Episode 114

With the help of his team members, Yu Jinsan killed five instructors.

As a result, everyone from the next group managed to pass safely without any sacrifices.

And when this fact became known, the training ground turned into a mess.

“What have you done?”

The kids were bowing their heads in front of the gathered instructors.

“…”

No one opened their mouths, probably waiting for Yu Jinsan to speak, but he stayed silent too.

It wasn’t because he was scared of the situation. He was waiting for the right time. At one point, the instructors stood with their legs ready to stomp as someone came.

Unlike the instructors, this one came with a blood-red robe over the black robe.

‘The one who is the leader.’

Yu Jinsan was convinced.

A disciplined walk and eyes as deep as the abyss. Moreover, the perfectly contained force made it impossible to even guess his realm.

He asked the kids without even turning to the instructor.

“Explain it. How were you able to kill five instructors?”

Yu Jinsan, who was silent, finally opened his mouth for the first time.

“Rather than running away from the instructors, we decided that living was possible if we took them down, one by one.”

The leader of the instructors silently began to look at the kids.

Yu Jinsan couldn’t help but feel nervous at this moment.

After a while, he spoke in a calm voice.

“It’s quite amazing that you mustered up the courage for that. But even if you all attacked at the same time, it couldn’t have been easy, right?”

“Even though it was a cowardly move, it made them let their guard down. And as taught, we decided to use any means needed to complete the mission.”

Yu Jinsan remembered the words the instructors shouted at the training center earlier. Cleverly phrased words.

Fortunately, the attempt was successful.

“It was the right decision. In any situation, the missions of the academy come first. But why kill them?”

“All training is practical. In real combat, there are no cases of saving the opponent’s life.”

As Yu Jinsan expected, he wasn’t angry. Actually, the man nodded as if he were pleased.

“You are growing much better than expected. There will be a reward for you today, so please head back now.”

The children sighed in relief and lowered their heads.

But someone had to be held responsible for this.

Yu Jinsan, who was about to walk away, was shocked because the leader’s form was right in front of his nose but vanished quickly.

Before he knew it, the leader appeared between the instructors and slapped one on the cheeks.

Slap!

“Kuak!”

The instructor, who was slapped, flew for a distance and collapsed in an awkward manner.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Yu Jinsan was the only one who saw the movements.

‘… Supreme Master?’

If not, it couldn’t have been possible for him to notice this. In that case, even if he died and woke up, this man wasn’t one that Yu Jinsan could handle.

He couldn’t believe that such a warrior was in a place where they only train kids.

There was no mercy in the hands that went for all twenty instructors.

Kwak! Clack! Slap!

“Kuak!”

“Ack!”

The desperate screams didn’t stop as the children quickly moved before the anger came for them.

Yu Jinsan followed behind them and began to move to an unknown location. At that time, these words came back.

“Pathetic. That is just the extent of it. This is why you couldn’t join the Blue Dragon Troops and got left here as an outcast.”

To think that each and every one of these strong instructors was nothing more than a failure. Yu Jinsan was shocked at those words.

What then, could the actual members of the Blue Dragon Troops be like in terms of strength?

He had more than one question, but it was something to think about later. For now, getting out was the priority.

‘…we have to do something about that guy.’

But how could he take down such a person?

His head ached as he didn’t know how to save the kids.

It was too dangerous to even consider leaving alone.

As he glanced at the sky for a moment, darkness was slowly enveloping everything.

Is training finally over? There were ten barracks where they arrived with the kids.

At first glance, about half of them seemed empty. That was probably why so many kids died during the training.

At that moment, the guy next to him said,

“137. You’re in the barracks over there, right?”

It seemed that barracks were assigned according to the first number.

Yu Jinsan followed the kids with similar numbers and moved to his assigned barracks.

The inside resembled a barn, with blankets spread on the left and right from the central passage.

There were well over a hundred people inside, yet there was only silence. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the day’s training that made most fall asleep.

Yu Jinsan also found a decent place to lay down.

As he lay there, looking at the ceiling with arms crossed behind his head, he saw someone else’s face.

‘I wonder how Seol is doing?’

Thinking of his granddaughter brought a smile to his face.

It had been over fifteen days since he last saw her, and he missed her dearly.

He couldn’t help but find it amazing that such a young person was practicing martial arts on her own.

Soon, she would gain enlightenment and learn life-defying martial arts.

Yu Jinsan was sure of it, since she was a child born with more natural talent than anyone else.

It was after some time, lost in deep thought, that he was jolted back to reality.

“Everyone wake up!!”

