First Day of Class (3)
Before I knew it, my turn had arrived. As I stepped onto the sparring platform, I saw Kim Yong, the Sword Dragon, striking every pose imaginable with his chin tilted up at a precise 45-degree angle.
“Hmph.”
Kim Yong smirked as he looked at me. Just seeing that smug face made an unbearable irritation surge up from deep inside me.
“What’s your name?”
Before the spar even began, Kim Yong asked while staring at me. He hadn’t even bothered to look at the name clearly displayed on the screen? What an arrogant bastard.
“Kim Mugong.”
“Never heard of you. Which sect are you from?”
“That’s a secret.”
“Ah, a mysterious hidden sect, I see. Hmph, there are still places that do such foolish things in this day and age?”
“...Think whatever you want.”
“I’ll give you three moves as a handicap. Come now, attack me with everything you have.”
Kim Yong raised his scabbard above his head, drew his sword, and spread both arms wide. I hated to admit it, but when his chuunibyou tendencies reached this level, they were almost impressive. It would’ve been perfect if he’d just kept his mouth shut.
Objectively speaking, my chances of winning were zero. None. Whether I used sword energy or not, I’d lose all one hundred fights out of one hundred. The gap between our realms was that overwhelming.
My opponent was the sole heir of the Guseong Group, a family that had showered him with every possible resource from the moment he stopped nursing. The Guseong Group wasn’t just Korea’s largest corporation; it also controlled the Nine Dragons Guild, the strongest armed organization in the country. Even though countless sects had crossed over from China, the Guseong Group’s position remained unshakable.
The Kim family’s inherited sword techniques were supposedly the second strongest in the world or something like that. Kim Yong was the direct beneficiary of a setting loaded with nationalistic buffs. On top of that, he even possessed the Heavenly Martial Body, a cheat-tier physique.
If there was such a thing as a ‘protagonist,’ it would’ve been someone like him. The penalty of being unable to use sword energy was a minor issue at best.
‘What should I do?’
As if to prove that his offer of three free moves wasn’t empty talk, Kim Yong stood still in his arrogant stance. Even with a sharp blade pointed right at me, I wasn’t as nervous as I’d expected. It seemed the Conscience on Vacation trait was doing its job in a situation like this.
I’d received a pair of sparring gauntlets, but the reach difference was significant, and charging in head-on carried too much risk. Besides, I couldn’t even properly gauge my opponent’s true skill level yet.
I slowly stepped forward using footwork while circulating the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
‘Huh?’
As I stared at Kim Yong so intensely I thought my eyes might bore holes through him, I naturally came to a realization.
‘Why does it feel like I can just attack him?’
There wasn’t just one or two openings visible in Kim Yong’s sloppy posture. Of course, he was extremely off guard, but it was more than that. It was as if a third eye had opened on my forehead—his weaknesses were painted across my mind like a panorama. I could see exactly where to strike, how to strike, and what kind of reaction he’d show.
Crucially, Kim Yong was a ‘man.’
My insane Unicorn Divine Art granted a strengthening effect when facing male opponents. In my status window, notifications about stat increases were flashing.
Strength: 10(F) → 20(E)
Durability: 10(F) → 20(E)
Agility: 10(F) → 20(E)
Internal Energy: 60(A) → 70(S)
Power surged through my entire body. Other stats had increased across the board as well, but the most noticeable change was my internal energy. Thanks to the spiritual medicine I’d consumed earlier, it had already reached 60(A). Now it had shot up to 70(S).
As I circulated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, I became certain. If I landed all of this on Kim Yong, he’d die instantly. Though A and S were only one rank apart, the quality of the energy itself felt like it existed on a completely different dimension.
Of course, that was only if I could actually land the hit.
It was still possible that his current stance was a deliberate trap meant to lure me into attacking. I couldn’t be completely sure. Still...
‘Thanks, Kim Yong.’
Thanks to his offer of three free moves, I could test things out without taking any risks.
Based on the insights I’d gained after obtaining the Martial Soul, I subtly gathered the energy of the Blood Hand Demonic Art into the palm of my right hand. The Blood Hand Demonic Art was fundamentally a palm technique that incorporated the principles of soft power overcoming hard force. Even if I held back, a clean hit would be impossible to withstand.
