Chapter 72: Acorn Slash: A Crash Course in Pain

“Professor, hello.”

“Um! Welcome! Let’s train hard today too!”

Whoosh!
Professor Huriju greeted Sion, wagging her fluffy squirrel tail.

This was her professor’s research lab… or rather, her private training ground.

“From now on, every Thursday afternoon! I’ll be teaching Sion the Yulseo Sword Style!”

“…Please take care of me.”

Sion held his wooden sword and took a stance.

Her sword style was useful.

Especially since he had received one of the famous ’13 Master Swords,’ he couldn’t take it lightly.

Sion wanted to learn the sword properly while he was learning.

‘Training right after Black Magic Club… It’s not easy.’

After being tormented by Professors Granshar and Kaela.

He ate lunch and arrived straight at Professor Huriju’s training ground.

It was a pretty tough schedule, but Sion couldn’t erase the smile from his face.

Because he would finally learn how to wield a sword today.

“Today, I’ll be teaching… ‘Acorn Slash’!”

“Acorn… Slash?”

“That’s right. It’s one of the sword techniques that forms the basis of the Yulseo Sword Style. I’ll give you a demonstration!”

Swoosh!

Professor Huriju drew her sword.

Last time, he learned the ‘Yulseo Step,’ which embodies the unique movements of rodents.

Sion’s expectations grew even higher as he thought he would finally learn a proper sword technique.

“Now! Open your eyes wide and watch closely!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Professor Huriju began to show a bizarre movement.

A strange movement that seemed to be cut off.

That was the footwork that could be said to be the basis of the Yulseo Sword Style, the ‘Yulseo Step.’

And… she, who had been holding the sword still, began to swing it.

Swaeeek—!!

“…!”

Sion watched her sword, forgetting even to blink.

Unlike the rather cute name of ‘Acorn Slash,’ the sword technique was nothing short of beautiful.

A splendid swordsmanship that seemed to dance a sword dance.

Despite the violent movement of the body, the sword drew smooth, fluid curves in the air without hindrance.

“Hoo… That’s the demonstration.”

“…Amazing.”

“Hahaha! Thank you for the compliment. I’ll explain a little more about Acorn Slash!”

Acorn Slash.

Unlike the Yulseo Step, which pursues momentary speed,
the technique was a swordsmanship that did not resist the movement of the body, but moved according to inertia.

“Have you ever heard of a chaos pendulum?”

“Ah… Yes. I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s that kind of feeling.”

“……?”

Professor Huriju’s explanation was insufficient…

But Sion had actually seen a chaos pendulum.

An acquaintance had decorated it as an interior item in his house.

The chaos pendulum is a unique pendulum in which two rods of different lengths are attached in a ‘T’ shape.

As the name pendulum suggests, when you hit the rod, it moves back and forth like a pendulum…
The movement cannot be predicted at all, so it was named ‘Chaos Pendulum.’

“So… you’re saying that you don’t resist the unpredictable movement of the Yulseo Step… and attack the opponent erratically?”

“Good summary! Sion, you’re quick to understand.”

“But if you leave everything to the movement of the Yulseo Step… I think it will be difficult to attack as you want or defend against the opponent’s attacks.”

Relying on eccentricity also meant that he could not handle the sword as he intended.

In effect, it was no different from swinging a sword wildly.

It was the same as giving a sword to a balloon doll he saw on Earth.

Professor Huriju answered his question.

“The chaos pendulum relies on 99% uncertainty. But the Yulseo Step is not like that. It moves with will.”

“…Yes?”

“Swing your sword at me. I’ll block it.”

Seeing is believing.

Sion immediately took a stance.

It was faster to understand by looking.

He swung his wooden sword at Professor Huriju as it was.

Clang!

“…!”

Professor Huriju blocked all of Sion’s attacks while using the Yulseo Step.

Professor Huriju blocked no matter where he attacked, up, down, left, or right.

She didn’t even evade once.

