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Chapter 253

With a rough exhale, I wiped the sweat pouring down like rain. Strength fundamentally comes from consistency.

Of course, mana is a bizarre force that allows one to surpass a series of processes to become stronger, but even assuming one has mana, the same principle applies.

Those who don’t consistently train themselves cannot become strong. That was Yeon-woo’s belief, a belief forged during his time as a low-tier challenger. In fact, it’s been through continuous training that he has shown results until now.

“An Aura Expert review, huh….”

One step forward. Hearing such words made it hard for Yeon-woo to stay still.

Of course, he knew that being this obsessed wasn’t a good thing. But what could he do? It’s better not to say anything at all; once he heard it, it became impossible not to think about it.

His body itched. He wanted to grab a sword and swing it right now, but Yeon-woo bit his lips and held back. There must be a reason Yuri said that. He should endure at least until the midterms.

Shaking with anticipation, Yeon-woo forced himself to look away from the Body Training Room. They say you should take the longer route when in a hurry.

Just hold out for a week, and afterward, he would be free. He could swing a sword or spear at his leisure.

“Uoooh…!!”

Yeon-woo, breaking out a spontaneous battle cry, fled from the Body Training Room.

*

““It’s over….””

““I did it!!””

As the last test paper was taken from Park Giant’s hand and exited the common room, such voices filled the classroom.

Some were stretching, others buried their heads on their desks. What mattered was that everyone in the lecture hall was thinking the same thing.

The diligent students sought out the top performers to check answers, while those who had thrown away their notes rolled around wondering what to do for fun that day.

However, the most diligent among them, Seong-ryong, didn’t join the line for confirmation of wrong answers. That’s probably what confidence looks like.

The atmosphere inside the classroom began to heat up. Yeon-woo understood this phenomenon well. The mana affected by the students’ emotions was raising the classroom temperature. It was the same sensation he felt during the entrance ceremony.

After all, they were fifteen-year-olds. They swing from joy to despair over a single test and get all hyped up thinking about playing. It’s amusing to think these kids will lead the hunter industry in the future.

Yeon-woo quietly sat and watched the students before slowly walking out of the class. He couldn’t help but feel something strange every time this happened.

Coincidentally, the moment this generation graduates, within a few years, the states of the monsters would go awry, leading even the childlike students to the battlefield.

He hoped they would prepare their hearts by then, but who knows.

If Yeon-woo could actively prevent such changes by working hard, it meant he could save not only himself and Baek In-hwa but also everyone of a similar generation.

‘Just by looking at these kids, I’m already thinking about saving people; I’ve become a hero myself.’

It’s not an easy job. You must put in efforts at every moment. I want to receive a cheat ability from the Goddess too, why isn’t Dawn giving me anything like that…

Chortling to himself, Yeon-woo reminded himself to work hard and headed toward the Department Head’s Office to keep the promise he made with Yuri.

*

“I didn’t see this coming!”

Facing White, Yeon-woo murmured blankly. It was an unexpected situation. He thought it would simply end with some swordsmanship lessons, but suddenly Yuri was standing across from him.

“Come, approach without hesitation.”

As Yuri pulled out a wooden sword, an indescribable sense of intimidation radiated from her. Every sense within him screamed not to act rashly.

Of course. Standing before him was one of the Ten Absolute Masters, seemingly a child, but with the title of the Absolute of the Sword.

Ten Thousand Swords and Full Swords. After witnessing all sword techniques and then emptying everything out, becoming filled with the sword—an old master who surpassed even the First Sword in Busan’s knowledge of the sword.

She appeared to be simply standing there, casually holding a wooden sword, but even that presence felt like a manifestation of swordsmanship to Yeon-woo.

It felt as if a sharp blade was aimed at him, like the eyes of a reptile.

In a pressure so intense he could barely breathe, Yeon-woo slowly exhaled and inhaled. If it had been the him from a while ago, he wouldn’t have been able to move at all. But now was different.

“Here I come, Master!!”

Ignoring the warning of instinct, he forced his foot forward. The moment he took a step ahead, his body became free, as if his instincts had given up.

There are battles you can never retreat from. Even if there’s an enemy you might never defeat, a hero must push forward.

With his spirit unyielding, Yeon-woo charged at Yuri with all his might. He gracefully swung White. The flowing, soft blade of his sword made contact with the wooden sword.

Yuri received it effortlessly. The impact felt as if it bonded seamlessly, without transmitting any force.

“Oh? You’re not surrendering. You’ve learned something good.”

Only then did the oppressive atmosphere Yuri had spread ease. Yeon-woo felt cold sweat trickling down his back.

Hiding her intent to kill while radiating intimidation? For Yeon-woo, it was an area he couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“Alright, attack as much as you like.”

“You might regret it!?”

“Haha, nonsense.”

Watching Yuri laugh leisurely, Yeon-woo felt the urge to surprise her at least once.

But it was probably impossible. After all, all the sword techniques Yeon-woo practiced were devised by Yuri. To her, he was no more than a child’s play.

