NOVEL NEXT C3
Chapter 3
Ugum-dong, Ueun-dong, and Udong-dong.
Born on the same day at the same time, they could sense each other’s thoughts effortlessly.
That’s how well they understood one another, and their interests aligned perfectly.
“I’m going to be a Hunter when I grow up.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Me too!”
Becoming Hunters.
By chance, they shared the same dream and made a pact to achieve it together.
However, becoming a Hunter wasn’t as easy as they imagined. Most importantly, it required a lot of money.
“What do we need to do to become Hunters?”
“First, you have to know how to handle mana. And we need to be skilled with weapons.”
“I’ve seen a swordsmanship hall nearby! We can learn there!”
To become a Hunter, one needed to acquire basic skills, which required tuition.
People from prestigious families naturally received these essentials from their clans, but the triplets, not hailing from such a background, had no other choice.
“What happens after that? How do we get a Hunter license?”
“You need to enroll in Academy City.”
“They say you have to graduate from a high academy there to get a Hunter license.”
To be officially recognized as a Hunter, one had to hold a license.
The path to obtaining the license varied by age; those who hadn’t graduated high school needed to complete a three-year high academy in Academy City.
Elementary and middle academies were not applicable.
Yet no matter which academy they chose, tuition was prohibitively expensive.
“Even the cheapest academy in Academy City costs 10 million won per semester….”
“But I don’t want to go to such a place.”
“And the dormitory fees are separate.”
The cost of living in Academy City was high.
Living there for over a year demanded significant expenses.
Even attending the cheapest academy would cost at least 60 million won.
“….”
With three of them, that meant at least 180 million won.
Adding living expenses, dormitory fees, and maintenance costs for devices, the total became overwhelming.
Even the naive triplets understood that they might ruin their household if they weren’t careful.
Thus, they turned to sponsorship.
“Look here! People with outstanding talent can get sponsorships. If we get sponsored, we won’t have to worry about money!”
“Then let’s find someone to sponsor us.”
“Now that you mention it, the instructor once said the swordsmanship hall offers sponsorship under the Do Sword Family’s name.”
It was the only way.
The triplets decided to work hard to catch the eye of the Do Sword Family.
And then, an opportunity presented itself.
“You want sponsorship?”
A boy, who introduced himself as Do Gyeon-woo’s cousin, approached them upon hearing the news.
He promised them sponsorship but there was a condition.
“You go to the same school as Gyeon-woo, right? Then you must run into him often.”
“….”
“You get what I mean, don’t you?”
Do Gyeon-woo of the Shin Sword Family.
They knew exactly what that meant.
“So, will you sponsor us if we do?”
“Of course. I’ll talk to my dad about it.”
“Really?”
“Trust me.”
The triplets accepted the offer.
They couldn’t refuse, knowing that rejecting him could mean falling out of favor entirely.
Moreover, they secretly disliked Do Gyeon-woo.
“He’s from the Do Sword Family?”
“A crybaby and a coward…How can he belong to the Do Sword Family?”
“It’s unfair, infuriating, and annoying.”
The Do Gyeon-woo they saw at the swordsmanship hall always seemed reluctant to wield a sword.
Unlike them, he appeared to be forced into it, which irritated them.
He often showed fear during practice matches, felt sorry even if he accidentally hit someone, and sometimes even cried when hit.
“I don’t like him. I can’t acknowledge him.”
“I agree.”
“Me too.”
Do Gyeon-woo received the instructors’ attention simply because he was from the Do Sword Family, enjoying ample resources without paying, and was taught the complete Su-wang-ryu Style.
To the triplets, his existence alone was enough to evoke a sense of deprivation.
Thus, they never hesitated to bully him.
“Do Gyeon-woo! Let’s spar later!”
“Go ahead and prepare our wooden swords!”
“Make sure you warm up so you don’t get hurt!”
Still, they knew their limits.
“You know we have to take it easy, right?”
“We can’t risk getting into trouble.”
“Let’s wrap it up here for today.”
Even if Do Gyeon-woo quietly endured everything without retaliating, he was still part of the Do Sword Family.
They couldn’t forget that.
If they went too far and it became an issue, it could backfire severely.
They also didn’t fully trust Gyeon-woo’s cousin who promised them sponsorship, unsure how far his protection would extend.
So they kept their harassment within limits, cautiously gauging the cousin’s reaction.
However, today felt different.
“Ugh!”
“Next.”
“….”
Today was…different.
Ueun-dong and Udong-dong were stunned.
The moment the sparring with Ugum-dong began, it ended.
Before Ugum-dong could react, Do Gyeon-woo’s sword struck him, causing him to drop his weapon and endure two clean hits: once to the hand, once to the chest.
The fluid sequence of movements made it seem like one seamless motion.
“Next. Who’s up?”
“Uh… It’s me.”
At first, they chalked it up to luck, thinking Ugum-dong had simply slipped up.
But the same fate awaited Ueun-dong.
“…!”
“Next.”
He found himself lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
His sword lay far from his reach.
“Ugh!”
Thud!
While in a daze, someone else collapsed beside him.
It was Udong-dong.
‘Hey, you too?’
‘Yeah, me too.’
Their eyes met.
The glances they exchanged spoke volumes.
‘We don’t understand what’s happening.’
But looking up at Do Gyeon-woo towering over them, they had to admit it.
“We’re not stopping after one round, right? Hurry up, pick up your swords and get up.”
Do Gyeon-woo, it seemed, had changed.
