TRPM 288

chapter 288

Jin Cheon-ha’s hanbok was so eye-catching that everyone’s attention was naturally drawn to him, but the problem wasn’t just him.

It wasn’t only Jin Cheon-ha who had resolved yesterday, after feeling defeated, to someday overcome his bodyguards—Ryu Ah-min had made the same vow.

“Huff…! Huff…!”

During PE class, Ryu Ah-min was pushing himself to the limit. Sweat flowed all over his body; tears streamed from his eyes, snot ran from his nose, and saliva dribbled from his mouth.

“Hey! Ryu Ah-min! Stop running and walk slowly!”

Unable to stand watching him, I shouted at Ryu Ah-min. The PE teacher, who hadn’t fully noticed Ryu Ah-min because of attending to the other students, turned his attention to him at my call, alarmed, and shouted:

“Walk slowly! Don’t stop or collapse along the way!”

Stopping suddenly in that state could easily cause him to faint. Knowing this, the PE teacher abandoned the other students and focused on Ryu Ah-min.

“What happened to Ryu Ah-min?”
“He’s changed…”

Other students, seeing Ryu Ah-min, asked his twin sister, Ryu Ah-young.

“… I don’t know. Last night he kept mumbling something in his room…”

Even Ryu Ah-young didn’t know much. She hadn’t realized that Ryu Ah-min had sparred yesterday. Naturally, Ryu Ah-min wouldn’t have mentioned losing a sparring match—pride wouldn’t allow it.

Especially since his opponent had deliberately gone easy on him…

He definitely wouldn’t have said anything. So it wasn’t strange that she didn’t know why Ryu Ah-min had suddenly changed.

… I understand why he’s pushing himself so hard…

I watched Ryu Ah-min, now slowing to a walk as instructed by the teacher. And then…

“Huff…! Huff…!”

Even if not to the same extent, Jin Cheon-ha was also pushing himself.

“Both Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha… why are they like this?”
“They’ll ruin their bodies if they keep going like that.”

Other students expressed concern for Jin Cheon-ha, but he ignored them and concentrated on his exercise.

“… I can’t lose either!”
“I feel the same. I was planning to save my energy for sparring after school…!”

Seeing Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha, other boys—namely Elliott and Lee Doo-min—started competing as well.

Thud…!

Unlike Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha, these two, stronger than many active Awakened, caused the gym floor to tremble with the impact of their running.

“…”
“…”

Seeing this, Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha stiffened. It seemed their spirits had broken again.

Of course, if your bodyguards were adults, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, but if the difference is this big with peers, it’s natural to feel defeated.

I shook my head at how mentally fragile these two seemed.

“Gun-woo, do you know why they’re acting like that?”

Iha-eun asked me this, noticing that I already knew why they were in this state.

“Yesterday…”

I briefly explained what I had witnessed yesterday. While I spoke to Iha-eun, other nearby girls overheard as well. Upon hearing everything, they reacted:

“… Pathetic.”
“I honestly don’t understand it.”
“Boys always risk everything for such pointless things, don’t they?”

I could understand Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha, but apparently, they could not.

Honestly, I don’t really understand why Jin Cheon-ha wore the hanbok again either.

Watching Ryu Ah-min being scolded by the PE teacher and Jin Cheon-ha forcing his body, I muttered…

“… Should I at least give them the exercise potion I made…?”

Kim Eun-yeon had shown me an exercise potion yesterday. Seeing the two pushing themselves this hard, giving them the potion might be the safer option—they’d still suffer muscle pain, but at least they wouldn’t collapse from overexertion.

Even without the potion, judging by how much they’re overdoing it, tomorrow they’ll probably be unable to move from muscle pain.

Unlike Elliott and Lee Doo-min, who were running explosively, Ryu Ah-min and Jin Cheon-ha were physically weaker. Most high school students would be, compared to Elliott and Lee Doo-min.

“Don’t. There are still many things that need improvement.”

Giving them a not-yet-fully-developed exercise potion didn’t feel right. I told Kim Eun-yeon to hold back. I understood her desire to help, but indiscriminately giving out potions wasn’t the right approach.

