The Masterpiece
The practice hall had descended into absolute chaos. Cries of astonishment erupted, refusing to die down. "S-Silence! Quiet down! I said, be quiet!" It was only after Gu Han-seok shouted several times that the interior of the practice hall finally began to settle. Even then, he couldn't suppress all the small and large outbursts of shock. Leaving the students behind, Gu Han-seok approached Kim Ilshin. Looking him straight in the eye, he asked in a trembling voice, "Have you finished the dungeon raid?"
"Yes, I have."
He was only confirming it to be sure; he had no real doubt. The gate had announced the dungeon was cleared, so there was no mistake. "...I apologize, but would you mind if I checked the internal recording? It is purely for verification, not because I doubt you. As someone who was outside, it is a record that is hard to believe. Can you understand?"
The interior of an artificial dungeon created by a gate is always recorded on video. It was a feature installed to prepare for emergencies, such as disappearances within the artificial dungeon. As the instructor in charge, he could freely view those recordings. However, viewing them during normal times, rather than in an emergency, was a breach of etiquette for a martial artist, let alone an instructor. In a way, it was like peeking at someone else's techniques. That was why Gu Han-seok asked for permission, and Kim Ilshin readily agreed.
"Yes. That is fine."
It didn't matter much to him, and he felt that if he didn't, this noisy situation wouldn't be resolved.
"...Thank you."
Gu Han-seok went to the monitor next to the gate device and began to play the internal recording. There were protests from students who wanted to see it too, but that was not permitted.
'A cave-type dungeon. The difficulty doesn't seem high...'
The beginning was ordinary. Kim Ilshin, having entered the artificial dungeon, moved forward while looking around as if scouting the area. Soon, he encountered enemies and dealt with all five of them in an instant. But from then on, it was different.
"...Huh?"
A voice full of confusion flowed from Gu Han-seok's lips. Immediately after, Kim Ilshin lowered his posture and began to run at full speed.
"Argh! Teacher! What is it!"
"What is in there! Please, give us a chance to open Pandora's box too!"
At that reaction, the students screamed and tore at their hair. They were dying of curiosity. But Gu Han-seok couldn't hear them. He pressed his eyes close to the monitor, as if being sucked in. A sprint of incomprehensible speed. He didn't stop even when he encountered enemies. It was similar to the strategy of the former rank 1 team, but the details were different. Back then, they had used all sorts of buffs to endure attacks and push forward. Even if they could handle the front, they couldn't react to every attack flying from behind. So, when they finished the dungeon raid, they were in tatters. They were in a state where they needed to be carried straight to the infirmary.
'How... is that even possible?'
Kim Ilshin was different. No attack from any direction could reach him. 'He isn't just blindly batting them away.'
It was like watching a divine technique. Kim Ilshin's sword accurately identified only the attacks that would reach him. And what about his movements? Every step he took, piercing through the gaps in the enemies, was near perfection. It was an illusion, as if the attacks were avoiding Kim Ilshin of their own accord. It was like a scene from a movie. Having run like that, Kim Ilshin reached the boss in less than three minutes. It was an unbelievable speed. And at that moment, the space in front of Kim Ilshin blurred.
"...Huh?"
The boss's head fell off.
"...Huh?"
The weak voice flowed out once more. He simply couldn't understand that scene. It was the same even when he replayed it. As Kim Ilshin approached, the large boss's head rolled on the floor helplessly. As if the strings that had been holding it together had suddenly snapped.
'...This is absurd.'
Only after replaying the video several more times could Gu Han-seok grasp the situation. The answer was simple. Kim Ilshin, having reached the front of the boss, had swung his sword at a speed that the video couldn't capture. With that single blow, the boss's head had fallen, and thus, Kim Ilshin's dungeon raid had ended. The record was 3 minutes and 12 seconds.
"Ha, haha."
Gu Han-seok, who let out a hollow laugh, stood up from his seat. After swallowing dryly, he said, "Kim Ilshin. Congratulations on achieving Rank 1."
As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted. Everyone in the practice hall was convinced that the record would never be broken.
"Then."
At that moment, Kim Ilshin spoke quietly. "What happens to my grades? There was talk that if you achieve 1st place, your class grades for that semester would be marked as perfect."
"Now that you mention it... there was such a thing."
It was a rule that had started as a half-joke and had become meaningless. However, since the principal had approved such a rule, he could not help but follow it. "Very well. I will mark all your grades for this semester as perfect."
"Thank you."
Kim Ilshin said that and left the practice hall. There was no reason to stay longer. Gu Han-seok didn't mind Kim Ilshin's behavior. It was his rightful privilege.
"Kim Ilshin, is he a god!"
