<THE DEMON LORD OF THE SWORDSMANSHIP FAMILY Chapter 58>
It goes without saying, but Park Ki-hyuk’s reputation within the Academy was not something that could be described as even remotely good—whether jokingly or otherwise.
How many incidents had he caused?
There was the time he nearly killed a professor who was conducting an evaluation, the time he threw punches at his group members under the guise of testing them, the time he manipulated Yggdrasil into forming a club, and not to mention the time he disbanded half of his group during the first midterm exam of his first year—just to name a few.
Truly, one had to question whether all these events could truly be attributed to a single person.
Park Ki-hyuk was a magnet for trouble.
Naturally, he ended up being flagged as a troublemaker by the professors.
“This is different! How is Park Ki-hyuk participating in the investigation team?”
“I can’t do it! How am I supposed to control that delinquent? I don’t have the confidence. Simply put, I can’t do it!”
“Park Ki-hyuk, Park Ki-hyuk… Groan, this is going to be exhausting…”
And it wasn’t just the professors; the seniors weren’t any different.
While some people may appear one way on the outside but are different inside, unfortunately for Park Ki-hyuk, this did not apply to him.
He was as reckless as his sharp appearance suggested and as unbending as the mountain he resembled.
In simpler terms, he charged ahead without hesitation.
And seniors?
Why? Does being older mean one becomes immune to blades? Do seniority circles form by age?
To Park Ki-hyuk, seniors were merely people who were born a little earlier—that was all.
Because of this, though he might observe general social etiquette, respect for seniors was something that one couldn’t find no matter how hard they searched.
This situation was best exemplified by an event one year ago, during the ‘Intra-Academy Ranking Match’ that Park Ki-hyuk participated in.
Open to all grades.
All weapons allowed.
One-on-one battles fought under unlimited rules.
The Intra-Academy Ranking Match.
This was an event where one could most clearly demonstrate their strength, and it was especially popular with the fourth-year graduating class, who participated to make a name for themselves before stepping into active duty. Indeed, the tournament was usually won by graduating seniors every year.
But things were different this time.
To summarize in one sentence:
Park Ki-hyuk started it, and Park Ki-hyuk ended it.
He demolished his first opponent and left even his final opponent in ruins.
Completely.
None of his opponents had ever walked out of the arena under their own power; all were carried out on stretchers.
That day, with the shocking conclusion of the Intra-Academy Ranking Match, Park Ki-hyuk became a cocky junior who showed no regard for his seniors—but simultaneously, one who couldn’t easily be criticized to his face.
“Hey, isn’t that Park Ki-hyuk? Isn’t he supposed to be amazing?”
“Did you not see last year’s ranking match? He’s not amazing—he’s a monster. He’s just… well, beyond the norm.”
“Is he also participating in the investigation? Why? What’s he lacking?”
“Tch, isn’t it proper to let the graduating class have the honors? He really has no tact.”
“Well, if you’re that annoyed, why don’t you say something directly?”
“That’s… a bit…”
What about his classmates?
They remained the same. After all, doesn’t trauma exist for a reason?
As the saying goes: “Those who’ve taken a hit know better.” Park Ki-hyuk had already earned a reputation among his fellow third-year students as an untouchable genius-level calamity.
“Park Ki-hyuk? It’s really him!?”
“Ugh, how dare he come here when he doesn’t even pay attention in class?! What’s his purpose?”
“I was here to build my track record, but… with him around, it feels like I’m destined to fail already.”
“Jin Yu-ri’s here too? Forget it. It’s better to give up early.”
“Being around them two might actually be… safer.”
“Your track record won’t be safe at all.”
Thus, Park Ki-hyuk was treated as either a dangerous figure or an icon of controversy.
However, would you believe that this same Park Ki-hyuk is quite popular among his juniors?
Even among the female juniors!
Hard to believe, isn’t it? But it’s true.
Take Kim Ha-ni, for example; she was one of them.
“Haa~.”
Kim Ha-ni stared dazedly toward the hill in the distance.
Filling her vision were insect-shaped monsters, Mantis.
Resembling praying mantises in appearance and human-sized, these Mantis reminded one of small trucks, and they had gathered disgustingly close together like ants around candy.
And there, amidst the Mantis, was a man wielding a black great sword, fighting valiantly.
None other than Park Ki-hyuk.
“He’s amazing.”
Tall stature, broad shoulders, a broad chest like the sea, and sturdy thighs like a transplanted pine tree — Park Ki-hyuk seemed to embody all the qualities of a true man.
