You Must Have a Death Wish
Bukjin stood frozen for a long moment, a dazed expression on his face. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he turned his head to look at Baek Geum-un. She was standing with her arms crossed, a sly, mischievous smirk playing on her lips as she watched him. Their eyes met.
Bukjin forced a smile that looked incredibly innocent and pure.
"Junior Sister, I just had a thought. I think helping you with your swordsmanship practice might actually be quite enjoyable."
"Senior Brother, didn't you just say that practicing with me was beneath you?"
"It's not! Not at all!"
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Fine. Then let's head to the training grounds."
Baek Geum-un began to walk ahead with a light, airy step. Bukjin followed behind her, his face twisted into a deep scowl. It was a bizarre pairing, to say the least. The two of them arrived at the training grounds in short order.
Before they could even begin their practice, a loud commotion erupted from the adjacent training area. Dozens of second and third-year students were gathered in a cluster, shouting and shoving one another.
Is there a fight?
In an academy where martial arts was the primary focus of education, brawls between students were common. However, a disturbance of this scale was rare. Bukjin felt a flicker of interest. He grabbed a sword from a nearby weapon rack, thinking he might have to step in and give these fools a "true lesson."
Just then—
BANG!
A figure was sent flying out from the crowd, skidding across the ground before coming to a stop right in front of Bukjin. It was a student from Class 2-8, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He struggled to push himself up.
"How can you be so cruel?! This is too much!" the student gasped. "You're only bullying Senior Sister Ak because you're jealous that she made it to the finals!"
"Hmph. We just wanted to see what was under that hat. What's the big deal?" a third-year student sneered. "How was Senior Brother Gwan supposed to know the Ak girl's face looked like that?"
"Exactly!"
"It's so hideous! It looks like a centipede crawled across her face!"
"Disgusting!"
"If I knew she was that ugly, I wouldn't have bothered taking the hat off!"
The third-year students erupted into mocking laughter, as if they were merely watching a fire across a river. Baek Geum-un's expression darkened instantly. She glanced at Bukjin and, seeing the look on his face, knew things were about to take a turn for the worse.
Before she could say a word, Bukjin began to walk toward the crowd, his face a mask of cold fury, a heavy, suffocating killing intent radiating from his body.
At the center of the commotion, Ak Hong-hyang reached down and picked up her fallen hat. Slowly and gently, she pulled the black silk veil back over her face. Her expression was calm as she addressed Gwan Bi-do.
"Senior Brother Gwan. Do you have anything else to say?"
Gwan Bi-do looked momentarily uncomfortable. In truth, he really hadn't known that Ak Hong-hyang's face was scarred. He had simply been annoyed that she had reached the finals with Bukjin's help, and her recent habit of always hiding her face behind a veil had rubbed him the wrong way. He had provoked her out of petty jealousy, intending it to be a prank.
But the situation was no longer a joke. Ak Hong-hyang had once possessed an elegant, classic beauty and was one of the most popular girls at the 3rd Academy. Now, the two hideous scars running down the left side of her face gave her a fierce, unsightly appearance that made onlookers recoil.
"I... I really didn't know... This isn't my fault! Why didn't you just tell us what happened to your face?" Gwan Bi-do shouted, his voice rising in defensive anger.
Another student chimed in with a twisted grin. "Maybe she got what she deserved! She didn't have the skill to make the finals anyway. She probably just clung to Im Bukjin's leg to get through. Or who knows? Maybe she crawled into his bed first?"
In that instant—
SLAP!
The student who had just spoken was struck across the face with such force that it sounded like a thunderclap on a clear day. He was sent spiraling through the air. A figure cut through the crowd and appeared at Ak Hong-hyang's side.
It was Bukjin.
"You absolute sons of bitches! I'm not letting a single one of you walk away today!"
His voice was like the roar of an enraged lion. Gwan Bi-do paled, his voice trembling as he recognized the newcomer. "I-Im Bukjin? You're..."
"This is bad! Senior Brother Song is dead!" several third-years screamed.
The student Bukjin had slapped, Song Wu, lay on the ground with half of his face swollen to an impossible size. Most of his teeth had been shattered, leaving only a few jagged stumps. Song Wu coughed up blood, his limbs twitching before he lost consciousness entirely. His condition was critical; his skull had nearly been crushed by the impact.
The faces of every student present turned pale. If someone actually died here, the consequences would be catastrophic. A minor disturbance was rapidly escalating into a major incident.
"Im Bukjin! Are you trying to murder a fellow student?!" Gwan Bi-do shrieked.
"How could you do this to one of your own?! You're a monster! Your hands are too cruel!"
"You should be more worried about yourself," Bukjin said, his eyes locking onto Gwan Bi-do with the sharpness of a blade. "Why did you take off Senior Sister Ak's hat?"
