I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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The audience, which had fallen silent for a moment, soon regained its lively energy.

It was hard to contain our voices while watching the fierce duels of the academy students.

Still, there were constant glances directed towards the seat occupied by Baek Ho-san.

To them, it was as if a figure from myth had appeared right before their eyes.

“But why is he here? Isn’t this his first time attending such an event?”

“Did you not know? Among today’s duelists, there’s a successor of the Baek family. Baek Ha-yeon, the granddaughter of the great hero.”

“Oh… so he came to see his granddaughter?”

“That’s how it seems. If not, he wouldn’t have any reason to be here.”

With all the various glances and buzz surrounding Baek Ho-san’s rare appearance, it was finally Kim Il-sin’s turn.

“Kim Il-sin, please prepare and head to duel arena number 6!”

The staff member who entered through the waiting room announced Kim Il-sin’s turn.

Kim Il-sin stepped out into the hallway at his call.

As he walked down the long corridor filled with bright light, he could see the arenas buzzing with active battles.

Approaching the designated arena number 6, he noticed someone was already there.

It was his opponent, Baek Ha-yeon.

She wielded a white sword reminiscent of Baek Ho-san’s, and a sharp, fierce intensity emanated from her.

Kim Il-sin stood opposite Baek Ha-yeon.

The referee, confirming his arrival, began to explain the rules of the duel.

“The duel begins the moment I shout ‘start.’ The duel ends when one side can no longer continue. If an injury occurs, the waiting healer will come forward to provide treatment…”

As the referee loudly explained the rules and prepared to start the duel, the gazes of the audience shifted in that direction.

“That’s Baek Ha-yeon, right? The granddaughter of the great hero.”

“I heard she was the top student last year and the year before.”

Most were there to witness the renowned Baek Ha-yeon’s skills, and naturally, they predicted her victory.

“Who’s her opponent? I’ve never heard of a Kim Il-sin.”

“I heard he’s the bottom student. Last in both first and second years.”

“Last? Ugh, I wonder if there’s anything to see. Is it going to end in three seconds?”

Very few knew about Kim Il-sin’s quest accomplishments and happenings within the academy itself.

As a result, the glances of the audience directed at Kim Il-sin were not favorable.

“He solved the quest of retired hero Joo Chae-rin and successfully completed two medium-difficulty quests… Look at that. He’s not just some bottom student?”

“He’s associated with the Gangnam Police Station and supposedly caught a delinquent while doing quests. I can’t confirm if it’s true, though.”

“…But still, it’s going to be tough for Baek Ha-yeon, right?”

“Well, I guess it’s likely. Look at the bloodline she comes from.”

The thoughts of those who had gathered information on Kim Il-sin through meticulous groundwork were not much different.

Being the granddaughter of the great hero carried a huge expectation.

“Alright, please head back and prepare.”

The referee completed the rule explanation.

As Kim Il-sin turned back, trying to retreat, Baek Ha-yeon spoke up.

“Kim Il-sin. Thank you for accepting the duel challenge.”

“Hm? …Yeah.”

“And, I’m sorry.”

Kim Il-sin, having thought it was just a mere courtesy, stopped. He wondered what she might be saying.

“I want to apologize for underestimating you. Previously, I thought you, Kim Il-sin, were someone who couldn’t properly gauge your current situation. But I was wrong.”

With a resolute expression, Baek Ha-yeon continued. Her voice was filled with sincerity that could not be doubted.

‘So that’s why she completely ignored me after I rejected her offer.’

Kim Il-sin had experienced Baek Ha-yeon multiple times while playing the game, and thus he couldn’t help but know a lot about her.

That’s why he could discern from her words that she had acted with such thoughts in the past.

‘She probably thought, “What a fool who doesn’t know his place! Best to just give up and drop out as he would be expelled later anyway.”’

Now he understood the principle behind her actions until now.

Judging everything through her perspective and blindly following through on her judgments; it was an arrogant behavior, to say the least.

Of course, he could see why she would think that. At that time, Kim Il-sin was utterly talentless and dull.

However, Kim Il-sin’s emotions were stirring. The reason was Baek Ha-yeon’s tone.

“I can feel your strength and I acknowledge it. I wish to see your full potential in this duel. I will do my best as well.”

After finishing her words, Baek Ha-yeon turned and headed back to her spot.

Kim Il-sin, who had been standing still, moved at the referee’s urging to return to his position.

“…Hah.”

A powerless laugh escaped from Kim Il-sin’s lips as he stood up. It was a hollow chuckle.

Acknowledgment. An acknowledgment.

‘How arrogant, Baek Ha-yeon.’

The acknowledgment received from someone he did not respect felt disgustingly unpleasant.

