episode_0029

“How do you plan to split this?”

“Well, it’s not like I did it on purpose. I was just trying to put into practice what my senior taught me. I am also a victim here. If there’s compensation needed, we can handle it at our place…”

“Shut it. You’re too feisty.”

“Yes.”

Kim Taejin gazed at the rock precisely split in half.

A special rock not easily broken even by most A-rank hunters.

And he did this in just one strike?

‘Plus, he didn’t rely on any other weapons.’

That means he shattered it purely with his strength.

How on earth is his body capable of that?

Do they mix perennial herbs into their meals in Hukcheon?

‘I thought of teaching this cocky-looking kid a lesson and sending him off. But it seems impossible now.’

Kim Taejin hadn’t seen talent like this in a long time.

Even heroes need to sharpen their swords.

Letting such a guy go would be against his pride.

“Hey, kid. What’s your name?”

“I’m Kim Yujin.”

“Yeah, Yujin. That name is too common; I don’t like it. I’ll just call you kid.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Don’t talk back to me. It’s my prerogative.”

“That’s mean…”

Isn’t it an honor to be asked for your name?

Does this guy even realize that fact?

The more he sees, the more he thinks he’s a genuinely pure soul, unlike Hukcheon’s usual style.

‘Well, if this kid goes astray, then I’ll have to step in as a Hukcheon.’

Preventing a disciple from going down the wrong path is a master’s duty.

Who will blame her when that time comes?

With various justifications in her mind, she resolved to teach Yujin.

“This rock isn’t valuable, right?”

“I-Is this rock really that amazing?”

“It’s extremely expensive. Anything becomes very costly after passing through my hands.”

Yujin slumped her shoulders.

She was finally enjoying life, but then another mishap occurred.

Kim Taejin chuckled silently at her reaction.

“Anyway, if you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility.”

“Yes…”

“Don’t worry. It’s not that difficult.”

Kim Taejin kicked the rock lightly and said,

“Break this into smaller pieces and dispose of them in the nearby forest. Naturally, you have to do it bare-handed.”

“What, move this by hand?”

She wasn’t some Egyptian pyramid worker.

It’s too much to ask her to lift and throw such a rock.

“Why? Is breaking it easy but cleaning up hard?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“If you don’t finish by tonight, you won’t have dinner.”

Wow, is there such a devil?

He looks cute but acts like a villain.

He even cooks with his own hands!

“And starting tomorrow, intensive training will begin. Well, keep that in mind.”

Like a tsundere, Kim Taejin mumbled before leaving.

In her mind, she was already planning how to make him stronger.

****

“What? Receiving training from that woman! Are you out of your mind?!”

Lying down after laying out the blanket, a slime in her soul spoke.

Except for the girl, there was no one else to converse with in these mountains.

Slimes are creatures that get lonely more than you’d think.

Yujin was having more conversations with the slime than usual.

“I don’t have any particular thoughts, but she wants to teach me. Well, maybe it’ll be a good pastime?”

“Are you talking without knowing her skills?”

The slime was amazed at Yujin’s calmness.

Stupid, naive, or both.

“She’s that strong?”

“At least strong enough to kill someone like you with a gesture.”

Oh, I thought she was still a child, but she’s that powerful?

Indeed, a disciple of an S-rank hero is different.

If the disciple is this strong, how powerful is the hero?

“Ugh, I’m starting to dislike that nobleman named Kim Tae-jin more and more.”

Even if you don’t know, this hero named Kim Tae-jin seems to have a personality that can be trusted.

Nevertheless, considering he entrusted his disciple with training, maybe he isn’t entirely uninterested.

Yujin diligently spun the Wheel of Happiness.

– An hero training with the successor of Heukcheon. No matter how much I think about it, it’s clear there’s something else going on.

“A different motive?”

– It’s just a guise for trying to slit your throat under the guise of training!

“Oh, come on~”

Yujin chuckled softly.

What’s the point of killing someone like himself?

Moreover, if she wanted to kill him, she could have done so at any time.

Above all, despite pretending otherwise, the girl took good care of Yujin.

“She’s not as bad as she seems.”

– Hah, acting all innocent like a child. In this world, it’s either kill or be killed! Fools like you end up losing out!

The slime delivered a lengthy speech on human malevolence.

Of course, to Yujin, a human, it didn’t make much sense.

“So what do you want me to do? I can’t just say I don’t want to train now. I’ve even had my meal.”

– Indeed, it seems a bit late to run away now.

If only you hadn’t stood out.

Running away now would have led to an obvious pursuit.

And that girl has skills to spare.

After a moment of contemplation, the slime spoke in a serious tone.

