Episode 84: Return of the Demon Instructor
“You bastards, I’ll kill you all!”
Furious beyond reason, Mang Jeol-so charged forward without a second thought.
But then—
Crackle!
A white aura formed once more in Yeom Ja-ryang’s hand, solidifying into a chunk of ice.
Both Mang Jeol-so and Yeon Woo-gyeong, who stood nearby, gaped in astonishment.
‘He can really do it again?’
Yeon Woo-gyeong was inwardly shocked. He had thought it was a fluke the first time. By now, it was clear that Yeom Ja-ryang had mastered the technique.
This was different from the magic he himself had used. According to Sabi-gang, the magic he had used was a shield—a protective barrier. Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t replicate it. He kept channeling energy in a way that was more akin to unleashing an attack.
“No matter how much you shout the name of a technique, it won’t activate on its own. The key is understanding the principle, not the name or incantation. Those are just expressions of intent,” Sabi-gang had explained.
For him, the catalyst for using the shield had been his pride—a fierce determination not to lose in a duel. But Yeom Ja-ryang was different. His was a miracle born from the brink of life and death, like a mother lifting a carriage to save her child trapped beneath.
His body hadn’t forgotten that moment of desperation. Yeon Woo-gyeong’s guess was spot on. The magic Yeom Ja-ryang used was Ice Bolt, a first-circle attack spell. Instinctively, he had chosen it as the only way to extinguish the flames on his chest and fend off his opponent.
Now, a sharp, icy projectile hovered in Yeom Ja-ryang’s hand. Mang Jeol-so, who had been charging recklessly, came to an abrupt halt.
‘Where on earth did that come from?’
It was as if a ghost had conjured it. From an empty hand, an ice arrow had appeared. And it wasn’t even cold enough for ice to form naturally.
Having been hit by that attack once before, Mang Jeol-so hesitated to rush in again.
“Hey, you! Put that thing down!” Mang Jeol-so demanded, faltering.
Yeom Ja-ryang glanced at his hand and shrugged. “If you insist.”
Whoosh! Thud!
The Ice Bolt flew fiercely, only to be deflected by Mang Jeol-so’s sword.
“You bastard! I’ll kill you!” Mang Jeol-so roared, charging once more.
With the ice arrow gone, he thought there was nothing left to fear—
Crackle!
Mang Jeol-so stopped dead in his tracks again.
“What the hell is this sorcery? Where do you keep pulling those ice chunks from?” he shouted, exasperated.
“Honestly, I don’t really know myself,” Yeom Ja-ryang replied with an awkward smile.
“Hmph! Don’t think you can take me down with such cheap tricks!”
Finally, Mang Jeol-so launched himself forward.
Whoosh! Clang!
Once again, the Ice Bolt was deflected by Mang Jeol-so’s sword. Though unfamiliar, the attack wasn’t life-threatening. It was only a first-circle spell, capable of leaving bruises or, at worst, breaking a bone if one was unlucky.
Mang Jeol-so closed the distance in an instant, swinging his sword at Yeom Ja-ryang.
Whoosh!
Yeom Ja-ryang quickly backpedaled, dodging the blade. Mang Jeol-so pursued him relentlessly, forgetting one crucial detail in his rage.
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
He was startled by a sword coming at him from the side.
Thud!
He kicked off the ground, dodging to the side.
In his anger at Yeom Ja-ryang, he had forgotten about Yeon Woo-gyeong, who was now pressing the attack.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as metal clashed.
Meanwhile—
Crackle!
Yeom Ja-ryang conjured another Ice Bolt.
‘Damn, using this drains my energy fast.’
Though it was mana, not internal energy, Yeom Ja-ryang didn’t differentiate between the two.
Whoosh!
The Ice Bolt flew, aiming for Mang Jeol-so’s abdomen.
“Damn it! Annoying!”
Mang Jeol-so twisted his body to dodge. The Ice Bolt missed its mark, shattering against a tree trunk.
Crash!
But in the next moment, Mang Jeol-so was plunged into despair.
Whoosh, Thud!
“Argh!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s sword pierced deep into his thigh. Distracted by the Ice Bolt, he had missed Yeon Woo-gyeong’s attack.
‘Damn it, to be bested by these brats…!’
Mang Jeol-so fell to one knee. Yeon Woo-gyeong’s sword struck without hesitation.
Slash!
“Gah!”
With the blade embedded in his neck, Mang Jeol-so died with his eyes wide open.
Meanwhile, Hong Yeom, who had been watching from the shadows, was taken aback.
‘What on earth was that magic the boy used?’
He had been about to intervene when Mang Jeol-so seemed poised to kill Yeom Ja-ryang. But then, something extraordinary happened. Yeom Ja-ryang used a spell Hong Yeom had never seen before. Even more surprising, after being hit by it once, Mang Jeol-so’s movements had noticeably slowed.
Most wouldn’t have noticed, but Hong Yeom’s keen eyes caught the difference.
‘What exactly is Sabi-gang teaching these students?’
