Episode 66: Return to the Martial Arts Arena
“Damn it…! You bastard…!”
Hwang Gi, clutching his broadsword, couldn’t control his trembling knees and collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
The giant, using his sword as a makeshift cane, fell like an ancient tree.
Boom!
The martial arts arena fell silent, as if the world had stopped.
The crowd surrounding the arena was equally hushed, mouths agape and eyes wide, frozen like statues.
It was the fourth day of the Spring Festival.
Hwang Gi, a top student from the Dragon Class, had fallen.
And it was to a student from the much-derided Special Class.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Gok Bo-ok straightened up, breathing heavily.
He had won.
He had almost been pushed out of the arena by Hwang Gi’s overwhelming force.
But in the end, he had triumphed.
“Yaaah!”
He raised his arms in victory, breaking the silence that had settled over the arena.
“Wow! That was incredible!”
“What a fantastic fight!”
“Unbelievable! A Special Class student defeated someone from the Dragon Class!”
“No one saw that coming!”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The match had been spectacular.
Everyone had expected the Special Class to be utterly defeated.
Not just the instructors and students, but even the local residents who had come to watch the festival.
But the outcome was the complete opposite.
In the Spring Festival’s martial arts competition, each participant only gets one chance.
The winner doesn’t continue to fight; it’s a one-time match.
This year, the Dragon Class and the Special Class were pitted against each other.
Each class selected four students to represent them.
The matches were one-on-one, followed by two-on-two, and finally another one-on-one.
The idea was to assess each other’s growth and address any shortcomings through these three matches.
Everyone pitied the Special Class.
Of all opponents, it had to be the Dragon Class.
The Dragon Class, led by the first-year instructor Cheon Sae-myung, was filled with outstanding students.
The top four were participating in the competition, so it seemed the Special Class had no chance.
But that prediction was shattered.
The duel between Hwang Gi of the Dragon Class and Gok Bo-ok of the Special Class.
In a battle of strength, Gok Bo-ok emerged victorious.
With a triumphant expression, Gok Bo-ok glanced to the side of the arena.
Sa Bi-gang stood there, arms crossed, with a sly smile.
“Target the wrist. And keep it light.”
Just two words.
Before Gok Bo-ok stepped into the arena, Sa Bi-gang had given him that advice.
At the time, it was a mystery.
It was like a puzzle Sa Bi-gang had set for him.
And when Gok Bo-ok was nearly pushed off the arena, he instinctively kicked at his opponent’s wrist.
Using the momentum, he regained his balance and quickly assessed his opponent.
Hwang Gi was rubbing his wrist.
In that moment, the puzzle was solved.
Hwang Gi, known for his monstrous strength, had a habit of focusing his energy on his wrist.
And there was another habit.
Every time he swung his sword, he twisted his wrist slightly.
It seemed to be a habit formed due to the immense pressure of his internal energy.
‘Instructor, you’re a genius!’
How had Sa Bi-gang noticed such a weakness after only a few encounters with Hwang Gi?
But that was Gok Bo-ok’s misunderstanding.
Sa Bi-gang had seen Hwang Gi’s martial arts countless times in a previous life.
He had even pointed out that weakness to Hwang Gi and helped him correct it.
Once Gok Bo-ok identified those two habits, the match became much easier.
Finally, he dodged Hwang Gi’s twisting blade, rolled on the ground, and positioned himself behind his opponent.
At that moment, Gok Bo-ok solved the second part of the puzzle.
‘Keep it light!’
He dropped his sword and threw a punch.
The result was a much faster and more agile movement than when he held the sword.
Thwack!
His fist struck his opponent’s back, and Hwang Gi crumpled to the ground.
Snap!
Gok Bo-ok saluted Sa Bi-gang with a fist-to-palm gesture.
‘Thank you, Instructor.’
It was the first time he had expressed such genuine gratitude.
Sa Bi-gang, arms still crossed, smirked arrogantly.
[You should respect me even more from now on. Heh.]
Gok Bo-ok couldn’t help but chuckle at Sa Bi-gang’s typical demeanor.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Cheon Sae-myung clenched his teeth, his body trembling with rage.
“To lose to such… trash…!”
His anger was so intense it made him nauseous.
[You don’t look too pleased.]
It was Sa Bi-gang’s voice, transmitted directly to his mind.
Cheon Sae-myung snapped his head up, quickly composing his expression.
[Congratulations, Instructor Sa.]
[My deepest condolences.]
[Heh, don’t get too complacent. Hwang Gi was the weakest among our competitors.]
[If that’s how you want to save face, I’ll let you have it.]
“Ugh…!”
Cheon Sae-myung ground his teeth.
He sent a calm mental message.
[Look forward to the next match.]
[As you wish.]
Cheon Sae-myung turned sharply and shouted.
“What are you doing? Seol Young and Cho Jin, prepare for the next match!”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Sang Cho-jin and Ye Seol-young stepped onto the arena.
This match was a two-on-two.
The spectators murmured among themselves.
“Of course, those two are up next.”
“Who will the Special Class send?”
“Probably Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa. They’re the only ones who stand a chance.”
“Most likely.”
Many shared the same thought.
Cheon Sae-myung was no exception.
“Hmph! Whether it’s Yeon Woo-kyung or Mok Dan-hwa, we’ll crush them!”
But then…
“Hmm?”
Cheon Sae-myung frowned.
The Special Class students stepping onto the arena were unfamiliar faces.
The expressions of the crowd mirrored his confusion.
“Who are they?”
“Are those two really going to fight together?”
“It seems the Special Class instructor has given up on this match.”
