The day before one of the only two vacations of the year. The trainees had finished their daily routines and regained their freedom, but for the instructors, there was still work left to do.
To the trainees, it seemed as though the instructors enjoyed overwhelming freedom, but that was only because much of their work happened out of sight. It was only after frantically exchanging paperwork, summarizing the year’s progress, and completing the final official task—the instructors’ meeting—that they could finally claim their own freedom.
“Ah, it’s finally over. This year felt especially long.”
As he stepped out of the conference room, Head Instructor Alex stretched his arms wide. Beside him was another instructor—Russo, who held the same title as Alex. With a weary expression, Russo responded.
“It was long.”
“Why the gloomy face?”
“It’s always like this.”
“I know your expression always looks downcast. Like this—”
Alex exaggeratedly mimicked Russo’s usual expression before reverting to his usual self.
“But today, you seem different.”
“Different how…?”
“You look even more down than usual. If your lips normally droop this much, today they’re hanging down this much more.”
He traced his finger down his cheek to his chin to illustrate. Though Alex always carried a playful attitude, there was no one who knew Russo better. In the end, Russo admitted it.
“I’m not in a good mood.”
“And why’s that? You’re probably the only instructor in the academy feeling this way today. Vacation isn’t just for the trainees, you know?”
“It’s nothing. Just forget it.”
“When people say ‘forget it,’ they usually mean ‘pay attention.’ My friend, how about a drink tonight? I happen to have some good liquor on hand.”
Click—clack.
Alex made a sound imitating the pop of a bottle opening. It was surprisingly accurate, but Russo remained unmoved.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“You’re being unusually standoffish today. I understand, it’s not the first time I’ve seen you like this, but even I—hmm?”
“What is it?”
“Over there.”
Alex pointed. At the end of his finger was the training hall, its lights still on.
“There’s still someone using the training hall?”
The lights were enchanted to turn on automatically when someone entered. That meant someone was still inside.
“Whoever it is, that’s quite the diligent trainee. Well, it makes sense. Officially, the break starts tomorrow. Very diligent indeed… Shall we go take a look?”
“For what reason?”
“A little extra credit for next semester. Even if it’s become somewhat meaningless, dedication is still part of the evaluation criteria. It’s one of the virtues of a knight, after all.”
“There’s no real need for that… But do as you wish.”
“You’re acting very strange today.”
“You really intend to give them extra credit?”
“You and I both have the authority, don’t we? There’s a reason the word ‘head’ is attached to our titles.”
Without hesitation, Alex strode ahead. Peering through the slightly open door, he suddenly stopped.
“……”
Silently, he turned away. His eyes met Russo’s, who looked as if he had expected this reaction.
“It’s Henry, isn’t it?”
“You knew all along, didn’t you?”
“It was obvious. On a day like this, at this hour, who else would still be using the training hall?”
“You must have had a reason to come out here at this time… Now I get it. Now I finally understand.”
Alex looked at Russo with an expression of realization, as if to ask whether Henry was the reason for his earlier mood. Russo sighed.
“Even if you understand, don’t say it out loud. What was Henry doing?”
“He had collapsed from exhaustion. Just looking at him, I could still feel the heat radiating from him. If only he weren’t aiming to become a knight, he’d be truly remarkable. Every time I see him, it feels like such a waste.”
Tap, tap.
Alex patted Russo’s shoulder, a bittersweet smile on his face.
“Don’t dwell on it too much. It’s unfortunate, but we can’t create talent where it doesn’t exist.”
“Hmm.”
“If it’s bothering you that much, why not go and comfort him? He doesn’t listen to me, but he might listen to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Convincing him to give up on knighthood. If he had chosen another path, he would have already achieved greatness.”
Russo’s gaze shifted toward the training hall. Beyond the closed doors, he could almost see Henry, sweating alone. That was precisely why he couldn’t tell him to give up.
“As an instructor, it’s not my duty to extinguish a trainee’s passion. Didn’t you say you had some good liquor?”
Cheap sympathy would only wound his determination.
“Haha, my friend, you’ve made the right choice! Let’s go! You won’t be disappointed!”
Contrary to Chief Instructor Russo’s expectations, Henry was actually just taking a break.
[That was insane, lol]
[That was freaking amazing]
[So what I saw earlier was really just basic swordsmanship, lol]
“Huff… I-I’m relieved that the esteemed mages seem to be enjoying this.”
His vision was so blurred that the white ceiling appeared yellow. From basic sword techniques to advanced ones—every form of swordsmanship available to a knight trainee had just poured out from Henry’s blade. Thanks to his enhanced sensory abilities, he was now able to channel mana into his sword. A minuscule amount, but the visual effect was impressive.
[Wait, so this isn’t a skill? You’re actually swinging the sword yourself?]
“Yes, I have no skills. Every technique I display is purely my own execution.”
To Henry, the term “skill” meant something like this—being able to activate a sword technique automatically with just the flick of a finger.
That’s such a mage-like way of thinking.
For them, it was a given. After all, mages could resolve everything without lifting a single finger.
[Wait, hold on, something feels off??]
[What do you mean?]
[You’re telling me he’s actually swinging the sword himself?]
[Yeah, he really is.]
[Huh?? What????]
[Wait a sec, lol]
Henry furrowed his brow. The mages’ reactions were strange. Had something gone wrong? Just as a chilling sense of tension dried his throat—
[So you’re saying he’s actually wielding the sword ‘himself’?]
[This is literally VR-level realism, lol]
[So he’s pulling this off in real life???]
