TOP 83

Chapter 83

Advanced Course

I went up to the rooftop.

Feeling the cool night breeze, my mood lifted.

So, I stayed still.

Letting my thoughts flow as they came.

“Revenge.”

Something I could never give up.

Of course, it was important.

But.

“Time like this… is necessary too.”

Sometimes, I deliberately allowed myself a break.

It wouldn’t last long, but I felt it was necessary.

A time to restore the taut elasticity of my mind.

“I’ve done well so far.”

Had everything gone according to plan? Not entirely.

Small variables kept arising.

But.

“I expected that much.”

I never assumed that everything would go smoothly without any setbacks.

Revenge was never that easy.

Still, my plan was proceeding steadily, without deviating from the big picture.

I was building connections for revenge one by one, growing at a rapid pace.

So.

“Now it’s time to take the first real step toward revenge.”

The moment to advance to the next stage of my revenge had arrived.

“…Namgung Myung.”

I uttered the name of the enemy I would have liked to chew and spit out.

The man who was my father’s half-brother and a seemingly friendly uncle to me.

The bastard who had killed my mother with his own hands.

Thinking of him sent ripples through the otherwise peaceful state of my mind.

“Huuuuu…”

I forcibly calmed myself.

“Stay calm. Don’t rush.”

Namgung Myung had recently become an 8-star Hunter.

One of only ten 8-star Hunters in Korea.

So, unfortunately, I—still only a 6-star—could not confront him head-on.

“Even if I use ‘One Punch,’ I can’t guarantee 100% victory.”

And, I had no intention of doing so.

“Killing him in one strike would be too merciful.”

Real revenge required giving him back the despair I had felt, in full measure.

Moreover, there was another crucial fact.

“…Fate Guild.”

The place where Namgung Myung was guild master.

Originally.

“Namgung Myung. This isn’t yours.”

It belonged to my parents.

The trust my parents had placed in him.

A trust he had betrayed like a piece of trash, and in return, he gained control of it.

So, he was nothing but a traitor.

A piece of garbage who betrayed my family’s faith and joined the Gaia Cult to seize the guild.

I would.

Take revenge on him.

And reclaim my parents’ guild.

My hand tightened.

My fist clenched without my realizing it.

I sent the grudge in my fist into the night breeze.

The night wind carried my resentment-filled heart.

To achieve revenge, one had to know how to conceal their vengeance.

Paradoxically, that meant I had to carry something other than revenge in my heart.

To hide my vengeance, I had to mask it with something else.

“…Calmly. Rationally.”

I repeated it, recalling the plan.

“First, approach him.”

To take revenge, getting close was priority.

For that, I needed a Hunter license.

At least a 5-star license was required, but…

“I got a 6-star license.”

Even better.

With a 6-star license, I could approach him under much better conditions.

So.

“Let’s see. This recruitment period…”

I checked the notice posted by the Fate Guild.

“In three days.”

The day for the first real act of revenge against Namgung Myung.

No matter how many simulations I ran, facing the actual day made me inevitably nervous.

“Huuu…”

I wiped the sweat from my hand.

Then.

【Trash, it’s you, Yujin!】

“…Frill.”

Frill, who was training Yuseol-ah, flew up to the rooftop.

Even on the first day, she was full of energy.

【Were you resting well?】

“…Mm.”

【Nope. You were stressed out again, weren’t you?】

“…….”

Her appearance brightened the mood.

Getting too consumed by revenge wasn’t good.

By the way.

“Why am I trash?”

【Deep-seated mistrust of people!】

“…….”

【Repaying Jiho’s trust with disbelief!】

Frill pointed at me accusingly.

“Wha—”

But I had a retort.

This situation was unexpected even for me.

“I didn’t think Yoon Jiho would trust me that much.”

【I knew!】

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

【I didn’t think Yujin could be such trash. Ugh!】

“…….”

Honestly, I didn’t trust Yoon Jiho.

Our advice just happened to align, and we coincidentally survived the Gaia Cult’s attack together.

But that was all.

I never expected him to trust and follow me so completely.

‘I just thought we’d do a little give-and-take as long as it helped each other.’

Yet Yoon Jiho agreed to the “Guardian Contract” without question.

Without asking specifics about how to get stronger, he agreed to an immense restriction—never to betray me.

【Dummy. You didn’t intend to betray me in the first place.】

“People’s thoughts can change.”

【Sometimes, no.】

“…….”

I still didn’t understand.

How could someone trust another so completely?

‘The only ones I could truly trust…’

Were my deceased parents.

Other than that, only Guardians 1, 2, and 3, who were systemically bound never to betray me.

【Yujin!】

Guardian 2… no, my friend 2 shouted.

【Act properly!】

“I was just joking because you kept calling me trash.”

【Ugh.】

Frill had a “Guardian” allergy.

Anyway.

“People shouldn’t be trusted recklessly.”

I had seen two people betrayed and lose their lives for trusting the wrong person.

【Sigh. Fine. Do as you wish.】

“And don’t worry. I trust Jiho now.”

【…Of course. Naturally.】

I had a Guardian contract with Yoon Jiho.

He couldn’t betray me, so I had no choice but to trust him.

We joked around for a while.

It was a genuinely nice break after a long time—

Bzzzz.

“Who’s this?”

The call was from Royal Guard’s Joo Eunseol.

“Ah, Team Leader Joo.”

I answered cheerfully.

It felt like ages since we last contacted each other, even though it hadn’t been long.

Probably because so much had happened.

“Hunter Kim Yujin!!!!”

“Ugh. Almost deafened me. Why are you so excited—”

“You became a 6-star!?!?!?”

“…Yes. Who told you… Ah. Guild Master Cha Suho?”

