SWNOVELXO Chapter 23
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 23
After finishing a hearty lunch, I returned to the Main Building.
Unlike the theoretical classes in the morning, the afternoon was for practical training.
However, as Marlboro mentioned, the schedule was changed to Autonomous Training until the day of the sparring match.
Although it’s called “autonomous,” in reality, it just means the classes end after the morning session. Perhaps that’s why some students don’t even show up.
‘Do mages usually use private training rooms?’
I followed Luna into the Autonomous Training Ground. Kara had stepped away briefly to change.
The Autonomous Training Ground I saw in person was impressively large, far more spacious than an average gymnasium.
It was equipped with exercise machines to enhance physical abilities, and there was even a simple sparring area.
Moreover, there were spaces designated for individual training, making it a truly excellent facility.
“Hmm… What should I start with?”
As I was looking around the Autonomous Training Ground, Luna murmured as if she was pondering something.
Normally, she would have focused on her training alone. But today, I was here.
She couldn’t just leave me unattended, nor could she think of suitable training for us to do together.
‘For me, techniques are more important.’
My physical specs have already been built up to a sufficient level. What I urgently need now are techniques.
I don’t even have any “foundation” techniques, not even the ones that come with the starting character. This is a rather serious issue.
It’s so serious that acquiring the basics requires an extraordinary amount of effort. It’s not easy to master even the fundamentals.
“I’m back.”
“Ah. You’re ba—…”
While Luna was contemplating the training method, a familiar voice reached my ears.
Luna turned her head toward the direction of the voice but stopped mid-sentence. Meanwhile, I slowly turned around.
“Aren’t you going to change? Sivar might not care, but isn’t the school uniform uncomfortable?”
It was Kara. She stood confidently in an outfit that looked genuinely refreshing.
A tight black sports bra paired with short shorts. Her bold outfit matched her bold personality.
Additionally, her arms, legs, and even her abdomen bore various scars, both large and small, leaving a strong impression.
These scars were proof of how many practical combats she’d endured.
“…I’m fine. I was planning to focus on swordsmanship training today. What about you, Kara?”
“I’m doing physical training… or something like that.”
Kara said this while looking at me, her expression thoughtful for a moment.
During that time, I observed Kara more closely. I hadn’t noticed much when she was wearing her school uniform, but she was remarkable in many ways.
From her bronzed skin to the clearly defined 11-line abs on her stomach, she was the epitome of health and vitality.
‘Wasn’t her desert nation more open to revealing clothing?’
Being from a hot country, they tended to be less reserved about showing skin.
Perhaps that’s why I knew she often wore outfits like this when there were no classes or on weekends.
Soul World is full of attractive characters, but Kara’s individuality stands out even among them.
“What about him? It’s awkward to just leave him alone, isn’t it?”
While I was momentarily lost in thought, Kara pointed at me and asked.
Luna, seemingly unsure of what to do with me, responded with a hint of awkwardness.
“Honestly, that’s what I’m struggling with. Leaving him alone makes me uneasy, but training him feels a bit tricky.”
“Then, can I take him with me?”
“What?”
Luna was startled by Kara’s suggestion, her expression asking what she meant by that.
“Ah. Just to clarify, it’s not for sparring or anything like that. I just have a few things I’m curious about.”
“Curious about…?”
“Things like strength or reaction speed. But what I’m most curious about is his throwing spear. During the sparring match, his spear-throwing skills were no joke.”
During the sparring match with Elvin, I had thrown a spear strongly as a form of restraint.
If I had thrown it even slightly harder, Elvin’s head might have been skewered like a kebab.
I hadn’t even used mana—just pure strength. That seemed to have piqued Kara’s curiosity.
“Aren’t you curious too?”
“Strength isn’t an issue. He cleanly broke Manki’s leg with a stone axe.”
“Impressive. Still, curiosity is curiosity, so let’s test it out. You can watch too.”
“Why me?”
“I’m curious how such thin arms can produce that kind of power.”
“…Are you picking a fight with your sparring partner already?”
While they were having their friendly(?) conversation, I looked around elsewhere.
Then, my eyes were drawn to the sparring area. Students were gathered around, watching others sparring.
Curious, I slowly walked over. Luna and Kara were too busy bickering to notice.
Thwack!
When I arrived at the sparring area, I saw a female student thrusting her spear with incredible speed.
The male student facing her dodged the thrust by moving only his head, then swung his sword upward with both hands.
