<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 24>
The Sword Master and the True Dragon.
These two families, without a doubt, represent Korea.
‘Physical Sword Masters, Spiritual True Dragons,’ the two families excel in swordsmanship and magic, respectively, earning respect as traditional powerhouses in their fields.
However, what happens when a mountain has two masters? Conflict is bound to follow.
And when those masters are a tiger and a dragon?
It transcends simple awareness, inevitably leading to fierce competition.
Indeed, the clash of dragon and tiger.
It’s mistaken to think there’s no tension due to their different fields. Considering mutual respect and recognition of each other’s territory as a form of compromise is another big misconception.
There’s always the drive to outpace the other.
Knowing how exceptional the other is spurs the desire not to lose, transcending mere likes and dislikes.
It’s about skill. Purely proving oneself through skill. This is the pride of a prestigious family.
They are true rivals engaged in friendly competition.
For this reason, any member of the True Dragon family must inevitably become familiar with the Sword Master family.
“There is only one family in the world that compares with the True Dragon: the Sword Master.”
“Popular belief portrays us as the Magical True Dragon and the Sword-wielding Sword Master, but that only scratches the surface. Just as we True Dragons control mana to channel magic, the Sword Master treats the sword as a trigger.”
“The sword tiger. It’s a trigger that transforms them into the world’s most lethal predator.”
Tiger, predator, combat maniac…
Jin Yu-ri had heard these stories since childhood, whether she wanted to or not, until they were etched into her ears.
That might be why. Somewhere along the way, she started to wonder.
What exactly was this Sword Master family that was so guarded by the elders of her own home?
A knight dedicated to justice? A swordsman endlessly honing themselves?
An animal obedient to instinct? Or a bloodthirsty killer?
The seeds of curiosity that had originally budded grew exponentially, turning into interest, and eventually, even creating strange expectations for someone whose face she had never even seen.
Then, the first time Jin Yu-ri met the Sword Master, Park Ki-hyuk.
To be honest, she had her concerns. Wasn’t it true that Park Ki-hyuk caused quite a bit of controversy due to Mana Deficiency Syndrome?
However, Jin Yu-ri herself was no stranger to suffering. As a child, she was isolated from the world, experiencing the boundary between life and d*ath numerous times; a deeply injured girl.
The past is the past.
What’s important is the present, after all.
And because of that, she hadn’t given up hope.
Ultimately, Park Ki-hyuk did not disappoint her.
‘Wow……’
Beyond expectations! Beyond imagination!
What she imagined could never compare!
A stature surpassing 2 meters, a body honed like iron, with an almost otherworldly proportion.
His piercing eyes held both savagery and intellect, and his rugged facial lines were undeniably masculine.
‘… So cool.’
The Jin-ryong family, known for its many handsome men and beautiful women.
Who said it? DNA is great. Any descendant of the Jin-ryong bloodline, direct or collateral, possessed remarkable beauty.
However, beauty has its categories. The Jin-ryong family had traditionally delicate, elegant beauties—often referred to as flower princes and princesses.
Indeed, even Jin Yu-ri, while sitting at a café, would be mistaken for an idol or actress countless times.
But the Sword Master, Park Ki-hyuk!
He was entirely different.
Compared to the stick-thin men she had seen in her family, Park Ki-hyuk radiated masculinity so strongly that they would look like malnourished scarecrows in comparison.
“Wow… look at those muscles. He’s not just a beast-like man, but just a pure beast… No, a predator!”
“He’s a block of pheromones. It’s impossible not to be drawn in.”
“Isn’t that even more appealing? He seems untamed, like a fierce predator.”
The transcendent physical body elevates what would otherwise be above-average faces into a miraculous masculine beauty.
Above all, what makes this man stand out uniquely is this.
The untamed beauty of the predator.
That’s why it’s so fatal. So potent. Carelessness could easily lead to addiction.
Perhaps it had already happened…
“Kyaa! What am I going to do!!”
She kicked her covers off.
Yes.
Even Jin Yu-ri, the mainline descendent of the Jin-ryong, was also a typical teenage girl who would melt at the sight of adorable kittens and giggled at fluttering leaves.
So what if it’s just about looks?
What about swordsmanship? About abilities? Where are they?
