194. Hell Training (4)
194. Hell Training (4)
Clang! Clang! Clang! Craaash—!
Jin Yu-ha and Baek Seol-hee's sparring continued for another hour or so.
The floor of the training ground was gouged with deep sword scars, as if savaged by a wild beast under the storm of Sword Qi. Even as the battle dragged on, Jin Yu-ha wielded his sword without losing focus for a single moment.
Grind—
Jin Yu-ha clenched his teeth, now stained red from his split lips. He flailed his sword with desperate tenacity, determined to land even a single thrust no matter what. His appearance was utterly wretched.
Slice.
Slice.
Slice.
Nevertheless, the difference in skill was clear, and crimson wounds slowly opened across Jin Yu-ha's body, one by one.
"That's enough."
At last, Baek Seol-hee announced the end of the spar.
"G-good... work."
Jin Yu-ha, who had been frantically thrusting his sword, stopped the blade just before Baek Seol-hee's face and bowed his head with an exhausted expression.
As the vicious sparring concluded.
Hummm—
Shin Se-hee, who had been clenching her fist with a grave expression, swiftly activated the life-support device. Then, as if the whole thing had been a lie, his wounds began to mend.
"Nnnngh..."
Jin Yu-ha closed his eyes and let out a low moan at the sensation of his body recovering.
The Utopia Party members could now understand why, whenever Jin Yu-ha had Baek Seol-hee's lesson, he would head straight to his room without even looking at them. The stab wounds that had riddled his entire body were all healed by the life-support device, but the traces of that ferocious bloodbath remained. The clothes he wore had been reduced to tattered rags, stained crimson as if dyed by the blood he had shed.
"..."
That was when everyone stood staring blankly at Jin Yu-ha, lost for words.
"You all will have other classes now, so we'll conclude today's training here."
With that, she suddenly swung her sword.
CRAAAAASH—!!!
The Sword Qi erupting from the blade carved a circular mark roughly three meters in radius centered on her.
"Frankly, you lot are utterly pathetic, but for the sake of my disciple, I shall give you mongrels a chance as well."
Then, she thrust her sword into the ground at her feet.
"For one week, starting now, I will be standing here. Anytime, any moment, it doesn't matter. Come to me and take the test. I will acknowledge only those who pass as worthy comrades of my disciple."
Baek Seol-hee's coolly lowered gaze pierced through the Utopia Party members.
"Whether you truly have the qualifications to cross the line of death. I shall be watching."
That was how day one of Baek Seol-hee's trial began.
Baek Seol-hee had told them to go attend their classes, but there was no one here who would nod and leave immediately after hearing those words. Only Jin Yu-ha, collapsed from exhaustion after the spar, was helped back by Shin Se-hee.
The first to challenge her test was Kang Do-hee.
"...So, by any means or methods whatsoever, if I set foot inside that line you've drawn, I pass?"
She murmured to herself as she tightly bound up her red ponytail.
The life-support device was switched off again. Meaning the test was under the same conditions as Jin Yu-ha's.
'I thought it was just some bullshit to enforce discipline...'
When that instructor first said she was unqualified, Kang Do-hee had inwardly scoffed. She had pride in the strength she had built on her own, and she took pride in having trained harder than anyone else.
But the moment she personally witnessed the sparring between Jin Yu-ha and that instructor—those petty thoughts were instantly shattered.
At the same time, she keenly realized exactly how Jin Yu-ha had achieved that incomprehensible rate of growth.
'Doing this kind of insane training... no wonder he gets strong fast.'
She'd always thought she drove herself to the limit, but that bastard literally pushed the boundaries of life and death in his training. Every single session was like crossing the line of death once. Naturally, there was bound to be a difference.
'...That son of a Yellow Dog. He was doing this kind of training by himself, leaving me out. Is that it?'
Frankly, the most intense emotion she felt while watching that spar wasn't fear, shock, or shame. It was purely "jealousy."
If she had continued training that way herself, if that instructor had chosen her instead of Jin Yu-ha from the beginning, if she had questioned Jin Yu-ha's growth rate a little sooner and taken an interest—couldn't she have become much stronger than she was now?
But there was no use regretting something already past. If she couldn't turn it back, she just had to run from here on out.
'Yeah. I'll prove it. That I am qualified.'
Step.
And so, as the other party members watched, Kang Do-hee stepped forward. Baek Seol-hee gave a nonchalant nod, as if she'd expected it.
"As expected, you're the first to step up."
"You said I wasn't qualified."
"That's right. You are not qualified."
Gnash.
Kang Do-hee ground her teeth.
"No more questions!"
Fwooosh—
As she drew up her Mana, a red aura rose from her body like a spectral flame.
Bang—!
