The Night of the Ambush
"Both the teachers and the four students refused the young lady's gifts, and it makes us feel quite uneasy. These are snacks our sisters made ourselves. Please, accept them as a small token of our gratitude," a female swordsman said in a small, shy voice, her face flushing red.
She looked to be at an age where she should have been attending an academy. However, coming from a humble background, she couldn't afford the tuition, and despite her talent, she lacked the means to receive a formal education. Instead, she had joined an adventuring party to carve out a living for herself.
'She’s someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, and surely someone’s beloved, isn't she?'
The look in the young woman's eyes as she watched Bukjin and his group held a hint of envy she couldn't quite hide. Although the North Sea Empire placed great importance on basic education, many young people from the impoverished classes still couldn't access academy training. To them, wearing a school uniform and becoming a student at a public academy was nothing short of a dream.
"Oh? You're giving us something this delicious? Wow! Thank you!" Baek Geum-un's eyes sparkled as she ran forward to accept the snacks.
So-ryeong approached Bukjin, holding a piece of jerky, her face still a bit timid. "O-Oppa. This is for you. It’s tasty. Please take it."
Bukjin decided to tease her a little. "The Oppa over there and the two Unnies helped you too. Why do you keep thanking only me?"
So-ryeong blinked her large eyes, thinking seriously for a moment before answering. "Because... because you're the most handsome, Oppa."
Bukjin stared blankly for a second before bursting into a loud laugh. 'Am I really being won over by this tiny little lady?'
He realized once again that in any situation, it really paid to be good-looking. His vanity thoroughly stroked, Bukjin accepted the jerky with a satisfied expression. "Thanks, little lady."
With Bukjin's group happily accepting the gifts, the female swordsman and So-ryeong returned to their camp, looking content. Soon after, So-ryeong's cheerful cheers could be heard coming from the Fire Rose camp; she seemed genuinely thrilled that they had accepted the presents.
"What a sweet kid," Bukjin muttered, impressed despite himself.
A short while later, a song drifted over from the Fire Rose camp. It was a melody Bukjin had never heard before, but as the clear, pure voice echoed through the night sky, a sense of sorrow and longing filled the air. Bukjin found himself completely entranced by the sound. Music, no matter where one was, had a singular power to move the human heart.
Familiar songs he used to listen to back on Earth flickered through his mind. For a fleeting moment, he felt a pang of homesickness.
"Everyone, get some rest early," Ban Oe-min said, extinguishing the campfire in the center of their camp. "Tomorrow is the final day of special training. If we're lucky, I might take you to see a Thunder Tiger."
The Thunder Tiger was the undisputed overlord of the magical beasts residing in Bukhwang Mountain. Their numbers were few, but their strength was immense. It was said that even experts at the 2nd Grade Martial Master rank would choose to avoid a Thunder Tiger if they encountered one. They possessed incredibly powerful bodies, making them nearly invincible in close-quarters combat. Furthermore, they were born with innate Lightning attribute divine powers, allowing them to unleash attacks of devastating destructive force.
Low-level adventuring parties or merchant caravans could be completely wiped out upon encountering one. Fortunately, Thunder Tigers weren't naturally aggressive; they only hunted when hungry and rarely harmed humans unless provoked first.
"Wouldn't a Thunder Tiger's pelt and Magic Core be incredibly expensive?" Bukjin's eyes practically turned into gold coins.
Cho Heun laughed at his reaction. "Expensive? You bet! A single Thunder Tiger pelt can fetch at least 100 gold coins. And the Magic Core of a fully grown adult is worth 700 gold coins. They're so rare that sometimes people will pay whatever price is asked. But don't even dream about it! With your current skill, trying to take on a Thunder Tiger is suicide. If you don't want to die, don't touch them. If you mess with the master of Bukhwang Mountain, you'll be torn to shreds before you can even scream for help."
Baek Geum-un, Han Bul-bu, and Ak Hong-hyang all burst out laughing. They could easily picture Bukjin, who had spent the last few days hunting magical beasts with a greedy glint in his eyes, trying to figure out how to monetize a tiger.
The four students retreated to their tent to sleep. Han Bul-bu and Baek Geum-un were the first to drift off, but Bukjin found himself tossing and turning, unable to settle.
"Are you thinking about what happened today, Senior Brother Im?" Ak Hong-hyang's low voice drifted from the other side of the tent.
Bukjin shook his head. "Not really... I just feel uneasy, like something is about to happen. Why aren't you sleeping, Junior Sister Ak?"
"I was reflecting on this special training," she replied. "When I calculate my overall growth and what I've gained, I feel like I'm the slowest among the four of us. My strength is the weakest, and my combat senses are the most lacking... I was thinking that I need to work even harder than everyone else."
