Chapter 95: Joint Training (3) |
Sung Han-byul was feeling particularly down today.
‘Nobody seems to expect anything.’
It was a joint class between the second and first-year students. Though it was called a joint class, typically, the second-year students emerged victorious in these battles.
There were flying geniuses all over the world.
They were pitted against each other based on their overall levels, offered tremendous rewards, and thus, their skills were honed.
There were children who had grown up performing curricula superior to that of the school from a young age. However, few places could offer rewards as exceptional as those of the Korea Hero School.
The Tower of Trials.
It was because of the rewards it granted.
Moreover, there existed a teacher known as the Emperor, rumored to have the blood of dwarves.
That’s why stars from all over the world have gathered here.
The second-year students, however, were not as highly anticipated. This was because the current third-year students, when they were first-year, defeated half of the then second-year students, earning them the title of the golden generation.
And the second-year students, during their joint class with the first-year students, were all but one defeated.
Sung Han-byul hated being looked down upon by her seniors. And she hated seeing her fellow second-year students being dismissed alongside her.
So, she became stronger. Fortunately, she had the talent.
She was strong enough to potentially become the student council president by defeating most of the third-year students.
She received the envy of the second years and the jealousy of the third years.
Each time she received such attention, she felt something warping inside her, but she endured it. After all, she had a duty to lead the second years.
‘What’s with him really.’
Sung Han-byul stood tall, feigning calmness. She was not merely Sung Han-byul as an individual. She represented the hope of all second-year students, the most antagonized by the third years, and the most cherished student by all professors and instructors.
That’s why she had to act like a flower that blooms nobly, unbecoming of her.
‘Really, what’s with him…’
Therefore, his gaze was particularly burdensome.
Lee Seo-ha.
He was said to be the top of the first years. Rumors about this man were extraordinary.
As soon as he enrolled, he broke all records at a monstrous level, stirring rumors in guilds and associations.
It was said that there had already been a silent battle for him in Korea, while China was anxious, Japan was watchful, and America was courting him.
‘Really, what’s with him…’
His gaze on her was unusual.
It was almost like that of someone who had fallen in love.
Perhaps, it was akin to the boundless love a father gave to his daughter.
A gaze so intense it could make onlookers blush. Today, Sung Han-byul realized for the first time that one could confess their feelings with just a look.
‘Could it be, love at first sight?’
Objectively speaking, she knew she was attractive.
But she had never seen such a gaze before. She had seen looks of envy or lust.
If she had a father, he would probably look at her with such eyes.
And that gaze didn’t end. Even when she went up to the training grounds for the duel.
‘Really, what’s with him?’
Sung Han-byul didn’t want to fight. She didn’t consider herself a kind student, but she didn’t want to fight a student with such a gaze.
Yet, her title as the representative of the second years forced her into the fight.
She didn’t want to.
“So, now we will start the duel…”
“It might be better not to.”
“What do you mean?”
Honestly, she didn’t want to fight.
While looking for an excuse, Sung Han-byul suddenly realized that the magical energy at the beach was intensifying.
Primordial and wild fluctuations of power.
It was often the source of power used by monsters.
‘It’s a relief.’
Sung Han-byul thought to herself that it was fortunate.
And then, she suddenly caught herself in that thought.
‘Why is it a relief…?’
She didn’t want to fight. But if it came down to it, she could.
Unknown to Sung Han-byul.
She was quite vulnerable to being pushed.
Swoosh.
The sound of the waves could be heard. Under normal circumstances, it might have been a soothing sound. However, along with the sound, a vast magical power began to expand.
It was a privilege of the merfolk. They would stack waves upon waves, then suddenly release them to create a giant wave.
This wave was taller than most buildings.
It was a technique known as ‘Destroying Sea’.
The wave, infused with magic, was also incredibly dense. The pressure within the wave was comparable to heavy machinery. An ordinary person could be crushed just by brushing against it.
“…Crazy. What is all this!”
A student, sweating coldly, looked at the ‘Destroying Sea’ in awe. It was tall. And there was a vast magical power within it.
This was a kind of mystic power used by the entire race.
Mystic.
It referred to the laws that make up this world. The system fell under mysticism, and the merfolk could also use such powers, similar to racial privileges.
However, humans were not granted this power.
Those layers upon layers of giant waves.
As soon as I saw them, I leaped forward.
‘That looks dangerous.’
Was it because of the difficulty?
It’s quite excessive for an event. Perhaps many students might lose their lives today.
There might be a high-level monster. Or perhaps several mid-level ones.
High-level, huh.
I suddenly realized I wasn’t nervous. High-level monsters weren’t easy to handle.
I inwardly smirked. High-level monsters could be quite troublesome.
“I’ll block that wave.”
“Will you do that?”
