I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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Beep beep beep beep—

When I opened my eyes to the alarm, the dark room looked just as it did before I fell asleep.

Another grueling day was about to begin.

The current time was 5 a.m. Classes started at 9, but Kim Il-shin’s day began right now.

I entered the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water to wake myself up.

I still couldn’t turn on the lights. Still, it had been a long time since I got used to moving in the dark.

Before all this happened, I had stubbed my little toe on the desk hundreds of times.

At this point, I had no choice but to adapt.

‘When I bumped it three times in a row, I really wanted to die.’

After drying off and putting on my workout clothes, I stepped outside, carrying a water bottle and my student ID in my bag.

It took ten minutes on the tram from the dormitory to the training center.

If I ran, it would take 30 minutes, so it was just right for a warm-up before my morning exercise.

I tightened my shoelaces and dashed down the familiar path I had traveled hundreds of times each morning.

Arriving at the training center, Kim Il-shin opened the door with his student ID and stepped inside.

After many attempts, I had learned how to use mana. I could even open doors.

However, my proficiency was remarkably low, and opening even one door or turning on a light consumed so much mental energy that I couldn’t carry on with my day.

So, I always carried my student ID with me. Naturally, I couldn’t turn on the lights in the dormitory.

Once inside the training center, Kim Il-shin headed to the second-floor gym.

The other training rooms in the building were focused on mana control or military weapon mastery, so I had only ever been in the gym.

[Student Kim Il-shin. Verified.]

The gym, filled with various exercise equipment, was quite empty.

Even though they were academy students, it was rare to find anyone doing physical training at this early hour.

That’s why I chose this time.

Clang.

I wasn’t completely alone. There was someone who had arrived earlier.

With hair so white it seemed like it could melt upon contact and blue eyes sparkling like crystals.

When I first saw her, I felt an aura of mystery as if I were looking at a fairy due to her extraordinary beauty.

Baek Ha-yeon. The heir of the Baek clan, led by the great hero of Korea, and a figure with as much skill and reputation.

The reputation of the Baek clan in Korea was so tremendous that even Kim Il-shin tried to build a friendship with her at the beginning of his first year.

Thirsty for the lord’s recognition, she was desperate for growth, and he had a way to help her.

Thus, he thought that if they could build rapport, it would expand his academy life significantly.

‘That was a bad choice.’

He tried to become closer by offering advice that would help her improve her swordsmanship.

But what he got in return was an offer to drop out of the academy and become a swordsmanship researcher for the Baek clan.

It was a cold intention that conveyed: “You have no talent, so just drop out quickly and help improve my swordsmanship.”

‘If it were someone else, it might have been a good suggestion.’

Of course, not for Kim Il-shin. The reason he could advise on Baek Ha-yeon’s swordsmanship was that he used memories gained from playing the game.

He had no fundamental knowledge of swordsmanship, so even if he joined, he would surely be expelled quickly.

So, he politely declined Baek Ha-yeon’s offer. However, what returned after that was thorough neglect.

He didn’t know what in his actions had triggered her. He didn’t even want to find out.

The important thing was that from that day forward, the bullying towards him had officially escalated.

As the heir of the Baek clan, she was one of the key figures in the class.

Her sudden behavior of treating Kim Il-shin as if he didn’t exist was interpreted by the other students as indirect permission for bullying.

‘…That’s when it all started.’

Frowning at the unpleasant memories flooding back, Kim Il-shin turned his gaze from Baek Ha-yeon and began his usual workout routine.

Starting with major muscle groups and gradually moving to finer areas, finishing with cardio.

Even with the restrictions, he couldn’t afford to do nothing and wait.

Since falling into this world, he had been coming to the training center every day to study how [Growth Delay] applied to his body.

As a result, he confirmed that basic elements like strength and stamina, which had minimal interference from talent, were less affected by [Growth Delay].

At least those two could grow in proportion to his efforts. Mana was under the clear dominion of [Growth Delay], however.

For example, when performing a bench press, although the technique doesn’t improve at all, the muscles used at that moment grow steadily.

‘Guess I should be thankful for this much.’

He hadn’t missed a day of physical training in hopes of the day when the restrictions would be lifted.

Thanks to that, he could confidently say he had one of the best basic stamina in this academy.

Muscle growth was significantly influenced by mana, making it slower to develop than stamina. Still, it had definitely grown.

“Whew….”

After finishing the last exercise, he wiped the sweat with a towel and stepped outside.

He hadn’t made eye contact with Baek Ha-yeon until he left.

Stepping out, the day had brightened. He ran toward the dormitory at a slightly slower pace than before.

Once back in the dormitory, he took another shower and put on his school uniform.

The first day of the new semester for third-year students was tomorrow. Today, there would be an orientation to explain the academic schedule and other matters.

He hoped nothing would happen.

*

As he began his commute to school on time, he noticed many students in the same school uniform.

There were also a few familiar faces. When their eyes met, they all wore expressions of surprise.

“Still hanging around here, huh? Talk about persistent.”

“Wow, didn’t drop out? I respect you for that.”

While the number of students at Cosmo Academy numbered almost a thousand per grade in the first and second years, it sharply decreased in the third year.

This was because many students felt the wall of talent among the top-tier recruits or judged that they wouldn’t be able to withstand the exams from the higher grades.

So the period crossing from the second to third year is often called the first filtering stage.

The second filtering stage is the first exam in the third year.

In that sense, the fact that Kim Il-shin didn’t drop out shocked the other students immensely.

Given his previous abilities, there was no way he could pass the second filtering stage.

“What’s going on in that head of his? Does he think this place is a walk in the park? Stupidity has its limits.”

“Just leave him alone. He’ll be kicked out soon enough.”

