01. A sword for you (21)

Academy gym.

For convenience, it is called a gym, but this huge space that can accommodate more than 10,000 people inside is actually closer to a large stadium, and is actually used for that purpose.

On the second floor of such a gymnasium, there is a VIP bleacher with a bird’s-eye view of the entire stadium, with access to students strictly controlled.

A place you don’t normally use. But today, it was full of guests from outside.

“Thunder and Storm Guild Seongjiho Attack 2 Team Leader is entering.”

“Lee Ji-hyeon, head of human resource team at the Haneul Nuri Guild, is entering.”

“Director Park Min-seok of the Korea Hunter Association is entering.”

Academy’s final performances can be directly observed by guild executives, government officials, and corporate sponsors.

Because it is a venue for internal screening, students can directly check the results of their efforts, and it is easier for guilds and companies to establish relationships with prospective students in preparation for graduation. If you do well, you can meet a good sponsor, so it’s not a bad thing from a student’s point of view.

However, if you are an upperclassman with skills that will not be a problem even if you play active duty right away and are close to graduating, the final performance of a freshman who has just entered the academy and has a high level of skill is relatively less important.

Of course, it is rare among them, and boulders that are already prominent are occasionally found, so vague executives such as chiefs and team leaders attend.

Because we often meet on business, most of the observers who already know each other exchange greetings.

“Aigoo, the team leader is here? What is the Sky Nuri Guild doing?”

“During my freshman year, I heard that there are good magical Awakeners. Is there a student that the head of the department pays attention to?”

“Well, I came here eagerly hoping that there would be something good to tell the president of the association.”

Observers sitting in their seats with a good laugh. After that, working-level staff from certain guilds, groups, and research institutes, who could be known just by hearing the name, entered one after another.

Weak and small guilds cannot even enter the academy. In order to directly observe the final performance, which is held privately from the outside, a certain level is required.

“Chairman Kang-Hoo Lee of Serim Group is entering!”

Therefore, when the chairman of Serim Group, which is leading the artificial elixir industry, entered the hall, there was a moment of commotion in the hall. It was because a person of too high a level was present to participate in such an event.

“What happened to Chairman Kang-Hoo Lee? He is usually not interested in sponsoring promising students.”

“Did you not know? The eldest son of the Serim Group entered the academy this time. With combat and second place.”

“Ah, rumors circulated that it was so cheap? He said he spent billions on his son alone, so it must have worked.”

Those who whisper in a low voice. Chairman Lee Kang-hoo sits down, passing away the focused attention with a sullen face.

Seeing that, Park Min-seok, a member of the association, laughs quietly.

“Chief. You know what? Chairman Lee Kang-hoo’s son was beaten up by a female student in class.”

“Yes? Really? If that’s true, there’s no way I wouldn’t know, right?”

“The Serim Group was very quiet. I know because I heard from the side that you were saying sorry things to the president of the association to ask about rumors.”

The secret conversation between the two did not leak out at all. It was because all high-ranking hunters conveyed their voices telepathically using a holo device.

“If it’s real, I really want to see your skills. This year’s prospect could be that student.”

“Just today, that girl and Serim Group’s eldest son were matched in the match.”

“Oh, is that so? That would be fun.”

Team leader Lee Ji-hyun looks down at the stadium with an excited expression.

Students are called out one after another by Mr. Park Jin-hoo, and the final performance is held.

Most of the students’ skills were as expected.

Even if it’s a battle department for an Awakener, it’s only been a few months since I’ve trained my skills in earnest. There were no thrilling scenes as the children were just learning how to fight.

I don’t know how to use my skills properly, but I’m not proficient in combat skills either. After all, there is not much to see unless you are in your senior year.

The expressions of the people sitting in the bleachers gradually turn sour.

Lee Ji-hyeon, team leader, and Park Min-seok, the head of the department, also waited for the moment when the name of that student, Yoon Seo-hee, would be called.

“The deputy guild leader of Su, Su-seong guild is entering!!”

A voice holding its breath all at once. People’s astonished expressions follow.

What kind of guild is the Mercury Guild?

The best in Korea. Top of top. The first guild in human history to conquer the tower.

It is a place with an unrivaled position in the industry, where Cha Soo-hyeok, who is considered the world’s most powerful hunter, is the guild leader.

That’s why all Hunters want to join the Mercury Guild.

It’s a Suseong guild that’s always full of the best talent, even if you don’t have to recruit promising players. Even the deputy guild leader directly observes?

‘What kind of wind is blowing?’

If you are the deputy guild leader of the Suseong Guild, he is known for his overwhelming skills comparable to Cha Soo-hyeok, and for focusing only on attacking the top without caring about the external image at all.

Such an assistant guild leader rarely went outside, and that was to observe the academy’s final performance.

Shortly, a tall woman in her early twenties walks in from the entrance of the VIP room. She has nicely curled short black hair, and eyes that glow softly with gold.

Her woman sits in her own seat, ignoring the stares of countless people trying to figure out her intentions.

