Ch.186Episode 37. Certification Exam (5)

“Oh my, how are you, elder?”

While wandering through the ruined city, I suddenly discovered an elder who was “pretending” to be trapped under debris. The elder looked around to check if there were any trainees nearby, then acknowledged my greeting.

“Ah! Hero Eugene. Hello? My grandchild is your fan, so I was wondering if I could ask for your autograph after the training is over?”

“Of course. I’d be happy to.”

From the beginning, I decided to move leisurely, thinking that if I moved too quickly, the trainees wouldn’t be able to develop proper practical instincts.

The battle had already begun, with explosions and cracking sounds coming from all directions without pause. It felt as if I were in the middle of a battlefield.

If Akcheon were to move, this kind of chaos would ensue.

Last time, the damage was less severe because he specifically targeted the Academy, but if he had advanced northward while destroying surrounding buildings and killing people, the damage would have been horrific.

It seemed necessary to clearly recognize that danger always lurked around us and maintain vigilance.

“Hmm.”

BOOM—!

I watched the flames shooting up with a thunderous sound. It was Gu Yeonhwa’s black flame.

“…Seems like they’re fighting around here.”

As I casually walked around, I heard familiar voices nearby.

I lightly ran toward the sound, and there I could see Yeon Muhui fighting a hero and Jeong Iyeon rescuing people.

So the kids have made it this deep, breaking through the heroes. They seem to have split into pairs of two.

Their choice not to go alone was commendable. However, not cooperating with other trainees and just going around as a pair would make it difficult to receive a good evaluation.

In large-scale training like this, a commander was absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they would likely flounder and miss the golden time.

There’s a limit to how many people a small number can save.

I glanced at the drone flying beside me. The spectators would have confirmed that I had now encountered the trainees. If so, it was about time I showed some performance from my side as well.

I wonder if that thing can keep up with my movements?

“—Even in training, it’s good to treat it like a real situation, but you shouldn’t kill.”

When I spoke, they reacted as if startled.

“Eugene…!”

Jeong Iyeon and Yeon Muhui raised their swords warily. They seemed tense even though I hadn’t done anything yet. With this attitude, they were already losing in terms of momentum.

Well, since they’ve never beaten me before, it wouldn’t be easy to create an image of victory.

Crack!

“No mercy today?”

I sparked electricity and closed the distance in an instant. Before they could even hear the sound of my feet pushing off the ground, I was in front of Muhui with my fist clenched.

Muhui’s eyes turned toward me a beat too late. My fist had already been thrown.

CLANG!

However, Jeong Iyeon stepped between Muhui and me, blocking my fist with her shield.

“Ugh!”

Of course, she couldn’t completely nullify the momentum.

CRASH!

Unable to withstand the force of my punch, Jeong Iyeon flew back and crashed into a building. Seeing dust rise from the building entrance, Muhui readjusted her sword.

She had decided that defeating me took priority over worrying about Jeong Iyeon.

“Who do you think taught you those forms?”

I know the forms of Yeonhwa-style better than anyone.

In other words, no matter how nimbly Muhui moved, she couldn’t help but reveal to me which skill she was trying to use.

“Yeonhwa-style – Hongwha Yeonmu.”

True to the name Yeonmu (mist dance), her movements were elegant like a dance.

The trajectory of her sword was so unpredictable and came from such blind angles that most heroes or villains wouldn’t be able to read it.

Clearly, this chain of attacks would make most opponents fall without even being able to fight back. Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t in the category of “most humans.”

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!

The sword and fist met in succession, creating continuous cracking sounds.

I read every trajectory and blocked every attack.

“Kuh!”

Muhui bit her lower lip and backed away from me. She repeatedly gripped and released the sword handle, catching her breath.

The impact of our clashes had been transmitted directly to her hand, nearly making her lose her grip.

“Too slow, aren’t you?”

“…Kuk!”

“At this rate, you’ll never reach your goal.”

* @ *

Muhui’s eyes widened at Eugene’s provocation. Her grip on the sword tightened firmly.

‘Anger is fine. But I can’t lose my reason.’

She took a deep breath and assumed her stance. Eugene grinned and beckoned with his hand.

“Come at me with everything. You won’t die.”

“Yeonhwa-style – Yeonhwa Ilseom.”

She closed the distance with a quick dash and swung her sword at his neck. A red sword energy threatened to cut into Eugene’s neck, but it never made contact.

Eugene had seen Muhui stop and had precisely gauged the distance, pulling his body back.

CLANG! CLANG!

Just parrying Eugene’s punches was overwhelming for Muhui. Each time she blocked his lightning-wrapped fists, her balance wavered.