If only all the traits of a man were squeezed together and pressed, wouldn’t Park Ki-hyuk be the result?
And, despite his outward appearance, he is warm to the ones close to him, isn’t he?
How could he be this perfect?
“Haha, coming here was a good decision.”
Kim Ha-ni first met Park Ki-hyuk a year ago, early in her first year, shortly after she had entered the Academy. She was given the chance to attend a second-year class, and there she met Park Ki-hyuk for the first time.
“Ah, Spring is sleepy.”
“Would Daddy carry you?”
“Yes, please!”
Park Ki-hyuk, who was listening to the lecture while holding Spring in one arm.
What? This is completely different from what I’ve heard!
At the time, Park Ki-hyuk’s image was not a good one in her eyes. Likely, it wasn’t just her; probably all the freshmen at that time felt the same way.
After all, his notoriety was well-known.
He was said to be foul-tempered, completely violent, and completely lacking in manners, relying on his family name to look down on others. There were countless stories about how he would hit someone just for making eye contact and how there wasn’t a classmate who hadn’t been hit by him.
Listening to such stories, you’d think he was a complete ruffian.
But the Park Ki-hyuk she saw with her own eyes was vastly different from those tales.
The eyes that smiled at the child were like honey flowing softly, and the hands that patted him were filled with kindness, not violence.
How could someone like this be a ruffian? The ruffians I know aren’t like this.
At that moment, Kim Ha-ni was reminded of a phrase her mother often said.
“I only believe in what I see with my own eyes.”
Indeed, mother is wise.
Of course, the part where she nagged Dad after saying this is a secret, but still, mother was right. Definitely right.
Perhaps because of this stark contrast, Kim Ha-ni strangely developed an interest in Park Ki-hyuk.
“Wow, is this how Ki-hyuk-seonbae looked during his first year?”
Just a little more…
“Auntie, what’s a Ki-hyuk set? All of this?! He really eats all of it? Excuse me, can you package this? Is packaging available?”
Just a little more…
“I found it… this is Ki-hyuk-seonbae’s knight… Hya~ Even seonbae was small when he was young.”
And one more time…
Like a bee seeking flowers, Kim Ha-ni gradually delved deeper without realizing it, until she unknowingly became a devoted admirer of Park Ki-hyuk.
But Kim Ha-ni wasn’t satisfied with this.
She was fundamentally a kind and empathetic woman, someone who knew how to share good things with others. If this goodness was something only she knew, it would be a sin.
If Dangun, our ancestor, had taught the spirit of Hongik Ingan—benefiting all humanity—then Kim Ha-ni wanted to spread the charm of Park Ki-hyuk to let everyone share in this goodness.
This resulted in the formation of the fan club ‘Little Giant.’
While the club had only six members, its spirit was as grand as Ki-hyuk’s chest, hence the name.
Kim Ha-ni was the first president of the Little Giant.
Thus, despite being a second-year student, she had somehow managed to join the investigation team, even though there was no real necessity for her to.
Of course.
With Park Ki-hyuk, who was usually more involved in external activities due to being an excellent student, it was rare to even see his face. Mostly, she had to rely on photos.
‘Ki-hyuk-nim is with me! Moreover, this is a raid! We’re hunting together, eating together, even sleeping together… uh…’
The thought of it was making her faint.
Would there ever be another chance like this?
Fortunately, Kim Ha-ni was a welcomed presence in any party or team as a noble healer.
Though it was difficult, she eventually managed to seize the opportunity.
And now, she was fortunate enough to witness Ki-hyuk-nim’s battle at the gate firsthand.
“Ah, wait! Look at me!”
Kim Ha-ni hastily rummaged through her backpack for the special item she had begged her parents, who were custom manufacturers, to secure for her—an item usable even inside the Gate!
The Magical Gem Camera!
“Good thing I brought this. Lululu~”
She attached a new lens. Her dad said it was expensive and hadn’t been used much, but today, she was in charge.
Hehe.
“Wow, it’s clear! The video quality is great!”
Kim Ha-ni smiled widely.
The camera was focused on Park Ki-hyuk.
“Hey, what’s that girl doing?”
“Who?”
“Her, filming over there?”
“Filming me?”
Even as he spoke, his sword didn’t stop.
With a chilling swish, the head of an insectoid monster called ‘Mantis’ was severed, and where it fell, an unpleasant green ichor sprayed out.
