Practical Training (3)
The hmph that came out of even the arrogant chuunibyou Sword Emperor was enough to show just how impressive the display of power Professor Cheongha had shown us truly was.
“Those plum blossoms… each one of them is made of sword energy, right?”
I asked Cheon Hayeon, who was staring straight ahead with calm, sunken eyes.
“Correct. At minimum, she’s at the level of an elder from one of the major orthodox sects. She could very well become the next head of the Hwasan Sect.”
“That strong?”
At my question, Cheon Hayeon gave a heavy nod.
“Simply coating a sword with energy and materializing it into tangible form before scattering it in every direction are on completely different levels. And if she has even mastered the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique on top of that…”
Cheon Hayeon crossed her arms and suddenly fell into deep thought. She was probably calculating her odds of victory.
…Considering the age difference, the fact that she could even talk about “odds of victory” proved that Cheon Hayeon was a monster in her own right.
“I want to learn that…”
Han Yeoreum muttered, gazing at Professor Cheongha with dreamy eyes. The girl who had been trembling in fear of killing just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
“She’s pretty, though.”
I said, placing my hand on top of Han Yeoreum’s head.
“I don’t like idle chatter. Let me explain this class directly and without embellishment. Each of you will enter an artificially isolated room and fight a monster.”
Professor Cheongha swept her gaze across the group before continuing.
“These are not illusions. They are real, living monsters. There are safety measures in place, but unless the injury is life-threatening, we will not intervene. We’ll move now. Follow me.”
She sheathed the sword she had drawn and turned around. We followed Professor Cheongha deeper into the academy, passing through a forest hidden by tall trees and concrete walls until we reached a deep underground facility.
“Did the academy have a place like this?”
Han Yeoreum tilted her head. This was my first time here too.
Eventually, we arrived at a large waiting area that could hold well over a hundred people.
“I had no idea.”
“So there are things even you don’t know.”
“Obviously. The timing was never right.”
Since Cheon Hayeon could hear us, I whispered close to Han Yeoreum’s ear.
“Everyone, please take your seats. After a brief explanation, we’ll begin sending you in one by one.”
The monster that appeared was a ‘goblin.’ The most common trash mob found in all sorts of gates. Even so, an ordinary human would struggle to face one without a weapon.
Humans without resistance to a monster’s primal killing intent would freeze up completely. Unless you were a martial artist, charging in with cold weapons carried enormous risk. Against goblins, firearms made things simple, but from this point onward, there were plenty of monsters that modern weapons simply couldn’t touch.
That was why martial artists were needed.
Anyway, after Professor Cheongha’s short explanation, the first to go was the chuunibyou Sword Emperor.
“One is too few. Don’t you have anything else? I have no desire to dirty my blade against a mere goblin.”
Kim Yong grumbled at Professor Cheongha.
“Cadet Kim Yong, that’s informal speech. This is your first warning. Please maintain basic courtesy. Also, there is an academic curriculum, so for today, follow my instructions.”
“Understood… ma’am.”
After being openly corrected by Professor Cheongha, Kim Yong headed inside.
“Those waiting, please watch carefully how the other cadets respond.”
A single goblin trapped inside a massive display screen in front appeared. The door in the corner opened, and Kim Yong charged in.
The goblin immediately raised its crude club and warily watched him.
In a flash—
The sword light that shot from Kim Yong’s blade sliced straight through the goblin. From the crown of its head to its crotch, the creature was split cleanly in two. A single strike.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in Kim Yong’s sword. Not even a drop of blood stained the blade.
I had won our last spar, but seeing this made me realize it had been nothing more than luck.
Kim Yong walked back out with a bored expression.
“Well done, Cadet Kim Yong.”
When Professor Cheongha praised him, the corner of Kim Yong’s mouth twitched upward. For a chaebol heir, his personality was surprisingly easy to read.
Honestly, someone who wore his emotions so openly was far better than the sneaky types who plotted in the shadows. That was probably why, even though users called him the chuunibyou Sword Emperor, the in-game NPCs had praised him as a great hero.
