A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 45

Three seconds passed as Baeksulhwa stepped into the small circle.

In her focus, she hadn’t noticed.

“This won’t be an easy training.”

Though I had her do the same exercises as Park Seohu, I didn’t intend to teach Baeksulhwa the perfect distance control like he had.

That was something that couldn’t be mastered through training alone.

What Baeksulhwa needed right now was to expand her field of vision.

When the battle begins, her sight narrows sharply, and she focuses solely on the enemy. As a result, she couldn’t pay attention to how her allies were moving.

This was a critical flaw in teamwork.

The reason for Baeksulhwa’s limited vision was largely due to her talent for differentiation.

The ability that grows stronger as emotions intensify.

Someone dismissed a warrior without the talent for differentiation as a half-hearted one, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Differentiation is a double-edged sword.

“Focus on the enemy in front of you, but don’t pour all your nerves into it. If you do, you’ll never be able to synchronize with your teammates.”

Those who possess differentiation tend to experience more emotional ups and downs than ordinary people.

No matter what they think in their heads, once the battle begins, they shut off their nerves.

Thus, warriors with differentiation often took on the simplest roles in a party.

Naturally, it was very rare for a warrior with differentiation to be a commander.

First, they had to overcome that state.

“Again.”

Distributing nerves appropriately sounds easy, but it was by no means a simple task.

After exchanging a few strikes, Baeksulhwa stepped back into the circle once more.

This time, she didn’t last even ten seconds.

“Again.”

This time, it was nine seconds.

Baeksulhwa resumed training without hesitation.

“Again.”

This time, it was seven seconds.

The time was steadily decreasing.

Wait a minute.

Why is the time continuously decreasing?

It’s decreasing so smoothly, what’s the point of that?

It felt so natural that I almost got fooled. This isn’t about finishing quickly; it’s about enduring longer.

It seemed to be the influence of differentiation.

The more they fought, the stronger the effect became, and it looked like she couldn’t control her emotions.

“Let’s take a moment to catch our breath and try again.”

“…Okay.”

Baeksulhwa slumped down.

She looked far more defeated than I had expected.

“Don’t be too disheartened. It’s not that Seolhwa can’t do it; it’s just that warriors with differentiation usually end up like this.”

“Differentiation, now that I see it, is incredibly inconvenient.”

“Instead, without the ability to focus, I can’t concentrate 100 percent on you like I am now.”

“…I’ve been whining too much.”

Baeksulhwa picked up her sword again.

But nothing had improved. The first 15 seconds still stood as Baeksulhwa’s best record.

It was far worse than I had initially thought.

In the end, the training that continued until evening concluded without any real progress.

* * *

Three days since starting training with Baeksulhwa.

There was no sign of her condition getting any better.

“Let’s call it a day and take a break.”

“…Okay.”

Baeksulhwa sank down to her spot.

I considered offering her some comfort but decided against it.

She must be feeling a lot.

But it wouldn’t mean anything for me to ease her anger.

Baeksulhwa needed to learn how to control her own emotions.

I pulled two cans of coffee from the vending machine and handed one to her.

One was for me.

“Drink up.”

“Thank you.”

Baeksulhwa took a sip from the canned coffee.

She spoke while swirling the coffee in her mouth.

“It’s too bitter.”

“That’s what makes it good.”

“Reality is bitter enough as it is.”

Baeksulhwa made a strangely unsettling remark.

It felt like a testament to how mentally overwhelmed she was.

Baeksulhwa pulled a cigarette from her pocket.

“I’ll just smoke one.”

“Alright.”

—

Puhuu—

Baeksulhwa lit the marjuana and took a deep drag.

The fingers gripping the marjuana, the index and middle, looked quite accustomed.

The smoke curling up carried a pleasant scent.

In this world, the unique aroma of marjuana played a significant role in completely overshadowing the musty smell of tobacco.

The scent of marjuana varied with each smoker.

Some said it was the smell of that person’s mana. There was no evidence, but it was a phrase that became famous for its emotional resonance.

From Baeksulhwa’s marjuana smoke, a rich floral fragrance wafted.

“Huuh…”

Baeksulhwa returned after burning the marjuana in the corner and took up the sword again.

“Let’s begin.”

The training commenced, though Baeksulhwa had lost count of how many times it had been.

Baeksulhwa’s first strike.

She delivered five consecutive slashes and then retreated once.

Pababak—!

Another five-hit combo.

And then she fell back again.

“Ah, the medicine plays tricks.”

It was a strategic hit-and-run.