“Hey, Kim Yong.”
I casually called out to him.
“Have you already felt the despair of your own weakness? Haa, how boring. If you want to surrender, do it quickly.”
Kim Yong pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and shook his head. Why the hell was this guy drinking kimchi soup by the bowl all of a sudden? Well, it worked in my favor.
He was so complacent that this so-called martial artist had even half-closed his eyelids. His sword was already planted in the ground right in front of him, and he was barely holding it with one hand. Thanks to that, the number of openings had doubled.
It was a bit underhanded, but the guy needed to learn some humility while he had the chance.
Boom—!
I stomped the ground and shot forward. Even though I lacked real combat experience, my footwork flowed so naturally it felt like someone else was controlling my body.
Kim Yong’s eyes widened like lanterns.
“What...?!”
He seemed to realize my surprise attack, but it was already too late.
The Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Step contained within the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was, despite its ridiculous name, an unparalleled movement technique under the heavens. Although my realm was still too low to use it properly, it temporarily suppressed Kim Yong’s movements.
It really was worthy of being an EX-rank martial art.
I drove my entire body weight into a palm strike aimed at the panicked Kim Yong. The Blood Hand Demonic Art—Blood Flame Shattering Heaven. A heavy palm filled with extreme yang energy hurtled toward his abdomen.
Even I was surprised by how naturally the technique flowed as I executed it.
Thud!
With a sound like a small drum exploding, my hand slammed into Kim Yong’s stomach. The tyrannical energy of the Blood Hand Demonic Art penetrated from the point of contact and rampaged through his internals.
His waist bent so sharply it looked like it might fold in half.
“Y-you bastard...! Kuweeeek!”
Kim Yong spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.
I glanced over at the White Sword Marquis. He was staring with his eyes wide open, unable to even think about intervening.
“You okay? I held back, you know.”
I asked with the smile of a victor.
He glared at me with bloodshot eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I felt a little regret the moment the words left my mouth. Not that I could take them back now.
“Kim Yong, can you continue?”
In the end, the White Sword Marquis, who had been watching silently, snapped out of it and stepped onto the platform.
Kim Yong, who had been trying to steady himself, gritted his teeth.
“Ugh... I need... treatment....”
Covering his mouth, Kim Yong retreated. It was my victory.
The performance of the Blood Hand Demonic Art was solid. I’d felt some impact in my hand, but I hadn’t expected it to end in a single strike. He probably could’ve kept fighting if he pushed himself, but since this was just a spar, there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Kim Yong’s decision was actually quite reasonable.
After all, I’d slammed extreme yang energy—originating from my Sun Physique—directly into his internal organs using the Blood Hand Demonic Art. There was no doubt his insides were in shambles. If he didn’t get treated quickly, there could be lasting aftereffects.
Of course, I never expected that this chuuni sword emperor would actually swallow his pride. The fact that he was still able to maintain some rationality in this situation suggested he hadn’t reached a high realm for nothing.
“Take care of yourself.”
I waved at Kim Yong as he left the platform. He kept his mouth tightly shut, turned his head sharply, and ignored me. Seeing a guy act like that made me want to hit him one more time.
If we fought again while he was in perfect condition, I would lose without question. The spar I’d just won was only possible because of his extreme carelessness. Still, a win was a win. The experience of instinctively seeing openings was quite fascinating. The way my body moved on its own, like I was using an active skill, was interesting too.
‘Is this also an effect of the Martial Soul?’
I pondered as I walked down from the platform. The only reason someone like me, who had never experienced proper real combat, could fight against these human weapons was the Martial Soul. There was no way I’d suddenly become a genius.
As I moved, the area around me grew noticeably noisy. To them, it must have looked like some random nobody had knocked out a candidate for the next Supreme Under Heaven in a single blow. The gazes that had initially been dismissive were now slowly shifting into wariness.
“Oppa, you won!”
Han Yeoreum looked up at me with wide, round eyes. I draped an arm around her shoulders.
“What do you mean, oppa... How did you do that?”
“It just kinda worked. I told you we share the Martial Soul, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll understand once you experience it yourself. There are still a few turns left.”
