Volume 2 Episode 29

Lin went into his room, thinking about his performance. He had successfully beaten the strongest student in Drakon Academy. Even if he was at his weakest, Christian was still nine levels higher than Lin.

But he knew that although he had defeated Christian, he was still not out of danger, as the round of eight returned the tournament back to one-on-one knockout matches.

He had no chance of winning if he were to fight the rest of the opponents head-on.

'I have to up my levels as soon as possible if I have to fight any of them seriously. I have too much of a disadvantage.'

His training by immersing in the digestive enzymes of the doran seemed to be able to get him close to reaching level ten, but just getting to level ten wasn't enough.

'Not to forget, but I have to take care of the Lindon family as well.'

As he thought about Eric Lindon, he sighed. He had too much on his plate.

'Well, I hope my plan goes well. Right now, I have to focus on getting to level ten.'

Clearing his thoughts, Lin got back to training. He was extremely close to reaching level ten after the training he did, and so he wanted to make use of his free time.

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Christian Ivan Andric woke up after a while.

He didn't know what had caused him to faint, but he knew that he had indeed lost the tournament.

He, for the first time in his life, tasted defeat.

'What the hell happened?'

Christian wanted to know, and so he went and watched the broadcasted version of the fight. He saw that he was attacked by Lin Hamill, a member of the Hamill Family, one of the richest families in all of Korea.

But he wasn't interested in that. His eyes were on the first year who had defeated him, and with his own sword strike nonetheless.

'To be finished off by my own sword style, should I be happy or embarrassed?' A bitter smile appeared on Christian's face. The cold third year student smiled faintly at the boy on the television screen.

'Did he watch my moves and learned them on the spot?'

His sword style was passed down from his ancestors for generations until it had reached him. This meant that not many people knew or studied about it. Sure, many people had indeed seen it being displayed by his people, but only a very few people would actually study a new sword style after seeing it just once.

He had decided to learn more about the boy. It came as a shock to him when he heard that the boy who had defeated him was only a level nine. He couldn't believe it for a while. 

'A level nine defeating a level eighteen?'

Even if he had been injured and drained of energy, he still would've sensed a level nine coming to attack him. A level eighteen user's body is much more advanced than that of a level nine user. He still would be faster than the level nine, but surprisingly, he still lost.

Christian looked at his hands. They were hard as steel from the training he endured. His body was full of scars, reminding him of the hell-like training he went through. He looked at those scars once in a while to not forget where he came from. 

But was it really the case?

Christian knew. He knew he was lying to himself. He knew that all he had done in his life was not because he wanted to, but because he was told to. He didn't know what he wanted, and so he went along with everything. Or maybe he did know what he wanted, but was too afraid to say it out loud. He didn't remember anymore.

Christian didn't look at his scars to remind him what he went through. He looked at his scars to force himself to not try to escape the control of his family. He wanted to tell himself that if he chose to leave this life, then everything he went through, all the pain he suffered, would all be for naught. He wanted to scare himself into not quitting. He had to fool himself to stay in this abusive relationship, and he felt pathetic.

Nevertheless, he had thought that if he really did endure the controlling nature of his family, maybe he'll actually reach somewhere high in life. After all, those who were forcing him had more experience in life than him. He thought that he wouldn't need to feel the pressure of not knowing which is the right step to success. Instead he thought he would be shown the right path, even if it wasn't the one he wished for. He thought that he was safe from failing.

But all that came crashing down when he was beaten today. He wasn't beaten by his fellow third year classmates, or a high level opponent. He was beaten by a first year junior who was half his level.

That embarrassing failure reminded him of the fact that life isn't something that can be controlled, no matter who's trying to do so. Whatever control we think we have can all be gone in a blink of an eye, and we wouldn't be able to do anything even if we wanted to. Even if you have experienced life much more than others, even if you are smarter than most, there will still be some things that you can't control in life. 

Control is an illusion.

Christian knew that deep in his heart. He had never thought of bringing it up until now. He had been reminded that whatever control he wished from his family in return for his blind following, had all been just an illusion. A trick on the mind that he had played on himself. 

And all he needed was a beatdown from a level nine to realize it.

'Would I be able to escape the bindings put on by my family? Do I truly have the courage to ask for my freedom?'

Christian sighed. He didn't know if he actually had the guts to do so. If he did, he would've asked his family to leave him alone a long time ago.

But he wanted to change. He desperately wished to change. He needed to change.

'If a level nine junior can defeat a third year level eighteen student, then why the hell wouldn't I be able to do it?'

As he made a decision, he decided to end it with his family. He wanted out of it. He had enough of it. He moved outside to make a call to his family, to tell them his decision.

The screen of the television was still frozen, with Lin smiling, victorious.