I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 302: Interlude

My name is Lee Ji-eun.

Though, more often than not, people know me by my alias, Hwarang.

Before I entered the academy, I had already gained a bit of fame, swinging my twin axes with vigor, and was even hailed as the next close-combat dealer to follow in the footsteps of Dog Warrior Kang Do-hee.

But no matter how many monsters I sliced through or how many gates I cleared, it was hard to get any real attention.

That’s because we’re living in the age of Utopia, without a doubt.

Not that I harbored any feelings of inferiority or jealousy. That kind of petty behavior isn’t really my style as someone who prides herself on being a strong woman.

But I was ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) curious.

What exactly is this Utopia that everyone keeps praising, claiming it’s so great?

Is it truly an impeccable group of irregulars, destined to follow in Lina’s footsteps, upholding true heroism?

Or is it, as some have whispered, just a hollow front propped up by Jin Yoo-ha, the pretty face, to maintain their fame?

Of course, I could have found out all I wanted about Utopia and Jin Yoo-ha with a quick internet search. But I’ve never been one to believe something unless I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

So, when I entered Velvet Hunter Academy, I was full of anticipation.

After earning the top score, I thought I’d meet Utopia and see Jin Yoo-ha for myself.

‘Getting the highest score in the academy shouldn’t be too hard. There’s only Iron Wall to watch out for among the incoming students. Hmm, if I get the top score, maybe I can ask for a meeting with Utopia? That should be possible, right?’

I was confident.

I had already met Iron Wall, Choi Yoon-ah, a few times before entering the academy.

She was an inspiration to tanks, wielding a massive shield far too large for her small frame and deftly blocking enemy attacks.

But there was no way I’d lose to her.

In terms of raw physicality, I had the upper hand.

Yet, despite my ambitious plans, things only went halfway according to plan.

What worked out was my meeting with Jin Yoo-ha.

I had assumed I’d only meet him after the one-month training camp period and some time beyond that. But surprisingly, our encounter happened much sooner than I had expected.

Jin Yoo-ha, the instructor in charge of both the special admission students and the male quota members?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think. No matter how skilled he was, Jin Yoo-ha was still a student, right?

He was only a year ahead of me, a second-year at the academy.

‘Does Velvet Hunter Academy not have enough qualified instructors?’

That was my initial thought when I saw him for the first time.

And at the same time—

‘Wow... is that even a human face?’

His looks were so unreal that I couldn’t help but be impressed.

But all my doubts were crushed on the very first day.

How could they not be?

Even as I, a woman, was wobbling like a newborn foal, Jin Yoo-ha barely broke a sweat, carrying several times the weight of the training equipment I had and performing the same training.

‘He’s a real monster...’

I had no idea how that lean body of his could produce such power.

‘Ahem! Well, he’s certainly strong!’

But my goal of becoming the top student remained firm.

Yet, I was wrong again.

Shockingly, I wasn’t the top student this time!

‘Who the hell is she...?’

White hair, blue eyes, and an inexplicably cold, otherworldly aura.

I prided myself on knowing the standout hunters of my generation, and I was sure I didn’t know her.

‘Seriously, who is she...?’

It was as if she had just fallen from the sky.

The mysterious woman who had made such an impact in the training ground now sat beside me, devouring her chicken with reckless abandon.

Her expression, normally as cold as ice, had completely melted away, replaced with a look of pure joy.

Alice, who was in the middle of eating her chicken, grabbed a few pieces of pickled radish, her eyes sparkling as she downed the entire container of radish juice.

Sluurp—!

“Refreshing.”

Her reaction made me chuckle under my breath.

Seriously, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was a character out of some novel—an expert warrior raised in complete isolation, away from civilization, who had somehow escaped to the academy.

It was a ridiculous thought.

But watching her alternate between bites of chicken and gulps of radish juice, I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Hwarang, aren’t you going to eat?”

It was Iron Wall, Choi Yoon-ah, sitting across from me, who asked.

