Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 109
>Chapter Title: Predestined Affinity (4)
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Chu Il-hwan calmed the rampaging Black Thunder Dragon and said with a smile, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Even though if things continue like this, you could drop to the Yi class?"
Even as he asked, Chu Il-hwan felt something oddly off.
Under normal circumstances, Dokgo Pae dropping to the Yi class would never happen.
Even now, excluding Il-mok, he was the strongest among his peers.
The problem was that his strength lay solely in martial arts.
'If it weren't for the youngest young master, he'd be competing with Bang Mi-hwa for top spot in the rankings.'
Bang Mi-hwa, who lagged two levels behind Dokgo Pae in martial prowess but achieved well-rounded results. And Dokgo Pae, who devoted himself entirely to martial arts.
Without Il-mok, they probably would have built a healthy rivalry, pushing each other.
But Il-mok, the ecosystem destroyer, was the issue.
Unlike Bang Mi-hwa, who used every trick to avoid direct confrontations with Il-mok and still scored points, Dokgo Pae charged head-on every time and got smashed.
As a result, his scores kept plummeting. He always failed so pathetically that even his superior skills couldn't earn good marks.
Yet despite Chu Il-hwan's pity and patience in asking, Dokgo Pae's answer remained steadfast.
"As warriors of the Divine Cult, shouldn't we naturally seek answers through force?"
"...I understand your intent, so leave now."
Realizing he had no more advice to give, Chu Il-hwan could only issue the order to leave.
Continuing to talk with this fool would see him charged with murdering an academy student before he could even catch any miscreants, bringing dishonor upon himself before the academy lord.
* * *
How long had it been since he lounged lazily in one corner of the training ground?
Dokgo Pae emerged from the hall after his meeting with Instructor Chu Il-hwan.
And for some reason, Dokgo Pae was glaring at him murderously.
'Why are his eyes rolling again?'
Yesterday's events suddenly flashed in his mind.
The sight of Dokgo Pae charging with eyes rolled back the moment the exam began.
Even then, goosebumps had erupted all over his body, and he'd swung his sword wildly to subdue Dokgo Pae.
Recalling what happened with Mak Ho-yeol, he hadn't bothered to beat or torment him.
He had a feeling this madman was a masochist like Mak Ho-yeol, grinning and splitting open with every hit.
Believing it best not to associate with perverts, he'd deliberately ignored him.
'His stare's gonna bore a hole through my face. Damn it.'
Throughout the remaining training time, Dokgo Pae stared holes into his face.
And that afternoon.
After training ended and he'd finished bathing, on the way to the dining hall.
"Young Master Il-mok!"
The pervert finally caught up to him.
Not bothering to mask his expression, he looked at him like a bug, but Dokgo Pae didn't care about his face at all.
"Give me one more chance."
"...What chance?"
He'd never given this guy any chance before?
"Like you did for Brother Mak, give me your guidance."
"......"
As expected, he wanted to get utterly wrecked like Mak Ho-yeol.
"I refuse."
He was tempted to thrash him, but hitting someone who enjoyed it would be a reward, not punishment.
The already perverse guy turned even more so as Dokgo Pae said with a serious expression.
"Then, at least tell me this one thing. How can I become as strong as you, Young Master?"
An out-of-left-field question. Normally, he'd ignore it, but a useful idea struck him.
"I'll teach you—in exchange for a condition."
"A condition? What is it?"
"Until you graduate from the Demonic Path Academy, unless it's an instructor's order or exam time, don't challenge me to a duel."
This was the perfect chance to shake off this leech for good.
At his condition, Dokgo Pae looked like he was on the verge of demonic deviation as he pondered.
"How could I..."
But only for a moment.
Dokgo Pae made his decision and replied with a serious expression.
"Very well."
Dokgo Pae accepted, but one problem remained.
'But how do I explain it?'
How he'd gotten strong?
'After dealing with all these lunatics, I naturally got stronger...?'
From Master and Jin Ha-yeon, to Jang Hoe's ambush. Baek Cheon's rampage. Chu Il-hwan's assault. Even the senile Peach Blossom Spirit Lord.
Dealing with weirdos had forcibly made him stronger.
But he couldn't tell this guy that straight.
'He's already obsessed with duels—if he hears this, forget the promise, he'll ambush me every damn day.'
After agonizing, he decided to sell snake oil instead of the truth.
"What do you think strength is, Candidate Dokgo?"
At the sudden question, Dokgo Pae's expression turned peculiar.
"Strength is strength—what kind of question is that?"
"So, you think just swinging a sword hard makes you strong?"
"Even as the eldest grandson of the Dokgo family, I don't think only brute force swords define strength. Isn't a higher realm in martial arts what strength is?"
