Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Yaksha's Legacy
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“What does it matter if he's a spear arts master? House Kang's bloodline skill enhances quick draw techniques.”
“Even if House Kang's bloodline skill was that impressive, Kang Jae-hyeok wouldn't have bothered with a spear in the first place. He could've easily beaten anyone with quick draw alone.”
“Compared to Silla-kyeong or Loren, Jae-hyeok's performance was just kid stuff. Even if he wields sword and spear well, he couldn't scratch Loren's main armor, and he couldn't even approach the gusts Silla-kyeong kicks up. What's the point?”
“Exactly! For players, skills are everything—skills! Hahaha!”
The atmosphere among the Association officials was surprisingly upbeat.
Kang Jae-hyeok's performance had been impressive, but not as much as they'd feared.
A spearman who awakened a stealth skill was locked in a fierce battle against that fool.
Too much comparison to Silla-kyeong or Loren.
Considering he'd awakened a bloodline skill, it was disappointing.
Geum Hae-shin, master of the Sun Guild, watched them leave laughing with a look of pity.
‘Idiots.’
He agreed that skills were paramount for players.
But ultimate martial arts held value approaching that of mana operation methods—true skills.
‘The family head was right.’
About a month ago.
The family head had sent the Sword Ghost to raid the Kang estate.
And claimed the Sword Ghost was killed by Kang Jae-hyeok.
He'd been skeptical at first.
Even if Jae-hyeok had a powerful skill and the Sword Ghost let his guard down for a fatal mistake, it was hard to imagine a level 1 player killing a B-rank.
And recently.
Watching Jae-hyeok's re-evaluation on the news, he'd become certain.
The Sword Ghost wasn't killed by him.
A non-awakener killing the Sword Ghost was in the realm of ‘impossibility.’
Someone else must have intervened.
Like the force that perfectly covered up the Sword Ghost's raid on House Kang.
But Geum Hae-shin now thought differently.
‘Jae-hyeok's spear arts are the real deal.’
It was enough to properly counter the Sword Ghost, who relied solely on his single sword.
‘His stats must be high for his level too.’
As a non-awakener honing sword and spear, his stats would have risen steadily.
With the bloodline skill on top, by graduation from Lion's Castle, he could reach A-rank.
‘The family head must be getting anxious.’
Lion's Castle.
This place might become a battlefield once more.
As he pondered with a chilling expression, masters from other guilds approached.
“Isn't it rare for Master Geum to observe the freshman duel evaluations? Silla-kyeong and Jae-hyeok must be quite the hot topics!”
A gentle smile spread across Geum Hae-shin's face.
“Those kids are impressive, sure, but aren't there twelve more this year who could be the nation's future pillars? I couldn't help but come with excitement.”
“Haha, we rushed here just to snag a few family members, but Master Geum was gauging the country's future? How embarrassing for us.”
“No matter what nest those kids choose later, if they contribute to our homeland's progress and peace, I'll be nothing but pleased. Far more impressive than the rumors suggested. I hope you all form good bonds with them. Well then.”
Geum Hae-shin turned and left just like that.
It was a relief; if the head of one of the top five guilds jumped into recruitment so soon, the other guilds would be in a tough spot.
“Ever the patriot, Geum Hae-shin, always devoted to the homeland.”
“Properly upholding his forebears' legacy. He founded the Sun Guild to become the sun illuminating Korea's future, and every Gold Family member is worthy of respect. If Yaksha's temperament had been milder, he'd have given off the same vibe.”
***
[Yaksha Isn't Just Hype]
Seeing Yaksha's son in action today, Yaksha himself must've been incredible.
└Took you long enough?
└Only Koreans underrate Yaksha, you know?
└Every time, I think the Player Protection Act is such a shame. If combat footage recording and sharing weren't banned, old named players wouldn't be underrated like this.
└Without the Protection Act, players would've hidden 70% of their power and doomed Earth lol.
[No Matter How Great "Yaksha's Son" Is]
He's just for the Korean domestic market—Koreans hyping him up is peak.
└Hey. Say Lion's Castle students, not Koreans.
└Precisely, it's the freshmen hyping him. Second-years barely care about Jae-hyeok.
└lol Freshmen piss themselves at A-rankers, sure.
└Fact: Active players do too at A-ranks.
[So How Great Was Yaksha Exactly?]
On par with US or UK national treasures?
└Probably? Strongest in East Asia.
Single.
“Jae-hyeok, good morning~ You were so cool yesterday!”
Bungle.
“I searched the community after hearing the spectators keep chanting Yaksha, Yaksha, and turns out your dad's an amazing guy? Foreigners knew him better—why didn't I?”
Beam!
After the duel evaluation.
A smile never left Jae-hyeok's face.
