Chapter 24: Tutorial (24)

After finishing our meal and daily mission, we decided to go our separate ways.

Lee Han-seong said he was going to wander around outside.

Yoo Ha-na went to the vocational training center to learn new skills.

And me…

“It’s been a while. You look well.”

“So do you, Master. How have you been?”

Naturally, I reunited with Master Moo-yeon. Since it had been a whole 30 days since our last meeting, the joy was doubled.

Honestly, I’d been training consistently, but there’s a big difference between having someone to guide you and not.

“Whether I’ve been well or not isn’t something we confirm with words.”

“……You’re right.”

Master Moo-yeon said so and drew his sword from his waist. An ordinary person would think he was crazy, but I welcomed such treatment.

A conversation of swords. Master Moo-yeon was now treating me as a proper swordsman.

“I’ll take the first move!”

Jikbusongseo (Direct Courier to the West).

A quick and concise thrust, like delivering an urgent message to a superior. It’s a simple attack, but there’s no better technique to check a skilled swordsman like Master Moo-yeon.

“Fast. But Fast Sword isn’t just about speed. Accurately hitting vital points is also important.”

“Understood!”

Of course, since I used it as a check, Master Moo-yeon easily blocked the attack. But the initial thrust was only meant to close the distance.

Heavy Sword, Deungnyongmun (Dragon’s Gate).

After the thrust, I naturally raised my sword and swung it upwards in a rough arc. But Master Moo-yeon effortlessly sidestepped and blocked the attack.

“Still going!”

Heavy Sword, Jangdae-bi (Torrential Rain).

After raising the sword with Deungnyongmun, I immediately gripped the sword with one hand and extended the other arm horizontally. Then, I used my extended arms to add rotation to my body.

The rotating sword fell like torrential rain. But it didn’t stop with a single strike. Twice, thrice, four times. The rotation continued endlessly, like a clown performing tricks.

“Hmm. Quite a heavy sword. You’re very skilled with Heavy Sword.”

But Master Moo-yeon looked suspiciously relaxed. Jangdae-bi is among the most advanced Heavy Sword techniques, making it also the most violent.

The downward strike with added rotation delivers a significant impact, and I unleash it in consecutive blows.

Therefore, not many people can withstand Heavy Sword, Jangdae-bi. Even if they were twice my size.

Yet, Master Moo-yeon had already withstood five attacks. Under normal circumstances, he should have dropped his weapon by now.

“You noticed pretty quickly. I thought it would take longer.”

“What did you do?”

“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you right away. Figure it out while fighting.”

Now, the offense and defense switched. Master Moo-yeon, having blocked all my attacks, launched his own with frightening speed.

His first attack was a diagonal slash resembling Balchosimsa (Cutting the Snake in the Grass). I hurriedly raised my guard against this attack that touched upon the essence of Fast Sword.

But at that moment, Master Moo-yeon flowed like water between our clashing swords, moving to my rear. Like a snake slithering over a wall, I was even more bewildered because I knew it was coming yet still got hit.

“Ugh!”

“Your back is exposed? I’ll gladly take advantage of that.”

Having taken my rear, he then assumed the same stance I had just taken. Heavy Sword, Jangdae-bi. I hastily turned around, my stance unsteady, and raised my defense.

Clang!

However, just once. With one collision, my legs gave way. How could this be? Last time, when I was learning Heavy Sword, it was my arms that troubled me, but this time it’s my legs.

“How did you do that this time?”

“Nothing special. The lower body is the root of the physical body. Therefore, planting your feet firmly on the ground gives you a significant advantage in attack and defense. We usually call this ‘stance’.”

It was such an obvious statement. Stance is important. And all stances usually begin with the feet planted on the ground.

“Ah, I see. The match was over the moment you got behind me.”

“Correct.”

Master Moo-yeon’s final attack was just an ordinary Heavy Sword. However, the subtle technique he used to get behind me before that was the key to his victory. And probably a technique I will have to master myself.

“I taught you Fast Sword as your first lesson, and Heavy Sword as your second. Now, the third lesson will be swordsmanship that controls the opponent’s stance and position.”

“Oooh, what’s the name of this swordsmanship?”

Learning something new is always exciting. Why?

Because the more I learn, the more avant-garde my swordsmanship becomes. I was so excited that my b@lls tingled.

“Flowing Sword. Yugeom (Flowing Sword).”

Holy sh*t, even the name is awesome.

“Pant… Pant…”

“Huff… Huff…”

Early morning. A week had already passed since the start of the 3rd floor’s quest, and my and Yoo Ha-na’s first task was completing the daily mission.