The secret was in the Yulseo Step.

“…Are you adjusting the inertia with the Yulseo Step to defend?”

“That’s right. You move your body with the Yulseo Step so that the sword can move in the desired trajectory.”

“That’s an absurd skill…?”

If we bring the example of the balloon doll from earlier…

The balloon doll on Earth moves eccentrically according to the wind blowing from below, and the arm moves accordingly.

Professor Huriju was saying to swing her arm by adjusting ‘the movement of the body’ herself.

It was easy to say, but it was actually a highly difficult technique on the level of hitting an arrow with a whip.

[Skill Name: ???]

[School: ???]

[Attribute: ???]

[Tier: 3rd Circle]

[Description: ???]

[You have witnessed a combat skill of a higher circle than your own.]

[All information except the tier of the combat skill is restricted.]

‘…I somehow learned the Yulseo Step, but I can’t learn the Acorn Slash.’

It was only the second skill he was learning, but it was already 3rd circle.

It wasn’t the kind of skill Sion could learn.

Of course, Sion’s heart was still at the 2nd circle.

He couldn’t learn combat skills of a higher circle than his own just by watching.

“Now, let’s try it!”

“…Can I learn it?”

“I barely learned it through painful practice. So Sion can do it too! Come on, let’s try it!”

“Yes…”

Sion began to swing his sword without enthusiasm.

He swung his sword with the Yulseo Step, but of course it was clumsy.

It was only natural since it wasn’t added to the Combat Skill Compendium.

“Hmm… It seems like you can’t get a feel for it.”

“Heok, is, is that so? Heok…”

“Aha! I have a good idea.”

“…Yes?”

Swoosh.

She took out her sword.

It was a wooden sword, not a real sword… but the fact that she was holding a sword was enough to make his spine tingle.

Sion began to step back without realizing it.

“Um? Where are you going?”

“Yes? No, it’s nothing. More than that, why the sword…”

“I have a close professor in the Academy’s Combat Department. That professor once said this.”

Professor Huriju smiled brightly.

“Some students feel the teachings from the threat to their lives!”

“…!”

“I’ll try it on Sion too!”

Swaeeek!

Professor Huriju’s wooden sword flew indiscriminately.

‘You crazy btch!’

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Sion was busy avoiding the attacks by exerting extreme concentration.

He couldn’t do the Acorn Slash, but he could use the Yulseo Step.

But Professor Huriju increased the speed of the sword with a grinning face.

“Why is that? You can’t learn Acorn Slash by only evading without swinging your sword!”

“Ugh, ugh!!”

Sion gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

“You’re putting too much strength into it! You have to take out the strength and put in only the minimum amount of strength necessary. Otherwise, your muscles will get tired quickly!”

“……Heok, heok.”

“Entrust your body to the sword.”

Swaeeek—!!

The wooden sword barrage didn’t stop.

He could tell just by the chilling sound of cutting through the air.

If he got hit, it was clear that it wouldn’t end at just the level of pain.

‘How am I supposed to learn a 3rd circle skill? What the… Huh?’

In the blurred vision driven to the extreme situation.

A translucent window flickered before his eyes.

[Skill Name: Aco○n Sla○h]

[School: Yulseo S○ord Style]

[Tier: 3rd Circle]

[Description: ???]

[You have witnessed a combat skill of a higher circle than your own.]

[All information except the tier of the combat skill is restricted.]

[You can acquire combat skills through skill usage efforts.]

[Current Acquisition Rate: 86%]

[All information except the description will be revealed.]

[You can acquire combat skills when you reach 100%.]

‘…Acquisition rate?’

Sion’s eyes widened at the concept he was hearing for the first time.

Until now, he simply thought that he could acquire skills if they were 2nd circle or lower engraved on his heart, and he couldn’t acquire skills if they were 3rd circle or higher.

But Sion’s expectations were shattered.

‘That’s right. This is natural.’

The corners of Sion’s lips slowly rose.

