Chapter 374

Namgoong Seokdae had watched countless “genius” individuals throughout his life.

Among those geniuses, he was included too.

Growing up in the Namgung Family, he was praised as a genius, but also constantly compared to others.

“That family can do this quickly, while yours can’t, and look at what you managed,” and so on.

As he compared himself to other geniuses, the meaning of being a genius faded a bit.

However, when compared to ordinary people, he was definitely different, which made Namgoong Seokdae believe himself to be a genius.

His mind didn’t waver even at the Academy, as it was an institution only for geniuses, so it didn’t seem that significant.

In fact, if he could achieve good grades and stand out here, he could rise to a position above the heavens.

A so-called genius beyond genius. Namgoong Seokdae definitely wanted to reach that level.

“But… there’s one thing that’s been bothering me lately.”

It was the meaning of genius.

A genius is someone who knows one thing and can grasp ten. It’s generally used that way.

If so, how would you describe someone who is just absurdly strong but doesn’t fit that definition?

Until entering the Academy, he hadn’t encountered such a person. Those who were absurdly strong were mostly much older.

Of course, there were strong people his age, but their strength was always at a “reasonable” level.

Especially lately, with Sword Saint Rod successfully returning from being an old man to a middle-aged figure.

It’s hard to accept extraordinary strength unless they’re at least on par with the Sword Saint.

That’s how Namgoong Seokdae felt.

“What on earth…”

Until smaller rocks started falling from the sky.

Namgoong Seokdae was dazed, trying to comprehend the disaster that was unfolding right in front of him.

He had expected this ever since Sivar lifted a massive chunk of land over his head.

Was it a small mercy, or did he wish for no fatalities even if there were serious injuries?

Though dodging Sivar was difficult, he at least shattered the ground. Thanks to that, rocks larger than a fist didn’t fall.

But due to gravity, even small stones felt like meteors. A catastrophe was pouring down on them.

“Ugh…”

“Aaaaah…”

“My, my head…”

It was a gruesome scene. Most students were rendered incapable of combat.

The silver lining was that there were no serious injuries. The worst thing was someone fainting.

Namgoong Seokdae managed to hold on thanks to the existence of the Blue Treasure. He glanced at his hand.

‘If I hadn’t had this…’

The blue ring fitted on his finger. Because of the treasure’s efficacy, he could remain relatively intact.

Without this, he wouldn’t have been able to prepare against the shower of rocks.

Steel Body Technique or Self-Defense Technique? The Steel Body Technique was weak against “shock,” and the Self-Defense Technique was still unpolished.

If it were easy, there wouldn’t be so few students groaning on the floor. Namgoong Seokdae felt a sense of relief.

“Does that even make sense?”

And he just couldn’t get it. He was well aware that Sivar existed outside of understanding.

But this was a whole different level outside the norm. Especially the physical prowess part.

It could be attributed to the performance of the Purple Treasure. But Namgoong Seokdae thought otherwise.

‘Even with good performance, flipping the ground itself isn’t possible.’

There are plenty of strong individuals who can literally flip the earth over.

However, true masters capable of “lifting” the ground itself like Sivar were rare in the world.

One would need ample muscle and mana to pull such a feat. For Namgoong Seokdae, it was something he could never do, alive or dead.

‘Is that also considered genius?’

It is indeed a genius. The genius that means a heavenly disaster.

Even an extraordinary genius is just a life residing under the heavens after all.

How on earth was he supposed to overcome that, or rather, “that thing”? He had no clue.

‘Should I run away?’

Suddenly, the thought crossed Namgoong Seokdae’s mind. A perfectly rational reaction.

But then he shook his head. He wasn’t concluding it based on honorable principles, but rather, the result of ‘impossibility.’

Currently, Sivar had the ability to track treasures. If he did, he’d be caught in no time.

Ultimately, there was only one option left — to resist. Amid the chaos, Namgoong Seokdae searched for a student who could stand.

“Can you stand?”

“No… I feel like I’m going to throw up…”

“And you?”

“My legs won’t cooperate…”

Unfortunately, almost no students were capable of fighting right now. Most were struggling just to take care of themselves.

With a heavy heart, Namgoong Seokdae managed the other injured individuals. He left the students inside the shield as they were.

Before long, that genius, no, the monster beyond genius would come closer. Speed was of the essence.

“The Confucian Master said…”

“I’ll buy us some time, no matter what.”

“But…”

“I know I will lose.”

Namgoong Seokdae was proud, but he was also objective. He knew he wouldn’t be able to defeat Sivar.

The reason he was still fighting was simple. He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a necklace.

A Green Treasure he had stolen from Kara. It had lost its shine since it wasn’t time yet.

“Take this and run as far as you can. That should do.”

“What if…”

“I don’t want to hear the details, just hurry!”

And with that, Namgoong Seokdae forced a smile as he sent his team member off. He sent them off beautifully, but he knew all too well.

Just how long until they get caught? Three minutes? Or five? If he’s lucky, maybe ten.

‘He’s human… right?’

He looked around. The calamity directly carved by Sivar caught his eye.

Swords would be utterly useless, and both strength and magic surpassed anything he had seen. Not even a demon would act like this.

Who in the world were his parents to give birth to such a genius? He was suddenly filled with curiosity.

‘It’s a blessing that he doesn’t go around causing havoc with that power.’

