Chapter 10

I Won’t Become Like Those Old Men

As soon as she stepped outside, Lee Se-ah immediately took out her phone.

[Director Kim Hyung-seok]

The Director had given her a standing order: anything related to Black was to be reported immediately, regardless of the normal chain of command.

Beep… Beep…

The call was answered after only a couple of rings.

“Oh, Agent Lee? What brings you to call on a weekend?“

The corner of Se-ah’s mouth twitched.

Because I’m working on the weekend!

“Black says he’s moving out.”

“Moving out? What do you mean? Where’s he going? Don’t tell me he’s disappearing.“

“No, he says he’s moving into the faculty residence.”

“The faculty residence? Why would he leave a spacious safe house for that?“

She reported everything that had happened at the training grounds that morning.

“It looks like he’s planning to keep those five cadets close and train them seriously.”

“…Hmm.”

No one knew why Black wanted to teach students.

But from the nation’s perspective, there wasn’t much downside.

The problem was…

“We can’t just leave that man alone at the Academy twenty-four hours a day.“

“But we don’t have any reason to stop him if that’s what he wants.”

“Exactly. Which means someone has to stay by his side and monitor him closely.“

“…!”

Cold sweat ran down Se-ah’s back.

She knew exactly who that “someone” was supposed to be.

Working weekends wasn’t enough… now you’re telling me not to commute home either?

“Agent Lee. If you’re registered as Professor Kang’s secretary, they’ll assign you a residence in the faculty quarters as well.“

D-Director…?

“I’m sorry. I know how harsh this assignment is for someone who just joined the team.“

Then don’t do this to me!

“But aren’t you the only person in the Special Operations Team who can actually communicate with Black? Hmm? Agent Lee? Can you still hear me? Why aren’t you answering?“

“…I’m listening.”

“You’ll receive a special allowance—three hundred percent on top of your current salary.“

Do you think I’m doing this for the money?

In truth…

She already knew.

There really wasn’t anyone else in the Special Operations Team who could do this.

And…

It was an important mission.

I knew what I was signing up for.

Sacrificing herself for her country.

Compared to Black agents risking their lives on covert missions overseas…

Living at the Academy was practically a luxury assignment.

Besides…

The man she was assigned to monitor was one of the nation’s greatest military assets.

“…”

After letting out a short sigh, she asked,

“You’ll make sure my performance evaluation reflects this, right?”

“Of course! Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll create a dedicated Black Operations Team instead of the Special Operations Team. And when that happens… who do you think will lead it?“

“…Understood.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. The country won’t forget your sacrifice.“

Click.

The call ended.

Lee Se-ah stared once more at the tightly shut front door of the safe house.

Duty and patriotism aside…

Now that she’d actually accepted the assignment…

The future looked awfully bleak.

“…Sigh.”

“What a life…”

Sunday Dawn

On the roof of the old training hall…

Kang Hyun sat cross-legged.

As usual, he was suppressing the writhing murderous energy of Asura within himself through the Extreme Yang Heart Method.

“…Hm?”

A faint presence approached the training grounds.

He slowly opened his eyes.

There’s still an hour before the appointed time.

Looking down…

It was Seo Hae-in, a twentieth-year cadet.

After confirming no one else was around, she moved to a corner and began loosening up her stiff body with practiced familiarity.

A hardworking type.

Training before dawn…

Without anyone telling her to…

Yet she remained dead last in her class?

Interesting.

Curious, Kang Hyun finished regulating his qi and quietly watched her.

After stretching…

She picked up a wooden sword.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The sharp whistle of the blade cut through the silent training ground.

The basic forms of the Clear Wind Sword Art…

Having mastered virtually every martial art in existence…

Kang Hyun recognized it instantly.

At the same time…

His suspicion was confirmed.

The martial arts manuals obtained from this world’s dungeons…

Were unquestionably connected to the martial world he once lived in.

The Clear Wind Sword Art…

When cadets first entered the Academy…

They chose a specialization.

