Chapter 2 : Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - You Have Some Skills, Don't You? (1)

“I will now inform you of today’s training plan.”

I followed behind him and opened my status window.

After summoning the guy, the remaining summon time was displayed at the bottom of the status window.

The remaining time was a little over 5 hours and 50 minutes.

There was still a long time left that I had to be with him. It would be fine to dismiss the summon, but I felt like his backlash later would be severe.

THUMP.

“My lord. Are you listening?”

“Uh, oh! Of course.”

Chun-sik stopped walking and turned around. I hastily closed the status window and answered.

After squinting at me with a suspicious gaze for a moment, the guy turned his body.

“Very well. We will be training for about four hours.”

“Th-that long? I’ve never worked out before in my life…? I don’t think I can last.”

I made excuses because I did not want to do it. It was half-true, though.

I really had never worked out.

“Is that so? That’s good. It is rather easier to teach someone who knows nothing.”

His eyes flashed like a madman’s.

“Because they haven’t been touched by another's hand.”

“Chun-sik. Your eyes look strange.”

“What are you talking about, my lord? I am perfectly fine.”

It was only for a brief moment, but I thought I felt a sense of ecstasy on his face.

“We will spend the remaining hour climbing the tower together. Today's final goal is four hours of training, and then clearing the 1st floor. It would be nice if we can go higher.”

“……How are we supposed to clear the 1st floor in just one hour?”

On top of that, it would take more time to wash up and prepare. He said one hour, but the actual time to clear it was even shorter.

It might seem like excuses were pouring out every time I opened my mouth, but that was a misconception.

I was only stating the facts. Really.

“I don't have a weapon right now, and I haven't received any proper player training, so if I suddenly enter the tower, it’s a dog’s death, you know? People even form parties to go to the 1st floor, so how am I supposed to go alone……!”

“My lord. Do not worry. Because I will be the one clearing it.”

“……Huh?”

The guy’s eyes gleamed once more as he glared at me.

“I will never stand to see my lord fall behind others. Nothing can stop you, my lord!”

“What are you talking about.”

“At the very least, I will make sure to place the 1st floor’s magic crystals in your hands. As my lord, you must become the best player in all aspects. So, shouldn’t we start properly from the very beginning?”

Ah. He meant he was going to make me money.

I thought he was going to torment me again and made excuses.

“You should have said so from the start!”

“Now, we’re here. This clearing should be perfect.”

The guy lightly ignored my words and scanned the surroundings.

I could not tell who was the lord and who was the summon.

“You don’t listen to a single word I say.”

SWOOSH.

Instead of answering, he slowly drew the longsword hanging from his waist.

Oh, that was cool. A Sword Master was a title for one who had trained in swordsmanship to the extreme and reached a state of mastery.

Therefore, just the act of drawing the sword from its scabbard was enough to tell that he was an outstanding master. Even I, a layman, could see that.

“Humans use a great number of muscles with just the simple act of drawing a sword. Would you like to feel?”

He slowly walked towards me.

I carefully placed my hand on his left chest.

To say it was hard was an understatement. It even felt as if I were touching a lump of iron.

“Wow……. That’s insane.”

“The grip strength of the hand holding the sword, the arm strength to lift it, the shoulder and waist strength needed to swing it! And supporting all of that is…….”

THWACK THWACK THWACK!!

Chun-sik, who had been passionately speaking, slapped his thigh hard.

“Lower body strength!”

“Are you a personal trainer?”

“Training in swordsmanship is the same as doing a full-body workout.”

After finishing his words, he quickly looked around. Then, he picked up a tree branch that had fallen on the ground.

Its size was roughly similar to the sword the guy was holding.

“Think of this as a sword.”

I accepted the branch from him.

CRACKLE.

The branch shimmered red. It seemed he had even imbued it with magic power in that short moment. Thanks to that, for a mere branch, it was ridiculously heavy.

“Wh-what’s so heavy about this?”

“Swords are originally heavier than they look. From now on, take good care of that. Since you don’t have a real sword, we will substitute it with a branch of a similar size for now.”

“……Alright.”

“Be sure to acquire a real sword or a wooden sword tomorrow. You should have enough money once you sell the magic crystals.”

“You’re surprisingly knowledgeable about things like that. How do you do it?”

“I saw and heard many things when I was a spirit. Anyway, what are you doing right now!?”

He brushed off my words and immediately shouted.

“My lord! I will briefly explain the training-AH!”

Tomorrow…… should I just not summon him?

He was a more meticulous guy than I had imagined.

I did not mesh well with by-the-book types. But as luck would have it, his personality was extremely by-the-book.

But I could not blame anyone else. It was all my own doing.

‘I’m already getting tired.’

“Before the swordsmanship training, I will first explain the basic training. First, you will do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run.”

“Just that alone will take a few hours…….”

“Pardon? No, it won’t. From tomorrow, please summon me after finishing your basic training beforehand.”

“Chun-sik, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“I can tell with just a glance. Whether you’ve done your basic training or not. If you slack off, you’re dead, my lord.”

Of course he would know! If I did all that, I would not even be able to stand properly.

Even a passing elementary school student could tell whether I had done it or not.

This damned summon of mine started to get a grip on me from the very first day.

“Chun-sik. I’m not sure who the lord is here. Right?”