There were plenty of rumors about Sivar. Most of them were related to property destruction.

There had been cases of violence, but if you dug deeper, everything made sense.

He was still observing the line of decency as a person. If he’d crossed it, he’d have been expelled long ago.

-Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Suddenly, footsteps came from behind Namgoong Seokdae. He closed his eyes.

When he turned around, he found the calamity standing proudly before him.

On his right hand was a pair of purple gloves that had directly caused this disaster.

“…Assistant.”

“Speak.”

“If you do this one more time, I will raise it to the professor.”

At first glance, Namgoong Seokdae’s words sounded like a threat. But in reality, it was the opposite.

Please, consider the plight. If you keep this up, someone could truly die.

There should be limits to the massacre; otherwise, it would break our spirits. So he pleaded for gentleness.

If that didn’t work, he’d take the issue directly to the professor to lodge a complaint.

A way of speaking that protects his pride without being pathetic. It was the minimum courtesy Namgoong Seokdae could extend.

Sivar blinked upon hearing that, then shrugged. He opened his mouth.

“Nam Seokdae, right?”

“It’s Namgoong Seokdae.”

Why does he keep mixing up names, or rather, the surname?

Even more absurd was how easy it rolled off his tongue.

However, Sivar continued speaking as if he didn’t care.

“Shall I let you go?”

“Please go easy on me.”

Namgoong Seokdae boldly made the request. He had just realized the gap between him and Sivar.

Even if he died and came back ten times, he couldn’t win. The fundamental problem was that Sivar’s body was impervious to blades.

Sivar was taken aback by Namgoong Seokdae’s confidence and widened his eyes.

He scratched his head and spoke.

“Well… I don’t really know techniques. I just use brute force. That last attack was because of the treasure.”

“Then can you lessen your strength?”

“Why would I lose?”

Oh, come on. Namgoong Seokdae rolled his eyes.

He was a human strong enough to flip the earth; would he really lose if he toned it down?

A tiger is still a tiger, even if it’s a bit lazy. A puppy would likely die just from a swing of his paws instead of teeth.

“Why do you think that way?”

“Because I’ve met plenty of people stronger than me.”

“Who?”

“Rod and Rize.”

“……”

The names of Sword Saint and Gwonseong slipped from Sivar’s mouth. Namgoong Seokdae was left gaping.

It seemed he had set his standards against the heavens rather than the earth. No wonder he thought of himself as weak.

‘Doesn’t matter anyway.’

Namgoong Seokdae gradually bent his body forward. He then grasped the blade that was lying on the ground.

Sivar initially was unfazed, but he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at the blade that Namgoong Seokdae grasped.

It was a sickle of very familiar design. Just looking at it made it seem like it could slice his fingers.

“Did you… get that from Kara?”

“Yeah. It’s quite a magnificent sword.”

“Hand it over. I gifted that to you.”

Instead of answering, Namgoong Seokdae responded by channeling mana into the ring.

As the ring hummed, a transformation began to happen to Namgoong Seokdae.

A blue veil gradually enveloped his body, giving off a protective vibe.

It was a spell mimicking a shield or self-defense technique. The defense and duration varied depending on the user’s mana.

And that was what Namgoong Seokdae staked his belief in. He rushed forward without hesitation.

“Huup!”

With a spirited yell, he slashed the sickle diagonally. Sivar easily dodged the attack.

Namgoong Seokdae noticed something significant as Sivar evaded. The fact that he had “dodged” was everything.

If it had been an ordinary blade, he would’ve taken that hit proudly. He did so before.

‘That means it’s sharp enough to make him dodge.’

Sivar certainly recognized the threat posed by the Usuk Blade. Confidence surged within Namgoong Seokdae.

With this sword in hand, he could deal effective blows. He felt it in his gut.

His defensive capabilities were also backed by the treasure.

–Thud!

As Sivar dodged Namgoong Seokdae’s attack, he was pushed back. That was because Namgoong Seokdae kicked him.

Thanks to that, he collided with the wall behind him and reached a dead end. Namgoong Seokdae wouldn’t let this chance slip.

But perhaps due to greed in wanting to land an effective blow. Or maybe due to another reason.

-Thud!

Before he realized it, Sivar extended his left arm and grabbed Namgoong Seokdae’s face.

Sivar’s hand was so large that he could easily grip Namgoong Seokdae’s entire face.

For an instant, Namgoong Seokdae was startled but soon brushed it off. After all, his self-defense technique should—

-Smash!

“Uh?”

Until he realized something went wrong.

A large crack appeared in the blue veil with a disturbing sound.

-Shatter!

When Sivar pulled his arm back, the entire face portion of the shield was obliterated.

Namgoong Seokdae was momentarily perplexed when the impossible happened, but he swiftly took action.

Because…

-Bam!

Sivar’s fist was hurtling toward his face.

Luckily, the self-defense technique had already restored itself, but the shock still flowed through.

‘Ugh…’

Namgoong Seokdae fell into chaos. He didn’t even realize he had collapsed on the ground.

Meanwhile, Sivar approached slowly. By the time Namgoong Seokdae regained his senses, it was already too late.

-Thud! Thud! Crack!

A flurry of punches rained down upon him, mostly directed at his face.

‘Will I… die like this?’

Namgoong Seokdae felt the fear of death.

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