Chapter 63: Return to the Demonic Academy
Blink. Blink.
All they could do was blink.
Their mouths hung open, unable to close.
Is this what it feels like to be struck dumb?
Or perhaps, if they had honey in their mouths, they wouldn’t be able to close them at all.
The cadets gathered in the special training hall looked like mute statues, mouths agape, eyes blinking in disbelief.
It was Yeom Jaryang who finally broke the silence.
“Mana… you say?”
“Yes, it’s called mana.”
Sabi Kang maintained his usual calm demeanor.
An hour ago, he had summoned the cadets to this place and began introducing them to terms they had never heard before.
He explained how to harness mana and cast spells, then abruptly ordered them to memorize everything.
His teaching was as unkind as his personality.
And now, an even harsher command followed.
“From now on, you’ll undergo hellish training in preparation for the Spring Festival. If anyone doesn’t want to participate, you’re free to leave now. This is your only chance. If you’re willing to learn, sit down. If not, leave.”
“Is this some kind of dark magic?” asked Gok Bo-ok.
Sabi Kang chuckled.
“No, but it’s easy for fools to misunderstand. If you’re worried about public perception, it’s better not to learn.”
“Why should we learn this at all?”
Sabi Kang fixed Gok Bo-ok with a steady gaze before speaking.
“Because if you don’t want to die a pointless death someday, it’s better to learn.”
Though it sounded like a joke, Sabi Kang’s expression was dead serious, and no one laughed. Instead, they swallowed nervously.
Unfazed, Sabi Kang continued.
“As long as you follow me, you’ll become an invincible legion. That’s one promise I can make.”
It sounded like an empty boast, but there was a resonance in his voice, a gravity that was unusual for him.
Finally, Yeom Jaryang sat down cross-legged, realizing further questions were pointless. The secrets of martial arts couldn’t be unraveled with a few questions and answers. They had to be experienced.
Soon, Dan Lijeong and Neung Soso followed suit. One by one, the cadets took their seats, leaving only Yeon Woo-gyeong and two others standing.
“If you’re leaving, do it now. Don’t get in the way.”
At Sabi Kang’s nod, Yeon Woo-gyeong hesitated, then sat down, having made up his mind.
Sabi Kang smirked.
“Good. I’ll take that as your agreement to proceed. Welcome to your first hell. The first hell is the Dark Prison.”
A strange smile crept across Sabi Kang’s lips.
And then—
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…!
The windows around them suddenly slammed shut.
Sabi Kang had used telekinesis to close them all.
As the last slivers of light disappeared, Sabi Kang murmured softly.
“Shade.”
The training hall was plunged into complete darkness.
‘How much time has passed?’
Yeom Jaryang suddenly regained awareness.
He had been meditating, channeling his inner energy in the perfect darkness.
When the darkness began, Sabi Kang had instructed them to follow a specific mental technique.
The Yin-Yang Mana Conversion Technique.
It was Sabi Kang’s own creation, a method to convert inner energy into mana.
The cadets followed his instructions, and Yeom Jaryang focused on his meditation.
And then he realized.
‘This feels familiar!’
Indeed, the unique technique Sabi Kang introduced today was based on the breathing exercises he had been teaching the cadets during their morning and evening training sessions.
In other words, the cadets had been laying the groundwork for this inner energy technique for months.
With this realization, the meditation became much easier.
The unfamiliar sensation coursing through his veins was not unpleasant. It was like scratching an itch.
With a solid foundation, learning this new technique was unexpectedly enjoyable.
He had been so absorbed in meditation that he only now regained his senses.
‘Has it been about half an hour?’
In reality, seven hours had passed, but to Yeom Jaryang, it felt like only a short time.
The real challenge was just beginning.
Sweat beaded on Yeom Jaryang’s forehead.
The smooth flow of his inner energy had become heavy and sluggish.
It felt as if a foreign substance had mixed with his body, creating discomfort.
Moreover, the longer he meditated, the more his heart felt constricted.
‘What’s happening? Did I do something wrong?’
Unfamiliar sensations during martial arts training could lead to enlightenment, but during inner energy training, they could lead to a dangerous state of mind.
Fear crept in.
But his instincts warned him not to stop meditating.
He had to continue to the next stage of the technique.
The inner energy coursing through his veins was pounding against his heart.
The constriction in his heart turned into pain.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped his lips.
‘Something’s definitely wrong!’
He furrowed his brow and clenched his fists.
Thump!
His heart surged.
The energy within him collided with his heart.
‘Ugh!’
It was a situation where a heart attack wouldn’t be surprising.
His heartbeat slowed dramatically.
‘Damn it, just once more…!’
Gritting his teeth, Yeom Jaryang gathered all his inner energy and directed it toward his heart.
The energy surged through his meridians and crashed against the iron gate of his heart.
Boom!
An earthquake rumbled within him.
But the tightly shut iron gate of his heart remained closed.
‘Damn it…! It’s not working…!’
At that moment, Sabi Kang’s voice reached his ears.
