Chapter 23
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: For Now, We Chase
Conclusion first: in the end, dinner on the first day consisted entirely of unripe fruit.
They had at least found a wild apple tree, so they could eat those. But they weren't just unripe—they were apples that hadn't even thickened up yet.
They were so small they barely filled a single bite, and all they offered was a puckering tartness with no real flavor.
They never would have eaten them if they weren't starving.
Ha Mu-baek was off to the side, chuckling softly as he munched on jerky and hardtack.
It was the rations he'd prepared ahead of time for himself.
The five of them chewed on their tiny, tart apples—barely bigger than marbles—and shot him looks full of betrayal when they saw him.
He'd clearly said he hadn't brought a single ingredient...
"You said there was no food, so we'd have to hunt ourselves?"
Dang Jin-san asked, his face brimming with dissatisfaction.
"This is all there is."
Ha Mu-baek replied calmly.
Just enough jerky and hardtack for one person, and he was eating it right in front of them like it was no big deal.
Was this guy really their instructor?
"That's too much."
The sudden voice made all five turn wide-eyed toward the speaker.
It was Nak Woo-jin.
He was so quiet on a normal day that "taciturn" didn't even begin to cover it.
So it was easy to guess just how aggrieved he felt right now.
Ha Mu-baek glanced away briefly.
"Do we have to hunt on our own again tomorrow too?"
Dan Mok Un-roe asked, chewing on a tart apple.
"I'd love to keep it that way... but we're short on time. From tomorrow, you'll move with me. You've suffered through today, so you'll focus better tomorrow. Get some sleep. Starting then, you won't even have proper time to rest."
Those words sounded ominous as hell.
Ha Mu-baek's travel pack contained tools for pitching a small tent.
They each set up in a suitable spot and lay down.
It was a place threatened by mountain beasts, but since Ha Mu-baek said nothing about it, they didn't even post a watch and just went to sleep.
They were exhausted from trudging through the mountains all day.
Ha Mu-baek climbed onto a cloth hammock strung between trees and lay down.
His senses spread wide around him.
He'd sleep too, but anything approaching nearby would be detected immediately.
That was why he hadn't bothered with a watch.
"Take a good look. And remember this clearly. Tracks this size, sunk this deep, with the surrounding soil like this—it means a deer passed through here at least an hour ago."
Ha Mu-baek spotted beast tracks under some fallen leaves and pointed them out.
"Dan Mok Un-roe. Direction?"
Dan Mok Un-roe stared at the deer tracks Ha Mu-baek indicated.
"That way?"
"A little off. You need to check the exact position. It's this way."
If you start wrong, the error snowballs bigger and bigger.
Ha Mu-baek corrected him.
Group Seven spent the day like that—basic training followed by wandering the mountains.
Day two went the same way: training mixed with hunting.
"Eat up quick. Night training next."
The five, picking at their meager rabbit meat, turned their eyes to Ha Mu-baek.
"I told you yesterday. From today, no proper sleep."
The devil's face appeared.
"What I'll teach you now is the sword formation. All our sparring so far was to build its foundation. Based on the Three Talents Arts, so if we name it, it'd be the Three Talents Sword Formation."
The five focused intently on his words.
"Baek Ri-pyeong takes main attacker. He can deliver the strongest strikes. Dang Jin-san as sub-attacker. Nak Woo-jin handles frontal defense. Dan Mok Un-roe and Yeon Ha-min attack the flanks and cover the rear gaps."
Roles assigned, they each nodded eagerly, eyes gleaming.
"Formation: Baek Ri-pyeong center, Nak Woo-jin and Dang Jin-san to his left and right. Dan Mok Un-roe and Yeon Ha-min on the outer flanks. Nak Woo-jin focuses purely on defense. Dang Jin-san defends but slips in small attacks to distract. Baek Ri-pyeong clashes head-on and waits for the decisive opening."
"What about us two?"
Yeon Ha-min asked.
"If you end up facing one, go for the back. While drawing their attention with attacks, strike hard at any gap you see."
They mulled over their roles.
"To pull that off, you'll need to drill the Three Talents Sword Forms suited to each situation, right?"
They nodded again at the obvious point.
That marked the start of Ha Mu-baek's personalized instruction.
They swung their swords diligently as directed. He spent extra time with Nak Woo-jin especially.
Defense specialist meant someone had to play attacker for practice.
"Here I come."
Ching.
Nak Woo-jin blocked Ha Mu-baek's sword with his own.
Ha Mu-baek shook his head and spoke.
"Defense starts with the shield. Don't forget you have a shield on your left arm. For pure defense, it's far superior to the sword."
"Yes, sir."
"Again."
Nak Woo-jin perfectly caught the incoming sword on his shield.
"Now push."
Following orders, he added force to his left arm. Still, his sword hand bounced back, exposing his right chest.
"Good. Once more."
Ha Mu-baek's sword flew again. With each rep, the strikes grew stronger, faster.
Soon, subtle variations crept in.
Nak Woo-jin gritted his teeth, blocked with shield, pushed—only for the blade to twist slyly back, forcing him to parry again with his sword.
"Good. Keep practicing like that."
Nak Woo-jin nodded and kept moving shield and sword.
Repetition honed the motions smoother, sharper.
Ha Mu-baek taught and drilled each one intensively on their formation role.
The five swallowed dryly, glaring at Ha Mu-baek.
He crooked a finger, sword in hand. They moved as one.
Baek Ri-pyeong charged first, thrusting straight ahead.
Nak Woo-jin and Dang Jin-san supported left and right with shields up. Dan Mok Un-roe and Yeon Ha-min dove for Ha Mu-baek's sides.