"I... I... I..."
Gwan Bi-do felt a level of pressure he had never experienced in his life. It felt as though a mountain were collapsing onto him, or a massive tidal wave were about to swallow him whole. Beneath that crushing weight, he felt a razor-sharp killing intent aimed directly at his throat, ready to snuff out his life at any moment.
The suffocating aura made it impossible to breathe. Gwan Bi-do gasped for air before his legs gave out, and he collapsed into the dirt.
"Apologize," Bukjin said, enunciating every syllable with deadly precision.
"I... I didn't do it on purpose," Gwan Bi-do stammered, gritting his teeth.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Those were the words Bukjin hated most. As if a casual claim of lack of intent could erase the trauma inflicted and the wrongs committed.
"I won't say it twice," Bukjin growled, glaring down at him. "Get over here, get on your knees, and apologize."
"On my knees?" Gwan Bi-do had managed to regain a sliver of his composure. He let out a cold laugh. "Who do you think you are? You want me to kneel before her? Hah! And what if I refuse?"
"I tried to be nice, but it seems you've chosen the hard way."
Bukjin blurred, utilizing his movement technique to appear instantly in front of Gwan Bi-do.
A movement technique that leaves a lingering scent while crushing the ground beneath the user's feet.
Before Gwan Bi-do could even react, Bukjin's hand was already pressing down on his shoulder. Gwan Bi-do felt an unimaginable weight crushing him.
"What the—"
It felt as if a mountain were bearing down on him. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't resist the force. His legs buckled, and he was forced into a kneeling position.
CRACK!
The sound of bone snapping echoed through the air.
"AAAAAAARGH!" Gwan Bi-do screamed, his handsome face contorting in agony. "My knees! My knees! Im Bukjin, you bastard!"
His kneecaps had shattered under the pressure, forcing him to kneel.
SLAP! SLAP!
Bukjin's hands blurred as he delivered two savage slaps to Gwan Bi-do's face. The bully's head snapped back and forth, his cheeks swelling instantly as he turned deathly pale. Terror now filled his heart.
Gwan Bi-do had heard the rumors of Bukjin's recent exploits, but he had dismissed them, thinking Bukjin was still just a second-year student and nowhere near his level.
How is this trash so strong? How did he get this powerful?
"Oops. I guess I used a little too much strength," Bukjin said casually. "My bad. I didn't do it on purpose."
Gwan Bi-do was paralyzed by fear, yet a surge of rage bubbled beneath the surface. He gasped for air, the pain radiating deep into his jaw. He glared at Bukjin, wanting to scream something, but when he met Bukjin's cold, predatory gaze, the words died in his throat.
The other third-year students stood frozen, paralyzed by shock.
"Go! Get a teacher! Im Bukjin is going to kill him!" someone shouted.
Song Wu, who had been the first to be struck, was still bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth, gasping for air as if his life were slipping away. Baek Geum-un rushed over and pressed on his nose to stem the bleeding, then looked up.
"Someone help him! He's really going to die if we don't do something!"
Bukjin raised a hand and tossed a blue ring of light toward the dying Song Wu.
Healing Ring (Suhwan)
The blue light washed over Song Wu, and moments later, his injuries vanished. His wounds had been purely external, making them easy to mend with a basic healing skill.
"Which crazy bastard just hit me?!" Song Wu roared, jumping to his feet the moment he was healed. He had lost consciousness the instant he was slapped and had no idea what had happened afterward.
SLAP!
Bukjin's hand connected with Song Wu's cheek again, sending him flying once more. Blood sprayed from his nose and mouth. Bukjin immediately cast another *Healing Ring* on him.
"Im Bukjin, you dare—"
Song Wu scrambled up and started cursing again.
SLAP!
Hit. Heal. Hit. Heal.
The surrounding students watched the scene with blank, dazed expressions. Baek Geum-un's eyes sparkled as she crossed her arms, watching the spectacle with growing amusement.
So that's how you're supposed to use healing skills!
It was incredibly cathartic to watch.
"S-Stop! Please, stop!" Song Wu wailed, prostrating himself on the ground. "Senior! Master! I'll call you whatever you want! Just please stop hitting me! I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
Bukjin turned his gaze back to Gwan Bi-do. Gwan Bi-do gritted his teeth and hissed, "Kill me then, if you're so confident. When the teachers get here, they won't let you get away with this."
Hearing those words, Baek Geum-un looked at Gwan Bi-do with genuine pity.
He really must have a death wish.
If Gwan Bi-do had any idea how Bukjin had slaughtered hundreds of vicious adventurers on Bukhwang Mountain, he would have already pissed his pants and been begging for his life.