I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“Are you here?”

As Cheongmok stepped into the dueling arena, Luke twisted his mouth in a smirk to greet him.

“Ha, seriously. What a joke! Just a few months ago, you wouldn’t even say a word to me, and now you’re sticking that ugly mug in my face?”

He accepted the duel, but the truth was, he still found it hard to fully accept this situation.

Just before Kim Il-shin arrived, Luke was reigning like a god in the walled city.

Everything was according to his will. There was nothing he couldn’t do within the city.

A life born with everything from the start.

He had even toyed with the idea of moving to another dimension out of boredom, but now his very life was at stake.

“If that bastard weren’t here, you would’ve been torn to shreds by now.”

All of this happened because of Kim Il-shin.

So it was natural for him to harbor enormous hatred towards Kim Il-shin.

If a devil came and offered to kill Kim Il-shin in exchange for his soul, he would accept it without a second thought.

Luke hated Kim Il-shin that much.

So he had resolved to even kill those closest to Kim Il-shin in the last moments.

But suddenly, Kim Il-shin made a strange proposal.

“I don’t get it. Is everyone’s brain scrambled? You, a fool like you, think you can beat me?”

Given that Luke was already in a mindset of resignation, he couldn’t refuse the proposal.

If he won, he could reclaim his former power.

Even if Kim Il-shin didn’t keep his promise, it could damage his reputation, so there was nothing to lose.

He certainly never thought he would lose.

He was just filled with the thought of brutally killing Cheongmok in front of everyone and bringing despair to their faces.

Not to mention, he intended to inflict pain on Cheongmok that would make him wish for death.

Physical pain, as well as mental anguish.

“You have no idea what you’re doing, just like your parents. They ended up dead because they tried to act tough around me.”

The citizens encircling the dueling arena swallowed hard as they observed Cheongmok’s demeanor.

Though everyone sensed the reality of the situation, hearing it directly from the perpetrator felt different.

They worried that Cheongmok, who was shocked, might either charge in anger or lose his momentum.

“You talk a lot. Are you scared or something?”

Yet Cheongmok’s eyes were unwavering and resolute. There was no sign of distress in his demeanor.

Swish.

Cheongmok calmly drew his sword and took his stance.

“Say what—”

“Or else, hurry up and draw your weapon. I’ll let you have the first move.”

Luke’s expression darkened in response to Cheongmok’s condescending words as he brandished his sword.

The blade must have been over 2 meters long, radiating an ominous killing intent.

“Yeah. I guess I was rambling too much.”

Luke wiped away his light demeanor.

Lowering his posture and pulling his right foot back, he pointed the tip of his sword towards the ground at his back right.

“Don’t die too quickly.”

The attack commenced instantly. Luke charged in like an arrow and swung his sword.

Kaaang!

A massive strike charged with power.

After just one parry, blood flowed from Luke’s hand as his body was pushed back.

The ground cracked from the sheer force, and a heavy wind sent people flying around.

Even Kim Il-shin acknowledged the sheer amount of power Luke wielded.

He never intended to win through brute strength.

“The first attack’s over, so why aren’t you coming? If you don’t plan to, I’ll just go.”

Kakang! Kang!

Luke continued his one-sided assault while Cheongmok desperately defended.

‘He’s strong after all…!’

Each time he blocked an attack, it felt like a crisis. Just a moment’s negligence could mean losing his sword.

The wide attack range of the sword he wielded.

If he naively attempted to evade, it might just be the end for him.

Ultimately, his only option was to meet his weapon head-on.

Of course, that was no easy feat.

Hoooom!

An attack filled with tremendous power. If he simply stood still to block it, he would be cut down at the waist.

“Ugh!”

So Cheongmok put everything he had into swinging his sword to block.

A stance more suited for offense than defense. This was the only way to lessen the impact even a little.

The sword made by Hanarín held up through such circumstances without issue, but the problem lay with Cheongmok’s body.

Drip. Drip.

The blood flowing from his palms soaked the dueling ground.

Cheongmok’s arms had already turned crimson up to his elbows.

Moreover, the accumulated damage to his muscles and bones was significant.

“Damn.”

“He can’t just keep holding out like that…”

It was obvious to anyone that Cheongmok was on the back foot. Yet Cheongmok remained calm.

The teachings of Kim Il-shin were his roots.

[“Always maintain composure and a broad perspective. In practical situations, especially one-on-one, it is fundamental to accurately assess the opponent.”]

Now was the time to assess the opponent.

While fully focused on defense, Cheongmok’s gaze was always locked on Luke.

