The Third Hidden Skill
The third hidden skill.It won't be long now. When I took a quick glance outside the sparring arena, the line had shrunk dramatically. That was only natural, though. The matches themselves didn't take long, so the result was pretty much inevitable. With pure physical control and no skills at all, I was in a league of my own among the first-years.
Well, it's only temporary. In RPG terms, it was like a level 1 fighting a level 10. A level 1 would eventually become a level 10, so I had to see it as me getting a head start through advance training. It was only natural after I'd maximized the growth potential of Lee Seokhyun, whose early-game growth rate was abysmal.
On the contrary, it was impressive that they could even trade blows with me when we hadn't started proper academy classes yet. They're not called the cream of the crop for nothing.
The 1% of the 1%. It was one of many phrases used to describe the S-class, but none were more accurate. An insane talent that let them absorb feedback instantly and apply it to their next move.
But I think I caught a glimpse of Gainard earlier. I was sure I'd seen him come down, so why wasn't he in sight? Right as the thought crossed my mind, as if on cue, Gainard's voice reached me.
"Moving to the right at a diagonal would have been more effective than heading in that direction. There's a common misconception. Just because your opponent is coming toward you doesn't mean you have to meet the attack head-on. Sometimes stepping toward them is actually the correct evasion route."
What was that guy doing?
It looked like he joined the line at first. I thought he'd stepped back after getting glares from the students. To think he'd craft an excuse to plant himself right in front of the arena under the guise of coaching.
He's planning to give the kids feedback and pull me into martial arts too.
Around the time the representative professors had swarmed in to recruit me, I'd chosen the double-major route and taken every one of their classes. I'd specifically told Gainard I wouldn't advance to the in-depth level of his course, and it seemed that was exactly why he was acting like this. Watching me take the advanced tracks for the other professors while sticking to basics for his must have been driving him crazy.
But it can't be helped.
It was true that Gainard was outstanding, a man with monstrous talent for the sword, but I had zero intention of learning it.
It's inefficient.
Even Woo Dohyun, who possessed the talent of a future Sword Saint, needed a long time to truly bring out the sword's potential. So what would happen if Lee Seokhyun, whose talent was nonexistent, tried to learn it? That would mean I had no interest in clearing the game at all.
The magic and external paths remained versatile even at advanced levels, but the sword offered nothing of the sort. Its only real advantage was the ability to read an opponent's level and flow if they were a swordsman, but the basic classes already covered that. Especially since the fundamentals Gainard had in mind were on a completely different dimension from what normal people considered basic.
"Finally, my turn."
The moment the last student tasted the bitterness of defeat and stepped down from the arena with a crushed expression, Gainard ascended. He naturally took position right in front of me and assumed his stance, surprising the students around us. Even if it was just light sparring, it wasn't every day you saw a professor face a student directly.
"Professor, are you really doing this?"
"Lee Seokhyun, I haven't given you feedback yet. That would be unfair."
If he was going to say something like that, it would've been nice if he could at least dim the greedy sparkle in his eyes. The way he looked at me with such naked desire almost made me laugh.
But when I think about that woman, this is the right move.
If Gainard specialized in the sword, that woman focused on comprehensive martial techniques rooted in beast-like ferocity. A former mercenary king whose talent was so highly regarded that the headmaster had scouted her personally multiple times. Yet she hadn't found a single student who caught her eye, so she hadn't opened a new course or accepted students for years.
To get my name into her ears, I had to make use of situations like this.
"I'll yield three moves. Come at me with your best judgment."
To think I'd actually hear a line straight out of a martial arts novel.
But I really can't see any openings.
Despite the greed burning in his eyes to drag me into martial arts as quickly as possible, his stance was damn near perfect. No matter how many simulations I ran, every future I saw ended with all my attacks being blocked the instant I closed in.
Still, I had to try. A perfect situation where I could fight an overwhelmingly stronger opponent with my life guaranteed. I couldn't waste this chance.
