Chapter 12 …
I Became a Transcendent Genius Trainer
Ten days.
Some might call it a long time, but it was far too short to properly train an Awakened, like Yuse.
“Ten days isn’t enough to change anything.”
“Taking on Trainee Kim Gyo-jun is just going to be a hassle for nothing.”
“It’s different from Woo Ha-na. Totally different from Woo Ha-na.”
The trainer team office.
All the trainers were saying the same thing.
The trainee that Yujun had chosen, Kim Gyo-jun, had far too little potential. Even with extreme training over ten days, expecting major change seemed impossible.
Talent aside, physical endurance couldn’t be raised significantly in such a short time.
“He got good results with Woo Ha-na, but this is unfortunate.”
“Well, it’s just the start of his career. Even if Trainee Kim Gyo-jun gets released, Trainer Kang can still succeed spectacularly!”
Everyone thought there was no way Yujun could prevent Kim Gyo-jun’s release.
Meanwhile, in the Guild Master’s office.
“Team Leader Kim.”
Ten days had passed, and it was time for the internal evaluations. Guild Master Lee Hyuk-jun called in Team Leader Kim from the trainer team. Before the official evaluation, he planned to inspect the youths with Kim.
“What we need to focus on today are the members likely to be released.”
Internal evaluations were conducted ruthlessly. About one out of three trainees would fail and be released. The guild master was especially strict with those about to be released.
There had been a few cases where youths, released due to poor evaluation, later flourished in other guilds. If that happened, it could be embarrassing—and if it spread on SNS or YouTube, it would be a big problem.
A guild with no oversight. A guild that lost promising Awakened. They would be ridiculed, and other Awakened might avoid them. The evaluation had to be handled carefully.
“What do you think will happen today?”
Team Leader Kim looked thoughtful.
“It’s only ten days.”
“This is a completely different case from Woo Ha-na. Woo Ha-na was overflowing with potential, but Kim Gyo-jun… well, based on what we’ve observed, the likelihood of him growing into an Awakened at the guild’s level is virtually zero.”
“Zero percent?”
“Close to it.”
Even as he spoke, Kim added:
“If it were Trainer Kang Yujun, he might change a lot in ten days. But reversing the release? That won’t be easy.”
Changing Kim Gyo-jun in just ten days was nearly impossible. Even longer training might not bring him to the level required by the Sky Guild. Kang Yujun’s success with Woo Ha-na was impressive, but Kim Gyo-jun seemed much harder.
“On the bright side, it’ll be good experience for Trainer Kang. Better to fail quickly than drag it out.”
Though this would be his first failure as a trainer, it wasn’t entirely bad. Experiencing failure was necessary to become a better trainer.
“It’s better to assign promising youths to him. Those who will participate in the upcoming inter-guild youth evaluation should also be trained by him.”
“After the internal evaluation, we can discuss it further.”
The internal evaluation took place as a mock training exercise.
The trainees wore VR equipment that simulated a tower-like environment and attempted the challenge. Real-world evaluation was possible, but accidents could happen. Moreover, the VR setup was better for assessment: trainees would exert themselves fully, knowing they couldn’t die, which ensured a more accurate evaluation of their abilities.
“We’ll proceed the same way as the previous internal evaluation.”
Team Leader Kim activated a huge screen. The trainees’ actions were displayed—an exact replica of the tower.
“Defeat all monsters.”
But it wasn’t enough to just defeat them.
“Use all of your abilities. And…”
High scores in the internal evaluation required showcasing every skill they had.
“One more thing—the time limit is 15 minutes.”
The 15-minute limit could not be exceeded, as time was an important factor in real missions. Exceeding it would result in a deduction.
“First up…”
The evaluation began in earnest.
“Start!”
The trainees began demonstrating their abilities. Guild Master Lee Hyuk-jun and Team Leader Kim Dohun observed every move with hawk-like eyes.
Swaaak!
The first monsters appeared: goblins.
Common in the tower, but the VR goblins’ eyes were bloodshot—they weren’t ordinary goblins.
“They said it would be the same as before…”
“The monsters seem stronger.”
“Though maybe fewer in number?”
Indeed, while fewer in number, the monsters were stronger.
“This won’t be easy…”
As expected, some trainees were caught off guard by the stronger goblins, allowing attacks. But it was brief. Trainees quickly adapted and overwhelmed the goblins with their abilities.
“Evaluation complete!”
Challenge time: 14 minutes 30 seconds. Just within the limit.
“Hmm…”
“Their ability usage isn’t bad.”
Lee and Kim exchanged evaluations.
“Next!”
The evaluations continued in order.
“Next up!”
Finally, it was the trainee everyone was watching: Kim Gyo-jun.
All eyes were on him.
“Doesn’t look like much has changed…”
“Ten days is too short.”
Team Leader Kim and the trainers shook their heads. Despite ten days—around 100 hours of training—the changes weren’t obvious.
