The Academy's Deceased Ate It All

Chapter 184

“Sorry, I’m sure you’re busy packing and getting ready.”

Standing next to me, Hyun-Woo smiled and muttered.

He unsheathed the sword. It was the one I’d given him.

“No, well… I’ve always said I’d like to duel you, but I’ve always put it off until later.”

“That’s nice of you to say.”

“But like you said, why now? Did something happen?”

“…….”

Hyun-Woo was silent.

No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t his style to forcibly drag someone like this.

Instead of answering immediately, he inspected the sword to check its condition.

“…My Master has taken me as a disciple, and I’ve officially learned all she taught. I’ve worked my whole life….”

He began to walk to the far side of the arena.

“You’re the one who told me to prepare thoroughly by the end of the week, so it’s now or never.”

Hyun-Woo muttered quietly.

“Not Soo-Young.”

He took one more step forward.

“Not with Do-Hoon, Ye-Seul, nor Yu-Na.”

He paused, then added.

“…I’m not saying they are weak…They just can’t…”

“What do you mean?”

“Soo-Young is a mage, not a swordsman. Ahn Do-hoon is a swordsman, but his path differs greatly from mine. He’s the kind of guy who sees weapons as expendable and trains his body. And Yuna… yeah, she’s probably the most similar to me out of the three, but…”

With that, he looked at me.

His eyes had a strange yearning that I had never seen before.

“I have you.”

He silently raised his sword.

His stance was beautiful and unwavering.

“The one person I considered a rival, the one I wanted to surpass, is right before me and, by coincidence, is on a similar path. So why would I ask anyone else?”

Yeah.

Come to think of it, I had never really watched Hyun-woo fight in detail.

Maybe I was secretly underestimating his level.

I stroked my arm, covered in goosebumps.

“If I fight you and beat you… maybe I’ll be able to step beyond my wall.”

At his words, I wordlessly pulled out the weapons I had kept in Henir’s shadow.

Swords, spears, daggers, bows…

With each weapon, Hyun-Woo’s eyes began to sink.

“I should warn you; I don’t underestimate you.”

And among them, I lifted only one.

I raised only one sword.

The authority of Margo.

The skill of accepting the experiences of another who has lived in another world like mine.

But I can only take in one person’s experience at a time.

There will inevitably be a gap with someone who purely used the sword.

My mind went into overdrive, not allowing myself to make a single mistake.

“Thank you for accepting.”

Hyun-Woo smiled wryly.

With those words, my body instantly melted into a mirage on the spot.

As soon as he saw it, he quickly swung down the sword before him.

I stopped centimeters away from his blade.

It was a blatant, delicate, and highly efficient sword technique.

His sword slashes across, chasing my off-balanced body.

But just before it reaches me, I spin around and block with all my force.

His stance does not waver.

His physical abilities exceeded my expectations.

“Hmph!”

I exhaled as if summoning strength deep within me and immediately pushed his sword away.

Technically speaking, the finesse and delicacy of his swordplay were far superior to mine.

But there was no need to fight as a swordsman.

It was time to close the distance.

For a moment, I could see his mana flowing strangely, converging on his blade.

Before I could understand what he wanted to do, Hyun-Woo swung his sword as hard as possible.

The sword’s qi sliced through the air toward me as if it had its own will.

It was Nam Hyun-Hwa’s technique.

No, it was too…

“…What?”

I simply blocked it by coating my sword with mana, deflecting it from my body.

Hyun-Woo looked quite puzzled at the sight.

It was a very unexpected reaction considering his personality.

[That skill must be….]

Svengali muttered

Come to think of it, there was a time when Nam Hyun-Hwa’s sword qi had split his body.

Hyun-Woo was once again channeling mana into his blade.

The sword qi that followed was embarrassingly meager compared to the previous one.

As I stared at him, wondering what was wrong, I could hear him grit his teeth and mutter to himself.

“What the hell? It worked so well when I practiced yesterday.”

I can tell from the look on his face that something is wrong.

Nevertheless, he began to put more mana into his sword once more.

“No…!”

Choi Hyun-woo muttered through clenched teeth.

His voice was so forceful that it could be heard clearly, even without my heightened senses.

“If I don’t win with Master’s technique, there’s no point…! I’m…!”

[Arrogant.]

That’s what Svengali said.

But I couldn’t disagree with him.

I see.

I finally understood why he was acting so uncharacteristically.

Hyun-Woo’s awakening.

His original swordsmanship, Nam Hyun-Hwa’s skills, and experience of fighting strong opponents…

All of these things mixed. He experimented, faltered, eventually gaining enlightenment and rising to a higher level.

