Episode 74: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
Deung Bu-hyeong quickly retreated.
Sabi-gang dusted off his hands and turned to Mok Dan-hwa.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yes… I’m fine.”
“Then what are you waiting for? We need to fight.”
“Oh, right.”
Mok Dan-hwa rushed forward, swinging her sword.
Swish! Thud!
A cadet let out a scream as he fell, struck by her practice sword.
An Eungjo class cadet charged at Mok Dan-hwa, shouting.
“Don’t panic! We have the numbers on our side!”
But he had chosen the wrong opponent.
His attempt to rally his peers was admirable, but his skills were no match for Mok Dan-hwa.
“Gah!”
Facing her Thunderous Chaos technique head-on, he stumbled backward, falling on his rear.
Swish! Thwack!
“Argh!”
Her sword struck his forehead with precision, leaving a red mark like a drop of blood.
“Damn it…!”
The cadet clenched his fists in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was glare at Mok Dan-hwa with resentment.
‘Is this really the skill level of a cadet?’
Even an assistant instructor would struggle against her.
And it wasn’t just Mok Dan-hwa. All the Special Class cadets were far superior to the Eungjo class.
They wielded their swords as if possessed.
And then there were the arrows, flying in from who knows where.
Whoosh! Thud!
“Argh!”
For the Eungjo class cadets, it was a nightmare.
‘Damn it, we’ve lost…!’
In tactics, strategy, and skill, they were utterly defeated.
Meanwhile, Mok Dan-hwa, lost in the rhythm of battle, glanced over at Sabi-gang.
Sabi-gang and Deung Bu-hyeong were still locked in a standoff, neither making a move.
It didn’t matter. As long as Sabi-gang held his ground, Deung Bu-hyeong wouldn’t easily escape.
O Gi-ryong was engaged in a fierce duel with Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang, maintaining a near-equal footing.
‘If we’re lucky, we might be able to wipe out the Eungjo class.’
Mok Dan-hwa moved with the grace of a feather.
Swish, thud!
Another cadet fell, marked on the chest by her sword.
A red dot over the heart meant he was out.
“Damn it! You Special Class brats!”
The defeated cadet, Han Baek, gritted his teeth and shouted.
Mok Dan-hwa, about to move on, paused and turned to look at him.
“What… what is it?”
Han Baek flinched.
Mok Dan-hwa fixed him with a steady gaze and asked, “What’s wrong with the Special Class?”
“What?”
“I asked, what’s wrong with the Special Class?”
“Well… you’re just a bunch of dropouts who set traps to catch us off guard…”
“If you fall for such tricks, just how pathetic are you?”
“What did you say? Hmph! Even the great Mok Dan-hwa seems to have lost her mind after joining the Special Class! You and Yeon Woo-gyeong only got in because of your family’s secret techniques…”
“Look around. See if anyone in our class is falling behind you.”
Mok Dan-hwa raised her sword, gesturing to the ongoing battle.
Han Baek clamped his mouth shut.
She was right.
The Eungjo class couldn’t hold a candle to the Special Class.
Even in two-on-one fights, they were being pushed back.
‘Damn it… but…!’
Han Baek’s eyes flickered with a glimmer of hope.
While Mok Dan-hwa was talking to him, an Eungjo class cadet was sneaking up behind her.
In a split second, the cadet lunged at her with a battle cry.
“Hiyaah!”
Was it too sudden?
Mok Dan-hwa didn’t even flinch.
She must have let her guard down.
‘Heh, you’re done for! Letting your guard down in battle!’
Just as the practice sword was about to strike the back of her neck,
Whoosh!
Thud!
“Ugh!”
An arrow flew in out of nowhere, hitting the cadet in the side and sending him sprawling to the ground.
”…!”
Han Baek’s eyes widened.
“Ugh…!”
The fallen cadet groaned, trying to get up.
Mok Dan-hwa, still focused on Han Baek, swung her sword to the side.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
The red dye on the practice sword marked the top of his head.
He was out.
“See that? That’s our Special Class. Underestimate us, and this is what happens.”
“Ugh…!”
Han Baek was furious but had no retort.
This wasn’t about tricks.
It was a clear difference in strategy and skill.
Mok Dan-hwa smirked and turned away, leaving Han Baek clenching his fists and closing his eyes in frustration.
“Damn it!”
Meanwhile, O Gi-ryong, facing both Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang, grew increasingly anxious.
‘These kids! How do they have such stamina?’
Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang showed no signs of tiring.
Their swordsmanship was unexpectedly impressive, and O Gi-ryong, relying solely on his fists, felt increasingly cornered.
On the other hand, Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang realized their chances of winning were growing.
The hellish training had paid off.
Enduring the Ice and Fire Chambers had taught them to manage their inner energy efficiently, and training in low-oxygen environments had significantly increased their lung capacity.
[Woo-gyeong, I’ll go in first to distract him. You finish him off!]
[Hmph, I was planning to do that anyway. Don’t order me around.]
Yeom Ja-ryang chuckled at the curt response and launched himself forward.
Thud!
“Where do you think you’re going?”
O Gi-ryong quickly spun to evade Yeom Ja-ryang’s sword and extended a palm strike.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
A chill ran down his spine.
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s sword was already flying toward his back.
‘Oh no! It’s dangerous!’
He quickly dodged.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
O Gi-ryong clutched his side and retreated.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
He panted heavily, a red mark on his side.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a vital point.
But he was already injured from earlier.
One more mark, and it would be over.
‘Damn it, this won’t end well. I need to deal with that archer first…!’
O Gi-ryong glanced toward the southern forest.