“Those poor kids.”
The crowd looked on with pity at the two students from the Special Class.
The participants were Jo Mun-tak and Neung So-so.
Under the weight of the crowd’s gaze, Jo Mun-tak turned stiffly to Neung So-so.
“So, So-so. Don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best.”
“I’m not worried. Just relax a bit.”
“Who, who’s tense? I’m fine.”
“Pfft. Alright, if you say so.”
Meanwhile, Sang Cho-jin frowned at Jo Mun-tak and Neung So-so.
“What? You two again?”
“W-what’s wrong with us?”
Jo Mun-tak snapped back, and Sang Cho-jin shook his head.
“Whatever. Let’s just finish this quickly. It’s embarrassing to be on the same stage as you.”
“What did you say!”
Jo Mun-tak shouted indignantly, just as the referee signaled the start of the match.
The four of them saluted each other and slowly took their stances.
Only Neung So-so stood casually.
Sang Cho-jin and Ye Seol-young smirked.
‘They’re no match for us.’
They shared the same thought.
Sang Cho-jin stepped back with his right foot, ready to spring forward, while Ye Seol-young slowly gripped her daggers.
The training daggers were blunt, so they wouldn’t cause serious injury, but a direct hit to a vital point would incapacitate someone for a while.
Sang Cho-jin glanced at Ye Seol-young.
They exchanged a brief look and nodded.
They planned to finish this quickly.
In an instant.
Whoosh!
Sang Cho-jin charged at Jo Mun-tak.
His sword sliced through the air, aiming for Jo Mun-tak’s chest.
Jo Mun-tak quickly drew his dagger and struck the side of Sang Cho-jin’s sword.
Clang!
”…!”
Sang Cho-jin’s eyes widened.
‘Again?’
Jo Mun-tak was undeniably fast.
This meant his previous movements weren’t just a fluke.
‘I need to be a bit more cautious. But…’
Once Ye Seol-young threw her daggers, it would be over.
Sang Cho-jin smoothly sidestepped.
In an instant.
Swish!
Ye Seol-young’s daggers flew through the air towards Jo Mun-tak.
The first dagger was aimed at his forehead, and the second at his chest.
Given Jo Mun-tak’s agility, he could probably block the one aimed at his forehead.
But the dagger heading for his chest would be unavoidable.
They had decided to take Jo Mun-tak out first.
There was no rush with Neung So-so, who hadn’t even taken a proper stance.
Why the Special Class instructor had put such an unprepared student in the arena was a mystery, but…
‘Well, that just shows the level of the Special Class instructor.’
As these thoughts crossed their minds.
Swish!
Clang!
As expected, Jo Mun-tak deflected the first dagger with his own.
But the second dagger was the real threat!
‘Oh no!’
Jo Mun-tak’s eyes widened as he saw the second dagger flying towards him.
Meanwhile, Neung So-so sprang into action.
‘Silaphe!’
At her call, a blue figure materialized before her, transforming into a beautiful hawk.
‘Quick, block that dagger!’
Silaphe turned its gaze to the dagger flying towards Jo Mun-tak.
Though it was a fleeting moment, the exchange between Neung So-so and Silaphe transcended time, a conversation of the mind.
In that fleeting moment, like the proverbial flash of one’s life before their eyes at the brink of death, time seemed to slow down for Neung Soso. Every detail of the dagger’s flight appeared to unfold in agonizing slow motion.
But then, Silape’s response was unexpected.
“I don’t want to do that.”
“What…?” Neung Soso asked, bewildered.
Silape, still appearing disinterested, replied with a hint of defiance. “I don’t want to stop that dagger.”
“What are you talking about? You made a pact with me!”
“The pact was to answer your summons, not to obey your every command.”
“No… No! We need to stop that dagger to win!”
“That dagger isn’t aimed at you. I have no reason to intervene.”
With that, Silape transformed into a stunning human form, exuding a calmness as if he might leisurely sip tea.
Suddenly, Sabi River’s words echoed in Neung Soso’s mind. “Remember, with your current level of magic, there’s a chance the summoned Silape might not follow your orders.”
She had promised to remember. She had trained diligently ever since. But perhaps time had been too short. Neung Soso bit her lip in frustration.
“Silape! Please! Stop that dagger!”
“I will not.”
Her heart raced with anxiety.
Meanwhile…
Swish!
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The dagger struck Jo Muntak square in the chest. He was thrown back, collapsing at the edge of the arena.
“No, no!” Neung Soso screamed, her voice a mix of despair and disbelief.
The spectators let out sympathetic gasps, though they had somewhat anticipated this outcome. After all, it was a stretch for these unknown cadets to face the top students, Sang Chojin and Ye Seoryeong.
“Well, well,” Sang Chojin whistled. “Looks like you’re the only one left.”
He shrugged and began to stride toward Neung Soso.
Instinctively, she stepped back, then stopped. Clenching her fists, she bit her lip. “I can’t show weakness! But what can I do now…?”
Then, unexpectedly…
“Wait…! It’s not over yet.”
To everyone’s astonishment, Jo Muntak staggered to his feet.
Ye Seoryeong’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How…?”
She was certain he would be unconscious after taking her dagger. Even if he wasn’t, she thought he would be immobilized for a while.
But…
“It missed!”
Jo Muntak was clutching his left shoulder with his right hand. In that critical moment, realizing he couldn’t block the dagger, he had twisted his body. A feat impossible for anyone but the most agile.
Cracking his neck, Jo Muntak spoke with renewed determination. “Taking that hit loosened me up a bit. Now, let’s really begin.”