Chapter 235 – Genius (1)
pbfRachel’s fall happened in an instant. The students who witnessed the scene were horrified. Among them, Speedweapon had gone completely pale. He wasn’t the only one—everyone was breathless.RyZFN
Qaw‘He-he’s insane…’0dlj
C1wZYHe cursed internally. His lips, wrapped around the flute mouthpiece, were dry.0BRtpyj
fDwSu86Now that he thought about it, this was the first time they’d faced the President, Kang Geom-Ma, head-on. He’d always been beside them as a reliable ally. But in combat, his eyes were different.BYCNFWN
6WwzHe was a demon with a sword. And now Speedweapon instantly understood why those who had clashed with him trembled just remembering it.axNTiDr
9UqOHThose dark eyes scanned everyone present. His emotions were so taut that his pupils looked calm, like the eye of a storm—black and still.zUUq
7CJThe students gulped, raising their weapons. Exposed to pure terror, their teenage minds clouded until only survival instinct remained.eJY32
lNkp9aKang Geom-Ma stood before the rest of the class, keeping a careful distance.RofQIN
XK7RBlade angled forward, he readied himself fully.22N
PIVYvkqThough tense, the students managed to take position.izaPg
70BXEIn the midst of the uneasy silence, Chloe broke the ice.erq
EdKQxwAShe drew her katana and her form blurred. She activated [Blessing of the Crow] and took the first step.tc2
Gl9083A red streak cut a clean, straight path toward Kang Geom-Ma. In a blink, that crimson figure was already upon him.gZdqJF
WYmFSpeedweapon gaped. Chloe’s speed wasn’t normal.tvjRBEh
ymGQO‘Was Chloe always this fast?’rnl4
zeZHe knew she was in the combat team of the exploration club. But this speed was outrageous. If she went any faster, she’d break the sound barrier. That battle-hardened blessing, combined with her velocity, turned her into a genuine assassin.7pF
Rnq3nrSwish!H9LHtoE
9OgUp close now, she flipped and swung the katana in a low arc. A strike charged with momentum and rotation, nearly subsonic.y3NNyT
l7mAxlMBut in terms of speed, no one could beat Kang Geom-Ma.qSj8z
klXiHe didn’t stop her immediately. He preferred to assess her through a few moves before countering. After all, this was just training, limited to one minute under the [Blessing of Insensitivity to Pain].xNLZh
CTgKang Geom-Ma stepped diagonally back. The katana barely grazed his lower side and passed harmlessly.LTK
xLlKTTaking advantage of the opening, he shoved her with his shoulder. Chloe, thrown off balance, faltered. He then swept her legs from behind to capitalize on her instability. But she managed to absorb the fall using abdominal force.ofu
aTj7QzTap.6NCtv
5cxdUKvKang Geom-Ma sighed. That she endured surprised him. Still, the astonishment was brief. He immediately struck her chin with an uppercut. Her head snapped back. Then he hooked her ankle again, toppling her. This time, between the legs.OzT
uaJ“Ugh…!”umYB
IxEHShe couldn’t hold on any longer. Chloe stumbled and fell flat. Her head thudded against the floor. Her vision blurred.foIj4
UL9wRUThen Kang Geom-Ma thrust the sashimi blade into her carotid artery. Crack. The blade stuck once in the neck bone.vD77Q9
RNUIShuk!NjPbMP
onXThe spark of life vanished from Chloe’s eyes. Second victim, after Rachel.kQne3
atqMAHAt that moment, another blade flashed from the flank. Abel had snuck up unnoticed. Her strike targeted Kang Geom-Ma’s side with even more intensity than Chloe’s, thanks to her flawless posture.YkMwAu
rOoBut precisely because of that, it was predictable. This type of attack was vulnerable to variations.Iau
Z05dKang Geom-Ma twisted his torso to dodge while launching a counter at the same time. His knife barely nicked Abel’s waist, while her straight sword missed his hip by a hair.esl
2YdxLA weak gust sliced through the air. Kang Geom-Ma used the momentum from his waist to leap into a spinning motion.bE9q
