The End of Practice

For three days of marching, we didn’t encounter a single monster in battle. We did come across a few groups, but they were usually at a distance, and our pace was so swift that we often just passed them by.

What I was teaching the kids was rapid marching. The idea was to avoid or bypass any monsters we encountered along the way, focusing on reaching our destination as quickly as possible.

The first and second days were tough on the kids, but by the third day, they seemed to have found their rhythm. They weren’t just blindly following orders anymore; they had learned to control their breathing, pace, and even how to use their magic efficiently.

After crossing three mountain peaks and finally stepping onto flat ground, the kids were overjoyed. But I turned our course toward another mountain peak ahead. (I could almost hear their silent screams from behind.)

So far, our rapid march and a bit of luck had kept us from encountering monsters. (The group was quite suspicious of Ansol regarding this. Ansol just hung his head in response.) However, mountains often housed monster tribes, and passing through them meant we couldn’t avoid encounters. If these monsters saw us as intruders, a fight was inevitable. Just like now.

“Oppa, what are those hideous monkeys? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Aren’t they Mankis?”

I shook my head at Yujeong and Ahn Hyun’s puzzled faces.

In front of us were monkeys with thick, fluffy fur. There were about twenty of them, each standing over two meters tall with solid muscles. Compared to these, Mankis would look scrawny.

They were strong and smart, but still just monkeys. I slowly drew my sword and explained.

“Furry monkeys. Think of them as a higher species than Mankis. Their fighting style is similar, but they’re superior in every way, so don’t let your guard down. Stick to the formation I explained before we set out. Yujeong, you’re free to move.”

“Yay! Love you, oppa.”

With the signal to prepare, I heard the clatter of weapons being drawn behind me. This was the kids’ first real battle to showcase their skills. As I listened to their eager incantations, I raised a finger at the monkeys and made a slicing motion with my sword, adding a mocking grin for good measure.

Interestingly, these furry monkeys had far more females than males. They weren’t prolific breeders, so the males, once born, were heavily protected and never left the tribe. They were essentially breeding machines. My taunt of cutting off their manhood was sure to provoke the females. They began screeching, their eyes turning red with rage, and started breathing heavily. I just calmly flicked my sword, planning to watch the kids handle this one.

“Squawk!”

Several of the furry monkeys leaped into the air, aiming for a leap attack. But as they soared, they suddenly plummeted back to the ground, tongues lolling out.

I glanced back to see Go Yeonju twirling a dagger. There was no sound or warning. I chuckled at her nonchalance and turned my attention back to the front. The monkeys seemed startled but even more enraged. They were angry at their fallen comrades, but honestly, they didn’t scare me. The kids seemed to feel the same.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Blood from the fallen monkeys seeped into the ground, signaling the start of the battle.

“Screech! Screech!”

The furry monkeys charged at us with wild cries. The mages raised their voices, chanting spells. Just then, Yujeong leaped forward from the front line.

With both hands raised, she slipped through the charging monkeys with ease. In her left hand was a newly acquired katana. As a monkey hesitated, she swiftly moved behind it, wrapping her legs around its torso and drawing the katana across its neck.

“Screech?”

The monkey, feeling something on its back, shook its head. But Yujeong held firm, gripping its head with her free hand and slicing its throat with the katana. The monkey tried to shake her off, but her legs locked it in place. With a cruel smile, she drew the blade across its neck.

“Screeeeech!”

With a mournful cry, a fountain of blood erupted from its neck. The other monkeys, realizing what had happened, turned their attention to Yujeong. She released her grip, letting the katana fall, and prepared to face the oncoming attack. But instead of panic, her eyes were scanning for an opportunity.

The source of her confidence soon became clear. A shadowy arm emerged from her shadow, retrieving the katana from the fallen monkey and swinging it in a wide arc. The quick ones dodged, but a few were caught off guard, suffering deep cuts. The shadowy hand returned the katana to Yujeong before fading away.

“Looks like the little one is showing off today, huh?” Go Yeonju’s amused voice rang out. In response, Yujeong drew her cursed sword, Skurep, with her right hand. As the monkeys charged again, she took her stance, and I watched with interest, eager to see her dual-wielding skills.

With her body slightly crouched, the katana pointed down and Skurep up, she let out a soft moan, swinging her swords. She wasn’t standing still; she moved her feet, dodging a monkey’s attack and slicing its neck with a flash of her blade.

After dispatching one, she began spinning her daggers like a windmill. She didn’t take out another monkey in one strike, but she seemed intent on dealing damage to several at once. She succeeded in making two monkeys cry out in pain, but missed one approaching from her blind spot, taking a hit.

Thud! A powerful punch sent Yujeong flying through the air.

“Damn it.”

