The Second Salvation Myth of a Retired Regressed Hero

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Woooong-

In the silent training ground now settled with dust from the intense shockwave, no one, not just the instructors but even the bored students fidgeting earlier, could utter a word. They could only gape.

In the epicenter of the dust cloud stood Doyun, unwavering in a perfect stance after unleashing his masterful straight punch.

“…Excellent.”

A single voice reverberated across the training ground. Not from the test instructor, but from the Headmaster on the podium.

Shattered pieces of the plate were scattered around Doyun, each fragment not blue but a vivid red.

The Headmaster looked at those pieces.

‘How long has it been since one of those plates broke?’

It had definitely been over 20 years, at the very least. Not once during his tenure as Headmaster. He would have to check the records.

“Did, did he really break it?”
“That thing looked kind of flimsy, wasn’t it just weak?”
“You haven’t tried it yet, idiot. They said the moment you strike it, you feel your strength draining away.”
“A human? Is he human? How could a human do that?”

Another commotion broke out among the students.

“Quiet! Be quiet!”

The instructors tried to calm them down, but this uproar wasn’t easily quelled.

The perfect yet destructive straight punch Doyun had demonstrated.

While the students lacked the discernment to appreciate the profound ruthlessness imbued in that fist, the Fist Saint’s style was still enough to awaken a sense of awe within them.

Particularly the unarmed combat instructor was unable to overcome his shock.

‘How… how did he…’

His mind was in utter turmoil right now.

He was skilled enough to recognize much of that fist style.

Trembling with exhilaration at the ruthless perfection that brought out one’s latent potential to the extreme. Moved by the overwhelming talent of this new apostle who appeared only around twenty, having displayed such a flawless fist style.

But he could not savor that rapture for long. It was just too strange.

‘How could that student know… the Fist King’s style…?’

The Fist King.

The king of the Labyrinth Kingdom and one of the current allied forces’ strongest along with the Lion King.

As an unarmed combat instructor, he had witnessed the Fist King’s fists only once on the battlefield. The straight punch that student had just demonstrated was uncannily similar.

It was no mistake.

That destructive fist which had reshaped the battlefield terrain with its shockwaves – it had been the most awe-inspiring sight in his life as a martial artist, seared vividly into his mind.

The sensation he had felt then. The thrill. He had sensed the exact same thing from that student’s fist.

No, the fist he had just seen was even more ruinous, belligerent, and ruthless, as if the Fist King had mimicked that student instead.

As ludicrous as it sounded even to himself, that’s truly how it had felt.

“What do we do! This batch’s unarmed combat class is totally…”
“I’m so envious of Instructor Kang…”

The surrounding instructors became giddy at the successive appearances of martial arts prodigies, constantly chattering excitedly. But he couldn’t hear them.

His mind was in too much turmoil right now.

Then, someone’s entranced mutter echoed across the training ground.

“Impossible… I’m sure he had mana deficiency…?”

The sharp senses of a few instructors focused on the archery instructor.

“What?! What did you just say!”
“Mana deficiency?!”

An even greater uproar erupted, louder than before. But this time, it was the instructors causing the ruckus, not the students.

The archery instructor, flustered by the sudden reactions, couldn’t immediately respond.

“Yes? Yes? No, that’s… surely…”
“You’re saying that friend has mana deficiency?”
“You, you mean that destructive power came from pure physical strength without mana? From a first-week Cradle student?”
“Preposterous!”

Some instructors even rushed onto the testing grounds, accosting Doyun directly. They were all sponsored by major guilds vying for top talents.

After infusing Doyun with mana to check for themselves, they clicked their tongues in disappointment.

“He really does have mana deficiency! His channels are completely blocked!”
“Your name… Han Doyun? Student Doyun, think carefully. Do you know the cause of your mana deficiency? Did you experience any major mana-related incidents in your original world when you were young?”
“Our guild can treat you! Our guild is…”
“It might be dimensional deficiency. Hey you, which dimension are you from? Hm?”

Having confirmed his mana deficiency, they became overly excited between elation and despair, practically drooling as they bombarded Doyun with questions.

This student having mana deficiency implied two things:

‘Such a talent has mana deficiency? No way! Please no!’
‘He has this much ability without mana! An unprecedented genius in history! If we can cure him, it’ll be a jackpot!’

Some kept asking Doyun about any peculiar experiences from his childhood, while others brazenly placed their hands on his back, sweating as they diagnosed his physical condition.

Depending on the type of mana deficiency, a cure might be possible or impossible. For them, it was a truly critical issue.

Whenever Doyun tried to speak, he was cut off by the barrage of questions. This pattern repeated, causing Doyun to frown.

Then, a booming voice shook the ground.

“Enough!”

The profound mana-laced voice that assaulted their eardrums caused the students to clap their hands over their ears.

