Chapter 20
The premonition of Class C’s teacher came true.
“Haaap!”
As a prospect who received considerable interest from the Association, Park Si-Woo proved his skills brilliantly. He moved secretly yet quickly around the three leeches as he made his way through the swamp, rolling here and there, ducking in and out of the water to void the leeches’ ambush.
In only twelve-and-a-half minutes, Park Si-Woo emerged on the other side of the swamp, spitting out mud and breathing heavily.
The excited Class C students cheered.
“Wahhhhh!”
“Amazing! As expected of a red potential!”
On the other hand, the Class B students’ responses were strange.
“Is that fast?
“Well… There are monsters, so maybe he had to move more carefully than usual.”
“Still, the movements of the leeches are larger than I expected. There are ripples every time they move. I think it’s enough to just read their traces.”
“Indeed. Kang Jae-Hyeok’s kick is much more secretive than those leeches’ attack.”
The Class B students whispered in quietly. They didn’t want to dampen the happy atmosphere of Class C.
The Class C teacher smiled as he adjusted his glasses.
“Seeing how quiet the students of Class B are, it seems they are rather nervous. Don’t worry. Si-Woo is one of the best students in my class. No one here who will laugh at you if you aren’t as good as him.’
“Ah, yes,” The Class B students replied. This was one of the best in Class C? They glanced at Jae-Hyeok with a look that said, What the hell are you?
The Class C teacher misunderstood the students’ behavior. “It seems the students in Class B want Jae-Hyeok to go first?”
Who would be favorable toward Jae-Hyeok? He was a fallen noble who leeched off an aristocratic stipend even though his siblings were criminals who staged a coup. And with his bad behavior, many students probably saw him as a thorn in their side. It made sense that they would push him in front to contest with Park Si-Woo’s record.
“Jae-Hyeok, go wild,” Kim Jin-Myeong said bluntly.
“This stage is too bad to go wild,” Jae-Hyeok replied calmly as he stood before the swamp.
The section of swamp where the leeches were released was short, only around three hundred meters. However, the moment a person stepped into the swamp, their body would sink, and they wouldn’t be able to move fully. The resistance was hard to endure, so covering the distance wasn’t easy.
The homeroom teacher of Class C laughed insidiously.
On average, it took sixteen minutes for his students to break through the swamp, and that was without monsters. With the three leeches present, the average time would be more than twice that.
Park Si-Woo had broken through in only twelve-and-a-half minutes.
The next student who stepped up was bound to be compared to Park Si-Woo and humiliated.
Kang Jae-Hyeok wouldn’t be able to stand it. He would probably ask why he was sent up after Park Si-woo as if to humiliate him intentionally. Angered and embarrassed, he would go on a rampage.
“Huhuhu… ”
“Teacher Gu?”
If I contribute to the expulsion of the Yaksha’s son, it won’t be a dream to enter the Association’s headquarters. I can stand above most of the other members.
“Excuse me, Teacher Gu.”
“......?”
Class C’s teacher was envisioning a bright future when he suddenly came to his senses.
Kim Jin-Myeong was staring at him. “Who are you going to send out from Class C next?”
“Hah, do I need to decide that already?” It would take around forty minutes for Kang Jae-Hyeok to return so he could take his time to find a volunteer... Huh?
The teacher of Class C was stunned. Jae-Hyeok was standing at the destination on the other side of the swamp.
He was calm and clean compared to Park Si-Woo beside him, who was still gasping and covered in filth.
Kim Jin-Myeong told him, “Jae-Hyeok has already arrived.”
“T-this is ridiculous!”
Kang Jae-Hyeok finished it so quickly? He must’ve cheated.
Class C’s teacher was about to deny it vehemently when he suddenly shut up. He saw the reaction of his Class C students, who stood half-mesmerized.
“What is he, a grasshopper? He used the leeches as stepping stones, flying sixty meters with each step. Does that even make sense?”
“Is that the original way to break through the swamp?”
“No. Don’t copy him carelessly. The leeches would quickly suck you dry and mummify you,” the Class C teacher said.
Dammit, was Kang Jae-Hyeok’s low-level Skill a movement Skill? he wondered.
“Teacher Gu? You don’t look good. Should Class B proceed first?”
“Y-yes.”
After that, the students of Class B broke through the swamp without difficulty.
Despite the persistent interference of the three swamp leeches, they took an average of ten minutes.
In particular, Park Hae-Rin succeeded in stepping on the leeches to jump and reached her destination in just six minutes.
“Oh, you’re pretty good.” Even Kang Jae-Hyeok praised Hae-Rin. He was usually kind to her. She was someone with no particular flaws to criticize.
However, Lee Jin-Seong and Du Bae-Su misunderstood it.
“Even that devil can show a decent expression.”
“Park Hae-Rin is pretty. Her family is good as well.”
“Don’t I have a pretty face?” A voice suddenly interrupted the two of them.
“Uh? You are Cheon Hye-Ji... Um... Ack! Why did you hit me? Do I look like Kang Jae-Hyeok?”
The Class B students were chatting in a good mood.
On the other hand, Class C seemed to be in mourning. The speechless homeroom teacher stood there like a stone statue while Park Si-Woo gritted his teeth and blushed with shame.
Under this atmosphere, it would be rare for the rest of Class C to show their abilities properly.
The Class C students jumped into the swamp without the teacher’s advice or encouragement, only to flounder. They each gave up after being threatened by leeches.
