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Chapter 1 – Daphne’s Resolve

After going through a series of events, Daphne fell into deep contemplation.

How could she stand side by side with her friends rather than just protect herself?

Having faced incredible incidents that an ordinary student could hardly imagine, always watching the backs of others while being shielded felt somewhat shameful.

Not to mention, being next to Violet—a girl who always drew danger like a magnet—meant risks could arise at any moment.

“Instructor Frederick said it himself. There’s no such thing as complete safety. I need at least the minimal combat capability,” she thought.

Moreover, her friends lived through countless injuries and brushes with death.

Daphne wanted to be of greater help to such friends.

However, aside from her desire to help, she could objectively see her own situation.

If she remained idle, she’d end up as a lifetime non-combatant.

Always relying on Violet and in a position where she could barely hunt low-level monsters without the protection of her friends.

Despite the frustration, Daphne shook her head.

It was better to do what she could instead of despairing.

The thing she was most confident about was studying.

“First, I should review the cases of other hunters.”

On her desk lay a plethora of self-improvement books.

[100-Day Special Lecture: Best Hunter Operations]

[I Can Be a Hero Too – Surviving on the Frontline]

The monitor screen played instructional videos of popular hunters from well-known clans.

“Don’t be scared! You can’t be scared. Monsters are just beasts at the end of the day. ‘You! Don’t mess with me, or you’ll end up dead!’ Just intimidate them, and they’ll back off. Back in my day…”

Daphne deeply pondered what she should do while examining various videos and books. While they didn’t provide significant help, they at least helped her sort through her situation.

In her head, she started to sketch out objective data about the person named “Daphne Grace.”

Swallowing her mixed and frustrating emotions, she faced her reality.

‘I’m lacking in so many ways.’

The greatest weakness of herself, Daphne Grace, was undoubtedly her physical abilities.

Any Awakened One possessed superhuman strength beyond comparison to ordinary people, yet even among Awakened Ones, there was a clear disparity in individual capabilities.

This varied greatly depending on personal disposition, family background, and genetic inheritance.

Typically, individuals with Awakened Ones in their lineage often had greater innate talents, and experiences throughout their growth had significant impacts on their ability manifests.

‘Just looking at President Adela or Kalia, they’re incredibly agile, and Irene is pretty sturdy for an Awakened One.’

All these factors contributed to the different potentials of each Awakened One.

‘So what about me?’

She considered objectively what she, bare-handed, could accomplish.

If she were an ordinary person like Mr. Pereira, who lived rent-free at Violet’s house, then she could easily knock him down or break his limbs like chopsticks.

‘But that’s all. I’m no match for monsters.’

If the entity could hear her thoughts right now, it might despair at the level of defeat that even someone who looked gentle and delicate like her would suffer. But Daphne was serious.

Monsters were fundamentally much stronger and more threatening than humans.

To compete with such foes, her current self was utterly lacking.

Moreover, the monsters and Awakened Ones Violet had faced previously were among the upper tiers of terrifying existence.

But there was hope.

‘Strength alone is insufficient.’

Humans are thinking beings. Lacking stamina and agility can be compensated with cleverness.

Moreover, didn’t she possess a unique ability that even lavish clans and giant corporations covet?

Daphne made a rational assessment.

First, she could overcome her weaknesses through consistent training and real combat experience.

Second, she could transcend physical limits with exoskeletons and hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Third, she could utilize her unique abilities more actively and aggressively.

In summary, if she developed her skills and potential, there would come a day when she could stand and fight on the front lines.

Although she lacked combat power at the moment, there was a possibility for change.

She could see the path ahead.

The chosen way was unwavering progress.

Daphne lifted her foot off the mental brakes and pressed hard on the accelerator.

“…I’ve researched how to use the barrier more effectively. However, I’m still unsure about how to use the other abilities,” she confided in a calm and gentle tone, sharing her thoughts from the past.

Daphne caught the gradual shock creeping onto Violet’s face in her clear, sapphire-like eyes.

“D-Daphne! The healing ability has minimal effects on you! You said so yourself! The recovery speed is slow, and the efficacy is weak…”

“So I’m practicing,” she replied.

“W-What?!”

“How can I know if this is really my limit or if training can enhance my capabilities? Even if there are limits, I can do my best within those boundaries.”

Violet’s face, frozen in shock, was a sight Daphne rarely saw.

As she observed her roommate in speechless silence, a strange thrill began to rise within Daphne.

Why was this? It seemed so familiar to her, Violet’s reaction.

