Chapter 139: Sekyung Walker (5)
The sudden appearance of the uninvited guest caused Yuri’s thoughts to race quickly.
‘Is it because of yesterday’s commotion?’
After all the uproar from the previous day, it was only natural that others’ attention would be drawn to it.
It wouldn’t be too surprising if an intruder had appeared because of that.
However, there were a few things that bothered him.
‘Why did they go for a sneak attack? If they were planning an ambush, they should’ve concealed their killing intent.’
Yuri’s dwelling was inside a rift, and to reach it, one would have to pass by Arin and Poppy stationed at the entrance.
Possibly, they might even encounter Theresia along the way.
Yet, the fact that no sounds were heard meant the intruder had bypassed them without issue.
Having sneaked in so quietly only to suddenly unleash their killing intent and reveal their presence?
Yuri frowned, his brows furrowing in suspicion.
He glanced at the wall, recalling the impact still felt in his palm.
There, lodged into the wall, was the object he had deflected, which carried killing intent.
Yuri’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
‘A… leaf?’
A single fresh, green leaf that had just begun to grow in the spring was embedded in the wall.
Moreover, the leaf had pierced through the wooden door he had made, targeting him directly.
Despite that, the force remained, and it had embedded itself into the wall.
From that alone, it was clear that the intruder’s skills were far from ordinary.
Additionally, Yuri immediately realized who the intruder was.
Staring at the wooden door with a sullen expression, he muttered.
“Damn old man, if you’re here, come in quietly—why put a hole in a perfectly fine door?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a cough was heard from outside the door.
“Ahem, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Do you know me? Why are you acting like you do?”
A voice that was altered, or at least trying to be.
However, that snarky tone was unmistakably Johan’s to anyone who heard it.
So it was no surprise that Yuri didn’t respond kindly.
“Old man, have you lost your mind?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, the wooden door flew open and slammed shut with a gust of wind.
Whoosh-!
The door had clearly opened and shut, yet no one seemed to have entered.
But Yuri could feel it.
Johan had already snuck into his dwelling.
Yuri’s expression soured again.
‘Why is this old geezer like this?’
Though he had no idea why, the killing intent wafting from all directions was no joke.
‘So he wants to go at it?’
Sensing the mood, Yuri immediately activated his Magic Flow.
Almost instantly, a shadow suddenly rose from his right side, and something long shot toward his chest.
Seeing the object flying at him, cloaked in fierce killing intent, Yuri’s eyebrows twitched.
‘A branch?’
It was just a branch, one that looked suitable for use as a switch.
Even still fresh, with a few green leaves attached as if it had been recently snapped off.
But Yuri couldn’t dismiss it.
The energy radiating from the branch was anything but ordinary.
It felt as if it was daring him, asking if he could really block it.
Yuri swung his sword cautiously in response.
Clang!
The branch and sword collided, but the sound was like metal clashing against metal.
The sword was flung backward.
‘What the hell!’
Yuri gritted his teeth as his palm throbbed from the impact.
It was just a branch, but it felt like striking a hunk of metal.
And worse yet, he was the one pushed back.
Still, he had managed to fend off the initial attack.
However, Johan didn’t seem like he intended to stop there.
Crackle-!
As the branch glowed red and sparks of lightning surged, Yuri was taken aback.
‘A lightning sword technique!’
Johan had unleashed a lightning sword technique using a branch that hadn’t even shed all its leaves.
‘Is that even possible?’
To Yuri, it was beyond comprehension.
At the same time, he understood the source of the impact from their earlier clash.
‘That was… a strong sword technique?!’
Yuri’s pupils trembled.
But there was no time to stay shocked.
Whoosh- Crackle!
Yuri’s sword also glowed red, sparking with lightning.
He too unleashed the lightning sword technique immediately.
Bang!
The red sword and the branch collided, and Yuri’s face hardened.
‘As expected… I’m being pushed back.’
His sword attack was getting overpowered by a mere branch.
What’s more, Johan’s branch shone brighter than his sword.
This signified a difference in their proficiency with the lightning sword technique.
Yuri had to acknowledge it.
‘Right, what I’m facing now is the Indomitable Sword, Johan Redner.’
Even though his skills had significantly improved recently, he was still no match for Johan.
Yuri decided to abandon any thoughts of conserving his strength.
Since it had come to this, he might as well use this chance to test how much he’d grown.
Wooooo-.