"No! Kim Ilshin is a devil! A devil of speed!"
However, he felt at a loss as to how to calm down the students who were running wild like that.
Kim Ilshin, who had come outside, thought as he headed to the training center. 'I can just do this next semester, too.'
Since he had definitely gotten the hang of it, he was confident he could shorten the time even further next time. If he broke his record at the start of every semester, he would be able to breeze through one class until graduation. 'Maybe even the 1-minute range will be possible later.'
Whirring-
Just then, his phone rang. When he checked, there was a text from Hana Lin. He could guess the content without even opening it.
It was exactly as expected. The timing was good. He turned his feet immediately and headed toward Hana Lin's weapon shop. His steps quickened with overflowing anticipation.
Inside the practice hall, where the heat of the battle had subsided a little. Seo Ye-ryeong, who had been sitting alone in a corner, asked into the empty air. "...Is that really possible? Are you sure you saw it correctly?"
It wasn't a monologue. A small green light was flying around in the air where her gaze was fixed. It was 'Haru,' a wind spirit she had contracted with a long time ago. Since the spirit's form could only be seen by the contractor, Haru had been Seo Ye-ryeong's best friend since childhood. Although she couldn't show her emotions well because of her pride, she could pour out anything to Haru. Her thoughts and feelings about Kim Ilshin were the same. She had relieved her long-standing feelings a little through consultations with Haru. She was definitely a kind and good friend. However, there were not a few days when she caused trouble like today.
"Hey, who told you to go watch that? No, I was curious. I was, but still..."
As mentioned earlier, no one but the contractor can see the spirit. Haru had used that to watch all of Kim Ilshin's internal recording videos and told Seo Ye-ryeong about them.
"Yeah, I get it. Thank you for thinking of me, really."
Haru complained that it was too much, considering she had gone to the trouble of watching it. Seo Ye-ryeong, who had brushed off that reaction, fell into thought. The martial prowess of Kim Ilshin that Haru described was beyond her imagination. She even felt resentment. That he had forfeited the sparring match despite having such skills. But soon, she became suspicious. Why had he hidden those skills for two years? Why was he revealing his skills now? Why had he suddenly left the martial arts hall?
'...Why on earth?'
The various thoughts that flooded and intertwined urged her to make one choice. 'I have to dig into it.'
First, starting from the time Kim Ilshin left the martial arts hall.
He opened the door to the weapon shop with a swelling heart. As he walked in, he saw a black sword resting on the counter. He knew without asking that the sword was his. His gaze, drawn to the sword, was caught and wouldn't fall away. Hana Lin, who had been standing behind the counter, said with a face weary from exhaustion.
"Hyeonwol. That's its name. Hurry up and draw it."
He didn't even care about her tone, which had returned to informal speech. Kim Ilshin nodded and picked up the sword. A pleasant resonance was felt in the touch of the hilt he gripped.
Sring-
The revealed blade was an even darker black. It was as if the silent night sky had been forged. The waves undulating at the bottom resembled the faintly shimmering moonlight. It was a beautiful figure that couldn't find a flaw even with Artistic Talent (A). Even Hana Lin's name engraved at the bottom was part of the work.
Hum-
When he infused mana, a fierce sword cry rang out. The Hyeonwol sword, connected by mana, felt like a part of his body. Even without trying to move it, he could instinctively feel how to use it. There was information naturally unfolding in his head. It was as if the sword was talking to him directly.
Hum-hum-
His consciousness sank into the continuing sword cry. A strange wave flowed through the hand holding the hilt, and at the same time, some inspiration flashed through his mind. However, he couldn't go beyond that. He was frustrated by the thread of inspiration that seemed just within reach but wouldn't be grasped.
'I feel like I'll remember it if I just try a little more.'
He wanted to swing the sword right away, but it was impossible in this place. If he messed up, he'd lose all his fortune. Kim Ilshin said as he put the Hyeonwol sword into its scabbard.
"You worked hard. It's beyond my imagination."
"Of course. Who do you think made it? If you're done checking, get out quickly. I want to sleep now..."
Hana Lin's order to leave, spoken with her eyes completely closed. Since her condition was like that, he thought it would be better to leave quickly. Kim Ilshin told her to get some good rest and came outside. After closing the door well, he headed to the training center. In his head, he chased after the inspiration that had surfaced.
"Excuse me... aren't you student Kim Ilshin? Ah, you are!"
How far had he walked after coming out to the street like that? There was a man calling Kim Ilshin with delight. A face he had never seen while playing the game. He introduced himself as a police officer from the Gangnam Police Station. The reason he had come to find Kim Ilshin was to propose a new request.