The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 23
Teens.
A time when instinct takes precedence over reason, and action overthought.
A transitional period wavering on the edge between maturity and immaturity.
Looking back, I was no different. Why wouldn’t I have been? There was that fleeting thought when I believed the world revolved around me.
That was when I was a teenager, right? During those years, I truly thought I was the main character of some novel. No matter what trials came my way, the protagonist would always succeed, wrapping things up with a “Happily ever after.”
As a teenager, I always dreamed of a rosy future.
Reason? None.
Why? I don’t know.
But I dreamed—recklessly.
Looking back now, it was quite reckless. What was I thinking then? To be so reckless without a clear reason?
That’s teenagers for you, I guess.
Confidence built on nothing, thinking you’re the center of the world.
Acting with such recklessness that you’d struggle to replicate it if given the chance.
Sticking something in your mouth to realize it’s either poop or fermented soybean paste—you’ll learn eventually.
Justifying everything to no end.
So, I decided to teach them.
As an adult, as a senior in life’s journey, I wanted to show them how vast the world truly is and how tough life can be.
I could feel trembling through our clasped hands.
“That’s enough. I have no interest in shaking hands with some random guy in black.”
“Uhhhhhh…”
“Come on, put some effort into this. Weren’t you so confident about your strength?”
“UUUUUUGH!!!”
Currently, I’m engaged in an arm-wrestling competition with none other than the deputy leader of group eight.
His name was Kim… something. Even I’m terrible at remembering this kind of thing. Still, he’s a well-known student in the first year for his considerable strength.
Even while struggling like this, he’s considered a promising prospect.
I’ve heard he went toe-to-toe with Pae-ung’s son, and after testing him, I can say that’s not entirely exaggerated. His abilities and specs are commendable. Everyone around him likely praised him endlessly, leading to his current overconfidence.
So, it’s time for this elder to set him straight.
An eye for an eye, strength for strength.
“Yawn… just out of boredom, until when will this continue?”
“Uuuuuurgh!!”
“Trying too hard to poop? Relax, I’ll teach you how to get beat properly soon enough.”
“UUUUUGHHH!!!”
“Listen, just using brute force will only hurt you. Focus your strength on a precise target, anchor your weight. Observe.”
My previously motionless hand began to move. Slowly and naturally, I pulled it toward my body. The other side’s hand followed like an S-pole magnet naturally drawn to an N-pole.
The face of my opponent, who had been exerting all his strength, turned ghostly pale.
From the perspective of someone who always claimed to have unchallenged strength, this must be a disgraceful and humiliating spectacle.
However, listen up.
“Listen up. If you feel humiliated or disgraced and let your gaze wander, you’ll stay exactly where you are. Nothing more.”
“…!!”
“One last showcase. Pay attention.”
Begin with introspection.
I observe myself. Coordinate the muscles, and perfectly control the body.
Then—
“Define your target.”
From the left arm up to the shoulder and chest, the muscles align.
Then—
“Concentrate your strength.”
Creeak!
The tendons crackle like rubber being squeezed, while the left-arm muscles swell explosively.
Finally—
“Anchor your weight.”
The hand, which had been still, slowly began to move inward. Despite my opponent trembling and resisting with every fiber of his body, my hand continued moving forward as calmly as if nothing mattered.
Finally—
Kwang!
The hand met the floor.
“How was that? Not too hard, was it?”
I extended my hand, waiting for the tuition fee.
5 Coins.
The next match was a magic duel.
No joke. A genuinely foolish individual challenged me with magic.
“Typically, teenagers, I see.”
Seeing only what they wish to see, believing only what they want to believe.
Even though I can indeed use magic, I boldly claimed that I excel more in it than in swordsmanship. Still, shockingly, a surprising number of people keep challenging me to magical duels. An overwhelming amount.
Day by day, the challenges have been so frequent that I stopped feeling annoyed.
The most absurd thing?
Some are so substandard they barely deserve the title of magician.
Take this spell flying at me. Terrible. Actually horrifying—this Wind Cutter.
It’s immediately blocked by my Shield and vanishes without a trace.
“This is impossible!”
What’s impossible about it?
The child unleashed another spell in frustration: Air Bomb.
A common spell among mages where compressed air explodes, known for its ease of use and rapid casting speed.
Other spells followed, like Wind Fist, Wind Wall, and various attacks—all aimed at breaking my shield.