When fully immersed in battle, she had no confidence in controlling herself.

So she kept pulling back before that.

It wasn’t a bad trick.

It could serve as a temporary measure, but it was just that—temporary.

If the opponent accurately grasped her intentions, she would be easily countered.

Just like this.

Chwaak—!

I closed in and launched an aggressive offensive.

Baeksulhwa began to retreat.

But I had no intention of letting her go easily. I pursued the fleeing Baeksulhwa to the very end.

In a confrontation between the pursuer and the one fleeing, the former held a significant advantage.

—

I could easily channel my strength in the direction I was moving, as it aligned with my attack, but Baeksulhwa couldn’t fully invest her power because it was the opposite.

Baeksulhwa suffered losses every time we clashed, yet she fought back in the end.

The three seconds within the small circle passed quickly, and the outcome was decided.

Still, I set a personal record of sorts.

“Congratulations on breaking your record.”

“How many seconds was it?”

“30 seconds.”

“Ha….”

Baeksulhwa sighed.

At this rate, it was understandable to feel lost about when she would ever reach ten minutes.

Yet, I found something to advise her on.

“Don’t you know? Seolhwa, your best record was when you took a break and then started again.”

“Is that so?”

“When you go continuously, the effects of the previous training carry over to the next one.”

Baeksulhwa nodded.

Up to this point, she must have felt somewhat similarly.

“Do you know what a routine is?”

Some heroes have their own routines.

For instance, during his active years, Jo Seong-woong always tapped the hilt of his sword twice with his left hand before entering a dungeon.

It was a superstition that something good would happen afterward, but the important thing is that it provided psychological stability.

“Human emotions are surprisingly simple. It’s possible to regulate them to some extent through learning. Seolhwa, you smoke when you take a break, right? So let’s create a routine with that.”

“Like Pavlov’s dog?”

“Exactly. Whenever your emotions get intense, try mimicking the hand motion of grabbing a cigarette. That way, you can control your own feelings.”

“Ah… yes!”

Perhaps she saw potential in my words, as Baeksulhwa’s voice was unusually bright in response.

In truth, the hand motion itself held no real meaning.

If it could truly regulate emotions, everyone in the world would be doing it, and no one would struggle with emotional issues.

What mattered was the mindset.

There’s a story about a renowned physician during a drought who gave his patients honey water, claiming it was a tonic for health, and they all recovered.

The patients believed the honey water was medicine, and as a result, their bodies naturally improved.

The concept of routine was in the same vein.

As much as Baeksulhwa believed in me, my heart would find stability with every gesture I made.

“Then let’s try again, keeping my words in mind.”

“Yes!”

Baeksulhwa improved a little in the training that resumed.

Whenever she exerted too much strength, her hands would fidget, and each time, she became aware of her feet beneath her.

However, that state didn’t last long.

About 20 seconds in, she failed to control herself, and the eruption occurred.

Once again, she stepped back into the circle, and three seconds passed.

“Up to here.”

“Ah….”

Baeksulhwa sighed, sounding somewhat disappointed.

“How many seconds did I get?”

Still, her expression was quite good.

She probably thought she had held on for a long time.

Though it wasn’t really that long, emotional regulation is greatly influenced by psychological factors.

So I lied.

“35 seconds. That’s a new record.”

“Really?”

Baeksulhwa smiled faintly.

After that, the training sailed smoothly, like a ship catching the wind.

Baeksulhwa showed an increasingly stable demeanor.

The initial 35 seconds had been a lie, but afterward, she truly managed to reach 35 seconds.

In the end, Baeksulhwa was able to reach a full minute.

“How about that? I’m more talented than you thought, right?”

“Yeah. You’re doing well.”

“Hehe.”

Baeksulhwa chuckled softly.

For Baeksulhwa, who was clumsy with emotional expression, this was akin to the behavior of ordinary schoolgirls who jump for joy.

I wanted to share in her happiness too.

However, I was not entirely satisfied.

The routine was more effective than I had expected.

The problem was that it was too effective.

What I wanted was to stop just below the critical point, where the wildness and reason of Snow White coexisted in a balanced state.

But with the routine, Snow White became too calm, and her sharp edge dulled.

This was not good.

Stifling Snow White’s prowess in order to direct the party was a reversal of priorities.

“Let’s end today’s training here. Be careful on your way back.”

“Yes. You too, Professor.”

Snow White’s steps as she returned to the dormitory were particularly light.

It seemed she was satisfied with her current state.

But this couldn’t be right.

Snow White was akin to a beast.

