Chapter 459: Swordsmanship Training
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 459: Swordsmanship Training
The conversation had dragged on a bit, but in the end, they all decided to climb the tower together.
Besides, with a reliable safety net like Kang Hyun-woo, a somewhat difficult trial would actually be more beneficial for Lee Serin and Yoo Ah-rin's rapid growth.
Afterward, they all went to a nearby restaurant for a late breakfast to get to know each other better.
For the record, the restaurant (and bar) on the first floor of the Clan House was not yet operational, as they still hadn't hired any staff.
Then came a break.
Kang Hyun-woo headed to the underground training hall with Yoo Ah-rin.
One of the conditions of the contract they had made on the tutorial floor was that he would help with her training.
“So, what should we start with?" Yoo Ah-rin asked, lightly warming up. She had her hair tied up as usual and had changed into a tank top and leggings.
“Hmm...”
Standing opposite her, Kang Hyun-woo observed her carefully.
While his eyes were naturally drawn to her stunning figure, it was her aura that was truly extraordinary for a woman who was only twenty years old.
To others, it might have looked like proof of her diligent training, but Kang Hyun-woo saw something more.
Even if he was half self-taught, he was still a martial artist of the Buddhist path who had studied its principles. He didn't even need to check her pulse; just by meeting her gaze, he could discern what emotions she was feeling and what she held deep inside.
She seems to have plenty of talent, but the problem is...
He didn't know the full story behind it, but one thing was certain: a deep, undeniable killing intent was nestled within Yoo Ah-rin.
Based on his experience, Kang Hyun-woo sensed that the reason she began learning martial arts was deeply connected to a desire for 'revenge.'
Of course, he wasn't about to spout some cliché nonsense about revenge being futile or leaving only emptiness in its wake.
On the contrary, he believed there was no stronger motivation for martial arts training than revenge.
The problem was what came after revenge was achieved.
Human emotions are finite. It was painfully obvious that once she reached her final destination of revenge, her growth would stagnate.
Kang Hyun-woo glanced at the weapon rack before picking up a wooden sword and a real sword.
“First, let's check your skills, shall we?”
Fwoosh-
He tossed the real sword toward Yoo Ah-rin.
It must have been crafted by a skilled blacksmith; the blade let out a sharp ring as it smoothly embedded itself in the training hall floor.
“Come at me with everything you've got. It's fine to use killing moves.”
In contrast, Kang Hyun-woo held only a single wooden sword.
Even that seemed poorly maintained, its surface rough and cracked in several places. It was one of the practice swords used by the Black Lore clan members.
Yoo Ah-rin hesitated for a moment at his words, but then, with a look of grim determination, she drew the sword.
Shing-
As her calloused hands gripped the hilt, her presence grew sharper.
“...I'll come at you with the intent to kill.”
“By all means.”
Thud-!
The moment the words were out, Yoo Ah-rin kicked off the ground and charged toward him.
The instant she judged he was within her range, as if to prove her earlier words were no empty threat, she swung her sword without a hint of hesitation.
It was a fast and sharp attack, but Kang Hyun-woo dodged it with ease, simply tilting his head back.
Yoo Ah-rin accepted this as a matter of course.
If she hadn't acknowledged the gap in their skills in the first place, she never would have joined the clan, asked to learn the sword, or swung a real blade at him with the intent to kill.
-!!
As if refusing to yield the initiative, Yoo Ah-rin unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes. Vicious, deadly blows flew toward Kang Hyun-woo's vital points.
Instead of criticizing her, Kang Hyun-woo wore a satisfied smile.
He was reminded of the time during the tutorial when she had sliced off the subdued man's head without a second thought.
Back then, she had said it was because the man had propositioned her.
It was a situation that would anger anyone. Depending on the person, they might have felt insulted enough to harbor killing intent.
But to actually kill someone over it was another matter entirely.
Everyone feels the urge to kill someone at least once, but most people don't act on it.
The reason was simple.
The act of murder requires a rather troublesome and complex process.
Like the checkout process for online shopping or the steps to cooking a meal.
The biggest barrier among them is the psychological resistance—the final line etched into one's body and mind since childhood.
