Chapter 27

Though his excuse for turning someone into a near cripple couldn’t have been very convincing, when Yuseong used Felix’s own words as an example, Felix could only grimace like he’d bitten something sour and keep his mouth shut.

No matter how authoritarian someone might be, it’s difficult to immediately deny words they just spoke in front of so many people.

Of course, there might be people shameless or eloquent enough to do so, but Felix who had lived his whole life as a mercenary wasn’t that type of person.

“…Come to think of it, you’re right. Getting injured during sparring is natural – I may have overreacted.”

“As expected of Professor.”

“Then let’s continue with the sparring. Anyone who wants to spar with Student Leon, step forward.”

But he wasn’t magnanimous enough to just let a green boy’s glib tongue get the better of him. After glancing at the fallen boy, Felix continued speaking rapidly as if refusing to give Yuseong a chance to speak.

“As Student Leon said, this level of injury is just minor damage that can happen during sparring. Therefore, I won’t intervene even if someone receives this level of injury in future matches.”

Having his own wordplay turned back on him, Yuseong’s eye twitched.

-I-isn’t this dangerous?

‘Yes. He’s basically saying that while direct intervention would be beneath him, he’ll let us be crippled under the guise of sparring. But at the same time, this is an opportunity.’

-How is this an opportunity?

‘Because it also means he won’t question it if I cripple all the others.’

Since starting the quest, Yuseong hadn’t stopped thinking for a moment about how to complete it.

Starting from the most basic method of forceful subjugation, he had considered numerous methods and possibilities – causing division among the students, finding a new victim to be bullied in Leon’s place, blackmailing with weaknesses, and so on. He had even anticipated situations developing like this.

‘I was planning to go about this gently, but I guess that’s impossible now. Time to get a bit violent.’

-If turning someone into that state is gentle, what exactly counts as violent?

‘A plan to completely destroy anyone who stands out?’

-Is that even possible? I don’t know what powers you have, but Elland Academy’s students are among the kingdom’s finest talents. Defeating them all…

‘If it seems impossible, I can just change plans or start over from the beginning, so just watch.’

-What? Start over? What do you mean?

While casually chatting and waiting, finally a boy holding a spear stepped forward.

“I would like to spar with Student Leon.”

“Good. Leon, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

As Felix stepped back, the sharp-featured boy began swinging his spear like a windmill.

‘I’ll end this overwhelmingly.’

The thought of struggling against someone like Leon was unthinkable.

The boy intended to end this fight without giving Leon even a chance to counterattack.

The spear shaft swinging with heavy sounds would be easy enough to deflect with a weapon, but was difficult to handle barehanded.

The boy charged forward with a confident smile and without hesitation, and that became his last memory.

Crack!

Nonchalantly reaching between the windmilling spear shaft, Yuseong firmly grabbed it then leapt up driving his knee with his full body weight into the boy’s face.

‘I’ll end this overwhelmingly.’

Not knowing how many more matches he would have to fight, Yuseong intended to finish each one instantly and overwhelmingly to minimize energy consumption.

Seeing the boy’s severely sunken nose, teeth scattered like corn kernels, and face covered in blood from a torn cheek, the students unconsciously took a step back.

“…Next student step forward.”

“I’ll face him!”

“No, I’ll fight!”

“I really want to spar with Student Leon!”

Even without prompting from Felix, the students were overflowing with enthusiasm to face Leon.

Leon was like their garbage bin for venting all negative emotions from academy life, a wallet that produced money when hit, a punching bag good for scoring points.

Seeing such a Leon dare to resist them, the students felt rage beyond a master whose pet dog had bitten them.

“Don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’d better be prepared.”

Thwack!

“This bastard must really want to die.”

Crack!

“W-wait, time to catch my breath…”

Crunch!

However, that rage couldn’t last long.

Yuseong showed not a shred of mercy to those who charged at him.

Fists crushed faces, kicks shattered joints, joint locks broke bones to pieces, and finger strikes tore through skin.

“Haa, haa, haa…”

His breath was ragged and sweat poured down his forehead.

Though he had tried to manage it as much as possible, maintaining intense focus while fighting dozens of people in succession caused considerable physical drain.

However, even in this state of near collapse from exhaustion, Yuseong smiled brightly.

‘This is fun.’

He hadn’t known it could be this enjoyable to have his body move exactly as he intended.

Moreover, since he was fighting with someone else’s body from another world rather than his own, fear of injury or death was naturally diminished.

Yuseong was enjoying this situation like playing an incredibly realistic VR fighting game.

“…He’s insane.”

Of course, that was only from Yuseong’s perspective.

To others, the sight of someone making genuine smiles while crippling people filled them with terror they had never felt before.

“Elliot. How about a match with Student Leon?”

