Episode 64: Return to the Demonic Training Grounds
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack…!
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
Dan Lijeong gasped for air, her fingers trembling as she pulled back the bowstring. She wanted nothing more than to collapse, but she knew that if she did, something would inevitably strike her with force.
The only saving grace was that alternating between her internal energy and mana had made managing her stamina much easier. She could endure far longer than if she relied solely on one or the other. It was like learning to use her left hand after only ever using her right.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…!
Around her, she sensed the movements of those wielding various weapons.
“I can’t lose…!”
Gritting her teeth, Dan Lijeong released the string.
Thwack!
The bowstring sliced through the air. The invisible arrow hit its mark once again.
How did she know? Simple. Sabigang’s attack hadn’t come flying at her. If her aim had faltered or her breath had wavered, something unseen would have struck her body without fail.
Strangely, after being hit, it became easier to circulate her energy, giving her a bit more strength to endure. It was likely that whatever Sabigang sent her way stimulated her pressure points. But the pain was too great to willingly endure, so she had no intention of getting hit on purpose.
Once more, Dan Lijeong raised her trembling hand to draw the bowstring. It felt damp. She had lost feeling in her fingertips long ago, but she could tell. It was probably blood. Despite the calluses she’d developed during training, it hadn’t been enough.
“Ugh!”
A groan almost escaped her lips. No one else might notice, but she couldn’t afford to let it happen. Not when she was drawing the bowstring. It required immense concentration.
“It’s starting again!”
The air felt heavier. Whatever trick was being used, the training room’s atmosphere grew denser with each passing moment.
“Haa, haa, haa.”
With each exhale, she felt the chill in the air, even if she couldn’t see her breath. It was that cold.
A few hours ago, Sabigang had announced, “You’ve all done well to endure this far. Now, we enter the third hell, the Inferno of Ice.”
There was no rest. The Inferno of Ice began immediately. The temperature fluctuated wildly, one moment scorching hot, the next as if buried in eternal snow. The cadets had to frantically circulate their energy to adapt.
Handling mana was akin to catching fish in icy water. The cadets adapted faster than they thought possible. Dan Lijeong was no exception. Circulating fire-attributed mana warmed her body, while ice-attributed mana cooled it, helping her adapt to the rapid temperature changes.
Creak…!
The bowstring was drawn taut again, stiff from the cold. Dan Lijeong calmed her mind. As her breath stilled, so did the tremors. When her consciousness stilled completely—
Thwack!
The bowstring snapped through the air. A hit. She knew it, even in the darkness.
“Got it!”
The joy was fleeting. Dan Lijeong raised her bloodied fingers once more to draw the bowstring.
“Interesting.”
Sabigang watched Dan Lijeong with a curious gaze. He had cast Infravision, allowing him to see in the dark. They were enduring better than expected. The Gravity Room had used gravity-altering magic, while the Inferno of Ice employed Chill and Warmth spells. It was a challenging environment for the cadets, but he offered just enough assistance to keep them from giving up.
“Now, let’s see how they handle this…”
A mischievous smile played on Sabigang’s lips.
**
“Damn it…! I can’t breathe!”
Jo Muntak gritted his teeth.
“Huff! Huff! Huff…!”
Each breath made his whole body shudder. His legs trembled, and sweat poured down like rain. His breath was so labored that he could barely hold on.
“But… I have to endure!”
He couldn’t waste all the effort he’d put in so far. Jo Muntak tossed the dagger in his hand into the air and caught it again.
Thud!
The heavy dagger slapped against his palm. His task was to repeatedly toss and catch the dagger. It seemed easier than wielding a heavy sword, but it was more dangerous. A lapse in concentration could lead to a cut from the falling dagger. And with gravity shifting unpredictably, controlling the dagger was no easy feat.
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
He felt like he might vomit. The fourth hell was the Airless Abyss. As soon as Sabigang announced the start of the fourth training, the air began to thin. Pitch-black darkness, overwhelming gravity, rapid temperature changes, and now thin air! Any ordinary person would have gone mad by now. He wanted to curse, but he was too breathless to even do that.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Desperately inhaling, Jo Muntak tossed the dagger once more.
**
The final, fifth hell, the Mind’s Abyss.
Yeon Woo-gyeong hesitated as he drew his sword. Sabigang stood right in front of him. In the darkness, Sabigang was the only thing he could see clearly.
“That’s… not real.”
