Chapter 14
My master often emphasized a certain phrase:
“Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.”
Human beings are inherently self-centered. When a problem arises, it’s usually due to a clash of perspectives. So, just switch perspectives. If you think from the other person’s standpoint, the problem often resolves itself more easily than you’d expect.
And it really works. Just like the old man said, changing perspectives can solve most problems.
Human relationships are no different.
Merhem is someone who sees the world more with her mind than with her body. A classic type of magician. When persuading such a person, you need to approach them with a clear, well-thought-out plan.
But what about Han Jun-woo?
He’s the opposite—a person who views the world more with his body than with his mind. A classic warrior or martial artist. How do you approach someone like that?
You communicate through the body. You start with a punch, shed some blood together, and have an intense, physical conversation. Before you know it, you’ve convinced them.
Just like now.
“How did you do that just now?”
“You’re telling me to charge in head-on?”
“This applied move is…?”
“Ki-hyuk! How much longer do I have to run?!”
It seems like something strange got mixed in there…
In any case, the guy who couldn’t say more than a few words before now talks three times as much after an intense bout.
That’s what body communication is all about. Old man, you were right.
Once communication opens up, the rest is easy. All I need to do is pass on the knowledge I’ve learned.
Surely, no one would doubt my ability to teach Han Jun-woo swordsmanship at this point. A perfect necromancer is a magician, a warrior, and a commander all in one.
Do you know how many sword techniques I’ve ‘acquired’? Teaching a mere fledgling is nothing!
“Sometimes, swordsmen criticize dual wielding as lacking substance, but that’s nonsense. Dual wielding is actually the most versatile way to use a sword. Watch closely. This side is used like this, and the other side like this.”
“This isn’t the swordsmanship of your family… Hmm, let’s just say I made it up.”
“Oh, Merry, you’ve finished running? Great, go do 10 sets of squats over there.”
I’ve mastered a truckload of martial arts, from the ‘Imperial Swordsmanship,’ considered a basic in the Empire, to the ‘Getchart Killing Arts’ used by mercenaries, thieves, and pirates living for the day, and even the ‘Emperor’s Sword & Shield,’ created solely to protect the Emperor.
Of course, I can use all of them, and it’s only natural that the skeletons can use them too.
Do you now understand why I was called the Demon King?
So, the swordsmanship I taught Han Jun-woo is called the ‘Sword of the Stars.’ The name might sound a bit childish, but the person who created it was anything but childish.
The Sword Star (劍星).
Some call him the ‘Sword Maniac (劍狂),’ a man utterly obsessed with the sword.
As a bonus, the ‘brutish, lowly, and torturous training,’ as Merhem describes it, that she’s currently undergoing was devised by that mercenary king.
While teaching these two, I made sure to take care of my own training.
“Ki-hyuk! You’re a demon! A demon, I tell you!!”
”…I don’t understand.”
“What? That Merry screams during training? That’s not unusual.”
“No, I’m talking about you. Your swordsmanship, the more I see it, the more abnormal it seems. Generally, swordsmanship should balance offense and defense, but your style… completely omits defense.”
“Oh, you’ve got a good eye. Let me give you a hint: I don’t need to defend.”
“You don’t need to defend?”
“That’s right. Hmm, am I using this correctly?”
“Why are you asking me about your bloodline ability?”
“I’m new to this, remember? Hurry up and take a look. Oh, I forgot to refill the curse.”
“Argh! I’m going to kill you!!”
”…This is chaotic. Truly chaotic.”
Through Han Jun-woo, I reviewed the experiences of my past life and acquired new skills in my current life. Through Merhem, I further solidified my soul.
Of course, there was also some enjoyment along the way.
While I spent this fruitful time in various ways, the days passed, and soon, the big event at the academy, ‘Club Season,’ was upon us.
“As the spear utilizes the advantage of reach, the sword boasts overwhelming versatility in terms of convenience and utility.”
The professor stopped and drew his spear. But why did he have to do it right in front of me?
“What are you doing? Raise your weapon.”
“Yes, sir.”
I shrugged my shoulders and lifted my sword.