And yet, Yoo Ah-rin had beheaded the man without a shred of hesitation.
There was no guilt, no regret in her actions.
That was one of the reasons Kang Hyun-woo had taken a liking to her.
Her exceptional looks and talent were certainly a plus, but what truly made him decide to recruit her into the clan was the fact that she was already prepared to kill someone long ago.
Enlightenment and mental discipline were all well and good, but in the end, to wield a sword meant one had to be prepared to kill.
“If you swing your sword that wide, you leave your waist exposed.”
“?!”
Thwack!
After dodging all of Yoo Ah-rin's attacks, which poured down like a torrential rain, Kang Hyun-woo leisurely jabbed her in the side with the pommel of his sword.
He had held back, but he hadn't completely pulled his punch.
Mistakes had to come with a price. That way, she would learn to always be cautious and vigilant in a real fight.
Yoo Ah-rin bit her lip and quickly created distance.
Kang Hyun-woo could have pursued her, but he didn't.
“It's not over already, is it?”
He simply stood where he had been at the start of the duel, not moving a single step, and beckoned to her.
“Hoo...”
Despite his taunt, Yoo Ah-rin calmly caught her breath and readjusted her stance.
Now that she knew he wasn't pressing the attack, there was no need to respond to his provocation.
Just like in their first exchange, all she had to do was move and make decisions at her own pace.
Kang Hyun-woo was inwardly impressed.
She's calm. And she seems to have no distracting thoughts.
Most people who craved revenge tended to carry too much of a burden in their bodies, minds, and swords.
Even with their opponent right in front of them, they would get lost in the memory of their target and make poor judgments.
But Yoo Ah-rin wasn't like that.
She was circulating her internal energy to calm her ragged breathing, controlling even the slightest tremor in her body to hone the keenness of her blade to its absolute limit.
It made him wonder why she had only received a C-rank exclusive trait.
“Hup!”
Vwoom-!!
In that instant, a sword strike even faster than before flew at Kang Hyun-woo's neck.
But its path was direct, making it easy to avoid.
Kang Hyun-woo either dodged Yoo Ah-rin's strikes or deflected them with the flat of his blade.
She's precise and sharp, but her sword path is so consistent and straightforward that it's obvious she lacks real combat experience.
Persistently aiming for vital points didn't mean one was experienced. In fact, such actions could reveal one's fighting patterns.
Nevertheless, Yoo Ah-rin stubbornly continued to swing her sword at him.
As if she had a plan.
Just as a flicker of interest crossed Kang Hyun-woo's eyes, the speed of her swings began to noticeably slow.
The power behind her blade had weakened, and her breathing had become ragged.
It was clear to anyone that she had exhausted her stamina by pushing her attacks too hard.
Seeing Yoo Ah-rin struggle to keep up, Kang Hyun-woo lowered his sword and stopped moving.
BOOM!!
At that very moment, Yoo Ah-rin squeezed out every last bit of her remaining strength and kicked off the ground with explosive force.
Like a dragon of lightning streaking across the sky. This technique was called the Thunder-Winged Heavenly Dragon Step.
As the distance closed in an instant, a faint aura began to rise from the tip of her sword.
Though it was flickering like a lantern flame about to go out, it was unmistakably Sword Qi.
Yoo Ah-rin released her muscles, which had been contracted to their limit, and thrust her sword forward.
-!!!
Thirteen Swords of the Azure Dragon: Azure Dragon Flash.
Like a dragon descending to the earth from beyond the clouds.
As the thrust, aimed at a single point, shot toward Kang Hyun-woo's solar plexus, a triumphant smile spread across Yoo Ah-rin's face.
Got him!
Of course, she didn't have the slightest intention of actually killing him.
That was impossible, to begin with.
The sole condition for victory in this duel was to make Kang Hyun-woo use his Protective Aura.
Just as she thought she had taken the final step to achieve that condition—
Tap.
“...Huh?”
Kang Hyun-woo had casually caught her blade.
With just two fingers.
He... caught Sword Qi with his bare hands...?
For a rare moment, Yoo Ah-rin was flustered.
Sword Qi could slice through full plate armor.
