078

"In the last lesson, we trained to get used to killing intent and to distinguish between illusion and reality."

"Yes."

I nodded vigorously at Instructor Baek Seol-hee's words. Although it was just one lesson, it was truly very helpful.

'When fighting the tutorial boss, when sparring with Kang Do-hee in combat class, and even recently when fighting Shin Su-yeon.'

After experiencing an intense level of killing intent once, I was able to remain remarkably calm in combat situations where it was easy to become narrow-minded and excited. It was like fighting a tiger and then fighting a cat.

Because I had benefited so much from that lesson, I was quite looking forward to what we would learn today.

"My classes are fundamentally cumulative."

"Cumulative?"

"Yes, you review what you learned in the previous lesson, and if you pass, you move on to something new."

'So, like in math, it's like going over sets again before moving on to functions? Definitely FM (Field Manual).'

"Do you understand why I use this structure?"

Baek Seol-hee asked calmly.

After pondering for a moment, I thought of the FM instructors who always complained about it and being disappointed and answered.

"Because what you learn first is the very basics."

"Oh…?"

Baek Seol-hee's eyebrows twitched. I was confident this was the correct answer and continued speaking.

"The basics are the most important thing to learn. Repeating them multiple times is never excessive, which is why you structured it this way. And as we get more proficient, the time spent on the initial training should decrease."

She nodded in satisfaction at my answer.

"Correct. Forgetting the basics and getting lost in new sword techniques and skills makes it difficult to achieve true mastery."

Baek Seol-hee looked at me intently and then slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

"However, if I were to point out a mistake, it would be that it's unlikely you'll get so proficient at the initial training that the time spent on it will decrease. Since you requested additional lessons, we won't just repeat; we'll elevate the level."

"…Ah, I see."

"You might end up taking basic lessons for the entire year."

'Ugh, basics for a whole year? That's a bit tough…'

When I made a grimace, Baek Seol-hee chuckled.

"You brought this on yourself, so try to keep up as best you can."

.

.

–

I held Moonligth and closed my eyes.

Simultaneously, an overwhelmingly dense killing intent enveloped my entire body. Shiver─!

'Wow, the real deal is different…'

Compared to this, Choi Ah-ram, Kang Do-hee, and Shin Su-yeon's killing intent seemed like child's play. Even though I completely shut off my intuition, the pressure was on a different level. 'What kind of specs does the instructor have…? I wonder if she'd answer if I asked later?'

Thump

Thump

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and my heart started to race. I bit my lip lightly.

'Still, it's much more bearable than before.'

Maybe it's thanks to a 10% increase in mental fortitude.

Unlike before, when I couldn't even move a single step, even in this suffocatingly dense killing intent, I managed to maintain my composure somehow.

'Last time, I couldn't even execute a proper sword strike.'

Back then, I was too focused on whether Baek Seol-hee's attack was real or not, and I couldn't draw a proper sword path. Hiss.

I raised my arm and slowly drew a straight line in front of me.

It was at that moment.

Twitch─

I sensed Baek Seol-hee, standing in front of me holding a branch, raise her hand.

I immediately lifted my descending sword upwards.

Swish─!

Moonlight flew towards the branch.

Whirl!

Then Baek Seol-hee's branch twisted softly in midair and switched to a thrust.

I also turned my wrist at once and slashed Moonlight horizontally.

Bang!

A thunderous noise erupted as magic clashed with magic.

From then on, Baek Seol-hee began to seriously display her swordsmanship with the branch in her hand.

Swish!

Swish swish!

Swish!

Sword techniques mixed haphazardly with illusion and reality.

The training was to block real and fake attacks while my senses were numbed by the killing intent. At the same time, I had to stabilize my sword path and execute it.

'Insane!!!'

Though the nature of the lesson was the same as before, the level had significantly increased.

Swords were flying at me relentlessly. Fortunately, the speed was slow enough for me to manage; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to react at all. Her swordsmanship was difficult to handle even when I could see it coming.

