Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 17

4 AM. I opened my eyes and cursed instinctively, then rolled over to go back to sleep.

Yeon-woo was rolling around in the Body Training Room. Sweat streamed down like a waterfall. The heavy, soaked tracksuit felt light—whether it was due to some support magic or just the runner’s high from prolonged exercise, I couldn’t tell.

Yuri wasn’t there. She had handed me what I needed and left after giving a few instructions.

Anyway, it was about time to tackle the physical issues, so I had no complaints. I’d already accumulated enough mana to register as 1 on the information ring. Spending two days cooped up in the Magic Training Room wasn’t going to work out well. It was definitely time to build up my stamina.

Physical training wasn’t a requirement for awakened beings. Just surrounding oneself with mana could grant physical abilities far superior to those who had exercised for a lifetime.

Take my light movement technique as an example. No matter how much high-grade mana I poured into it, was it really conceivable for a human to jump nearly 30 meters?

Yet, it was true that a higher proportion of top hunters trained their bodies. There could be a moment when the mana runs out, or perhaps there were dungeons or monsters that could hinder mana operation.

Pain was fleeting. This, too, would eventually pass…

Knowing better than anyone why physical training was necessary, Yeon-woo decided to endure the pain and push his body.

After all, it felt like this time, he could finally achieve the dream he had to give up in his past life.

*

“Hey, hey. Lazy, lazy. How do you expect to be a hunter being this lazy?”

A smooth ponytail swayed, tickling the nape of a girl with sparkling black eyes and high-arching eyebrows that reflected her exuberant personality.

Kim Yoo-min, the girl, was heading to the Body Training Room bright and early. It was 6 AM. Since the Tuesday lectures didn’t start until lunch, she planned to have breakfast with the packed lunch she brought and practice until lunchtime.

Training was thrilling. Whether it was enjoying steady growth or grasping a slender thread of understanding after a long struggle, training was genuinely fun! Whoever invented the concept of training must have been a genius!

That’s why Kim Yoo-min was utterly dissatisfied with the Body Training Room’s surroundings so early in the morning.

No! You mean to tell me I can do something this fun for free anytime, yet instead of training from morning till night, you just come in for a quick session in the afternoon? Is that even fair!?

Just looking at the electronic board showing the Body Training Room’s availability, it was clear that it was empty everywhere. See! Even at this very moment, the Body Training Room is being wasted…!!

……Huh?

Wait, there’s one person…?

Who could it be? Anyone would do. I had this feeling we might become comrades. Surely, someone utilizing the Body Training Room this early in the morning couldn’t be a bad person.

Looks like I’m getting a friend in my lonely academy life…. Yoo-min suppressed her bubbling emotions.

The electronic board didn’t show personal information. Only the time spent so far was displayed. However, even Yoo-min, the training enthusiast, had to click her tongue at the time.

“Two hours, starting from 4 AM…? What on earth is this guy doing?”

Who could it be? The curiosity about this early bird surged within her endlessly. Surely, using the Body Training Room at this hour couldn’t be part of magic or crafting, so she checked the academy app for lecture information.

…Alright, there was no first period lecture for the Hunter department. Some had second-period lectures, so I could just come around ten and wait.

And tomorrow, I’ll need to come even earlier.

With that thought, Yoo-min entered the Body Training Room next door to kill some time.

*

There were a few assignments to tackle. Getting accustomed to using the Silver Whale technique in actual combat was one. Reforming the aura to maintain it during battle even more effectively. It was a task I could manage alongside stamina training.

First, I wrapped the aura around my body. The field, also referred to as the aura field. To be frank, I couldn’t maintain it for long in my current physical state. Didn’t I get hit by a fierce headache during class?

Speaking from the perspective of Yeon-woo, who had previously stepped into the realm of using an aura, processing the vast amount of information within the field was a sensory experience, not a mental one.

In simple terms, it was mastering a familiar situation through repeated practice. When I moved this way last time and the situation was favorable, I was mimicking that exact movement in the shortest time possible.

If I were to use magic to replicate that, it would mean my brain was receiving all the information within the field, not my body. The previous headache was likely a consequence of that.

With experience, it only ended there, but if other martial artists tried to apply the same method in the aura field, they would either pop their mana cores or have their brains overloaded and faint.

The key was narrowing the range. By dramatically reducing the total amount of information, the density would increase. That was the methodology to maintain performance while reducing burden.

…A sharp pain pulsed through my head, akin to someone experimenting by stabbing their brain with a needle.

Slowly, slowly…. I didn’t move my body. I sat up straight, delving into my inner self. From the subtle humidity and temperature of the space to the trajectory the sword should take and the movement of my muscles— my mind was bombarded with diverse information.

Little by little, the pain began to recede. What started as an inch, then a few centimeters, was reduced until the golden mana clung to my skin. About 1 cm. It was indeed precarious, but considering my mana capacity and physical ability, this distance was the most ideal.

The headache still lingered slightly, but I managed to reduce it enough to the point where I could move. When I opened my eyes, my whole body was drenched in sweat, and nearly an hour had passed.

“……I’m exhausted.”

With that, Yeon-woo sprawled flat on his back. Wow, I feel sluggish. It’s definitely harder to think than to physically exert myself. But ironically, if I have time, it’s right to train. Crazy as it sounds, it’s the truth.

First, I’ll run. Once I get accustomed to the headache from maintaining the aura, then I can incorporate the light movement technique. Then, headaches will return, and I’ll get used to them again….

For this moment, it’d be best to think of myself as already dead, diving into the practice.

……

Humming the classic song “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, Yeon-woo sprinted on, until Shar knocked him out with mana, and he woke up at 11 AM. Fortunately, he had only fainted for about an hour.

