Pick Me Up!

Jenna scratched her cheek and blinked her eyes in confusion. 

I spoke up.

“What’s the matter? Aren’t you coming up? Two of them are waiting.”

“You want me to fight those two? Somehow, it feels a bit scary…”

“Don’t worry. You’re stronger.”

That was the truth.

Jenna had once won against me. It was a result mixed with effort and luck, but a win was a win. I didn’t think she’d lose to a team of two who could not cooperate at all.

Velkist’s gaze turned icy.

“I heard your words well. But aren’t you underestimating me a bit too much? I may not know about the senior, but I don’t think that lady will defeat me.”

“More than anything, I don’t like fighting alongside that woman. I can handle it alone. She’ll only get in the way.”

“You’re speaking my mind.”

The two of them started growling at each other.

I said, “Then show us the results. If you beat Jenna, I’ll fight with you as long as you want.”

“Hope you don’t break that promise.”

I nodded at Jenna.

After hesitating for a moment, Jenna took a deep breath and pulled out a quiver from the display shelf. The quiver was filled with sleek arrows. They might not have had strong killing power, but they had enough piercing force to tear through flesh and muscle.

“I’m counting on you.”

Jenna, feeling awkward, greeted as she entered the training ground.

Velkist nodded and said to Neryssa, “You stay out of this.”

Neryssa gave a cold smile and stepped aside.

Velkist gripped his sword.

“Let’s do this.”

Ping!

Before the words finished, Jenna’s arrow shot out. Velkist bent at the waist to dodge it. At the same time, the second arrow aimed for his leg. He dodged that too. Simultaneously, the third arrow targeted Velkist’s head.

Ping! Ping, ping, ping!

Velkist’s expression froze in astonishment.

A glint of red flashed in Jenna’s eyes. The effect of the ‘Weakness Detection’ skill. It was followed by a rapid volley of accurate shots aimed at Velkist’s whole body. Velkist managed to parry a few arrows with his sword, but he was forced back, retreating to a corner of the training ground.

And on the 21st shot, Jenna’s arrow grazed Velkist’s throat and lodged into the iron railing.

An intended miss.

If he had tried to dodge, the arrow would have deflected off his prayer.

I said to Velkist, who was frozen in the corner of the training ground, “Didn’t I tell you? She’s stronger than you.”

Jenna was fighting daily with someone who had a perfect defense against projectiles.

She knew how to shoot in a way that made it difficult for the opponent to dodge or block. There was no way Velkist could withstand such accurate shooting.

“A frog in a well, huh?”

Velkist wiped away the blood from his neck.

“I’ll say it again. Fight with Neryssa. Join forces to defeat Jenna. You have two days. If you can’t do it, we’ll have to find other members.”

I continued, “We face numerous enemies in missions, strong enemies too. You’ve seen it. So why do you want to fight alone? You guys are far from being competent.”

They had claimed to understand during the initial briefing, but the reality might be different.

There were things that couldn’t be done alone.

I was planning to convince them when,

“I’m up next,” Neryssa said.

‘She’s stubborn.’

Neryssa didn’t last long against Jenna. All her throws with the commendation and dagger missed, and she was pierced through her right arm by an arrow before she could reach melee range.

Neryssa left the training ground without a word.

And after gritting her teeth, she pulled out the arrow.

I chuckled. “As you can see, the results are clear. Neither of you lasted a minute in a one-on-one battle.”

The level and skill gap was undeniable.

But they were also lacking in experience.

“So we have to work together to defeat that girl? Okay, I don’t like it, but let’s try.”

As Velkist glared at Jenna, she smiled sheepishly.

Neryssa, who had healed her wounds, returned to the training ground. A rare determination shone in her usually cold expression. Velkist and Neryssa stood side by side.

“It’s the second round. This won’t be easy.”

Jenna replaced her empty quiver.

“I’m ready.”

Velkist and Neryssa positioned themselves on opposite sides.

Their tactics remained the same as when they had attacked me.

“They’re not doing well,” I thought.

Jenna’s rapid shots were directed towards Neryssa on the right.

As Neryssa’s rapier danced, deflecting the arrows, Jenna swiftly moved closer and swung her left dagger. A thin trickle of blood appeared. Neryssa missed her swing and retreated to the side. Jenna, still in the same motion as her dagger strike, switched weapons and fired an arrow while spinning in mid-air. Her target was Velkist on the left.

The result remained unchanged.

