How to Use an A-Class Key (6)

My skill, Swordsmanship, is essentially mastery over the sword itself. The year I turned fourteen, I awakened the Swordsmanship skill and officially registered as an Awakened with the Korean Hunter Association. Living with my sister at the time, I never doubted for a second that I would become a hunter. After all, not just anyone could awaken. On top of that, Swordsmanship was famous among countless awakening skills for having virtually no downsides. People often said it was the perfect hexagonal skill.

Many first-class hunters had awakened Swordsmanship. In Korea, a prime example was the Sword Sovereign Han Ho-young, one of the five S-class hunters. He had closed over seven hundred rifts by himself and cleared more than ten A-class rifts. As a child, I used to look at his pictures in magazines and dream of becoming the next Sword Sovereign. At the same time, I felt a strange sense of kinship because I had awakened the same skill.

But on the day I entered the middle school division of the Hunter Academy, that dream shattered into pieces. Overwhelming helplessness. That was the first thing I felt at the academy. To grow stronger as an Awakened, talent mattered far more than effort. An ordinary person mixed in among geniuses hit the wall of reality every single day and despaired.

But now I understand. I finally get how skill leveling actually works.

I thrust the hand holding my sword high into the air. The straight beam of pure white light glowed even brighter. It seemed the Swordsmanship skill I’d activated was somehow enhancing my sword energy. Then I put all my strength into my arm and swung the blade downward in a vertical slash!

It was an awkward, crouched position, but I simply forced it through with raw power. The sword strike shot out with a sharp whoosh, slicing straight through the corpse blocking my path. Light finally poured in through the gap. Having found my escape route, I quickly crawled out through the opening.

The mangled bodies of the mummy warriors that had been wrapped around me in a dome shape flashed past. Finally, I managed to break free from that suffocating space.

“Haa!”

The mummy warriors outside all whipped their heads toward me at once. Their eyes flickered with an eerie blue glow. I leisurely raised my sword toward the tangled, flailing creatures.

White sword energy gathered on my blade once more. When I swung it, the beam of light transformed into a sword strike that tore the entire group apart.

“Hup!”

Whoosh!

The mummy warriors struck by the sword strike were sliced apart in droves. It was a refreshingly powerful attack. Without even realizing I was out of breath, I began slaughtering the mummy warriors with a delighted expression.

“Huff! Huff!”

Whoosh! Swish—

“Uwoooooorgh!”

But the fun didn’t last long. Once I had finally killed every last mummy, I stopped attacking and let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Haaah!”

Exhaustion hit me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a tidal wave. I let my sword hand drop limply and muttered quietly.

“Damn it… so it eats mana.”

The new skill, Sword Strike, seemed to consume a massive amount of mana. I had always looked down on the Magic Power stat, but it looked like I’d have to start investing in it from now on. I wiped the drool running down my chin with my sleeve and tried to steady my hazy mind.

“Hup.”

Unfortunately, there weren’t any worthwhile loot drops from the mummy warriors. This ruin itself was the reward zone, and the mummies were simply guardians protecting the treasure.

Stepping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over the dismembered corpses, I pressed forward. The sticky black blood clung unpleasantly to my feet with a squelch. Following the path the Golden Goblin had taken, I soon discovered a hole leading down to the underground level of the ruin.

“Looks like it went down here.”

Golden powder from the goblin’s skin was scattered thickly around the edges of the hole, so there was no doubt. Still…

I rubbed my forehead and looked around. Everything was spinning. Dizziness was one of the most prominent symptoms of complete mana depletion, but mana exhaustion alone couldn’t be the only cause. I was currently poisoned. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold a sword. I had numerous shallow wounds all over my body. Sadly, I concluded that I couldn’t go any further.

“Too bad. Guess I’ll have to come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back next time.”

I still had the red key in my pocket, after all. Without knowing how vast this ruin was, pushing deeper would be nothing short of suicide. In the end, I had no choice but to turn back, swallowing my regret.

My vision was growing increasingly blurry. I staggered back the way I had come.

“Ugh… I’m wiped out.”

