Episode 67: Return to the Martial Arts Arena
With a swift, whistling sound, Jo Muntak charged forward like a gust of wind, thrusting his dagger straight ahead.
“Ugh!”
Sang Chojin quickly retreated, swinging his sword in defense.
Clang!
Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.
Jo Muntak spun around, drawing another dagger with his left hand and slashing at his opponent.
Swish!
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed repeatedly.
The spectators watching the duel were left speechless, their mouths agape.
“Is that cadet really from the Special Class?”
“This is unbelievable. He’s holding his own against Sang Chojin!”
“No, he’s faster than Sang Chojin! Sang Chojin is actually being pushed back!”
“What on earth happened in the Special Class?”
Naturally, all eyes turned to Sabi Kang, who watched the duel with a faint smile.
In contrast, Cheon Saemyung’s expression grew more twisted with each passing moment.
‘Sang Chojin! What are you doing? Struggling against someone like him?’
Despite his dismissive words, Cheon Saemyung was secretly astonished. Jo Muntak’s speed was beyond anything he had imagined.
Did that kid always have such talent?
Jo Muntak was indeed fast. His attacks were still unrefined, but given time, his potential seemed limitless.
However…
‘Not today!’
If this were a one-on-one fight, it might have been tense. But this was a two-on-two battle. If Ye Seolyeong joined in, Jo Muntak’s desperate struggle wouldn’t last long.
Ye Seolyeong and Neung Soso were currently observing the fight between Jo Muntak and Sang Chojin. Ye Seolyeong was ready to step in and finish Jo Muntak if necessary.
‘But what about that girl…’
Cheon Saemyung glanced at Neung Soso, who stood there blankly, seemingly lost in thought.
What was she thinking, coming up here?
Ye Seolyeong, standing on the stage, had similar thoughts.
‘Should I deal with Neung Soso first?’
She narrowed her eyes, focusing on Neung Soso, who remained motionless, holding a wooden staff.
At that moment, Cheon Saemyung’s voice reached Ye Seolyeong through a mental transmission.
[Yeong, leave that girl for now. Focus on Jo Muntak. Strike when you see an opening.]
‘Understood, Instructor!’
Ye Seolyeong nodded slightly in response. Normally, sending mental transmissions to a cadet during a duel was against the rules, but Cheon Saemyung was desperate for victory.
Ye Seolyeong tightened her grip on her dagger, her gaze fixed on Jo Muntak.
**
‘Damn it! If only I hadn’t been hit in the left shoulder…!’
Jo Muntak gritted his teeth. As time passed, his left arm grew sluggish, the pain in his shoulder intensifying.
[Refrain from using your left arm from now on.]
Sabi Kang’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind. He had noticed Cheon Saemyung sending a mental transmission to Ye Seolyeong and wasn’t about to sit idly by. He, too, sent a message to Jo Muntak.
Hearing Sabi Kang’s voice amidst the grueling fight brought Jo Muntak a sense of relief. It was a warning not to overstrain his left arm.
‘But…’
Fighting with one hand was proving to be much more difficult than he had anticipated.
As Jo Muntak’s movements changed, Sang Chojin’s eyes gleamed.
‘He’s reached his limit! Hah, he can’t handle me with just one hand!’
He felt confident he could win without Ye Seolyeong’s help. However, his instructor, Cheon Saemyung, was cautious by nature. Rushing could lead to unnecessary trouble.
Sang Chojin swung his sword horizontally.
Swish!
In that instant, Jo Muntak spun around, blocking the sword with his dagger.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
The weight behind the sword was immense, causing Jo Muntak’s right arm to tremble.
In the next moment, Sang Chojin slipped away like a shadow.
‘Damn!’
He had fallen for the same trick again. Without the use of his left arm, he was at a disadvantage.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
This time, four daggers flew from Ye Seolyeong’s hand, intent on ending the fight.
‘Damn it! It’s over!’