The professor visibly flinched, likely because he intended to demonstrate the spear’s superiority in reach and distance control, but the sword in my hand was just as big and long as the spear.
“Do you use a greatsword?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm… That’s problematic.”
The professor glanced between the spear and the greatsword, then shook his head and moved on. The unfortunate classmate he chose next shot me a resentful look.
Why not use a greatsword yourself? I chuckled to myself.
Soon after, the sparring session between the professor and the classmate began, drawing everyone in the area like bees to honey.
As you can see, this class blends theory with practice, making it one of the more popular courses even though it’s not a required subject.
From my perspective, it’s a valuable course.
If the weapon arts of the Empire were developed for human-to-human combat, here on Earth, the weapon arts have evolved for large-scale monster hunting in gate raids.
These differences reflect cultural characteristics… In other words, I’m using this course not just to study weapon arts but also to research the culture of this world.
”…And that concludes today’s lesson. Now for your assignment.”
Suddenly, the entire class fell silent.
“As with last time, the assignment is ‘real combat hunting.’”
“Awww—.”
“Professor!”
“But this weekend is club recruitment week~.”
The students protested, but the professor remained firm.
“I understand you’re excited about the clubs, but you’re academy students. As future Hunters or Knights, neglecting real combat training is out of the question. Team leaders, don’t forget to submit your gate entry records to the assistant. Any absences will result in penalty points for your team, so be mindful.”
After the professor left, there was a collective sigh of resignation.
“What do I do? I have a club welcome event this weekend, but now I’m booked solid with hunting.”
“At least you’ve chosen a club. I haven’t even decided yet.”
“Can’t the team leader do something?”
“No can do. Remember what happened last time when we tried to skip by sending a substitute? Everyone must attend. No exceptions.”
Clubs…
Along with midterms, finals, the school ranking competition, and festivals, clubs are one of the five big events at the academy.
To me, they seemed like mere social gatherings or networking clubs.
At first, I couldn’t understand why something like a social event was considered a major academy event.
But after looking into it, it turned out to be quite interesting.
“Really? You joined ‘Gureumi’? That’s part of the ‘Blue Sky’ line, isn’t it? So jealous!”
“Sigh… I think I didn’t make it into ‘Zeus.’ I was hoping to get in.”
“Hey, Hyun-joo, let’s go together. If I’m with you, they said they’d let me in. Please!”
While teams foster cooperation, clubs are like microcosms of society. Depending on the network, people support and push each other, which also helps in the ‘recruitment market’ during the festival period.
Rumor has it that some clubs even offer scholarships based on ability, so it’s no exaggeration to say that your future could change depending on which club you join.
“Have you decided on a club, Ki-hyuk?”
“Not sure yet.”
“Aren’t you leaning towards Optimum?”
“Yeah, Ki-hyuk. Optimum is all about ‘Living Joyfully, Morning with Energy,’ right?”
“What? Living Joyfully, Morning with Energy?”
”‘Living Joyfully, Morning with Energy,’ the academy’s only band club.”
“Who came up with that cheesy name?”
“Your brother.”
”…Now that I think about it, it’s a pretty cool name. It has a grand, majestic vibe to it.”
I ignored the others and quickly changed the subject.
So, as it turns out…
‘Living Joyfully, Morning with Energy.’
Or ‘Living Joyfully, Morning with Energy,’ shortened to ‘LivJoyEnMorn.’
Actually, this club is more commonly known as the ‘Band Club,’ and it was founded by my brother, Park Su-hyuk.
Because of this, it’s backed by Optimum and receives generous support.
But honestly, doesn’t the name sound cheesy? I felt bad dissing a brother I hadn’t even met, but why on earth did he choose such a name? I don’t get it.
“Never mind me. What clubs are you guys thinking of?”
“Hmm, I’m considering ‘Neighbor’s Nation.’ They’re recruiting foreign students like me.”
“What about you, Jun-woo?”
“I’m not interested.”
“Jun-woo, you can’t do that. Club activities are mandatory.”
Jun-woo frowned at the word ‘mandatory.’
That’s the problem.
