“What is this?”
Cain’s voice grew colder.
Jeong Yusin’s mind raced.
Don’t let it show or you’ll die.
That was Jeong Yusin’s instinct from having navigated countless tight situations.
Cain doesn’t know what happened between me and Mion.
He calmed his trembling heart.
Jeong Yusin opened his mouth.
“That’s not Miss Mion’s hair, is it?”
“So why is it on your shoulder?”
“It must’ve fallen while I was checking her progress during class.”
“Did Mion get that close?”
Cain asked with a voice filled with disbelief.
“Isn’t it possible to get close to teach? You teach the other students closely too, don’t you?”
Jeong Yusin sighed and continued.
“And Chief, I think this is taking things a bit too far. I know you care for your sister, but it’s hard to understand why you’re making such a fuss over one strand of hair. Would I, out of my mind, hurt Teacher Mion? And during class, no less?”
The two men locked eyes.
Jeong Yusin glared directly at Cain.
A brief silence swept over the orphanage yard.
Cain sighed and scratched his head.
“…I overreacted. Sorry. I’ve been on edge from not seeing my sister for a long time.”
“It’s alright. Then, I’ll go.”
Jeong Yusin parted ways with Cain and left the orphanage yard. He calmly walked a bit, then glanced behind him.
Cain was nowhere to be seen. Jeong Yusin dashed like a madman toward the swordsmanship guild.
If it were discovered that he had a Virgin Female Corruption Mark…
And what’s more, if it were revealed that he’d fondled Mion’s soft mochi-like stomach…
It wouldn’t end with just a good beating.
Beads of sweat formed on Jeong Yusin’s forehead as he ran through the streets.
The early summer sun and wind brushed past his cheeks.
Some people shouted and moved away from Jeong Yusin.
After running for a while, he arrived at the swordsmanship guild.
Thud!!!
He opened the door with all his might.
“Ashur!”
Ashur, who was reclining in a counter chair, raised his head.
“Scath, the guild is not your personal door to bash open. Be careful.”
“That’s not important right now.”
“Then what is?”
“Do you know Cain, the Chief of the Labyrinth City Knights?”
“Yeah, the guy who taught me the sword. What about him?”
“How strong is that person?”
“A newly promoted Barbaroy would be sent straight to the afterlife with one slash from him.”
“Shit.”
“Are you cursing? Is this your home?”
“No, sorry.”
“What’re you sorry for? Doing something wrong? Anyway…”
Ashur, watching Jeong Yusin fidget nervously, leaned back leisurely against the chair back.
“Is someone looking for you?”
“Who?”
“A Barbaroy.”
“What?!?”
Jeong Yusin let out a cry of shock.
One problem on top of another.
Why?
“…Who the heck are these guys? Why are they looking for me?”
“I don’t know. He just came in and asked about a mixed-blood Barbaroy around here.”
“And?”
Ashur shrugged at Jeong Yusin’s hurried question.
“I told him there was.”
“Why would you tell them that? Are you allowed to disclose trainees’ personal information like that?”
“Seemed like he already knew somewhat.”
The thought of Cain faded from Jeong Yusin’s mind.
Monsters far more formidable were circling his vicinity.
“…Where are these guys exactly?”
“Eastern Sector’s brothel district.”
Smack!!!
Jeong Yusin slapped his forehead.
It was what they called overlooking the obvious.
Why hadn’t he realized it?
The worms seek dark and damp places.
Demons belong in the pits of hell.
And yet, how had he not realized until now that breeding outlaw Barbaroys would gather in the brothel district?
‘The cock masters of the red-light district, were they?’
Jeong Yusin steadied his dizzying thoughts.
Wait…
Something seemed strange.
“Eastern Sector, you say? I didn’t see anyone last time I was there.”
When he went to the Eastern Sector to hunt slave hunters.
“It was night, wasn’t it? Why would Barbaroys be wandering around at night?”
Ashur raised an astonished eyebrow.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Their place is in the bed during the night. How can you be more ignorant about Barbaroys than I am?”
“…”
“Can’t you sense the impending threat to your chastity? You need to get stronger. Let’s go.”