So was he experimenting now?

An uncharacteristic attack, an uncharacteristic sloppy movement.

It all made sense.

‘Then….’

There was only one thing I could do.

“…!”

I parried the sword qi and advanced to point-blank range without hesitation.

Panicked, he quickly regained his composure, but the split second I had gained was enough.

All I did was stab.

A simple but effective attack that, if you step back, will only put you in a deeper hole.

Hyun-Woo turned his body and angled his sword so it would slide past him.

It was a meticulous and dexterous move that I couldn’t help but admire.

Regarding swordplay alone, Hyun-Woo had a slight edge over me.

But that was only in swordsmanship.

I dropped my sword hand and grabbed Choi’s wrist tightly with the other.

My superimposed, sword-honed, otherworldly self had engaged in close combat with none other than that Jin Ye-Seul.

Of course, Hyun-Woo was also quite skilled in close combat.

However, he couldn’t beat me.

As he tried to grab my body, I deftly intercepted his hand and weaved my arm around it, and with my other hand, I firmly grasped his midsection.

Before he could do anything, I threw him as hard as possible and sent him flying.

Hyun-Woo twisted in midair to regain his stance.

However, the attempt was thwarted by my kick to his side.

His body crashes roughly to the ground.

I mounted him, placing my left knee on his right wrist, then locked his left arm.

His right hand held his sword firmly, but it didn’t mean anything.

I swung my sword with the intent to decapitate him.

The sword dug into the ground with a loud crack and stopped moving right next to his neck.

“…….”

He breathed out wordlessly and stared at the sword beside his throat.

With a deep sigh, he relaxed his grip and let the sword slip from his grasp.

“I lose.”

He muttered quietly.

A million words raced through my head.

Why did you try to use a technique that wasn’t yours? Why did you lose so hollowly, not giving it your all?

But only one word came out.

“…Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. My side is throbbing a little, but I’m fine.”

Immediately sliding off of him, I reached out and helped him to his feet.

He stumbled, dusted himself off, and muttered.

“When the hell did you get into martial arts….”

As he muttered that, he glanced at my sword dug deep into the ground, then picked up his sword and sheathed it.

He then looked at me and said with a smile.

“Ji-Hyuk, you’re amazing after all… Thanks to you, I think I’ve gotten rid of many of my frustrations.”

[He’s lying.]

“Thank you for keeping your promise. Thanks to you… I think I’ve come to some sort of realization.”

[Again, a lie.]

“I guess I still have a long way to go… I think I’ve gotten stronger, but everyone else has gone farther than me.”

[I didn’t know he was such a bad kid.]

Hyun-Woo said that and walked past me, saying he had to go to the restroom for a while.

I was about to call out his name.

[Don’t do that.]

Svengali advised.

[He said you were his rival, his nemesis, his friend, and someone he wanted to surpass.]

[Imagine being defeated by someone who then feels pity for it.]

“…….”

Svengali was right.

I could only stare at the door where he left.

There was nothing I could do to help him.

Now he was wandering and troubled, so he was weaker than usual.

Enlightenment can only be achieved through his merit, so I hoped that fight could be the trigger.

But…

“…….”

I found myself asking a question I’d asked before.

“Sometimes… I wonder if Hyun-Woo and the others are suffering because of me.”

[What does that even mean?]

“Most of my abilities weren’t earned through hard work or training like everyone else’s. I don’t want to use it against them….”

[That’s an ability, too.]

Svengali said.

[If I told you that you didn’t earn your abilities and were a coward, would they laugh at you or me?]

“…….”

[How you got your powers is important, of course, but what you do with them is entirely up to you. And you’re doing an excellent job of it. Besides, if you make it sound so simple, you’ll have to go all the way back. Some people were born with talent, and some weren’t.]

Svengali muttered grumpily.

[Don’t you know that’s a load of bullshit. Do you think that if you went to him now and said, “My powers came from killing Margo, so I feel like I cheated,” he’d say, “Oh, what a cowardly trick you’ve played on me?” He’d say that’s your power, strength, and ability.]

[Don’t worry about it.]

[…Anyways, we should prepare for Ariman at the moment. You’d better put aside such futile worries until you’ve defeated him, for I’ve noticed from watching you that you lack confidence and are stubborn in the strangest places.]

“…Yes, you’re right.”

I muttered.

I know.

But what can I do?

“…You’re right.”

With that, I nodded my head.

Choi Hyun-Woo.

The main character alongside Han Soo-Young.

