Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 74
>Chapter Title: Seniors (3)
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The silence wasn't long.
“…No matter what, that seems a bit exaggerated.”
While some couldn't believe Choi Woong's words.
“Hahaha. Who would've imagined a guy like that slipping in among the juniors!”
Most wore expressions of delight for some reason.
To begin with, since even Mak Ho-yeol—one of the top fighters in their intake—had been defeated, dismissing it as a lie was laughable.
And the reason they were so pleased was simple.
They had all initially clamped their mouths shut out of shock from the stunning news. There was no reason news of a master joining their juniors should be bad for them.
Because.
“He's probably at Black Dragon Hall right now, that youngest young master?”
“Let's go find him!”
“Hahaha! A new sparring partner—somehow, it's exciting!”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a group that revered martial arts, after all.
Barring those who'd cultivated demonic arts with bizarre side effects, most warriors loved to fight. Especially against fellow masters.
They'd already sparred endlessly with each other over the past year, so they were sick of it, but a fresh master was a different story.
As the beaming seniors started charging out, Choi Woong spoke up with a flustered look.
“Y-You're heading there now?”
“Of course!”
“W-Well... I'm not sure the youngest young master will go along with it.”
At Choi Woong's words, they all looked baffled.
“What kind of nonsense is that? A warrior of the Divine Cult dodging a fight!”
“Exactly! From what you and Ho-yeol described, he sounds like a real master. No guy like that turns down a spar!”
Shouting as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, the seniors promptly exited Black Tiger Hall and headed for Black Dragon Hall.
“Hahaha! I've got to cross hands with him again!”
Among them was even Mak Ho-yeol, who'd already lost to Il-mok.
Staring at the empty spots left by the vanished seniors, Choi Woong muttered with a sour expression.
“…The youngest young master is definitely going to hate this.”
From watching him over the past month, Choi Woong had a rough idea. Surprisingly, the youngest young master hated spars.
More precisely, he found them a hassle.
And then, realizing something crucial a beat too late, Choi Woong's face drained of color.
‘Fuck. The seniors won't drag my name into this, will they?’
A pack of seniors swarming in to demand a spar. The youngest young master would probably want to tear his hair out in annoyance.
But if he learned it all stemmed from him?
‘Heavenly Demon. Please watch over this poor lamb.’
Squeezing his eyes shut, Choi Woong offered a prayer to the Heavenly Demon, who was no doubt buried in paperwork at the main headquarters.
* * *
While Choi Woong trembled in mortal terror.
The cadets who'd left Black Tiger Hall crossed the training ground on lightness skills and reached Black Dragon Hall.
Amid the new cadets' bewilderment at the sudden horde of seniors.
“Where's Cadet Il-mok?”
“Come on out, Cadet Il-mok!”
As every senior intake started calling for Il-mok, his classmates all shared the same thought.
‘Why aren't they asking for the youngest young master?’
Right then.
Mak Ho-yeol spotted Il-mok emerging from the bathhouse, fresh from his soak, and shouted.
“It's that junior over there!”
Naturally, every senior's gaze locked onto Il-mok.
Il-mok, just stepping out of the bathhouse, finally noticed them and furrowed his brow.
‘Damn. Sneaky fucks brought their buddies for payback?’
Il-mok figured Mak Ho-yeol had rallied his friends for revenge.
He wasn't scared of a group beating.
‘Shit. I just got clean and refreshed.’
He just hated sweating again.
In the meantime, led by Baek Cheon, the seniors surged toward Il-mok, his classmates parting like the Red Sea.
A few excepted.
“What brings the seniors here?”
“Swarming in like this doesn't look good.”
Stepping up to block the seniors at Il-mok's side were Dokgo Pae and Bang Mi-hwa.
Flustered by her friends' sudden intervention, Ha Yeong belatedly positioned herself beside Bang Mi-hwa.
“As your future maidservant, Young Master, I can't stand by!”
Seeing it as a chance to shine for Il-mok, Joo Seo-yeon had already planted herself in front of him.
And on top of that.
“Huff. Huff.”
Jeong Hyeon—panting raggedly from the crowd—had somehow sidled up near Il-mok.
Though keeping a bit of distance, so “sidled up” might be generous.
In a flash, the air thickened as if a brawl could erupt any second.
The most vicious auras came from the two up front on either side.
“As representative of this intake, I can't let the seniors' bullying slide.”
Baek Cheon sneered at Dokgo Pae—who, despite daily thrashings from Il-mok, still insisted he was the rep.
“As expected of Dokgo Clan blood. A reject like you crowing about being representative.”
Dokgo Pae scowled at the jab and fired back.
“Better a proper bloodline than turning into a mutt.”
“Looks like the junior's itching to die today.”
“You think that scares me?”
With bad blood between the Dokgo and Baek Clans from way back, they radiated kill-or-be-killed vibes, weapons half-drawn.
But the knife-edge tension fizzled out absurdly.
“H-Hey, where're you going!”
Il-mok had already turned tail, heading back to his room.
Park Ki-tae yelled upon spotting it late, drawing all eyes from Dokgo Pae and Baek Cheon to Il-mok.
‘Damn. Busted?’
