Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Falling Strands of Black Hair
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Strands of black hair fell one by one.
Gulp—
I could see Gyesooji swallowing hard.
She was clearly startled by the sword speed that was invisible to the eye.
But Seo Woojin didn’t stop his sword.
The blade, which had shot up as if to pierce the heavens, now drew a semicircle toward Gyesooji’s waist.
A sword path of exquisite beauty without peer.
As if to prove that Seo Woojin’s swordsmanship had reached a profound realm, the blade traced its arc naturally.
Clang—!
But Gyesooji was no ordinary hero either.
Catching where the sword was headed, she slammed her fist down.
Her fist collided with the flat of Seo Woojin’s blade.
Unable to overcome the force, the sword dropped low, grazing past her feet.
‘Impressive.’
Even in that split-second exchange, Gyesooji hadn’t panicked and had executed a perfect defense.
She was far superior even compared to Lee Ji-ah, who used the same fist techniques.
“…You’re fast.”
Gyesooji, who had retreated, gazed at Seo Woojin’s sword with an expression of admiration.
“You too, Gyesooji.”
Seo Woojin acknowledged her as well.
‘This level means I can use a bit more strength.’
The exchange they’d just had was done with Seo Woojin holding back his power.
Gyesooji was strong, but she had lost to Baek Si-woo in less than three exchanges.
If Seo Woojin went all out from the start, it wouldn’t even be a proper fight.
So he’d held back as much as possible, but judging by her skill, he could push a little harder.
‘It’ll be good for her too.’
This wasn’t just a stage to show off skills—it was part of training.
Both he and Gyesooji would surely gain something from the spar.
Seo Woojin planned to adjust his power and drag the duel out as long as possible.
“Then this time, I’ll go first.”
He kicked off the ground lightly.
But his speed was anything but light.
Charging forward like an arrow, Seo Woojin thrust his sword at her shoulder.
“Rock Flow!”
Gyesooji’s skill activated.
Her arm, hardened like rock just as the name implied, deflected the blade.
Scraaape—!
“Thunder Step!”
Rumble—!
Gyesooji’s footfall shook the earth.
It wasn’t just a shake.
From her toes, yellow lightning spread in all directions, beginning to scorch everything around.
Seo Woojin chose not to meet it head-on and leaped back.
But that was exactly what Gyesooji had aimed for.
“Whirlwind Step.”
With a small vortex, her figure whooshed—right up to him.
Much faster than Seo Woojin’s retreat!
‘Wow.’
Seo Woojin was genuinely impressed this time.
Most heroes used skills like they were in a game.
They often fired them off one-shot without thought, focusing only on power and effect.
But not Gyesooji.
She fully understood her skills and used them without a shred of waste.
Every skill had intent, linking together as naturally as flowing water.
‘In terms of talent alone, she’s Baek Si-woo level.’
Unfortunately, her class rank was lower, but her combat sense seemed in no way inferior to Baek Si-woo’s.
But he couldn’t just stand there admiring.
As if refusing to lose, Seo Woojin used a skill of his own.
“Power Strike.”
Mana flowed in, infusing the sword with immense power.
Seo Woojin slammed it into the ground.
Boom—!
The training ground shattered, unable to withstand ‘Power Strike’.
“Such a thing!”
Gyesooji’s startled cry rang out.
She hadn’t expected Seo Woojin to smash the training ground floor.
She certainly hadn’t thought he could pulverize something reinforced with magic so easily.
Shards exploded outward from the ‘Power Strike’.
Some flew straight at Gyesooji.
She hurriedly swung her hand.
“Whirlwind Flow!”
Her hand traced a circle, deflecting all the flying debris downward.
It looked just like brushing away raindrops.
Each piece carried serious power, so Gyesooji poured her all into it, letting not a single shard through.
“Impressive.”
At that moment, Seo Woojin’s voice came from behind.
“What…!”
The debris had blocked her view, and she turned.
Gyesooji hadn’t let her guard down against Seo Woojin, but she couldn’t track all his movements with ‘Acceleration’.
“Then, excuse me.”
Thwack—!
Not the blade, but the scabbard struck Gyesooji’s crown.
“Urk—”
Gyesooji’s eyes glazed over in an instant.
The shock from her head muddled her mind.
“Any more might be a bit dangerous. Take a rest.”
The scabbard swung once more.
Thud—!
In the end, Gyesooji fainted.
“Whew.”
Seo Woojin steadied his breath and sheathed his sword.
“Uncle! Whoa… amazing!”
He saw Lee Ji-ah running over in excitement.
The others, who had been unconscious, had apparently woken up at some point and were watching.
“I knew you’d win, but this easily…”
“Well, thinking about it, it’s only natural.”
Everyone except Goo Dong-hwan looked unsurprised.
No, they were actually impressed that Gyesooji had lasted longer than expected.
Honestly, they’d thought it would end in the blink of an eye.
“Uncle, you went easy on her, right?”
Lee Ji-ah whispered in Seo Woojin’s ear while glancing at the fallen Gyesooji.
