Chapter 13 Two Masters (1)
The academy was abuzz with stories about monsters for days. After the completion of the [Magic Barrier], a monster appeared at the academy for the first time in years. Its grade was high, resulting in many students getting injured or even killed. However, the atmosphere didn’t turn gloomy or mourning, probably because everyone was prepared as Holders, and such incidents were considered part of their lives. Nonetheless, the sudden appearance of the monster and the story of its hunt, proved to be an exciting topic for those who were tired of the monotonous lectures.
“Did Kang Juyeon really defeat it in one shot?”
“Wow… It has a fire compatibility, but she managed to do it?”
“She’s an Epic Rune Holder, with overwhelming stats. When it comes to someone like Kang Juyeon, elemental advantages don’t matter that much.”
“Rumors says it also caught Moon Ga-eun from the Upper Class.”
“Has anyone seen [Flame], one of Kang Juyeon’s skills? They say it burns even through water-based magic.”
Conversations like these could be heard in every classroom, during every class. Unfortunately, my own story was absent from these discussions. Well, I was only stalling for time until Kang Juyeon delivered the decisive blow. It was only natural that I wasn’t the center of attention.
However, there were people who acknowledged my efforts.
“Thank you very much, thanks to Holder Do Jae-hyun, Chae-eun was able to come out of it unscathed,” said Kim Chae-eun’s father, and also a professor of martial arts. He had been expressing gratitude whenever we met before class. Instead of receiving thanks, I felt like I deserved scolding…
“I’m alive thanks to Chae-eun. If it wasn’t for her Freezing Magic, I might have died on the spot,” he continued.
“Mages are like that. After the warriors go through hell at the front lines, these kids come and take all the spotlight. Annoying brats. Sometimes, I feel like giving them a good whack…”
“Uh… What?”
“Oh well. Anyway, thank you. Because Holder Do Jae-hyun worked hard at the front lines, Chae-eun was able to use her magic comfortably.”
I had only wanted to catch the Sizzling Salamander out of greed. I had to keep stalling, waiting for Kang Juyeon. If I had done that, I wouldn’t have gotten injured much, and I wouldn’t have had to worry about Kim Chae-eun. But after cutting its tail, it turned out to be a disaster… Looking at that, I realized how far away I was as a Holder.
Remembering that moment, I clapped my hands lightly.
“It’s not really like that. Chae-eun just wanted me to run away, but I forced her to stay and helped me. I’m sorry to Chae-eun and also to you, Professor.”
“Haha. In the end, it was Chae-eun’s choice, so you don’t need to feel guilty about that. Instead, we should praise you, Holder Do Jae-hyun, who tried to protect the students. Well done.”
“Um, Professor… It’s okay to speak informally.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m more comfortable with casual speech.”
Until this incident, it seemed that Professor Kim Myeong-hyun didn’t know that I was friends with Kim Chae-eun. He looked particularly happy when he found out that we were neighbors. It seemed that raising a neighbor as a disciple was one of his bucket list items or something.
…Professor Kim Myeong-hyun also had a unique side, much like Kim Chae-eun.
“Ah, Holder Do Jae-hyun. If you don’t mind, could you tell me about the situation when you faced the Sizzling Salamander? It’s fascinating that an Intermediate class Holder like you confronted a B-grade monster.”
“Oh, well…”
To be honest, it felt strange to say that I confronted it. When Kim Chae-eun used [Frozen Fog] for the first time, I did manage to cut off its tail with [Combo], but after that, I got beaten so badly that I couldn’t even regain my senses. My abilities were just entering the D-grade, and the difference with the B-grade monster was much bigger than I thought.
Still, I gave a vague answer. “Professor’s teaching about the momentum of the sword was helpful. I managed to deflect the monster’s attacks smoothly and used [Combo] skill when countering. The gap narrowed down eventually, but…”
“Wait a moment. You used [Combo]?”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, what level is your [Sword] Rune?”
“Um… Level 4? I gained [Combo] at level 3.”
Hiding a Holder’s Rune information was common practice, so I hesitated for a moment before answering. But since Professor Kim Myeong-hyun was my sword professor and could easily gauge my level just by observing, I decided to be straightforward.
However, as soon as he heard my answer, a strange expression appeared on his face. “Level 4…?”
“Yes.”
“Combo… It’s a skill that you gain when your Sword Rune is at least level 5…”
“……?”
I didn’t understand what he meant at first. I already felt that I was progressing a bit faster than usual. Unlike [Venom] and [Lizard’s Scale], which are runes that possess skills from the beginning, normal runes like [Sword] or [Dagger] require quite a bit of leveling up before gaining skills. But both [Quarter Knives] and [Combo] were derived and gained when the similar Rune was at level 3.