Especially considering the cost of the ingredients…

Even though Kim Eun-yeon had a steady income from the pill-type potion copyright, she couldn’t afford to give away her potions for free. Jin Cheon-ha could probably pay, but Ryu Ah-min could not. Giving them exercise potions wasn’t something I wanted to recommend.

“… Okay… understood…”

Fortunately, Kim Eun-yeon seemed to drop the idea of giving the potion. But nearby girls perked up at the mention of “exercise potion.”

“Exercise potion…? What is that? Is it a potion that lets you skip exercising?”

Their eyes lit up. Women, always hoping for an easier way to lose weight, seemed suddenly attentive whenever a convenient method appeared.

… Sigh…

If Kim Eun-yeon completes her Philosopher’s Stone-inspired diet potion later, I wondered how they’d react. This potion wouldn’t just help lose weight—it would be a transformative elixir.

“Ugh…”
“Jin Cheon-ha, stop exercising. You’ll never get out of bed tomorrow morning if you keep going.”

I intervened as Jin Cheon-ha tried to keep going.

“But… if someone without talent wants to grow strong, they have no choice but to work hard…”
“That’s true, but you’re a mage…”
“I am a Taoist.”
“… Right, a Taoist, not an Aura user.”

Aura users like knights need physical strength, but mages don’t. Jin Cheon-ha, a self-proclaimed Taoist, is no exception.

“But our friends Kang Garam and Elliott are mages and still focus on physical training?”
“… They’re the odd ones out.”

They were mages training as swordsmen. Unlike Jin Cheon-ha, they had the talent to justify their training methods.

“You’re a traditional mage…”
“A Taoist.”
“… Right, a traditional Taoist. You can grow strong without approaching enemies directly, just using magic…”
“Taoist techniques.”
“… By training your Taoist techniques alone, you can become strong enough.”

I tried to stay calm. Even with limited talent, the Awakening System had awakened him as a mage, giving him at least some potential. Not veteran-level, but enough to handle himself. But this assumes traditional mage-style training, not his current unconventional Taoist methods.

Honestly, I think it might be better to erase his interest in Taoist techniques entirely…

I decided to just give up. Jin Cheon-ha’s stubbornness was unbeatable.

Why is he so obsessed with Taoist techniques?

Before, I thought it was just him intoxicated by the omnipotence of being awakened. Not entirely wrong—he reflected overnight and wore the school uniform the next day. But wearing the hanbok again after deciding to grow stronger suggested there was more to it.

And why, out of so many professions, did Jin Cheon-ha choose to be a Taoist?

I could only speculate.

“… Understood.”

Jin Cheon-ha nodded at my advice to focus on Taoist techniques rather than physical training. Of course, a healthy body is necessary, but the emphasis would be on technique.

Hoo…

He focused, pulling a crumpled talisman from his PE pocket.

“Can we spar?”
“… Fine.”

Having told him to train Taoist techniques, it would be irresponsible to refuse sparring. I stood, and Jin Cheon-ha immediately attacked.

“Clone Technique…!”

The first technique he used was the Clone Technique, made famous by Sun Wukong from Journey to the West and later by Japanese ninjas in media. His clones extended talismans toward me.

“Radiation Method…!”

Though the name was unfamiliar, I could understand it at a glance. He was emitting magical energy from his clones. Essentially, it was a technique to project energy—a basic skill any mage could use.

Not just mages, any Awakened could use this, with aura, mental energy, or elemental power.

Binding such a simple technique to talismans was inefficient. The advantage was that it required no calculation; you just needed energy. But using talismans delayed the activation.

As expected, his Taoist techniques are… inefficient.

I observed the magical energy from multiple clones and thought this.

Snap!

I flicked my fingers and erased the energy.

“… Hmph… simple energy clusters…”
“… Taoist power…”
“… Erasing simple energy clusters is easy. Just counter with a similar amount of energy.”

Even raw, unrefined magical energy disperses immediately in the air, so his technique wouldn’t have hit me even without intervention.

“… Hmm. Needs improvement.”
“No, I said use magic, not Taoist techniques!”

I finally lost my patience.