Everyone’s attention turned to the podium.

“All instructors except the test instructor, return to your places. Bring a spare plate and we will continue the test.”

It was the Headmaster’s order.

Finally regaining their senses, the instructors licked their lips in disappointment and returned to their spots.

‘Not bad.’

Doyun silently admired the amount of mana infused in that shout. This Headmaster seemed quite skilled.

“Student Han Doyun, since the test is over, you may also return to your spot. I apologize on behalf of the instructors for their unsightly behavior.”

The Headmaster said so and slightly bowed his head toward Doyun.

To bow to a student, even in an official setting like this – a person completely devoid of ingrained authoritarianism. Doyun liked that.

But that aside, he should secure what was promised.

“Then what about the instructor’s promise earlier?”

“Hm?”

“Unlimited exemption from classes.”

At those words, the test instructor flinched.

“Ah… so that was your aim.”

After a brief contemplation, the Headmaster spoke.

“A promise is a promise… Yes. Student Han Doyun will be granted the right to freely miss classes going forward. However, this excludes days with graded evaluations. On evaluation days, you must attend the respective classes, and failure to do so will be treated the same as other students.”

Doyun nodded. A neat and satisfactory answer.

But the Headmaster didn’t stop there and continued.

“However… The Cradle’s curriculum is designed for your adaptation and growth as students. Skipping classes won’t benefit Student Han Doyun, I believe.”

The Headmaster briefly surveyed the red fragments scattered across the training ground.

“…If Student Han Doyun chooses to skip the unarmed combat class… I can understand that. At least for that class, Student Han Doyun may have nothing more to learn at the Cradle.”

He looked at the unarmed combat instructor. A potentially insulting statement.

However, the Headmaster knew him well. As expected, the instructor calmly nodded in affirmation. He wasn’t one to stubbornly cling to misplaced pride.

“But other classes, such as [Basic Knowledge] or [History], will certainly benefit Student Han Doyun. Regardless of combat prowess, you have only just arrived from another dimension as a student.”

In truth, those classes were utterly useless… but Doyun silently listened to the well-intentioned advice.

‘How old do they think I am?’

The Headmaster was human, not an elf. Then he couldn’t possibly be older than Doyun, who had lived for at least two centuries. Of course, in the hundreds place.

Recommending [Basic Knowledge] classes and such to Doyun was nothing but a comedy. But he didn’t bother refuting it.

Not only could he not reveal his identity as Enoch Ruszvolnik, but there was no need to scoff at advice given with good intentions.

“Yes, I will take that into consideration. I don’t plan to skip classes entirely. I simply have an urgent matter to resolve first. Once that’s done, I will attend all classes without fail.”

Mana deficiency. Assuming he skipped all classes, he could resolve it within a week.

The Headmaster’s eyes widened at those words. He wanted to know what it was and offer help… but this was too public a setting.

“I don’t know what this ‘matter’ is… but if you need assistance, let me know. The instructors are always prepared to help our students.”

“Yes. I will also take that into consideration.”

The Headmaster gave a wry smile.

Take it into consideration. Those affirmative words could be taken at face value… but it seemed this student didn’t want outside help.

From their brief conversation, he could sense it. This was the kind of person who resolved their own matters with their own strength and took responsibility for others’ issues too.

‘We’ll have to pay extra attention to this one.’

He looked at the promising student before him with a satisfied smile.

Meanwhile, someone was glaring at the center of attention, Han Doyun, with an intensely scrunched face.

The minotaur Torn.

‘That puny human bastard…’

He snorted heavily, causing the golden nose-ring on his snout to jingle.

Everything displeased him. That bastard had stolen the spotlight of breaking the plate that he should have demonstrated. The Headmaster and instructors were showering him with attention. Even the exceptionally gorgeous female Sophie kept glancing at him.

And above all, the fact that the one receiving all this attention was a measly human.

Sensing his ominous aura, the surrounding students gradually increased their distance from him.

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Doyun left the training ground alone and arrived at the dorms.

The next class was about sensing mana and accumulating it in the heart – utterly useless for Doyun.

It would be more beneficial for him to invest that hour in the dorms to unblock his channels instead.

‘Hmm…’

Doyun tightly clenched his trembling right hand.

His muscles felt scorched all over, his bones aching. His right arm was particularly severe, making it difficult to even move. His internal condition had deteriorated considerably due to the recoil of Hecleus’ Fist Style.

It wasn’t a problematic level. Having endured 17 deaths on the battlefield, pain was no longer an obstacle for him.

His immobile right hand was somewhat inconvenient, but he planned to remain confined in the dorms for the time being anyway. It would likely recover by then.

He moved his relatively unaffected left hand to touch the system window before him.

[Skill ‘Hecleus’ Fist Style – Straight Punch’ has been created.]