“During training, you are not my lord. If we’re going to do it, isn’t it better to do it properly?”

“But it’s the first day.”

At my words, he contorted his face mercilessly.

“If you train half-heartedly, your body might be comfortable now, but it will show in a real battle! Would you rather have it hard now, or be torn to death by monsters in the tower!?”

“Ah, fine! I’ll do it!!”

“As expected of my lord. I respect you.”

My mind would be at ease only after I sewed that mouth shut.

***

Isn’t it the unwritten rule to keep orientation short?

But perhaps because Chun-sik was not an earthling, he did not follow the unwritten rule.

“Chun-sik!”

“You’re too slow! More! Run more!”

What I was doing right now was a 10km run.

At first, I had no means of measuring the distance, so I thought about slacking off a bit, but this jerk was gauging how far I had run with just his eyes.

“You have run 5.3km!! Just a little more effort. Am I not with you!?”

I wanted to be exempted, but the drill instructor next to me was running with me, nagging non-stop.

I was mistaken. He was not a personal trainer, he was a military drill instructor.

“Gasp, gasp……! Chun-sik, I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Throwing up once in a while is not a bad thing.”

My arms and shoulders hurt more than my legs from running.

It was because I had done 100 push-ups before the run.

The crisis came around the 5th one, but the cursed Sword Master made me painstakingly complete all 100 by doing one, resting, doing another, and resting.

He was a truly persistent bastard.

“Training is originally difficult. But as you do it, you will be able to feel a small joy even amidst the pain.”

The guy’s expression as he spoke looked quite refreshed. I was quite displeased and wanted to pick a fight somehow.

“You look like you’re in a good mood.”

“It’s because I feel alive moving my body after a long time.”

“It seems like you’re enjoying my suffering.”

“Yes. That’s righ……. No. How could I possibly be enjoying myself when you are having a hard time, my lord?”

“Your words and actions don’t match.”

He was not good at lying, which made him seem human. At least.

“Training starts with grit and becomes a habit. You, my lord, still lack grit.”

“Did you also start your training with grit?”

“……Yes.”

“That grit, do you still have it now?”

“……I do.”

The laughter that had been coming from beside me stopped. The guy momentarily stopped his feet.

A long-awaited break time! I quickly stopped in my tracks and gasped for breath.

In the meantime, Chun-sik turned his head and looked beyond the plaza.

‘That direction is…….’

I looked at him and then opened my mouth in a low voice.

“You’re looking at Avalon.”

“That is correct, my lord.”

The guy, who had been staring at Avalon for a while, suddenly straightened his clothes.

“We will end today’s training here.”

“Oh, really!?”

“There isn’t much time left. The training time will decrease as the days go by, so do not worry too much.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

“We will now move to Avalon.”

“……Why do you get to decide that? I’m the one who decides whether or not we go to Avalon.”

“Then please do so.”

After saying that, Chun-sik stared at me intently.

……Why did I feel like I had lost somehow?

“Are you not going?”

“I have to go.”

Even if it was just the magic crystals from the 1st floor, how much money was that? I could not miss out on it.

[Do you wish to move to Avalon?]

“Yes.”

Before long, my and Chun-sik’s bodies blurred.

Just as I had seen on the internet, I closed and opened my eyes for a very brief moment.

I had arrived in the Avalon lobby.

This place was bustling with countless players.

To think that I would come to this place.

Chun-sik silently placed his hand on his sword and scanned the surroundings.

Following the message’s guidance, I immediately entered the 1st floor. I could have gone with a party, but it did not matter since I already had a reliable party member.

[Do you wish to enter Avalon’s 1st floor?]

The 1st floor, which we arrived at shortly after, was a cave that exuded a similar atmosphere to the lobby.

Torches were stuck in the walls at regular intervals, so it was not incredibly dark. It was the same scenery I had seen on the internet.

It was fascinating, but I was also nervous.

My arms and legs were trembling. It was to the point where even taking a step was difficult.

“I think I worked out too hard. Chun-sik, I think I’m going to throw up.”

“It’s always like that at the beginning. Have some grit!!”

Chun-sik’s booming voice echoed through the cave walls.

CRACKLE.

“My lord, you may rest for a moment.”

“I was planning to do that anyway.”

When I answered as if I had been waiting for it, he glanced at me for a moment before taking a step forward.

Chun-sik leisurely scanned the surroundings with his arms crossed.

The most basic way to clear each floor was to annihilate all existing monsters.

Occasionally, sub-quests or gimmicks appeared on each floor, but there were none up to at least the 10th floor.

‘What was it that appeared on the 1st floor.’

CLICK. CLACK CLACK.

Just then, a bizarre sound came from far away.

Skeletons with darkish bones revealed themselves. Their appearance was a little scary, but their muscular strength was weaker and their speed was slower than an adult male’s.

Even a normal person could fight back if they just got used to it.

Needless to say, most players with magic power could clear it easily. As long as they did not get scared by their appearance and run away.

The number of skeletons was about 30. Chun-sik and the skeletons began to face off.

“Hey……. Chun-sik! Hurry up! There’s not much summon time left!!”

“It is enough.”

He briefly turned his head towards me.

He had not even drawn his sword in the first place. Chun-sik’s red magic power washed over them like a tsunami.

After a moment of silence, a message appeared.

[The 1st floor has been cleared.]