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 [Chapter 132]

[To Pluck the Flower (4)]

Before the regression.

Before being called <Undead >, No Eunha did not have any particular base for dealing with monsters before entering high school academy.

All he knew was just how to handle internal mana from regular elementary and middle school education.

As a result, he had no base established at all in the beginning of his enrollment and had to desperately fill in what he lacked.

Still, he couldn't catch up to students who had entered from middle school academy.

'Don't try to push yourself too hard. The gap won't narrow easily. You have to narrow it slowly over time. You'll ruin your body at this rate, you know?'

'...It's fine.'

'What's fine about it!? What about my position watching from the side? Do you know I'll get scolded by the instructors too if something happens to you?'

'...I just need to make sure it doesn't affect you.'

'How can I believe that when you're always causing trouble that affects me too!?'

Whether No Eunha or On Taeyang.

All students who entered high school academy struggled desperately to reduce the gap while whipping themselves.

But Eunha whipped himself to the point of ruining his body, shocking the instructors.

Even Lee Yujeong's attempts to stop him were useless.

Rather, he even showed the crazy behavior of training while healing his body with her healing magic.

Of course, there were results proportional to that effort.

'—You have too many unnecessary movements when handling the sword. You should know to boldly omit unnecessary motions.'

'...'

'What's important in slaying monsters is not stubbornly sticking to forms, but being able to use the optimal movements adapted to each situation. Will you get eaten by monsters while being bound by forms?'

1st year of high school academy, 2nd semester.

One day, he who had gained some practical experience from visiting Mara Island for the 1st semester final evaluation met one of the Twelve Seats, <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

It was a truly chance encounter.

That day, Baek Seo-jin had finished giving a special lecture as one of the Twelve Seats at the high school academy and happened to visit the training hall.

Then he noticed Eunha swinging his sword like crazy.

'Still, your skill in controlling mana is really excellent. Are you making up for lacking mana... with control and efficiency? Your sword handling is crude but you used your head well for that. Swordsmanship will be resolved with time anyway...'

'...'

'So, student. What's your name?'

'...No Eunha.'

At that time, Baek Seo-jin looked him over and asked his name.

Eunha expressed his displeasure at the gaze that seemed to be evaluating him.

Nevertheless, Baek Seo-jin just smiled and brushed it off seeing him bristle towards himself.

'—I'm Baek Seo-jin. So, Eunha. Are you interested in learning swordsmanship from me?'

'...Yes.'

As if he liked his spirit.

Baek Seo-jin said.

Eunha's answer was set.

Eunha who knew what he lacked requested teachings from him.

From then on, Baek Seo-jin would visit the academy whenever he had time over the next month to teach him.

Those teachings became the base for <Undead > No Eunha.

'Hah... Even that Changjin didn't learn Rangbo this easily. You mastered this on your own in a week? Maybe it just suited you well.'

'Then teach me Cheonbo and Wubo too.'

'...Are you trying to strip me of all my skills? Fine, I'll teach you both. But learning Wubo won't be easy.'

Perhaps maybe.

<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin may have been thinking of making No Eunha a new <The Seed>.

No one would pass on their combat style without receiving anything in return.

Surely he approached Eunha with some intention.

'—Your stubbornness is really unbeatable. Sometimes proper rest is needed too, but you don't know moderation.'

'...'

'And what's the reason you're swinging your sword like you're trying to kill yourself? What exactly is your sword for?'

But Baek Seo-jin never took him in as <The Seed>.

After a little over a month.

Baek Seo-jin asked No Eunha, who kept requesting endless teachings even while abusing himself.

At that time, Eunha sensed.

That this question would be a turning point.

So Eunha answered honestly. Somehow he felt he had to.

The reason he swings his sword is—

'—To kill everything I see.'

To kill and kill again.

And thus meet death.

Because there was no reason he had to live.

Eunha who was full of malice and stubbornness glared at Baek Seo-jin as he conveyed his thoughts.

Baek Seo-jin calmly received that gaze, then sighed.

'—You... are truly a dangerous guy. Looking at your eyes, you have no intention of accepting any control.'

'...Yes.'

'If you live like that, you'll become a madman who threatens not only yourself but those around you.'

'I don't care.'

At that time, he extremely disliked being touched by people's hands.

He had not the slightest desire to be tamed by anyone.

He just wanted to live like this and die.

So he bristled like a cat raising its tail on guard.