“I’m going to start with the most basic things. I can staunch bleeding from arteries and vital blood vessels even now. If necessary, I can alleviate muscle pain using my healing ability. If combined with recovery accelerants, I can continue fighting even while sustaining injuries. I’m capable of precise nerve regeneration as well.”

Ah, now she understood. Violet’s expression mirrored the faces she made when she faced Daphne’s own reactions.

Every time she used self-destructive weapons, she probably reacted the same way.

“The first line of defense will be the barrier; the second line will rely on equipment like shields. If my body’s ether protection is breached and I get hurt, I can immediately regenerate the tissue. Isn’t that quite efficient?”

The moment she uttered the word “efficient,” chills ran down Daphne’s spine.

How on earth did she come to this kind of thinking, even she found it perplexing.

‘Am I starting to become influenced like Irene?’

The heir of Helios Frontier Services no longer denies Violet’s outrageous self-destructive tendencies.

Rather, she wished for more proactive advice.

This background intertwined with her best friend’s influence, who had shaped her body as a proving ground for instrumental rationality, along with the complex family history around clans involved, but which factor played a larger role remained a mystery to everyone.

And in this moment, the seeds of even more bewildering transformations began to sprout in the Scholarship Officer.

Although the degrees of difference may vary, Violet’s self-destructive rationality clearly seemed to compromise Daphne’s once-kind and altruistic spirit with military realism.

“And in an extreme case, I might even be able to handle severe injuries like limb amputation. To do that, I need to become much more accustomed to trauma, right?”

“Geh! No way!”

“Why not?”

Violet appeared momentarily astonished.

The psychological shift sensed from her innocent friend felt eerie, even disregarding its logic and rationality.

“Geh! Daphne has become a totalitarian!”

According to Violet’s perception, this involved a drastic, anti-democratic shift in thinking on a level comparable to Machiavelli and Kissinger teaming up to beat Mother Teresa and Schweitzer after imprisoning them in Guantanamo.

But it seemed the flow had already set its course.

“D-Daphne! Isn’t that a risky practice? I feel like just an exoskeleton with a shotgun would suffice. Do you really need to resort to self-harm? What if you get an infection? Like tetanus!”

“Oh dear, Violet. Have you forgotten what we discussed? We’re Awakened Ones. We actually don’t need to worry about bacterial or viral infections.”

“That’s true, but… if there’s danger, I could protect you. There’s no need for self-harm training…”

Daphne smiled sweetly. She already held an irrefutable argument that could dismiss all counterarguments. The life slowly drained from her blue eyes.

“Then, stop the self-destruction from now on. When have I ever told you not to destroy yourself only for you to bring it up now?”

“…Ugh.”

Faced with Daphne’s beaming smile, resembling frozen fish, Violet fell silent, losing her words.

She had won.

Daphne’s euphoric thrill didn’t last long.

Because of Violet, who lowered her head with a slightly gloomy expression, her own feelings of guilt surfaced.

‘I might have been a bit harsh…’

Among the guilt, a thought crossed Daphne’s mind.

‘It was a good thing I didn’t mention drug use…’

**

Shockingly, our Violet had nothing to say against Daphne’s argument. Countering the claims of a friend smarter than both of us proved difficult even with collective intelligence.

“No! I can’t think of any clear alternatives!”

“Is it inevitable that we have to compromise?”

Neither could she abandon self-destruction, nor could she blindly oppose her friend, who was emphasizing the necessity of ‘training’.

“Ugh… Fine. But don’t do anything too dangerous. Got it?”

It seems the future of being a kind and virtuous saint helping others through medical aid has completely vanished.

While still caring and kind, the girl standing before us seemed ready to transition from a healer holding a healing staff to a warrior girl armed with a shield and combat staff.

In simple terms, she had become a character in a mobile game—same appearance but a completely different class.

“It feels like a butterfly effect triggered by our existence,”

“Maybe so. But isn’t that a good thing?”

Wait, thinking about it, Daphne in an exoskeleton also sounded quite cool.

Should it not be a problem since whether on the frontlines or in the rear, we would be supporting and protecting each other anyway?

“Alright! In that case, I’ll help with the training too! I’ll be your sparring partner for close combat, so shoot me with that gun! Give me a whack with your staff. Got it?”

“J-Just a moment, that’s… Ah, alright…”

Seeing Daphne with a flustered expression made us in the network chuckle softly.

What a blunder! According to the logic of ‘healing training,’ she’d have to accept us as targets.

Of course, we would only poke her with practice swords without any magical power.

“Okay, are you ready?”

“Yes, ready!”

-Tatatang!

“Kyah!”

And so, we engaged in a bloody but educational and wholesome training session.

 

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