Waking up before sunrise, running 10km, doing other exercises, washing up, and then having breakfast had become a natural routine.

This is probably also due to <Inertia>. We chose to move, and unless there’s an external factor, our routine won’t change.

“Whew! Feels good!”

“Yeah. Want some water?”

“You go first, Oppa.”

I always notice this, but even when I tell her to bring water, Yoo Ha-na doesn’t when we exercise. She says it’s a bother to carry a water bottle while running.

…But I’m not the main character of some harem manga, and frankly, the reason she does this is so blatant it’s obvious.

“No, why are you looking at me like that… Is it strange to see me drink water?”

“No, your Adam’s apple moves every time you drink. It’s so hot that I can’t take my eyes off it.”

“Really… But I feel like I’m going to choke on my water, so can you tone it down a bit?”

“No, I can’t.”

I finished drinking and naturally handed her the water bottle. She blushed, and then, as if she had made up her mind, boldly put her lips on it and drank.

Wait, she’s blushing because of an indirect kiss? Is she a fourth grader?

“Ha! That’s better.”

“…Okay, now that you’ve rehydrated, let’s move on to the next exercise.”

After cardio, it was time for the three-part strength training set. But from a week’s experience, I knew better than anyone that the awkward situation following the indirect kiss was about to begin.

“Should we start with squats?”

“Yes.”

The first hurdle began with squats. The reason was none other than Yoo Ha-na’s outfit. She was wearing tight, black leggings.

“Hmm… Ha…”

“Seventy-eight, seventy-nine.”

The combination of her already firm hips and tight leggings was violent, almost brutal, and with the added lower body exercise of squats, I had nowhere to look.

“Ninety-nine… One hundred!”

“Finished!”

Still, squats were manageable. I could just sneak glances. But the next exercise, sit-ups, was truly dangerous.

“One… Two…”

“Hoo… Hoo….”

Due to the nature of sit-ups, it’s an exercise that must be done in pairs without equipment.

So, a situation similar to a scene from an old romance drama naturally unfolded.

Yeah… It felt incredibly cheesy, like I should be wearing a tracksuit hand-stitched by an Italian artisan.

The most dangerous moment during sit-ups was the intense eye contact made while lifting the upper body.

“Forty-one… Forty-two…”

Yoo Ha-na counted while resting her chin on my neatly clasped knees. She smiled brightly and looked at me with moist eyes every time I sat up.

That was all. But that was why I could feel the heat rising to my head. D@mn it. My face was probably bright red.

“Ninety-nine… Ninety-nine… Ninety-nine…”

“Hey… Ninety-nine is followed by one hundred.”

“Why? Just think of it as building abs. I’ll finish right after this last, last one.”

She even mischievously stopped at ninety-nine, not moving on to the next number. As if wanting to savor this moment a little longer, she wore a sly expression.

“Hoo. Hoo. Finished!”

“Next is push-ups, right?”

The last exercise was push-ups. Fortunately, push-ups weren’t as distracting as the previous two exercises.

That meant I could calm my slightly flustered heart and focus on the exercise.

“Oppa, wait, stay like that.”

Just as I was about to do 50 push-ups without a break, Yoo Ha-na suddenly stopped me.

“Now, tighten your core in that position. Okay?”

“W-what are you trying to do?”

“What do you think? Adding weight. Now, try again.”

And with that, under the pretext of adding weight, she lightly straddled my waist.

I started to feel the weight centered on my waist, and since the weight was concentrated in a specific area, my waist really hurt.

“Ha-na. Oppa, my waist, my waist is going to break!”

“Oh, uh… uh… How about this? Is this okay?”

Flustered by her own prank, she quickly lay down on my back, hugging me. It was strange, but since the weight was distributed more evenly than when she was sitting, it was just a bit heavy and comfortable.

“Is it better now?”

“Yeah, it is, but… Are you really going to do this?”

“Mm, no take-backs. Hurry up and do it.”

So, at Yoo Ha-na’s request, I started doing push-ups, feeling a little, no, very embarrassed.

Since morning was breaking, people were passing by, but she didn’t seem to care at all, clinging to my back like a cicada, refusing to let go.

“…This scar has healed.”

“It did heal quickly.”

While I was doing push-ups, she stroked the scar on the back of my hand. The wound I received while stopping her rampage on the 2nd floor had already formed new skin.

Then, she suddenly and silently scratched the scar lightly with her nails. A tingling sensation shot up my spine. She must have felt me flinch because a giggle escaped her breath.

I ended up doing 50 more push-ups than my target.