Chapter 8:
Chapter 8 — All That Effort… For Nothing
Failed to Die, Now I'm an Athlete in Another World!
It’s been a month since I was summoned to this world, and today is my first time seeing the ocean in Altheria. Our beloved trainer Leo brought us here for a "change of pace."
“Ah… Everyone, look at that. The blue sea accompanied by such beautiful waves, plus the perfect weather—this is the ideal vacation,” I said, deeply moved.
“You’re absolutely right, Haruto. This scenery is so beautiful it makes me want to cry,” Lucas replied.
“Ah, look! There’s a fish jumping out of the water!” Roland exclaimed.
“How cute…” said Selena softly.
“Where? Where?! Show me!” Lucas and I both leaned forward, curious.
“Captain, did you see it?” Lucas asked Alex.No response. When Lucas turned toward him, Alex was… napping peacefully.
And then, the voice that shattered our idyllic daydream came crashing down.
“Hey, you lot! If you don’t keep your balance, you’ll fall down and become monster food!” Leo yelled, destroying our fantasy in one strike.
We all screamed—except for Alex, who was genuinely asleep on a thin rope suspended above a pool full of water monsters.
“AAAAHHHH! GIVE ME BACK MY IMAGINATION!” I protested.
“Yes! Yes! Give it back!” Roland, Lucas, and Selena echoed my cries.
“Shut it! Just ten more minutes! Endure it!” Leo barked.
“Unbelievable… Captain’s really sleeping like a baby in a life-or-death situation,” Lucas muttered in awe.
“T-t-tha-tha-tha-that’s r-right…” I stammered, trembling like mad.
---
“Hey! Time’s up!” Leo finally called out.
Thank goodness. Never again. I’m blacklisting this from my personal training routine forever.
But then I looked around—and everyone was gone. When I glanced down, they were all already on the ground.
“Hey! Everyone! Help me! How do I even get down from here?! My legs are shaking so badly!” I cried out in panic.
“Figure it out yourself,” Leo replied nonchalantly.
“You can do it, Haruto!” Roland cheered me on.
“Just jump over here,” Alex suggested casually.
“Yeah, just jump, it’s easy!” Lucas chimed in.
“JUMP?! My legs feel like jelly!” I yelled.
“Haruto,” Selena called out sweetly, “if you manage to come down, I’ll go on a date with you.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. That is… if you can.”
“Alright! I’ll do it!”
“Good luck then—we’re heading back first,” Leo said, completely unconcerned.
I swallowed hard and focused.
“Tightrope training like this? Unreal…” I muttered.
Then I remembered what Alex had told me before: dark magic can bend the laws of physics.
I focused hard on manipulating gravity, imagining myself lighter. The rope beneath me stopped shaking.
Carefully, I edged my way to the side. When I reached the edge, I hopped down immediately, collapsing to the ground, panting.
“I DID IT!” I shouted in triumph.
“Alright, let’s head home.”
---
I opened the door to the dorm, exhausted.“I’m back…” I muttered weakly.
“Oh, welcome back,” Leo greeted casually.
“Welcome back,” Roland and Alex added.
“Welcome back, Haruto,” Selena said with a kind smile.
“Hm? Hero? You’re still alive? I thought you died,” Lucas teased with a laugh.
I looked around and saw everyone already eating without me. My heart sank. No… it’s fine. It doesn’t matter. Because I’m going on that date with Selena!
I marched straight toward her.“Selena Alvaréz, do you remember your promise?” I asked.
“…Promise?” Selena tilted her head in confusion.
“You know, if I came down safely, you said you’d go on a date with me.”
“Did I say that?” Selena turned to everyone else.
They all shook their heads. My soul left my body as I collapsed to the floor.
“All that effort…” I whimpered.
“Oh, by the way,” Leo cut in, “tomorrow we’ll be doing a practice match against the kingdom of Eryndor.”
“Understood!” everyone responded in unison—except me.
“All that effort…” I muttered faintly.
“Alright, finish eating and get some rest… Hey, Haruto, hurry up and eat already,” Leo ordered.
“All that effort…”
Leo sighed. “Man, what a hopeless hero we’ve got here.”