She was quietly gazing at only Yoon Seo-hee, who had drawn her sword, on top of her exam hall.

–

Surereung-! The sharp blade sound resounding as the sword is drawn.

Yoon Seo-hee, who grabbed her hilt and pulled out her sword, immediately felt a sense of difference.

No, this is not a sense of difference….

‘It fits her hand so well.’

The thickness and length fit snugly to her hand. I don’t even have glue on it, but I feel like I won’t get tired even if I hold it all day long if I add a little bit.

It was only then that she remembered the time when Kim Yi-jin had been rubbing her palms for a long time.

‘Oh, how seriously he touched me.’

I try to suppress the feeling of shame and tickling in my chest.

Now is the time to prioritize exams. Again, with a serious face, he raised his sword and aimed at Lee Hyun-woo.

“Sword, ready!”

Park Jin-hoo nodded her head heavily.

“Good. From now on, Hyunwoo Lee from the 1st grade combat department and Seohee Yoon from the combat department from 1st grade class 3 will conduct practice training.”

Park Jin-hoo raises her hand high to start her match.

“Both are ready.”

At those words, Lee Hyeon-woo, who had been staring blankly at Kim Yi-jin, comes to his senses belatedly. Anger and hatred overflowed in those eyes.

“Kim Dong-cheol… You useless bastard! Okay, let’s try this, right?”

With his face twisted, Lee Hyun-woo took out a small magic stone from his pocket.

It was a specially processed magic stone and item crystal to store equipment.

As mana flows through the magic stone, a blue halo of light flows around Lee Hyun-woo’s body. Flash! The strong light, which is difficult to see with the naked eye, continues for a long time.

“You think you can beat me with that crap? It’s enough to press down with your skills!”

Faah – The light disappears and Lee Hyun-woo, who is fully equipped, raises his sword and prepares himself.

A great sword as gigantic as the average height of an adult. Heavy full plate armor. At first glance, it seemed that it was not an ordinary piece of equipment.

It was Haneulnuri’s team leader Lee Ji-hyeon who was watching the game from the bleachers who responded to the equipment.

“Isn’t that a set of Roderick’s Knight’s Greatsword and Master’s Plate Armor? Oh my God, I put on the equipment that should be worn on an A-class hunter on an academy student. How much is all that?”

Lee Ji-hyeon, the team leader, was estimating the price in his mind, but gave up the calculation when the number of units quickly exceeded 100 million won. In any case, it was not something a student would wear. Too much was too much.

Director Park Min-seok, who was looking at the scene seriously, also added a word.

“You hit me well, so even the weapons. Even if it was my own skills, the armor was a little too much. Since the force field is active anyway, it will be automatically defended before receiving a fatal blow, so I don’t know if it’s my skills or my equipment.”

Director Park Min-seok shakes his head. He stares at the girl across from him with pity.

“I feel sorry for that student too. The sword won’t stick at all, so would you like to compete?”

Director Park Min-seok leaned back in his chair with the feeling of just watching the match that had already ended. I expected a lot, but it seemed like it would be a boring match.

However, team leader Lee Ji-hyeon was concentrating on the sword Seo-hee Yoon was holding.

“I thought about it after equipping it, sir, have you seen that sword?”

“Yes? No, it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

“Isn’t it? It’s the first time I’ve seen such a device. Was there anything like that among the items you could get in Korea? It doesn’t seem like an air defense system….”

If Lee Hyeon-woo was wearing a massive greatsword capable of breaking rocks, Yoon Seo-hee’s sword looked relatively small and insignificant.

A straight, straight blade of about 100 cm. The width of the sword was thin and wide, and the shape of the sword sharpened toward the end reminded me of a rapier-like sword.

The guard that wrapped around the hilt was as elaborate as a work of art, so it was full of elegance compared to a workshop. Even so, the amount of mana it exudes may not reach that of A-class.

‘Yes, if I hit that greatsword, it’ll break like a can of millet.’

Lee Ji-hyeon also agreed with Director Park Min-seok’s opinion. It was as if this match had already ended.

“Then, start!”

Beep-! The match begins with a clear whistle sound.

As soon as the whistle sounded, Lee Hyeon-woo pushed his heavy armor and great sword and just went straight ahead.

“aaa! Die!!”

A downward slash that swings strongly from top to bottom. A simple but overwhelming violence that pushes with the weight of the whole body and the weight of the great sword.

Looking straight at the trajectory that was closer to shooting down rather than swinging, Yoon Seo-hee held her sword in one hand and set it at an angle.

Kagagak! The trajectory of the greatsword twisted sideways on the oblique sword face.

Perfect flow like flowing water.

Boom!! The great sword swung stone fragments at the floor, not Yoon Seo-hee. Yoon Seo-hee, who jumped up as swiftly as a cat while stepping on the greatsword embedded in her floor, let out a flash-like thrust.

“Haaap!”

Kaang-! The thrust, focused on one point, became lodged in Lee Hyun-woo’s helmet. The helmet dented with the sound of steel clashing against each other.