Velkist had lasted longer than before, but he couldn’t penetrate the rain of arrows.

I muttered in a low voice, “What are they doing? They’re worse together.”

Thud!

Velkist forcefully struck the iron railing with his scabbard.

“Dammit.”

“Cursing won’t change anything. Or do you want to switch to 2-party? They don’t do this kind of training there.”

“I’ll give it one more try.”

Velkist and Neryssa returned to their original positions.

Even as they walked back, they exchanged blame.

“Can’t even last ten seconds. You’re truly useless.”

“Don’t talk, you couldn’t even swing a sword.”

Eolka waved her fan and spoke, “Those two, oddly enough, make a good match. Don’t you think so?”

“Who are you to be here? Aren’t you supposed to train your telekinesis?”

“No, I…”

“If you don’t disappear within ten seconds, I’ll tell Chloe. Ten, nine…”

“I’m going in! I’m going in, okay? Seriously!”

Eolka hurriedly opened the door to the Magic Hall and went inside.

I turned my gaze back to the training ground.

The second round between Jenna, Velkist, and Neryssa was underway. Once again, the two used the same tactics, fighting in their own styles, and spreading out.

“They won’t understand unless I say it out loud.”

These guys are smart enough but they’re not thinking.

They might be aware, but maybe their pride won’t allow it.

I decided not to force instructions on them.

I could give tactical orders, but if they didn’t realize it themselves, and didn’t feel the need for it, it would be meaningless. I didn’t need puppets who only followed my orders.

The results of the second round were as expected.

Jenna’s victory.

The third, fourth, and fifth rounds followed.

Both stubbornly stuck to the same tactics and suffered the same defeats. Although both Velkist and Neryssa gradually adapted to Jenna’s shooting, Jenna was different from Aaron and Asher. She easily outplayed them with various tactics, such as shooting, changing positions, and switching weapons, she completely fooled both of them.

“…”

I glanced to the side.

Aaron was looking at the training ground with a bitter expression. His hands, which had been moving the spear, had stopped.

“There’s no helping it.”

I won’t interfere with the boundaries of the 2 parties.

That was Edis’s responsibility. Along with other parties that would be added later.

If I intervened one by one, the system would fall apart. I might not have minded if I were the Master, but as the leader of Party 1 and a hero, I couldn’t oversee all the members in the waiting room. Aaron soon turned his head away from the training ground and resumed his training.

“One more time.”

“No, I…”

At Velkist’s words, Jenna clapped her hands.

Eventually, it was evening. Jenna and the two had faced off more than ten times.

All ended in Jenna’s victory.

“Miss Jenna, it must be exhausting, but can…”

“It’s hard to watch too. That’s all for today. Try again tomorrow.”

“But there’s still plenty of time.”

“Because of you two, Jenna couldn’t do her personal training today. Don’t take away someone else’s time recklessly.”

Although I thought they would have a chance within ten rounds, progress was slower than expected.

Watching them, I couldn’t even participate in the afternoon training myself. It was a loss.

“As I said, the deadline is tomorrow. Beat Jenna within that time. If you can’t, I’ll look for other members.”

“Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Velkist and Neryssa knew they couldn’t beat Jenna.

But despite fighting so hard, they hadn’t found a solution.

“Tomorrow, there will be only one more sparring round allowed. If you lose there, it’s over.”

“…”

“Don’t disappoint me.”

Velkist and Neryssa’s expressions twisted.

Without saying a word, the two left the training ground.

Jenna wiped the sweat from her forehead and left the training ground. Her face appeared slightly paler, probably due to the repeated training. Jenna asked me, “Oppa, is it true? Are you really sending those two away?”

“Have you ever seen me lie?”

“I’ve seen it quite a bit. Well, last time…”

I grabbed Jenna’s head.

She clutched her head and teared up.

“Anyway, it’s sincere. Talent is useless if you don’t know how to cooperate. At best, you’ll just go out on your own and get scavenged. Or you’ll end up holding back the ankles of your party members.”

“Well, I agree with that, but other than those two, it seems there’s no talent to add to Party 1. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of Aaron…”

“It’s not Aaron.”

After today’s personal training, on the way back.

Jenna asked me, “What will happen tomorrow?”

“You’ll see.”

There’s no way not to know the solution.

It’s just that they don’t trust their fellow members. Or maybe they trust themselves too much. Either way, it’s not a suitable personality for survival.

“But if I can change that…”

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