Jo Muntak glanced at Neung Soso. He had wanted to protect her…
‘What was the instructor thinking, sending us up here together?’
He knew Neung Soso had exceptional sensory abilities, but in a direct confrontation, what good were they?
Despite their time training together, he felt a bond with her.
‘I’m sorry, Soso!’
Jo Muntak raised his dagger, deflecting the first dagger.
Clang!
Meanwhile, Neung Soso was still locked in a mental struggle with the blue entity before her.
‘Oh no! More daggers! I have to stop them! There are four of them!’
Silape, the entity, turned its gaze lazily, shaking its head.
‘You fool! If that kid gets hit by the daggers, I have no way to win this duel!’
‘Well, no, but…’
‘But I could die! So stop them!’
Silape narrowed its eyes, staring at Neung Soso.
‘Damn…!’
In the meantime…
Clang!
The second dagger clashed with Jo Muntak’s dagger, narrowly missing his shoulder.
But Jo Muntak’s dagger flew out of his hand, leaving him defenseless.
The remaining two daggers were headed straight for his vital points.
Jo Muntak seemed to be saying something as he looked at her.
‘Sorry…’
No. I can’t lose like this!
Suddenly, a rough voice burst from Neung Soso’s lips.
“Stop them!”
In that fleeting moment, Silape, who had been lazily floating, vanished.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind blew through the arena.
Silape, transformed into a blue hawk, swooped down like a storm, swallowing all three daggers.
To the spectators, it appeared entirely different.
Swish!
The two daggers aimed at Jo Muntak were about to pierce his chest and abdomen.
But then, something unbelievable happened.
Was it a coincidence?
Neung Soso thrust her wooden staff forward, shouting.
“Stop them!”
At that moment, a whirlwind erupted in front of Jo Muntak.
Whoosh!
The wind was so strong that the two daggers were deflected.
Whoosh, swish!
The last dagger narrowly missed Cheon Saemyung’s cheek, embedding itself in a wooden pillar.
Thud! Tremble.
The sudden turn of events left Cheon Saemyung speechless, his eyes wide.
‘What… is this…?’
Meanwhile, Jo Muntak, seeing the daggers deflected, instinctively launched himself at Sang Chojin.
Swish!
Caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, Sang Chojin stumbled backward.
Clang! Clang!
Jo Muntak, swinging his dagger furiously, suddenly leaped back and hurled his dagger.
Swish!
Clang!
Sang Chojin barely managed to block the dagger, taking a deep breath.
But the real problem came right after.
“Chojin! Dodge!”
The voice belonged to Ye Seolyeong.
Ironically, the three daggers now raining down on Sang Chojin were Ye Seolyeong’s own.
Unaware of what had happened, Sang Chojin was caught off guard. These were the daggers Ye Seolyeong had initially aimed at Neung Soso.
After Neung Soso’s peculiar actions deflected all the daggers, Ye Seolyeong had immediately targeted Neung Soso again, deciding she couldn’t leave her unchecked.
But once more, Neung Soso summoned Silape, redirecting all the daggers toward Sang Chojin.
Swish! Thud! Thud!
Sang Chojin barely dodged one dagger, but the other two struck him directly.
“Ugh!”
His body was lifted off the ground, sent flying out of the arena.
Seizing the moment, Jo Muntak charged forward, delivering a powerful strike.
Thud!
Sang Chojin’s body flew like a ragdoll, landing outside the arena with a thud.
“Ugh…”
The crowd was in shock.
Another unexpected turn of events had left them speechless.
“Sang, Sang Chojin… fell out of the arena.”
“My God. What kind of class is the Special Class? Was that girl using some kind of wind technique?”
“Could the Special Class be some elite group? Like cadets on a secret mission?”
“Don’t be silly. If that were the case, they wouldn’t be so flashy.”
The cadets began to murmur among themselves.
“Anyway, I’m rooting for the Special Class from now on!”