The common denominator? All wind-elemental magic.
“Wind attribute, huh?”
What’s the greatest advantage of the wind attribute?
It’s intuitive when you consider its source—the wind.
The wind is fast. And it’s invisible.
Speed and subtlety.
From casting to activation, in terms of speed it surpasses other attributes. Combine it with wind’s transparency, and you’ve got a deadly and invisible weapon at all times.
This is why it’s a specialized attribute for combat between individuals.
Many magicians choose wind attribute as their ultimate ace to cut off their opponent’s breath.
Yet this guy—
“What self-confidence makes you stay rooted in one spot while using magic?”
When he should be dashing or even flying, he’s glued to the ground as if it were his own living room.
At least if his physique were trained, this would make sense.
But what he has going for him is nothing but layers of fat. If I set my mind to it, I believe I could break his spine with just one well-placed strike.
“Even laughter feels meaningless.”
He lacks fundamentals.
Sure, let’s overlook talent and skill. Even effort, we’ll let that slide. I’ll overlook it all.
But the least he could have is an understanding of the attribute he employs.
His key advantage is speed, but what good is speed when it’s blatantly obvious where the attack is coming from?
Just watch those frantic movements of his hands. Forming such blatant magic circles—there’s no fool out there who wouldn’t see it coming. I initially thought it was a deceptive trick, but—
Of course, it wasn’t.
It was my mistake to expect anything better from him.
This kind of overt magic circle construction? The concept of subtlety is long gone. Once you know when the magic will be ready, subtlety itself is irrelevant.
So, my conclusion—
“You need a good lesson.”
A sound punishment might snap him out of it. Exercising will help, shed some weight, and you might even have a shot at love someday.
Am I too kind, really?
You need to thank me as a human being. Because from here on out, I’ll be giving you life lessons no one could afford at a price.
Snapped my finger.
At that instant, shadows fell over the ground.
“What… what is that?”
“What else? Real magic, of course.”
The sky was blocked by a shower of Dark Arrows, a basic dark-attribute spell. A salvo of educational arrows rained down.
15 Coins.
*
The minimum bet for duels at the arena is 5 coins.
A challenger must have at least 5 coins to challenge, the defender accepts the challenge, and the duel occurs on a one-to-one coin basis.
But if the opponent seems weak and you’re absolutely confident in a win, wouldn’t you want to bet more coins—10, even 20?
That’s possible too! The 5-coin minimum isn’t mandatory; you’re free to bet 10, all your coins, or however much you wish.
On the other hand, if you lack confidence in beating the opponent? You could negotiate, or simply offer 5 coins and avoid the duel.
Here’s the catch.
Is it possible for multiple challengers to pool their coins and face a single defender?
Absolutely, yes.
As in the situation before me right now.
“Cover your eyes! Set up the formation!”
Spells and arrows, javelins—long-range attacks rained down. Ice Spears resembling icicles froze my shield, explosive arrows filled the air with thick smoke.
While these various spells obstructed my vision, tanks and melee attackers formed an encirclement.
But strangely enough, I can still see everything.
The out-of-place dot in the midst of the blue sky, the so-called “Third Eye” of observation magic.
Magic Eye.
“Nice view.”
The front opens up before me like a viewing platform.
Be it the ranged attackers unleashing everything they’ve got, the heavily armored tanks sprinting toward me covered in sweat—
A unique aspect is the significant number of spectators present.
Perhaps because I’ve already gained attention and created ripples of rumors after soundly defeating my adversaries; these days, my duels have been drawing a lot of interest.
Hmm, the attention feels quite rewarding.
I smiled contentedly while observing the children beneath, when—
Huh? Someone’s looking right at me.
“Ah, you’ve noticed.”
Precisely observing my Magic Eye, there she is.
Lead of Team 1: Jin Yu-ri.
The young lady of the Jin-ryong family, always mentioned alongside my family as one of the top clans in Korea, if not the world.
Jin Yu-ri, winking—not at me, rather at my Magic Eye itself.
Kid.
“Cute.”
Smiling fondly, I redirected my attention forward.
And casually extended my hand behind me.
“Ughhhh!”
“You’ve got some nerves.”
Where did you sneak up from? Just as I caught his head and glared directly into his eyes, I instinctively dodged sideways.
Swish!
