Chapter 13
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Genius
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There's something all rankers say.
Looking back, I think my starting point was different from the very beginning.
Whether they were the first on the server to discover and clear a dungeon or had a fateful encounter after accidentally falling off a cliff.
They spoke of how, from the very start, they had obtained special strokes of luck that ordinary users would find hard to experience.
They claimed that obtaining a legendary class or a legendary weapon was largely due to such fortunate opportunities.
And there was one experience they all had in common in the beginner village.
I did something called Special Training.
It was the very same special training at the beginner training grounds that Yuhyeon was now doing.
There was only one condition to receive this special training: to be acknowledged by the instructor.
It seemed like a relatively simple condition, but when you looked deeper, it was incredibly tricky.
The conditions varied each time because every village instructor had a different personality and a different past.
One might be acknowledged for demonstrating innate talent or martial prowess, another for helping with a difficult problem, or perhaps for having beliefs that aligned with the instructors.
In other words, it was a condition that couldn't be documented in a guide for the community.
That was why, despite hundreds of millions of users having passed through the training grounds, only a mere ten thousand had ever undertaken the special training.
The difficulty was beyond imagination, you know? But the rewards were just as great.
The special training was characterized by a vertical spike in difficulty with each advancing stage.
In return, a substantial reward awaited.
Whats certain is that the reward from back then allowed me to pull way ahead.
And now, an opportunity for such a steep ascent lay before Yuhyeons eyes.
Thwack!
The crisp sound of a wooden sword echoed through the training grounds.
The sharp sound of the wooden sword striking the scarecrow's head as it cut through the air.
With that sound, the scarecrows form scattered like ash.
Stage 1 Scarecrow has been defeated!
Olsens eyes widened as he watched Yuhyeons strike.
Y-You what in the?
Stage 1 Scarecrow has been defeated!
A familiar notification popped up before Yuhyeons eyes.
I cut it.
The moment the strike landed, the scarecrow disintegrated into ash.
But the intense weight of the wooden sword still lingered in his wrist.
I did it.
The strength of his grip on the wooden sword, the angle of his arms, even the depth of his breatheverything had been perfect.
He had executed the stance he had practiced over 400 times on the scarecrow, without a single mistake.
It was a truly perfect strike. The realization that he had cleared the test with it brought an immense sense of catharsis.
Just as Yuhyeon clenched his fist in great joy.
To defeat it in a single strike
Olsen thought to himself as he stared at the spot where the scarecrow had vanished without a trace.
This test was a high-difficulty training exercise used to cultivate knight apprentices.
Knight apprentices were equivalent to level 30 for outsiders, and even they struggled with this test.
For a beginner-level player like Hwarang to have reached stage 4, he could only be called a genius among geniuses.
Across the entire server, not a single outsider had ever reached stage 5.
That was why Olsen had told Yuhyeon that reaching even stage 2 would show talent.
After all, a truly ordinary outsider wouldn't even be able to pass stage 1.
The moment they fail to land the first attack, the scarecrow unleashes a fierce assault.
The maximum damage of the apprentice wooden sword given to Yuhyeon was exactly equal to the scarecrows health.
If one struck the target point with a perfect stance, it could be defeated in one hit, but that was merely theoretical. If the stance faltered even slightly, it wouldn't inflict maximum damage.
The remaining scarecrow would then begin to counterattack, forcing the outsider into a situation where they had to defend and attack simultaneously.
From that point, the difficulty skyrocketed. Defending and attacking at the same time was not as easy as it sounded.
Therefore, the success of this test was effectively decided by how much damage one could inflict with the first attack.
Most outsiders barely managed to clear it after three or four additional attacks, and even then, they were on the verge of death.
Only Hwarang had managed to clear it with just two attacks.
He had a superior physique that allowed him to lightly dodge the counterattacks, and an innate talent for forming a decent stance even with a sword he had never handled before.
But now, someone had appeared who broke that record.
Even Hwarang, known among the outsiders as a "heaven beyond heaven," had taken two strikes, yet Yuhyeon had defeated it in just one.
And he did it by landing a strike with a flawless stance, delivering maximum damage to the scarecrows head.
