Chapter 22 - Figurehead... Father
[ Scarecrow ]
=== Scarecrow ===
Stepping away from Han Cho-yeon for a moment, I picked up one of the training swords hanging on the wall.
The moment I gripped it, a heavy, solid weight pressed into my palm.
"It's heavier than I expected."
This wasn't just a standard iron longsword; it was a Hunter's iron sword.
Even though it was a mass-produced model meant for training, it was remarkably well-balanced.
Most Hunter melee weapons were built heavy for durability. Even with my current E-class Strength—which made me stronger than the average person—the weight was still quite noticeable.
"Have you ever used a sword before?"
Watching me, Han Cho-yeon tilted her head slightly and asked.
"No. Just... in video games, I guess."
"Pfft. Why are you bringing up video games, dummy?"
Han Cho-yeon let out a soft chuckle.
"Well, even if you haven't, it's the most basic weapon, and swords are highly versatile."
She brushed it off casually, but there was a faint spark of anticipation in her eyes.
It looked like she wanted to see for herself exactly what I was capable of.
"But with your stats, you could probably smash most things just by swinging it blindly."
"Do you think so?"
"Yeah. Let's test it out on that."
Han Cho-yeon gestured with her chin toward the scarecrow standing in the center of the room.
Its surface glowed with a faint, pulsing light as mana flowed through it.
"Those things are usually pretty indestructible, but with A+-class Strength... well, who knows?"
I squeezed and released my grip on the hilt, getting a feel for the weapon.
I stepped back over to Han Cho-yeon and linked my arm with hers.
Instantly, a surge of power rushed through me, and the heavy sword suddenly felt light as a feather.
Her shoulder pressed naturally against my arm. I consciously kept close, making sure not to break that subtle, vital contact.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot."
And then...
I slowly raised the sword toward the scarecrow.
"Whew..."
I took a quick, steadying breath.
And then—
Whoosh!
Clumsy form and all, I brought the blade straight down.
Crack!
A heavy, dull thud echoed through the room.
A deep gash tore into the scarecrow's torso, its surface splitting wide open.
"...Huh?"
A dumbfounded sound slipped from my lips.
The sensation that traveled up to my fingertips was completely different from what I had expected.
My stance had been terrible, and I hadn't even put any real weight behind the swing.
And yet...
"It's... softer than I expected."
"So it seems."
Han Cho-yeon nodded beside me.
Her eyes slowly traced the deep gash I had left behind.
It was far too deep to have been caused by a casual swing.
"I guess when your stats are as high as yours, raw power alone can do this, even without any technique."
"Wow..."
I was speechless.
Up until now, those stats had just been numbers on a screen.
Strength A+, Stamina A.
Honestly, since the only things I ever used those stats for were chores and sex, the only real benefit I'd noticed was that I didn't tire easily.
"I did this...?"
But experiencing it firsthand made it real.
I had truly become a superhuman.
"And that's exactly the problem."
Han Cho-yeon leaned in closer, her arm still linked with mine.
Whether it was intentional or subconscious, I couldn't tell.
She naturally closed the gap, as if determined to keep our bodies touching.
Her warmth seeped through my side, subtle and distracting.
"You have all this power, but you don't know how to use it."
"Yeah, you're right."
I raised the sword once more.
This time, I tried to be more deliberate.
I tried to adopt a proper stance, but—
"It feels awkward."
"Of course it does."
With one arm out of commission, it was impossible for a complete novice who had never held anything sharper than a kitchen knife to strike a proper stance.
Han Cho-yeon tilted her head, scanning my posture from head to toe.
"I can't really help you with your form, though."
It made sense. She wasn't a Combat Hunter, after all.
"Well, you're more of a magic user."
"Yeah."
It was a brief reply, but it carried a hint of quiet pride.
She knew exactly where her strengths lay.
"But..."
Han Cho-yeon gently took hold of my wrist.
The one gripping the sword.
"...I can teach you how to handle mana."
"..."
Mana.
I quietly turned the word over in my mind.
Mana—the exclusive domain of Hunters.
Until now,
it was something that only flowed automatically whenever I activated a skill.
And since my only skill that consumed mana was Special Meal, I rarely had occasion to use it.
Yet, even without any training, it was a force that had always moved on its own, guided by instinct whenever a skill was triggered.
"Have you ever tried manipulating it on your own?"
"Never."
I answered honestly.
There had never been a need to; the skills just worked.
I'd never had to control it manually.
"But... wait."
I paused.
I searched my memory, trying to trace the physical sensation.
"I know what it feels like when it leaves my body."
"What does it feel like?"
"Well..."
I closed my eyes.
I recalled the sensation of activating my skill.
Every time I did,
"...it felt like something was draining from deep within me."
"Where from?"
"My stomach, maybe? Or... deep in my chest?"
It was hard to put into words, but the flow definitely originated from deep inside my core.
Han Cho-yeon fell silent for a moment, processing my words, before nodding slowly.
