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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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The youngster before his eyes, An Ilhan, was a bit unusual.
From asking confidently if he could become stronger, to unhesitantly volunteering for hardship.
To maintaining composure and taking a proper stance when Ko Taesik threatened him, rather than simply freezing up.
He was different in many ways compared to other cadets of the same age.
‘I can certainly see why Instructor Taejin acknowledges him.’
Judging only by these aspects, it would be close to extraordinary.
Ko Taesik also thought so before beginning the official “lesson on how to take a hit.”
His emotions transformed from interest in the extraordinary to suspicion from that moment on.
It started with the movement technique the youngster displayed.
Tat-
The detected mana quantity was feeble, and the level of mana utilization was nothing more than physical enhancement.
Nevertheless, the moment he deployed his movement technique, his entire body seemed to ripple, and he moved instantly.
The implications of such a phenomenon were clear.
‘At least a C-grade movement technique.’
The youngster’s movement skill grade was at least C-grade or higher.
It was certain, judging by how it exhibited special properties and effects without much mana utilization.
Of course, up to this point, it was merely within the realm of curiosity.
‘For a youngster, it’s an abundant level, quite a decent movement technique.’
Even so, a youngster was still a youngster.
With mana utilization at a mere basic level, there was no way proper power could be produced.
In a way, it was only natural.
‘Setting aside the source of the skill, his achievement precisely matches the Academy’s curriculum.’
Therefore, Ko Taesik set aside his curiosity for a moment and redirected his attention to his original purpose.
‘About this much, I suppose.’
While adjusting his strength to be roughly one level higher than the kid’s achievement.
He emitted killing intent at a level the kid couldn’t handle at his current level.
Thus, Ko Taesik created not a simple sparring session but a real combat situation.
One that would be experienced in actual battle, at that.
It was to give him a compressed experience of real combat, in line with the purpose of teaching how to take hits.
In response, the youngster before him, An Ilhan, froze in place.
“······!”
It was a natural reaction, given that he had deliberately adjusted his strength and momentum to an unmanageable level.
So it was normal for him to be frozen, helpless, let alone trying to evade.
Clearly that should have been the case, and yet.
Swoosh-
The youngster’s upper body suddenly bent at a bizarre angle.
Because of this, his fist brushed past the youngster’s cheek with just a paper-thin margin.
It was truly a precarious angle and timing.
The suspicion began right there.
‘······There’s no way my calculation was wrong.’
From trajectory to timing.
It was a strike that the youngster could never have avoided.
But he did evade it.
Moreover, the movement beyond expectation did not end there.
As the youngster returned to his original posture.
Whoosh-!
He threw a punch instead.
And with a considerably sharp thrust, at that.
The moment he saw it, Ko Taesik penetrated its identity.
‘Did his body unconsciously respond to an intangible momentum, at that?’
The evasion and strike just shown were not separate.
It was a continuous movement. No, it was closer to a single martial arts form.
The moment he realized this, a scene flashed through his mind.
Last Friday night, the image of the youngster training alone until late.
‘It was strangely unnatural. I never expected his martial arts would be at this level.’
While considering the possibility.
Ko Taesik urgently bent his right arm.
Then his right hand moved at a speed that defied common sense and caught something.
Thud-!
It was none other than the youngster’s fist.
Upon being caught, the youngster flinched greatly.
After examining the momentary reaction without missing it.
‘His pupils are trembling, so it’s as I thought.’
He could confirm that the counterattack just now was not from the youngster’s will.
‘At least a C-grade movement technique, and martial arts that respond to intangible momentum.’
Questions and curiosity welled up simultaneously.
Along with that, his mouth naturally twisted.
‘Let’s set aside the questions for now.’
And focus on the original purpose again.
Thinking so, Ko Taesik slowly opened his mouth.
“That was quite sharp, but let’s start with you taking a hit first.”
“······What do you mean.”
Before the youngster could continue, he lightly planted a fist.
In response, the youngster.
“Kuh······hack!”