In fact, he was afraid of opening his heart and losing his longing for family.

And above all.

Because he was afraid of losing the people he opened his heart to.

So he locked his heart tightly.

So perfectly that even he himself would not realize it someday.

'—Then no one will use your sword. No one wants to bring about their own destruction. Including me.'

'...'

With those final words.

Baek Seo-jin stopped visiting the academy.

☆

One of the Twelve Seats, <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

He who was also called a Living Myth was the ruler of the underworld where crime and illegal activities took place.

"I've been quietly watching for a while, but the way you extend your feet and handle the sword is unusual. Though the form is different, it's practical swordsmanship specialized for killing someone."

"..."

"The academy wouldn't teach such swordsmanship... Which means you must have learned it on your own—"

He was a middle-aged man who looked far from elderly and wore a suit well.

Graying black hair.

A style with hair that looked gray depending on the angle slicked back with pomade.

The scar on his face that looked tanned by the sun vaguely revealed the years he had experienced, and the faint wrinkles suggested the man's age.

"—Who on earth taught you such swordsmanship?"

Eunha just blinked.

He never thought he would meet Baek Seo-jin.

Thinking back, he seemed to have met Baek Seo-jin around this time in his previous life too.

...It's been a while.

I was so focused on obtaining Moon's Blessing that I forgot I received teachings from Teacher Baek Seo-jin at this time.

It felt nostalgic.

Although Baek Seo-jin never took him as <The Seed>.

The insights gained from Baek Seo-jin became Eunha's blood and flesh.

He also occasionally received help from the 'darkness' after forming a connection with him.

He also empowered Ha Baek-ryeon, treating her like a granddaughter even after retiring from the Twelve Seats.

So to Eunha, he was a mentor.

"—Are you not going to answer?"

"..."

"What is your identity?"

Eunha soon woke from his reverie.

Baek Seo-jin had lowered his voice.

He had reason to be wary.

Eunha's combat style was basically based on the actions of assassins immersed in darkness.

It was natural for a high school academy student knowing such swordsmanship to be suspected as a spy.

And that meant he had escaped the eyes of Baek Seo-jin who oversees the darkness.

He couldn't help but look suspicious.

"...A few years ago, I went to Seoraksan for the final evaluation in middle school academy. Somehow I ended up fighting Slayers there... and I roughly copied what I saw."

What should he say?

After thinking, Eunha offered the most plausible excuse.

"Hmm..."

Baek Seo-jin's eyes narrowed.

He tried to receive the gaze sent by the master of darkness as calmly as possible.

Eunha knew.

That even though Baek Seo-jin reigned as the master of darkness, he couldn't see through his lie.

It was information that couldn't be obtained even through darkness.

The fact that he had regressed.

Therefore, Baek Seo-jin was merely trying to create pressure to induce Eunha to confess the truth in detail.

"...Then what about the magic you were trying to use earlier? Though the style is different, that was clearly Wubo. How on earth do you know that magic?"

When the leading questions didn't work.

Baek Seo-jin changed his question.

Eunha felt stung.

No suitable excuse came to mind.

Even if he insisted it wasn't Wubo, Baek Seo-jin wouldn't let it slide like before.

While the combat style could be glossed over, Wubo was magic only Baek Seo-jin could use.

I learned it from you, teacher.

Unable to tell the truth, Eunha just inwardly stuck out his tongue.

Then suddenly a somewhat suitable excuse came to mind.

"—Changjin hyung taught me."

"..."

No Eunha threw Han Changjin under the bus.

Baek Seo-jin, who had a stiff expression, opened his eyes hearing the unexpected words.

It seemed to be an unexpected answer.

He tried to regain his composure, but by then Eunha had already taken the initiative.

"You're lying well, saying Changjin taught you that."

"Changjin hyung is close with my sister. Then he lost a bet to me once and I asked him to teach me the footwork."

"A guy who can't even use Wubo himself taught you Wubo?"

"...I guess Changjin hyung had talent for teaching."

"..."

"Or maybe I'm just talented..."

He had to get past this situation for now.

Han Changjin wasn't here.

So Eunha threw him under the bus freely.

Whether Baek Seo-jin found it absurd or not.

It probably wouldn't be too hard to convince Changjin hyung...

First I need to lower Teacher Baek Seo-jin's guard.

To hell with it.

Eunha decided to be shameless.