– Anyway, seeing the effort put into you, I highly doubt they intend to kill you outright. It gives Heukcheon a reason to spare you.

“No, they won’t kill me.”

– Shut it and listen! If you die, I die too!

Initially, even if it was somewhat coerced, being Heukcheon’s successor seemed fine.

As Yujin and the slime spent more time together, the slime began to feel increasingly uneasy.

Can this naive blockhead survive in Heukcheon’s darkness?

If he foolishly gets stabbed, I’ll be saying goodbye to the heavenly realm too, right? Oh, screw this.

Even he must pull himself together and do things properly.

– As an hero, you can’t completely ignore public opinion. As long as they can’t easily kill you, they will likely try to use training as a cover to attempt to kill you.

“How can I die during training?”

– There are many ways. Assigning dangerous tasks, making you ingest poison. If they suggest sparring, it’s probably a ploy to make a fatal mistake.

Certainly, complete avoidance of responsibility is not possible.

However, the opponent is a current S-rank hero.

It’s somewhat ambiguous to punish them.

Furthermore, there are witnesses here, aren’t there?

There was no immediate way to confirm their mistake.

If he dies, there’s a high chance it will be buried without a sound.

– So get your act together! If you don’t want to die unexpectedly!

“Ugh, noisy. Are you my mother?”

– I’m doing this because I don’t want you to die! Get a grip!

“It’s okay. She’s not as bad as you think.”

“Did you hear anything I said? Don’t trust people easily, you idiot!”

“Yeah, I’m glad to have met you too. Good night.”

With that, Yujin went under the covers.

He was a bit tired today from moving rocks.

In the new kingdom, it’s best to sleep early.

“Ugh, seriously! This fool, idiot, jellyfish! A disgrace to Heukcheon, trash!”

The slime inwardly sighed in frustration.

To think that this naive fool is Heukcheon’s successor.

If it weren’t a matter of life and death for himself, he would have just pretended not to know.

– Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to protect the kingdom.

Looking at the moon shining in the night sky, the slime made that resolution.

****

The next day, Kim Tae-jin’s training began.

The problem was whether he was training Yujin or training the slime.

– Head! 12 o’clock direction!

“Huh?”

Yujin, who was happily eating mixed grain rice, raised his hand.

There was no particular recognition or reaction.

I simply moved reflexively according to the slime’s request.

*Splat!*

However, that simple action blocked Kim Taejin’s attack.

A chill ran down Kim Taejin’s spine.

“He blocked this too?”

This wasn’t the first time.

Since getting up to wash, Kim Taejin had launched sudden attacks repeatedly.

And every time, Yu Jin had managed to block them all.

Of course, it was all thanks to the slime’s efforts, but Kim Taejin was unaware of that.

“What kind of reflexes… No, is he habitually preparing for attacks?”

He thought he had aimed flawlessly this time.

Surely it wouldn’t be so easy to block.

Is he constantly on guard even during his daily routines?

“It seems he didn’t survive in Heukcheon just for show.”

Even as a successor of Heukcheon, without sufficient skill, one cannot earn respect.

Many, including officers, aim for that position.

It signifies the constant threat of assassination.

Having lived in such an environment, could that explain his sensitive reactions?

“Everyday life itself is like a scene of assassination. In some ways, he’s a pitiful guy.”

Look at him now.

Despite being attacked, isn’t he casually eating his meal?

Leaving everything aside, his mental strength alone could be considered S-rank.

“Oh, senior. They say not to bother even a dog while it’s eating.”

“I don’t bother dogs because they bark.”

“I can bark too. Woof woof!”

“Just finish your meal. You’re being noisy.”

Kim Taejin’s surprise attacks did not cease thereafter.

No, at some point, they couldn’t even be called surprises anymore.

Kim Taejin mercilessly began to assault Yu Jin.

“Head! Head! Chest! Stomach! Leg! Head! Side! Leg! Neck! Head again!”

“Aargh! I can’t move this fast! Can’t you just let me hit you once?”

“I’m aiming for your carelessness! Think you’ll die from just one hit!”

Yu Jin, reluctantly engaging in a duel with an S-rank hero, felt like he was facing death.

Of course, he was controlling his strength, so he never truly reached the brink of death.

“Hah! You really think you can block my attacks! This guy is insane. To reach this level at that age!”

How many duels had they gone through like this?

Unbeknownst to himself, Yu Jin began to grow stronger.

【Acquired the top-tier skill ‘Heavenly Void Fist’】

In a way that no one could have imagined.

What repercussions would arise from a Heukcheon successor learning the ‘Heavenly Void Fist’?

At that moment, Yu Jin had no idea.

And so, a week passed.