Of course, the Royal Guard’s Guild Master Cha Suho had helped me prove my combat power.

So it wasn’t strange for Joo Eunseol to have heard about me.

“Ha… really… Someone who was learning swordsmanship from me not long ago…”

“I heard everything.”

“Anyway, Hunter.”

“Yes.”

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“I am, but—”

“Then meet me.”

Joo Eunseol immediately set a meeting.

“Uh…”

“We have sword lessons anyway.”

“…I guess.”

“I’m free tomorrow. Come out.”

“….”

Honestly, I probably didn’t have much left to learn from her.

My Hunter rank was now higher, and I felt personally proficient with Mujin Sword.

But.

‘She must still have things she hasn’t taught me.’

There had to be an advanced course.

The history of 8-star Hunter Joo Changik wouldn’t end with a short lesson in Mujin Sword.

Anyway.

‘A meeting tomorrow….’

Not a bad thing.

I needed to maintain a connection with Joo Eunseol, and I had no special plans tomorrow anyway.

If nothing came up, I had intended to train alone.

‘It’s time before I go to the Fate Guild anyway.’

If I could gain even a little more in the meantime, why not?

So I said.

“Understood. Shall we go to the Royal Guard?”

“Yes.”

I accepted Joo Eunseol’s suggestion.

The next day.

I visited the Royal Guard.

“Follow me.”

Joo Eunseol led me straight to a private training hall.

“Pick up your sword.”

“Isn’t this a bit sudden?”

“No complaints.”

As requested, I obeyed.

We faced each other, holding practice steel swords.

“We’ll spar using Mujin Sword.”

“And aura?”

“Are you kidding? Of course not.”

Joo Eunseol was 5-star, I was 6-star.

Using aura would be unfair.

We held our swords and began sparring.

With the Mujin Sword I had learned from her.

And.

Clang!

Clash!

Swish─!

“…….”

“I win.”

It didn’t take long for me to defeat her.

Joo Eunseol remained silent for a moment, then threw down her sword.

Then.

“Damn it, this filthy world! Some people have been stuck for years, and others break through the wall in less than a month!? It’s so unfair I can’t take it!”

She vented her anger wildly.

‘She’s quite different from usual. Something must be wrong.’

I watched her, thinking that way.

There was no way I could calm her just by saying something.

After a while.

“Huuuuuu…”

Joo Eunseol seemed somewhat calmer as she slumped into a chair.

“Sorry. Did I surprise you?”

“Yes. A little.”

“I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

“May I ask what’s going on?”

“Ha… yes.”

Joo Eunseol took a deep breath and slowly began to explain.

“Recently, my family has been insisting I return.”

“Your family… the Mujinju Family?”

“Yes.”

The Mujinju Family.

Founded by 8-star Hunter Joo Changik, who created the Mujin Sword, it was one of the top-ranked single-bloodline forces.

So.

“Then why not go back?”

I couldn’t understand her concern.

Being part of the Mujinju Family was a solid title.

The reason became clear soon.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“If I go there, I might have to marry some weird guy.”

She didn’t want to become a victim of an arranged marriage.

That was why she left her family.

Hmm.

“That’s it?”

“…Yes.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“…Do you know something?”

“No. Just a feeling.”

“…….”

“Never mind then.”

I didn’t ask further, and the topic moved on.

“Anyway, I don’t want to return to my family.”

“But isn’t that up to Team Leader Joo?”

“Until my father intervenes, yes.”

“Still letting you be, I see.”

“…Yes.”

Joo Eunseol’s father, Joo Changik, was an 8-star Hunter.

One of only ten in Korea.

His influence was enormous, naturally.

Here, power meant political influence, not just physical strength.

Anyway.

If Joo Changik decided, he could easily summon her back to the family.

“Do you know why he lets you stay?”

Why was she left alone?

“When I first left the family, he made me a promise.”

“What promise?”

“If I could reach 6-star level on my own after leaving, he would acknowledge me.”

“That won’t be easy.”

If she had received systematic training with her family’s help, she might already be 6-star.

But she was still 5-star.

Standing alone without the family’s help was appealing… but also difficult.

‘That’s what makes it appealing.’

Because it was difficult.

“Anyway, I still need to become 6-star… but I haven’t yet. And then I heard you became 6-star.”

“…I see.”

The news that someone she had taught had surpassed her.

For some, that would be delightful, but for others, bitter.

“And my father said, if you realize the essence of Mujin Sword, you can become 6-star. So think about it.”

“Hmm.”

Thinking back, there was one key aspect of Mujin Sword I had realized.

Something Joo Eunseol didn’t seem to know.

“He also said: ‘But it will be hard for you. You lack talent, so you’ll need your teacher’s help.’”

“…….”

“I disagreed. I thought she had talent. Anyway, it wasn’t hard to reach 5-star. But…”

Joo Eunseol looked up at me, dejected.

“That means I have no talent.”

As if she couldn’t endure having her life negated.

Because I had broken through the 6-star wall she never could.

Someone she had taught, surpassing her at an astonishing speed.

Of course.

‘In my case, the dragon’s power helped more than Mujin Sword…’

My rise to 6-star wasn’t simply due to swordsmanship talent.

It was largely thanks to the “Power: Dragon Body – Stage 3” transformation.

But.

‘No need to say that.’

I saw an opening here.

“Team Leader Joo.”

“……Yes.”

“Would you like to owe me a little more?”

“……Owe?”

I intended to extract an advanced course from her.

“I think I can help you a bit.”

“Help…?”

Her eyes filled with curiosity.

I didn’t wait for a definite answer about owing a debt.

I was certain this was the right moment to speak.

“From what I’ve realized, Mujin Sword… isn’t suited for women.”

“……!!!!”

Joo Eunseol was shocked.