Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Flash Strike
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Professor Kang Geom-seon caught the descending sword with his fingers.
"How peculiar."
"If there's anything lacking, please guide me."
"Of course there is. Plenty lacking."
Professor Kang Geom-seon snatched the training dagger and eyed me.
"A dagger, huh. Unusual weapon choice. Too light to pierce a monster's thick hide, reach too short against a person. So why a dagger?"
Why, indeed.
For one, it was the only weapon Kim Si-woo had.
And given Poor Strike's need for a precise one-shot, a dagger was more efficient.
"It synergizes well with my skills. Easy to wield without strength-based ones. That's why I chose it."
"Your understanding seems decent enough. And your persistence is commendable."
He tossed the dagger back to me.
"This time, come at me for real."
The surrounding students turned their attention at his words.
"What's this? Why just him...?"
"Hey, give him credit for persistence. Still charging ahead in that state. Eye-catching, right?"
"Yeah, fair enough."
Success.
Professor Kang Geom-seon doesn't get this close unless he's intrigued by a student.
Naturally, he'd be intrigued.
A sword art he'd researched alone before becoming a professor.
Now some student he'd never seen was using it. How could he not take interest?
A normal student would feel honored by this chance from Professor Kang Geom-seon and be grateful.
But I had plenty to gain, so.
"If I can land one hit on you, Professor, I have a request."
Professor Kang Geom-seon let out a dazed chuckle at my words.
"You, land a hit on me?"
"Yes."
The students buzzed at my reply.
"I-Is he insane? Just getting one exchange from Professor Kang Geom-seon is something to be thankful for..."
"No way it's possible."
Kang Hwa-yeon's face showed shock, eyes wide.
"What on earth is he thinking...?"
Professor Kang Geom-seon laughed.
"Hahaha! I wondered what kind of lunatic Lee Dok-sa sent. Turns out it's Lee Dok-sa Season 2!"
Just like he'd said, this echoed what Lee Dok-sa had pulled during Professor Kang Geom-seon's class.
Though mine was far tamer.
"Fine. Let's give it a shot, as you say."
He fetched the mug he'd been sipping water from and balanced it on his fingertip.
'Impressive trick either way.'
"If you draw even a scratch on me within a minute, you win. If I drop a single drop of water, you win."
Professor Kang Geom-seon set a timer on his smartwatch.
"One minute."
Professor Kang Geom-seon gauges a student's potential by their sprouts.
And one criterion for those sprouts is confidence.
He was definitely intrigued by me.
Of course, only when that confidence has solid backing.
If I could truly land one on him here...
It'd leave a profound impression.
"Don't just swing. Come at me with killing intent."
I gripped the dagger in my right hand and charged at Professor Kang Geom-seon.
"Coming in too obviously. Disappointing."
Professor Kang Geom-seon sighed and drew his sword with his left hand.
-Click
I halted my body right then.
"Ho, good instincts? Or just luck?"
His visible reach was one thing, but within 2 meters while he held that sword, stepping in meant getting sliced.
"Come on! Time's ticking, Si-woo!"
At Professor Kang Geom-seon's urging, I approached again, minding my footwork this time.
"Ho! Quite the novel footwork."
Professor Kang Geom-seon watched my form with a satisfied smile.
Naturally. He'd created it himself.
"Very intriguing, you are."
That's it.
I never thought I could land a real hit on him from the start.
Logically, no way with just a sword against him.
The goal of this spar was pure flattery toward Professor Kang Geom-seon!
And to look like a promising talent in his eyes!
So I used a sword art he'd abandoned but once loved, moving as if sensing his info from [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy] purely by 'instinct.'
That makes me look like a promising kid.
That was the plan.
Professor Kang Geom-seon lowered his stance into something like a comic-book iaido draw.
"What? No way Professor's showing that?!"
"Professor Kang Geom-seon's trademark?!"
Professor Kang Geom-seon's signature: Flash Strike.