Once they did…

The supervising professor recommended an internal cultivation method and a sword art from the Academy’s martial library.

Seo Hae-in had almost certainly been recommended this sword style.

Which means the professor who recommended it was incompetent.

Kang Hyun clicked his tongue inwardly.

The Clear Wind Sword Art was one of the Qingcheng Sect’s beginner techniques.

Fast.

Light.

Sharp.

Well suited to women.

But…

What Kang Hyun saw differed completely from appearances.

Her bones are different.

Perhaps she’d eaten anchovies every day growing up.

Despite her slender frame…

Her bone density was extraordinary.

A naturally heavy skeleton.

Someone built like that wasn’t suited to swift swordsmanship.

She needed an overwhelmingly powerful style.

Or perhaps even saber techniques.

Had she learned the proper martial art…

There was no way she’d still be at the bottom of her class.

Combined with that work ethic…

She would effortlessly surpass half the Academy.

Pop.

Opening a bottle of whiskey…

Kang Hyun continued secretly watching her practice.

Before long…

The others began arriving one after another.

Han Tae-ho.

Yoon Hyun-jong.

Cha Yoo-sik.

Finally, Kwak Do-jin.

Once Seo Hae-in noticed the others, she awkwardly stopped practicing and quietly waited.

Kang Hyun didn’t care why each of them had come.

They all had their own reasons.

Their own ambitions.

But…

Is teaching them really the right choice?

The most efficient thing he could do right now…

Would be to search the entire world for genuine prodigies.

Those blessed with perfect physiques…

Perfect constitutions…

Unbreakable minds…

Overwhelming talent.

Even if he had to kidnap them…

He needed to gather seven such individuals and have them master the Seven Luminaries Formation.

Only then…

Could Asura be stopped.

Just like those old men would have done.

If his old masters had been here…

They wouldn’t even have glanced at these mediocre children.

And if they absolutely had to teach them…

Teach them?

They would’ve just beaten them.

A bitter smile twisted Kang Hyun’s lips.

His own training had begun with beatings when he was only thirteen.

Bones shattered.

Organs ruptured.

He coughed blood.

Then they’d stuff spiritual medicine into his mouth…

And beat him all over again.

Eventually…

Being beaten became more familiar than breathing.

Until one day…

He no longer feared any attack.

Not even death itself.

Crunch.

His teeth ground together.

Respect for his masters?

Not even a little.

Whenever he remembered those days…

Anger still welled up inside him.

If saving the world justified abusing a child…

Then what about the child’s life?

Truthfully…

Even back in the martial world…

The thing Kang Hyun envied most was the affectionate bond between master and disciple.

Because…

He had never experienced one himself.

I won’t become like those old men.

He slowly closed his eyes…

Then opened them again.

Hadn’t he already promised himself?

This life…

He would live his own way.

Preparing for Asura was important.

If this world disappeared…

So would his cozy room and his delicious whiskey.

But…

Caring for himself was just as important.

No…

Even more important.

After all…

A person’s life only came once.

Suppose he followed in those old men’s footsteps.

Turned seven children into emotionless weapons through endless brutality.

Saved the world.

Would he really be happy?

No.

He shook his head.

That would only mean passing the hell he had endured onto innocent people.

He didn’t want to save the world…

Only to spend the rest of his life drinking alone with an aching heart.

He refused to become one of those monsters he despised.

And besides…

His gaze fell upon the five cadets gathered below.

These kids…

They’re the mirror that will prove I’m walking a different path than those old men.

Cha Yoo-sik was excited.

He had spent the entire night thinking.

Who exactly is Professor Kang Hyun?

A contract professor suddenly hired after the entrance ceremony.

Someone backed openly by the Academy Dean.

A so-called parachute appointment through the Bureau.

And…

Someone capable of crushing an A-Rank Hunter like himself with overwhelming killing intent.

He’d searched all night.

Nothing came up.

Which meant…

He has to be an S-Rank powerhouse secretly cultivated—or hidden—for some reason by the Bureau.