Suddenly, Sabi-gang seemed even more formidable.
**
After a fierce battle, the situation was finally under control.
Twenty members of the Black Assassins had been brutally defeated by the special class students. Of course, this was only possible because Sabi-gang, who had surpassed the pinnacle of martial arts, was there.
For the special class, it was a perfect victory, save for a few injuries.
Sabi-gang surveyed the students with satisfaction. His gaze lingered a bit longer on the female students, their clothes damp from the fight.
‘Kids these days grow up so fast.’
Maeseol-ran, who had come down beside him, eyed him suspiciously.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Hmm? Just admiring how well the students did.”
“Particularly the female students, it seems.”
“Well, they did endure the cold water and have such… ahem. Anyway, they’re lovely. My students.”
“Truly impressive. I didn’t think they’d manage this well.”
“Heh, they exceeded even my expectations.”
“No, I meant you.”
“Me? Why?”
“The more I see you, the more amazing you seem.”
“Is that…?”
”…”
“A confession?”
“Forget it. Let’s not talk.”
Maeseol-ran sighed deeply and walked away.
Just then, Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang returned from pursuing Mang Jeol-so.
Sabi-gang greeted them with a faint smile.
“Well done.”
He had already been briefed by Hong Yeom on the situation, including the fact that Yeom Ja-ryang had unlocked his circle.
‘They’ve improved significantly.’
The students were now working well together. The difference between those who had faced life-and-death situations and those who hadn’t was like night and day. The strengths and weaknesses of the students were now clear.
He knew exactly how to help each one improve.
‘It’s time to move on to the next stage.’
Good materials require good tools. Sabi-gang looked at the students with pride.
At that moment—
‘Hmm?’
He sensed a faint presence.
Sabi-gang leapt up to a high branch.
‘Is someone being chased?’
Though the distance was considerable, the presence was unmistakable. It meant the person was running without using any concealment techniques, likely being pursued.
‘I should check it out.’
Sabi-gang jumped down from the tree.
“Ihyeop, Seol-ran!”
At his call, Dang Ihyeop and Maeseol-ran quickly approached.
“What’s going on?”
“Take the students back to Yongcheon Hall. By now, there might be trouble there too.”
“What about you?”
Maeseol-ran asked urgently.
Sabi-gang’s gaze turned northward.
“I need to clean up the remaining trash.”
“But alone…!”
Whoosh!
Maeseol-ran couldn’t finish her sentence, her eyes widening as Sabi-gang vanished before her eyes.
**
“Damn it!”
So Seop-rang clutched his left arm, staggering. Blood flowed from the wound. He had hastily applied pressure to stop the bleeding, but it continued to seep out.
‘If I give up here, everyone dies!’
Sang Pil-ji couldn’t protect the Nang-a class students alone. By now, some of them might already be dead.
But could Sabi-gang really resolve this crisis?
So Seop-rang was skeptical. He was only following orders because Sang Pil-ji had told him to call for Sabi-gang.
Snap.
“Ah!”
Crash!
The branch he was stepping on broke, sending So Seop-rang tumbling to the ground.
Under normal circumstances, he would have brushed it off easily, but now he was seriously injured.
While fleeing, he had taken a direct hit from Jolryang, the leader of the Black Assassins, leaving him with internal injuries.
“Damn it!” gasped So Seop-rang, clutching his knees as he struggled to stand.
Swish! Thud! Thud!
Two daggers flew through the air, embedding themselves in his back.
“Ugh!”
He was lucky they missed any vital points, but running any further was out of the question.
So Seop-rang collapsed to the ground.
‘And now they expect me to find someone named Sabi-gang in this state…’
It was absurd.
It only showed how desperate Instructor Sangpilji must have been.
This was the end of the line.
“Heh heh heh. You managed to run this far? You’ve got more grit than I thought.”
Jolryang emerged from the bushes, approaching with a steady gait.
So Seop-rang looked up at him, resigned.
‘I’m sorry, Instructor Sang. But even if I had brought him, it wouldn’t have made a difference.’
Jolryang was already a master beyond what any mere instructor could handle.
“Have you said your prayers?” Jolryang sneered.
“Just kill me already!” So Seop-rang spat back.
“Heh. Still got some pride, I see. Very well…”
Jolryang chuckled, drawing his sword.
He stepped closer, raising the blade above So Seop-rang.
Just as he was about to strike—
“Hm?”
Jolryang paused, looking up in surprise.
His eyes widened in shock.
In an instant—
Whoosh!
Jolryang leaped back, startled.
“Who… are you?”
To his astonishment, a man stood right behind So Seop-rang.
Even more shocking was that Jolryang hadn’t noticed his arrival at all.
The man smirked.
“Me? I’m Instructor Sabi-gang, the one who guides cadets and crushes scum like you.”
“Instructor…?”
“Now, it’s your turn to answer.”
“What…?”
“Where is the master who let you loose?”
Sabi-gang’s eyes turned icy cold.