Sung Han-byul, the student council president, nodded readily. Just in time.
I could also block the ‘Destroying Sea’. However, the problem was that it consumed a tremendous amount of Energy of Defying Heaven.
I looked at the ‘Destroying Sea’ with my Divine Sight. I saw. With that action, Divine Sight found what I was looking for.
‘Found it.’
“Eternal Heaven.”
-Yes! I’m ready, Seo-ha!
Eternal Heaven responded energetically. Simultaneously, I raised a spell. I infused the spell with the Energy of Defying Heaven.
I felt the Energy of Defying Heaven slowly compress. According to Eternal Heaven and Black Heaven, it’s a technique only I can use.
‘It’s just compression, though.’
It was also possible due to the conceptual stat I possessed.
A small bead floated above my hand.
Whooosh!
I infused Nyeom into the bead and sent it towards the ‘Destroying Sea’. As it reached its target, the ‘Destroying Sea’ momentarily fluctuated.
Hundreds had combined their strength to create it, but that made its structure not very cohesive. What I did was akin to poking a small hole in a large dam.
‘Of course, this should be enough.’
If it was the ability possessed by Sung Han-byul. I glanced at her, and she signaled her gratitude with her eyes.
I struggled to stop the corners of my mouth from involuntarily rising.
Creating a foothold in mid-air, I leaped again.
As I gathered the Energy of Defying Heaven, preparing to use my lightning-quick technique.
Bang!
A piercing sound echoed. I immediately twisted my body. My senses, honed as a Sword Demon, told me that this strike was extremely dangerous.
As soon as I turned my head, I felt a few strands of hair being sliced off by something.
‘…….’
Divine Sight.
Eyes that saw the bright dawn captured the target. Blue-skinned with fish scales, it resembled a human but was not human-sized. It was a man-like figure at least 3 meters tall, complete with a tail.
He wielded a dark-colored spear.
He looked at me fiercely, laughing wildly.
It was clearly a hostile gaze, like one looking at its prey.
‘…Prey, huh.’
How absurd. I chuckled without realizing it. I realized I was more excited than I had thought. The opponent was high-level. Moreover, he wasn’t alone but was accompanied by his subordinates.
‘Is it worth a try?’
I calculated my full power and assessed the opponent’s capabilities.
And I answered my own question.
It was worth trying.
I created another foothold.
This was the second use today, one left, I guess.
Leap.
At the same time, I placed my hand on the White Rouge. Black Heaven wasn’t there. Instead, the Sword of Winter lay dormant.
I looked down. Dozens of merfolk were looking at me, revealing their hostility.
‘This is enough for an experiment.’
A new technique, that is.
I couldn’t properly use the Sword of Winter. That’s the only downside of having the Energy of Defying Heaven as a Black God Martial Arts practitioner.
By possessing the Energy of Defying Heaven, I couldn’t fully utilize certain tools. I couldn’t receive healing through divine power. I could drink potions and elixirs, but their effects were not fully realized.
Maybe that’s how Black God Martial Arts was born. The Devil Martial Artist, unable to solve everything with just the Energy of Defying Heaven, might have invested time in physical strength.
Using White Rouge to momentarily unleash explosive power was a pretty good idea, and substituting it with the body of Black God Martial Arts wasn’t bad either.
‘Though the damage output was less than expected.’
But there was an advantage to starting with a move from the opponent.
Sleek.
The sound of metal rang out. The Sword of Winter, emerging from the White Rouge, cast a blue light.
Grit.
I tensed my arm. My action was exceedingly simple.
Unsheathing the sword.
I added a bit of skill to it. After some consideration with the Black God Martial Arts, I interfered with the flow.
The flow of blood quickened, my skeleton strengthened, and my muscles bulged. The Energy of Defying Heaven began to concentrate in my right arm.
‘It’s okay.’
This was akin to self-harm, or perhaps even worse. A misstep could cause permanent physical damage.
‘It’s okay.’
But the body of Black God Martial Arts did not get damaged by such self-harm. It’s a body that surpassed limits as it approached them.
Grit.
My head felt a bit dizzy, a little sore due to the muscles tensing. The pain of twisting bones accompanied it.
However.
The body of Black God Martial Arts accepted it all. Gradually, my head cleared, muscles further condensed, the pain in the bones subsided, and the flow of blood became smoother.
And at the strongest point the body could handle,
I drew the sword.
Lee Seo-ha’s Original.
Narasum (Devil Flash).
A blue flash obscured my vision. Following it, the winter magic began to freeze everything along the trajectory of the sword.
Crrrrrack!
This place was near the sea. The winter magic flowed along with the water’s magic. Everything in front of me was dyed in a blue flash, and all began to freeze.
In the midst of summer, the flowers of winter bloomed.