Episode 220: Return to the Demonic Academy
Crash!
The window shattered as Maeng Ga-sook burst through it.
“Aaaargh!”
He hit the ground of the training yard with a scream and immediately sprinted towards the pond.
His hair was on fire.
Splash!
Moments later, Maeng Ga-sook emerged slowly from the water. His hair had been completely burned away, leaving only raw, red skin exposed. Smoke curled up from his entire body.
“That damn instructor…!”
He had tried to kill him in his sleep, launching a surprise attack on his quarters. But who would have thought there’d be a trap waiting for him?
How could someone set up such a sophisticated mechanism in such a short time? Of course, it was a magical barrier, but Maeng Ga-sook had no way of knowing that.
“Damn it!”
Splash!
He slammed his fist into the water in frustration and climbed out of the pond.
Just then,
“Aaaah!”
“Ugh!”
More screams erupted as people were flung through the air. It was Jin Jo-young and his fellow trainees.
“Whoa!”
He narrowly dodged Jin Jo-young, but couldn’t avoid all the others flying towards him. One of them collided with Maeng Ga-sook, sending them both tumbling back into the pond.
Some had sharp needles stuck in their bodies, while others were scorched like Maeng Ga-sook.
Jin Jo-young shivered as he glanced at the dormitory where Sa Bi-gang stayed, then turned away.
“Damn it! I’m never going back in there!”
“Yeah, I’ll just wait outside from now on!”
As the trainees quickly retreated, Maeng Ga-sook called out in exasperation.
“You cowards! Scared off by something like this?”
“Ha! Look at yourself before you talk!”
At that, Maeng Ga-sook glanced at his reflection in the water. His red, shiny head was particularly noticeable.
“Damn it…”
He spat out a curse and glared up at Sa Bi-gang’s quarters.
“Just wait. I’ll get you one day!”
With that, he bit his lip and leaped over the wall.
**
It was love at first sight.
He had never felt his heart race like this before.
He had to have her!
Chu Ryang ran after the woman who was slowly disappearing from view. His legs didn’t move as he wanted, but he pushed himself to run desperately.
He boldly placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Excuse me! I fell in love at first sight! Will you marry me?”
His first-ever confession!
His heart pounded wildly.
Finally, the woman turned around.
“I want to give you my passion and love… huh?”
Chu Ryang’s eyes widened.
The person smiling back at him… was a man.
“Master…?”
Sa Bi-gang grinned and suddenly slapped him.
Smack!
“Ouch!”
Smack! Smack!
“Ouch! M-Master…! Please stop…!”
**
Smack! Smack!
“Ow! Stop hitting me already!”
Chu Ryang shot up, yelling.
Only then did Sa Bi-gang stop and stand up.
“Awake now?”
“Ugh. Isn’t this too much? I collapsed from training, and you wake me up by beating me like this…?”
Chu Ryang pouted, and Sa Bi-gang snorted.
“For someone who collapsed, you sure were snoring away.”
“Ugh. How long was I out?”
Chu Ryang groggily got up and looked around.
They were still in the underground training room.
Sa Bi-gang spoke nonchalantly.
“You were out for a whole day.”
“What? No way! You’re joking, right?”
“Yeah, I’m joking.”
Chu Ryang looked at Sa Bi-gang with a blank expression.
‘He’s admitting it so easily, it’s suspicious. Is he mad at me?’
Chu Ryang awkwardly stretched and twisted his body.
With a determined look, he faced Sa Bi-gang and spoke clearly.
“Let’s start again. I can still train more.”
“Enough. You’ve done enough for today.”
Sa Bi-gang finished speaking and started walking away.
Chu Ryang quickly called out.
“No! I can do more!”
“You’ve done plenty for today.”
“Uh… you’re not mad, are you?”
Chu Ryang hurried after him, asking.
Sa Bi-gang glanced back.
“Mad? Me? Why?”
“Because I couldn’t hold out and collapsed early…”
“Heh. You held out well. You lasted two more hours than I expected.”
Chu Ryang’s lips curled into a smile.
Two more hours?
“Wow! Is that true?”