An instructor with a bloated face was standing at the entrance to the barracks.

Was this really training again? The kids woke up with irritation on their faces, but no one voiced their complaints.

Only Yu Jinsan had a meaningful expression on his face.

“This is a reward for your training results given by the leader, so enjoy it to your heart’s content.”

At the entrance, two other instructors came in, each carrying something on either side. Upon closer inspection, it was a huge golden wild boar.

They placed it down in the central aisle and vanished.

“…wh-what is this?”

“Meat?”

“Can we eat it?”

The kids hesitated, looking as if they couldn’t believe the situation. It seemed like they didn’t have much experience with eating meat.

After a while, everyone started running at the same time, without caring about who came first.

When a wild boar was killed and prepared, depending on its weight, two to three hundred people could eat from it.

It was more than enough for these kids, and the same was happening in the other barracks too, judging from the noise.

The kids were all devouring the meat, not caring about the grease on their faces.

“So delicious.”

“Hehe.”

“I wish I could eat meat every day.”

Yu Jinsan saw the kids smile for the first time.

Those kids, full of dark shadows like tamed animals—he couldn’t believe such pure smiles were being hidden.

‘Wait a little more. It might be difficult now, but grandpa will find a way to take you out.’

He felt happy watching them, but at the same time, he was worried. A reward for the killing of instructors.

It was natural for them to harbor venomous intentions. He was concerned about how much harsher they would treat the children the next day.

“We should try to reduce the number of instructors as much as possible.”

By doing so, the training and harsh treatment would decrease, and escaping would become easier.

He was pondering his plan when the children, their bellies somewhat filled, began to open up a bit.

“I think it is because of the breakthrough training.”

“Are there any kids from our barracks in that group?”

“There is one.”

“137!”

Everyone turned to Yu Jinsan.

Having not touched the wild boar and lying some distance away, he naturally caught everyone’s attention.

“Thank you, 137.”

“I will ask you to take good care of me in the future as well.”

Yu Jinsan, feeling flustered, didn’t answer but turned his body and lay down.

‘Look at the young ones talking informally to an old man.’

Contrary to his true feelings, a faint smile appeared on his face. He couldn’t mingle with the kids and play.

He slept alone with his eyes closed. Of course, there was no way he could fall asleep.

After the grand dinner, the noise became more frequent.

It was necessary for them to gain energy for the next day’s training. The children also began to take care of their bodies by eating and sleeping.

How long was it? There was a deep silence in the air—a silence that took his breath away.

-Who are you?

A sound came next to him. Could it be that his identity had been figured out?

Yu Jinsan calmly peered through the darkness, and there was this child, about 12 years old or so, intently staring at him.

A sword scar was placed diagonally across his face, and he had this unusually tough look.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that his subtle force wasn’t normal.

‘There was one hiding their skills? I think he could take an instructor down too.’

Even if you gathered all the outstandingly gifted people in one place, there would always be a genius who would overwhelm them.

He was definitely looking at the strongest kid.

-137.

-Don’t lie. 137 is my friend. He escaped from here yesterday, so why are you wearing his clothes?

Yu Jinsan thought of the poor kid buried. Before he died, he said he had friends back here.

-Before answering, let me ask you something. Why didn’t you escape with him?

If the two had escaped, then this guy would have succeeded, and so would the dead child.

So he had to confirm the reason.

-I couldn’t go. Because I had to outrun the instructor guarding the entrance.

This meant he bought time for his friend to escape. This child turned out to be a lot more loyal than he thought.

‘That is nice. If I get this guy’s help, I can do something.’

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Yu Jinsan sent a message.

-You will call me Grandpa from now on. The reason I look like this is because of Body Reformation.

-What is that…?

At that moment, Yu Jinsan released the qi he had been holding back to the kid.

Was it because he felt the power that surpassed the instructors’? The child closed his mouth with a surprised look.

-I ran into your friend while passing by, and he asked me for help. That’s all I know since I came to assist.

-Th-then, did my friend escape safely?

-Yes. Do not worry; he came out unharmed. He must be having a happy time now.

There was no need to convey sadness, and the child in front of him covered his mouth with both hands, tearing up.

-I am glad, really…

-Right, now you people will have to get out too. Let’s start with your name before that.

-185.

-No, what is your name?

After calming down, 185 said with a refreshed expression.

-They say you get a name only if you become an official member. Until then, you are called by number.

-Where in this world does such a law exist? Everyone must have a name. From now on, I will call you Cheong Pung. From tomorrow, follow me.

-Yes, Grandpa, I like the name.