"Why do you think that?"
In this Socratic dialogue, Dokgo Pae tilted his head but answered sincerely.
"Because I believe in our Divine Cult's doctrine. To slay the wicked who torment the masses with martial might, doesn't the strongest ascend to the Cult Leader's position?"
At Dokgo Pae's answer, he inwardly cheered.
He'd expected a fanatic like this to respond exactly that way.
"You're half right. Our Divine Cult's doctrine aims to slay the wicked who torment the masses, not to pursue martial arts themselves. Martial arts are merely tools."
"!!!"
"In our Divine Cult, strength means how well you can slay those wicked. The Cult Leader is the one who slays them best. Thus, the strongest rises to the top."
Dokgo Pae looked enlightened yet confused by his wordplay.
"Th-then, what should I do?"
"Obviously, use your head."
As he tapped his temple, Dokgo Pae asked back.
"You mean use headbutts as a variation?"
"......"
The ignorant response left him speechless, but he barely recovered and replied.
"No. Use your head in how you approach exams."
"If you're truly strong, can't you just solve everything with force without thinking? If you lose, it just means you're lacking."
"Tsk. And you call yourself a member of the Great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? Think of it as real combat, not an exam. You must slay a wicked tormentor of the innocent masses, but if you fail and die thinking, 'Ah, I was just lacking,' is that it? You need to find a way to succeed no matter what."
As he spoke, memories from his past life as a civil servant bubbled up.
- If you're sorry, that's it!? You have to make it work somehow!
- Eating tax money and can't even do this? You thieving bastards.
The shouts of entitled complainers demanding benefits they weren't eligible for echoed in his ears.
While getting reamed by them, superiors pretended not to know, and he had to find solutions within his authority. Upper management had zero intention of taking responsibility.
Looking back now, those entitled complainers weren't pitiful masses—they were the wicked.
As he recalled those dark memories, Dokgo Pae asked with an awkward expression.
"But even for the sake of the masses, how could a Divine Cult warrior stoop to petty tricks...?"
"Even if you refuse to use such methods yourself, Candidate Dokgo, you must use your head to avoid them from others. Forgot how you lost to me in the first exam?"
"Ah!!"
As if suddenly remembering the mid-meal ambush, Dokgo Pae exclaimed.
To drive the point home, he continued.
"Martial arts are the same. From what I've seen, Candidate Dokgo only cares about your own arts and ignores the opponent's."
"If I can swing stronger and faster, won't I win?"
"Tsk. Even if equally strong and fast, between striking where they expect and where they don't—which hits better?"
Understanding, Dokgo Pae nodded seriously.
"I'll say it again: use your head. Even if you won't ambush or feint, train against being ambushed or feinted. Same with martial arts. Observe and analyze opponents' arts, and you'll learn something."
"I'll engrave your guidance deep in my heart."
Dokgo Pae made a fist salute with a solemn face, then turned crisply and headed somewhere.
Watching Dokgo Pae's receding back, he thought.
'I sold him some half-baked medicine, but it'll work out somehow.'
Whether using his head actually strengthens martial arts, he didn't know.
But at least it'd improve exam scores, right? No more charging blindly and failing instantly.
'Take it or leave it.'
As long as the guy stopped bothering him, that was enough. His achievements were none of his business.
Right after Dokgo Pae left.
Il-mok headed to the clearing, thinking.
'So now, the only one to watch out for is Chu Il-hwan?'
It felt subtle.
Mak Ho-yeol and Dokgo Pae were at least weaker than him. He'd avoided them so far just to steer clear of perverts and because drawing his sword recklessly worsened side effects. They weren't threats.
But Chu Il-hwan was different.
'I need to avoid him as much as possible from now on.'
As Il-mok inwardly resolved this.
A black shadow, hidden with stealth arts, watched Il-mok.
* * *
Dokgo Pae, having sought Il-mok's advice, hurried off to find his sworn brother Mak Ho-yeol.
To share the advice Il-mok had given.
"Brother Mak! I just heard some great advice from Young Master Il-mok!"
After getting pummeled by Il-mok, Mak Ho-yeol had realized his shortcomings and immersed himself in training.
He believed challenging again without improving was discourteous.
Since it was about Il-mok, his goal to catch up to, Mak Ho-yeol's interest piqued.
"From Junior Il-mok? Haha! I'm dying to know what it was."
"Young Master Il-mok revealed the secret to strength, Brother Mak."
"Yes! What is it?"
At Mak Ho-yeol's question, Dokgo Pae smirked with one corner of his mouth.
"Young Master Il-mok said: use your head."
At Dokgo Pae's overly brief explanation, Mak Ho-yeol tilted his head.
"You mean use headbutts as a variation?"
Like brother, like brother.