An attack executed simultaneously with his dodge. The female student, seemingly anticipating this, easily blocked it with the back end of her spear.
Even though his sword path was blocked, the male student didn’t panic and used his shoulder to push forward.
Since the spear’s effectiveness lies in its range, it seemed he was trying to neutralize that advantage.
Whoosh!
But his tactic was thwarted as the female student twisted her body fluidly to evade.
If this continued, the male student would be in danger, but he quickly swung his sword to prevent any follow-up attacks.
The exchange of attacks and defenses happened in less than a second. Both of them clearly understood the strengths and weaknesses of their respective weapons.
“Let’s stop here.”
“Good work.”
I wanted to watch a bit more, but it seemed that was the end.
The students who had been watching their excellent sparring responded with applause.
I wondered if I should clap too, standing there blankly, when the student in front of me turned around.
The student looked puzzled for a moment upon seeing me behind them, then tilted their head up to look at me.
“Gah?!”
“… …”
What a peculiar scream.
The man let out a strange cry as soon as he saw me. At the same time, all the surrounding gazes turned toward me.
They all had the same expression, as if to say, “Why is he here?” Well, I did sneak in, after all.
It’s a habit of mine to suppress my presence. It’s necessary to slightly increase the success rate of hunting.
‘No wonder my Ambush skill is rated Ex.’
Anyway, the sparring was over, so it seemed like a good time to leave.
Staying here wouldn’t accomplish anything and would just waste time.
“There you are. What were you doing here?”
“Wait, are you expecting an answer from him?”
“Be quiet.”
Right then, Luna, who had noticed my “disappearance,” came looking for me. Kara’s sarcastic remark was just a bonus.
I glanced at the now-chaotic sparring area and then quietly followed Luna.
Not long after, I heard the sound of weapons clashing, indicating that another sparring session had begun.
Turning back, I saw a different group of people exchanging attacks with their weapons.
“Sivar? What are you looking at?”
When I stopped walking, Luna also glanced toward the sparring area with a curious expression.
After a moment of thought, she asked me in a voice filled with suspicion.
“Don’t tell me you want to spar?”
“What? Seriously?”
Luna might not have been sure, but why was Kara looking at me with such an expectant expression?
Ignoring Kara’s sparkling eyes, I shook my head firmly.
If I could, I’d write the word “technique” on Luna’s palm to explain. Unfortunately, I didn’t know the word for “technique.”
“Damn.”
So instead, I pointed at the students sparring with their weapons and mimicked the posture of holding a sword.
Luna blinked at my gesture, then let out an “Ah~” of realization before speaking.
“A sword? You want to learn swordsmanship? Like this?”
She personally drew the training sword hanging from her waist and demonstrated some sword techniques for me.
Starting with light slashes, then thrusts, and even upper blocks. Basic swordsmanship.
Even so, it was clean and precise without a single unnecessary movement. Even Kara seemed intrigued.
“This is what you meant, right?”
“Damn.”
I nodded.
However, one thing to note is that most weapons become disposable the moment they are placed in my hands.
Still, I thought it would be better to know at least a little rather than nothing at all, so I asked.
Luna scratched her cheek with a troubled expression after hearing my request.
“Uh… Sorry. It might be difficult. I don’t think I have the ability to teach someone.”
“Damn?”
Why not? You’re the protagonist!
Contrary to my thoughts, what came out of my mouth was a denial.
Luna is the protagonist of Soul World. Even when faced with hardship, she has the talent to absorb various techniques effortlessly.
Whether she understood my feelings or sensed the emotion in my voice, Luna spoke with a conflicted expression.
“I’m sorry. It’s not just about the master; the student is important too. I’m not sure if you’d understand my explanations.”
“Damn.”
I can understand. I can comprehend everything you’re saying.
When I frowned as if frustrated, Luna widened her eyes in surprise.
“Damn. Are you mad by any chance?”
“Rather than angry, it seems like he’s just frustrated. Just explain it clearly. He’ll manage somehow.”
Kara decisively concluded the matter.
Luna, still looking somewhat doubtful, handed me a training sword from the weapon rack.
It was made of metal but had no sharp edges. As the name suggests, it was designed purely for training purposes.
“By the way, why did you suddenly ask to learn swordsmanship?”
“You were staring at the sparring earlier. Was it because you thought it looked cool? Like kids playing knights?”
“Sivar’s intelligence is normal for his age, as they said.”
“They say men remain boys no matter how old they get.”
At Kara’s reasonable remark, Luna let out a dry laugh. She didn’t seem to deny it.