Is that something that really needs to be said?
Everyone knows it already, right?
A calamity has appeared!
That was what the first-year students at the academy called Park Ki-hyuk.
Who knows what Park Ki-hyuk did to become a disaster among superhumans, in a place where only elite students gather?
It began with Team 14.
“I’m Team Leader Choi In-su of Team 14. I challenge you.”
The always confident Team Leader Choi, known for belittling Park Ki-hyuk’s power, challenged him with confidence to a 20-coin bet.
And he lost.
He was utterly, embarrassingly defeated.
Without even being able to initiate the magic or martial arts combination skills he normally boasted about, the team leader found himself rolling on the ground.
If it had ended there, it would have been a common match.
Even though embarrassed and ashamed from the failure, it would have just been between him and himself, as no one else truly cared.
But then Park Ki-hyuk whispered something to the deflated 14th team leader.
“You guys only have how many coins? 68? That’s it? That’s not much. You might end up in the lower ranks… No, no, I’m not mocking you, it just looks tough for you.”
“And I have an idea for a trade.”
The conditions and the numbers could be chosen however they wished; however they wanted to battle was fine.
So…
“Why don’t we gamble all of it? One more round?”
Demon! A demon has appeared!
The offer was impossible to refuse.
It was too tempting to reject with those 68 coins staring at them from right in front.
And so began the 13 vs. 1 battle.
Team 14, having perfectly synchronized roles of tank, damage dealer, and healer, took to the field with members who were known to work the best together. They equipped themselves with real, battle-ready artifacts, approaching the bout as if it were a real combat mission.
However…
They lost.
Again.
When ranged magics and defenses were crushed by a shield, they still fought on. When tanks and melee fighters were rolled in the dirt, they still thought they stood a chance. Even when skeletons appeared, dismissing them as mere toys, they thought they had the upper hand.
How wrong they were.
“Wh-What? Shield! Shield!!”
“Help me! Hurry… Aahk!!”
The skeletons clung to the tanks’ armor, immobilizing them before unleashing surprise flank attacks. The broken skeletons regenerated from the blind spots and continued their assault. They attacked pressure points with alarming accuracy and even threw dirt in the air for surprise strikes.
There was no gaming a fight when they were willing to fight to the d*ath.
It was over.
The battle.
Team 14.
“Don’t be too disappointed. You just had bad luck. Things will get better soon, you’ll see. You’ll have plenty of similar company soon.”
Thus began what came to be known as “The Park Ki-hyuk Raid.”
Park Ki-hyuk offered 120 coins, a number that would launch the victor straight to the top rank. It was too tempting a target not to jump on.
Teams 6 and 11 eventually fell to the temptation and challenged him.
Especially Team 11, boasting the largest number of members among the first-years with 41 warriors.
These students raised their swords with the single-minded determination to pass the midterm exam by taking down Park Ki-hyuk.
And they failed.
Miserably. Scattered like dust in the wind like Team 14 before them.
By the third day of midterms, a week-long event including weekends, three teams were already dismantled.
All at the hands of one man: Park Ki-hyuk.
In the face of this irresistible terror, the students whispered, day after day:
A calamity has appeared.
Ding Dong~
Opening the door to the school cafeteria, the air suddenly shifts.
Moments ago a cacophony of noise, the cafeteria fell eerily silent as everyone turned their eyes in unison toward me.
Hmm, should I greet them?
“Good morning?”
Gulp.
Absolute silence reigned.
Intense, trembling eyes stared my way.
Though no one spoke, their thoughts seemed audible.
A disaster’s here! d*mn, I just sat down! Hey, eat fast!
Don’t have coins? Do you? You go ahead. No, let’s go together.
Is this what silence amidst chaos feels like? The room was dead quiet, yet it felt busier than a market street.
And then…
Hustle and bustle!!
The boys who were there fled abruptly.
A cold wind swept unhindered through the otherwise empty student cafeteria.
“Still, isn’t it true that you need to see to judge?”
It must have started when I dismantled those three teams. That’s when the students began avoiding me.
How many times had I asserted myself, saying I was strong?
Never intending to hide my abilities, my results in tests should have proved it.
