You Feel It Too

"That's useless! It's been sliced up so much it won't be worth a copper. Only clean, intact pelts have any value."

Upon hearing the explanation, Bukjin instinctively glared at the other three students with murderous eyes. 'My pelts! My money! It's all ruined because of these three idiots!'

"Hey, A-kwang! What are you just standing there for? Get moving and lure some more wolves over here!"

Bukjin punctuated his command with a sharp kick to the Ghost Rat leader, who was huffing and puffing off to the side. The Ghost Rat leader flew through the air in a beautiful arc, landing right back toward the Ice Wolves' habitat.

"Senior, why did you name that Ghost Rat 'A-kwang' anyway?" Baek Geum-un asked curiously.

Bukjin snapped his head toward her, eyes bulging. "Why do you have so many questions? It's always 'why, why, why!' Don't you ever get tired of it?"

In the end, Bukjin gave her no answer. In truth, the name A-kwang was the nickname of his favorite professional gamer back on Earth. There had been a top-laner in a pro league whose ID was 'Mice,' and his fans had affectionately dubbed him 'A-kwang.' Naturally, 'Mice' meant rat, which was why Bukjin had bestowed the name upon the Ghost Rat leader.

However, he couldn't exactly explain that to anyone else. It would be tantamount to bragging about being a transmigrator, and Bukjin had zero desire to be dragged to a temple and burned at the stake as a heretic.

Just then, a cloud of dust began to billow in the distance.

"Squeak! Squeak-squeak!"

The Ghost Rat leader, A-kwang, was sprinting back toward them, screaming at the top of his lungs. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as his short legs blurred in a desperate dash, a pack of Ice Wolves hot on his heels. Every time the wolves launched blades of ice at him, A-kwang used his Earth Tunneling technique to dive into the ground and pop back up, repeating the process as he fled.

This time, A-kwang had lured ten Ice Wolves.

Bukjin's eyes lit up like a man who had just stumbled upon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a massive sack of gold. Han Bul-bu, Baek Geum-un, and Ak Hong-hyang all moved to follow him into the fray.

"Wait! Stop right there! Don't you dare follow me!" Bukjin bellowed.

He looked for all the world like a greedy child refusing to share his candy.

Whish! Swish! Zip!

Bukjin activated Twin Flight of the Condor and Flying Rain Amidst Clouds, weaving through the pack of Ice Wolves with fluid grace while loosing silver arrows. The two wolves leading the charge were instantly taken down, arrows piercing through their eyes. Another wolf behind them opened its maw to fire an ice blade, only to have a silver arrow fly straight down its throat; the sudden surge of mana caused its power to go haywire, freezing the beast solid from the inside out.

Facing ten Ice Wolves at once, Bukjin was taking them down with surgical precision to minimize damage to the pelts. However, this level of finesse required a massive expenditure of Mystic Energy.

"Time for a little self-care!"

Bukjin shouted as he manifested Water Rings over his body.

In the blink of an eye, numerous rings of blue light shimmered across Bukjin's frame. His energy restored, he used his silver arrows to finish off the remaining wolves, leaving their pelts pristine and undamaged.

"He's... he's so strong..."

A look of sheer amazement crossed Ak Hong-hyang's face as she watched the battle. The martial prowess Bukjin was displaying now was on an entirely different level compared to what he had shown during the Academic & Martial Arts Competition just a short while ago. He seemed several times stronger than he was then.

His rate of growth was simply too fast.

Han Bul-bu's heart also raced as he watched. As one of the geniuses of the 3rd Academy's third-year class, he had already mentally accepted that his junior was far stronger than him. But this level of strength was difficult to even comprehend. Hunting ten Ice Wolves without leaving a single scratch on them was not something a junior academy student should be capable of. At this rate, Bukjin could graduate immediately without any issues.

Among the students present, only Baek Geum-un remained relatively calm. She had already witnessed Bukjin's true capabilities during the Sword Promise.

Suddenly, the unexpected happened.

About a dozen figures burst from the distant shrubbery, charging toward the Ice Wolf carcasses scattered on the ground. They were adventurers who had come to Bukhwang Mountain—vultures looking to snatch the spoils of Bukjin's hunt.

This was a common occurrence on Bukhwang Mountain. Many adventurers would wait in the shadows until a party had exhausted their Mystic Energy and strength to secure a kill, then swoop in to steal the loot. Even more chilling was the fact that some of the more ruthless ones wouldn't stop at theft; they would kill the hunters to ensure there were no witnesses.

"Hahaha! Finders keepers!"

A massive man in leather armor shouted provocatively at Bukjin's group, his long hair fluttering in the wind.

'Son of a...!'

Bukjin's temper flared. But before he could act, Ban Oe-min made his move. His silhouette blurred as he vanished from his spot.