"Here I come!"
The students packed tightly around the arena started commentating on my movements like they'd become casters. Left to right, right to left. I confused his vision with basic ducking and threw a punch. The top priority target was the chin. A clean hit could knock him out immediately, and it was extremely effective at rattling the brain.
However.
"That was a perfect approach. But precisely because it was perfect, your intention is obvious. Your whole body is practically shouting, 'I'm going to openly confuse your vision and strike the chin.'"
Gainard caught my fist far too easily. The natural feedback that followed came right after. The students let out small gasps at the sight of me, who had been toying with them moments ago, looking like a child in front of him.
"Now there are two moves left...?"
The target of their admiration shifted.
It's not over yet.
Normally when given three chances, most people would fail once, regroup, and attack again. But I thought that was extremely inefficient.
I can just keep chaining them.
Instead of one, then one, then one, if I connected three actions in a single flow, new possibilities would emerge.
Before he could release my caught arm, I used it as a pivot and spun my body, wrapping myself around his arm in a flying armbar. Gainard refused to go down quietly and simply dropped his arm, slamming me into the floor.
Now!
The instant I hit the ground, with my lower body up and upper body down, I wrapped myself around his leg. From the initial punch into the flying armbar, finishing with a heel hook.
No matter the difference in weight or physical ability, joint locks were an area that couldn't be defied.
Got it.
The movements flowed together like water and finally resulted in me locking down Gainard's Achilles tendon.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The students, who couldn't accurately judge victory or defeat, thought I'd actually beaten a professor and burst into cheers. The thrill of landing a valid hit on someone they believed untouchable fueled their excitement.
However.
"The three moves are up."
The only reason any of this had been possible was entirely due to Gainard's consideration.
Bam!
Even though a wrong twist could snap his ankle, Gainard boldly turned his body and yanked his foot free. His fist then stopped right in front of my face. Even though it had clearly halted, the wind blasting outward showed its power indirectly.
"The flowing movements were good, and the joint technique was excellent. I don't have much feedback to give on that sequence."
"Thank you."
He extended a hand to help me up, and the students kept gasping in admiration at the strangely warm scene. The weight of his statement that he had nothing to correct seemed significant.
But that last part—I wouldn't have been able to escape if it hadn't been Gainard.
It had been a sure-kill combo that even a third-year wouldn't have broken out of, so I couldn't hide my regret. Still, reaching this level as Lee Seokhyun was an incredible achievement, so I decided to be satisfied.
"Seeing you like this, no matter how much I think about it, choosing a double major makes no sense. That was simply a choice made by someone still young. It's not too late, so hurry and walk the path of martial arts..."
Once the praise and encouragement ended, the inevitable recruitment speech came flying in.
"Ugh! My back that I injured earlier! I'll take my leave first!"
I'd finished everything I could do here, and I couldn't afford to waste time, so I made an excuse and quickly escaped.
It should be properly aged by now.
I'd spent enough time. From here on, I needed to move for growth again.
The third hidden skill.
It was time to prepare to obtain it.
In the A-class dormitory, a student consumed by resentment slammed his desk and spat out his fury.
"Why... why! Why am I in 39th place!"
"What am I lacking? Why! For what reason!"
39th place. The sorrow of missing the S-class by a single spot. Since Mirinae Academy was a place where the dragon's tail was overwhelmingly better than the snake's head, his anger burned even hotter.
"Why do I have to be the one who can't get in!"
Why did he have to be ranked 39th and thus barred from the S-class? He believed his talent simply hadn't been properly revealed yet, that he was more than qualified to enter. If he could just have one chance to truly show what he was capable of.
Because he was more outstanding than the others, he deserved to be in S-class. If he could prove he wasn't someone who belonged in A-class...
"If I can just do that... I can get in too, right? They'll definitely kick someone out and put me in..."
Slowly, stealthily. A black light began to seep into the student's eyes as he muttered those words.