But did an hour fly by? Hell no, that was a total waste of time.

[I’m just glad I absorbed a ton of mana in that hour; otherwise, I could have run into some mobility issues.]

“What? Was I at that level of danger?”

Shar moved up and down dramatically before him. Ooh… I’ve pushed myself that hard for the first time while working out. No wonder. Sometimes when pushing mana back into me, it felt like I was on the brink.

“Well, I should go wash up, eat lunch, and head to class…. What do you want, Shar?”

[Cheese katsu!]

Already a proper lady when it came to cravings, despite not even being born yet. But that’s fine. I’m still at an age where no one would bat an eye if I ordered two or three servings.

Yeon-woo, shaking off the sweat-soaked tracksuit with Shar’s magic, pressed the end of use button on the panel next to the door. This time, there were indeed some students around using the facilities, so he wondered who exactly had been there since early morning.

If only they could hide the time too; why not?

As soon as he stepped outside, someone grabbed his wrist. What’s this now? He thought, trying to inject mana to shake it off, but their grip was so strong that he couldn’t break free at all.

In a quandary, Yeon-woo looked around, only to notice that many eyes were on him… but somehow, they seemed to be drawn more to the person pulling him than to him.

Well, good news is good news. Yeon-woo decided to give up resisting. It seemed like it would leave a less imposing impression of himself that way.

Pulled to the back of the Body Training Room, Yeon-woo looked up at the girl who turned around sharply.

With high-arching eyebrows that seemed to express her energetic personality and impressive red eyes, she had a vibrant aura about her. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Yeon-woo recognized her.

Despite being a bit different from his neat-looking brother, she was a beauty that gave off an energetic vibe.

It was Kim Hyun-soo’s sister, Kim Yoo-min.

“…Do you need money or something?”

If Kim Yoo-min was trying to rob him, then he’d better comply. Steeling himself for what felt like a major heist, he was surprised when she gave an unexpected response.

“Money? Why on earth do you ask about money all of a sudden?”

Yoo-min frowned as if she didn’t understand.

Ah, so it’s not money then.

“Never mind. So, what’s the deal? Dragging me along like this without a word. Can you explain it to me?”

Yeon-woo feigned calm while shaking her wrist, which left a noticeable red mark. Is this even human strength?

“……Um, no, I just….”

If memory served, Kim Yoo-min was quite bold, straightforward, and lively. Maybe she was a bit less so when she was younger? If her brother was the leader, she was like the vanguard. This hesitation was something he’d never seen in her in his past life.

Hmm, this is tricky. After some thought, Yeon-woo considered how to smooth out Yoo-min’s speech. She had probably worked hard in the Body Training Room, so it would be fine.

“I’m hungry, can we talk while eating? Let’s go together.”

“Uh? Sure, that sounds good! No, I really like that idea!”

Yeon-woo had no clue what was so appealing to her, but he pulled the giggling Yoo-min along to the student cafeteria.

*

“Choi Yeon-woo, I was really moved by your dedication to the Body Training Room starting from 4 AM….”

Tears rolled down the cheeks of the pony-tailed girl who was crunching chicken breast, a sight so surreal it was almost mind-boggling. Crying while ensuring she got her protein in to prevent muscle loss? What kind of fitness freak is this?!

“Is that so….”

Yeon-woo was chewing on his stir-fried pork set and a cheese katsu set. Sharing flavors must have been on point as Shar was spinning gracefully on his head.

Isn’t this going to lead to hair loss?

“Do you want to become Body Training Room friends…!?”

“If you need a friend, just say so. No need to overdo it.”

Yoo-min flinched as if she had been caught off guard, making Yeon-woo let out a sigh. Both Baek In-hwa and this girl had the common trait of having few friends despite being among the most promising talents in this cohort. Namgung Seong and Je Gal Seong-ryong appeared to have decent relations, though.

But still, it’s only fair…!! I can’t help but wonder which direction the other well-known freshmen will take, gripping my hands in suspense!

“Then starting today, we’re day one!? I’ll mark it on my calendar as an anniversary!”

“People will get the wrong idea!”

I can’t even. For real. I see now why Kim Hyun-soo said that his sister had the better talents. I didn’t expect her personality to fit that description too.

“I’m joking, I’m joking. Friend joke.”

“Whether people perceive it as a joke or not is another matter, you fool…”

But hmm…. Gaining a relationship with Kim Yoo-min caught me off guard, but it seemed positively promising. The remark from big bro Kim Hyun-soo about his sister getting much better wasn’t just a joke; it was absolutely the truth.

Before long, she’d become one of the most renowned hunters among the ones I know. Even traces of that talent should not be underestimated, even from a young age.

The incidents occurring in Harmony City number in the dozens that Yeon-woo could recall, but feeling helpless because he only has one body? That would be truly unjust.

Reeling in capable talents was always of utmost priority. It’s not like we’re in the Three Kingdoms here.

“Well, just don’t do anything that could be misunderstood by others. I’m not strong enough to handle excessive attention, okay?”

“You’ve been working so hard in the Body Training Room. You’ll surely get stronger soon.”

“I didn’t ask for comfort. I meant to say it’s a bit troublesome.”

Seeing Yeon-woo pouting like that, she nodded, signifying she understood. At least she wasn’t totally clueless.

“I need to go wash up before class starts, so I’ll head out first.”

Normally, I would wash up and then eat, but it ended up the other way around. I don’t tend to be the type who smells too badly, so it should be fine.

Yeon-woo left the cafeteria behind the mountain of chicken breast salad that Kim Yoo-min was chomping on and headed to the shower facilities in the Hunter building.

(To be continued in the next chapter.)