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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Screw the Original Story
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Whistle!
Ryu Ji-ah put the whistle in her mouth and blew it hard. The moment the signal for the spar to begin rang out, Dokgo Hwaryeon charged straight at Black Johnson.
"Hah!"
Flames wrapped around her fist as she thrust it forward. The scorching heat of the roaring blaze washed over him. The cadets watching from the sidelines let out gasps of admiration at the sheer power.
"Dokgo Hwaryeon... She's no joke."
"And Johnson over there tanking it? He's no slouch either."
His skin prickled. The intense heat made goosebumps rise. The cadets took a step back, muttering to themselves. Anyone too close would risk getting burned alive.
Even though this wasn't a real battle, Dokgo Hwaryeon was going all out. She was someone who desperately wanted to grow stronger, and she never wasted a single moment.
"You're holding up pretty well!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon grinned at Black Johnson, eyes locked on him. She felt a spark of interest toward the guy enduring her flames.
'Most people would dodge or something.'
Black Johnson just stood there planted in the middle of the field. The searing heat swept over his body, but he seemed to take it in stride, almost relaxed.
"HotYo."
A clumsy Korean phrase echoed. Black Johnson finished checking himself over and thrust out his thick arm. He only swung it from where he stood, but it whipped up a gust like a gale.
Dokgo Hwaryeon twisted her upper body in a panic to dodge his hand. She had no idea what would happen if he grabbed her, so she pushed her body beyond its limits.
'He's huge...!'
Black Johnson's hand whistled past her head.
To Dokgo Hwaryeon, his body was excessively massive. His raw physique was on another level. Compared to the other male cadets his age, he stood head and shoulders above them.
'Flame Tiger, thank you!'
That's why she was grateful. The fire spirit Flame Tiger had come to her side, allowing her to test herself against an incredible guy like Black Johnson.
Dokgo Hwaryeon wanted to beat Black Johnson. If she was going to do this, she didn't want to just lose pathetically. If her skills weren't enough, then fine... but.
'I'm going to become a hero of this country too.'
When she was little, villains had badly injured her. She remembered the hero sister who saved her then. If that hero hadn't come, she wouldn't be here today.
Bleeding profusely yet still pouring her strength into saving others—that hero. Dokgo Hwaryeon wanted to be like her. She wanted to save people just like that sister.
Ever since she found that dream, she'd trained relentlessly. With nothing but her body to rely on, effort was all she had.
—Go all the way, and you'll win it all, Hwaryeon. You're Daddy's girl, after all.
But her firepower still fell short right now. Dokgo Hwaryeon felt that truth deep in her bones. Against an average cadet, these flames would have been plenty.
But piercing through someone as sturdy as Black Johnson? Impossible. She was still far too weak. She couldn't even link yet—the gap was painfully obvious.
'And besides...'
Dokgo Hwaryeon sensed something off in Black Johnson's movements. He was overflowing with composure. He was hiding his true strength. He could have crushed her instantly, but he was dragging out this one-on-one spar.
'He's going easy on me...?'
It felt like mockery. Hiding his overwhelming power and planning to win just enough—it came across to Dokgo Hwaryeon as toying with her, deceiving her. She gritted her teeth.
"Fine, let's see how much you can hold back!"
Black Johnson's laid-back attitude lit a fire in her heart. She wasn't the type to get discouraged in situations like this. She wanted to drag out his full power somehow and shove it back in his face.
"Holy, Shit. It's hot. Hwaryeon's flames are truly impressiveYo."
"Put some soul into your words! I can't feel any emotion at all!"
Whoosh!
She unleashed a burst of flame. Flame Tiger drew its power from Dokgo Hwaryeon's will and imagination. Not linked, but still an incredible blaze.
"..."
Black Johnson grimaced. He seemed startled by the unexpected intensity.
Dokgo Hwaryeon sneered inwardly. She pictured his smug composure against her, and she wanted to hammer that attitude out of him.
"...Okay, I can feel Hwaryeon's will now. The resolute intent, the dream, the future conveyed through these hot flames. From here on, I'll fight you seriously."
Chunks of earth crumbled off Black Johnson's body. Scorched yellow soil dried out by the flames—he realized what that meant.
Black Johnson shed the Earth/Soil dwelling in his body and linked with Iron. In terms of pure defense, the iron-attribute spirit was tougher than earth or stone could ever match.
"Not only does he have two spirits, he can even link...?!"
The cadets didn't hide their awe. They never imagined their black exchange student classmate had this kind of talent. At the same age, his skill was astonishing.
