Chapter 236: Genius (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 236: Genius (2)
While the class was still half-dazed, I led Senior out into the hallway.
Just before leaving, I glanced back to check on their expressions. Fortunately, starting with a few of them, a spark was returning to their eyes. It seemed they were recovering somewhat from the mental shock.
I let out a sigh of relief. Still, it looked like they would need some time to get completely back to their senses.
I quietly closed the door behind me and stepped out fully. Then, I called out to Senior, who was standing by the window sill in the hallway.
“Senior.”
“Yeah?”
She gave an awkward smile. I stared at her intently for a moment before pressing my hand against my forehead. They say you can't spit on a smiling face, and seeing her make an expression like that left me momentarily speechless. Still, I had to say what needed to be said.
I spoke up.
“I was the one who put you in charge of Heaven Class as the instructor. Strictly speaking, you were the one who suggested it first, but since I accepted it, the ultimate responsibility lies with me.”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. A chilly cold seeped into my shoulders. Standing like that, I continued.
“So I didn't want to criticize your teaching style. Honestly, I didn't think I was in a position to lecture you about education. That's why I just let it slide when you made that rather insane statement, ‘Die twenty times a day.’”
I hardened my voice. My tone was about to get much sharper.
“However, I can't stand by if there's an ‘ulterior motive’ under the guise of teaching—even if it's supposed to be part of the lesson. Those kids joined Heaven Class solely based on my word. As the creator of this class, I can't just overlook someone using their trust as a ‘tool.’”
“……”
“I'm not asking you to confess everything you're hiding. To be honest, I don't really care what you're concealing. If I did, I would've interrogated you back when you called me ‘Demon King.’ And well... even if I were truly curious, I wouldn't have bothered taking the time to talk it out like this.”
Sashimi Faster Than Words. I'm a real man who settles things with violence.
“The thing is, no matter how much I think about it, just now it felt like you had a personal agenda. I don't mean that ‘dying twenty times a day’ is the problem—I trust you'll adjust the intensity properly. But pulling my blade on those kids is a different story. As you know, I don't know how to hold back.”
Senior nodded quietly. I pressed on.
“See? Someone who knows that full well made me play the executioner. Which means you acknowledge there was an impure element in just now's lesson.”
I pushed my shoulder off the wall and leaned my face in close.
“So tell me. Senior, what was it that you wanted to confirm in that lesson?”
“……”
Senior looked back at me head-on. Even though it was winter, her eyes held the colors of spring.
Silence descended upon the hallway for a moment. Then, looking defeated, Senior muttered softly.
“Geomma, when did you get so good at reading people's minds? You had zero empathy back in the first semester. Seriously, the more I get to know you, the more of an unpredictable wildcard you are. I can never pin you down.”
“I wasn't zero-empathy.”
At my words, Senior let out a soft chuckle.
“Then zero tact. Anyway, hearing you say it, it was clearly my fault. I admit it—even if it was a lesson, my personal curiosity slipped in. I made a disgraceful display as an educator.”
The smile vanished completely from her lips. She bowed deeply to me, her waist bending at nearly a right angle.
“I will apologize to the cadets separately later. But before that, I am apologizing to you, the person in charge of Heaven Class.”
“…You didn't have to go that far.”
I scratched my head and eventually nodded.
“Alright, fine.”
Senior slowly straightened up. The eyes are the window to the soul, and looking into those mint-colored eyes, I could tell it wasn't a lie to smooth things over.
“So.”
Shaking off the lingering awkwardness, I asked her. I wanted to bring this conversation to a close.
“What was it you were trying to find out through that lesson?”
“Hmm……”
Senior showed signs of hesitation for a moment, her eyes rolling as if you could hear her gears turning. But soon, as if making up her mind, she opened her mouth.
“Before getting to the main point, Geomma, do you know the difference between a Blessing and Magic?”
“A Blessing reinforces the body, while Magic reprocesses elements with magic power to cast spells.”
“Not that kind of one-dimensional answer.”
Senior shook her head. Then she elaborated.
“In theory, people say a ‘Blessing’ is a god lending power to humans, while ‘Magic’ uses an evil aura. But my view, formed from wandering the Demon Realm for decades, is that this is wrong.”
“……?”
“A ‘Blessing’ is not a god lending power to humans.”
Senior spoke calmly, uttering words that completely overturned common sense.
“It creates a contradiction. If the gods were wiped out during the Mythic Era, how could we borrow divine power? The conclusion I reached is that this power humans use does not belong to the gods.”
“Which means……”
“Yes. I believe a ‘Blessing’ is of the same nature as the ‘Magic’ wielded by demons. The reason we humans cannot manipulate elements like demons do is because someone is forcibly suppressing it. Because of that, humans came to handle magic clumsily, and it degenerated into what we call ‘Blessings.’”
Summarizing Senior's words, a Blessing was merely the dregs of magic. What's more, what humans believed to be the power of God was no different from the power of the hated demons. If this conversation leaked out, it would cause a massive uproar worldwide. And not in a good way.
I asked back.
“…So, are you saying that ‘Blessings’ didn't even exist in the first place?”