Slid back just like that.
However, whether it was improvisation or a manifestation of survival instinct.
Instead of being hit precisely in the solar plexus as he had aimed for, the youngster barely blocked it with his left forearm that he had raised.
Thanks to that, though his legs trembled, he didn’t fall.
‘Well, I suppose that means I adjusted my strength well.’
He had already gauged the appropriate strength to prevent unconsciousness through the youngster named Im Kangchul earlier.
That was necessary to properly fulfill the purpose of the lesson on taking hits.
As part of that, Ko Taesik spoke to the staggering youngster in a mocking tone.
“Is that all? I thought you said you wanted to become stronger. Did I hear wrong?”
Deliberately provoking him, a sound of grinding teeth emanated from before him.
Then the youngster painfully raised his head.
“······No, it’s not.”
That face was quite worth seeing.
Unlike his usual indifferent expression that didn’t match his age, his face was now all crumpled.
Among that, the still undying gaze. The vivid fighting spirit living and breathing within it was very pleasing.
‘I don’t know what makes him want to become stronger, but.’
It wasn’t his business, actually. At least not now.
The only important thing at the moment was one thing.
‘He has the will to learn. That’s enough.’
If so, what he needed to do was simple.
Make him stronger.
So for now.
“Embrace it willingly!”
Ko Taesik twisted his mouth fiercely and charged forward.
*
When I gathered with friends for dinner.
“Pfft!”
“······Hic!”
The two people, Yoon Seolha and Cha Eunwol, who saw my face and Im Kangchul’s, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Soon, both of them turned their heads away simultaneously and mumbled.
“S-sorry. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but you two, your condition right now is a bit serious······.”
“······I was laughing at Im Kangchul! Don’t misunderstand!.”
The two offered something resembling an apology.
I accepted it readily.
Because in reality, the state of myself and Im Kangchul was a mess, to put it nicely.
Unlike me.
“Wh-what?! Cha Eunwol, that’s discrimination!”
Im Kangchul protested, clearly showing his hurt feelings.
Cha Eunwol, as always, ignored him and turned her head toward me.
Then she asked me in a worried tone.
“Anyway, about that hell course. There wasn’t anything like that in the magic course. Are you really going to be okay?”
“That’s right. If you can endure it, it seems like you could get stronger quickly, but······.”
Even Yoon Seolha, who had as intense a desire for improvement as I did, seemed concerned about Instructor Ko Taesik’s teaching method.
Just as I was listening with a smile, suddenly Cha Eunwol asked something to Yoon Seolha as if she had just remembered.
“Seolha, is your swordsmanship class conducted the same way?”
“No, Instructor Jin Taejin doesn’t divide us into groups. He just makes us do virtual sparring and gives feedback tailored to each individual? What about you, Eunwol? It’s Instructor Kim Hanseok’s class, right?”
“Mmm. We’re not doing sparring yet, more like basic magic and theory on mana manipulation?”
Instructor Jin Taejin in charge of swordsmanship class and Instructor Kim Hanseok responsible for magic class.
Listening to them, I learned that not only were their teaching methods different, but also the methods, content, and grading criteria of their performance evaluations varied.
Hearing this, I was reminded of Instructor Ko Taesik.
‘······That man really doesn’t know moderation.’
He claimed he would teach how to take hits, how to get beaten up, and he actually faithfully fulfilled what he had said.
He literally beat me and Im Kangchul to a pulp.
The pain was one thing, but what was more vicious was something else.
‘And to think he could adjust it precisely to the point where we wouldn’t lose consciousness.’
It hurt enough to die, but my mind remained clear.
Because of that, I had no choice but to get beaten helplessly with a clear mind for two whole class periods.
Of course, if that was all there was to it, I would have seriously considered escaping, but regrettably, there was definitely a benefit.
‘At least in actual sparring, no, in future battles, I probably won’t just cower.’
From the merciless onslaught to the terrifyingly emitted savage momentum.
Today, I experienced all at once things I had never experienced even after enrolling in the Superhuman Academy.
