Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Surpassing the First Wall (4)
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The first time Geum Sihyeon had come crashing headfirst into the wall.
Seo Dohee had sneered outwardly, but inwardly, a flicker of pity had welled up.
He clearly seemed to have gained some enlightenment somewhere, as his demeanor had completely transformed—even his attitude.
But this pitiful disciple, who had never once taken down even a single person on his own terms.
No matter how brilliant his aptitude and talent, could he so easily glimpse the Peak realm?
They dressed it up with grand terms like martial arts or martial studies.
But at its core, it was nothing more than deadly techniques built upon a foundation of blood.
If one had never stained a weapon with blood even once, they could never comprehend its weight.
Only by stepping forward upon that heaviness could one truly be called a martial artist.
That was why Seo Dohee had indirectly likened it to a flower in a greenhouse, hoping he wouldn't be so hasty.
Of course, she wasn't sure if he'd fully grasped it.
The second time Geum Sihyeon came to her.
She had resolved to explain it more gently and kindly this time.
"I want to spar with an assassin."
"What nonsense is that?"
After playing with Silver Wolf, had his intelligence regressed to that of a wolf too?
At the sight of her disciple barking so dramatically, Seo Dohee felt a slight dizzy spell.
And what followed was even more absurd.
"...So, to sum up, if I go outside the academy and get ambushed by an assassin, and it gets dangerous, you'll come save me?"
"Exactly... Ack!"
Seo Dohee couldn't hold back her loving discipline.
First, she smacked him upside the head.
"...Didn't I tell you last time? Gold Branch Lord—your father personally asked me to take care of you."
It was thanks to the Gold Branch Lord's support that the Green Forest Bandits, a ragtag group of human scum who lived by slaughtering people, had established themselves as a legitimate business entity.
Of course, her own beatings were justified training.
But how could she expose him to a situation that might actually put him in danger?
However.
The moment she saw the coded photo on the smartphone her disciple showed her, Seo Dohee's resolve wavered slightly.
It was unmistakably a trace of the Azure Heaven Society.
Those who viewed the Green Forest's rehabilitation as a thorn in their side, secretly inciting malcontents from behind to force discord no matter what.
They had been at a loss, unable to catch even a tail.
Who would have thought the connection would appear here.
Seo Dohee twisted her train of thought.
She had originally planned to give him real combat experience around midterms.
Wasn't this essentially just moving it up a bit?
Besides.
Even after just these couple of weeks watching him—
Looking into those eyes brimming with the stubbornness he'd clearly inherited from the Gold Branch Lord.
If she didn't step in, he looked ready to charge out on his own.
"...I'll save you right before you die, so keep that in mind."
If he was already aware of the ambush coming.
Given the nature of assassin martial arts, its power would be cut by more than half, so he wouldn't be in that much danger.
Thus, Seo Dohee reluctantly gave her permission.
And then.
"...? Why the armor?"
"Do martial artists not bleed when they get cut by a sword?"
"What kind of... Sigh, fine. Do as you like...."
Seeing that tenacious look, determined not to suffer even the tiniest loss—truly... Ugh, never mind.
Seo Dohee swallowed the words she couldn't bring herself to say aloud.
I knew a suspicious man was tailing me because my master kept tipping me off via voice transmission.
So I planned to dodge with a whoosh!, twist his wrist and ankle, subdue him in an instant, then follow up with a 108-step combo to finish him off.
Good thing I'd worn armor as insurance.
I'm a genius, after all.
"This is a bulletproof vest, you assassin bastard—!"
Keeping my cool, I drew my sword.
The opponent, realizing his ambush had failed, grimaced, dropped his dagger, and swiftly pulled a new weapon from his bosom.
A glove fitted with five sharp blades.
Iron Claws.
Whoa! You know the Mountain Soul Iron Claws!
The craftsmanship looked so shoddy at first glance that I couldn't help but snicker.
But the assassin, who had pulled back a bit.
As soon as he swung his claws through the air, blood-red lines etched into the void and materialized, charging straight at me.
Shit.
An assassin at the Peak realm?
Early access is bullshit!
You early-access asshole!
A bit of cold sweat trickled down, but with superhuman mental fortitude, I kept a poker face and glanced toward where my master had been.
Master Chicken was gone without a trace, like a bird or a mouse.
Sensing my gaze perhaps.
The assassin glanced at where Master Chicken had been, clicked his tongue.
"Gotta finish this quick."
"Gonna kill yourself or something?"
The assassin's brow furrowed slightly.
Instead of a retort, he pettily launched his claw qi.
Its density was clearly far superior to the lazy sword qi still clinging sluggishly to my blade, refusing to leave.
Rather than blocking, I chose to deflect.
As if he'd anticipated it, the assassin closed over ten paces in a single bound, surging forward.
I reflexively retreated, evading the initial strike.
But for an assassin, his internal energy was surprisingly deep; the claw qi curved bizarrely, raking across my chest.
The metal armor dented slightly, pressure bearing down on my body.
...Not getting hurt is nice and all.
But it's bulkier than I thought.
Hard to move properly now, and it felt cumbersome.
I could kind of understand why martial artists ditched perfectly good armor to fight with fluttering robes.
I'll ditch it when I get an opening, I resolved, thrusting sharply at his wrist.
Whoosh—
I thought it was perfectly timed.