qM5KPduWhirl!IXxcUD
XxwRaOnly his back was visible to Abel’s golden eyes. Time seemed to freeze.eZKmJ
RHREAbel thought. How can a human move with such flexibility? With no support, from such an unstable stance, he pulled off a full spin midair.zOQLvj
5pDLike a gymnast. And then she noticed something else. Normally, Kang Geom-Ma relied on his swift swordplay. But now, he was using his body more than his hands.rA871lU
Gtc‘Why…?’tDJ
TP0mWhile that question crossed her mind, something pressed forcefully against her head. Kang Geom-Ma was doing a handstand on her crown.W85IK1
nWE2K5She didn’t have time to react before the sashimi blade sliced through her neck like someone plucking ripe fruit. The light vanished from her golden eyes and her body collapsed.Hrhw2Ng
Vv6Thud!QjQFXi
sRZseoJEverything had happened so smoothly it looked slow. That’s precisely why those watching felt such a deep chill.4UHq
A1dIU0tKang Geom-Ma landed softly and clicked his tongue. He was so used to killing in one blow that holding back was difficult. That’s why it had turned into a circus act.vK4FG
ANY‘Oh, right.’hxN
Fzy4rmHe checked the time quickly. About 30 seconds left on the [Blessing of Insensitivity to Pain]. He flicked the blood from his blade and looked around. Counted who remained. Leon, Ryozo, Horntail, Speedweapon. All of them frozen.Ukysji
yRf1h‘Great. Only the ones I’m laziest to deal with left.’yt6kQil
cpHhh6It wasn’t that he’d enjoyed taking out the other three, but Leon aside, the rest were his closest friends.tN6I
bqR‘Do I have to treat them like Rachel, Chloe, and Abel?’LV4a
om9cA9KHe hesitated for a moment. Then shook his head. If he did that, he’d probably be the one hurt. Among them was a Hero—and a dragon.riA
Pq19He’d shown enough for today. This was a good point to end the demonstration. Honestly, he was sick of keeping up with Meain’s games. It wasn’t just annoying—it was exhausting.Z8Eh3
o9O35‘This isn’t just training.’54l8e
ijODHe sensed it. There was a deeper purpose beyond what was said.GpJhzn
zisqJF‘I’d like to stop here, but…’zEA
OUTDThe momentum of battle wouldn’t let go. And once a sword was drawn, there was only one way to end it. A kind of unspoken rule among swordsmen.sQ3
5RY59DKang Geom-Ma pulled another sashimi knife and gripped both tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils.x5dP
5tFBSEveryone except Leon slowly backed away. The boy who laughed with them yesterday now approached like a wild beast. Baring his fangs, and despair painted on their faces.Br6H
sejEEven with his eyes closed, Kang Geom-Ma could feel their trembling. And he hated it.s0EXYt
yLN9‘Let’s end this.’aoc5
JjvwBWith that decision, Kang Geom-Ma opened his eyes slowly. And as he exhaled the breath he’d held, he charged forward.24IA
Nla05mw***VeLP
l0LkThe fight ended with a predictable result. Even if they were the so-called “golden generation,” the gap between them and Kang Geom-Ma was overwhelming.YwZJxS
lsnJFr3There were no surprises. It was a complete and utter victory for Kang Geom-Ma.Eb9yW
xmmThe reason Meain suggested the “Kang Geom-Ma versus everyone” exercise was to get a general sense—to see how long the students of the Heavenly Class could last against a Seven Star. Based on that, she planned to design the curriculum and guide each according to their capabilities.Bf6
uwcOBut…YDzW
tDjO‘I didn’t expect it to be on this level.’9tFh
4MYkSince she had assumed the identity of San Ha-na, Meain had been carefully observing Kang Geom-Ma. Of course. She had faked her identity and infiltrated Joaquin Academy just to stay close to him.nnNJkV
mncSThe reason was a prophecy she found years ago in the Demon Realm.Yhi
hZpcHShe didn’t clearly remember the details—it was very old—but the general content spoke of a “human with black eyes and hair.” According to the prophecy, a power belonging to an “existence” revered as a god by demons resided within such a human.CuYt