“Gladly.”

As a boy who looked a head taller than the other students stepped forward, Leon spoke in a heavy voice.

-Be careful. He’s the strongest among the third years.

Yuseong dismissed Leon’s warning.

Having faced dozens of students without much difficulty, Yuseong hadn’t felt particularly challenged.

He thought how strong could they really be?

However, the moment his thrown punch cut through empty air, Yuseong realized his thinking had been wrong.

‘He dodged?’

Just like Yuseong had done, he avoided the attack by a hair’s breadth.

Trying a series of follow-up attacks just in case, not a single one reached its target.

‘What is this?’

Yuseong’s eyes narrowed seeing him dodge all attacks without any particularly fast movements.

“Sharp. How did you get this strong overnight?”

“I was always strong. I just hadn’t shown it while focusing on restoring my family’s secret techniques.”

“Hiding your strength? Then why suddenly act up now? Did you restore the secret techniques?”

“No, I just ran out of patience.”

“…Really, I can’t understand what you’re thinking.”

Woong!

With a sound like buzzing bees, Elliot’s sword began vibrating as it flew in.

Though Yuseong saw the attacks with his eyes and dodged them smoothly, he grimaced feeling pain in his arms.

‘Wrong again. Why?’

The result differed completely from what he had predicted based on joint angles and muscle movements.

Confused by this absurd development, Yuseong could understand the secret after hearing Leon’s advice.

-He’s using mana to change his movements!

A sword swung with full body force bending at right angles mid-swing, attacks accelerating instantly to maximum speed from a standstill.

The secret behind movements that defied common sense and physical limits was the use of mana.

However, even after realizing the secret, Yuseong’s expression didn’t improve.

‘So how exactly do you do that?’

Though synchronization had given him complete knowledge of Leon’s learned skills, none of them included using mana to control body movements.

-That’s a secret technique that even I don’t know. Though the latter part of the Bermund Martial Art has such techniques, as you know only the first two forms have been passed down…

‘Well that’s not helpful.’

-I-I’m sorry!

‘No need to apologize. If we don’t have teeth, we’ll just use gums.’

Yuseong grit his teeth and charged at Elliot.

Even if movements differed from predictions, the margin of error wasn’t that large.

If there weren’t extremely sudden changes like attacks aimed at legs suddenly hitting arms, there was a simple way to overcome it.

‘Has he lost his mind?’

Seeing him charge recklessly while covering his face, Elliot smiled mockingly and thrust his sword.

‘It’s over!’

A wooden sword wielded by a trained swordsman was no different from a deadly weapon.

Feeling the sword strike a vital point and the sensation transmitted through the handle, Elliot relaxed his guard certain of victory.

A small opening, and that determined the outcome.

Shadow Moon Style 16. Meteor Drop.

Unable to even break his fall, the result of landing neck-first on the stone floor was devastating.

Seeing Elliot foaming at the mouth with the horrific sound of breaking bones, Felix showed a panicked expression for the first time and shouted:

“This is insane! Get Elliot to the infirmary quickly! His life is in danger!”

“Y-yes sir!”

The students began rapidly evacuating the training ground with Elliot and the other injured. Not because of Felix’s order or concern for the injured, but because they didn’t want to spend another moment in the same space as that madman.

“I’ll be going now too.”

“You dare say that after doing that to your senior?”

“Doing what? As Professor Felix said, it’s just a minor injury, isn’t it?”

“You little…”

Receiving Felix’s murderous glare, Yuseong swallowed dryly feeling his body tremble against his will. Though he had gained some confidence while rampaging against the students, he was still like a mouse before a cat in front of a true master.

However, Yuseong didn’t cower and quietly lifted his shirt.

“As you can see, my injuries aren’t light either and need treatment.”

His side where the final thrust had landed was colored an ominous shade. Though angry, Felix had to grit his teeth seeing the genuinely serious injury.

“…Get out.”

“Then I’ll be going.”

After walking out of the training ground with an almost mocking confidence, the moment Yuseong confirmed no one was around after turning the corner, he collapsed against the wall.

“Uurgh…”

-A-are you alright?

Elliot’s final attack was nothing to take lightly.

An attack that would leave you unable to move for several seconds from the impact with good luck, and knock you unconscious with bad luck. However, Yuseong had managed to achieve victory through quick thinking, activating Pain Nullification right before the attack landed to momentarily eliminate the pain.

‘Do I look alright to you?’

-…I’m sorry.

‘I told you there’s no need to apologize.’

Though cold sweat poured down like a waterfall from the belated agony, the smile never left Yuseong’s face. Despite some difficulties, he had cleared the first hurdle smoothly which would make things easier going forward.

“Now then, shall we bully everyone?”