“The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Episode 22”
Level 6 Gate. The Fiery Nest.
A baptism of soaring flames engulfs the area.
An ocean of fire, stones melting from the heat, and a scene where all living beings are ablaze—all of this was his doing.
A creature with the head of a rooster and the body of a lizard, capable of instantly casting high-tier flame magic with just a glance.
It was the boss cockatrice.
“Hang in there! This is the last pattern. We’re almost done! Everyone, hold your positions!”
“Huff!”
Encouraged by the commander, the agents held their ground.
Their skin reddened from the intense heat. Despite trying to persevere with potions, it was beyond human endurance. Their bodies screamed as if scorched by severe burns.
The flames surged and the monstrosity roared—on the brink of an immediate clash.
Yet, the agents stayed steadfast. Their expressions remained unchanged as they awaited orders.
There was no wavering. They obeyed the commands perfectly.
Because we were the White Tiger Corps.
One of the top five strongest military units within the elite group known as Optimum.
“…”
Amidst the soaring flames, Park Min-ji took her position.
Peripheral distance: 45.5 meters.
Beyond the range of normal recognition.
Park Min-ji’s gaze was firmly fixed on the exposed neck of the cockatrice.
– White Tiger, get ready.
“Confirmed.”
The order was given.
She assumed the starting posture.
Spreading her stance, lowering her posture, and keeping her eyes focused on the target.
Her bangs scorched by the flames, yet she moved not an inch, her focus entirely on the cockatrice’s neck.
At the same time, she reached for her scabbard.
Between the white and black scabbards, her choice was the black one. From the faintly visible blade, a flowing crimson light emerged.
When Park Min-ji connected with the handle, sensing the touch while syncing with the sword—
– Min-ji!
Her breath paused.
Her eyes flickered open.
Her mana exploded.
Geomho-ryu Sword-Drawing Technique
Moonlight Slash
The space rippled, and everything in a straight line was severed.
The earth, the light, and even the space itself.
In the path of the moonlight, the cockatrice’s head tumbled to the ground.
……
…
As laborers hurriedly cleared away the cockatrice’s corpse, the White Tiger Corps, having endured a raid lasting five long hours, collapsed onto the ground, having long abandoned any care for appearances.
“Ugh~ I’m exhausted. Tired. That was tough.”
“Good job, Bitna.”
Park Min-ji patted the weary back of Bitna.
“Me? All I did was command. You did all the hard work.”
“Hard work? It’s something we all do.”
“All of us? Hmm~ So cutting off the head of a level 6 boss is something anyone can do, huh? Ah, I didn’t even know that! I was studying the patterns last night. Hmm~.”
“You… That was a slip of the tongue. Let it go, alright?”
“Kick, Min-ji is so cute.”
Park Min-ji and Bitna.
The duo known as “The Souls” had their bond begin when they entered the Academy.
The second child of the Swordsmanship family.
Park Min-ji, the “Rapid” swordsman, whose individual combat prowess surpassed her older brother Park Su-hyeok.
But she had one critical weakness—she lacked any command abilities.
That’s when Bitna stepped in.
With an extraordinary mind, exceptional social skills, and the innate ability to handle people, Bitna quickly grew close to Min-ji…
And this marked the beginning of the current White Tiger Corps.
“By the way, that sword seemed to perform pretty well, huh? For taking down large monsters, it seems even better than the ‘White Tiger.’ Wasn’t that the sword Ki-hyuk gave you?”
“Yeah.”
“For your birthday, right? Hmm~ You’re lucky, Min-ji. Having a brother who gives you presents.”
“What?”
Pretending as if it didn’t bother her, but a smile had already crept onto Park Min-ji’s face.
“You’ve changed so much I was surprised! Look at your shoulders—they’ve grown so thick! Your chest—so big! Your arms—about to burst! Hmm~ Is that really Ki-hyuk I know?”
“He was always big.”