“There’s plenty of time before class starts. I’ll keep sparring with you. Like always.”
Behind him, they thought they saw something different.
Not the trembling rabbit they used to mock, but a rabbit with fiery red eyes.
No…it was a lion.
“If you think you can’t handle me one-on-one, feel free to come at me all at once.”
“….”
The lion was smiling.
It wasn’t that I was particularly weak.
I was simply afraid of accidentally hurting someone while swinging a sword.
That was why I let them push me around and never thought of resisting.
‘They’re slow and sluggish. Weaker than I thought.’
Fragile, like they would break with a tap.
That’s how they appeared to me.
Weak, feeble, and tender-hearted, I couldn’t wield a sword.
But when I realized my past life, I learned something.
The human body isn’t as fragile as I thought.
It was my misconception.
“…Ack!”
“Whoever dropped their sword, pick it up and come back.”
“….”
An arm won’t break just because it’s struck.
A shoulder won’t shatter from a blow.
Even if you hit someone’s throat, they won’t die so easily.
The human body’s resilience is surprisingly tough.
‘I was truly pathetic.’
Pitiful, disgraceful and utterly pathetic.
I chewed over my former self internally and spoke to those sprawled on the ground.
“Let’s go another round. Get up.”
“Ugh….”
They groaned.
They clutched their backs, rolling on the floor, unable to rise—it seemed they were in considerable pain.
But I didn’t care.
This won’t kill them.
Besides, they’re characters that appear in the game too.
“Stop whining and get up.”
“….”
“Or should we continue with you on the ground?”
These three were dubbed “Cerberus,” a nickname that didn’t even suit them, yet they had some reputation as extras.
‘They’re the same guys who got humiliated when they picked a fight with Kang Han-byul.’
They wouldn’t be taken down by a few sparring matches.
Even if their hands swelled so much that they could barely grip their swords, they still had the strength to hold them.
I forced them to their feet.
“Why, why are you doing this to us?! Are you crazy!?”
“Yeah, stop it already!”
“We’re sorry!”
“Get in position.”
They cried out in desperation but ignoring them, I assumed my stance.
Their faces contorted, and they reluctantly gripped their swords.
Their stance was full of openings.
The stance of Fierce Advance.
That meant the basic stance was sufficient.
The moment their resolve wavered, I stepped forward.
The sword, which had been held level with the ground, moved outward from inside my arm.
The horizontal slash deflected all of their swords at once.
“I said we’d do this like a real fight, didn’t I?”
“…!”
But I didn’t stop there.
I kicked one of the triplets in the stomach with my foot.
The ones who had been crying out in pain from having their hands struck couldn’t even scream properly now, sent flying far away.
“Ugh….”
“M-my hand! My haaand…!”
“Ugh….”
“Shall we go another round?”
How many rounds had it been?
I lost count midway through.
I crouched down to meet the triplets’ eyes, asking for their opinion.
They shook their heads fiercely.
“S-stop it! We were wrong!”
“Why should I?”
“….”
“You guys never treated me like this, did you?”
They knew.
They had the conscience to understand.
They were getting exactly what they had dished out.
That’s why they couldn’t muster a proper rebuttal.
All they could manage was—
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“Yeah! Do you think you’ll be fine? Think carefully!”
“Do you know who’s backing us?”
“….”
It was a ridiculous threat.
They still hadn’t grasped the situation.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
I snorted at them and decided to give them a reality check.
“Who exactly is backing you? Oh, my cousin?”
“….”
“You think he’ll protect you?”
They were deluded.
My cousin, Do Seung-woo, only encouraged them because they were useful to him, nothing more.
When they became inconvenient, he could discard them without hesitation.
Their value amounted to that of disposable chess pieces.
“Do you really think he’d protect you if I made an issue of this?”
“….”
“If it were me, I’d cut you loose before I got entangled.”
They knew the truth deep down so I decided to offer them some advice.
“Oh, and in case you forgot, I’m also part of the Do family.”
“….”
“If I swallow my pride and cry to the family, getting your names off the sponsorship list won’t be hard.”
“…!”
“Did you really think I couldn’t do it, while he could? How foolish.”
They only knew half the story.
I clicked my tongue loudly.
Just then—
“What are you all doing here!”
“….”
It was time for class.
The swordsmanship instructor stormed into the dojo, instantly assessing the situation and shouting angrily.
“How many times have I told you not to spar without permission? And now you’re having a fight under the guise of sparring!?”
“….”
“Do Gyeon-woo, as a member of the Do family, instead of setting an example….”
“They started it.”
“What?”
“Should I just stand there and take it as a member of the Do family?”
“….”
“That’s not right, is it? You know it too, don’t you, since you’ve learned the Do family’s swordsmanship?”
The instructor’s gaze sharpened on me but as soon as I mentioned the family, his face contorted in distress.
He couldn’t openly contradict the family’s values, especially in front of me.
Eventually, he looked away from me and directed his ire at the triplets.
“Did you really start this?”
“….”
If they denied it strongly, things could get complicated.
The instructor, indirectly threatened by me, might lash out in anger but I knew that wouldn’t happen.
‘They’re not dumb enough to try and spite me.’
They knew our positions so I calmly awaited their response.
Soon, they opened their mouths.
My prediction was spot on.
“We started it!”
“Yeah! We cursed him first!”
“Gyeon-woo didn’t do anything wrong!”
“…What?”
See?
I grinned at the instructor, who was dumbfounded by their unexpected confession.