Because Baek Seo-jin absolutely couldn't find any weak points.

On the other hand, Baek Seo-jin laughed in disbelief.

Then he composed his expression again and put strength in his words.

"—Do you know who I am? If I put my mind to it, finding out who you are would be no trouble at all."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I know about you, teacher?"

"Teacher? Why am I your teacher?"

Baek Seo-jin swallowed a laugh.

Regardless, Eunha maintained a calm poker face.

Rather, he became even more confident.

Because his mask was crumbling.

On the other hand, Eunha was certain.

It's different from before the regression.

Teacher must have approached me knowing who I am.

Judging from Baek Seo-jin's attitude, that seemed to be the case.

But he couldn't tell for what reason he had come looking for him.

Though he could sense that Baek Seo-jin was looking down at him with evaluating eyes like in his previous life.

So it was all or nothing.

"Since I learned from Changjin hyung, aren't you basically my teacher too as Changjin hyung's teacher?"

"I've never had a disciple like you, nor have I ever taught you."

"Then why don't you teach me now?"

"...What?"

This was convenient timing.

He had been looking for a way to perfectly handle Wubo anyway.

Inwardly smiling, Eunha suddenly asked Baek Seo-jin for teachings.

"I'd appreciate if you could think of it as giving potential for development to future scholars for the boundless future of Korea."

"...You mean Wubo?"

"If possible, I'd like to learn other things too..."

Eunha oiled his tongue.

He was careful with his expressions to match Baek Seo-jin who thought of the country.

Though he had no loyalty, pride, or patriotism for the country whatsoever.

And as Eunha remembered, he favorably evaluated people who weren't afraid of him.

Eunha himself had proven that in his previous life.

Sure enough.

"—Wubo. How far can you do it now?"

In the end, Baek Seo-jin gave in.

Eunha inwardly smiled in satisfaction and manifested his internal mana.

Baek Seo-jin folded his arms and watched him use Wubo.

—Wubo

Eunha's target position was right behind Baek Seo-jin's back.

But when Eunha reached the position right next to him, Baek Seo-jin was no longer there.

Rather, Baek Seo-jin was standing behind his back.

At the moment Eunha used Wubo, Baek Seo-jin had also used Wubo.

"You're too slow in activating Wubo to move a distance of not even 10 steps. At that rate, it would be better to just run."

"...I'm not used to it yet."

Baek Seo-jin criticized sharply.

Eunha retorted with a blank face.

Baek Seo-jin chuckled.

"The reason it takes time to activate Wubo is probably because you can't instantly judge which flow to grab among the mana flows."

Soon Baek Seo-jin opened his mouth saying he would only say this once.

Eunha listened to his explanation attentively.

"It's a very simple problem. It means you're trying to see too much right now."

"What?"

"It would be good to practice focusing only on what you need to see."

Someone skilled at handling information is someone who can select necessary information from a vast sea of information.

Baek Seo-jin added.

"Cut out unnecessary flows. Focus only on your current position and the position you want to go to. After all... what use is there in seeing flows connecting positions you're not standing in or positions you're not trying to go to?"

"...That makes sense. But it's not working out as I think..."

"That's why practice exists - to make it work out as you think."

"...You're right."

"And the fact that even useless flows enter your eyes... It means you've been paying attention to your surroundings when handling mana until now. Sometimes you need to know how to focus only on yourself."

"..."

"If you've tried to see broadly until now, try seeing narrowly when using Wubo. Starting from where you're standing now to where you're trying to go now. Think of the world connecting those two points as the entire world."

Baek Seo-jin's teachings.

Eunha fell into quiet thought.

Looking up, countless mana flows were passing overhead.

Soon Eunha controlled his vision to try not to see unnecessary flows.

Since he didn't have eyes on the back of his head, he tried to cut off flows passing behind his head and see only the flows in the direction he wanted to go.

Still, it didn't work as he wanted.

"Hmm..."

His head throbbed.

Eunha frowned with a groan.

And then.

Baek Seo-jin, who had been quietly watching him process the insights, opened his mouth.

"—I'll take a look whenever I have time."

"...Thank you."

A strange light flickered in

 Baek Seo-jin's eyes.

Eunha, who was momentarily reminiscing about the past, soon bowed her head to express her gratitude.

"─There's no better way to find out what kind of person you are…."

Thus, a cultural festival to pick a single flower begins.