Honestly, watching the two students spar was indeed impressive. The way they read each other’s moves using only techniques.
In the upcoming Duel Event, techniques far more impressive and grand in scale than those would appear.
“This could be a good opportunity to build patience. Just keep holding that.”
“Damn?”
“My master once said this: You must first get used to the sword in your hand.”
Luna answered as if she understood perfectly. I also knew about her master.
So, even though I grumbled internally, I had no choice but to comply without complaint.
“Now you’re holding it with your right hand. Wasn’t he left-handed?”
“He’s probably ambidextrous. During the sparring, he used his right hand to throw the spear, remember?”
That was because, as soon as I fell into the forest, my left arm was bitten by a wolf, leaving me no choice.
By the time my left arm healed, I had become just as proficient with my right hand as if it were my dominant hand.
So now, I alternate between the two. Though I’m still more comfortable with my left hand.
“Even if he’s ambidextrous, he must have a preferred hand. We just need to figure out which one it is. Ideally, it would be better if he’s left-handed.”
“That would be ideal. Oh, by the way, will you also teach him martial arts?”
“…Martial arts?”
At the mention of martial arts, Luna blinked. Her reaction was as pure as that of a naive countryside girl.
Kara raised one eyebrow and asked Luna in a tone of disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to fight? Not even basic grappling?”
“No.”
“Good grief.”
At Luna’s innocent reply, Kara covered her face with her hand. Luna only tilted her head in confusion.
Kara then alternated her gaze between Luna and me, still covering her face, and let out a deep sigh.
Her expression was filled with frustration.
“This won’t do. Forget everything else; let’s start with combat. But you at least know what grappling is, right?”
“I’ve heard it’s one of the essential techniques martial artists learn alongside boxing.”
“It’s not just for martial artists. It’s one of the fundamental skills for all martial techniques. Especially when it comes to improving movement and physicality, nothing beats grappling.”
Kara was right.
In Soul World, combat is one of the essential skills to acquire.
While there’s no need to delve too deeply, at least mastering the basics is crucial.
‘Otherwise, getting mounted would be practically the end.’
Especially if you’re mounted by a martial artist, it’s essentially game over.
No matter how much you struggle, after a few punches to the face, your stamina will plummet.
There are two ways to escape: overpowering physical strength or using techniques.
“I mainly use swords, so do I really need to learn combat?”
“Didn’t you say earlier that you’ve never experienced practical combat?”
“Yes.”
“That’s exactly why you need to learn the basics of combat. Otherwise, it’s over if you get close or fall. It also helps develop balance to prevent falling.”
This aligned with the advice Marlboro had given during the morning class.
To minimize the risk of falling, he had suggested investing in good shoes.
In other words, it means that when facing opponents of similar skill levels, you’re bound to fall at least once.
‘In Soul World, attacking a fallen opponent always resulted in a critical hit.’
Truly, an unnecessary touch of realism.
Still, combat has many overall benefits, making it advantageous to learn.
The biggest advantage is that it significantly enhances flexibility, helping to prevent falls.
That alone made it a must-have skill in Soul World.
“Not falling…”
“Don’t even think about saying you just won’t fall. When fighters of equal skill clash, chaos is guaranteed. So, will you learn it?”
“…No.”
Was it pride? Or just stubbornness?
Luna refused Kara’s suggestion with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
“I’m already stretched thin with swordsmanship, so I don’t have time to learn anything else. Sorry.”
“Well, if that’s your choice. But don’t come asking me to teach you later.”
“That won’t happen.”
It will.
You’ll regret it after getting beaten up during sparring.
While I was thinking that to myself, Kara shrugged her shoulders.
Then, as if she didn’t care at all, she turned to me and made a straightforward suggestion.
“What about you? How about learning combat before swordsmanship? Honestly, it would be better.”
“Wait a minute. Sivar decided to learn swordsmanship first. He wanted it more.”
“Forget swordsmanship for now; he needs to learn movement first. I’ll teach him instead of you.”
The argument between the two began again. When will they ever get along?
At least this time, the argument ended quickly. They seemed to realize it was a fight going nowhere.
“Then let’s ask Sivar. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“That sounds good. What do you want to learn first?”
The choice was handed to me. I looked back and forth between Luna and Kara.
Seeing them side by side, I noticed the significant difference in their physiques.
Luna wasn’t exactly short, but Kara was taller than most men.
Either way, I had to make a decision. I glanced between the two and took a step forward.
Truthfully, I had made up my mind a long time ago.
