Chapter 15
I couldn’t mark him!
‘Damn it! Damn it all! That attack just now definitely wasn’t righteous martial arts!’
If only I had managed to apply the Demon Detection Cinnabar, by now there would be a blood-red dot clearly visible on that bastard’s forehead!
Yeo Un-jin slowly got up and stepped to the side.
The narrow interior.
Sa Bigang stood upright, silently watching Yeo Un-jin.
“Are you mute? Why won’t you answer?”
“……”
“If you came here with business, shouldn’t you speak up?”
‘How arrogant!’
Whoosh!
Yeo Un-jin kicked off the floor and charged forward.
Still, he was an instructor who taught fist techniques.
When it came to using his hands, he was more accurate and faster than anyone.
Swiiish!
His hand flew swiftly through the air.
Even during this, Sa Bigang didn’t budge.
‘Got it! This time I’ll mark him!’
But just before his finger touched the forehead.
Flash!
A burst of light erupted, and Sa Bigang’s body vanished from sight without a trace.
‘Huh! Again!’
His spine went cold as he hurriedly turned around.
Whooom!
Sa Bigang’s fist cut through the air and struck Yeo Un-jin’s face.
Crack!
“Guhk!”
Crash-clang-clang!
Once again, Yeo Un-jin rolled across the floor for quite a while before slamming into the wall.
“Cough! Urgh!”
When he spat, blood came out along with teeth falling out one by one.
Yeo Un-jin’s pupils shook.
“You son of a…”
“Huh? That voice sounds familiar somehow.”
As Sa Bigang tilted his head with a meaningful smile, Yeo Un-jin quickly shut his mouth.
He clenched his fists and trembled.
What kind of situation was this?
To be beaten so thoroughly by someone who had been merely an Assistant Spear Instructor!
Yeo Un-jin’s eyes blazed like an active volcano.
‘Fine, if you’re so eager to get beaten, I’ll properly deal with you! You bastard!’
As he got up and tightly clenched his fists, internal energy concentrated in his hands and pure white energy began to emanate.
Fist energy.
Sa Bigang looked at this and put on an impressed expression.
“Ho, so you’re thinking of getting serious. Welcome.”
‘I’ll kill you, you bastard!’
Now he had abandoned the idea of applying the Demon Detection Cinnabar.
First, he would beat this guy to a pulp.
Since the guy had already used Demonic Arts, he just needed to apply the Demon Detection Cinnabar within about an hour and a half.
‘As long as it’s not instant death, it doesn’t matter! I can apply it just before his breath stops!’
Yeo Un-jin slowly took a combat stance.
In an instant.
‘Die!’
Thud!
Once again kicking off the floor, he thrust his fist forward without hesitation.
Whoosh!
White energy stretched out long like a comet flying toward Sa Bigang’s face.
But once again.
Flash!
Light burst from Sa Bigang’s body, and he vanished from sight without a trace.
Yeo Un-jin wasn’t flustered.
Rather, as if he had been waiting for this, he spun his body and swung his left fist.
‘Hah! I’m not one to fall for the same trick three times!’
Sure enough, Sa Bigang was standing right behind him.
Sa Bigang quickly raised his hands.
Yeo Un-jin inwardly sneered.
‘Hehe. I’ve devoted my life to training fist techniques! No matter how much you’ve learned Demonic Arts, do you think you can withstand my fist!’
Claaang!
A sound loud enough to tear eardrums rang out.
But…
“Gyaaaah!”
The one who screamed as if his soul was being torn was none other than Yeo Un-jin.
“Gyaaaaah! My haaand!”
He clutched his left hand and wailed.
‘How, how is this possible? How!’
He couldn’t believe it.
By now, his opponent’s arm should have been shattered to powder.
The one lying on the floor screaming should have been that bastard.
But!
‘How is it my hand that’s… Urgh!’
His wrist was completely broken, hanging limp and motionless.
“Ho. I thought you’d be stupid enough to fall for the same trick about three times. You’re not as dumb as you look.”
“You bastard!”
Yeo Un-jin spewed curses as he bolted upright. Or rather, tried to get up.
But Sa Bigang’s hand grabbed Yeo Un-jin’s hair first.
“Let me see that face of yours. Your voice is really familiar. Hehe.”
“…!”
In an instant, Yeo Un-jin slapped away Sa Bigang’s hand and quickly retreated.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Yeo Un-jin breathed heavily while glaring at Sa Bigang.