A thunderous boom resounded, and Kang Do-hee became a scarlet blaze, hurling herself toward Baek Seol-hee.
The distance wasn't far to begin with, so it would be only an instant before she reached the line drawn on the ground.
Shiver—
"...!"
In that moment, Kang Do-hee's eyes flew wide open.
Because a jet-black sword was flying at her from a blind spot. Its target was none other than her own throat. What would happen if she kept advancing like this?
'...I'll die!'
Screeeech—
SKRRRRT—!
Her hand frantically braced against the ground. White smoke rose from the frictional heat as her body screeched to a halt. Kang Do-hee lay prostrate in an unsightly sprawl. And her hand had stopped just before the line. Kang Do-hee raised her head and stared up at Baek Seol-hee with trembling eyes. Baek Seol-hee looked down at her with an indifferent face and spoke.
"Now do you understand? Why you aren't qualified."
Kang Do-hee's shocking first failure.
After that, Lee Yu-ri, Sofia, and Im Ga-eul took turns challenging her. But all of the Utopia Party members failed to set foot past the line drawn on the floor.
Now, only one person remained. It was Ichika's turn.
"You've already been acknowledged by me, so you don't strictly need to take the test."
Baek Seol-hee rested her sword on her shoulder as she spoke.
"I will. It's only fair."
"Hmm, is that so? Very well, go ahead."
Unlike the other party members who had charged in with explosive kicks, Ichika simply walked with light, airy steps, as if out for a stroll.
And as she drew near the line—
That characteristically swift sword shot toward her with ferocious intensity. Yet Ichika's expression remained unchanged.
SWIIIIISH—!
The moment the sword was about to slice through her throat, shadows suddenly surged up from beneath her feet.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The black shadows scattered as soon as they appeared, like balloons popping. The mental shock that subtly washed over her, as if spirits were being unsummoned in a cascade, made Ichika furrow her brow.
Step.
But she did not stop, extending her foot forward. Her foot landed squarely inside the line's boundary.
Drip.
Baek Seol-hee's sword embedded shallowly into Ichika's neck, and bright red blood trickled down her throat.
"Cadet Ichika. Pass."
Baek Seol-hee withdrew her sword and declared her success.
"Yay."
Ichika raised both hands with a completely expressionless face. The party members wore indescribable expressions as they watched her.
* * *
In the end, the only ones to pass on day one were Ichika and Kang Do-hee. Those two alone.
After Ichika surpassed her and passed first, Kang Do-hee challenged relentlessly, as if on fire. Finally, with only a short time left until midnight, she managed to pass with her arm in tatters.
"...Pass. But remember this: you've merely set foot on the starting line."
In an uncharacteristic gesture, Kang Do-hee silently nodded.
Then came day two and day three. No one passed.
Day four.
Sofia passed.
FWIP-FWIP-FWIP!!!
She fired Healing Arrows wildly into the air until the very last moment her Mana would allow, then endured as the arrows turned downward and poured over her like a rainstorm.
"A shallow trick, but hm. Nothing stops me from passing you. You pass."
Then, on day six, another person passed. Unexpectedly, it was Im Ga-eul.
— Ufufufufu, I am not afraid of death in the slightest! Because the only thing that can match my speed is the darkness within. Now, let's play, shall we? Super Acceleration!!!
It was a truly absurd method.
Im Ga-eul had brought a staggering amount of Magic Stones. She'd recalled the memories of when she'd used a Black Magic Stone—and deceived herself! She invoked that day's persona and masked her fear with bravado.
— Kyaaahk! I-it hurts! It hurts!! I'm dying!! Hoobae!
Of course, even with Acceleration, she couldn't avoid the accident of having her side cleanly severed. But she was immediately healed by the life-support device that Shin Se-hee activated at once.
"I did say any means or methods... but this, I didn't expect."
Baek Seol-hee, for once, wore a flustered expression.
However, since she herself had said anyone would pass as long as they entered the line by whatever method, she had no choice but to declare her passed.
And then came the long-awaited day seven.
Even though all the other Utopia Party members had passed, there was exactly one person still remaining who had not yet succeeded. That person was Lee Yu-ri.
'...Why.'
Lee Yu-ri glared at Baek Seol-hee while gripping her shield tightly.
Already dozens of times—no, hundreds. Lee Yu-ri had skipped all her classes and was challenging alone. But she kept tasting nothing but frustration. Lee Yu-ri knelt right in front of the line.
'...Just... why?!'
Her mental fortitude was strong. The Killing Intent Baek Seol-hee emitted was horrifying, but it wasn't something she couldn't endure. And yet, Lee Yu-ri could not bring herself to take that single step forward.
"As expected, you're the one with the least talent."
Baek Seol-hee's cold voice plunged into her chest like a razor-sharp dagger.