LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 275
There was already a customer at the punch machine.
One man and one woman. It seemed they had been using it for a while, as there were quite a few spectators in the back.
“Yap.”
With a quick flick of the wrist, the woman swung her fist. Her arm was slender, and she didn’t seem to use her whole body when throwing her punch. She looked like she wouldn’t score very well.
– Bang!
Contrary to that ordinary expectation, a huge impact noise echoed. It was clearly no ordinary punch.
The plush target hanging from the ceiling shook violently, and some spectators flinched and shivered.
A moment later, the scores were tallied.
[Set score: 777.777]
[㉮Ⅰ: 787.671]
[㉯Ⅲ: 772.991]
“Ah, ahh! If it had just been… ten points lower…!”
“Woo! You nailed the first two hits perfectly. Talk about a flawless victory.”
A holographic scoreboard floated above the punch machine. The anxious-looking man checked his score, gritted his teeth, while the woman sneered at him victoriously and raised her fist.
“Haha! You think you can act tough? Know your place. Heh heh, where should we eat today~”
“Hey, wait a minute, let’s just talk this out, okay?”
“Come on, let’s not make a scene, promises should be kept. Now hurry up and follow me.”
“Seriously, please, I barely have any money left after getting my gear…”
“That’s not my problem, and your problem is the fact you dared to gamble with those skills.”
‘…They’re having a blast.’
The woman chattered happily as she left, with the man trailing behind her in a pitiful manner. I observed them with a strange expression.
They looked like strangers, nothing particularly special about them.
But beneath that recognition barrier, I could see familiar faces.
Aiden and Athira. They were childhood friends and seemed to be enjoying themselves together even at the Birth Ceremony.
They must have worn recognition-disabling magic tools to have a comfortable experience without unwanted attention, just like me.
‘Everyone seems to be getting their hands on magic tools from somewhere.’
There were many people around here with different appearances inside and out. Unlike Baek Ahrin, who wore a mask, these individuals were using recognition-disabling magic tools.
From Shio-ram students to superhumans coming in from the outside. Many who wanted to avoid drawing attention were hiding their true looks.
“So, what should be the score? Like those folks, 777?”
Meanwhile, Ahrin trotted over to the punch machine after the customers left. She expertly punched the hologram and asked, with Hong Yeon-hwa, who was loosening her fists in the back, shrugging her shoulders.
“How about exactly 500?”
“Alright, setting it to 500.000… I assume everyone here will have a go at least once?”
[Yes, I’ll give it a try too!]
“Then I’ll join as well!”
Elia eagerly agreed, and even the master, who had been crossing her arms, nodded. I waved Seoyul’s hand, feeling warmth from him.
[Would Seoyul like to give it a try?]
“Me?”
Seoyul, who had quietly been fiddling with my hand, wide-eyed in surprise, seemed not to expect to be asked.
[Yes, it’s meant for superhumans, but it’s not solely for them. Plus, it’s just for fun, so why not give it a go?]
“…Yes! I’ll try!”
Seoyul blinked as if considering my words, then nodded firmly. Her cute determination brought a smile to my face.
“That makes six of us.”
– Ding!
[Set score: 500.000]
[Participants: 6]
[Attempts per person: 3]
– Brrrr…!
Soon after, Ahrin finished the settings, and the various protective spells embedded in the punch machine activated.
This punch machine was designed for superhumans, not ordinary folks. Its materials were sturdy and embedded with magic during the design process.
Of course, even then, since it was mass-produced, a powerful superhuman throwing punches at full force could easily wreck the magic and machinery.
That’s why most punch machines for superhumans are more about measuring control of strength rather than impact power.
In other words, instead of just throwing a strong punch, one must adjust their strength to get as close to the set score as possible.
The score Ahrin set was 500.000.
“Then I’ll go first.”
“Hahaha! Why the seriousness?”
“Hey, how can I take a sacred game lightly?”
In a somewhat serious manner, Ahrin stepped up, causing Elia to giggle from the sidelines. With a smile back at her, Ahrin relaxed her shoulders and got ready in front of the punch machine.
Spectators, who had been starting to drift away, slowly gathered back for the show.
“Hmmm, 500, huh…”
Ahrin raised her right arm, standing relatively close to the dangling target. With a gentle flick, her fist hit the target.
– Bang!
The light action created a heavy resonance. Ahrin checked the displayed score on the hologram.
[㉮Ⅰ : 532.855]
“…Well, first hit was for checking.”
After seeing the score, Ahrin shrugged her shoulders. It seemed like she thought the difference was large.
Flicking her wrist, Ahrin set her stance again and launched her right hand at the target once more, just like before.
– Bang! Bang!
A couple of punches hit the target in quick succession.
[㉮Ⅱ : 503.112]
[㉮Ⅲ : 500.879]
Soon, gasps of admiration flowed from the spectators as they saw the scores displayed on the hologram.
