I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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‘First of all, this guy is finished.’

Kim Il-shin looked down.

There was Baek Gi-tae, still dazed, as if he had not realized what had happened.

Blood continued to flow from his two ankles.

It was a result of a deep gash on his Achilles tendon.

Their strategy was certainly threatening. There was a reason Park Seong-jun had been so confident.

If it hadn’t been for the [Unseen Vision], he might have struggled.

However, no matter how much they erased their presence with invisible magic, they could not escape the gaze of the [Unseen Vision].

Kim Il-shin sensed everything around him through [Unseen Vision].

To him, Baek Gi-tae, who dared to approach, was just a good target.

Kim Il-shin feigned vulnerability, prompting Baek Gi-tae to fall right into his trap.

‘I won’t kill him now.’

By showing that his companion was still alive, he aimed to prevent the sorcerer’s area-wide magic.

If he resorted to a self-destructing spell, it would endanger Lee Yeon-woo’s safety, if not Kim Il-shin’s.

‘As long as I don’t kill him…’

Of course, that didn’t mean he planned to handle him carelessly.

With Baek Gi-tae’s Achilles tendon completely severed, he couldn’t move anymore.

Pffft!

To prepare for any unforeseen variables, Kim Il-shin knocked out Baek Gi-tae and immediately accelerated.

In his path was Han Joo-hyun, hurriedly preparing another spell.

‘If the trap just buys me time…!’

Thinking this, Han Joo-hyun readied a powerful spell that could take out the enemy in one blow.

However, in front of him was Kim Il-shin, racing forward without stepping on any trap.

“How…!”

Han Joo-hyun could only be astonished at Kim Il-shin’s figure perfectly stepping on the untouched ground.

Seeing that reaction, Kim Il-shin confirmed that his judgment was correct.

‘Just as I thought, something was off.’

Just before, he had sensed an anomaly in Baek Gi-tae’s movements through [Unseen Vision].

There were no obstacles between Baek Gi-tae and Kim Il-shin.

Yet, Baek Gi-tae had moved with an unusual caution as he passed through that space.

‘As if there were traps laid out around him.’

From Baek Gi-tae’s behavior, Kim Il-shin deduced the existence of traps.

And from that moment on, the traps became useless.

He just had to go against the spots Baek Gi-tae had stepped on.

Swish!

A swift sword drew a crescent arc, severing Han Joo-hyun’s neck. The headless corpse slumped like dry straw.

The next target was Park Seong-jun. He punched into the gut of the guy who had just been jumping around.

“Ugh, huff…!”

As Park Seong-jun fell to his knees, vomiting blood, a sharp blade rested against his throat.

Small droplets of blood fell from his neck.

“P-please spare me…! I promise, I won’t ever come at you again. Just spare my life…!”

Governed by fear, Park Seong-jun could not even think of resisting.

He possessed no combat ability whatsoever.

The only reason he could follow Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo was due to the support of magic.

Thus, after Baek Gi-tae and Han Joo-hyun fell, there was nothing he could do.

Looking down at the trembling Park Seong-jun, Kim Il-shin murmured softly.

“There were plenty of opportunities.”

At those words, memories of Baek Gi-tae’s comments during the chase flashed through Park Seong-jun’s mind.

It was clearly stated to withdraw quickly since they had already been discovered, yet it was Park Seong-jun who dismissed that and acted instead.

And it was also his own choice that led to the loss of his life.

Crunch.

Kim Il-shin finished off Park Seong-jun and handled the unconscious Baek Gi-tae as well.

It was better to eliminate anything that might cause trouble when he eventually regained consciousness.

Their bodies hid within the dense thicket.

Thus, it would be hard to notice the bodies at a glance, and soon monsters would come to devour every last trace.

“Are you hurt…?”

Once the situation was concluded, Lee Yeon-woo took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blood off Kim Il-shin’s face.

“Yes. As you can see.”

“Thank goodness…. Kim Il-shin, you’re more amazing than I expected…”

Lee Yeon-woo’s gaze landed on the corpses behind Kim Il-shin.

It was certainly rare for a third-year academy student to easily take down two C-rank heroes like this.

“Now that the enemies are taken care of, how about we proceed inside?”

“I’m fine, but are you okay, Kim Il-shin? Shouldn’t you rest a bit…?”