Rolling back to our side, Yujeong cursed under her breath and quickly got to her feet. Ansol started chanting a healing spell, but Yujeong waved him off, signaling she was fine. With her gear, she could shrug off a hit like that.

Back with the group, she flashed a smile, her gaze meeting mine. Her silent protest made me chuckle as I turned away.

Yujeong had made her point. She had disrupted the enemy’s charge, taken out or injured several, and bought time for the mages to cast their spells, all while keeping a safe distance from the front-line tanks.

As expected, as soon as Yujeong returned, Shin Sangyong and Ha Yeon’s voices echoed through the air.

“Gust of Wind!”

“Land of Aqua!”

A fierce wind blew towards the furry monkeys, and Ha Yeon cast a water spell within it. The monkeys, drenched by the wind-driven water, were then hit by another spell.

“Cone of Ice!”

Crack! Crack!

Ice spikes formed from the water on the monkeys’ bodies, piercing them. As they fell to their knees, screaming in pain, Yujeong tapped Ahn Hyun on the shoulder.

“Why don’t you finish them off, Mr. Rare-Class Qi Spear Master?”

I instinctively looked at Ahn Hyun. Surprisingly, he seemed calm. Though his eyes burned with competitive spirit, he responded quietly to her taunt.

“I’m a sub-tank. I can’t leave my position yet.”

“Ugh, no fun.”

Yujeong glanced at me briefly before turning her gaze forward. Ahead of us lay the mangled bodies of the hairy monkeys, a testament to the caravan’s ability to handle monsters without the need for me, Vivian, or Ahn Hyun to step in. As I listened to the faint whistle from Go Yeonju behind us, I gave Ahn Hyun a light pat on the shoulder, signaling that there were still a few stragglers left and he might as well stretch his legs.

Night had fallen completely around us. After instructing the group to set up camp, I calmly examined the map. At our current pace, we had covered nearly three times the distance we would have expected by now.

We hadn’t encountered any monsters on the first two days, and only had two skirmishes on the third. Yujeong had excelled against the hairy monkeys, and Vivian had done well against the land moles, so we faced no significant challenges. Yujeong, perhaps trying to vent her frustrations with Ahn Hyun, had provoked him several times, but he remained unfazed. He likely prioritized my orders and was secretly impressed by her rapid improvement.

After securing the area and having a simple dinner, the group quickly fell into a deep sleep, likely more exhausted from the rapid march than the battles.

“Leader, it’s time for the shift change.”

I had dozed off briefly when someone gently shook me awake. Looking up, I saw Shin Sangyong smiling down at me. I slowly emerged from my sleeping bag, stretching my neck until it cracked pleasantly.

“Anything to report?”

“No, I set up mana detection and alarm spells, but nothing unusual was detected.”

“Good work. I’ve got the handover, so get some rest.”

“Yawn. Alright, I’ll head to bed then.”

Shin Sangyong yawned widely, clearly tired, and wriggled into his sleeping bag. Watching him, I scanned the dense foliage around us. As he had said, there was no sign of monsters. I turned my attention back to the group, locating Ansol and cautiously moving closer to her.

From above, I could see Ansol’s face buried in her sleeping bag, her expression slightly pained. Listening closely, I heard her faint groans. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a potion, and gently lifted her by the armpits.

“Ugh… Brother?”

Ansol blinked sleepily, startled at first, but relaxed when she recognized me. As I comforted her, she settled back down, closing her eyes and instinctively leaning into me. I carefully removed her socks, revealing feet cracked from the grueling march.

“You should’ve used some healing.”

Her once pristine feet were now marred with cuts. I clicked my tongue and began applying the potion, watching as her feet slowly returned to their original state. I massaged her feet, focusing on the reddened areas. Even in her sleep, Ansol seemed to sense my touch, snuggling her feet closer to me, likely feeling the chill after being pulled from her warm sleeping bag.

After tucking her back in, I gently stroked her hair. She seemed to be having a pleasant dream, nuzzling against my hand as she breathed softly.

In the past, she would have cried and refused to come along, but this time she persevered admirably. Once I confirmed her steady breathing, I let out a deep sigh.

Everything seemed to be going too smoothly. Almost too smoothly.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

(I’m taking a break from replies today. Sorry.)

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

I woke up this morning feeling light for about 15 minutes before the fever returned. Seeing blood in my phlegm doesn’t seem normal. I didn’t want to move, so I curled up and, out of boredom, wrote a chapter on my ultrabook. It’s my first time writing while lying down, and my back is surprisingly sore. I won’t be doing this again.

I tried to tough it out, but I think I need to see a doctor. My throat stings every time I cough. Please, don’t catch a cold. It’s truly miserable. ㅜ.ㅠ

PS. I’m trying to speed up the plot, but I’m not satisfied with the content. How do you, the readers, feel about it? It feels like something’s missing, or maybe it’s just my fevered brain. -_-a