Episode 34

The class proceeded.

The first thing she needed to learn was the internal art.

The Emperor Sword Form and its internal art, Azure Heaven Cosmic Godly Technique, Azure Heaven Boundless Sword Art.

And the step technique, Limitless Steps.

There was much to learn.

‘The problem is she’s not a newbie.’

Nam Hyerin had already learned many things with her ‘eyes’. As a result, she developed more bad habits than good. She learned the internal art in its flawed and incomplete form. Naturally, a proper internal art didn’t come to her. All of that had to be corrected and taught anew.

We only have one month left. Though I came off arrogantly, that time is not enough for an ordinary swordsman. It’s a short time if anything.

‘If she’s as talented as Yoo Eunchae said.’

Maybe she could learn it all.

That was my hope, but I tried not to expect anything.

I had to push her ruthlessly.

What Nam Hyerin needs now is not a carrot.

Only a whip.

She had to learn quickly.

“First, you learn the internal art.”

“Yes.”

“Fortunately, you are somewhat better off. If you had learned what they teach here, the Seven Dragon Internal Art or something, you would have had to take a longer detour.”

“What’s wrong with the Seven Dragons Internal Art?”

“That internal art isn’t very good.”

It gathers internal energy quickly, but it’s not very pure. Furthermore, it has too many drawbacks for an internal art that requires switching in the middle. For most people, this art alone would be enough to live on for a lifetime.

‘But she’s not just anybody.’

That was fortunate.

“Namgoong’s internal art. Azure Heaven Cosmic Godly Technique. You will start with that.”

“Isn’t that internal art the one for Emperor Sword Form?”

“Right. You need to learn the Emperor Sword Form before the Lightning Sword.”

Initially, I planned to start by teaching her the Lightning Sword, but after hearing Yoo Eunchae’s words, I changed my mind.

“Recite the formula, and memorize it.”

“Yes.”

[Namgoong’s sky is the azure heaven. However, there is no azure heaven in Namgoong. To contain the azure heaven, the emperor must…]

After that, I taught her which meridian the true qi should be transferred to.

“Have you memorized it?”

“Yes, I’ve memorized it all. But I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“What does the initial formula mean?”

“Namgoong’s sky is the Azure Heaven?”

“Yes.”

“Imagery.”

“…Imagery?”

“Yes, imagery.”

The formula was created based on what the initial martial artist saw. Thus, in a way, the formula is like a diary because it’s about awakening what’s inside oneself. Though it may seem like nothing at first, it becomes increasingly important as time goes on.

Enlightenment.

Once you reach that state, you engrave yourself into the world because you can bring out that imagery.

“Is that so.”

“There’s quite a bit of information here describing that state, isn’t there?”

“…Yes.”

“Anyway, let’s move on to the next. If you’ve learned the technique, try demonstrating it.”

Nam Hyerin sat cross-legged and began to perform the technique.

It seemed she had really memorized it in one go and was operating it correctly.

After a brief moment, Nam Hyerin opened her eyes.

“Well done.”

“Thank you.”

“Then shall we move on to practical application?”

“Practical application?”

I picked up a wooden sword.

“Keep your eyes wide open.”

I held the wooden sword, and then I picked up another and threw it to Nam Hyerin.

Nam Hyerin caught it neatly and looked at me.

“What’s this?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? It’s better to experience practice firsthand than to just hear about the theory.”

Ssssssshh!

I slowly gathered the qi in my body and imbued the sword with the Defeating Aura, not the refined one.

Woo woo woo!

The wooden sword was slowly crying as it was filled with qi.

With the qi around me rippling, I took a stance, and then, with a relaxed posture, I looked at Nam Hyerin.

“Try to take it.”

Heavy and Defeating Sword.

A sword that mixed those two.

“This is the Emperor Sword Form of Namgoong.”

I lifted the sword.

She found it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, as if he had become a different person, an enormous aura emanated from Han Seojin.