“Step back a bit. And no, I didn’t go easy.”
It was more like testing her abilities.
And Seo Woojin recognized Gyesooji’s strength.
‘She’s strong. And she’ll get even stronger.’
He’d hurried to knock her out before she got hurt by prolonging it, but Gyesooji’s potential was overwhelming.
If her rank could grow too, she could easily reach S-grade or higher.
‘Bad luck.’
It was a shame, but with continued effort, she could still match S-grade power.
Seo Woojin grinned at Gyesooji.
‘The more she grows, the better it is for me.’
Lately, spars with the others hadn’t been satisfying.
It had worsened after absorbing Rosie Ruby’s mana and demonic energy.
The gap was too overwhelming, offering him little benefit.
But then Gyesooji and Goo Dong-hwan appeared.
Sparring with them was enjoyable, even if a bit lacking.
‘It’ll help the others too.’
Training with them would be far more effective than with him, given the huge gap.
“All in all, it’s a good thing.”
Seo Woojin smiled in satisfaction as he looked around.
Many people had gathered.
Aileen, Lee Ji-ah, Kim Da-hye, Kang Byung-gyu, Jin Tae-seong, Yoo Hong-seol, Goo Dong-hwan, Gyesooji.
Thinking back to when they were first summoned.
Compared to the days when even soldiers ignored and despised them, it was tremendous progress.
‘As I gather allies like this one by one…’
Even if things went south, they’d be a huge help.
“You all must be tired, so let’s call it a day and rest.”
Night had fallen before they knew it.
The dusky sky had turned to full darkness, with only moonlight softly illuminating the ground.
“Too bad.”
Goo Dong-hwan smacked his lips while looking at Seo Woojin.
He seemed regretful that he couldn’t spar again despite wanting to, as time was late.
“It’s not just today.”
Training would be within the academy for the foreseeable future.
They’d have plenty of time to train together.
“Yeah, true? Haha!”
Goo Dong-hwan turned away with a hearty laugh, masking his regret.
“See you all tomorrow!”
His broad, manly back was striking.
‘He’d look even cooler without that dress…’
With the short skirt fluttering, revealing just a hint, Seo Woojin quickly averted his eyes.
“I should head back too. Take good care of Gyesooji.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll take full responsibility and get sis safely to her room!”
She hoisted Gyesooji up with a spirited yell.
“Y-yeah.”
Her small stature made Gyesooji’s feet drag, but Seo Woojin pretended not to notice and left the training ground.
“Tired.”
The day had been too long.
He wanted to hurry back to his dorm, wash up, and rest.
Heading quickly to his lodging, Seo Woojin suddenly pulled something from his pocket.
It was the gift Martes had given him, saying it would grant a wish.
‘Summon Stone’.
That’s what Martes had called the stone.
“I should try using this too…”
He paused, lost in thought, then shook his head.
“Too late. Better tomorrow.”
As Martes explained, using the ‘Summon Stone’ now would cause quite a commotion.
Not wanting to stir up the academy needlessly, he decided to consult Ludein first tomorrow.
“Time to rest well today.”
* * *
“…You gave him that?”
Barshik asked.
His expression looked unusually serious, unlike his usual self.
To an outsider, the change might be imperceptible, but Martes knew.
“Are you worried?”
“Yes. It’s no ordinary item.”
Indeed, the ‘Summon Stone’ Martes had given wasn’t something to hand out lightly.
Depending on how it was used, it could become a great disaster.
“I already briefed him on the precautions.”
“But…”
Even with Martes’s reassurance, Barshik still looked uneasy.
“What did you think of the boy?”
“Hmm.”
Barshik closed his eyes, recalling Seo Woojin.
Extraordinary mana and a near-perfect physique.
With those alone, Seo Woojin was a talent with the potential to reach the superhuman realm.
Not as a hero, but as a human.
But that was far in the future.
He was still lacking now.
“Is that so?”
Martes nodded with a smile.
“Certainly, he’s not fully ripened yet.”
Martes reheated his cooled tea and took a sip.
“But don’t underestimate him.”
“What do you mean?”
Slurp—
He took a sip and pondered briefly.
Barshik looked tense, even a bit fearful.
Yet within, there was something even she couldn’t fully pierce.
“Chaos.”
“…Pardon?”
“The boy’s fate isn’t set… Whether he becomes a calamity or a blessing, even I can’t be sure.”
A near-prophetic hunch.
Barshik’s brow twitched at the words.
“Should we eliminate him?”
Crusiel was already viewing Seo Woojin as somewhat suspicious.
If even Martes couldn’t read him, it might be better to remove him now.
But the lord of the Sky Tower shook her head firmly.
“Don’t do anything foolish, my child.”
The smile vanished from Martes’s face.
“One rash action from you could alter the world’s fate.”
Barshik bowed his head.
“Just watch him. Guide him so he doesn’t stray.”
Martes closed her eyes.
‘It must be so.’
Suppressing the rising unease in her chest, Martes etched the name Seo Woojin into her mind.