[Don’t give up.]
‘Instructor…?’
[Focus on your meditation. What you’re feeling is mana. You’ve already noticed the change in your energy’s nature. It’s not inner energy, so there’s no risk of a mental breakdown. Trust the technique and continue. You’re now in the process of storing the converted mana in your heart. Once your heart accepts the mana, the pain will fade.]
Hearing Sabi Kang’s voice in the midst of fear calmed Yeom Jaryang.
‘Is that so? This is mana…!’
It was hard to describe, but compared to inner energy, it felt sticky.
‘All right, I’ll set aside my doubts.’
With renewed determination, his mind cleared.
He focused on gathering the mana within him and directed it once more toward the iron gate of his heart.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Another cry escaped him.
Sweat poured from his body like rain.
He trembled uncontrollably.
At the start of the meditation, he thought the term “hell” was an exaggeration.
But it wasn’t.
The pain he felt now was more intense than anything he had ever experienced.
It was a wonder he hadn’t lost consciousness.
‘Damn it! It’s do or die!’
With one final effort, Yeom Jaryang mustered all his strength and directed the mana toward his heart.
Then, something strange happened.
The mana, gathered like a massive wave, began to solidify like a stone.
Indeed, the final secret of the technique lay here.
If inner energy was like a river or wave, mana had a nature similar to lava.
The searing lava, once cooled, solidified.
And the solidified lava finally shattered the iron gate of his heart.
Crash! Boom!
As the gate opened, the solidified mana melted back into flowing lava and began to pool in his heart.
“Cough!”
A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips.
It was the expulsion of impurities.
This was different from opening the middle dantian.
Instead of storing inner energy in his heart, he had stored the converted mana.
‘My chest… feels warm.’
Despite his ragged breathing, Yeom Jaryang savored the pleasant sensation, committing it to memory.
For a moment, he thought his heart would burst.
Now, Yeom Jaryang had mastered the skill of converting inner energy into mana and storing it in his heart.
Sabi Kang’s voice came again.
[Well done. Heh, you were the fastest. Now, I’ll teach you how to convert mana back into inner energy.]
Sabi Kang explained the technique once more.
Yeom Jaryang focused on memorizing it and began to channel the mana.
Having successfully completed the conversion process once, reversing it was not difficult.
‘This is really fascinating!’
Yeom Jaryang lost track of time as he played with the inner energy circulating within him.
He had no idea how extraordinary this newfound ability was.
Nor did he realize that the hellish training would soon become truly hellish.
Two days passed.
One cadet had dropped out.
He was one of the cadets who followed Yeon Woo-gyeong.
If he had diligently practiced the breathing exercises Sabi Kang had taught during their training sessions, he might not have fallen behind.
But he had neglected even that.
And he paid the price.
Unable to endure the pain, he eventually fainted.
Dang Ihyeop came in and carried the cadet to the infirmary.
The one who took the longest was Neung So-so.
Her existing internal energy clashed with mana, so Sabi River had to dissipate a significant amount of it.
As a result, the process of converting the remaining traces of her internal energy into mana was no easy task.
Yet, with Sabi River’s timely assistance, she managed to successfully store mana in her heart.
“Next is Jungsoo Prison. Open your eyes and pick up the weapons in front of you.”
The cadets opened their eyes.
But it was as if they were still blind; they couldn’t see an inch ahead.
Reaching out, they felt the weapons that had somehow appeared before them.
Swords, spears, bows, and more.
The only one without a weapon was Neung So-so.
In front of Dan Lee-jung lay a large bow, the same one he had received from Sabi River earlier.
Each cadet picked up their weapon and stood.
“From now on, you’ll begin basic training.”
Sabi River explained the training exercises tailored to the weapons each cadet held.
For instance, those with swords were to endlessly practice drawing them, while those with sabers were to endlessly practice slashing.
Dan Lee-jung was instructed to repeatedly draw and release the bowstring.
“Truly basic training,” he thought.
Dan Lee-jung, who had been tense, felt a bit deflated.
After all, hadn’t his previous training been far more challenging?
But that thought didn’t last long.
“Alright, listen up.”
It was just as Sabi River gave the command and Dan Lee-jung raised his bow.
Rumble!
“What the—!”
“Ugh!”
Groans erupted from all around.
Dan Lee-jung nearly cried out and fell to his knees.
Suddenly, his entire body felt as heavy as lead.
He could barely hold the bow, let alone draw the string.
As his hand holding the bow began to lower slightly—
Whoosh! Thwack!
“Agh!”
Something flew and struck Dan Lee-jung’s forehead.
It was an ice bolt, shot by Sabi River.
All around, dull thuds and cries of pain echoed.
Thwack, thud!
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
Sabi River’s voice followed.
“Don’t expect the darkness to hide you. If you don’t do it right, you’ll keep getting a taste of my little surprises.”
Only then did Dan Lee-jung lift his bow high.
And he realized, albeit belatedly, that the training ahead would be excruciatingly painful.