Kang Dohee (known for her focused combat style),
a balanced type was truly an ambiguous character.
'Of course, I used her since I pulled her in the gacha… *Sigh*. Looks like I've run into a troublesome one.'
She had a stubborn look on her face and didn't avert her gaze.
As we stared at each other, the instructor spoke.
"Hmm, so Student Lee Minyoung questions Student Jin Yuha's skill!"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then it's simple!"
"Yes...?"
Slam─!
Hong Jina slammed her massive hammer onto the floor again.
"Everyone, pay attention! Since it's been brought up, I'll explain how this interpersonal combat practical class will proceed."
She glanced at the grade list, then turned her gaze back to the students.
"As I said, this grade list was assigned based on preliminary assessments from basic training. However, it is by no means an absolute grade!"
"You mean it's not absolute..."
"Exactly. Grades can change at any time."
Grin─
She twisted her lips into a smile.
"This interpersonal combat practical lecture has no separate exams or tests. It's solely about skill! You earn your grade as points."
"Oh..."
"Then you must be curious about how to raise your grade."
The students, seemingly overwhelmed by her charisma, nodded.
"Sparing! Within the time allowed for this class, lower-ranked students can challenge higher-ranked students at any time! And if a lower-ranked student wins, they can exchange grades with the higher-ranked student. However, as this is a repetitive sparring method, the use of skills will be restricted."
'Ah, so this is how it works?'
Ultimately, this class was structured for endless sparring.
Those with lower grades would continuously challenge those with higher grades.
And students with higher grades would have to maintain their rank without getting exhausted by the continuous spars.
'Is this why Kang Dohee liked this class?'
I subtly glanced at Kang Dohee, who was standing beside me with an impassive expression.
In the game, whenever Kang Dohee had an interpersonal combat practical class, she would be in a good mood from that morning.
Even now, her fingers were twitching, indicating she was quite excited.
"What do you say, Student Lee Minyoung? Will you challenge Student Jin Yuha?"
"...Yes, I will."
Lee Minyoung nodded with a firm face.
And so, I stepped up for the first spar of the interpersonal combat practical.
*
"Please take care of me."
Lee Minyoung, who had entered the sparring arena, bowed stiffly to me.
"Yes. Please take care of me."
I nodded, accepting her greeting.
I narrowed my eyes and recalled information about my opponent.
'Lee Minyoung, the Righteousness Fanatic.'
A sanctimonious stickler who couldn't stand injustice and always spouted idealistic theories.
Despite that, she also had a strong competitive spirit, making her a rather frustrating character.
Because of this personality, she was quite the "sweet potato" character (a frustrating one) in both the main story and her personal story.
You could think of her as a hero from an old fairy tale.
She'd constantly interfere, claiming one must follow the righteous path, and that not a single person should be treated unfairly or left unrescued.
'Completely opposite to Shin Sehee, huh?'
If Kang Dohee was Shin Sehee's natural predator in a superior-subordinate relationship, this one felt like the exact opposite position.
Honestly, even in the game, every time she interfered, it made me want to give her a light rap on the head.
'As her personal story progresses, she gradually learns to prioritize what's important within her righteousness and to do her best, not just be the best. But, well, that has nothing to do with me right now.'
She wasn't a character I pulled from the gacha in this reality, nor did I intend to take her on as a companion, so I just needed to give her a thorough "re-education."
'Let's get that knuckle rap you avoided back then, Minyoung.'
*Shing─!*
Moonlight was drawn from its scabbard.
I drew the sword and pointed it forward.
"Here I come!"
She honestly declared her attack and charged forward.
I calmly observed her movement path and attack direction.
'Instructor Baek Seolhee's class was really helpful, after all.'
Beyond the increase in my stats, I could maintain my composure even with an enemy in front of me.
It was only a single class,
but the experience of being exposed to an overwhelming, irresistible killing intent had been incredibly helpful, whether it was when fighting Choi Aram, the tutorial boss, or now.
I lowered my gaze and brought Moonlight down.
*Swoosh─!*
At that moment, Lee Minyoung, who was about to swing her mace, thrust her shield forward.
It seemed she intended to block the sword first, then counter.
*Clang━!!*
The sword, descending from the air, collided with the shield.
"Gah─!?"
She let out a gasp and recoiled without even thinking of countering.
Perhaps the shock was greater than she expected, she stared at me with a dazed expression before gritting her teeth.
*Thwack!*
She pushed off the ground again and charged.
With the experience from Instructor Baek Seolhee's class and fighting the tutorial boss,
I had a bit more room to think, so I could think about other things even while swinging my sword.
'A sword used without skills…'
Even though I had raised my proficiency grade with the swordsmanship manual I received when I first possessed this body, it only increased my aptitude for swords.
Therefore, I still didn't possess any specific sword techniques.
That is, any *forms*.
That was something given as a reward when one advanced a year.
So, until then, excluding skills,
my primary combat style meant observing openings, thrusting, cutting, and swinging, just like now.
'But, will the system really just hand over a swordsmanship style just because a year has passed in this reality?'
Honestly, I was a bit skeptical.
Many things had changed since the game became reality.
'And I've never raised Jin Yuha, so I don't even know what kind of swordsmanship he uses.'
*Whoosh─!*
"Ugh─!!"
Lee Minyoung gritted her teeth and swung her mace, but I lightly deflected the shaft of the mace with the tip of my sword.
'The first swordsmanship I ever saw…'
Suddenly, a single scene came to mind.
Come to think of it, just once.
I had witnessed and fought against true swordsmanship.
That was when I first entered the academy, picked up a sword, and exchanged blows with Baek Seolhee.
Baek Seolhee unleashed her swordsmanship towards me, and I responded accordingly.
At that time, it seemed as if we were evenly matched.
But she was teaching me, demonstrating each sword path.
As if to show me how to swing the sword here.
After that, I focused only on drawing perfect straight lines and didn't have time to recall it,
but now, needing to swing my sword without using skills.
Her sword paths suddenly flashed through my mind.
'Then, shall I recreate that sensation?'
Mana swirled, and a blue aura began to gather at the tip of my sword.
And Moonlight gracefully glided through the air.