But even after my warnings, there were still quite a few dimwits who insisted on tagging me with the “Mana Deficiency Syndrome” or “incompetent” labels.
Yet now,
Look, problem solved in one fell swoop.
There won’t be any bold fools labeling me as having Mana Deficiency Syndrome or being “incompetent” from now on. It feels satisfying to have unraveled the knot.
“Disaster, disaster. It has a certain ring to it.”
It’s quiet. They ran away.
No need to wait in line. Of course, since I’m alone.
This expansive student cafeteria felt lonely, but fear is another form of reverence.
A supreme being must revel in solitude.
I, this body, was a man who knew how to enjoy his solitude.
“Calmness makes me nostalgic. I like it.”
Back when I was known as the Demon Lord, it was just like this. My peers avoided sharing meals with me.
Except, of course, for the Saintess. She was a unique case, a rare exception.
Alone in the cafeteria, I walked slowly toward the counter.
“Hello, ladies.”
“Ah, here’s Student Ki-hyuk. We were wondering why it got so quiet.”
“Ki-hyuk, you look great. How do you keep getting more manly? Do you have a girlfriend? Shall I introduce you to someone?”
“You’re talking nonsense again. Come on in, Ki-hyuk. Would you like your usual set today?”
“Yes, please. As much as you can give me.”
“You can always trust on us. We’ll make it extra filling. Kids, Ki-hyuk set!”
The Ki-hyuk set.
A fancy name but nothing more than:
Today’s entire menu served all at once.
Let’s see… Today’s menu consists of eight different kinds, like the dolsot bibimbap set and the moodeum gas set.
Most people would pick one, right?
But I just order all of them.
Why stick to one when there’s so much food to enjoy?
I’ve continued this practice ever since the start of the semester, and at some point, the ladies started calling it the “Ki-hyuk set.”
Naturally, my friendly demeanor around them, unlike how I act outside, holds significance. It’s always polite to show respect to the people who serve your food.
The women, energized and bustling around…
“Eat well.”
“Thank you. I will.”
The dishes placed before me.
The crispy golden fish gas, topped with finely chopped tartar sauce, beckons invitingly.
Whoa, mouth-watering. Time to eat and teach it a lesson.
“Right. Hold on.”
Almost forgot. I set down the kn*fe and took a picture of the food with my phone.
Why do insiders these days seem to make uploading photos of food a strict guideline?
“Today’s #.breakfast.”
#EatLightly #Notovereating #YesToGoodTasting #EatingWell
But honestly, I only do it for mom. Since she wishes to see my everyday life this way, it’s her son’s duty to oblige.
Not soon after posting, mom’s message comes through: “Our son seems to be eating less, please don’t skip meals even if your stomach feels off~ (Heart bear)”
Now, that’s done.
Time to eat!
You, you’ve been so aggressive. I immediately bit into the fish gas with an audible crunch.
When the fish gas starts to feel a bit greasy, take a hearty bite of dolsot bibimbap. Its spicy-sweet flavor bursts like fireworks.
Now, here comes the important part. If exposed to such intensity for too long, the palate can dull.
Balance is key in anything. After overloading the taste buds with richness, cool it down with the egg sandwich.
Comfort…
Fish, pork, eggs.
A perfect harmony of land, sea, and air, culminating in a truly perfect combination.
“Good, good.”
As I always think, gastronomy triumphs here.
Compared to the coarse foods of the empire era, this place is practically paradise. I can’t believe I missed out on such joy. It makes my life back in the empire seem pointless.
Chomp chomp.
Crunch crunch.
I’m still hungry.
Hungry despite eating.
I’ve eaten far more than half, and still, my utensils show no signs of stopping.
In the meantime, the door opened, and the students came in.
Here, “students” refers to those standing by the door and stealthily observing my actions, not the ones who are already here.
Like Mary, dressed head to toe in designer gear, saying:
“Good morning, Ki-hyuk. It’s quiet today, nice as always.”
And Jun-woo, in his pajamas with bells and whistles, already lined up by his bowl.
“Moodeum gas, Moodeum gas…”
I smile warmly at them.
“Come on in.”
My young friends.
…
…
“It’s time to pay for your food.”
My finger points at the kids who are glancing my way.
“Go ask them.”