Because he had been getting magic or combat skills by ‘just watching’ so far.

He had forgotten the obvious fact.

Whether it was magic or combat skills… he could get them through effort.

And finally.

“You shouldn’t think about other things during battle!”

Professor Huriju’s wooden sword flew at an unavoidable angle.

Sion was also looking at the wooden sword.

Just as Professor Huriju’s wooden sword was about to strike Sion’s forehead.

Clang—!!

Sion’s sword accurately penetrated the gap.

The two wooden swords met at a perfect timing.

Sion rotated his body as it was and completely parried the attack.

“Haaap!”

“…!!”

Clack! Clack!

The offense and defense were switched with that one exchange.

The Acorn Slash was unfolded smoothly with the Yulseo Step.

It was still clumsy, but it was definitely the ‘Yulseo Sword Style.’

“Haaaap!!!”

“Eungat!”

Thwack—!!

With a blow with all his might.

Professor Huriju was hit right in the forehead.

…Huh? Hit?

“…P, Professor?! Are you okay?”

“D, Daram…”

Professor Huriju grabbed her forehead and teared up.

He swung it with all his might without realizing it, but he never imagined that she would get hit like that.

Could it be that his strike was that sharp?

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s not. It’s my fault. I could have blocked it, but I got hit.”

“Yes? Why on earth…”

“I was too… too happy.”

She smiled even while holding her forehead.

“I’m so happy to have a talented student who learns so quickly in just one day…”

“……”

“I wish I had met you sooner so I could have taught you more! I’ll tell you as much as I can to make up for it!”

“…I’ll cast healing magic first.”

“You can use healing magic too? Please.”

Hwaaa!

Sion put his hand on Professor Huriju’s forehead.

The swelling that was about to rise disappeared as it was.

Sion looked down at his wooden sword while healing her.

‘I really did it. Acquisition of a 3rd circle combat skill…’

Until now, he had only tried to acquire magic or combat skills of 2nd circle or lower.

Because he could acquire them just by looking, so there was no need to make an effort.

But even skills of 3rd circle or higher can be learned through effort.

‘Maybe… If I learned it in one day, the learning speed will be faster than ordinary people.’

If it’s 2nd circle or lower, he acquires the skill just by looking at it.

If it’s 3rd circle, he acquires it by putting in effort for a few hours.

If it’s about 4th circle, wouldn’t he be able to learn it in a day or a few days?

Even though it was slower than learning by seeing, it was an incredibly fast speed compared to ordinary people.

‘If it’s this, it’s possible. Getting stronger.’

It is impossible to raise the circle overnight.

But acquiring 3rd and 4th circle skills is possible with effort.

Sion’s face was constantly smiling as he realized that fact.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

As if the pain had already flown away, she got up energetically.

She also had a smiling face like Sion.

But Sion felt a chill for some reason when he met her eyes.

…What is this ominous feeling?

“It seems that Sion learns faster in a life-threatening crisis!”

“…Yes?”

“So let’s keep sparring! If you keep dodging and hitting the sword, you’ll get stronger!”

Step.

Professor Huriju approached Sion.

Sion stepped back from her without realizing it.

“Ah… I, I want to do that too, but I’m also lacking in stamina, and I have a little muscle pain…”

“You can drink a stamina recovery potion for stamina. You can use the healing magic you used earlier for muscle pain.”

“……”

“Why is that?”

Professor Huriju took a step closer as Sion took a step back.

A drop of cold sweat flowed down Sion’s cheek.

The sweat hung on the tip of his chin and then fell to the ground.

“I’m, I’m sorry!”

Tadat!

Sion turned around and ran away as it was.

“Aha, are you training in a running away situation this time? Good! I’ll count to 5 and start!”

“Hiiiik!”

“5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Now!”

Tadat—!!!!!

Professor Huriju chased after Sion with a genuinely happy smile.

Sion had to run away from her with all his might.

…In the end, he had to continue training by dodging and countering the sword.