If Han Yeoreum also won in a similar fashion, my hypothesis would be confirmed.
“I don’t know if I can do it today. Maybe I’ll be one of the last ones?”
“Let’s just watch for now.”
I led the tilting-her-head Han Yeoreum back to our seats. The number of stares directed at us had doubled, but I simply ignored them. A new spar was about to begin anyway.
Next up was the match between Paoun, the Plump and Virtuous Hu Deok-hun, and the younger of the Iron Strike Twin Heroes, So-ung, Hwang Bo-gwang.
“The developers are seriously evil. What the hell are those nicknames and names?”
Han Yeoreum clicked her tongue as she watched the platform. The Iron Strike Twin Hero was a massive lump of muscle, while the Plump and Virtuous one was a massive lump of fat. At first glance their sizes seemed similar, but the details were perfectly opposite, which made the sight unintentionally hilarious.
“Don’t underestimate him. He’s not called the Virtue King for nothing later on.”
“...I know that. He’s a monster in a different sense from the Sword Dragon.”
There it was with the Sword Dragon again. I ruffled Han Yeoreum’s hair.
“That Sword Dragon? I just beat him.”
“...Then Cheon Hayeon.”
Cute. I nodded.
Hu Deok-hun’s physique wasn’t simply the result of overeating. He was born with the Divine Strong Limbs physique and pursued the realm of Fleshly Armor through the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. Right now everyone saw him as a joke, but the moment he mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, he would become a monster capable of blocking even strong energy with his bare body.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
When two giants collided and slammed their bodies together, the sparring platform looked ridiculously small.
“Hwang Bo-gwang seems to have the advantage for now, right?”
Han Yeoreum’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. As expected, there wasn’t a single person who disliked watching fights.
“Maybe.”
For now, Hwang Bo-gwang looked like he had the upper hand, but he wasn’t actually landing any meaningful damage. He was dodging the slow, heavy attacks and landing flashy fist strikes, but Hu Deok-hun’s expression remained perfectly calm even as he took the hits.
Since the use of fist energy was forbidden, the means to inflict real damage were too limited. In the end, after the two bears brawled for quite a while, the match ended in a draw due to the time limit.
The spars continued. Cheon Hayeon faced off against Dang Soso. Cheon Hayeon blocked every attack with the ease of someone teaching a lesson. Whether it was hidden weapons or anything else, nothing could pierce through Cheon Hayeon’s sleeve. Poison was forbidden, but even if it hadn’t been, the result probably wouldn’t have changed much. Dang Soso eventually surrendered after watching Cheon Hayeon casually swat away every technique she tried.
“...She’s seriously strong.”
Han Yeoreum watched with her mouth open in awe.
There were other notable matches too. Namgung Cheol and Paeng Ho-young both knocked each other out at the same time, resulting in a draw. Seomun Yerin unleashed terrifyingly sharp sword forms. Quite a few flashy and intense bouts took place.
“It’s my turn now.”
After watching the spars in a daze, Han Yeoreum’s turn finally came. She slowly stood up from her seat. Her expression... didn’t look good at all.
“....”
She was nervous. Thanks to my Conscience on Vacation trait, I had been able to step into the spar without much thought, but Han Yeoreum’s tension was blatantly obvious.
I gently pinched her side. The soft, squishy sensation was strangely addictive.
“Kyaa...! What the heck!”
“Relax. Don’t push yourself. It’s not like today is your only chance.”
“...Yessir.”
She seemed a little more at ease now. Han Yeoreum walked briskly up onto the sparring platform. Compared to the already huge Hwang Bo-ryun, she looked almost like David facing Goliath.
“Hmm... To think my opponent would be such a small young lady.”
Hwang Bo-ryun scratched his head with a hand the size of a pot lid.
“...I don’t think I’m that small.”
Han Yeoreum pouted.
After a few words, the spar began immediately.
Boooom—!
The moment it started, a massive explosion rang out. Along with a circular shockwave, Hwang Bo-ryun’s massive body was sent flying all the way to the edge of the platform. It was a one-hit knockout.
Everyone jumped up from their seats. Han Yeoreum stared blankly at her own hand for a moment, then looked over at me and gave a bright, bashful smile.
...Just what the hell did she do?