It seemed that losing to me had made him stop letting his guard down. …Had I unintentionally given both Cheon Hayeon and Kim Yong room to grow even stronger?
The way he glanced at me before sharply turning his head suggested he had developed some strange sense of rivalry. I hadn’t meant to cause that.
Still, from a future perspective, it wasn’t a bad thing for Kim Yong to become stronger.
“It’s my turn now.”
Han Yeoreum lightly grabbed the hem of my shirt. Since the order was random, she was going before me.
“Do your best.”
I gently stroked her back. I could feel her heartbeat slowly stabilizing. It seemed to be working.
“Yeah.”
She nodded and slowly walked forward.
Her opponent was the same single goblin. Since this was the first class, the goal seemed to be getting the students used to the killing intent monsters emitted and the act of ‘killing’ itself.
Looking purely at skill, none of the cadets gathered here would lose to a mere goblin. However, in real combat, even the slightest hesitation could decide life or death. And most of that hesitation came from an instinctive aversion to killing.
Han Yeoreum calmly stared at the goblin, then moved her lips slightly as she raised her energy. Pure white cold air wrapped around her body before shooting out through her hand in an instant.
The moment the circular wave of energy, infused with the power of the Lesser Demonic Art, struck the goblin—
Red blood and glistening flesh exploded in every direction. Centered on where the goblin had stood, only unrecognizable chunks of meat remained. Some of them were frozen solid due to the extreme cold, adding an even more grotesque touch.
Only now did I understand why such a pure martial art was called a ‘demonic art.’ If it could do that to a goblin, it could do the same to a person.
“…It’s a bit different from what I imagined.”
Han Yeoreum walked over with a bitter expression after finishing. A faint white vapor leaked from her lips.
“In the end, you have to fight those things for survival. There’s no need to feel clumsy sympathy. Just think of them as mobs.”
“I know that, but… I wonder if I’ll ever have to kill a person someday.”
So that’s what she was thinking about.
“…Probably?”
I shrugged. It would be nice if we could just focus on stopping gate erosion, but even in the game, there were plenty of times you had to fight other humans. It wasn’t just massive forces like the Blood Sect. The byproducts that came out of cleared gates were incredibly valuable, so there were more than a few criminals who targeted them.
If you killed your target inside a gate and then closed it, it became the perfect crime. Expecting only human goodwill in a world overflowing with malice was naïve.
When I glanced at the display, Cheon Hayeon had neatly fired a finger wind that punched a massive hole straight through the goblin’s head. So that’s what happened if she didn’t control her power. Her skill really was impressive.
Right after Cheon Hayeon, it was my turn.
Maybe because of my Conscience Out of Office trait, I honestly felt nothing. It really just felt like I was going to hunt game monsters. That didn’t mean I lacked a sense of reality. My mind was simply at peace.
The moment I entered, the dense killing intent that pricked my skin, the drooling saliva, and the goblin’s horrible stench hit me hard. I walked forward without emotion.
For some reason, as I approached, the goblin took a hesitant step back while gripping its club. I took one light step forward.
I suddenly grabbed the trembling goblin’s head and slammed the energy of the Blood Hand Demonic Art into it.
“Kieeeeeeek—!”
A blood-curdling scream echoed inside the sealed room. Along with a bubbling heat, hot blood gushed from the goblin’s entire body. Steam rose as red blood soaked my shoes. The smell of cooked meat and the metallic stench of blood stung my nose.
As expected, I felt no emotion whatsoever. Even though I had deliberately used my own hands, my heart maintained its usual steady rhythm.
‘So this is what it is.’
Only now was I starting to understand the Conscience Out of Office trait. The sensation of crushing the insides of a humanoid goblin was vivid. Of course I thought it was grotesque. It simply had zero effect on my mind.
I shook off my hand and walked back out.
“I’m back.”
“You’re so indifferent. Are you really the Kim Mugong I know?”
Han Yeoreum stared at me with a stiff face.
“I have to get used to it. This is the world we live in. What else can I do?”
I smiled faintly as I stroked her soft hair.
“I guess you’re right.”
Only then did her expression relax. She leaned her head lightly against me.