“You’re not eating either, are you?”

A chicken leg sat in front of her as well, but all she had done was poke at it with her fork. It hadn’t shrunk at all.

“I... don’t have much of an appetite.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Me neither.”

That’s right.

Both Iron Wall and I had lost our appetites.

The reason was simple: today’s training.

The one where a male quota member had peed his pants after collapsing.

There were still traces of tears and snot on Iron Wall’s face, and I was sure I didn’t look much better.

The only one who looked unaffected was this strange specimen, Alice, who was calmly eating her chicken as if nothing had happened.

‘Jin Yoo-ha... what are you?’

I thought back to the shocking events of the day.

Jin Yoo-ha had given us an unimaginable reward for all our hard work.

‘An elixir that increases stats below 60...’

I’d never heard of such a thing.

I’d never taken one, but I knew well enough that elixirs that could boost stats were worth a fortune.

And not only did he give each of us three special admission students one of these elixirs, but he also promised to give more based on our performance.

It was a massive opportunity.

Jin Yoo-ha’s wealth must be unimaginable.

Sure, I had earned a bit of money by hunting monsters and selling magic stones, but I probably couldn’t even come close to his level.

Whatever minor dissatisfaction I’d had vanished in an instant.

What had bothered me?

At first, it had slightly annoyed me that Jin Yoo-ha seemed to favor Alice.

‘But that’s understandable. Sure, Iron Wall and I struggled to keep up, clinging to his coattails, but Alice completed everything perfectly.’

If I were the instructor, I’d probably pay more attention to a student like Alice too.

No, what really bothered me was the male students.

While Alice, Iron Wall, and I were busting our asses to survive the brutal training and prove ourselves, those guys were lazing around, complaining, and not even lifting a finger.

And yet, Jin Yoo-ha didn’t say a word to them. He just let it slide.

No matter how hard I tried not to care, I couldn’t help it.

I wondered if it was because they were fellow men or because they came from the male quota program like he did.

But no.

Jin Yoo-ha had been watching us all along.

After all, only the three of us received the elixirs.

What had those male quota members said back then?

Something about it being unfair? That we hadn’t completed all the training and that they deserved the elixirs too?

That worthless guy even grabbed me and Iron Wall by the hair and started spewing nonsense.

But Jin Yoo-ha’s response?

“What a ridiculous claim. These two were the same as you, but they volunteered to take on training that was several times harder than what they were originally supposed to do.”

“And though they collapsed from exhaustion, they never gave up. Don’t compare these losers who quit after 10 or 5 minutes with them. It’s an insult.”

Ah, the satisfaction.

It was like taking a gulp of the sweetest, most refreshing drink.

‘From now on, any attack on Jin Yoo-ha is an attack on me.’

That was the vow I made to myself.

If it weren’t for what happened next.

Hwarang’s expression hardened as she recalled the events of the day.

‘...If only that guy hadn’t mentioned the difference in physical ability...’

A training session that didn’t rely on physical ability but instead tested mental fortitude.

When that male quota student suddenly collapsed and wet himself, I didn’t understand why at first.

But soon, we all understood.

The exercise was simple: stand before Jin Yoo-ha without flinching for ten minutes.

I had no idea it would be so horrific.

It was in that moment I truly understood how incredible Jin Yoo-ha was.

Why he had become a world-renowned hunter, with even the likes of Dog Warrior and Chunhwa staying by his side.

I thought I’d become desensitized to fear after facing so many monsters, but this was on a completely different level.

Just standing before Jin Yoo-ha as he looked at me with those impossibly perfect features made my legs tremble. Sweat beaded all over my body, and tears and snot streamed down my face.

I tried my best to endure, but I couldn’t last more than four minutes without backing away.

Even Iron Wall, who was as tough as nails, lasted only four minutes, just like me.

That’s why I had to ask the girl sitting next to me.

“...Hey, how did you manage to last all ten minutes?”

Alice, who had been focused on her chicken, turned her bright blue eyes toward me.