Even to my eyes, it was a perfect stance.
To Olsen, who had spent his entire life honing his swordsmanship, Yuhyeons form was perfect.
He had realized the true cut that Olsen had so longed to see.
He had put into practice the power of the fundamentals that Olsen had always emphasized.
Well done. Youve passed stage 1 with flying colors. But stage 2 is even more difficult. Will you still challenge it?
Yes, I will.
Yuhyeon nodded with a serious expression.
His goal had been stage 3 from the start; he had no intention of backing down here.
Snap! Olsen made a crisp sound by flicking his thumb and index finger.
At the same time, a new hologram materialized before Yuhyeon.
This time, its holding a hoe.
The stage 2 scarecrow was holding a long hoe that reached Yuhyeon's shoulder.
Even though it was just standing there, the pressure from its large size and long reach was considerable.
From stage 2, the scarecrow attacks first. It also moves, so be sure to handle it well.
Olsen offered a piece of light advice.
Do not forget that all stances in swordsmanship embody both offense and defense. That is all the advice I will give.
Yes!
Yuhyeon said, gripping his wooden sword.
Then, begin!
At Olsen's command, the scarecrow began to slowly walk toward him.
Grip.
Yuhyeons eyes turned serious as he adjusted his stance.
I need to figure out how that scarecrow moves and what kind of attacks it will use.
Fighting a stationary target and a moving one were worlds apart.
Moreover, the opportunity to strike first, like in stage 1, was gone.
He had heard that most people failed at stage 2. A rash move could get him killed in an instant.
Therefore, he had to calmly read his opponent.
For now, lets watch carefully.
Clomp, clomp. The scarecrow soon entered Yuhyeons range.
It then raised the hoe above its head, preparing to bring it down mercilessly upon him.
A downward slash stance! In that case
The instructor had told him not to forget that all sword stances contained both offense and defense.
That meant the stances he learned today included one to attack and defend against the stage 2 scarecrow.
In that moment, Yuhyeons mind raced.
The answer is an upward slash!
If attack and defense were one, then a downward slash could be countered by an upward slash.
He quickly adjusted his stance and, with an upward slash, deflected the hoe that was falling menacingly toward his head.
Clang!
The tremendous sound of the wooden sword and hoe colliding echoed.
At the same time, Yuhyeons expression grew intensely serious.
Ugh, its so fast! If I had been even a little late, I wouldve been hit.
The scarecrows attack was too fast to follow with the naked eye.
He was lucky he had deflected it with an upward slash without hesitation; a one-second delay and he would have been done for.
The difference from stage 1 is too great.
He instantly understood why most users struggled at stage 2.
It was fortunate that his body reacted before his mind, thanks to repetitive training. Seeing such a brutal attack and blocking it was by no means an easy feat.
But thankfully, he had gained a crucial piece of information from that exchange.
The scarecrows body recoiled significantly.
He noticed that when he parried the hoe with an upward slash, the scarecrows body was thrown back by the impact.
This meant it was momentarily defenseless.
And a scarecrow with an opening was no different from the one in stage 1.
If he could just confirm this theory, he could attack at any time.
Just one more time.
The scarecrow, having righted its posture, once again brought its hoe down in a brutal downward slash toward his head.
This was the moment.
Clang!
Yuhyeons counter sent the scarecrows body reeling back.
He already knew from experience that its body being thrown back left it defenseless.
From this stance, just as it is!
The upward slash had naturally brought his wooden sword up. Using that momentum and flow, he brought it straight down in a downward slash.
The sequence of movements was incredibly fluid.
It was as if he were riding the flow of a wave.
The moment Yuhyeons wooden sword descended upon the scarecrows head.
Thwack!
A truly crisp and heavy sound rang out in the training grounds.
A perfect downward slash, without a hint of error.
And the moment he realized he had executed a perfect cut.
Thud.
He saw the scarecrow drop to one knee, looking up at him.
It even wore a bewildered expression.
This was the answer.
Seeing this, Yuhyeon smirked and readjusted his stance.
Come on. Ill parry you no matter how many times you strike.
