Chapter 57
Villain Emergence (1)
“……”
Lee Siwoon silently gazed down at the broken training longsword with a calm expression.
The training longsword, which had been crafted robustly for hero trainees, lay split in half on the ground, now nothing more than a piece of scrap metal.
To think that Lee Jinhyuk could break this training longsword so thoroughly.
With just a single strike.
‘That was Sword Qi Wounder, wasn’t it?’
Sword Qi Wounder.
One of the pinnacle techniques among swordsmen.
Many without talent spend their entire lives training but never manage to grasp the Sword Qi Wounder.
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Even those with talent often need to endlessly hone their swordsmanship over a long period before they can use it—if they’re lucky.
Only a very few prodigies, who have been nurtured with the highest-grade nutrition, trained under strict curriculums, and received massive support since childhood, can use it at Lee Siwoon’s age.
It’s a technique that’s that difficult.
‘Among those my age, there are only a handful who can use Sword Qi Wounder.’
Even at Union Academy, which gathers countless brilliant minds, the number of students who can use Sword Qi Wounder is slim.
Lee Siwoon could count them on one hand.
But he had never imagined that Lee Jinhyuk could also use Sword Qi Wounder.
Moreover, Lee Jinhyuk’s Sword Qi Wounder was quite powerful. If Lee Siwoon hadn’t deflected it midway, things might have been dangerous.
Its strength could be said to surpass even Lee Siwoon’s own Sword Qi Wounder.
Had he taken a direct hit without any defense, Lee Siwoon’s Protective Force Field might have been shattered to pieces.
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Of course, the reason Lee Jinhyuk’s Sword Qi Wounder was that strong was partly due to Lee Siwoon himself.
Because Lee Jinhyuk had absorbed Lee Siwoon’s mana, he could unleash an even stronger Sword Qi Wounder.
Naturally, Lee Siwoon was completely unaware of this fact.
‘So using a bow was just a trick after all.’
There was no other way to think about it.
Lee Jinhyuk’s archery skill, while not bad, wasn’t particularly exceptional.
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It wasn’t enough to warrant admission into Union Academy.
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Plus, Lee Jinhyuk was a master capable of using Sword Qi Wounder.
Even for an extraordinary prodigy, it’s nearly impossible to train both archery and swordsmanship to such a high level. Clearly, the sword was real, and the bow was just a decoy.
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‘But why would he hide the fact that he could use Sword Qi Wounder?’
A question.
A slight doubt arose.
Lee Siwoon couldn’t understand why Lee Jinhyuk had kept such a fact hidden all this time.
‘No, that’s not the only strange thing.’
The more he thought about it, the more Lee Jinhyuk seemed mysterious.
Using Sword Qi Wounder, making Lee Siwoon’s sword aura disappear in an instant, somehow sinking Lee Siwoon into the ground with a strange ability…
‘I had a feeling he was hiding something.’
But I didn’t expect it to be this much.
He seemed to be hiding some sort of mysterious special ability, but Lee Siwoon couldn’t even begin to guess what it could be.
An ability that scatters mana or sinks the ground in an instant.
Of course, it’s also possible that he used something other than a special ability, like an artifact.
Artifacts come in a variety of types and abilities.
If Lee Jinhyuk used an artifact, it would be understandable.
‘An artifact… Hmm.’
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Siwoon suddenly shook his head inwardly. No, it couldn’t be. That’s impossible.
Logically speaking, there’s no way someone like Lee Jinhyuk could possess something as precious as an artifact.
Even the descendants of the SL Group, HanYoung Clan, or Gaon Nuri Clan have rarely even seen an artifact, much less owned one.
Artifacts are possessed by very few people.
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And among those who own artifacts, even fewer have artifacts useful in actual combat.
It’s more realistic to think that Lee Jinhyuk, who comes from an ordinary background, is hiding some peculiar special ability rather than possessing a powerful and useful artifact for combat.
In fact, there are quite a few aspiring heroes who hide their special abilities.
Usually, it’s because their special abilities are something they don’t want others to know about, or because the conditions for using their abilities are tricky.
‘In any case, I don’t know why Lee Jinhyuk is hiding these things, but two things are clear.’
Lee Jinhyuk is a person with many secrets and is quite strong.
With so much hidden and deliberately kept under wraps, it’s hard to accurately gauge his true strength, but after seeing him use Sword Qi Wounder, he can’t be underestimated.
…There’s no way Sword Qi Wounder is the only skill he has.
‘Hah. This is a headache. At first, it was just a bit bothersome because he was always sticking close to Soyeon.’
That’s right.
To be honest, the reason Lee Siwoon picked a fight with Lee Jinhyuk was that he was always by Soyeon’s side.
Even though they were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend, Lee Jinhyuk always sticking close to Soyeon made Lee Siwoon uncomfortable in many ways.