“Hmm~ Imagine him, bear-sized, shyly apologizing saying ‘I’m sorry.’ Ah—Mom, what do I do? My heart skipped a beat! After all, unexpected charm is always the best!! I can’t handle it.”
Bitna looked seriously at Min-ji.
“Park Min-ji.”
“What?”
“Should we have a delicate conversation? Can we muster the courage?”
“What’s wrong with her? Hey, stop clinging.”
“Should I call him ‘Older Brother’?”
“… That’s a line you can’t cross.”
“Ki-yaah! How! You made me say it!”
Bitna, feigning embarrassment, lightly pounded Min-ji’s back.
“Come to think of it, our gentleman must be in the middle of his midterm exams now.”
“Who said he’s my gentleman?”
“Should I stop calling him ‘gentleman’ starting from today…? Alright, alright. Cruel woman.”
She shrugged and continued,
“First-year midterms. Kick, it brings back memories. How many ‘Coins’ did we collect back then?”
“637.”
“Hmm! I remember now! Five squads flew off under your control, didn’t they? As expected, you were ruthless from the start.”
“Let’s speak clearly. I only followed your words.”
Bitna, with her innocent facade which many people fall for, was actually a born strategist. The one who secretly devised a cunning scheme under the guise of the Academy being too chaotic was none other than Bitna herself.
Park Min-ji merely acted as the sword to implement her plans.
“It was fun, wasn’t it?”
“It was fun.”
The two laugh like mischievous hooligans.
The sight of more than half the class wandering around like wanderers had been quite entertaining.
“Most likely, this time will be even more fun.”
“Definitely.”
More fun.
Park Min-ji pictured the completely transformed figure of her younger brother.
*
It’s noisy.
“Uuuuhh, I’m done for. Re-tests in three subjects.”
“Which X-er said we needed to assassinate the hobgoblin? Look here. ‘When assassinating a hobgoblin, there is a high probability that the goblins receiving orders will go berserk.’ It’s written right here!”
“I don’t understand at all. Why should a superman bother with written exams? Isn’t it enough for him to just crush monsters?”
Very noisy.
“I’m giving up on the written exam. All-in on the practical! Squad leader! Squad members!”
“If we assume the practical exam scores just meet the average, it’s going to be a close cut-off. Phew…”
“Group 16! Group 16! Where is everyone? ‘Coins’ will be announced soon, so gather quickly!”
Some students cry over the test papers, while others laugh.
Group leaders are tense due to the upcoming practical exams. Some have already begun to bicker.
To summarize,
“It’s a mess.”
The lecture room, originally noisy, is truly unbearable today.
Unconsciously, my eyebrows furrow. Seeing this, Mary takes off her glasses and says,
“To me, this is normal. In fact, what’s abnormal is Ki-hyuk.”
“Why?”
“It’s the midterms. Shouldn’t Ki-hyuk feel at least some tension?”
“What’s there to be tense about? It’s just an exam. If you do your normal thing, that’s all it takes.”
“That’s exactly what’s wrong. Using ‘just’ as a modifier for an exam shows that Ki-hyuk is screwed.”
As I scratch my head, not understanding, Jung-woo, who had been silently listening, also adds his two cents.
“Even more so for the first midterms of first year. If we mess up, our group might be dissolved. It’s natural to be tense. Therefore, as Merhem said, this chaos is a very normal response.”
“See? Even Jung-woo agrees. Ki-hyuk is abnormal.”
“…”
“Is that so? Are you guys tense too?”
“Of course. Because we’re normal.”
Reflecting on Mary’s emphasis on normality, I let out a smirk after a brief moment of thought.
Of course, it could only be this way.
For someone like me who has lived for so long, can I really get emotionally swayed by a mere exam?
Even as I mingle with children and have become an 18-year-old youth, I am, in reality, a weathered uncle who has tasted the sweet, the bitter, and even the rotten aspects of life.
