I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 123: Hate Hats

Toughness training? Really?

Adventurers in this world undergo grueling training without hesitation.

I would have collapsed after just a few hits.

The punches of adventurers here were in a completely different league from those in my old world.

It was astonishing that they could endure such blows merely through physical toughness.

No matter how you look at it, it seems people here have a much higher tolerance for pain.

As I looked up at them with admiration and awe, I was suddenly startled. It dawned on me that I, too, was now an adventurer like them.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Hmm?"

"Do I also need to undergo toughness training...?"

Honestly, I didn't want to.

I disliked getting hit so much that I had chosen ranged weapons.

However, if it was a necessary part of being an adventurer, I was prepared to endure it.

"Well... Gyeoul, you don't need to."

Yeoreum waved her hands reassuringly, which puzzled me somewhat.

Toughness training was a regimen even martial artists in my world undertook.

Getting hit a lot helped one lose fear and develop pain tolerance. There was no reason I, an adventurer who battles monsters, shouldn't do it.

"Isn't it something all adventurers do?"

"Well, yes, but where would you get hit Gyeoul?"

At Yeoreum's words, I looked down at my own body.

Though small, there were plenty of places that could be hit—my back, my face.

"What about the stomach?"

"No, definitely not that."

Yeoreum shook her head decisively. Yu-na and Juyeon also looked firm.

"But wouldn't I grow more if I underwent toughness training?"

"Everyone has their own way of growing. Sister is an expert in this field, and she knows that Gyeoul doesn't grow by getting hit."

"Is that so...?"

If Yeoreum said so, then it must be true. It felt strange, but I had no choice but to trust her.

"So, what training would be suitable for me?"

"Gyeoul, sensory training would be best for you. You excel in that area more than sister. It's best for an adventurer to play to their strengths."

"Ah..."

Indeed, my senses were sharper than anyone else's.

I could detect faint sounds hundreds of meters away when I focused, and I could distinguish dozens of different scents.

During battle, the flight of an arrow seemed to slow down.

What would happen if I further enhanced this aspect through training? I felt a sense of anticipation.

"Everyone has their own training method."

"Yes. Do you want sister to help with the training?"

"No, I'll try it on my own."

Asking for help with everything would make growth impossible. Finding my own training method would also be a great experience.

"That's a good attitude."

Yeoreum gave a thumbs up. My tail swayed in response.

"I'm going to train now."

"Okay. We sisters have something else to discuss, so we'll go ahead."

The three women waved their hands and walked away. I watched their retreating figures and then headed towards a bench near the pond.

Sitting on the bench, I closed my eyes and scanned the world with just my hearing.

The sound of fish jumping in the pond, the engine and exhaust noises of cars, and the sound of insects hiding beneath the grass.

I separated each sound that existed around me.

The important thing wasn't just distinguishing the sounds, but determining where they were coming from. If I could perfectly calculate distances, I would be able to pinpoint the location of my opponents even with my eyes closed.

'There are quite a few people.'

There were about a dozen people around me.

As I was pinpointing the positions of nearby people based solely on sound, someone started running toward me.

Pitter-patter—

It was the sound of small, unsteady footsteps.

Just from that alone, I could tell it was Levinas.

"King, King."

"Yes."

I answered her without even opening my eyes.

Yet, I knew Levinas was tilting her head curiously right in front of me, all thanks to her soft breathing.

Could I live like this without my eyes?

Feeling slightly smug about it, Levinas plopped down next to me.

"King, what are you doing with your eyes closed?"

"I'm training."

"Training?"

"Yes."

Levinas was staring at the side of my face.

I could read her actions just by the sound.

"Is it training for sleeping? Should Levinas teach you how to sleep well?"

Thump—

I felt the weight on my thigh and opened my eyes.

Looking down, I saw Levinas lying down using my thigh as a pillow.

Giggle.

Her lively laughter didn't make her seem like someone who would fall asleep any time soon.

I casually placed my hand over her eyes.

"It's not sleeping training, it's sensory training."

"Sensory training?"

"Yes. It's about perceiving the world just with sounds while your eyes are closed."