At the same time, I realized.
I learned with my body that this is what real combat and battle are.
The benefits didn’t end there.
-One is Samjae Gigong, and the other is Kang-type mana. The output is quite usable.
Instructor Ko Taesik not only instantly identified the two types of mana I possessed.
-So what, when your control is like that! Did you even really intend to utilize the output of the Kang-type mana?
The intention to utilize the Hyeoncheon Ganggi and the difficulties I was experiencing.
-Don’t be afraid to control it. If you want explosive power, circulate it enough to explode, and then circulate it again!
And finally, the solution.
He dropped these pieces of advice one by one while beating me up.
Those advices resonated quite subtly.
‘My toughness will increase, and as I exert my full power, my capabilities will also grow at a tremendous rate, but.’
Perhaps due to the lingering pain, a sigh naturally escaped.
Seeing me like this.
“······Are you really going to be okay?”
Cha Eunwol looked at me again with a worried expression.
To her question, I thought for a moment.
‘······Although Instructor Ko Taesik is a ruthless person.’
From combat experience to advice on mana utilization.
Even though it was the first class, there was a lot to take away.
Moreover, the harvest didn’t end there.
‘The movement that my body unconsciously reacted with during class was definitely the shadow’s martial arts.’
The martial arts that was directionless when practicing alone.
Its true value was revealed for the first time in the “lesson on taking hits.”
And that was in the form of responding to a strike from an A-grade superhuman, albeit at 20% strength.
‘I don’t know the specific cause, but it’s definitely helpful.’
It was then that I felt it.
This was worth enduring.
Therefore, I answered Cha Eunwol with a resolved mind.
“Well, it’s the path I chose.”
So I would willingly embrace it.
Until I gained the strength to approach my goal.
*
That night.
-Checking the subject’s unconscious state.
-The subject’s initiative is transferred to [????’s Shadow]!
-Checking synchronization rate with the subject.
-Current synchronization rate······ [19%]
-[????’s Shadow] acts according to consciousness that has low-level discernment and some complete memories!
-[Skill] imprinted in consciousness has been activated!
···
···
···
Without having time to check the succession of messages appearing before his eyes.
“······Ugh.”
The shadow grimaced in intense pain.
Because of this, he examined the source of the pain with narrowed eyes.
The moment he realized it wasn’t just in one place but all over his body, his expression crumpled even more.
“Tsk.”
If his abilities were intact, it would have been a level of damage that could recover in just a few hours.
But in his current state, it seemed like it would take days of recovery.
“Haa.”
Therefore, the shadow furrowed his brow and surrendered to the skill effect.
It was only when the irritating sensation had somewhat faded that he left the dormitory.
The place he headed to was none other than the weapon training room.
He crossed the empty training room as always and found a suitable spot.
Then.
“······Hoo.”
With a deep breath, he calmly took his stance.
Two legs slightly bent at the knees and spread apart.
Straight back and shoulders.
Finally, he gathered both hands and extended them forward.
After taking such a preparatory stance.
Whoosh-
He thrust his fist straight out.
Starting with this, he focused on reproducing the movements in his memory, changing postures and thrusts.
Strength and momentum were put into each movement.
It wasn’t a grand spirit or a tyrannical spirit.
It was only savage and destructive, filled with the will to destroy evil beings.
‘A little more forward.’
As he was sincerely reproducing the true meaning contained in the martial arts while settling his mind.
“A martial art with quite thick killing intent.”
A rough voice echoed from the entrance of the training room.
The shadow paused for a moment and slowly turned his head.
The moment his gaze met with the owner of the voice, a middle-aged man with an impressive appearance.
The middle-aged man slowly opened his mouth.
“So, youngster. What is that killing-intent-filled martial art, and where did you get such a thing?”
The middle-aged man asked about the source of the martial arts as he slowly approached.
“······.”
It was clearly an unexpected situation.
But.
‘That doesn’t mean I can’t deal with it.’
The shadow slowly opened his mouth.
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