[That’s insane, lol]
An uproar erupted. And at the same time—
[‘trysky0323’ has subscribed!]
[‘Poporijan’ has subscribed!]
[‘Bigston’ has subscribed!]
…Subscriptions started flooding in!
Henry was so taken aback by the sudden response that he was at a loss for words.
…What exactly are they so impressed by?
That was the first thought that came to mind. The preferences of mages. But after a brief contemplation—
No, it’s not because of something particularly impressive.
Henry was certain. The awe in their expressions, their amazement that he was physically performing the techniques—they weren’t reacting to his skills themselves, but to the very act of moving his body.
That’s all it is. These mages may wield incredible magic, but they’ve likely neglected physical movement.
<‘PurpleSquirrel’ has donated 1,000 won!>
<“That was freaking amazing”>
He had learned this expression. “Freaking amazing” meant something was impressive. The word “freaking” was simply for emphasis.
“I will take that as high praise. Thank you, Mage PurpleSquirrel.”
<‘Poporijan’ has donated 2,000 won!>
<“So your body is the same as in real life??”>
“My physique? I’m not sure what you mean by real life….”
This was a tricky one. Henry understood what a physique was, but these people had been repeatedly using the word “real life.”
<‘Poporijan’ has donated 1,000 won!>
<“The real world! Reality! Your body!”>
The real world!
After a moment of contemplation, Henry made a judgment.
They must be referring to the world outside the Tower.
Unlike mages, who were practically confined within the Tower, knights roamed freely through the vast lands.
“Yes, it is the same.”
[Do you have abs????]
[Of course he does, lol]
[That’s gotta be pure battle-hardened muscle.]
[Show us!!!]
“…Very well.”
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t taken off his shirt countless times during morning runs anyway.
Thud. Thud.
He removed his weighted sandbags and took a quick glance at the chat. Then—whoosh!
Henry casually stripped off his top.
And at that moment—
[Wait, I didn’t sign up for this existential crisis??]
There stood a statue.
[Holy crap]
[I instinctively clapped, my guy;;;]
<‘Poporijan’ has donated 10,000 won!>
<“Kyaaaahhhhhh!!!!!”>
<‘trysky0323’ has donated 5,000 won!>
<“You’re amazing”>
Subscriptions and donations poured in.
Three years of rigorous training had sculpted his physique to perfection. It was nothing special to Henry—at the knight academy, such bodies weren’t uncommon.
But to the mages, it was a different story. This was… a form of reverence, wasn’t it? An admiration for something fundamentally different from themselves.
The mages were utterly transfixed by his overwhelming physical prowess.
[Sir Knight, I guarantee that if you keep your shirt off, your subscribers will skyrocket;;]
[Agreed!!!]
[His sheer presence made me put down my fried chicken.]
[Ah… self-loathing… why am I…]
“I believe we simply have different perspectives. I have lived as a knight trainee, while you have walked the path of magic.”
[Wait, is he subtly flexing on us??]
[Haha, a knight always strikes twice!]
[But seriously, with that physique, he’d dominate in any game??]
[Sir Knight, do you play other games?]
“Games….”
[Okay, I get the act now.]
[What about, um… have you ever considered another career besides being a knight?]
“No. Absolutely not. I must become a knight.”
In that instant, an unyielding determination flickered in Henry’s eyes.
A will. A desperate, unshakable desire.
[What about later, then?]
[Like, once you’ve saved your family and made a name for yourself as a knight—what then?]
“That….”
Henry hesitated.
The mage was asking about something Henry had always dreamed of—yet paradoxically, had never dared to truly imagine.
“If that time ever comes, if such a moment ever truly arrives… I don’t know. Maybe… I could lay down my sword.”
[Haha, he’s talking like he’s aiming for 100% completion.]
[Love the ‘finish everything first’ mindset~~]
[With that physique, he’ll clear it in no time, lol]
Henry wasn’t sure, but it seemed to be a compliment.
A knight… I have to become a knight. I’ll think about everything else later. This is my only choice for now.
He tightened his grip around his wooden sword.
His once feeble hands now held confidence.
This was only the change of a single day. In a month, his progress would be undeniable.
But.
Henry narrowed his eyes.
What’s that?
At the bottom of the stream’s display—
[Stage 1 goal achieved!]
[An additional reward has been granted!]
Below the message that had appeared earlier, a new notification had popped up.
[Donation Shop]
It must be related to sponsorships.
Henry had yet to fully grasp what “Donations” meant, but from the context, it was clearly another form of the mages’ generosity.
[So, what’s the next game? Definitely has to be an AOS, right?]
[RPG sounds fun too. Imagine him wrecking people in PvP, lol]
Glancing at the chat, Henry saw the mages passionately debating among themselves.
Leaving them to their discussion, he reached out and tapped—
[Donation Shop]
[Current Funds: 27,000 won]
[You can purchase items with donation funds!]
[Subscribers: 17]
[The following items are available at your current rank:]
It seemed that the number of subscribers directly influenced his rank. Scanning the item list, Henry read:
[Seiat Root (1) – 12,000 won]
- A root used as an ingredient for mana potions.
[Decent Ore Pouch – 880,000 won]
- A pouch containing random ores suitable for forging weapons.
[Limited Sale!]
[Shaolin Summoning Pill – 23,000,000 won]
- Grants a significant amount of internal energy. Requires sufficient inner cultivation to absorb.
At last, Henry understood how “donations” were meant to be used.