“I’m not even serious yet. Are you going to fall from just this?!”

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

“Huff! Huff!”

‘I don’t even have time to blink.’

Struggling to block the punches threatening her life, Muhui felt hyperventilation coming on.

CLANG! CLANG!

‘I can’t win by taking Eugene’s attacks head-on. Then—!’

Muhui gave up on directly blocking Eugene’s attacks. She deflected his punches with her sword and counterattacked.

WHOOSH—!

“That’s better.”

After exchanging blows a couple of times, Eugene noticed that Muhui’s movements had become comparable to Yeonhwa Dragon’s.

‘She had fierce movements even before I taught her, and I knew she would someday surpass Yeonhwa Dragon, but she’s really gotten strong.’

With each clash of the sword, Eugene was impressed that Muhui was keeping up with his movements. Seeing her counterattack whenever possible, he recognized that she had truly entered the ranks of S-class.

CLANG! CLANG!

“Yeonhwa-style – Hongyu Hwaseom.”

A red flower drawn in the air following her elegant movements.

Eugene deflected the swords before the flower could be completed, but he couldn’t prevent its formation.

‘This one…! She’s mixing Hongwha Yeonmu into her movements to match mine?’

Hongwha Yeonmu and Hongyu Hwaseom were techniques with similar patterns. Since there wasn’t much difference in maintaining sword energy while moving, it wasn’t easy to distinguish between them.

“Ugh!”

Eugene dodged the incoming sword energy and wrapped his fist in lightning before releasing it.

CRACKLE!

The lightning roared as it burned through the red sword energy.

Muhui dove into the dust created by the explosion, closing the distance to use her technique on Eugene.

“Yeonhwa-style – Yeonhwa Seom.”

Muhui scattered sword energy around Eugene and sheathed her sword with her back to him.

CLICK!

Simultaneously, Eugene smiled as he charged both hands with lightning as sword energy rained down on him.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!

After destroying the raining sword energy with a barrage of punches, Eugene sighed.

“Huff… Not bad.”

Unable to deflect all of the dozens of sword energies that had rained down in an instant, Eugene had large gashes on his shoulders, thighs, and forearms. His suit was soaked with blood, but his body was rapidly healing.

“Huff…! Huff…! How are you… still alive?”

Muhui felt dismayed that even after giving it her all, she couldn’t reach Eugene’s level.

“I destroyed most of the sword energy you unleashed.”

“Is that even possible?”

“It is for me. If it weren’t, I’d be dead from that technique, right?”

Eugene answered casually as he clenched his fist and dashed toward Muhui. With her vision blurred from hyperventilation, Muhui couldn’t respond to Eugene’s approach.

“Then stay unconscious for a while.”

Just as Eugene’s fist was about to hit her solar plexus—

“‘Meteor Sword’!!”

Pure white sword energy rained down on Eugene’s forearm. He pulled his arm back and retreated just as the sword energy collided with the ground.

BOOM!

The power was incomparably immense. The ground caved in, and surrounding buildings shook.

“Heh.”

“Well done.”

Jeong Iyeon, who had stepped between Eugene and Muhui, spoke while catching her breath. Her once-clean white hair was now covered in dust, giving it a grayish color.

“Instructor Eugene…! No, Mr. Villain!!”

She pointed her long sword at Eugene.

‘Is that the reduced God’s Sword…?’

It was Jeong Iyeon’s second sacred artifact, which could freely change its size and form.

‘If that’s out, it means she’s currently in God’s Blessing state.’

Having instantly assessed Jeong Iyeon’s condition, Eugene clenched his fist and sparked electricity.

“Take a short rest. I can’t defeat Instructor Eugene alone.”

“Will you be okay?”

“For a little while. Focus on recovery now. You have potions, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll handle this alone for a bit.”

Jeong Iyeon felt power surging through her entire body as she gripped her sword tightly.

“Your spirit is good. But will you be alright? Do you think you can keep up with my speed?”

“Of course.”

She smiled confidently, then pushed off the ground with force to close the distance.

Her movement was so fierce it seemed like she had used the Flash Strike skill, causing Eugene to lose track of her for a moment. He deflected her sword as soon as she closed the distance.

CLANG!

Yet even after taking his punch head-on, Jeong Iyeon held her ground.

‘Yes. This is it…’

The reason Jeong Iyeon could survive against Eugene.

Her “God’s Blessing” skill could temporarily produce absolute power. It required sufficient proficiency to use effectively, but her current proficiency was more than adequate to face Eugene.

“You’d better prepare yourself. I’m quite angry right now because my back hurts so much.”