Landing exactly at 500 in the three attempts was quite an exceptional feat, even if it didn’t line up perfectly with decimal points.
“Mm…”
“Step aside, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
However, Ahrin, still not fully satisfied, narrowed her brows. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been watching with her arms crossed, boldly stepped forward.
With eyes gleaming hungrily, Yeon-hwa seemed determined to knock this out of the park, which made Ahrin take a cautious step back.
“Whoa… Easy now, remember to hit the target, not me, got it?”
“What do you think I am, some weakling… ugh.”
“What, the filter’s already reset!?”
As Ahrin stepped back sheepishly, Yeon-hwa let out a cough and readied herself.
“Here we go…”
A light breath escaped her lips. With relaxed muscles and full focus at her fingertips, Yeon-hwa launched her fist forward.
– Bang!
The target shook violently from the light hit. Without even looking at the wobbling target, Yeon-hwa immediately checked the hologram.
[㉯Ⅰ : 504.446]
“Hm.”
Yeon-hwa furrowed her brow, emitting a strange sound of discontent. There was an odd tension about her that I decided to keep quiet on.
After a brief pause, as the target steadied itself, Yeon-hwa wasted no time and delivered consecutive punches.
– Bang! Bang!
Like Ahrin, there was a slight gap between the two blows.
[㉯Ⅱ : 501.210]
[㉯Ⅲ : 500.871]
“871!”
With sparkling eyes, Yeon-hwa saw the score and grinned as she compared it with Ahrin’s score on the hologram.
[Set score: 500.000]
[㉮Ⅲ : 500.879]
[㉯Ⅲ : 500.871]
“873 and 871! It’s clear who the winner is! Haha!”
Yeon-hwa burst out laughing, her smile blooming as she gazed at Ahrin. The nerves were replaced with an adorable bragging demeanor.
“Ah, right, I lost.”
“?”
However, when Ahrin received her victorious stare, she merely shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Yeon-hwa, who had been teasing earlier, furrowed her brows in confusion.
“Hey, I said you lost, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, I lost by 0.008 points~ so sad~”
“No, you lost! Hand over the stakes.”
“Huh? What stakes?”
Ahrin looked surprised, her eyes widening as she seemed to misunderstand, and Yeon-hwa tightened her fist in discontent.
“Stop playing dumb! We agreed to bet on this! I won and you lost!”
“Yeah, that’s true, but we never actually set what we’d bet!”
“Uh?”
Yeon-hwa’s frustration melted away like a snowman in the sun. Bewildered, she blinked, trying to retrace her memory.
While I saw this little quarrel, I too began digging through my own memory.
– How about a bet after a long time?
– That? Heh, you really suck at changing the subject, sea lion girl.
Ahrin’s proposal and Yeon-hwa’s cheeky rebuttal.
– Fine, I’ll let you off easy this time. Be thankful!
– Come on, you…
After Ahrin’s provocations, Yeon-hwa had accepted the bet.
But ever since, they hadn’t mentioned any terms of wagering.
Being a memory crafted by the power of knowledge, it was impossible to have errors here.
“……”
As the memory wrapped up, it seemed Yeon-hwa froze in spot. With her mouth agape, Ahrin gently covered her mouth with her hand.
“Pfft.”
.
.
.
“Ah… what do I do, I’m really stupid…”
While I was comforting a dejected Yeon-hwa, Elia stepped up next.
“Umm.”
Elia prepared herself awkwardly. Unlike Yeon-hwa or Ahrin, she appeared to be using a punch machine for the first time.
Tilting her head, she took a deep breath, pulled back her fist, and unleashed it. Unlike the first two, she seemed to put some real strength behind it.
– Bang! Bang! Bang!
With her three punches, the target and her chest shook violently.
[㉰Ⅰ : 612.569]
[㉰Ⅱ : 571.497]
[㉰Ⅲ : 441.332]
“Aaah… this is harder than I thought…”
Soon, Elia’s scores popped up, and she gawked in surprise. Unlike the earlier records of Yeon-hwa and Ahrin, her precision was notably lacking.
Approaching me, Elia shook her head.
“I’m realizing just how different our physical levels are. The two of them can just tap and effortlessly exceed 500, but I have to really put in effort…”
By the way, if a soldier specializing in physical conditioning punches hard, they can reach about a hundred, right?
So, Elia’s casually thrown punches were at least five times as strong as that trained soldier’s…
And even without applying any of that martial prowess or bodily skills, the gap between superhumans and ordinary folk was painfully obvious.
Even this slender, soft Elia could easily take down a few people if she put her mind to it.
“Hmm.”
Next was the master. Without a hint of tension, she casually walked up and lightly tapped the target with her hand.
– Thump! Thump! Thump!
[㉱Ⅰ : 500.083]
[㉱Ⅱ : 500.041]
[㉱Ⅲ : 500.030]
“Wow!”
The results stunned both Elia and Ahrin, who had switched to spectator mode, as well as the sizable crowd of onlookers that had gathered.