The surprise quickly turned into disdainful looks.

They thought that Kim Il-shin’s decision not to drop out meant that he was disregarding them, Cosmo Academy, and the hero profession.

Kim Il-shin walked silently. He was used to such gazes by now. In fact, it felt oddly empty not to encounter them.

Tap tap tap!

He heard footsteps behind him. Lowering his head, a large hand swept over the top of it.

This wasn’t an instinctual dodge from noticing impending attack; it was a result of forced repetitive learning.

“Wow, you’re dodging well now, huh?”

There are those in the world whose self-esteem is relieved by dragging others into the muck.

In front of him was Jeon Tae-yun, one of those people.

Jeon Tae-yun had decent skills, but there was a thick wall separating him from reaching the top tiers.

That was a reality too difficult for the prideful Jeon Tae-yun to endure.

He attempted to alleviate the inferiority complex stemming from that reality by bullying Kim Il-shin.

To him, Kim Il-shin was clearly a weak prey, a delectable target he could bully without consequence.

“It’s been a while, Il-shin.”

“Nice to see you again. You’re not even going to greet me?”

Jeon Tae-yun’s group blocked both sides. Kim Il-shin remained calm.

Here, with so many witnesses, he couldn’t do anything reckless.

“Relax your face. I just came to say hi. We’ve got to spar again from tomorrow, right? You okay with that?”

Just then, one of Jeon Tae-yun’s lackeys, Park Jun-hyuk, gripped Kim Il-shin’s shoulder hard as he spoke.

The pain made him grimace.

The ‘sparring’ he was talking about meant a violent intimidation disguised as a friendly bout.

It meant they would drag him to the sparring ground and assault him without caring about others’ gazes.

Enduring the beatings from superhumans using mana with a physique close to that of an average person was a life-threatening affair.

Days without bruises or wounds were rare, and there were times he lost consciousness and was taken to the infirmary.

If Jeon Tae-yun was the group leader, Park Jun-hyuk was akin to the enforcer.

The person who usually inflicted the most direct damage to Kim Il-shin was Park Jun-hyuk. He was the same guy who had brutally beaten him the day he couldn’t hold on and passed out.

“See you tomorrow?”

Park Jun-hyuk patted Kim Il-shin’s shoulder and followed Jeon Tae-yun away.

Watching their retreating figures, Kim Il-shin made a vow.

‘You guys are definitely going to regret this.’

Turning to continue on his way, he met green eyes.

Focusing my gaze confirmed the sight of a black bobbed hair tinged with green.

Seo Ye-ryeong. A character boasting top-tier talent in [COSMO], and a classmate of Kim Il-shin.

The notable feature was that she openly hated him. The reason was unknown.

Was she offended by the fact that he forfeited at the first spar?

Seo Ye-ryeong averted her gaze with disdain and walked past Kim Il-shin, who simply continued on without paying her any mind.

*

The orientation didn’t end until late in the evening. Each class had to take time to explain everything.

Sitting in the farthest corner of the classroom, as soon as the orientation was over, Kim Il-shin slipped outside and returned to the dormitory.

Staying longer would only invite more trouble.

Usually, during this time, he would either do more physical training or go to work outside the academy, but today he wasn’t in the mood for that.

He sat at his desk, turned on the desk lamp, and opened the locked drawer with a key.

Inside was a carefully kept old book which he placed on the desk.

Il-shin Pa-cheon-gong (一身破天功).

It was a martial arts book left behind by an unknown martial artist, and coincidentally, it bore his name.

A hidden item that could only be obtained early in the second year of gameplay. He had gotten lucky.

In the game, it was only useful for selling at the auction house to make money.

No matter what character you used, the message “Cannot be acquired” would always appear.

But now, I kept it for the time being. Once the restrictions were lifted, I might be able to learn it.

‘There are many other items, but… at least for now, this is a blessing.’

Hidden items could only be obtained with a minimum fighting ability.

If one couldn’t properly handle mana, such knowledge could become poison instead.

If it left any trace during the acquisition process, it would surely be stolen back.

Considering all of that, I finally managed to obtain this book.

Rustle—

I slowly turned the pages and read what was written.

I couldn’t understand it, but I read each letter carefully, spending time with it.

Rustle— rustle—

Usually, I’d close a book within an hour, but today, it felt especially engrossing.

There were no parts that got stuck, and before I knew it, I had finished reading the book while seated.

‘Time…’

I closed the book and suddenly looked at my watch.

11:59

My heart began to race violently. The moment I had awaited for so long was just around the corner.

Today was the last day. In just a few seconds, I would be freed from the dreadful curse.

Elation, anticipation, relief, anger, emptiness, regret, sorrow… various emotions swirled in my mind but couldn’t connect.

Among them, an overwhelmingly large one was anxiety.

The emotion that had tormented him for two long years, never leaving his side.

Even now, it was the same. The joyous thought that the moment had finally come was fleeting; the worst possibilities flooded my mind.

The overwhelming scenario of the restrictions not lifting dominated my thoughts, and the tighter I clenched my fist, the sweatier it became.

Then it happened.

12:00

The time had come.

With an immediate wave of immense liberation, the world changed.

[The restrictions have been lifted.]

[As the price of the restrictions being lifted, your talents have been enhanced.]

[Your talents:]

▶ Swordmaster (S)

▶ Martial Master (S)

▶ Pristine Mind (S)

▶ Strength (A)

▶ Agility (A)

▶ Stamina (A)

▶ Mana Amount (A)

▶ Mana Control (A)

▶ Regeneration (A)

▶ Mana Affinity (A)

▶ Comprehension (A)

▶ Reaction Speed (A)

▶ Artistic Sense (A)