‘…!’

Nam Hyerin clenched her teeth.

‘It’s hard even to breathe.’

Aura. Just that alone traps the opponent.

It felt as if the largest giant in the world was watching her with a relaxed gaze.

That’s why she could smile.

This is the true Emperor Sword Form.

‘Ah, this man really intends to pass that sword on to me.’

Lifting the wooden sword, Nam Hyerin’s eyes widened as she defended against the attack.

‘Heavy.’

Her body feels heavy. It’s hard to breathe. So the sword ensnares its opponent.

Yet, her opponent was moving freely.

The head of Namgoong and the elders had merely spoken empty words.

They said that obtaining the Emperor Sword Form would make one an emperor. That one could return to Anhui province and live there as a glorious failure.

She could roughly guess why they said that.

Because witnessing it before my eyes, it seemed like a power capable of splitting the world in two was imbued in the wooden sword.

“Are you ready?”

“…Yes!”

Han Seojin moved with heavy footsteps.

Thud.

Even a single step felt heavy. Then, Han Seojin lifted his sword.

The process seemed endlessly slow.

As if one could avoid it at any moment.

‘I can’t avoid it.’

But, amusingly, she can’t avoid it.

The momentum overwhelms her.

It’s not just a feeling.

It is the intuition of a swordsman.

A sword that blocks all paths of retreat and forces one to face it.

That is why it is an infinitely arrogant sword.

A sword that makes the opponent choose between two options.

Will you die by my sword now, or block my sword and extend your life a bit more? Han Seojin’s eyes seemed to say just that.

And it was true.

“The Emperor Sword Form is not a sword that pressures the opponent.”

“What?”

“It merely amplifies strength throughout the body by boosting sword energy with a wave. That’s how it applies pressure to the opponent.”

What she needed now was to learn about internal arts intensely.

And to improve her ability to control mana significantly. At least, she needed to surpass the level of Basic Mana Manipulation to properly use it.

Heavy and Defeating Sword.

This sword, combining the two, is endlessly arrogant.

A single strike. It’s a deadly strike that limits the opponent’s escape and kills the opponent with a swift, illusionary, and strong sword mixed. Just that fatal strike containing that intent is the Emperor Sword Form Eclipse.

‘This sword technique becomes more complicated as it progresses to the later stages.’

That’s why he intends to teach only the Eclipse.

It’s not for nothing that he was called a genius.

The creator of the Emperor Sword Form was truly a genius.

‘Was it the Heavy Sword?’

He allowed Hyerin to ponder over it.

The Strong Sword efficiently loads power.

The Swift Sword slices through gaps.

The Heavy Sword fits the world into its own frame.

It decides the battle in an instant by seeing through the opponent. Therefore, the Heavy Sword is heavy.

The Defeating Sword fits the framework of the world around itself. It holds the will to kill, no matter who the opponent is. That’s why it is the Defeating Sword.

Combining these two to form the Emperor Sword Form is tricky to master.

There’s a reason it’s compared to Mudang’s Wisdom Sword of Cosmic Harmony and Mount Hua’s Violet Mist Sword Technique.

Han Seojin looked at Nam Hyerin.

The Emperor Sword Form Eclipse.

For now, just passing this on…

‘It should be easy to beat what’s-her-name, Namgoong Miryeo.’

However, the process of getting there is not easy.

‘To master just one form, wouldn’t you have to run yourself ragged for a month?’

Everything I’ve included in the course so far is just the basics.

All just ‘basics.’

And if there are basics, there are advanced stages and levels beyond that.

‘Well, what can you do?’

Until then, there’s no choice but to train her body to death.

“Are you ready?”

“….Yes.”

I could see her sweating coldly, tense.

That’s why I liked it.

‘Weaklings all collapse with their legs giving out from under them.’

But she’s at least shown that she’s at the starting point, so

I swung my sword again.