‘I need to stay calm. My identity hasn’t been discovered yet. Damn, I let my guard down!’
Sa Bigang chuckled.
“You’re quite shy, aren’t you.”
In fact, Sa Bigang had no intention of removing his mask. At least not yet.
‘If I take it off now, it won’t be fun, right? There’s no audience either. Hehe.’
Meanwhile, Yeo Un-jin caught his breath while concentrating his mind as much as possible.
‘The moment I struck his wrist, a faint light enveloped that guy. Like a protective barrier.’
But it wasn’t the energy membrane of righteous martial arts.
In fact, it was a Shield spell, but Yeo Un-jin, who had only lived in the Central Plains, had no way of knowing its true nature.
Therefore, he became even more convinced of his thoughts.
‘Right, it’s definitely Demonic Arts!’
Yeo Un-jin scratched his throat to disguise his identity and spoke in a hoarse voice.
“You bastard, you’ve learned Demonic Arts!”
“Hehehe. Well, in a way, that’s correct.”
“Damn! As I thought, you’re a bastard who deserves to be torn limb from limb!”
“My, such rough language. I should discipline you. As an instructor.”
“Shut up! Do you think you’re qualified to be an instructor after learning such Demonic Arts!”
“Hmm. There are plenty of people who’ve learned righteous martial arts but are worse than demons. In the end, isn’t it more about the character of the person using the martial arts rather than what kind of martial arts they use?”
“Nonsense! I’ll smash your Demonic Arts!”
“If you can do it, then try.”
Sa Bigang’s gaze turned cold.
At that moment, Yeo Un-jin felt his spine go cold without realizing it.
‘That, that bastard’s eyes… when did they become like that…!’
It’s definitely Demonic Arts.
Learning Demonic Arts changes a person like that.
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang slowly raised his right hand and muttered quietly.
“Rune Flare.”
The next moment.
Whoooosh!
A long flame spear formed above his palm!
“Huh!”
Yeo Un-jin’s mouth fell open as he swallowed empty air.
‘What, what is that?’
A sight he had never heard of or seen in his life.
Under that overwhelming pressure, Yeo Un-jin felt slowly approaching fear.
“Take this.”
Instantly, Sa Bigang launched the flame spear.
Whoooosh!
“Eek!”
Though it was just a split second, Yeo Un-jin instinctively knew that if he couldn’t block the flame spear, he might die.
Too late to dodge!
He squeezed out all his energy and threw a punch.
Claaang!
Whoooosh! Crash!
Hot flames spread out widely, engulfing Yeo Un-jin.
“Urgh!”
Pushed back by the fire energy, Yeo Un-jin slammed into the wall and collapsed.
‘Is, is this the Demonic Arts that bastard learned!’
Though he managed to block it somehow, he couldn’t understand what was happening at all.
A flame spear appearing from empty air?
Yeo Un-jin looked at Sa Bigang with shaking vision.
“Hehehe. You blocked it quite well. Since the mood is ripe, shall we bring in an audience now?”
“What, what are you talking about…!”
“Fire Burst.”
Again, incomprehensible muttering.
Whenever that guy spoke those strange words, incomprehensible phenomena would definitely occur.
Sure enough, Sa Bigang merely extended his hand, and before Yeo Un-jin’s eyes, black gas condensed.
Boooom!
With a powerful explosion, the wall collapsed and Yeo Un-jin was thrown all the way to the courtyard.
“Urrrgh!”
Yeo Un-jin, burned all over his body, lay face down on the ground, coughing dryly.
“Now then, making this much commotion should draw some attention.”
Sa Bigang, who had walked out to the courtyard, looked around and muttered.
Yeo Un-jin saw the shadow covering him and turned around with a terrified expression.
Sa Bigang grinned.
“What are you so surprised about? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
‘This, this guy is a monster! I can’t win! I misjudged! I need to get out of here!’
But his legs were frozen and wouldn’t move at all.
Sa Bigang slowly reached out his hand.
Yeo Un-jin’s eyes filled with despair.
“Well then, shall we begin the lesson?”
“Stay, stay away! Gyaaah!”
Yeo Un-jin’s screams continued for a long time.
**
Boom-boom-boom!
The sound of explosions could be heard.
Cheon Se-myeong and Deung Bu-hyeong, who had been sitting across from each other drinking tea, flinched and looked out the window.