“His eyes look different though…”
On the surface, Kim Gyo-jun appeared the same.
“Continued training might change him… but…”
It would be more efficient to invest time in other trainees, as they could grow stronger faster. The other trainees also silently judged Kim Gyo-jun.
“Woo Ha-na had experience and talent…”
“Gyo-jun can’t be helped, really.”
Kim Gyo-jun was diligent. Everyone knew it. But every trainee in the Sky Guild trained hard—ultimately, talent made the difference. Woo Ha-na had both talent and relentless effort, but before meeting Kang Yujun, her shortcomings hindered her progress. If even Woo Ha-na needed Kang Yujun to reach her potential, Kim Gyo-jun’s case seemed clear.
“Next time it’ll be me. It has to be me.”
The trainees wanted to catch Kang Yujun’s attention. While Team Leader Kim’s team trained them well, it was too ordinary compared to Kang Yujun’s personal touch.
“Trainer Kang adjusts training individually.”
“I heard he did the same for Gyo-jun.”
“He even spends personal time training them.”
They wanted that intensive training, hoping it would elevate them.
“Begin.”
Kim Gyo-jun’s evaluation started.
Shaaak—
Monsters appeared. Kim Gyo-jun was an Awakened with weapon enhancement abilities, and his combat centered around his sword at the waist.
Shaaak—!
Five goblins wielding large clubs charged simultaneously.
Kaaang—!
Kim Gyo-jun used weapon enhancement to block the attacks. Team Leader Kim frowned. Now wasn’t the time for defense. One of Kim Gyo-jun’s weaknesses was the short duration of weapon enhancement. Choosing defense consumed too much mana and drained stamina rapidly. He hadn’t overcome this flaw in ten days.
“If he defends now, he’ll show nothing, not even his strengths…”
Lee Hyuk-jun nodded. Kim Gyo-jun’s specs were truly disappointing.
“Even emphasizing strengths isn’t enough. Maybe he didn’t follow Trainer Kang’s method correctly.”
Both Lee and Kim glanced at Yujun, who, surprisingly, was smiling.
“Eh?”
Kwak—!
And then Kim Gyo-jun revealed why. He suddenly accelerated, cutting down the goblins instantly. Both Lee and Kim jumped from their seats in shock.
“How…?”
Kim Gyo-jun’s biggest problem was stamina, impossible to fix in a short time. Yet he moved fiercely, blocking attacks and taking down a goblin.
Kwak—
Faster than any trainee in the evaluation.
“This is impossible…!”
“What happened to him?”
Kim Gyo-jun had completely transformed. He advanced, cutting down goblins in rapid succession, appearing as if stamina were no issue. Yujun crossed his arms.
‘I completely remodeled his mana usage.’
Kim Gyo-jun no longer used mana to compensate for his weak body. All mana went into weapon enhancement—pure offense.
‘Spending mana on a weak body is pointless. Even with investment, the results wouldn’t improve.’
So Yujun diverted everything to offense.
‘Concentrate all mana on attack.’
Previously, instinct compelled Kim Gyo-jun to use mana for body enhancement, but Yujun’s training changed that. By day three, Kim Gyo-jun fully trusted Yujun, feeling the physical transformation.
‘Now he’s a sharp sword.’
Though his durability remained low, it didn’t matter—everyone watching was stunned. Ten days was enough for Yujun to turn the situation around.
‘They probably expected him to emphasize strengths while neglecting flaws.’
Half right.
Shaaak! Shaaak!
Kim Gyo-jun moved like a possessed man, cutting down goblins. Weapon-enhanced swords sliced through the clubs. Who would think he was weak in stamina? He didn’t neglect weaknesses—he concealed them.
‘To onlookers, it seems like his stamina was trained too.’
But stamina barely improved.
‘Flaws wrapped in strengths.’
It looked convincing, and that was enough—evaluations are final once given. Even if revised later, the next evaluation would only improve Kim Gyo-jun further.
‘No problem then.’
This was the power of the Awakened Training System. Other trainers couldn’t achieve this. Yujun’s insight allowed him to see the trainee’s potential, and the system enabled perfect training.
‘Training is efficient and unrestricted by time or circumstances.’
Shaaak! Shaaak!
Kim Gyo-jun cut through the fourth goblin. Though breathing heavily, he still appeared composed.
‘Excellent mental discipline. Following training to the letter.’
Grade A mental strength allowed him to act as instructed, despite exhaustion. Yujun smiled proudly.
“Excellent, Trainee Kim Gyo-jun.”
Kim Gyo-jun defeated the last goblin.
Huff…
He barely stayed standing, then slowly knelt. 9 minutes 30 seconds.
“First place!”
The fastest internal evaluation yet. Everyone looked at Yujun in shock.
“What… happened in ten days?”
What exactly had Yujun done?