“Since what we use has already been established under the name ‘Blessing,’ it's not that it doesn't exist. The core of my argument is simply that it isn't divine power. And my theory still has a few holes. By this logic, the ‘Blessing Awakening’ can't be explained yet. However, starting this year, I think I've begun to grasp what a ‘Blessing’ truly is.”
Suddenly, Senior extended her index finger and poked my lower abdomen. Taken aback, I took a few steps back. She smiled faintly.
“What I wanted to find out through today's Subspace Sparring was the entity you borrow power from. I've seen it a few times, but I felt I would only know for sure if you clashed with Leon, the Hero. And through just now's lesson, I've become somewhat certain.”
Senior uttered her final words.
“Among humans, you are the only one who manifests a ‘Blessing’ in the true sense of the word. Therefore, the only human chosen by God is you, Geomma. Not Leon, the Hero.”
* * *
Meanwhile, inside Heaven Class.
Having recovered his energy to some extent, Weapon rubbed his eyelids firmly. He had just experienced death mere minutes ago.
‘Ugh... just thinking about it...’
As soon as the sparring ended, Weapon had checked his crotch first, worried that he might have wet himself yellow.
Fortunately, no such tragedy had occurred. If he had, he would have been a laughingstock for the rest of his life.
He patted his startled heart and looked around. Though everyone was still wobbly, they seemed to have escaped the quagmire of shock.
Watching them, Weapon inwardly clicked his tongue in wonder. Once again, a sense of awe toward Kang Geomma welled up within him.
‘How on earth did the Chief slaughter all of them single-handedly?’
Heaven Class—a name he himself had coined. True to the meaning of ‘Heaven,’ the lineup was astonishing. Looking at each of them individually, they were talents that appeared maybe once a decade. Beyond extraordinary, they had likely been hailed as geniuses their entire lives. And indeed, they were geniuses.
‘I'm somewhere between ordinary and talented at best.’
Weapon was someone with good self-awareness. However, distinguishing between talented and genius here was utterly meaningless. Before the ridiculously monstrous existence that was Kang Geomma, everyone was equally helpless.
‘I knew we'd lose, of course.’
It was obvious. Kang Geomma was one of the Seven Stars. On top of that, he was the successor to the Sword Emperor, humanity's strongest force. Rumors were rampant that he was far stronger than the Sword Emperor in his prime. And for good reason.
Consider the enemies Kang Geomma had faced: Special-Rank Magical Beasts, demons, and Corps Commanders. He was a superhuman who had slaughtered monsters single-handedly—monsters that chilled one's blood just to imagine. How could anyone defeat a monster who stood Beyond the Heavens? Trying to do so wasn't courage; it was foolish recklessness.
“…Still.”
He thought they could at least leave a shallow scratch. With seven members of the Golden Generation, he believed that much was a reasonable goal. After all, strength lies in numbers, right? But even that was an arrogant delusion.
Putting the result of defeat aside, who would have thought they wouldn't even be able to touch him? Even though the Chief was holding back heavily, all they did was swing blindly at empty air. And moments later, they were disassembled like Lego pieces.
He didn't hate or resent the Chief. Because he was so overwhelmingly powerful, Weapon didn't even feel frustrated. If anything, his respect for him deepened.
‘The Chief's combat power now compared to when he fought the Mermaid and Cow King is like night and day.’
Even so, it was mind-boggling. Kang Geomma was no longer at a level where discussing “humanity's strongest” made sense. His strength had already breached a certain threshold. It was at a level completely comparable to a Corps Commander-class demon.
“Wait, is that even a Blessing in the first place? What kind of Blessing allows someone to handle a sword with such unbelievable skill?”
In Hero society, asking someone about their Blessing was the ultimate taboo. To put it simply, it was like asking for their bank account PIN. The Hero Law explicitly stated: Refrain from disclosing your Blessing to heroes outside your immediate family. Yet, at this point, his curiosity was unbearable.
Was the power the Chief used really a Blessing? It wasn't on the level of merely enhancing physical attributes. Could it be a different power that lay beyond or above a Blessing?
While Weapon was lost in these thoughts, he heard Rachel muttering to herself beside him.
“If I apply Geomma's movements to spear technique... flexibility will seep into the Myura Family's spear technique, which relies solely on brute force...”
Rachel sat motionless like a stone statue, muttering under her breath. Surprised by her unusually serious expression, Weapon felt bewildered. What's gotten into her?
“Concealing my presence to strike from behind was far too obvious in Geomma's eyes. If I had targeted from above or the front instead...”
This time, it was Chloe. She caught her breath softly, reviewing the spar in her mind. And she wasn't the only one.
“The Nibelung Family's swordsmanship was too bound by tradition. In contrast, Kang Geomma's swordsmanship utilizes his body so freely...”
Abel was the same. She chewed over the artistry she had witnessed with her own eyes.
Watching them, Weapon let out a short laugh. He had been foolish to judge them harshly.
They were born with extraordinary talent. And today, they suffered a crushing defeat. Yet, they did not despair. They sought lessons within defeat. They would step over it and expand the horizon of their talent.
Furthermore, they strived to emulate him—even knowing it was a realm impossible to reach through mere effort.
It was precisely because they did not merely look up in awe that they were called geniuses.