Chapter 31

<Ep. 32> Didn’t Know Memories Could Get NTR’d Too?

-Hooh, you’ve got some decent talent there.

This was back when Chul-soo was still a kid.

It was around the time he had just picked up a sword.

-Who are you?

-Me? My name’s Tae-jin Kim.

The guy dressed in hanbok spoke with an extremely casual attitude.

Even now, thinking back, his appearance could’ve been mistaken for a thug.

But I couldn’t look away because…

It was the first time someone acknowledged me since I was born.

-A wanna-be hero, huh? Not bad for a brat like you.

-Even if I tried, it wouldn’t matter. Kids like me who are poor will fall behind quickly even if they become heroes.

Being a hero is a job where you have to keep getting stronger endlessly.

What kind of equipment you use, what kind of sponsorship you get,

And what kind of master you have.

All these factors come together to create huge differences.

Chul-soo, being an orphan, knew early on that no matter how well he grew up, he’d only be a mere mercenary at best.

He had realized this reality quite early.

-You little punk doesn’t know your own worth!

-Yikes!

Suddenly, he got hit on the head.

Chul-soo, wiping away tears, looked at Tae-jin with an aggrieved expression.

-Why did you hit me?

-I got mad seeing someone with such potential talking like they’re already dead! Why!

After saying that, he handed him a book.

[Sky Piercing Sword]

-Wha, what is this thing?

-Hahahaha, this is the manual for the swordsmanship technique I developed myself.

Chul-soo opened the rugged-looking cover.

Despite its shabby exterior, even young Chul-soo could tell the contents were incredible.

How to wield a sword, footwork, using strength effectively, etc.

The level of detail in the sword techniques was astonishing.

Just mastering the martial arts written here might be enough to make someone a hero.

-Here, take it.

-Me?! For me?!

-Well, I’m not really a sword specialist anyway, and it’s a lower-tier version of the ‘Heavenly Piercing Divine Authority’ I’m researching. But even with this, you should be able to reach Strong Hero rank easily.

Strong Hero rank.

For the current Chul-soo, it seemed impossibly far away.

But with this sword technique, he thought it might actually be possible.

-Why are you giving me something so valuable?

-I told you already. I don’t like seeing someone with a gift from heaven sulking around. Also, consider it an investment in a potential future disciple.

With those words, Tae-jin disappeared.

I found out later that he was a legendary Strong Hero.

But for Chul-soo, the important thing wasn’t just the title.

It was the dream he had nurtured in his heart.

The goal of protecting Young-hee.

That dream was given to him by Tae-jin Kim.

He never met that man again after that.

It was just a brief encounter.

He probably didn’t even remember Chul-soo.

Still, Chul-soo regarded Tae-jin as his teacher in his heart.

‘I wonder what my teacher is doing right about now…’

Lost in nostalgia for a moment, Chul-soo opened his eyes.

Maybe it was because he recently gained some insight, but old memories started flooding back.

‘Finally made this Sky Piercing Sword mine.’

Dying effort.

Sounds simple, but how many people can actually do it?

How many people worked hard to the point of carving their flesh, breaking their bones, and pouring their soul into it?

Even under such harsh conditions, Chul-soo could confidently say:

“I gave it my all.”

‘That guy from the first sparring match? I’ve trained hard enough to beat him.’

A week after Eugene disappeared.

Those few days were significant for Chul-soo too.

He focused solely on training while Eugene was gone.

He was confident his swordsmanship improved by at least two levels.

His skills were incomparable to what they used to be.

‘In a way, it’s thanks to that guy.’

The wish-granting prize Eugene mentioned for winning the sparring match.

The vague goal of protecting Young-hee felt much closer now.

Thanks to that, Chul-soo could race toward that goal without hesitation.

Of course, Chul-soo didn’t fully trust it.

Even if he brought Young-hee back with a wish, she could just be taken away again.

Considering her current state, there’s even a chance she might return on her own.

Still, Eugene’s offer presented a possibility for Chul-soo.

“Idiot.”

Young-hee, sitting on a nearby bench, spoke.

She had arrived earlier than Chul-soo to wait for him.

“What about giving up and asking for forgiveness now? There’s no way your skills improved that much in just a week.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was just told by Eugene-sama to watch over you.”

Saying that, she turned her head away.

Eugene wanted her to observe…

Maybe he wanted to show off his power?

Either way, it wasn’t bad for Chul-soo.

“This kind of fight… I didn’t want to see it.”

“Well, I’m glad to see your face.”

Young-hee’s face turned red.

Looking at her, Chul-soo couldn’t help but smile.

No matter what their relationship is now, seeing Young-hee’s face always gave him strength.

He felt his determination grow stronger.

‘If I defeat him with sheer force, no matter what, he won’t be able to look down on me.’

Chul-soo wasn’t completely clueless either.

He investigated the organization Eugene belonged to—Hwagcheon.

The fact he discovered:

It’s a purely brute-force-worshipping cult.

‘Seriously, I didn’t think an organization that solely worships strength still existed.’

Hwagcheon operated entirely based on the logic of power.

Even if someone was the heir to the organization, they wouldn’t be recognized if they weren’t deemed strong enough.

Apparently, coups frequently occurred.

You had to crush everything to be truly recognized as the master of Hwagcheon.

‘Growing up in such an environment, in a way, he’s pretty pure when it comes to strength.’

First, I’ll show him my power.