He shouted it in his mind. Sabigang had warned them before entering the Mind’s Abyss. They would face all sorts of distractions and illusions. He couldn’t understand how a single instructor could create such an environment, but every training so far had gone exactly as Sabigang described. And now, as he said, illusions appeared.
“It’s fake. Ignore it.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong closed his eyes. As he prepared to draw his sword—
”…!”
It wouldn’t budge. He tried again, but the sword remained stuck. Then, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Heh, you’re weak.”
“Instructor…!”
He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes. Sabigang stood before him, blocking his draw with a hand.
“Move!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong mustered all his strength and drew his sword.
Swoosh!
The sword finally came free, slicing through where Sabigang had been. But Sabigang had already moved away.
“Heh, still weak.”
“Shut up!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong gritted his teeth and lunged at Sabigang. Just as he was about to thrust his sword—
“Foolish boy!”
A fierce voice roared from behind him. Goosebumps prickled his skin. Yeon Woo-gyeong turned slowly, stiff as a tree.
“Father…?”
“Pathetic! Is that all you’re capable of? Don’t even mention our family name!”
“But Father…!”
Then, another voice from behind.
“Heh, serves you right. You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
Turning around, he saw another version of himself standing where Sabigang had been.
Yeon Woo-gyeong stepped back, startled.
The other him continued, “You knew your abilities were lacking. You knew you’d never be recognized, that you’d never reach your goals. You knew you were trash.”
“Shut… up.”
“Stop struggling and accept it. It’s easier that way. Trying to meet expectations is pointless. Because you are…”
”… Shut up.”
”… someone who can’t succeed.”
“Shut up!”
In a flash, Yeon Woo-gyeong swung his sword down. But the blade was caught between the fingers of his doppelgänger.
“Damn it…!”
“See? This is your level. A weakling hiding behind the family name.”
His legs gave way. As he was about to collapse, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[You’re weak now, but under my guidance, you’ll become the best.]
”…!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s eyes widened, a spark of life returning to them. A cold smile spread across his face.
“Heh, don’t make me laugh. I’m already on the path to becoming the best on my own!”
With a battle cry, Yeon Woo-gyeong drew his sword from his waist.
Clang!
It was the cleanest draw he’d ever executed.
**
The Mind’s Abyss was created using two spells. First, the Destruction spell to stir up distractions, followed by the Illusion spell to conjure visions.
For Neung Sosu, too, countless distractions invaded her mind. The vision that appeared before her was unique.
A hawk, enveloped in a soft blue glow, hovered gracefully in the air. It was so beautiful that the word “elegant” seemed fitting. It even felt strangely familiar.
Unconsciously, Neung Sosu let her guard down. As she slowly reached out her hand—
A majestic yet beautiful female voice resonated directly in Neung Sosu’s mind.
Startled, Neung Sosu’s eyes widened.
“This… this is…!”
It felt exactly like the first time he summoned Sylph.
Could it be…?
“Is this not an illusion?”
“Then, are you… a spirit of the wind?”
In the next moment, a soft whooshing sound filled the air. A shimmering blue light transformed into long, flowing hair.
Standing there was a figure, hovering slightly above the ground, appearing almost human but with an ethereal quality. The figure’s hair flowed endlessly, as if caught in an eternal breeze.
With a voice as beautiful as the figure itself, it spoke.
“I-I’m Neungso-so. I think I summoned you without realizing it.”
It was true. In an effort to clear his mind and focus on his breathing, he had inadvertently reached out to the essence of the wind, summoning Silaphe.
For Neungso-so, who possessed a strong will, this trial had turned into an unexpected opportunity.
“Yes, I do.”
This time, there was no hesitation. Having already experienced the benefits of a contract with Sylph, and after learning more about spirits from Sabigang, he felt no reluctance. Instead, his heart raced with excitement.
As soon as Silaphe finished speaking, its form dispersed like a breeze, vanishing before his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on Neungso-so’s lips as he stood there, lost in thought.
“Intermediate spirits are truly impressive.”
Just then, Sabigang’s voice echoed in his mind.
[It seems you’ve made a pact with Silaphe. Congratulations. But remember, Silaphe is an intermediate spirit. With your current level of magic, it might not always heed your call.]
Neungso-so nodded quietly.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, Instructor.”
And so, Neungso-so and the other cadets completed all five grueling training sessions. Only two had fallen behind by the time they reached the final trial.
At that moment, none of the cadets realized that the Spring Festival was just a day away.