But the assassin, as if expecting my attack, deflected it effortlessly and counterattacked.
Right, front, left.
Three streams of claw qi poured out simultaneously, pressing me.
No feints.
Aiming for a quick decisive battle, he seemed to have packed his qi thick and dense into every blast. Focusing my mind, I concentrated.
I couldn't dodge them all.
Lowering my stance to evade the shoulder strike.
I channeled Blazing Shadow true qi with all my might to parry the two incoming streams at once.
Screeech—!
With a horrific screech like nails on a chalkboard, the deflected attack curved and grazed my shoulder.
"Tch."
Fortunately, no damage to my meridians.
But the stinging sensation meant I'd taken a proper hit.
Good thing Master had pre-tenderized him with a few stabs.
If it were my first injury, I'd have panicked hard.
"Thought blocking the ambush meant you'd win?"
The assassin didn't press immediately; instead, he circled, maintaining distance.
What?
Hinting at something?
I glanced at my still-stinging shoulder.
"Hm...."
Sometime when I wasn't looking, a dagger had sunk deep into it.
The assassin grinned wickedly.
"You noticed. You're dead anyway. That blade's coated in Seven Treasure Poison."
"Seven Treasure Poison...!"
What the hell is that.
Best to at least react properly.
:: Want me to help? ::
Master Chicken's voice drifted in from somewhere.
She wasn't just spectating carefree, a hint of anxiety seeped through.
I nearly smiled at that warmth, unbidden.
But it wouldn't change anything.
I shook my head to signal no.
Grimacing, feigning ragged breaths, I made my sword-gripping right hand tremble as much as possible, slowly watching for an opening.
Judging me neutralized perhaps.
The assassin, who had been prancing around from afar like a fool, slowly closed in.
"Not into mutilating corpses, but the client requested it."
Eyes locked on the assassin casually removing the Iron Claws from his right hand, twirling a dagger as he approached.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Gauging the distance.
I bent my knees, using the thrust to drive my sword straight forward powerfully.
"Countless fools have tried mutual destruction. With your right arm intact? Laughable."
True to his professional killer instincts, he read my move, deflecting my sword between his armpit.
Undeterred, I fiercely poured qi into the blade.
Roar!
Flames burst from the sword instantly.
"Cheap trick!"
Reading the flicker of bewilderment in the assassin's eyes, I released the sword and slammed my elbow into his gut.
I felt another dagger piercing my body, but it missed vitals—no big deal.
Slap on some salve and sleep it off later.
My recovery had already transcended humanity.
The flustered assassin buckled his knee into my gut.
Seizing the moment, I channeled qi into the armor as if reinforcing it.
Clang—!
At the first look of dismay on the assassin's face, I smirked triumphantly.
"What, assassin brains empty-headed?"
"You little shit...!"
Ouch.
That stung, huh?
Seizing the instant, I yanked the dagger from my side with my left hand and swung.
Slash!
A crisp sound, and I neatly severed the wrist I'd been targeting.
"Argh!"
I kicked the groaning bastard back to create distance.
But.
"I'll kill you—!"
Losing reason, he flailed his remaining hand, spewing claw qi relentlessly.
As if he'd popped some drug.
Blood-red lines spiderwebbed from all directions, density increasing to bind me.
But.
That process became vividly clear to my eyes, my senses.
True to social scum, his turbid qi overflowed from his dantian, filling the Ten Declaring Points clearly.
Imbued with pure intent to kill me, it flowed along the Iron Claws without dispersing into nature, maintaining form.
Yes.
That is your intent.
Sneering at the assassin painting the air to ensure my death.
"Seven steps in, and time's already dragging?"
"—!"
Because of scum like you, I installed cheat mode.
"And I'm left-handed."
The dagger I'd gripped tight till now, soaked in my blood.
I swung it lightly forward.
A fiery bird with wings spread tore through the web effortlessly, ripping off the assassin's remaining arm.
The recoil of overexerting qi shook my qi and blood violently.
But stronger than that, an intense enlightenment wrapped my mind—a gut feeling I could now grasp what eluded me before.
At some point, she'd appeared.
After taking in Master's face blocking the assassin's suicide bite.
I sat cross-legged.
She'd handle cleanup.
How long had I been lost in that trance?
I wrinkled my nose at the acrid stench assaulting it and opened my eyes.
The sun, high in the midday sky moments ago, now dipped low, casting twilight.
Despite being a big city, an eerie silence blanketed the surroundings.
My keenly honed senses tingled, informing me a vast barrier centered on me shrouded the area.
"Shedding bones and exchanging marrow at your age... Talent like yours is rare. Good work anyway."
Rising at my master's voice from a short distance away.
Shedding bones and exchanging marrow.
Finally, this body.
Had stepped into the Peak realm?
My body felt incredibly light, and the stabbed spots from earlier didn't even ache.
Comes with a full HP restore, huh.
I turned toward her voice.
Master, in ornate robes accentuating her chest.
Held out shabby clothes, head slightly turned.
"Put some clothes on first."
At her words, I looked down at myself.
The robe mended stitch by stitch by the master tailor, the armor scavenged from the family warehouse—both gone.
My body, reverted to its primal state, and the profoundly natural, physiological morning wood of a man after deep sleep asserted a massive, towering presence.
"...."
Avoiding Master's face as best I could, I snatched the offered clothes.