"That's actually really good."
"What do you mean?"
"You're surprisingly perceptive."
Her voice dropped a register.
She continued, her tone far more serious than usual.
"A lot of people can't even perceive that much. At best, they just feel a vague, fleeting sensation of coolness."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Her brief reply was filled with absolute certainty.
"Now..."
Han Cho-yeon squeezed my hand tighter.
Our fingers naturally intertwined.
"...First, we're going to feel it."
"Feel what?"
Her voice was a soft whisper right next to my ear.
She leaned in close.
I knew she was just trying to help me focus, but I couldn't help but be distracted by her sweet scent.
"Focus."
"..."
I nodded silently.
Then,
I closed my eyes.
I slowly steadied my breathing.
Inhale...
Exhale.
In the quiet space between breaths,
I let my consciousness sink deep into my physical self.
"..."
At first, there was nothing.
Just the usual, everyday sensations.
"Deeper."
Han Cho-yeon's low voice drifted into my ear.
Guided by her soft, whispered instructions, I focused my mind inward.
"Feel your heart. It might sound crazy, but I know you can do it."
"......"
"Let me help you a little."
In that instant, a sudden change rippled through my quiet body.
"...!"
Whoosh—
A cool, refreshing, intangible energy surged into my body from where Han Cho-yeon pressed against me—through her hand, her arm, and her chest.
I wanted to ask what it was, but I held back, focusing entirely on where the energy was leading me.
"...Ah."
Suddenly,
a faint sensation registered.
I felt a slight catch.
Where that forest-fresh energy settled, there was a reservoir of something—neither liquid nor gas, but undeniably present.
"Did you find it?" "...Yes."
I was certain.
It was the exact spot where the crushing exhaustion had hit me hardest after I first used Special Meal.
Though the memory was faint, there was no mistaking it. What I felt pooling there was the mana dwelling inside me.
More than anything, I trusted Han Cho-yeon to guide me.
"Now... grab hold of it."
"Grab it?"
"Yes. Take hold of it gently, and guide it down to your fingertips."
"..."
Easier said than done.
When using a skill, the system handled it automatically. Doing this manually, without the system's assistance, was a completely different story.
I poured all my focus into grasping that elusive 'something.'
Don't let it overflow.
Don't let it slip away.
Don't let it scatter.
Just guide it where I wanted it to go.
"..."
It was a bizarre sensation.
Something deep inside me,
entirely under my control—
stirred.
It wavered, then began to flow.
"...! You did it!"
Han Cho-yeon's voice gasped right beside me.
This time, she was visibly thrilled.
"That's it! Just like that!"
"..."
I opened my eyes and focused on my fingertips.
I couldn't see anything.
But...
"It's... moving."
I could feel the mana.
"That's mana. If you're already at this level... you might actually be able to use it today!"
Han Cho-yeon squeezed my hand even tighter, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Normally, this is something you wouldn't even be able to attempt. But because I reached S-class thanks to you, I can actually pull it off."
I had suspected as much.
Channeling one's own mana into another person's body.
If that were easy enough for just anyone to do, then mana manipulation—unless you awakened a specific mana-related ability—wouldn't be a high-level skill reserved for A-class Hunters. It would be a basic technique that even the lowest-ranking Hunters could easily master.
After all, they could have just had someone else inject mana into them to teach them the feeling.
I knew this was a highly dangerous method—one wrong move could have permanently crippled my ability to use mana. But because I trusted Han Cho-yeon, I hadn't stopped her.
"...Thank you for trusting me. Hehe..."
I smiled softly as she leaned her head against my chest, celebrating my success as if it were her own.
Realizing I was just quietly watching her, she quickly cleared her throat and composed herself.
"Ahem. Anyway... now..."
She paused for a beat,
a small smirk playing on her lips.
"Try channeling it into the sword."
"Into the sword?"
"Yeah."
I had no idea how difficult that actually was.
I didn't even have a frame of reference.
But now that I had finally grasped the thread of mana manipulation...
"I'll try."
Armed with a faint hope that I might actually succeed, I raised the sword once more.
I took that sensation of channeling energy from my chest to my hand,
and pushed it further, imagining myself pouring it directly into the blade.
"Whew..."
Whoosh—
The mana pooling in my hand broke past the boundary of my skin.
It began to seep slowly into the cold metal of the blade.
It felt as if the cold, rigid steel was coming alive, absorbing my intent.
I poured in twice, three times... no, far more mana than I had just channeled into my hand.
It's in.
I could feel what I had channeled,
settling deep within the weapon.
The sword felt lighter,
yet a sensation of terrifying sharpness vibrated through my fingertips.
For the first time in my life, I felt my own power truly infusing a weapon.
"Hup...!"
I took a sharp breath—
and slowly
brought the sword down.
Whoosh!
It was a far slower swing than my first attempt.
And yet...
Slice.
"...!"
"...!!"
Where the blade had passed, the scarecrow now stood in two clean, ruined halves.