This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 453

Was he planning to knock me out with a single blow to the chin?

As the fist came right in front of my face, I instinctively leaned back, my whole upper body jerking backward.

The fist, nearly the size of my face, narrowly brushed beneath my chin.

If I had been even a moment slower to react?

I would have slumped down like a puppet with its strings cut right in front of Chae-rim and Baeksulhwa.

Sure, we were currently working together, but those two were ultimately rivals fighting over Dogun.

How could I almost display such a ridiculous scene in front of them?

Maybe it was because of this thought that suddenly flared in my mind.

The sensation of cold sweat trickling down my back made its way down, and an indescribably chilling feeling surged through me.

And just as that sensation swept the scene, another feeling emerged: ‘absurdity.’

‘No…’

Just looking at him, he seemed to possess abilities related to physical enhancement; still, it was absurd to rush at me using the force from an explosion caused by a teammate.

No matter how strong his physical enhancement-related abilities were and even if he was armored, there was no way his body wouldn’t suffer under such strain.

“Feh…! Change of plans! Formation B!”

Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was so fixated on that approach.

I thought as I watched the leader of Team A, who was once again utilizing the explosion’s force to throw punches at the ice walls encasing us.

If he could control the power of the explosion to a level that wouldn’t hurt his body, fair enough, but he clearly hadn’t reached that level yet.

‘At this rate, he won’t be able to use it in actual combat…’

Unless, of course, it was a training situation like this where many factors were under control, but considering the uncertainty of actual combat, where anything could happen at any moment?

He’d be lucky to get in three or four uses.

If I pushed myself, I could manage five and prepare to take some nagging from the medical Awakened handling healing post-battle.

That girl was recklessly using such a self-destructive combat style.

Could she really be counting on the fact that it was training?

If that were the case, just showing some potential would have sufficed.

‘…No, wait.’

Could it be that this situation was precisely why she was doing it?

Perhaps I was onto something after all.

Before entering here, Chae-rim had mentioned that this situation was tangled with many interests.

Also, after Team A finished, it was Team B and Baeksulhwa’s turn, probably adding to the tension.

Considering Team A and B were separate, it hinted at a competitive structure in this place.

The girl who introduced herself as the Team B leader and asked Baeksulhwa to look after her seemed to be of a similar age. So, naturally, there was even less want to fall behind.

…Just like how I was more wary of Baeksulhwa than Chae-rim.

Once the absurdity eased a bit, though?

‘But still… Is it really necessary to humiliate someone like this?’

The feeling of absurdity now gave way to anger.

Honestly, I couldn’t help it; I had been prepared from the start to launch an attack, so when the unexpected ambush occurred right as we began, I could react in time. But if I hadn’t?

I would have been embarrassed in front of both of them, just like I mentioned earlier.

That’s why I decided to truly face my opponent instead of sticking to my previous plan of wrapping things up quickly.

It looked like the others wanted the same; then let’s see what they could do.

Maybe that’s why she was the team leader, her enhancement rate was considerable after all.

Checking on the state of the thick ice wall, I sensed it wouldn’t withstand a couple more attacks before breaking.

So—

“Hmm…?!”

I raised the temperature of the water flowing along the ice wall, returning the wall to a liquid state.

As I leaned back, ready to throw another punch, I was momentarily flabbergasted by the sudden change.

The team leader’s face, once confused, transformed into one of realization, and she hurriedly pulled back.

‘She’s perceptive.’

If she had remained dazed, I would’ve decided to capture that foolish expression.

Maybe it was because she was from the military.

She was oddly quick to assess the situation.

Still, it was too late.

Originally, I intended to aim that energy wave directly at her, but instead, I spread it thinly and widely in all directions.

Instantly, the sound of something rapidly freezing filled the training ground.

“Ugh…!”

The look of dismay on the team leader’s face appeared immediately after.

Of course, if you think about it, they had only anticipated direct attacks like they had done. There was no way they expected this slow but gradual approach of wearing them down.

‘Just icing the ground would be a letdown.’

Disappointed, I thought… Let’s chill the air around us too.

By sharply lowering the temperature of the moisture in the air, a white mist started emanating from the mouths of those watching cautiously from a distance.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh…”

Maybe the rapid drop in surroundings made them react more sensitively to the cold than usual.

The cold had just begun, yet some already appeared pallid.

And targeting those who reacted much more sensitively than others was enough for disruption, allowing me to dismantle their carefully constructed teamwork without ever needing to launch a direct assault.

“I think this test is sufficient; how about it… do you intend to continue?”

The anger of almost being embarrassed in front of Chae-rim and Baeksulhwa had diffused, leaving me no attachment to the situation as I watched those floundering like they had sunk into a swamp.

So, I said it with the intention of being considerate, yet it seemed that I had stirred up their frustration from being controlled throughout.

“Ugh…”

With a sound that hinted at breaking teeth, the team leader bit her lip and shivered, but that was about it.

She must have realized that I deliberately avoided direct attacks, and that further engagement could shift her attitude dramatically.

“…Understood. Let’s call it a day.”

“Since we’re ending here, let me give you a piece of advice… It’s best to have means in place that allow you to move similarly in any environment.”

According to Chae-rim, that Heogye or whatever it was, had terrain that was genuinely surreal. If that’s true, then teams like theirs, primarily consisting of Awakened with physical enhancement, could risk not even demonstrating half their strength without proper preparation.

After all, those with physical enhancement abilities tend to be significantly affected by the terrain.

No matter how inhuman their physical capabilities might be, what good is it if they can’t stand firmly on the ground?

Of course, it could be a case-by-case basis, with some able to negate this issue through overwhelming strength, but… if such feats were possible, they likely wouldn’t be here but out there as part of a real combat unit.

Thus, I felt it necessary to give that final bit of advice.

Yet, in a context where they had already lost face, perhaps it simply sounded like self-deceiving words.

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

With a crunch of someone’s teeth grinding into my ears.

Well, to be honest, I didn’t really care much.