eLxo08One example given was the Founding Hero, Balor Joaquin. Her doubts didn’t last long.eLv
F1iEMeain had wandered the Demon Realm for decades to suppress her own blessing’s awakening. The information she had seen and heard with her own eyes and ears confirmed the prophecy was real.MRHTL
tzjr‘A human with black eyes and black hair has a deep connection to the demon god—or rather, to an outer god.’wCynmq2
NuwvAnd that was when Meain felt a bitter irony.OiTX
oowFZWhy would the god of demons grant power to a human rather than to its own followers? Moreover, what fate awaited a human who used that power? What consequences would the wielder bear? Wouldn’t such dark power bring harm to humanity?69n4RAk
NTPeSXNothing was certain. Only questions without answers.3tX
ve5Even the end of Balor Joaquin, the possible predecessor of that “power,” remained a mystery. The history books only said he vanished without a trace.b12
3KY6Anxiety and curiosity grew in Meain’s heart. The more she explored the Demon Realm, the more uncontrollable they became.tpwj
jEPb2So, as soon as she heard that a black-haired student had enrolled at Joaquin Academy, she returned to the human world.sRZr
sugrcRC‘I must see it with my own eyes.’ni3eVJ
aMH1fYIf the prophecy was true, she had to make a decision.Zs03cj
2Vk‘If I determine that the bearer of that power is a threat to humanity…’cNuMZG
etvXYKThen she would act, no matter the cost.Cy8D2
h2eQri5‘Forty years ago, I lost three of my disciples because I didn’t participate in the war.’LM0T
xOjRwxShe wouldn’t sit back a second time. If he was a threat, she would eliminate him before it was too late.gi1dc
kwIHowever, Meain acknowledged that this was deeply arrogant and selfish. Over time, she had come to understand that. Even now, she felt it.tkzXkg1
sWAiPcVThe students were gasping for air, touching their necks to check if they were still attached, or silently sobbing while staring at the ceiling, completely defeated. Kang Geom-Ma was walking up to each of them, asking if they were okay.0GDmToP
y4H2And each time he did, they recoiled in fear.a1Bb
nYQzECGIt seemed the trauma wouldn’t fade soon. While it probably wouldn’t destroy their relationship with him, it clearly wouldn’t be the same as before.e7oljp
qsq4b‘If at least it had been a chaotic brawl…’xyO
bcFOMeain lowered her gaze slightly. The second hand of her watch made a full circle. Only a minute had passed.zzO8J5
QTn3k7In other words, Kang Geom-Ma had taken them all down in less than 60 seconds. And he had been deliberately holding back. Even with the future Hero among them, it didn’t make a difference.10kg
fZD6Meain looked at Leon again. His slack expression and dull dark-blue eyes said everything. There was no need to guess how he felt. After all, she was the one who had discovered and brought him to Joaquin Academy.KJx
4CeozOMHumiliation, despair, helplessness—the Hero was breaking down in front of a wall far too high.U3upYJ
slq6vIt was then that—Y47J5
EY4kKh“Senior.”vyS
0VDKang Geom-Ma approached her. His furrowed brow made it clear he wasn’t in a good mood.LwcDU
HAcB0“I think the kids are pretty shaken. Why don’t we end class here for today?”5VnT
KqtZkvFIt was a suggestion disguised as a command. And when the Heavenly Sword himself said it, there was no room for debate. Meain nodded slowly.rNMUXKn
OZsu“You’re right. Seeing how they are, it doesn’t seem wise to continue class today. So for today we’ll stop here, and tomorrow…”NKtr
l12gi3W“Senior.”lHWDAs
Azu5FCJA voice like ice cut her off. Kang Geom-Ma turned his neck side to side.vHyUFY
lUi8qg“Come outside for a moment. I want to talk to you.”AXjpiE
UfulbYAn inexplicable weight pressed heavily on Meain’s chest.qP9Mm5
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaNow Leon knows who’s the real protagonist.