Chapter 75
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Lesson 16. The Tutorial is Over - 4
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I'm not paying the slightest bit of attention to what Aneri Dedota said.
What could a woman who'd been nothing more than a fleeting acquaintance possibly know about their relationship?
Overly bubbly types like her always blew things out of proportion when it came to romance, spinning wild fantasies.
The moment two people were seen together, they assumed they were an item.
She was surely no different.
Which meant there was no need to give her words a second thought.
No need to act awkwardly around him, either.
Not if he wanted to avoid pointless misunderstandings.
Just forget it.
"Dokgo Yeon? You sure you're okay?"
"......You don't need to feel burdened just because I'm teaching you martial arts. What I'm about to show you isn't even a hereditary art from my clan."
She must be pressed for time.
Dokgo Yeon launched into her explanation of the martial art with uncharacteristic urgency.
"In the martial world, people pulled all sorts of bizarre stunts to grow stronger. Among them were those who did something truly shocking by the standards of the day—mating with monsters and fathering children."
No, it seemed Ban Yu-won had misread the situation.
He hadn't expected her to start from the origins of the martial art she planned to teach him.
"It was foolish. Those born of human-monster unions gained immense physical strength but at the cost of muddled internal energy and reason, rendering them incapable of properly cultivating martial arts. But among those half-human, half-beast abominations, a mutant was born."
"Uh...... Let me guess. That mutant created a new martial art suited to her?"
"Spot on. She was blessed with extraordinary insight alongside her cursed body. She practically reinvented the clan's flawed hereditary arts to fit her own physique and energy."
"Whoa......"
"Only after mastering and refining it did she finally shed her heavenly punishment, reclaiming a mind and body close to human. An incredible martial art...... but tailored solely to her, making it impossible for others to grasp its essence."
Ban Yu-won listened quietly to Dokgo Yeon's tale, wondering if the 'her' in the story might be someone she knew, but he lacked the courage to ask and kept his mouth shut.
Dokgo Yeon saw through his thoughts, chuckled softly, and explained on her own.
"She was my shadow protector, a secret bodyguard."
"Thanks for sharing. Go on."
"What I'm about to teach you is her unique martial art. A superb stealth technique and assassination style that combines a beast's ferocity, a shadow's secrecy, and lethal strikes."
For a fleeting moment, it felt like a smile touched Dokgo Yeon's lips—perhaps reminiscing about her.
"As I said, a normal human couldn't learn it. But the movements you showed me earlier were more beast than man, so it struck me that you just might."
"That's why you went into such detail—because it's no ordinary inherited art. I'm truly grateful, but......"
Ban Yu-won narrowed his eyes and asked her.
"Is it really okay to teach someone else's unique martial art to me just like that?"
"Hers is mine now, so it doesn't matter."
Chubby...... No, Dokgo Yeon made that declaration, then closed and opened her eyes.
In that instant, Ban Yu-won felt her presence shift.
More secretive, yet more murderous.
"I learned how to move stealthily from her too. Of course, without a monster's power in me like you, I couldn't master her art fully. I just mimic it convincingly."
This is her not mastering it fully?
Her form was right there, yet impossible to pin down.
A sense of crisis gripped him, as if she might rip out his throat any second.
And that's just mimicry.
"Now, I'll demonstrate the forms, internal energy circulation, and oral formulas. Harmonize them with your own abilities."
"Got it. ......Huh? You make it sound so simple."
"For you, it is."
It felt like she'd just lavishly praised him while pretending otherwise.
But her demonstration began immediately, so Ban Yu-won couldn't probe her words and focused on her movements instead.
'Nimble and secretive, pressing down like pouncing to tear into prey's gap in one breath. Elusive, eerie......'
A natural thought arose: the art's creator must have had feline predator blood.
'No wonder she told me to blend it with my abilities. Mimicking a tiger with a weasel's concept would just tear me apart.'
Even so, her self-proclaimed mere mimicry was enough for Ban Yu-won, wielder of Authority, to grasp the 'true essence' of the martial art.
To him, body language was just another tongue to comprehend.
Gained a fundamental realization about Martial Arts overall. Depth of Martial Arts has reached 500.
Depth of Manifestation Technique has reached 80.
Prepared to establish a new concept of martial arts yourself.
Depth of Manifestation Energy has reached 270.
Depth of Soul has reached 630.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon was a bit dumbfounded to see Ban Yu-won's eyes slowly drift shut as he listened to the oral formulas.
He surely wasn't dozing off right in front of her. Did he gain some insight from this much alone?
