“Ughhh…”
A soft moan slipped out, as if from a dream. It wasn’t loud, but the delicate, alluring sound was unmistakable.
“Ahh… it feels so good…”
The woman’s sweet moan came again. I silently repeated the word “endure” in my mind and calmly closed my eyes. I tried to clear my thoughts and focus all my senses. But it backfired. The more sensitive I became, the more vivid the soft, smooth sensation under my palm felt—so much so that I could almost hear a teasing voice whispering, “Come on, just rub it a little. It’s so soft~.”
Unable to hold back any longer, I opened my eyes and saw Sarah lying face down right in front of me. Her body was almost naked, covered only by a thin red cloth draped lightly over her hips, surrounded by a clear, flickering flame. But more than that, my eyes kept drifting to the strands of hair cascading over her shoulders, the pale, flawless curve of her neck that perfectly complemented her blonde hair, and the tender, ripe breasts pressed against the floor—images I couldn’t help but fixate on.
And that wasn’t all. Looking at the white, deer-like curve of her waist beneath my hand, and the rapidly swelling line of her hips, I felt my own body respond in kind. My trembling hand seemed like the S pole of a magnet, desperately crying out because it couldn’t meet the N pole.
“Haaah…”
Suddenly, Sarah shifted her body slightly. A sultry sound, as if savoring the afterglow of an orgasm, gently melted my nerves. Below, her lower body was not just rising but thrashing like an angry beast. Seeing the bulge pressing against her pants, as if about to burst through the cloth, I sighed inwardly.
Anyone unaware of the situation would 100% misunderstand. But I felt utterly wronged. The truth was, I wasn’t doing this for any such reason. Of course, it wasn’t to “cook” Sarah either.
After Gehenna left, Sarah had personally asked me to help with her training. She wanted to enhance her affinity with fire and sought the aid of Hwajeong, who possessed the divine fire technique. This method supposedly allowed one to feel the power of fire without being burned—a training method devised by Gehenna.
Sarah’s reason for undressing was similar. To increase affinity, it helps to be in the most natural and comfortable state. While Gehenna could simply ignite the fire, fortunately—or unfortunately—I wasn’t skilled enough for that. So I had to keep my hands on her, continuously channeling energy.
Though various subtle conditions had aligned to bring us here, it wasn’t a bad situation at all. No need to elaborate—the power of the spirit legion was something I had already experienced firsthand in the first round. They said their strength rivaled or even surpassed Vivian’s demon legion. I could endure the feeling of a monk’s solitary training. Yes, I could endure it.
Hmm. By the way, I wonder what happened to the Light and Darkness crystals I gave to Mar? It seems Jeong Ha-yeon is handling things well on her own.
“Phew… good.”
Suddenly, a breathy sound came. Sarah slowly rose from her prone position, and the red cloth slipped softly down her body. The training was over.
“Very good. Thank you again today, Clan Lord.”
Sarah stood up with ease, skillfully wrapping the cloth around herself, smiling. Having been a bit exposed in the past, she no longer hesitated to meet my gaze.
“Our language skills have improved quite a bit, haven’t they?”
“Yes. I studied a lot in the modern world and have continued learning here.”
“It’s nice to see you putting in the effort.”
“Hehe. I like compliments. The more, the better.”
Her face lit up with genuine happiness. Then, as if remembering something, Sarah suddenly exclaimed.
“By the way, Clan Lord, isn’t today… that day?”
“That day.” The word had multiple meanings, but I guessed she meant the one I thought of. After all, I wasn’t just helping Sarah with training.
“That’s right.”
“Then, have I kept you too long?”
“Not at all. I’ve allocated the time properly.”
“Good. I was worried I was being selfish.”
With that, Sarah raised her clenched fist and said, “Fighting!” The gesture was so cute that I almost smiled. Then,
“…?”
My eyes caught the red carpet beneath us, which was damp.
…Why are there round stains on the carpet fibers?
Kaaang!
A sharp metallic clang rang out. The garden, charged with fierce energy, was hotter than ever. Some frowned at the piercing noise, others startled at the heavy thuds of something colliding. Without even a moment’s pause, a dark figure plunged from the sky to the ground.