“Yeah, I’m pleased. The stronger my bodyguard, the better.”
“Bodyguard? What bodyguard?”
Chu Ryang looked around, confused, and met Sa Bi-gang’s gaze.
“Uh… you mean me?”
Chu Ryang pointed at himself.
Sa Bi-gang nodded.
“With enemies everywhere and assassins after me, shouldn’t you be the one to protect me?”
“Me? Protect you?”
Chu Ryang’s eyes widened, and Sa Bi-gang chuckled.
“Yeah. So don’t worry. I won’t die before you. At least, you’ll die before me.”
“Haha… ha… ha…!”
Chu Ryang’s lips trembled as he forced a laugh.
**
The night breeze blew coolly.
Sa Bi-gang and Chu Ryang sat in a pavilion by the training yard, chatting.
After discussing mana and magic, Chu Ryang cautiously watched Sa Bi-gang and asked.
“Master, you weren’t serious about what you said earlier, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“About me being your bodyguard… haha! That’s ridiculous, isn’t it? How could someone like me protect you…?”
“I’m serious. From now on, you must protect me with your life.”
“Sigh… what about what you said during the new recruits’ class?”
“New recruits’ class… what did I say then?”
“You gave them assassination missions!”
“That was serious too.”
Chu Ryang looked dumbfounded.
“Isn’t that going too far? What if those reckless guys really come at you?”
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
“Wow. How can you be so confident?”
“Because… I have you.”
Sa Bi-gang grinned.
Normally, Chu Ryang would have been deeply moved by those words, but for some reason, he felt a chill run down his spine.
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“I trust you. I know you’ll step up if I’m in danger.”
Sa Bi-gang’s expression turned unusually serious.
Tears welled up in Chu Ryang’s eyes.
“Master… I’m so touched that you trust me… or did you think I would be? This is too much! In the middle of a den of assassins, you expect a young guy like me to…! Ugh!”
Chu Ryang couldn’t finish his sentence.
Sa Bi-gang suddenly grabbed him by the neck and spun him around, pushing him forward.
“Block it.”
In an instant,
Whoosh!
Three daggers sliced through the air, heading straight for them.
“Gasp!”
Startled, Chu Ryang instinctively drew his sword and swung it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
All three daggers deflected off his blade.
‘I… I blocked them…!’
He thought he was done for.
But his body reacted on its own, deflecting the daggers as if by magic.
Could this be related to today’s training?
Now that he thought about it, he had felt lighter since waking up.
Just then, Sa Bi-gang spoke up from behind.
“See, you can do it.”
Anger flared up in Chu Ryang, and he spun around.
“How can you say that! I almost died!”
“But you didn’t.”
“That’s not the point…!”
Once again, Chu Ryang couldn’t finish his sentence.
Thud!
Sa Bi-gang suddenly pushed him in the chest.
“Whoa!”
Chu Ryang stumbled backward, tripping over the pavilion railing and falling into the pond with a splash.
Meanwhile, more daggers sliced through the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The daggers flew past where Chu Ryang had been standing, aiming straight for Sa Bi-gang’s heart.
In a flash,
Swoosh!
A faint barrier formed, deflecting all three daggers.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Then,
Whoosh!
A long-haired man, his shadow stretching behind him, charged towards the pavilion.
It was Ong Gi-seung, the Phantom Blade of the Water.
In an instant, he leaped onto the pavilion, eyes closed, thrusting his sword forward.
Whoosh!
His movements were lightning-fast!
But Sa Bi-gang stepped back, twisting his body lightly, and the blade narrowly missed his chest.
Flick!
Sa Bi-gang flicked Ong Gi-seung’s sword with his fingers.
Clang!
Ong Gi-seung lost his balance and stumbled forward, swinging his sword horizontally.
Thud!
Sa Bi-gang stepped onto the railing and leaped onto the pavilion roof.
Then,
Crash!
Ong Gi-seung, eyes still closed, burst through the roof, soaring upwards.
As debris flew everywhere, Ong Gi-seung thrust his sword straight at Sa Bi-gang’s heart.
Clang!