“I’m alright.”

“Then… understood.”

Lee Yeon-woo nodded. Certainly, Kim Il-shin had dealt with the enemies without much strain.

“Well then, let’s go in.”

Without delay, Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo approached the opened door and stepped inside the ruins.

It was finally time to confirm the ‘Trial of the Ancestors.’

*

“If we had rushed in and smashed the door, it would have been a disaster…. It’s designed to collapse all at once if a certain level of impact is applied.”

While using various tools to investigate the passageway, Lee Yeon-woo mumbled.

That meant they had completely barred anyone other than the heir of Il-shin Pacheonggong from entering.

“Having checked this, let’s delve deeper.”

Lee Yeon-woo got up and dusted herself off, and they moved to look down the corridor.

Beyond the long passageway, where complex patterns were engraved systematically, was a vast desert.

While passing through the passage, Kim Il-shin did not cease operating [Unseen Vision].

This was to prepare for any possible traps.

However, until he nearly reached the end of the passage, no traps had been found. Considering the characteristics of this ruin, a plausible hypothesis emerged.

‘Only the heir of Il-shin Pacheonggong can open the door, so there was no need to set traps.’

Thus, having reached the corridor’s end without any incidents, Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo finally stepped into the desert beyond.

Thud.

As they stepped on the sand, the surrounding atmosphere changed dramatically.

The air, which had been cool moments ago, was now saturated with heat, and the sunlight high in the sky made them squint.

‘There it is.’

Kim Il-shin looked around and spotted a small structure rising in the middle of the vast desert.

It resembled a stele about 2 meters tall, crafted from fine sand different from that on the ground.

“Let’s go check it out.”

“Yes. I don’t see anything special aside from that.”

As Kim Il-shin trudged through the sand, he quickly reached the stele.

The distance from the end of the passage to the stele was not far.

Writing in a familiar script was etched on one side of the stele.

It looked similar to the inscription above the entrance of the ruins. It seemed to be the same ancient script.

“I’ll try to interpret this. It won’t take long.”

Lee Yeon-woo, who approached the stele, began her interpretation.

As she focused, Kim Il-shin took a step back, directing his gaze toward the side of the stele.

A black orb floated in the air beside the stele—an object that existed in Kim Il-shin’s memory.

That was known as the ‘Memory Transfer Orb.’ As the name implies, it was an object that could relay the memories encapsulated within the orb.

It didn’t seem like much at first, but the core of the Memory Transfer Orb lay in the fact that the memories conveyed would imprint on the user.

If one were to use the Memory Transfer Orb containing the usage method of a martial art, they could learn that martial art without any special training.

Moreover, the original form of the Memory Transfer Orb was a transparent shape, indistinguishable when submerged in water.

The fact that it appeared black now meant it had already been set.

And the one who set it must have been the Mad Demon who created this ruin.

Lee Yeon-woo seemed unaware of its true identity.

It was understandable, as it was something hard to find even in a game.

“I’ve finished interpreting it. It’s simple, so I’ll read it to you from the top.”

Just then, Lee Yeon-woo, having completed her interpretation, began to read the content inscribed on the stele.

“Welcome, heir. If you wish to challenge the trial of the ancestors, place your hand on the black orb. There, I have left my enlightenment…” she read aloud.

Hearing the contents of the stele, Kim Il-shin could grasp the intent of this trial.

‘So they want to test my mental strength.’

It might sound easy to gain enlightenment, but the Memory Transfer Orb held deadly risks.

Memories naturally incorporate one’s ego, and the memories stored in the Memory Transfer Orb were no exception.

By using the Memory Transfer Orb, one would absorb not only the stored memories but also their ego.

Since there could not be two egos in one body, if one couldn’t repel it with their own mental strength, they could potentially die in severe cases.

From Lee Yeon-woo’s words, it seemed the Mad Demon had no rival under the heavens.

The ego embedded in those memories must have been strong as well.

“Then I’ll give it a try.”

“……Yes. Be careful.”

Yet, without hesitation, Kim Il-shin approached the Memory Transfer Orb.

He possessed the talent of [Immaculate Mind (S)], which meant nothing could invade his psyche.

He placed his hand on the orb, and in that moment, he gained new enlightenment.