Kwahng!
“Ughhh!”
A pained groan burst out. The figure bounced off the ground once, twice, then tumbled over. White-robed figures rushed quickly toward the fallen form, but except for the priests, everyone remained focused on the scene before them.
After a moment, as the thick smoke cleared, a man slowly came into view. Clad in jet-black, seamless armor with a crimson cape draped over his shoulders, he stood motionless at the garden’s center. Not a twitch. Just stillness. Nearby, a woman measured the distance cautiously, hesitating as if a bit frightened.
But her hesitation was brief. Her eyes darted left and right, then she stopped abruptly and lowered her stance. Her fiery red eyes and hair blazed with golden flames. Fear and dread vanished, replaced by raw courage. She gripped her katana tightly, like a predator stalking its prey.
Lee Yoo-jung instinctively knew: no trickery would work on the man before her—Kim Soo-hyun. She had never succeeded against Nam Da-eun, so there was no chance here. His strength, speed, magic, and skill far surpassed hers. But she had one advantage: she wasn’t alone. Two archers were also targeting Kim Soo-hyun somewhere nearby, preparing to strike. All she had to do was create a clear opening for them.
Just as Yoo-jung thought, two archers were aiming at Kim Soo-hyun in the garden.
“Aligning sights…”
The voice, barely a breath, was unusually calm. As the air left his lungs, Sun Yoo-woon held his breath. His wide-open eyes pierced through all obstacles, locking onto Kim Soo-hyun. The bowstring was drawn taut to its limit. The shot was ready.
At the same time, on the opposite side beyond Kim Soo-hyun, several glowing lights flickered into existence. Like a halo behind Lim Hanna, the radiant orbs flashed brilliantly. Unlike Sun Yoo-woon’s stealth, Lim Hanna stepped forward openly, each light radiating formidable power.
Perhaps signaling the light clusters, Yoo-jung’s body, which had been circling, suddenly reversed.
“Haah!”
With a shout, her red hair whipped wildly. Pushing off the ground, Yoo-jung surged forward in a flash. The energy radiating from her body traced a sleek golden arc as she charged. But Kim Soo-hyun turned calmly, his invisible sword in his right hand aimed precisely at Yoo-jung.
Suddenly, the hilt of Kim Soo-hyun’s sword rippled like a wave.
Closing in within a meter,
‘He’s coming!’
Yoo-jung’s primal instincts flared. Sensing the deadly intent, she braced herself, inhaling deeply and gripping her twin daggers.
Then—
Bam!
A massive impact struck her temple, snapping her head sharply to the side. Dizziness overwhelmed her, ringing filled her ears, and her blurred vision shook violently.
‘What…?’
Before she could think further, she felt a kick to her chin. “Pff!” Her upper and lower teeth clashed hard, forcing her head back. The sky above her eyes slowly faded into darkness.
Wooooooosh!
At that moment, Lim Hanna shouted something as the floating lights surged forward with a deep roar, charging at Kim Soo-hyun. Even in broad daylight, the radiant swarm illuminated the garden. Watching Yoo-jung collapse, Kim Soo-hyun glanced briefly to his right, still in a kicking stance.
Right then—
“!”
Sun Yoo-woon released his bowstring. The arrow’s fletching fluttered wildly like a fresh fish’s tail.
Swaaaash!
A single, decisive shot. The target: Kim Soo-hyun’s neck. In a split second, the long arrow sliced through the air like a beam of light, closing the 60-meter gap. The sniper’s strike, coming from the side, mercilessly struck Kim Soo-hyun just as he was regaining his stance.
Kwahng!
A deafening roar erupted—far beyond the sound of a mere arrow being fired. The shockwave from the impact swept violently in all directions. The garden’s soil churned and heaved like a raging sea, and a cloud of dust rose abruptly, blanketing the center of the courtyard. Everyone held their breath, stunned by the grandeur and destruction of the scene: the clan members watching from all around, and even the two snipers who had fired the arrows.