This time, Sa Bi-gang lifted his foot and kicked Ong Gi-seung’s sword.
Stumble!
As Ong Gi-seung lost his balance,
Whoosh!
Sa Bi-gang darted in, delivering a swift strike to his side.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Ong Gi-seung cried out as he tumbled across the training ground.
Leaping down from the pavilion roof, Sa Bi-gang spoke in a dry tone.
“Shouldn’t we call you the Sleepwalking Sword Ghost instead of the Sleeping Sword Ghost? At this rate, who can tell if you’re awake or just sleep-talking?”
His mocking words made the Sleeping Sword Ghost scrunch his nose in irritation.
Just as he was about to charge again,
Splash!
Chu Ryang, who had fallen into the pond, burst out with a spray of water.
“Master, I’ll stop him…!”
Crash!
Chu Ryang managed to block the Sleeping Sword Ghost’s attack but was knocked back into the pond.
As the Sleeping Sword Ghost closed in on Sa Bi-gang,
Whoosh!
Another shadow raced toward Sa Bi-gang from behind.
In a flash, Sa Bi-gang ducked low, slipping into Ong Gi-seung’s space and grabbing his wrist.
Thud!
Using the momentum, he pushed Ong Gi-seung’s sword backward.
“Gah!”
Yu Song-ryeong, who had been charging from behind, barely managed to deflect Ong Gi-seung’s sword.
Clang!
They narrowly avoided skewering each other.
With the danger averted, Sa Bi-gang spread his arms and unleashed a double strike.
Boom!
“Argh!”
“Ahh!”
Both men were sent sprawling across the ground.
Sa Bi-gang turned to Ong Gi-seung first.
“You’re using too much force. Cut it down by half. Keep your wrists and shoulders relaxed.”
”……!”
As Ong Gi-seung flinched, Sa Bi-gang addressed Yu Song-ryeong.
“Your stance was too wide in that last strike. The bigger the movement, the bigger the mistake.”
”……!”
Yu Song-ryeong gaped at Sa Bi-gang, astonished that he could fend off an ambush and still offer advice.
Sa Bi-gang wasn’t finished.
“And the most basic of basics is….”
Suddenly, a shadow descended over Sa Bi-gang’s head.
Do Bi-cheon, who had been lurking, leaped down from the pavilion roof, daggers flying.
In an instant, Sa Bi-gang reached out, grabbed Do Bi-cheon’s wrist, and slammed him to the ground.
Crash!
“…not giving away your presence. Especially if you’re skilled in stealth, you should remain hidden until the last moment.”
Sa Bi-gang muttered indifferently, looking at Do Bi-cheon sprawled on the ground.
“Damn it!”
Do Bi-cheon groaned, quickly getting back on his feet.
As he twirled his daggers defensively,
“Assassination requires intense focus. If your hands are all over the place, how can you attack properly?”
“Damn it! I’ve already been spotted, haven’t I?”
Thud!
Do Bi-cheon kicked off the ground, launching himself forward.
Swish! Swish!
His daggers sliced through the air.
At the same time, Sa Bi-gang drew his sword, deflecting the incoming daggers.
Clang!
Swish! Swish!
Do Bi-cheon narrowly dodged the rebounding daggers, but they flew straight toward Yu Song-ryeong and Ong Gi-seung.
“Gah!”
“Ah!”
Clang!
Ong Gi-seung managed to deflect one, but Yu Song-ryeong was grazed on the shoulder.
Meanwhile, Sa Bi-gang landed a punch on the charging Do Bi-cheon.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Do Bi-cheon rolled to a stop beside Yu Song-ryeong and Ong Gi-seung.
Sa Bi-gang sighed lightly.
“When you’re impatient, you tend to mess things up. Charging in recklessly is a sure way to get killed. Practice as if it’s the real thing.”
“Tch!”
The three quickly got to their feet and dashed toward the wall.
Sa Bi-gang smirked and called out.
“Oh, and if you’re leaving, make sure to fix the pavilion with your own money. Otherwise, I’ll come to collect.”
The three flinched but soon disappeared over the wall into the night.
Thus, the first assassination attempt by the fledgling group ended in failure.