Ak Hong-hyang was an incredibly diligent student. Of all the girls at the 3rd Academy, Bukjin had the best impression of her. In this unfamiliar world of martial arts, where slaughter and cold-bloodedness were common, everyone seemed to only care about becoming the strongest and reaching the top. But Ak Hong-hyang was different. She lived each day to the fullest and was a person of deep heart and affection.
Bukjin suddenly realized she reminded him of a girl who used to sit next to him back at school on Earth. That girl hadn't been the smartest, but she was always the most hardworking student in the room.
"You will definitely become a great swordsman," Bukjin said with total sincerity. "Because you possess the most important quality a swordsman should have."
The girl who sat next to Bukjin back on Earth had been overlooked by everyone. But in the end, she shocked the entire school by ranking first in the college entrance exams and achieving her dream. Everyone has dreams, but only those who persevere until the end earn the right to seize them.
"I will definitely work hard," Ak Hong-hyang vowed in the darkness, her voice firm.
The two ended their conversation quickly to avoid disturbing the sleeping Han Bul-bu and Baek Geum-un.
Time ticked by. Bukjin eventually fell into a deep sleep without realizing it. He didn't know how much time had passed when a sudden commotion erupted outside. It was followed immediately by Ban Oe-min's shouting.
"Who goes there! Show yourselves!"
BOOM—!
The explosive sound of martial arts powered by Hyeongi echoed through the air. Bukjin bolted upright and dashed out of the tent. "Dean Ban, what's going—"
Before he could finish his sentence—
SWISH—!
An arrow sliced through the air, hurtling directly toward Bukjin. It was moving incredibly fast.
"Watch out!"
Cho Heun's figure appeared before Bukjin with blinding speed, a flick of his sleeve knocking the arrow aside. Bukjin broke into a cold sweat, his heart hammering against his ribs. He realized he hadn't even been able to react to that arrow. If Cho Heun hadn't intervened, he would have been skewered.
Shaking off the shock, Bukjin scanned the surroundings. He saw Ban Oe-min already locked in combat with a mysterious figure dressed in black. The two were engaged in a fierce duel under the night sky, their longswords flashing. The masked assailant was formidable; even Ban Oe-min was struggling to gain the upper hand.
Chaos had also erupted at the Fire Rose camp. Under the cover of the pitch-black night, numerous black-clad figures had crept into their territory like a pack of wolves, beginning a merciless slaughter. Cruel screams rang out incessantly, and the metallic scent of blood stung Bukjin's nose, signaling that people were dying.
"What's happening?"
"Is it an ambush?"
The other three students came rushing out of the tent.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
A storm of arrows rained down from the darkness. The attackers were systematically targeting the students of the 3rd Academy.
CLANG—!
Cho Heun unsheathed his sword. A powerful gale of Sword Qi erupted from his blade, shredding the incoming arrows. However, he didn't charge toward the hidden archers. The situation was too chaotic, and his priority was staying by the students to ensure their safety. If any of the four were injured, it would be a catastrophic loss.
"Aaaagh!"
"Kill them! Kill them all!"
"Hurry! Protect So-ryeong!"
"Sister Mu-hong! Where are you?!"
Screams of all kinds erupted from the Fire Rose camp. Their tents were already ablaze. Bukjin watched as several female swordsmen were struck by arrows and collapsed. There appeared to be at least a hundred attackers.
Baek Geum-un was panicking, her face pale. She had never witnessed such a horrific scene of carnage before.
"We have to go save them!" Han Bul-bu drew his sword.
"Stay where you are! I do not give you permission to move!" Cho Heun commanded in a cold voice.
"But why?!" Baek Geum-un cried out, her heart racing.
Fury burned in Ak Hong-hyang's eyes. "Teacher, please let us help!"
Cho Heun shook his head. "Something is wrong... All of you, stay close to me."
He didn't elaborate on what felt 'wrong,' but his instincts were screaming that something was off about this atmosphere. The ear-piercing screams continued to echo through the night. Under the glow of the burning tents, more female swordsmen fell. Pung Sa-nang was moving like the wind, swinging her longsword, but the number of attackers was simply too great.
Mu-hong, the burly female swordsman, swung her massive greatsword with both hands, cleaving through an intruder before shouting in a rage, "Who the hell are you?! Why are you attacking the Fire Rose?!"
"Stupid bitch. You're all going to die tonight," a grim voice replied.
"Ju-seong?"
Mu-hong whipped her head toward the source of the voice. In that moment, she recognized the man speaking—it was Ju-seong, the coward who had tucked his tail and fled earlier that day.