Ha Mu-baek deflected Baek Ri-pyeong's blade and swung down—only for the flanks' shields to block.
In that instant, Dan Mok Un-roe and Yeon Ha-min's swords stabbed in.
Distracted, Baek Ri-pyeong's blade flashed up from between Dang Jin-san and Nak Woo-jin's legs.
Ha Mu-baek leaped back lightly.
The cadets stared at him, dazed.
"Tch. Freezing like that? Chase and press the attack."
"Is that even possible?"
Dang Jin-san asked, stunned. They'd executed perfectly as taught—but too perfectly.
Nothing like their prior joint maneuvers.
The attack sequence didn't seem that different, yet the gap in results was vast.
"I matched your level."
"Even in Dragon Training Pavilion joint drills, we never overwhelmed like this."
Baek Ri-pyeong said, voice shaky with shock.
"That's why it's a sword formation. Not your clumsy joint strikes."
"Still, it clicked too perfectly."
Dang Jin-san protested, unconvinced.
"That's the result of your layered training. Think how many swings and shield bashes you've done."
Ha Mu-baek said it like it was nothing.
"Don't get complacent at this level. I matched you. Namgung Ji-hu at the Summer Combat Festival? He'd dismantle this easily."
Their faces hardened. The subtle elation vanished.
"Alright. Again."
Ha Mu-baek charged. They reformed and met him.
Ten days passed.
Group Seven of the Fierce Dragon Corps looked ragged. How could they deteriorate so much in just ten days?
But their eyes were different.
They gleamed in stark contrast to their wretched state.
They were out hunting now.
Ha Mu-baek trailed at the rear, hands behind his back, silently observing.
"Here."
Dan Mok Un-roe spotted tracks.
"Deer. Two. Mother and fawn, looks like..."
Baek Ri-pyeong gauged direction from the big and small prints.
"Deer sounds good."
Dang Jin-san nodded. Nak Woo-jin and Yeon Ha-min did too, faintly.
Target set.
They carefully tracked the deer prints—about an hour old.
Fast enough, and they could catch up.
If the deer had bolted straight, no chance—but the depth and spacing said they'd been strolling leisurely.
Baek Ri-pyeong took point cautiously, Nak Woo-jin gripping his shield beside him.
They held formation for instant deployment, even on the move. Ha Mu-baek's brutal drills had ingrained it.
"Hm?"
How long had they followed? Baek Ri-pyeong frowned.
Dan Mok Un-roe checked where his gaze landed. Prints suddenly wider-spaced, deeper.
Jump-start from here.
"What?"
Dan Mok Un-roe tilted his head.
"Chase for now."
Wind was in their faces—no scent giveaway if they hurried.
Their pace quickened.
"Tch."
Ha Mu-baek clicked his tongue softly. They'd panicked at the sudden change and rushed, missing it.
Tracks too far for their eyes, sure.
But a sharp scan after sensing the shift might've caught it.
'Lesson and experience.'
He followed quietly.
Wider gaps, but deep and clear—easier to track.
They practically ran after them.
How far?
"Gah!"
Dang Jin-san yelped in shock, halting abruptly. The others too.
Fixated on closing deer tracks, they'd missed the other beast.
Now yellow eyes gleamed at them from a black form.
"B-black panther?"
Dan Mok Un-roe stammered.
Blood smeared its muzzle. Below lay the fawn corpse, half-eaten.
No sign of the mother.
Fierce Dragon Group Seven had crashed the panther's feast.
"Grrrrrr."
It rose slowly, growling low at them.
Drool dripped from bared fangs, mixed with fresh fawn blood—vivid red.
"D-damn it."
Dang Jin-san cursed in panic.
The panther held distance, prowling and rumbling.
They gulped dryly.
Never expected a beast like this.
Ten days roaming Mokran Mountain for hunts and training—no encounters till now.
So they'd let their guard down.
Deep mountains teemed with such predators. Obvious, really.
But zero meetings made them forget the possibility.
"The deer bolted because of that thing..."
Dan Mok Un-roe muttered, realization dawning.
"Yeah. Good scan of surroundings, and you'd have spotted its tracks too. Probably."
Yeon Ha-min said ruefully, self-reproach thick in her tone.
"What now?"
Nak Woo-jin's short question.
Dang Jin-san glanced back at Ha Mu-baek—eyes widening.
Gone.
The instructor who'd trailed them was nowhere.
"Gotta fight, damn it. No instructor."
Others peeked back too.
"Can we even handle it?"
Dan Mok Un-roe quavered.
"We have to."
Baek Ri-pyeong stepped forward, sword and shield ready.
"GRRRRR."
Panther's growl intensified.
Nak Woo-jin gripped his shield tight, guarding Baek Ri-pyeong's side.
No pushover.
Size alone was massive—not panther-like. Tiger territory.
Black hide dotted darker.
Fangs chilled just to see. Claws on planted paws looked vicious.
First beast showdown for the five.
Just them, the panther.
Standoff.
All swords and shields up.
Neither lunged rashly.
Panther waited for weakness; they watched, unsure how to engage.
Dan Mok Un-roe gritted teeth as her sword hand trembled.
Mother and sister flashed in mind.
No pathetic end here.
Panther's mere presence filled the air with killing intent, though it only stalked their gaps.
She forgot Ha Mu-baek entirely.
They didn't scatter.
Three Talents Sword Formation basics: spaced dispersal.
But fear of instant targeting glued them together.
How long the standoff?
Group Seven shifted with the prowling panther.
"Ah..."
Dan Mok Un-roe, hyper-tense, tripped on a rock.
Gap exposed.
"RAAAAH!"
The panther roared, black wind surging at Dan Mok Un-roe.