A low stance, then a lightning ambush on a straight-line foe.
"Let's see if you can block this too!"
Normally, you'd evade off his line.
If it was real Flash Strike, closing in meant getting bisected.
But.
"Raaah!"
I hurled my broad back blindly at Professor Kang Geom-seon in a charge.
"What?!"
Professor Kang Geom-seon looked utterly flustered, caught off-guard.
Body slam!
-Thud
My body hit the floor hard.
Professor Kang Geom-seon stared down, expression incredulous. Naturally, he hadn't missed such a telegraphed move.
"Time's up. Never imagined you'd pick something so stupid. If I'd really used Flash Strike, you'd be dead."
Professor Kang Geom-seon looked disappointed.
He'd almost used Flash Strike, huh.
"But you didn't use Flash Strike, Professor."
"That was my choice, so not a valid point."
"You didn't choose not to. You couldn't."
Professor Kang Geom-seon perked up with interest at my words.
"Ho, what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. Professor Kang Geom-seon's Flash Strike needs at least two seconds from cast to execution. But you just feinted. Never activated the skill."
The watching students murmured at my claim.
"What the hell's he on about? No way that's possible."
"Couldn't even swing properly in the spar."
"Hey, if Professor Kang Geom-seon reacts like that, maybe there's something to it?"
"No way..."
But Professor Kang Geom-seon grew serious.
"You saw through that? How?"
"Instinct."
"Instinct?"
Instinct—what Professor Kang Geom-seon valued most in talent.
Especially...
"When you prepare Flash Strike, Professor, I feel a blue aura. There was none this time."
Professor Kang Geom-seon grinned and muttered softly.
"Lee Dok-sa was right. Half-genius for sure."
Bingo!
Genius realms normal folk can't grasp exist.
Professor Kang Geom-seon was one such.
Especially his prized talent: sensing auras.
To him, auras faintly appear visually.
Like seeing foes' moves as flowing energy.
Of course, few knew, as it's beyond others' ken.
'Right now, to Professor Kang Geom-seon, I'm a genius with talent outside skillbooks like his own. Using a sword art he once researched—like a beloved disciple right before his eyes.'
That's what I wanted him to feel.
Professor Kang Geom-seon calmed his rising excitement and spoke again.
"Even so, charging in was a mistake. You achieved nothing. Worst kind of desperation."
"True, clashing swords showed the gap I can never close. I get you wouldn't allow even a scratch. But I didn't achieve nothing."
I pointed to the water droplets on the floor.
"This is..."
"Even a feint, Flash Strike thrusts forward. Even you couldn't dodge without spilling a drop, I figured. So I approached to unbalance your hand optimally."
"That's... practically a gamble."
"But it worked."
Professor Kang Geom-seon stared in surprise, then turned serious.
"Hahaha! You're right. I underestimated you and set harsh terms. This spar's your win."
The training hall erupted at his words.
"Wh-What just happened?!"
"I could've done that with a cup on my finger."
"Bullshit, is Professor Kang Geom-seon your buddy?!"
"See? Told you there's something to him!!"
Kang Hwa-yeon's expression soured.
"What the... how..."
Yeah.
It was a bluff.
...The droplets weren't from Professor Kang Geom-seon.
Illusion mimicking the [Water] skill.
Who'd expect such madness?
Naturally, it fooled them.
Then Professor Kang Geom-seon smiled.
"Now I'm curious just how talented you are."
As Professor Kang Geom-seon lowered into stance, blue aura surged around him.
"Kyaa!"
"Wh-What's this?!"
"Blue wind around Professor Kang Geom-seon..."
"Even my most promising disciple couldn't handle it. But who knows. The one she recommended might take a hit."
What was this guy saying?
That's Flash Strike.
Anyone could see it was real this time.
Getting hit by that means death.
Definite death.
Never thought I'd use this here.
"Dodge it, if you can."
As his lips parted, blue flash streaked straight ahead.