After finishing his training and the ensemble practice at the cathedral, Yuhyeon logged out.
And now, with Yuhyeon logged out, dinner was underway at Charless house.
In the long silence, only the clatter of silverware could be heard.
Charles casually asked Olsen.
Olsen, how is the musician doing?
His eyes, as he posed the question to his son, were filled with concern.
He was worried that Yuhyeon might have been injured during training, or that he might have felt discouraged after discovering he had no talent for the sword whatsoever.
Well
Is it that difficult to talk about? I suppose in all my life, Ive only ever seen one musician who was skilled with a sword.
Charless eyes narrowed.
Music and martial arts are two entirely different realms.
Even if Yuhyeon possessed great musical ability, it was a stretch to assume that would translate into martial talent.
They fought on different battlefields and wielded different weapons; it was only natural.
He had only recommended it hoping Yuhyeon would take an interest in hunting like other outsiders, but now he worried he might have done something unnecessary.
Olsen, who had been listening thoughtfully, slowly opened his mouth.
No. Its precisely the opposite.
The opposite, you say?
He possesses the talent of a genius when it comes to the sword.
Wh-What? Is that really true?
Yes.
Olsen recalled what had happened at the training grounds just a short while ago.
He began to remember again, starting from the moment the stage 2 scarecrow was defeated.
Stage 2 Scarecrow has been defeated!
He parried and slashed down, parried and slashed down, over and over again.
The purpose of the stage 2 training was to parry attacks, with the main goal being to make one feel the unity of offense and defense in swordsmanship.
In other words, Yuhyeons actions of parrying the scarecrows hoe and executing a downward slash were the perfect answer.
Its easier said than done. Parrying an attack is not easy at all.
Humans panic at a single charging hornet; not many people can parry a hoe several times larger than that as it falls toward their head.
It required a keen eye to perceive movement, swift reflexes to react, and above all, the courage to risk ones life to parry.
Yuhyeon had repeated this a total of five times. And he did it with a look of enjoyment on his face.
It made me wonder what the inside of his head looked like.
The stage 3 training was the same.
It was a scarecrow that unleashed a fierce assault with rakes in both hands, but he parried the attacks with a horizontal slash and followed up with an upward slash.
He was briefly flustered by the ferocious attacks coming from unpredictable angles, but he quickly figured out the scarecrows pattern and adapted his stance accordingly.
His sharp perception and the bravery to execute what he conceived in his mind were truly remarkable.
If it hadnt been an apprentices wooden sword the result of stage 4 might have been different.
Yuhyeon eventually ended his training at stage 4.
In terms of stages, he stopped at the same point as Hwarang, but the nature of their training was vastly different.
Hwarang had quickly realized his attacks couldn't reach and voluntarily ended the training, while Yuhyeon had parried attacks as much as he could until his wooden sword broke.
The implication of this was immense.
Hwarang is known among outsiders as a talent of a heaven beyond heaven
If Hwarang had reached stage 4 with innate genius, it meant Yuhyeon had reached it solely through fundamentals forged by tenacity and perseverance.
If Yuhyeon were to gain practical experience and awaken his talent for combat, it was impossible to imagine what kind of being he would become in the future.
He has the sense, the talentall the necessary qualities of a warrior. On top of that, his tenacity and perseverance are incredible.
Olsen murmured in a serious tone.
So much so that he could achieve greatness even if he were to walk the path of a knight.
My, my. To think Sir Yuhyeon had such talent.
Charless eyes narrowed.
For his son to say that he could walk the path of a knight.
Coming from his son, who had lived his entire life as a knight, it was the highest possible praise.
I knew Sir Yuhyeon was special but I never imagined he would have a talent for martial arts as well.
How many years had it been since he had seen a musician skilled in combat?
Among the people Charles had known, there had been only one.
Could it be, then.
As he thought of him, a single idea flashed through Charless mind.
Could it be that the musician has the makings of him?
I believe it might be possible.
A class that had been relegated to the realm of myth for a long and arduous 100 years.
Is a successor finally appearing?
Perhaps, with Yuhyeon, it might just be possible.