“Ahem. Excessive displays of affection during class are prohibited.”
A clear voice rang out from behind me. At some point, Professor Cheongha had approached us.
There was a saying: Dark Fragrance Floats. Here, “floats” didn’t mean immovable, but rather drifting. Usually, dark fragrance referred to plum blossoms. And just like the scent of plum blossoms drifting through the air, there was a stealthy and graceful footwork technique in Hwasan.
Dark Fragrance Steps. One of Hwasan’s signature movement techniques. Combined with the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Judging by the purplish energy she used, the mental technique she had learned was the Purple Cloud Divine Art.
At this level, she had truly mastered Hwasan’s highest techniques in one body. No wonder Cheon Hayeon had called her a candidate for the next sect leader.
“Sorry. She’s doing this for the first time, so she was a bit nervous.”
I said, lowering my head slightly.
“It’s understandable for a first real battle. Please be a little more mindful. The other cadets are watching.”
Professor Cheongha gave a soft smile that carried a hint of charm. Then she walked away silently, her steps completely soundless.
Seeing her like this, she really did look like a more mature version of Han Yeoreum, making it even harder to look away.
Noticing my gaze, Han Yeoreum gave me a pouty side-eye and jabbed me in the side with her elbow.
“It’s fascinating. I’d almost believe you if you said she was your long-lost sister.”
“…Actually, the professor was staring at me pretty hard earlier too.”
“Then go ask her if she has a long-lost sister.”
“Bullshit, no.”
Han Yeoreum let out a small laugh. She finally seemed to be back to her usual self.
Not everyone in this world was used to killing. A few cadets were visibly shaking. Most, however, handled it as skillfully as Kim Yong and Cheon Hayeon.
The martial arts they had learned were all different, so there were plenty of things to learn from watching them. And aside from that, it was simply entertaining to watch.
Thanks to that, the morning class passed by quickly. There was one red-haired girl with huge breasts who took quite a while, but even that was only a difference of a few dozen seconds.
The moment she timidly threw a punch, the wind pressure alone sent the goblin flying into the far wall. After seeing the goblin flattened like dried squid jerky, I became certain.
Yeah. She’s definitely the Iron Blood Empress.
In the modern Murim, many factions existed. Looking only at the orthodox side, there was the Murim Alliance that oversaw everything, the Four Divine Houses of Shenzhou centered around Chinese-origin sects, and the Heaven Beyond Heaven that had formed mainly around Korean Murim forces in opposition to them.
Under the Murim Alliance, the Four Divine Houses and Heaven Beyond Heaven were the two largest powers. Of course, the Four Divine Houses weren’t without Korean Murim members, and Heaven Beyond Heaven wasn’t without Chinese martial artists. It was simply that their main tendencies differed based on which side held the core influence.
In any case, each sect prioritized its own interests above all else. This structure extended all the way into the academy itself.
The place that showed this most clearly was, of course, the student council.
A beauty with eye-catching pink hair looked over the footage and opened her mouth.
“This year’s freshmen are full of monsters.”
Vice President Beatrice. She was a woman who, immediately upon graduation, was set to become the next vice leader of the Revered Sword Squad, one of the Murim Alliance’s strongest military forces, which was primarily backed by the Heaven Beyond Heaven faction.
“You haven’t forgotten about righteousness, have you?”
A man wearing a blindingly white martial uniform sat at the desk. With a stiff expression, he clasped both hands together and held them in front of his face.
Student Council President Moyong Seong. He was the one who had been chosen as the next vice leader of the Divine Sword Squad, which was primarily backed by the Four Divine Houses faction. Naturally, they were rivals.
This time, they even shared the commonality of using swords, which only made the sparks fly hotter. Unlike a normal student council, the internal power struggles at Jungwon Martial Arts Academy were quite fierce. They had even agreed on a rule like “The president and vice president must not belong to the same faction.”
“Of course not. But, President?”
Beatrice narrowed her eyes as she looked at Moyong Seong.
“What is it?”
“Could you stop sitting like that? It makes you look like you’re about to order someone to burn at the stake. Or at least take off those glasses.”