[Quarter Knives] was the only talent I thought I had. Anyway, [Dagger] was the first Rune I gained.
On the other hand, [Combo] was a derivative skill that was supposed to be gained when you observed and internalized Professor Kim Myeong-hyun’s elegant swordplay. There was no information about this skill in the original story, so I just thought I learned it from him when I was taught [Sword] rune.
However, Professor Kim Myeong-hyun denied it. He said that it was a skill that should be gained at level 5, and not 3.
In other words, did I have a talent for [Sword] as well?
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, if it’s not too much trouble, would you like to become my exclusive disciple? With your abilities, you could easily become an overflowing top talent even as an Intermediate class Holder.”
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun asked with a subtle glint in his eyes. It was the same expression Kim Chae-un had when she asked me to cook for her.
Under normal circumstances, I would have immediately accepted such an offer. It was too big of a reward to refuse.
But for some reason, I felt hesitant.
Oh… It feels like I’m negotiating for a position as a graduate student.
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun must have sensed my hesitation from my eyes. Without pausing, he delivered the final blow.
“If you become my exclusive disciple, I’ll help you learn my ultimate skill. I’m also giving you this offer because you’re my first exclusive disciple.”
“I’ll do it.” Without a doubt, I immediately accepted the offer.
The reward was too big to reject.
***
ippotranslations
***
“Wow, Do Jae-hyun!”
Right after accepting Professor Kim Myeong-hyun’s offer, the class continued with <Sword Momentum and Combat Breathing>.
Park Jin-woo, who I hadn’t seen for a day, slapped my shoulder.
I looked at him curiously and asked, “Where were you yesterday, by the way?”
Clearly, Park Jin-woo should have been there when we were dealing with the monster. The plan was for him to engage the monster, while I buy time, then be called by Professor Tak Won-ho to continue the events of the next incident. In the process, he would catch Professor Tak Won-ho’s eye and become his exclusive disciple. Now, with all the twists in the plot, the possibility has become slim.
“Yesterday? I was practicing swordsmanship. It was a free period.”
“Seriously? You were practicing again?”
“Yeah. I always practice during my breaks.”
Normally, he should have faced the monster while I was in class. This time, however, the schedule had changed, and that time had become his free period.
Still, the fact that he was training again during that time was just a relentless practice.
“You fought the monster yesterday.”
“Yeah. I thought I was a goner, for real.”
“I should have been there too.”
“Exactly! You really should have.”
Park Jin-woo grinned at me.
“Let’s have another duel instead. I’m itching for it.”
“It hasn’t even been a day since I fought the monster, dude.”
“Just one day and you’ll be fine. And we need to settle the score quickly. Right now, it’s 2 wins and 2 losses.”
“What? Nonsense. It’s 1 win and 0 losses. In our most recent duel, I won.”
“Well, well? What kind of rule is that?”
“You, can’t you even count?”
“You crazy…”
Drzzz-
Park Jin-woo couldn’t say anything more as Professor Kim Myeong-hyun entered the classroom, and the lecture started immediately.
Seeing his face red with embarrassment made me laugh for no reason.
‘It’s fun to tease him.’
I had already had four duels with Park Jin-woo, including a practical duel during the entrance exam.
He had pestered me so much that I reluctantly agreed to the duels.
Surprisingly, it has been helpful for me too. It was much more beneficial to learn through actual duels and internalize what I learned from Professor Kim Myeong-hyun’s teachings than simply learning from him or training alone.
Perhaps, it’s because of those duels, or maybe we just clicked, we had become quite close, exchanging jokes like today.
‘But I can’t gain Runes from him.’
I had already copied [Effort of the Seeker] from Park Jin-woo, so I couldn’t get any more significant Runes from him.
[Keen Mind] was also a rare Rune scam, so it was a shame to use it on him.
Still, dueling with someone of similar level had been helpful for my growth.
And just as Park Jin-woo said, the record is 2 wins and 2 losses. I lost to him twice after the practical duel and I recently won against him once.
Do main characters remain the main characters after they’ve lost?
Just dueling alone allowed me to understand that it was not easy when faced with weapons.
Professor Tak Won-ho had not taught Park Jin-woo, but he was growing at an alarming rate even on his own.
‘Oh, right. Professor Tak Won-ho?’
Come to think of it, after we captured the monster…, Professor Tak Won-ho had summoned Park Jin-woo.
He was a professor, but he was also part of the academy’s management.
He questioned Park Jin-woo about the ‘Sizzling Salamander’ to uncover the whole story.
Afterward, they formed a party for dungeon exploration, and it led to the key development of Park Jiwoo becoming his exclusive disciple.
But it wasn’t Park Jin-woo that fought the monster. What would happen then?
‘…Am I going to be called?’
This was an unexpected variable I hadn’t considered.
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