An arrow passing millimeters from my nose.
“Hmm… piercing the shield?”
While I internally marveled at the shot, the ground suddenly collapsed beneath me with a deep rumble. Then, like a snake hunting prey, iron chains snaked toward me.
Thus began the combined assault.
“Ah… I see.”
Understood.
A sacrificial pawn, you are.
Using you as bait to upset me while planning the next step, huh?
“Cute kids.”
As a proper elder, I should reward your efforts properly, then.
I threw the person in my grasp far away and dissolved my shield.
“Come on.”
Let’s play.
Ko-ong!!
I crashed into a shield with my shoulder, feeling the cool metal against my skin for a brief moment before another tank rushed from the right, like a bulldozer crushing through. Meanwhile, someone to my left seemed to be monitoring me for backup.
Their formation was remarkably organized.
This was definitely different from the chaotic idiots who charged blindly at me before.
I trembled from head to toe.
Thrills surged through every toe.
Excitement.
Yes, I’m thoroughly excited.
In every blow exchanged, there’s an exhilarating feeling of youth aiming to topple me.
“Excellent!”
A brawl ensued.
I threw punches at the blocking shield, twisted and captured the hammer descending from above, dodged a sword aimed at my back, and followed with a swift roundhouse kick, shattering the armor of someone else behind me. Just as another spear was thrust toward my back—an attack so relentless that it seized even the tiniest gap.
Dodging hurriedly wasn’t an issue, but the injury was unavoidable. bl**d trickled down my arm.
“Terrific!”
Smiling broadly, I threw myself into the battlefield once again.
Bows and spells hurled from afar, various colorful attacks, but they’re meaningless—I’m lost in the moment.
With my bare skin, I endured all the magic spells.
My once-fine clothing hung in tatters.
The physical attacks and the blunt impacts, the sound of metal clashing, the whooshing air escaping as shields ruptured, the acrid smell of sweat, rapid breathing, and the intoxicating scent of bl**d.
This is what it all comes down to.
Isn’t this what it means to be a man’s battle?
Elation! Joy! Oh, happiness!
“Indeed, battles like these, free-for-alls, are truly the best, aren’t they?! Hahahaha!! Bring it on! Bring it all on!”
Perhaps my enthusiasm overwhelmed these kids.
Groans of frustration began resounding everywhere.
Monster… human or not… this isn’t a duel; it’s more like a raid, isn’t it?
Amid these varying evaluations,
Even the captain over there sighed audibly and eventually signaled a retreat.
“We’re shifting to Plan B. Don’t get emotionally involved! Stick to the plan. Avoid direct combat. Tanks, stand fast and stick to the drills. Just follow the routine! Let’s go!”
Who was that again? Captain of Team 14?
Faded from my memory, but his assessment seems decent. The fighting spirit is there.
The melee units that were clinging too closely before began retreating, slowly stepping back while maintaining forward focus. Well-trained.
As if raiding a large monster, a wall formed from Tower Shields emerged.
“Bravo.”
A round of applause for their swift movement.
Another round for the perfect execution of their battle formation.
Indeed, these kids didn’t just enter the academy by chance, eh?
I’m suddenly curious. Is the defense solid?
Let’s test it.
With small, hop-scotch-like steps, the moment my thigh muscles explosively swelled up—
“Snap it with all your might!”
“Whaaaat!!!”
A deafening explosion shook the air, and screams emerged from behind the shields.
“Hmm, acceptable.”
Though they were pushed back, they didn’t fall apart. That alone deserves praise.
The formation is effective. With three tanks blocking horizontally and melee attackers filling the gaps, the attackers’ entire field of view is obstructed. Information blackout, so to speak.
There’s also an in-ear piece near the ear. Now I understand why I couldn’t hear the loud battle cries.
Thus, it’s confirmed. The kids didn’t treat this as a trivial duel. They outright assumed me to be a boss monster and prepared a raid party to take me down.
With a loud whistle signaling, the formation surged forward.
The sole target—me. A single prey for the raid team to hunt down.
“Cute.”
Then I should give you a proper response in return.
Worthy of your effort.
Raid force for raid force.
“Hey, kids!”
Crack! Snap—Snap!!
Space shattered. The ordinary world fractured, revealing darkness underneath.
And from that swirling abyss of darkness arose my race.
Skeletons.
The Demon Lord’s army had awakened.
