kscans

Chapter 167 - The Path is Visible, but Progress is Distant

"—Haru-kun, did something good happen?"

"Eh, was it that obvious on my face?"

"Yes, your expression seems much softer than usual."

"Haha… Well, I happened to make some new friends."

"Oh my. That's wonderful."

"It was a wish come true, or rather, it just fell into my lap… I just took advantage of their kindness, so it feels a bit pathetic."

"I don't think that's true at all. Opportunities don't come to those without charm. And charming people are often those who have put in some kind of effort."

"…Uh, am I being praised?"

"I am praising you. You are charming, Haru-kun—and, I've caught you."

"That transition was deadly…!!"

On the chaser's tenth step exactly, Ui-san caught me as a matter of course. I hung my head in defeat, having lost in two ways at once.

I don't know how many times, tens, hundreds—perhaps even thousands of defeats I've accumulated, but looking back, there was no longer any disappointment or despair in my heart.

It wasn't that I wasn't frustrated by the fact that I still hadn't won once, but I had certainly gained something.

—You're moving your body with thought alone far too much._x000D_

And after being told that realizing it for myself was crucial, I had been thinking about it ever since.

First, about this 'tag' game, what was this training for? —Simple. It was, in a sense, training to think without rest.

With the constraints of always alternating left and right feet, and the step limits for both chaser and runner, you have to constantly read your opponent's thoughts while moving at a steady 'walking' pace.

I'm not saying winning or losing doesn't matter. But it's not the main point of this training.

It was probably why Irori, in his 'demonstration,' deliberately made the outcome ambiguous… well, I can't say for sure.

I just have a suspicion that maybe, just maybe, that's what he was trying to teach me… or something along those lines.

In any case, the answer itself isn't wrong. I confirmed it with Ui-san herself the other day when I reached this conclusion.

So, what does this training achieve? Or more accurately, what is the meaning of doing this training in the virtual world?

In short, it's like running in the real world—it's building up stamina in the virtual world.

Of course, that's not all. This 'tag' game is a composite training that also hones the tactical skills applicable in actual combat… but the main theme is still that.

In the virtual world where mental fatigue equals physical fatigue, stamina equals mental strength. The purpose is to strengthen this by continuously imposing high-load thinking without interruption.

Next, what can 'I realize' by being subjected to this training?

The key is the overwhelming difference in toughness between me and her. Since status doesn't affect virtual sensory fatigue, it's not a matter of my pathetic VIT:0 durability.

One hundred consecutive matches—Ui-san doesn't even break a sweat, while I'm completely exhausted.

Two hundred consecutive matches—Ui-san doesn't even break a sweat, while I'm barely conscious.

Three hundred consecutive matches—Ui-san doesn't even break a sweat, while I'm well and truly dead.

It's just too strange. Yes, the Sword Saint is a celestial being, but she's still a player just like me.

Even if our levels of training are different, the gap is just too large.

There's no way my brain's stamina is a tenth or a hundredth of hers.

So why? —Here, the Sword Saint's words gave me a hint… or rather, the answer itself.

—You're moving your body with thought alone far too much._x000D_

In other words, I am controlling my avatar with my thoughts.

It was about the two outputs that form the core of [Shukuchi], one of the reasons Ui-san is the Sword Saint.

'Inner' and 'Outer' as she described them—it seems that at some point, I had started controlling my avatar using only the 'Outer' force.

Assuming that, I can think of many instances of this from way back.

In the numerous life-or-death situations I've been through, I often experienced a sensation of my body moving on its own. I had thought my thoughts just couldn't keep up, but it's not impossible to think that reflexively outputted images were driving my avatar.

In addition, there were the high-speed maneuvers where, frankly, I often didn't even know what I was doing myself. I would lay out a route beforehand, then focus on controlling my avatar with only the thought of following it—wasn't that, in fact, controlling the body with the mind?

Come to think of it, I've been getting tired way too quickly lately.

Each of the selection matches, the fight with Irori—even the match with Sora was, to be honest, pretty tough.

And then there's this game of tag. Even if it's non-stop, how could I be unable to even stand after just over an hour?

What happened to the me who fought a life-or-death battle against the impossibly superior [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King] for an hour without a moment's rest?

What happened to the me who ran a non-stop, full-sprint marathon for two days, over fifteen hours in real time, in the [Spiral Crimson Tower]?

And that was probably the turning point.

The way I controlled my avatar, which had been 'optimized' in that ridiculous dungeon, was what Ui-san called the 'Outer' output control.

In a virtual world where the mind is stamina, I had been moving myself with thought control—like a marionette, so to speak.

While other players were controlling their avatars automatically, I was the only one putting in a ridiculous amount of effort, far beyond manual control, just to move my body…

—Of course I'd be tired, what an idiot.

…And so.

"Even though I've realized it, I…"

Just because I've realized it doesn't mean I can 'correct' it so easily.

I still get winded after a hundred matches, and I don't even know how to correct my basic output from 'Outer' back to 'Inner.'

To be frank, when I say 'revert,' what am I even reverting? It's not like there's a basic output or anything, right? The very fact that she can intentionally control these things is what makes the Sword Saint the [Sword Saint]—

"Realizing it on your own—as I've said many times, that is what's crucial. You figured out the answer in just two days, so you've done very well, Haru-kun."

…And so, two days ago, the day after the training began, I had come to this realization and had already had it confirmed by Ui-san.

As for the result, it was, just like the main theme of the tag game, the correct answer.

Since then, the Sword Saint has been in a strangely good mood, and as you can tell from her choice of words, I feel like her treatment of me has changed slightly.

It's as if… she's gradually growing fond of the 'student who was just entrusted to her'—

"I am not Ri-na-san, but I also find people who put in effort to be likable."

With those words, her hands reached out and gently pushed my shoulders.

"And… when I see someone who accumulates effort and steadily tries to move forward, such a commendable figure, it makes me want to support them."

My back naturally straightened and I lifted my gaze to meet the eyes of my 'teacher,' who was smiling as gently as ever—perhaps even more so.

"So, let's do our best—I will be with you."

"—…Ah, um… I'll be in your care…"

…I couldn't help but look away, not because I was embarrassed to look her straight in the eye—well, yeah, it was because I was embarrassed.

It was definitely not because,

"…? Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

It was definitely not because she, who was reaching for my shoulders—

—was standing on her tiptoes, trying her best to stretch, and was just so unbearably cute… that was absolutely, definitely not the reason.