He was glad House Kang and his father were frequently mentioned through the students.
“…Dude's scary as hell.”
“Seriously insane.”
B-Class students watched in awe as he sliced a massive Sand Worm while grinning.
“But isn't the skill gap widening even more?”
“I was just thinking the same.”
B-Class finished desert adaptation training in just three days.
The desert terrain was easier than the swamp, and the mana studies lecture helped a ton.
Above all, scrambling not to get hit even once by Jae-hyeok sped up their adaptation.
According to Teacher Kim Jin-myeong, it was the best record ever for B-Class.
Still far behind A-Class, but it planted hope they could close the gap bit by bit.
Yes.
B-Class students' confidence had peaked.
But watching Jae-hyeok massacre desert monsters—Sand Worms, obsidian scorpions, harpy Medusas, colossal Cooltars and spiders, mirage bandits, oasis parasites controlling cacti, and more—with a smile crushed it.
They hadn't lost motivation, though.
Their drive burned fiercer than ever.
Lee Jin-seong, Du Bae-su, and Cheon Hye-ji, barely crawling out of the worm hole, yelled with bloodshot eyes.
“You motherfucker! Kang Jae-hyeok, you psycho! Pushing people there? I almost got eaten by a Sand Worm because of you!!”
“You think you're gonna keep getting stronger alone? Our levels are lower, so our growth rate's way faster! Just you wait... Huh?”
“N-No monsters?”
The trio, who hunted Sand Worms in a group of three to level up and gain momentum, were dumbfounded.
After a brutal fight escaping the worm hole, the area was cleared.
All B-Class students were charging ahead, eyes blazing, massacring monsters.
“The kids all went through the same thing you did...”
“…….”
Kim Jin-myeong's explanation cleared it up instantly.
Kang Jae-hyeok, that maniac.
He seemed extra cheerful and smiley today, but his actions were business as usual.
Slicing more monster necks than anyone without rest, while relentlessly tormenting the kids.
“…He's something else.”
“Why does he help us like this?”
No one in the world.
Cares for others lightly.
Yet Jae-hyeok led the entire B-Class every training session.
His brutal methods pissed people off, but B-Class clearly recognized he was helping them.
Just yesterday's duel evaluation—every B-Class student scored well. Thanks to tempering against Jae-hyeok, C-Class skills felt weak by comparison—a miracle.
“He says nobles helping people is a given.”
As Kim Jin-myeong spoke with a warm smile.
“Aaack!”
Lee Jin-seong's group screamed as a flying cactus smacked them in the face.
Kim Jin-myeong broke into a cold sweat watching them roll in the sand, covered in spines.
“…You're helping, right, Jae-hyeok?”
***
[Level up.]
Name: Kang Jae-hyeok
Class: Knight (Growth)
Level: 20
Mana: 1,020/1,020
Strength: 102 Stamina: 102 Agility: 83 Mana: 102 Insight: 83
Skills: [Noble Knightly Virtue], [Empty], [Empty]
Finally level 20.
D-rank player in under ten days post-awakening.
Maybe the world record?
Proud achievement, but Jae-hyeok felt great regret.
‘If another assassin had come just once more, I'd have hit 20 ages ago.’
No assassins since Yoon Sang-ho.
A peer vanishing overnight made them cautious.
And the cautious ones would resume activities soon.
‘Laid the perfect bait during evaluations.’
The reason Jae-hyeok was in such high spirits: during the duel evaluation, Thunder Sword never activated once.
He'd noted the low activation chance and attacked as gently as possible, but honestly, luck played a part.
He'd fully concealed his power.
The assassins must be convinced now.
Yoon Sang-ho vanished for other reasons—not eaten by mere Jae-hyeok.
‘Ha Kyung-soo's body being surprisingly tough helped too.’
Even hitting lightly, the guy kept popping back up like a punching doll.
His stats must've looked lower than intended.
‘Is House Ha one of our family's enemies?’
Jae-hyeok's eyes gleamed thinking of Ha Kyung-soo.
‘Suspicious.’
Ha Kyung-soo was overly hostile for no reason.
All Jae-hyeok did was get him demerits and thrash him publicly with spear arts.
Not even on purpose.
The demerits came from Kim Jin-myeong after Ha's tantrum.
The public thrashing was unavoidable during evaluations.
‘Yet he showed excessive hostility...’
Family education issue?
House Ha views House Kang negatively, so Ha Kyung-soo naturally hates me too?
Needs watching.
‘Truly grateful to Chancellor Seol Su-ah.’
Right as Jae-hyeok thought enrolling in Lion's Castle—now even providing enemy intel—was the best decision.
“Jae-hyeok, wanna take a commission this weekend by any chance?”
Kim Jin-myeong proposed, returning after tending to the near-fainting kids.