Then, I’ll bring Young-hee back using the wish-granting prize as promised.

Next, I’ll negotiate backed by this power.

Even if not, as the unstable heir, he wouldn’t want to alienate someone stronger than him.

!…

!…..

…….

He wouldn’t want to turn someone who defeated him into an enemy.

‘That’s why I’ve trained so hard.’

The wooden sword in his hand feels incredibly reliable.

Chul-soo was scared of Eugene.

There was a time when his heart completely submitted to the guy.

But things are different now.

The provocation from Eugene, the pain Young-hee feels…

All of it has shaped Chul-soo into a better swordsman.

‘You’ll regret raising me, Kim Yu-jin.’

While silently vowing and preparing himself, footsteps approached.

Thud-thud.

From afar, Yu-jin Kim walked towards him.

Was it because of the impending sparring match?

Today, he seemed even bigger somehow.

‘No, wait… His aura is slightly different…’

As Chul-soo frowned and stared at Yu-jin, suddenly—

“Photon Thrust!”

Without warning, Yu-jin stomped his foot.

‘Huh?’

In the blink of an eye, faster than a regular human could blink.

Yu-jin was already in front of him.

‘Fast…’

Yu-jin threw a punch.

A thunderous sound erupted.

Chul-soo was sent flying backward after taking the hit.

“Chu-Chulsoo!”

Barely maintaining his balance, Chul-soo stabilized his stance.

A wooden sword was already drawn and placed in front of his chest.

‘If I hadn’t blocked it with the wooden sword, it would’ve been game over.’

Even though he blocked it, his wrists trembled violently.

He had been pushed back quite a distance.

One single blow.

Just that was enough to gauge the opponent’s strength.

‘He’s this powerful with brute strength alone…’

Moreover, the explosive acceleration he showed earlier.

Chul-soo assumed Yu-jin poured all his efforts into raw power.

Probably overconfident, thinking he didn’t need separate martial arts training.

He believed he could definitely win with technique.

But now, that figure resembles a true martial artist.

‘Monster. What exactly did you do during this week?’

Looking at Yu-jin standing before him.

The guy simply glared at him without saying anything.

None of his usual calm and composed demeanor.

No cryptic taunts either.

He clearly viewed Chul-soo as an “equal opponent.”

If feeling relieved about that makes me strange…

‘Calm down. It’s not impossible to win.’

Yu-jin’s growth rate was terrifying.

But Chul-soo also honed his skills to match.

Didn’t I just block that surprise attack?

Most importantly, I have the “Sky Piercing Sword.”

Even if he’s stronger in raw power, I’m ahead in technique.

‘No matter how strong the attack, it means nothing if it doesn’t hit.’

The sensation of fighting monsters rather than humans.

Gripping the wooden sword tightly.

Sharpening his senses to a razor’s edge.

And then he moved!

[Sky Piercing Sword: Heaven Obscuring]

In an instant, Chul-soo vanished from sight and reappeared behind Yu-jin.

‘Gotcha.’

An absolutely unpredictable blind spot.

Striking from there with his sword.

It should’ve worked.

‘…Avoided it?’

Yu-jin effortlessly dodged it.

As if reading every single one of his movements.

Could it be… Is his technique also better than mine?

‘No, that can’t be.’

Chul-soo clenched his teeth and unleashed his swordsmanship.

The secret techniques written in the manual given by his teacher.

[Sky Piercing Sword: Subduing the Dragon]

[Sky Piercing Sword: Cloud Stream]

[Sky Piercing Sword: Three-Colored Sky]

[Sky Piercing Sword: Azure Strong Heaven]

Unleashing every sword technique he knew.

An overwhelming display of swordsmanship that would leave even seasoned heroes awestruck.

‘How… How is he…’

Yet, none of them connected.

Yu-jin dodged or blocked every single strike as if he knew them all beforehand.

Is this all I can do?

Is my teacher’s swordsmanship meaningless against this guy?

‘No, Master’s Sky Piercing Sword is invincible!’

It was the swordsmanship that brought him this far.

Using this swordsmanship gifted by his teacher, there’s no way I’d lose.

If I lose, it’s because my training isn’t enough.

‘Alright, I admit it. Kim Yu-jin, you’re better than me in martial arts too.’

It’s frustrating, but at this point, it’s undeniable.

No matter how hard I trained, it’s useless against this arrogant genius before me.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up.

Chul-soo took a bold gamble.

‘At least one arm. That’s my pride.’

Gripping the sword with both hands, he gathered his magic power.

A single decisive strike that puts everything on the line.

The ultimate technique of the Sky Piercing Sword that embodies the user’s strength and training.

-Sky Piercing Sword: Heaven Slicing

Even Kim Yu-jin shouldn’t survive this.

At least some damage.

Proof that I fought.

This is a soul-infused strike aimed at leaving that mark!

-Heavenly Piercing Divine Authority: Revolving Heaven

And it gets blocked effortlessly by a martial art Kim Yu-jin uses for the first time.

‘Wha…t…?’

Even as he flew sideways, Chul-soo kept his wide-open eyes.

He knows this technique.

More precisely, he knows the technique before it reached completion.

The words of the homeroom teacher came back to him late.

Though the details were confidential, Eugene briefly studied under a certain hero.

‘No way…’

How… Why…

‘Why… Of all people, why you…!’

A fist flew towards Chul-soo’s face.

He went flying and tumbled across the ground.

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