Black Johnson's body gleamed. Linking with Iron had transformed his skin into steel. Dokgo Hwaryeon panicked at the change and ramped up her output.
"Iron's weak to fire...!"
"Yes, iron isn't strong against fire. In fact, you could say it's weak."
Black Johnson bared his white teeth at Dokgo Hwaryeon. Against his dark skin, the smile stood out starkly.
"To a 'really strong fire,' that is."
"You...!"
It was blatant mockery. Her Flame Tiger was weak, so he could block it easily with his iron-attribute spirit—that's what it sounded like.
Dokgo Hwaryeon let out a furious yell and drew up more power. She intensified the flames' heat. The fire cloaking her gloves surged wildly.
"Oops!"
Even as he said it, Black Johnson didn't dodge the flames. He stepped forward casually, as if it didn't burn at all. Closing in on Dokgo Hwaryeon.
"Ahh...!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon slapped away his arm. They collided hard, but only she seemed to feel the pain. A sharp ache shot through her right wrist.
"Hwaryeon, want to keep going?"
For a moment, it looked like Black Johnson had linked with a fire-attribute spirit. Flames clung to his body as he moved, utterly unfazed by her blaze.
"...I lost."
Dokgo Hwaryeon clenched her fist in defeat. But she didn't despair. Train harder and win next time. She was grateful for a wall she could one day shatter.
Ryu Ji-ah gave them a quick evaluation and sent them down. For Black Johnson, work on attack options. For Dokgo Hwaryeon...
"You know, right?"
"Yes, Teacher."
Build rapport with the fire spirit Flame Tiger to raise the flames' heat further. Of course, don't neglect physical training. A strong spirit alone wasn't enough.
'Link...'
Dokgo Hwaryeon's ultimate goal was linking with her spirit. The step toward becoming a true hero—becoming one with the spirit.
Dokgo Hwaryeon stared hard at Black Johnson. She approached and spoke to him.
"Johnson."
"Yeah, Hwaryeon. Good spar."
Black Johnson extended his hand with a bright smile. Dokgo Hwaryeon gripped it and shook. His large, rough hand dwarfed hers.
'Should I say it or not.'
Anger bubbled inside her. It was just training, so she should let it go without hard feelings... but.
'No, I can't hold it in.'
Dokgo Hwaryeon made up her mind. She had to vent these feelings now. Keeping them bottled up would only hurt her.
"In that spar just now, why'd you go easy on me?"
"...Oh, about that..."
"Forget it."
Black Johnson started to explain. Dokgo Hwaryeon cut him off. She'd just get madder listening. The fact that he'd looked down on her wouldn't change.
"I'll beat you someday, Johnson."
Just like he said, she'd become a "really strong fire" and melt his iron. She'd win with pure skill and wipe away today's humiliation cleanly.
Black Johnson cheered her on.
"Yes, you can do it, Hwaryeon."
"So full of yourself? A cadet needs skill, after all."
"HaHa, not necessarily."
Dokgo Hwaryeon looked up at Black Johnson. She had to crane her neck a lot to meet his eyes. He was gazing out at the field.
"Next up: Lee Do-jun, Kim Sang-hyuk."
Ryu Ji-ah called the next pair for their spar.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I changed course midway. I'd planned to show just enough of a gap to win comfortably, but I realized that wouldn't do. It was because of how the story would unfold after.
'Things will obviously change because of me. But not right now.'
In the original story, Dokgo Hwaryeon was supposed to bond with Black Johnson through this spar. She'd see him as a wall to overcome and gradually pry info about linking out of him.
If Black Johnson didn't show that gap, the trigger for them getting close would vanish. Dokgo Hwaryeon would bond with someone else, and the story I knew would veer way off track.
'Can't have that.'
I needed Dokgo Hwaryeon by Black Johnson's side. So I used Iron to provoke her. And it worked—she took an interest in him.
'...Should I just fuck her?'
As long as it doesn't screw things up with Lee Do-jun like in the novel? Honestly, there's no guarantee it'll play out like the original anyway. Why stick to the plot?
'Screw the original story.'
I watched Lee Do-jun's spar with those thoughts. His evil-attribute spirit rampaged as if it were the most natural thing.
Lee Do-jun, beaten to a pulp by Kim Sang-hyuk. Kim Sang-hyuk, whose left arm was shattered by the rampaging Demonis. Chaos everywhere.
Ryu Ji-ah stepped in and forcibly ended the spar. That wrapped up the one-on-ones. Everyone returned to the classroom except Lee Do-jun and Kim Sang-hyuk.