All the mana that Yuri had steadily gathered in the Dragon’s Cradle surged, powering up his mana rod to its fullest.
His sword glowed an even deeper red than before, emitting powerful lightning.
The lightning sword technique, now at its peak, flew directly at the branch.
Boom!
A thunderous crash rang out.
For the first time, Yuri’s sword held its ground against Johan’s branch.
Surprised by the unexpected counter, the branch briefly wavered but quickly regained its strength, blocking Yuri’s sword once more.
It held firm, as if saying that no matter how hard Yuri tried, he wouldn’t be able to overcome it.
However, Yuri’s sword, now riding the momentum, showed no hesitation.
The white sword charged aggressively toward the branch.
The branch, too, lunged forward to deflect the sword.
Just as the branch was about to collide with the sword—
Swoosh-.
The branch’s movements suddenly twisted.
This was not Johan’s doing.
“……?!”
The branch attempted to adjust its course to block the sword somehow, but it kept slipping away, veering off in the wrong direction.
Yuri’s signature “fake Flow technique” was completely blocking the branch’s approach.
If things continued, Yuri’s sword would surely reach Johan.
Yet, Johan didn’t seem startled—instead, he wore a smile of amusement.
Just as Yuri’s sword was about to touch Johan’s chest—
Thud-.
The sword, propelled by tremendous force, suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
It felt as if it had lodged into a massive boulder, rendering it immobile.
The sight made Yuri’s eyes widen in shock.
Snap-.
Johan’s thumb and index finger were holding Yuri’s sword.
The fingers were wrapped in a clear, transparent barrier.
Knowing what that transparent barrier was, Yuri muttered in disbelief.
“Ha? Magic Sword?”
What was still an impossible feat for him, Johan was nonchalantly executing with just his fingers.
While Yuri stood there in a daze—
Thump-.
Johan flicked his fingers lightly.
The force pushed Yuri’s body backward.
It was then that Yuri properly faced Johan.
He grumbled.
“What the hell is this all about?”
“Pffft, just checking if you’re doing your homework well.”
“Like I wouldn’t be doing it on my own. And you could’ve just asked—did you have to make such a mess?”
Yuri gestured at the dust-filled room, stirred up by their fierce battle.
In response, Johan put on a deliberately stern expression.
“Hmph, hearing about it and seeing it myself are completely different things! Besides…”
“…?”
“It’s not like I’m the one who’s going to clean up the mess anyway.”
“…Damn it.”
Only then did Yuri realize that cleaning up would inevitably fall on him.
Johan snickered at the sight of Yuri pouting.
But despite his laughter, Johan was quite surprised on the inside.
‘This kid, he’s already mastered the lightning sword technique.’
It had only been about two months since Johan had given Yuri his assignment.
For someone who hadn’t even grasped what a strong sword was, reaching the lightning sword technique in such a short time was astonishing.
But what surprised Johan the most was the technique Yuri had just used.
That peculiar technique that made all his attacks slide off.
‘Though it differs slightly from the typical Flow technique… it’s definitely an imitation of it.’
Johan couldn’t help but click his tongue at the realization.
‘In just two months, he not only mastered the lightning sword technique but also copied the Flow technique…’
Mastering the lightning sword technique was impressive on its own.
However, the Flow technique was one of the core skills of the Winchester family.
Even though it wasn’t perfect, the fact that Yuri had stealthily learned and claimed such a distinguished technique for his own went beyond shocking—it was fearsome.
‘It seems he’s doing just fine without my intervention.’
Although they hadn’t met for two months, Yuri had exceeded Johan’s expectations and was growing rapidly.
So much so that even a 200 out of 100 on his mid-term evaluation wouldn’t do justice.
While Johan was lost in thought, Yuri’s sullen voice echoed as he tidied up the messy room.
“Do you think that noise we made just now was heard outside?”
Yuri was worried that the noise from their skirmish might have been heard outside.
Johan snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing this.
“Tsk, do I look that sloppy to you? I blocked it all with mana. No matter how much of a ruckus you raise in here, no one outside will hear a thing.”
“Oh? That’s possible? Teach me how!”
“…And what would you use it for?”
“I don’t know? But it might come in handy somewhere, don’t you think?”
“To rob rich houses?”
“Hey, who do you think you’re calling a thief!”
“Ha! Spare me the crap. Your eyes are practically bulging with excitement.”
Johan’s remark made Yuri flinch.