He examined Luke’s movements closely, storing all the information in his mind.

‘His center of gravity is shifted to the left. When launching a big attack, he prefers diagonal strikes that start from the lower right to the upper left, and his gaze and trajectory are simple. Is he unable to control his power? If I keep attacking, his stance will crumble.’

Thus, it was actually Luke who was starting to feel anxious.

‘What the hell is this guy…!’

Cheongmok holding out like this was unexpected for Luke.

He had thought he could disarm Cheongmok within ten exchanges, but it felt like they had already surpassed fifty.

‘Why isn’t this working?!’

He hadn’t simply been attacking until now.

He tried mixing up his patterns and intentionally created openings to draw Cheongmok in.

But Cheongmok wouldn’t fall for any of it.

‘That gaze….’

Meeting Cheongmok’s eyes brought an inexplicable discomfort.

Even though he knew he was far stronger, it felt like he was sinking into a swamp.

Kwaaaang!

The more the discomfort grew, the more strength Luke poured into his attacks.

Although Cheongmok was holding on, that was all it was. Sooner or later, he would crumble under the relentless assault.

Twist.

At that moment, Luke saw it. Cheongmok’s blood-soaked hand was trembling.

‘Time to target that!’

Kwaaaah!

A tremendous surge of mana filled his blade.

As his left foot pressed down, a tidal wave of a strike erupted.

Booooom—!

Cheongmok, unable to withstand that, saw his sword fly into the air.

“Aah, no!”

“Cough…”

“Eh! …Eh?!”

At the moment everyone thought it was over, Cheongmok broke through his defense and accelerated.

His stance was solid. It wasn’t that he had dropped his sword; he had relinquished it.

“……!”

Luke had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions.

The instant he dropped his sword, he must have been convinced of victory, which slowed his next decision.

[“While keeping your eyes on the enemy, store all the information gathered in your mind to anticipate the enemy’s next move. Most will have their own customary habits.”]

An unexpected situation. Faced with the approaching Cheongmok, Luke’s choice in response was to attack.

With no time left to think, Luke took his most familiar action.

‘Diagonal right.’

Whew!

The muscle-squeezing attack sliced through emptiness.

‘His stance crumbled.’

Cheongmok had already tunneled into Luke’s right side.

[“If you go further, you can also understand the opponent’s psychology.”]

If he understood, he could also make use of it.

Both arms pointed to the upper left, leaving his sides wide open.

Cheongmok pulled back his right fist, which was hidden from Luke’s view in a cunningly prepared strike.

Get ready to watch closely because he was about to attack.

“You bastard!”

[“Every action has intention. It can be simple like attacking or defending, or a ploy to completely turn the tide.”]

Luke, pushed into a defensive position, had only one action available. To bring his sword back down to the right.

The opponent who had managed to slip into an unfavorable position was poised to strike.

There was no chance to put sufficient force into an attack.

No matter how strong he might be, a predictable trajectory from a crumbled stance posed no threat.

Tchack.

Cheongmok’s left hand, hidden in the blind spot, caught Luke’s right wrist, halting his downward strike.

From Luke’s perspective, it must’ve seemed like a hand sprung from the air.

“How dare you…!”

Kaaaaaaack…

Yet Luke’s arm still pushed down with tremendous force.

Thud.

Cheongmok pulled back his body weight and instantly yanked his left hand.

Luke’s toppled center of gravity pointed him in the wrong direction.

Stagger.

The combination of relentless attacks and confusion had thrown off his posture and balance.

To top it off, all his strength had been expended on his downward strike, so it was only natural for him to be shaken by Cheongmok’s sudden power.

“Ugh…!”

As Luke’s sword struck the ground.

With his upper body leaned to the left, Luke’s right foot lifted slightly to maintain his balance.

Boom!

Cheongmok didn’t miss that opportunity, grasping Luke’s still-held right wrist.

Crack!

He slammed down without hesitation.

“Gaaaah—!!”

The horrible pain he felt for the first time. Unsurprisingly, he could no longer hold onto his sword.

Luke’s right arm was twisted at an abnormal angle, bones jutting out.

But still, his gaze remained fixed on Cheongmok.

Sensing that, Cheongmok raised his knee and smashed Luke’s left shoulder.

Crack!

“Uh, uh…! Ugh…!”

That was it. The fighting spirit drained, and Luke could only roll on the ground, screaming.

“……”

An instant of silence.

Cheongmok took a moment to catch his breath and confidently declared.

“We won.”

Then, a roar erupted as if the sky was ripping apart.