I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“Excuse me, are you… Kim Il-shin? Oh, it is you!”

I was hastening towards the training instructor when a man in a suit suddenly stepped in beside me.

His gentle expression gave off a nice vibe.

As I kept my distance, wary, the man smiled and spoke.

“I was worried because you weren’t in the dormitory, but I’m glad to see you. I’m Officer Ahn Tae-young from the Gangnam Police Station’s Special Crimes Unit. Here’s my badge.”

Taking a look at the badge he held out, it seemed authentic with no signs of forgery.

Next, I was curious about why he came to me directly.

I had some previous involvement with the Gangnam Police Department regarding the recent case against the Black Tiger Gang.

However, I couldn’t think of a reason substantial enough to warrant a personal visit.

Before I could say anything, Officer Ahn held up two fingers.

“You must be curious as to why I came in person. There are two reasons. One is to discuss the additional compensation for the last request you fulfilled.”

It seemed the results of that last request were quite satisfactory if they were offering additional compensation.

But it didn’t seem necessary for him to come all the way here just for that. I guessed the second reason would be the main issue.

And I was right on the money with that guess.

“The second reason is that I would like to request your assistance once again. I can’t disclose the exact details before you accept the request, but I can tell you that traces of the Jeokcheon Cult were found at the lair of the Black Tiger Gang you dealt with last time.”

Jeokcheon Cult. My eyes sharpened at the name. That was definitely a good enough reason for him to visit in person.

*

The doctrine of the Jeokcheon Cult is simple.

Kill and kill again. Once the land is stained red, our god will return to stain the remaining sky red as well.

A ‘group of mad zealots.’

Yet it’s precisely for this reason that they deviate from ordinary criminal organizations.

Given their faith-based nature, completely eradicating them is difficult, and their expansion rate is unpredictable.

Not only do the high-ranking cult members possess considerable strength, but so do the ordinary adherents.

The cult leader serves as the medium of their faith. Just by devoting their faith to him, the followers gain power.

Practicing any significant techniques isn’t crucial. They can gain immense strength with mere belief.

Because gaining power so easily leads them to join and be brainwashed into worshiping the leader to increase their strength.

In this cycle of nefarious repetition, unshakeable faith in the Jeokcheon Cult is solidified.

We now have fanatics willing to happily sacrifice their lives for their god.

This is the upgraded version of the powers held by the Black Tiger Gang leader, Song Jong-ho.

It was baffling that I hadn’t connected the dots earlier.

“Now, let me explain the request while we move.”

Inside the quietly moving car, Officer Ahn, sitting beside me, spoke.

I decided to accept the request. The Jeokcheon Cult would soon become a huge threat in the future.

Especially if their so-called ‘great work’ comes to fruition, the world would not escape the end.

So it was crucial to begin stopping them methodically now.

Of course, the value of the compensation offered by the police was high as well.

‘Tail of the Serpent King.’

An extremely valuable material used to make defensive gear.

Not only does it have defensive capabilities that can withstand even mana-coated weapons, but it also boasts regenerative properties, making it rare to acquire.

It was a better reward than receiving the same monetary compensation.

“To get to the heart of the matter, traces of the Jeokcheon Cult, along with a passage leading somewhere, have been found in the underground of the Crown Club. We haven’t determined what’s at the end yet, but the cult’s emblem was discovered near the entrance walls.”

This was information I hadn’t known when playing the game.

Even having seen a few endings, it was impossible to grasp every hidden element.

Especially information that was outside the academy.

“What you, Kim Il-shin, need to do is investigate where that passage leads. I trust in your ability, as you quickly located the lair of the Black Tiger Gang during the last request.”

It seemed that what the police expected from me was my information-gathering skills.

I had probably been overestimated due to my promptness in heading to the Black Tiger Gang’s lair right after accepting the request. I didn’t feel the need to correct that.

“And there’s someone else who will work on this request with you. Do you know the ‘Blood Fist’ Park Eun-ho? He’s an active B-rank hero.”

“Yes. I’ve heard the name.”

I had only heard of him, recalling that he mainly used fists.

But he couldn’t be ignored. A B-rank hero is among the elite.

“I heard he left a little while ago, so he should be arriving by now. Oh, looks like we’re here too.”

We got out of the car in front of the Crown Club.

Following Officer Ahn, we entered through the police cordon that blocked the entrance.

Detectives were bustling around the scene, reminiscent of a fierce battle.

“Is Tae-young here? Oh! Is that him next to you? The Black Tiger Gang?”

“Yes, that’s right. I persuaded him to come-”

“Wow, nice to meet you!”

A burly detective pushed Officer Ahn aside and grabbed my hand.

It felt familiar and warm when he shook my hand vigorously, almost dislocating my shoulder.

I was wondering if I needed to use mana to withstand it.

“Stay strong!”