But since he wasn’t limited to only using a sword, perhaps there might be a way to surprise her at least once?

He forcibly disengaged from the sword that felt glued to his grasp. If she urges him to try his best, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Aside from psychological tactics, it was also necessary to practice pure physical combat, and this seemed like a good opportunity.

With a force that made it seem like his sword was stuck, he pulled it away. The sword was as good as Richard Lionel’s in terms of quality. What did it mean for such a sword to be of a similar level to a family head who laid the foundation of horrors?

Let’s think positively. No matter how deadly the swordplay is, if he thinks of it as having a training doll that blocks the attacks, it would be the perfect condition to practice his offensive connection.

He swung down with all his strength in a vertical slash, only for Yuri’s sword to easily parry it. Yuri lightly nodded at the heavy blow.

“The power of the strong sword hasn’t diminished.”

There was no time to respond. The act of offense is ultimately about momentum. If you lose that momentum, you allow your opponent’s counterattack. Of course, Yuri wouldn’t retaliate, but she would surely question why he lost his momentum.

Sliding the blocked sword to the side, he forcibly twisted the direction of the power at an angle. Yeon-woo’s body twisted as if pursuing White, completely channeling that power into his legs.

An attack that would’ve been a fierce kick instead met with Yuri’s left arm, who had already drawn her sword from her waist.

“Good, you’re also mixing in some martial arts. More, more, more.”

With a voice that seemed almost casual, like someone checking for a DUI, Yeon-woo began to twirl as he wielded White, manipulating the ice elemental mana.

He swung the blade once more, power mingling with coldness in that strike.

The ice slithered up White, coating the sheath. First, he aimed to eliminate that shield. The thick ice attached White to the sheath, and Yeon-woo thrust his empty left hand forward.

The mana swirling in his mana heart manifested according to Yeon-woo’s will.

A massive fireball burst forth. Yuri, who had been observing with a cold gaze, immediately let go of the sheath and stepped back.

“Your judgment to lessen the opponent’s numbers isn’t bad. Whether getting caught in the blast or letting go of the sheath, it’s good to gamble on that. But this won’t work against someone like Christopher you met before; do keep that in mind.”

“Yes, understood…!”

The ice that had stuck to White melted away, causing the sheath to fall onto Yeon-woo’s palm. If this were actual combat, he would’ve shattered it, but since it was a spar, he tossed it far behind him. That sight made Yuri smile.

“Great, shall we start exchanging swords?”

“Please, go easy on me!!”

As Yuri casually twirled the sword in place, she slowly approached Yeon-woo, reminiscent of a final boss in some sci-fi movie, causing Yeon-woo to chuckle.

“Anyone who fights against you, Master, must be out of their mind.”

“I’ll tell Claire about this.”

“Damn it.”

Remembering there was a nun, Yeon-woo facepalmed just as Yuri accelerated toward him in an instant, thrusting the sword. It wasn’t slow or fast, just a precise speed.

Yeon-woo quickly twisted his body to the side and yelled.

“Attacking mentally is cowardly, Master!!”

“Who reacts like that in the middle of a fight!!”

That was true. Dodging and parrying however he could, the spar continued. Thankfully, it seems he was holding back quite a bit, so the spar was able to proceed somehow.

*

“Good.”

Yuri, retrieving the sheath stuck far away into the air, sheathed her wooden sword and said that.

Yeon-woo lay on the ground, panting like a dog that had walked too much during the summer.

“Thank you, huff, very much, huff.”

“It seems this is the first time I’ve faced a Mage Warrior; there were quite a few surprising moments. Training both magic and sword skills is tough, but there’s no helping it.”

“Any, huff, time.”

If either one fell short in power, would it not be hard to use in actual battle?

Fortunately, if he has a clear image of Dragon Spirit Magic without practicing, it should be fine. Yet, for Yeon-woo, who had a poor imagination, expanding that horizon required consuming various media to enhance his creativity.

If that counts as training, then so be it…

“You could face skilled opponents easily enough, but you’d be weak against someone who specializes in one field—like me.”

And it was true. At some point, Yuri had started to adapt to Yeon-woo’s magic and other means, beginning to evade everything not involving swords.

She effortlessly slashed through the fireballs, dodged the spears that shot up from the ground.

With no satisfactory results from explosions or Dopplegangers, nor from elemental enhancements either—truly, she was an outstanding human.

“But that artifact should be useful. Suddenly appearing when it wasn’t there before might catch even an old man off guard.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

During a desperate situation, he hurriedly used shadows to pull out various blades from the storage and throw them; Yuri, startled, retreated quickly.

If he could align the fired objects in a specific direction, they could become excellent projectiles, but this was the first time to try it in practice.

“As for advice on becoming an Expert… I won’t bother. Just don’t obsess over it. You’ll naturally understand it within the fight.”

“Yes, understood…!”

“Good, rest now. You worked hard.”

Satisfied with having beaten Yeon-woo senseless with the sword, Yuri exited through the Gate with an uplifting expression. Yeon-woo laid on the grass for a long time, catching his breath.

(To be continued)

 

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