Her rough wildness was a weapon that made the beast even stronger.

But was taking this away and putting her on a leash truly the right path for Snow White?

Wanting to sort out my complicated feelings, I sat on a nearby bench and breathed in the cold night air.

“Professor, what are you doing here?”

I heard a voice calling me.

It was Park Seo-hu, just coming out of the training ground.

“Did you just finish training?”

“Yes. What about you, Professor?”

“I was watching Snow White train.”

Why couldn’t Snow White be like Park Seo-hu?

There were various reasons, but the most fundamental one was simple.

The difference in talent.

Someone once said that to become a top-tier swordsman, one must have the talent for differentiation.

To some extent, that was true.

But to reach the pinnacle, that alone was not enough.

The talent of a sword master.

Park Seo-hu’s mentor, Jo Seong-woong, was known as a sword master.

It was a nickname given to a skilled swordsman.

But that was merely a title people used; it could not be said to define a true master of the sword.

A true master of the sword referred to an absolute being who had realized the principles of the blade.

A realm beyond humanity, akin to a divine warrior.

During his active years, Jo Seong-woong was an excellent swordsman, but he was not a hero who could step into the realm of mastery.

To become a master, one needed the talent of a master.

“Seohwoo, what do you think about differentiation?”

“Differentiation?”

Park Seohwoo pondered for a moment before responding.

“Well, to be honest, I used to think a lot about it. They say differentiation is necessary to become a top-tier swordsman.”

“What kind of thoughts?”

“I really love the sword. So, since I was young, I wanted to become a swordsman, but everyone around me discouraged me. They said that without differentiation, I wouldn’t suit the sword.”

“I see.”

It was a story I had never heard before.

In the game, Park Seohwoo’s past was merely presented as someone who grew up in an ordinary family without any deficiencies and then awakened.

“But I still worked hard. Now, I’m lucky to have become the top of the academy. If I had differentiation, I might have developed even further, but I’m satisfied with who I am now.”

Park Seohwoo smiled like the protagonist of a shonen manga who overcame talent through hard work.

Overcoming through effort?

It was simply that Park Seohwoo’s talent for mastery was far superior to differentiation.

“Seohwoo, you have excellent personal abilities, but you also know how to utilize your party members well. Most swordsmen with differentiation can’t become like you.”

“Maybe that’s true?”

“If you had differentiation skills, how do you think you would have operated the party?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Park Seohwoo replied.

“I probably wouldn’t have picked party members the way I do now. Right now, I’m a supporter, and the others are dealers, but if I had differentiation skills, I think I would have taken on the role of a dealer and increased the importance of the supporter.”

It was a textbook answer, the epitome of correctness.

Anyone asked would likely give a similar response to Park Seohwoo’s.

A dealer who directly strikes the monsters.

A supporter who assists the dealer to operate as comfortably as possible.

A warrior with differentiation suited the role of a dealer.

“Alright. I understand.”

Once again, Baeksulhwa’s method of suppressing her growth proved ineffective.

Baeksulhwa didn’t simply want to imitate Park Seohu.

Her goal was to surpass Park Seohu.

Yet, in a state of suppression, no matter how well she performed, she could never exceed Park Seohu.

At best, she would be a lesser version of him.

If that were the case, there would be no place for Baeksulhwa in my future plans.

I needed to change my approach.

* * *

The lab, which I hadn’t visited in a while, was filled with people.

When I first came here, it felt spacious with only Lee Yeo-eun present, but now it seemed like a larger lab was necessary.

“Is everyone doing well?”

“Yes!”

“Professor, could you take a look at this?”

A student with chestnut hair asked for my help.

I had come with tasks to do, but since it wasn’t urgent, I was willing to assist, yet Lee Yeo-eun stepped in.

“Professor, you’re busy right now, so I’ll help.”

“Uh, well… um, okay…”

The chestnut-haired student seemed a bit hesitant but nodded, unable to refuse the offer.

It was easier for me to let Lee Yeo-eun handle it; after all, she would teach them well.

“Cheon, take that out.”

“Yes!”

Cheon retrieved the item borrowed from the office.

The Permet Golem.

The ones we used as boss monsters in the last practical class.

Cheon cautiously asked, “Professor, is it okay to handle this carelessly?”

“It’s fine. We’re not breaking it; we’re making it better.”

In the past, it might have been different, but now, the Permet Golem was insufficient for dealing with my students.

So I decided to make a few adjustments.

I had modified golems a few times in the game, so it should be fine.

Clunk-!