The detective cheered and went back, leaving me shaking off my aching wrist, following Ahn again.

“Thanks for your assistance last time!”

“Wow, you’re good-looking! Do you have a boyfriend?”

At first, I thought the previous detective was the odd one, but the others were equally strange.

It was odd how welcoming they were to me, a face they had never seen before.

They bombarded me with questions every time I took a step, leaving me dizzy.

“Ah, with all this attention, I feel even more nervous. Just look at their rough faces. Alright, we’ve arrived.”

Officer Ahn led me to the VIP room at the end of the club’s corridor.

Where a table should have been, a long staircase led downwards instead.

Etched into the entrance of the stairs was the emblem of a sword.

It depicted a sword, aiming at the heavens—emblematic of the Jeokcheon Cult.

Beside the stairs stood a man. His heavy presence exuded a disciplined energy.

He was probably the hero Park Eun-ho Ahn had mentioned.

“You’ve already arrived. This is Kim Il-shin, the student I mentioned last time. Kim Il-shin, this is Hero Park Eun-ho.”

“Hmm.”

His sharp gaze swept over me, seeming to assess my capabilities, so I refrained from reacting.

“So, you took down the Black Tiger Gang.”

Just as I was about to answer, Park Eun-ho stepped closer. A fist infused with air suddenly rushed at me.

‘Is this the strike of an actual hero?’

A mere outstretched fist contained the technique of a spiral. The twisting flow of mana tore through the air as it approached.

Boom!

A flash sparked in my eyes. Taking a instinctive step back, I disrupted his energy flow.

It was a perfectly timed counter, completely halting his action.

Though I usually use a sword, not holding one didn’t mean I was powerless.

The talent of [Martial God (S)] raised my hand-to-hand combat skills to an elevated level.

Bang!

A technique I had never seen before, the Golden Hand (擒拿手) showcased the essence of heavenly flow.

Breaking his momentum, I bound Park Eun-ho’s left wrist tightly in my grip.

As I stomped on his foot, I charged forward. Lowering my stance to push, his balance faltered.

‘So, this is how it’s done.’

I drew my fist back, as if pulling a bowstring. The heated mana from my Tian Zhi Miao Yuan Gong spun at the center of my palm.

Then, I shot my fist upward. The released mana shot forth like a coiled spring, nullifying Park Eun-ho’s defense.

Whoosh—

My fist halted right beneath his chin. The expression on Park Eun-ho’s face above was rather satisfied.

As I withdrew my fist, I asked, “Was that enough?”

“That’s more than enough. Such an impressive junior has come.”

With a relieved expression, Park Eun-ho turned to Officer Ahn, whose face had gone pale like a corpse. He must have misinterpreted the fight between Kim Il-shin and Park Eun-ho as serious.

“I believe this friend will pose no problems for the request.”

“Oh, um…”

“Then how about we proceed with the infiltration? You seem like you’re warmed up, don’t you?”

“Ah, then I’ll prepare to move in…”

Though it was Kim Il-shin and Park Eun-ho who exchanged blows, it was Officer Ahn who looked exhausted.

He walked with tired steps, beginning to busily check equipment and plans.

“What year are you in now?”

“I’m in my third year.”

“The academy has certainly grown. Or wait, perhaps it’s you who’s special. I didn’t see anyone with skills like yours back in my day. You’re naturally top of the class, right?”

“Ah, actually, I’m at the very bottom of the school ranking.”

“What? Then everyone else must be even more…”

The conversation between Kim Il-shin and Park Eun-ho continued as they exchanged various stories. Typically, Park Eun-ho asked questions while Kim Il-shin answered.

It seemed he was reminiscing about his own school days while looking at Kim Il-shin.

“There was a time I tried to wield a weapon too, you know? But no matter how I tried, it just didn’t have the right feel. There’s just no thrill like smashing the enemy’s skull. So I always ended up coming back to using my bare fists.”

He seemed a fundamentally good person despite his slightly misaligned demeanor.

Striking me upon first meeting must have been for my safety.

If one acted inadvertently in front of the Jeokcheon Cult, it would be hard to make it out alive.

“Did you wait a long time? We’re ready to enter!”

After just a few more minutes of waiting, Officer Ahn returned looking revitalized.

“To reiterate, your objective is to investigate where this passage leads. The signal doesn’t penetrate below the staircase, so you’ll need to rely on your judgment.”

While passing out flashlights, Officer Ahn continued.

“If it connects to a location associated with the Jeokcheon Cult, and you encounter any cult members, please subdue them, regardless of whether they live or die.”

It would be best if that never happened, but he added that hope as he stepped back.

“Then let’s go in.”

Nodding, Kim Il-shin stood at the staircase entrance.

As soon as he placed his foot down, I was sure that Ahn’s wish wouldn’t come to fruition.

The thick scent of blood rising from below sharpened my senses.