Even a Transcendent master could never block it with their bare body without a Protective Aura.
But Kang Hyun-woo had caught the Sword Qi-infused blade with his bare hands and hadn't suffered a single scratch. Instead, he was looking at her with a smile, as if it were nothing.
“Well... there seem to be many areas for improvement, but you pass, more or less.”
When Kang Hyun-woo tried to take the sword, Yoo Ah-rin reflexively pulled back and created distance.
“...It's not over yet.”
“Hmm? No, this is enough—”
BOOM!!
Before Kang Hyun-woo could finish, Yoo Ah-rin stomped the ground, infusing the blow with her internal energy.
But she only had a handful of internal energy left in her dantian, and her realm was still low, so the stomp offered no real advantage.
She didn't care.
This wasn't a move to gain an edge; it was a preparatory stance to steady and encourage herself.
Whoosh!!
In that instant, Yoo Ah-rin's figure vanished.
Using the Thunder-Winged Heavenly Dragon Step to close the distance in a flash, she reappeared at Kang Hyun-woo's side.
In that split second, he noticed that her grip on the sword had changed.
-!!!
As if burning its last fuel, a more distinct Sword Qi slashed horizontally through the air.
Thirteen Swords of the Azure Dragon: Cloud-Shattering Dragon Shadow.
Kang Hyun-woo dodged it with a light twist of his body, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But Yoo Ah-rin hadn't expected the attack to land in the first place.
And she had no intention of stopping there.
She pushed herself to use her footwork again, moving into his blind spot.
Her eyes glinted with killing intent.
Fwoosh-
For a moment, the Sword Qi shimmering on her blade looked like a blue flame.
Thirteen Swords of the Azure Dragon: Azure Flame Entanglement.
A fierce barrage of consecutive attacks rained down, as if to tear her opponent to shreds. But what she had cut through was nothing more than Kang Hyun-woo's afterimage.
She's getting a little worked up.
Deciding things were getting overheated, Kang Hyun-woo moved behind Yoo Ah-rin to knock her out for a moment.
Just as he was about to use Acupoint Striking to hit her Fengfu Acupoint.
Whoosh-
“...?”
Yoo Ah-rin's form scattered in all directions.
Like a sea mist rolling over the ocean.
Thirteen Swords of the Azure Dragon: Coiling Dragon Lock Shadow.
By the time he realized what was happening, an unidentifiable fog had enveloped the area.
He immediately expanded his Qi sense, but he couldn't locate her.
Clack.
Kang Hyun-woo dropped the wooden sword he was holding.
Watching him, Yoo Ah-rin moved like an azure dragon swimming through the sea mist, searching for an opening.
And the moment she judged an opportunity had arrived—
She thrust her sword toward Kang Hyun-woo's heart without a shred of hesitation.
Vwoom!!
What...?!
But the tip of her sword pierced only another afterimage; Kang Hyun-woo's real body was nowhere to be found.
Even so, Yoo Ah-rin didn't panic and quickly regained her composure.
Just as she was about to move away and locate him.
“That's enough.”
“?!”
Thwack-
Kang Hyun-woo appeared out of nowhere and lightly chopped the back of her neck with the side of his hand.
She collapsed, losing consciousness without even a chance to resist. Kang Hyun-woo caught her body as she fell.
He looked down at the unconscious Yoo Ah-rin in his arms and gave a complicated smile.
“...She's got a fighter's spirit, surprisingly.”
A martial artist's strong competitive drive was definitely an advantage.
The problem was how long she could control the killing intent dwelling within her. Even without learning demonic arts, if she was consumed by an overly dense killing intent, it would be easy to fall into Qi Deviation, just like the martial artists of the Evil Faction.
That was what worried him.
But in terms of her skills alone, she was beyond just passing; she deserved a perfect score.
With the right trigger, she could probably reach the peak realm in no time.
Kang Hyun-woo laid Yoo Ah-rin down in a corner of the training hall, closed his eyes, and began to review the swordsmanship she had demonstrated.
He had no intention of carelessly stealing another's martial arts.
But for the sake of a smooth lesson, he needed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his student's techniques beforehand.