"Ah! Levinas can do that too!"

Levinas perked up her ears. Being a rabbit known for her good hearing, her curiosity was piqued.

"Levinas, what sounds can you hear?"

"The sound of the wind!"

"I see."

The wind had indeed picked up suddenly.

It was strong enough to practice counting the swirling leaves, good for dynamic visual training.

Just as I looked up, I noticed something flying towards us.

'That's...'

A hat.

Was it someone's hat carried by the wind?

The hat, soaring through the sky, landed precisely on Levinas's face.

It wouldn't hurt, but just to be safe, I covered her face with my hand.

"Oof!"

Levinas froze, her palm extended, apparently startled by the hat on her face.

"Wow, King, there's something on Levinas's face...!"

"Yes. A hat came flying."

"A hat?"

Levinas felt around the hat covering her face with her hand.

After touching here and there as if playing a tactile game, she suddenly stood up, looking a bit angry.

"What's wrong?"

"Levinas hates hats! Hates them more than anything in the world!"

Hmph.

Levinas made a gesture as if to throw the hat to the ground but didn't actually throw it.

"Why the hat...?"

It was surprising that the gentle Levinas hated something so much. Maybe there was an unpleasant story related to hats.

"Actually, Levinas used to like hats! But the hats hate Levinas!"

"Really...?"

That was a baffling statement. Was it something related to a child's innocence?

All I could do in this puzzling situation was listen to Levinas's muttering.

"Levinas despises hats! Hats are bad!"

"Levinas, why do you hate hats?"

"You would see if you looked, King!"

Humph.

Levinas put on the hat with an annoyed expression. The hat, pressed down to her eyebrows, actually suited her quite well.

"Hmm...?"

It was just putting on a hat.

Was there a reason to hate hats here?

Just as a question mark popped over my head, something astonishing happened.

Pop!

It was as if a spring had been installed on her head, and the hat flew off into the distance.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that her elastic ears had pushed the hat off.

"Oh."

That was unexpected.

My tail, fluttering with confusion, suddenly stopped.

"Did you see that, King?"

"Uh, yes..."

Levinas's ears were indeed very elastic.

I hadn't known they were strong enough to send a hat flying.

I picked up the hat that had flown away and gently placed it back on Levinas's head.

Pop!

It was reminiscent of a pirate toy that springs into action when a sword is stabbed into it.

Watching it was quite amusing for the onlookers.

However, since Levinas, the affected party, was displeased, I didn't outwardly show my amusement.

"I hate hats."

"Yes, it's understandable."

Levinas couldn't understand why the hat kept popping off her head.

She looked so adorably confused that I decided to wait a bit before explaining it to her.

---

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Suddenly, a gust of wind swept away a hat from the group. Kwon Arin and her training partner moved to retrieve it.

"Found it."

Two familiar beast-kin children were holding her partner's hat. They must have picked it up after it was blown away by the wind.

Kwon Arin, leading her partner, approached the children but stopped short when she saw the situation.

Whenever Gyeoul placed the bucket hat, also known as a sun hat, on Levinas's head, it would pop off.

Gyeoul seemed to find this amusing and repeated it several times.

Pop!

"Hats are Levinas's enemy."

Pop!

"I won't give carrots to the hat."

Levinas added a comment each time the hat popped off.

Despite her annoyed expression, she didn't refuse the hat being placed on her head.

It was unclear if she tolerated it because it was Gyeoul doing it, or if she actually wanted to try wearing the hat.

Whatever the reason, it was a sight adorable enough to delight the onlookers.

Kwon Arin, who loved cute things, was blushing at the sight.

'Couldn't we just make a hole in the hat?'

Gyeoul was too smart for her age not to know this, so was she just playing with Levinas's ears?

Seeing Gyeoul's tail sway, Kwon Arin decided to just observe a little longer due to Levinas's cheeks being adorably puffed up in frustration.

"Why...! Why does the hat hate only Levinas...! Actually, Levinas likes the hat...!"

Grrrr—

Levinas waved her clenched fist in the air.

Gyeoul simply continued to place the hat on her without a word.

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