To be honest, I’d rather spend time training or hunting in the gates, just like Jun-woo. But club participation is mandatory. You’re required to join at least one.
“No choice, then. I’ll follow you.”
“Damn, I was going to say that first. Merry, what should we do? Should we just join your club? We’re practically one body, right?”
“One body, my foot! Can’t you choose your words more carefully? Club choice is important!”
Despite Merry’s attempt to highlight the benefits of joining a club…
Well, that’s how I see it.
No matter how much you talk about preparing for the future, it all comes down to strength and ability for a superhuman.
We’re superhumans, stepping into a world where strength proves everything. If you’re confident in your skills, what does it matter where you go?
Networking? Socializing? The future?
Is forming groups based on such trivial reasons really necessary?
It’s embarrassing.
“Eh, whatever. I’m going to train.”
“Agreed. I’m off too.”
“Wait a minute. Were you even listening to me? This is really important! Ki-hyuk! Stop! Ki-hyuk! Stop right there!!”
So, we headed to the underground training room, which smelled of sweat, instead of the bustling recruitment grounds.
Naturally, Merry came along.
“I’m going to kill you!!”
But that night at dinner, I found myself cornered on the same topic by my mother.
Just as I was about to dig into the deliciously simmering soft tofu stew, my mother spoke up.
“What are you going to do about the club, son?”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t tell me you headed straight to the training room with a ‘whatever happens, happens’ attitude.”
”…Are you psychic?”
“That’s just a passive ability. A mother always knows everything about her child.”
“Oh, come on, Mom.”
“Oh my, look at this one. Do you think I’m joking?”
“Then guess what I did today?”
Mom rinsed her mouth with water, then replied immediately, as if it wasn’t even worth thinking about.
“It’s obvious. You finished class and went straight to the training room. You probably piled on a ton of weights and started working out. When you got bored, you teased the princess, then went back to exercising. When you got hungry, you ordered delivery, and the menu was black bean noodles, right? You’ve been into that lately.”
”…!”
…She’s spot on!
“Am I right? By the look on your face, I know I’m right. Want me to guess your thoughts too? ‘Who cares about clubs? I’m me! Strength is everything! I’d rather hunt one more gate than waste time on that!’ Am I wrong?”
“Wow…”
Clap, clap.
I stopped chewing my food and clapped.
It was an eerily accurate deduction that erased any doubt. The last part, about teasing Merry, was so accurate it made me wonder if she’d been watching me.
As expected of my mother, what an incredible ability. I couldn’t help but bow my head in respect.
“But look at this kid. Were you really not thinking at all? Honestly, you’re just like your dad in these situations.”
“I was thinking, of course.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So, let’s hear what our thoughtful son has come up with.”
“Well, here’s the thing. In my opinion, clubs are like miniature societies. You learn about networking, relationships, all that social stuff. And then…”
Of course, I wasn’t just mindlessly going about my day.
It’s just that I find all this club stuff tiresome. With all the life I’ve lived, why would I bother getting worked up like some wet-behind-the-ears kid?
”…To sum up, I think the academy uses these clubs to manage the power of team leaders. The team leader’s authority is absolute because of the team structure, but in contrast, clubs are individual activities, so if a student doesn’t like their team, they have a place to escape to.”
“As expected of my son. You’ve hit the nail on the head.”
“So here’s what I think. The idea that there’s an escape route makes people weak.”
“That’s right, weak— Huh??”
“A lion is said to throw its cubs off a cliff to raise them properly. You can’t grow strong if you have the safety net of an escape.”
“Ki-hyuk.”
‘No, that’s not it,’ Mom frantically shook her head, but I didn’t notice. Right now, I wasn’t just Park Ki-hyuk, the son—I was Park Ki-hyuk, the team leader!
“As a team leader! A team leader who’s responsible for the growth of their team members! I must eliminate anything that hinders their growth.”
Even if it’s the academy’s intention to increase social skills, I’ll reject it as a leader.
Only for the sake of true strength, as a true leader.
“I’m going to start my own club.”
I’ve even come up with a name.
‘No Escape from Hell.’
Hehe.
…
Shudder~.
“What’s this? Why am I suddenly shivering?”
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