Jeong Yusin followed Ashur to the training ground.
Despite it being early summer, the training ground was already bustling with people.
There were not only swords but also people training with spears and shields.
Ashur went to a corner of the training ground and grabbed an iron longsword, throwing it to Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin caught the sword with his hand. This was different from the wooden sword he had been using, feeling significantly heavier, although the blade wasn’t sharpened since it was a practice weapon.
“Use this from now on.”
“Not using the wooden sword anymore?”
“Right. You’ve leveled up, haven’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“Just a feeling. The wooden sword lacks weight; from now on, use the iron sword.”
For someone known as a Sword Master, his insight was indeed sharp.
Jeong Yusin wanted to ask more about Barbaroys and Cain but suppressed the urge.
It was training time. Training-related questions were more appropriate.
When he saw the trainees working out, one thought came to mind.
A weakness exposed during combat with the head of the slave hunters.
The duration of the Sacred Weapon.
The summoned weapon disappears after three seconds.
This meant that if you’re engaged in a strength battle with an opponent using the Sacred Weapon and three seconds pass, you become completely defenseless.
Jeong Yusin mulled over this issue and came up with an answer.
Scratching his head, Jeong Yusin asked,
“How do you knock a sword away?”
“Are you talking about parrying?”
“Yes.”
Ashur shook his head.
“You need to stop spouting nonsense. You’re not at that level yet.”
“Isn’t it something I can do?”
Ashur pointed at Jeong Yusin with his finger.
“I was trying to ignore this, but I can’t. We need to address something from when you fought those slave hunters in the Eastern Sector.”
“What do we need to address? You already knew everything, right? There were just a lot of trash, so I swung my sword around a bit.”
In response to Jeong Yusin’s answer, Ashur crossed his arms, his face filled with annoyance.
“I’m not criticizing you for killing. The problem is your fighting style. You recklessly charge in relying on your mark, just brute force. You swing your poorly-learned sword skill around casually. Take a punch, dish out one punch. Did you go to a drinking party? Besides, biting people’s necks? Are you some kind of beast?!”
Ashur’s voice grew louder.
He seemed quite upset, even stopping mid-sentence to shout.
“Hey!!! Someone bring me some water!”
A few people practicing in the training ground rushed into the guild building.
Jeong Yusin scratched his head.
“Somehow, it happened.”
“What do you mean it somehow happened?! Now I’m getting angry again! For God’s sake, biting necks?!”
Ashur pulled out his hair in frustration.
At that moment, a man with a Mohawk hairstyle ran over breathlessly, carrying a water bottle in his hand.
The Elf snatched the bottle and drank it in great gulps.
“Phew. I can’t do this. Bring ‘that.’”
“Re…really?”
“Bring it before I pluck out your hair.”
“I got it.”
The Mohawk man hurried back into the swordsmanship guild, carrying a rather unusual leather pouch.
“What’s this?”
Jeong Yusin asked.
“It’s a sandbag. The sand is a bit special, but it’s nothing you need to know. Just think of it as a magical device that imposes an overload on the wearer’s body.”
Ashur then continued, looking at Jeong Yusin who stood dumbfounded.
“Wear it around your waist, ankles, and wrists.”
Jeong Yusin took the pouch from the Mohawk man. It was quite heavy, feeling like iron powder was inside.
“It’s not too heavy.”
Jeong Yusin’s comment made Ashur smirk slightly.
“Don’t come crying or wailing for mercy when the time comes.”
“What’s with all the talk?”
“Run. With the sword.”
Jeong Yusin, following Ashur’s command, strapped the sandbag around his body and began circling the training ground.
People watching him shake their heads as he passed.
“There he goes. That hellish training again.”
“Tsk tsk. The new guy sure has it bad.”
Jeong Yusin paid them no mind. It wasn’t that difficult.
Three hours later.
“Hheeeekk. Khheeekk.”
Jeong Yusin was crawling on the ground of the training yard, barely able to move.
Ashur bellowed.
“Get up!!! You beastly brat!”
‘What madness.’