The swimming pool was filled with the sound of splashing water. The female students of Hunter Academy often trained their bodies through swimming. The indoor space echoed with the rhythmic sounds of strokes and kicking. Swimming was one of the most efficient ways for both men and women to build stamina, but the Raven Academy pool was famously off-limits to males. The rule had been put in place six years ago after several male students were caught hiding in the women’s changing room.

That was why no man could be found here no matter how hard you looked. This place was a paradise filled only with the scent of flowers. Whether the female students actually considered it paradise was debatable, though.

Ju Si-eun, who had been swimming energetically, placed her hands on the edge and climbed out of the water. She stood up and roughly dried herself with the towel hanging on a nearby chair.

“Haa, that was exhausting.”

Swimming always left her feeling refreshed. Even though Si-eun had gotten out, many other girls were still splashing around in the pool. Not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only did it build stamina, it relieved stress and helped maintain a slim figure, so the swimming club was incredibly popular among the female students.

“Si-eun, you leaving already?”

At that moment, her best friend Oh Ha-yul’s voice came from below. With her swimming goggles on, she looked utterly adorable, but despite appearances, she possessed professional-level swimming skills. After all, it was Ha-yul who had dragged Si-eun into the swimming club in the first place.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Si-eun realized two whole hours had already passed. She smiled softly and answered.

“Mm, I’ll head out first today. I still have some homework left.”

“Really? Okay~”

With that, Ha-yul dove back into the water like a seal. Once she started swimming, she tended to stay in for a long time. Splash.

While Ha-yul was lost in her swimming trance, Si-eun walked out into the hallway alone. Her wet footsteps echoed as she passed through the winding corridor and headed for the changing room. She soon stood in front of the women’s locker room and opened the door.

Creak.

The quiet, empty changing room. Her damp footsteps led her to cabinet number 77 in the corner. A key with the same number hung from a bracelet on her wrist.

Standing in front of cabinet 77, she first tied her hair back. The moment she tried to insert the key into the lock—

Clunk!

The door opened by itself.

“Kyaa!”

A small scream escaped her. Si-eun’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit. What emerged from the cabinet was none other than a person. And not just any person—a man.

Moreover, it was someone she knew very well.

“Y-Yeonjun…?”

Her face flushed bright red the moment she confirmed his identity.

“Ugh…”

Ha Yeonjun, who had stumbled out of the cabinet, swayed unsteadily before collapsing against Si-eun’s chest. She quickly grabbed him under the arms, looking around in panic, unsure what to do. His weak voice reached her ears.

“Si-eun…”

His voice was trembling for some reason. He clearly wasn’t in a normal state. His body was drenched in sweat, his clothes were torn, and small wounds were visible through the gaps. Ha Yeonjun, cradled in Si-eun’s arms, was breathing with great difficulty. His chest rose and fell heavily.

“Yeonjun? What on earth happened?”

“I… I don’t know either.”

Si-eun quickly tried to assess the situation. How had Ha Yeonjun suddenly popped out of her own locker? None of this made any sense. She didn’t even consider the possibility that he might be a pervert. She was certain there had to be some explanation. After all, Ha Yeonjun was someone a little special to her.

At that moment, the sound of female students’ voices and wet footsteps echoed from the hallway. Someone was coming this way.

“O-oh?”

Si-eun’s face filled with panic. She quickly scanned her surroundings, looking for a place to hide him. She trusted Yeonjun, but if anyone found out a boy was in this women-only pool area, he would definitely be branded a pervert. The harsh punishment that would follow was painfully obvious. That was a future Si-eun did not want.

She looked around frantically, but the sound of the door opening came first. Her shoulders jumped. In the end, her gaze naturally drifted to one particular spot.

I felt a soft, cushiony sensation. A damp yet warm breath brushed against my lips. It felt like I had briefly lost consciousness—maybe a minute? No, probably closer to five.

I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids. In the pitch-black darkness, I heard a small gasp.

“Hup!”

Huh?

Right in front of me, Ju Si-eun turned her head away shyly. The two of us were pressed tightly together inside some cramped, enclosed space, staring into each other’s eyes.