Suddenly, Instructor Baek Seol-hee's sword style changed.

'Ah, this is the swordsmanship the instructor showed before.'

Having practiced it once, I could barely distinguish the illusions mixed into her swordsmanship.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I gritted my teeth and parried her strikes.

'But how am I supposed to get a downward strike in like this?'

.

.

.

Baek Seol-hee had recently turned over a demonized cadet to the Hunter Administration Bureau.

It was an incident that could have escalated into a major crisis. It was a serious issue that could have threatened the very standing of Velvet Academy.

The demonized cadet wasn't known for being an outstanding student, so no one thought to call for an instructor when Choi Ah-ram summoned them. If anything had gone wrong, the cadets might have been massacred inside the academy. If such an incident had occurred, a public apology wouldn't have been enough to resolve it.

When she heard that Jin Yuha's party had subdued the demon, Baek Seol-hee felt immense satisfaction and understanding.

She knew that Jin Yuha's party leadership skills were extraordinary. If they had approached it methodically as a party, they could certainly have taken down the demon.

However,

When she inspected the scene and listened to the cadets' testimonies, she couldn't help but be surprised.

All the evidence and testimonies indicated that Jin Yuha had subdued the demon alone, not as part of a party.

'Even if it was a newly demonized one…'

That achievement was by no means small.

Even those who join the Demon Slayer Squad typically require at least a year of training before they can handle a demon on their own.

Demons, with their bizarre abilities and loss of human emotions, were extremely difficult to deal with unless you knew them inside and out.

'I wanted to ask him directly about what happened after the training…'

Shortly after starting the training with Jin Yuha, Baek Seol-hee felt a shiver run through her entire body.

She thought she had a good grasp of Jin Yuha's talent.

Three weeks of basic training. Thorough assessment of his abilities in previous lessons.

Honestly, from what she had seen so far, Jin Yuha was undoubtedly a prodigy among prodigies. Someone who would certainly surpass her in the future.

However, it seemed that everything he had shown so far was just a preview. Jin Yuha had evolved to an entirely new level.

'He hadn't revealed everything yet? No, now he's finally showing his true abilities.'

Adapting to and reacting to killing intent.

Once you grasped it, it was something you could become quite familiar with. It was like riding a bicycle—once you learned it, it was hard to forget.

'But wielding swordsmanship within that state is a completely different matter.'

Jin Yuha was now demonstrating swordsmanship. This was akin to riding a bicycle with no hands and lifting the front wheel.

Baek Seol-hee reassessed Jin Yuha once more. This was too bizarre to be simply called talent.

'His ability to absorb skills, which was already like a sponge, has become ridiculously fast. His mental stability has also reached a different level.'

An incredulous chuckle escaped Baek Seol-hee's lips.

'Ha, with this level of talent, it's no wonder he was able to subdue a demon alone.'

Is it even okay for so much talent to be condensed in one person?

Male quota.

The male gender.

An age that should be already too late to start to learn the sword.

There was nothing advantageous about his conditions.

However, my disciple was relentlessly pursuing me, as if none of those factors mattered at all. As if he intended to devour everything about me.

Jin Yuha's brilliant talent was enough to threaten even me.

'How long has it been since I felt like this…?'

Baek Seol-hee's lips curled into a long smile.

Of course, it was an erroneous illusion driven by items, but Baek Seol-hee nodded at her own judgment. In the brief moment she was lost in thought,

Bang─! A loud noise caused Baek Seol-hee's branch to be pushed back by a span.

At that moment, Jin Yuha's blue sword, which had been responding meticulously to Baek Seol-hee's attacks, changed.

The tip of his blue sword aimed for an opening and pierced the sky.

Swaaaaaaash─!!

It slashed downward in a clean, impeccable straight line. Baek Seol-hee had to acknowledge the pristine sword path.

"…Pass." It confirmed that his words about taking additional lessons were not empty boasts.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

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