He thought it wasn’t heavy at all, but he was mistaken. As time passed, his stamina was being rapidly depleted, and the burden on his muscles grew heavier.
Unable to take even a single step, he crawled along the ground.
The hot sunlight from the sky beat down on Jeong Yusin.
Ashur approached and squatted in front of Jeong Yusin, who was lying on his stomach.
“Get up. You brat.”
Jeong Yusin rose with all the strength he had left from infancy.
His legs trembled like a newborn fawn’s.
“You still have to finish the last three laps. Why are you crawling around like some insect?”
Ashur stood and continued.
“Parrying? Stop talking nonsense and finish circling the training ground. Next is sparring.”
Jeong Yusin gritted his teeth and staggered to stand.
Having completed the rounds on the training ground.
Ashur threw a training iron sword.
Thud!
The sword clattered off Jeong Yusin’s body and fell.
With his trembling hands, Jeong Yusin barely managed to pick it up.
“Let’s begin.”
Before Jeong Yusin could even take a stance, Ashur’s sword swung down.
Whack!!!
Pain seared through his right arm.
[Avenger]
The mark activated.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes glew with azure flames.
Ashur smirked faintly.
“Scath, madness and evil alone cannot carve your way through the world. I’ll etch that firmly into your body.”
Jeong Yusin charged without a word.
Kaang!!!
The Elf’s brightly glowing eyes met Jeong Yusin’s fiery gaze.
Close-range combat ensued.
Clang clang clang!
The swords clashed, creating a grotesque sound.
“Endless training is the only path. Swinging a sword daily. Reaching your limits every day, regardless of the weather—rain, snow, spring breezes, or summer sun—all these are the disciplines that give you strength.”
“…”
Ashur kept rambling while their swords were locked together, but Jeong Yusin paid it little attention.
Listening further was making his head spin.
Jeong Yusin forcefully knocked Ashur’s sword away with sheer strength and lunged forward.
Ashur easily sidestepped, driving his sword into Jeong Yusin’s neck.
Ting!
“Gack!”
Jeong Yusin clutched his neck and staggered back. It was hard to breathe with his throat constricted.
Swishh!
Ashur’s sword aimed for Jeong Yusin’s left shoulder.
He instinctively raised his sword to block, but…
Kaang!!!
The force was too great, and the sword slipped from his grip.
Tungg! The sword he threw into the sky fell and clanged on the training ground.
“Pick it up. You’re still far from where you need to be.”
Jeong Yusin wobbled toward where the sword had fallen. It was hard to move with the added weight of the pouches.
With great effort, he picked up the sword and stood before Ashur once more.
“Let’s go.”
Ashur spoke dispassionately and attacked again.
Jeong Yusin continued to take the hits, ingraining Ashur’s sword into his body.
“Don’t recklessly charge in like that. One of these days, if you meet someone capable, your head could simply fly off.”
“Pull your left foot back. Watch your stance. We’ll have to start all over from the beginning.”
“How many times do I need to tell you? Don’t just focus on the sword?”
“Defend properly. Don’t half-heartedly raise your sword; block it firmly. There’s no such thing as a good fighter who relies on their mark and holds the sword loosely.”
Ashur shouted as he swung his sword.
As time passed…
People trickled out of the training ground one by one until only Jeong Yusin and Ashur remained.
It was already night.
“You’re still not there yet. You need to first master the basic stance of synchronized offense and defense. Parrying means successfully defending or deflecting an opponent’s attack. The problem is the diversity of races. What does that mean? Attack methods are all different. Strength varies, and so do stances. They’re hard to read. Is that it? No. Parrying is the foundation for preparing ripostes. Reflex speed against attacks, timing, and body control are all factors that must come together. Blind offense isn’t for you yet.”
Ashur spoke calmly, explaining in detail in a tone different from his earlier reprimands against unnecessary chatter.
“Hheeeekk.”
Jeong Yusin was kneeling, panting for breath.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, just like when he first started training.
It was all so difficult.
Close-range combat.
Strength-based combat.
The variety of techniques.
There was nothing easy about it.
He thought he had made progress, but it was a mere illusion. He could clearly feel his inadequacies.