Johan, looking at him with a disapproving expression, shifted the topic.
“By the way, it seems you’ve picked up some strays since I last saw you. I noticed a blue-haired one and a bald one at the entrance.”
“Oh, them?”
“Made some friends, have you?”
“…Friends? Yeah, right.”
Yuri waved his hand dismissively.
The slight hesitation in his response caught Johan’s eye.
‘This kid… has changed.’
Yuri had always been someone who cared for nothing but himself.
But now, he hesitated, albeit briefly, to deny those people as his friends.
That alone was a significant change for Yuri.
And perhaps, even Yuri himself hadn’t realized this change yet.
Johan chuckled and asked teasingly.
“You’re in the prime of youth, huh?”
“What are you talking about? Have you really gone senile?”
Smack-.
“Ouch!”
Yuri rolled backward after getting smacked on the forehead for his cheeky remark.
Johan, meanwhile, sprawled comfortably on Yuri’s bed, picking his nose.
“Got anything to eat?”
Yuri, clutching his forehead, yelled in frustration.
“Damn it, that’s gross!”
“Shall I show you what ‘gross’ really means?”
Johan then casually tried to smear his booger on the bed.
Seeing this, Yuri panicked.
“Hey, don’t do that!”
“Haha, if you don’t want this, then hurry up and bring me some food! Judging by what I’ve seen, it looks like you’ve stocked up quite a bit.”
Johan motioned towards the food pantry with a nod, prompting Yuri to sigh and get up.
“…Wait here.”
With that, Yuri disappeared.
Johan, lying comfortably and now smearing his booger on the bed without hesitation, scratched his back with a branch.
Yawning wide, he perked up when Yuri returned, carrying various items on a wooden tray.
“Wow, you’ve really stocked up nicely!”
Johan’s eyes lit up at the sight of the tray full of food. He pulled out a bottle of liquor from his pocket.
Pop-.
Gulp, gulp-.
After taking a couple of sips and munching on a snack, Johan asked with his mouth full.
“Anything interesting happen while I was gone? Come on, spill the beans.”
Lying comfortably on his side, Johan got cozy as he listened, and Yuri let out a heavy sigh.
He knew that the best way to get the old man to leave was to just indulge him.
“Sigh, so…”
Starting off quietly, Yuri began recounting the events of the past two months.
From the hide-collection quest Johan had assigned him.
To his victory against Greta.
And then, to the mechanism-breaking quest and the recent armlet-stealing quest.
Though he began reluctantly, Yuri eventually got caught up in the excitement and started chattering away.
Johan listened, enjoying his food and drink, when something suddenly came to mind.
“By the way, what’s that bizarre thing you’ve got going on outside? What’s that all about?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about those tree pillars outside. I’m guessing it’s another one of your weird antics, but they look pretty odd. Did you give up halfway through, or are you in the process of tearing it all down?”
At Johan’s question, Yuri wore a wistful expression.
“It’s both, technically. I started building it, then tore it down. Well, not me, anyway.”
Yuri let out another sigh and recounted the events of the previous day.
After hearing the whole story, Johan looked at him with wide eyes.
“…Sekyung? That crazy bastard is here?”
Yuri blinked in surprise at Johan’s reaction.
‘Sekyung?’
The way he called the name sounded like they were quite familiar.
He even used the affectionate term “crazy bastard.”
Suddenly, a thought sparked in Yuri’s mind.
‘If I play my cards right… I might actually be able to leverage some connections.’
To be honest, with the compulsory power of the [Unrefusable Lecture Request], Yuri could likely learn something from Sekyung Walker.
But would Sekyung genuinely teach him anything valuable under such circumstances?
Absolutely not.
Still, it would be better than learning nothing at all.
Yuri believed that whatever he learned could be useful in completing the fortress, which was why he had considered using the [Unrefusable Lecture Request].
However, if Johan and Sekyung were on good terms, then things might change.
‘I was already feeling a bit reluctant to spend 10 million points just to get half-hearted lessons from someone who wouldn’t take it seriously.’
If he could use Johan’s connections, he might not even need to use the [Unrefusable Lecture Request].
With this hopeful thought in mind, Yuri asked.
“You know that guy?”
“Of course, I do. That guy’s…”
Johan nodded, trailing off as he sat up, adopting an unusually serious expression before continuing.
“He’s a real lunatic.”
“…?”
The sincerity in Johan’s voice left Yuri with question marks popping up all over his head.