Thump! Crack! Bam!

Ban Oe-min's strikes were so fast they were nearly invisible to the naked eye. In the next heartbeat, the adventurers who had tried to claim the Ice Wolves were sent flying, crashing violently into the ground. They coughed up blood, groaning in agony.

"Get lost," Ban Oe-min said, his expression as cold as if he were looking at spoiled ingredients. "Or die."

A thick, suffocating killing intent radiated from him.

"He's a master!"

"Run for it!"

The adventurers scrambled away even faster than they had appeared. As seasoned veterans of the wilderness, they knew better than to linger once they realized the sheer gap in power.

"Where the hell did those guys come from?" Bukjin asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"They're rogue adventurers," Ak Hong-hyang explained. "In public trial grounds like Bukhwang Mountain, you'll find these parasitic drifters alongside the regular mercenaries and merchant guards. They wander the wilderness, surviving by looting and murdering others. They'd rather hide in the dark and wait for an opening than face anyone in a fair fight."

It seemed Ak Hong-hyang had been paying close attention during her lectures.

'I see. So they're basically the Somali pirates of this world...' Bukjin understood immediately.

This time, the scavengers had picked the wrong target. Not only was Ban Oe-min a powerhouse, but Cho Heun was also a master among masters.

"We'll have to be more careful from now on," Ban Oe-min said with a grim face. "Let's clean up the battlefield and move out. If we become a target for a large band of rogue adventurers, it'll become a real headache."

Hearing this, Bukjin moved quickly to secure his loot.

"A-kwang! Get over here and help me."

Bukjin called out to the Ghost Rat leader, who was currently lying on his back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with his tongue out, pretending to be dead. Since he had a slave, he might as well put him to work. A-kwang slunk over with a reluctant expression, but the rat actually possessed an incredible talent for skinning and extracting mana cores.

His claws were as sharp as well-honed daggers, allowing him to peel back the hides with ease. Bukjin simply sat back and watched as A-kwang sweated through the labor of processing the Ice Wolf carcasses.

"That Ghost Rat's intelligence is no joke," Ban Oe-min remarked, turning to Cho Heun.

Cho Heun stroked his chin and nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Even for an alpha-class magical beast, the most they can usually manage is basic communication. But the way that rat interacts with Bukjin... it's as if there's no barrier at all. He understands human speech perfectly. He might be a very rare mutation—a creature born with talents that far exceed his species' natural limits."

"What other talents do you think A-kwang has, Dean Cho?" Ban Oe-min asked.

Cho Heun shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. Let's keep observing."

"It seems like anything ordinary becomes extraordinary the moment it gets involved with Im Bukjin," Ban Oe-min muttered to himself.

Cho Heun glanced at him, as if he had been thinking the exact same thing. "So, you feel it too."

A short while later, the battlefield was cleared. Bukjin inspected his haul.

'Not bad at all! If I ever run low on cash, I should just come to Bukhwang Mountain and hunt beasts.' Bukjin began formulating a small business plan in his head.

Under Ban Oe-min's urging, Bukjin reluctantly left the Ice Wolf habitat behind. Over the next three days, the students traversed various sectors of Bukhwang Mountain under Ban Oe-min's guidance, engaging in non-stop combat with different types of magical beasts. Their combat experience and resolve grew at an explosive rate.

Hunting beasts was a bloody, visceral affair. Consequently, the students' fighting spirit soared. This kind of growth couldn't be measured by simple numbers or cultivation ranks, but it would have a profound impact on their future combat effectiveness. Han Bul-bu, Baek Geum-un, and Ak Hong-hyang could feel their prowess sharpening with each passing day. Their understanding of combat had increased several times over.

As for Bukjin...

The proud representative and hope of the 3rd Academy was busy hunting beasts with maximum efficiency, skinning them in record time, and hoarding mana cores. Despite the repetitive nature of the work, the smile never left his face, and he seemed to feel no fatigue whatsoever.

A-kwang's performance was equally impressive. The once-mighty 'Emperor of the Bukhwang Mountain Ghost Rats' had been fully reduced to Bukjin's subordinate, perfecting the art of skinning hides and deboning carcasses. Even Ban Oe-min, a skilled cook in his own right, couldn't help but marvel at the rat's technique.

With A-kwang by his side, Bukjin was reaping a massive harvest. However, as time passed, a shadow of irritation began to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cloud the faces of Ban Oe-min and Cho Heun. The frequency of their encounters with rogue adventurers was steadily increasing. These scavengers were tailing the group relentlessly, and some were even bold enough to attempt open robbery.

Though Ban Oe-min repelled them quickly, the caliber of the rogue adventurers was rising. Based on his experience, Ban Oe-min knew they had caught the attention of a major criminal syndicate that held significant power within Bukhwang Mountain.