It wasn’t that he hated or despised Lee Jinhyuk, but seeing him laughing and chatting with Soyeon always left a strange, uncomfortable feeling.
After all, hadn’t they broken up?
Lee Siwoon knew they were childhood friends who had been together for over ten years, but seeing ex-lovers hanging out as if nothing had happened was unsettling to him.
He had heard that Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon had agreed to remain just friends since they didn’t see each other as romantic partners, but their actions often seemed ambiguous.
When he watched them from afar, he sometimes couldn’t tell if they were really interacting as just friends or something more.
Moreover, the occasional glances Jin Soyeon gave Lee Jinhyuk didn’t seem like those of a mere friend.
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Whenever Lee Jinhyuk was with another woman, Jin Soyeon would often glance over, looking slightly bothered or displeased.
While Lee Jinhyuk seemed to be trying to keep his distance from Jin Soyeon, Jin Soyeon, on the other hand, seemed to be getting closer to him.
Watching them like that…
Really…
How should I put it?
‘Ah. Right.’
Suddenly, Lee Siwoon let out a bitter smile inwardly.
‘Jealousy… is it jealousy?’
It was a bit embarrassing to outright admit the emotion that had been writhing inside him. It was like exposing his raw, unfiltered self.
Perhaps the reason he approached Lee Jinhyuk and questioned whether he was worthy of being by Soyeon’s side was a childish act driven by jealousy.
No, it definitely was.
But Lee Jinhyuk, as if to prove his strength and position, confidently broke Lee Siwoon’s sword and neutralized him(?).
‘His sword stance and movements seemed rather clumsy, but if that too was a ruse to make me drop my guard…’
Honestly, Lee Jinhyuk, you…
Lee Siwoon unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of his broken sword.
It wasn’t the dark, murky feelings of jealousy and envy like before, but rather, as a fellow swordsman, a competitive spirit started to stir within him.
Because he couldn’t fully discern Lee Jinhyuk’s true abilities, his curiosity and competitive spirit seemed to be boiling over.
He was someone who had deliberately(?) entered Union Academy almost at the bottom and hid much of his true abilities.
And the mysterious special ability was also something that bothered him.
‘If I don’t give up now and decide to fight further, what will happen?’
The sword was already broken.
It was impossible to know what else the opponent was hiding.
To continue the battle would be tantamount to suicide.
But even so, why was the grip on his sword hilt tightening?
This desire to gauge the opponent’s skills and clash swords was something he rarely felt, except when facing Baek Yoorin or Kang Daehan.
And yet, right now, Lee Siwoon…
“Looks like you’re hiding more than I thought, Lee Jinhyuk.”
“……”
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“You’re still not going to tell me honestly, huh? Well, fine. It doesn’t matter.”
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“……”
What are you thinking right now, Lee Jinhyuk? Lee Siwoon, staring at the expressionless Lee Jinhyuk, slowly parted his lips.
“Lee Jinhyuk, I…”
And then, at that moment.
“Hehe, how cute. Are you two kids planning to have a little duel?”
A voice suddenly interrupted, drilling into the ears of both Lee Siwoon and Lee Jinhyuk from a short distance away.
Lee Siwoon furrowed his brows slightly.
He had been so focused on Lee Jinhyuk that he hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
But who was this man?
He was an adult.
At first, he thought the man might be one of the exam instructors or security personnel, but judging by his words, actions, and attire, he definitely wasn’t from the Academy.
The man was wearing tattered, shabby clothes and had a half-burned, twisted rabbit mask tilted on his head.
Moreover, the man’s sneering laughter reminded him of a common thug or a wastrel.
“…Who are you?”
This forest was being managed by the Academy.
To prevent the media and any unauthorized individuals from entering, numerous security personnel and instructors had been stationed around.
Additionally, a barrier was in place, making it impossible for ordinary people to enter.
In other words, this man was not just some lost civilian.
“Me? Heh. Who knows?”
The man, who looked to be in his early to mid-thirties, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
“I’m just a firestarter, a firestarter.”
Step, step.
There were more faint sounds of movement from beyond the bushes.
Soon, two more people emerged from the thicket.
These individuals were also adults, and judging by their attire and demeanor, they were clearly not ordinary folks.
“I’ve even been on the news a few times.”
With a repulsive laugh, the man adjusted his half-burned rabbit mask.
Lee Siwoon furrowed his brow. That man’s twisted rabbit mask—it sparked a memory.
Where had he seen it before?
He was sure he’d seen it on TV a long time ago…
“Lee Siwoon! That guy is the Pyromaniac, Kim Hwaseung! The Fire Rabbit of Hajeong Mountain!”
“……!”
“Hah! There’s a kid who remembers me!”
With Lee Jinhyuk’s exclamation, Kim Hwaseung conjured a fiery orb and hurled it straight at Lee Siwoon and Lee Jinhyuk.
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End of Chapter.