“S-Sivar? Why…”
Luna had an expression of disbelief at my choice.
“Ha! Looks like I’m better than you, after all?”
Kara, with a triumphant look, placed her hand firmly on my shoulder.
As you can see, I chose Kara over Luna.
Swordsmanship is appealing, but grappling—well, ‘combat’—is essential.
‘The fact that I can’t immediately obtain a weapon that can withstand my mana is a big factor too.’
As I mentioned earlier, all the weapons currently available to me are essentially disposable.
Even if I learned swordsmanship or spear techniques, they’d all break eventually, so what’s the point?
In that case, I might as well just swing an axe, which is easier to use.
‘I feel a little sorry for changing my mind like a reed swaying in the wind.’
It might hurt Luna, but there’s no helping it. Martial arts are urgent, no matter what.
Like in the match against Porori, I had to fight barehanded when facing someone of equal skill.
Of course, “barehanded” doesn’t mean truly barehanded—I use mana as well—but that doesn’t matter.
“Alright, my cute friend? If you want to learn from me, throw that sword far away. Got it?”
Kara, now brimming with confidence, tapped my arm holding the sword as she spoke.
Hearing her words, I glanced around. Since this was a training ground, ‘that’ should definitely be here.
Meanwhile, Luna, who had been standing there with a frustrated expression, seemed to notice something odd and asked Kara.
“…Wait a moment, Kara.”
“What? Are you saying you want to learn too now…?”
“No, that’s not it. Did you just say ‘throw it far away’?”
“Yeah, but that’s…”
Kara abruptly stopped mid-sentence and stared at me with a look of realization.
But by then, I had already pulled back the arm holding the sword. Kara quickly gestured as if to stop me.
Bang!
Before she could stop me, the sword had already left my hand. I had flung it with all my might.
Even though it was a casual throw, the wind pressure was strong enough to make Kara’s red hair flutter.
The training iron sword, now flying at high speed,
Crash!
hit the clock hanging on the far wall with pinpoint accuracy.
“… …”
“… …”
The once noisy training ground fell silent in an instant.
It seemed everyone had been secretly paying attention to us.
“…I’ll go get it.”
“Y-Yeah. I guess I need to choose my words more carefully from now on.”
“It’s not Kara’s fault. It’s just…”
Luna, who had started walking toward the clock with the training iron sword embedded in it, paused and looked at me.
Then, after staring at me with a complicated expression for a while, she chuckled softly and said,
“…Let’s just chalk it up to one of those things.”
I felt a little guilty.
******
Luna walked toward the clock with the training iron sword lodged in it, her steps heavy.
Though she could hear murmurs from those around her, none of it registered in her ears.
Sivar’s eccentric act was one thing, but what really weighed on her mind was the choice he had made earlier.
‘Why didn’t he choose me?’
For Luna, this was the biggest question. Why had Sivar chosen Kara over her?
She was the one who, along with Ellie, had first met him and acted as his guardian, becoming familiar to him.
When he said he wanted to learn swordsmanship, she had been ready to teach him wholeheartedly. Yet, Sivar had chosen Kara.
‘Why on earth?’
Luna couldn’t imagine Sivar knowing anything about martial arts. He probably didn’t even know what it was.
What could she possibly be lacking? Luna pondered this as she glanced back.
Kara was saying something to Sivar. He stood there blankly, just listening.
Kara was quite tall, almost as tall as an adult man, but Sivar was even taller. He could easily be called a giant.
‘…Wait a second.’
Then, something suddenly caught her eye—Kara’s ample chest.
While not as abundant as Ellie’s, whose figure could be described as bountiful, Kara’s was still quite large.
And herself? She wasn’t small, but compared to them, the difference was obvious.
‘Could it be that he follows Ellie so well because of that?’
In terms of appearance, she didn’t lose out at all. If there was anything, it was just her figure.
Luna frowned at the oddly convincing hypothesis. Her pride as a woman felt bruised.
‘Alright, now it makes sense.’
Her master had once said this:
Men, even as they grow up, retain a childlike aspect in their genetics, which becomes stronger when instinct takes over.
So it’s perfectly normal for men to be drawn to women with superior figures, he had explained.
Sivar, having grown up in the wilderness, would likely be even more attuned to his ‘instincts.’ That might be why he chose Kara.
‘What’s so great about that lump of fat?’
As if all the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place, Luna pursed her lips.
If it weren’t for the cave mural, she wouldn’t have even volunteered to be his guardian.