Han Seojin’s class.

The place was filled with silence at the moment.

Simply because it was hard.

But also because they were sick of the intensity with which Han Seojin was pushing Nam Hyerin.

“Could someone die from this?”

“Surely not…”

At Wi Gunak’s words, Yoo Eunchae thought it was that serious, but then again, it might be possible.

She looked at Nam Hyerin.

“Huff, huff.”

She was dying.

Her eyes had lost focus, and she was breathing mechanically, wanting to live.

She had long surpassed her physical limits. She was enduring with her mind alone.

“Still, I’m envious.”

“…At that?”

At Abel’s words, the one next to him, Yoo Seolrang, was shocked.

“She’s gotten stronger. You might not know, Yoo Seolrang, since you’re honing your own unique traits, but Nam Hyerin’s movements have completely changed compared to before she received the professor’s direct training.”

“Right. Starting from the posture to the momentum. Everything has changed. It’s not just a month; it feels like years of training.”

“The problem is that it seems like those years of training were crammed into less than a month…”

Yet, the effect is outstanding.

At first, he thought that Seojin just wanted to kill a person, but seeing how she somehow kept up, it seemed like Seojin had a plan.

‘The problem is that the enormous budget is being drained.’

Whenever that happened, Han Seojin would go around loudly telling everyone to trust him, and the principal didn’t seem to even consider stopping him.

‘Maybe she sees something in him.’

That’s why Abel didn’t bother Han Seojin.

He also speaks informally to the principal, but she ignores it. For anyone else, she would have them nearly killed.

‘It wasn’t the look one would give to a whelp from the Iron-Blood Sword Clan.’

The principal had a look when she saw Han Seojin.

Abel had seen that look a few times.

It was a look given to those who had reached a similar realm as herself.

“Huff…huff…”

Nam Hyerin ran. Her body begged for rest, but she forced herself to run.

「A lowborn’s child thinks they’re something special just because they have a bit of talent?」

Her half-sister looked down on her.

「Hehe, my daughter has grown up so pretty. Hehehe.」

The man who fathered her lusted after her when he looked at her.

「 What’s the use of you living anyway? Half-Blood who can’t even learn proper internal arts.」

The warriors of the Namgoong Family.

They didn’t see her as a human being.

It seems like they don’t plan on raising her as a hidden sword, seeing as how they didn’t teach her the martial arts of the Namgoong Clan.

Of course, she was also a human being.

Although she was raised by the sword and numbed in emotion, she still yearned for revenge.

But that was an option that was not available to Nam Hyerin.

However, Han Seojin was different.

He saw her as Nam Hyerin herself, without any lust.

He didn’t pity her even when she shared her past.

You are Nam Hyerin—that’s how he looked at her.

‘I must repay him.’

She had received an overwhelming grace.

She had learned correctly the now-lost Emperor Sword Form and the corresponding internal art.

And the step technique known as Limitless Steps.

So.

This physical pain was nothing.

She had endured much harder times than this.

In less than a month, she pushed herself ruthlessly.

Her body, overwhelmed, had forced her into unconsciousness over five times, and she trembled with every step.

Lunchtime was for pushing her body to its limits.

In the evening, she had to learn more about the internal arts and swordsmanship.

Nam Hyerin forced her trembling body up and went to the training room.

“Nam Hyerin?”

“…Why are you here, Shin Yura?”

“I have something to ask the professor.”

Shin Yura brushed her hair behind her ear as she looked at Nam Hyerin.

Trembling at Nam Hyerin’s appearance, Shin Yura couldn’t help but wonder—could she undergo training in that state?

“…The professor will heal me.”

“Ah.”

Nam Hyerin responded, perhaps having sensed that cue.

“…”

“….”

Silence fell.

Shin Yura organized her questions for the professor in her head once more and walked towards him.

“…?”

It was strange.

The training room felt oddly lower.

‘No, lowered?’