But that was all. There was no blow to Lee Hyeon-woo in the pitch.

As expected by the audience, the sword did not pierce the armor.

“Ha! Is that all? Hem?!”

Lee Hyun-woo smiled cheerfully and raised his greatsword high. He prepares his stance and swings his sword horizontally.

Booung-! The greatsword’s trajectory is heavy and slow. But the power contained there was unusual.

“Queup!”

Chaeeng! He slashed the sword from the bottom up and twisted the trajectory. It was the next best thing I chose because I couldn’t receive that power from the front.

Yoon Seo-hee takes a step back as she slashes her sword. Lee Hyeon-woo follows her.

“Are you going to keep dodging and running away like that?! Yoon Seo-hee!!”

A fierce series of attacks followed. Hit again. Yoon Seo-hee raises her sword straight and cuts it, sheds it, and dodges it.

Director Park Min-seok sighs at that appearance.

“Oops. That’s what i think The sword won’t work.”

Yoon Seo-hee was holding up well against the fierce series. She flies like a butterfly, she dodges the sword’s trajectory, then stings again like a bee, aiming for an opening in her armor.

Kang! However, it is not an A-class equipment for nothing. The meticulously constructed armor is not all that is visible. The part that can be called weakness is also reliably defended with magical power.

“Are you a little suspicious?”

“Yes? What?”

“That sword. It’s holding up so well.”

At those words, Park Min-seok concentrated his eyes on Yoon Seo-hee’s sword. With Hunter’s physical ability, it was not difficult to observe the details of the sword even from such a distance.

As the saying goes, Yoon Seo-hee’s sword couldn’t pierce Lee Hyeon-woo’s armor, but she had endured it without any flaws.

Despite receiving such tremendous power over and over again, the sword did not have any cracks, nor did any teeth fall out. Every time it receives an impact, it bends loudly and endures with excellent elasticity.

Yoon Seo-hee’s skill with a sword is also unusual, but it’s all useless if her equipment doesn’t do the basics.

Considering that she valued tensile force rather than blade holding power in swords, she was definitely amazing.

That’s great.

“Then what do you do? I can’t hit you at all.”

“That’s right….”

Lee Ji-hyun felt sorry for that. Compared to the technology that went into the sword, it felt like the material couldn’t support it.

It was amazing that the material and mana were at an ordinary level, and yet they were able to achieve such amazing results.

In the midst of the spectators’ gazes and the fierce connection that followed, Yoon Seo-hee was slowly emptying her thoughts.

“… ….”

She’s not thinking anything.

No thoughts and free. It is falling into the state of selflessness.

She focuses her consciousness on the sword she is holding in her hand.

From the first time she held this sword that was tightly wrapped around her hand and could be wielded at will, her inexplicably strange sense stimulated Yoon Seo-hee’s inner self.

That was her magic circuit. Because she didn’t know how to use her, even at this moment, her circuits, which were sitting quietly, were constantly being stimulated.

‘Why? Why?’

A magic circuit is a part of the body. It is not an area to be interfered with by others.

But the sword in her hand continues to interfere with her circuitry.

‘No, no. I’m not interfering….’

Use me.

I am here, I am shouting like that.

A thrill ran down her spine and spread through her body. A new sense that she had had since birth but had forgotten all along was about to awaken.

‘It feels strange.’

No matter how well-made a sword is, it is still a lump of metal. It is an object that can be held and wielded in the hand, but cannot become a hand.

But Yoon Seo-hee felt that this sword she was wielding now felt like her own hand. It’s like having an extended arm. When she thought about the reason, she immediately knew.

The sword was perfectly synchronized with her magic. By analogy, her magic circuit did not end at her hand, but extended to the tip of her sword.

She swung her arm, feeling united with her sword.

Chang! Chaeeng!

It’s much easier if you wield her hand instead of a sword. Continue to clear the swinging trajectory.

“Hey, hey… ! Why, why don’t you fall down! Why!!”

As you sink deeper into your inner world, external stimuli become more and more quiet.

She has reached a level where she can only read and react to her trajectory flying toward her in the dark.

It is called the realm of becoming one with the object.

People called it the union of the body and sword.

Of course, Yoon Seo-hee did not actually reach the stage of unification of new swords. However, a state infinitely similar to the new sword union that she can experience only when she holds this sword.

That’s why I could do it now.

The magical energy that extends from the heart circulates throughout the body. The flow of magical power that Kim Yi-jin circulated. Along the way, all the magical energy that had been revolving around the body poured toward the sword, like water discharged from a dam.

Quaguaguagua-!

Ah- so immersed in something.

It was a pleasant feeling.

I felt like I could understand Kim Yi-jin’s feelings now.

“Oh, Aura Sword!?”

“That’s not all… Aura properties change! Crazy… Nonsense!”

A lightning bolt that runs from the sword. Yoon Seo-hee laughed as her sword was wrapped around her sword with golden lightning spewing out.

Her eyes were also shining brilliantly with golden light.