Kim Il-sin had no respect for Baek Ha-yeon, nor did he hold even a sliver of goodwill towards her.

Thus, those words only fueled Kim Il-sin’s resentment.

The feelings he had buried away when he gained his talents began to surface, seeking to break down the wall he had sealed.

“Phew…”

Kim Il-sin took a deep breath to calm his mind. With the help of [Perfect Mind (S)], he maintained his composure.

But he could not extinguish even the smallest spark, so he drew his sword.

In this duel, he wanted to achieve an overwhelming victory.

“Prepare.”

As the referee slowly raised his hand, a taut tension filled the air.

“Start!”

And the moment that hand dropped down—

Boom!

A massive tremor resonated through the duel arena. The raging mana erupted, pushing the ground away.

The black trajectory of the sword scattered light as it stretched long.

Clang!

A white sword intercepted the strike of Il-sin’s renowned technique head-on.

It felt as if a gigantic boulder had been struck.

After channeling the repulsive force through the Heavenly Flow Sword, he locked on.

The Crescent Moon Sword pressed against the struck sword, pushing forward and creating waves.

With the forceful advance of the Cosmic Wave, he stepped forward diagonally with his right foot.

In the swirling sunlight, a golden slash cut through the air.

Zing!

Behind the shattering shards, Baek Ha-yeon’s blue eyes were visible. The emotion she bore was one of confusion.

But soon, the cold energy surged from Baek Ha-yeon’s tightly gripped hand.

The blade fragments shuddered before embedding into the ground.

‘Is that Baek Ho-san’s sword technique?’

An extraordinary sword aura, deeply rooted in Kim Il-sin’s mind, was released in a form that barely fell short of the real deal.

Dozens of unsheathed strikes crashed down like a wave. The essence of the Supreme Step was imbued with each advancement.

As if melting away, the movements simultaneously executed both evasion and counterattack.

With an unpredictable movement, the decisive strike pierced through a gap in Baek Ha-yeon’s defense.

Crack!

With Baek Ha-yeon’s sword soaring into the air, the duel concluded.

*

“Is it over…?”

“What the…?”

The entire exam hall was engulfed in silence at the unexpected outcome.

Everyone in the audience stared blankly at duel arena number 6, as if time had stopped.

It was a one-sided match. No one could believe it was a duel between the top and the bottom student.

Even those unfamiliar with combat could feel it clearly.

What was visible to the eyes of past and present heroes was even more astonishing.

An enviably innate martial talent had been exhibited in that arena.

‘Could it be Baek Ha-yeon wasn’t in good condition? No, that’s too much to say given her opponent…’

‘That movement technique. I’ve never seen anything like it. Does she have a separate master? Or did that student come up with it himself?’

‘I heard he was the bottom student, but what’s going on?’

‘Why has such talent gone unnoticed until now?’

‘That swift strike. If I could, I’d love to learn it as well.’

Many thoughts crossed each person’s mind, but none were brave enough to act hastily.

Because at the very front row of the audience was Baek Ho-san, who witnessed his granddaughter’s defeat firsthand.

All held their breath, glancing cautiously at Baek Ho-san.

His expression revealed nothing, making it impossible to gauge his feelings.

However, logically, no one could be in a good mood in such a situation.

Everyone knew Baek Ho-san would never harm an innocent person.

He was a hero on par with Yi Sun-sin.

Yet even so, Baek Ho-san was akin to a natural disaster in human form; it was impossible to act thoughtlessly in his presence.

“……”

At that moment, Baek Ho-san quietly stood up from his seat.

The colossal aura radiated outward, creating an illusion as if a giant was awakening.

Walking to the railing, Baek Ho-san lightly leaped and descended.

He landed as softly as a feather, heading straight for duel arena number 6, where Kim Il-sin and Baek Ha-yeon stood.

Despite being an outsider invading a designated area, no one could step in his way.

The spectators’ minds swirled with confusion and shock, and it was the same for Kim Il-sin.

In the game, there were many instances where Baek Ha-yeon was defeated in duels.

However, Baek Ho-san had never acted in such a manner.

His behavior signified that there was another reason for him to act this way.

While Kim Il-sin’s mind was racing, Baek Ho-san passed by Baek Ha-yeon.

Without sparing her a glance, he seemed entirely indifferent; next to him was Baek Ha-yeon’s despondent expression.

Baek Ho-san finally stopped right in front of Kim Il-sin.

Within the strangling tension, he opened his mouth.

“Good skill.”

The great hero’s praise directed at an academy student left the audience speechless in astonishment.

And in the following moment, Kim Il-sin’s thoughts momentarily halted.

“Kim Il-sin. You must have been there last night.”

This was not good.