Still, she planned to continue her role as his guardian, just in case he caused trouble later.
It was solely to prevent Sivar from causing accidents, not for any other reason.
“Hmph.”
Luna turned her head sharply and walked toward the clock. She let out a snort as an added touch.
Upon reaching the wall where the sword was embedded, she realized the clock was hanging at quite a height.
‘About five meters, maybe.’
Luna activated the mana within her body and leapt high into the air. In an instant, her eyes were level with the clock.
Surprisingly, the sword was embedded deeply, all the way to the crossguard. Despite being casually thrown, its power and accuracy were extraordinary.
Swoosh!
As she pulled out the sword, she grabbed the clock with one hand. If it fell, cleaning up the aftermath would be a hassle.
Luna landed softly on the ground and inspected the clock. The sword was lodged so firmly that it wouldn’t budge.
‘The pattern is unusual.’
The design on the clock was rather peculiar. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for a magic circle.
Overall, it had no color and was drawn entirely in black and white.
Luna glanced around before focusing her gaze on the clock to examine it more closely.
If it really was a magic circle, she wanted to confirm its structure.
[Colorless Magic Circle: ???]
[A magic circle created without using any color.]
[A magic circle designed for a special purpose. Only those who abstain from using color would create such a thing.]
[Special Effect: ???]
“?!”
Luna’s face turned to one of shock as she read the message displayed.
Her mouth slightly opened, and her eyes widened. She was so startled that she nearly dropped the clock.
The world is full of colors. Expressing the beauty of life through those colors is effortless.
But there exists a being that has lost all its colors, as taught in Godin’s lecture—’demons.’
‘Not black and white, but colorless…’
Demons, having lost the war against the gods, were stripped of all their colors.
To maintain their form, they exist in ‘black and white,’ but even that is still considered color.
Thus, demons are fundamentally alien.
This magic circle, too, appears to be drawn in black and white at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it looks faint and blurry.
‘The rumors about demons infiltrating the Academy were true.’
With a hardened expression, Luna tore her gaze away from the clock and looked to the side.
Kara was drawing something on Sivar’s hand with her finger. It seemed like she was teaching him a word.
‘Could this be another coincidence? No, it’s just a random occurrence······ right?’
Did Sivar know this was a magic circle created by demons when he threw his sword? Or did he throw it simply because there was no better target?
Furthermore, was it really him who painted the mural? If so, does he truly know the ‘future’?
Nothing was clear, but this much was certain.
Demons were targeting the Academy.
“··· ···”
Luna looked at Sivar with a complicated expression.
The deeper she delved, the more suspicious his identity became.
Now that communication was possible, it seemed like the right time to ask about the mural.
“Your muscles are really solid. You can skip stamina training and go straight to learning techniques.”
“··· ···”
Separate from that, this was a bit irritating. Luna’s lower eyelid twitched at the sight before her.
Kara was touching various parts of Sivar’s body with her hands, giving her evaluation.
Starting from his sturdy thighs, she moved upward to his abs, chest, shoulders, and so on.
Despite the bold physical contact, Sivar stood still.
He simply stared blankly with his characteristic expressionless face.
‘Why is he just standing there?’
Had they already grown that close? Just from that barely-a-conversation they had during class earlier?
Sivar, having lived in the wilderness, was extremely sensitive to sudden physical contact.
Yet, seeing him remain still, it seemed he deemed Kara to be safe.
‘······I should talk about the mural when we’re alone.’
To do that, separating him from Kara was the first priority.
To reiterate, this was purely to ask about the mural, not because of any ulterior motives.
There was no way she could harbor feelings for a man she had known for less than a month.
Even if his face was handsome, it wasn’t to that extent yet.
‘As for the clock······ let’s just throw it in the trash can.’
Luna threw the clock with the magic circle drawn on it into the trash can.
Throwing it directly into the incineration site might arouse suspicion from the demons.
It was necessary to make it seem like all of this was purely ‘coincidental.’ Otherwise, it would be dangerous.
“I’m back.”
“Ah. You’re back? What about the clock?”
“It was unusable, so I threw it away.”
“Shouldn’t you have asked for reimbursement for that?”
“······Ah.”
The cost of property damage was entirely the student’s responsibility. And Sivar was still in his adaptation period.
In other words, this could distance him further from a normal admission process.
If the Chancellor heard about this, he’d laugh awkwardly while clutching the back of his neck.
“······Sivar.”
“?”
“You really······ no. Never mind.”
The future felt even darker.