"What do you think combat is, Kai?" Neko-sensei’s voice was resolute as she slowly stepped toward , the ground trembling ever so slightly.
I didn’t know how to answer her. To be honest, such a question had never crossed my mind before.
For , who had transmigrated into the body of an extra, ard with the knowledge of my novel, I had only one goal, and that was to survive the plot I created and maybe conclude my story.
Concepts like the essence of combat had never even occurred to , let alone been given any serious thought.
"Techniques, skills, none of it matters on the battlefield. No one cares how many comrades you’ve had, or how many lives you’ve saved or taken. Saint or demon, it makes no difference. Now ask yourself: Why do I fight? What is combat, really?"
Neko-sensei’s words might have sounded like sothing only a true warrior would say, but in truth, what she said made perfect sense.
Whether it was writing, running, or even walking ho, there was always a purpose, and a certain level of understanding about the task one was ant to complete.
But I had thought that combat was just like in any other Isekai, where fighting was about using your OP skill to achieve your objective—
But that was far from the truth.
I took in a deep breath, my lungs struggling slightly under the intense pressure of Neko-sensei’s zone. "I don’t know," I answered firmly.
As if waiting for the reply, she withdrew her zone. "Kai, let ask you sothing."
I looked at her from my bent posture, my lungs pleading for one more breath.
She looked up at the bright full moon, then continued. "Have you ever killed a person before?"
I shook my head. It was an odd question—one I never expected her to ask her student.
She smiled and opened her mouth, as if about to lecture , then closed it and shook her head.
"What happened?"
Her erald eyes t mine. "Nothing. I was admiring the generation you were born into."
I scoffed. "You say that like you’re so kind of granny."
"Hahaha." Neko-sensei was laughing, but I could tell it wasn’t genuine. "It seems you need a beating."
She smiled gently. "But... I can tell you with absolute certainty, the mont you comprehend combat and your reason for living and fighting, you will never be the sa."
I briefly glanced at the black marble floor then back at her. "So why do you fight? What is combat to you?"
Her expression dimd, a faint smile dancing on her lips. "It might sound foolish... But I fight to prove my existence, and combat, to , is the expression of that desire... It doesn’t matter how, whether through killing or saving anyone. That is my combat."
Neko-sensei’s words echoed in my mind as I sat on the ground.
’To prove my existence? Is that why I fight too?’
It was true that I wanted to reach the conclusion of my story. But that was sothing Richcooker, the author of THD, wanted.
What exactly did I, Cha Jin-sung, who had also beco Kaiser Vanguard—truly desire?
It was still a mystery to .
Neko-sensei, noticing my expression, clapped once. "No need to look like that, it’s not as if you’re going to die any ti soon."
I nodded. She was right, I still had to save Hari, and that ant there was no ti to dwell on anything else.
Neko-sensei moved slowly toward and rested her forehead against mine.
My cheeks flushed red for a mont, but before my brain could even process it, a torrent of overwhelming knowledge surged into my mind all at once.
I bit my lip, holding my breath slightly, my nails digging into my skin, but I didn’t make a sound.
’This is...?’
As the river of information gradually rged with my mind, a profound comprehension of zones awakened within .
Dark circles ford around Neko-sensei’s eyes as she struggled to remain upright. I quickly supported her by the side. "Careful."
She smiled playfully. "Look at this slick bastard, taking advantage when your teacher is vulnerable."
I stared her straight in the eye, silent, then sighed. "Why did you even do that?"
She leaned closer, making stutter slightly. "This is for your assignnt. I want you to answer the question I asked you today by the ti you return."
I nodded as I stepped toward the white door. ’The essence of combat.’
I shook off the words Neko-sensei had spoken. For now, it was best to process all the information she had transferred to with a magic I had never encountered before.
All I knew was that it had sothing to do with zones. That ant if I could master them, even telepathy might not be far from achievable.
And according to Neko-sensei’s story, there was an S-rank—actually, soone nearly SS-rank, who wasn’t born with any talent and relied solely on zones to fight.
That alone showed just how powerful the technique was. It all ca down to how it was utilized, and how much mana and ntal strength you possessed.
Before heading to my room, I dropped Neko-sensei off at the teachers’ estate, which was so distance from where my dorm was.
I waved her goodbye and hurried to my room.
Today had been exhausting, but tomorrow would be even more so.
After bathing again and changing into fresh nightwear, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
Zones—the projection of one’s world and soul into reality using mana.
Just as gods could create realms, mages could do so too; through zones.
Within a zone, the mage reigns supre. It can be used to move at light-speed within its range, for sniping, surveillance, or even absolute control.
It was nearly limitless.
I stretched out my hand toward the ceiling, my other hand clutching the blanket tightly. "One day... will I be able to do things like that too?"
I sighed and shifted my posture. For now, I needed proper rest, only then could I perform at my best.
-------
That night, I had a strange dream I couldn’t recall. I could have sworn it was about a mysterious woman in an unfamiliar space. And then... there was soone else. Soone who felt like they were one with . Soone whose absence pained to forget.
Ding!
[Theron is with you!]
[Praise the Weavers!]
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