Jae-Hyeok’s arrogance soared into the sky. “The students aren’t at fault. As expected, a good teacher is the most important thing.” Naturally, he was talking about himself. He was saying Class B’s outstanding skills were purely due to him.
Even the other Class B students admitted it. Through their joint training, they realized that Jae-Hyeok’s usual bullying had helped them a lot.
The pride of Class C’s teacher was thoroughly trampled on as he thought, I, a teacher from the Association, am worse than a teacher from a guild?’
His arrow of anger was directed toward Park Si-Woo.
Things had reached this point because Park Si-Woo made the first wrong step. He glared at Park Si-Woo with eyes that clearly expressed this thought.
His teacher’s contemptuous gaze was a catalyst for Park Si-Woo’s anger. He shouted, “I won’t admit it! If I knew from the beginning that we could move using monsters as a springboard, there is no way my result would be worse than Kang Jae-Hyeok!”
Jae-Hyeok called out, “Lee Jin-Seong.”
“Uh?”
“What is my record?”
“One minute and seven seconds.”
“......”
Park Si-Woo’s mouth dropped open.
One minute and seven seconds?
Was that a record that a student could set? Wouldn’t even Class A have a hard time?
No, if Jae-Hyeok could do it, then he could do it as well.
Maybe it was a simple task if he used the leeches as springboards. What if? Even if he couldn’t beat Kang Jae-Hyeok’s record, he would at least be faster than the other Class B members.
There was nothing to lose in trying again.
“You over there! Get out of the way!”
Just as Park Si-Woo was about to jump into the swamp, an urgent cry came from the direction of the forest.
Everyone turned to look, and they all saw it.
Dozens of swamp leeches were swarming toward them.
“Oh.” Was the proper training finally starting? Jae-Hyeok’s eyes shone while the other students screamed in a confused manner. Park Si-Woo reacted in the same way. He was frightened and floundered. He lost his footing and fell into the swamp.
“H-Help me! Pffft!”
“Your actions never cease to amaze me.” Jae-Hyeok looked at Park Si-Woo like he was pathetic.
Splash!
Suddenly, Kim Jin-Myeong jumped into the swamp. He reflexively threw himself in to save a student. The hesitant Class C teacher looked at him before fleeing with the students.
“Steady yourself! Hurry and get up!”
Kim Jin-Myeong managed to pull Park Si-Woo up. The big man’s agitated rampage caused him to sink deeper into the swamp, but he didn’t care. He was focused on saving the student.
“T-thank you!”
Si-Woo grabbed a protruding stone and struggled to get out of the swamp.
His shaky eyes contained hesitation.
There was a swarm of leeches right behind him. If he reached out to Kim Jin-Myeong, he could die from having his blood sucked out. If that was the case…
Park Si-Woo closed his eyes and hurried away from the scene.
Then suddenly—
"......!"
He met Jae-Hyeok’s gaze. Standing calmly nearby, Jae-Hyeok had been watching Park Si-Woo instead of fleeing like the others.
Park Si-Woo shouted at him angrily, “Shit! Don’t I have to survive first? If I die, Kim Jin-Myeong’s sacrifice will be wasted!” He’d shouted as hard as he could, hoping to shake off his own feelings of shame and guilt.
“Who said anything?” Jae-Hyeok said. He didn’t blame him. Helping others was the privilege of the strong. The weak stepping forward meant they would just die a dog death. It wouldn’t be a noble sacrifice.
Park Si-Woo was weak.
The same was true of Jae-Hyeok. It was impossible for someone who hadn’t awakened to fight against dozens of monsters in their terrain.
However, Jae-Hyeok never gave up. He knew if he did, there would be no end to it. It was that mentality which allowed him to push his limits for eight years and seek to avenge his father.
He was also born as an heir of the Kang family.
An aristocrat.
Aristocrats were those who stood at the top of society because they were strong. In other words, they had a duty to be strong for others, even when they stood before insurmountable odds—even when they were weak.
“Kang Jae-Hyeok! Why aren’t you running away?”
Even though Jae-Hyeok was still weak, it was his duty to shoulder the responsibility of an aristocrat.
“Run away quickly,” Kim Jin-Myeong repeated.
Jae-Hyeok reached out to Kim Jin-Myeong, who was too deep in the swamp, to help him climb up.
He could feel the leeches approaching, but his dark eyes were so calm that they felt peaceful. He asked, “Why aren’t you holding on?”
“Don’t make me laugh! What teacher would put his student in danger to help himself?”
“I’m not just a student. I’m a duke’s son.”
“What?”
“I have a duty to protect the people.”
Jae-Hyeok had been living on his aristocrat’s stipend all his life. Now it was time to pay for the meals he’d received.
Splash!
Kim Jin-Myeong continued being stubborn, so Jae-Hyeok jumped into the swamp. Before he landed, he struck three times. Three streaks of sword light sliced off the leeches clinging to Kim Jin-Myeong.
“Kang Jae-Hyeok! You fool!”
“I know, but what can I do? I learned it from my father.”
Saving a person in danger.
It was a principle of action that had been engraved deep in Jae-Hyeok’s mind and body. So deep, in fact, that he’d only become aware of it now.
Jae-Hyeok laughed as if dumbfounded and threw Kim Jin-Myeong up and out of the swamp.
Simultaneously, a huge shadow fell over Jae-Hyeok’s head, and dozens of leeches poured into the swamp.
[Your hardships now include duty, justice, and sacrifice.]
[They are concepts that run counter to the hardships of hatred, killing, and revenge that you have endured.]
[This has a significant impact on the awakening of a new Initial Skill.]
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