What’s new for them feels mundane and even tiresome to me. How can my senses not become dulled?
This is natural.
“Did you do well on the exam?”
“You’re asking quickly. What do you think?”
“Of course, you should have done well. How long have we studied theories together for you to master conjuring?”
“Pfft! Bad luck!”
“I think I managed to score above average.”
“At least it’s a relief.”
“Then can we expect some ‘Coins’ from you……”
At that moment, just as Mary was about to speak the word ‘Coin’, a shout of “Ding-Ding-Ding!!” set the lecture room abuzz again.
“Coins have dropped.”
“Ki-hyuk, what are you doing? Hurry up and check. Quickly.”
“Ah, okay.”
I raise my phone to check our squad’s coin count.
Coin.
A word that summarizes the midterms in a single word.
The midterms are split into two parts: individual written exams and team practicals.
The individual written exam is exactly that—exams. You write answers on the exam paper we all know and then submit it.
Conversely, the team practicals are much more unique compared to the conventional written method.
It all starts and ends with this coin.
“43 coins.”
The number of coins is measured by adding the number of squad members, the average score from the written exam, and any special bonuses from activities like Gate hunting or volunteer work.
We need to use our coins to compete against the other 19 squads.
During the exam period, we keep fighting to acquire the most coins.
In short, the coins are the stakes, which we need to multiply.
However, no matter how strategically we approach it…
43 coins… it’s small. Very small.
It seems the professors have played dirty, as expected.
“…?! Is this correct?”
“Check here. 43 coins.”
“Ehhh, it’s real? This is ridiculous. How many Gates did we hunt again? Which squad hunted more than us?”
“That’s right. Even those lazy people have 80 coins.”
“Pfft. It doesn’t matter if you confront me.”
“Let me check anyway.”
“There’s no need to confirm unnecessarily.”
Ignoring my words, Mary picked up her phone and, after some time talking to Grandfather, she grumbled with irritation.
“Tasks given by Yggdrasil were categorized as club activities! And because there were only three people involved, the numbers were too low. That’s unfair!!”
“…”
“What nonsense is this?”
The two fuming students were already red in the face, ready to blow at a moment’s notice.
I watched them silently, chin in hand.
As mentioned before, but I had already anticipated this. I also mentioned earlier how the envy of adults is relentless and ugly.
And,
‘Not exactly forgiving, is it.’
Surely, after all the fuss, they wouldn’t pass the opportunity to nitpick.
It’s an undeniable fact. After reconsidering, those 43 coins seem quite generous now.
“Hmm, still, they seem to have given the written test scores properly.”
“Ki-hyuk, you’re clueless! Does that matter now? 43 coins! 43 coins!”
“Keep your voice down, Mary. Others might see.”
“It’s fine. I’ve cast a blocking spell. Mary, say what you feel.”
“IIIIEK!!”
Mary vents her frustration freely. After slight filtering, the essence is ‘Why did you make enemies with the professor and create this mess?’
There’s a valid reason why Mary is so upset.
During the midterms, we’ll bet our coins on duels.
And when the midterms end, groups with no remaining coins will be…
Dissolved.
The group will be dismantled.
Of course, the scattered group members will be dispersed like queenless bees.
Mary dislikes this. She doesn’t want to be separated from her newly made friends.
“…What do you plan to do?”
“Just don’t lose.”
“Ki-hyuk!”
“Ehhh~.”
I stretched fully, and as I stood, the whole lecture room came into view.
“Isn’t it too cramped here?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said.”
I’ve long felt this, but it’s just too cramped.
“In this cramped space, 20 groups are gathered. Tsk, why are you all packed like an ant colony? I can’t sleep because it’s too noisy.”
At the very least, you should be able to sleep, right?
Does 20 groups really make sense?
“Half.”
Ten groups would be much more spacious, wouldn’t they?
“Let’s try cutting down by just half.”
While enjoying the astonished stares of the two friends, I stood up.