What a strange thing to say.

Personal training rooms prioritize secrecy above all, equipped with various protective magic and robustness.

Thus, they are hardly affected by any ordinary attack.

Creak.

Shin Yura entered the training room and was stunned.

In the middle of the training ground.

It looked as if several bombs had exploded there.

“What, what is this?”

“The teacher was demonstrating.”

“…Demonstrating?”

What kind of magic would it take to cause such a mess?

With eyes full of such questions, Shin Yura looked at the professor, but Han Seojin was different from his usual self at that moment. He was emitting an enormous aura in all directions—an aura so intense it wouldn’t be surprising if someone were killed.

Gulp.

Shin Yura swallowed her saliva and steeled her resolve.

Who exactly provoked this person to make him look so upset?

There were many culprits.

From the foolish and dumb Yoo Eunchae to those with similar brain muscles, Wi Gunak and Seo Boram, or perhaps some of the professors who couldn’t even teach properly.

As she was thinking that, she saw Han Seojin, who had approached before she knew it.

“What is it?”

“Ah, Ah! Wa-wait a minute, suddenly, aah!”

Shin Yura fell backward, hit her head on the wall, and teared up.

What’s this? Han Seojin looked at Shin Yura with disdainful eyes.

“That, that is…”

“She came because she has something to ask.”

Nam Hyerin spoke with a sharper voice than before.

“Ahem.”

Shin Yura quickly composed herself and once again wrapped herself in an air of elegance.

“I came because I have something I want to ask… professor.”

However, despite mustering her composure, Han Seojin’s presence was still terrifying. With him right in front of her, she fully felt an aura as if he could kill her dozens of times.

“Ah, sorry. I was just ‘distracted’ for a moment.”

Han Seojin’s imposing aura disappeared in an instant.

And the atmosphere returned to a calm as if the frightening aura was never present.

“Did you change that all at once?”

In an instant, he became someone else.

It was the usual Professor Han Seojin.

“What is it?”

“I have a question about advanced beginner magic…”

“… You’ve already gotten that far?”

A surprised look.

Shin Yura shrugged, pushed her chest out more, and made a face, hoping for praise.

“Yes, because I was chosen by magic.”

“Right, right, that’s how it is. Hyerin. You take a private lesson for a while.”

“Yes.”

Han Seojin was surprised for a moment, but the surprise quickly wore off, as if to say such things weren’t exceptional.

At that attitude, Shin Yura unknowingly puffed her cheeks and asked something else.

“But how did you do that?”

“I swung a sword.”

“…What?”

“Maybe it’s because it’s been a while. I got the strength control a bit wrong.”

The utmost priority was Nam Hyerin’s safety. Hence, the aftermath was significant.

It created a crater with a diameter of 10 meters.

“What kind of swordsmanship is it that…”

Shin Yura stopped talking there.

Because it was a rude question.

However, Han Seojin spoke without hesitation.

“Emperor Sword Form.”

“Emperor Sword Form… What?”

Shin Yura stopped speaking.

Emperor Sword Form.

She had heard a lot about it. Though now in decline, the Namgoong family was once called the greatest swordsmanship family under heaven. And the technique that elevated them to that pedestal was the Emperor Sword Form. That was the technique Han Seojin mentioned.

“That is…”

Many questions swirled around.

Starting from where he had found it to how he learned it, which would make him an enemy of the Namgoong family. But the end point of all those was ultimately Professor Han Seojin.

‘If it’s that person.’

He’ll solve it without any problem.

He has the achievements to back it up.

Shin Yura still remembers.

How he single-handedly dealt with a horde of zombies, slicing through the Corpse Lord in its entirety.

“Isn’t that pushing her too hard? Even if Nam Hyerin is tough…”

Shin Yura’s worried voice.

“Don’t worry.”

Han Seojin said with a confident voice.

“Because she will win.”

And then.

The day of the unity event dawned.