For Cha Yoo-sik…

Whose position in the succession battle against his brother had only worsened…

It was like heaven had thrown him a lifeline.

I have to become stronger.

If he could just defeat his older brother…

His father would finally acknowledge him again.

The Heavenly Wolf Guild believed that the alpha leading the pack had to be the strongest.

What is he going to teach us?

Surely not something ordinary.

Otherwise…

He wouldn’t have confidently claimed he knew how to make them stronger.

A secret manual?

A newly created supreme art?

Cha Yoo-sik’s heart pounded.

Glancing around…

He realized he wasn’t the only one full of anticipation.

The freshman.

The perpetual last-place student.

Mad Dog.

The rich heir.

All of them wore expressions filled with eager expectation.

What kind of miraculous opportunity awaited them?

Time passed.

Thud.

Someone landed lightly on the ground.

It was Kang Hyun.

As sloppily dressed as ever.

“…!”

The cadets jumped.

Since when was he up there?

I didn’t sense him at all.

Wait… he jumped from that height?

The old training building was five stories tall.

The roof stood over fifteen meters high.

Even if someone could survive such a jump…

There should’ve been dust.

A heavy impact.

Something.

Instead…

It was as though a ghost had appeared.

“You all came.”

The first to react was Yoon Hyun-jong.

“Professor!”

Naturally, a cadet should greet their professor.

Once he bowed…

The other four hurriedly followed.

“You all arrived early.”

“I’ll praise you for not being late.”

Slosh.

Kang Hyun casually shook the whiskey bottle in his hand.

“From now on…”

“Every morning.”

“Six o’clock.”

“Gather here.”

“…Every day?”

Kwak Do-jin couldn’t help asking.

He was particularly sensitive about schedules.

“Of course.”

“You think training once a week is enough for someone who wants to become stronger?”

“…But our weekdays are already packed with major courses and general education classes.”

“You don’t attend those anyway.”

Kwak Do-jin’s eyes widened.

So…

The seemingly indifferent professor had actually read his student record.

“And whether you come or not…”

“I don’t care.”

“You can quit halfway.”

“You can run away.”

“It’s all your choice.”

“I won’t force any of you to train.”

Because…

He had already decided.

He would never become like those old men.

Violence was efficient.

But it also made people passive.

The moment the violence disappeared…

They would give up.

Because that’s exactly what I wanted to do.

But if the path was one they had chosen themselves…

Then they would endure the suffering with their own will.

However…

The cadets interpreted his words quite differently.

So he won’t hand over his secret techniques that easily…

Completely misunderstanding him, Cha Yoo-sik shouted,

“I’ll come!”

His voice was filled with determination.

“Even if I have to give up every other class…”

“I’ll be here every morning at six!”

“Oh?”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“If it means learning your martial arts, Professor…”

“I’m prepared to sacrifice my grades!”

“…Martial arts?”

Kang Hyun’s lips curled.

“What martial arts?”

“…Huh?”

“With the sorry state you’re all in…”

“What martial arts do you think you’re qualified to learn?”

To Kang Hyun…

They looked like newborn babies who couldn’t even crawl…

Yet wanted to learn how to run.

Their legs were weak.

Their stamina was poor.

If they started swinging weapons now…

They’d tire instantly and lose their balance.

Learning martial arts in that condition would be meaningless.

“You’ll all start over.”

“From the very foundation.”

Gulp.

Cha Yoo-sik swallowed hard.

The foundation…

Could he mean some legendary internal cultivation technique that builds an unshakable base?

“Spread your feet wider than shoulder-width.”

“…!”

“Bend your knees.”

“Until your thighs are parallel with the ground.”

“Keep your back straight.”

“Eyes forward.”

The cadets exchanged puzzled looks.

Surely…

He wasn’t telling the elite students of the National Hunter Academy…

To do a basic horse stance like beginners at a neighborhood dojo?

“If you want to learn martial arts…”

“You should at least be able to stand properly first.”