After a moment, a dark silhouette flickered through the thick smoke.
To everyone’s astonishment, Kim Suhyun was standing firm on both feet, unmoved from where he had first stood.
“Ah…!”
As the smoke slowly cleared, a shuddering gasp broke out. The radiant light fired by Im Hanna had vanished without a trace. Only four familiar swords remained, seemingly stuck midair as if plunged into nothingness. But the most astonishing sight was the single long arrow firmly grasped in Kim Suhyun’s left hand.
The battle had ended in the blink of an eye. The level of skill displayed was so high that most of the clan members who had gathered to watch barely caught what had happened.
Yet a few—Go Yeonju, Nam Daeun, Cha Sorim, Heo Junyoung—had seen it clearly. In that brief instant, at Kim Suhyun’s gesture, the four swords around him moved as if alive, intercepting and extinguishing the radiant light. Then, just half a beat later, he casually caught Seon Yuwon’s arrow with his left hand. In other words, with only two simple motions, he had completely neutralized a deadly strike.
It was a flawless sniper shot, made possible only by Lee Yujeong’s sacrifice. But Kim Suhyun’s response was utterly beyond comprehension. Had he dodged, it might have been understandable. But to “accept the blow without evading” like that? No one could claim they’d be capable of such a feat.
With a soft flick, Kim Suhyun dropped the arrow from his hand.
At last, the duel—close to a real battle—was over.
“Ughhh…”
An-hyun, who had been watching intently, sank down with a pale face. Probably most of those present felt the same way.
But the one who had just pulled off something close to a miracle showed no sign of exhaustion. His indifferent eyes narrowed to thin slits, and the subtle anger radiating from his gaze spread quietly as he scanned the surroundings. Slowly, Kim Suhyun’s lips parted, breaking the heavy silence.
“One who charged forward without purpose and was the first to fall.”
At the sharp tone, Shin Jaeryong, receiving treatment in a corner, grimaced. No need to ask who he meant—the first to go down was none other than himself.
“One who used a laughably unimpressive ability once and then panted out of breath.”
Im Hanna, bent over with her hands on her knees, shuddered at the words.
“One who ignored his floundering comrades and just tried to land a single hit, hiding away instead of coordinating the battlefield.”
Seon Yuwon, standing dazed, clenched his teeth tightly.
Finally, Kim Suhyun’s gaze settled on Lee Yujeong, who was still rubbing her jaw, wincing as if the pain lingered. She flinched, like a child expecting a scolding.
“I understand what you were calculating and your intentions weren’t bad. But don’t act like that in real combat. It’s a sure way to get yourself killed.”
For the first time, Kim Suhyun’s voice carried no sarcasm. It wasn’t exactly praise, but at least it wasn’t criticism. Lee Yujeong tried to smile brightly but quickly masked it. She knew well enough the difference between a student expecting a top grade but getting a third, and one who thought they’d fail but ended up with a fourth.
Kim Suhyun withdrew his gaze and turned to glare at the other three in turn.
“Is this really how you plan to inherit the class?”
“Like this.” The words cut deeper than ever before. Shin Jaeryong, Im Hanna, and Seon Yuwon quietly lowered their heads, unable to find a word to respond.
Back then, Kim Suhyun had said that if anyone could surpass Go Yeonju, Nam Daeun, and Heo Junyoung, they could take the class. But instead of surpassing them, they couldn’t even force Kim Suhyun to take a single step back. There was no excuse for that. They had hoped to grow stronger, but had only grown weaker. No words could explain that.
Clang!
The sound of a blade sliding smoothly back into its sheath echoed.
A moment later—
“Tch… At this rate… how are we supposed to face those guys…?”
Muttering to himself, Kim Suhyun strode toward the exit, as if there was nothing left to see.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Seon Yuwon: Damn it. He never even thinks about how broken he is. Kim Suhyun’s such a bastard.
Im Hanna: Seriously. How can a side character buff beat the protagonist’s buff? Doesn’t make sense.
Shin Jaeryong: Sigh…
Lee Yujeong: B grade~! B graaade~!(?)