A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead onto the training ground.
Ashur scratched his cheek as he watched Jeong Yusin staring at the ground.
“I don’t usually say this. Listen carefully.”
“…”
“You have talent.”
“…”
“Work hard. Engrave in your mind the synchronization of offense and defense. A trembling sword tip means a wavered heart. Although it seems steady now, you never know. Only relentless practice can guard your spirit. By this, I mean stop biting necks.”
“…Understood.”
Ashur concealed his surprise but clearly was shocked to hear Jeong Yusin had bitten someone’s neck.
Jeong Yusin could barely answer. Sweaty and dusty, he stood up.
“And don’t trust that Aldein too much.”
Ashur frowned as he spoke.
“Why shouldn’t I trust him?”
“You can tell just by looking, can’t you? His personality is off. That guy’s not right. Listen to me.”
While Ashur’s explanation made it seem like there was more he wasn’t saying, he stopped talking.
Something else came to mind, so Jeong Yusin decided to ask one more question.
“How did the matter with the Mage Tower go? Can they cure my madness?”
“Tsk. They don’t even know themselves. They want to examine you, but I don’t trust them.”
“Where is the Mage Tower?”
“If you go north out of the Labyrinth City for about three days, there’s a city where their main headquarters is located. There’s also a branch office in the Labyrinth City.”
“Did you go to the headquarters?”
“Yes.”
“…Then…”
“That’s enough. It’s late, so head back.”
‘Why is he so irritable.’
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin took off the sandbags from his body and looked at Ashur blankly.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“Go ahead.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
Jeong Yusin bowed and left the training grounds.
“Come again tomorrow.”
Ashur called out to Jeong Yusin’s retreating figure.
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin disappeared from the training ground.
Ashur looked up at the sky for a while before he spoke.
“Come out.”
A figure emerged from the building’s shadow.
Cain.
Mion’s brother and the Chief of the Labyrinth City Knights.
“What is that Barbaroy guy doing?”
Cain asked, brushing his golden hair back.
“Did you meet your sister?”
“No, she said she wasn’t feeling well.”
Cain stared fixedly at Ashur.
He didn’t intend to leave until he got his first answer.
After a short deliberation, Ashur spoke.
“He’s a decent guy. Not someone who would harm others without reason. You don’t need to worry about your sister.”
“…If Ashur says that, I’ll believe you. And there’s a call from the Committee. Please visit the inner city sometime soon.”
“Alright. I’ll go.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Cain turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
Ashur looked at the spot where Cain had been and clicked his tongue.
“I’m not a babysitter or anything. Tsk.”
*
“Damn, it’s worth the money.”
Jeong Yusin shuffled back to the inn, his body completely drained from the intense training.
No matter how tired he felt before, it was nothing compared to this.
He was afraid that days like today would continue to come.
Cain and the real Barbaroys were also putting him on edge.
Despite the toll on his mind and body…
The fact that he could read the note was a comforting thought.
He couldn’t read it perfectly fluently yet.
But with the constant practice of learning to read just like continuous training, surely good results would come, wouldn’t they?
“Hmph.”
Jeong Yusin sat on the counter chair and chewed on the black bread sandwich filled with ham, vegetables, and egg fry.
It didn’t look like it had been sitting for too long; the vegetables were still crunchy, and the bread and meat were warm.
There was a note on top of the bread.
“Mr. Scath, since you didn’t come, I made dinner and left.”
Jeong Yusin read the note once and slipped it into his pocket.
Damn.
He could read it.
The thought of the upcoming training made his head spin.
With the mental and physical exhaustion, he was still comforted by the fact that he could read text.
Quietly, he opened the cabinet behind the counter and poured himself a drink, sipping it as he sat at the counter.
Jeong Yusin leaned against the counter, gazing blankly at the dark, quiet inn hall.
I wonder how Darmond is doing?
And Karin?
He contemplated various thoughts but couldn’t come up with immediate answers. He rose to his feet and went upstairs to his room.
Once inside, he wiped his body with a damp towel, changed clothes, and lay down on the bed to sleep.
Darkness crept in.