“Over that hill.”
“Over the hill?”
He quickly glanced behind while deflecting an attack.
Was she talking about that girl?
Indeed, according to Jin Yu-ri, there was a girl filming them from behind the hill.
“Maybe she’s just filming for the investigation?”
“No, she’s filming you.”
“On what basis?”
“Women’s intuition.”
“…You’re delusional.”
Just a moment’s glance; he then dipped and made a sweeping horizontal slash.
Swish-!
The Mantis were sliced in two.
Though insectoid monsters, mantises are famous for their sharp forelimbs but infamously weak defenses akin to paper.
A dull thud. His robust great sword cut clean through the waists of the Mantis in front.
And at the moment he folded his waist,
Jin Yu-ri’s lightning bolt came flying.
Zzzzit- The acrid smell accompanied the crackle as the Mantis in the rear were fried into crisp.
Back-to-back, the two of us stood.
“I don’t like this.”
“What don’t you like?”
“That girl.”
“Why now?”
While we’re working so hard, she’s idly playing with a camera?
No, this is a pretty normal reaction.
But the Jin Yu-ri I know? She wasn’t ever ordinary, and indeed, she wasn’t.
“That girl is only filming you! You belong to me! I had dibs!”
“Huh, after being quiet for a while, here you come again.”
“Come again? My passionate love is merely ‘coming again’??”
“Passionate love? Bah, you’ve been reading romance novels again.”
“Idiot! How could you not understand my feelings?”
“Don’t waste your energy unnecessarily.”
At the moment our eyes crossed.
We, whose backs had been touching, turned toward each other and fired off magic blasts.
From my hand, the fire spell ‘Flare’ shot out, and from Jin Yu-ri’s hand, another fire spell, ‘Fire Lance.’
Then, we spun around again, this time unleashing chain lightning, deflecting the Mantis’ attack with the blade of the greatsword.
Jin Yu-ri, utilizing ‘War Armor’ and ‘Drake Dragonian’ for rapid mobility, struck the Mantis’ weak spot—the back of their neck—with ‘Destroy Beam’ and immediately erected a shield.
The smooth combination flowed like water.
No words were necessary. Both she and I knew what the other needed.
Jin Yu-ri, with the ‘Eye of the Dragon,’ was one of the few people who could sense my mana fluctuations. She could sync with me without needing adjustments.
Because of that single fact, she truly was an exceptional partner. She allowed the ‘instinct’ buried within me to run freely.
‘Really, as much as I hate admitting it, it’s undeniable…’
I work well with her.
Matching rhythms was enjoyable.
With a smug smile, I tilted the greatsword.
For a moment, the ‘Hexagram’ magic seal engraved on the blade.
The slack muscles tightened up with a cry, and in that instant, Jin Yu-ri, who was hovering in the air, erected a shield.
Pushing my body to the extreme.
Crack!
Remaining calm-minded.
Crack-!
The inner space.
In this erased space where everything disappeared,
Power.
Only engraved the force.
Geomho-ryu’s Great Sword Skill
Great Earthquake
Nine Palaces
The ground shook violently.
Crack!
The ground crumbled.
In one direction, the earth rose violently,
And in the neighboring area, the ground sank.
Centered around the sword strike, the surrounding area was devastated.
Among the chaos, the desperate cries of the Mantis were swallowed by the disrupted space and suffocated away.
“Still unbelievable every time I see it. No one would call that swordsmanship.”
To be honest, that was an honest assessment.
If I were observing from the sidelines, I would have judged this to be a high-tier Earth magic spell, ‘Earthquake.’
But this was still swordsmanship.
Whatever the case, it was indeed swordsmanship.
“More importantly, that’s not the issue right now. Stop wasting time on trivial talk and stay focused. They’re coming.”
“Understood.”
“Did you prepare the footage? Let’s not bother repeating the work.”
“Of course, Lord Husband.”
Jin Yu-ri grumbled and floated into the sky.
I should prepare too.
I planted the greatsword into the ground and focused.
Thud…
The tremors traveling through the ground. Though faint, the amplitude gradually increased.
Thud… Thud…
It’s him. He’s coming.
Thud… Thud…
The reason we’ve been here dealing with the Mantis.
One of the culprits responsible for the chaos in this ecosystem.
The Sandworm, called the ‘Predator in the Sand.’
“KiiiEEEEK!!!”
“You take the head. I’ll cut the body.”
“Understood!”