“Me too. Those guys are so entertaining!”
“Aren’t they amazing?”
At some point, the crowd began cheering for the Special Class.
“Go, Special Class!”
“Admit defeat, Dragon Class, and step down!”
As the cheers grew louder, Cheon Saemyung’s face twisted as if he had bitten into something bitter.
‘Damn it… What is this…?’
He had planned to utterly crush the Special Class, to stomp them down so they could never rise again.
But at this rate, wouldn’t he, the leader of the Bi-ryong class, end up utterly humiliated?
“Sabi Kang…! Just what are you…!”
He glared at Sabi Kang as if he could devour him whole.
Sabi Kang, however, simply watched the martial stage with a satisfied expression.
Next to him, Mae Seol-ran whispered, “It’s strange, isn’t it? Everyone’s cheering for our class.”
“Heh. Why not just enjoy it for now?”
“By the way, was that technique Neung So-so used some kind of wind art?”
“No, it’s called ‘Spirit.’”
“What?”
Mae Seol-ran asked with a puzzled look, but Sabi Kang just smiled quietly.
Sabi Kang nodded faintly. “She’s doing better than I expected.”
He hadn’t anticipated she’d be able to summon a Sylph. He thought the fight would be interesting enough if she could just manage a simple spirit.
Yet, she had summoned a Sylph.
Despite her lack of magical power, she compensated with her unique affinity and deep mental strength.
On the other hand, Ye Seol-young, who had relied on her sword skills, was on the verge of a mental breakdown as they proved ineffective.
Moreover, the overwhelming support from the crowd was too much for her young heart to bear.
In the end, she conceded.
“I’ve learned a lot from you both.”
A declaration of defeat.
“Wow! The Special Class won!”
“They won again! Both matches today went to the Special Class!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Ye Seol-young, stepping down from the stage, bowed her head toward Cheon Se-myung.
“I’m sorry, Instructor.”
“Ugh…!”
Cheon Se-myung raised his hand, then stopped. Too many eyes were watching.
If he lost his temper and struck a student, word would spread quickly.
There’s a world of difference between discipline and violence.
He trembled with frustration, just as a man approached.
“You seem quite upset.”
“Sabi Kang…!”
“The sting of defeat is felt more keenly by the students than anyone else. Be gentle with them.”
“I’ll handle my class. Don’t concern yourself.”
“Hmm. For someone handling it, you’ve lost both matches today. That must sting.”
“Ugh…! Did you come here just to mock me?”
“Of course not. I was just worried you might lay a hand on the student…”
“I would never!”
“But just now, you raised your hand like this…”
“I was just going to pat her on the back!”
Cheon Se-myung awkwardly patted Ye Seol-young’s shoulder, trying to prove his point.
Though it looked rather clumsy, Sabi Kang didn’t seem to mind.
“Haha. I knew you, Chief Cheon, would understand the students’ feelings well.”
“Hmph! Don’t get too cocky just because you won twice today. There’s still the final match tomorrow. Look forward to it.”
“No, I won’t.”
“What?”
“You keep telling me to expect something, but it only leads to disappointment. So I’ve decided not to expect anything anymore. Goodbye.”
Sabi Kang smirked and walked away.
“That damn brat…!”
Cheon Se-myung trembled with indignation.
Meanwhile, people whispered about Sabi Kang.
“That’s the instructor of the Special Class.”
“Amazing. How did he turn those hopeless students around?”
“Wow, I want to join the Special Class too.”
“Oh my, isn’t Instructor Sabi Kang quite impressive?”
Sabi Kang closed his eyes, savoring the students’ praise.
Just then, Dang Yi-hyeop approached with an urgent expression.
“Master, I have urgent news.”
Sabi Kang slowly opened his eyes, his expression markedly different from before.
“It’s finally here.”
Dang Yi-hyeop began to whisper something into Sabi Kang’s ear.