They could see black smoke rising from a building in a distant, isolated area.
Sa Bigang’s lodging.
Deung Bu-hyeong put down his teacup and spoke.
“It seems to have started.”
“Hmm. Indeed. But he’s making more of a commotion than expected.”
Cheon Se-myeong replied with a somewhat anxious expression.
Of course, since they needed to apply the Demon Detection Cinnabar to his forehead and deliberately make him use Demonic Arts, it would be difficult to handle quietly.
‘But to be this noisy…’
However, Deung Bu-hyeong replied with an expression showing no need for worry.
“Well, perhaps it’s an even better situation? If that bastard is definitely a demon, it would be better to make a proper scene.”
“True.”
“Looking at the level of commotion, it seems Instructor Yeo has properly identified him. Now that bastard has no way out.”
Just then, the door opened and Eon Byeok entered.
“Did you hear? It seems something has happened.”
“We heard.”
“Shouldn’t you go see? Not only the students but all the instructors and even the Dean are heading to Instructor Sa’s lodging.”
Deung Bu-hyeong looked at Cheon Se-myeong.
“Let’s go. Now we can finally see that bastard’s true nature. Instructor Yeo will definitely deal with him properly.”
“Good. Let’s get up.”
Cheon Se-myeong nodded and stood up.
***
“Good heavens. What on earth happened there?”
“Who is that masked person?”
“Wait, isn’t that person Instructor Sa Bigang?”
“Sa Bigang? Who is he?”
“You know, that person who became the Head Sword Instructor for first-years recently. I heard he teaches in a very unique way.”
“Then, did that masked person attack Instructor Sa?”
“Seems like it. What is going on?”
The students gathered in a crowd, chattering away.
Since it was such a big commotion, not only first-year students but also second and third-year students all gathered and were buzzing with talk.
Moreover, all the instructors of Yongcheon Hall had come out and surrounded the courtyard.
Then, shouting could be heard from behind the students.
“You brats, move aside! Why don’t you return to your lodgings immediately?”
“Oh, it’s the instructors!”
The students quickly scattered and made way.
But no one seemed to have any intention of returning to their lodgings.
Those who walked out, squeezing through the students, were none other than the first-year instructors including Cheon Se-myeong.
Cheon Se-myeong, who had reached the front row, saw the scene unfolding before his eyes and involuntarily opened his mouth wide.
Deung Bu-hyeong beside him also widened his eyes as if they would tear and stammered.
“That, that, that… how on earth did this…!”
The situation was so shocking that he couldn’t say any more words.
Sa Bigang with his bloodied fists clenched tight.
In his left hand, he held the hair of the battered masked person.
The blood-covered appearance of the masked person was so pitiful that it was painful to watch.
The masked person grabbed Sa Bigang’s pant leg and pleaded.
“Please, please… stop…! Sp, spare me…! Cough!“
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sa Bigang didn’t stop punching.
“At this rate, won’t he die?”
“What on earth happened?”
Several instructors and students murmured.
Meanwhile, Cheon Se-myeong and Deung Bu-hyeong, watching all this, bit their lips and trembled.
‘How could such a thing happen…!’
‘This makes no sense…!’
They carefully examined Sa Bigang’s forehead, but there was no red dot.
That’s when it happened.
“Stop!”
A voice filled with deep inner energy.
As students and instructors flinched and turned around, Dean Ju Yu-cheon stood there with a stern expression.
Just then, someone rushed over urgently and bowed his head.
He was the captain of the guard unit that protected the perimeter of Yongcheon Hall.
Ju Yu-cheon frowned and pressed him.
“What is this commotion?”
“I’m sorry! We never expected the perimeter to be breached…”
Ju Yu-cheon clicked his tongue.
But he didn’t know yet.
That the masked person was not an external intruder.
He turned his gaze toward Sa Bigang.
“Explain what this is about.”
Just then, Sa Bigang, who had been punching away, whispered quietly to the masked person.
“Watch carefully from now on. If you’re going to deceive someone, this is how you do it.”
Having finished speaking, he put on an extremely apologetic expression and cupped his hands in salute.
“I’m sorry, Dean! I couldn’t control my anger and caused this commotion. This masked person infiltrated my quarters and tried to attack me, so my response was a bit excessive.”
“Hmm. What is your identity?”
Ju Yu-cheon’s fierce gaze now turned to the masked person.
