Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 72
>Chapter Title: Senior (1)
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That evening.
After finishing dinner, he crossed the vast central training ground as usual, heading to the secluded spot where Jeong-hyeon would be waiting.
Creaaak.
Accompanied by an unpleasant scraping sound, the closed main gate of the Demonic Path Academy was opening.
Beneath the sky dyed crimson as the sun set.
A group of just over twenty men clad in caped robes could be seen swiftly entering the academy grounds.
'Hmm. Come to think of it, there was talk about that.'
Right after all the interviews that day, Instructor Chu Il-hwan had announced it.
The second-year cadets of the Demonic Path Academy were returning.
The academy's course lasted two years. First-years received various foundational training, while the core of second-year focused on 'field practice.'
They periodically left the academy to join armed units or other organizations, carrying out missions together for half a month to a month.
In other words, the upperclassmen who had gone out for their first field practice around the time I entered were just now returning.
For a moment, he watched the upperclassmen crossing the training ground, wrapped head to toe in their caped robes and exuding a stern aura.
'Well, it has nothing to do with me.'
He turned his head and headed toward the spot where he had been practicing stealth techniques.
Upon arriving, he saw Jeong-hyeon already there, aiming his bow at the empty air.
"You're here early again today."
Deliberately keeping about a zhang's distance out of consideration for him, he greeted Jeong-hyeon, who quickly spun around and bowed his head deeply.
"O-oh, it's been a while, Young Master!"
"...Didn't we take the exam together just yesterday?"
"I-it just felt like it had been a long time, Young Master."
"I-is that so."
Jeong-hyeon seemed even more fidgety than usual, so he deliberately took a step back.
"Hic."
Jeong-hyeon suddenly made a startled face, then boldly took a step forward.
Perhaps because the distance closed again, he started fidgeting even more.
'...Has his fear of people gotten worse? Then why did he follow that step?'
He wondered if his progress in demonic arts had driven him even madder.
If left alone, it seemed like he might fall into demonic deviation, so he came up with a topic to distract Jeong-hyeon's mind.
"Oh, right. Didn't you have an interview today?"
"Y-yes! I, I had an interview with Instructor Eun-ryeo."
"I see. What did she say about the exam?"
At his question, Jeong-hyeon blushed and twisted his body.
"Sh-she said it was good."
He seemed embarrassed about receiving praise from Instructor Eun-ryeo.
"A-and..."
Jeong-hyeon, about to say more, suddenly went pale.
Red, then white. It was quite the spectacle.
'He might really snap at this rate.'
And his prediction was spot on.
The fidgeting Jeong-hyeon, face drained of color, suddenly—not like him at all—jerked his head up, looked him straight in the eye, and shouted.
"Ah, please keep teaming up with me from now on, Young Master!"
"???"
An incomprehensible shout.
He tried to puzzle out its meaning.
"Tch. Doing romance nonsense in the sacred Demonic Path Academy."
An unexpected interrupter popped up from behind.
Turning to see who it was, he spotted a man in a caped robe.
Judging by his attire, he seemed to be one of those upperclassmen who had just returned to the academy.
As their eyes met when he turned, the square-faced, sturdy-looking guy spoke.
"I came to unwind what I realized on this expedition, only to find you juniors doing this romance crap in my training ground. Get lost."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
'What the hell is this lunatic. Just one thing. Do one thing.'
He seemed open-minded, thinking two guys together meant romance, but his words were pure old fogey.
Glancing sideways in bewilderment.
"Hic."
Jeong-hyeon, who had been pale just moments ago, was now turning red—then almost black.
'He got scared by a stranger approaching.'
Pondering what to do for a moment, he lightly clicked his tongue and said to the senior.
"Tch. We were here first using it, so if you want to train that badly, go somewhere else."
The senior suddenly burst into mad laughter.
"Uahaha! Looks like the junior doesn't know his place! Fine! Let's settle it the Divine Cult way."
A sigh escaped him naturally.
'Crazy Demon Cult bastards all think alike.'
Still, having half-expected this, he extended his left hand forward and beckoned.
"Come on."
At his provocation, a sticky smile crept across the senior's lips.
"Fine! Let's see how long you last until I collect my insights!!"
With his shout, the senior unleashed lightness skill and charged straight at him.
But being straight-line, his speed was explosive.
In an instant, the senior closed the distance, and the moment they were within range.
Swaaaa!
He drew his sword from the scabbard at his side, unleashing a fierce iaijutsu toward his flank.
The senior's charge seemed faster than he could retreat, so instead of backing away, he sidestepped to the left.
The drawn sword pursued him.
Clang!
But his own sword, drawn mid-leap to the left with the Soul-Stealing Ready Sword technique, met it.
Swoosh.