He’s literally the stereotypical, almost impenetrable, good-hearted, justice-filled, hardworking protagonist.

But that’s why he will endure more than anyone else and walk a path worthy of the name of a hero.

I don’t know what he’s struggling with right now.

But I do know that he will endure and overcome.

I could only hope that I, too, could endure what was ahead.

***

“So, where are you guys going to stay?”

Soo-Young’s words drew the attention of everyone sitting in the café with her.

More than half of the academy’s students had left in just two days.

“I can’t go back home for now.”

Ye-Seul muttered quietly.

“I’ve been disowned. I didn’t even want to go back in the first place.”

Although Ye-Seul casually spoke about such a heavy topic, only one person was surprised.

Sitting at the same table, Yu-na suddenly realized that she, Hyun-Woo, and Han Soo-Young were orphans.

Even worse, Jin Ye-Seul had the worst relationship with her parents, as she had just said, and Ivan’s mother was…

“We should save some money and stay in a motel or something.”

When Soo-Young muttered that, Hyun-Woo replied.

“We’ll have to stay for at least a couple of days…it’ll cost a fortune to get two rooms.”

“Then let’s just get one. Why two?”

Choi Hyun-woo looked stunned at her casual answer.

“…Look, Soo-Young, me and Ji-Hyuk are men.”

“I know. Why would you think you’re girls?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Ah, that’s good.”

Ye-Seul nodded.

“I’m in favor of staying with Ji-Hyuk.”

“No, what if you’re in favor too? He’s a guy.”

“I’m well aware that Ji-Hyuk is a man.”

Ye-Seul stared at Hyun-Woo.

“And I’m still in favor of it.”

Hyun-Woo, momentarily speechless at her nonchalant response, closed his mouth.

“…Okay, let’s say Ji-hyuk says yes, but what about me?”

At those words, Ye-Seul and Soo-Young turned to look at him almost simultaneously.

“Hyun-Woo would do something like that?”

Soo-Young snorted and muttered as if she’d heard a good joke.

“If you were the kind of guy who would do that, I would’ve been at the end of your tomfoolery long ago. After all, I lived with you for years….”

“Right.”

Ye-Seul nodded and muttered.

“I don’t think you’d pull such a stunt.”

“But if you did, I’d just blow you up.”

The murderous tone in her voice made Ivan and Yu-Na shudder.

“No, that’s not the only problem….”

Hyun-Woo pressed his hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.

Ivan, who was sitting still at the sight, coughed silently.

He had rented an apartment while attending the academy, just in case.

As the head of a fallen noble family, Ivan was a man of considerable wealth.

He opened his mouth to ask if Ivan would like to come to his apartment and stay with him.

“Hey, why don’t you guys come to my place?”

But Yu-Na was one step ahead of him.

She continued in a quiet voice.

“Oh, it’s not really a house… it’s just a converted building that used to be a warehouse at the orphanage where I stayed. The head nun made me come and stay there every vacation…….”

Yuna blushed, a little embarrassed at the attention.

“It’s not dirty; I cleaned with the kids.”

“Won’t it be embarrassing if we go?”

Hansoo asked, and she shook her head as if to say absolutely not.

“No, I think they’ll be happy to have us, especially since it’s only kids and volunteers….”

Here she threw up her hands and added.

“I’m not asking you to come and work or anything. It’s just… I thought it would be a waste of money or something. It’s a bit of an old building but quite spacious and should accommodate six people.”

Ivan closed his half-opened mouth as she finished speaking.

Without hesitation, he asked her.

“Can I come?”

“Uh, sure, but… didn’t you already have a place to stay?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a problem. I’d rather stay with my friends.”

Ivan said and casually put his arm around Hyun-Woo’s shoulders.

They had gotten along with each other quite well.

Hyun-Woo shook his head slightly but smiled.

“What are we going to do about the room?”

“I’m thinking of putting up a partition… it’s a small room, but there’s enough for both men and women. The bathroom is a bit small, so we’ll probably have to take turns.”

“I’m not going to complain about that.”

Soo-Young nodded at Ye-Seul’s comment.

“Neither do I. I was even homeless until a few months ago.”

“Homeless?!”

“Oh, it was just a short time before the Academy…”

And that was that.

Ivan, who had been looking around, slowly put his arm back and opened his mouth.

“By the way, does anyone know where Ji-Hyuk went?”

“…I know.”

Hyun-Woo raised his hand silently.

He hadn’t forgotten what Ji-Hyuk had said in passing only a few days ago when they were cleaning up after their bitter duel.

“He said he would visit his house for a while.”