'Or is his comprehension so sharp he's already reworking Black Snow's martial art based on what I just recited?'
Either way, it didn't add up. Better to assume he was asleep.
Dokgo Yeon shook her head and said.
"You're not asleep, are you, Ban Yu-won? If you are, I'll be mad."
"I'm not sleeping. Keep going with the formulas."
"You really get it......? It's pretty esoteric."
"I'm good. The rest, please."
Dokgo Yeon sighed but recited the remaining formulas.
Then, half-doubting, she asked.
"Nothing you don't understand?"
"I get it all. But leopards don't suit me, so I'll tweak it a bit. No need to stick strictly to weasel, though......"
"......! How did you know Black Snow was a leopard?"
Dokgo Yeon startled and blurted out the bodyguard's name she'd never meant to reveal, but Ban Yu-won was too deep in thought to hear.
'If I extract just the pure beast essence from both, I can find a fine compromise.'
Distilling purer superior concepts from one was one of his specialties.
He activated the Shadow Step and Assassination concepts within him, then 'appropriately modified' and combined them with Dokgo Yeon's forms and formulas.
Overseeing it all was his foundational Manifestation Technique and the Manifestation Energy derived from it.
"Ban Yu-won? The formulas one more—"
Dokgo Yeon, unable to imagine the transmission complete after one demo and recitation, approached him—but he was utterly immersed, deaf even to her voice.
"No way...... For real?"
Of course, it was too soon to tell.
Worried he might fall into qi deviation, she restrained her aura and cautiously drew near, waving a hand before his eyes.
No reaction.
But his eyelids twitched ceaselessly, signaling he was vividly envisioning something.
His mind was likely assembling the martial art in real time.
'His energy flow's changed too...... He really understood the formulas. And it's shifting live......'
Was this realm explainable by mere genius?
She'd expected much, but this exceeded it.
Repeat forms endlessly to engrain them, unpack formulas, discuss the art.
Frankly, thinking his talent alone couldn't adapt it, she'd planned to guide the modifications herself—subtly showcasing her prowess.
Even prepared to pull an all-nighter......
'Like he doesn't need my help at all.'
In a cowardly move, Ban Yu-won gained enlightenment alone and sank into his inner world, leaving her behind.
"Why the sour face?"
"Beast......?!"
Lucelle's sudden appearance nearly made Dokgo Yeon scream.
Without concern for Ban Yu-won's potential deviation, instinct would have won out.
"What were you planning to do to Yu-won?"
Was Lucelle's skill astounding for sneaking up silently, or had Dokgo Yeon foolishly let her guard down?
Meeting Lucelle's clear pink eyes staring intently, Dokgo Yeon sighed inwardly and replied.
"Checking his condition. Don't touch him now—it's dangerous."
"......That's all?"
"What else did you think I was doing?"
Lucelle hesitated, then confessed honestly.
"Kissing......"
"You think from your perspective too much."
"Ah, I haven't either. Yet."
Dokgo Yeon glanced between Ban Yu-won with eyes closed and Lucelle staring wide-eyed at a certain part of him.
Did that beast just lick her lips?
"I said it's dangerous to touch."
"I don't do lame ambushes. ......Though I'd love if he did it to me."
"Women's hearts are complicated."
"You're a woman too."
Lucelle smiled faintly, probing.
A look she'd never show with Ban Yu-won awake.
Convinced the girl had fox blood, Dokgo Yeon snorted.
"Gender isn't that important to me. So I discarded the woman inside."
"Can you just discard it?"
"Clearly not— the nuisances persist. Revolting things."
Dokgo Yeon thought of Ortima, the man who'd lied and toyed with her.
Lucelle saw through it and shook her head.
"Lies, delusions...... Sigh."
"Beast, if you have something to say, spit it—"
—You two—where the hell did you go—!
Light's voice echoed from afar (tinged with a hint of tears), deflating Dokgo Yeon and Lucelle as their shoulders slumped in unison.
"What's that?"
"Idiot."
Dokgo Yeon nodded, convinced by Lucelle's answer.
"You go explain to Light. I'll guard Ban Yu-won."
"Got it."
With the misunderstanding cleared, Lucelle trotted off—then turned back.
"Dokgo Yeon, you'd be fine."
"Cut the nonsense and scram."
"Yesss."
Two hours later, Ban Yu-won succeeded in establishing his own martial art and opened his eyes.
Dokgo Yeon inspected it, then permitted him to join her infiltration of the small city.