Infusing the Flowing Shadow Sword principle to deflect the wild boar senior's blade upward.
'Ho.'
Still, as a year-ahead senior, it didn't yield as easily as Dokgo-pae's sword.
The wild boar kept swinging relentlessly, pressing him.
'Similar lineage to that assistant instructor.'
It reminded him of Assistant Instructor Chu Il-hwan's swordsmanship. Pure speed and aggression.
On top of that, it wasn't like he'd idled at the academy for a year—the transitions and flow of his forms were quite natural.
Definitely a few cuts above Dokgo-pae.
But still just a cadet, lacking compared to an assistant instructor.
'In that case.'
After several evasions using footwork.
Having gauged the wild boar's level and style roughly, he switched tactics.
'End it quick with fire for fire.'
Using Single Soul Flash, which emphasized speed, he unleashed a series of thrusts.
The swift sword and blade traced silver arcs in the air.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as they clashed repeatedly in midair.
After several high-speed collisions.
He was being pushed back bit by bit.
The wild boar's swordplay wasn't just fast—it carried brutal power, numbing his hands with each clash.
"Haat!"
The fully immersed wild boar spotted an opening and swung with full force amid a shout.
Pop.
He swung his sword as if to clash with Single Soul Flash.
But the straight-flying sword twisted like a snake, riding the senior's blade past it, straight for the senior's throat.
Pop.
"It's over."
Using an empty stance at the end, he stopped his sword right at the senior's Adam's apple and declared.
The senior's final swing had been dodged by a hair as he twisted away.
The half-gambling move to end it fast had paid off.
He was confident of victory even in a proper fight, but resorting to this gamble stemmed from the exam's aftermath.
'Phew. Good thing I ended it before the compulsion kicked in.'
To be precise, it was because of the rampage triggered by Bang Mi-hwa.
At least then, limiting to fourteen initial forms meant no realm advancement or severe backlash. Just enough to calm the compulsion and end the sword dance.
But sparring long with this senior—who was an expert compared to peers—risked unwanted insights.
The wild boar, suppressed anticlimactically at the last moment, stared dazedly at the sword at his throat.
"Ah!"
As if sorting his thoughts, he belatedly exclaimed in admiration, then burst into mad laughter.
"Uahaha! I got properly owned by a junior! To think you'd use an empty stance like that!"
He must have replayed the spar in his head during that brief moment.
Of course, none of his business.
"Then be on your way, Senior."
"Kahaha! Of course. The loser has no say. If you say leave, I leave. But before I go, one thing."
Contradictory guy as expected.
Losers shouldn't talk, yet his tongue wagged on.
Whatever he thought, the wild boar senior rattled off what he wanted.
"I apologize for my misunderstanding. Someone with your skills can romance all he wants. Haha! Have fun!"
Before either he or Jeong-hyeon could respond, the senior turned briskly and left.
'What was that? Lunatic?'
In the Demon Cult, lunatic just meant average martial artist.
'Don't overthink. Compulsion incoming.'
Shaking off stray thoughts, he turned back to see Jeong-hyeon's ashen face.
* * *
Watching the senior's back as he came like the wind and left like the wind for a moment.
"Are you alright?"
At Il-mok's question, Jeong-hyeon hiccuped with his ashen face.
"Hic."
Thanks to the senior's nonstop nonsense, he realized his last words were wide open to misinterpretation.
'I-I just meant keep being on the same team...'
After getting advice from Instructor Eun-ryeo, Jeong-hyeon had spent the whole day agonizing and imagining.
What if he ended up on a different team from Il-mok in the exam.
Just imagining it choked him, turning his face white.
That's why he'd begged Il-mok to stay together.
He couldn't handle being on a team with anyone else.
'I-I have to explain quick.'
If misunderstood as a confession, he had to clear it up fast.
Otherwise, his first friend since learning Spirit Bow Divine Art would avoid him.
But the pressure made his already stuck mouth even harder to open, like glued with paste.
As Jeong-hyeon fidgeted helplessly.
Il-mok, who had watched for a bit, scratched his head and said.
"Uh, about what you said earlier."
"N-no, what I meant was, uh, that..."
"You meant keep being on the same team. Right?"
"!?"
Jeong-hyeon's eyes widened round. How did he know?
"Y-yes. That's what I meant, Young Master."
Il-mok nodded once and said with an awkward expression.
"Teams are up to the instructors, so I can't promise for sure. But I'll mention it to them."
"Th-thank you, Young Master!"
Like grass stuck to his lips finally torn free, words now flowed easily from Jeong-hyeon.
The suffocating tightness in his chest and the rampaging bloodflow dizzying his head vanished in an instant.
But why.
Even in the relief, a strange lingering regret tugged at one corner of Jeong-hyeon's heart.