The arrows were coming from that direction, taking out cadets one by one.
He turned his gaze back.
‘What on earth is Instructor Deung doing?’
Frustration boiled over.
Deung Bu-hyeong was still just staring at Sabi-gang, not drawing his sword.
As an instructor, no one would fault him for using the Oh Ho Cheon Hwang Sword.
Yet…
[What are you doing? Use your sword and finish off Instructor Sa!]
But Deung Bu-hyeong only looked at Sabi-gang with a troubled expression.
O Gi-ryong was at his wit’s end.
There was no choice.
He had to deal with the archer first.
[I’ll take care of the archer! Please handle it by then!]
[Hmm. Understood.]
With Deung Bu-hyeong’s response, O Gi-ryong kicked off the ground and flew toward the forest.
“Hey!”
Yeom Ja-ryang tried to chase after him, but Yeon Woo-gyeong stopped him.
“Let him go. The instructor surviving alone won’t win them the match.”
That’s right.
To win the team competition, a cadet had to survive according to the rules.
“But that instructor is targeting Dan Li-jeong.”
“Still, our mission is to wipe out these guys. That’s the path to victory.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong replied coldly and charged at the enemies.
‘Tch, cold-hearted guy.’
Yeom Ja-ryang sighed inwardly but couldn’t argue.
Leaving their assigned mission could endanger the entire team.
This was also part of their training.
‘No choice. Be careful, Dan!’
In the end, Yeom Ja-ryang also rushed toward the Eungjo class cadets.
**
Thwip!
The arrow shot through the forest in the blink of an eye.
An ordinary person would be amazed by its speed, but Dan Li-jeong was not satisfied.
‘It’s frustrating. If only I had the Tanwol Divine Bow…’
Dan Li-jeong looked at the practice bow and arrows with a hint of dissatisfaction.
The Tanwol Divine Bow was a large bow given to him by Sabi-gang.
Originally used by the Blood Archer, Dan Li-jeong had named it the Tanwol Divine Bow.
But for now, he had to make do with this.
It was the rule of the team competition.
He had to do his best with the conditions given.
Dan Li-jeong steadied his breathing and drew the bowstring.
The unfamiliar sensation compared to the Tanwol Divine Bow tingled at his fingertips.
As he aimed at his target…
“Huh?”
Someone was charging toward him at an incredible speed.
An impressive movement technique.
It wasn’t a cadet.
‘It’s an instructor!’
It was none other than O Gi-ryong, the assistant instructor of the Eungjo class.
His heart raced.
But he didn’t panic.
He took a deep breath.
Since the hellish training, calming his mind had become easier.
‘Alright, stay as calm as possible…!’
He slowly adjusted the arrowhead, taking aim. And then…
Now!
Thwip!
Whoosh!
The arrow flew swiftly as he released the string.
But was it the limitation of the practice bow?
The arrow merely grazed O Gi-ryong and embedded itself in the ground.
‘Tch!’
Dan Li-jeong quickly drew another arrow and nocked it.
But O Gi-ryong was already closing in.
‘Damn, he’s fast!’
Just then, O Gi-ryong kicked off the tree trunk beside him and leaped into the air.
“There you are!”
He lunged forward with a powerful strike.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before his attack could reach Dan Ri-jeong, shadows suddenly sprang out from both sides.
“What the—?”
Startled, O Gi-ryong twisted his body mid-air. But once airborne, he couldn’t defy the momentum.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Two swords struck him squarely on both sides.
Bright red marks appeared where the blades had hit.
With a thump, O Gi-ryong hit the ground, gritting his teeth as he turned to look.
“You little—!”
The ones who had ambushed him were none other than Min Yu-hyang and Baek Mi-ryeong. They had been tasked with guarding Dan Ri-jeong, just in case.
“It’s not wise to mess with our half-god archer, Instructor. He’s quite a valuable asset, you know.”
“Damn you!”
Unable to contain his anger, O Gi-ryong sprang to his feet and charged at them.
Swish. Swish!
Suddenly, warriors clad in white appeared and grabbed his shoulders.
They were the security guards.
“Calm down, Instructor. You’ve been defeated.”
“Tch!”
O Gi-ryong clicked his tongue and relaxed his stance. As he grumbled and walked away, Min Yu-hyang and Baek Mi-ryeong turned to Dan Ri-jeong.
“Go ahead, you’re safe now.”
“Oh? Uh, right.”
Dan Ri-jeong replied, still a bit dazed. Not long ago, these female cadets had been teasing and tormenting him. Yet now, they were his staunch protectors.
‘It’s strange, but… I don’t mind it.’
A faint smile appeared on Dan Ri-jeong’s lips. Just then, he released the bowstring he had drawn back tightly.
Thwack!
An arrow shot through the forest like a beam of light.
**
“That’s unfortunate.”
At Sa Bi-gang’s words, Deung Bu-hyeong frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Your assistant instructor just got taken down.”
“What?”
Deung Bu-hyeong flinched, instinctively turning his head before snapping back to Sa Bi-gang. There was no way to verify the truth. It could just be a lie to unsettle him. But if it were true, how did Sa Bi-gang know?
Or perhaps it really was true. Hadn’t he seen it at the Black Serpent Hall before? Sa Bi-gang was a far superior master.
Around them, cadets were falling. He needed to draw his sword, display his skills, and save them.
‘Damn it!’
The thought of his cherished swords, the Jahangak and the Seungryong, broken because of Sa Bi-gang, haunted him.
As he hesitated, Sa Bi-gang gave a chilling smile.
“Well then, shall we settle this?”