Clicking his tongue in regret, Il-mok spun back around, annoyance plain on his face.
“Those two's squabble's got nothing to do with me, so I figured I'd head in.”
Mak Ho-yeol boomed a laugh in reply.
“Hahaha! Their squabble's got nothing to do with us either. We came for you, junior.”
“Me?”
“That's right.”
“Purpose?”
“Came 'cause we wanna spar with you, junior.”
“So why me?”
“Hahaha. What a silly question. A new master's shown up—of course you wanna fight!”
Il-mok's face scrunched up on reflex.
‘Why the hell is that “of course,” you psycho cult weirdos.’
The words bubbled up his throat before sinking back down.
Surrounded by lunatics, he—the one sane guy—felt like the freak.
Racking his brain for how to shoo them off, Il-mok hit on a handy excuse.
“Can't do it.”
Mak Ho-yeol yelped, shocked as if refusal was unthinkable.
“Why not!?”
“Private cadet spars rack up penalty points.”
“…Didn't you just spar with me?”
Mak Ho-yeol shot back, dumbfounded, but Il-mok had his excuse locked and loaded.
“That was off the beaten path, just us seniors. But you lot charging in mob-handed, kicking up a fuss? Bound to get caught.”
“…….”
Sounded legit. Kinda.
Everyone froze at Il-mok's iffy logic, at a loss for words.
“So, after tomorrow's duties, let's hit up the instructor together in the afternoon. Anyway.”
With that, Il-mok turned and marched back to his room.
“…….”
“…….”
Purpose vanished, Black Dragon Hall fell quiet.
“Ahem.”
The awkward seniors shuffled off one by one back to Black Tiger Hall.
“I'll settle with you later.”
“Hmph. Anytime.”
Baek Cheon and Dokgo Pae kept sniping at each other the whole time.
* * *
Next day.
A weird tension gripped Demonic Path Academy from morning.
Last night's ruckus. Cadets kept sneaking peeks at Il-mok, hyped for his afternoon senior smackdown.
Amid it, some sidled up to Il-mok—who was half-assing training—and struck up chats.
“Taking on all those seniors solo'll be rough. I'll cover a few for you. That Baek Clan punk especially—slimy as he acts, he's got chops; too much for Young Master. Leave him to me.”
Dokgo Pae, abruptly playing wingman like they were buds.
“Hohum. Not a bad chance to trade blows with seniors myself.”
Bang Mi-hwa, haughtily volunteering to back Il-mok—high on her own gallantry toward her crush.
“Don't sweat it. Got a plan.”
Irked by their hovering, Il-mok brushed them off vaguely.
“Hehe. No need to play coy. We're 'rivals' or whatever, but common enemy's when you team up, right?”
“Yeah, Young Master. No shame needed. I get how you feel.”
“…….”
Il-mok let out an involuntary sigh at the two nutjobs' drivel.
Crossed his mind: Good thing Joo Seo-yeon's in another class, at least.
If she piled on, he'd be possessed by a heart demon on the spot.
Dokgo Pae and Bang Mi-hwa nodded knowingly at Il-mok's sigh.
“Heavy on your mind, huh? Worry not—we're in it together this time.”
“Trust me alone, Young Master.”
“…….”
Il-mok squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Demonic Path Academy. Just bail?’
Vision of Master sword-dancing after him killed the thought cold.
* * *
Duties wrapped.
Fresh from bath as always, Il-mok hit the cafeteria—dozen seniors clustered at the entrance.
“We're already fed. Eat up first.”
“Right. Empty belly hampers your best.”
Seniors' pointless courtesy.
Il-mok thus ate under a dozen stares. Nah, not just them.
Those asshole seniors drew a whole crowd gawking at Il-mok.
Weaklings'd choke, but Il-mok shoveled food, annoyance etched deep.
Meal done, Il-mok rose and exited.
“Then, off to the instructor together.”
With that, he turned toward the instructors' office.
Trailing a dozen seniors—plus extra classmates tagging along—Il-mok reached his goal.
Stepping in, Il-mok's face twisted despite himself.
‘Shit. Why'd it have to be this creep.’
Other instructors MIA, only Instructor Chu Il-hwan left.
Chu Il-hwan grinned impishly at Il-mok's sudden arrival and the seniors piling in behind.
“Hoh. Word is you dig ‘women,’ but turns out guys flock to you more.”
Il-mok got chills all over at the lame joke.
‘Damn. Still hung up on it?’
Reason he avoided this instructor.
Deep sigh, Il-mok thought, ‘No helping it.’
Come this far, no alternatives.
Naturally, Il-mok had zero plans to fight the seniors.
Yesterday's scheme wasn't some one-night dodge.
Sighing Il-mok fixed Instructor Chu Il-hwan with a grave look.
The instructor's smirk widened at the stare.
‘Heh heh heh. Showtime.’
Sticking close as instructor, he'd caught wind of the rumors.
Il-mok here to spar that mob of seniors.
As instructor and seniors' expectant gazes zeroed in, envisioning the clashes ahead.
Il-mok rolled out his scheme.
Il-mok. Why he'd dragged the seniors to an instructor.
“Instructor. Seniors keep barging in since last night, disrupting my training and harassing me.”
To report school bullying.