Everyone chuckled softly.
“Ah… Everyone, look at that. The blue sea accompanied by such beautiful waves, plus the perfect weather—this is the ideal vacation,” I said, deeply moved.
“You’re absolutely right, Haruto. This scenery is so beautiful it makes me want to cry,” Lucas replied.
“Ah, look! There’s a fish jumping out of the water!” Roland exclaimed.
“How cute…” said Selena softly.
“Where? Where?! Show me!” Lucas and I both leaned forward, curious.
“Captain, did you see it?” Lucas asked Alex.No response. When Lucas turned toward him, Alex was… napping peacefully.
And then, the voice that shattered our idyllic daydream came crashing down.
“Hey, you lot! If you don’t keep your balance, you’ll fall down and become monster food!” Leo yelled, destroying our fantasy in one strike.
We all screamed—except for Alex, who was genuinely asleep on a thin rope suspended above a pool full of water monsters.
“AAAAHHHH! GIVE ME BACK MY IMAGINATION!” I protested.
“Yes! Yes! Give it back!” Roland, Lucas, and Selena echoed my cries.
“Shut it! Just ten more minutes! Endure it!” Leo barked.
“Unbelievable… Captain’s really sleeping like a baby in a life-or-death situation,” Lucas muttered in awe.
“T-t-tha-tha-tha-that’s r-right…” I stammered, trembling like mad.
---
“Hey! Time’s up!” Leo finally called out.
Thank goodness. Never again. I’m blacklisting this from my personal training routine forever.
But then I looked around—and everyone was gone. When I glanced down, they were all already on the ground.
“Hey! Everyone! Help me! How do I even get down from here?! My legs are shaking so badly!” I cried out in panic.
“Figure it out yourself,” Leo replied nonchalantly.
“You can do it, Haruto!” Roland cheered me on.
“Just jump over here,” Alex suggested casually.
“Yeah, just jump, it’s easy!” Lucas chimed in.
“JUMP?! My legs feel like jelly!” I yelled.
“Haruto,” Selena called out sweetly, “if you manage to come down, I’ll go on a date with you.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. That is… if you can.”
“Alright! I’ll do it!”
“Good luck then—we’re heading back first,” Leo said, completely unconcerned.
I swallowed hard and focused.
“Tightrope training like this? Unreal…” I muttered.
Then I remembered what Alex had told me before: dark magic can bend the laws of physics.
I focused hard on manipulating gravity, imagining myself lighter. The rope beneath me stopped shaking.
Carefully, I edged my way to the side. When I reached the edge, I hopped down immediately, collapsing to the ground, panting.
“I DID IT!” I shouted in triumph.
“Alright, let’s head home.”
---
I opened the door to the dorm, exhausted.“I’m back…” I muttered weakly.
“Oh, welcome back,” Leo greeted casually.
“Welcome back,” Roland and Alex added.
“Welcome back, Haruto,” Selena said with a kind smile.
“Hm? Hero? You’re still alive? I thought you died,” Lucas teased with a laugh.
I looked around and saw everyone already eating without me. My heart sank. No… it’s fine. It doesn’t matter. Because I’m going on that date with Selena!
I marched straight toward her.“Selena Alvaréz, do you remember your promise?” I asked.
“…Promise?” Selena tilted her head in confusion.
“You know, if I came down safely, you said you’d go on a date with me.”
“Did I say that?” Selena turned to everyone else.
They all shook their heads. My soul left my body as I collapsed to the floor.
“All that effort…” I whimpered.
“Oh, by the way,” Leo cut in, “tomorrow we’ll be doing a practice match against the kingdom of Eryndor.”
“Understood!” everyone responded in unison—except me.
“All that effort…” I muttered faintly.
“Alright, finish eating and get some rest… Hey, Haruto, hurry up and eat already,” Leo ordered.
“All that effort…”
Leo sighed. “Man, what a hopeless hero we’ve got here.”
Everyone chuckled softly.
----
[Author's Note]:
I just realized that I mistakenly wrote the character's name as "Selene" in some of the previous chapters, when her original name is actually "Selena." Starting from this chapter, I will be using "Selena" again as intended. Thank you for your understanding!
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