I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

Suddenly, Jin Yuha fell through the hole, and Baek Seol-hee, who had been watching him from behind, followed without hesitation.

“······It’s pitch-black here.”

However, she could clearly see her disciple’s figure, thanks to the magic—or rather, the divine power—cast by Chairman Lina.

She couldn’t speak to him, touch him, or give him anything, but she could ‘observe’ him, and that was enough.

Baek Seol-hee surveyed the surroundings and made a judgment.

“A place that completely strips away magic and strength, like the state before awakening.”

Chairman Lina’s magic didn’t prevent the use of personal items, so even his phone, which he used to communicate indirectly, was now useless.

As Baek Seol-hee figured out the peculiarities of this place, Jin Yuha attempted to escape.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Her expression hardened as she watched his attempts to jump, which only lifted him about an inch off the ground.

‘Is this really his original physical state…?’

His body, deprived of strength and magic, was far more pathetic than she had expected.

He was already physically complete when she first met him, so this sight gave her a strange impression.

‘My disciple… Did he become this strong despite this body…?’

Thud.

“Tsk, fine… Since there’s no other option, I’ll play along for now. Who knows how long this will last.”

Jin Yuha tried several times to escape but eventually gave up and sat down, cross-legged, to meditate.

Baek Seol-hee sat in a corner of the pit, watching her disciple meditate.

The only thought going through her mind was—

‘······What is Sword Emperor trying to teach my disciple with this training?’

The purpose of this training.

Sword Emperor may seem sloppy, carefree, and like a human piece of trash who spits on others’ disciples, but—

Baek Seol-hee acknowledged her, albeit reluctantly.

‘I don’t want to agree, but that woman knows how to see the essence.’

Baek Seol-hee had benefited from Sword Emperor’s advice when she came here to train, so she couldn’t deny her insight.

Therefore, this meaningless training must hold the key to solving her disciple’s sword problem.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

Four days.

And on the seventh day—

Her disciple seemed to be getting frustrated.

He shouted at the ceiling, unable to bear the hunger anymore.

He pleaded for help from his party members,

And begged for someone to find and rescue him.

Each time, Baek Seol-hee tried to approach him, but the stubborn barrier prevented her.

Her disciple was dying.

In the midst of extreme hunger—

And in her mind, a realization dawned.

‘I’ve made him too accustomed to death…’

That’s right.

Baek Seol-hee had repeatedly pushed her disciple to the brink of death, believing that it would eliminate his fear, sharpen his senses, and lead to the fastest growth.

She herself had become stronger through such methods, so she never doubted that this was the right way to train her disciple.

However, as she delved deeper into why Sword Emperor had chosen this type of training, she saw the blind spot in her own training.

‘Is the Moon Shadow Sword Technique… a sword that kills its user…?’

The technique intuitively shows the most efficient way to kill an opponent.

But it doesn’t consider the user’s safety.

In other words, if the opponent is stronger or unbeatable, the logical choice is to retreat.

Nothing is more important than one’s life.

But the Moon Shadow Sword Technique still shows the best move in such situations.

‘Have I skipped over the process of experiencing the pain of dying…?’

She had pushed her disciple to the brink of death, where a single misstep could mean instant death, but she hadn’t taught him about the pain of dying.

She had only taught him to swing his sword and end it all.

This was a blind spot she hadn’t realized because she hadn’t encountered a stronger opponent since creating the Moon Shadow Sword Technique.

And if she had faced a stronger opponent, she, too, would have chosen the path of mutual destruction and ceased to exist in this world.

So far, Jin Yuha had been lucky to survive, but what if he encountered a stronger enemy?

He would seek the brightest possibility among the choices presented by the Moon Shadow Sword Technique and charge forward, which would lead to his death.

Goosebumps rose on her skin.

“What… What have I taught him…?”

She had tried to make him strong,

To rescue him from danger,

And had placed a poisoned blade in his hand.

A master who kills her disciple…

An unbearable sense of guilt and sin weighed heavily on her heart.

“But even if I realized this now… Can I really teach him about death in this way?”

No.

No.

Yes.

This training method of Sword Emperor’s was indeed effective in instilling the fear of death.

But she could never do it herself.

She couldn’t just stand by and watch her disciple die.

‘······Master, save me.’

Her disciple was dying right before her eyes,

Calling her name blindly, just as he had always done.

Was this the price she had to pay for her sins?

Suddenly, Baek Seol-hee’s face hardened.

‘Does Sword Emperor know that my disciple’s physical strength is this low in his natural state…?’

No.

She wouldn’t know.

Jin Yuha’s physical condition was far worse than she had expected, even surprising her, who had always watched over him.

Even if they set the safest possible duration, her disciple’s physical strength might deplete faster.

Thud!

Baek Seol-hee threw herself at the barrier, but she only fell backward.

“I need to give this to him.”

She clutched the calorie bar in her hand, tightly rolling it into a ball.

Just before entering this place,

When her disciple had sent her a message from behind as they walked,

Gently chiding him for using calorie bars to fill his stomach.

At the time, she had found his message cute and put the half-eaten calorie bar in her pocket.

But now, in this moment,

The calorie bar in her hand seemed like the only lifeline that could save her disciple.

And so, from that day on, Baek Seol-hee began to scratch at the barrier with her fingernails.

Desperately.

Scrape!

Until her fingernails fell off,

And her fingertips bled,

But she felt no pain.

“Master…”

Her disciple was dying right before her eyes, calling out her name.

“That’s enough… That’s enough…”

Scrape!

“You’ve suffered enough…”

Scrape!

“Please, stop… Please…”

Her eyes were bloodshot and tear-stained, her lips bitten so hard that they bled, and her hands, covered in blood, continued to scratch at the barrier. Baek Seol-hee’s appearance was like that of a ghost.

But her voice, pleading desperately, was heartbreaking.

Scrape!

“Stop… Please…”

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

“I was wrong… I was wrong… I was foolish. Sword Emperor, please take him as your disciple and teach him. I won’t interfere…”

The light of life in her disciple’s eyes was slowly fading.

Baek Seol-hee’s movements became more frantic.

“Why… Why… Why!!!! Punish me if you must, but why does my disciple have to pay the price!!! Whyyyyyy!!!!”

Baek Seol-hee screamed, her voice filled with anguish.

And then, suddenly—

Crack!

A tiny crack appeared in the sturdy barrier.

Baek Seol-hee didn’t miss the opportunity.

She had to deliver it at all costs.

The calorie bar in her hand.

She threw it through the crack,

And—

Thud.

It landed near her disciple’s head.

“Am I hallucinating…?”

Her disciple’s voice was weak, as if he were speaking to himself.

No, it wasn’t a hallucination.

Disciple, grab it.

Sweat dripped from her clenched fists.

What if, by some chance, Jin Yuha made the wrong choice?

Her heart pounded anxiously.

Fortunately—

Jin Yuha reached for the calorie bar.

“······Why… Why is this here…?”

And—

Only after witnessing this did Baek Seol-hee close her eyes and collapsed.

“······Disciple.”