All three attempts hit right at 500. Everyone was in awe of her incredible control.
“Three times at 500…! That’s amazing!”
“Wow… even when I attended class once, I felt the magnitude of her skills.”
[Hmhm.]
“Kuh, why’s Hayul so happy?”
Caught up in the reactions around me, my shoulders lifted. I noticed the giggles from the side as they observed my shining eyes.
[Well, the master’s praise is my praise as well!]
“Ahaha, such a devoted student to her master’s love.”
“…Hmmm, who’s next?”
Unperturbed by the accolades, the master turned to me, her face reddened by my exuberance.
“Hm?”
She locked eyes with a dazed Yeon-hwa. After staring back and forth between her and Yeon-hwa’s scores, she finally cracked a smile.
“…Your punches seem a bit awkward.”
“That…!?”
[Okay, okay! It’s Seoyul’s turn!]
I beamed as I swiftly lifted Seoyul, who couldn’t reach the target given its height.
“Eek… I will grow tall soon!”
Seeing me hoist Seoyul who had been waiting quietly, her little fists balled up in frustration showed her displeasure at her height.
There was some relatable frustration—being short was something I fully understood.
‘So Seoyul needs to grow tall…’
I earnestly wished this little one wouldn’t notice that dissatisfaction. I nodded firmly, cheering Seoyul on.
[So, Seoyul will grow! You need to get good sleep and eat well, got it?]
“…Yes!”
[So how about some nutritious chicken and eggs…]
“Blehh…!”
[Ahh, sorry! Don’t choke me, let go of my hair…!]
A minor commotion ensued as Seoyul puffed up her cheeks and suddenly punched the target.
Her tiny fist swooshed through the air and landed on the target.
– Bang!
A deadly sound echoed.
[㉲Ⅰ : 314.002]
314 points. An undeniable score that surpassed the ordinary person.
Spectators, who until now had been looking at the cute little Seoyul with gentle smiles, suddenly stared in astonishment.
– Thump! Thump!
[㉲Ⅱ : 332.883]
[㉲Ⅲ : 355.091]
“Wow.”
After two more blows, Seoyul let out a refreshing sigh, her smile clearly brightening.
Being a fairy born from a lineage of dominant protectors, Seoyul wasn’t just any child; she was a combat fairy.
Even if she was young, her growth wouldn’t leave her weak.
And her physical prowess was something I was quite familiar with, so I expected this result.
“…If I arm-wrestled with that Seoyul, I’d definitely lose, right?”
Even though I anticipated this, a bit of nervousness crept in. On the surface, Seoyul was just an adorable child.
But as I chuckled at Elia’s rare joke as she reacted with mild panic from behind, I couldn’t respond.
[Alright, let me give this a shot!]
In any case, it was now my turn. I set Seoyul down next to Yeon-hwa and stood before the punch machine.
All eyes were on me—my companions of course, but also the crowd that gathered around.
It seemed that the excitement had ensnared them as they watched us take turns.
Among the spectators were even a few superhumans.
From student warriors munching on street foods to outside superhumans looking to be entertained…
…
…
… That person is also looking over.
I managed to ignore it, but I could still sense two gazes from afar.
A seemingly emotionless woman standing next to Choi Ji-yeon. The alien aura I felt from her sent a shiver down my spine.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, I readied myself. Stretching forward my right arm, I subtly prepared to strike.
Typically the first hit is just for scouting, using it to gauge the impact action for the subsequent punches.
But I didn’t need to do that.
There were already five people who went before me, so I had a wealth of information at my disposal.
I had also read the punch machine’s functions and figured out how to achieve my score.
And I was already perfectly attuned to my own physical powers.
With the information gathered through observation, I maximized the function of the Jack of All Trades to precisely adjust my approach to the smallest degree.
In a moment of combat, with dozens of movements happening at once, it felt wasteful, but it was this skill that mattered when precision was essential.
– Thump! Thump! Thump!
With three consecutive punches, the target shook with a satisfying noise. I exhaled deeply and checked the output scores.
[㉳Ⅰ : 500.000]
[㉳Ⅱ : 500.001]
[㉳Ⅲ : 500.002]
‘Hmm.’
The exact scores I intended. A peculiar sense of satisfaction warmed my chest as I nodded.
*
[㉳Ⅰ : 500.000]
[㉳Ⅱ : 500.001]
[㉳Ⅲ : 500.002]
The scores of 000, 001, and 002.
It was too precise to be just some lucky coincidence, rising in nice increments.
In that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa, wide-eyed, stammered as she stared.
Suddenly turning her head, she spotted a similar expression on her fellow student, Artra.
“……”
As soon as Yeon-hwa recalled the earlier shame of defeat, she jabbed her elbow into Artra’s side.
“Did you see that? That’s how you punch!”
“…I find it hard to understand why you’re boasting.”
Both a peculiar pride and a wounded ego collided in Artra’s expression, her brow furrowing in a dramatic way.